She knew that the most appropriate response to discovering a dragon was standing right in front of you was probably to run away. But she didn’t want to run. She found herself intrigued, wanting to know more about the secret side of the man whom, if she was honest with herself, she knew she was falling in love with. His dragon side didn’t change that. In fact, it almost intensified the feeling.
“Can I see your dragon?” she asked, her voice now barely more than an awed whisper. “I mean, the whole thing. Not just your arm.”
A look of relief passed over Theo’s face, and Maddie realized that he had probably been holding his breath, waiting for her to respond.
“You can,” he said. “But not here. It’s too risky to shift in the middle of the city. People are understandably freaked out by suddenly, unexpectedly seeing a dragon.”
“Well then,” Maddie said. “I think it’s time we bid Dallas goodbye and head back to Persimmon Springs. If I’m going to fall in love with a dragon, I’d like to at least know what that dragon looks like.”
A huge grin spread across Theo’s face, and he leaned in to give Maddie a quick kiss on the lips. She felt a rush of warmth flood her body from his touch, and she bit her lower lip in excitement. Maybe this was crazy, but she didn’t care. This night was turning out to be a whole lot more exciting than she could have ever anticipated.
“Come on,” Theo said. “Time to get back to the country and have a little fun.”
Chapter Eight
It was just after midnight when Theo’s truck pulled into a giant, empty field on the outskirts of Persimmon Springs. Maddie had asked Theo several times if he wanted to stay out this late, since he had such a busy week. But Theo had insisted that he was fine, and that, as a dragon, he could survive on much less sleep than the average person.
The quiet out here had that deafening quality about it. The silence seemed to rush your eardrums, and Maddie felt her heart beating with excitement as she hopped out of the truck and felt her feet crunching on the dry grass below her. She shivered, more from nerves than from cold. This whole evening felt surreal. Even though she had seen Theo’s arm change into a dragon arm with her own eyes, she had a hard time believing that he could actually become a dragon. Dragons were the stuff of fairy tales, not of real life in small-town Texas. But Maddie had the distinct feeling that she was about to see her own real life fairy tale.
The temperature had dropped a little more as the evening progressed, and Maddie could see Theo’s breath as he stepped out of his truck and took a few steps across the field. He looked out over the dark horizon, as though he was searching for something. Then he turned and looked at Maddie, causing her to gasp at the sight of his eyes. They were practically glowing in the darkness. The jumble of different shades of green looked like a beautiful emerald sea, and the magical sight took Maddie’s breath away. She was definitely about to see something out of this world.
“My mom told me that my dad shifted for her out in a field,” Theo said. “That’s how he told her he was a dragon. I guess it’s fitting that I show you my dragon side in the same way.”
“Do you miss him?” Maddie asked. Her own breath fogged up the air in front of her for a moment, then disappeared into the night as quickly as it had appeared.
“Every day,” Theo said. “He was my rock. My hero. It’s been decades, and sometimes I still can’t believe he’s gone. I feel him with me, and I know he’s watching over me, and over my mom and brothers. But what I wouldn’t give to hug his neck one more time.”
Theo’s glowing eyes darkened a bit as he spoke, the sadness in them dimming the light within him. He didn’t offer any information on how his father had died, and Maddie got the impression that he didn’t really want to talk about it. He was silent for a few moments, and then looked back over at her with a smile on his face, his eyes brightening once more.
“He would have loved you,” Theo said. “You’re one special girl. And I hope that, after you see this mystical side of me, you still want to be with me.”
Maddie grinned. She was pretty sure at this point that Theo’s dragon side was a bonus, not a drawback. How cool was it to know a dragon? Not many people in the world could say that. If she tried to tell any of her friends back on the east coast, they would probably think she was crazy. More than likely, they would suggest that she see a therapist. But somehow, out here in this empty Texas field, it all seemed to make sense. The world was full of unexpected surprises. For one thing, Maddie had found love in the middle of a Podunk town. She definitely hadn’t expected that. Why was finding a dragon really any crazier?
Maddie’s cheeks blushed pink as she realized the word love had crossed her mind again. Did she love Theo? She felt like she did, but wasn’t it too soon to say for sure? She hadn’t known him that long, and their relationship had gotten off to a bit of a rocky start. But out here, in the stillness of this December night, Maddie didn’t see any traces of the haughty, obnoxious man she had judged Theo to be. She understood now why he hadn’t wanted to give a quote for her newspaper article. She herself couldn’t bear the thought of spending one more day at the Gazette. Her heart leapt as she remembered Theo’s suggestion that she start her own paper. She was scared to believe that having her own paper was actually a possibility—she didn’t want to get her hopes up only to be disappointed. But Theo seemed so sure, so confident that it could be done.
Theo took a step toward her and pushed a stray strand of her hair behind her cheek.
“Maddie, I have to tell you…this changes everything. If you see me as a dragon, you’ll never be able to unsee it. Sure, I showed you my arm. But that’s only a small fraction of my inner beast. It’s a fearsome sight to see. I’ve seen humans react in terror, and never feel safe again. They have a hard time with the knowledge that dragons are roaming the earth. I…I think you’re different. You’re brave, and inquisitive. But if you’d rather not do this, if you’d rather not be with me, I understand. Now is the time to tell me.”
Theo paused and Maddie pulled him into her arms. The look of affection in his eyes was almost too much too bear. She could tell that he wanted her, but that he was worried for her sake. He was willing to hold back and sacrifice his own happiness, if it was the best thing for her. Maddie held onto him tightly, as though her life depended on it.
“I want to know you. Really know you,” Maddie said, her voice slightly muffled by the fabric of his jacket. “I’m all in on this. Show me your dragon.”
Theo pulled back and nodded. His eyes glimmered in the darkness, the glow in them deepening as he took a few step backwards from Maddie. Silently, he bent down and slipped off his boots. Then he unzipped his jacket and laid it across the hood of his car. Next, his button-down flannel shirt came off. Maddie had to hold back a gasp at the sight of him. His skin seemed to glow in the moonlight, and his muscles were sculpted to perfection. His broad chest had just the right amount of hair, giving him a manly air. His stomach looked hard as a rock, with well-defined lines where each of his abdominal muscles began and ended. He turned his back to her, and Maddie’s eyes widened even more at his broad shoulders and impressive back muscles. But she hadn’t seen anything yet—in the next moment, he pushed down his jeans, allowing her to see his thighs, which were so strong they looked like they might have belonged to a horse. His calf muscles were just as impressive, giving off the impression that he spent his days in the gym doing calf raises.
He bent over to pull off his socks, and it suddenly occurred to Maddie that it was a bit strange that he was undressing in front of her. As if he read her mind, he spoke.
“Shifting ruins clothes,” he said, his deep voice booming across the empty space in front of them. “I don’t want to freak you out, or be too forward, which is why I turned around. But if I shift without undressing I’ll ruin all my clothes.”
With that, he hooked his thumbs into the hemline of his boxers and started pushing them down, exposing an ass that looked as perfectly sculpted as the rest of h
im. Maddie didn’t even bother trying not to stare. He was like a god in human form, and she was going to enjoy this moment. He could blame it on the fact that shifting ruins clothes, which made perfect sense, but he was definitely embellishing his movements and enjoying giving her this little show.
That devious dragon knew she wanted him.
Maddie grinned and bit her lower lip, watching as Theo sauntered away from her. She would have loved to see his front side fully naked, but she figured there’d be time for that later. He could say all he wanted that he was being modes, but she was pretty sure he was just being a tease.
He kept walking until he was a good distance away, while Maddie waited by the truck, curious. He got further and further, until he must have been at least half a football field away from her. Moments later, she understood why.
A tremendous roar sounded out across the field, the noise so loud and powerful that it caused the windows on Theo’s truck to rattle. Maddie had never heard anything like it before. It was louder than a lion, and had almost a musical quality to it despite being so filled with power. Right after the roar, sparks filled the air in a dizzying array of bright yellow, green, and purple. Maddie strained to see Theo, but the fiery sparks were all she could make out in the darkness. Then, a huge burst of energy rushed across the field with a big boom, knocking Maddie backward onto the ground.
When she sat up and got her bearings, the light show had ended. There in the middle of the field, was the single most impressive thing she had ever seen in her life. She could see now why Theo had walked so far away from her. The energy from his shifting had been intense, and his dragon was massive. He was the size of a small building, and looking at him was enough to take all of the breath out of Maddie’s lungs.
His head rose high, high above her, stretching impossibly far into the sky. All along his head, back, and neck, sharp spikes jutted out. The spikes continued across the back of his large tail, which was swishing back and forth at the moment, the way the tail of a cat on the hunt might swish. His four legs were long and muscular, all ending in glittering, sharp claws. And the scales that covered his body were mesmerizing. Seeing his arm earlier had only given Maddie a small glimpse of how beautiful a dragon could be. The moonlight glinted off of him, lighting up patterns of gold, green, purple, and even pink. Everything about him seemed to sparkle, as though a million tiny diamond crystals were embedded into his skin.
Breathtaking. Maddie took a step backward, overcome by sheer awe. She wasn’t sure what Theo meant by humans being scared of dragons. He didn’t look scary, necessarily. The words that came to mind were more along the lines of magical, mystical, and awe-inspiring. Theo turned his dragon head toward Maddie, making eye contact with her. Even from this distance, she could see his eyes, and, she could tell that he could see her. The same swirling green glow that had been there before was there now, glittering and sparkling against the backdrop of his glittering scales and the velvet night sky.
He seemed to be checking to see if she was okay, searching for any indication that this whole spectacle had been too much for her. Maddie smiled encouragingly.
“I’m fine,” she said, even though she wasn’t sure whether he could hear her from this distance. The way he tilted his head and let out a satisfied sigh seemed to indicate that he could. Smoke came out of his nostrils with that sigh, and Maddie’s eyes widened again. Could he actually breathe fire?
She was about to get her answer.
With another magnificent roar, Theo unfolded his two massive wings. They had been so neatly folded along his back that Maddie hadn’t noticed them, and now she stood in awe at their size and strength. With a few pumps of those massive wings, Theo rose into the sky—and that’s when the real show began.
More roaring filled the air, so deep and intense that Maddie was sure it must be audible for miles. Theo’s dragon whipped its head back and forth rapidly, baring teeth that caught the moonlight and looked giant, even from the ground. His claws seemed to grow even longer, and the ends of them turned blood red. And then came the fire.
Theo threw his long neck back to gain momentum, and then threw his head forward as he let out a stream of bright orange fire. The flames lit up the sky with a brilliant orange-yellow glow, and Maddie felt their heat on her face, even though Theo was at least a thousand feet above her right now. Her heart now felt a strange mixture of awe and fear.
This was what he had warned her of, when he said his dragon scared humans. Maddie wasn’t truly frightened, but she had to admit that there was something unsettling about seeing this creature in its full power. He could have taken out the whole town of Persimmon Springs if he wanted to. And easily. All he would have to do would be to fly over the small city, breathing fire onto all of the houses. In a matter of minutes, everything would be consumed by flames. It was a terrifying thought. Even though Maddie knew Theo would never do something like that, she now understood what he meant when he said it was hard for some people to come to terms with the realization that there were dragons living among them.
Theo was a nice dragon, sure. At least he seemed to be. But where they all like this? Were there evil dragons who would harm people and cause destruction? Maddie furrowed her brow in worry. Of course, the fact that she’d never heard about a dragon attack on the news seemed to indicate that all of the dragons, good or evil, pretty much kept a low profile.
Theo continued his show for several minutes, flapping his wings to rise even higher into the night sky. He did rolls and somersaults in the air, and seemed to be relishing the freedom of playing in the sky. Maddie sat down, then laid back on the ground, resting her head against the dry grass and watching him. She was glad Theo had chosen to show her this side of himself. She was glad he had trusted her enough to let her into the secret world of dragons. She had worried so much when she moved to Persimmon Springs that life would be boring, and that she wouldn’t be able to find much excitement in small-town Texas. But, as she watched her powerful dragon frolicking in the sky, she had the distinct impression that the excitement was only just beginning.
Chapter Nine
Nearly half an hour later, Theo’s dragon finally came to a soft landing in the field. Maddie sat up and watched as sparks flew through the air once again, blinding her temporarily. Moments later, everything settled into darkness and quiet again. She saw Theo’s silhouette illuminated in the moonlight, now in human form.
He started walking toward her. He was naked of course, but he didn’t make an effort to hide or cover himself as he drew closer to her. He stood tall and marched proudly, his eyes still glittering green with the afterglow of his dragon side. He looked different now. There was something almost noble about him, and Maddie could tell that his chest was puffed out with pride.
She did her best not to drop her eyes and stare at his member, but it was impossible not to sneak a peak. What she saw took her breath away. Even resting, it was huge. She wasn’t sure why she was surprised. Everything about him was larger than life, so why wouldn’t his dick be as well? She should have expected that, and she sort of had—maybe she just hadn’t expected it to be quite so much larger than life.
He didn’t stop walking until he was mere inches away from her face. She could feel his breath on her, heavy and hot.
“Theo,” she said. She felt breathless, and she had no idea why. She was dizzy, almost as though she had been the one doing flips through the air, not him.
“What did you think?” he asked. His voice was low and deep, and the sound of it sent shivers through her body.
“I’m pretty impressed,” she whispered back. He lifted his right hand and used the back of his fingers to stroke her cheek. He felt impossibly warm, and his touch sent electricity shooting through her body.
“I feel so alive right now,” he said. “The adrenaline of shifting and flying, and of knowing the woman I care about is watching me shift and fly…it’s a pretty amazing feeling. I was so scared to show you who I really am, but that fear seems ridiculous
now. I can see in your eyes that you accept me for who I am. I’ve heard that dragon mates aren’t afraid when they see a dragon. They’re awed instead. And your face is full of awe right now.”
“I would say I’m pretty awestruck,” Maddie said, her voice barely more than a whisper. “Do you think that means I’m your mate?” She’d never heard anyone refer to a significant other as a “mate” before, but she knew intuitively what Theo meant.
“There’s only one way to find out,” he said. Then he reached down and picked her up in his arms, quite literally sweeping her off her feet. Maddie could feel heat radiating from his body. Everywhere that her body made contact with his, she could feel his warmth. The chilly weather didn’t seem to be having much of an effect on him. Instead, it was almost as though he was being warmed from within.
He carried her to his truck, holding her firmly with one arm while he used his free hand to open the tailgate.
“Wait here,” he said, setting her down on the truck’s bed. Then he disappeared into the truck’s front cab for several moments, reappearing with a stack of thick blankets. He spread the blankets out across the bed of the truck, then turned to look at Maddie, his eyes intense and hungry.
“I’ve danced around who I am and what I want for far too long,” Theo said. “I had a chat with my Ma last weekend that made me realize it’s time to start taking serious action on my dreams for my personal life. And you, Maddie, are my dream. My heart tells me that you’re perfect for me, and I want nothing more than to mate with you. To make love to you. I don’t want a quick lay. This isn’t a one night stand kind of thing. I’m not that kind of guy, and, besides, I would have never shown you my dragon if that were the case. I want to be with you forever. Call me crazy, but that’s what I want. And I don’t want to wait until we get home. I want you now.”
Lone Star Dragon (Shifters in the Heart of Texas Book 1) Page 6