Cadmium tried to help where he could, but his powers didn’t work quite the same as they had on Drakkaris, though he could still suppress Zinc’s poison when he needed to.
“Wanna play?” Chromium asked in a flat voice, looking up at him.
“No thanks,” Cadmium said. “I’m expecting a package.” He smiled and caught Cobalt staring up at him quizzically. “Yes?”
“It’s just… The past few days, we’ve had quite a few packages… Are you doing all right?”
“Of course, never better.” Cadmium lied. The truth was he was a little bit bored. And a little obsessed… with their delivery person.
He had to keep his mind very guarded about it. He didn’t want the other dragons to know yet. Perhaps it was just because she was the only friendly female human face he’d seen, aside from Brittany, or because she always gave him a cheery smile, even if it was the end of the day or cold outside. She was kindness personified, and he always looked forward to seeing her.
To the point that he’d started ordering fairly pointless packages just to see her pretty face.
He had just seated himself on the couch and propped his feet on the ottoman when the doorbell rang, and he popped up eagerly. He shot a look at Cobalt, hoping he didn’t notice his overreaction, but Cobalt just narrowed his eyes and went back to reading.
As Cadmium strode to the door, he straightened his shirt and pushed his hair behind his ears, hoping to look presentable. When he opened the door, she was standing there.
Casey, her nametag read, under a photo of the pleasant face he so cherished.
“Well, hi there,” he said, a wide smile breaking over his face.
“Hi,” she replied, handing him a clipboard as she rubbed her hands together for warmth. He wanted to take her hands in his and remove the chill from them.
Silly dragon.
He signed, which always made him feel sort of important, and then handed back the clipboard. Funny how on his planet, he’d been one of the highest-ranking warriors, and on this one, he got excited about signing his name.
She grinned. “Thanks so much. How are you doing today?” She had dark hair, pretty hazel eyes, and curves for days.
And he wasn’t allowed to touch her. At least for now.
“Good,” he said. “And you?”
“Done with my route,” she said. “You guys sure live way out here.”
“True,” he said.
“Well, here’s your package,” she said, picking it up and handing it over.
He took it, racking his brain, trying to remember what was inside. “See you,” he said somewhat reluctantly.
“Bye!” She gave him a friendly wave and headed down the stairs toward the front drive, and Cadmium felt a kind of sadness as he watched her go. She brightened his day every time she came, even for the few moments she stood at their doorstep.
And when he walked back into the house with his package, despite the fact that there were dragons all around him, he felt totally alone.
He took the box into the hallway and walked to the spare room where he’d been stashing his loot. A sort of impromptu treasure cave. He looked at the pile of boxes, wondering how much further he could go before the others caught on.
But as long as he was able to see Casey’s pretty face, he wasn’t sure he could stop.
He wanted what Lead and Brittany had. He didn’t know how much longer he could wait. So for now, he’d just keep doing his online shopping and hope fate had something in store for one very impatient dragon.
I hope you enjoyed Lead and Brittany’s story. If you enjoyed it, I hope you’ll give it a review to help other readers find it.
Thanks again so much for your support! I always know I have the best readers.
Sincerely,
Terry
Also, there are obviously some more dragons on the horizon, so make sure you’re on my newsletter so you can be first to hear when they release!
Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/bgG7Kf
And if you haven’t read the Awakened Dragons boxed set with the original dragons, you’ll want to grab it while it’s still on sale!
Awakened Dragons Boxed Set (still on sale and the best deal!)
Contains Onyx Dragon, Sapphire Dragon, Ruby Dragon, Diamond Dragon, Amethyst Dragon and Emerald dragon all in one place for the same price of one book! A special gift for my readers.
Turn over for a sample of the Awakened Dragons Boxed Set…
Awakened Dragons Boxed Set
Zach, Isaac Morningstar III, touched the chunky iron chain around his neck as he caught his reflection in one of the dingy shop windows he passed. Anger contorted his expression as he withdrew his fingers and started again down the street of the bad neighborhood he’d been dropped in.
He was still getting used to the modern world since he’d been woken up some months ago, but even he knew this wasn’t the type of place he would ever have chosen to go back to when he had full access to his dragon powers and a massive treasure trove that allowed him to live in comfort whenever he felt like being in human form.
And yet here he was, leveled, humbled, shackled by this collar until the oracle who watched over shifters was sure he could be “trusted”, barely able to partially shift, with no money and nothing but the clothes on his back.
Despicable state of events.
Not that he blamed the oracle. In his day, hundreds of years ago, dragons had been more akin to powerful, despotic demigods who terrorized humans when it pleased them and roamed the countryside freely. In human form, they were often dukes or lords with power to match, able to hide in the countryside in a massive estate if they so chose. To hell with caves.
Here, dragons had been remodeled to become something much more civilized. Now they worked in pairs, enforcing the laws of the shifter community and protecting shifters and humans in their area.
Protecting them.
The thought was ludicrous. Zach had never in his life met someone he wanted to protect, and he doubted anyone here in the selfish, petty human world was going to change that for him.
Thunder cracked overhead and he looked up with an annoyed scowl to see dark clouds overhead. A few more steps and he felt the patter of rain on his shoulders and shook his head in disgust. He looked around him to gain his bearings and saw a shop across the street that seemed friendly.
A human woman stood in the front window, smiling as she chatted with a man in front of her in a low chair. She had long hair, a mix of dark brown and red that shimmered over her shoulders. Soft, pale skin with rosy cheeks. A sweet mouth.
She was touching her male client’s hair, and Zach felt an odd rumble of jealousy at the sight of it.
She was providing some kind of service. Zach would go over and see what, and get out of the rain at the same time.
When he pulled open the heavy glass door, all eyes turned to him. Various men and women with striking colors of hair looked up at him in shock. Their clients, all arrayed in black cloaks, stared as well.
He saw seats to the side of the door and sat in one, glaring at the humans to try and deter the stares he was receiving.
He was a dragon, a powerful one. The world could rise or fall on the whims of him and his friends. They should show him respect, not this mixture of shock and disgust.
The girl he’d seen from the window turned to him with soft blue eyes. Kindness. That was unexpected. “Did you want to make an appointment?”
He pursed his lips and leaned back in the chair. “For what?”
“A haircut, of course,” she said, a smile touching her full lips.
Zach sat up a little straighter as a little bolt of warmth coursed through him. Most unexpected. He touched his shoulder length mop, tangled from the trip here and damp from the rain. “No. I do not need one.”
She smiled and shrugged. “Okay.”
Other customers sent nervous glances around and Zach ignored them. He picked up a magazine from beside him and pretended to hold it in front of him while he studied the people
.
He wasn’t wholly ignorant of the modern world. He’d been living on a shifter-only island, but they had all of the technology. Just none of the humans.
As he assessed the people around him, he realized when this place closed, it would be evening, and time to find lodgings. He’d been walking all day, and would need somewhere to stay at night. If he could still take his full dragon form, he could go out into the woods and sleep there. His dragon form was impervious to cold. But his human form would probably freeze.
Drat.
He stared at the human again, narrowing his eyes. The man in the chair in front of her stood as she removed his cloak and took him to the counter where payment was taken. On the way there, he turned to Zach with a scowl.
“You could stop staring, hobo,” he said, before turning his back on Zach.
Zach gaped. Hobo? As in, a homeless beggar? For a moment he was speechless at the audacity of it. He was the furthest thing from that. Or was he? After all, he had incredible wealth but none of it was accessible. Incredible power but no way to use it.
He was kind of a hobo, wasn’t he?
“What is he smiling about, anyway?” the man muttered.
“Shush, Gerry,” the woman said. “You know I welcome anyone here.”
Negative one point for humanity for Gerry, Zach thought. Plus one for the girl with the kind eyes. He glanced around the shop. Probably not going to be any more positive points around here.
The oracle had said she’d remove the collar when she felt she could trust him with humans. He had no idea what that meant, but probably it meant hating them a little less. Being less aghast at the thought of protecting them.
When the man had left, the girl with kind eyes removed her black apron, revealing a soft, curvy body in a short pink dress with black leggings underneath. She sat next to him, just a chair away, and gave him a kind smile. It made him tingle slightly.
Dragons did not tingle.
He shifted uncomfortably.
“My name is Erin,” she said, leaning forward with a smile.
“Okay,” he said curtly. For some reason, this little human set him off balance. He was still considering what that meant.
“Can I help you with something?” she asked. “I can call a shelter or maybe someone you know…”
He pursed his lips. “How about you just let me stay here and continue my observation? Or is that too much trouble for you?” His tone was slightly sarcastic and she raised an eyebrow in amusement.
“No, it’s no trouble at all,” she said sweetly. “You’re welcome to just stay in out of the rain as long as you like.” She looked at the clock. “Well, until we close. I was just making sure you didn’t need help.”
“I don’t,” he said flatly. He was frankly a little offended that she thought he was some kind of invalid seeking help. What about him was giving her that impression?
He flinched back when she reached for a lock of his hair that was falling over his face. “At least let me give you a wash and a shave,” she said. “On the house.”
He frowned. He didn’t want to accept this human’s pity, as in his other form he could eat her in one bite. But he’d seen her hands in the other man’s hair, and he wanted that. Wanted her touching him. Looking at him.
“All right, human.” He bit his lip and ignored the way he’d referred to her as she let out a light, tinkling laugh and led him over to her chair.
He sat down, sinking into the soft cushion with a sigh. She had to put the chair all the way down to work on him because he was extraordinarily tall compared to most humans. And good-looking, and muscled, if he said so himself.
As he faced the mirror, he admitted he was a little the worse for wear after his travels. He had an overgrowth of black beard, but that was manly. And his hair was tangled from wind and the slight rain.
He’d worn a long black trench over his clothing because it would provide shelter from the rain and elements and he didn’t know how long it would take to find lodgings.
But he didn’t see anything wrong in the mirror. If anything, he just looked masculine. Strong.
She leaned him back and helped rest his head on the sink. “I bet you’ll be a whole new person after this,” she said with a wink.
His eyes skimmed her curvy body, so close and warm, and then came back to her eyes, a beautiful clear blue like wildflowers.
Her hands worked through his hair, soaping and kneading, and he relaxed into her touch, her scent, the soft sound of her voice. The look of her kind face. The press of her body as she leaned over him. Even being a dragon, and very impervious to heat, he was on fire.
He stared at her, feeling shock unlike anything he’d felt as she finished washing and wrung his hair dry. Then she reached for a razor and foam to start the shaving.
As she carefully glided over his face, dipping in and out of a bowl, rinsing and wiping the razor so as not to cut him, he found there was a great deal of eye contact to be found in a shave.
What was she doing to him, the minx? His body felt warm. His throat tight and dry. Every touch was hot agony.
She was still humming happily as she grabbed a towel and dried his face, bringing him to a sitting position. He took the towel from her, keeping it over his face a little longer to hide his reaction until he calmed down.
He was an immortal dragon. He did not fall for human hairdressers, no matter how kind they were. He set the towel down.
The salon was instantly silent. Zach turned in his chair to see Erin standing a few feet away, a fresh towel in her hand hanging limp at her side, eyes wide, lips parted.
The humans were looking at him differently now. Several of the women who’d been scorning him before were giving him looks of lust. Invitation.
But he cared only for the reaction of one person. Erin, who was standing there frozen in pure shock. Maybe not even the good kind.
“Good heavens, what is it?” he snapped, yanking the cape from around his neck and jerking it to the ground as he stood with folded arms. He brushed his wet, black hair behind his ears and stared them down.
Another woman stepped forward, this one pale with blond hair, looking more like the wenches from his day in England. “Can I take your coat?”
He shrugged and handed it to her. “I demand to know why you’re staring,” he said to the room.
The woman who had taken his coat was gaping at him, her eyes wandering up and down his body.
He smirked. That was the response from human women he was more used to. He turned back to Erin, and realized the fact that he cared so much about what she thought could only really mean one thing. Something he’d never considered before in either of his lives.
Even as she marched up to him, irritation flooding her beautiful face, the possibility overwhelmed him.
The oracle had sent him out here to find out if he could get along with humanity. She should be happy that he had possibly just found a human mate.
Awakened Dragons Boxed Set
Terry Bolryder Reading Guide
A Note From Terry
Most of my series go by species. Most of my books are standalone, but if you want to read them in order and see characters reappearing, here is my list of the order for each species. So just choose your favorite shifter!
Dragons
Awakened Dragons
These powerful, newly awakened ancient dragons are stronger, more vicious, more powerful, and ready to save humankind, if only they can decide to be heroes rather than villains…
Awakened Dragons Boxed Set (best deal!)
Onyx Dragon
Sapphire Dragon
Ruby Dragon
Diamond Dragon
Amethyst Dragon
Emerald Dragon
Rent-A-Dragon
These ancient, viking-esque dragons just woke up and are ready to get to work finding their mates and new lives in the modern world! Shenanigans and sexiness ensue!
Steel Dragon
Iron Dragon
&nbs
p; Titanium Dragon
Date-A-Dragon
These noble metal dragons have just joined the good side, formed a very odd dating agency, and are ready to protect the world and find their very own fated mates!
Gold Dragon
Silver Dragon
Platinum Dragon
Citrine Dragon
I have a separate series of dragon books that are menage and have different world building, and they come before the Awakened Dragons but don’t need to be read prior as they are completely different.
Here they are:
Dragons of New York (Menage)
Dragons work in pairs, the fire-breathing enforcers of the shifter world and rescuers of anyone in distress. And these sexy dragons are about to find mates:
Double Dragons Boxed Set
Double Dragons
Desired by Dragons
Destined Dragons
Tiger Protector Series (Spin-off of Dragons)
Three tiger brothers trained by dragon shifters work to bring evil shifters to justice while finding the perfect curvy mates.
Tiger Protector’s Boxed Set
A Tiger’s Bounty
A Tiger’s Treasure
A Tiger’s Destiny
A Dragon’s Heart
Bears
Bearstone Park Series
A billionaire tech mogul, a movie star, and an Olympic snowboarder come back to Bearstone Park and find unexpected but wonderful mates.
Bearllionaire
Bearlebrity
Bearthlete
Beary Sexy Boxed Set: All three brothers in one (BEST DEAL)
Soldier Bear Series
These ex special-forces fighting bears are about to find curvy mates in beautiful, remote Bearstone Village.
Big Bad Bear
Big Sexy Bear
Big Strong Bear
Lead Dragon (Dragon Guard of Drakkaris) Page 17
