Dragons For Hire: A Dragon Shifter Romance

by Sadie Sears

  I’d only come back to work because Sophie was able to stay with Lila, who upon her return home had gone to bed and stayed there. Not wallowing, but because she literally had no energy to do anything else.

  When the toy inspired Jasmine, an overzealous five-year-old with hair as fiery as her temper, to sock little Marcus in his shoulder and a slapfest broke out between them, I took the toy, put it on a high shelf and tried to redirect the monsters to the bookshelf.

  “Come on, let’s pick out a book and I’ll read to you.” Zoe used to love when I read to her when she was young. She said I was good at voices and faces, and I thought this was where I’d shine, but no one wanted the same book. Jasmine wanted me to read about her little ponies and Marcus wanted me to read about a talking race car, Jeb picked one about a group of public servant puppies and Daniel chose one about dragons. Then everyone wanted their book to be first.

  As I was sorting out the problem, trying my best placating-adult-to-a-child-who-didn’t-listen voice—stern but not loud, Justin appeared like a light in the dark of night, and I wanted to hug him.

  “Justin!” Jasmine squealed then they all circled him, hugging whatever part of him they could get. I was wrong. They knew how to share after all.

  I wanted to be like him. Justin put himself out there, in his friendships, his relationships, with his patients. It didn’t matter if something went wrong, either. He had faith that whatever was meant to be would be, and if not, he’d figure out how to get over it.

  I seemed to push people away. Lila hated my fussing, Bill had gotten fed up with me and had decided Maureen was a better catch, and Sam. Sam didn’t trust me. He’d accused me of trying to hurt him and his friends. I could never do that. All I wanted was to find a damn cure for my sister.

  It was no wonder the kids hadn’t responded to me. On some level, they could probably tell I wasn’t good with relationships, with allowing people in. These children needed extra love and attention, and I just didn’t seem able to give any.

  Justin gave me a simple smile, and tears welled in my eyes. He reached in his pocket and pulled out a sock puppet and tossed it to me, but right then, the four tiny preschoolers did not need someone who couldn’t even make story-time fun. I dropped the striped sock and exited through the double doors until I was able to stop feeling sorry for myself.

  One of the other pediatric nurses rounded the corner, and last thing I needed was a rumor that I was bawling in a hallway. I dove into the supply closet and waited. I vowed to do better to show my heart to my patients even if it meant future heartbreak.

  The new lines on my face and the bags under my eyes were Sam’s fault. And maybe Bill’s since I couldn’t get his words out of my head. You don’t have the skill or experience to be Dad’s assistance. Dad needs intelligence and drive. You don’t have what it takes. If that wasn’t a sadly accurate commentary on my life these days, nothing was.

  I had about twenty minutes before my interview. I’d already changed into what Lila called a power suit that reminded me of our mom, and I had a red hanky in the lapel pocket that reminded me of Dad. I arranged my makeup out on the sink and studied myself in the mirror. It was going to take many a facial to undo the damage of these last few days. My fine lines were wrinkles. I smeared some moisturizing foundation, applied my lipstick, and heard Bill’s voice in my head again. I stared into the mirror. “Shut up, jerk.”

  The mirror caught a reflection of the engagement ring. I turned as if I could magically make the ring—and the pain in my heart—disappear. I gazed down at it and frowned, then twisted it off and dropped it into my makeup bag. In my head, I recited answers to potential interview questions. This was too important to think of anything else. Not even Lila. Nothing mattered but getting the research job, and I damn sure planned on getting it.

  That attitude lasted for all of five minutes because as I sat outside the conference room, I started trembling. I took a few deep breaths to try and calm down, but it wasn’t having any effect. I was just wondering if it was too late for a shot of coffee when Justin peeked around the corner. When he saw the coast was clear, he hurried up to me.

  “I’m keeping my fingers crossed,” he said, holding his hands up to show me.

  “It’s going to be hard to start an IV that way.” The joke fell flat when he cocked his head to the side and narrowed his eyes.

  “Seriously, you’re the smartest person I know. You’ve got this. They’d be fools not to give you the position.” He frowned. “Is Sam not coming?”

  I winced at Sam’s name. I hadn’t told Justin about the fight or the breakup, but he had always been quick to pick up on my nonverbal communication.

  “Lovers’ spat?” He crouched in front of me. “Everyone has them. You guys will forget all about it in no time.” He patted my hand, but he was wrong. Some things were best not forgotten, and this was one of them. I just had to wrap my head and broken heart around the idea.

  “It’s more than that.” In for a penny, in for the whole damned story. “He tried to get me to cancel the interview.”

  Saying the words aloud was not my best idea. With each syllable came a tear.

  “Pull it together, Kipling. You have an interview in three and a half minutes. You cannot go in there with mascara tracks and puffy eyes.” He swiped his thumbs under my eyes like this wasn’t his first time dealing with a crying woman. “Forget about that crazy dragon and get your game face back on.”

  I nodded and breathed in through my nose and exhaled through my mouth.

  “Come on, get up. Walk it off.” He tugged me off the chair. “Game face, girl. You are meant for this job. And you’re going to be the most famous researcher ever born when you find a cure for this damned disease and others like it.” He suddenly frowned again and sniffed the air.

  “What? What is it?” I asked at his strange shift in expression.

  “Um, nothing. Look, you’ve got nothing to worry about, just be yourself, and I’ll see you soon.” He hurried away and left me standing in the middle of the corridor—just as three eerily handsome men walked toward me with Dr. Holt. The trio were unusually tall, and all wore identical dark blue three-piece suits with identical black leather briefcases. But most striking of all were their clear-blue eyes and albino white hair. In unison, they offered me broad smiles and immediately invited me into the conference room. Alarm bells went nuts in my mind as they waited for me to enter the conference room. Damn. These guys were wizards if I ever saw them. No one offered to shake my hand, but Dr. Holt nodded to a chair. Finally. The time had come, and my interview started.

  Forget

  Half an hour later, I opened my mouth to reply, but the echo of the question I’d been about to answer disappeared from my mind. What? I’d been about to say something, but I sat alone in the conference room, dumbfounded. And I got the job. And I started in a week. And the only person I really wanted to tell didn’t even want me to have the job.

  Thinking of Sam had me releasing a soft sigh, and it took a moment before I could think of anything else. Eventually, I got up and went out to the hall, still unable to believe I was now in a position to help Lila, and all because the members of the selection committee thought having a sick sister would be an incentive to work hard and find a cure. I’d been a little astonished they’d known about her, but Dr. Holt told me he’d let that piece of information slip when he’d recommended me for the job.

  And I’d gotten it.

  As I headed toward the front entrance to the hospital, I summoned a smile, but it took a lot of effort, and I wondered what was wrong with me. I should be ecstatic, but I just couldn’t muster any enthusiasm. I was utterly exhausted. I actually felt as if someone had stuck me with a pin, and all my energy was slowly leaking out.

  “Gretta. So, how did it go?”

  Justin was waiting for me at the main doors, but when he saw my face, he must have assumed the worst because his expression turned distraught.

  “What went wrong?” He quickly grabb
ed my arm, and when he saw I was headed for my car, he silently walked beside me.

  “Nothing went wrong. I got the job.”

  “You did? That’s brilliant!” Justin squealed and went to high-five me, but when I did nothing more than sigh, he frowned.

  “So why the glum face?”

  “I’m so exhausted, but I have to go pick up Zoe from school and make dinner for her and Lila tonight. Oh, God, that sounded selfish, didn’t it? I didn’t mean it like that.” A single tear trekked down my face, and I realized I was even too tired to cry.

  “Gretta! Anybody who knows you would never think you don’t want to help your sister. You big baby.” Justin wiped the tear from my face before it dripped off my chin, and then he gave me a hug.

  “I’m sorry. I should be happy.” I had my dream job. A best friend better than anyone else’s in the world, a family who loved me, and I was miserable. And so tired.

  “And you will be happy, just give it time to sink in. Go home, have a good cry, eat some junk food, and sleep. I’ll get Zoe and pick up dinner for all of us, you can come to Lila’s house later. Don’t worry, you’re only a phone call away.” He stepped backward and placed his hands firmly on my shoulders. “Go home. That’s an order, Dr. Kipling.”

  I laughed, and something lightened in my chest, even if only a fraction.

  “And couples fight. It’ll all be okay. You’ll see.”

  I nodded. Maybe Justin was right. Once I got started on the research and could prove to Sam it had nothing to do with wizards, then he’d apologize.

  16

  Samuel

  The plan was for the whole team to meet at my house, but I couldn't concentrate on getting things ready. As a fire dragon, I had an unyielding need to move, but my breakup with Gretta drained me of all my energy, made it feel like ice had formed in my veins and doused my fire. I felt wrong.

  I didn't know how to move on. I didn’t just want to protect Gretta, I needed to. But short of looking like a stalker, I didn't know how to keep her safe and still respect the fact she’d asked me to leave her alone.

  I heard a commotion near my front door, and a few seconds later, the guys piled into the living room while I forced myself to make tea in the kitchen. If nothing else, I could stop thinking about Gretta long enough to talk to them.

  Leath lumbered in with two bags of pastries from Snowshoe Brew Café. "Hey Buddy, how are you holding up? I called you a few times."

  I gave him a sharp look. I wasn't ready to start the Gretta conversation. "The plates are in the cabinet.” I headed to the living room with a gallon of tea and glasses.

  I set the tea down then greeted Mitias. Cam stood by his side and gave me a small smile. He could probably pick up on my apathy, and I respected that he didn’t immediately ask me how I was.

  "Let's get down to business." Mitias settled into one of the hard-backed chairs from my dining table.

  Cam and Dominic sat on either side of Mitias, and Vincent, Leath, and Theo plopped on my couch. Taurus took up a position beside my fireplace, and I paced, unable to sit still until Mitias pointed to the wingback chair in a silent command.

  Ben jogged up the stairs and came into the room, disheveled and red-eyed. "Sorry, guys, long night." He nudged Vincent over and sat on the sofa.

  Through mouthfuls of donuts and pastries, the guys bounced ideas back and forth as to what we should call our new security service. I couldn’t focus and ended up just staring at the floor.

  "Eat this." Leath handed me a plate with a croissant but I waved him off. I couldn’t eat. Or sleep, for that matter.

  "I vote for Dragons for Hire. Everyone agree?" Cam raised his hand in the air.

  “I don't care." And I didn’t. Not anymore. It didn’t matter to me what humans thought of us. The only human I was concerned with wasn’t afraid of dragons or being with one. She just didn’t want to be with me. However, my flippant attitude irritated Vincent.

  "Absolutely not. That outs us as dragons. Some of us like our anonymity.” He looked at me, probably expecting agreement, but I didn’t care. About anything. Unfortunately, all the other hands in the room raised. We were Dragons for Hire.

  Theo gripped Vince's shoulder. "It'll be fine. Dragons aren't the enemy here."

  Vincent thinned his lips but then sighed. “Fine, but if it bites us in the ass, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

  They talked and joked, but all I could do was think about Gretta and remember the way she’d told me to leave.

  Taurus kicked the bottom of my shoe. "Dude, you need to focus."

  I bared my teeth, but before I could tell him to piss off, Mitias spoke. "Cut him some slack. We’re lucky he’s still on his feet and not laid out under a tree, waiting to turn back to earth.”

  Taurus nodded at me. "I'm sorry."

  I wasn’t quite to the point of lying down and praying for death, but I was glad Mitias understood. I frowned as sadness curled the edges of my lips downward.

  "My destined mate passed away over one hundred years ago from an attack by wizards. The pain is here every day of my life." Mitias tapped his chest over his heart. "Part of the reason I’ve taken up the cause. My chance at destined love is gone forever, but you men are all eligible and out there somewhere is the woman. You wouldn’t be here if she weren’t close. Even you, Sam."

  Mitias leaned forward and stared at me. "You have to protect Gretta and keep her safe until the danger has passed. And if she's resistant, then protect her from a distance."

  Dominic gathered up the plates and walked into the kitchen with Vincent. When I glanced their way, Dom motioned for me to come into the kitchen.

  “We’re gonna get more snacks,” Dom said.

  I nodded because nine, no, make that eight, hungry dragons could get through a lot of food.

  “And you’re coming with us.” Dominic yanked me out the back door, and Vincent followed. Even though Dom stood four inches shorter than me, he was a trained boxer in peak condition, and I didn’t have the energy to resist him even if I wanted to.

  “You need to get out and fly. You’re withering away in there.” He gave me a shove like he expected me to shift right then and take off.

  I stared without speaking because the last thing he wanted to hear was that I didn’t care if I withered away. Gretta would be protected if it happened because all the dragons were watching for wizard activity

  Dom's eyes flashed orange. "Sam, you’re not Mitias. You can’t hide from what you feel. You are made of fire. You need to fly. If you don’t, the fire is gonna consume you."

  I shook my head because the ice had taken my fire.

  Vincent sighed and put a hand on my shoulder. “Not many know this, but I found my destined mate nearly a decade ago. Her family didn’t want her dating a dragon, and they forced us apart. But like Mitias said, we’re all here in Spruce for a reason, and I know I’ll find her again. Destiny has a plan, and if our time wasn’t then, I’ll wait until it is. So, just hang in there. Destiny will bring Gretta back to you.”

  I hadn’t noticed the pain in Vincent’s mercury eyes before, but I did now, and I could see it easily matched my own. I gripped his shoulder, annoyed I hadn’t known of his heartache. “Thanks for telling me.”

  I turned to Dom. “And I know you’re right.” I wanted to get up and fly, to slice through the wind, but I just didn’t have the energy.

  Vince and Dom looked at each other, and then they both grabbed an arm each and marched me to my truck. I basically became a puppet, following their instructions and driving to my local grocery store. But on the way, I couldn’t get Mitias’s words out of my head, that I had to protect Gretta and keep her safe even if it was from a distance.

  I shoved random bags of chips and pretzels into my shopping basket while the other two were off grabbing beer, but everywhere I looked, something reminded me of Gretta. A pain spread through my chest and up my neck. I was probably going to end up alone. Desperate and alone.

  "Why are you looking all
glamorous in the grocery store?" Justin slid up next to me, and if dragons were cats, I would have lost a life.

  I instantly looked over his shoulder, and when I didn’t see the person I was looking for, I glanced at her best friend. “Is Gretta here with you?” I winced a little at how desperate I sounded, but I couldn’t help myself.

  "No.” He cocked an eyebrow and stared with his lips set in a thin line. “You shouldn’t have told her to quit the job she’s wanted since…probably forever.”

  "It’s really between me and her," I snapped. And the only thing that stopped me from barbecuing him right there in the aisle was because Zoe and Shae rounded the corner with a tub of ice cream. Strawberry. Gretta’s favorite.

  “Hi, Freckles, Shae.” I smiled, but the glance they shared with each other told me they knew of our argument, and I could certainly tell whose side they took.

  Zoe tilted her head and narrowed her eyes. “A woman is perfectly capable of making decisions about her career without a man telling her what to do.” The look she shot me dared me to argue.

  I nodded instead. She was a kid, didn’t know the facts, and damned if I was going to be the one to expose her to the dangers she shouldn’t have had to think about—the dangers I was there to head off before they got to her or anyone else in this town.

  After a minute, she sighed and handed the ice cream tub to Shae. "Don't get her flowers, she hates that. A live plant is much better." Then she quickly hugged me. Gretta's scent was all over her shirt and hair, which caused the dull ache in my heart to spread.