The Bride Hunt Box Set Books 1 - 3

by Hartnady, Charlene

  “Your word means nothing to me,” she spat.

  When he got back to the lair he was going to have a good talk with Scarlet. The female was upset that they hadn’t ended up mating, that things hadn’t gone her way. This was obviously her way of repaying him, all of the dragon males for that matter. They had no choice. He had no choice.

  “I could’ve had you a dozen times by now,” he responded, unable to keep the emotion from his voice.

  The female didn’t flinch and his respect for her grew.

  “I could rut you right now and there’s not a thing you could do about it.”

  The female gasped and took a step back. Her eyes were wide and filled with fear. Her scent turned acrid with it.

  “I told you that I’m not going to touch you and I won’t. Sit down!” He couldn’t help the commanding edge that crept into his voice.

  She did as he said.

  “Centuries ago, our species were hunted and persecuted by the humans. I’m told that there are stories and legends of armor-wearing knights on great horses. These knights carried swords and spears. What the stories and legends do not mention is that these blades were silver. We were hunted and slaughtered until only a few of my forefathers remained. We were forced to flee, to abandon our homes. We sought refuge here in the mountains, forced to keep our existence a secret.” He decided not to tell her of the stag runs, for fear of scaring her. “With our population being so low to begin with when we went into seclusion, we have continued to lose numbers as the years have gone on. Therefore, when we discovered that the vampires had a program that allowed them to breed with human females we felt we had no choice but to give it a try.”

  Although she pretended not to be interested, he could see how she leaned forward and held her breath. “We would have preferred to have approached human females instead of just taking them. In the vampires’ breeding program, the females voluntarily sign up to meet with vampire males. It seems that all of the nonhuman species are suffering with fertility problems. This program has been a success. The first of the children are about to be born. We cannot allow for our existence to become public knowledge through the methods that they used though for fear that the persecutions would begin again. Do you understand that?”

  She ignored him so Coal went on. “Although dragon shifters are much more powerful than humans, there are so few of us comparatively. We would never stand a chance.” He turned the stick and the hare sizzled, its flesh was becoming a beautiful golden color. The meat was nearly ready.

  “Cry me a freaking river,” the female mumbled. “Tell someone who actually cares.”

  “We have been left with very few options. It was either take human females or die out. Since we couldn’t announce ourselves, we were forced to—”

  “Just take what you wanted anyway?” Her eyes flashed to his. “That’s wrong. You can’t go around kidnapping women and you have to know that.”

  “It’s not ideal.”

  “Not ideal?” She gave an exasperated sigh. “Cavemen, barbarians! That’s what you all are.”

  Coal had to suppress a smile. Such a feisty female. He didn’t know much about humans but he suspected that she was rare.

  “We have little choice. We proceeded by handpicking the females. It was important that we choose unmated, healthy specimens who—”

  “Specimens? Really? We’re not handbags or cattle or scarves or something, we’re human beings. We have feelings and rights. What you are doing is not fair. It’s wrong, don’t you see that?” Her nostrils flared with her emotion.

  Coal did see it. He understood her anger. “Maybe specimen was a bad choice of word …” He caught a certain look in her eye. “Okay, okay. Specimen was a terrible choice of word. I am well aware that you have feelings. I do not see you as a cow or any of those other things.” He was shocked to find that it was true. “Please know that we felt we had no other choice. The females we chose …” he paused. “The reason why we chose you, is because we hoped that we could help you. That this could be a mutually beneficial relationship.”

  The female stood back up. She put her hands on her hips and scowled at him. “Like hell. You could help me by taking me back right now.”

  “I was told that you are destitute. That you need our help just as much as we need yours. Is this information incorrect?”

  Her jaw was clenched, her hands flew to her hips. “Just because I’m homeless, jobless and my best friend hates me right now doesn’t mean you had any right to take me away from my life, my home. Not that I had a home.” Her bottom lip quivered. “It’s irrelevant,” she choked out, sounding wounded.

  So she was destitute. She did need help. By all that was green and scaly, the female was going to cry. Something inside him clenched. “I’m sorry.” His voice was rough. “I’m sorry you didn’t have a home and that this happened to you.” What the hell was he saying? He’d rarely apologized, if ever. Then again, he needed to win her. For his brother and his kingdom. This was no time to take the moral high ground.

  “Sorry is not going to help, is it?” A single tear rolled down her cheek.

  Blast and damn. Tears didn’t normally affect him. He was trying to picture himself in her position. He could understand her pain. “I swear to you that I will not hurt you or force you to do anything you don’t want to do.” Coal rose to his feet. “I will look after you. None of the males will harm the females they won today. Neither will they force them. It is not how dragon shifters operate.”

  “That’s bullshit!” she shouted. “I saw that big guy climb on top of Pauline.”

  “Flame was putting his scent on her. He wasn’t hurting her.”

  “You might not consider rape as harming but we humans do. What the hell is ‘putting his scent on her’?” Although her eyes were still watery, she looked mad. “It’s so wrong and so disgusting,” she narrowed her eyes and snarled the words. If she were a fire dragon, she would have flames erupting from her mouth.

  “Flame might have touched her briefly, so that he could put his scent on her and he will have kissed her, but that is where it will have ended. Why do you keep speaking of rape and force? Where did you get this crazy idea?” He had a notion but he wanted to hear it from her.

  She chewed on her bottom lip. “You seriously don’t plan on raping me and impregnating me? Why am I here then? You just told me a whole sob story about how you dragons don’t have any women. What is this all about?”

  “Dragons are not without honor.” He felt anger rise up in him. “We would never force a female to do anything she did not want to do. I’m sorry that you were abducted. This too is not normally something that we would do. I won you, which means that you are under my protection. I hope that you will get to know me and that you will agree to mate with me, in the long run. This could be beneficial for both of us”

  Her mouth fell open in a gape.

  “I also hope that if things work out, that eventually you will also agree to carry my children. To continue my species. This will be your choice though. I will not force any of it on you.”

  What the hell was he saying? It was her choice, but she didn’t need to know that. Coal needed to keep some leverage in this situation.

  It seemed that his tongue was not done flapping because he went on. “Ultimately, should you decide that you wish to go home, I will take you back. You have my word as the fire prince.”

  “You’ll take me back?” She didn’t sound like she believed him. Not even one little bit. “I’m never going to agree to this whole marriage and children thing so you might as well take me back right now.”

  “You need to agree to give it some time. Get to know me. I wish to get to know you.” Intimately. Where the hell had that come from? He had gone far too long without rutting. It was wreaking havoc with him.

  Time.

  Get to know him.

  Had he gone completely mad? They didn’t have time. He had no idea how to go about changing her mind. Blaze was going to roast his ass.r />
  “No need. I know enough.” She shook her head.

  “A couple of weeks,” he blurted. “You would be under my protection. Safe, warm, a roof over your head.”

  “I’m not some hooker you can bribe with things in return for …” she let the sentence die.

  Coal frowned. He didn’t always understand what she was saying. “What is a hooker?”

  “A hooker is someone who has sex for money.” She looked guilty. Her eyes dropped to her lap. “Not that hookers are bad or anything. It’s just that it’s bad manners to offer food and shelter in return for … sex.”

  “I am offering food and shelter while you are on fire territory. You will get these things regardless of whether or not we rut.” The female didn’t look like she believed him. He reached over and offered the browned hare to her, stick side. “It’s hot but it should be really good.”

  Although she shook her head, he could see how she eyed the meat greedily. She licked her lips.

  “Take it. You are hungry and you need the sustenance.” He pushed the stick further forward.

  “Maybe just a small taste.”

  She accepted the morsel and Coal felt a warmth blossom inside of him. He watched as she took a small nibble and then another and another. The warmth spread.

  “It’s good.” She gave him the ghost of a smile.

  Coal smiled back. They were sharing a moment. This felt important. It felt like the start of something. The female was interesting to him and her scent appealed. Maybe there was something there. Chances were small … tiny even, but at least it was something.

  Chapter 9

  Julie took another bite of the succulent roast. She refused to think of the food as a rabbit. A sweet, innocent, little bunny. Thumper. Argh … no! It was a roast and it was delicious. If it weren’t so damned hot she’d wolf the thing down.

  Wait a minute, he had gone to the trouble to catch the thing and to prepare it for her, the least she could do was offer him a taste, but only one mind you. He was still a savage but it seemed like there might be a nice side to him. Although Julie wasn’t so sure that nice was the right word. No, nice wasn’t the right word.

  “Do you want a piece?” She glanced at him. Oh God, he was scary-looking. Big and all muscle. His eyes looked darker in the flickering firelight. His chest was riveting. Aside from being wide and heavily muscled, it sported a golden tattoo. Golden. It was utterly beautiful. She pretended to gaze into the fire when in fact she was looking at it. It was across his entire chest and in swirls and twirls, reminding her of a tribal pattern.

  He shook his head, running a hand over his close-shaven scalp. “I will be fine until we return. You eat.”

  Oh yes, she’d offered him some of the meat. “Are you sure?” The gesture was sweet. He had to be hungry. The guy probably just felt guilty for what he was putting her through. Good. “I’ve given it some thought, and a couple of weeks is not going to change my mind. You seem like an okay guy … for a Neanderthal that is, but it’s not going to work.” She shook her head and tried to pretend that she understood his predicament. She sort of did, but it was no excuse to kidnap people. To hunt them like animals.

  His muscles bulged as his body tensed. His biceps were freaking huge. He could easily snap her like a twig. Julie swallowed hard. Shit!

  He shook his head, his eyes bore into hers with such intensity that she had to look away. It was a good thing that the flames within the fire were so pretty. She’d look at those instead. Flicking, licking and curling, in different colors of orange, yellow and even blue. Mesmerizing.

  “I’m afraid …” his voice boomed and she jumped. Stay calm, Julie.

  He continued, “That you staying for a few weeks is nonnegotiable. We will spend time together and get to know one another, intimately.”

  What the fuck! “Uh no … No way! You said that you wouldn’t touch me against my will. Have you changed your mind about being a rapist?” The food soured in her stomach.

  “No,” he snapped, making her flinch. “How many times do I have to keep telling you that I will not force you?”

  “Well then …” she choked out a strangled laugh. “There won’t be any intimacy.” She exhaled sharply. “Anyway, you’re a big guy and I’m a tiny human. Your junk won’t fit in my very little …” She couldn’t say trunk because a trunk was big. “Glove compartment,” she finally blurted. She didn’t want to talk about this. Why had she brought it up? Julie took a small bite of her ‘roast’, hoping he would drop it already.

  His mouth twitched. The corners of his very full mouth turned up ever so slightly. She was reminded of their kiss. Their very hot, very quick, very dirty kiss. What was she thinking? He had mauled her. Since when was being mauled by cavemen sexy or hot? Never. Not ever. She was such a damn liar. She was sick in the head. The kiss had been hot. That’s it, she suffered from momentary insanity. It was the mountain air that was affecting her. That and a serious lack of sleep.

  The big guy frowned. He looked pissed … no, he looked thoughtful … no, definitely pissed. “I won’t fit?” he muttered. Then he turned those dark eyes on her and her mouth dried up. “My cock is bigger than a human male, much bigger, but I would definitely fit. It would be tight but it would work. Of that there is no doubt.” He cleared his throat. “Very little doubt.” He didn’t sound so sure anymore.

  Her mouth fell open for the second time. She couldn’t seem to close it or to make her mind work. He hadn’t just said that. No way!

  His smile widened. Shit, it transformed his face. He didn’t look nearly as vicious or savage. He was still a savage though, a total barbarian, she reminded herself.

  “Um …” she made a squeaking noise because her throat was tight. “Even if you did manage to shove it in there,” she cleared her throat, “you would rip me to pieces. We don’t have your healing capabilities. That horrible bully dragon woman mentioned that you guys heal quickly. She also made it very clear that we would probably not survive sex with big guys like you and I’m inclined to believe her.” Some of the things that Scarlet had said were bullshit while others had been completely true. The whole ‘rip you apart during sex’ thing, had to be true. Look at him. His sheer size. The fact that he was an animal.

  His eyes darkened, his jaw tightened. “Scarlet,” he spat. It was menacing, fear-inducing. “So she told all of you that you would not survive being rutted by a dragon shifter?”

  Julie nodded. “You’re way bigger than me and you just admitted that your … man part, is much bigger than a human’s so …”

  Coal threw his head back and laughed. “I’m sorry.” He held his hand up. “I’m really sorry, this isn’t funny. I’m actually really angry.”

  “You have a funny way of showing it,” she muttered.

  “We have two unmated females on fire territory. You met them both, Scarlet and Ash. The males, just within our territory, are over two-hundred strong. Most of them virile males in their prime. We allow groups of them to head into various towns scattered across the country. It’s called a stag run and it happens twice a year.”

  “A stag run?” She tried not to laugh. “Seriously? You mean you guys hook-up with human women? Am I understanding this correctly?”

  Coal nodded. “There is no other choice. Our males have basic needs. The males are discreet. We do not divulge what we are and are very clear that it is rutting only. No relationship or future. Just sex. We do not force ourselves on anyone.” He practically growled and she held back a squeal. He could be vicious-looking when he wanted to be. Then his face lost its severity and she could breathe again.

  She allowed her eyes to slide down the hard contours of his chest to the hard ridges of his abs. If tall, stacked, alpha types walked into a bar, she was sure that the girls would eat them up … literally. She had to hold back a laugh. Hell, they could walk into a church and probably get lucky.

  “Point being, we have sex with humans twice a year. I am told that the females love our big cocks.”

&
nbsp; Say what? If they had sex with humans twice a year, then their … man parts had to fit.

  He shifted slightly. “They love how big we are, period. It can be a bit of a stretch and your pussy might sting initially, but … I would make sure that you were really wet beforehand. I would use my mouth, my tongue. I’ve never rutted a human but I am told that humans—”

  “Stop!” she shouted. “I get the picture,” she said, under her breath. Her clit throbbed a little at his crass words. It wasn’t that she wanted him in any way, it was just that those words combined with her very long dry spell equaled a bit of a hormone explosion. No biggie!

  “We will get to know each other … intimately, female. It is something that I would like you to think about. We can take it slow, one day at a time.” He clenched his jaw and gave a small shake of the head, like he hadn’t meant to say that.

  “Why haven’t you ever been with a human female?” Not that it mattered to her. There was no way she was having sex with him …ever. She was just nosy.

  “There was never a need.” He shrugged once.

  This was starting to make sense. That meant that he was doing Ash or Scarlet, or both. By the horrible way that Scarlet treated them, she suspected the redhead.

  “I would really prefer it if you took me back to Walton Springs.”

  “Not an option. Finish your dinner. Then you must climb onto my lap and sleep.”

  “Um … no. I’m good.” He really did only have one brain cell if he thought she was sleeping anywhere near him or having sex with him.

  “It’s cold. There are plenty of wild animals within these mountains. You will sleep in my arms and this too is not up for discussion or negotiation.” He grinned at her. “I really do like you, female.”

  “My name is Julie.” Why the hell had she said that? He didn’t need to know her name. She was still going to escape. Okay, maybe escape wasn’t an option at this time. She’d get through the next couple of weeks and then make him take her home. She must be a complete nut because she believed him when he told her that he would protect her and that he wouldn’t force himself on her. It didn’t mean that she fully trusted him though, now that would be looney tunes.