A Dragon’s Heart
Terry Bolryder
Contents
Copyright
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Sample of Bear to the Bone
Also by Terry Bolryder
Copyright © 2016 by Terry Bolryder
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Cover Design by Melody Simmons of eBookindiecovers
Created with Vellum
1
Lexie crouched underneath the heavy wooden desk, hands over her ears, shaking in fear as the world seemed to fall apart around her.
Plaster crashed from the elaborate ceiling as the entire building shook.
This was it. She was about to die.
It had all started with that stupid job she’d taken from the temp agency. Just a few weeks, they had said. Easy pay, they had said.
Yeah, right.
Lexie ducked and flinched at the sound of another loud crack. Either an earthquake was happening or something very large was stomping around. Like one of those giant robots from Star Wars.
Inside, it was a complete mess. Men were running everywhere, fighting. She peeked through the slits in the desk and could only see a small cross-section of what was going on. But it was enough to make her think she was going crazy.
There was a giant Siberian tiger bounding through the main parlor, fighting the guards who were running to take him. And then, to her complete shock, she saw men transforming into wolves in the blink of an eye, just kind of melting away and leaving animals in their place.
Her breathing was stilted, her pulse rushing.
No more temp agencies. It wasn’t worth the hassle. If she got out of this, which she doubted, she would do something normal, even if it paid crap.
She couldn’t see the entire room, but she could see the tiger fighting ferociously, trying to get to a side door.
She saw that the wolves and men were starting to overwhelm the tiger, though he was large and powerful; there were just too many. He roared in frustration, and as his head thrashed around, she noted he had striking blue eyes.
She wanted to help him but didn’t know how.
Just then, she heard a tremendous crash from the front door and something sent a handful of men flying back across the marble, several of whom landed in front of her desk with a thud. With her hand over her mouth, she stifled a scream and tried not to faint. Her heart felt like it was exploding in her chest; her eyes couldn’t get any wider.
The room had become even crazier with shouts and screams as something she couldn’t see decimated the men all around, and the tiger finally escaped through the door it sought.
She had no idea why all of it was happening. She felt like she was watching the whole thing through some sort of dream sequence. Men turning into wolves, tigers crashing through doors, and invisible titans sending men flying with a swoosh of wind.
This was a world unlike anything she had ever seen, and all she wanted was to run away from it and forget it had ever existed.
A man went soaring and landed with a thump on top of the desk, startling her and making her curl against the side with her hands over her head. She was lucky her employer seemed to like only the best in life, as with any less sturdy and heavy desk, she might have been doomed.
She still might be.
She closed her eyes tight, covered her ears, and pushed herself as best as she could into the corner. She was curvy and soft but could fit into a fairly small ball if she wanted to, if she hugged her legs to her ample chest.
It’s not happening. It’s not happening. Wake up, Lexie. Wake up.
She waited like that for what felt like forever. Hours maybe, which passed in an agonizing, shock-filled trance. And then she raised her head cautiously. She didn’t hear anything breaking through the muffled quiet of her plugged ears. She slowly forced herself to open her eyes, and then she heard men’s voices, quiet and calm.
Not her employer. No one she recognized.
She slowly uncovered her eyes and adjusted to the blur in front of her. After a few blinks, things were clearer and she was ready to look out.
No, she wasn’t.
Yes, she was.
The voices were coming closer, and she stifled a squeak. Would they be friends or foes? Would they be men who could turn into animals or men here to tell her it was all a dream? And should she come out and reveal herself or stay in the wreckage and pray for a miracle later?
One of them stopped near the desk and turned over a man that had landed next to it.
“Most of these guys will live. Sofia and Kel are safe. That’s all that matters,” a deep voice said.
“Sure,” a lighter voice agreed. “Were any outsiders caught in this? We’ve already got Ralston, but there had to be other employees. A secretary?”
They were talking about her. Were they trying to find her? What did they want with her if they did?
“Maybe,” the deeper voice said. “The human cops are wrapping up outside. We’d better go. Let Carter handle the rest of it.”
“I can still sense someone,” the lighter voice persisted. “Someone is here.”
“Perry,” the deep voice chided impatiently. “There are about a hundred men in this building. Some of them might even be dreaming.”
“No,” the lighter voice, Perry, replied sharply. It was masculine but had a smoothness to it that she found soothing, and Lexie felt her heart rate decreasing as she listened. “It’s a woman.”
She held her breath.
“Then get her,” the deeper voice said. It seemed to always hold an impatient growl that made her slightly nervous.
“I can read thoughts. I’m not a GPS, Tor,” Perry said.
“Whoever you are, come out!” Tor, the deeper-voiced one, yelled. “We don’t have a lot of time for this, so you better stop hiding right fucking now.”
“Tor!” Perry hissed. “It’s a woman.”
“A woman who needs to get the fuck out if she wants to be safe,” he retorted. “Come out or I’m going to scent you.”
Lexie grimaced. What did that mean?
“He’ll do it.” Perry sighed. “He has a really great nose as a red.”
A red what? What the hell is that?
Lexie knew there was no point hiding, but she couldn’t make herself come out. She’d always been a coward with things like that. Always the first to hide when something went wrong. She hated herself for it. She’d rather be the hero, the first to step in to save the day, but that had never been her.
No, she was the first to duck out of sight at the sound of a gunshot, the one to hide under a desk even when rescue was nearby.
She finally peeked through the desk to see the two men. Their backs were to her, but she could make out at least a bit of them. One had dark-brown hair, cut short, extremely wide shoulders and a muscular build. The one next to him had silver hair caught back in a ponytail that grazed his shoulders and a slender, muscular build that would still dwarf her but looked slight compared to the giant beside him.
Either of the men would make easy work of her, though.
But who would bother with her? She was shy, quiet, overweight, not great with fashion, and
her hair was perpetually in a messy bun with errant curls escaping on all sides of her face. She was sure men like that wouldn’t take much notice of her.
Especially when they turned around and she caught a look at their faces.
She’d never seen two more beautiful men in her life. To say she was captivated was an understatement. Forget her fear. She wanted to run out to both of them immediately, meet them, hug them.
What was wrong with her?
She’d never been that involved with men before, and it hadn’t bothered her. So why the extreme reaction now?
The dark-haired one’s super masculine face split into a grin, and she saw him look in her direction.
Dammit.
There was no way to run without being seen. No way to get away from the inevitable.
The man took one step toward her, then another, and Lexie held her breath in anticipation.
He was wearing a leather jacket over a black shirt and blue jeans tucked into boots. Sort of rocker chic.
The man next to him wore a fitted suit, which was smudged with some sort of gray residue and dirt and dust. His face was dramatically handsome, smooth with high cheekbones and striking silver eyes lined with dark lashes. Thin, curved lips and a straight jaw.
His eyes fluttered to where she was watching through the crack in the desk, and she pulled back with a short intake of breath.
But it was too late. The jig was up, and she knew it. They were about to find her.
Footsteps thudded toward her, the boots of the larger man, and she put her hands over her face to block out what was happening. Then the desk was tossed aside like it was nothing, and she was cowering with only air around her, still hiding behind her hands as if that could protect her.
A deep laugh filled the air, and she looked up, face flaming red, to see the dark-haired man staring down at her. He was movie star hot with chiseled good looks and a nose that was all the more handsome for looking slightly broken. He turned to his companion as her whole face burned in embarrassment at being caught like this.
“Well, definitely not a dragon-heart,” the dark-haired man boomed. He crouched in front of her and cocked his head. He was gigantic, at least six feet six when standing, and even crouched, he overwhelmed her. “Who are you?” he asked. “Why are you still hiding even when the threat is clearly gone?”
She removed her hands from her hair and looked at him angrily. “How am I supposed to know who’s a threat and who isn’t? I’ve seen men turning into animals. I’ve seen invisible forces knock people into my desk. Heard gunshots and a crash. So excuse me for hiding under a desk, but it did seem to be the smartest thing to do under the circumstances.”
“Smart, yes,” the silver-haired one said, taking a knee next to them. “But not brave.”
She blew hair out of her face. “And who cares about that?”
The men shared a secretive look and then turned back to her with a sigh. “So you saw the men shifting?”
She nodded. “I saw a giant tiger and a bunch of men shifting into wolves…”
The men’s expressions darkened, and she realized maybe she shouldn’t be telling them this. Maybe she hadn’t been meant to see and they’d have to shut her up. But she’d wanted to make it clear she had damn good reasons for hiding under a desk.
“Listen,” Tor said. “You aren’t supposed to know about this stuff. We’ll have to wipe your memory.”
“We can’t,” Perry hissed. “Tor, she’ll be in danger. Some of Felding’s men escaped, and some of Domingo’s men might know who she is. If we leave her out there with a wiped memory, they’ll come for her.”
Tor cocked his head and stared at her in resignation. “And she’ll be completely helpless.”
She glared up at them. Just because it was true didn’t mean it should be said right out loud in front of her.
“Better that you know,” Tor said.
“Just how would you wipe someone’s memory anyway?” she squeaked out, and Tor pinned her with a look. His eyes were a strong, clear blue, and she felt she could look into them forever.
He looked to his partner and scratched his head. Then he gestured for the man to join him as he stood and walked a few steps away. They turned away from her and put their heads together, seeming to come to a silent agreement between them, though she didn’t hear any talking.
When they returned to crouch in front of her again, she noticed they smelled amazing, spicy and masculine on one hand, clean and fresh and exciting on the other. Two contrasting but complimentary profiles.
Why should she notice scents at a moment like this? She didn’t know. The whole world had turned upside down, so nothing seemed weird anymore. Even two gorgeous guys looking at her like they were about to make some kind of offer.
The silver-haired one spoke first. “I’m Perry and this is my partner Torrance, or Tor. I’m guessing you’ve got that already.”
She nodded.
“We’re shifters, like the men you saw turn into wolves. Only we are the ones at the top, the ones who watch over the others and the humans around us. I can tell you this because if you don’t agree to what I’m about to ask you, then I’ll have no choice but to wipe your memory and release you back into the world, where you’ll be in danger.”
Her mouth hung open and she stared at him in shock. How could he be so calm at a moment like this? His silver eyes were like tranquil mirrors, shadowed by dark lashes.
“But we need a secretary,” Tor said. “And if you’re willing to work with us, closed off from the human world, and learn about shifters, then we can keep you safe while we work out the last dangerous elements of your employer’s case.”
“Like what?” she asked. “Why am I in danger?”
“Were you aware your employer was involved in a lot of illegal activity?” Tor asked.
She put a hand to her head, which was sweating. “I’m only a temp. I’ve only been here two weeks, and I tend to stay out of things that don’t concern me.”
Tor raised a disdainful eyebrow. “I can see that.”
She bristled at that but had no choice but to keep listening.
“Anyway, if you want to work for us, the pay will be good, and we’ll be able to protect you until we’re able to put away the men who might be able to connect you to Felding or Domingo. No doubt they’ll want to tie up loose ends, and even if you haven’t seen anything incriminating, they will likely assume you have.”
She hadn’t thought of that. Dammit, how had this all gone so wrong?
“You have family?” Perry asked gently. “Anyone who would miss you if you stayed with us for a few months?”
She shook her head. “No. No one is waiting for me. I’m on my own.”
Tor’s face split into a grin. “Perfect. With what we’re doing over the next few months, we’ll need a woman’s help.”
“A secretary’s help,” Perry corrected.
“What for?” Lexie asked.
Perry gave her a slight smile that didn’t reach his eyes. He was hard to read, which made her uncomfortable. At the same time, she felt completely safe with him.
There was something calming about his cold, logical bearing. Like he had everything under control all the time.
Whereas his partner exuded an unpredictable, barely controlled masculine strength that was equal parts reassuring and dangerous.
“We can discuss the rest when you get home. After you agree,” Perry said.
She looked between them. “What are you?” She couldn’t help asking. “You said you were shifters, but what are you? Are you dangerous to me?”
Perry shook his head. “No. But we’re the best protection you could ask for. Tell us you agree, seal it with your handshake, and we’ll show you what we are.”
He put out a hand, and she looked down at it. She felt when she put her hand out, she’d be agreeing to something far beyond her comprehension. But she didn’t have a choice. They were right; she could be in danger.
“There are rule
s,” Tor said. “In general, humans aren’t supposed to know. But as the leaders of this zone, we can make exceptions. You should know this is an offer that won’t come again.”
She took a deep breath and let it out and then put her hand in Perry’s. It was warm and strong, squeezing hers once before releasing her as both dragons stood.
Tor reached down, swept her up in his arms and started striding outside before she could let out a squeak of protest.
She pushed at his shoulders. “What are you doing?”
“Taking you outside,” he said.
“Will someone see us? Is everyone gone?” she asked.
Perry led the way out a side exit, and Tor shook his head down at her. “In a moment, no one will be able to see us at all.”
Tor set her down and walked ten or twenty feet across the lawn at the secluded side of the house. Then he disappeared, leaving a shimmering blank space where he’d been. Perry followed suit, and she saw the outline of two shapes that couldn’t be seen except in the way they were different from the air and space around him.
They had been the invisible forces, and they were gigantic.
She gaped up at them. “You were the wind,” she said. “You knocked people into my desk.”
“Not the wind,” Perry said. “We ride the wind.”
She heard a whoosh, something flapping, and then something above her. She looked up at nothing just as something closed around her middle and lifted her into the air.
As they shot upward, not stopping until they were in the clouds, Lexie opened her eyes to finally see the ground far below her, her body encased by something strong and dark. She put her arms over it and felt roughness.
Then she looked above her, where the shapes were no longer invisible.
She was carried in the grip of a shimmering, beautiful creature with shining red scales and giant black wings that beat the air, keeping them afloat. Ahead of them, a large, silver tail and wings led the way.
They were dragons.
2
Several Weeks Later
A Dragon's Heart Page 1