The Dragon's Secret Prize

by Jasmine Wylder

  “I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I shouldn’t have.”

  “No,” she tries to tell him it was okay but he was out of the camper and gone before she could. She was left standing there dazed and confused, wondering what she had done wrong.

  Chapter Six

  Shane

  Would this ever be over?

  Shane’s fires flickered low in his stomach as he readied himself for the fight to come. After all these weeks where he entered the ring week after week, he was beginning to feel exhausted. True, the fights only lasted one night. But the constant state of worry, not to mention the repeatedly broken bones, was taking a toll on him. Normally it would be a day or two tops for something like a broken rib to heal but he was still feeling a twinge of pain from the fight last week.

  Not even a dragon could take a beating like this and heal forever. Sooner or later he was going to break down. And then what?

  He wrapped his knuckles with some athlete’s tape, hoping it would stop them from dislocating this time. That had nearly cost him the fight last time. His fires roared higher briefly as he remembered how close it had been. How long could he keep this up? Was he an idiot for trying? Or should he just go public with it right now, take what falls he had and make sure that Kayla was safe? Should he shut down the dig, get her far away from here?

  His eyes drifted shut and he leaned his head back. He enjoyed the thought for a moment, taking her away, finding a place where the two of them could be together, happy. Healthy.

  A sigh escaped his lips. If he shut down the dig, then Kayla would want to know why. He’d have to tell her everything. How would she ever feel safe again, knowing that all these weeks had gone by with that hanging over her head and she hadn’t known? Keeping it from her seemed logical right now while he had things in hand. And he did have it in hand. For now, at least. He just had to figure out what exactly Gordon was after. It didn’t seem like it was about the money, otherwise he’d accept the bribe and let Kayla have her freedom…

  Shane pulled on a pair of gloves, then released his breath. There was still half an hour before the fight. That was half an hour that he had to try to reason with Gordon again. And if the man wouldn’t see reason?

  The feeling of Kayla’s lips on his stirred his fires. They roared with the desire to protect her from everything. To keep her safe, to keep her happy. To make sure that Gordon Hunt could not hurt or frighten her again.

  With his fires warming him thoroughly, Shane headed into Gordon’s club. He was wearing an expertly-chosen outfit but Gordon must have given his picture to the security, because after only moments of gaining entrance, the two beefy guys that were always around Gordon came and found him. Shane was fine with that. It saved him the trouble of having to wade through the grinding crowd.

  Gordon’s office was at the back of the club and up a set of stairs. Once the beefy guards had taken Shane through a door, the loud music from the club cut out. Down a hallway and through another door, and he was in Gordon’s office. Gordon sat at a large oak desk, fingers steepled. And across from him…

  “Tyler?” Shane stopped dead at the sight of his brother. “What are you doing here?”

  Tyler twisted around. “Oh, hey Shane.”

  Shane’s stomach roiled with smoke and he was just able to keep it in. He breathed deeply through his nose, centering himself again before slowly releasing it. If this was another trick of Gordon’s to force him to stay in the fighting ring… what was he getting from this? Entertainment? Hadn’t the guy ever heard of movies? Or a strip club?

  “What are you doing here?” Shane asked again, this time keeping his voice lower. “I thought you were still in Paris with the vegan girl.”

  Tyler shrugged. “Nope. It didn’t work out.”

  At any other time, Shane would have given him the ‘why am I not surprised’ look but at the moment Tyler’s failed romances were the last thing on his mind.

  “I was at the airport and I saw your brother,” Gordon said, smiling still. “I didn’t think it was all that friendly to just leave him there, so I showed him around town. I was actually just going to call you… thought we’d talk after the game. But if you’re here—”

  “Back off, Hunt.” Shane’s hands clenched. If this weasel thought that he could threaten his brother as well as Kayla and blackmail him, then he had another thing coming. He advanced and the two beefy guards made growling noises to stop him.

  Gordon made a tasking noise in his throat. “Come, come. Let’s not fight. Your brother has quite the temper,” he added towards Tyler.

  The smile that had been on Tyler’s face slipped away. He tensed as he glanced questioningly at Shane. Shane tried to indicate without words that he needed to just stay calm and quiet. Let Shane handle this. Tyler was a smart kid, except when it came to women, and he was a fighter when it went down to that but this was so far out of his league.

  Shane turned his attention back to Gordon. “My brother isn’t a part of this. Why did you bring him into it?”

  Gordon only smiled.

  “You know what?” Tyler stood. “I just remembered, I was supposed to call our mom when I got in. Thanks for the ride around town, Mr. Hunt. But I think that my brother and I better leave.”

  “I don’t think so.” Gordon’s voice became sharp.

  The two goons behind Shane moved closer together to block up the exit. Tyler’s expression became even more alarmed and Shane put a hand on his shoulder, trying to reassure him without words. He moved his brother behind him, keeping himself between Tyler and Gordon’s goons. But he doubted Gordon was going to do anything. This was a matter of chance that he had gotten Tyler. He probably hadn’t even worked out how to use it to his advantage yet.

  “Your brother and I have this little arrangement,” Gordon continued. Though he addressed Tyler, his eyes never left Shane. “He puts on a show for me and my investors, and in exchange, I give him what he wants.”

  “Show?” Tyler’s voice was raspy, like his throat had gone dry. “What kind of show?”

  Shane growled. His muscles were all bunched, adrenaline already in his system. Not good. If this continued he’d be exhausted before the fight even began. He forced himself to relax his muscles and rolled his shoulders.

  “You can have front row seats,” Gordon told Tyler. “And see for yourself.”

  Shane wanted to punch that smug face in. But he couldn’t. So he took another deep breath and nodded once to show that he was acquiescing. The smile widened. One of the goons grabbed Shane’s arm but a snarl had him releasing him again. Shane turned on his heel and stalked out of the room, fires burning hot. So now he had to fight and his brother was going to see him. Tyler would find out what was going on.

  Oh, God! What if he told their mother?

  “I need to talk to my brother alone for a moment.”

  Gordon opened his mouth but Shane grabbed Tyler’s arm and pulled him across the room. Gordon shrugged and left them to it.

  “What are you doing here?” Shane hissed.

  “I wanted to come see my brother.”

  Shane dragged a hand through his hair. “Because you broke up with that girl? Why couldn’t you have gotten yourself a new tattoo or a new motorcycle or something? Don’t you have that club that you’re a part of?”

  “How was I supposed to know that you were involved in some shady business?” Tyler narrowed his eyes. “Why don’t you tell me what the hell is going on?”

  Gordon glanced at his watch and Shane gripped his brother’s arm. “That will have to wait. Just keep your mouth shut and out of trouble, okay?”

  “Shane—”

  “Just do as I say.”

  Tyler’s nostrils flared but he nodded reluctantly.

  Gordon nodded at his goons. “It’s time to go, Mr. Freeman. Tyler, come have some of these potato skins. They’re delicious.”

  Worry bounced around Shane’s brain as he went to the arena. What if Gordon did something to his brother? How would he ever fa
ce their mother again? Rage burned through him, setting his flames to a hotter setting but he breathed through it. He needed to concentrate on the issue at hand. Win this fight, then deal with Tyler.

  The television high above the pit still showed a picture of Kayla being toted as the prize being fought for. His picture was next to it, with his winning streak below.

  Unlike previous times, there weren’t hordes of other men waiting to fight him. There was only one. He was a tall, muscular man with hair shorn close to his scalp and glittering green eyes. Scales covered his torso and smoke curled from his nostrils. Shane narrowed his eyes. So Gordon had brought in another dragon to fight him, huh?

  “What’s your story?” he asked his opponent as they both circled each other.

  The other dragon smirked but it was a humorless smile. “What’s yours?”

  The dragon leaped at him. Shane waited until the last possible moment before he spun away, dodging the fist driving at his face. He punched the other dragon in the stomach then elbowed him in the back as he stumbled. The dragon turned with a roar, flames flickering in his mouth. His hands ended in talons and Shane ducked. The claws racked down his back and he cried out in pain.

  All thoughts about what might be happening–how the other dragon had ended up in this situation, what friends or loved ones were being threatened–disappeared from Shane’s brain. There were only two thoughts allowed in his mind as he whirled, using his momentum to spin the other dragon onto his back and crush his ribcage. If he didn’t defend himself, then he could be killed. And if he didn’t win? What would become of Kayla then?

  A jet of fire burst from the other dragon’s mouth. It rushed up Shane’s side, making blisters form on his soft skin. His body reacted to the heat instantly. Scales sprouted from his skin and a pair of wings burst from his back. He drove his fists into the other dragon’s face again and again. The dragon bucked under him, slashing with claws that tore strips of scale off Shane’s body.

  Something hard and heavy hit him in the back of the head. Blackness washed over his vision and the dragon threw him off. Shane rolled several times before he sprang back to his feet. His head spun. As his vision cleared, he saw the usual other thugs. One of them had a broken baseball bat. When he touched the back of his head, he felt blood and splinters of wood. The other dragon jumped lightly to his feet. His chest heaved as the thugs gathered around him.

  They all faced him. A chill went down Shane’s spine as he looked at his opponents. It was hard enough when they were fighting each other as well as him. Now they all paced, clearly waiting for the opportunity to rush him at once. So was this Gordon’s game? Set him up for defeat? The other dragon licked his lips, a look of fury and determination on his face.

  Shane’s fires flickered up his throat. Smoke stung his eyes. He dropped to one knee, bracing himself. The thugs all charged him. Chains, blocks of wood. Some even had steel pipes. His nostrils flared as the fire burned hotter inside of him.

  An image of Kayla shone overhead. Shane closed his eyes, waiting… The first thug reached him and he spun out, kicking the thug’s feet out. He rolled, lifting the dragon, and threw it into the group. Then with his fires flickering in his mouth, he charged into the thick of them.

  Chapter Seven

  Kayla

  “We’re fine.” Kayla leaned her head back on the camper’s wall, cellphone pressed firmly to her ear.

  “Are you sure?” Esther’s voice came across as if distorted and worried. “That Norwegian girl isn’t giving you trouble, is she?”

  “No. We’re fine,” Kayla repeated.

  She would have laughed if she wasn’t so tired. It had been a week since Esther and Bryant left the dig, and while things weren’t easy they were going smoothly. For now. The truth was that things were slightly disorganized and Kayla was pulling late nights to make sure everything was set out for the next day. Esther’s worried calls weren’t helping. She seemed to have forgotten about the time difference. Kayla repressed a yawn. She would have to hand the camper over to Bernie soon.

  Esther made a humming noise. “Well… I’m glad to hear it. We don’t have any answers from the doctor yet. Still waiting on the results for a couple of tests.”

  “Let us know when you know something.” Kayla glanced out the window as Shane’s car pulled into its regular spot. She frowned. Where had he been off to? “I got to go. Talk to you later.”

  Kayla frowned for a moment as Shane, accompanied by a dark-haired man, got out of his car. He moved stiffly and shook his head at the other man. Kayla grabbed a cardigan, threw it on, and headed out. Shane had been sleeping in her tent since she moved to Esther’s camper, and when she got closer she heard them muttering to each other.

  “… nearly lost.” That was the stranger. “What the hell are you doing here, Shane?”

  “Just stay out of it. I—” Shane abruptly cut off. Seconds later he poked his head out of the tent. “Kayla. You’re up early.”

  “You are too. Where have you been?”

  Shane’s eyes widened. “Were you looking for me?”

  Heat rushed to Kayla’s face as she imagined what she would have been looking for him for. She shook her head wildly. “N-no. I wasn’t looking. I don’t want you. I mean, I don’t want you for anything right now. I mean, I saw you drive in and… and please tell me to shut up now.”

  The lines in Shane’s face eased, leaving him smiling. The look made her pulse flutter and she couldn’t help but smile back. The stranger stuck his head out from behind Shane and gave her a once-over before grinning.

  “Well hello,” he said, a sparkle in his eye.

  Shane shot him a half-glare as he climbed from the tent. “I was picking up my brother here from the airport. Kayla, Tyler. Tyler, Kayla.”

  “Kayla?” Tyler clambered to his feet, smile dropping off his face. In short, he looked pissed. He wore a sleeveless shirt, which showed off tattoos inked into his skin. “Do you know what this idiot has been up to?”

  “Shut up.” Shane punched his brother’s shoulder. “You had a long flight. Go ahead and get some rest, Ty. I need to talk with Kayla for a minute and then I’ll camp out in the hammock.”

  Kayla frowned at the strange display. She wanted to ask him what was going on but it was also clear that Shane didn’t want to talk about it. Not wanting to press, she let him lead her back to the camper, where he gave her a tired grin before slumping into the chair next to the small desk.

  “Are you okay?” she asked, resting a hand on his shoulder.

  “Yeah. I’m fine. Just tired. Tyler can be a real pain. Don’t be surprised if he flirts with every girl in camp. He might even convince himself that he’s in love with one or two of them. Just leave him to me though, okay? I know how to handle him.” He leaned his head back and closed his eyes.

  Kayla frowned but nodded. With her own frazzled, tired mind there wasn’t really anything she could do, anyway.

  “Well, I hope your brother knows how to pull his weight around here,” she joked. “Things aren’t exactly set up for speed dating.”

  Shane gave her another tired smile. “You’re beautiful, you know? I wish things could be different. I wish that everything was different. I wish I had a clan to fall back to. You know that my mother was kicked from her home clan when she had me? My father was from a rival clan, and he didn’t want to have anything to do with either of us. And my mother’s clan, they wanted her to give me up. Said that she had already betrayed her mate–a mate she didn’t even have–by giving birth to me. But she refused and so they kicked her out. Later on, she had Tyler but we never had a father in our lives. My mother never let that slow her down. Stubborn as a mule. But I wish I had a clan name to give my children…”

  Kayla’s brows rose. She stroked Shane’s hand, confused by everything he was rambling about. It must be because he was so tired… With a sigh, she sat on the desk and shrugged. “Clan name or not, you’re a pretty dang good guy. You’d be a good dad and any girl would be glad
to have you as her husband or mate or whatever.”

  Shane’s sleepy smile widened. “Dragons don’t generally have marriages. When they have a mate it’s for life. At least that’s the way it seems to work.”

  “I’d want a marriage,” Kayla said absently. “Regardless. Marriage means something to me, you know? It’s more than a couple of rings and a piece of paper. It’s a formal commitment, an oath of undying love before the world. I get that it’s not like that to everyone but it’s important to me.”

  Shane’s eyes focused on her. There was some haunted, hungry look in his eyes as he stood. “Kayla…”

  His voice was husky. Just the sound of it did strange things to her pulse, and she swallowed dryly. “Um… yeah?”

  He pressed his hands to the desk on either side of her. “Forgive me if this makes you uncomfortable… but I have felt drawn to you from the first moment I set eyes on you. And now, working side by side like we have been… I find myself wanting to…”

  Kayla’s eyes were wide. Her mind skittered around from one thought to the next, wondering if he was meaning what she thought he was meaning… and what she’d do if he did mean what she thought… but then his mouth was on hers and everything else melted away. Her fingers wound into his hair as he teased her mouth open, hungry, demanding. If their first kiss had been passion, this was an animalistic need.

  Shane’s hips rolled, grinding her into the desk, regardless of their clothes. His movements lit a fire inside of her and her head fell back. A gasp escaped her. He moved to her neck, undeterred. Her skin tingled and tightened and Kayla’s grip tightened. In a sudden explosive moment, she didn’t care about what might happen or what else was going on. She just wanted him. She wanted him to rip off her clothes and take her hard and fast until she was senseless with pleasure.

  Either he felt the same way or he sensed her desires, because Shane suddenly pulled her off her desk. One arm was tight around her waist, the other locked on the small of her back as his mouth hungrily moved down her shirt. His teeth tore off several buttons on her blouse. It should have been infuriating but Kayla only found it to be oh so hot. She braced herself against the desk as he released her and tore her shirt open entirely.