by Amelia Jade
“Ah, yes, I guess I am, aren’t I?” he rumbled, standing his ground. “So, how about it? Dinner on me?”
Cassi looked up into his green eyes, finding it hard not to smile at them, and even harder not to stare at them for extended periods of time. They were so deliciously bright and happy, it was almost contagious. His face was calmer, more composed, and what she would expect from a dragon of his stature. But the eyes bounced and called to her. She found she couldn’t resist.
“Okay, but no funny business,” she with a sly grin. “Just dinner.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it,” he told her, and as she looked into his emerald orbs, Cassi knew he was telling the truth.
They swiftly put their produce back into the appropriate bins, neither of them wanting to be that person who just left their stuff out on a shelf somewhere. That was just plain rude for no reason, and she was surprised to realize she was glad he wasn’t that type of guy. A part of her actually seemed to want him to be a good guy, which Cassi knew would take some processing to understand.
At one point their arms brushed as they both reached to put something back, and Cassi felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up at the electricity running between them. It had been the same thing back when he’d grabbed onto her. Then, the actual contact had sent a jolt running through her system. She’d initially played it off as static electricity, but there was more to it than that, she realized.
There was something about Blaine that attracted her.
Holy shit, that had to be it. She thought he was gorgeous. Cassi wanted him.
But she barely knew him! Doing anything would be more than improper. It would be a betrayal of her family. She couldn’t do that, even if he was very, very easy on the eyes.
Down girl. You can hold off for a few weeks until you’re done in Cadia and can go home. There are plenty of guys back home who would jump at the chance to take you to bed.
Cassi very carefully did not tell herself that she wasn’t interested in any of those men. She didn’t have to though; her mind knew it.
“So, where are we going?” she asked, rubbing her arm as discreetly as possible to try and calm the hairs on it from where Blaine had almost touched her.
“Right down the street, maybe three hundred feet,” he said as the automatic doors slid open for them, admitting them to the outdoors.
A crisp wind tugged at her shirt, but she barely noticed. The dragon within her reveled in these temperatures, and so Cassi was most at home when the days grew colder, not minding them one bit.
She eyed the intricate cobblestone streets not for the first time, admiring the way every red- and copper-hued brick seemed to fit together almost seamlessly. There were no sidewalks because of the near-universal abhorrence of vehicles.
Or perhaps there are no streets, just giant sidewalks, she mused, her mind wandering as she walked alongside Blaine, following his lead.
“What kind of food does the place you’re taking me to serve?” she asked, sparking up the conversation once more after another dozen steps or so of silence.
“It’s a lovely little sandwich-style shop,” he said with a hesitant smile, waiting to see if she would like the answer.
“That sounds so good right now,” she said, affecting a fake drool and wide-eyed excitement.
The best part was, it did. A nice sandwich—most importantly made by someone else!—was just what she was craving she realized.
“Good,” Blaine rumbled happily.
Gambling, Cassi decided to pry a little. “So, Blaine, what do you do around here?” she asked, trying to sound as casual as possible.
His verdant eyes glanced over at her momentarily before again focusing ahead. “I am one of the Guardians of Cadia,” he admitted.
“Really? A Guardian? Impressive,” she commented.
Stop it. You’re flirting with him, and you know it. Try to stay more aloof!
Cassi was trying, but it was harder than she’d expected. There was something about Blaine that was magnetic, as if pulling her in, making it hard for her not to laugh, giggle, and smile constantly while chatting with him.
You have confirmation now that he’s the Blaine you know.
She nodded to herself mentally, filing away that information for possible further use. Maybe she could twist his friendliness with her to her advantage somehow as things progressed.
Was it so random that he had been the one to bump into her in the grocery store? That seemed like a big coincidence the more she thought it over. As if one of the most powerful dragons in all of Cadia just happened to come along shortly after she arrived there.
Her guard came back up, even as she smiled at him, feeling the defenses that he’d so easily walked through snap back into place for the time being.
A pack of wolves yipping and snarling at each other came barreling out of a side alley, cutting her off sharply. Cassi jumped at the distraction and clutched for Blaine’s arm almost instinctively.
She exhaled slowly as the wolves kept on moving past. What was wrong with her? Startled silly by a pack of wolves that she should have heard coming from a mile away? Cassi needed to get her mind back in the game, and quickly!
“You know,” Blaine drawled slowly, “much longer, and I might have to start charging.”
She glanced up at him, frowning. What the hell was he talking about?
It was only after following his gaze that the reality sunk in. She was still grabbing onto his arm! Slowly, and perhaps even a little reluctantly, she let go, disentangling herself. To help distract from her embarrassment, she pulled her navy blue blouse down before pulling her pants up a little. Satisfied that the clothes were sitting properly, she tried desperately to change the topic.
Her brain failed her, however, but Blaine came to the rescue unexpectedly.
“Here we are,” he said, snagging a closed door and holding it open for her.
“Thank you,” she said, craning her neck back to get a glimpse of the name of the place as she entered.
Morrte’s Sandwich Shop and Delicatessen.
“Hey Morrte!” Blaine said happily as he entered. A large man emerged from behind the counter, forcing Cassi to do a double take. She hadn’t thought shifters could become so thick around the waist. They burned calories far too easily for that. Or so she’d thought, but the man bustling out from behind the counter proved her wrong. There was still an almost predatory prowl to his step that confirmed he was a shifter, but he was the biggest one she’d ever seen before.
Must be the lazy Cadian lifestyle.
“Here, have a seat,” Blaine said after talking briefly with her while she looked around the place.
Cassi settled in across from him.
Chapter Two
Blaine
“Morrte’s outdone himself this time,” he said with satisfaction, sitting back from the empty plate in front of him and patting his stomach.
Across the table Cassi was already doing the same, having finished slightly before him, despite having the same meal. Clearly she’d been hungry. It made sense, he figured, as she must have flown in from another of the shifter strongholds, which meant long flights and lots of calorie-burning.
It told him a few other things as well. That despite wherever she was from, she was their equivalent of a Guardian. Only those specially trained shifters were allowed to travel from territory to territory. So despite her lovely laughter, the enticing sway of her thick hips, or the way her blouse had one more button undone than might have been necessary, revealing the swelling curves of her cleavage, he had to be aware that she was much more than her amazing looks.
Especially considering he had yet to be able to pinpoint just where it was she was from. He didn’t want to ask, because that could generate issues. It was rare solo travelers came through, but also far from unheard of as well. He wondered if it was one of the far-off places, such as Pythos or Tanith, several of the smaller territories he’d never visited before. As the largest and most cosmopolitan of
them all, Cadia attracted a lot of attention from all over.
“The real question,” Cassi said after letting out a relaxing sigh, “is if we left any room for dessert.”
Blaine eyed his plate, his stomach, and then the picture of ice cream in his mind.
“I honestly don’t know,” he told her. “That was a ridiculous sandwich.”
“No kidding; that thing was massive.”
Morrte, it seemed, had picked up on the fact that they were both starving, and had promised them a special of his own creation. Everything Blaine had ever had from Morrte was delicious, so he’d advised Cassi that it would be an acceptable choice.
The huge mound of meat and veggies on a massive bun that had been set in front of them was more than either of them had expected. It was easily several pounds’ worth of food, plus a side of fries. Somehow they’d both made it all disappear, but they would be working it off for several hours, that was for sure.
“But still, ice cream…” he said, trailing off with a contemplative look. “Why don’t we go for a bit of a walk, and then decide?”
Cassi seemed to think about it, then shook her head. “No, not this time, Blaine,” she said. “I think I’m full enough for the night.”
She glanced outside where the sun was now fully behind the mountains to the west. Blaine was fairly positive that he knew what she was about to say.
“I should probably get going anyway. Long day tomorrow,” she said with a smile.
“Very well, let me walk you home,” he said as they rose from their chairs. He left cash on the table for Morrte, not needing any change.
“Oh, I don’t know,” Cassi protested. “I’ll be okay. I know my way.”
He noted that she seemed to be a little more hesitant about something, but he wasn’t sure what. Blaine’s desire to spend more time with her washed that away though, and he indicated so with a wave of his hand.
“Nonsense. I insist,” he said. “It would be the proper, gentlemanly thing to do. I promise, no funny business, I won’t try anything, etcetera.”
Cassi looked at him, her pale blue eyes evaluating him. He thought she was going to agree, but her head began to shake a negative, much to his surprise.
“No, no I’ll be okay this time, Blaine, I promise.”
He felt his spirits fall.
“But perhaps you could walk me home after the next time?” she asked hesitantly, her eyes looking at his, searching for something.
His cheeks tugged upward in a smile at the suggestion. “That would be an acceptable compromise I suppose,” he said, tossing her a wink. “I’m busy tomorrow unfortunately. Perhaps the day after instead?”
Cassi nodded happily. “Perfect. I’m busy tomorrow anyway as well, so Saturday works well for me!”
They exchanged numbers and he punched it into his phone.
“Thank you for dinner, Blaine,” she said and stepped close.
Before Blaine could react, she put her arms around him and rested her head on his chest, waiting there until his arms remembered what to do and settled around her, feeling her outer softness and the muscle below it that told him she was in better shape than she looked.
“You’re very welcome,” he replied from above her as his voice started working again.
He could smell her hair: cinnamon and wildflowers that tickled his nose in a most lovely way. It was tempting to inhale her scent deeply, but he didn’t want to be that obvious about it.
“I’ll show you around Saturday, so don’t go exploring too much until then,” he teased before finally stepping back and breaking the hug.
Cassi’s hands slid around his sides almost reluctantly before she put them back at her sides.
“That sounds perfect. I’ll wait for your call,” she said with a little smile before turning on her heel and walking away.
He saw the slight bounce in her walk and grinned, knowing he felt the exact same way. After all, Blaine now had a date. A date! A real one, with a woman who he’d met before, not another blind date set up by his friends.
As she disappeared around a corner, Blaine found himself wishing he could see her tomorrow.
That thought immediately soured his mind, as he recalled the reason he couldn’t. The reason he’d headed out in the first place.
Tomorrow afternoon a delegation from Fenris, the next biggest shifter stronghold after Cadia, would be arriving, and that evening there would be a reception to welcome them.
Blaine still couldn’t believe that they were actually going to go through all this again. Especially after what had happened the last time a group from Fenris had come to Cadia. It seemed ridiculous to him, but then again, he wasn’t in power, and didn’t have a reputation or political control that he had to show off or maintain.
He rolled his eyes. Perhaps he should have invited Cassi to that, so that he would have an excuse not to have to be all that social.
The Fume Dragon snorted at the idea. That would just be mean, to expose her to the dicks from Fenris. She didn’t deserve that. No one did.
His mood permanently dampened for the evening, he headed home—with a quick stop for some ice cream, a shifter obsession—and contented himself with a beer before he headed to bed.
***
Cassi
“Well don’t you look fabulous!”
She tried not to cringe at the half-leer that she knew accompanied the words, even if she couldn’t see the bearer.
“Thank you, Taurin,” she said through gritted teeth as the face appeared in the mirror behind her.
“You are most welcome, my dear. You cut a stunning visage in that, I must say. I am sure many eyes will be on you tonight.”
Including yours, you creep.
If only Blaine could see her too. She knew he wouldn’t leer at her like an object. No, he would admire her like a fine bottle of wine instead.
Which is an object.
Shut up brain, it’s a metaphor, okay? It means he would admire how I look, but wouldn’t let that get in the way of me.
But Blaine wouldn’t be there tonight. It was a smaller reception, mostly for those in power circles or directly involved with the events that had brought her, Taurin, and the rest of the Fenris delegation to Cadia. Blaine was a well-known shifter, but he wasn’t part of the politicking crowd of Cadia.
Thank goodness.
Cassi didn’t like Cadia, or most of the residents, but even she was forced to admit that the politicians here had more in common with those back home than she would prefer to admit. It seemed that those obsessed with power were all cut from the same general mold.
“Are you ready to go, my dear?” Taurin asked, extending an arm to her.
This time Cassi couldn’t stop the shudder that ran from the base of her skull to the end of her spine, but she did manage to conceal it by moving at the same time. Taurin, unfortunately, was the one person in her delegation she could not say no to. Although he wasn’t part of the team assigned to do the actual work, he was one of the three or four most powerful figures in Fenris. This meant that he was the head of the delegation, even if he wasn’t directly involved in the goings-on.
“Of course,” she said, swallowing a bit of bile as his lecherous arm snagged hers so quickly it almost pulled it from the socket.
Why did I have to go and look half-decent around him?
Cassi was feeling good about herself tonight, which is why she wished Blaine could see. The floor-length dress hugged her body, showing off her curves from all sides. It rose up and around her upper arms, and also held itself up around her throat with a two-inch-wide piece of fabric to form a makeshift choker. The design left her shoulders completely bare, with a strategic cutout to show off the swell of her breasts.
Her hair was straightened and pulled back, the brilliant white of her locks falling down her back, providing a stark contrast to the deep glittering purple of her dress. A black satin clutch and modest three-inch black heels completed the ensemble.
All in all, she looke
d damn good. It had been quite some time since she put this much effort into dressing up, and Cassi had decided to go full out with it. It might be a bit much, but as the actual lead of the team, she had to make an impression. The Cadians needed to know she was here and she meant business in all aspects. They couldn’t be allowed to underestimate her.
Cassi had considered going the opposite route, trying to come off as less than she was, but had almost immediately decided otherwise. It would be better to try and strike fear into their hearts, to make them concerned about just how impressive their opponent was. That would be the path to winning.
Winning.
A sliver of doubt crept up into her as Taurin escorted her to the stairs that led to the rear of their building and the changing circles that lay there, awaiting their presence.
Could she follow through and do as she’d been charged with? Or would the doubters back home, those so similar to the ones in her head, prove to be correct?
“See you at the reception?” Taurin spoke as he reluctantly relinquished her arm, gesturing her toward an empty stone circle.
“Of course,” she said with a slight bow, before hurriedly turning her back on him and moving to the center of the thick inlaid stones.
Cassi took a calming breath. It was never a good idea to go into a change with excess energy if it could be avoided. It would simply make her dragon more anxious than it already was, which was not something she needed, especially just then.
The wellspring of cold was there at her core, like it always was. She reached for it mentally and caressed it lightly for a second before throwing open the container she’d learned to weave around it so many years before.
Ice rushed through her veins, a fast-growing glacial torrent that chilled her body beyond anything it should be able to sustain. At the same time, anyone watching would see an storm suddenly appear from around her feet, reaching its frigid tendrils upward to envelop her. Little particles of snow and hail bounced across the stones below her feet.
Inside the storm her dragon began to take over. Limbs lengthened to proportions far larger than any human could possess, joins reversed themselves automatically, and two massive bulges appeared on her back, growing larger with each passing millisecond. Her torso ballooned in size as she stood on all fours, the storm now a raging ball of hail swirling around her oversized figure.
