The Alpha Dragon's Secret (Dragon Shifters of Kahului Book 1)

by Brittany White

  Sara felt like she couldn't get enough oxygen, but more important than that, she couldn't get enough of Daegal. The man looming over her seemed to agree. He removed his fingers, gripped her hips with both hands and thrust inside of her. Daegal immediately stilled. She could tell he was losing control. His jaw was tight, and his eyes shut. Sara reached up and stroked his hair from his face. Both of their bodies were covered in a thin sheen of sweat.

  He turned his head to kiss the palm of her hand.

  Sara moved her hips just a little. Daegal's eyes opened, and a thin sheen of gold flowed over the iris. His nostrils flared, and he began to move inside of her, slowly at first, then with an unrelenting rhythm that had Sara gripping the sheets in pleasurable agony. He was saying something she couldn't understand, a whispered plea to some god Sara never knew.

  Daegal bent without losing rhythm and gently bit her collarbone. Pleasure ratcheted through her. He knew the moment she began to lose control. Daegal held her firm, never ceasing his pace. Sara scraped her fingernails down his back. Her back arched, and she bared her throat to him. He gently worried the lobe of her ear in his teeth and that was it. That simple thing sent her careening over the edge of ecstasy and tumbling into oblivion.

  Daegal followed, seconds later, his voice a roar in the quiet night.

  Spent, Sara failed to notice the soft, glowing golden light pulsating from both of their skins as Daegal gathered her into his powerful arms.

  It was moments later Daegal whispered something into her ear, something primal and ancient. It touched the core of her heart, but she was too exhausted to say anything. She drifted off to sleep, secure within his embrace.

  Water the color of London topaz surrounded her. She floated in a buoyant sea, naked and free. The sky was a gorgeous blue and the sun was warm on her tanned skin. There was someone with her, but she couldn't see them. She felt comfortable with them, like they were bonded at a soul level. He reached for her, and she gathered her fingers within his. Sara smiled, wide and carefree, for the first time in years. There was no hardship, no worry, no lack of love. Nothing but the feeling of completeness.

  She closed her eyes and felt her body float up high in the air, through the clouds and atmosphere. It should have been frightening, but she was too happy to care.

  6

  Daegal

  * * *

  He held his mate, content with her bare skin against his. The mating bond secured once they'd consummated their relationship. A niggle of guilt worried at him for not telling her. Gregor's words kept playing in his mind, and he hoped he was right. It wouldn't have changed anything even if he had told her. Mating bonds waited for no man or woman. They just...were. Once the gods decided who would be together, no man could tear it asunder. He couldn't have chosen a worse time to take a mate. If Ludovic was out there, Sara would be a target. He looked down at the sleeping woman and felt his heart swell. Of all the places to find someone, he never would have expected it to be modern Earth. Her fingers rested against his chest, long and tanned. He longed to put a ring upon her finger, to claim her in the eyes of man and the gods, but he sensed she was different. It might be too soon for such pomp and circumstance. Sara was not a woman to bed and leave. She was a woman to cherish, and he hoped he could do that for the rest of his days.

  Daegal heard the sound of the front door opening as he gently moved Sara to the extra pillow on his bed. He moved to the door silently, picking up his pants and sliding into them. His companions were most likely back with news. On quiet feet, he opened the door and headed out to the living room. The three of them stood close to the kitchen, their heads bowed together, quietly speaking.

  When Daegal announced his presence, they turned to him. Based on their expressions, the news was grim.

  Gregor spoke first. "Ludovic lives."

  It was only two words. Two short words, but they threatened to pull the world out from underneath his feet. "How?" he asked.

  Edvard spoke then. "All we heard were rumors and hearsay. The humans are not aware of the existence of dragons. Ludovic endangers us all."

  "He's close," Sebastian added. "Possibly on this island."

  Daegal shut his eyes for a brief moment before giving a short nod. "Very well. We will leave tonight."

  Grief, sharp and raw, struck him in the solar plexus. He'd just found Sara. For the first time since he'd walked the Earth, he'd found a woman worth living for, and now he had to leave her. There was something nagging him about the timeline. It couldn't be a coincidence that Ludovic chose now to walk again. Had he been licking his wounds? Biding his time? Daegal didn't know. What he did know was Ludovic's plans had to be the same as they were all those years ago. A villain didn't just cease his villainy with the passage of time. If anything, it could have made his dark urges stronger.

  He motioned for his men to pack what little belongings they'd brought with them from their home in the sea. Daegal turned from them, still as the sky for a moment as he thought about what he would say to Sara.

  She wouldn't forgive him for this. After all, what kind of cad left directly after the sort of lovemaking they'd had?

  One who needed to save the world.

  Sara would have to understand. He was doing this for her. For her friends. For the humans all over the planet. He wouldn't lose any more people to Ludovic. The last time devastated him. It devastated his companions.

  Ludovic could not be allowed to see his plan to fruition, and Daegal was the only one who could stop him.

  He made his way down the hall, his steps slow and plodding. This would be the most difficult thing he'd done in thousands of years. When he stood before the door to the guest room, he leaned his head against the wall and steadied his breathing. If she asked him to stay, he would, and damn them all in the process.

  After a moment, he opened the door as softly as he could.

  She slept, curled on her side, a delicate, fiery-haired angel. Her mouth was slightly open, and her hair spread out around her face like silk. One shoulder was bare, and her legs were tangled in his sheets.

  He looked his fill, though he knew he would never be able to satiate himself this way. He wanted to wake her up, to sink himself between her thighs and love her like she'd never been loved before.

  But if he did, he would stay with her. Forever.

  And the world would burn.

  Memories of the faces of the people he'd lost flashed in his head. His choices and Ludovic's madness resulted in their deaths. He could never let it happen again. Especially not to Sara.

  Daegal made a choice, then, staring at his love. A horrible choice. He reached for the notepad and pen that lay beside the computer. When he finished writing the note, he carefully arranged it on the desk to ensure she would see it. Then, he slipped quietly out of the room.

  He returned to his companions standing shoulder to shoulder. All wore grim expressions, though Gregor's held a hint of sympathy. He wanted to punch his brother, but he also wanted to embrace him. Gregor would know how he was feeling. He'd been mated before to a slip of a thing with hair the color of wheat and lips the color of wine. He'd never seen the stoic man so happy. Tragedy ripped them apart far too early, and Daegal had never seen Gregor even look at a woman since then.

  Until today.

  He held his hand out, and Gregor gripped him by the forearm. They nodded to each other.

  "We will return, brother," Gregor said.

  "Aye," Daegal said, resisting the urge to turn and see if Sara had come out of the room. "We will."

  Edvard and Sebastian's gazes lingered down the hall to where the other women were sleeping. "We'd better," Sebastian said.

  Daegal's heart was too wounded to laugh.

  Gregor opened the door and allowed all the men to slip out before he followed behind. Daegal ensured the door was locked but lingered for a moment before he caught up.

  The scent of her would linger with him for the rest of his days.

  They gathered together down at the bea
ch. The night was deep and dark; the moon a mere sliver of light reflecting off the sea. Ludovic was somewhere out there. Somewhere close. Daegal meant to find him and bring him down.

  Only then could he return to his mate.

  7

  Sara

  * * *

  Sara awoke the next morning, deliciously sore and ready for round two. She stretched like a cat and turned to face Daegal.

  The blankets were mussed and the pillow had the imprint of his head, but Daegal wasn't there. She wasn't too worried. He was a dragon. Maybe he'd gone swimming. Or maybe he was trying to make breakfast and about to burn her kitchen down. She frowned then but still wasn't ready to get up. A smile creased her face as she thought about the night before. She could say with confidence that Daegal was the best lover she'd ever had. There hadn't been a lot. But definitely enough to compare. The way he touched her...like she was a goddess who'd stolen his heart. She'd never forget it as long as she lived.

  Sara lay in the room for a while, breathing in the scent of the Daegal and the sea. As soon as her feet touched the floor, normal life would return, and she wasn't ready for it.

  Sooner rather than later, nature came to call which forced her to crawl out of the bed and try to find her clothes. She grimaced as she picked up the shredded pair of shorts she'd worn last night.

  She was going to have to rush back to her room in her undies and a tank top. Sara winced at the thought of it. There were four men in the house right now. She'd have to get strategic about it. Sara slipped her top on and was about to open the door when a slip of paper propped against the computer caught her eye. Her name was scrawled across the top of it.

  "No," she whispered. She stared at it for a moment like it was a monster from the stories come alive to eat her. There was no way Daegal would have left her after the night they'd just shared.

  Maybe if she walked out of the room and came back in, the note would be gone. If she picked it up, it would make it real.

  She didn't want it to be real. She wanted to walk outside and see Daegal in his ridiculous pants, eating all of her bread and bacon. She chewed on the side of her thumb and stared in a silent standoff with the piece of paper. Her heart began to thud, a painful beat inside her. She had the feeling that in a moment, that same heart would be broken.

  She waited another few seconds hoping the piece of paper to dissolve.

  It didn't.

  With a muffled curse, she crossed the room and yanked the paper up. She touched her name. Then she held the piece of paper to her heart for a moment. Perhaps this was a note telling her he'd run out to get coffee.

  Sara snorted at herself. "A Band-Aid," she muttered. "Just rip it off and get it over with."

  Sara opened the letter.

  Dearest Sara,

  I fear I must leave, though my heart will stay with you always. There is a great evil lurking within the shadows of this world. An evil my brothers and I must contain if the human race is to have hope for another day. Though I am loathe to leave your side, I want you to know that I will return as soon as I am able. I hope to have a thousand years with you, Sara. As many as my immortal heart can take.

  With love,

  Daegal

  Sara crumpled the note and held it against her heart. Tears streamed down her face though she made no sound. She would not make a fool of herself over this man. Flowery words meant nothing to her. Actions did. He left her sometime last night, and he hadn't even had the human decency to wake her first. She wasn't sure she bought the whole great evil thing. It sounded like a perfect excuse to leave her. Oh hey, honey, gotta go and take care of the evil thing coming out of the sea. I'll be back in a year!

  She let out a wet sob as quietly as she could. Her heart, so full this morning, felt like it was shattering into a million pieces. She was a fool for trusting him, for throwing herself at him. He took what was offered and left her nothing in return.

  Why did it hurt so much? She'd known him less than 24 hours, and yet, she felt like she'd just lost the love of her life.

  Sara went over to the mirror hanging over the small dresser. Her eyes were red and swollen and her nose was running. She couldn't walk out of the bedroom looking like this. Everyone would know what happened.

  Maybe if she was quiet enough, she could make it back to her room without anyone hearing her. She opened the door a crack, hissing as it made a loud noise.

  The only sound in the house was silence.

  Sara looked both ways and tiptoed out, carefully making her way back to her own room. Once she was inside with no issues, she leaned back against the door and let out a long and slow breath. Her gaze turned to the large bed. With a sigh, she padded over to it and got in.

  There was nothing on the schedule today, so she could afford to wallow for one day.

  Just one.

  Daegal wasn't worth any more time.

  She woke up four hours later. Bright sunlight streamed through the windows of her room. She blinked and shielded her eyes, blissfully forgetting for a few seconds what happened earlier in the day. As soon as she remembered, she groaned and turned on her side. It figured. Best sex of her life and it was a one-time deal. Tears gathered in the corners of her eyes. It was way more than sex for her and to treat it as such was diminishing her feelings and her self-respect.

  Sara sighed and sat up. She told herself she'd give it a day, but she couldn't even do that. Her heart felt like it was ripped in two, but she still needed to eat. To drink. To think about where it had all gone wrong. She had plenty of time for the last one.

  She got out of bed, rummaged through her dresser for a pair of shorts, and finally padded out to join the rest of society.

  She heard her friends in the kitchen, dishes clanking around, and the sound of laughter. A small smile creased her mouth. She was glad they were all happy. Honestly, she should be happy too. She no longer had four enormous men eating her out of house and home.

  When she stepped into the living room, all conversation stopped. Ella's coffee mug was raised halfway to her lips. Jillian's face was full of empathy, and Carrie stared at her like she had egg on her face.

  "Hey," Sara said and gave a little wave. She would be brave. As brave as she could be. But as Ella set her mug down and raised her arms for a hug, Sara's face crumpled.

  Ella rushed over to her and gathered her in her arms. She squeezed Sara. "It's going to be okay. I promise you. It might not feel like it right now, but each day you wake up, you're going to wake up a little stronger."

  Sara sniffed against Ella's shoulder.

  "I love you, but you better not get snot on me," Ella said.

  A wet laugh broke from Sara. Jillian and Carrie came around and joined in on the hug too. "I think they'll be back," Jillian said.

  Ella stepped away from her. Her eyes were filled with sympathy. "I think they will too, though it might be awhile."

  "Did they leave you a note?" Her voice sounded like she was speaking through a wet washcloth.

  Jillian and Carrie both shook their head. Ella didn't answer, but she did give Sara a look. One that implied she didn't want to talk about it right now.

  Sara gave her a short nod. She'd catch her when she was alone. If she could. It was hard to get downtime in a house full of women. Sara peered over the counter. "What's for breakfast?" She was genuinely curious. They let her cook so often, she wasn't sure any of her roommates could too.

  Ella perked up. "Breakfast tacos! I got some sausage at the farmer's market the other day and saved it for the weekend." She pointed over to the side of the stove. "There's cheese, scrambled eggs, hot sauce, and whatever else makes your little taco heart sing."

  Tacos did sound good. Sara grabbed a plate and started making herself breakfast.

  "Thank you," she said as she piled the last of the salsa on.

  Jillian pointed to Ella. "Her idea."

  Sara wasn't surprised. Ella was both thoughtful and creative. She held the taco up in acknowledgment. Ella gave her a shy smi
le and pushed her glasses up on her nose. She was so adorable.

  Sara stuffed her face with breakfast and drank about a gallon of coffee. It was close to noon, but she didn't care. She was trying to squash down thoughts of Daegal, but his handsome face kept interfering with her train of thought. There was only one good thing to come out of this whole mess so far. The bag of gold she hid underneath one of the wooden panels. It was worth close to twenty thousand dollars. An outrageous sum. Made even more so by the fact they never even spent a full night under her roof.

  She snorted to herself.

  "Sara?" Carrie questioned.

  "Nothing," she said, but she still couldn't help the smile that crossed her face. She'd gladly spend his gold. If he left any behind, she'd spend that too, just to spite him.

  She poured herself another cup of coffee and settled into one of Ella's comfortable chairs. It was gray and oversized, so big you could fit two of her in it. It was one of her favorite places to sit in her living room. Plus, it swiveled, so she could turn and look out the bay windows when she wanted to. She watched the waves crash against the shore. The sun was hidden by some cloud cover, but it didn't diminish the beauty of the beach. Hawaii was a gorgeous place to live. She'd never wanted to leave, but being with Daegal...she thought she would follow him anywhere he went. She didn't plan on him leaving her behind.

  Sara took a sip of her coffee and watched the steam rise above the mug. One night and she was mourning the loss of him. What did that say about her? Was she weak or was there something more at play here? Something more than just human emotions. She could feel a piece of him inside her. If she concentrated hard enough, she felt like she could call him and he would answer no matter where he was.

  It was a frightening power to have and one she didn't think she would use. If it was even real. Not after last night, anyway. Her fingers tapped a rhythm against the mug. There was still a lot left to do and prepare for before the surfing season kicked into high gear. Maybe it was better Daegal had chosen to leave. She didn't need any distractions right now.