Ilias: A Paranormal Shifter Romance (Stratham Dragons Book 2)

by Sarah J. Stone

  ‘And how’s that going for you?’ his silver dragon mocked.

  Red huffed. ‘We must push her acceptance. She is too strong.’

  ‘We can’t make decisions for her.’

  ‘Why not?”

  ‘It’s her choice, and I refuse to make her decide now, no matter how much we struggle.’

  Zarin slapped his cheek. “Did you hear me?”

  Ilias glared at his friend. “What the hell? Don’t slap me.”

  “Then get your head out of your ass and go get her. You knew she was struggling when she left. You shouldn’t have given her all that time alone. Who knows how far she’s gone, man?”

  Ilias didn’t say anything.

  “She probably thinks you’re blowing her off, and you don’t know what it’s like to be an addict,” Zarin said and threw his hands up in frustration. “And I’m the one who doesn’t get a mate,” he muttered and left Ilias in the room to realize how stupid he’d been.

  A girl who had an addiction problem – one that ran from stress – would have to be struggling. Now he wanted to slap himself. No more waiting for her to come around. He was finished with the back and forth. It was time he manned up and claimed his mate.

  His eyes shifted, both dragons showing their pleasure at the decision.

  ‘It’s about time,’ Red said.

  ***

  He knocked on the door to Andrea’s house and waited for someone to answer. The car was gone, and that meant Nadine wasn’t home. Good. He didn’t see any lights on, but the sun had yet to set, so certainly she wouldn’t be sleeping. He really needed to make better time. He knocked again and closed his eyes, trying to listen and see if he heard any thoughts. Nothing.

  Red perked up, and he used her connection to try to find his mate. She obviously wasn’t home. Red led him around the house to the path that led straight to the woods. It was a convenient way to travel between their homes, but right now it made things more complicated. Her scent lingered around the trees as if she’d spent a lot of time in these woods, and when he came to the fork that led toward his house or to town, he turned away from home and followed the path to town. Chills covered his body when his dragon picked up a second scent. It was familiar, and the further he trekked through the woods that led to town, the more he realized where he would end: at the park where he saw the Golden Dragon. The same one who had tried to control him, the one who Sophie had panicked about, and the same one who he knew deep in his gut was here to hurt them. He licked his lips and ran to the open expanse that led him to the park. With the sun nearly down, the park was thankfully empty, but it was no good. There was one more hint of Andrea’s scent. Then, like magic, it disappeared.

  How was he supposed to find her? He paced through the park, searching high and low for any sign of her. He hoped to pick up her scent again. There was nothing. He spun and ran back through the woods. He would have felt exhilarated to run so freely if he wasn’t trying to get back home as soon as possible to alert the others. Andrea was missing again.

  He ran up the stairs and into the kitchen. It was dark, so he made his way into the den and stopped for breath. His heart raced, and he braced his hands on his knees to catch his breath.

  He glanced at Zarin and shook his head.

  “Crap, again?”

  He nodded.

  “What’s going on?” Aris asked.

  “Andrea’s missing.”

  Sophie jumped up and rushed to Ilias. She rubbed his back. “We’ll find her.

  “Golden…” he coughed and slowed his breathing. “Golden Dragon. No sign of her. Her scent disappeared like magic.”

  “Are you saying your mate was kidnapped?” Sophie was great at pointing out the obvious. He glared at her until she raised a brow. “Hey, how are we supposed to know? You’re so damn shut down, and your mate is around one minute and the next she’s gone. You two need to just buck up and fuck already.”

  Zarin balked in laughter, and Sophie gasped when she realized what she said.

  “What I mean is, you need to mate so there is no more miscommunication.”

  “Don’t you think I know that? I was stupid; I thought she needed some time to think about all the changes in her life. I left her alone, and now the dragon that tried to get me has her. It’s my fault.”

  “It’s not your fault. You were trying to respect her wishes. Let her adjust to you and the idea that she’ll no longer be human once you mate. That’s a lot for a woman –a human one, at least – to take in. Once I realized it was going to help me and not hinder me, I was on board. Right, Aris?”

  Aris chuckled. “Yes, love, you handled it much better than I’d hoped.”

  “So now the question is, how to find his mate,” Zarin said and began to pace.

  It was his thing. He was the thinker, and apparently, pacing made it easier to think. “Is that freakin’ necessary?” His movement made him dizzy.

  “Yes. How do you expect to find your mate if you don’t let me think?”

  “Why not just let me reach out to her, like I did with Sophie. And since I have met her and know her scent, it should be easier,” Blane said.

  Ilias looked to Aris who nodded.

  “It’s worth a shot.”

  Before Blane even closed his eyes, there was a heavy thud coming from outside. Ilias rushed to the door only to be held back by Sophie. Her claws dug into his flesh, and he hissed in pain.

  She looked down and gasped. “Oh, gosh. I’m sorry.”

  Ilias knew she meant no harm. She was still learning how to control her dragon, especially under stress. “No big deal.” Then he gasped again when the smallest claw dug in further. “Just let go gently, please.” He closed his eyes and winced as she slid her claw from under his skin. Blood trickled down his arm and then stopped just as suddenly. He peeled his eyes open, and they widened when he realized he’d already healed.

  “Your power is growing,” Aris said, and held out a box. Ilias hadn’t even realized he’d gone to the door.

  He took the box and held it as if it were a bomb. In fact, he had no idea what was in the box. The only thing he could smell was Andrea’s scent. He growled and tore the box open to find a small, velvet pouch. When he opened it, he found a plastic bag nearly empty, but at one point it had been filled with white powder. He wrinkled his nose when he realized what it was.

  They always said you Halflings sunk low. If you want to see your pathetic mate again, meet me at the bridge tomorrow at 11 PM.

  It looked like the Golden Dragon had easily been able to get Andrea. He tried to ignore the lump in his throat, and the growing disappointment he felt at having such a weak mate. Those weren’t thoughts he should be having, but he couldn’t help it. If she couldn’t handle the stress, how was she going to deal when there was literally a dragon inside of her, using her body as a home and a host to live and breathe?

  CHAPTER 14

  Samuel

  The whimpering human was driving him mad. He would understand if the Halfling didn’t show. In fact, he’d enjoy getting rid of the problem and then taking out the dragons. He’d been watching them for weeks now and realized the easiest way to take them out was to take the human mate.

  The young one was untrained, which didn’t surprise him, but what did surprise him was the female Golden Dragon. It didn’t make any sense. She smelled like dragon, yet he could sense the leftover mortality, as if she had once been human. She almost smelled like home, but he couldn’t have any distractions. It was why he acted so quickly, and snatching the human girl was simple enough. Her emotions were off the charts.

  He chuckled and ran his claw down her cheek. Her body shook from fear or withdrawal, he wasn’t sure. The scent of the drugs came off her in waves through her pores. He wrinkled his nose when he realized that the more he scared her, the worse the scent became. It was disgusting. He hated the stench of humans, especially those who partook in things like meth, or rather any kind of drug that inhibited them. It was stupid to do something tha
t made them even more vulnerable. Didn’t they realize how many creatures lurked in the dark, and how many of those creatures liked to hurt humans and use their stupidity against them?

  “Oh, shut up already.” He backed away and paced, wondering if he would be able to handle keeping her for 24 hours. “No wonder why he hasn’t mated with you yet.”

  That got her to stop whining. It also made her glare at him. He thought it was adorable that she thought she could fight him. She was nothing but a weak mortal.

  “Will he come for you?”

  He waited for a reaction, and when she didn’t give one, he ripped the tape from her mouth and she screamed. Luckily, with his magic no one could hear her. “Well, will he?”

  She gasped. “I. Don’t. Know.” Her jaw clenched. He liked riling her up. Humans were fun to play with.

  He retracted his claws and ran a finger down her cheek and traced it down to the pulse in her throat. Her skin was soft and supple. He leaned in close, bringing himself to her level. His eyes shifted to white, the color of a Golden Dragon. He was pure and full, unlike those miscreants through the woods. “Maybe we could have fun? I could show you what it’s like to have a real dragon.”

  Her lip curled up as if the thought of being with him was terrible. Surprisingly he didn’t like the feeling that slammed into him.

  “He is a real dragon.”

  And there, he’d finally hit her soft spot. The little boy who would have already been done had she not nearly did him in on her own. “He’s a baby.” He flicked the hair in her face behind her ears. “Has he even shifted yet?”

  She glared and spit flew from her mouth, landing on his nose and right below his eye. He froze, and his mouth curled into a snarl. The finger that circled her skin became a claw. He dug into her flesh, just a hint to show her that she didn’t want to piss him off.

  She choked out a scream, and he back away. He strode his bag and pulled out a towel, thankful he’d come prepared to need it. He wiped the spit off his face and shuddered at the number of germs he knew came from the human mouth.

  ***

  Her wrists and feet were taped behind a chair. She couldn’t feel the tightness of the tape anymore. Her head was lowered, and bits of her hair covered her face. She’d landed herself in trouble again, and once again, no one even knew she was in trouble. Leave it to her to get beaten up twice in such a short period of time. The dragon was right. She was pathetic. He didn’t seem to have a problem telling her over and over again. If she wasn’t so terrified, she’d be annoyed. Her life depended on a man she wasn’t even sure loved her. Or wanted her. He’d spent the last week ignoring her, and she had never felt so alone.

  “Let me go. You’ll have to find another way to get to him.”

  The dragon stopped his incessant pacing. “You’re his mate. He’ll come.”

  “I wouldn’t be so sure about that. Maybe he doesn’t want a mate.”

  He huffed and stalked toward her, glaring and pointing his finger right in her face as if to make sure she was paying attention.

  “Don’t be stupid, every dragon no matter how pure or not craves their mate. It’s in our blood. One should be so lucky to even find their mate.”

  “Well, he found me, and the leader found his mate, too. So maybe fate doesn’t think you deserve one?”

  She should have seen the backhand coming, but she was actually curious. She didn’t know how it worked. She hadn’t asked enough questions when she should have. When his hand slammed against her jaw, her face fell to the side and pain exploded through it. There wasn’t even time to scream out in pain. It tingled and then went numb. When she tried to speak, her lips wouldn’t open.

  “Don’t push me, girl. You don’t have to live.”

  She’d pushed his buttons, and he left her alone and tied her to a chair with a broken jaw. Maybe more. She felt the swelling, and the pain was so bad it was almost as if she couldn’t feel it at all.

  He didn’t come back for a long time. Andrea didn’t have a way to tell the time, but when her arms and legs went numb, she knew she’d been tied up for several hours at least.

  “Rise and shine, human. Let’s find out if your mate will show.”

  She glared at him and felt a tear slide down her cheek when drool fell from her lip. Her mouth was numb, but it tingled.

  “Oh, does your face hurt?” He flashed a light in her eyes and chuckled. “Good. Maybe that’ll teach you not to be mouthy. It only gets you in trouble.”

  Oh, didn’t she know it. She swore then that if she managed to make it out of this alive, she wouldn’t run anymore. She wouldn’t let herself sink further into the darkness, and she would say what she wanted. It was time to take control of her life. Being alone in the dark had given her a lot of time to think. She deciphered every possible outcome, and the one she liked the most – the one she wanted to happen – would be Ilias saving her and making her his. She was ready, even though she was terrified that he would end up leaving like her father did. Andrea hadn’t even gotten a chance to mourn the loss of her parents’ marriage. She hadn’t gotten to find out more details or help her mother. She was a horrible daughter. How did she not even know her own father had left? Was she really that self-absorbed with her own life?

  Honestly, yes. She was a selfish person.

  The dragon stood over her and dug a claw into the tape, tearing it. When he yanked her hands apart, tingles shot through both of them. They were heavy and numb as they hung by her side. She was relieved they weren’t taped any more. When the dragon knelt in front of her and did the same to her ankles she wanted to cry out.

  “Can you walk?”

  She shook her head. There was no way she’d even be able to stand at this point.

  “Of course, you can’t. You’re weak.” He huffed and swung her into his arms.

  Her hands were in her lap. It felt as though ants were crawling under her skin. She chuckled, remembering back to when she was a kid.

  “But it feels like ants are crawling under my skin, Mom.”

  “That just means your skin is waking up, Andi girl. No need to worry.”

  “But it feels so weird.”

  “It’s goin’ to hurt soon, too, baby. Just keep thinking about the ants tickling ya until the skin wakes up all the way. You’ll be fine.”

  That was the first time her foot had fallen asleep. She was only six years old at the time. Her brother had laughed when she tried to stand up and fell right back down. As soon as she started crying, he stopped laughing, and he lifted her up from the ground, helping her stand. The memory of him being nice to her – when he normally wasn’t back then – lulled her into a state of relaxation as the dragon carried her out of the place he had kept her. She still hadn’t figured it out, and frankly ,she didn’t care where she was as long as she never had to come back.

  CHAPTER 15

  He didn’t sleep. In fact, none of them slept for more than an hour or so at a time. Ilias had never felt so close to them as he did during the last 24 hours. He’d gotten over the disappointment of having a mate with an addiction; that could be cured. The more he thought about Andrea in that dragon’s hands, the more he panicked inside. He also knew the others couldn’t come with him to get her. This was his fight and his mate. No matter what happened, he needed them to stay away from the Golden Dragon. Something told him it was a trap. This dragon didn’t care about Ilias alone. He wanted something more, and he had a feeling he was going to find out soon enough.

  It was almost time, and he wanted to cry (yeah, he could do that every now and again) when he saw everyone ready to go with him. They were about to get pissed.

  “You can’t go.” He held up his hand to stop Zarin. He could tell his best friend was going to have something to say. “This is my fight, and this dragon wants more than me. I can’t let any of you get hurt because of me. Andrea is my mate.”

  “But with our help, we can get your mate and deal with the problem. If he wants us all, let’s give him all of us. H
e seems to underestimate the power we hold,” Zarin said and crossed his arms.

  “Yes, he does, but we have no idea what powers he holds because he’s pure. And let me tell you, he’s got power.”

  “But he’s alone,” Sophie said. “Maybe we can show him what it’s like to have a family?”

  Leave it to Sophie to try to find the good in everyone.

  “I don’t think he’ll go for that, but it’s sweet of you to think so,” Zarin said and Aris growled at his sarcasm. He shrugged.

  “No matter what, I can’t endanger you. It’s my fault we’re in this mess. If I’d just taken control of the situation, that damn dragon wouldn’t have my mate.”

  “You don’t know that,” Blane said in his normal, quiet tone. “Even if you hadn’t let Andrea go off alone, the dragon still may have decided she was the best bait to make us be at odds with one another.”

  Ilias sighed. It was time to go. “There’s no point in arguing. I’m going alone. And we’ll be at the bridge, so I’m close enough to call for help.”

  Sophie moved in front of him and gripped his hands. “Maybe have Zarin follow and keep an eye on you?”

  “I don’t need a damn babysitter, Sophie. Come on, stop treating me like I’m some baby who’s never been through a world of hurt, because let me tell you, I have. I’ve dealt with worse than this Golden Dragon. I can handle it.”

  She seemed to realize how it sounded, but her lip trembled and her eyes filled with tears. “I’m sorry.”

  “Oh, don’t cry. I didn’t mean to upset you; it’s just hard for me being the youngest because you all act like I can’t handle anything.”

  Aris pulled Sophie into his arms and glared at Ilias. “She’s only trying to protect you. As your queen, that is her duty, and she is compelled to want you – the baby – to stay safe. Because no matter what, you’re the youngest, and she feels like she can keep you safe.”