Dragon's Mate

by Alicia Banks

  “Oh yeah, work it girl!” he teased. “Ok, wipe it down, get on the cycle machine; if you know how to ride a bike you know how to use it. Then you’ve earned your smoothie. I got to handle something quick. I'll be right back.”

  “What about the rest of the machines?”

  “I don’t think you’re ready for those yet. Let’s get you comfortable on these four first.”

  “Deal.” He went inside another room to her right.

  She wiped down the leg press then she stretched more and got on the cycle machine. Of course, there was no reason for him to explain that, because it was just like riding a bike. And everyone knew how to ride a bike. She rode it till he came back from whatever he had to deal with.

  After a few moments, he returned, leaning against the door frame. He closely watched Sarai working out. “Ok, Sarai, I’d say you earned your smoothie. Let’s go.”

  She wiped the machine down and then followed him through the gym. He wasn’t kidding, it was massive. There was a basketball court, a tennis court, rooms for aerobics classes, and an indoor pool and sauna. “So, just curious, how much does a membership to a place like this cost?”

  “For you, nothing. You can use any of it, any time you’d like.”

  “Wow.”

  “For everyone else, it depends.”

  “On what?”

  He pretended to not hear her as he led her through a door to a stairwell and then up to the second floor where there was a smoothie bar. “Whatever you want, it’s on me.”

  Chapter 4

  Alistair

  “Hey Tibs. Two passion fruit smoothies, one with raspberries, one with dragon fruit.”

  The smoothie bar was done up to be a fun relaxing atmosphere, a place to hang out, relax, and grab a refreshing smoothie after a hard workout. It was run by a wolf shifter named Tiberius, who was Alistair’s best friend and partner. They had opened the place up together.

  “Dragon fruit, is that where the name for the gym came from?” Sarai asked, taking the smoothie he held out to her. Her question took him off guard for a second.

  “What? No.” He strolled to a table, and she followed.

  “It’s an unusual name,” she said, sitting across from him.

  “I happen to like dragons. They’re good luck.”

  “Only Chinese ones, rest were evil.” She spoke with such authority.

  He would have believed her if he hadn’t known better, if he hadn’t been a dragon himself. He couldn’t help what came out next. “Evil?” he scoffed. “Don’t believe everything you read, Sarai. Humans declared dragons evil because they ate their cattle to survive and attacked back when they were threatened. Truth be told, humans are more evil than dragons. Most dragons just want to be left alone to their hoards of gold and jewels. They only kill for survival or for defense. Humans twist the truth to make themselves seem like the heroes, but they are the villains. They were the ones who hunted dragons to extinction. They hunted the dragons for trophies, for sport, to prove how manly they were. They stole from the dragons and then slaughtered them when they attacked back. Animals don’t kill for those reasons, they kill to survive, that’s it. Humans are nasty creatures who think they are better than the other species in the world. They domesticate animals for their pleasure.”

  “Wow, I’ve never thought of it that way.”

  “Most humans don’t, I just happen to have a unique perspective. Ignore me, I tend to go off sometimes.”

  “I like your perspective; you make people think.” He smiled. “Though I do find it odd that you seem to hate your own species.” She laughed

  “I don’t hate my own species. Just because I don’t agree with some traditions and customs and our way of life doesn’t mean I hate my own species.”

  “No, but you wish you were a dragon, right?”

  He laughed and watched her smile stretch across her face. He lost his train of thought as his thoughts turned to how beautiful she was. He thought about how she had looked back in the gym, the sweat beading on her cleavage as she had leaned forward on the rowing machine. The bounce of her bottom as she worked the cycling machine. The warmth of her skin through her shirt as he helped her stretch her back. It brought a smile to his face.

  He had given up all hope on the romantic front only a month ago. If only he had held out a little longer, then maybe he could have met Sarai before agreeing to an arranged marriage to Phoebe, but then, where would he have met her? If it hadn’t been for the fact that he had needed the arrangement for Phoebe, he never would have found himself in her shop, flirting with her. And, since she had an aversion to gyms, she never would have come to the gym, and he wouldn’t be sitting across from her slurping on a smoothie. Fate was cruel, there was no doubt. Then he thought of Phoebe and his mood worsened.

  What are you doing, you fool? You’re engaged to Phoebe; you have your duties. You are a noble dragon, the son of an elite. This is not proper behavior...

  “You ok?” Sarai’s voice cut through his dark thoughts. He flashed her a smile and took a sip of his smoothie. “You looked like you were deep in thought there. Were you contemplating the ramifications of what it would be like to be a dragon?” she teased, and her smile spread, stretching the corners of her mouth where the diamonds were.

  “What? No.”

  “I was kidding.” She laughed. “I can’t believe I actually used the words ‘contemplating the ramifications’ in a sentence. I’ve got to tell Mickey that one. It’s a line from a movie. This smart-aleck is talking up shit so this guy walks up to him and uses those words. He’s like dumbfounded and he doesn’t have a quirky comeback. It’s a good movie.” She took another drink of her smoothie and he watched her tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear. She was a goddess in his eyes. He had never seen pink and blue hair before; it was so bright, and just made her seem to glow. Maybe she wasn’t human at all, maybe she was a pixy. He had never met a pixy but had heard stories. Her voice broke him from his rambling thoughts again. “So, who was the woman?”

  “What?”

  “The woman I made that arrangement for?” she asked. Her question caught him off guard, and he grunted.

  “No one.” He frowned over his smoothie. He wanted to pretend for that moment that Phoebe didn’t exist, that he wasn’t a dragon shifter with a responsibility of carrying on and maintaining the dragon shifters’ duty and traditions that he himself didn’t even believe in. He just wanted to be Alistair, owner of the gym, regular guy, enjoying a nice smoothie with a beautiful woman. Consequences be damned.

  “She didn’t like the arrangement?”

  “She liked the arrangement, the flowers; we both did. I don’t really want to get into it. I don’t really feel like going there.”

  “Your mind went there.”

  “Yeah, well, I don’t want to think about it anymore.”

  “It’s ok. It’s not like this is a date or anything, you’re just being nice and helping me train for the marathon. You challenged me to try the smoothie, said it was better than my protein shake.”

  “So, what is the verdict?”

  “Well I like this, but,” she paused for dramatic effect. “Yeah, it’s way tastier than my protein shakes. Can I try your dragon fruit smoothie?” He smiled and handed it over. She took a sip and smacked her lips. “Tart!”

  He smiled. She handed it back and he savored it even more now that her mouth had been on his straw.

  “Your favorite music is obviously rock,” he said, reading the name of the band on her shirt.

  “Obviously. You?”

  “Same, actually. I don’t know the band on your shirt, but I bet I’d like them.”

  “So, why a gym?” She changed the subject.

  “I’m a personal trainer. I come from money, so I had the funds to open it. I like being my own boss. I don’t take to authority very well; I blame that on my parents. I wish I could rebel against them and that makes me want to rebel against authority, though I’ve never been good at it. I have fr
iends who are in my shoes and they are extremely rebellious, so I live vicariously through their rebellion. So, why flowers?”

  “That’s a good question. I worked at this flower shop when I was younger. I found I enjoyed working with flowers and I was good at it.”

  “You seem like someone who is a rebel.”

  “I am. To the core.” She smiled. He laughed. “So, your family is strict?”

  “They are old fashioned and set in their old-fashioned ways. Tradition is the cornerstone of those old-fashioned ways, and they have values and beliefs that I just can’t get behind. No matter how much they try to instill it in me, I just don’t share their values, and I never will.” He left out the fact that he was a dragon; that conversation would have to come later. If there was a later. He still had to figure out what he wanted to do about Phoebe. The wedding was set for a month from now. His mother had been working so hard on all the plans, and he hated disappointing her. At the same time, he hated being controlled by his parents, and he still didn’t know how Phoebe felt. They had barely had a moment alone together. When they did, she barely said a word.

  It was nice to be with someone like Sarai, who was bubbly and talkative. She made him laugh, a lot, something he hadn’t done much with Phoebe, but still, what was this? What was he doing? He was engaged to Phoebe. He shouldn’t be sitting here with another woman, engaging in conversation. Oh, but the conversation was so interesting. Her stories were fascinating; he had never known anyone like her. They had a lot in common, too, from a similar taste in music to a love for running. They were completely different people who came from completely different backgrounds. In the end, they were so similar, more similar than he and Phoebe could ever be. The only thing they shared was that they were both dragons. “Maybe I should sign up for this race that you’re in.”

  “You could if you wanted to, but you better not beat me.”

  “Well, we could run together; I promise to keep pace with you.”

  “Now, that I would like.”

  “Good. So would I.”

  “Oh my gosh, is that the time?” Sarai asked, looking up at the clock on the wall. He glanced up too. Then he noticed they were the only ones left, aside from the smoothie maker who was wiping down tables.

  “It’s almost time to close up.”

  “Take your time boss, we won’t start without you.” The other guy said.

  “Start what?” Sarai asked.

  “Nothing, it’s nothing important.” He brushed it off. There was a gathering of the shifters down on the secret floor underground. However, tonight he didn’t care if he missed the whole thing. He preferred the company of this human, and he wasn’t about to rush her out the door.

  She laughed and got up and stretched. “This was fun.”

  “It was.” He got up and stretched beside her. Anything to prolong the evening.

  “Well, I should let you get to your not important thing, and let you close up.”

  “Yeah. Come back again anytime. Now that you know how to use the machines, you can get a real workout in. I promise you, it’s going to be far better than what you do at home. Just trust me.”

  “Well, you were right about the smoothie.” She blushed and he smiled. She was so beautiful. No, not beautiful. Phoebe was beautiful. Sarai was sexy. Sexy and irresistible.

  He locked up for the night and walked her to her car. “Oh, looks like you have a flat tire. Do you have a spare? I’ll change it for you.”

  “Nope, no spare.”

  “Do you have Triple A?”

  “No.”

  “I do; you can use one of my tows.” He pulled out his wallet and his phone. “I’ll call you a tow truck.”

  She climbed in her car to wait, and was surprised when he climbed in beside her.

  “You don’t have to wait with me.”

  “Are you kidding? I’m not going to leave you alone out here all by yourself. I’m a gentleman.”

  He melted a bit at the cute little grin that played on her lips. “Don’t you have something to get to?”

  “I told you, it’s not anything important.” He shrugged it off.

  When the tow truck arrived, he made sure everything was taken care of. While he spoke with the tow truck driver, she called Mickey.

  “Not picking up?” he asked as he joined her.

  “No. It’s fine, I can walk.”

  “Where do you live?”

  “On the other side of town.”

  “Are you kidding me? It’s too far for you to walk in the dark. I’ll take you home. Like I said, I’m a gentleman; I’m not going to leave you to wander alone in the dark. Come on.”

  He watched as she rolled her eyes a bit. “Fine.”

  “My car is right over here.”

  Chapter 5

  Sarai

  Alistair’s car was a sleek black Lamborghini with a green dragon painted on the hood and a vanity plate that said SOA Dragon.

  “Wow, you really do like dragons. Son of a Dragon?” she asked when she caught sight of the license plate.

  “Yeah, and if you met my father, you’d understand. If he was a dragon, he’d definitely be an evil one. Maybe then I wouldn’t be against dragon hunting.”

  Sarai paused and stared at him for a moment trying to gauge his reaction, but she couldn’t read him. “Wow, you hate him that much?” she asked, surprised by his hateful words. She didn’t know what it was like to have a father, but she couldn’t imagine it was that horrible.

  “No, not really,” he admitted. “He and I are just clashing on something. I mean, it’s not like we never clash on things, we clash on everything. He’s old fashioned, set in his ways, his history, his customs, and most importantly his traditions, that date back to the stone age, I believe.”

  She laughed. He didn’t smile. He wasn’t joking.

  Alistair opened the passenger door for her. The interior was sleek black leather that was smooth like butter. Her butt sank into the cushy seat. She had never been in anything so fancy. A gold dragon with a large jewel clutched in its claw stood on a base on the dashboard. It looked heavy and very expensive, but she still picked it up to inspect it. There was painstaking detail. It was heavy and cold to the touch, but it took her breath away.

  “Is this real gold?” she asked as he buckled up beside her.

  “Yeah, about five pounds worth.” He dismissed it as if it was no big deal that there was five pounds of freaking gold sitting on his dashboard. “It was made to be the hood ornament, but I like it where it is.”

  “Wow!” Sarai was mesmerized by it. She had never seen anything like it.

  “Give me your address, I’ll put it in the GPS.” He grabbed his device and punched in her address.

  “So why dragons? What’s the draw?”

  “They’re powerful mythical creatures that ruled the heavens. Besides, they’re just cool looking.” The light from the streetlamp caught the jewel and it sparkled. “Emerald,” he explained, “and yes, it’s a real emerald. Old too; it once sat on the crown of an ancient king. It was passed down to me, so I had that dragon made as its holder.”

  “Aren’t you afraid someone will try to steal it?” She asked horrified. She couldn’t imagine having something that valuable in such an open space. Cars were stolen all the time and this car was the most expensive car she had ever seen.

  “No, because it has a spell on it, anyone who tries to steal it will be cursed forever.”

  She laughed, and he smiled this time.

  “Just curious, how much is that gem worth? It’s the size of my fist!”

  “That was appraised at the price of a million dollars, but I’ll never sell it. It’s a family heirloom. I think my father would actually kill me if I did.”

  “Are you descendants of an ancient king or something?” It sounded stupid as she said it, but if he thought it was stupid, he didn’t make any indication.

  “If you believe my father, we are. He claims he can trace our ancestry back, but I have my doubt
s. I’m sure we’re more like descendants of the man who stole the king’s jewels. Maybe he even killed the king for them.” He laughed. “If you think this little bobble is impressive, you should see the collection of jewels we have at the house. Collecting jewels is one of those old-fashioned traditions I told you about. We love beautiful things, and there is nothing more beautiful than rare gems. Even to this day, Father and Mother scour the world for auctions where they can acquire new gems. They also collect gold, though panning is beneath them. I, myself, have done it a time or two and find it very relaxing. I’m good at it too. I also go mining for gems.”

  “Alistair, you fascinate me.” She smiled. “I admit I haven’t been able to get you off my mind. Though I wasn’t going to come, Mickey, my partner, she pushed me over here. She’s a good friend, and tomorrow she’ll bug me till I tell her what happened today.” She smiled he laughed.

  “And just what are you going to tell her?”

  “I’m not sure yet.” She blushed and he smiled. It was a seductive smile that made her swallow. What was she getting herself into? She ran her hands through her hair and pulled her ponytail out. Her pink and blue hair tumbled down. She looked over and watched as Alistair took down his hair. Even in the dim light she could see how hot he was. His hair was like midnight, and it looked wet and shiny in the lamplight. The luscious locks tumbled down to his shoulders. He ran his hands through it. Did he know she was watching him? He seemed to be taking his time, as if he was prolonging their time together.

  “So, as much as I’m enjoying your company, we can only prolong this for so long.”

  “Right.” He ran his hands through his hair and laughed. Then he turned the key in the ignition. The engine purred or roared as it came to life. He put the shift in drive and pulled out of the parking lot.

  “Can I play some music?”

  “Be my guest. Radio works; there’s also a six-disc changer and the CDs are in the middle console.” She tuned the radio to her favorite rock station. Then she opened the middle console to check out the CDs. “Oh, I love this band.” He smiled as a new song started. He turned it up.