Dragon's Mate

by Alicia Banks

  “OK, fine. I will hear you out.”

  “Thank you.” Alistair took a deep breath, looked her in the eyes and said it. “The reason I collect dragons and love dragons is because I’m what is called a dragon shifter.”

  Sarai blinked at him as if she hadn’t heard what he had said. “I’m a dragon shifter,” he said again. “I can turn into a dragon. It’s like a werewolf, only I turn big and green, and I can control it, for the most part. Rage brings it out without control, but for the most part, I can control it. Come to the gym with me, I’ll show it to you. Then we can discuss the baby, if you’re not too terrified by the way I look. I don’t know if the baby will be a dragon shifter. We won’t know till he or she is older, but if they are a dragon shifter, then I will help them cope with it. Not like it’s a disease or illness or anything, it’s a condition. I think that is the best way to put it. They can learn to control it. I will not force the traditions and the way of life on them. They will not be tested, and when they come of age, they can choose their own mates. They can choose to follow the traditions and customs, but they will not be forced to. Am I making any sense to you? Have I lost you?”

  “Say it again.” Sarai shook her head. “You’re a what now?”

  “A dragon shifter.”

  Chapter 17

  Sarai

  “Excuse me, what?” She and Mickey exchanged looks and then burst into laughter. “Oh, you’re funny, you’re so funny. I forgot how funny you are.” Sarai laughed.

  “Uh Sarai, I don’t think he’s joking.” Mickey sobered up first.

  “Of course, he’s joking. That was a joke. Tell her that was a joke,” Sarai demanded

  Alistair shook his head.

  “Prove it.”

  “I told you, I'll show you my dragon when we get to the gym.”

  “I’m not going to the gym with you, you have to prove it right now,” she demanded.

  “Here?”

  “Yes. Right here, right now,” she demanded.

  He looked around them. “Fine, I’ll show you a part of it.” He shook and his head began to change. His teeth began to elongate. They looked more like a serpent’s teeth. His eyes changed to a bright golden hue and glowed. The pupils shrank into slits.

  “Holy shit!” Mickey backed against the wall of the elevator and sank to the ground and curled up in a ball. “Your boyfriend is a freaking dragon!”

  Alistair shook off the transformation before he ripped his favorite shirt. Sarai sank to the floor stunned.

  “Will the baby be able to do that?” she asked after a moment of silence.

  “I don’t know. Some can, some can’t. We won’t know till he or she is older. There are two different kinds of dragon shifters. I’m the human to dragon variety. There is also the dragon to human variety. They are rarer. Of the human to dragon variety, I am from the dragon nobility. Generations of my bloodline and shifting abilities have been passed down. A lot of the rich elite around here are dragon shifters. They try to keep the bloodlines pure. It’s harder to control the lesser dragon shifters, they mate with humans and there’s only a 50/50 chance that the baby will even become a dragon shifter- which the elites believe will slowly kill them off. So, the traditions and customs are all about preservation. I don’t care about those things. I didn’t before I met you, and I certainly don’t now, because those things present a problem for us. I don’t want anything else to be a problem for us. Do you?”

  Sarai sat on the floor and stared at him. “I’m sorry, you’re a dragon! You’re a freaking dragon!”

  “Dragon shifter,” he corrected.

  “Right.”

  “Sarai, do you trust me?”

  “I don’t know,” Sarai said. “So, the engagement.”

  “It’s over. That was why she came to the gym, to tell me she couldn’t take it anymore. She was in love with someone else.” He laughed, “She’s actually in love with a wolf.”

  “A wolf?”

  “A wolf shifter. There are many kinds of shifters.”

  “Alistair, this is a lot to handle.”

  “I know, I’m sorry. I was hoping to tell you this another way.” He ran his hands through his hair and then sat down on the floor across from her. “Do you have any questions?”

  “I wouldn’t even know where to start.”

  “Well, I have an idea.” He stood back up and pushed the stop button back in, and then pushed R to take it to the roof.

  “Why are we going to the roof?”

  “I want to show you something.” The elevator stopped and they stepped out onto the roof. “Put your coat on. It’s cold out.”

  Sarai put her coat on. Then they stepped out onto the roof. Alistair took off his shirt, pants, and shoes.

  “Sarai, what is he doing?”

  “It’s my favorite shirt. You want proof, real proof? Ok, you got it, don’t be scared. I won’t hurt you. Hold these tight now. I don’t want you to drop them.” He handed his clothes to her and then began to transform again. This time, he backed up away from them so there was more space.

  Sarai and Mickey watched as a huge green dragon appeared. He was thirty feet long, with a ten-foot tail. His wings were massive, seeming to stretch on forever. His scales were emerald green. His eyes were golden. His neck was long. He had three horns on his head. He was magnificent.

  She suddenly understood the fascination of dragons. They were creatures from another world, and yet here she was looking at one. One that had the eyes of the man she had made love to.

  Sarai gasped. Mickey screamed, backed up against the wall and trembled in fear.

  Sarai reached out to touch him. He nudged her hand. Carefully, as if not to harm her with his horns. She expected him to feel rough and scaly, but it was more like touching warm silk. It was terrifying, but mesmerizing at the same time. Gone were her feelings of anger and betrayal, replaced with feelings of awe, wonder, and curiosity. She couldn’t think straight while looking at him and touching him, but she didn’t want to stop. He was amazing. He stood there as she looked him over.

  “Why did you ask me if I trusted you?” she asked after a moment of exploring his massive green scaly body.

  Without responding, the dragon scooped her up and took to the sky. He cradled her in his arms and flew up into the clouds. She screamed at first, but then she lost her breath as he flew her through the clouds, securely holding on to her. He stayed above the clouds so people couldn’t see him. Though if anyone did, it’s not like they would have known or believed what they were seeing.

  He stayed above the clouds till they flew over his destination, then just as quickly, he dropped out of the clouds and landed on Pike’s Peak with a loud thud and rocks went sliding down. He put her down gently. The view took her breath away. She could see rows and rows of mountains with rivers that snaked their way through. She had lived in Colorado her whole life and had never climbed Pike’s Peak. She had never had the desire to climb it, but to come to it from the clouds was something else. It was freezing, and she started to shiver, so he wrapped his wings around her like a warm blanket.

  At first it took her by surprise, but she quickly warmed up to the idea. She tried not to think about the fact that if he wanted to, he could just swallow her in one bite. Instead she focused on the view. The sky was filled with clouds; they looked so close. She had been too scared to reach out and touch a cloud. Maybe she would on the way back. She had always wondered what a cloud felt like. Would her hand just break through it without touching it, or would it feel dense? Would it feel wet from all the water, or would it feel like snow? Was it safe to touch?

  At last he shifted out of dragon form. She giggled because he was naked. She took in his body. His rock-hard abs, his smooth skin. Thought of the night they made love came pouring back, and for the first time in a while the thoughts brought a smile to her face.

  Since she had been holding his clothes, she let him get dressed. She gawked at him the whole time.

  “Well, say something
.” He smiled. “You can’t tell anyone. You and Mickey must swear to secrecy. We would be hunted and killed if you told anyone. I must protect the secret of the shifters.” She nodded her understanding. “But, on occasion, when a human mates with a shifter, they are inducted, and invited into the circle. There just has never been a human who mated with an elite before.”

  “I need a minute,” she said still stunned by what just happened. She pinched herself to make sure it wasn’t a dream. She ran her hands through her hair and looked out across the horizon. She couldn’t believe she was standing on Pike’s Peak. “So, you never loved Phoebe?” she asked at last.

  “No, never. Sarai, all those messages I left were true.”

  “I never actually listened to them,” she confessed.

  “I have never seen or been with such an amazing person. I know it all seems fast… but I do love you.”

  Sarai wasn’t sure what to think or say.

  “I know you have a lot to think about, we both do. I want you to know, I’m in, Sarai. I’m all in. I will protect you and our baby from my father and from all harm.”

  “If you promise there is no one else.”

  “I promise.”

  “Then ok.”

  “Ok. Want to stay here and watch the sunset with me, before I take you back?”

  “Can I just say this was the most romantic thing anyone has ever done for me?”

  “I figured go big or go home. I wish I had a picnic for us, but we can do it again.”

  “Can you take me anywhere in the world?”

  “Well yeah I could, but flying is frowned upon, because of fear of being seen. I figured this time the risk was worth it.”

  “What good is being a dragon then?”

  He laughed. “Well, that’s why I view it as a curse. There is no good reason for being a dragon, that I can see. Not currently.”

  They remained on the peak and watched the sun set, wrapped in each other’s arms. Then Alistair stripped and handed her his clothes, once again. He turned himself into the dragon, scooped her up, and carried her back to the roof of the hospital. Where he got dressed again.

  Mickey started babbling. “Oh my gosh, that was the most radical thing I had ever seen. What was it like to fly with him?”

  “It was incredible, like a dream. We flew to Pike’s Peak and then we talked and watched the sun set, it was all so magical.”

  “Mickey, I already told Sarai this. You can’t tell anyone what you saw today. Humans would hurt us and kill us.”

  “I won’t tell a soul. So, are you two back together?”

  “We have some things to think about, but yeah, I think we are.”

  “Then you’re keeping the baby.”

  “I’m keeping the baby.”

  “Was there ever a question?” Alistair asked as he finished getting dressed again.

  “She was determined to get an abortion, which is why I reached out to you. I figured you could stop her from making the biggest mistake of her life. I’m not sure how I feel about you being a dragon shifter person, but I’m glad I reached out to you.”

  “I’m glad you did too. Take her home, make sure she gets plenty of rest, fluids, and food. I have to get back to the gym. I will call you later, so we can talk.”

  “Yeah, I’d like that.” Sarai beamed.

  “Then I’ll bring dinner and we can talk after I get off work. Is there anything else you need?”

  “No.”

  “Ok. Then I will see you later.” She let him kiss her. “I will never make you feel used again.” He got back in the elevator and left them on the roof.

  “Your welcome,” Mickey said after a moment. “I told you it was a misunderstanding. You have got to learn to trust people.” She pushed the elevator button and they took it down. They drove back to the shop.

  “I’m pregnant!”

  “You’re pregnant.”

  “I had sex with a freaking dragon shifter.”

  Mickey laughed. “Do you think your baby will be a dragon shifter, too?”

  “Alistair said we won’t know until he or she is older.”

  “You know what else?”

  “What?”

  “When you marry Alistair, you’ll be rich.”

  “Unless his parents cut him off for getting me pregnant.”

  “Do you need anything before we get back to the shop?”

  “I should probably get some prenatal vitamins.” They stopped at a drug store and then headed back to the shop so Sarai could get her car. Then Mickey followed her home.

  Chapter 18

  Alistair

  Alistair got in his car and sat there. So many thoughts and feelings were rushing through his mind. He raked his hands through his hair while he tried to collect his thoughts. What he had done was against the rules of the shifters. He was supposed to petition the dragon council if he wanted to shift in front of a human. If they found out what he had done, they would want his head. The dragon council took their preservation very seriously, especially when it came to the elites. Not only had his mate seen him, but he had transformed in front of Mickey. To make matters worse, he had taken to the sky, which was another forbidden action.

  Then his thoughts turned to Sarai, and he smiled. She was back in his life and she was carrying his child. He was thrilled beyond belief. Now his parents would have no choice but to accept it. It was now time to man up and prove how far he was willing to go to protect his love and their child.

  He knew there would be a confrontation with his father. He was sure it would get ugly and dangerous, but he needed to prove himself once and for all. He decided he needed to bring Sarai to the next Sunday night family dinner to introduce her and make his stand against his father. If he could do that, he could do anything.

  That night, while sitting in his office at his desk, his feet propped up on the desk, he called her “I was wondering what you are doing on Sunday evening.”

  “I have no plans that I know of,” Sarai said. “What did you have in mind?”

  “It would do me great honor if you would come to my family dinner. I want to introduce you to my family.”

  “Are you sure that’s a good idea?” He could hear the fear in her voice.

  “I think it’s a great idea. I need them to understand that I’m serious, that I’m willing to do anything to protect you and our baby. Mother will love you, and so will my sisters,” he reassured her.

  “I guess so, if it means that much to you,” she said after a moment of silence, where all he could hear were the murmurings coming from a TV on her end.

  “It does.” He himself would just as well not go, or drag her along. That would be acting like a coward, and that was one thing he was not. It was time to stand up and face his father’s wrath. He knew in a fight he could easily take his father down, and if he had to, he would kill him and take his place on the council; maybe then he could make some real change.

  “Then I’ll go,” she said, the sound of fear still in her voice.

  “I promise. I will protect you and our baby,” he promised.

  “I trust you. How can I not? You carried me through the clouds.”

  He laughed. “Ok, so I’ll pick you up at seven for the dinner. Not that I want to change your look, but it is a formal affair, do you have a nice dress you can wear?”

  “I’ll borrow something from Mickey. Will black be appropriate?” she asked.

  “Yes,” Alistair said, “Black would be most appropriate.”

  “I think Mickey has a nice black dress and maybe a colored sweater to add some color to it. Maybe I can borrow my mom’s pearls, too. Would that be OK?”

  “That would be lovely.” He smiled.

  “Is this a weekly thing? Should I put it in my calendar for now?”

  “Let’s see how this one goes first,” he advised.

  “Right, yeah good idea. Are you nervous?” she asked clearly nervous herself.

  “Extremely. I’m anticipating a fight, and well, when t
wo dragons fight, it can get dangerous, ugly.”

  “Could he kill you?” she asked, suddenly afraid of losing him again.

  “I’m too strong. I’ve been working out. He hasn’t been. It will be fine, Sarai. Everything will be fine.” He gulped. He was sure he could take his father, but his father was an elite.

  “What about your mother?” she asked, cutting into his thoughts.

  “My mother is softer than my father. She may be a bit standoffish at first, but she will warm to you quickly, especially when she learns you are carrying my child.”

  “Well, maybe next weekend you can come with me and meet my moms,” she said. “They’ll be thrilled to meet you, and there won’t be a fight, I promise. There will be good food, and you can meet my dog. Dixon is mine, but I let him live with my moms to keep them company, plus I’m working all the time. I don’t have time to stop by all the time to walk him. He’s a malamute.”

  “I’d like that a lot. Hey, I forgot to ask, how was the marathon?”

  “It was good. I earned a lot of money for the charity.”

  “I figured you wouldn’t appreciate me showing up there, so I stayed away.”

  “You would have been right.”

  “Well, hey, the gym is always open to you. You can even go downstairs, now that you know the truth. Phoebe and Teagan would love to meet you; so would the guys.”

  “Yeah, maybe sometime next week, I’ll come by.”

  “I look forward to it.”

  “But now that I’m your girlfriend. Am I your girlfriend?”

  “Mate. You’re my mate, but yeah, girlfriend. Bride. Do you want to marry me?”

  “Maybe not any time soon, maybe after the baby?”

  “Sure, we can wait till after the baby.”

  “You are going to do a real proposal right? I mean that wasn’t an official proposal, was it? Because it’s kind of sucked, and well, I want a ring and a romantic dinner. I’m a girl, I’ve been dreaming of my wedding proposal for years, and my wedding, so you can’t disappoint me now.”