I Like Big Dragons and I Cannot Lie (The I Like Big Dragons Series)

by Lani Lynn Vale

  A knock at the door came, and I knew my tactic wasn’t going to work.

  He was going to leave to his secret meeting.

  One he never told me his reason for attending, nor who he was attending with.

  “Don’t do it, Keifer,” I warned him.

  His eyes flicked to the door, then back to me.

  He did this four or five times until finally he took a step back. Then another. Then another.

  He kept doing it until he was at the end of the conference room table, and I knew I’d lost.

  The big bad Prince and soon to be King of Dragons was chickening out.

  “You fucking pussy!” I roared, standing in the middle of the conference room table.

  I knew I was acting crazy.

  But who could blame me?

  The fucker was leaving! Again!

  I’d practically thrown myself at him, and here he was, yet again, running!

  “You walk out that door, and you’ll regret it,” I told him.

  His eyes narrowed.

  “I’m doing this to protect us. That baby that you’re carrying,” he growled, opened the door, and started to walk out.

  “Hey!” I said in indignation. “You’re not fucking serious!”

  He looked back over his shoulder and grimaced before closing the door quietly behind his back.

  I flipped him off and took a running leap off the table, landing lithely on two feet and stomping across the room to the conference room’s door.

  By the time I made it out of the hallway, he was nearly at the foyer.

  He stopped and looked back, freezing when he saw what I was still not dressed.

  “Get back in there,” he announced through gritted teeth.

  I flipped him the bird.

  “Fuck off.”

  Then I turned down a side hallway that led to the kitchens, and eventually to the backyard.

  This way also led up to the second floor and our rooms, but I wouldn’t be going there right then.

  I was thinking that a swim would be good right about now.

  If the rest of The Dragon’s Warriors MC were out front waiting to ride out, then I could sneak out the back.

  Yet, I made a miscalculation.

  Apparently, they weren’t riding their motorcycles today.

  They were riding their dragons.

  Something I couldn’t know because my mate wouldn’t freakin’ talk to me!

  So before I went out to the backyard and took my swim, I stopped in the kitchens, grabbed some decaffeinated coffee and a croissant that the cook had made at breakfast, and stepped right outside into hell.

  I guess, maybe, I’d appeased Keifer because I thoroughly surprised him as I stepped out.

  I really wasn’t that indecent, to be honest.

  I was wearing a black lace bra and black lace panties, but I guess I overestimated the amount of protection the covering offered when I was inside, without sunlight.

  Because with sunlight, they became nearly sheer.

  Which every man that was currently occupying the back lawn was able to see the moment my feet met the back porch.

  “Get back inside!” Keifer roared.

  I winced and took a step back.

  Usually, I would’ve listened, but then he added on, “Or I’ll come take you inside and handcuff you to the bed. And there you’ll stay until you’re done growing my son. Because Lord knows it’d be easier than busting my ass for an ungrateful shit like you!”

  I guess maybe I should’ve known it was going to be bad, having these hormones.

  Or maybe the baby I was carrying inside of me didn’t take kindly to his mother being called an ‘ungrateful shit.’

  I don’t know, but whatever the fuckin’ reason, I flipped out.

  I flung the nearest thing I could pick up, which was the picnic table that was at my side, and hurled it at him.

  I didn’t touch it with my hands, but with my mind.

  I’d never been able to do that before, because I’d tried.

  So it made more sense for my little hellion to be responsible for this action.

  Whatever, or whomever, was responsible, I’d take it.

  Because fuck him!

  The man in front of me. Not the baby.

  Because I loved the baby.

  Even if it was the spawn of an asshole.

  Keifer stopped the picnic table easily.

  It was comical, though, seeing the looks on everyone’s faces when they saw me do that. Even Juno, who was standing meekly beside Skylar.

  All of the men looked at me incredulously, too.

  “What are you looking at?” I asked, walking forward.

  I was very aware of my near nakedness.

  I just hoped that my goodies weren’t quite as obvious as I was thinking they were.

  “Hello my little babies,” I cooed at my three dragon babies. “How are you today?”

  Pictures of a pool filled with ice were sent to me through a mind-picture as I liked to call it, and I smiled down at them.

  I ignored the men that moved out of my way as I made my way to the pool and looked at my three friends. The only three friends it felt like I had around here lately.

  “Sorry babies, I’m going for a swim. If I make it cold, I can’t get in it,” I explained patiently to them.

  Then a picture of the three of them swimming around at my feet underneath the water had me smiling.

  “Of course you can come swim with me,” I told them as I passed a very seething Keifer.

  I knocked him with my shoulder on the way past, and he hissed in a breath at the contact.

  Oh, did I forget that I could now push my thoughts on other people? Make them see what I was mad about? Show them exactly what I wanted to do to them? Like an itty bitty picture show just for them.

  That was courtesy of my little hellion, too.

  Although nobody had witnessed it yet.

  Well, now they had, but Keifer didn’t count.

  Because I was mad at him, and he could suck my nuts…or lack thereof.

  I jumped—or cannon balled—into the pool’s deep end, splashing Skylar, Nikolai, Ian and Kiefer in the process.

  As I went under, I couldn’t help the laugh that escaped me.

  I’d learned to manipulate water, too.

  See, I’d had a lot of nothing to do since Keifer had informed everyone he was going to be King.

  A lot of nothing equaled lots of time to practice…and plot.

  Holding my breath, I swam to the other side of the pool and flipped until I was floating on my back underneath the water.

  Then closing my eyes to concentrate, I created a space in the water. An air bubble of sorts, and took a deep breath of air.

  It was like when you were a kid and dragged the bucket upside down into the water, allowing a pocket of air to form. Then stuck your head into it to breathe, which was essentially what I’d done.

  I smiled when I realized how much easier it’d been to do this time than when I’d done the same thing just yesterday.

  I stayed under the water so long that the dragons started to tickle my feet with the little horns at the tops of their nose, and I finally came up for air to find everyone in the backyard gone except for Keifer.

  Impressive.

  I’d only been under the water for a couple of minutes.

  “What was that that you just did?” He asked cautiously.

  His tone came out neutrally, but I could tell he was genuinely interested in what I’d done.

  “I created a bucket,” I replied cryptically.

  He raised a brow at me.

  “What?” He moved forward.

  I mimicked a bubble of water, and then started to explain when I realized I was mad at him.

  “I’m not talking to you,” I said stubbornly, turning my back to him.

  He growled in frustration.

  “What the hell i
s your problem?” He barked, startling me slightly.

  I ignored him, taking a deep breath, then submerged myself once again, playing a modified tag of sorts with the dragons swimming around me.

  Then when I turned around to go for the surface to get a breath of air, my leg was suddenly dragged under even further, making all my remaining air leach out of me in a quick rush.

  “Eeeee!” I screamed, panic coursing through my every synapse as I kicked and thrashed.

  If I would’ve calmed down, I would’ve known it was only Keifer, but the panic had a hold of me and I fought for my life from an unknown source.

  I twisted and kicked, punched and screamed.

  That’s about when I realized I had air that was allowing me to scream.

  And I opened my eyes to find my bubble back in place.

  With the addition of Keifer.

  “What the fuck,” he breathed, looking through the air.

  I blinked. “You scared the hell out of me.”

  “I’m sorry, I was about to let you go when I realized you didn’t have any air, but then this appeared and I forgot what I was doing.

  “You forgot that you were drowning your wife? Mate?” I asked skeptically.

  He shook his head.

  “I wasn’t drowning you,” he gestured to the bubble of air. “How’d you figure out how to do this?”

  “I had a lot of spare time,” I replied dryly.

  He smiled sadly.

  “I’m sorry. But it’s the only way I know how to protect you,” he answered. “I don’t know how else to do it without doing it like I am.”

  I raised a brow at him. “And what…exactly…are you doing?”

  He sighed and swam towards the side of the pool. Bubble broken, I moved to the surface as well, keeping my eye on him as I did. He tore off his shirt, and momentarily blinded me. By my own lust, that was. Not because he was really, really pale. Which he was that, too. But that didn’t bother me. He was my pale man.

  He was beautiful.

  His scar on his arm only added to his manliness.

  And there was an air about him that’d changed.

  He was different.

  Something about him was off since the last time I’d inspected him, but I couldn’t tell exactly what.

  The next thing to go were his pants.

  I don’t know when he’d shucked his boots, but the pants slipped all the way down until they were resting on the concrete that surrounded the pool.

  “I’m making sure you’re protected,” he finally said, taking a seat in only his boxers, letting his feet dangle over the side of the pool.

  The dragons immediately went to him, butting at his feet to garner his attention.

  “How?” I asked stiffly.

  He leaned down, allowing his hands to dangle in the water, and chilled the water around the swimming dragons.

  What he didn’t do, however, was make the water around me cold.

  “Whoa,” I said breathily, realizing what he was doing. “How are you doing that?”

  “Practice,” he teased, repeating my earlier words.

  I narrowed my eyes at him.

  “You didn’t answer how you were protecting me,” I told him stubbornly.

  He leaned back, placing his hands directly behind him, displaying his stomach—and abs— to me.

  I licked my lips, temporarily distracted once again.

  I really needed to get a hold of these hormones. They were going to be the death of me.

  Suddenly he stood, gesturing to me.

  I made my way out of the water, walking to the side of the pool until I reached the stairs, and climbed out.

  He was there waiting for me with a fluffy beach towel I’d made him purchase for me at the Wal-Mart on one of his secret missions.

  The early ones where I wasn’t quite so concerned about what he was doing while alone for hours on end.

  I took the towel and slipped my feet into the flip-flops he had waiting for me, then took his hand that he had extended out to me.

  “Where are you taking me?” I questioned, following behind him easily enough.

  He walked me through the sanctuary and not one single time did I get a dirty look.

  “Why aren’t any of them looking at me?” I wondered.

  He laughed.

  “Because they can’t see you,” he offered.

  I blinked, taking in the area surrounding me.

  “Why’d you do that?” I questioned, sticking my hand out to touch a man’s forearm.

  He blinked and turned, but didn’t see anything so he went back to the conversation he was having with one of the men from the stables.

  Another place that I’d found that I adored going to over the past few weeks.

  Keifer tugged my arm when he realized that I’d stopped, and I followed behind him once again.

  “Because I don’t want them to see your near nakedness, I think I’ve shared you enough for one day,” he informed me.

  I huffed out a laugh. “They didn’t see anything important. Not to mention I’m completely covered in a towel. What are they going to see now? My shoulders?”

  He pinched my ass through the towel, causing me to yelp in surprise.

  People who’d been milling about turned to look for the person who’d made the sound, but quickly went back to their conversations or duties.

  Darcy Manor and the sanctuary beyond it resembled a small city.

  It took a lot of upkeep to keep the surrounding one hundred miles of the sanctuary in order.

  So, at any given time, there were over two hundred people on-site maintaining the grounds, caring for the plant life, keeping the sanctuary mowed and weed free. There were stables, so there were people to keep the stables in working order.

  There was an infirmary the size of a small county hospital also on the grounds, which was where I’d been spending more and more of my time.

  There was a small restaurant and café.

  A bank.

  Staff living quarters.

  And a bar.

  Everything a small town needed.

  All of it was packed into a small area that was always bustling with activity, and I’d learned that it’d all been because of Keifer.

  Keifer made all of this possible for his people.

  They needed a safe place, so he provided it, making sure it met all of their needs.

  As long as they were willing to help out, he was happy to make sure they had everything they needed.

  “How do you like working in the infirmary?” Keifer asked suddenly, interrupting my thoughts about his small city.

  I shrugged. “It’s a little low key for what I’m used to, but I think I can grow to like it.”

  He studied his hands. “There’s about to be a lot more use for it, once we go to war.”

  I turned to him suddenly.

  “I’ve not heard anything about war!” I insisted.

  He shrugged. “That’s what this is all about. During the day, we go hunting to find those Purists intent on destroying our cause.”

  “And how exactly do you find them?” I questioned.

  “That’s what we’ve been doing in the first part of the days. We locate them and then pay them a little visit. If we don’t like how those men and women conduct themselves, or if they try to explain away what they’ve been doing to plot against us, we take care of them,” he said simply.

  I was a little taken aback.

  “So what…you kill them?” I asked in alarm.

  He shot me a reproving look. “You damn well know I don’t just kill them.”

  “Yeah,” I shrugged. “But you have to do something with them.”

  My observation fell on deaf ears when I walked around the corner of the hospital.

  I’d never ventured that far.

  I didn’t know why.

  Maybe a sense of self-preservation. I couldn’t really tell
you why, only that I just never did.

  And now, with my eyes on the big purple behemoth in front of me, I knew why.

  Chapter 16

  There be dragons.

  -T-shirt

  Blythe

  “He’s beautiful,” I breathed, eyes wide in wonder as I got my first good look at the old dragon.

  Keifer nodded. “He is.”

  His scales were the deepest hue of purple, edged with an iridescent silver, but when he took a breath, his scales would shimmer, and varying shades of purple would be revealed, nearly blinding you with their beauty.

  “What’s wrong with him?” I asked quietly.

  Keifer shrugged. “He lost a wing, and after that, he kind of decided he no longer wanted to participate in life.”

  When I made to take a step forward, he caught my wrist and stilled me.

  “How horrible. How does he live?” I gasped in outrage.

  “He’s able to live just fine. He just can’t fly. At least not for the time being,” he explained. “Dragons can grow missing body parts back. It just takes a very, very long time. Years, sometimes decades. He’s also cantankerous,” Keifer continued. “Let him be. I don’t want him to hurt you.”

  “I won’t get too close,” I ignored him and kept walking, Keifer at my back.

  I came to a stop underneath a tree, gazing down on the massive beast who was dozing just down the hill, only feet away from the large pond that I’d only heard about, but had yet to find.

  “Is he the reason no one will tell me where the pond is?” I asked with a smile.

  Keifer came up to stand beside me, his shoulder brushing mine.

  “Yeah, he’s it,” he confirmed. “He’s old, irritable and doesn’t like people much. He was my father’s bonded dragon, and he hasn’t been the same since my father was killed.”

  “He’s heartbroken,” I murmured, tears threatening to spill.

  Keifer shrugged. “Maybe. Maybe not. Who knows? He doesn’t talk to any of us either. The younger dragons,” he indicated a few of the dragons that were flying over our heads. “They bring him food so he doesn’t have to move. I don’t know if they do that to be nice, or because he makes them. Whatever the reason, he doesn’t have much reason to move.”

  “Where does he poop?” I asked.

  Keifer huffed out an amused snort of laughter. “I don’t know. I don’t really care as long as it’s not in the middle of the road where we have to walk.”