A Dragon's Dream of Love (Song of the Sídhí Series #2)

by Jodie B. Cooper

  The petite girl shrugged; her long sun-touched brown hair swished against her hips with the movement. “More likely they’re falling all over him and begging him to remember their name and cabin number.”

  Leah huffed to herself. Ugh, she despised the Casanovas of the world. They always expected a girl to drop everything and jump to do their every command. And the truly sad part was how many girls jumped to do whatever Mr. Perfect Casanova wanted, some even asked how high.

  Sighing, she caught a whiff of a delicious sent. Deeply inhaling the various new smells of the mountain campground, she searched for another trace of it, filling her lungs with an aroma that made her heart race in anticipation.

  She glanced around. The hunky guy she noticed earlier walked toward the two girls in front of her.

  He smelled as human as the girls did, but she’d never encountered anyone with such an incredibly attractive scent. She couldn’t even pin down what she liked about it. His scent was like a heady blending of warm wild musk wrapped in a fresh mountain breeze with hints of smoky hickory and dark cinnamon. She almost growled in frustration. Attempting to describe something so stimulating proved impossible.

  She leaned forward, ready to sniff his bare arm as he walked past when she abruptly jerked back and quickly glanced around making sure no one was watching her. What in the world was wrong with her? If he caught her sniffing him, he would assume she wanted to bite him… quite literally.

  Well, she did want to bite him, but that was beside the point.

  She wasn’t a pure blood, but she smelled like a vampire and with her lily-white skin and dark sunshades covering solid red eyes, she appeared to be an Exile, a human blood-drinking vampire.

  She sighed in disgust, because that’s exactly what she was, or as the other valleys called her kind, a filthy exile; a blood-sucking vampire from the Dhark Valley. Some vampires, namely Clan vampires, didn't drink blood. Instead, they ate real human food. But every vampire living in the Dhark Valley drank strictly blood. Eating solid food was considered a weakness.

  As a baby, her nanny bottle-fed her human blood and as she grew older she drank her meals from a glass. Her father would have beaten her to death if human food touched her lips and killed whoever gave it to her.

  Leah’s diet wasn’t by choice. She didn’t like being a leech, but it was a necessary part of life. It was her fervent hope she wouldn’t have to drink another drop of blood for the rest of her life. Her mom had secretly taught her the way of the DeLeigh Dragons; they were her mom’s people, honorable people from the way her mom described them.

  Everything the Dhark Valley stood for and did was thoroughly soaked in evil and malevolence; including drinking human blood. If it hadn’t been for her mom, Leah wouldn’t have known how wrong it was to drink another person’s blood. It was how her father’s staff raised her.

  Leah focused on her aura sight and blinked; the DeLeigh dragon ability to see auras immediately slid across her vision. The rich smelling guy had a beautiful pulsing aura. Auras were normally blurry almost fuzzy, and in that respect, his was no different.

  The halo of colors surrounding him throbbed with intensely vibrant emotions. A pure white ribbon swirled between massive swaths of bluish-purple-green and the brownish-orange band of color was dotted with glowing red highlights. It had other bits of color, but those stood-out from the rest.

  The tickling pressure in her mind – almost a taste in the back of her throat – helped interpret what each color meant. She didn't have enough experience to interpret everything, but she guessed the white and bluish-purple reflected honesty, integrity, and honor. The mint green was a huge chunk of arrogance and overconfidence. The red glowing dots filled her mouth with the literal tang of being hot-tempered to the point of ‘fight then think.' Without more training, it was about as close as she could get. Well, except for the brownish-orange and it all but screamed a protective and stubborn attitude, a true bull-headed approach toward life.

  The line of teenagers moved forward.

  She watched him lift three large duffel bags; thick muscles rippled under his skin-tight t-shirt. She had a near uncontrollable urge to run her hand across the stretchy blue cotton, just to see if he felt real.

  ~ ~ ~

  Derek strolled past the check-in tables, looking for Beth and Brianna when he noticed the dark haired beauty standing immediately behind his little sister. He’d met a dozen new girls. Of course, they had given him their cabin number. A couple even invited him for a midnight swim in the lake. Yeah, like he'd pass that up. Nighttime couldn't arrive quickly enough.

  But this dark-haired girl was above average, he’d put her in the beautiful category, but he wanted to see her eyes first. He had a real thing about eye color and stylish clothes. So far, so good, because he loved her cute short set with its unique black vest. Most of the girls in camp had on the same boring outfit: shorts and spaghetti t-shirt.

  The dark chocolate brown of her hair seemed to drink in the sun. Twisted into an intricate braid, it dropped past her shoulders, teasing his imagination. His hands twitched with the desire to unwind it and run his fingers through it.

  He grinned; he’d have her eating out of his hand in no time flat. No doubt, if he gave her a small smile, it would prompt her to introduce herself before he had time to say hello. It amused him, to no end, how girls (and women) threw themselves at him.

  With an entirely new hunting ground to choose his next play toy from he couldn’t wait to check into his cabin. He had a great new selection of bubbly redheads, laughing blondes, raven-haired sirens, and sultry brunettes. And sultry definitely described the delicious beauty standing behind his sister.

  He chuckled, anticipating his summer. He planned to have a new girl each week of camp. A new girl each week made the whole pain-in-the-butt Peace Camp well worth his time.

  He walked up to his sister just as the line moved forward. Perfect timing as usual; they were the next group in line.

  “Derek, I’m not helpless you know,” Beth said in exasperation as he picked-up all three bags, silently moving them. His sister stood just to the right of him with her hands on her lush hips.

  “Yeah, Sis, I know. But your bag is nearly bigger than you are. It’s twice as heavy as Brianna’s and my bag put together.” He chuckled, unable to resist teasing her. “You didn’t slip your computer in that thing, did you?”

  Derek was still teasing his sister when the breeze shifted directions. He inhaled the brunette's scent. Suddenly, he burned with the need to taste the exotic mixture. Turning, he found himself looking down into dark sunshades. Not believing his first reaction to her scent, he inhaled and the sweetest smell he’d ever encountered filled his lungs. Her scent literally overwhelmed him, smelling of fresh spun cotton candy and strawberries on a warm summer eve, and of vampire. His insides curled with heated anticipation, knowing his newest conquest was a vampire. He'd heard amazing things about having sex with a vampire.

  Derek smiled at her, turning on his well-known charm with a flick of a switch. “Hello, beautiful. I’m Derek.”

  His smile grew as she gave him the once over.

  “Hello Derek,” she said her voice husky and soft. She smiled a sweet welcoming smile.

  His response to her voice was instant. He ached for her; he could almost taste her rosy lips as her slender tongue flicked-out wetting plump lips.

  “My name’s Leah and I’m one hundred percent – not – interested.”

  ~ ~ ~

  Leah smirked when Derek’s perfectly arrogant mouth dropped open in shocked disbelief. He really was gorgeous; at least a foot taller than her own five and a half feet, with brown hair streaked from dark chocolate brown to honey blonde, and his eyes. She could sink into his eyes. They were an incredible shade of light brown mixed with yellow and red, a beautiful amber color she’d never seen before today.

  “Line’s moving, you’re up next,” Leah said in a dry, humorless voice.

  One of the girls in front of her, the
tall golden blonde laughed at his shocked expression and said, “I’m Brianna. I think we’ll be great friends.”

  Brianna held out a friendly hand and Leah smiled as she shook it. “Is he always this arrogant?”

  “Yes,” both girls said in unison. Wide grins expressed more than their one-word answer.

  No doubt tired of being ignored by the group of rude teenagers, Mr. Crabby Pants snorted and disgustedly said, “You two female shifters will be in cabin twenty-five, male shifter in twenty-four, and the female vampire will also be in twenty-four.”

  “No,” Derek said, turning from the girl’s laughter. He faced the distorted snout of the green dragon and arrogantly tilted his head. “Put me in the same cabin as my sister.”

  “Impossible,” Mr. Crabby snapped the single word, expelling a belch of smoke and disdain. “All of you take a bracelet, slip it on, and show me your wrist then sign the check-in book.”

  “You don’t understand,” Derek said. A soft snarling growl came from his chest, emphasizing his words. “We will be placed in the same cabin.”

  “No, young man, you don’t understand,” Mr. Crabby said, growling a hair-raising sound. His sharp, long teeth glinted in the sun as he snapped his jaws shut. “I don’t care who you are in your home valley. In Dragon Valley, you’re just another brat the Council says we must tolerate for the next four months. I'm being forced into helping with the Council’s desire to bring peace and harmony,” sarcasm dripped from his voice, “but I don’t have to put up with your attitude.” He snapped his snout shut, and with a razor sharp talon he imperiously pointed to the dull gray bracelets.

  Leah stepped forward, stopping in front of the wide table. “I’m also checking in for my half-brother and his friends: Mortimer PhñDick, Bart PuckinKnück, and Burt PuckinKnück.”

  “Fine. Find Mortimer, Bart, and Burt and send them to see me,” the dragon said. Obviously still irritated, he claw-tapped the table next to the four bracelets. The gray circlets bounced in response.

  “Being in the second wave of arrivals, you kids missed all the fun last week. The vampires insisted on porting into restricted areas. So, from now on, everyone must wear a silver bracelet.” He paused, giving them a wide toothy smile, he continued as each of them slipped a bracelet on. The cool metal automatically shrank, fitting firmly against the skin of Leah's wrist, impossible to remove without chopping her hand off. “The silver will stop a vampire’s ability to teleport, but shifters can still change shape. It also restricts various other immortal attributes, including a vampire’s claws.”

  Sunburn

  Leah repeated the dragon’s instructions to Mort and his cohorts. Before he had time to issue another order, she strode toward the large covered deck. The sun wasn’t scorching hot, but she wanted out of it. Finding sunscreen was her first order of business, feeding was her next.

  She watched the three shifters gather around a small table near the edge of the large covered area. She considered approaching them, wanting to make new friends, but depending on what type of valley they lived in they might not want her around. From their auras, they were not supporters of the Dhark Valley. At least these three weren’t, she didn’t know about their kin.

  She'd been floored when she heard the dragon call them shifters. Dragons didn't consider themselves shifters, they were dragons. Dragon logic did not make much sense. Anyway, everyone believed shifters – other than dragons – had been either killed off or left behind on the old world of Sídhí. No one really knew what happened to the vast majority of shifters. Well, no one knew what happened until today.

  In the far distant past, before the gateways between Sídhí and Earth imploded and created the numerous second dimensional valleys on Earth, shapeshifters fought for the sadistically cruel dhark overlords. Even though that was thousands of years ago, most immortals would still connect shapeshifters with the Dhark Valley.

  Leah knew, from firsthand knowledge, there were no shifters living inside the Dhark Valley.

  In the end, Leah sighed and turned away from them. They’d never want an exile as a friend. Bloodsuckers were not exactly popular.

  “Leah?” Bethany called a friendly greeting.

  Leah hesitated then turned around with a sigh. She couldn’t be rude to the girls. She gave them the benefit of doubt and joined them.

  “You look like you’re going to a funeral,” Derek snapped, his irritation with her rebuff glaringly apparent.

  “It must be my anticipation of being in your wondrous presence, Derek,” she said, shrugging her shoulders. “Most of the kids are sticking close to their own kind.”

  “And shifters are just filthy creatures to be avoided?” Derek snarled his eyes glowed slightly as he glanced toward his sister. “I told you she wouldn’t be any different.”

  “I never said that!” Leah snapped, shaking her head in denial.

  “No you didn’t,” Bethany said, with a small, gentle smile, “but I’m sure you wondered.”

  “I wondered about your valley, but not about you three.” Leah sighed, bothered, – for the first time, – about having to conceal her dragon sight. “You don’t feel evil, if that makes any sense.”

  “Actually it does, since I’m a shifter the hair on the back of my neck stiffens anytime someone… um, ‘bad’ approaches,” Beth said. “As far as our valley goes, well, shifters have stayed secluded in Haven Valley since arriving on Earth from Sídhí thousands of years ago. Other immortals need to learn, we will never again ally ourselves on the side of darkness.”

  Derek looked fierce as he agreed with Beth. “I’d rather be dead and buried six feet under than be linked to the Dhark Valley or one of its residents in any way, shape or form.”

  “So, if one person is evil, they’re all evil?” Leah asked, unexpectedly hurt at his inflexible attitude. “That’s reassuring, coming from you. At least, I won’t have to worry about your unwanted attention.”

  She stepped backward, off the deck and into the bright sunshine. Jerking off her dark sunshades, she grimaced as pain shot through her head. She glared at Derek through blood colored eyes, silently daring him to turn his back on her.

  He bared his teeth, which appeared almost human, except for the canines, which were slightly longer and sharper. No doubt, if he transformed they’d be much longer, deadlier.

  “Grrr!” His violent growl shouldn’t have taken her by surprise, but it did. Actually, it scared her silly, bad enough that she would've wet her pants if she had needed the bathroom.

  She hastily stumbled backward, dropping her sunshades in her hurry to put extra space between them. She quickly regained her footing and put half a dozen feet between them. She didn’t want to find herself face-to-face with a Sídhí wolf or khatt. It could be either one, since she didn’t have a clue what kind of creature he turned into.

  “Derek,” Beth warned with a light hand on his arm.

  “I’m not going to attack her,” Derek said, a snarl rumbled under his words. He shook his sister’s restraining hand off his arm and stepped toward Leah, scooping up her fallen sunshades as he walked toward her.

  “Yeah, right,” Leah said sarcastically, shading her eyes from the painful brightness.

  Derek’s eyes narrowed and he said, “If the sun hurts so bad, then get out of it.”

  “I would, but a big, dumb jock – that just happens to turn into a snarling beast – is in my way,” Leah said, her eyes nearly closed as she warily watched him through thin slits.

  ~ ~ ~

  Derek growled and his stomach clenched with unaccustomed worry for a stranger. The girl was in pain, but she seemed more interested in insulting him than seeking shelter. Before she could jump back, he grabbed her arm and forcefully pulled her onto the shaded deck. She needed a caretaker.

  “Ow!” Leah's face twisted in a grimace. “Let go, you big ape. That hurts!”

  Derek snorted his disbelief; he didn’t have a strong hold on her arm, but glaring down at her, he noticed her flushed face reflected
genuine pain. He growled under his breath as he realized her face wasn’t flushed, it sported a sunburn, as did every inch of her uncovered flesh.

  Hissing, he jerked his hand away as if she had burned him. Ticked off at unintentionally hurting the young woman, her words fueled his anger.

  “If the sun burns you that bad, why parade around in it?” he harshly demanded.

  Glaring up at him, with human-like eyes that turned – out of the direct sunshine – a stormy gray-violet, she muttered, “I didn’t exactly have a choice in the matter. The dragons insisted we leave Dhark Valley around four this morning. I had no idea they would keep us standing around all morning in the wretched sun.”

  “They should’ve warned you or kept you out of it,” he said in a grumble, rubbing the back of his neck, feeling – unexpectedly – like a wretched jackass for shouting at her.

  “Yeah,” she said, blinking with surprise as he agreed with her. Looking toward the sprawling complex of buildings, she nodded to all three of them. “I’ve got to find some sunscreen. See you guys later.”

  “Hey, hold on, you want to join us for pizza?” Derek asked gruffly.

  Beth and Brianna looked shocked by his offer.

  Derek grumbled to himself, forcing a smile to curl his stiff lips. No doubt, when Leah didn’t immediately fall at his feet, his sister and her sidekick probably thought it was hilarious. He was a bit irked about it himself. He had never chased girls; he didn't need to, they chased him. And exile or not, she was gorgeous with those mile-long legs and delicious curves.

  His smile grew as she walked back to him, but his pleasure quickly vanished when she poked him in the chest. “Just what part of ‘I’m an exile’ do you not understand? I feed on blood, nothing else. Period.”

  “All vampires are required to eat human food,” he said. “The dragons said no blood feeding – human or animal – for the duration of camp.”

  Her reaction to his words hit him like a sledgehammer hitting a glass wall. He clenched his teeth and struggled to suck air in his deflated lungs.