Burn: Dragon Shifter Romance

by Ava Frost

  “Have you completely lost your mind?” her friend protested, “those brutes will tear us apart limb by limb, it’s not a football team, these are outlaw bikers.”

  “They only look badass from afar, I met one of them,” she confessed without looking at her friend.

  “Are you fucking kidding me?”

  “Maddox wasn’t all that bad actually.”

  “So you’re on first name basis? I don’t know Dani, just because he was nice to you, doesn’t mean he’s a hero,” her friend said and called the waitress over for the bill, “there’s no way in hell I’ll be able to subject myself to their rude comments not to mention their inappropriate groping.”

  “I suppose,” Danielle said with a sigh and looked out the window. Maybe she could go there by herself and sneak in through the back door to try and draw Maddox’s attention, she thought to herself.

  At around eight that evening, Danielle was ready and parked in the parking lot that lead to the back entrance. She went all out; getting the leathers and the denim skirt with high heeled boots to finish off the perfect biker chick look. With no real plan she wondered briefly if he would even notice her. She once again looked towards the bar, so far there was little activity and she felt reasonably safe, but once she entered the lion’s den, who knows what waited for her behind those doors.

  She applied some more gloss to her lips then plucked up the courage and got out of her car, her legs were shaking slightly as she made her way across the parking lot to the entrance, what would Bill think if he saw her here like this, she wondered as she approached the back door, but then her alter ego silenced her with a simple – you only live once – and that was the end of it.

  As she reached the entrance, a hefty brute appeared and stood before her with this fuck-with-me-and-you-die look in his eyes. The bushy beard and a long scar that ran diagonally across his face with a jigsaw puzzle tattooed over his bald head gave her the chills.

  “Well, well, well, what have we got here?” he said malignantly.

  Danielle felt a cold shiver run down her spine and she took a step back as the man approached her. “I’m looking for Maddox,” she said uneasily.

  “Maddox is a bit busy, but I’m sure I can show you a good time too,” he said smirking, “I’m sure I can show you what a real man is capable of. Why don’t you show me that sweet pussy of yours, and I’ll show you where I want to put my dick.”

  Danielle’s mouth went dry and her heart raced uncontrollably as fear overwhelmed her. She shouldn’t have come here on her own, she thought dreadfully as she clutched the leather jacket tighter around her.

  The brute reached for her and tugged her roughly up against him, he reeked of stale smoke, sweat and beer, and his breath smelled as if he hasn’t had access to toothpaste since birth.

  Danielle turned her face away as he pushed her up against the wall, one hand gripping her throat firmly and the other eagerly inching her skirt up, until his stubby fingers found her panties.

  “Please, I’m not what you…” she started but the pig shoved his tongue forcibly into her mouth, silencing her. He was far stronger and far more determined to have his way with her. She struggled to breathe, as he tightened his grip around her throat, while he groped her sex painfully with his other free hand.

  Tears stung her eyes and she desperately attempted to shove him away.

  “You’re such a hot little whore, aren’t you, playing the damsel in distress, when your body tells me exactly what you want. You want to be fucked, good and hard,” he whispered with his stale breath against her face.

  Unable to speak from the lack of air to her lungs, she frantically shook her head and worded a silent no.

  Maddox was seated at the bar when Bill came barging through to tell him that Jax was having his way with a local girl, who according to Bill was off limits too. At first he hardly paid attention and dismissed Bill, but when Bill mentioned the librarian he was on his feet and out the door instantly.

  What the fuck was she doing here at the Silver Dollar? He wondered furiously as he stormed through the kitchen to the back door, with Bill short on his heels.

  As he exited the door, he saw Jax with his filthy hands all over Danielle, his anger instantly flared up and he saw red. Jax had her in a choke hold with his hand under her dress.

  “Get your fucking hands off her!” he boomed grabbing him by the scruff and pulling him off his woman then threw him effortlessly on the ground.

  Jax was back on his feet almost instantly glaring at Maddox. “The whore was snooping around, she’s mine for the fucking taking,” he spat out and challenged Maddox, “c’mon, I just want to fuck and then send her on her way, she’s practically begging for it.”

  Maddox stepped in and his fist collided against Jax’s face with such impact you could hear bones crunch.

  “She’s off fucking limits,” he ground out.

  “Fuck the limits man, her pussy is soaked she was begging to be fucked by a real man!” Jax uttered as he rubbed his jaw, “what the fuck is wrong with you?”

  Maddox once again stepped up and grabbed Jax by his jacket and growled, “If you lay one hand on her, I’ll kill you my fucking self.”

  He roughly shoved Jax aside and turned grabbing Danielle roughly by the arm. “That your car?” he said angrily stalking towards it before waiting for her response. “What the fuck were you thinking coming here?” he asked as he took her handbag and started digging through it for her key, “this is no place for a woman unless you plan on selling your cunt to a bunch of wild hogs.”

  Chapter 8

  Danielle was in shock, tears were streaming down her face, and she felt as if she was violated in the worst way possible, what was even worse was how angry Maddox was at her. She didn’t dare speak, instead she dug her keys out of her jacket pocket and unlocked her car.

  “Get in,” he said and took the keys from her, shoving her handbag on the back seat.

  “I can get home on my own,” she said quietly.

  “Get the fuck in, or I’ll help you into your car,” he demanded and waited for her to get in before he got in next to her. He started the car and skidded out of the parking lot like a Nascar racer. The silence between them was deafening, and only when Maddox finally pulled up in front of her house and turned off the car, did he speak.

  “What were you thinking going to the saloon?” he asked in a strained voice.

  For the first time since the incident did she dare look at him and she was moved by the concern that was etched on his face.

  “I wanted to see what it was like,” she said quietly as she fumbled with the hem of her skirt, “I don’t quite know what I was thinking honestly, I just thought…” she trailed off.

  She was such a fool, she realized as she turned to look out of the window. Maddox and his friends were all bad ass bikers, nomads who travel from one town to the next looking for the next best high; she was just a simple librarian who didn’t fit in anywhere, especially not in his world.

  “It was a mistake,” she said softly reaching for the door handle, but then stopped, “Can I give you a lift back to your friends?”

  Maddox suddenly laughed throwing his head back, and his laughter flooded her soul.

  “What’s so funny?” she asked biting her lip.

  “You are,” he said and then leaned over wrapping one strong arm around her shoulder, “and foolish. What if I didn’t get there in time?” he said as he tucked his hand in his pocket pulling her torn discarded panties from his pocket, dangling them in front of her.

  The reality of what happened hit her like a bullet between the eyes as she looked at the flimsy scrape of material. She recoiled at the thought of what could have happened if he didn’t arrive to save her.

  She plucked the panties from his hand and shoved them into her bag.

  Maddox noticed her bottom lip tremble slightly, but as she tucked it under her teeth he couldn’t help himself, he wanted to kiss her until she couldn’t think straight, but
he also knew that she’s just had to deal with a very tricky situation, and the last thing he wanted was to be accused of using a vulnerable woman, not that he hadn’t done that before, but with Danielle it was different, and the last thing he wanted was to hurt her.

  Danielle got out of the car and made her way up to her front door, intensely aware of Maddox following closely behind her, and as she opened her door she turned to look at him.

  “You deserve better Danielle,” he said quietly as he brushed the back of his fingers along her cheek.

  She leaned into his touch and closed her eyes, “I deserve you,” she whispered softly.

  “We’re leaving in the morning, then you can get back to your normal life.”

  She knew that there was no forever with Maddox, but she wanted to live in the here and now, and although she knew that she would never find another man like him, she was willing to put it all on the line for one more night.

  She took his hand and quietly led him into her home and stood on her tiptoes pulling his lips against hers, his tongue slid along hers and she could feel his heart beat against the palm of her hand. There was a heart in there after all she thought amusedly before she broke the kiss.

  “One last time, that’s all I’m asking.” She whispered stepping back and slowly started to take off her clothes.

  The hunger she saw reflecting in Maddox’s eyes matched hers but she wanted him to remember her, she wanted an image burned into his mind forever, and if that was the only ever after she would be granted, then so be it.

  Her skin tingled as Maddox’s eyes roamed over every inch of her body, yet he made no attempt to touch her. For a moment her confidence threatened to fail her, but just then Maddox closed the distance between them and pulled her into his arms, not to kiss her but to hold her, to caress her, and she melted into his embrace.

  Maddox was torn, he wanted Danielle with such passion and need, that it consumed his every thought, but at the same time, he knew that she could never be a part of the Reckless Devils; she was too good for him. And as he held her in his arms feeling her naked body pressed against his, he knew that he had no choice but to let her go.

  He buried his face in her hair and held her tightly against him, he wasn’t one to cry, the last time he did was when he was nine years old and his dad ran over his cat, but here he stood, outlaw and leader of the Reckless Devils, with tears stinging his eyes. He was about to break the heart of the only woman he ever cared for, but he knew better than to prolong the inevitable.

  “There cannot be a last time, you don’t belong in my world and I don’t belong in yours, you need to move on and forget me.”

  With those words, Maddox left her standing naked, alone and heart broken, and as he closed the door behind him, her sobs shredded his own heart to pieces. If this did not sink the final nail in his coffin, then nothing would, he thought solemnly, and without looking back he walked out of Danielle’s life.

  Chapter 9

  Danielle stood against the wall in the library’s bathroom and stared at the stick in the palm of her hand that displayed two distinct pink lines and as realization settled in she threw herself over the toilet bowl and heaved. It was one thing being pregnant and having a child out of wedlock; it was a completely different situation knowing that the father of her child was an outlaw biker, a one night stand who didn’t give a damn about her feelings.

  Eight weeks had passed since the Reckless Devils rode off into the sunset and with them, her heart. Sure it was an impulsive and stupid thing she did to start off with, Maddox wasn’t exactly daddy, much less steady boyfriend material. If puke at the bottom of a toilet bowl could be read by a fortune teller, she would sell her soul to know what her future had in store for her.

  She unsteadily made it back to the office, lucky to have made it through the day without any incident, now she just had to get through dinner with Angelique.

  Two hours later, she was settled in at the Bumping Buffalo Grill, fighting the urge to throw up.

  “You’re looking a bit pale there, are you okay?” Angelique asked curiously, “you’ve been out of it for a few days now, have you gone to see the doctor?”

  “I’m fine, it’s probably something I had for lunch,” she said and took a sip of water.

  “I call bullshit, you don’t ever have lunch, and you never drink water, so why don’t you just tell me what’s going on?”

  Danielle knew she couldn’t hide much from her friend, and if there was one person who knew her, it was Angelique. But confessing her sins to her best friend was going to require a lot more than a cold glass of water.

  “I had a salad for lunch, maybe the smoked chicken was off,” she lied toying with her bracelet.

  Angelique placed her hand over hers, “Dani, you know that you can tell me anything right?”

  Not this, “I know I can, and I’m telling you, I’m fine, it’s just an upset stomach.”

  A shadow fell over them and instinctively Danielle pulled the menu closer without looking, but Angelique’s expression was one of surprise.

  “Danielle,” it was Maddox’s timber voice that stilled her.

  “Maddox, what are you doing here?” she asked breathlessly as she looked up at the man towering above her, her heart hammering in her chest.

  “What was the result of the test?” he asked flatly without blinking.

  “What test?” how the hell did he know about the test?

  “Don’t fuck around Danielle, I have eyes everywhere,” he said and leaned over her placing his hands on the table. “You bought a pregnancy test at the pharmacy this morning…”

  “You’re pregnant?!” Angelique exclaimed almost spilling her wine.

  And at the same time both Maddox and Danielle shouted, “Shut up!”

  Danielle stood up and grabbed her bag, shoving her way past Maddox and stormed out of the Grill. What gave him the right to spy on her after leaving her like that, shoving her aside like one of his whores, she thought angrily as she stalked down the road towards he car.

  “Danielle, wait,” Maddox said as he wrapped a firm hand around her upper arm, stopping her from moving any farther, “I didn’t mean to upset you, I just need to know the truth.”

  She raised her chin, gritting her teeth and tugged her arm free. “Why would you care, you have your biker buddies to hang out with, you were in enough of a hurry to get away from me once you had your fill, don’t you dare come around here pretending to care.”

  She saw the hurt in his eyes, but her own hurt overshadowed everything around her. He discarded her like a cheap whore after he fucked her brains out, and then simply vacated her life after the incident with Jax, that after she bared herself naked before him, practically begging him for one last fuck.

  “That’s just the thing, I do care. I care about you and I haven’t been able to stop caring since the first time I saw you.”

  She had to give him ten out of ten for his sincerity act, but she knew better. Bikers didn’t give up their freedom to be bogged down with a woman and a baby, they lived for the free ride, and chances were that he had a pregnant woman in just about every town.

  “Give me a break Maddox and stop the pretense. Yes, it’s true, I am pregnant, and it’s my luck that my child will never grow up to know who his father was, because it’s a fact, you cannot teach old dog’s new tricks. You’re not cut out for this, and you never were. My life and your life, worlds apart, you do not belong in mine.” she said bitterly

  She stood with her head held high as she looked Maddox in the eyes, and although she could feel the tears stinging her eyes, she was damned if she was going to give him the satisfaction of thinking that he’s broken through her walls.

  When Maddox didn’t say anything she sighed and smiled softly, “Forget we ever met, go on your road trips and hang out with your kind, live free, that was what you were born for.”

  She had to tear herself away from him, but she did so with an outward finesse that would win her a Grammy award, b
ut deep down her soul shattered into a billion fragments as she strode away from him. She didn’t dare look back at him in fear that she might change her mind and fall into his arms like a star-crossed lover given a second chance at hope. And she would never again bare her soul for anyone.

  Chapter 10

  Danielle stood in her living room and smiled as she looked at the blue and pink balloons hanging from the ceiling and the leftovers of her baby shower. She was truly touched by how the community all stood by her after her pregnancy became obvious. Not once did anyone chastise her about her choice in men or the fact that she was pregnant out of wedlock. She had Angelique to thank for that, if it wasn’t for her friend sticking by her through every pain staking checkup and scan she would have been a nervous wreck by now. With less than a month to go before her due date, she was eternally thankful for all the gifts she received from everyone, it was the last thing she expected and Angelique pulled it all out of her magical hat.

  As she started to stack the dishes in the dishwasher, she felt her baby kick and she smiled placing her hand on her stomach. When she first learned she was pregnant she was terrified, but as this little person started growing inside her an unshakable bond formed, one she never thought was possible under the circumstance, but here she was, a mother to be and she was actually looking forward to holding her little bundle of joy in her arms.

  Her doorbell rang bringing her out of her reverie, and she was relieved to find Angelique at the door, ready to help her clean up the mess in the apartment.

  “Am I glad to see you,” she said as she turned away from Angelique, “I don’t have the energy to clean this up by myself.”

  “I guessed as much, so I-uh-I figured we could use some help.”

  Danielle laughed softly and turned around and then she froze. Maddox was standing next to Angelique, but it wasn’t the Maddox she remembered. Dressed casually in jeans and a white T-shirt, his hair combed and his beard shaven he looked like a complete stranger.

  “Maddox,” she said and knew there was a distinct tremble in her voice.