by Sam Crescent
Her mouth worked silently, and her breathing sped up, her heartrate a rapid beat at the base of her throat. When she finally looked up at me, her dilated pupils told their own story, so I pushed on. Might as well get this out in the open.
“I know you feel this too. This connection between us, and I also know you don’t understand it, won’t believe a word of what I’m about to say next, but you, Annie Taylor, are mine. Whether you want me or not, I’m not going away and I’m going to spend the rest of my life making you see that, if you just let me in. I know I sound like some caveman asshole, but I’m really not, and there’s a good explanation for all of this.”
Annie snorted and shook her head. “You’re full of shit, that’s what you are, and I’m leaving. If you can’t give me a reasonable explanation, then.”
I stepped in front of her, barring her exit, and placed my hands on her shoulders. I felt her gasp all the way down to my toes as the connection between us arced in almost palpable bursts of electricity.
“I’m not full of shit, Annie. What I am is a dragon shifter and you’re my mate.”
Chapter Four
Annie
Of all the things he could have said, that had to be… No, he was messing with me, wasn’t he? Yet, as I stared up at him utterly speechless for the third time in quick succession—believe me, that doesn’t happen often—I couldn’t deny the sincerity that poured off of him. He wasn’t lying. He truly believed every word he’d just said, words that my befuddled, lust-short-circuited brain was still trying to assimilate. The heat emanating from him alone made me feel faint, fragile, and feminine all rolled into one. His hands touched my shoulders only lightly, and yet I felt their heated mark like a brand, and then there were his eyes. If they were contacts like I’d first assumed, they had to be super sophisticated ones, the likes of which didn’t exist. As I stared up at him, his eyes bled from brown to swirling embers of fire to lizard-like slits and then back to normal in front of me.
“You … that’s not possible.” From somewhere I found my voice, a breathy, thready, and high-pitched version of my voice, but hey, I managed to form words and I was damn proud of that.
“Breathe, Annie, slowly, you’re hyperventilating.” The deep gravelly tone cut through my confusion. That sure explained my lightheadedness, and I didn’t resist when he steered me back to the chair and his hand between my shoulder blades pushed my head between my legs.
“Slowly, sweetheart, in and out with me. That’s my brave little goose.”
I should be outraged at his continued calling me that, but the way he said that, all soft and tender, as though I was precious to him, yeah … maybe it wasn’t that bad being called a goose. I rather liked that he saw me as a warrior and as for the rest… I was glad my hair was hiding my complexion because my face had to be resembling a beetroot. Why was his dirty talk such a turn-on? On any other man, I’d have kicked him in the balls, but when he said it … damn, every wicked fantasy I ever had come to life. My pussy sure liked the idea. If I got any wetter I would leave a stain on my skirt, and as for my knickers … yeah, might as well not be wearing any. It was damn infuriating the way that man effortlessly tapped into my needs and desires, as though he was in my head. Which he couldn’t possibly be, but then what did I know? He was a dragon shifter, he said, and did I really entertain the notion that he was, that shifters existed and I was his mate?
That thought got me even more hot and bothered, because if that was the case, then heaven help me. If it worked the same as it did in the paranormal novels I loved to read, then he literally wouldn’t leave me alone. And why the hell did that not bother me more? I was a modern, independent woman who didn’t need or want a man, let alone a mate, wasn’t I? It also meant I just couldn’t give in and let him scratch that itch which had been building ever since I first clapped eyes on the man hunk, ’cause that would give him entirely the wrong idea and I wasn’t that woman. Never had been a prick tease.
“There you go, up you come, baby.”
A gentle hand cupped my chin and helped me to sit up, and time stood still as he studied me, breathed with me, and slowly my mind cleared.
“Back with me, I see, just Annie.”
The reference to our first meeting made my lips twitch in amusement and his answering smile lit up his harsh features. A woman could literally drown in that smile and I had to get away from him.
“I never went anywhere, and I’m still not sure I believe you. If you’re really a dragon, then show me. Go on, I dare you.”
A burst of heat emanated from him, hit me square in the face, and I held my breath as his dragon showed in his eyes. There was no doubt in my mind that was what I saw, but still. I needed to see him in his other form for no other reason than that I needed to reassure myself I wasn’t having some form of fever-induced hallucination. I pinched myself to be sure, and Gideon swore and rubbed the patch of abused skin on my arm. Heated tingles traveled up from that innocent enough contact and I squirmed on my seat as they settled in my clit. I swore that bundle of nerves swelled, ached to be touched, and my internal walls clenched on thin air, desperate to be filled.
“Don’t do that. You’re not dreaming. You’re really here and yes, I used my Magick to heal you. I shouldn’t have, broke countless rules, but I couldn’t see you suffer like that. Not when I had the means to put an end to it.”
“There are rules?” I sounded like a parrot, but he didn’t seem to mind as he smiled down at me and then traced his thumb over my lips. I gasped at the contact of that roughened pad against my lips, and his dragon roared. The most amazing, deep-throated rumble came straight from his chest and made every feminine cell in my body sigh.
Dammit, that was so sexy.
Without meaning to, I leaned in closer, and it was Gideon who pulled away, even though every fiber of his being appeared to scream his reluctance.
“Yes, of course there are rules. For me, more so than any ordinary shifter. I’m the Alpha of my clan. I’m supposed to be leading by example. I—”
“Clan, Alpha? You mean the Dragoons are…?”
He scrubbed a hand over his face at my interruption, but he didn’t seem annoyed, more resigned and for some inexplicable reason, that made me want to apologize. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to, that is, hell, I’ll just shut up now.”
Gideon laughed and shook his head at me. “Woman, I find it hard to believe you ever truly shut up.”
I harrumphed at that and he sobered.
“And that’s okay, I’ve no desire to change who you are.”
“You have no idea who I am,” I countered, and he sighed.
“True, so perhaps we should start to get to know each other a little better, say over dinner at my house? Healing you took a lot of my energy, so I need to eat, and preferably shift, but I can’t do that here.”
My mind was still stuck on the shifting part. Holy shit, I so wanted to witness that. Regardless of what may or may not happen between us, I’d have to be a fool to turn down a chance to see that.
“Why can’t you?” I asked.
“My dragon is way too big to do this safely here. I’d destroy my surgery and scare countless humans silly and that’s not what I want to do.”
A thought occurred to me and I shot to my feet in triumph.
“I knew it. It was you, wasn’t it?” When he didn’t reply and just patiently waited for me to clarify, I rushed on. “The clock tower. I thought someone, or something was there, and I heard your dragon and … hell no, did you cause the forest fire?”
Gideon looked most uncomfortable and eventually nodded.
“Not one of my prouder moments. I’m new to this, controlling my dragon when all he wants to do is claim his mate.” He ran his hand up and down my arm as though he needed to touch me, and in truth I craved that contact too. It helped ground me in the reality of the situation. Not every day a girl found out that the hot bod man hunk she’d been lusting after was a dragon shifter. If I repeated that to myself often enough i
t might eventually sink in, right?
“What do you mean, new, and how could you?”
Gideon shrugged and pulled away. Dammit, if I didn’t miss his touch on me. What the hell was that about? I should be running away from here, not asking him questions and getting to know the man.
“I also put it out again.”
“The rainfall out of a blue sky, that was you?” It wasn’t so much a question but a statement, because it had to have been him. Something else dawned on me too. “So, you can what, cloak yourself or something?”
In answer, Gideon raised his arm and I whistled through my teeth as the tanned, corded limb disappeared in front of my eyes.
“Wow.” I breathed that one word and his dragon grumbled anew. It sounded like a most satisfied and pleased-with-himself growl that made me grin.
“Yes, he likes to impress you.”
“Your dragon is a smart ass.”
Another more menacing-sounding rumble came from the big chest in front of me and I rolled my eyes.
“Are you sure I’m not dreaming all this?” I asked, and Gideon laughed and held his hand out.
“Positive, but come with me and I’ll show you.” When I hesitated to do so, he disarmed me completely by adding, “Please? I really need to shift.”
In truth, he didn’t look too great right now and my heart gave a funny little lurch in my chest.
“Okay, but I’m driving so that I can get away from you if I need to.”
Gideon murmured something I didn’t quite catch, but he straightened and nodded. He really was tall when he did that and some more of my objections melted away.
“Of course, I didn’t expect anything else. Just follow my bike.”
My heart sped up a little more at that thought. Did that mean I could have caught a ride on the back of his Harley had I not insisted on driving? Not that I was dressed for tearing around the countryside on the back of a bike.
“Ready?” he asked.
I wasn’t at all sure I would ever be ready, but I nodded anyway and followed him out of the building. There was something surreal about watching him do the mundane shutdown things like switch off his computer, set the voicemail, close the blinds, and finally set the alarm, before he kick-started his bike and put his helmet on.
Something else occurred to me and I blurted that question out.
“How old are you?”
He half turned to me and I could see the amusement in his eyes.
“Thirty-four, a mere babe in dragon lifespan terms.” He sobered and the sadness which appeared in his eyes took another chink out of my armor. “I shouldn’t have been the Alpha for a good long while yet, but shit happens, right?” He revved the engine, effectively cutting off my next question, and I got the hint loud and clear. Not something he was either ready or willing to discuss now, and, of course, that only served to make me more curious.
I got behind the wheel of my car instead and drank in the sight that was Gideon’s fine ass as he expertly took the tight corners of the Cumbrian countryside. I was pretty sure he was holding back too, in deference to my clapped-out car. I had no idea where we were going, as we went off the main road and deeper into the forest than I’d ever ventured before. Mainly because this was private land and I whistled through my teeth as it dawned on me who that land must belong to. Eventually, we pulled up into a clearing next to a lake. With the mountains on one side and surrounded by forests, it was the idyllic location and also utterly deserted.
A sliver of fear slid down my spine as I climbed out of my car, and I shook it off almost immediately. The man was a dragon, for pity’s sake. If he wanted to hurt me he could have done so ten times over and there wasn’t a thing I could have done about it.
He climbed off his bike somewhat stiffly and his earlier words came back to me. He needed to shift and Lordy, I hadn’t even thanked him for healing my tooth. I could have kissed the man just for taking my pain away, never mind anything else.
Before I could think too much on it, I blurted out what was on my mind.
“I’m sorry.”
He looked puzzled, as well he might, and worry clouded over his eyes. No doubt he was thinking I’d changed my mind or something, or was about to throw a hissy fit. I’d had a far few after all.
“I mean, I never thanked you for healing me.” Heat blossomed in my cheeks when he didn’t say anything, just cocked his head to one side and studied me. I wondered what he saw, what made me so damn special in his eyes, and then he smiled and my heart missed a few beats.
“My pleasure, little goose.” He gestured toward the house. “Go on in, the door is open and it’s much cooler in there.” I belatedly took in the imposing stone building. It looked huge and above all ancient with little turrets, like a mini-castle. The sun reflected off the multitude of mullioned windows, and I took in a sharp breath at the sheer beauty of the place. Tourists would flock here if they knew it existed, which of course they didn’t, for very good reasons, as it turned out. His earlier comment of being a mere babe in dragon terms came back to me.
“When you said how old you were, how long exactly do dragons live?” I asked.
There it was again, that shadow of sadness which crossed his features, made him tense as though this was a hard subject for him to talk about. The urge to cross the distance between us, to offer comfort in any way, drove me hard, so I folded my arms under my boobs instead. I barely knew him, so I shouldn’t be this affected by his emotions, but there it was. No doubt another side effect of supposedly being his mate.
Gideon cleared his throat and the hoarseness of his voice as he answered made my stomach drop.
“We can live for centuries. The oldest dragon in our clan was five hundred years old before she passed on.” He smiled grimly at my gasp of shock. “Alijah was very much the exception. She was a grand old lady and a true leader. All went to pot when her son took over.”
He grimaced and rotated his shoulders. It was obvious he needed to shift, but I needed answers right now.
“What do you mean it went to pot?”
Gideon huffed out a laugh. “You’ve heard the stories of how the Dragoons were.” He waited for my confirmation and I nodded.
“Yes, when you first reappeared here all the locals were living in fear, and I … well I might have jumped to conclusions about the whole lot of you when I first met you.” I scuffed my toes in the gravel we were standing on, suddenly all too aware of how prickly I’d been.
“It’s okay, Annie, I get it. My father got it too. That’s why he challenged that so-called leader, whose name has been erased from our history due to his conduct, to a duel. That was the epic thunderstorm of all storms the locals still talk about too.”
My eyes widened at what I was hearing. I’d heard the stories of the storm that lasted days. There was even a historian’s account in the library.
Gideon smiled again, but it didn’t reach his eyes.
“My father won and the Dragoons as it were disappeared. He felt it best if the MC relocated, so the clubhouse is now in Carlisle, and we’ve worked hard to turn it all round. Look up the Bikers against Bullying campaign and you’ll find us there. Well, any kind of charity work, really. The Dragoons are also not just dragons, if you’re wondering. The core, the ones you saw me ride with here, are. They’re part of my clan, but the actual MC is run by a human. He knows our history, of course, but most of the brothers in Carlisle are humans with one thing in common. A love of bikes and a desire to do good. I help out when I can, but I’ve always preferred books over people and my passion was dentistry. Hence, I chose that profession and I should have had years of not worrying over all the clan stuff, but that’s a story for another day. I really need to shift, so…”
Before I could say anything to that astonishing account, his clothes melted off him in an instant. My tongue quite literally got stuck to the roof of my mouth because a stark-naked Gideon… Lord have mercy on a girl. There wasn’t an ounce of fat on his body. He was all sleek muscles,
sinews, and smooth skin, apart from the smattering of hair on his chest which narrowed into the most enticing happy trail leading down to his cock.
Now, let’s be honest here, that part of a man’s anatomy can never be called pretty, but Gideon in his fully aroused state… Where was the cold shower when you need it? He was big, but not huge as I’d half expected, and was relieved to note. His male musk hit my nostrils and damn it all to hell and back if I didn’t want to sink to my knees in front of him and lick that drop of pre-cum from his swollen head. Mercifully, before I could act on that impulse, the air around Gideon distorted and in a flash of blue fire, he changed. Had I blinked, I would have missed it. As it was, all I could do was stare in awe as the most magnificent dragon I’d ever seen—yeah, okay, I have nothing to compare him to, but cut me a break here—shook his massive wings and took off into the air with a grace I wouldn’t have expected from a creature that big. He flew across the sun and his scales shimmered and sparkled before he dove into the lake and disappeared from view. Seconds later, he re-emerged, blowing a stream of fire out of his nostrils. He did a few more laps across the lake and soared as high up as the mountain at some point, when I lost him from view. Presumably, he cloaked himself to be safe, because he would be visible to all that high, and then he sat down in front of me. The ground shook with his landing, the vibrations of which traveled up through the soles of my feet.
“Wow.”
Dragon Gideon flashed his razor-sharp teeth at me in what I assumed was his version of a smile in this form and then bent his long neck until his horned head was right in front of mine. His forked tongue tasted the air and a whoosh of his scent hit me. Just like the man, the dragon smelled of earth and fire, sunshine and wind, and all things free, and I took a deep breath to savor his scent. He just smelled so damn good. If he could bottle that and sell it as aftershave, women the world over would swoon.
