Dragons: Death by Reaper MC #4

by Esther E. Schmidt

  “You don’t have the strength,” I simply state.

  She reaches out and grabs a fistful of my leather cut. There’s blue fire swirling around her hand and it’s intriguing to say the least. I recognize it as the ability a Guardian has and I’ve seen it swirl around her fist when she was standing in front of the fire station.

  Though fire can’t hurt a Dragon, the blue fire of a Guardian should affect another Supernatural. But I don’t feel a thing. Another confirmation this woman is my eternal mate seeing her abilities can’t hurt me.

  Either that or she’s harmless; magic of a Dragon eliminated by the magic from the hexbag. I’m about to reprimand her for threatening me, but the bedroom door swings open and Lucio along with Polina stroll back into the living room.

  Enya storms toward her friend. “What the hell happened? Are you okay? Wait...did you get a tattoo? When did you? No, wait…there was nothing on your skin when I got home. What the hell?”

  I stalk toward her and wrap my fingers around her upper arm. “It’s not a tattoo, it’s a mating brand. She’s mated to my VP. And now might be a good time to explain how the fuck that’s possible, because I’m fairly sure you are the one who made this possible.”

  “Enya gave Polina a blood transfusion,” Lucio casually supplies.

  My head whips back and forth between Enya and Lucio. “Come again?”

  Enya rips her arm from my grip. “I told you to stop touching me. I’m shiny in too many places as it is,” she mutters and then ups her voice and tells all of us, “She almost died because of her insane ex-boyfriend. I had no choice but to give her a blood transfusion. Wait…hang on and backtrack for a few moments. The whole mating thing…you’re blaming me? You’re accusing me of turning her into a Dragon? Are you for real? How did I even do that? Besides, you guys barge in here, your buddy whisks away my friend and does…hell knows what in the bedroom and comes out with a tattoo and the announcement they are mated. Twilight zone, asshole. Insanity overdrive and a one-way ticket to la-la-land. So, if you want to point a finger as to who turned my friend into a Dragon…it was him, not me, because she wasn’t one until she walked out with your buddy.”

  “You didn’t turn me into a Dragon on purpose,” Polina carefully states. “But Lucio mentioned how Dragon blood has the ability to change or alter DNA, and somehow it bonded to mine in a weird way. And when Lucio initiated the ritual of the mating, our blood connected because I was meant to be his.” Polina whispers the last part of that sentence and is glancing at my VP with an intense look.

  I’ve had enough. None of us knows how this is possible and the word abomination slides through my brain again. Though this might be a blessing, none of us know if this will backfire or has consequences for the Dragon offspring created by this tainted bloodline.

  “We need to get out of here and the two of you are both coming with us,” I grunt. “Pack a bag. Necessities only and leave the rest.”

  Polina nods while Enya has anger building in her gaze that’s bound to explode any second. I shouldn’t find it comical the way she’s wheeling fire in that dynamite temper of hers, and I need her to oblige and not fight us. There might be one thing I can persuade her with.

  “I will share everything I know and tell you about your mother. If you have any questions, I will answer them truthfully and in return you will answer mine so we can all get a handle on this situation.”

  Her eyes widen when I give her the promise. Suddenly she seems to be in a hurry as she dashes off into the bedroom across from where Polina and Lucio disappear into.

  “Go on,” Lucio says to Polina and gives her a gentle brush of his knuckles along her cheek. “Pack your stuff, you’re coming with me.”

  I wait until both women have left the room before I lean in and switch to our ancient Dragon language to prevent anyone from listening in. “This shouldn’t be possible.”

  Lucio runs his fingers through his thick blond hair. “I know. But fuck, not a single inch of my body has any regrets or couldn’t care less about the why and how. I have a mate, Vaughn. A mate. I don’t have to explain how special that is and I can’t start to tell you how right it feels. She’s fertile. I had to claim her and set the bond in place. I can hardly believe it, but her scent changed before we stepped back into the living room.”

  I hate bringing it up, but it needs to be said. “Typhon and the other elders will think otherwise. And I have to admit, even I am a little worried about the aftereffects.”

  A low rumble flows through his chest and I raise an eyebrow at him. Lucio swallows hard and says, “We have a lot to discuss.”

  I give him a tight nod and for now decide to put the discussion on hold. Our first priority now is bringing the two women back with us.

  “Done,” Enya states from the hallway. She glances inside the room of Polina. “I was fired…well, I quit seconds after…but what I’m trying to say here…I don’t have to call work. You?”

  “I pulled a few double-shifts this week. So, I have to take the next three days off. All good,” Polina says as she swings a backpack onto her shoulder. She points at Enya’s face and giggles. “I can see all the shiny, glittery stuff you mentioned earlier. He touched more than your wrist this time, huh?”

  Lucio stalks toward Polina, takes the backpack from her, and easily supplies, “You won’t be working anymore.”

  “What?” both Enya and Polina gasp.

  Lucio shrugs. “Female Dragons stay home while we see to their needs.”

  Polina rips her backpack away from Lucio. “Now just hang on. You can’t be serious about this whole ‘women belong in the kitchen’ thing you have in mind.”

  Enya has her hands on her hips and there’s a storm brewing in her eyes, indicating she’s about to let her anger pour out. Telling them our way of living will most definitely raise more anger and questions, therefore it needs to be brought to a halt.

  “This discussion will take place at a later time,” I snap as Enya’s anger is now fully focused at me. This woman is very frustrating and it makes me add, “Dragons have ancient traditions that are hard to understand when compared to human standards. We will explain everything, but we need to return to the safety of our village.”

  Enya narrows her eyes. “Like I mentioned, I don’t have a job. Polina on the other hand is an intern. She needs to work because she does a hell of a lot of good on this earth and those little ones need her.”

  “Little ones?” Lucio questions.

  Polina’s cheeks flush and she tells Lucio shyly, “I’m almost finished with my two-year fellowship in pediatric surgery. I’m working hard to become a neonatal surgeon.”

  Lucio’s head swings toward me, the words falling from his lips are in our ancient Dragon language. “There is no such thing as a coincidence.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” Enya says as her gaze bounces between me and Lucio.

  The both of us stay silent because there’s a reason Lucio spoke in our language and not English. We have to discuss club and clan business between members and not in front of those who are the subject of discussion.

  “Well?” Enya demands. “I’m aware there is no such thing as a coincidence, so you guys being here, my friend mating with your buddy, a whole shitpile of coincidences that’s not going to fly. Now…explain.”

  I step closer to Enya and lean into her personal space. I let my magic seep into my words in an effort to retrieve honesty from her—not knowing if my magic has any effect on her—when I ask, “Can you understand what I’m saying?”

  Her eyebrows scrunch up. “Why wouldn’t I?”

  Polina gasps.

  “Holy shit,” Lucio whispers.

  “What?” Enya asks, now speaking English and not realizing she spoke our language when she shot me a reply.

  I glance at Lucio to tell him, and the others along with it, “Parents only speak the language of the Dragons with their young. I believe this is the logical explanation as to why she switched to our tongue.”
>
  Enya huffs. “I did not switch to your—”

  “You sure did,” Polina says, a little awe in her voice.

  “All the more reason we need to leave and find out everything we can about you.” The second those words fall from my mouth I know it was the wrong thing to say.

  Enya steps back and the bag she was holding drops to the floor. “I won’t be coming with you and neither will Polina. I’m not some kind of subject to be studied or ripped apart. Do you understand? I won’t. Now leave.”

  “Enya,” Polina tries in a gentle tone. “You want this. You’ve been dying to know where you came from and how it was possible you are what you are. Can’t you see, this is what you wanted all along.”

  “No,” Enya growls, a puff of steam slipping from her nostrils.

  “Lucio,” I warn.

  “Polina, step back,” Lucio whispers and pulls his mate behind him as I sidestep to block them from her.

  “Enya,” I snap with added authority into my voice. “I won’t lie to you. We will study you because there needs to be some form of explanation since you aren’t even supposed to exist. And now also due to any effects it might have on your friend Polina. She was fully human, now she’s part Dragon. These things have never happened. Needless to say, a Dragon is born, not spontaneously created. But I vow to you right here, right now, that no one is going to touch you or rip you apart. For you are my eternal mate.”

  “Hence the glittery stuff, Enya,” Polina supplies from across the room.

  I’m not sure Enya heard her friend because she’s still wrapped in anger. Blue fire is crackling around her hands that are tightening into fists.

  “Every Dragon in this territory is my responsibility. You and Polina are my responsibility. Not only am I the president of the Dragons charter, I am also the clan leader. I am standing before you, giving you my word; nothing will happen to either of you on my watch. Polina also has her mate who will protect her with his life. Our ways differ from yours but only communication can settle an open gap made by misunderstanding and not knowing. Will you allow us to take the time to talk later in the safe environment to close this gap that leaves us standing on opposite sides?”

  “Will you take away Polina’s ability to work? Because for damn sure we’re not the housewives you have in mind. Smacking us over the head with a club and dragging us back to your Dragon cave. We live in the modern days where women rule the earth alongside of men. Equal rights and all,” Enya hisses.

  In one quick move I have her pinned against the wall with my body. Her hands placed above her head while my lips are hovering above hers. “Do. Not. Challenge. Me,” I growl, letting my anger simmer through my words while magic swirls around us as I try to contain my temper.

  The fire in her eyes is equally fierce as the heat wafting from her body. It’s a mixture of anger laced with desire. The Dragon part inside her recognizes its mate standing in front of her. There’s no way she can deny it and it’s shimmering underneath, but it doesn’t take away her explosive temper or the reason everything is boiling to the surface.

  Though, she has to realize, as do I, “Being my mate and accepting my claim makes you the president’s old lady. There might be a majority who are reluctant to accept the change of modern times, but it’s a slow-moving progress. It’s one I’m dead set to lead, and with a mate standing beside me who is on my side with a fierce and honest mindset, it would be a hell of a lot easier instead of fighting on my own while going head-to-head with my damn mate.”

  My chest is heaving and I am just as surprised at my outburst and admittance as she is. I shouldn’t have said those words. Not to her, not to myself, and not in a room with my VP and his mate standing near. But I do realize it’s the truth and I won’t ever shy away or ignore it. Come to think of it, this might be the very thing I needed to hear myself too.

  Understanding settles in her gaze and yet it’s tainted with worry and uncertainty. Her voice is timid when she whispers, “But you don’t know me.”

  I place my forehead against hers and gentle my tone. “Which is why I mentioned the fact we needed to bring you back with us. As you could see, my VP and your friend gave in to the connection that’s undeniable. I know you can feel it and somehow you fight it. I’m one of the strongest in my clan and can restrain myself, but it takes every single fiber of my being to hold back and not claim you this instant. My Dragon side doesn’t care about getting to know each other or moving at a slower pace to talk about your favorite food, things you do for fun, or what movie you like. It needs to possess and claim, mark you as mine in every way so no other Dragon male can take you away from me. It knows by scent we were born to be united as one. It doesn’t care about indifferences or if you weren’t born a full-blood Dragon. You’re mine. It’s as simple as that. But as a clan leader where every single Dragon is my responsibility, I need to step back and follow procedure. This means take you back and assess the situation.”

  Enya releases a deep sigh. “Fine. But I’m taking my own car.”

  For fuck’s sake, leave it to karma to give me a strong and independent woman to challenge me at every damn turn.

  Chapter Four

  ***Enya***

  “Daaaaamn, now that’s a sexy ass. He’s all mine. As in mine and no one else’s,” Polina says as she inhales deep and swoons all over again.

  Her eyes are dreamy, and I have to doubt if my best friend is herself or if the Dragon riding his bike in front of me tainted her with the mating blow, or whatever happened in her bedroom. Shit. I’m sure it’s the orgasm-high he put her on. Overload of fluids after aridity. Yikes, I don’t want to know.

  My eyes slide to the two bikers and I stare at the large patch on their backs. The Death by Reaper MC letters stitched on the top alongside of the scythe with a skull that’s split in two by it. One half is a normal human face while the other is one with sharp canine teeth indicating the Paranormal side.

  The information flow is threatening to invade my thoughts again and I manage to push it all back down. Vaughn was right, I need to focus on getting where we need to be before throwing everything out in the open and facing reality. I need—and want—answers and he has them. Well, maybe not all concerning my background, but the being a Dragon part for sure.

  And it’s not only me I need to take under account. My friend sitting next to me—swooning hard over her newfound man—was unwillingly pulled into all of this too. I did this. My fault. And I hope she doesn’t regret me doing so because she’s close to obtaining her goal in life; to become a neonatal surgeon.

  “I’m sorry I pulled you into this mess,” I mutter while keeping my eyes pinned on the road in front of us.

  Polina snorts. “You didn’t pull me into this, silly. If anything, I owe you my life. First saving me in the woods all those years ago and now by giving me the perfect man.”

  “I didn’t give you a perfect man. And how do you even know he’s perfect? For all we know he’s worse than your ex who ran you over,” the realist inside me states.

  Polina smacks my upper arm.

  “Hey,” I squeak. “I’m driving!”

  “Meh. I’m pretty sure the both of us are immortal because of the whole Dragon angle. Wow. A Dragon. I never told you this, but secretly I was always envious knowing you were a Dragon. And now I seem to be one…what would be the chances of me turning into one too, huh? I can’t wait to shift and see what color I am,” she says dreamily.

  “Stop swooning. I don’t want to rip you out of your dreamstate, but you shift and then we’ll talk again,” I mutter. “It hurts like a mothertrucker. Besides, I haven’t the faintest idea how to shift because I can’t remember.” I swing my head toward her. She’s staring at me and I catch the bright green in her eyes. “I’m pretty sure you’re a green one. Your eyes were grayish blue and now they’re bright green.”

  Polina gasps and digs through her purse to snatch her tiny mirror and glances at herself. “How’s that even possible?”

  “Su
re, believe you can turn from human into a Dragon, but a tiny change of eye color is unbelievable.”

  I can feel her stare on me but I keep my gaze on the road in front of me as she says, “Oh, shut it. This is just the first visual proof I’m seeing with my own eyes. My own eyes. Shit. See? I’ve been staring into a different color all my life, it’s a bit confronting to say the least. But in a good way, if you understand what I’m saying. Don’t get your panties in a twist because I’m not blaming you. And I know this might throw a bit of a bump in the road regarding my goal of becoming a neonatal surgeon, but there’s more to life than work. We adapt. Find a way to make it all possible, kinda like my body did. And seriously, the wicked sex I had? Who the hell cares about work? Okay, I take it back. I’m not jumping on board with the whole women belong in the kitchen, or giving up years and years of hard struggle to become where I am today…but…yeah, sex is—”

  “Not something we’re discussing, Polina,” I grumble and hit the blinker to follow the guys who are taking a left turn into an area completely covered with trees.

  “You’re jealous,” she says with a smug tone.

  I quickly shoot her a deadly look. “Am not.”

  “Now you’re the one who is sexually frustrated. No need to admit that little fact, I can see the glittery glow. He made you all hot and bothered but left you hanging, didn’t he?”

  “Didn’t I just mention we’re not discussing—”

  “Oh, wow, are you seeing this?” Polina interrupts me, but I can’t answer her because my eyes are bulging and I’m completely tongue-tied.

  I’m betting the trees are either a mirage or there’s some kind of hidden barrier we went through because the space in front of me shows the kind of glittery transparent stuff that was on my wrist, only this is a huge freaking wall of it.

  “It’s like a soap bubble…can we go through it? Will it pop?” I question, mainly to myself while my foot is hovering over the brakes.