Dragon Wanted: A Dragon Shifter Fated Mates Novel (Space Dragons Seek Mates Book 3)

by Michelle Ziegler

  “Have you ever heard the phrase personal space?”

  A stoic stare looked down at her. Right. Dragon shifter or something.

  Maybe they weren’t around people much. With looks like his, he probably had to fight off mobs of women. So, maybe he just didn’t care.

  A small piece of her was beginning to believe his crazy story. He talked strangely; he said human instead of person a lot, and he wasn’t like any shifter she’d ever met before.

  She started to walk down the street, trying to decide how she really felt about Deo. Maybe she was blinded by his charm. Good-looking only got you so far if you were really bat shit crazy. Only, she wasn’t sure he was.

  There was something more. Aisha thought back to a few days ago, remembering what he’d been like. Different from this possessive man in front of her.

  The way he’d run into her office, nearly begging to know what kind of chemistry she specialized in. He’d looked half crazed with desperation, or well as much as his stone exterior ever looked crazed. He didn’t have many facial expressions, or maybe there just wasn’t much that got to him. His eyes, though. His eyes said everything, and all she had to know was what to look for.

  This had all started when he’d thrust an odd little chip at her. Aisha had been honest that she didn’t understand technology, but he hadn’t needed her for that. No. He wanted to know about the residue, a poison apparently.

  The truth was, Aisha would have helped him out of curiosity, but the way he’d looked at her, like he’d just found something he hadn’t expected, stopped her in her tracks.

  Or maybe it had been the way her heart had fluttered, and something within her screamed that he was who she needed. Yeah. It was that damn feeling that had gotten her derailed from her own research.

  She needed to help him. It wasn’t a question; it was a soul deep desire and when she failed, a part of her nearly died. Only the big, tough, stone-faced man hadn’t been angry. He’d been the opposite. Thankful even, and then he’d continued to stop by.

  “What if I don’t want him knowing where I live, Aisha?”

  Oh, right. She wasn’t alone. In fact, she had two men who both seemed to want her attention. When had that ever happened? Never. She’d either been so single that even her couch had put half of itself up for rent, or she’d settled for someone that she’d choose a dry piece of toast over. What was this world coming to?

  “Seriously, Tan? He knows where I work. If he wanted to stalk anyone, it would be me. Not you. I’m pretty sure you aren’t his type.”

  Wow. She rubbed her temple with her fingers. That might have been a little snippy, but this is what you got when she was confused, horny, and maybe a little irritated.

  They continued to walk. Tan didn’t deserve to think she’d cheated, or that she had already replaced him. That’s what this was starting to feel like, though. She should have pushed Deo to stay away, only she wasn’t sure that even putting up a fight would have stopped him.

  She slowed as they got closer to the house.

  “Deo, can you give us a second? I need to talk to Tan. Alone.”

  She blew out a breath, hoping it helped her nerves. If her dad had known that she’d find someone else, he never would have set her up in an arranged marriage. Most likely.

  Or maybe he would have. He had married for love and it hadn’t worked out for him. Aisha didn’t think much of her mom. She’d left long before Aisha had even come into her magic. Her dad never seemed to get over it, but then again, he said the reason she’d left was him. Insecurity that she’d leave him, a human, for someone better.

  Gah. She needed out of her head.

  Glancing at the house, she focused on what would happen if she broke things off with Tan? It was her house, but he rented her basement apartment, and she enjoyed that. Who wouldn’t want a friend close by?

  She pursed her lips as Deo got closer. How did she even know that without looking? Who knows? But her body was hypersensitive to him, that was clear.

  “Deo, that is the opposite of giving me space,” she said.

  He grunted. “I have excellent hearing. I don’t see any reason to walk away.”

  Dragging in a breath of air through her nose, Aisha realized sarcasm was lost on the big guy. This was why she wasn’t married yet, or well that’s what dad had said. She was too much for any man. Only he’d found Tan and as much as her dad had loved her, he’d also made her feel like this was the best she could do.

  Medium height, handsome, and not her type. Ha. Apparently, her type was out-of-her-league hot with muscles for days. Yeah. She had lofty standards for someone who didn’t feel like she fit anywhere.

  Looking at Deo, she shook her head again. “Okay. Fine. I don’t care if you hear, but could you just pretend? Maybe go sniff that tree or something.”

  She watched the wheels turn and if he said one more thing; she was going to lose it. Aisha couldn’t put off Tan anymore, and come to think of it, she wasn’t sure she could deal with “possessive” dragon guy either.

  “Fine. I will walk over there. I don’t sniff trees, but also, I will be looking for a mate for this male. There are many females here.”

  “Okay. Fine, whatever.”

  Deo finally walked away, and Aisha felt like she could breathe again. When he was around, it seemed like the world revolved around him and all the air in the world was anchored to him.

  But as he walked away, her mind cleared enough to focus on Tan.

  “Look, Tan. I’m sorry about this. He’s a really nice guy. I’ve heard about shifters, and apparently, they get possessive. I don’t really know why, well, I mean, I can guess,” she stopped.

  Tan looked around her, which wasn’t like him. He was nice, and he always felt like eye contact was the best way to communicate. Even if sometimes she had to look at his nose because the staring contest was too much.

  “Tan? Look at me, I’m trying to figure out how to make-”

  “Uh, Aisha?”

  Rolling her eyes, she answered. “Yes, Tan?”

  “I think he’s going into that house?”

  “What?” She spun on her heel and her jaw dropped as she watched Deo talking to one of her slutty neighbors. She’d never said more than one word to this single woman because her tiny bikini-clad body in the front yard made Aisha want to punch her. Yeah. It was judge-y, but seriously. Why couldn’t she sunbathe in the backyard? Maybe she was nice? Honestly, Aisha never had time to figure it out. Based on that, she’d just let some strange man in her house, yeah. No. She didn't think she was the brightest.

  “You’re seeing this? That your admirer knocked on that door and now he’s going in.”

  Yeah. She was seeing it and her face heated. He was not going into that house. Aisha glared as she power-walked across the street, reaching the door as it clicked closed.

  Knocking on the door with fervor, she might have put a little more gusto into the knock than expected.

  The bimbo answered. “Hi?”

  Aisha smiled sugary sweet. “I think my friend is lost and just came in here. I want him back.”

  Deo peeked around the door.

  “Aisha, here is a female.”

  She turned her eyes up, trying really hard to not slap something.

  “Deo, please come here.”

  He didn’t hesitate and came, turning to the girl. “I had hoped to see if perhaps you were compatible for a male. I was mistaken though, your scent is all wrong.”

  The woman’s eyes grew wide. “Your scent is off,” she quipped back.

  Deo shrugged. “You are not my soulmate. This matters very little to me.”

  Aisha let her temper get the best of her as she walked forward, pointer finger at the ready. “He smells amazing. And who cares what you think, you let some strange man into your house. Who does that?”

  No one said anything mean about her Deo. Aisha swallowed. Oh, no. She’d jumped from wanting to have sex with him, to finally finding courage to break off her fake engagem
ent with Tan, to apparently accepting his claim that she was his.

  No. No. No. That wasn’t how this went. But then again, as she watched the woman eyeing Deo, Aisha could feel a jealous rage trying to peek out behind her normally cool exterior.

  “Whatever. A guy like this knocks on your door, and maybe you’re willing to see where it goes? Besides, I watched through my window and saw him talking to you in the street. I figured he couldn’t be all bad if he was talking to you. But, whatever. I don’t even know what that means, that my scent is wrong. If he’s one of those Area 51 nuts or something, then yeah. You can have him back. I don’t care how sexy you are, I’m good.”

  The door slammed, and Aisha grabbed his arm.

  “What are you doing? How did you even get her to let you in?”

  They were halfway across the street before she realized his hand was in hers as she dragged him behind. He could have stopped her at any point, and yet he let her.

  They were almost on the curb in front of her house when he finally stopped and walked away again.

  Good Lord, What now?

  “Deo, stop.”

  He didn’t. She watched him as he strolled on a mission.

  “She is unmated, Aisha. I will be back,” he threw the words over his shoulder.

  She threw her hands up and shook her head.

  “He’s determined, isn’t he?”

  She narrowed her eyes as he approached a woman on the sidewalk.

  “Shut up, Tan. This is your fault.”

  Did she just sit on the curb and let this happen? What the hell? He apparently took the mission to get Tan a girlfriend seriously. This was going to be a really long night chasing him and trying to keep him out of jail.

  “He’s apparently really into you if he’s trying to get someone for me this fast. Also, it’s kind of strange. How does he know she’s unmated?”

  This time she squeezed her hands tight and struggled to not break her teeth as she mashed them together.

  “I have no idea, Tan. He says he’s a dragon shifter or something.”

  Tan put his hand on her shoulder. “If he’s a shifter, you probably should just give up now. As a human I don’t get it, but I think we all know the rumors. The fated mates thing isn’t something you ditch. My cousin mated a tiger shifter and yeah. She’s pretty happy.”

  “Well, Mr. Expert. What do you think you're going to say to this girl following him? How does he do that, anyway?” She mumbled that last part. How the hell was she supposed to compete if he could literally talk to any female and have them follow. Who was he?

  “Tiny male. Remove your hand from my mate.”

  Tan’s hand slid off her shoulder, and she just glared. Deo had such a god complex, and frankly she was just pissed he seemed to get what he wanted. “Don’t call him that, Deo. He doesn’t call you ‘huge male’.”

  Deo ignored her. “Male, meet this female. Her name is Tess, and she is not mated.”

  The girl giggled.

  “Deo, you can’t just walk up to any woman and assume they will get along.”

  Tan waved to the girl, while Aisha grabbed Deo’s hand and tugged. “Deo, a word, please.”

  He looked at the girl, and Aisha couldn’t help the spike of jealousy.

  “Excuse him. We’ll be right back.”

  The girl smiled as Aisha stomped away, dragging Deo a few houses down.

  “What are you doing?”

  She wanted to be mad, but when he smiled her entire body thrummed with energy and need.

  “She would make a good mate. She smells pure and matches his scent patterns. Plus, she has a wonderful butt just like yours.”

  There was literally nothing she could say to that. Because, well. She would either be pissed he looked at the girl’s ass or flattered that he liked hers.

  Damn it, if she wasn’t tied in one big knot.

  4

  Deo cautiously approached his future mate as her eyes narrowed to slits. She opened her beautiful pink mouth and then closed it several times. Perhaps she was mad. Sniffing the air, the spicy scent of her anger filled the air and mixed with the delicious scent of her need. How could she be angry and aroused all at once? Perhaps he didn’t care. His dragon roared with a need to claim their mate.

  Deo fought the shift against the beast. If he didn’t, the dragon would probably just take her and hide her away until she gave into their human side. That worked for Eadric though, but not without a lot of issues first. No. He would do this the civilized way.

  He could imagine what she might look like as he buried himself deep within her. Perhaps he wasn’t as civilized as he was pretending. Because damn it, he prayed to the goddess she’d be his soon.

  Mentally he went down the checklist of things that should be simplifying the process. He had already found a woman that held similar physical qualities as his Aisha, and therefore that male should be fine. Even if he wasn’t, Deo didn’t really fucking care right now.

  Damn. Her face was still squinched, her nose making an adorable little wrinkle on her brow that he wanted to kiss away. Why the hell was she mad? God, he should have listened to his brothers. Earth women made no sense.

  “Deo, you can’t just pick a woman because she’s chubby. You also can’t go around sniffing women, that’s rude. Or, well, it sounds rude.”

  His brow furrowed. “What does chubby mean? If it is regarding your ass, then why can’t I pick a woman with equally delightful assets?”

  Her upper lip curled.

  “Okay. What are you? Where the heck are you from? No. Chubby doesn’t mean delightful, or well …” Aisha stood a little taller and her face smoothed out.

  This was better, but he still enjoyed the fire in her eyes. He couldn’t control himself. He wanted to listen to her words, but right now her temper was turning him on. One quick move and she was against him, his mouth claiming her lips, swallowing whatever else she was about to say. She needed to be quiet so he could taste her.

  She mumbled something and maybe punched him once before she relaxed into his embrace and started kissing him back.

  Deo fought back the urge to take her. His dragon wanted control. He was well aware that forcing a mate did not end well on this planet or any other.

  Slowly, he pulled his lips away. “You were saying?”

  She blinked at him several times. “You can’t just go grab a woman-”

  He smiled. “Is this you complaining then?”

  Her beautiful full mouth pouted for a moment. “You’re an asshole. God, no wonder my dad decided I needed help with finding someone. Granted-”

  They both turned to look back at Tan. He and the female were talking. Deo sniffed the air.

  “They find each other mutually acceptable. Shall we go now?”

  He looked down at her. She wasn’t blinking. “Did you have a heart-attack mate?”

  Her head whipped around. “What? No. Don’t call me that either. But how do you know that they are attracted to each other?”

  He put a finger to the side of his nose. “Scent. Their arousal is very obvious. You, however, still have a spicy scent around you, the scent of anger. Why are you angry? Isn’t this what you wanted?”

  Her words came out slow. “Yes. But. He was supposed to marry me. Am I that easy to forget?”

  Deo wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into him.

  “He will not marry you, because you are mine.”

  She didn’t even look at him.

  Odd. He thought that would have more allure.

  “Yeah. Okay. Whatever. But still,” she mumbled.

  Thoughts ran through his head. How would he win her? Also, she didn’t exactly seem excited about the prospect of being his mate. Again, he should have listened to his brothers better.

  “Would you like to see my dragon?”

  That got her attention. “What?” she squeaked, finally looking at him instead of that other male.

  “My dragon? Would you like to meet him?”

 
Her mouth moved, but she said nothing for a second.

  “Uh. Isn’t that like a second date kind of thing?” she said.

  Date? What was a date? He reached out to his brothers.

  It’s a human custom. Males take females out for food and entertainment, Eadric thought back.

  Ah.

  “No. It could be an any date kind of thing,” he said, mimicking her words.

  He watched as her brow lifted.

  “I’m trying to be open-minded. But I don’t care how hot you are, I don’t want to see your ‘dragon’.”

  Deo was certain they had a language barrier. This might have been similar to Kal’s misunderstanding, and damn it if he didn’t want to be turned into a chicken. He started to pull away, but her hands shot out.

  “I didn’t say you had to back away. I mean, it’s cold.”

  Taking a deep breath, Deo tried to understand what was going on.

  “I will not then. But I don’t know that you understand when I say ‘dragon’. I’m a dragon shifter. Like your wolves I’ve heard of. There are lots of wolf shifters in this area.”

  The thrum of her heart reached his ears as her scent lost some of the spicy scent of anger.

  “Oh,” was all she said, finally turning to look at him. Maybe she was finally forgetting the other male.

  Deo allowed his dragon to surface just enough. His eyes shifted between his human form and his beast’s. His eyesight grew clearer. The beat of her heart grew louder, and the heat of her body took on a reddish hue. His skin took on the blue hue of his dragon and scales appeared over skin.

  “Oh, is that-” she paused.

  “Yes, that’s my dragon.”

  He pulled in her scent once again. His dragon didn’t enjoy being cooped up, away from his mate, but Deo knew that this was not the right time. He was smarter than Kal and Eadric, or he’d like to think he was. He was the more mindful one, the one who understood people and those around them. His strength was emotion. Except for hers. He sucked when it came to his own mate.