Resisting the Dragon (Dragon Shores Book 2)

by Rinelle Grey

  That split second bought them some time. Enough that they were several hundred metres from the cliffs before it started chasing them.

  It wasn’t enough.

  The car didn’t drive as fast on the rough dirt roads as it did on the smooth bitumen. The Trima dragon was on their tail, its roar reverberating through the metal body of the vehicle. It was angry.

  Calrian had made a mistake. Possibly a fatal one.

  The whole car rattled and shook on the rough road as Rylee urged greater and greater speed from it.

  Until a loud crack sounded, and the whole car lit up.

  Calrian threw himself over Rylee as though he thought he could somehow protect her from the Trima dragon’s lightning. She squealed, pulling her legs up and tucking her hands into her body.

  “Don’t touch the metal,” she told Calrian.

  He had no idea how that would help, but either way, he wasn’t letting go of her. They were both still alive, but he wasn’t sure for how long. The glow from the lightning bolt had faded, but Calrian knew there were more coming.

  Without input from Rylee, the vehicle began to slow, the jolting only increasing.

  “Let me go, we have to keep moving,” Rylee said, shaking him off.

  Calrian didn’t want to. He was the one who had put her in danger, he should be the one protecting her. The trouble was, he didn’t know how. The only one who could help them escape this was Rylee, and he needed to let her, even if it was risky.

  Reluctantly, Calrian released her, and she put her hands to the wheel and her feet back on the pedals. The lightning had dissipated, but more was sure to be coming any second now.

  And there was nothing Calrian could do to stop it. His water magic, even if he could find the energy to summon it, would only channel the lightning back to them.

  As Rylee pushed the car back up to speed, dark clouds began to gather overhead. Lightning and thunder crackled in the air, though no more of it hit them directly. Calrian could feel the water gathering in the air, though rain wasn’t falling. Why? He knew the Trima dragon could make it rain, so why wasn’t he?

  Did he realise Calrian was a water dragon and think he’d be more powerful if it rained? But he must know about water’s effect on lightning just as much as Calrian did. The lightning dragon surely realised that the decreased visibility would slow them down and make it easier to catch them.

  Of course, it would make it harder for the Trima dragon too. It couldn’t see in the rain any more than they could. It could make it rain, but it couldn’t manipulate the water.

  This could be their one chance.

  “Is it doing that?” Rylee asked, her voice tight.

  “Yes,” Calrian said. “Can you keep driving if it rains?”

  Rylee glanced around, then pursed her lips. “I’m certainly not going to stop. There’s nothing to hit, so we don’t have much to lose.”

  Calrian nodded, feeling determination welling up in him.

  The clouds gathered ominously, but no rain fell, only thunder and lightning crackled around them. The dragon swooped in over them, dancing above their heads. Playing with them. It thought it had them right where it wanted them.

  It clearly had no idea Calrian was a water dragon.

  Taking a deep breath, Calrian drew on all the reserves he could summon, glad now, for that cuddle with Rylee earlier. He craned his neck, looking up at the clouds above, sensing the water vapour gathering in them. He focused on that water, his brow furrowing in concentration, forcing and smashing the water molecules together until they couldn’t resist.

  Huge raindrops began to fall, plopping in loud, isolated drips on the car and the road around them. More and more of them fell until the water was like a curtain in front of them. Lightning crashed through the rain, echoed by a frustrated roar from the Trima dragon, more distant now. Its visibility was impeded as much as theirs. It could no longer fly under the clouds, the rain was too heavy. And from above, it couldn’t see them through the rain and the thick cloud cover.

  Calrian’s magic gave out then, and he slumped into the seat in exhaustion. He’d only managed to do that much because the rain had already been close to falling. He’d had just enough power to encourage it and no more.

  Hopefully it would be enough.

  Rylee drove on through the rain, even though she could barely see more than a few feet in front of her. She must be guessing where she was driving. Calrian hoped she was right.

  He lifted himself in the seat enough to stare behind them, but there was no sign of the lightning dragon through the rain. He heard a distant, angry screech. Then nothing.

  A few moments later they were driving through bright sunshine, the only evidence of the storm the raindrops around the edge of the windscreen where the wipers didn’t reach.

  “Did we lose it?” Rylee asked, her voice breathless.

  Calrian stared behind them at the clouds rolling away, squinting against the light, but he could see no sign of the lightning dragon. “I think so.”

  It had likely returned to guard his brother’s Mesmer chamber again.

  Rylee didn’t say anything else, but she kept glancing over at him every few minutes. “Are you okay?”

  Calrian shrugged.

  What was there to say? His brother was still probably inside the chamber, but on his own, Calrian had little hope of waking him.

  “If you were at full strength, could you beat that dragon?” Rylee asked, as though guessing the turn his thoughts had taken.”

  Calrian wanted to say yes. He wanted to turn around and tear that dragon limb from limb then rescue his brother.

  But the truth was, he couldn’t.

  “Lightning magic is far more powerful than water. In a straight out fight, I would be no match for him.” His voice was dull. Hopeless.

  Rylee put a hand on his knee. “We’ll find a way,” she promised.

  As though it were that easy.

  Even the heat he felt from the Mesmer bond, though it warmed him and helped his energy grow, did little to ease the helplessness he was feeling.

  Calrian knew there wasn’t a way to safely wake them. Not without the support of his clan. But his clan was gone, and he had no idea how to find them.

  Rylee drove back to her home in silence.

  Chapter 12

  Rylee felt helpless as Calrian sat down on the lounge and stared off into space. He looked so lost and despondent, she desperately wanted to do something to help. She just had no idea what.

  She sat down beside him and put a hand on his knee. “Calrian?”

  He looked up at her, his eyes bleak. “There’s nothing I can do to help them.”

  He sounded so lost, and Rylee’s heart ached for him.

  “What if…” she searched for any possibilities, then sucked in her breath as one occurred to her. Did she dare? Could she do it? Could she not? “What if I went and woke him?” she suggested.

  Calrian’s eyes flicked to hers, the dullness gone. “You can’t. I won’t let you.”

  Rylee frowned. “You won’t let me?”

  He was only trying to protect her. That was all he was thinking.

  But that was the excuse Eric had always used. Rylee lifted her chin and stared at him defiantly. “I don’t think you get to tell me what to do.”

  Suddenly she wasn’t afraid. This was the right thing to do, she knew that.

  “You said that a human could go in their undetected, right? That’s how Rowan woke you. Well, if Rowan could wake you, then it stands to reason I could wake your brother without that dragon noticing.”

  The more she spoke, the more the idea grew on her.

  “You don’t understand,” Calrian said, his eyes serious. “I don’t know what would happen if you woke Warrian. I don’t know if it would even work while we’re still in the Mesmer bond. Or even if the bond might switch to Warrian instead of me?”

  Something flashed in his eyes as he said that, and they changed into the narrow pupils she’d come to a
ssociate with his dragon half. He stared at her, his expression intense.

  None of that had even occurred to Rylee.

  For a short time, she’d forgotten about the Mesmer bond. She’d been feeling this intense attraction to Calrian for so long now, it felt normal and natural. Like it was part of her instead of an artificial, magically induced desire.

  Her determination faltered.

  She couldn’t imagine feeling this way about anyone else. She didn’t want to.

  And even if she did, it seemed fraught with risks. If she couldn’t even wake Calrian’s brother, it would all be for nothing. And if she did…

  “What would happen to you if the bond transferred to your brother?”

  “I don’t know. No one has ever done anything like that before,” Calrian said, shaking his head. “I appreciate you wanting to help, but it’s not worth the risk. I’m sorry, Rylee.”

  Rylee’s shoulders slumped. “What are we going to do then? We can’t get past the dragon, and you can’t fight him, what other options are there?”

  Calrian took a deep breath. “There aren’t any. Not for waking my brothers and sisters anyway. I’m just going to have to wait until I’ve recovered, and then begin searching for my clan. If I can find them, perhaps with their combined power, I can begin to wake the others.”

  Rylee nodded, a little disappointed that she couldn’t help, even though Calrian’s suggestion seemed like a far more sensible solution. Then an idea occurred to her. “Why do you have to wait to find them?” she asked. “Can’t we start searching now?”

  Calrian hesitated. “Maybe,” he conceded. “I was planning on flying around at night, calling out to them in the telepathic dragon speech, but perhaps, in the interim, you could drive while I called.”

  The fact that there was something she could do to help made Rylee feel a little better. But only a little.

  Deep down, she knew there was one way she could really help. One she was hiding from.

  And her reasons for hiding were becoming weaker and weaker in her mind.

  Yes, getting into another relationship right now would be a mistake. She knew she still needed to work on becoming a stronger person before she could trust herself to make that sort of commitment. But the idea that she needed to do all that before she could sleep with Calrian didn’t hold water.

  This wasn’t about a relationship. This was about helping him.

  They could have a… well, a one night stand… so to speak. She could help him with his problem, and perhaps he could teach her a thing or two that she needed to learn about being with someone who respected her and considered her needs as well as his own.

  And she wouldn’t be tempted to pretend it was anything more than that with him, because she’d probably never see him again. Once she’d helped him, he’d have no need to stay. He’d be out looking for his clan. She wouldn’t even see him around town since he was a dragon and didn’t go into town.

  It really was the perfect situation, in a lot of ways.

  Rylee stared into his eyes, her heart wavering. Could she do this? She wanted to, more than she’d wanted anything in a long time.

  “I don’t want to take up all your time though. Surely you have plenty of things of your own to do?”

  Calrian’s words confused Rylee for a moment. Surely he wasn’t reading her mind? And even if he was, the conversation made no sense. Then she realised, he was talking about her earlier suggestion of driving around.

  “You know, I’ve been thinking, maybe we need to just… well… do this, so that you can get back to full strength and find your clan.” Rylee blushed as soon as the words were out of her mouth and ducked her head, too embarrassed to look into his eyes.

  But her heart was beating at a thousand times a minute, and her body felt like it was on fire.

  “Rylee?” Calrian’s enquiry was soft, and when she didn’t look up, he gently lifted her chin with one finger. “You don’t need to do this. I know you’re not comfortable with it.”

  His eyes were warm and caring, and any embarrassment Rylee felt fled. She might have only known him for a few days, but she trusted Calrian. He cared about her in some strange way. He would be kind and gentle.

  And she needed that.

  “I want to,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “I want to… to know what it’s like to be with someone who… who… isn’t like Eric. Don’t worry, I know that once we’re done, you’ll have to leave to find your clan. I’m not expecting this will be forever.”

  Calrian searched her eyes, his own narrowed to dragon slits. “Are you sure?” he sounded uncertain. “I do not wish you to do anything you are unsure about.”

  His breathing was uneven, as though he were holding himself back with great effort.

  The sound cut through any remaining uncertainties Rylee felt, tugging at her heart and setting her body flaming with desire. He wanted this as much as she did. Oh, she knew it was because of the Mesmer bond, not what he really felt, but it still felt good to be wanted. Still set her heart beating rapidly.

  She’d never felt like this before. This level of excitement and anticipation was beyond what she’d ever expected.

  She nodded, not sure her voice would even work. “I’m sure,” she managed to force out. “I want this.”

  It was as though her words had freed the last lock holding Calrian back. He gave a low growl and bent his head towards her. His mouth crushed against hers, several days pent up desire overflowing and melting over both of them.

  As soon as his lips touched hers, Rylee felt herself melting as well.

  Why had she denied this for so long? How could there be anything wrong with it when it felt so right? She couldn’t even remember what her objections had been.

  Calrian cupped her cheek gently, and his lips grew more gentle. Teasing, tasting, licking, sucking.

  Rylee would have shouted at him to hurry up, except she didn’t want him to stop. Her whole body tensed, feeling the urge to have him now, to complete this unfinished business that had hung over their head since the moment they had met.

  But she forced herself to relax. To accept that there was no rush. That they could take their time and savour each moment.

  That she could let herself enjoy this.

  And it was more than enjoyable. It was exquisite, agonising, and exhilarating all at the same time. She felt the pull of the magic, of the Mesmer bond, but she didn’t resent it. It was the reason she was about to have this wonderful experience.

  It had brought her and Calrian together.

  And once it was done, it would be over.

  She’d better enjoy it while she could.

  Chapter 13

  Calrian’s whole body ached to mate with Rylee. He couldn’t believe she had agreed to do it.

  He wanted to pull back and ask her again if she were sure, but he didn’t want to take his lips from hers. He wanted to taste every part of her, to pleasure her like she’d never been pleasured before. He wanted to treat her like a princess.

  His princess.

  The trouble was, she wasn’t.

  She’d agreed to this because he needed to regain his energy, not because she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him. The pull of the Mesmer bond was probably affecting her decision too, but she’d resisted it this long, he was sure it wasn’t the deciding factor.

  No, Rylee was stronger than that. Even in agreeing, she’d said that this was a one off, because he needed it, not because she loved him. And he would respect that. Even if he did want to cling to her.

  Even if he did hope they both still felt the same way after the ritual was finished.

  But even if he did, once this was done, he needed to commit everything he had to finding his clan, even if it meant taking on one of those Trima dragons guarding his brothers’ and sisters’ Mesmer chambers. It was his duty. One he wouldn’t shirk.

  But knowing what was coming only served to make this moment even sweeter. He dipped his tongue into Rylee’
s delicious mouth, revelling in the way she opened for him, the way she moaned against his lips and pressed her body up against his.

  Maybe this would give him strength for what was ahead.

  He slipped his arms around her and pulled her back on top of him on the couch. For a few moments, they were tangled together, her full weight on him. Then she rearranged herself slightly, and their bodies fitted together perfectly.

  Calrian let himself sink into the moment, let all his worries and uncertainties fade away to be picked up again later when he had the strength.

  Only to be interrupted by a loud, insistent knocking on the door.

  Rylee’s body froze against his, her lips suddenly still.

  Calrian held her tightly, not wanting to let her go. “They’ll go away if you don’t answer,” he said into her mind using dragon speech.

  Rylee detached her lips from his with the breath of a sigh. “Dad will see the car, and he won’t give up until I answer.”

  Calrian could see the reluctance in every muscle of her body, and it gave him the strength to release her and help her sit up. He wanted to tell her to get rid of her father quickly so that they could return to mating, but he didn’t have the right. So instead he slipped quietly into the other room, out of sight, and tried to pretend that every cell in his body wasn’t throbbing for her.

  He heard the door open then Rylee’s sharp intake of breath.

  Calrian’s own breath caught in his throat. Something was wrong.

  “Now just hear me out,” he heard Rylee’s father say. “You wouldn’t listen to me earlier when I said you should talk to Eric, but I think the two of you have things that need to be said.”

  “Just give me a chance, Rylee, please?”

  This voice was different. Younger, a little rougher. Not Rylee’s father. Meaning…

  Adrenaline flooded through Calrian, along with the urge to rush out of the room and throw that man out of the house. He had upset Rylee. Bullied her. Made her cry when he wasn’t even there. He didn’t deserve to be here talking to her.