The Dragon's Mate (Shifters Series Book 7)

by Elizabeth Kelly

  * * *

  “Admit it,” Panting lightly, Bren circled around Kaida, “I’m better at fighting than you thought.”

  “You’re better at avoiding getting your ass kicked than I thought,” Kaida said.

  Bren laughed before making a little bow. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

  The last five minutes had passed in a blur as Kaida had attacked him again and again. He’d managed to fend off her blows and even attempt a couple of his own, but he’d be lying if he didn’t admit she was much stronger and faster than he suspected.

  Kaida’s smile widened and Bren’s dick twitched against his jeans. The shifter was gorgeous in general, but when she was fighting? The flush of her pale skin, the way her eyes glowed… it was goddamn sexy as hell.

  It was how she would look when they were fucking. The realization gave him an immediate semi. He grimaced at the pressure. He couldn’t keep thinking about –

  He grunted in surprise. Taking advantage of his momentary distraction, Kaida had hit him like a freight train. He was knocked backwards onto his ass, the air exploding from his lungs. The soft sand cushioned his head and he made another grunt when Kaida pounced on him. She straddled his hips, her hands yanking his arms above his head and pinning them to the ground as she leaned over him.

  She smiled at him, her fangs flashing in the sunlight. “You lose, human.”

  “Did I?” he said with his own grin. “I’ve got a beautiful woman straddling me, that’s always a win in my book.”

  She laughed and shifted a little. “Yeah, well it’s still losing in…”

  She twitched as her pussy came in contact with his dick. Her gaze dropped to his crotch where his semi had become a full-blown erection the moment he’d felt Kaida’s soft weight. Surprise and lust crossed her face and her grip on his arms loosened.

  He used it to his advantage, heaving his body upward and knocking her off of him. She landed on her back and he immediately threw his body onto hers, pushing his way between her thighs and pinning her arms above her head.

  He grinned down at her. “What was that you were saying about me losing?”

  She scoffed, her golden eyes flashing at him. “Using your dick to distract me doesn’t count as a win.”

  “Hey, all’s fair in love and war. If I have to use my dick to distract you, I will,” he said.

  She laughed again, that warm and throaty sound that made him feel dizzy like he was speeding down the track of a roller coaster. His gaze dropped to her mouth and without thinking about it, he pressed his erection against her pussy. Her pelvis rose, encouraging him to flex his hips again.

  He studied her mouth, that full bottom lip that was begging to be sucked on. “I’d really like to kiss you.”

  Her pelvis rose again and when she ground her pussy against his stiff cock, he groaned. “Kaida -”

  “Kiss me, human,” she demanded.

  He dipped his head and did what she asked, covering her mouth with his and sliding his tongue between her lips. She returned his kiss, sucking on his tongue greedily as she arched her body against his.

  He released her arms, propping himself up on his hands as he kissed her neck and then nuzzled her earlobe. Her arms slid around his waist, her hands dipping under his shirt to roam across his back.

  He groaned into her ear when she ran her nails teasingly down his spine before tracing the bumps of his ribs. They were dry humping like they were teenagers, and he dug his fingers into the soft sand before kissing her again. He cupped her breast and grunted impatiently at the barrier of cloth.

  He shook the sand off his fingers and slid his hand under her shirt. She was wearing a sports bra and he teased her nipple through the cotton before reaching for the band of the bra. He paused to check in with her, lifting his head to study her face.

  Her eyes were glowing, and she was biting her bottom lip compulsively. She dug her nails into his waist. “Human, don’t stop.”

  “Just wanted to make sure,” he said before pressing a kiss against her mouth.

  She scowled up at him and he grunted in surprise when she reared up and flipped him over. He was on his back in the sand again with Kaida lying on top of him before he quite knew what happened.

  “Jesus, you’re fast and strong.”

  “I told you I was,” she said as she lifted his shirt to expose his chest. He groaned when she kissed across his sternum. Her dark hair was in a ponytail and the end brushed against his ribcage like soft feathers as she licked around one flat nipple.

  “Fuck!” He gripped the back of her head.

  “You don’t have to ask permission to touch my tits, human,” she said with an impish grin. “You shouldn’t expect me to ask permission to touch your dick.”

  She sat up and ground her pussy against his dick before tracing her finger around his belly button. “Or is that what you want? Do you want me to ask permission before I,” her finger trailed down his zipper, “touch or suck or fuck your cock?”

  She popped the button on his jeans and pulled down the zipper before sliding her hand under the band of his briefs. Her hand wrapped around his dick and he groaned, his pelvis jumping and his hands squeezing her hips compulsively.

  She leaned over him, a playful smile on her lips as her hand – her warm, incredibly soft hand – stroked his dick with long and lazy pulls.

  “Well, human? Do I need to ask permission to take what is mine?”

  He shook his head, pleasure drenching his entire system as Kaida ran her thumb through the precum that had collected at the tip of his dick. “Nope. It’s all yours whenever you want it.”

  “Good.” She rubbed a little harder. “Your dick is an impressive size. I expected a human to have a small dick.”

  “Glad I could surprise you.” He reached for her breasts again, cupping their heavy weight through her shirt.

  “Would you like to see my tits?” she asked. “Touch them? Suck on my nipples?”

  “Yes, please,” he said with a cheeky grin.

  She laughed. “Then I guess -”

  Her body froze and she cocked her head, inhaling deeply before studying the path that led into the woods. “The boys are coming.”

  “Fuck,” he muttered as she jumped off of him. He staggered to his feet, zipping up and buttoning his jeans as she straightened her shirt.

  He could hear Tyler and Corey laughing and talking, and he grabbed Kaida’s arm when she moved away from him. “What night works best for our date?”

  “I won, human. There will be no date.”

  He grinned at her. “It was a tie at best. What about Tuesday night? I know a great restaurant on the west side. Say around seven?”

  She glanced at the woods, and he tried to keep a neutral look on his face. If she said no again, he would have to ignore their obvious attraction and let it go. He wasn’t into hounding a woman for a date, no matter how much he was into her.

  “Seven-thirty,” she said.

  He wanted to do something incredibly stupid like fist pump the air. Instead, he nodded calmly and said, “Seven thirty. I’ll text you the restaurant address.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  “Thanks for driving me into the city, Kaida.” Sika reached across and patted her arm. “Jarvis couldn’t get away from work and I really wanted to finish picking up everything we need for the hatchling.”

  “It’s no problem.” Kaida turned left and headed for the outskirts of the city. They were actually relatively close to Bren’s apartment, and a little trickle of anticipation settled in her belly.

  She hadn’t told Sika about her date with Bren tonight. She wanted to, but her worry that Sika would accidentally tell the others in the clan kept her mouth shut about it.

  “Hey, Kaida?”

  “Hmm?” She made another left.

  “Jarvis wants to join Avena’s clan.”

  Kaida jerked, making the car swerve a little on the road. “What?”

  “He’s been talking about it for a while,” Sika
said.

  “But Avena’s clan is four hours away.”

  “I know. But it’s still the closest clan to us.”

  Kaida stopped at a red light and stared at her best friend. “Why?”

  “They’re more progressive. Jarvis was there last year for a couple of weeks, remember?”

  “Yes,” Kaida said.

  “Well, he and Norven became pretty good friends, and you know that Norven is on the council. Anyway, he told Jarvis that they were thinking about allowing some of their clan members to start working with and around humans and other shifters.”

  “You’re kidding me.” Kaida’s mouth dropped open.

  “I’m not. Norven talked to Jarvis last week and said that they were close to convincing Avena it was the right thing to do. Once Avena is on board, the rest of the clan will follow. They do what their high elder tells them.”

  “I know, but… it’s dangerous, Sika. If other shifters discover that we haven’t gone extinct…”

  “We are going extinct,” Sika said.

  The car behind them honked impatiently and Kaida waved apologetically before driving through the green light.

  “We’re dying out, Kaida. You know that as well as I do. We need to change the old ways before it’s too late.”

  “It might already be too late,” Kaida said.

  Sika looked out the window, her hand rubbing her belly. “Maybe.”

  “Cadmus would be open to the idea of changing our old ways,” Kaida said.

  Sika laughed. “He may be, but the rest of the council is not. Even if he demanded we change, the discord between him and the council would tear our clan apart. The council of elders for Avena’s clan are all on board with the change.”

  “If you leave…” Kaida swallowed the lump in her throat.

  Sika smiled sadly at her. “I will miss you terribly, my friend. But perhaps you could consider joining Avena’s clan as well. I know the old ways do not sit well with you either.”

  “I can’t leave Gram and she will never leave our clan.”

  “I know. It was worth a shot.”

  Kaida smiled at her. “You are right. Things need to change and perhaps someday Cadmus will convince the other council members of it.”

  “Perhaps,” Sika said. “But someday will probably be too late. We need to start mating with other shifters and humans now if we want to have any chance of survival.”

  Kaida stared at her in shock. “Mating with humans? Have you lost your mind, Sika?”

  She shook her head. “No.”

  “A human woman would not be able to bear a dragon child.”

  “You don’t know that,” Sika said. “No one will know until it happens.”

  “It would kill her.”

  “Again, we don’t know that,” Sika said. “Humans are stronger than we think, Kaida.”

  An image of Bren surfaced in Kaida’s mind. He hadn’t been nearly as easy to defeat in their mock fight the other day than she thought he would be. Sika could be right, but –

  “Kaida?”

  Sika’s voice had changed, and the scent of her fear filled the car. Kaida glanced at her. “What’s wrong?”

  “I – my water just broke.”

  Kaida dropped her gaze to Sika’s lap. The crotch of her pants was wet and Kaida muttered a curse under her breath. “All right, do not worry. We’ll be home soon and -”

  Sika shrieked, her hand clamping down on her belly.

  “Sika!”

  Kaida pulled over to the side of the road and grabbed Sika’s hand. The dragoness squeezed it so tightly, Kaida thought her bones might crack. “What is it?”

  “The hatchling is coming,” Sika groaned.

  “What? Right now?”

  “Yes! Right now!” Smoke drifted from Sika’s nose and she frantically rolled down the window before blowing a puff of flame out into the cool air.

  “You have to hold it,” Kaida said. “We can’t go to the hospital and it’s an hour to get home.”

  “I can’t hold it!” Sika shouted. “It’s not like I have to pee, Kaida! The hatchling is coming! I need to push.”

  “Fuck! Don’t push!” Kaida said as Sika moaned in pain again. “Is that another contraction already?”

  “Yes,” Sika hissed before blowing more flame out the window. “Help me, Kaida. Please.”

  Shit! What did she do?

  Call Bren.

  She winced when Sika squeezed her hand again.

  “Kaida, I need a hospital,” Sika said. “I am not having my hatchling on the side of the road.”

  “We can’t take you to the hospital, honey. You know that. The baby will be born with scales and it’s first breaths are smoke and flame. If the doctor sees that…”

  “Fuck!” Sika shouted. “This cannot be happening.” She started to cry. “I want Jarvis. Please, Kaida, I want Jarvis.”

  Call Bren.

  They were close to Bren’s apartment. If he was home, she could take Sika there. It would mean exposing their secret to Bren but what choice did she have?

  “Hang on, Sika. I have an idea.” She grabbed her phone and called Bren, her stomach in knots and her pulse racing.

  * * *

  Bren’s stomach did a dip and dive when he saw who was calling. He’d been jittery and nervous since he woke up this morning and while it was embarrassing at his age to be this excited about a first date, he couldn’t contain it. Seeing Kaida’s name on his phone screen only increased his anticipation.

  Don’t get too excited, buddy. She’s probably calling to cancel.

  Hoping that wasn’t the case, he hit the answer button on the steering wheel. “Hey, Kaida, what’s up?”

  “Bren, are you at home?”

  Kaida’s voice was uncharacteristically shrill.

  “No, but I’m close to home,” he said. “What’s wrong?”

  “Shit. How close?”

  “Five minutes,” he said. “What’s going on?”

  “Are you working, or can you meet me at your place?”

  “Technically I’m working but I can meet you at my apartment.”

  There was a muffled groan of pain in the background and Bren’s hands tightened on the steering wheel. “What was that?”

  “Sika,” Kaida said. “It’s okay, honey. Hold on. We’re almost to Bren’s place. Bren, please… can you meet us there?”

  “I’m on my way.”

  “Thank you.” She disconnected the call and Bren flipped his lights on and stepped on the gas. Thanks to the lights, he made it to his apartment in three minutes instead of five. Kaida was parking in the visitor parking and he parked in his spot and jogged over to her car as she opened the passenger door.

  “Kaida, what’s wrong?”

  “Sika isn’t feeling well,” Kaida said as she helped her pregnant friend from the car. “Do you mind if she rests at your place for a few minutes.”

  “Uh, sure, that’s fine.”

  Kaida put her arm around Sika’s waist and guided her toward the front door of his apartment building. The woman was sweating profusely, and her face was pale.

  “You sure she shouldn’t go to the hospital?” Bren opened the door and Kaida and Sika followed him to the elevator.

  “I’m sure,” Kaida said. Her voice was still on the shrill side and she kept darting nervous glances at Sika as they rode the elevator to Bren’s floor. He opened his front door and Kaida practically dragged Sika into his apartment.

  He shut the door and followed the two women down the hallway. Moving quickly, Kaida got Sika to his spare bedroom. “She needs to lie down for a few minutes.”

  She helped Sika stretch out on the bed. Bren studied the wet spot on the crotch of Sika’s pants. “Kaida?”

  Kaida refused to look at him. Instead she sat on the bed next to Sika and took her hand. “Deep breaths, Sika. It’ll be all right.”

  “I want Jarvis, please,” Sika moaned.

  “He’s on his way.” Still not looking at him, Kaida said,
“I called Sika’s mate and gave him your address.”

  “Kaida,” Bren said again as Sika made a soft shriek and grabbed at her stomach.

  “Breathe, honey,” Kaida said.

  “Kaida!”

  She finally looked at him and he gestured to Sika. “She’s in labour. She needs a hospital.”

  “She can’t go to the hospital, Bren,” Kaida said. “Please trust me on this, okay?”

  “Kaida, I’m so hot,” Sika moaned.

  “I know, sweetheart. Hold on.” Kaida jumped up and opened the window. Cold air drifted in and Sika made another moan.

  “It hurts so bad. I want Jarvis.”

  “He’ll be here soon, honey.”

  “She needs to go to the hospital.” Bren stood at the end of the bed. “She can’t give birth in my apartment.”

  “She’s not going to give birth in your apartment,” Kaida said. “As soon as her mate arrives, we’ll take her back to the clan and -”

  “Kaida, I have to push!” Sika suddenly shouted. She unbuttoned her pants and shoved them down her thighs.

  “Not going to give birth, my ass,” Bren said. He pulled his cell phone from his pocket. “I’m calling 9-1-1.”

  Kaida jumped off the bed and rushed toward him, grabbing his hand and holding her hand over his phone. “Bren, you cannot!”

  “I have to,” he said. “I don’t know shit about birthing babies. Do you?”

  Kaida swallowed heavily. “Gram has given me instructions and shown me pictures on how to birth a hatchling.”

  “Oh fantastic,” Bren said. “You’ve seen a PowerPoint presentation so you’re more than capable of helping Sika have her baby. Is that what you’re saying?”

  “She can’t go to the hospital,” Kaida said as Sika groaned behind them.

  “Tell me why,” Bren said.

  Kaida bit her lip. “I can’t. Please trust me. Leave Sika and me in the room, all right? Wait for Jarvis and -”

  “No,” he said. “Unless you tell me exactly why Sika can’t go to the hospital, I am calling 9-1-1. I know your clan doesn’t like humans, but this is an emergency.”

  “Bren.” Kaida stared pleadingly at him and he shook his head.