Aris: A Paranormal Shifter Romance (Stratham Dragons Book 1)

by Sarah J. Stone

  CHAPTER 21

  Aris went outside, and as soon as he touched Sophie, she jumped and bolted. She ran fast and didn’t look back.

  “Sophie, wait!”

  He hadn’t the faintest idea what was wrong, or what she was running from, but he didn’t want her out of his sight – not when there was a full-blooded dragon around. He shuddered. Only one time in his life had he ever met one, and it wasn’t pretty. He jumped from the porch and chased his mate.

  Damn, she had gotten fast.

  He laughed. His black dragon loved the chase, and now he finally had something worth chasing. Aris’ eyes shifted to gold, and he ran faster than he normally allowed himself. It was time to exercise his beast. He was well and fully alive. No more sickness ran through his veins – not since the mating. He shifted his claws and his teeth. It felt good to be free.

  Before he caught up to Sophie, he shifted fully for the first time in months. He’d always been too scared that anyone would see, but this was his land, and no one was on his property. Now that his mate accepted him and he felt whole and safe, it was fine. He growled and opened his senses. She wasn’t far ahead of him, but she was scared.

  His dragon focused. She was scared and she was hurt.

  He ran into another meadow on the land and came to a halt when he saw Sophie curled into a ball on the ground. A man stood over her. There were no weapons on him that he could see, but she was terrified. She reeked of fear. He shifted fast, not wanting this human man to see his beast. As soon as he was back to human, he ran over to the man and then froze when it was a scent he recognized. It was the same scent from the house. No wonder she was terrified.

  The man didn’t acknowledge him, as if he didn’t think him a threat. The beast inside Aris paced and growled and scratched at him, wanting out, but the human man knew better. He couldn’t let his dragon out. He couldn’t kill this monster in front of her. He edged closer and was assaulted by the scent of arousal and Sophie’s tears.

  He was sick. Aris’ eyes locked on him, and finally the man turned to him. His eyes were bloodshot, and he stunk of drugs and booze. His hair was caked in oil, and the scent of his body odor surrounded Aris. “Get away from her.”

  The man laughed. “Oh, so you think you can save her? She doesn’t need saving. She knows who she belongs to.”

  Aris glared and gripped his hands into fists at his side. His claws dug into his palms, no doubt drawing blood. “She belongs to me.”

  That pissed the man off. He stalked over to Aris and crossed his arms as if he were trying to appear bigger than he was. Aris didn’t know it, but he needed to get away from the man’s stench.

  “She’s been mine for the last seven years. She knows no one will want her once they see—”

  Aris punched him square in the nose. He heard the crunch, and the man screamed and fell to the ground. “You son of a bitch.”

  While the man was down, Aris held his hands out, showing he wouldn’t touch her and stood in front of his mate. “Sophie, love.”

  She sobbed harder.

  “Hey, you’re fine.”

  She looked up at him. Her eyes were white, and tears poured from them. “No, I’m not. He’s right.”

  Aris growled. “Don’t you dare listen to what that piece of shit says. You’re my mate – my other half. The golden dragon.”

  ***

  Sophie’s wanted to believe him. She wanted to believe there was more to her than the play toy Ron had turned her into. She thought she’d gotten stronger over the past week since she had become something more, but maybe that was all in her head. She was still the same Sophie; that same pathetic girl that huddled under that excuse for a bed every single night. Self-doubt plagued her mind. She wanted to stand tall and not cower as she did now.

  Aris saw something in her, though. That meant the world to her, and she didn’t want to let him down. No, she couldn’t. She wanted to be that woman for him. The one he looked to in amazement. Somewhere she was there for real.

  In the distance, she saw Ron. The knife glinted under the dim light. She wasn’t sure how Aris hadn’t noticed, but he was still pleading with her to get up and not let a monster like Ron win.

  “You’ve got this, Sophie. Fate wouldn’t have given you what you just received if you—”

  She jumped up and shoved Aris to the side. The blade meant for his back sunk into her chest. She gasped, and her eyes widened. A scream tore from her lips. Fiery pain ripped through her body worse than anything she had ever felt. The knife stuck into her chest, and blood pooled from the wound. Sophie fell to the ground. She turned her head to the side and saw Aris change. She watched in awe as his skin rippled and the human shredded away, leaving a huge black dragon.

  He charged at Ron who stood stupidly staring at her as if he couldn’t figure out how she ended up on the ground. He screamed too late, and Sophie closed her eyes as Aris attacked. She didn’t want that to be the last thing she saw. She would always remember Aris as being calm and gentle. Not the beast that ripped her nightmare to shreds.

  CHAPTER 22

  Four long days later

  He hadn’t slept. Instead, he paced the house. He couldn’t stand still, yet he couldn’t just watch her. She wasn’t dead, that much he knew. But he wasn’t sure if or when she would ever wake up. He knew he was driving his brothers crazy, but they seemed to sense his need to move. None of them knew what to do.

  After he had torn Ron to shreds, he shifted back and found Sophie barely breathing. Her eyes were closed, and she was covered in blood. He had lifted her and ran back to the house.

  His brothers were shocked, and Ilias fell apart, blaming himself.

  “It wasn’t our golden visitor; it was the man who hurt her.” He’d told them.

  He still wasn’t sure how the man had found her, but now she no longer had to worry about him. She just needed to wake up, and soon.

  “How the hell did he find her?”

  Blane walked into the room carrying a steaming cup of tea. He could smell the chamomile and frowned.

  “I’m not going to sleep.”

  His brother shrugged. “Suit yourself, but you need to sleep. We can look after her.” He sat in the chair next to Sophie as if to prove a point. “And for the record, I have no idea how he found her. But do you think maybe he implanted her with some sort of tracking device?”

  “He wasn’t that smart.”

  “Maybe he was, though. He knew what he was doing, and he knew how to get into her head enough to make her fall apart. She got hurt saving you, though.”

  Aris slumped against the wall. “I know.” He hadn’t been paying attention. He thought he had knocked the man out, so he focused on Sophie, on getting her to pull herself out of the doubt. He hadn’t sensed him that close. He was ashamed that a human got the better of him, and because of that, Sophie was injured.

  “It’s not your fault. But she proved that she is our queen. She put herself in front of a blade for you.”

  Aris shook his head. He felt the tears he hadn’t shed building, and he didn’t want Blane to see them. He stalked over the table and downed the hot tea. “Maybe I could use some sleep.” He had to trust his brothers.

  Blane nodded and lifted Sophie’s hand into his. Aris felt the herb take over his body. He left his mate, knowing she’d be there when he woke up.

  ***

  Sophie opened her eyes and squinted against the sun shining through her window. She tried to sit up, but her body ached. What the heck had happened? She glanced over to see Blane sitting in the chair next to her. His head had fallen to the side, and his breathing had a rhythm of deep sleep. She tried to move, but a pain shot through her chest. She looked down and saw a bandage of some sort sticking out from under the tank top she now wore.

  She licked her lips and wondered why there was a dragon in her room. Her head was groggy. “Blane,” she said, and he jumped up.

  His eyes widened and he beamed. “You’re awake. Thank the gods.”

&n
bsp; “Why are you in my room?” she groaned. “And why can’t I seem to move very well”

  “You don’t remember?”

  She looked at him as if to say, ‘duh.’

  “You were hurt. Hold that thought. I’ll get Aris.”

  “No, wait. Tell me what happened.”

  A panic seeped into her, and she realized something bad had happened, but she didn’t want Aris to see her. She didn’t know why. She felt a deep loss.

  “You saved Aris from the man you lived with – the one we saved you from. He found you, and he went to stab Aris, but you got in the way.”

  Ron.

  It all came back to her now. She huddled into a ball, whimpering like a pathetic baby. Aris was trying to get her to see how strong she was. Then Ron stabbed the knife into her chest after she used all her strength to shove Aris out of the way.

  And then…

  Aris killing Ron. She made him murder someone. It was her fault. She should have been the one to do it. She had no idea how he was feeling. And she wasn’t ready to find out just how much he hated her now.

  “He doesn’t hate you,” Blane said.

  Had she said it out loud?

  “He misses you and is afraid you’re going to die.” Blane had a faraway look in his eyes. “Don’t ask, please.”

  She nodded. Blane had something going on, but right now she could only worry about Aris. “Help me up.”

  “I’ll bring him to you.”

  “No, I’m stronger than this. I will go to him. It’s my fault he killed. It’s my fault he’s stressed and worried.”

  Blane held out his hands, and Sophie grabbed onto them both. It hurt until she was sitting, then it was better. When Blane pulled her to her feet. she gripped his hands tighter until she found her balance. “Now tell the others I’m fine.”

  Sophie made her way out of the room and up the stairs. Her breath came out in pants, and her chest ached, but all in all it felt wonderful to be up. Each step was easier than the one before. It was as if each moment she was awake, she healed. She opened his door and slipped inside, hoping he wouldn’t wake up. She watched him from the door until he whimpered in his sleep. She could tell he wasn’t having the best of dreams.

  Sophie climbed into his bed and laid her head on her shoulder. “It’s okay, Aris. I’m fine.

  His eyes shot open, and he looked over to see her lying next to him. His eyes filled with joy, and Sophie kissed him. His lips crushed hers as if he wanted to climb inside of her. She moaned and ran her fingers through his hair. He shifted to his side and laid his big hand on her hip. His fingers flexed against her. The weight of his body felt amazing. The dragon in her perked up. The beast was insatiable. She always wanted affection. Sophie lifted her leg and wrapped it over Aris’ hip, bringing their bodies closer together. She felt his arousal and moaned again.

  He pulled back with a gasp. “We can’t. You’re still hurt.” His voice was sleepy and sexy.

  “I’m fine.” She ground against his erection. “You’ll be able to heal me.”

  He groaned and kissed her again. When he pushed her back against the pillows, she smiled as if she had won. And Sophie knew with Aris she would always win. He couldn’t resist making her happy. And right now, she wanted to feel him over her and in her. It’s all she could think about now – the feel of him hard and eager, pushing inside of her tightness. Clamping her walls around him and milking his seed from him. She gasped when his teeth scraped against the scar from his mark. She tilted her head back further. “Bite me.”

  The feel of his incisors rocked her body against him, and she held back a scream.

  Aris kissed her neck. “We don’t need to have sex right now.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because you almost died, love, and I think it’s time we talked.”

  That killed the mood. Sophie pushed Aris, and he moved. She rolled out of bed and stood. “I don’t think we should.”

  “I think I deserve to know, Sophie. How did he find you? Did you contact him?”

  “Of course not. Why would you even ask me that?”

  “Well, he found you somehow.”

  “Not because I called him. Damn, you really think that little of me?” She wrapped her hand around the doorknob. “I told you he would always be able to find me. That’s what he always told me. I was beginning to think it was a scare tactic to keep me in line. Obviously, I was wrong.”

  She yanked open the door, not even paying attention to the fact that since Aris had bit her, the pain in her chest had completely disappeared. She was pissed and hurt that he thought so little of her. Like she would have called the man who tortured her for years.

  Well, screw him.

  She didn’t bother answering any questions. The guys had good hearing, and she was sure they knew what was going on. She ran out into the yard and closed her eyes. She needed to run. Her body tingled, and the dragon paced inside of her. The tingle spread, and her eyes shifted and then scales covered her bare arms. She looked down and watched in amazement as her body started to change shape. One minute she watched the scales. Then the next thing she knew, she was a freaking dragon.

  Oh, crap.

  She stepped forward and landed on the ground with a heavy thud.

  CHAPTER 23

  He hadn’t meant to upset her, but he needed to make sure she was loyal to him and his brothers. No matter how much he loved her, he had to be careful. Protecting the younger ones was key. But now he realized how much of an ass he was, accusing her of contacting the man who abused her for years.

  He went to follow her outside, but Blane held him back. “Just watch,” was all he said.

  Aris stood on the porch with all of his brothers. Sophie stood in the middle of the yard, and then he saw the change begin. He felt the magic in the air, and her energy grew. Then scales covered her body, and a long tail grew. Surprising the hell out of him, she fully shifted into a giant golden dragon. She had a stripe of black down her back, and when she fell on her face, he barely managed to hold back his laughter. The others gasped when their queen fell. They went to go to her, but Aris shook his head.

  “She has to learn.”

  “But not alone. Go help your mate,” Ilias said. Over the past few days as she slept and healed, Ilias had grown attached to her. He barely left her side unless he was forced.

  Aris would have smacked him upside the head for ordering him around if it hadn’t been something he knew he needed to do. He jogged down the steps and walked out into the yard in front of Sophie. He held out a hand, and she snuffed at him.

  “I’m sorry, love. I know you didn’t contact him. I guess I was scared. I almost lost you.”

  He stepped closer, and she let him rub his hand along her nose.

  “You’re beautiful.” Then he backed away, putting distance between them. This was why he needed so much space. He didn’t have to really think about his shift, and he was suddenly his dragon. He closed in on Sophie and nibbled her neck. His sharp teeth broke through her scales, and her giant body trembled.

  But it was his turn. He butted her head to his neck. She sniffed at him, and as instinct called to him, it did to her. She bit into his neck. He purred and tilted further to the side while she kept latched on to him. Now he was marked just as much as she was. When she pulled back, he looked to the porch to find it empty. He nipped her jaw, and then he took off.

  She followed, but it would take her time to be able to control her limbs. Being a dragon wasn’t easy. It had taken him months to adjust to his larger half.

  ***

  He’d led her into the field, and she turned back without thinking about it and gasped when she realized she was nude.

  “Where did my clothes go?”

  “No one knows why they disappear.”

  She spun and saw her mate tall and nude behind her. His muscles were taut, and his skin rippled with all his strength. She found she couldn’t help but devour his body with her eyes. Her dragon was a horny bitch. Tha
t’s all there was to it. She was mad at him. He wasn’t going to stop until they talked, only she didn’t want to relive her past. Not anymore.

  “Please, sit.”

  Sophie sighed and sat next to him on the grass. It tickled her bare thighs, but that got her mind off of how good he smelled. “Will this ever stop?” she blurted out.

  “What?”

  She pointed between them. “This dragon. All she wants is to have sex. She’s aroused all the time, especially if you’re around. I never thought I’d ever be aroused, and now it’s taken over my body.”

  “I think it’s fairly normal. But you have to remember, I don’t know as much about my kind as I should. Most of what I do know is just by things I have seen and theory.”

  “Are you always aroused?”

  “Now that you’re around, yes.”

  “But before?”

  He seemed to think about it. “I remember a time when all I could think about was sex. I think it was puberty for me.”

  Sophie huffed. He was a dragon, yet he still had a normal upbringing to that point. “Before now,” she whispered. “I’ve never been aroused.”

  He put his hand on her knee. She let it stay. His hand was warm and comforting.

  “At least tell me something. I’m not asking for a play by play on all the horrible things that happened to you but something to give me a clue to your past.”

  “I had a normal life until I was almost 15, then my mom met him, and everything went downhill.” She waited for the questions, but he didn’t ask any. “Ron was nice at first. But when he started touching me, that changed. He wouldn’t even let me go to school.”