“Does that mean you’re sweet on Ryker?”
Makenna’s words made Mina freeze. “What?” she croaked.
“You asked me about fitting into this life. Considering that you’re a dragon shifter, I didn’t think you were asking how I lived with a bunch of animals. You’re probably more used to their behavior than I am.”
“I’m not sure what you mean. They’re not animals, they’re the king’s knights.” Though she defended them, Mina couldn’t help but remember Ryker smashing a guitar in his back yard. “Ah. Never mind. I think I understand.”
Mina swallowed. It was not that she wanted to know how to get along with her own kind. That wasn’t the point. Frustration welled in Mina’s chest while she struggled to put her desire into words.
Just when she thought she’d figured out how to word her question, Makenna’s attention moved past her. A familiar scent drifted into the room and wrapped around her, sending a plume of warmth through her. She didn’t have to turn around to know that Ryker stood behind her.
“I’ll leave you two alone,” Makenna said. When she reached the doorway, she stopped and looked Ryker in the eye. “Don’t even think about doing anything freaky on my bed.”
Mina’s face flamed. It burned hotter than she’d ever felt before. She turned away to hide the inevitable color that consumed her cheeks and listened to Makenna’s footsteps disappear down the hall.
The back of her neck prickled, a sensation that ran down her spine. She wasn’t sure if it was the effect of Ryker’s eyes or simply how she felt in his presence, always aware of where he stood. The floor creaked and her back warmed, an indication that he’d stepped closer. Mina thought that if she leaned back even an inch, she would meet Ryker’s chest.
“The sweater is definitely more your style. Comfortable is a good look on you. You don’t look as comfortable as you were the day you ate cake with me, but it’s pretty close.”
Mina found her tongue tied in knots. Her heart raced. The only thing she could feel was the warmth at her back, Ryker’s presence so close by. He reached past her, and she found a sandwich in his outstretched hand. The sight of it drew laughter from her. He was close enough to pull her into his arms, but he offered a sandwich instead.
“What does this mean?” Mina asked, accepting the sandwich. “The dragons on the border can’t be here for a good reason.”
Ryker blew out a breath through his nose. It fell hot on the back of her neck. Mina wasn’t sure, but it felt like he’d moved closer. She hadn’t heard him move. Then, his forehead touched her shoulder. She could feel his body tremble.
“It means they don’t trust us to keep ourselves a secret. Somehow, they learned about Jasper’s problems, making it a much larger issue than it was.”
Mina had the feeling they weren’t here to slap Jasper on the wrist. It meant a take-over. But, they had not entered the mountains yet. If they thought they could overthrow Jasper and his court, then they should have made a move by now.
“So, what do we do?” She took a bite of the sandwich and was surprised to find it stuffed with fresh vegetables. The cucumber was bright across her tongue, refreshingly cool compared to Ryker’s heat.
“We don’t do anything. You should go back home, lock the door, and wait for me to come back.”
Mina tried to hide the hurt that filled her. She should have expected this. She knew there was no way she could be a part of Ryker’s world, no matter how badly she wanted to. But his arms wrapped around her and he pressed himself against her back, hugging her tight.
“I don’t know what I’d do if you got hurt.” His breath washed over her neck. “Let us take care of this. I promise you’ll be safe.”
His proximity surprised her. Ryker was…holding her. He was begging her to stay safe, making a commitment to keeping her safe. It was much more than she ever expected and, in the moment, she didn’t know what to do.
No, she knew exactly what to do. She was just too afraid to do it. Her heart tried to fight against her, struggling to escape her chest. She took control of her heart and willed it to calm as she turned in Ryker’s arms.
He watched her with curiosity in his eyes. She set aside the sandwich he’d made for her and grasped the sides of his face. Against her will, her heart thumped once more. A warning. There was still time to flee. She didn’t have to follow through with this. If she didn’t do it, there would be no fallout when it went wrong.
But she could no longer ignore the pull that drew her to him. She tilted her head back. Her lips touched his, barely a brush of skin on skin. For a heartbeat, Ryker didn’t move. He didn’t breathe. He made no sound.
Mina feared the worst. She was about to run away when his fingers dug into her hips. A low growl rumbled out of him. It vibrated his chest like a purring cat. He bent and claimed her lips, suddenly ferocious. Mina stumbled back from the force of his kiss but held on tight to him. He would keep her from falling.
His tongue slipped over her lips, asking to come inside. Mina wanted everything he had to offer and opened to let him take what he wanted. She was rewarded with the taste of him. It was tangy and metallic, like steel on a cold day. She leaned into it, letting it cool her while a fire burned in her belly.
Ryker’s hand rose over her back. He threaded his fingers in her hair. Her beast responded with a pleased growl as his fingers tightened. She couldn’t believe this was happening. Ryker was kissing her. Her!
Her mind spun, but one thought remained. It was a question, really.
Could this be what it felt like to find her mate?
It was a thrilling idea, one that drove her. She let her hands fall, fingers brushing his neck. As she ran them down the front of his shirt, she felt the small bump of his nipple ring and smiled. They broke apart, both breathing heavy. Her head spun from euphoria. Nothing in her life felt like this. Not even flight felt this exhilarating.
Ryker growled and nuzzled her neck. She let out a yelp of surprise when he nipped the soft skin.
“I said nothing freaky!” Makenna shouted from downstairs.
The words were a bucket of cold water over Mina. She leapt back, breaking away from his embrace. Her chest heaved. She couldn’t believe what she’d just done. Hand over her lips, she held tight to the lingering sensation of his lips on hers and ran from the room.
***
Ryker wasn’t sure what he’d done wrong. His beast punched the barrier between them. It rattled and shook Ryker, but he managed to stay where he was and not chase after Mina. If she wanted space, he would give it to her. He only wished she’d waited a moment to tell him what he’d done wrong.
He wanted her to come back, wanted to feel her in his arms again. Ryker had no idea that’s what he wanted all along. He’d been so oblivious to his own desires. The smell of her emanated from his clothing. He brought it to his nose and breathed deep.
Whatever went wrong, he would find a way to fix it. First, he needed to meet with the others. There was a threat on their border and it needed to be addressed before he thought of courting Mina. His beast disagreed, trying to tell him she wouldn’t be there when the threat was gone, but Ryker couldn’t think of putting himself before his family.
If the mountain fell into the hands of another dragon clan, then there would be no time to court her later. There would be nothing because Ryker and his cousins would be pushed out of the mountain. Jasper would be…
He didn’t want to think about it. Instead, he grabbed the sandwich Mina left on the dresser and went downstairs. She was seated on the couch with her knees drawn up to her chest. He wanted to sit beside her and ease the tension drawing her into a tight ball, but he understood his duties. He passed her the sandwich in the hopes that she would remember to feed herself.
All eyes were on him, from Ashton’s goofy expression to Jasper’s careful consideration. His king was too much like a cat, taking in everything that happened around him. Jasper was no fool, and he certainly didn’t act like a mad man. There was a chance they cou
ld get through this.
Ryker made another promise in that moment, that they would all get through this in one piece and then he would make Mina his own. He realized that when he asked her to go home, he’d meant his home. It was the only place he wanted her. There, she was safe from everything.
“Come join us, mother hen,” Ashton said, a smirk on his lips.
Ryker smacked him in the back of the head as he passed by. He gave Mina the space she wanted and sat on the arm of Ashton’s chair. His cousin needed a reminder that Ryker would always be the bigger dragon. And Ryker needed a distraction from the need pulsing in his loins.
Both Griffin and Jasper stared at him until he snarled.
“On with the meeting,” Ryker growled. He wasn’t in the mood to talk about himself. This issue needed to be taken care of so he could get on with what he really wanted.
Mina.
Even as Jasper began to speak, Ryker’s attention was tugged back toward the small woman folded into a corner of the couch. She didn’t look like she heard a thing that was said. Her gaze was attached to the floor, distant. Whatever Ryker had done wrong, it seemed as though he’d shaken her. He wanted to apologize, but he couldn’t.
Not right then.
He would later. He’d do whatever it took to make it up to her after this was over. Though, he suspected she didn’t have room for another giant stuffed dragon.
“The unfamiliar dragons have not yet made a move on the mountain,” Jasper said, his voice surprisingly unstrained for the threat that was looming over them.
“What are you suggesting?” Ashton asked. “That we wait for them to make the first move?”
All eyes were on Jasper. He didn’t flinch under the pressure, a sign of the king he was meant to be. Ryker waited for the gleam of his wild beast, but it never came. Perhaps wild wasn’t the right word for the creature in Jasper. Willful, maybe. Dominant.
“No. I’m suggesting we greet them.”
Ryker wasn’t convinced. Could Jasper hold his beast back long enough to speak with the dragons? Would they believe anything the Drake family had to say? If they met the dragons in their encampment, there was a chance they could eliminate them all at once. Ryker was confident in their skills but walking into an enemy’s territory was the same as handing them the advantage.
He wanted them to survive this. Hell, he wanted this to serve as a wake-up call for Jasper’s unruly beast. The dragon could mean the end of them all if Jasper couldn’t get it under control.
In the end, Jasper was still their king. Ryker listened to the plan his king laid out and agreed to follow it. They would give the unfamiliar dragons a chance to explain themselves. If they couldn’t, if the Drakes didn’t like what they heard or smelled a lie, then it would come to a fight.
Ryker turned toward Mina again. He didn’t want her involved in the fight, but as the conversation unfolded, so did she. Her feet were on the floor and she was leaning forward. There was determination in her eyes. He enjoyed the fierceness that she displayed, but he remembered the fear he felt when he saw her zooming toward Jasper.
Mina couldn’t be a part of this. His beast wouldn’t be able to handle it.
Chapter Eight
Mina went about her life as usual, though she felt a sudden gaping hole in it. She got up and prepared dinner for her uncle, so that it would be ready when he got home. All he needed to do was reheat it. She wore a loose dress that day and pulled her hair into two buns on either side of her head.
She didn’t have any cleaning to do that day. Instead, her time was dedicated to the local library. Days off didn’t mean much when she dreaded being home. Volunteering her time was a great excuse to avoid the house. The great part was that her uncle could not argue because she was serving her community. It might not be what he wanted, but the librarians always reminded him how much they needed Mina’s help when he came by.
Today, it was a welcome distraction from the part of herself that was now missing. Mina should have known better. There was no place for her in Ryker’s life. She would have only been a distraction until he found his proper mate. It was better to cut all ties now and deal with her grief than allow herself to believe she could ever be his mate.
The thought had snuck into her mind, unbidden, when he kissed her. She’d let herself fall for the lie. There was no way she could be the mate of a metallic dragon. Their worlds were so far apart, there was no bridge that could ever bring them together.
She laughed on her way into the library, thinking about how they’d met. She’d been the maid and he the man with an expensive house. It should have been obvious from the start, but Mina had let her guard down when he treated her like a friend.
Was it truly so strange to be treated nice that she fell for the first man to show her kindness? Mina couldn’t believe herself.
Old Georgia eyed her from the circulation desk. The older woman’s hair was now a fiery mix of purple that bled into pink and then orange. She was like a sunset in human form. It was rather beautiful and brazen, much like Old Georgia herself.
“I don’t know the last time I saw you wear a dress!” Old Georgia exclaimed. Then as Mina came closer, she whispered conspiratorially. “Is that for easy access with a new flame?”
Mina couldn’t stop the way her face warmed. She shook her head, vehemently.
“Well, that’s a pity then. Or not.” Old Georgia gathered a stack of books and placed them on a cart to be returned to the shelves. “Have you seen the latest Drake boy? He looks like a wild card. The ones who look the roughest on the outside are usually the sweetest. Do you know how many times I’ve seen motorcycle gangs outfitted with tiny baskets for their tiny dogs?”
“Georgia,” Mina hissed, embarrassed. She didn’t tell the woman about the time Ryker bought her a giant stuffed animal or the time they shared cake and coffee.
Yet, it was as if the woman could see it written on Mina’s face. She nudged Mina with her elbow. “Maybe you already know what I’m talking about, then.”
To avoid further conversation, Mina scurried away to hide herself in the children’s section. Already, the librarian was setting up the picture board for reading hour. Mina fetched the roll of scented stickers and the basket of candy that they shared after a successful hour.
Little by little, children trickled in. Tired parents disappeared deeper into the library. Some would later be found snoring in the garden. Others would be nose deep in romance novels. Mina knew it was a much-needed reprieve from parenthood, and many of them didn’t care about Mina’s status.
There were a few parents who looked down their noses at Mina. She knew the only reason they trusted her with their children was because of the librarian. It was like they didn’t trust Mina to do even the most basic of things. She realized, now, that those people were close to her uncle. They were shifters he’d known all their lives.
It struck Mina that no other dragons treated her the way her uncle and his friends did. It was as if the low-ranking dragons were bitter, hating on those beneath them because they could not risk hating anyone above them. Mina flirted with the idea, but eventually shook her head. It was cruel to think that so many people were that unhappy. It was only that Mina couldn’t be trusted.
She couldn’t recall the number of times she’d spilled drinks on her uncle’s guests. Or the times she’d burnt dinner, though she had not done so in years.
Mina shook the thoughts from her head, not liking where her mind had been going lately. First it was her attraction to Ryker, then these wild theories about other dragon shifters.
A hush swept over the room. Mina’s head snapped up. Both the librarian and the group of children had turned to stare at the doorway. Slowly, Mina followed their gaze to find Ryker smiling sheepishly at her. The gesture was so at odds with his rock-star style that she found it endearing.
Old Georgia’s words returned to her. Ryker truly was a gentle soul. He was bristly around his family, but never with her. This was the Ryker she always got to
see.
“Would any of you mind if I stole Mina away from you for a few minutes?”
The librarian nodded quickly. Mina slipped out of the room, heart racing. She should have told him to go home. They shouldn’t be talking like this. Mina knew she had to cut all ties, but it was so hard when Ryker stood before her.
His hands were crammed into the pockets of his leather jacket, making his shoulders bunch awkwardly. She wanted to reach and smooth back the floppy locks of his mohawk. Her hand was halfway to his hair before she stopped herself. She jerked back, taking a step away to keep herself from trying it again.
Mina opened her mouth to speak, but the memory of their shared kiss smashed anything she might have said to little bits. Which was fine because Ryker spoke first.
“I need you to come back. The house is a wreck.”
She snapped her lips shut. That’s what he’d interrupted her day off for? To ask her to work for him again?
“You should have the company’s number,” she told him. “You can schedule cleaning services through them. If you have a preference for a specific maid, you can tell them, too.”
Ryker looked as though he wanted to say something then shook his head.
***
He didn’t know how to tell her that he missed her company. The house was empty and quiet without her. Not even blaring music could abate the restless beast inside him. It nervously awaited the coming meeting with the unfamiliar dragons on the border of their mountains, thinking of Mina every possible second as if she might appear and tell him everything would be alright.
But, she wouldn’t. The contract with the cleaning service was through. Mina had gone back to her own life without a second thought of him, and that hurt more than any pain he’d ever known before. Even though he’d been the one to decide they needed to wait, he couldn’t believe how quickly she’d let go of him.
Of course, he couldn’t bring himself to ask what he’d done wrong. He didn’t know how to begin to apologize and bringing it up in the middle of a busy library wasn’t exactly the best venue. He would have pulled her aside, taken her somewhere quieter, if he thought he could bring himself to ask her.
Ryker Drake Page 6
