The Silver Dragon

by Tianna Xander

Iris gasped when he opened the door to his suite. Cream marble floors dotted with thick, colorful rugs gave the suite the warmth of a home. Carved crown molding accented the blue walls and the dark, cherry furniture. A large flat screen TV sat in the corner of the room just feet away from a gas fireplace.

  “They went all out on this room, didn’t they?”

  She followed him to a set of double doors on the left. “This is your room for tonight.” He paused. “Or for as long as you wish to stay.”

  Something told her that he wanted her to stay for more than Valentine’s Day. “No wonder you offered to let me stay with you. It must be lonely staying here all by yourself.”

  Did he think she was his mate? If so, was he under the mistaken impression that, like a few of her sisters, she didn’t want to find a dragon of her own?

  “A dragon’s life is always lonely.” He showed no expression, keeping his face blank. “We have a difficult time interacting with others. Unmated males are usually not welcomed into mated male’s homes. Your family is different. Strange. In times long past, it was unheard of for a mated male to welcome the unmated. There was always the possibility that one male would try to steal the mate of another.”

  “That kind of stuff really happened?” She wrinkled her nose. “I thought that kind of thing only happened in fiction.”

  “It did, back when dragons didn’t realize that a female was specifically designed by nature to be their mate.” He leaned against the doorjamb and crossed his arms. “Now we know that the possibility of our mate being compatible with others is very slim, it tames our need to possess her so thoroughly.”

  “I can’t imagine living in a time when a man could force me to live in such isolation.”

  “It was the way things were done.” He stared at her for a moment. “Do not condemn them for doing what they thought was best to protect their greatest treasure. I’m sure I would have done the same, had I been lucky enough to find my mate.”

  “Who says you haven’t?” Iris tilted her head and smiled up at him. Never before had she ever tried to hint at a man to kiss her. It was probably a good thing.

  “If you don’t mind, I think I’ll go shower.” Turning, he stepped back out into the main room, closing the door behind him.

  “That was a bust.” She pursed her lips. That’s okay. He said I could stay as long as I wish, didn’t he? She sucked on her bottom lip with a frown. If she didn’t know better, she would think that dragon planned to withdraw from life and she couldn’t allow him to do that—at least until she found out whether or not she was the man’s mate.

  Chapter Eight

  Luc stalked through the suite and entered his bedroom on the other side. “What in God’s name possessed you to let the woman come here?” He shouldn’t have given a damn that his friend, Tony wanted some alone time with his wife. Newlyweds, or not, they needed to get used to the fact that one didn’t always get what one wanted. He’d learned that long ago.

  What was it about Iris that made him want to postpone the inevitable? Preparing for the forever sleep was not an easy task. It had taken years of preparation. It always did. One wanted to be certain they were on the right path when deciding to end their lives.

  Nothing could have prepared him for the way he felt when he first saw Iris. Her beautiful violet eyes were unique, her long, glossy black hair like a cloud of spun silk surrounding her face. Everything about her had made his inner self, the part of him that had wanted the forever sleep the most, sit up and take notice.

  Dots of silver rippled on his arms as his dragon stretched within him and he frowned. It had been years since his inner beast had stretched so thoroughly that it caused an outer reaction.

  He ripped his shirt off over his head and tossed it against the wall. Silver covered his chest. His dragon wished to emerge. Together, yet not the same, the man and beast shared one form or another. The man fought for dominance over the beast and won. You win this time. There will be another. Though they were the same being, they were not the same and the dragon was, sometimes, difficult to control.

  Removing clothing as he went, he made his way to the bathroom and the shower stall. A cold shower was in order. It had taken everything he had inside him to keep his hands off the woman.

  Something told him Iris Flowers was his mate. Still, he didn’t want to risk it. He would rather die with the hope she represented than to die knowing without a doubt that the fates had cursed him with being alone forever.

  When did you become such a coward?

  He stepped beneath the cold spray and sucked in his breath. Did they have a tank filled with ice on the roof? Tilting his head back, he let the spray wash over his face and neck. He needed this. Keeping his hands to himself must be his first priority. As much as he would love to kiss the woman, to take her to his bed, he knew he couldn’t.

  Time had all but stopped for him. Nothing interested him anymore and he didn’t give a damn about a thing. It was time to end it. Hell, it had been time to end it long before Iris Flowers had even been born.

  After turning the frigid water off, he stepped out onto the thick rug in front of the shower, grabbed a warmed towel and dragged it over his body before hanging it back on the bar.

  “That’s better.” He sighed as he stepped out into the bedroom.

  “Did you say something? Oh!”

  Jesus!

  “I’m sorry. I thought I heard you say something. I didn’t realize...I never thought you would be...” With a red face and her eyes closed, Iris fumbled for the knob of the door he’d carelessly left open.

  After she’d closed the door, Luc shifted his gaze toward the bed with a sigh. “It’s just one night. She’ll be gone tomorrow and you can get on with the business of preparing for the forever sleep.”

  Luc headed for the dresser set against the far wall yanked the drawers open and pulled out his clothes. How could he have forgotten to close the damned door? Had he subconsciously left it open on purpose? Would he have done such a thing? He snorted. Whatever the case, Iris certainly hadn’t looked disappointed. In fact, he’d bet good money that the naïve girl had liked what she’d seen.

  Did Luc want her to admit it, or would he insist on going on with his plans? That was the question.

  Chapter Nine

  Cheeks burning, Iris rushed back to her room. “Oh, my gosh!” She pressed her hands to her face. “I don’t believe I just did that.”

  How in the world had she managed to keep her cool after seeing Luc in all of his naked glory? What disappointed her most was the fact that she hadn’t even taken the time to look. Her good girl mentality had kicked in and she’d immediately closed her eyes.

  She smiled slowly. She did like what she had seen, though. Golden brown skin covered most of his muscled body. She only wished that instead of having her gaze glued to his perfect chest and incredible abs, she would have had the presence of mind to at least glance down at the lighter spots. She didn’t though. As soon as she realized she’d gotten a side view of his package, she’d glanced up to see him turning her way. At that point, she’d done what she thought prudent by closing her eyes and announcing herself.

  It was too bad she hadn’t thought to get a better look at the rest of him before she closed her eyes. It wasn’t as though the encounter was her fault, after all. He was the one who stood naked in his room with the door hanging wide open.

  Reaching up, she twisted her hair and stared out her window. She tried not to look down. At night, it wasn’t so bad. Lights didn’t show distance too much. Tomorrow, in the daylight, the view would make her sick.

  Moving to the side, she pulled the drapes closed. The last thing she needed to do was wake up in the morning, look out the window and faint dead away. She had plans to make.

  Luc de’Argent might not be her mate, but she planned to find out one way or the other. Iris only had to figure out how to get the man to kiss her. “This should be a piece of cake.”

  Fo
ur days later, Iris stalked into her bedroom in Luc’s suite. “He said I could stay as long as I liked, then he has the nerve to ask me when I’m leaving? What a jerk!”

  Flopping onto the bed, she pulled her pillow close and sobbed into it. What was the matter with him or was there something wrong with her?

  Dragons weren’t supposed to be this difficult to get a kiss from. Usually, if there was any doubt, the kiss ended it. “So what’s his problem?”

  After four days of hints, questions and just plain throwing herself at him, the man barely gave her the time of day. “What’s wrong with me? Or better yet, what’s wrong with him?” She finally voiced the question that had been plaguing her for the last several days.

  Someone knocked on her door. It could only be him. Iris rolled over, putting her back to the door. “Yes?”

  “May I come in?” She squeezed her eyes shut at the muffled sound of Luc’s sexy voice on the other side.

  “I suppose.” She refused to roll over and face the door. The man didn’t need to know he’d made her cry. It wasn’t as though he’d give a damn, anyway, and she refused to give the jerk the satisfaction.

  A moment of silence followed the sound of the door opening. “Can I talk to you?”

  “I don’t see the need. If you’ll give me tonight, I’ll pack what things I have here and get out of your life.”

  “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

  “Of course you didn’t. You don’t care. You’ve already told me that numerous times. You don’t care enough about me or anyone else to want to hurt our feelings. All you care about is you.”

  “That’s not true.”

  Iris hugged her pillow tight against her chest. Why did things have to hurt so much? Why did she have to fall in love with the defective dragon? Mostly, she wondered why she couldn’t get him to care, even about himself.

  “No. You’re right. You don’t even care about yourself.”

  “Like I said, I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

  “What makes you think you hurt me?” She did her best to sound normal, but something told her she failed miserably.

  “The fact that you’re on your bed crying into your pillow might have something to do with it.”

  “Stop acting like you give a damn and leave me alone. Didn’t I say I’d be out of your hair tomorrow? Go ahead, kill yourself, goodness knows it’s apparently so much easier than facing life head on.” She wiped the tears from her face, rolled over and sat up. Staring him straight in the eyes, she gave him the best smile she could muster.

  “You said there was a possibility that I could be a mate to more than one dragon and since, I’m obviously not your mate, it’s only a matter of time before I find a man, dragon or human who will treat me the way I deserve.” Standing, she made her way to the closet and opened the door.

  “Don’t worry, Mister d’Argent. I’ll be out of your life tomorrow. Go ahead with your plans. Just don’t expect me to waste another tear on your sorry ass.”

  Chapter Ten

  Luc’s stomach clenched at her words. It had taken him long enough, but he’d finally come to realize that he wanted Iris Flowers enough to risk kissing her and finding out that she was his mate.

  Four days, it had taken him to realize that his death meant nothing to anyone, except him—and possibly Iris. Why, now that he thought he’d found his mate, would he choose to continue on with the plans to enter the forever sleep?

  Why would he choose to leave such a beautiful woman before he found out whether or not she could be his? His chest ached, though he didn’t know why. It couldn’t be heartburn, he’d had little to eat. He’d been so preoccupied with avoiding Iris that he hadn’t bothered to eat more than a few slices of toast before she’d entered the room and he left to see to his businesses.

  The last four days had been the most difficult of his life. He constantly fought his dragon. The beast struggled against his control. It wanted to shift, to grab Iris and carry her away. That alone should have told him something days ago.

  It’s already too late to carry out your plans. The low growling voice of his dragon didn’t tell him anything he didn’t already know. She’s already imbedded in your heart, our heart. Stop fighting it.

  Generally, the dragon didn’t speak to him. It felt too much like mental illness to them both. However, in times of great need, the beast made himself known. We merged our spirits all those years ago when we both were dying. We had a deal, Good One, you and I. When will you hold up your half?

  Luc closed his eyes. He never should have made the deal. He should have died all those years ago and let the silver dragon die with him. Instead, they had merged and become one. He’d lived the life of the silver dragon ever since. Taking on the dragon’s lands and power, his money and family—his enemies and sorrow. It had been too much.

  Finally, when he managed to convince the dragon to agree to the forever sleep, Iris Flowers came along with her sweet scent and caring ways. She gave the dragon a reason to hold on still longer. It wanted its mate and it made Luc want her too.

  “I don’t want you out of my life.” He closed his eyes at the words he knew she longed to hear. “I think you might be my mate.”

  “You think?” She spun around, her eyes flashing as she glared at him. “Isn’t that what I’ve been saying for the last four days?” She swung her arm in an arc. “But you wouldn’t hear it. You wouldn’t have anything to do with me. So now, I don’t want to have anything to do with you. You aren’t good enough for me. I can’t live my life wondering when or if you’ll change your mind and decide to toss me aside as you’ve so easily done today.”

  Heart in his throat, Luc stared at her mouth agape. He wanted her more than life itself. In fact, as odd as it seemed, he’d finally come to realize he wanted Iris Flowers more than he wanted to seek death. It was why he stood here, staring at the woman who now couldn’t be bothered by a man who could break her heart so easily.

  “While you can apparently turn off your emotions, I can’t.” She turned to face the window, her head bowed. “I can’t take the pain of your rejection again. I don’t like the person I become when you make me feel less than I am because you don’t want me.”

  But I do want you.

  Oh, God, he was too late. He was too late to make things right. He squeezed his eyes shut, wishing he’d done things differently.

  Kiss her. Kiss her, you idiot. When you do, she will know about us. She will understand your reticence and she will forgive us...I hope.

  As silently as he could, Luc moved closer. By the time he was nearly touching her, he couldn’t wait to pull her into his arms and hold her there. No matter how much she might protest.

  He’d heard about the dragon’s kiss. Something about it changed a dragon and his mate forever. He had never experienced it. He hadn’t hoped to experience it. Luc hadn’t been born a dragon. In fact, he had no idea that he could come to love a woman destined to be the beast’s mate.

  Dying, he’d struck the deal with the Silver Dragon in hopes of living long enough to fulfill his destiny. After more than a thousand years, he’d fathered at least seven sons and those sons had, hopefully, fathered sons of their own.

  After waiting so long, he’d assumed that his visions were inaccurate. Perhaps he had made the deal and lived so long for nothing. Until four days ago, he couldn’t bear to think of going on for another month. Now he wanted more. He wanted Iris Flowers more than he had ever dreamed possible to want or to love a woman and he’d ruined it with his selfishness.

  Gently, he rested his hands on her shoulders. She stiffened, her spine ramrod straight. “Please.” He bent, murmured the words in her ear. “Turn around and we’ll find out now, if you’ll allow it.”

  Turning, Iris stared up at him through her tear-filled eyes. His chest hurt, his heart aching. He had done that to her. He had reduced this proud and beautiful woman to tears and it shamed him.

  “Will you allow me to kiss yo
u? Will you let me finally put our hopes—our fears—to rest?” For the first time in years, he felt hope. Her hope. He only prayed she couldn’t feel his fears. He did fear. He was afraid that she wasn’t his mate and he would lose the tenuous grip he had on that one small sliver of faith he held dear.

  Their kiss, one kiss, would either break their hearts or send them soaring. It was a step he wasn’t sure he had the courage to take.

  Kiss her! The low growl of the dragon drove him on. Cupping her cheeks, he brushed her lips with his thumbs before dipping his head to press his mouth against hers.

  Chapter Eleven

  Iris stood still. Her heart pounded, her knees grew weak as she watched his head grow closer and closer. The urge to run made her shake when she resisted. She wanted this. She had wanted it since the night they met.

  Maybe he wasn’t her mate. There was always the possibility that they could kiss and nothing happened. It had happened to one of her sisters. Ginger had been positive she’d found the dragon of her dreams. However, it turned out that she wasn’t his mate, after all. He’d returned to Italy or wherever he’d come from without a word.

  Since then, Ginger had been a bit cavalier with her dealings with everyone. She acted as if she didn’t care, but Iris knew better. Finding out the man wasn’t her mate had broken her heart. Iris was terrified that the same thing would happen to her. Still, she couldn’t stand by and do nothing while Luc withdrew more and more, never knowing for sure.

  Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes as he drew closer and closer. She couldn’t stop the inevitable. She didn’t want to, she only feared the outcome.

  Warm lips pressed against hers. Tilting her head back, she opened her mouth. Her sisters told her nothing would happen until their tongues touched. Perhaps it had something to do with the change of body fluids. No one was quite sure.