Paranormal Dating Agency: Dragons Don't Lie (Kindle Worlds Novella) (Fire Chronicles Book 5)

by D'Elen McClain

  Now it’s me with a strange expression on my face. Why? Because this is a side of Ashrac I haven’t seen. Even though he’s abrupt with the children and gruff behavior isn’t exactly how you should talk to kids, it’s obvious he loves them. That love is equally returned judging by the rush to clean the dining room and kitchen. Even Ashrac helps.

  I’ll admit to being curious about what he does in the lab. I’ve seen inside but all the electronic equipment is beyond me and there was no way I was asking him.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Ashrac

  A LIGHT BULB went off in my brain at the table. It was the strangest feeling. The bulb then exploded and sent current throughout my body. The feeling’s been described to me many times, but I had no idea how instantly my world would change. Flora is my mate. It no longer matters what the clothes hide. It no longer matters that she turned me green or that she hasn’t told me about being an eagle shifter. She’s mine.

  I have no idea how or why it happened, but it did and nothing will stand between me and this woman.

  Flora follows us as we walk to the lab. The kids don’t bother shifting to fly because she’s here and they have no idea she has her own wings. I’m actually proud that they’re considering her feelings. We enter the lab and I walk over to my latest experiment. The electrical circuit is within a plastic shield made up of melted cell phone glass. I have cell phone batteries inside shields too. Flora and the kids gather around me and I line the circuits and batteries up and connect them with small built-in connectors. After I have all the parts ready, I connect everything to a kid’s electronic car that doesn’t work in this realm. Or at least it didn’t. The lights start flashing and the car moves forward a few inches before it comes to a stop.

  The kids clap. “You did it, Uncle Ashrac,” Botan cheers. “Will this help solve the problems for the human villages in our realms?”

  I shrug. “I’m working on it. You saw the extent the electricity worked so far. I’m still a long way from having a working model to take to your village and try out. The good news is I’ve made progress and I have more than a spark.”

  Zara and Zora wrap their arms around my legs. “We knew you could do it, Uncle Ashrac. We love you.”

  I place my arms around them and lift them up, adding a big squeeze. “Stop, stop.” They giggle when I squeeze them too hard, which is a game we like to play.

  I happen to look over at Flora when I set them back down on the floor. Confusion covers her expression. My heart swells even though I don’t know what the expression means. She’s my mate and we’ll have eternity to figure out all of our idiosyncrasies. I begin showing her and the kids how I made so much headway in my experiments. The girls could be my protégés when they’re older. None of the boys really shows an interest in this type of work, but the girls do. All the kids care about the humans and want their lives to be helped with things like electricity, but the boys also want electronic gadgets to work here in our realms. I understand. It’s exactly what I wanted at the younger boys’ age. It wasn’t long after that when I began tearing apart gadgets to figure them out.

  It makes me think of my own children and what their interests will be. I look over to Flora and the same strange expression is frozen on her face. Now she’s worrying me.

  Thirty minutes later, the kids fly off the tower’s balcony and head for home. “Will they be okay flying home alone?” Flora asks.

  My chest puffs up at her question. “They’re dragons. Of course they’re safe.” I head back into the lab and remove the lab coat I put on by habit when I showed the kids my latest progress.

  “Ashrac,” Flora says softly.

  It’s such a strange tone for her and I turn expecting anything other than what I get. She wraps her arms around me and presses her lips to mine. It’s so different from before I realized she was my mate. My power swirls and builds. She doesn’t play with my lips, she attacks them. Within seconds my erection pokes against her stomach and a low groan escapes me when she grinds against me.

  There’s a cot in the corner of the room for when I’m too tired to fly to my bedroom. It’s not even a conscious thought when I lift her and carry her over. I follow her down and cover her body with mine.

  She moves her head slightly. “Ashrac,” she whispers.

  The wanting sound in her voice goes straight to my cock. I lift my upper body and place one knee between hers. I whip my shirt over my head, and remove my pants, which isn’t easy in this position. I look at her when I lean back down and untie the ridiculous tie she’s wearing to hold up my pants that are entirely too big for her. She doesn’t stop me and her eyelids lower and her eyes go impossibly darker. I pull the pants down her legs in one swift move revealing amazingly sexy legs.

  They’re long and shapely and it’s really surprising because she’s such a small thing. She takes her glasses from her nose and rests them by the small table next to the bed. Then she sits up and lifts her arms. I pull the shirt off and toss it on the floor with our other clothes. I’m stunned. There are no words to describe the woman I’m looking at. She’s not just beautiful, she’s exquisite and even that word comes nowhere close to Flora. It’s when she lifts her hand to pull me back to the bed that I lose it. This is my mate and I’m claiming her.

  Our lips meld again and her scent wraps around me, through me, and through my dragon. I’m complete. Pulling back is hard but I have more of her to discover.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Flora

  I’VE CHOSEN MY mate and so has my eagle. I can no longer fight that he’s the one. Seeing Ashrac with the kids melted my heart and changed something deep inside me. Ashrac caring about the humans and trying to make their lives better blew my world apart.

  He’s about to do it again.

  His body against mine is firm, powerful, and incredibly sexy. His muscles ripple beneath my touch. I’m barely able to think and what I’m thinking is that I should tell him I’ve never done this before. Then, he releases my mouth and his lips travel down my body, kissing every inch of flesh along the way. I stop thinking at all and just feel. His tongue circles my bellybutton before dipping inside. I actually giggle over the sensation. My fingers go to his glorious hair and I pull slightly to make him stop. His head comes up and he’s grinning. There are also flames dancing in his eyes and all I can think of is sensual fire.

  He lowers his mouth back to my flesh and continues on his merry way. Flames lick at my skin where he kisses. He moves lower and widens my legs for access. My nerve endings sizzle in expectation of the first touch. There. Oh Goddess, his tongue swirls across me. I’m so sensitive I cry out. Shivers run over my skin at the low laugh that rumbles up his chest. I pull my hands from his hair and dig them into my own. I don’t care if I tear out every last strand.

  His tongue twirls around and around before finding my clit and throwing me into a tailspin. I whimper as he sucks that exact spot between his lips. My hips pump against what he’s doing and I can’t stop. One of his thick fingers pushes inside me. It actually feels good. No, “good” is not the word. There isn’t one.

  “Goddess, Flora, you’re so damn tight. Please tell me you’ve done this before,” he growls.

  I would if I could, but I can’t think. A cyclone has built between my legs and deep inside me something else is happening. I know what an orgasm feels like because though I’m a virgin, it doesn’t mean I haven’t masturbated until I reached that peak. This is different. It’s so much more.

  The pressure builds and I realize I desperately need Ashrac inside of me. “Please, please, take me, Ashrac,” I beg.

  He slowly moves up my body and his hands cover my breasts. They’re small and it suddenly worries me. “So perfect,” he moans above me while looking down with his fiery eyes.

  I am perfect. Perfect for my mate. He leans into my breast and takes my right nipple between his lips. My hips buck at the sensation. I’m about to beg again when the tip of him nudges my center. There’s so much going on inside me.
I burn with Ashrac’s heat.

  The nudge becomes a gentle push and I wrap my legs around his waist and pull him to me with all my strength. His husky laugh at my insistence warms me further and then the heat that is Ashrac passes the final barrier and we’re one. It hurts and my eyes squeeze closed. Ashrac freezes above me. I open my eyes to see him looking down at me in wonder.

  His lower body doesn’t move and my body slowly adjusts to his size, which is much bigger than any vibrator I’ve ever used. He lowers his head and kisses me again. It’s a kiss of possession and that’s exactly what he’s doing. I’m possessed body and soul by this incredible dragon.

  He lifts his head. “Are you ready?” he whispers in a husky voice while peering down at me through half-lidded eyes.

  “Yes,” I manage to breathe out the one word. I’m far past the ability to speak coherently for more than that.

  He slowly withdraws and the pain fades, but I’m empty and I want him back. I show him with the force of my leg muscles. His control breaks and time stops again. His hands and lips are everywhere—my breasts, my throat, the sensitive skin behind my ear. I’m burning from within and it centers on where our bodies join. It’s too much and not enough. Ashrac is everything.

  The orgasm tears through us. I yell and his shouts combine to fill the room with sounds of ecstasy. I slowly open my eyes because an intense light breaks through. It’s an amazing thing and surrounds us completely. My dragon is full of surprises. He rolls and his weight is no longer inhibiting my breathing. I tuck myself against him and his hand lazily skims my arm.

  I have no idea how long we lay together, when Ashrac’s voice breaks the silence. “Fly with me.”

  I am exhausted but at his words, exhilaration travels through me. Then it instantly dies. I haven’t told him the truth. “Do you have the strength to fetch your saddle?” I ask. My voice is shaky as I wonder when I should spring my eagleness on him. We’re sated and I don’t want to ruin what we just experienced. Later. I’ll tell him later.

  “I have a better idea,” he says quietly into my ear. He rises and lifts me from the bed. He carries me to the window and walks through to the outer ledge. I expect him to launch and cradle me in his talons. That’s not what happens. One minute I’m in his arms and the next I’m airborne. “Fly, my beautiful eagle,” he yells.

  Damn. I’m a fool. Dragonbreath knew all along. I scream the power words so I shift as I plummet. My eagle takes over and I swoop up and fly back toward the balcony where Ashrac stands watching. He dives from the tower, his green body a flash in the night before his dragon bursts free. He’s amazing.

  “And I’m still green. Do you think you could change that?” he says into my mind.

  Oops, he caught that. I swoop around him and the green fades and his mighty red body reveals itself. Ashrac breathes fire in a mighty roar and I smile internally. Maybe I understand the allure of red now or maybe I’m so in love, red is all I want.

  I cast my thoughts back to him. “How long have you known?”

  “Long enough,” he rumbles. He’s testy.

  That gives me another internal smile. “You deserved green.”

  “Maybe, but I don’t think I deserve the turds dropped on me.”

  I laugh into his mind. “An eagle must do what an eagle must do.” Ashrac turns and I fly around until I can stay next to him in front of his right wing.

  “Does this mean I can expect turds landing on me every so often when I do or say something stupid?”

  I laugh again. “Oh, dragonbreath, you’ll do or say something stupid every day. Between being green and turds landing on you, I’ve got you covered.”

  Now it’s Ashrac’s laugh filling my head.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Flora

  MY EYES PEEL open to sunshine. I’m in Ashrac’s room, in his bed, and he isn’t. I look around and still no Ashrac. I stretch my arms and I’m about to rise from the bed when a shadow passes in front of the window from the balcony. Dragonbreath went for a flight without me. We’ll be discussing this after he comes back to bed and welcomes the new day with me like he should have.

  The dragon’s shadow shifts to a smaller human than Ashrac and before I can put together what human it is, Jewel pops her head in the window. She looks at me questioningly. I pull the cover over my bare breasts that were perky and waiting for my mate. “Come in,” I say because what else can I do? The strange expression on her face isn’t what I’m expecting, and for a moment I wonder if I should have read more into her friendship with Ashrac.

  She sits on the end of the bed and continues staring at me.

  “Is there something you need?” I ask.

  She gives a small smile that in no way reaches her eyes. “Ashrac sent me to get you.”

  Strange, but I’ll go to wherever he is. I whip back the cover and jump from the bed. “I’m ready whenever you are.”

  “He wants me to return you to your realm.”

  She couldn’t have said what I think she said. “What?”

  “He flew to my home this morning and told me you’re returning to Earth and he needs me to take you.”

  Now I understand her expression. It’s pity. “Where is he?” I ask with hurt I can’t hide in every word.

  She turns her head toward the window. “He flew away and left my realm. He said he had things to do and wouldn’t come back here for a while.”

  It’s sinking in. He doesn’t love me. We’re mated. It hits me. I’m mated and Ashrac’s dick is satisfied. I pull the tears in and lift my chin, refusing to give into my pain in front of Jewel. “Take me home please.”

  § § § §

  I BARELY REMEMBER the flight. I flew in eagle form until we reached the crossing. Jewel tried to talk but I didn’t bother answering. I couldn’t. She left me at the crossing and I flew back to my apartment.

  My life is over.

  My apartment is stale, and I open a few windows to let air in. My personal belongings are exactly as I left them. My heart is not. I go to my bedroom and lie down. I have swords displayed on the wall and I don’t even want to look at them. It takes an hour of rehashing every minute I spent with Ashrac before the tears fall. Grief overwhelms me and I eventually fall asleep.

  My ringing cell phone wakes me sometime later. At least I left the thing plugged in when Ashrac kidnapped me. I check the screen and it’s Gerri. I almost don’t answer. “Hello,” I say in a throaty, sleep-filled voice.

  “Ah, Flora?” she asks.

  “Yes, Gerri, it’s Flora.” There’s no inflection in the words. They’re cold and hard like my heart.

  “I was only leaving a message for when you came to retrieve your belongings. Please tell me that’s what you’re doing.”

  I’m too heartsick to do more than give the outline. “He kidnapped me. Held me in his castle. I fell in love, we mated… no, I mated, and he sent me home.

  Ten seconds of silence is my immediate answer before her rough, angry voice fills my ear. “I’ll hire someone to take out that no-good, rotten son of a bitch. I promise.”

  “You set me up didn’t you?” The thought’s been puzzling in my head and now I’ve said it aloud.

  “You should have been the perfect match. I’m sorry are not the words I expected to say to you, but I’m incredibly sorry.”

  “I’ll be okay, Gerri.” Liar, liar, liar.

  “I know you will, sweetie. Is there anything you need?”

  “Yeah, there is. Don’t go after him, don’t ever say his name in front of me again, and never hook me up again.”

  More silence.

  I disconnect that call, knowing I’ll feel guilty later about treating her this way. Right now I just need peace to clear my mind and figure out how I’ll explain all this to my family. I’m mated and that won’t change. The only way I will be free is if Ashrac truly dies, and that thought breaks my heart even more. The tears start falling again. I’m a survivor, and that’s what I will eventually do.

  § § § §
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br />   I STAY IN bed for two days. It’s now the evening of the second day. I don’t bathe or eat. I know I must do more than take a sip or two of water, but I can’t bring myself to do it. I’m stronger than this. Or maybe I’m not. I stare at the ceiling without moving.

  The sound at my window only makes me roll away so my mother, father, or brothers can’t see my face. I know they’re worried about me. They’ve been calling and I haven’t answered, which is another thing I’ll feel bad about later. Right now, I just want everyone to leave me alone.

  My body jerks when strong arms lift me from the bed.

  I look up to see Ashrac cradling me against his chest while I just stare in shock. “You’re being kidnapped, my lady. Please don’t fight it. I’m taking you to my lair, where I’ll have my wicked way with you and you’ll fall deeply in love with me.”

  He’s crazy. Anger burns inside me so suddenly and bright, I will most likely explode. “Put. Me. Down.”

  “Good, I was hoping you’d play along. If you struggle a bit, that will put me in a better mood.”

  I’ll kill him. If I don’t succeed, Gerri will have the deed done. If he wants me to struggle, it’s the last thing I’ll do. I go limp in his arms, wishing I had a sword in my hand to slice his lily-livered throat.

  “Like that, is it? I knew you would be a touch upset and I planned on being here yesterday but I was waylaid at my alma mater by one of my professors who was interested in how my experiments are coming along.”

  He’s a dead dragon walking, he just doesn’t know it.

  “This kidnapping thing is tricky business and we’ll come back another time for your clothes and any belongings you want to take to my realm. I need to get the having my wicked way with you and you falling in love with me out of the way.”

  Dead.

  He carries me to the window and tosses me high. He shifts before I can even attempt to call my eagle, and he grabs me in one large talon. I ignore his magic that courses through me. I ignore how good it feels to be with him. I ignore my heart, which wants to melt into him and wrap his warmth around it. The sun is coming up when we reach the crossing. My mind is beginning to function past murder.