“When a boy dragon likes a girl, he bites her shoulder to tell the world that no one else can have her,” he said.
Bree raised a brow. “You could just buy me a ring like a normal man.”
“Why can’t I do both?” he whispered against her skin.
She shuddered beneath him and dug her nails into his chest. “Yes. Both. I like both.”
He tasted her skin before biting down. Bree swallowed the scream that tried to leave her. She spasmed like she’d climaxed. Pride swelled inside him before his blood rushed south and swelled something else.
“I love you. Through fire and hell, I would do anything for you.” He hadn’t meant to say any of that, but the promise filled the room anyway.
She wound a hand around the back of his neck. “Through fire and hell,” she repeated before capturing his mouth.
For a man who’d felt fractured and broken his whole life, he was whole when he stepped into her arms. It’d taken her love to show him who he could be.
Redeeming The Rejected
Rogue Dragon Series - Book 4
50
Daphne Albright stepped off the plane and sucked in a breath of fresh air, grateful to be let out of the little metal box with wings. She rolled her shoulders and wished she could let her beast out, but this wasn’t the time or place. Her normally complacent beast had gotten stir-crazy while a mile high.
The familiar click of her cowboy boots on the pavement settled her on her way inside. She glanced back, sure that most airports dropped their passengers off directly inside the airport. If that didn’t let her know exactly how small this town was, the giant map inside made sure she knew. It reminded her of those playmats her brother had on his floor when he was younger.
Daphne didn’t understand why her brother had abandoned one of the largest and most secure dragon clans to go off and start one in the middle of nowhere, USA. But he needed her help, and she had no other choice than to oblige him. Even if she didn’t understand him, she still loved Casey.
When he called to ask her to help his mate through the change, Daphne had been unable to say no. She didn’t tell him that she’d spent the last six weeks helping new shifters and hadn’t had a break. She didn’t tell him how thinly stretched she felt. A scream of frustration tried to fight its way up her throat, but she swallowed it down and kept her chin high.
Falling apart wasn’t in Daphne’s repertoire. That was why she got to train the new dragons. Her absolute control made her a model shifter. So, when she found herself not looking forward to meeting her brother, she shoved the feeling aside and focused on what needed to be done.
Instead of dawdling in the itty-bitty airport, Daphne made her way toward the front door and pulled out her phone to request a ride-share service. While the app told her that a driver was on the way, the picture was a generic black silhouette. Daphne shrugged, not at all bothered by a human looking to hide his face. The beast inside her made her stronger than any human man.
The car listed on the app pulled up and the window rolled down. The man in the passenger seat took her breath away. His mahogany hair had been pulled back into a thick ponytail at the base of his skull. A narrow slit in his brow paired with the thick beard hugging his chin made him look rugged.
Daphne muttered a soft, “Damn.”
His brows furrowed as she approached, though. Daphne’s heart sank inch by inch. The driver shook his head, shifted gears, and sped off without so much as a word. She tilted her head in confusion and watched the tail end of the car vanish.
The man’s scent hung in the air, though. He smelled of spices and smoke.
“He was a fucking shifter,” Daphne whispered to herself.
* * *
Ford Coleman had no intention of fraternizing with the local shifters ever again. Just because she was an absolute hottie in cowboy boots didn’t mean a damn thing. He put the pedal to the floor and did his best to put distance between himself and the dragon woman at the airport.
He wasn’t a fool. He could see the similarities between her and one of the local shifters. They had to be related, a cousin or a sister. Ford’s beast thrashed and demanded he go back to pick her up, but Ford refused.
He wouldn’t ever be a part of a clan again. He wouldn’t let his beast attach to another woman. His last clan had broken him in ways that would never heal. If he had to endure the same pain again, he would never be able to pick up the pieces of his soul.
It was bad enough that he’d gotten pulled into the local clan’s last fiasco. In their search for someone hiding in the town, they’d stumbled upon Ford. While the female shifter harassed him, the one they’d been looking for all along came and attacked her. Since then, the clan had given Ford his space, but he was waiting for the day they came to tell him to join or get out.
He’d worked hard to set up a life here and didn’t want to abandon it, but if the new clan leader in town found out what Ford had done, it would be the end of him. The new clan leader wouldn’t like knowing there was a king killer in town.
To distract himself, Ford went back to his day job. No one said anything as he let himself into the restaurant’s kitchen. He checked the walk-in cooler for extra supplies, so he could test some new recipes for the menu. He needed to do something with his hands because his mind kept wandering back to the beauty at the airport.
Her honey colored hair had been pulled back into a perfect French braid that framed the look of shock in his rearview mirror as he drove away. He wished he could have stayed longer to study her long legs, barely covered by the short shirt dress she wore beneath her denim jacket.
He imagined she was a simple soul, that the only thing she needed in life was sunshine and a good fuck in the field.
Slamming the heel of his palm to his forehead, he told himself to forget about her. He couldn’t bring another woman into his life. Especially not one with ties to a clan.
Ford smacked a frying pan onto the burner. His co-workers shot him inquisitive looks, but he ignored them. He could barely think with his beast roaring inside him. Chopping and slicing calmed him, but only a little. No amount of knife-work would distract his beast from the damned woman.
He would never have another mate, so what was his dragon’s problem?
51
Daphne took another car into town. Her brother’s text messages made her phone vibrate until she finally turned it to silent. There was something she needed to do before she went up to the cabin. She’d call him for a ride later.
Right now, she followed the smell of smoke and spice to a little restaurant tucked between two brick buildings. The inside was cozy, with little candles on every table and a gleaming bar running the length of the dining room.
Daphne could smell him everywhere. Her beast purred victoriously. Pretty driver-man was here. She took a seat at the bar and watched the kitchen door, her heart thumping in anticipation. She was going to corner him when he finally came out of hiding and demand to know why he’d abandoned her at the airport.
When the door swung open to reveal him, they both stared at each other. Daphne’s mind blanked at the sight of him. Her beast’s purr grew louder, consuming every thought that tried to make its way to the surface.
The dragon man cursed and ducked back behind the door. Daphne’s jaw dropped. She couldn’t believe he’d left her a second time. Who did he think he was?
She brushed aside her indignation and reminded herself that this man owed her nothing. Perhaps it would have been for the better if she gave up and called her brother so she could go meet the woman he’d fallen for. Daphne’s feet didn’t follow any kind of logic, though. When she stood, they directed her toward the kitchen door.
Someone shouted at her, but she ignored their warning and headed straight for the dragon man. She narrowed her eyes at him as she approached.
“What are you doing in a professional kitchen, woman?” He stepped back and raised his spatula like a weapon.
She laughed until he took her by the wris
t and dragged her out through the back door. She let out an oof and was momentarily stunned by the sensation of his skin on hers. Why did her heart stutter like that? Was her face warm? Why was she so warm?
The man spun around and faced her without relinquishing her wrist. She stared up at him, dumbfounded.
“I want nothing to do with you or your clan. Do you hear me?” His voice rumbled with his beast.
That alone should have stroked her own beast’s anger, but she felt a shock of warmth spike in her core, instead. What should have been a facedown had turned into one of the most confusing encounters of her life. Daphne prided herself in always having her life together. Right then, she struggled to keep herself in check.
Finally, she managed to put more than two words together. “You didn’t have to abandon me at the airport, though!”
He lifted one brow. “Abandon? You make it sound like I’m a close friend who promised to do this for you. I’m nothing to you, sweetheart. Forget my face because you’ll never see it again.”
The idea of never seeing him again sent a sharp panic through her. She sucked in a breath while her heart thumped wildly.
Daphne pulled a wall down between herself and this man. This wasn’t like her. She didn’t melt for anyone. She tried to yank her wrist from his grasp, but he held on tight. Her struggle only brought him closer, until he loomed over her with his broody, pained eyes.
Kiss him, a voice in her head whispered.
“Don’t bother tattling on me to your brethren. They already know about me,” he said before letting her go.
She whirled on him as he walked away. “If I grabbed that stick up your ass, would I be able to puppet you? Because it seems like you’re strung up, too.”
He stopped, looked her up and down. “I don’t think I’m the only one.”
Her jaw dropped. He vanished through the kitchen door once more. She lunged to catch it, but the lock mechanism clicked before she could get inside. The urge to kick the door came and went while she tried to calm down.
Just when she was thinking about going around to the front to run back into the kitchen, her phone rang. She froze. It should have been on silent. The only number programmed to ring even when on silent was Zander.
She muttered a quick curse before rummaging for her phone in her bag. Just like she thought, Zander’s name lit up her screen. Her stomach flipped. She debated not answering, but he would chew her out for ignoring him later, and it wouldn’t be worth it.
“Daphne,” he purred. “You failed to check in with me when you landed. You should have called me an hour ago.”
She pursed her lips. She hated being watched like a prized pony in an open field, but her job was crucial to the clan. If they lost her, no one else would be able to do what she did. Zander’s worry was warranted.
At least, that’s what she told herself.
“Sorry, Z. I had something to take care of once I landed. You know, girl stuff.” That was a lie, of course. He didn’t know that, though.
“I fail to see how that could take upwards of an hour,” he said. “But I’ll forgive your digression this once. Have fun visiting your brother, but don’t get any ideas while you’re there.”
She opened her mouth to assure him that her loyalty wasn’t in question, but he kept going.
“I cannot let you go, Daphne. I know you understand that.”
Something about his words rang with a very thinly veiled threat. A lump formed in her throat. She was grateful that he couldn’t see her face just then because it would have likely given away every thought that flashed through her.
“Don’t go and betray me like everyone else,” Zander said.
Daphne nodded until she realized he couldn’t see her. She wanted to slap herself in the forehead. Hadn’t she just been thinking about how he couldn’t see her?
“You don’t have to worry about a thing,” she reiterated.
Hanging up was awkward and left her feeling uncertain. Daphne stared at her phone for a long while. She wanted to go back into the restaurant and harass the hot dragon shifter just to shake free of the constricting feeling closing in around her.
There was work to be done, though. She called her brother, finally. He sounded relieved to finally hear from her. Casey asked her where she’d been, but his concern sounded nothing like Zander’s questioning. Daphne liked to think of herself as a fully functioning and very independent woman, but something about being back with her big brother put her at ease.
His truck roared down the road. She shook her head and wondered why every male regardless of species needed to preen to make up for their dicks. From peacocks to dudes with lifted trucks, it all seemed ridiculous.
“You’re going to love Evangeline,” Casey said, with his hands on the wheel and eyes on the road. “She’s a spitfire. She’ll make a great dragon.”
Daphne nodded, only half listening. She ran a hand through her hair before remembering that she’d taken time to painstakingly braid it. Annoyed, she yanked the tie from the end of her hair and shook out the crinkled waves.
“Tell me, why did you leave Zander’s clan?”
Casey’s good mood vanished in the blink of an eye. His smile fell into a grim countenance. “If you’re asking that question, then that means you won’t understand.”
Daphne scowled at her brother. “But there’s protection in big clans like Zander’s. He might be hard to work with—believe me when I say I understand that better than most—but he’s not the worst. I just don’t understand why you would throw away everything you had…why you would leave me.”
His steel resolve broke, making his shoulders droop, and he sighed. “I didn’t leave you on purpose. Do you really think I’d abandon you?”
She turned her attention out the window. A gentle rain had started and was beading along the glass. She watched a droplet race from one end of the window to the other.
“You really think I left you? I didn’t choose any of this.” Casey’s voice dropped into a growl.
“Don’t take that tone with me,” she snapped. “I get that you found a mate out here, but the two of you could have moved home. Then I wouldn’t have had to fly all the way out to nowhere in order to help you. We could all do this together.”
He sighed again. She got the hint that every sigh contained a multitude of words he couldn’t bring himself to say. She didn’t understand it, but she also couldn’t keep pestering answers out of him. He wasn’t going to say what she needed to hear, which was an apology.
Why were all the men letting her down today?
Casey parked the truck outside the cabin, which was less of a cabin and more of a small mansion. Wood tree trunks supported the overhang that cast a shadow over the massive front windows. She caught a hint of movement behind the darkened glass and wondered who was waiting inside.
They’d mentioned that their little makeshift clan had grown in numbers now that nearly all of the deserters had shacked up with mates. Even Erik, her toughest shifter to work with, had found a mate. Daphne pitied the woman, especially when she heard that Erik had accidentally changed her.
The sound of fighting spilled out of the front door. Inside, a dark-haired woman straddled Erik, who was lying on the floor. The woman had one hand on his throat and the other reaching for something in Erik’s outstretched hand. Every time she reached for it, he yanked it a little further away.
A gleam lit the woman’s eyes. Instead of getting up, she leaned forward. Erik’s eyes widened when he realized she was going to choke him out.
“So, this is what it feels like to be a woman with a choking kink?” he rasped.
The woman fell into a fit of laughter and rolled off him. Daphne blinked. Absolutely nothing here was like she expected. Apparently, Erik’s mate didn’t resent him. If anything, they seemed truly happy.
“Don’t pay them any attention,” Casey grumbled.
The woman jumped to her feet, brushed her hands off on her jeans, and held out a hand to Daphne. Th
e jungle of metal bracelets on her wrist sounded like bells.
“It’s great to finally meet you! I’m Bree,” the woman said.
Daphne put on her best business smile and shook the woman’s hand. “I look forward to working with you soon.”
Bree’s expression faltered, becoming perplexed for the briefest second. “Ah, yeah. It’s nice to meet Casey’s sister. He’s said a lot of good things about you. Like how you almost poked out one of his eyes when you were kids.”
Daphne’s jaw dropped. Laughter slowly bubbled out of her before she covered her mouth with her hand. “I did no such thing, and even if I did, he would have deserved it.”
“Oh, I don’t doubt it,” a new female voice said.
Casey made a beeline for the woman who’d stepped into the living area. Her silver hair ended in lavender tips. A whole garden of ink decorated one arm. Black bands circled the other. Daphne never would have expected her brother to fall for a woman like her. He’d always liked country girls who had mud on their knees and natural hair, to say the least.
Daphne shook herself. Her anger toward her brother had made her bitter with everyone. She pulled on her work persona and hid behind it while nasty thoughts festered in her mind.
“So, you’re the one putting up with my brother now,” Daphne said with a sly smile.
Evangeline’s grin spread wide. She closed the space between them and closed Daphne in a big hug. The physical contact melted the last of the ice in Daphne’s disposition.
Daphne pulled back and peered at her brother’s mate. “Are you ready for this? It’s a big step.”
Evangeline tossed her head toward Bree. “If she can do it, then I know I can.”
“That was a sneaky insult,” Bree called out.
Slowly, the rest of the clan came to join them. Dillon and his wife, Isabella, settled onto the couch. Daphne always thought Dillon would need a hardy woman because he might break her. Isabella looked as fragile as they came, but Dillon melted into a total softie around her.
Rogue Dragons Series: Box Set Books 1-5 Page 41
