Steel (Rent-A-Dragon Book 1)

by Terry Bolryder

  Platinum sent a quick glance at Gold, who’d just noticed Liam had entered the building.

  Gold gave him a malevolent grin and leapt forward, bringing down his rapier with lightning speed, right in Kate’s direction.

  But just as it slashed through the air, Liam was there, holding Kate in one hand as he brought his other arm up to protect them both. He felt pain lance through him as the sword crossed over his arm.

  “Buffoon. So eager to protect your mate you’d suffer yourself harm,” the gold dragon said, almost sounding disappointed.

  “How dare you threaten my mate like that,” Liam swore, keeping himself between Kate and his enemies, bringing his injured arm to survey the damage.

  “You don’t actually think I was going to cut your mate in two? No, I’m not a barbarian as you are. I just knew you’d come to her side like an idiot and leave yourself vulnerable.” He scoffed.

  “Liam, are you okay?” Kate asked. Where human skin had been there were now thick, steel-colored scales with a thin slash through the center where blood slowly seeped out.

  Good, Dante had only nicked him. Liam had seen much worse in his day.

  But Liam was going to make sure the noble dragons more than paid for taking his mate.

  “You really are a dragon, I guess,” Kate said, noting the scales on his arm as she hugged him closely.

  “Why would I ever lie to you?” he replied, too happy with having her back to be angry with her anymore. “I love you, Kate.”

  “Liam, sword!” Magnus called out, tossing Liam’s sword to him as Magnus and Titus rushed to his sides, weapons in hand.

  “My friends are outside. Go to them, Kate. We’ll take care of this,” Liam said, catching the blade with one hand and holding her close, not wanting to let go.

  “Okay. But I love you, too. Be careful,” Kate said as she reluctantly let go and ran for the doorway, Magnus and Titus stepping in front of her to shield her exit.

  And then she was gone. But Aegis and Opal were just outside, she’d be safe with the emerald and opal dragons.

  Now he just had an age-old grudge to settle.

  “How long has it been?” Platinum said, tapping the huge hammer in his hand as he addressed Titus directly

  “Not long enough,” Titus growled.

  “Still toying with machinery like a little kid, Magnus?” Silver hissed, squaring off with Magnus.

  “Still acting like a spoiled brat?” Magnus retorted, gripping his large, earth-colored metal ax in both hands tightly.

  “Why did you perpetrate this, Gold?” Liam said, moving toward his enemy as Dante just stepped back nonchalantly.

  “When you betrayed us, obviously.”

  “How did we betray you?” Liam asked, confused, fury still raging.

  “Oh, I think you know what you did. Don’t play dumb with me,” Dante said, getting angrier at Liam’s supposed ignorance.

  Liam definitely didn’t know. They had run into each other several times, but when Liam and his crew had set sail to find mates, they thought they’d be leaving their rivalry with Dante and his men far behind.

  But now, centuries later and a world apart, it had still found them.

  And Liam was going to end it.

  “I don’t know what you mean. But I do know you crossed a line when you messed with my mate.” Liam snarled, tired of talking, charging at Dante.

  “Strong words. For a barbarian.”

  All at once, the grand foyer became a battleground of clashing metal and shouts as they rushed at each other.

  It was just like the old days. But instead of a snow-covered battlefield, it was a half-refurbished mansion.

  And Liam was fighting to protect his mate this time.

  That changed everything.

  Liam brought his sword down with all his strength, shattering the tiles beneath him as Gold dodged to the side, parrying with a quick thrust of his rapier. Liam swung upward to deflect then blow, then attacked again, aiming directly for Dante’s heart.

  With great effort, Dante blocked the assault, pushing forward until they were face to face, blades locked together.

  “You know, your taste in women might not be so bad after all,” Dante said, grinning devilishly. “Your mate looked so delectable.”

  “You’re just trying to get under my skin. It won’t work.”

  “Pity. It’s so easy to do usually,” Dante said, looking up at something behind Liam.

  “Captain, look out!” Magnus called as Liam looked over his shoulder just in time to see the platinum dragon coming down from above him, his hammer swinging down with terrible speed.

  Liam braced for the impact just as Titus appeared from nowhere between them, blocking the blow with his shield, a thunderous clang resonating though the entire hall from the impact, causing the air to vibrate from the force of the it.

  “Fighting dirty. You haven’t changed a bit.” Liam snarled, kicking Dante in the chest as he flew backward with an, “Oof.”

  Suddenly Liam saw a pile of metal piping behind Dante, probably materials the renovation crew had brought in, and he focused his energy inward. With a wave of Liam’s hand, the pipes flew up and toward Dante, hurling themselves like flying metal spears at the gold dragon.

  Though he and his brethren weren’t telekinetic, they could control the more basic metal elements in certain ways that could be used to their advantage.

  Being filled with rage certainly made it easier.

  In shock, Dante leapt to his feet, slicing his sword through the air furiously, cutting the pipes into pieces as they clattered to the ground in a cacophony of sound.

  And as he dodged the last few as they came down, Liam charged again, swinging his sword in a wide arc.

  Dante whirled around.

  “You’re just full of surprises, aren’t you?” the gold dragon said, his voice straining as he tried to defend himself.

  “You’re the one who broke the rules. Now you’ll pay.”

  Dante pushed off of Liam’s sword, backing up and grabbing a small table at his side. Instantly, the smooth wood became solid gold, and with a grin, he heaved the table directly at Liam.

  Liam, unafraid, sliced the table in front of him just as it was about to collide with him, his sword glowing blue as the table flung apart into two pieces and crashed into the floor.

  And with ruthless power, he threw his blade at Dante, the blue glow of it increasing as it spun through the air. Dante raised his sword to defend, but the force of the impact knocked the rapier out of his hand, catching him in the side in the process.

  Dante dropped to a knee, holding his side, and Liam saw blood starting to taint the perfectly tailored shirt he’d been wearing.

  “Now you’ve done it,” Dante said with a grunt. “You give me no choice…”

  With a roar, Dante shifted in front of him, wings and claws and fangs appearing from nowhere until the gold dragon stood before him. His scales gleamed bright gold in the sunlight coming through the windows, eyes glowing red as his claws crashed into the granite floor, long golden wings filling the two-story foyer around them.

  Liam felt himself shift as he grew in the blink of an eye to Dante’s height, the steel dragon inside him no longer playing with its prey, but instead ready to end it.

  Liam roared, feeling his steel-plated skin shift as the gold dragon hissed back in response.

  It looks like Silver and Platinum are making a run for it. Want us to go after them, brother? Magnus called out to his mind, sounding eager to give chase.

  No, just keep Kate safe. Move her away from the building.

  Already on it, Captain. Titus said loyally. Beneath him, he could see the now-small shapes of his crew quickly making their way outside of the building.

  Which was good, because things were going to get hot.

  Liam breathed in deeply, then breathed forth his dragon fire, a white-hot stream of molten metal. The gold dragon ducked behind a wide marble column as everything that wasn’t incinerated or
melted by the liquid flame was set ablaze.

  In retaliation, the gold dragon poked out from behind the column and breathed, too, a thick, shimmering gold mist that turned everything it touched to gold, and Liam jumped backward to avoid it.

  As the mist dissipated, Liam charged forward, swinging his tail and crushing the column Gold hid behind, bringing down a huge section of roof as wood and metal crashed down in a thick haze of dust.

  Sunlight poured in through the gaping hole in the ceiling, and Dante emerged from the rubble, extending his long, gold-encrusted neck and biting down into Liam’s side.

  Even metal skin could be pierced by something sharp enough, and Liam slashed at the gold dragon, catching him in the side and sending him reeling backward into the wall. More rubble cascaded from the ceiling, and for a moment, Liam feared the house would come down on them entirely.

  If not now, the flames that were quickly spreading would finish the job.

  Sensing that the advantage wasn’t his, Dante spread his wings and made for the opening above them, breathing gold mist behind him to cover his escape.

  But Liam beat his wings, dissipating the thick gold fog as he reached upward, catching Dante by his long tail and pulling him back to earth with a deafening crash that obliterated the side of the house, ripping through wall and ceiling and understructure all at once.

  Victorious, he stood above the gold dragon, who heaved long, labored breaths as he tried to stand.

  Like any creature, a dragon’s body could only take so much punishment before it gave out.

  “Do it. Be the brute I know you really are,” Dante challenged, red eyes gleaming in defiance.

  Liam wanted to kill him. Wanted revenge for the fear and worry he had made Kate feel because of his actions.

  But something in the back of his mind told him Dante wasn’t fully culpable. Too much of what had happened didn’t make sense with the gold dragon he had once known. Something, or someone, else might be involved. And until Liam knew otherwise, the punishment just didn’t fit the crime.

  “Not today,” Liam growled. “But swear, swear on your life that you and your crew will leave me and my mate alone. Forever.”

  “I swear,” Dante replied, seemingly surprised, as if he’d actually suspected the steel dragon to be a ruthless killer.

  Satisfied, Liam pushed Dante past the pile of rubble he laid upon and over the crest of the steep hill that bordered the back of the property. With a loud crash, he broke through trees and bushes as he rolled down the hill, coming to a stop at the bottom.

  And below him, Liam saw the gold dragon shift back into his human form, alive and barely conscious.

  If Dante’s crew really cared for their leader, they’d come to get him.

  If not, then that was his problem.

  All that mattered right now was his mate.

  Around him, the house was an inferno, and anything that could burn was doing so. Had he not pushed Dante down the hill, the house would have certainly crushed him.

  Without a single thought, Liam shifted back into his human form and sprinted for the exit.

  As Liam walked out of the burning wreckage, clothing in shreds, Kate couldn’t resist running to him to be in his arms.

  She nearly tripped over the gravel that made up the drive in her haste to get to him, and when she did, she nearly knocked him over, making him laugh, albeit wearily.

  They held each other, ignoring the flaming wreckage behind them as it slowly began to put itself out, as she heard footsteps gather round them.

  Opal and Aegis, who’d stayed with her during the fight, were right behind her.

  “So glad everything turned out okay,” Opal said. “That was worrisome.”

  Kate turned in Liam’s arms to face her. “Thanks for helping come for me. I appreciate it.”

  “It’s fine,” Aegis said, waving a hand. His expression was cool as always, but despite him trying to hide it, she’d seen how worried he was during the fight that had just happened.

  Aegis cared about his dragons, even if he wasn’t that good at showing it.

  “So are you a metal dragon, too?” she asked Aegis.

  He snorted. “One of those Neanderthals? Of course not.”

  “Says the guy who didn’t help in the fight,” Magnus said from her right.

  “As if I would let my mate, or Liam’s mate, close to that melee.”

  “Thanks,” Liam said. “We couldn’t have done it without you.”

  “Barbarians,” Aegis muttered under his breath. But Kate could tell he was a bit pleased it had all turned out so well.

  They walked a few steps from the others, and Liam took a moment to check her over. She shook her head. “I should be doing that for you. You’re the one who got hurt. They didn’t do anything to me. You got here in time. To be honest, I’m not sure they would have hurt me at all.”

  “I’m sorry I even let them have the chance. I should have insisted you stay home where I could protect you.”

  “No, it’s my fault for being so stubborn.” She looked up into his beautiful teal eyes, like the water at the deepest part of the ocean. There were little smudges all over his face, but they didn’t make him any less beautiful. If anything, they only made her love him more.

  Even now, after she’d caused them so much trouble, he was sitting here patiently, covered with the evidence that he’d fought for her.

  “I guess I just had a hard time accepting it all,” she said. “Things changed in a single moment. All of a sudden, there was sunshine in my life. And laughter.”

  “And grass,” he said.

  “And grass.” She agreed with a laugh, putting her arms around him again. It just felt so right to hold him. “As I was driving to work, worried only about losing my stupid day job, I realized I was putting something that never made me happy over something that did make me happy. I left the only truly good thing that ever came into my life because I was too scared it would be too good to be true and I needed to keep my backup plan.”

  “I understood,” he said.

  “But being with you, it’s like living in a dream. I don’t need my backup plan. You make me so happy my heart could burst if I just held on to it. But I’m scared. I’ve been scared for too long.”

  “I’m sorry,” he said.

  “Not your fault. But I’m ready. I’m ready to start living now. Including being your mate.”

  She felt him freeze against her, and then he pulled back with a look of shock on his handsome face. His masculine jaw was taut.

  “Really?” he asked.

  “Yes,” she said.

  “Okay,” he said, taking his bracelet off. “But don’t be mad. I didn’t put this on you before because it was part of mating. I just felt deep inside that maybe it would protect you. Or maybe it just reassured me. But I promise you this means nothing unless you wear it and we seal the deal.”

  “Seal the deal?”

  His embarrassed, heated look said everything, and she flushed.

  “Oh.”

  “Yeah,” he said. “You up for it?”

  “I’m up for anything,” she said. “If it involves a life with you. I don’t want to waste another minute. Not when anything can happen.”

  “But nothing like this can happen if we stay together. If you just stay by my side.”

  “I can manage that.” She held out her hand and he put the bracelet on, and she felt a rush of energy this time. He leaned down to kiss her as his hands did up the clasp, and she wondered at how different it felt to have his bracelet on now that she did it willingly, knowing the meaning behind it.

  She kissed him deeply, loving the idea of being his.

  “So time to seal the deal?” he asked, his hands trailing over her waist and hips.

  “Get a room,” Aegis said. “You really are Neanderthals, doing that out in the woods.”

  “I meant we would go home first,” Liam said, letting out a laugh.

  “Whatever,” Aegis grumbled, making the
other dragons laugh. But when he thought no one was watching, Kate thought she saw a twinkle of pride in his mean green eyes that one of his dragons had found a mate.

  And if he wasn’t a metal dragon, then what could he be?

  Opal winked at her, and Kate thought she could guess.

  “Can we fly back?” Kate asked, looking up at Liam.

  “Hell yes,” Liam said.

  Aegis cleared his throat. “No, you can drive like a normal human. You’re still mating a human and living in the human world. I don’t need video of a giant metal dragon on the news.”

  “I can cloak,” Liam said.

  “I don’t care,” Aegis said. “You’re still in my region. I still make the rules. Drive.”

  Kate laughed, putting a hand on Liam’s arm as he made a move like he was going to challenge Aegis. “It doesn’t matter how we get there,” she said quietly. “It just matters that we’re together.”

  “Fine,” Liam said, folding his arms. “I guess I don’t want to scare Tank either.”

  She kept her hold on his warm, muscular arm all the way back to the cars, and Magnus reluctantly agreed to let them use his precious sports car as long as they didn’t have sex in the back.

  He’d bring her car over when they were ready.

  She climbed into the car, escorted by Liam, and a little thrill of electricity went through her. Nothing left but to take a leap toward happiness with her dragon.

  18

  Kate fed a worried Tank while Liam took a quick shower to wash off the dirt and ashes.

  He’d come for her. Even when she’d been stupid and insisted on putting herself in the way of danger, he’d been there. And he’d fought magnificently. Seeing his dragon, fighting in the rubble with the gold dragon, she’d felt her breath catch in her throat, not from fear, but from awe.

  She loved even that part of him. In fact, seeing all sides of him only made her love him more.

  When he walked out of the bathroom, a towel around his waist, clean skin glowing, hair wet and dripping as he ran a towel over it to dry it,

  he gave her a shy grin. She walked over to him and rubbed her hands over his powerful biceps.