The Dragon's Mate

by Emilia Hartley

  “But now they have Dominic,” Lucy sighed. “He’s not an alpha, but he could be. He’s pretty strong.”

  “Yup,” Dan murmured, rubbing his head where he had been hit, the memories bringing him slight pain. “He is.” He looked down at her. “Do you feel better now?”

  “Yes, I do.” Swallowing hard, Lucy slipped her arm around Dan’s waist, aware of how he jerked in surprise. “Sorry,” she muttered, but Dan shook his head.

  “No, don’t back away now,” he said, hoarsely. “Lucy, I’m not going to pretend that I’m not attracted to you, because, in case you haven’t noticed, I am.”

  She chuckled, remembering how he’d asked for her number at the bar, even though he’d knocked her clean off her feet. “Yes, I’ve noticed,” she murmured. Her heart began to thump in her chest as he gently squeezed her shoulders. “You’re not so bad yourself.”

  He laughed, his chest rumbling. “That’s good to know.” Stopping, he turned to face her, catching both of her hands in his. “I want to be able to shift with you though, Lucy.”

  Shaking her head, Lucy’s excitement disappeared at once. “No, I can’t.”

  "You can," he replied, gently. "You know that not everyone is like Dominic and Lucas. Haven't I just shown you that?"

  “You have,” Lucy admitted. “But still, you guys are involved in a battle. I don’t want to be a part of it.” The last thing she wanted was to be part of a pack that was at war with another pack. She’d seen enough violence from Dominic to last a lifetime.

  "It's a battle we don't want," Dan continued, still speaking gently. "There's so much more to being a shifter than just fighting, Lucy. It's freedom. It's power. Why won't you let me show you the different side of being a shifter? I guarantee it'll be a side you've never seen before."

  Lucy's heart ached. She wanted to say yes, wanted to let him show her what being a shifter was like, but still, her fear held her back. Her bear growled, desperate to be let out and Lucy had to grit her teeth to push it back down. Her skin rippled as the bear continued to fight, her entire body tensing with the need to change.

  “Let me see your bear, Lucy,” Dan whispered. “Please. Trust me.”

  "No!" she shouted, twisting away from him. "I made a vow, Dan. I won't go back on it." She could see the hurt in his eyes, but knew he could never really understand what she as going through. "I'm going back to the cabin," she muttered, her anger slowly spiralling away. "Thanks for talking with me, Dan."

  Chapter Eleven

  Dan threw back his head and roared, the sound practically shook the trees. He let out all of his frustration with one single sound, only ending it when the last bit of disappointment left his heart.

  Feel better?

  Turning around, Dan saw Tom's bear approach, his eyes fixed on him. Obviously, he'd heard his roar.

  I guess so.

  Tom snorted, letting his breath come out in a few short puffs. What’s bothering you?

  Dan paused, before walking alongside Tom further into the woods. It was a beautiful day but that still didn’t lift his spirits. It had been a week since he’d last spoken to Lucy about shifting, and the Northern Wind pack and still he was upset with how she’d reacted. He couldn’t understand why she was so against shifting. Okay, so she only had her brother to go on but he’d been trying to show her that this pack, the Alliance, was completely different from Dominic and Lucas, but so far she hadn’t responded.

  Tom snorted again, making Dan realize that he was still waiting for an answer. It’s Lucy.

  She still won’t shift?

  Dan figured his silence would be all the answer Tom needed, dropping his head low as they carried on through the woods. Birds chirped and the air was filled with wonderful scents and smells, but Dan didn’t notice any of it. All he could think of was Lucy, and how she was choosing to miss out on all of this.

  You need to be careful, Dan.

  Turning his head, Dan looked at Tom who was now busy sniffing the air.

  Why?

  Tom stretched up onto his back legs, standing tall for a moment before falling forward onto his four paws. There’s always loyalty between family. She might choose him, not you.

  Dan didn’t believe that for a moment. He’d seen how Lucy was when she’d been with Dominic, and there was no way she’d defend him. She’d tried to get away from him, hadn’t she?

  If it came to it, she’d choose him, not you, Tom warned.

  Dan immediately wanted to disagree but chose instead to stay silent, thinking about what Tom had said.

  I’ve got to go, Tom continued, sniffing the air hard again. Savannah’s out here somewhere.

  Inwardly groaning, Dan turned around and began to walk away from Tom, wandering back through the woods towards the mechanics. Tom and Savannah would often disappear into the woods and Dan didn’t want to be around when they found each other.

  His bear disappeared slowly, as Dan pulled himself back into his human skin. It wasn't as painful this time as if the bear knew he had enough to deal with already. Stretching, Dan let out a groan as the final bone snapped back into place.

  "At least Lucy's missing out on this bit," he muttered, crossly. Looking around for his clothes, Dan realized he'd left them a little bit away from where he'd shifted. Grumbling under his breath, he tried to make his way through the woods back to where he'd left them. Branches snapped under his bare feet, making him wince.

  “Dan?”

  Heat shot to his face as he attempted to cover himself with his hands. “Lucy?” he gurgled, looking around for her. “Just give me a minute.”

  “Nick said you were out here,” came her voice again. “I was hoping we could talk.”

  Dan felt frozen to the spot. He couldn't tell where she was. He still wasn't used to using his bear senses when he was in his human skin and, even if he could, he wasn't sure he'd be able to find her. His instincts were going haywire as it was. It sounded like Lucy was coming nearer and he was still completely naked.

  “Lucy,” he shouted, growing more and more embarrassed by the minute. “Can you stay still for a minute?”

  The sound of her footsteps came to a halt. “Why?” she asked, sounding as though she was quite upset with his request. “What’s the matter?”

  “Uh…I was shifting,” he explained. “I’ve only just changed back.”

  There was silence for a few seconds.

  “So?”

  Dan rolled his eyes, muttering under his breath. Apparently, Lucy had already forgotten what happened. "I need to find my clothes," he finished, growing hot all over.

  He stood completely still, trying to listen for her reaction. He didn’t hear laughter or a gasp of shock. Instead, there was just silence.

  “I’ll be right back,” he said, eventually. “Just - just wait here.”

  “Okay,” he heard Lucy reply, sounding as though she was smothering a laugh. “Sorry, I totally forgot about that bit.”

  Dan didn’t reply, stalking through the trees as best he could, in an attempt to keep as much dignity as possible.

  Finally finding his clothes in a pile beside an old tree stump, Dan put them on as quickly as he could, throwing his t-shirt over his shoulder as he tied the laces on his shoes.

  “That was close,” he muttered, turning around and walking back towards Lucy. Pulling on his t-shirt, he tried to keep his chin lifted, wishing that the heat would go from his face.

  “Hi,” he said, as he found her again. “Sorry, I didn’t expect you to be here.”

  She shrugged. “It’s the weekend. I thought we could maybe do something together? Everyone else is, uh, busy.”

  Dan gave her a wry grin. “Right, so they’re all hooking up and you’re feeling lonely. Welcome to my world!”

  Thankfully, she laughed, breaking the tension. “Have things been like that for you for a while, then?”

  He nodded, remembering all the weekends he'd spent either hanging about in the town bar or letting his bear run in the woods. Anything
to be away from Tom and Savannah or Nick and Jo. Seeing them together always just made him realize how lonely he was. Now, apparently, Lucy was feeling exactly the same way. It was almost a relief to finally have someone who understood what he'd been dealing with, even though he was still grateful for being allowed to stay with the Alliance. "It's nice to have some company now," he replied, seeing the way she gave him a slightly shy smile. "Where would you like to go?"

  She shrugged, although he spotted a laughing smile playing around the corners of her mouth. Narrowing his eyes, he fixed her with a look. “What’s so funny?”

  “I’m sorry,” she grinned, her eyes darting away from him. “It’s just that you’ve got your shirt on back to front.”

  “Great,” Dan muttered, feeling completely foolish. “I was trying to dress quickly, you see.”

  “I do see,” Lucy murmured, as Dan quickly whipped off his t-shirt, attempted to turn it the right way around, before putting it back on again.

  He looked at her then, seeing the way that heat had turned her cheeks a dusky pink. It made her even more beautiful, to the point that his breath caught for a moment. Electricity sparked between them.

  “Uh, it’s on back to front now.”

  Groaning, Dan tore the shirt off his back and threw it Lucy, who caught it with a laugh.

  "You sort it," he muttered, thinking that he couldn't come across as any more idiotic. She completely flustered him. It was as though he couldn't think straight when she was around.

  Lucy pulled his shirt straight before handing it back to him. “Thanks,” he said, heavily. “Sorry. I must be coming across as such a moron.”

  Her smile sent a wave of heat through him. “Not at all. It’s quite endearing, to be honest.”

  Standing still, shirt in hand, he studied her for a second or two, trying to work out whether she was being truthful or not.

  “I mean it,” she laughed, clearly aware of the disbelieving look on his face. “Seriously.”

  Dan finally managed a smile, realizing that she was telling the truth. Thinking about what an idiot he'd made of himself since he'd met her, it was probably just as well she liked it. "Maybe I'll just keep making sure my shirt's on wrong if it's going to get you to look at me like that," he quipped, catching her blush. Pulling his shirt over his head, Dan took his chance. Stepping forward, he caught her in his arms before lowering his head and kissing her soundly.

  Chapter Twelve

  Lucy was stunned. Dan pulled away after only a second or two of contact, looking down at her. His breath was coming quickly, matching her own. He was waiting for her to respond, to let this - whatever this was - carry on.

  It wasn’t a good idea. She didn’t shift, but he did. He wanted her to, but she was determined not to. Was there actually going to be a future for them? Or was this just going to be a passing romance?

  Did it matter? Dan’s nearness made her forget about all her concerns. All she could see and feel was Dan, and her desire for him surged through her. Standing on her tiptoes, she put her arms around his neck and kissed him back.

  Their kiss was gentle and sweet, as though they’d been waiting for one another for a long time and had finally found each other. Dan didn’t push her or rush her in any way. Instead, he simply settled her against him and continued to kiss her slowly, evidently happy with taking his time. Every single sense came alive at once. One hand rested against the curve of her jaw, tipping her chin just a little, as the other dug into her hair. It felt like time just stopped around them. She forgot everything else. There was only Dan.

  Eventually, he was the one who broke their kiss, although he rested his forehead against hers for a moment before smiling into her eyes.

  Lucy swallowed, not sure what to say. Her heart was thumping and passion was threading through her veins. Ever since he'd pulled the shirt over his head, she'd not been able to stop her desire from spiralling almost out of control. He probably didn't realize it, but he was incredibly attractive. She'd sucked in a breath on seeing his broad shoulders and solid chest, her fingers almost itching to touch him. She'd tried to hide it, tried to look like she was completely unaffected, but he'd seen the way her cheeks had gone crimson as she'd watched him.

  “Sorry, Lucy, I couldn’t resist,” he whispered, his arms still around her waist. “That was quite something.”

  She smiled at him, their foreheads still pressed together. “Yes, it was,” she murmured. She couldn’t think of anything else to say, suddenly a little anxious about what this meant.

  "Don't start worrying about things now," he said as if he'd read her thoughts. "Just enjoy the moment. We can talk about things later."

  He stepped back, dropping his hands from her waist and smiling at her. “So, did you want to walk somewhere or go and get something to eat?”

  Lucy grinned, glad that there was no awkwardness between them. “Is there anywhere else to eat except the Chinese takeout place?”

  He laughed. "No, not really." His face suddenly became thoughtful. "But Tom and Savannah are out at the lake, and Nick and Jo are at the cabin." His brows lifted inquiringly. "If you like, I'd be happy to make us something back up at the shop. We'd have the place to ourselves, at least."

  That sounded wonderful. Just some space and time to be with Dan, without anyone else around. “That would be great.”

  “Brilliant.” He held his hand out to her and, after a slight pause, Lucy took it. Her hand slipped into his as though it belonged there. It felt right. Trying not to make a big deal of it, Lucy walked back towards the shop beside Dan, happier than she had been in a long time.

  Dan hoped that his homemade pizza, with salad on the side, would impress Lucy. When he’d offered to make some food for them both, he’d had to mentally go through everything he had back at the house, and, thankfully, he’d managed to make his pizza without too much trouble. There wasn’t exactly a lot of toppings, so he hoped she’d like cheese and tomato, with extra cheese and a little bit of ham.

  He smiled to himself as he served up the food. Taking a chance and kissing Lucy could have gone either way. She might have stepped back and asked him what the heck he was doing, ruining things between them for good. Dan grinned as he thought of how she’d eventually kissed him back. It had been slow and sweet, just how he liked it.

  That didn’t get rid of the on-going issue between them, though. She still wasn’t going to shift, and he still couldn’t imagine being with someone who wouldn’t use that part of themselves. At the same time, Dan didn’t want to stop what they’d started. They had to just find a way through this, somehow.

  “Dinner is served,” he grinned, handing her a plate.

  “Wow,” she breathed, looking down at her plate before glancing up at him. “Did you make all of this?”

  “Yup.” He grinned at her, before sitting down. “Don’t tell me how impressed you are until you taste it, though. It might not be as good as it looks!”

  Lucy laughed, her eyes sparkling as she looked at him. “Well, whatever it tastes like, thank you for going to such an effort to make this for me.”

  Dan lifted his shoulders. “How else would I impress you?”

  "I think you've done that already," she murmured, her gaze glancing down his body before she looked away as if only realizing what she'd said.

  Dan’s eyebrows rose, going hot all over. Perhaps the whole shirt incident hadn’t been a bad thing, after all. The thought of her hands on his skin made desire course through him and he had to drag his eyes away from her before he did something silly, like throw his pizza to one side and drag her into his arms again.

  Swallowing hard, he focused on the pizza on his plate, until his blood cooled.

  “So,” he continued, looking at her. “What do you think Dominic’s up to right now?”

  She grimaced. “Nothing good.”

  He tipped his head. “I don’t want to start asking you something that’s going to make you mad at me, but - ”

  “You’re going to ask me
about the not-shifting thing, aren’t you?”

  Dan couldn’t help but grin. “Yes, I am.”

  Lucy sighed, rolling her eyes. “I really don’t want to talk about this, Dan. You’re not going to change my mind.”

  He lifted one eyebrow. “Really? Not even if I show you that not all shifters are like your brother?”

  She shook her head, filling her mouth with pizza so that she couldn’t answer.

  "Then, will you at least talk to me about it?" Dan asked, gently. He could see the hesitation on her face but willed her to say yes. He was growing closer to Lucy, he could tell, but she still wasn't ready to open up to him. If only he could get her to talk, then perhaps he might be able to get her to trust him enough to show him her bear. Dan was pretty sure that once she got back into her bear, she wouldn't be able to stop shifting again so easily. While he waited for her to finish chewing on her pizza and answer him, he thought to himself about everything that they could do together, as bears. Tom and Savannah had their lake, Jo and Nick had their cabin. They would have to find somewhere different, somewhere special. Somewhere for just the two of them. A place they could go whenever they wanted to have some time alone.

  “I might,” Lucy said eventually, making Dan smile. “But not yet.”

  He shrugged. That was better than an outright no. “Dominic really didn’t treat you well, did he?”

  Anger flared in her eyes. “No, he didn’t.”

  Dan chewed slowly, wondering whether or not to ask his next question. “Did he ever hurt you?” he asked, quietly. “Physically, I mean.” It had been a bit of a risky question to ask, but Dan wanted to know. The way Dominic had been treating Lucy the first time they’d met had made him angry enough.

  "No," Lucy replied, softly. "No, he didn't. Although," she continued, looking directly at him. "If you hadn't come along when you had that night, I'm not sure whether things would have stayed that way. He probably would have dragged me along with him whether I liked it or not."

  Rage flooded Dan’s veins, burning him from the inside in. His bear roared loudly and Dan physically bristled.