My Dragon, My Dom

by Dulce Dennison

  “We’ll figure it out. I’m surprised they didn’t offer more, but it was kind of last notice. I was going to donate one hundred to the cause so I can put my money with what the store gives me.”

  Corbin pulled out his wallet, took out some money, and tossed it on Josh’s desk. “There’s another hundred.”

  “I talked to the fire department this morning. They’re going to talk to the families who have recently lost their homes and see if any have children who might need a little help getting some presents this Christmas. I should have a list of names and ages by the end of the day. I’m waiting to hear back from the orphanage. I thought I’d go pick up that gift card after I had my list and do a little shopping. Want to join me?”

  “Sure.” Corbin smiled. “I always have fun shopping for gifts. I have a niece and nephew who get spoiled rotten at any gift giving occasion. I’m their only uncle, and since I don’t have kids of my own, I live vicariously through my sister and probably spend a little too much on the kids.”

  “Do you have pictures?”

  Corbin pulled out his wallet and showed Josh a picture of his sister and her family. Josh’s eyebrows went up.

  “What?” Corbin asked.

  “Your sister and you could be twins. I’ve seen siblings resemble each other before, but not that much. Does she live nearby?”

  Corbin shook his head. “They’re in Maine right now. Her husband was in the Army and they used to travel a lot. He’s retired now, but something tells me she won’t stay in Maine long. Too cold.”

  “Shall we go pick up those boxes and deliver them to the stores? Maybe we can grab breakfast while we’re out.”

  “Sounds good.” Corbin’s phone dinged and he checked it. “I need to make one stop along the way.”

  “Everything okay?”

  “Yeah. Marcus just got back to me. Seth and he are going to donate to the toy drive. I need to swing by their place and pick up the money. We can do that before we get the boxes. If we’re going to drop the toy boxes off at the stores, we might as well do our shopping and pick up that gift card while we’re there. I don’t think the captain would mind us using the time to do that, since it’s for the toy drive. He did say to do whatever we had to in order to make it a success. When we get back, we can put one of the toy boxes here in the front lobby. I’m sure some of our officers will donate.”

  Josh snagged his mocha and followed Corbin out the door. “Why do I get the feeling the captain agreed to this to give us busy work?”

  “Maybe he thought it would be a good bonding experience or something. Or maybe he’s hoping if we’re busy running around collecting donations, we won’t have time to argue. He’s probably tired of finding new partners for me.” Corbin smiled.

  Josh slid into the passenger seat of the SUV. “No chance of that happening. Unless you decide you’re tired of me. I told you I was looking for something meaningful for a change.”

  Corbin looked his way, holding his gaze, before turning away and pulling out of the parking space. It was an odd look and Josh wondered what it meant. Was there something the dragon wasn’t telling him?

  The print shop wasn’t far away, and they quickly loaded the boxes into the back of the SUV. They were folded flat, but the owner showed them how to set them up. Then they went through a drive-thru quickly and grabbed some breakfast before hitting the road. It took them about two hours to deliver the three boxes around town and get them set up. When they were finished, they went to the big box store and met with the manager. They were allowed to put out two boxes, one at each entrance, after which they accepted the gift card and did a little shopping. It took an hour, and some good-natured bickering, before their cart was full and they were checking out. Their total came to more than they had set aside so Corbin paid the remainder, not knowing how much Josh had saved. As a dragon, he had a pretty hefty bank account. After all, he’d been saving for seventy-two years. All dragon parents set aside “treasure” for their young when they were born and added to it every year until they were old enough to earn their own money. To say he was comfortable was an understatement.

  Back at the station, they set up the final box and printed off a flyer to post on the front board, as well as some extras to hand out around town. By the time lunch rolled around, they were both starving and ready for a break. Corbin drove them to a sandwich shop a few blocks over. As Josh slid out of the car, he heard an alarm go off and saw a man wearing a mask come running out of a jewelry store. Without thought, he took off after the guy, his feet pounding the pavement. Behind him, he heard Corbin curse and then heard the dragon’s footsteps as he trailed him.

  Josh followed the thief around a corner into an alley. His heart raced as his blood pumped through his veins, adrenaline surging through his body. Just as suddenly as the chase had begun, it stopped. The thief turned and pointed a gun at Josh, and everything seemed to freeze in that moment. He reached for the gun holstered at his hip, mentally cursing himself for not having already drawn his weapon, but it barely cleared leather before there was a loud crack and pain lanced his side, the skin feeling like it was on fire.

  Josh fell to his knees, his hand gripping his side, as Corbin rounded the corner. He heard the dragon return fire and watched the thief fall to the ground, his sightless eyes staring at Josh. It wasn’t something he was going to forget anytime soon. Assuming his wound wasn’t fatal. All he knew was that it hurt like a bitch!

  “Let me see,” Corbin said, kneeling beside him.

  Corbin pulled his hand away and quickly untucked his tee and uniform shirt, pulling them up high enough to see the wound. He cursed under his breath and Josh knew it couldn’t be good. Everything was starting to spin as black dots danced across his vision. He knew passing out wouldn’t be a good thing and fought to stay conscious.

  “Dispatch, 10-71. Officer down. 11-41.”

  Josh snorted, even though it pained him to do so. “Fuck yeah, we need an ambulance. I sure as hell am not walking to the hospital in this condition. I don’t think I’d make it back to the SUV if I tried.”

  “10-4 Officer Richters. Ambulance en route.”

  Corbin pressed the button on the radio clipped to his shoulder. “Send the coroner too. The suspect didn’t make it.”

  “10-4. Hey Corbin. Which one of you is shot?”

  “It’s Josh. Get that damn ambulance here now! Did you tell them it was a Code 30? Where the hell are they?”

  Josh heard the wail of a siren not too far away and gripped Corbin’s hand, more for the dragon’s reassurance than his own. They might not have known one another long, but it was obvious the big guy was taking it hard. Josh fought against the blackness, but he couldn’t hold on any longer, even knowing help was nearly there. His grip slackened on Corbin’s hand and he sank into oblivion.

  * * * *

  He regained consciousness several hours later, reclined in a hospital bed in one of those dreaded gowns. A glance at the window showed the sun was about to set. His dragon was kicked back in the recliner beside the bed; his head slumped to the side as he dozed. Josh reached for him and winced when he felt stitches pull in his abdomen.

  “Corbin.” His voice came out quieter than he’d planned, his throat feeling dry and scratchy. There was a cup of what he assumed was water on a nearby table, but he couldn’t reach it.

  “Corbin,” he said a little louder.

  The dragon jolted awake, looking around the room like he expected trouble, before his gaze settled on Josh. “You’re awake.”

  “How long have I been out?”

  “A while. It took them about an hour to repair the damage from the bullet, and you’ve been in this room for a good two hours. At first, they weren’t going to remove the bullet, but I guess it was in their way.” Corbin picked up a small, glass container and shook the bullet inside. “I didn’t know if you’d want to keep it or not.”

  Josh laughed and immediately regretted it. He gripped his wound and groaned. “I can add it to my collection
.”

  “I noticed some old scars this morning,” Corbin said. “Figured you got them in the line of duty.”

  “I’ve been knifed twice and shot...well, this makes three times now. This one hurt a hell of a lot more though. The others were through and through and didn’t do much damage. The first one was in my bicep, the other in my thigh. The second one was more of a crease though.”

  “I’ve been shot, but the bullets can’t penetrate my scales. Knives don’t work on me either, unless the blade has been spelled.”

  “What about all those stories of knights fighting dragons with swords?”

  Corbin shrugged. “Just stories. Unless they found a mage to bless their weapons, they were useless.”

  “So the stories are true though, to some extent? People really hunted your ancestors?”

  “Yeah. The white dragons have been good about finding any dragon artifacts, like dragon hides or heads, and hidden them away. Once upon a time, it was common to find a man wearing a dragon scale cape. Now the stories are all myths and people believe dragons never existed. Safer for us that way, unless someone spots one of us in flight. We try to go to remote areas to fly. The blue dragons have a cloaking ability that allows them to fly wherever they want.”

  “And you’re a red dragon? That’s the color of the scales I saw, right?”

  Corbin nodded.

  “I still can’t get over the fact that dragons are real. And you said there are more of you?”

  “I have some cousins in the area. Most of my family is spread out across the globe. I haven’t seen my parents in about fifteen years. They’re hiding in a small village near the Black Forest.”

  Josh’s brow furrowed. “That’s in Germany, right?”

  “They have a small cabin in a remote area outside of Baden-Baden. Dragons have a hard time breeding so it’s just my sister and me, as far as kids go. She’s older than me by forty years.”

  “How old are your parents?”

  Corbin rubbed the back of his neck. “They waited a while to have kids, so Mom is around three hundred and Dad is closer to four hundred.”

  “Amazing. You said dragons lived a long time, but I never imagined.”

  Corbin laughed. “They’re middle aged. The oldest living dragon that I know of is around a thousand years old. Doesn’t mean there isn’t an older one hiding somewhere, that’s just the one I know about.”

  “Damn. But you age slowly, right? Because you sure as hell don’t look seventy-two.”

  “We age the same as a human the first twenty-five years of our lives, and then it slows down. My dad looks like he’s in his fifties.”

  “You said your cousin was mated to a human. How does that work?”

  Josh had to admit he wanted to know for selfish reasons. If he wanted a serious relationship with Corbin, there would come a time that the mate question might come up. He wasn’t entirely sure how a dragon knew he’d met his mate, but surely if Josh was Corbin’s destined mate, he would have said something. Did that mean they didn’t have a future together, just right now, this moment? Would they have a few years together before his dragon would wander away and find someone else? Maybe someone destined to be in his life permanently? His stomach knotted and twisted at the thought of another man in Corbin’s bed.

  “When a dragon mates a human, or any creature that doesn’t have a long lifespan, the dragon’s bite will transform their mate to some extent. Longer life, stronger immune system, faster healing ability. Some dragons are even lucky enough to share a mental connection with their mates and can communicate with them telepathically. I don’t know many red dragons with that ability. I think it’s mostly the gold and white dragons that can pull that off.”

  “How much longer a life?”

  “Hundreds of years. If the dragon bites hard enough for his teeth to puncture bone, he can transfer a little more of his magic into his mate. It creates a bond between them so strong that only death can separate them.”

  “You mean the human dies when the dragon does?”

  “Exactly. Doesn’t mean the human is indestructible though. The human can still die before the dragon does, but it’s harder to kill him or her.”

  “Huh.” Josh pursed his lips and mulled it over for a minute. “So how does a dragon know if he’s met his mate?”

  Corbin stared at him so hard Josh thought he must be looking straight into his soul.

  “Sometimes it’s instantaneous,” Corbin said. “For some dragons, they know when they first become intimate with their mate. And with others, it takes a while. It depends on the breed of the dragon. Only green dragons have the magical ability to find their mates through the dreamscape.”

  “And red dragons?”

  Corbin sat up and braced his arms on his knees. “With red dragons, they know when they become intimate with their mates.”

  “Right.” Josh nodded. “So we aren’t mates then. I figured you would have said something if we were. I guess we’ll just see how long this thing between us lasts, and when you find your mate, we’ll go our separate ways.”

  Corbin’s lips twitched. “You sound disappointed.”

  “I always thought it would be cool to be mated to a shapeshifter, ever since finding out about them. Simon explained it to me. He said a shapeshifter would never cheat on their mate, that they were loyal and devoted to the person in their lives.”

  “That’s mostly true.”

  “Mostly?” Josh’s eyebrow rose.

  “Some dragons aren’t monogamous. Because of our need to breed in order to continue our species, and how hard it is for female dragons to get pregnant, a male is encouraged to breed with several females over the course of his life, even if he has a mate. It’s especially true if he and his mate haven’t had any offspring.”

  “But you said that isn’t true for you, right?”

  “Right, because I’m incapable of breeding with a female.” Corbin smiled. “Is this your way of asking if I’ll be faithful?”

  Josh felt his cheeks heat. “I’m not your mate. I don’t have the right to ask that of you.”

  “Yes, you do have that right. I’ve only had two serious relationships in my life, and I never cheated on either one of them. If you want us to be in an exclusive relationship, all you have to do is say so, Josh. I think I’ve made it clear how I feel about you.”

  “It’s just lust.”

  “Lust can be powerful. It’s brought men to their knees for centuries, wrecked homes, and been the cause of wars. Never say ‘it’s just lust’. That’s like saying a volcano erupting is no biggie. They’re both explosive and have the power to destroy lives.”

  “Okay, so there’s something strong between us, a violent passion that wasn’t quenched with just one time. That doesn’t mean it’s going to last. I’m trying to be logical about this. I want something more with you, Corbin, but I have to wonder how long it will last.”

  The dragon sighed. “Let’s just take things one day at a time. Right now, you need to concentrate on healing. The doc said you could be released in the morning, but I bet you’re either going to taken off duty completely or put on light duty for a while. We’ll know more when they bring your discharge papers around.”

  “Right. Rest.” Josh sighed. It wasn’t the confession he was hoping for, but Corbin wasn’t pushing him away. Maybe if they spent a little more time together, he could get his dragon to open up a bit more. Even if they weren’t mates, they could still have a solid relationship, at least for a while.

  Josh couldn’t understand why he felt so strongly about a man he’d just met. It was like there was some force pulling them together, this compelling feeling that he needed to be near Corbin. He’d thought he wanted more time to figure things out before they became intimate, but the more he was around Corbin, the more he seemed to crave the man. When Corbin had touched him that morning, he’d known he wouldn’t say no. He wanted the dragon with a desperation he’d never felt before. In all honesty, it scared him a little, thi
s intense need to be touched by Corbin.

  He settled back against his pillow and closed his eyes, wondering if that whole out of sight, out of mind thing actually worked. But as the image of his sexy dragon, completely nude, entered his mind, he knew the saying wasn’t the least bit true. His thoughts were consumed by his partner even when he was trying not to think about him. If he didn’t find a way to get his feelings under control soon, they were going to drive him crazy.

  Corbin’s scent teased him as he took deep, relaxing breaths. That scent soothed him, wrapping him in a warmth that he hadn’t realized he was missing. The dragon’s presence in the room might lead to confusing thoughts and overpowering emotions, but at the same time, just knowing he was there settled something inside of Josh, as if a missing piece had suddenly presented itself.

  Josh tumbled into sleep and dreamt of a red scaled, golden eyed dragon with a fiery touch that he just couldn’t get enough of.

  Chapter Five

  The next two weeks dragged by. Corbin stared at the empty desk across from him and wished he was with Josh and not stuck at work. His partner only had one day left before he was released to light duty, meaning desk duty, and Corbin couldn’t wait. He’d managed to wrap up the toy drive and had delivered the toys to the orphanage earlier that morning. Several officers had met with Social Services to see that the needy children received their trees and presents, as well. All that was left was writing up the report with the donation details to hand to the captain. He’d been working on it all afternoon, but at the moment, he was staring at the screen and wondering what Josh was doing right that second.

  He’d been by to see his partner—his mate—every night after work, but it wasn’t enough. He wanted to hold him, to curl up around him and keep him safe, to nurse him back to health. Unfortunately, he hadn’t been given that option. Josh always seemed happy to see him, had even suggested that he stay the night a few times, but Corbin could see something in his mate’s eyes that held him at bay. He knew what Josh wanted, but the timing never felt right. He hadn’t wanted to say anything the morning they’d made love because they were rushing off to work, then Josh had brought up the whole mate issue at the hospital, but Corbin hadn’t wanted to say something while his mate lay injured and hurting. He wanted it to be a romantic moment because it was something Josh would remember for the rest of his life. The last thing Corbin wanted to do was just blurt it out over cheeseburgers and the evening news.