Dragons Need Love, Too (I Like Big Dragons Series Book 2)

by Lani Lynn Vale

  I blinked.

  “That would probably be one of the terrible trio,” I guessed.

  She tilted her head slightly and looked at me over her shoulder.

  I jerked my eyes away from my contemplation of her ass, and gave her my attention.

  “A blue dragon?” she confirmed.

  I nodded.

  She shook her head. “No, it wasn’t them. I looked for them thinking it was them, too. But I found the three of them by the pool, each lying on their own lawn chair.”

  I pursed my lips, then got up to look outside.

  Our kitchen had a sliding glass door that faced the back patio, and I could see the whole yard clearly.

  The pool was centered in the middle of the back two wings.

  The left side belonged to Keifer, and the right side belonged to me.

  I looked to the right side of the house and studied what was Brooklyn’s window.

  The longer I looked, the more I could make out tiny claw marks on the outside.

  The likes of which would only belong to a tiny dragon such as the three innocent looking dragons that were lying on the steps that led down to the yard.

  “I’m fairly positive it was one of them. They’re pretty good at fooling us when they want you to come play with them. If they ever do that again let me know and I’ll throw up a ward on your window that’ll keep them away,” I said over my shoulder.

  She blinked, then turned back to her pancakes.

  Once she flipped them, she turned back to me.

  “What’s a ward?” she asked.

  I grimaced.

  If I told her too much, then she’d get into the semantics of my abilities, and I didn’t want to tell her all of that yet.

  “A ward is a sort of protection. I designed them, then programmed them myself.” I hesitated, “It’s more like an imaginary line that animals, or humans, can’t cross. You know that feeling when you don’t want to go somewhere, and your mind’s screaming at you not to go near it? It’s kind of like that. I have one over this entire property.”

  In reality, I’d managed to sync my ability to weave illusions into a computer program. Together, with Perdita, I offered a full protection of the estate and the area surrounding the estate for about fifty miles.

  The only drawback of using the program, was that anyone that wasn’t a blood relation or bonded to the original Vassago family in some way, couldn’t pass through the barrier.

  When Keifer had asked me to figure out how to reconfigure it the day he found out he could possibly be mated to Blythe, I’d been hard pressed to figure out how to open it to allow her through.

  I’d been just about to pull it all the way down when I’d felt Keifer pass through the ward.

  I’d held my breath, terrified that Blythe would die, but minutes later, Keifer had landed on the back lawn with Declan, his dragon, and Blythe, none the worse for wear.

  I’d not told him that I hadn’t gotten the ward down.

  I’d decided that bitch fit hadn’t been worth the hassle of worrying him.

  But I’d spent day and night since then honing my skills with the design of the ward, and working with Perdita to get the ward under my complete control.

  And we’d accomplished it, so there was no reason to worry Keifer…right?

  “That’s pretty nifty, actually,” Brooklyn broke into my thoughts. “So you like computers?”

  I shrugged. “I guess so. My brother owns Vassago motors; you know that, right?”

  She nodded, so I continued.

  “I never really wanted to be a part of the hands on business end. Although I know my way around a car just like Keifer does, I don’t enjoy it in the least. It’s more of a chore than a passion like it is for him,” I told her, sitting down at the bar across from where she was currently flipping pancakes. “So I started making myself useful to him elsewhere, and I found that I was much more suited for the computer end rather than the transmission end.”

  She smiled. “You would laugh if you saw me trying to change my oil the first time,” she snickered, looking up.

  The light in her eyes had me wanting to bring those lips to mine, but I refrained from moving, happy to see her happy.

  “Why didn’t you just take it to an oil lube place?” I asked.

  She shrugged.

  “Money, mostly. It was $40 to get my oil changed by them, and $20 to buy the bottles and do it myself,” she explained.

  I snorted.

  “How’d that work?” I asked.

  “I wasn’t really prepared. I watched a YouTube video on how to change my car’s oil in the library at school,” she explained, going behind her to reach above the counter for a couple of plates before returning and piling on pancakes. “So I go out there, armed with a couple old milk jugs, a funnel and a monkey wrench.”

  A smile lit my face.

  “Ohhh,” I laughed softly to myself.

  She nodded back. “Yeah, that’s about how it went for me. I put the funnel in the milk jug, unscrewed that little bolt at the bottom of the oil pan, and was promptly drenched with oil.”

  I could imagine.

  “So, from then on, I flirted with the boys at school to get them to do it for me. Worked out splendidly and haven’t changed my own oil since,” she confirmed.

  Irrational irritation started to pour through me, and I growled.

  “I’ll do it for you from now on,” I informed her.

  Her brows rose. “Oh?”

  She slid the pancakes in front of me, handed me a fork and the syrup, and then turned the burners off.

  She rounded the island with her own plate and took up the position beside me.

  We ate in silence, neither one of us commenting on the fact that I’d practically taken her off the market with that one comment.

  Long minutes later, with my belly full, I turned to watch her shovel the last of her two pancakes into her mouth.

  “I have to get a little bit of work done today…will you be alright if I leave you alone for a few hours?” I asked.

  She nodded, standing up while still chewing her last piece, then placed her plate gently into the sink.

  “I’ll be fine,” she said once she’d chewed and swallowed. “But I wanted to call Blythe today. And one of these days you need to take me to get some clothes like you promised. I realize that you’re busy, but I can’t live in your clothes forever.”

  Brooklyn had tried to call Blythe yesterday, but Keifer had answered for her saying that Blythe was too busy puking to come to the phone and to try again tomorrow.

  I doubted that he’d even given Blythe the message that Brooklyn was awake.

  He was a nice guy like that.

  “That’s fine. You can use the house phone,” I indicated the old rotary phone on the wall. “Or you can come to my office and use my cell phone. Whichever one you want to do.”

  She nodded, biting her lip.

  “Do you mind if I…explore?” she asked hesitantly.

  I shrugged. “Fine with me. But, it’s a big place. It’ll take you days to see everything.”

  Her eyes slowly slid down my chest, and it was only then that I realized that I was shirtless, showing off the tattoo that had just recently shown up.

  Her eyes brightened, and her hands slowly slid up her rib cage.

  But when she made to open her mouth to question me, I bolted.

  “I’ll be in the room right next to the one you slept in last night!” I called over my shoulder.

  I then cursed myself because she knew where my room was. She’s seen me naked in it earlier.

  She glared at my retreating back, and I had to say that I wasn’t surprised that she didn’t look all too happy to see me avoid the topic.

  And I knew I’d get the fourth degree later, once I was done, or she worked up the courage.

  Which was why I avoided her until late that night when I knew she’d be asleep.

&n
bsp; Yep.

  I know. I’m a coward.

  So sue me.

  Chapter 5

  I don’t think I’d be good in a threesome. I can’t even pet two dragons at the same time.

  -Brooklyn’s secret thoughts

  Brooklyn

  “I can’t believe you’re okay. Are you sure you’re okay? I can’t come home, but I need to know you’re okay,” Blythe babbled.

  I narrowed my eyes at the hallway I was walking down.

  “I’m okay, Blythe. I promise. Now go take a nap or something, and for God’s sake, stop crying. You’re making me want to cry, too,” I ordered my best friend.

  “Is he treating you alright?” Blythe continued, ignoring what I had to say.

  “Yes. He’s treating me fine. I promise. Now go to sleep,” I repeated once again.

  Blythe sighed.

  “You’re treating me almost as annoyingly as Keifer is,” she grumbled.

  “Bye!” I said loudly, then hung up, easing carefully around the next corner.

  I was lost.

  Horribly and terribly lost.

  It’d been a little over three days since I’d woken from the coma I’d been in.

  And, in those three days, I’d thought I’d gotten pretty used to my surroundings.

  Except, now that I was on my own looking for the kitchen, I realized that my grasp on where, exactly, I was wasn’t as good as I’d thought.

  Finally, I came to a door that led to outside, and I pushed it open.

  Maybe if I could walk around the outside, I would be able to find the kitchen faster rather than to continue to walk around hallway after hallway with no idea where I was.

  It was a sound idea, too.

  Except I didn’t take into account the fences.

  And once I’d walked out the door, I’d realized that it locked behind me.

  “Wonderful,” I muttered to myself, looking up at the overcast sky in contemplation.

  I was in a side yard of sorts.

  It was separated from the front and back by huge brick walls that spanned at least eight feet in height all the way around.

  So I sat down, exhausted to my very bones.

  I crossed my legs underneath me, and contemplated my situation.

  Brooklyn.

  I squeezed my eyes shut, my tired brain going on overdrive.

  I’d not heard Nikolai in my head since I’d woken from my coma, and I’d just started to chalk it up to my overactive imagination.

  But, alas, Nikolai shattered that stupid notion within seconds of me going outside.

  Why did you go outside? the dastardly man asked in my head.

  I thought it’d be a nice day for a stroll, I thought to myself.

  Or maybe to him. I didn’t know.

  The moment the words were out of my mouth, the sky above me started to rumble.

  Then, moments later, the bottom of the sky opened up, and rain started to pour down.

  I’m not really sure why I did what I did.

  One second I was staring at the water as it drenched me, and the next I was in a bubble.

  A literal bubble.

  Like one of those plastic ball-like things that hamsters run in when they aren’t in their cage.

  It surrounded me perfectly, and I watched in avid fascination as the rain curved around my bubble and fell to the ground at my sides.

  I’m in a bubble.

  It’s called a shield, an amused female’s voice said dryly.

  My first reaction was to look at my sides as I tried to find the owner of that voice.

  And when I didn’t see anyone at my sides, only then did I look up.

  And up.

  And up.

  And up.

  There was a beautiful white dragon the color of a pearl.

  She had blue eyes, blue spikes down her back, and a blue war club type thing on her tail that reminded me of a mace I’d seen once at a museum.

  She was lying on the roof, almost like she was sunning herself.

  Could the roof hold that much weight without collapsing?

  She looked like she’d done it before.

  “Are you talking to me?” I asked the dragon.

  That had to be the stupidest thing to ever come out of my mouth.

  Literally, out of all the things I could’ve said to a dragon, I had to ask her if she was talking to me.

  “Dammit, Brooklyn, are you stupid?” I asked, leaning up, watching the dragon warily.

  My head popped out of my bubble, but the rest of me remained in the bubble, protected and dry.

  Yes, I’m talking to you, the dragon informed me with a regality that made me want to bow at her feet.

  Was that allowed? Did humans bow to dragons?

  No, you do not have to bow to me, child. If you’ll concentrate on the shield around your head, it should appear without much effort on your part.

  The backdoor behind me opened, but I concentrated on making a bubble around my face, eyes widening as I felt it pop back in place.

  “Wow,” I breathed.

  What was going on?

  Was I manifesting powers because I was in a dragon rider’s home? Did one get powers just from being around dragons? Would I be like Superman? The Hulk? Captain America?

  I chanced a look back at Nikolai, and he stood there, frozen, staring at me like I’d done something he hadn’t expected me to do.

  “Shit,” he breathed.

  I blinked.

  “You know why I’m doing this, don’t you?” I accused, pointing a finger at him.

  “Lucy,” the dragon teased in a Spanish accent. “You got some ‘splainin to do.”

  Nikolai glared at something over my shoulder, and I whipped around.

  Because, hello!

  There was a dragon at my back!

  My bubble disintegrated.

  Whatever control I’d had over the bubble like thing around me was gone, and I was no longer being protected from the rain.

  I’d never seen a dragon this close before.

  Of course, everyone in Dallas had seen one a time or two in the air.

  But it was a rare treat that one saw them from this close.

  Dragons, from what I’d been told, were solitary by nature.

  They didn’t like large crowds. Small crowds. Or medium crowds. You get the picture.

  They didn’t like people much, period.

  And they certainly didn’t spend time with humans that didn’t have dragon rider blood.

  Mostly because you never knew who you could trust.

  Hell, I was a pretty normal woman.

  A new nurse.

  A twenty-six-year-old, nearly virgin.

  Well, that probably wasn’t so normal, but you catch my drift.

  I was an everyday, run of the mill, female American.

  I must’ve been really special for the dragon to talk to me…that, or maybe screwed in the head.

  “Stop putting yourself down. You’re completely fine,” Nikolai snapped.

  I narrowed my eyes.

  He needed to stop reading my mind, if he didn’t like what went through it.

  “I need answers, and not the vague answers you’ve been giving me the last couple of days,” I ordered darkly.

  Nikolai sighed, sitting down on the edge of the door, allowing his feet to extend out into the rain.

  He was wearing a pair of black basketball shorts

  “I don’t think you’re ready for the answers you seek yet,” he said evasively, opening the door with a fucking key and waving me inside.

  I narrowed my eyes, but nonetheless followed him inside, looking only once over my shoulder at the dragon that was no longer there.

  “Who are you to tell me I’m not ready? I’m tired of being treated like I’m a child,” I snarled.

  My fear must’ve finally made itself known to him, and he dropped his head to his hands before he
exploded in a flurry of movement.

  He groaned and stood up, ripping his wet t-shirt off over his chest.

  And it was then that I saw the tattoo again.

  It looked like an exact replica of mine, and I’d been telling myself for the past twenty-four hours that, maybe, I’d been dreaming when I saw the tattoo yesterday after breakfast.

  Almost as if we’d hugged, and my tattoo had rubbed off on him where our skin had met.

  My mouth fell open and I stared in shock.

  “You have my tattoo,” I accused smartly.

  He nodded.

  “Why?” I asked.

  He shook his head. “I don’t know. Well…I do know. But I don’t know why.”

  I scrunched my nose up in confusion.

  “What does that even mean?” I asked.

  He sighed and started forward, offering me his hand.

  “Follow me. I have something you can read. And once you’re done, if you have any questions, I’ll answer them,” he said, leading me through the maze of hallways.

  I realized, as if in a daze, that I’d turned right instead of left, which would’ve taken me to the kitchen instead of the copious amount of hallways that I’d taken instead.

  “You need one of those maps that malls put up that says, ‘You are here’ on each corner,” I mumbled distractedly.

  I was distracted because I could feel the body heat emanating off of the man.

  He felt like a ball of fire in the middle of a blizzard.

  I wanted to wrap myself around him and rub my face against his pecs.

  Maybe wrap my legs around his face…okay. I needed to quit. I was clearly getting out of hand.

  Nikolai didn’t seem to notice my wayward thoughts, only kept trudging forward without a care.

  Luckily, I managed to shake it off once I reached what I realized was his own personal office.

  The room itself had a wall of computer monitors mounted above a massive desk on the far wall. Bookshelves surrounded us, climbing to the ceiling on either side of us.

  On the opposite wall, through the doorway, was a massive bed about twice the size of a normal sized king, and I idly wondered why he had such a large bed. I had vaguely noticed it when I was in there earlier, but now, all I could see was the bed.

  Both rooms were black.

  Black walls. Black computers. Black curtains. Black sheets.