Diamond Dragon (Awakened Dragons Book 4)

by Terry Bolryder

  Her hand was over the sheets, and from the slightly open drapes, the diamond on her finger caught the light and sparkled brightly.

  For a second, it lit up a particular kind of vision for him. Sleeping next to Bridget every night, waking up beside her every morning.

  For a second, all the shallow, material things didn’t matter. All that mattered was she kept his ring and stayed by him. All the rest was inconsequential.

  He sat up slowly. Last night he’d dreamed of his past life. The balls. The riches. Walking amongst lords and ladies from mansion to mansion, castle to castle, flowing in and out of lives and taking what he wanted and never finding anywhere to stay. Always changing his appearance slightly to blend in somewhere new.

  Never giving anyone a chance to know him. Perhaps he hadn’t even known himself.

  With Bridget, he was learning new things about himself. Like the fact that he enjoyed fighting and was fairly good at it. Or the fact that he could be quite an intense, possessive lover with the right woman. Or the fact that he could feel one woman was the right one and not know how to let her go even when their lifestyles were incompatible.

  Could a human and dragon really make things work? And what about their lifespans? No dragon in his day, that he knew of, had taken a human mate. Some had mated other shifters or other dragons (though female dragons had become more and more rare), but a human?

  It bothered him, and he found himself needing space, so he crept out of bed and went out on the small balcony, sliding the glass door closed behind him.

  He looked out over the rail and wondered what it would be like to have his wings back, to fly out over the world again and leave responsibility behind.

  He heard a small mew and saw Scrangey sitting behind the glass, putting up a paw and watching him.

  A chill slid up his arms. He couldn’t leave Scrangey. He wouldn’t leave Bridget.

  But where did that leave him? Chained to the ground? Waiting for those he cared about to die long before he did? Trying to fight his instincts to be a dragon and be free and selfish? What if, at some point, he just wasn’t good enough?

  Then it would have been better to just set Bridget free in the first place, despite what they’d shared.

  Lost in his confused thoughts, he called out to Amethyst again, trying to send his voice far over the land below him.

  And this time, he heard back.

  Diamond. Amethyst’s deep voice echoed across the distance. Is that you?

  Yes. Where are you?

  Where are you? We’ll find you.

  Diamond gave him the hotel name and the city.

  Good to hear from you, Amethyst thought.

  You too, Diamond thought back, heart pounding rapidly. When are you coming?

  As soon as possible, Amethyst said. Probably a couple hours. We’ll want to pick a moment with cloud cover if possible, since all of us are coming.

  I don’t know that we’ll need all of you.

  All of us are coming.

  How many are there?

  Onyx, Sapphire, Ruby, and me.

  Wow, so many of us awakened.

  We’re sorry you were in captivity. They didn’t know until recently. They woke me just to find you.

  Sorry.

  It’s okay. We’re glad you’re all right.

  The modern world is odd, isn’t it?

  Yes. You going to be okay until we get there?

  Yes. Diamond wanted more time with Bridget. One more day together. And they hadn’t seen anything of their pursuers since the run-in with the humans with guns.

  They were probably planning something at long range. Or maybe hoping to find another dragon for their plans. Who knew?

  All right, I’m going to go tell the others.

  Tell them I’m fine, Diamond thought.

  I will.

  Thank you.

  And then Alistair felt Amethyst’s absence. He was gone.

  Diamond walked back inside the room and surveyed Bridget, who was starting to stir. He sat on the bed and touched her leg. “Bridget,” he said. “Wake up.”

  She looked at him groggily, her green eyes a little brighter in the morning light. “What is it?” she mumbled.

  “I made contact,” he said. “With Amethyst.”

  She blinked blearily. “Oh. Right.” Then she shook her head. “Right.” She sat up and rubbed her face, pushing her hair back. “So where do we meet them?”

  “Here,” he said. “But they’re coming now. They’ll be here in a couple hours.”

  “Oh,” she said.

  “How do you feel about that?” he asked, putting a hand out, tentatively covering hers.

  “I guess…” She bit her lip, worrying it with her teeth slowly. “I don’t know. I’m glad you’ll be safe. Have your powers back.”

  “We’ll be able to go get Lana,” he said. “That should make you happy, right?”

  She nodded, but sadness shone in her eyes as well. But it was slight, gone before he could really see it.

  Perhaps it was just the same mixed feelings he had that they would no longer have an excuse to stay alone and figure this out. That the world would intrude.

  But their safety meant more than all of that.

  He was starting to get excited about it now that he thought about it. He’d learn more about dragons in this world. Would probably learn more about the collar. Be with those of his own kind. He felt the dragon in him sit up and roar in triumph.

  “Should we order room service?” she asked, pulling on her clothes as he was lost in thought. “My treat.”

  “Once we get my treasure back, everything is my treat.” Then the room went quiet in awkward silence as she realized how committed that sounded. “You know, to pay you back.”

  “You don’t owe me anything, except helping with Lana.”

  “A whole army of dragons is going after her. I promise you.”

  She nodded. “Okay, I’m calling in breakfast.”

  As she did that, he got his clothes together so he could change into them quickly after a shower. Jeans and a tee with the usual hoodie over the top. Soon he’d be able to buy and wear whatever he wanted. Look however he wanted. Do whatever he wanted without being in captivity or worrying about the shifters on his tail.

  It was going to be truly wonderful.

  Bridget didn’t want to interfere with Alistair’s clear happiness over his friends coming to find them.

  After all, she should be happy, too. They would be safe. She would be able to take the next step toward finding Lana. That part she was nothing but happy about.

  But the fact that she wouldn’t be alone on this adventure with Alistair anymore was still slightly bothering her. It had been exciting, fun, sexually awakening. The biggest adventure she’d ever had.

  What would happen after he helped her find her friend? They’d never talked about a future beyond this. Just their common goals and how much they wanted each other.

  For all she knew, once he didn’t need her, once he was used to the human world and free again, he would forget about her. Not want her.

  She hugged herself, hating the negative thoughts coursing through her but unable to stop them.

  Scrangey hopped up in her lap, and she hugged him against her chest as she heard Alistair turn on the shower. He was humming.

  “Do you think he’s going to leave us?” she asked Scrangey as the door to the bathroom closed so steam wouldn’t get all over the room.

  Scrangey didn’t look like he knew, so she just stroked the little black-and-white cat comfortingly. “I’ll take care of you, boy. We’ll get Lana, and no matter what, I won’t let you go to a shelter.”

  Scrangey hopped back onto the ground ungratefully, cleaning his paw and looking unmoved by her declaration.

  She had to smile. In some ways, he reminded her of Alistair. Desperately in need of someone to help him but totally unaware of it.

  He was so shut off from the world, from his feelings, from other people.
<
br />   When he was with her, she could feel a whole new side of him that she was pretty sure no one else got to see. Open. Vulnerable. Honest.

  She sighed at how hot it was, seeing him over her, mystic eyes, gorgeous long hair, warrior body. Or seeing him fight for her. Or tease her.

  Or even the moments talking in his cell, when they’d both been prisoners in different ways.

  It had been months of friendship, months of being forced to be together, and now it could end. Who knew if they’d be friends or more when this was over?

  The room service arrived, and she brought it in and started on it just as Alistair came out in a towel, his powerful chest and abs and arms exposed as he plopped on the bed. So tall. So handsome. As soon as the rest of the human world got a look at him, she’d lose him.

  “Why?” he asked, tilting his head and letting his damp hair fall sexily over one shoulder. “Why would you lose me?”

  “Stop selectively reading my thoughts,” she grumbled.

  “Can’t help it,” he said. “Sometimes I just hear them if I’m not tuned into something else, like my own thoughts.”

  “I just… You haven’t even seen the world without me. We’ve bene hiding. You’ll see how beautiful the women in this world can be and find someone in your league.”

  “My league?” he asked.

  “You’re gorgeous,” she said. “You could model. I like myself, but I’m not on the crazy high level you’re on.”

  “What if it doesn’t matter to me which level I’m on?” he asked genuinely. “What if I just think you’re the one on the crazy high level?”

  “I would think maybe you were affected by me being the only woman you saw in that prison cell for so long.”

  He was quiet then. “I don’t know.”

  For someone reason, his uncertainty hurt. Still, it made sense. Maybe they never would have ended up doing anything together if it weren’t for being forced together.

  “I don’t think that’s the case,” he said. “I mean, I can’t say for sure. You’re right. I’m new to this world and my freedom in it and still trying to adjust.” He picked up a piece of bacon and chewed. “But you have to remember I had another life before this. I had women then. None of them ever made me feel like you do.”

  “Like what?” she asked, her heart tense and strained.

  “Like you make me better than I was. You help me get to know myself.”

  “So like a friend,” she said. “Not inspiring raging lust.”

  “What do you call ravishing you on the forest floor?” he asked. “Or what we did last night?” His eyes took on a lustful gleam, and she flushed.

  “Attraction I guess,” she said.

  “Right,” he replied. “So have a little confidence. A little patience. I like you. I do. No matter what happens after this, we’ll be friends.”

  She bit into a piece of sausage angrily. “Right. Friends.”

  “What do you want from me?” he said. “I’m not going to leave you.”

  Love. That’s what she wanted from him. Commitment. All the stupid things women wanted after having sex with a man.

  He was quiet and serious, and she hoped he was lost enough in his own thoughts and didn’t hear hers.

  He didn’t say anything, though, just kept eating his breakfast. When he was done, he pushed the plate away.

  “I don’t get it,” he said. “You still seem upset, when I think them finding us is a good thing.”

  She shrugged. “I know. Maybe I have Stockholm Syndrome.”

  “What’s that?”

  “When someone falls in love with their kidnapper,” she explained.

  “But I didn’t kidnap you,” he protested.

  “Yeah,” she said bitterly, finishing her last pancake and setting aside the plate. She gulped down her orange juice.

  What had she really expected? That sometime before the dragons found them, he would make some kind of promise? No, she’d been with him both times out of sheer attraction, and it wasn’t fair to try and get more from him now.

  No matter how much she wanted him, she deserved someone who wanted her just as much.

  And who knew if she should want him just because he was the first hot guy who showed interest in her and gave her a good time in bed?

  Taking a deep breath, she felt a little better and went to the bathroom to put her hair up and prepare to see real-life dragons.

  Bridget and Alistair were waiting on the bed, Bridget reading on her phone, Alistair watching the TV, when a hard thump on the door sounded.

  Alistair looked at Bridget, and she felt the glimmer of excitement in the air.

  “Stay here,” he ordered, crawling off the bed and walking to the door, clad in jeans and his usual hoodie. He looked through the peephole and then took a deep breath and undid the deadbolt.

  When he opened the door, a tall man with black hair and dark clothing and a huge body stepped forward, enclosing Alistair in a hug.

  Alistair froze and then awkwardly gave the man a pat on the shoulder, and he pulled back.

  “Dom,” Alistair said. “It’s good to see you.”

  “You, too,” Dom said. “We good to come in?”

  “Yes,” Alistair said, stepping back.

  “Nice place,” Dom said.

  “This is Dom, the amethyst dragon,” Alistair explained.

  And then three more of the most beautiful men she’d ever seen in her life stepped in behind him.

  The first had longish, shaggy dark hair, kind of pirate-y, and dark eyes and tanned skin. He was tall and muscular like the others and had a cocky twinkle in his eyes.

  Alistair gestured to him. “The onyx dragon,” he said. “And the sapphire.” He pointed to the next man, who had dark-blond hair, gorgeously tousled, and the most amazing blue eyes she’d ever seen. Like a kaleidoscopic sky.

  “I’m Zach,” the pirate-y one said. “And he goes by Luc.” He pointed to the blond man, who waved.

  Out from behind them stepped the last man, an absolutely beautiful, exotic-looking man with hair in a deep reddish color that had to be dyed but looked too shiny and perfect for that and vibrant green eyes that were just how she wished hers had always looked.

  Alistair came over to put a possessive arm around her. “I like your eyes just how they are,” he whispered. “Soft and mossy.”

  She snorted, but it helped slightly with her nervousness.

  She realized now that Alistair was no anomaly. Though he was still the most beautiful to her, by far, all these dragons were just ridiculously gorgeous and tall. They could have been models or strippers or movie stars.

  But instead…

  “I like her,” the red-haired one said. “She thinks lots of flattering things about us.”

  “Get out of her head,” Alistair snapped, making the other man grin.

  “I’m Red,” he said, stepping forward. She shook his hand, and he smiled at her. “And are you going to introduce this girl you feel so protective of?”

  “Yes,” Alistair said, stepping slightly in front of her. These were his friends, but apparently, he still didn’t trust them completely where she was concerned. “This is Bridget. She helped me escape and get to this point. We’re friends.”

  Red’s eyes dipped down to her hand. “You gave her your ring?”

  “Yes,” Alistair said stubbornly.

  “Why?” Zach asked, folding his arms.

  “Because she needed some assurance that I wouldn’t betray her. There is something we have to help her with after this.”

  Dom scoffed. “Something you have to help her with.”

  “We’ll help,” Luc offered. He seemed to be the nicest of the group. He resembled more of an archetypal superhero, unlike Dom, who looked more like a super villain. A giant one, with piercings and purple streaks in his black hair. Even with bright purple-blue eyes, he was one of the most masculine, intimidating men she’d ever seen.

  He whirled on his heel and went out the door. “We need to get
out of here. Get your stuff.”

  “He’s grumpy,” she muttered to Alistair. He just shrugged. She could feel tension in the air.

  Zach and Luc and Red, however, were still staring between her and Alistair, looks of confusion on their faces.

  “So you gave her the ring for her to give it back?”

  “Yes,” Alistair said. “Is there a problem with that?”

  “Sort of,” Red said, but then Zach clapped a hand over his mouth.

  “No. We’ll worry about it later. Come on. Let’s get you out of here,” Zach said.

  “Wait,” Alistair said. “Let me get my cat. He’s probably hiding under the bed. He doesn’t like strangers.” He knelt on the ground and looked under. “Scrangey!”

  “Oh, he is so one of us,” Red said, shaking his head.

  “What do you mean?” Bridget asked.

  “Let’s just say more than a few of us have a soft spot where animals are concerned. So what’s wrong with him? Bad personality? Leg missing? One eye?”

  Alistair glared up at them. “Nothing’s wrong with him. He was a stray living in the dungeon where I was kept.”

  “Oh,” Red said. “Well then, I guess he’ll be the belle of the ball.” The he barked out a laugh, picked up a few of their boxes, and headed out.

  “How are we getting back?” she asked nervously. Would they be flying? Like in dragon form?

  “Driving,” Zach said flatly. “Sorry for the disappointment.”

  “No,” she said. “I’m just glad you’re here. For Alistair I mean.”

  “And you have a friend who needs help?” Zach asked, grabbing the rest of her stuff after Alistair and Luc headed out the door. “We don’t usually do things like that, but we have people who can help.”

  She shook her head. “Alistair promised his help. That’s our deal.”

  “Plus, it involves the people who captured me,” Alistair added. “We’ll learn more about them if we do this.”

  “Always interested in that,” Zach said. “So far they haven’t been very good at getting the jump on us, but when they do, it’s brutal.”

  “Bridget can probably also tell you some things,” Alistair said. “I’m still a little lost on the whole situation. Like why you all were even awakened and how my collar works and—”