Dragon Star (A Shifter Football League Novel)

by Aurora Reid

  Where was Claude? They needed to leave. They overstayed their welcome.

  Jax was all bear. He should’ve known that from the beginning.

  Trying to talk sense to a non shifter about shifter affairs wasn’t going to go well. Mia would never understand.

  Inside, he found Claude encircled by a ring of guests who were trying their best not to stare. The blond bear had a keg by its handle and was just pouring it into a big mug. He lifted it up and guzzled it down, then rinsed and repeated.

  As Jax approached, he shrugged and put the hose up to his mouth and simply chugged right from the keg. The bartender cursed and shook his head, looking quite depressed as another worker screamed at another guest who approached, “Does it look like we can serve you any beer?”

  Jax snatched the keg hose from Claude.

  “What do you think you’re doing?”

  “Trying to have a good time, boss. What does it look like?”

  “That much is clear.” Jax wasn’t in the mood to smile. Maybe later, he’d laugh about how absurd Claude was.

  “They should stock some Black Beer Brewery. This stuff tastes like water.”

  “Claude, are you ready to go?” Jax asked, eyebrows skewered.

  “Already?”

  “I think you shut the party down,” Jax said. Claude looked around and noticed all the empty glasses.

  “Maybe you’re right. Maybe it’s time to leave. And I was this close to getting drunk on human alcohol for once.”

  “At least you have goals. Now come on, you’ll accomplish it sometime.” Jax pulled him away from the bar and whispered sorry for Claude drinking them out. “I wouldn’t call this an accomplishment. I’d call this a complete fuck up.”

  Claude kept up with his complaining over the watery beer, and also about how he had been in conversation with a good looking woman. “Not a shifter though,” he said, and not his mate, either. At least, he didn’t think so. It was common knowledge that once one met their mate, that they would know instantly, but it was still a hard fact to believe if it never happened to you.

  Jax shifted. The other bear followed his lead. First, they traveled on the side of the highway, which drew some odd looks from the passengers in their cars. Then, they darted into the heavy brush with Jax in an extra ornery mood.

  The blond bear was always up for a challenge. When he leapt over a fallen log, and then charged ahead at blazing speed, Claude was right by his side, and snorted in response, telling Jax, Nice try, you want to race? Let’s make this interesting. That party wasn’t interesting enough.

  But Jax responded with more energy, letting loose all that pent up frustration over Mia. There was a dense thicket up ahead, and he plowed right through, not even caring as a chunk of log splintered and cracked over his hide.

  Claude came bounding at his heels.

  He wasn’t going to give up easily.

  Now Jax wondered if he’d made a mistake...they would get back home in record time, but would he be exhausted for work tomorrow?

  There was no stopping now. A challenge is a challenge, especially to a bear, and bears are much too proud to ever back down from a challenge.

  Like he thought, they both were a ragged mess by the time they broke past the first sign to Black Bear Park. The trip had only taken an hour while it had taken about two before.

  Human again, they dropped to the dirt and stared up at the moon while they tried to catch their breath. They were up higher now, and the air and the coolness and the stars were far more plentiful than in the polluted city.

  Claude beat his chest. “You bastard. Why’d you have to go and do that?”

  Jax managed to respond and tell him, “Me? Why couldn’t you just give up?”

  “I did at the end,” he said, and he began to chuckle, but then started coughing and wheezing.

  “We better check on the others. See if anything has happened while we’re gone.” Jax’s senses hinted at something amiss. What? He had no idea, but all bears in the park were connected, in mind and spirit.

  They hobbled on, two broken, naked men down a measly path that led to the wider main path. Upon their arrival, they spotted Keith hauling a net of fish on his back, and once he noticed them, he dropped it and waved them over.

  “What happened to you two?”

  Claude wiped the sweat from his brow. “You know, alpha’s got to be alpha.”

  “He show you up again?” Keith asked, and he laughed at the younger bear. And at Jax too.

  “Claude’s always got to make being an alpha difficult. I’ll give him that. I haven’t run that hard or long for a while.” Jax clapped him on the back and the bear looked proud.

  The silence that followed wasn’t good.

  “What’s wrong?” Jax looked around, but nothing looked suspicious.

  Keith rolled his eyes.

  “Tell me,” Jax urged him. Even though his muscles were to the point of debility, they flared as he stepped closer to the veteran. “What’s happened?”

  Keith pushed aside. He pointed himself to the west, toward where Mia was staying. “I went fishing with Troy. Thought it’d help keep his mind off things. We were doing fine, but then he told me not to follow him, that he had to make things right. He went off, Jax. I don’t know what he plans on doing, but I don’t think it’s going to be a pleasant talk.”

  “That idiot,” Jax shouted. Then not a second later, he’d shifted.

  Claude and Keith did as well, but Jax, already bursting ahead and toward the Marchini land, roared back at them to stay behind.

  Troy hadn’t gotten too far, but Jax sensed that Mia was close, far too close to Troy. He picked up speed, meanwhile, the renegade bear seemed to be taking his sweet time rather than charging into battle.

  Upon clearing their woods, the mechanical equipment was fine, all except for one truck flipped over on its side. Troy was still farther ahead and closing in on Mia’s location. He must’ve been toying with the vehicles, probably smashed his shoulder real good on the side of that truck to topple it, but he’d be fine, shifters had extraordinary healing powers.

  Troy wanted to get rid of the Marchinis once and for all. His fury seemed to drip from the trees, seemed to linger on the night air and cling to the grass below Jax’s thundering paws. That bear was on a mission, and Jax as well, to stop him, before he hurt his mate.

  They met on Mia’s driveway. If he had been a minute too late, the angry bear would’ve gotten to her. Troy spun around. His black bear was far more grizzled and scarred than Jax’s from all the fights he’d been in and all the times he’d needed to be taught hard lessons. The rebel bear was always sticking his snout where it didn’t belong.

  This time, he’d gone too far. No one hurt Jax’s mate. No one even threatened her. If he was lucky, Troy would make it out alive.

  Troy didn’t back down when he lifted onto his paws and roared. No doubt waking everyone inside the house.

  Jax was about to lift onto his hind legs as well, but he was distracted by the light shining from behind Troy. Mia was outside. On the back porch. If Troy sniffed her out, he would be angry enough and believed himself justified enough, to kill an innocent human being.

  There was no explaining to the young, hot-headed bear now. Troy spun backward and charged toward the light, to where Mia sprung up from her seat in the backyard, her book flying behind her. She cowered against the table, and that was the last image Jax had before he barreled right into Troy’s side and took him down.

  Jax tore into his chest, but his vision whipped around as he was tossed off. Troy had the advantage, now tearing into him, but not for long as he was the next to be flung off. Jax’s kick had sent him spiraling toward the line of trees. They circled, then clashed again, their huge masses unable to force the other back.

  Locked together, they tore into their shoulders. Jax looked back to check on Mia, now pressed against the side of the house. That slight shift of focus gave Troy the advantage.

  Don’t stop me...Tro
y growled, I will kill you if I have to, and then he thrust all his power, lifting Jax up from his side and then taking him down again.

  Troy’s jaws came for his vulnerable neck, but Jax swung his head around and smashed him on the muzzle before he could. It had left his head ringing, and he couldn’t see, had to use his other senses to swing back up onto all fours.

  They clashed again. This time, Troy had the advantage. But Jax had his resilience, and the need to keep his mate safe, reinvigorated him, giving him strength that he didn’t know he was capable of.

  Leave her be, Jax growled, and then with an enormous roar, he pushed Troy back through the yard. His paws dug in, uprooting the dirt as he continued to shove him. Knowing he was on the losing end, Troy leapt onto his back feet.

  Jax met him there. They both bit and swung their paws at their exposed hides. Hot blood seeped through Jax, but his need to protect his mate burned even hotter in him as he leapt and took Troy down.

  Stay down.

  You should fucking die for this.

  His sharp paws sliced into Troy. Jax swung a paw and smacked Troy’s jaw to the side. That was his only move now. He’d lost all his fight to push the alpha off. Now with his head knocked to the side, Jax saw his opportunity, and he latched on with his jaws to Troy’s neck, and squeezed.

  Shift back, and I won’t kill you, he breathed heavily, threatening to clamp down and seal his windpipe.

  Troy had no choice. He shifted back, When Jax saw that he was shriveling into his lesser human form, he released his jaws as to not kill him.

  The rebel bear’s eyes were full of fear. He gasped like he’d been trapped underwater, but his breath caught on the first inhale. Jax had stood off to the side so he wouldn’t crush him with all his weight. With the way he looked—mangled and bloody—Jax wondered if he would survive even after he spared him.

  They were both back to their human forms now. Claw marks covered Jax’s body, even some dips where he’d been gouged, but that would all heal in time. He was bleeding, but not badly. Definitely not as badly as Troy was. The alpha bear’s wounds already began to seal.

  He turned back to check on Mia again. She had her hand to her lips and was shaking in terror. She shut her eyes when he looked over, and he wondered why that was, until he realized that he was standing there completely nude and she only thought it was proper.

  She had this far off look that had Jax wanting to get up and clasp her to his chest, keep her pressed there, where she would forever be safe.

  Then pain lanced through him. It welled in his throat. He snapped back around to see Troy’s fearful eyes now glinting with rage, his fingers digging into Jax’s neck. Mighty forearm bulging, he used his last energy to try to suck the life from Jax.

  One punch knocked him out. At least, it knocked him out long enough for Jax to help Mia.

  Before he could get his arms around her, Mia’s eyes sprang open to see who approached and she yelped, sliding across the wall to escape from Jax. That wasn’t the reaction he was hoping for. Now her cheeks flared brightly, and her eyes were shielded by her hand, but she wasn’t going anywhere. She still trembled in place.

  “It’s okay. You’re okay,” he said, and he placed a hand on her arm. He would’ve done more, but he didn’t want to scare her any more.

  Was his cock that scary looking? He peeked down and saw that it was beginning to thicken, beginning to grow hot with his need to help her.

  His body and soul needed to make Mia happy. The best way, it seemed, was with what was between his legs.

  Now it was Jax’s turn to feel the blood pool in his cheeks.

  “Thank you,” she said, and she slid her fingers open a little, to peek at him. “You’re naked, Jax.”

  She flung her hair around to her side. “Not that I don’t like that,” she said, and she glared down again, and for a second Jax could see a slight smirk on those beautiful lips, and it was like the sun had opened up after a violent storm.

  “You’ve seen me before.”

  She clutched him and with strength he didn’t know she had, she shoved Jax in front of her, guarding her from whatever approached. He already knew who had shown up—Claude and Keith.

  They’d promised not to intervene, but they would now want their say.

  Jax didn’t feel up to talking. He kissed Mia’s forehead with a simmering kiss, and her lips spread wide with a toothy grin. But it didn’t last long. Two new, strange bears had arrived.

  “Come with me,” she yelled, and she tugged at his hand with fervor.

  “It’s okay, they’re with me.” He swept a finger across her cheek. She pulled away and unlatched. He went to deal with his shifter brethren.

  Keith and Claude had shifted back to humans, and were leaning over Troy to look at him.

  The looks from his two brothers told him that might’ve gone too far. Perhaps his love for his mate had clouded his vision.

  No, they wouldn’t understand….his love for his mate had given him the strength to fight as hard as he did. Troy had been relentless. Jax rubbed his throat in the spot where he’d choked him, and it was sensitive and sore.

  “He’s wrecked,” Claude said, shaking his head.

  Keith lifted an eyebrow to Jax. Jax lifted a shoulder. “What?”

  “Leave me,” Troy wheezed.

  “Let’s help him up,” Keith began, but Jax blocked his way.

  “No, let him stay there. I should’ve put him down for what he did. If not, I should banish him. I won’t do that either, since he’s in my crew, and he’s one of us for life, but I don’t want anyone to help him. He came here on his own, disobeying our rules.”

  Jax sneered down at Troy. All the fight had left him. Pain embraced him now.

  “Let him get home by himself.”

  The others grimaced. Claude and Keith eventually nodded to one another, with Keith taking off down the road before Claude, who was looking down at his friend still, his muscles twitching, but Jax remained unflinching.

  “As you say, boss,” Claude said and then he followed Keith back down the driveway. Leaving Jax alone with Tia. Finally.

  Mia said nothing. But her teeth chattered, and she stared past Jax like he wasn’t even there.

  “Mia, you’re okay. There’s no one else who is here to harm you. Even if there are, I’ll make sure they don’t touch you.”

  “Why?” she asked, and she looked at him again, but once again, like he was a ghost.

  “Because he’s foolish. He’ll be dealt with.” Troy groaned from behind them as he tried to lean on one elbow. “If he hasn’t been dealt with already.”

  “Do you want to go inside?” he asked.

  Reservations were understandable. He’d transformed into one of those hulking bears in front of her the first time they met.

  He asked again. Still, no response. Mia continued to shake. Her lips were shivering. It wasn’t even a cool night.

  “Come with me,” he said. He held his hand out for her to take.

  But she wouldn’t take it. She shook her head slightly.

  “Please, Mia, you’ve got to come with me. You need my help, and I need to make sure you’re safe.”

  She nodded this time, but didn’t take his hand yet.

  Frustrated, Jax swept her off her feet. She kicked a little, her knee hitting his chest, but the pain was nothing compared to Troy’s claws. Nevertheless, she never asked to be put down, and didn’t speak, only when they were on the lawn and she asked where he was taking her.

  “To my place,” he said sternly. Then he swung open the nearby car door and dropped her softly down on the passenger seat.

  “Why?” she asked, but he already left in order to get the keys.

  It wasn’t long before, still quiet and forgetting her question, he’d found them and sat right in the driver seat.

  They traveled back, heading to where they’d stopped on their first date, but Jax turned off and went to a closer path that would lead to Black Bear Park. There was still a b
it of hiking, so Jax grunted, “Up with me,” and attempted to lift Mia back onto his shoulders.

  “I can walk fine,” she said.

  He dropped her back down.

  She dusted herself off, threw her hair back, and strutted ahead, not even sure where she was going.

  Jax caught up to her, outpacing her with his long strides. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize. I’m only trying to help.”

  It would even out ahead, but Jax held a hand out to steady her until they came to easier ground.

  “Are you sure you can walk?”

  “I’m fine,” she snapped. She walked ahead again. When they were at the post that said “Now entering Black Bear Park”, she swung around and headed the opposite way.

  Jax hooked her by the waist.

  She peered up at him. “You’re taking me here? A bear tries to maul me, and you’re taking me to where they all live? Why Black Bear Park of all places?”

  “I’m bringing you to where you can be close to me. I’m not letting you out of my sight. I’m taking you to where you’ll be safest, with me.”

  Jax slipped his arm free from her waist. She didn’t try to go forward, but once he went on ahead, she didn’t have much of a choice. Mia stayed close to Jax the rest of the walk back to his cabin.

  Surprisingly, it was easy to forget almost being murdered by a bear as she marveled at Jax’s cabin.

  It was spacious, finely furnished, and had a cozy, yet also modern feel. The inside of the home had that reddish tint that she’d seen from the ancient trees in the Park. It all looked carved by hand too.

  “This is incredible,” she breathed.

  “Come in please,” Jax said, gesturing her farther inside.

  She stepped past the tall ceiling of the foyer, past the staircase to the second level and balcony, and into the east kitchen. It was marble floor there with wide windows over the kitchen. To the west, there was a similar window which looked out at a shallow waterfall, illuminated by a meticulous setup of outdoor lighting.

  “Your home is really beautiful,” she said, and she smiled now quite easily.

  “It took a lot of work,” Jax said. He pushed a chair out for her to sit. “Please, sit.”