Griffin Drake

by Emilia Hartley

  Table of Contents

  GRIFFIN DRAKE

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Thank you!

  GRIFFIN DRAKE

  Emilia Hartley

  © Copyright 2019 by Blues Publishing. - All rights reserved.

  The contents of this book may not be reproduced, duplicated or transmitted without direct written permission from the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  Legal Notice:

  This book is copyright protected. This is only for personal use. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded or distributed via the Internet or any other means, electronic or print, without the author’s permission.

  NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental. The author does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for third-party websites or their content.

  Chapter One

  Lilah couldn’t believe it. She was late again. Cursing under her breath as she breezed through the door, she stopped dead in her tracks when she noticed her manager standing with his hands on his hips. The dark look in his eyes said enough.

  Nothing Lilah told him could save this job. She pressed her eyes shut and swallowed, trying to come up with a miraculous excuse. Perhaps she could say she stopped to help an innocent fawn out of the road. Maybe if she told her manager that the fawn had been injured and she had to whisk it to the veterinary hospital, then she would still have a job.

  None of that was true, of course. The only thing that had waylaid Lilah had been her own flesh and blood. Her manager wouldn’t care that her sister appeared on her doorstep again. That her sibling kept her up all night, making her sleep through alarm after alarm. All that mattered was that Lilah had been late.

  Again.

  She followed her manager into the office, avoiding the gaze of the girl standing behind the checkout counter where Lilah should have been. The manager said exactly what Lilah was expecting. A sense of dread and finality should have dragged her stomach to the floor, but Lilah only felt a dead resignation.

  Another job gone.

  The curse had struck again.

  Lilah told herself it wasn’t the end of the world. She had some savings, just enough to buy food for a few days, and could look for another job while she changed the locks in her doors. Maybe, if she kept her sister out, then she would finally be able to hold down a job. Her references would be absolute crap, but she could start fresh. She’d work her way from the bottom to the top again.

  She reached into her purse, fully intending to buy herself a drink, but her fingers found nothing. Panic crackled in her chest. It crept up, tightening her throat, when she jerked her purse open. Where there should have been a wallet was only an empty space.

  Her resignation finally cracked, and dread pulled her into the sidewalk. She should have known better. If it was the work of the curse, then the only way this night could go was down. The lights strung from post to post glittered happily around her, only serving to remind her that the world kept going on while she fell apart time and time again.

  “Fuck you, too, little sister.” Lilah grumbled.

  She sighed, feeling tears burn her eyes, and slumped against the building. Any minute, the manager would come out and accuse her of loitering, but she couldn’t find it in herself to care. She felt adrift. One moment, Lilah had the strength to rebuild her life, and the next, it crumbled into ashes.

  Knowing her little sister, she had already taken her cash, withdrawn whatever she could from her debit card, and was working on the credit cards. Lilah knew she needed to call her bank, but it broke her heart. No matter how many times she tried to help her sister out of the messes she got herself into, she would walk right back in.

  Lilah had listened to her mother’s final wishes and done her best to stand by her sister, but if she kept destroying her own life…well, Lilah would have to cut her off. She had to start thinking of herself.

  ***

  Griffin was tired, too tired to deal with his family. The numbers kept growing. Each cousin that returned home suddenly found themselves with a mate, turning a group of five into a group of eight. Griffin couldn’t handle everyone who came and went, their shrill laughter and tendency to seek him out as if he actually enjoyed their presence.

  On and on the mates would go about his inability to find a woman. He, it seemed, was the only metallic dragon who had not yet found a mate. Even Jasper had found a woman, though she rightfully ran away from him.

  Served Jasper right, Griffin thought. Jasper was the king of fools. He’d inherited the mountains and all who lived in them, but Griffin couldn’t help but think Jasper took it all for granted. While Jasper was losing battles to his own beast, Griffin had been the one there to pick up the pieces. He’d replaced damn near every table in Jasper’s house, gone to fetch the blasted beast more times than he could count, and kept it all under wraps so no one had to know they were an absolute mess.

  What did Griffin get out of it? A whole lot of nothing,

  He walked the streets of Grove, in the small bubbles of glowing light over the sidewalks, just to escape the chaos that his home had become. His father would have called him ungrateful. He would have smacked Griffin for the bitter thoughts crouching in his mind. Thankfully, his father was long gone. Almost all of the former court had passed.

  The bright light of a convenience store spilled out onto the street, almost garish. What stopped Griffin was the silhouette leaning against the window. His heart beat quickened, though he didn’t understand why. The closer he came, close enough to reach out as he passed by, he realized it was a woman. She barely spared him a glance before her eyes went heavenward again.

  Griffin was struck by the clean line of her cheekbones, by the puckered pout of her dark red lips. She reached and swiped at her cheek. Griffin meant to keep walking. Whatever she was going through, it wasn’t his problem, but he only got a few steps past her before he paused. The beast rose with an echoing growl.

  Griffin had no time for beasts or women. He wanted nothing to do with either. He would have welcomed a thousand-year fairy sleeping curse just to get the peace and quiet he craved, but he turned back toward the woman instead.

  He didn’t know what he was thinking. If anything, he blamed his beast for putting him on autopilot. Yet, when he reached her, the beast released it’s hold on him and left him wordless.

  This time, she righted herself and cleared away any evidence that she’d been crying. Griffin searched for the right thing to say but came up empty-handed. He could do anything he put his mind to, but when faced with a woman, he became useless.

  No wonder he couldn’t find a mate.

  He sighed. “You look like you’re having a rough night. I was just on my way to get a drink. Do you want to come with me?”

  He hadn’t been on his way to get a drink, but she looked like she could use one. Once he mentioned it, a drink sounded like a good idea. He craved a glass of good whiskey. Especially since Jasper had taken to stealing any bottles that were brought anywhere near the manor grounds.

  At first, she said nothing. G
riffin found himself staring at her lips again and forced himself to look away. Which only brought his gaze lower. His beast stirred and his cheeks warmed.

  “I, ah,” she stumbled over her words.

  Griffin realized that the beast had crawled into his eyes. He could feel the changes there, the way his eyes tingled as the silver flooded them. There was no hiding what he was. She must have been a local who knew what he was because she began to shrink away from him. The gesture, no matter how instinctual, hurt.

  He hadn’t expected that kind of rejection to sting, but it had. Most of his life, he’d used his intimidating presence to keep people away. The one time he actually wanted to get closer to someone, the blade became double-edged.

  “It’s my treat,” he added. “If you don’t come along, I’ll have to drink on my own, and we both know how pathetic that is.”

  “I would never call someone like you pathetic,” she muttered.

  Griffin knew she was referring to his beast, the creature inside him, but he couldn’t help the pathetic feeling lurking within. He wondered why he’d yet to find a mate. Even surly Jasper had found a woman. What was so wrong with him that he was forced to stand on the outside of everything? Always alone, always apart from the joy around him, Griffin had started to think he would never find someone willing to deal with him.

  The bitterness that had festered inside him for years was partially to blame. As was the intimidating look that always graced his face. Both kept everyone around him at a distance. If he let go of either, then there was a chance he could feel close to someone. Griffin didn’t know how to do it. He was no more able to let go of the bitterness than to ignore the beast inside him. It just didn’t work.

  But, the woman fighting a full breakdown beside him vanquished the bitterness with one glance. Being in her presence made it easier to breathe. Griffin wondered what sorcery this was but didn’t want to ask for fear of breaking the spell.

  Chapter Two

  The bar was dimly lit. It smelled of leather, whiskey, and the ghost of cigar smoke. She followed the dragon man through the room, expecting him to settle on a bar stool at the counter. Instead, he gave a nod to the bartender before pushing open a door at the far end of the room. It opened into a sterile stairwell where the scent of fresh air tried to greet her.

  The dragon man looked back at her and must have seen her hesitation. “I promise you I’m not trying to lead you into trouble.” He jerked his chin toward the narrow and winding stairs that seemed to climb infinitely. “The bar can feel too small for me, so I drink on the roof.”

  “The roof?” Lilah repeated. She felt like a fool in front of him, like a speck that he could crush in the blink of an eye.

  Yet, there was something about the careful way he spoke, the way he reassured her time and time again, that told her he would always be careful around her. She was not insignificant to him, but she couldn’t imagine why. They knew nothing about one another. He was a dragon shifter, one of the metallic beasts that secretly ruled over Grove. She was just a human who happened to live among monsters.

  Lilah had wanted to escape this town for as long as she could remember, dreaming of cities far away, like Seattle and Portland. Her sister’s bad habits had kept her firmly planted in Grove, where a dragon could burn down half a mountain and it would be just another Tuesday.

  The beasts were truly terrifying, but here she was, having a drink with one.

  It was a strange day, indeed.

  Lilah followed him up the several flights of stairs. She expected to find one lonely table waiting just for him, but the roof was outfitted with several now that the snow had begun to melt, a rare burst of warmth for early April that had cleared Grove. There were even towering heaters turning the space into a private getaway. It felt intimate, in a way. Especially since there was no one else drinking up here.

  The dragon man took a seat near the edge of the building, where a small wall rose to keep them from falling to the ground below. Lilah glanced at the door behind her, thinking of running while he was staring at the town below. She surprised herself by stepping toward him.

  Lilah had nothing to fear. The dragon men were intimidating, but they weren’t murderers. She finally pushed herself forward to claim the seat across from him. His hair was tied back, silver white like the moon above. He must have been the silver dragon of the court.

  Though she knew he’d never left Grove, he’d gone mostly unseen. Lilah had lost count of the number of times she’d seen the king flying over town. Now that more of the metallic dragons had returned, she’d caught glimpses of them, too. The silver dragon, though she knew he existed, was far more reclusive.

  Lilah caught herself wondering why as she stared at him. Then, his gaze slid to her. His expression was somber and hard to read. She couldn’t see past his mercuric eyes to whatever lay beneath. Hell, she hardly understood why he’d invited her to have a drink with him. It had been completely unexpected.

  Perhaps it had been for him, too. She struggled to envision him bringing woman after woman to this roof. It would have been easier if he’d been slicker with his words, but he seemed to fumble with them just as much as she did. There was no practiced ease in the way he’d invited her. He sure as hell didn’t know how to start a conversation.

  Despite the odd situation, Lilah found herself smiling. Her lips were pressed tight to hide her laughter.

  “What’s so funny?” His brows fell together.

  Lilah gestured to the table, to him, to the town below. “This is not how I expected my night to go. I left the house late for work and lost my job, but now I’m sitting at a fancy table with a…” She struggled to say dragon out loud. It felt like something she had to keep hushed, a secret.

  She didn’t know why she was acting this way. It wasn’t as if there was anyone around to hear her. She swallowed and tried again. Before she could utter a syllable, the door opened, and the bartender appeared with a tray in hand. He set down two glasses and left the bottle on the table.

  The dragon shifter gave a curt nod, already reaching for the bottle as the door closed behind the bartender. The amber liquid glugged into the glass, and Lilah thought she heard a sigh escape him. Just when she thought he would bring the glass to his lips and down it all at once, he pushed the glass toward her.

  She waited for him to pour his own glass, feeling the ball of tension in her chest constrict. The fragrance of the whiskey reached her nose, sweet and sharp. This was no cheap stuff. It was top shelf liquor, and he was sharing it with her. The idea that he was sharing such a rare treat with her warmed her chest. The knot began to loosen.

  When he raised his glass in salute, Lilah mirrored him. The whiskey went down like a trail of blazing fire, all in one gulp because that was the kind of night she was having, further loosening the knot that had taken control of her chest. She let out a breath, savoring the fire in her throat and stomach.

  “Is this what it feels like?” she asked without thinking.

  He cocked his head, taking her in. She realized her question had no context but couldn’t bring herself to say more. After a few silent moments, he let out an ah and nodded.

  “Breathing fire,” he said. “That’s what you’re talking about?”

  Lilah nodded, a bit embarrassed.

  He grinned. It was an unexpected sight that stole every semblance of a thought and left her mind blank. A dimple graced one cheek, just one, and the street lights illuminated his silver eyes. They’d yet to go back to the soft blue-grey they’d been when he first stopped to talk to her.

  He looked down at his glass, tipping it back and forth. “It’s like a good whisky, but much, much hotter. This is like breathing a spark or an ember, something small. A fireball, on the other hand, is like chugging a bottle of ghost pepper sauce.”

  Lilah found herself laughing. The air that had been thick around them was thinning and she felt like she could breathe again. This wasn’t an awkward first date. They were just two people sharing a drink
after a long day.

  “So, why are you drinking?” Lilah asked.

  Before he answered, he poured her another drink. She thought nothing of the consequences as she lifted the glass to her lips again.

  “I can’t stand most of my family,” he confessed. His lips twisted to the side, as if he regretted what he’d said. “Of course, I love them. They’re family, but the gaps between us have grown a lot wider as of late.”

  Lilah felt warmth curling in her stomach. The warmth made her fingers tingle and her head lighter. She parted her lips, intending to ask more when he suddenly changed the subject.

  “What about you? What’s your reason for drinking?”

  Lilah groaned dramatically. She set her glass down and ran her hands over her face. While she expected the dragon man to laugh at her display, he remained silent. It was a small gift. It allowed her to center herself before she spoke.

  “I lost my job today. It was probably a long time coming and tonight was the final straw, but that didn’t make it any easier.” Lilah threw back the rest of what was in her glass. “My sister has a habit of coming and going. She likes to disrupt my life every time she appears, which is more often than not. Because of her, I was an hour late to work for the fourth time this month.”

  She furrowed her brows. This was more than she’d intended to say. The glass in her hand was empty. It had to account for nearly four shots of whiskey. It was no wonder she’d let slip far more than she should have. Lilah had to change the subject before she revealed too much.

  He didn’t need to know about her life. It was her struggle. Hers alone.

  Well, that wasn’t entirely true. It was a family thing, something both she and her sister struggled with.

  “You haven’t told me your name, yet,” Lilah mentioned.

  She regarded the whiskey bottle for a long moment but decided to hold off for the time being. Any more of the magical liquid and she was sure to say more than she meant to.