“We aren’t the tight-knit group we should be, so Ashton thought it would help to get together every week. He has experience in team-building, according to the bank, but I can’t help but wonder what they’re teaching him. I don’t think charades or pin-the-tail-on-the-dragon is all that inspiring.”
Mina couldn’t stop the laugher bubbling out of her. “Pin-the-tail-on-the-dragon?”
Wyatt groaned. “Ashton went out and special ordered a poster that looks like Ryker and hung it in Jasper’s house. They’ve been pinning studs and spikes on it for weeks. When we get together, he has us trying to pin a mini flail he got at a renaissance faire to the dragon’s ass.”
“Now that I would like to see,” Mina said before she remembered herself.
It wasn’t her place. Their family days were for metallic dragons. Not lowly chromatic beasts like her. She pressed her lips together and half turned away, trying to hint that she’d like to go back to work. Already, she’d wasted too much of Wyatt’s time.
“You’re welcome to come,” Wyatt added.
His offer stopped her dead in her tracks. Didn’t he know where she stood? She didn’t belong among them. Perhaps it was just a nice thing to say, once he’d spoken of it. Wyatt didn’t truly expect her to take him up on it.
Mina nodded and rushed back to the kitchen. This was her last day working for Ryker. She needed to stop thinking she belonged here. Ryker was not her friend. He was just an acquaintance.
But did acquaintances show up in her back yard right when she needed a friend? Did they make coffee and share cake for breakfast? Her head spun until she marched up to the stereo system. Heavy metal blasted from the speakers all around the house. Screeching guitar riffs quieted the chaos in her mind.
***
Ryker hadn’t been ready to go home. He wished Mina could have stayed with him, that she never had to go back to the house that frightened her and turned a majestic dragon into a meek mouse. Not quite ready to shift back to his human form, he perched on the mountainside. His steel body blended in with the rocky terrain, reflecting it so that he was nothing more than a boulder.
By now, Mina would be at his house. He should have pushed off the cliff and flown home, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. This would be her last day cleaning for him. It felt final, like he would never see her again even though they lived in the same town. Mina had flown with him, but she seemed intent on keeping a gap between them.
Ryker did his best to respect it, but his beast desperately wanted to clamber through the divide and convince her that they could at least be friends.
No.
Ryker wanted a lot more than that. He wanted to fold her into his arms and never let the world bring her down again. He wanted to make her coffee in the morning, every morning. The desire gripping him was unfamiliar, but all-consuming. Never before had he felt so strongly about anyone.
He took his position in Jasper’s court seriously. Generations of dragons before him had upheld the standards that kept their family and the mountains safe. While he longed for the life he’d led before he came home, he knew his place here was important, that he was doing the right thing. This feeling had nothing to do with the people here and everything to do with duty, with honor.
Then came Mina. For the first time since he’d come home, he found a reason to stay that would make him happy. He’d thought his future would be filled with begrudging work. That would surely be a part of it, but if he could show Mina that he wanted her in his life, then maybe there was more to living.
Ryker hadn’t realized he’d stood, but he found himself on the edge of the cliff, wings spread. His home sat down below. Mina’s car was parked outside, as was Wyatt’s. A growl trickled from his muzzle, but Wyatt was a mated man. Ryker had nothing to fear from his cousin.
Before Ryker could drop down, a roar split the air. It shook his wings and brought his attention up. Jasper soared above. Ryker cursed and launched himself up into the air, racing after his cousin. The gold dragon was huge, but Ryker knew how to hit like a wrecking ball.
He turned just in time, his side slamming into Jasper’s ribcage. The dragon coughed and sputtered in the air, dropping. Ryker chased after him. He hoped Wyatt could see the fight from the windows in his house. Wrangling Jasper was never an easy job.
As if to prove his point, Jasper spun around and snapped at Ryker. Unlike his cousins’, Ryker’s wings were protected by a thin layer of scales along the edges. Jasper’s teeth glanced off the metal scales. Ryker would have let out a sigh of relief, cold filling him, but Jasper was quick. The gold dragon shot up into the air, banking to fall behind Ryker. Before Ryker could maneuver away, Jasper landed on Ryker’s back.
The weight of the gold dragon sent him careening toward the valley below. He opened his mouth to let out a roar, but Jasper reached and held Ryker’s muzzle closed. All Ryker could do was thrash back and forth in the hopes that he could buck Jasper off.
This was a losing fight. While Jasper wouldn’t kill his own family, he’d been known to put his cousins out of commission for days. He didn’t mess around. Whatever his beast wanted was worth the blood.
He wished the idiot would talk to them, but he was a closed book when it came to whatever sparked this madness in his beast. Jasper acted like he knew nothing. He feigned ignorance, but Ryker knew both Jasper and his beast were too smart. It was all an act to hide their secret, whatever it was.
Before Ryker could hit the ground, two dragons flew from the house below. One was Wyatt, a dark metallic beast with flames already burning in his maw. The sight of the other made Ryker’s heart race. Mina soared toward them with determination on her face. Ryker couldn’t let her join this fight.
Jasper’s beast was ruthless. If he hurt Mina, Ryker would never forgive him. Everything he’d wanted to believe about the court would vanish, nothing but sand between his fingers.
He fought against Jasper’s hold on his muzzle, a roar bursting from him. He fought to get free of Jasper and turned beneath him, kicking with all four feet. Jasper tumbled through the air. When he righted himself, surprise was clear on his face. Before he could do anything more, Wyatt crashed into him.
While Jasper was busy with Wyatt, Ryker intercepted Mina. He flicked his tail back toward the house, growling low at her. She didn’t stop to listen, instead flying up and over him toward the fight. Panic was sharp as it cut through him in a way that nothing else could. He had the thickest and strongest of all the scales, but watching Mina run toward danger cut deeper than any claws ever could.
Before they reached Jasper and Wyatt, the gold dragon had already escaped Wyatt’s range. He soared through the mountain pass, outrunning them. Small and agile, Mina was right on his tail. Ryker would have cursed if he had human lips. He and Wyatt gave chase.
The edge of their territory was coming up. The mountains grew smaller and smaller, the ground below further and further away as they shrank. But, before Jasper could flee, he spread his wings and banked. He stared at something down below. Ryker thought, with hope, that they’d finally found the reason for Jasper’s madness.
What they saw down below was not what Ryker expected. A caravan of people and trucks were parked on the edge of the territory. They’d set up encampments, complete with tents. Two dragons stomped between the tents before shifting back to human form.
Just as Ryker had feared, another family of dragons had heard of Jasper’s weakness. They were coming to push the Drake family out of the mountains. A snarl echoed between them all. Ryker felt it rumbling inside his mouth, but it surrounded him as if he wasn’t the only one growling.
He darted around the gold dragon to situate himself between his cousin and Mina. Wyatt moved to fill the space Ryker emptied, both dragons now flanking Jasper. Ire filled the gold dragon’s eyes. He knew Jasper wanted to go down there right that second, but they needed to talk first.
Wyatt and Ryker circled Jasper, Mina joining them. Together the three dragons herded Jasper back into the moun
tains. They pushed back toward Jasper’s house. Below, Ashton rushed out, but before he could shift and join them, Jasper descended of his own free will. It seemed the sight of other dragon shifters on the mountain border had bothered him enough to set him straight.
At least for the time being.
Ryker dropped to the ground, too. He spared no time in shifting, but before he could join his family he turned to Mina. She had landed but looked nervously at the house before them. There was nothing ominous about Jasper’s family home. If anything, it was warm and welcoming in a country music kind of way.
She looked in the direction of Ryker’s house, but he couldn’t bear the idea of her leaving just yet. The meek mouse of a woman had rushed to join a fight that Ryker had been losing. She was so small, yet so brave. He held his hand out to her.
“I’d like it if you came inside. I think we both need to get something to eat after a day like today.” His heart paused, refusing to beat until Mina answered.
She hesitated, moving from foot to foot, then looked down at herself. Ryker was a complete idiot. The afternoon had scrambled his mind. Of course, Mina wouldn’t be comfortable shifting around a bunch of men. Ryker held up a finger, asking her to wait, before he ran inside.
Not bothering to ask, he ran right for Makenna and Ashton’s room. He yanked open a dresser drawer and grabbed what looked like a pair of pants and a shirt before rushing back outside. Mina had backed up, as if she might sneakily run away.
Shame dropped like a stone in his stomach. He couldn’t force her to stay if she didn’t want to be here. While he needed to join his cousins for a meeting to talk about what they’d all seen, Mina had no reason to stay other than he wanted her company. He let his shoulders drop.
He placed the pile of stolen clothing on a stone wall and glanced back at her once more. “You can leave if you really want. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”
It took every ounce of will to force himself inside. His beast rebelled and tried to claw its way back to her, but he had a duty to uphold. Of course, they could wait while he got a snack and wrangled his beast.
***
The look on his face had nearly devastated her. She still couldn’t believe Ryker had asked her to stay. Mina knew she didn’t belong here. This was the home of the king of the mountain. It wasn’t a place for chromatic dragons. Yet, here she was with an invitation.
The sight of other dragons at the foot of the mountains had shaken her. While Mina knew she should have gone home or back to Ryker’s house to finish her work, she wanted to stay near Ryker and his cousins. It was safer here.
So, she changed and dressed in the clothing he’d found for her. The pants were clingy leggings, but the shirt was much looser. In fact, it hung in a deep V between her breasts. She held it closed while she ran up to Ryker.
He startled. “I didn’t think you would stay.”
Mina gave him a tight-lipped smile. She didn’t know how to explain her fear, especially after her brazen display earlier. Chasing after Jasper had been stupid but seeing the gold dragon attack Ryker had snapped something inside her. She’d acted without thought. As soon as Wyatt burst through the door, she’d been right behind him.
Ryker grinned and reached for her hand. He held it while he led her inside. She should have been taking in the grand house, but all she could see was Ryker’s hand around hers. The skin of his palms was rough and calloused, but it was warm. Incredibly warm.
Voices filtered in from another room, but he didn’t lead her toward them. They bypassed the room and found the kitchen. When Ryker let go of her hand, she immediately missed it even though she should have known better.
While Ryker dug around the fridge and cupboards, she stood awkwardly, hands still clutching the front of her shirt. If she let it go, her breasts would fall out. Not that she had all that much, but she didn’t think it was appropriate to flash everyone anytime she moved.
“How do these people live?” Ryker muttered inside the fridge. “There’s nothing but old pizza boxes and take out in here.”
Mina laughed because she thought that was what she was supposed to do. The sound must have been off because Ryker’s head rose over the fridge door. He looked between her and the kitchen island stools.
“You should sit! That fight was exhausting.”
“Oh,” she mumbled. “I just…I didn’t…”
He stared at her for a long moment. Then he shut the fridge and grabbed a stool, he beckoned her to follow as he carried the stool to the other side of the island counter. When he set it down, he gestured for her to sit.
“Is that better? You should be able to see what I’m doing from here. You can tell me if you don’t like something before I try to make you eat it.”
Mina didn’t say she wasn’t sure if she was allowed to sit. She kept that behind her teeth and did as he asked. Ryker watched her, looking pleased until he saw her balled fists.
“Is there something wrong with the shirt?”
“Well, um.” She let go of the fabric and let it fall like it wanted.
Ryker’s gaze dropped immediately. His eyes heated, flashing like hot steel. She watched his lips part and felt a trickle of warmth begin to fill her. His brows rose, but his lips flapped.
Mina pulled the shirt closed again and the spell over Ryker vanished. All that was left were two circles of color on his cheeks.
“You can’t tell me you’ve never seen breasts before,” Mina teased, her voice low. The words left her before she could take them back. Emboldened by his reaction to her, she continued. “You worked for a rock band. Surely you’ve seen better breasts than this.”
Ryker was in front of her before the fridge door could shut. He looked over her, resurrecting the heat she’d felt only a moment ago. “Those are the best damn breasts I’ve seen.”
Mina licked her lips. That was not what she expected. It made her smile even though the rational part of her brain told her she should not be flirting with a metallic dragon. Ryker still loomed over her. He reached for her hands, not pulling them away from the shirt, but caressing her skin. His touch was gentle.
She released the fabric just to feel his touch on the sensitive skin of her palms. This close, she could hear the hitch in his breath when the fabric parted to reveal her chest again. His head ducked. Mina didn’t know what he planned on doing.
Was he going to kiss her?
Did he want to whisper something in her ear?
“Are you coming to the meeting?” a male dragon asked from the doorway.
Ryker snapped up. “I’m making a damn sandwich. You can wait until I’m done.”
The male dragon glanced between Mina and Ryker. He shook his head, but she heard him muttering as he walked away. “That’s definitely not a sandwich, but you do you.”
She clasped her hand over her mouth. What was she doing here?
Ryker growled. He still held her hands. Mina slowly pulled them free, trying not to acknowledge the way his face crumpled as she retreated.
“Makenna’s room is upstairs on the left,” Ryker told her. “While you find another shirt, I’ll make you something to eat.”
Mina was grateful for the excuse to run away. Slinking through the halls of the king’s home felt naughty. It felt much like trespassing in a life she was not a part of, which was accurate. Mina was caught up in the plight of the metallic dragons, but she in no way belonged among them. Soon, the issue of unfamiliar dragons on the border of the mountain would steal Ryker’s attention away from her.
It coincided with the end of the cleaning gig at his house, perhaps a sign that Mina should be moving on. Maybe she’d already overstayed her welcome.
Just pulling open the drawers in the obviously lived-in bedroom felt wrong. This was what Ryker told her to do, but she didn’t want to go through another woman’s clothing.
As if summoned by Mina’s thoughts, Makenna appeared. Mina startled and threw up her hands, ready to apologize for being where she didn’t belong, but
Makenna’s gaze dropped to the shirt that was now open. The human woman let out a sigh and shook her head.
“Is that what Ryker grabbed for you? What was he thinking?”
Makenna pushed the dresser drawer shut and moved to the closet where she yanked a sweater off a hanger. Mina knew Makenna, but only in passing. While Makenna and the Drake boys had gone to school together, Mina had been homeschooled.
“I didn’t know you were a dragon,” Makenna said conversationally. Her voice was raspy, changed from only a few months ago.
Mina’d heard of the fire that burned down Makenna’s apartment, but she never stopped to think that Makenna might have been caught in it. The woman she knew only as a waitress became a lot more, in Mina’s eyes. Not only had she survived a wildfire, but she’d mated with a metallic dragon. Frail and breakable, Makenna held her own among the strongest dragons in the world.
Mina looked down at the sweater in her hands.
“How do you do it?” Mina asked, softly. “How do you find your place in their world?”
Makenna paused her hasty clean-up of the bedroom to stare at Mina. It seemed Mina’s question had gone over Makenna’s head. Mina wanted to try again, but her tongue was failing her as usual. She knew she was overstepping her boundaries. There was no secret key that would allow her access to this life.
Then, Makenna let out a long breath. “It was less finding my own place here, and more being absorbed by them. I know that sounds strange, but I was living my own life both times I was with Ashton. We just came together like we were always one.”
Mina nodded, not understanding what Makenna was trying to say. Instead of responding, she turned around and tugged the flowy top over her head. Makenna threw her a soft bralette and told her to put it on.
“That sweater’s knit is offensive to nipples everywhere. You’re going to want the bralette.”
Mina smiled despite her nervousness. The sweater fit her arms and shoulders but hung to her thighs. She was grateful for the coverage, especially after having to hold the last shirt in place.
Ryker Drake Page 5
