A frightening roar vibrated in her ears, like the caws of hundreds of giant birds. Debris from the dumpster lifted and scattered in the sudden, sharp wind. The courtyard darkened until it seemed more twilight than a sunny afternoon.
Cletus grabbed Josie and dragged her in front of him. The gutless wonder was using her like a damn shield. His fingers clawed her shoulders, digging in painfully. Crouched behind her, his knees butted hers, making her stumble. Bruce’s screeches became a terrified keening before he dove into the big green dumpster.
Wrestling to free herself from Cletus’s grasp, Josie looked to the sky. Her world tipped drunkenly. Was that…?
A dragon?
Its ivory-colored, black-tipped claws scratched the rough concrete on touch-down. Josie’s neck cricked when she looked up at the gigantic beast. Black scales, bordered in angry red, adorned the eight-foot monster. A glowing crimson knot pulsed in the upper part of its chest. Slitted pupils blazed, and two rows of fangs glinted when it opened its massive jaws and roared.
Josie gave a strangled scream as the creature approached. The beast stood in front of her and nudged her middle with its snout. Her T-shirt fluttered as it inhaled as though sniffing her. Something shifted in its yellow eyes, softening them.
Oh, God! What if it thought she looked like a Thanksgiving feast? Her heart hammered triple time beneath her rib cage, but she forced herself to stand firm.
“What the hell?” Cletus shouted. His fingers dug in deeper on her shoulders. The rank stench of fear and sweat burned her sinuses. What a freaking wuss.
“You coward.” She twisted in his grasp and elbowed him in the diaphragm.
Cletus grunted. “Damn you!” He released her one shoulder and smacked the side of her head.
The dragon growled, the fearsome sound rumbling in its body, the red pulse in its chest growing larger and brighter. Heat singed Josie’s eyebrows.
Lips, if dragons had lips, curled. Using the tip of one of its wings, the brute jostled Josie to one side, exposing Cletus’s trembling body.
When two bursts of fire flared from its nostrils, Cletus groaned. Stretching one muscle-bound arm toward Cletus, it wiggled its claws as though waving. And then it took a swipe at the cowardly bully. Blood spurted from Cletus’s torn neck, and he crumpled to the ground.
Josie screamed, staring at the blood gushing from the gaping wound. “Oh, my God!”
The dragon swung its massive head toward her, then back to Cletus. With a fearsome growl, it spat on the man’s prone body, the saliva bubbling in the wound.
Cletus clutched the gushing wound with a scream, “It burns!”
The rush of blood slowed, the fizzy liquid turning pink. Mesmerized by the spectacle, Josie forgot to run for shelter. The dragon snatched her up in its arms, and with an enormous flap of its wings, launched into the air.
4
Xephyr had her in his arms, at last. He hadn’t planned it like this. But when he saw that foul vermin trying to force themselves on Josie, who was a queen in comparison, he’d lost control.
Flying high through the sky, he cradled her in his arms as carefully as a kitten, startled by the velvety touch of her skin. She was scared—of course she was, but his dragon purred, and his firebox settled into a pulse of warmth designed to lull her.
The supple curves of her backside pressed to his crotch, while her breasts bumped up against his forearms, enflaming him with an unexpected desire.
He landed them on the island as gently as he could, but she struggled to be free, kicking and biting like a wildcat.
He released her and rested on his haunches, regarding her as she crab-walked away from him, fear and disbelief widening her eyes and leaving her mouth hanging open.
“What are you?” she demanded.
Even terrified, her voice purred along his scales, stoking his fire.
She blinked several times, then her eyes opened very wide. “Wait—I know you!”
His dragon swelled inside him. “Yes, I’m a dragon. And you’re my mate,” he said.
And he almost choked on his words. His mate. What? This puny human? He stared at her in disbelief. It couldn’t be…but it was the truth. He knew it deep in his bones, in the same way he knew he had fire inside him.
“A dragon? B-but you’re the man who fell out of the sky on Fire Island—” Her head swiveled as she took in the landscape.
He planted his hands on his hips, emphasizing his proud physique. “I take the forms of both a dragon and a man. I am a shapeshifter.”
“Nope. No way, José. Dragons don’t exist.” Josie’s voice was flat and mechanical. Skeptical, he believed was the human word for it. She tripped on a small rock, fell back onto the sand, and scooted backward on her butt away from him.
He forced his dragon below the surface, reclaiming his less frightening human form. Shaking his body, the scales disappeared and his wings folded in on themselves, sliding under his flesh. Gravel from the slaggy ground dug into his bare feet. “Yes, we do—here I am. I’m Xephyr. Prince of the royal clan of Ethereum, descended from the noble race of chameleids.”
“Don’t tell me—your royal kingdom is here on Fire Island?”
He snorted, puffs of smoke escaping his nostrils. “We have no kingdom on this miserable hunk of rock. It is merely our temporary residence. But I trust it will be an agreeable home for you as my mate.” He strode toward Josie, intent on staking his claim with a kiss.
Her brows arched high on her forehead as he approached, and she quickly covered her eyes. “Dude, you’re naked!” Dark pink stained her cheeks.
He froze. “Does this bother you?”
“Of course, it bothers me!”
Xephyr crossed his hands over his groin. “I don’t mean to offend.” The color rising on her neck and face complemented her fair hair. It was captivating and enticing, and his dragon buzzed with approval.
“In order to get clothes to cover myself, I must leave you for a moment. Will you stay here? Please?” The entreaty burned his tongue. Royal princes didn’t beg. But to his surprise, he was willing to do so for Josie.
Her mirthless laugh bounced off the rocky landscape. “Well, since I don’t fly, the ferry isn’t due for another, oh…fifteen hours, and if I tried to swim, I’d sink like a submarine with screen doors, where would I go?” she demanded, her voice trembling by the end of her words.
“I won’t be long. I promise.”
Biting her lip, she nodded.
“Be right back.”
His dragon spontaneously shifted, magnificent green scales bursting forth. With a huge flap of his wings, he launched into the air. His wingspan was so great the distance to his lair passed in a blink of an eye. After forcing the dragon down, he quickly donned human attire: jeans and a T-shirt proclaiming I’m not a control freak, but can I show you the right way to do that? Boreas, Notus, and Eurus had been foraging with him when he’d swiped the shirt. Fitting, they’d declared.
Foregoing shoes, Xephyr sprinted to where he’d left the woman. His dragon purred with excitement.
Josie had moved only as far as a nearby boulder and was sitting, one hand cupped around her chin, the other massaging the back of her neck. Her head snapped up when he approached.
Her dark blond brows needled together. “I didn’t dream you up.”
“I’m as real as that rock you’re perched on.”
Josie knocked her knuckles on the hard surface, then winced. “Ow! That was knobbier than I expected.”
“Rocks tend to be knobby. It’s one of their key attributes. But you’re hurt.” He stared at her hand. “May I?” He extended his own hand. Eyes wary, she shrugged.
Slowly, in case fast movement might startle her, he took her hand in his and gently stroked the scratches on her knuckles. Then he drew her hand to his mouth and pressed a kiss to it before licking her knuckles, knowing the very act would erase the wound.
Josie snatched her hand away. “Did you just lick me?” she demanded, her tone edged with dis
gust. “Dude, I don’t know where you’re from, but in this country, it’s considered impolite to lick people you barely know.”
“In my world, this is how we speed healing,” he explained.
The skin on her knuckles, which had been rough and red, was now pink, whole, and healthy.
Josie’s mouth formed a perfect O. “That’s a cool skill to have, I guess.”
The sun had descended behind the mountain. The angle of the waning beams hit Josie’s face, giving it an angelic glow and transforming her eyes to a mesmerizing aquamarine. His dragon purred within. Xephyr leaned in and sniffed Josie’s neck.
She shrank away. “What are you doing?”
“You smell of elderus.”
“Is that considered sexy talk in your world? Cuz whatever that is, it sounds smelly and old.” She laid a palm on his shoulder, gently pushing him away.
“It is the most beautiful flower in my world. Delicate blossoms scented like nectar with plump, delightful leaves.”
“They sound pretty.”
“They are. I wish we could have some for our mating ceremony.”
“Our mating ceremony?” Josie raised her voice, her head snapping in his direction.
“Of course, we’ll have a mating ceremony. You were the one foretold to help me save my clan from extinction. You’re my mate. You’ll live here with me on Fire Island. You will be respected and revered by all of my clan as my chosen one.”
Josie surged to her feet, looking at him with wild eyes. Jabbing his chest with her index finger, she shook her head. “Not so fast there, buckaroo. King, dragon, or whatever, I’m not moving here, and I’m not your mate.”
Oh good heavens, the man…er, dragon…nope, definitely a man, was charming. And gifted. Then he had to go ruin everything and insist she was his mate and belonged here on this inhospitable island. Handing down the edict as if his decision was final and she didn’t get a say in it. He’d probably already picked out names for their two-point-five children.
“It has already been decided,” he said, nodding gravely.
She suppressed a gasp. “Listen up, buster. You’re not the king of my world. You don’t get to order me around.”
“You are my mate. You have to do as I say.”
Josie’s eyes ached as she gave them an exaggerated roll. “Um, not in this century. Women haven’t been chattel for a long time. You can’t buy, sell, or trade us. And you sure as fire do not get to hold me prisoner here.”
He pressed a hand to his gut as if pained. “You aren’t my prisoner. As my mate, you’re an honored resident. I told you my people would revere you. Worship you even.” He wagged his finger at her. “You are staying.”
Oh, hell no! She slowly backed away from the big, powerful figure in front of her. “Nope. No way.”
A tiny flame sparked from his nostrils, followed by puffs of gray smoke.
“See there! You’re nothing but a hothead. I’ve had enough of men like you to last a lifetime.” Josie shook her head. “Why do I always attract alpha-holes?” she muttered to herself.
Xephyr rubbed the end of his nose where a hint of smut marred its perfection. The hangdog look in his eye was hypnotic. “What can I do to convince you?”
Josie tipped her head to one side and smirked. “Drop to your knees and beg?”
“I am a prince of royal blood. I do not beg.”
“How did I know that would be your answer? Then pull your wings out and fly me back to Windpecking.” She dusted her hands on the back of her jeans.
Her smirk slid into a shocked gasp when Xephyr knelt in front of her, taking her hands in his and placing them over his heart. “I’m begging you. Do not leave me. Only with you can I save my people from doom.”
He was so earnest and charming, a vulnerable look in his eyes, his heart pulsing steadily under her palms.
“Yeah, you mentioned that before. Explain this gloom and doom nonsense.” She shivered as the sun buried itself on the horizon. At least when he flew her home, she wouldn’t be able to see how far below the earth was. Oh, Melody was never going to believe this story. And she was pretty sure the meager health insurance policy she had didn’t cover in-patient treatment at the funny farm.
Xephyr glanced at the pale glow remaining in the sky. “We should go to my cavern. I will explain there.”
“Nope. Right here, right now! Or you can take me home.”
“Please, Josie. Night air is hostile to dragons. We do not fly after dark except in the most extreme circumstances.”
“You’re lying. And how do you know my name?”
“I’ve followed you since you first came to the island. I haven’t been able to fly back after sunset, so I stayed in a deplorable shack near the edge of town.” His tone sounded disgusted, like the shack was lower than a snake’s belly and as such, far beneath his exalted status as prince.
“You stalked me?” Okay, that might be a tiny bit flattering. “Hang on. MacGregor’s place? Calling it deplorable might be generous.”
Xephyr shrugged, his powerful shoulders bunching under the dove-gray T-shirt. He rose.
“Lordy, you’re tall.” He had her by at least a foot. And his broad shoulders blocked the view of the mountain behind him, making her feel almost dainty. And hot, in more ways than one. She fanned herself. She was baking in the heat rolling off him. And she didn’t hate it. “Phew, who turned up the thermostat?”
“It is the way of the dragon. But if we stay outside much longer, I might sicken.”
She took pity on him. “Fine. I’ll stay here tonight. We can go to your cave, or den, or lair, whatever you call it. But I have plans for the weekend. You must take me home first thing in the morning, buster.”
With a curt nod, Xephyr reached for her hand. Against her better judgment, she allowed him to take it, and he engulfed her fingers in his strong grasp before leading her along a path.
“Why do you call me Buster? I told you my name is Xephyr.”
“It’s just an expression.”
“Like a smile. You’re calling me a smile?”
“Huh?”
“Expression is something I would see on your face, no?”
“Oh. Oh! No. I see you’re vocabularily challenged.” Or took things literally. She’d have to be cautious with her word choices. “You haven’t been speaking our language very long, have you? Many of our words can have different meanings. You’ll get the hang of it soon.”
“Where will I hang it?”
Josie stopped herself from rolling her eyes. Oh my, this was going to be something. “Sorry. You’ll understand eventually.”
The way turned rocky and steep. Each step in her high heels pinched her toes. Small pebbles on the ground dug in through her thin soles.
“I’m wearing the wrong shoes for hiking,” she complained.
Xephyr paused to examine her footwear. “Your feet hurt. My mate should never be in pain.” He swooped one arm under her legs, the other around her shoulders, and hoisted her high against his chest without even a grunt.
With a thin scream, Josie clutched at him, her arms going around his neck. “You can’t carry me.”
“It appears I am carrying you.” The smug retort was accompanied by a smile.
“Xephyr, put me down. I’m way too heavy.”
Her protest would have made more sense if the man had broken a sweat. But he strode up the steep path as though she were stick skinny and a hundred pounds soaking wet.
When he didn’t bother to reply, she settled in for the ride. Each step caused her breasts to bounce against his chest. The heated friction did funny things to her insides. Tingles erupted and sped along her muscles, her body softening, melding to his. The skin on his neck felt satiny and supple.
When he adjusted his grip under her thighs, she bit back a sound of pleasure. Maybe living in a cave with this man wouldn’t be so bad. She jerked in startlement. What was she thinking? No way should she consider staying here. She had a life, responsibilities. Bills to pay. H
er father to take care of. Yeah, her job was shitty, but she couldn’t afford to lose it until she had enough saved to leave Windpecking.
Skirting around some low scrub trees, Xephyr ducked, his chin grazing the crown of her head, and slipped into a darkened tunnel. His footfalls echoed in the hollow space. Despite the lack of light, she got a sense they’d entered a large, high-ceilinged cave.
Uncomfortable heat built in Josie’s side; the one pressed to his chest. Suddenly, a puff of flame erupted from his lips and blazed toward the wall. After being in the dark, the streak of fire was dazzling. Torches embedded in the rough rock wall ignited, dimly lighting the room. Josie glanced around the area, noting additional tunnels branching off from the main room. Pale illumination wavered from the various entrances, and hushed voices floated from the recesses. Josie wondered if this might be where all the dragons lived.
“You can put me down now,” she told Xephyr.
“Not until we reach my den.” He clamped his lips shut and strode forward, heading to one of the tunnels on their right. The arched entrance was taller than Xephyr, but he had to duck below some of the rocky projections. “Almost there.”
He turned a corner and paused in front of a solid wood door. Putting a shoulder to the rough-hewn planks, he pushed it inward and entered the space.
“You can settle in and I’ll get the fire for the barbecue going in the meantime. You are hungry. I can hear your stomach.” Kicking shut the door, he withdrew the arm under her thighs and let her slide down his body.
A pleasant, insistent throb kicked up between her thighs, and her nipples hardened.
Xephyr’s nostrils flared, and he rested his hands on her hips, his fingers tightening on her ample curves. “You feel this connection between us as well. I can smell your desire.”
The immediate heat that flowed from his palms was dizzying. “No. This isn’t happening.”
He frowned. “I do not like that I am mated to a human, but there is truth in the chemistry between us. I am honoring you by expressing my desire for you. You’re for me, and I’m for you. There can be no others.”
Ethereal King Page 4
