The Shifter’s Secret Baby

by T. S. Ryder

  But there was still something to be admired about a man who hated humans for what they did to him but still protected them.

  "Because he has to!" Lydia threw cocoa powder and sugar into the bowl and folded it into the whipped cream. "So what if he lost his family and I lost my family. That's not enough to build a relationship upon. And who said anything about a relationship? Nobody, that's who. At most, he wants a brood mare to pop out babies. How does a human give birth to a dragon, anyway? Would I lay an egg?"

  Whoa, why the sudden first-person pronouns? Her face flared up as she mixed the chocolatey cream into the rest of the batter and poured it into the pan. Even baking wasn't getting her head back on straight. If she didn't get herself in order soon, she was going to be screwed.

  Amber hurried into the kitchen, glancing over her shoulder as she did so. Lydia tensed. Was Ian harassing her again?

  "Did he approach you again?" she snarled, headed for the door. "I'll punch his lights out."

  "No," Amber said. "I haven't seen him since… but I can't sleep. I just… I hate it here. It's so huge and empty and it's only you, me, and him here. He could do anything and we couldn’t stop him. And his talk about mates… What if—"

  Lydia grasped her hands. "No. Don't think like that, Amber. It's not going to happen."

  Amber shuddered. "But you heard him. He hates humans. I don't even know why he saved us. And the restaurant would have had two bodies in it. What if he set it up so that he could have us declared dead? Nobody is looking for us, so we're going to be his prisoners forever."

  "No, that's not what is going to happen." Lydia hugged her friend, trying to reassure her. "We haven't seen anything about the restaurant on the news, and something like that should be front page. That means he must have had it cleaned up. Maria is going to be furious that we aren't at work, 'kay? She's looking for us."

  A quick glance at Amber's face showed that her words didn't mean anything. Lydia sighed. Usually, it was Amber calming her down about whatever sticky situation they found themselves into. Why Lydia was so calm about being held by Ian in his mansion was a mystery. Maybe it was because she didn't feel like a prisoner. There were no bars on the windows or deadbolts that they couldn't get past. Even the forbidden area upstairs was open via a staircase. They could just waltz out if they wanted to.

  "So, I was thinking that maybe we can get an initial investment for our restaurant from Ian," Lydia said, trying to distract her friend. "It's the least he can do for us after all this."

  "You think he would do that?" Amber frowned. "Assuming that he's not going to keep us here forever."

  Lydia repressed another sigh. She slid her cake into the oven and set the timer. "You know what? Why don't you cook up something? You always say that cooking helps you relax. I've had a look around the kitchen, it has everything you need. So why don't you whip up some steak or something? You haven't eaten much since we ended up here."

  "And what are you going to do?"

  "I will be back to take the cake out of the oven. In the meantime, I'm going to go talk to Ian. I'm sure he'll let us use his phone now… Maybe I can convince him to put us up in a hotel instead of being here."

  Amber's brow furrowed, but she nodded silently. Nerves turned in Lydia's stomach, but she managed another smile before she left the kitchen. Now, where to find Ian? She looked in a few rooms before finding him in the library. He was watching a video about a wildlife rehab center where a woman was tenderly cleaning up a bobcat kitten with diarrhea.

  "Hey," she greeted him as she came closer. Her cheeks flushed as she remembered the kiss, but she was determined not to think about that. At least, not right now. Maybe later, when she was in bed… Wow. No. She wasn't going to think about it. She focused on his computer. "I didn't peg you as a kitten video kind of guy."

  Ian glanced at her and shrugged. "Sometimes I just need to remind myself that there is good in the world. Good among humans. I forget and let myself fester in my grief… I'm sorry for shouting at you earlier."

  "Me, too. I think I may have overreacted. That doesn't mean you're not an asshole, though."

  Ian offered her a wan smile. "Good to know. Apparently, I have a reputation to uphold. But I'm sorry for frightening your friend. I should know better than to act like I've been acting."

  Lydia slid into a chair next to him. "How old are you?"

  "Three hundred, give or take a few years. I know I don't look it."

  "So Dragons age differently than humans?"

  "Yeah. Up until eighteen or nineteen, we age the same way, then we just slow down and only age according to the grief we experience. My parents were both nearly a thousand, and they looked hardly older than I do now." He swallowed hard, ducking his head. "I've been on my own for a long time. I'm tired of being alone. And you're right, I am an asshole. I need to work on that."

  Lydia snorted. "You mean being a bigger one?"

  "Yes." He rolled his eyes but laughed, surprising her. "So what brought you here, anyway?"

  "I want to use your phone. Amber and I want to make sure our friends know we're okay. Also, Amber is worried that you're trying to keep us as prisoners. I thought maybe tomorrow we could go out or something. Get a hotel room? She's just so scared and I don't know how to reassure her."

  "But you're not? Scared, I mean."

  Lydia shrugged. "I should be. I shouldn't trust you. But for some reason… I kinda do. It's not like I trust trust you. You won't be getting any more smooches from me." Was it just her imagination or did a flash of disappointment cross his face? "But I don't think you're out to hurt us. I think you are trying to protect us. And that's worth something."

  "I see." Ian closed out the web page and shut down the computer. He pulled his phone from his pocket and handed it to her. "No hotel."

  Lydia narrowed her eyes.

  Ian gave her a wry smile. "Look, I get it. She's scared, and if she were around other people, it would be reassuring. But you're a Paladin. It could be that the demons won't come after her if you part, but they might. I can't risk it."

  "I wasn't saying send her to a hotel. Both of us."

  "Staying in the same hotel room won’t help." Ian put his hand over hers. "We can't be separated. And if we are at a hotel when the demons attack, other people might get hurt. That's kind of against the oath I took to protect the planet. But I will get you both phones so you don't have to feel so isolated."

  "Thank you." Lydia wasn't sure if that was going to be enough for Amber, but it was a start. She found herself leaning in, breathing in Ian's scent, and pulled herself back before he could get the wrong idea. Or she could start kissing him. "I mean it. Thank you. Have you figured out what the demons are up to?"

  He shook his head.

  Lydia hesitated for a moment. Maybe if he wasn't such an aloof, intimidating figure, Amber would feel more at ease. "Want to join us for supper? Amber's cooking us up some steaks. Just for her and me, but I'm sure I can convince her to add another to the mix. I know you like your meat almost raw."

  "I… Sure. That sounds good." He smiled.

  She smiled back but waved a warning finger in his face. "But you can only join us on one condition. Praise every single bite you eat and don't you dare try to send it back."

  Chapter Six – Ian

  Ian stretched his wings, enjoying the feel of air against his scales as he drifted lazily through black clouds. Lightning flashed over his body, giving him a pleasant tingling feeling as his body absorbed the shock. It was only on days like this, when the skies were black and thick with clouds, that he dared take his Dragon form outside and actually fly.

  It had been almost a month since he took in Lydia and Amber. He hadn't found any indication about what the demons were planning, but he had been working with Lydia to try to unlock her inborn talents as a Paladin.

  She was meant to be able to channel heaven's fire through her body as defense and to lock into the flow of the earth to heal wounds, but so far the best she could do was with
stand the puffs of fire he sent at her. That in itself was quite impressive, but with their timeline, it wasn't enough. She needed to be able to defend herself against the demons when they attacked again – because they would attack again.

  Amber remained terrified of him. He always made sure that Lydia was with him if he ever needed to talk to the chef, and he tried to make himself smaller and less intimidating near her. Sometimes it seemed to be working, other times he didn't think anything would help. Mostly, Amber stayed in her room. He had given her a new phone and was worried that she was going to call the cops on him. It would be a headache to sort out, but so far nothing had happened.

  Another burst of lightning skittered over his skin, making his blue-green scales glow. Maybe he had been hasty in asking her instead of Lydia to be his mate. He had thought Lydia was too loud for him and that Amber's calmer personality would suit him better, but now he realized she wasn't so much calm as more frightened.

  After three hundred years, he needed someone who would call him out on his behavior, not recoil before him. Lydia wasn't afraid to do that. Not to mention she was also incredibly sexy… Not that that mattered.

  His mind made up, he dropped from the sky, keeping his wings tucked in tight to his body to fall as quickly as possible. He hit hard, sending a plume of debris and dirt shooting up from where he landed. Maybe a little harder than he intended. The joint in his left wing cramped. As a Dragon, he was nearly invulnerable, but that hurt a little.

  Shaking it off, he clambered out of the crater he made and shifted. The rain on his skin felt like a high-powered shower turned to ice-cold. Too bad this form wasn't as strong as when he was a dragon. Still, he grinned as he jogged naked across the yard, stopping in the garage to dry off and dress before he entered the house itself.

  He quickly made his way to Lydia's room and threw open the door. She squealed, jumping, and put her hand to her heart. "What are you doing?"

  Hmm… Maybe this wasn't the way to do this. Ian pressed on. It wasn't like he had another reason to be here. "I realized I made a mistake asking Amber to be my mate. I should have asked you."

  "Uh... okay?"

  Ian stared at her.

  She stared back.

  "Well?"

  Lydia scratched her head. "Well, what?"

  "Well, will you be my mate? I'm rich."

  Lydia opened her mouth and closed it again. Massaging her temples, she shook her head. "Yeah, no. You can't just walk in here and be all, 'Be my mate. I'm rich.' It doesn't work like that."

  "So, you don't want to be my mate." A pang of disappointment hit him in the stomach. "But you are sexually attracted to me. I can tell by your reaction to our kiss."

  "That's not the point. We could jump into bed right now and have mind-blowing sex, but that doesn't mean we have any sort of emotional connection. A relationship needs more than sex. You're three hundred years old. You should know this. Three hundred. You're too old for me."

  Ian shifted from side to side and shrugged. "Anti-social misanthrope here. Keeping up with human conventions isn't exactly my strong point. The mind-blowing sex part sounds good, though."

  He grinned when she flushed. Humans were cuter than he had given them credit for, he was finding. At least this human was. She sucked her lower lip between her teeth, hesitating, but shook her head.

  "We can't. This is an uncomfortable situation to begin with, and I'm not going to make it more complicated." Her gaze fastened on his mouth. "Besides, I have a policy not to date assholes."

  "Not asking for a date. I'm asking you to be my partner for life and the mother of my children." Ian moved forward, encouraged by the way her pupils dilated. He could almost taste her arousal in the air. "And as for emotional connections… Well, those take time to develop, right? We're already bound together by this whole demon thing… Makes sense for it to be—"

  She launched herself at him, wrapping her arms around him. She practically climbed up his body. He laughed into her mouth, gripping her ass with his hands. Her body was hot and warm against him, her weight pressing down on his hips at just the right angle. She started wiggling her pelvis, grinding against him, and he groaned.

  "What happened to no sex?"

  "No sex," she confirmed, diving into his neck. Sparks flew under his skin where she mouthed him. "Just making out."

  He carried her to the bed and laid her down before draping himself over her. Her thighs hugged his hips as he found her breasts with his hands, kneading them. Lydia's eyes slid shut and she moaned, arching herself to him. He loved the sight of her, her pink lips slightly parted, her wicked tongue just poking through her teeth, a flush rising up her neck and cheeks. So damned sexy.

  Ian growled at the thought of anybody hurting her and claimed her mouth again. He didn't care what those demons were after – Lydia Crawford was not going to be their victim.

  Lydia grasped his shirt, rolling her hips upwards to increase the friction between them. Ian groaned as it became hard to think. He didn't want this to ever end. He wanted to tear off her clothes and have her in every way possible – but she said she didn't want the same. His groan of pleasure turned to one of disappointment as he gripped her hips, stopping her.

  "What?" she panted. "Is something wrong?"

  "If we don't stop, we won't," Ian whispered. He longed to kiss her again, but that would defeat the purpose of stopping her. "So… Do I go now, or do you become my mate?"

  Lydia groaned. "Can't we have the sex without the mating?"

  "No."

  "Fine." She sighed and wiggled her way free. Flushed cheeks and tousled hair looked good on her. "If it has to be both or neither, then it's neither."

  She sounded as disappointed as he felt, but Ian nodded. He stood, straightened his shirt, and ran a hand through his hair. "I should probably go do some work anyway."

  "Okay."

  Lydia pulled her shirt down over her midriff. When had it ridden up? Ian stared at the creamy strip of skin still visible and licked his lips. Maybe he should just… no. No, she was right. Maybe he didn't know human conventions are well as he ought to, but if they were going to have children together, the least they could do was make sure they actually liked each other.

  The door slammed open. Lydia jumped. Ian turned, to see Amber. The chef had a large knife in her hand, which she pointed at him. Her face was pale, her hand shaking.

  Ian frowned. "What are you doing?"

  "You stay away from her!" Amber blurted. "You just stay away from her. We're leaving. You can't stop us."

  "Amber, calm down." Lydia scrambled from the bed. "We're not going anywhere. It's not safe out there."

  Amber brandished the knife at Ian as he shifted. "That's what he wants you to think! He just wants to keep us prisoners until he can seduce us both. Don't you see? He's evil! Dragons are evil. They always have been and they always will be."

  Those were the words that killed his family. Ian growled at Amber's accusation.

  "Amber, no—"

  Everything happened quickly, within a single breath. Lydia reached for her friend, and Ian reached for the knife. Amber screamed. Lunging forward, she stabbed him in the chest. The knife skittered over his ribs to sink into his stomach. She screamed again and dropped the knife. It wobbled, barely stuck in. Blood spurted everywhere and Ian roared in pain. Sparks flew from his mouth. Smoke curled from his wounds.

  "Amber!" Lydia shouted. "What is wrong with you?"

  "He was attacking me! We have to go! We have to go now."

  "No." Lydia shook Amber off as the redhead grabbed her arm. She pressed her hand to Ian's gushing wounds.

  "I'm fine," he tried to say but swayed on the spot. Okay, maybe he wasn't fine. His blood spilled all over Lydia. She caught him as he slumped. She was stronger than she looked.

  Amber stared at them for a moment before she shook her head and backed away. "I'm not staying. I'm not staying!"

  She fled. Lydia called after her, but she didn't turn back. Just as well. Ian leane
d heavily against Lydia, unaccustomed to the burning pain shooting through him. Had the blade been poisoned? No matter – he just needed to be able to transform and he'd be fine.

  "We need to go upstairs," he choked.

  "Upstairs?"

  "Third floor. More room."

  His head spun as he stumbled for the door. Lydia was saying something, but he couldn’t understand her. Who knew that a knife would hurt this bad? It wasn't even a deep cut. Just… He glanced down. Oh. A flap of skin hung loosely from his body. The knife had filleted his ribs. That explained it.

  He nearly passed out before they got to the elevator, but managed to stay conscious long enough for Lydia to get him to the open floor where he could shift without breaking anything. It took a bit of a fight, but he got her to stay in the elevator as he stumbled to the middle of the floor. As he began to shift, an image flashed before his eyes.

  Lydia lay in a grassy field. The wind gently blew strands of her hair over her face. Blue skies reflected in her eyes. She gasped for breath, blood bubbling from her lips. A spear stuck through her body, the ground turning to mud beneath her. Demons closed in from all sides.

  Ian fell to his knees and screamed.

  Chapter Seven – Lydia

  Ian screamed with pain as he transformed. Lydia's breath caught in her throat as she watched it happen, slowly, like a flag unfurling. First, scales slipped out of his skin. Next, smoke gushed from the gaping wound. Then, wings burst from his back. He shredded his clothes. Within a few moments, she saw him for the first time. Huge. Magnificent. A long, sleek body with four legs that ended in grasping hands. A brilliant blue-green sheen reflected off him, and the small scales on his wings glittered as he flapped them. He hissed, the smoking wound sealing itself.

  In a moment, he had shifted again, this time to the sandy-haired, tanned man she knew as Ian. He collapsed to the floor, skin covered with a sheen of sweat. When he rose, there wasn't a mark on him. The cut Amber had made was completely smoothed away. Not even a scar.