Dragon's Cowboy: Fated & Forbidden

by Rinelle Grey

  “I… I guess so.” His dad looked at Ostrian, then at Wayrian, then shook his head again. “I’d better go see to that fence. Looks like you have your hands full.”

  He didn’t say it, but Chase figured he wanted to get away from everyone, to think about this until it made a little more sense.

  Chase already knew it never would. After all, the discovery of the dragons had changed his whole outlook on life.

  He wondered if it would do the same for his dad.

  Chapter 6

  Wayrian couldn’t take her eyes off Chase as he drove back down the dirt road. He didn’t look her way, just kept his eyes on the road and his father’s motorcycle ahead of them, his mouth a thin line.

  He had to be annoyed at how her grandfather had ‘convinced’ his father that they were, indeed, dragons.

  She was, and it wasn’t even her father.

  Chase’s father’s bike turned off through a gate, but Chase kept driving straight ahead. The ute pulled up a slight incline and something just beyond the green trees surrounding them drew her attention.

  She could feel the tug of the water that sustained them.

  A creek.

  She’d never seen running water. The temptation to jump out of Chase’s ute and go and look was great, but a large house with wide verandas all around was even more attention grabbing. It was pretty, but the openness made her nervous. There was air all around it, even under it, where it stood on its tall stilts. Not that the dragon's lair wasn’t up high, but that was different. It was carved into a solid rock cliff, not wavering around in the breeze like this one.

  She was relieved when Chase pulled off the driveway, and continued around the side of the building. A few moments later, a smaller dwelling came into view. This one was low to the ground, and surrounded by bushes. It wasn’t made of rock, but it felt like it. It felt more solid. Safer.

  Chase pulled the ute up in front of the door, turned the key, and the engine sounds died away. Wayrian hadn’t realised how loud the vehicle was until that moment.

  Wayrian’s grandfather stared around, his expression disapproving, but to Wayrian’s relief, all he said was, “This should be adequate until we can return to the lair.”

  Chase nodded, and climbed out of the car and headed for the front door. “I’ll just show you around, then I’d better go help Dad with that fence.”

  “I thought your father said he didn’t require your help?” her grandfather said, his tone disapproving. “It is better if you remain nearby, so that you can return us home as soon as we receive notification that it is safe. The sooner the better. Taurian is far too young to be making all these decisions without adequate guidance from his elders.”

  Wayrian bit her lip. Taurian hadn’t shown much indication of listening to his elders.

  But she wasn’t game to say it. It was okay for him not to listen—he was a prince, and had an excuse. She didn’t.

  “I’m not leaving my dad to do all the work on his own just because you’re here,” Chase said bluntly. “You and Wayrian are welcome to stay here. If Karla calls, I’ll be back as soon as I can. A few hours aren’t going to make much difference.”

  A few hours?

  Wayrian suddenly couldn’t face the thought of sitting here in these strange surroundings with just her grandfather for a few hours. He was sure to complain about everything, and she’d be expected to listen and commiserate.

  Besides, what better opportunity to get to know Chase would she get? They might only be here for a few hours.

  “How about I come with you?” she suggested quickly to Chase. “Then I can keep Grandfather informed of what is happening using dragon speech.”

  Chase shrugged. “If you like,” he agreed.

  Wayrian held her breath, waiting for her grandfather to agree.

  After several long moments, he inclined his head. “That is acceptable,” he agreed. “I could do with some time to rest after the morning’s exertion, and that certainly won’t be easy with a youngling around.”

  Wayrian couldn’t help blushing. Why did he always talk about her like she was four years old instead of twenty-four?

  Possibly she seemed like it, from his one hundred and three year viewpoint, but still.

  She forced herself to take a deep breath, and let it go. The excitement bubbling in her stomach helped. At least he hadn’t said she couldn’t go.

  Meaning she would have this small chance to get to know Chase a little. Her heart quickened at the thought, and she tried to calm herself. They were going to help his father mend a fence, not to mate.

  After Chase showed her grandfather around quickly, she followed him back outside and headed for the ute, but Chase shook his head. “We’re not taking the ute. It’s not manoeuvrable enough for the paddocks.”

  Mystified, Wayrian followed him around the house to a small lean-to shed, where he pulled a tarp off a little vehicle. It was much smaller than the ute, and not enclosed. In fact, the only real thing it had in common with the bigger vehicle was that it had four wheels.

  “I managed to convince Dad to buy a quad,” Chase said with a grin. “It’s better than the ute on rough terrain, but it can carry more than a motorbike can.” He climbed onto a seat between the two sets of wheels, and grinned. “Ready?”

  Wayrian hesitated. Unlike the ute, this vehicle only had one seat. She wasn’t sure where she was supposed to sit, but she didn’t want to look a fool by having to ask.

  Chase saved her the embarrassment by twisting around and patting the seat behind him. “Climb on.”

  The expression in his eyes, dark and deep, caught her for a few moments, and she almost stopped breathing. You didn’t look at someone like that if you were in love with someone else. Did you?

  How did she even know that? No one had ever looked at her like that before.

  But it was enough to convince her.

  Wayrian sidled up to the strange vehicle and lifted her leg over the seat. Chase had made it look so simple, just throwing his leg over as if it were easy.

  Wayrian managed to get her leg half way over, then she was stuck. She tried to hop closer to the vehicle, and ended up losing her balance and falling against Chase’s back. Her cheeks flamed, and she tried to push herself upright.

  Chase must think she was completely incompetent. Which she was.

  But he just twisted around and held out his hand to her with a smile. “It’s a little tricky.”

  With his help, she managed to get herself onto the seat. By the time she was perched precariously behind him, any embarrassment had faded and she had no hesitation in wrapping her arms around Chase’s waist.

  She could feel his firm muscles bunched under her arms, not a trace of doubt or uncertainty in his whole body. He wasn’t afraid. He knew exactly what he was doing. Some of her fear faded away.

  Somehow, she didn’t feel like anything could go wrong when she was holding him like this.

  That thought was a dangerous one. Especially when her grandfather and his disapproval was only a short distance away, inside the house. Especially when she might be in for a big disappointment if Chase did love Lisa.

  But right now, all of that was in the distance. Here and now, she let herself enjoy the feeling of being free as a bird as they sped across the paddocks, the wind blowing her hair back from her face. It was almost like flying, something the fear of discovery kept dragons from doing often enough.

  All too soon, the trip was over. Chase pulled to a stop in front of where his father was bent over the broken fence.

  His dad swore at the fence strainer, ignoring their presence.

  Wayrian felt nervous again. What would Chase’s father think of her being here? He’d seemed okay with her when he thought she might be… what had he said? Chase’s girlfriend. She had a sneaking suspicion she knew what that meant, even though it wasn’t a word dragons used.

  Chase swung his leg over in front of him and slid off the quad, leaving her to get herself down. A task that was much
easier when he wasn’t watching. Or sitting in front of her.

  “Here, let me.” Chase reached for the tool his dad was holding.

  His father frowned. “I thought you were looking after your ‘guests’?” He glanced over at Wayrian as he said the last word, his unease obvious.

  “Ostrian is having a rest, and Wayrian has come along to help.” Chase took the strange looking tool away from his dad.

  After a moment’s weak protest, his dad handed over the tool. “This thing is stupid, never works.”

  “That’s just because you don’t know how to use it,” Chase said.

  He handled the heavy looking too with ease, deftly catching the broken wire in clamps, and pulling the two pieces close enough together to be joined.

  Wayrian was fascinated by how the tool made the job much easier, and moved a little closer to see.

  Not so his dad. “The way we always did it worked just fine,” he grumbled, “and it was much simpler too.”

  “Not as tight though,” Chase returned immediately. He pushed his hat back and wiped the sweat off his brow, then twisted a small piece of wire between the two broken bits, tying it off neatly in a figure eight and cutting off the ends. Then he released the tool, leaving the fence intact.

  “Well, the fence is all done,” he said. “Is there anything else you need help with, Dad?”

  Chase’s dad shook his head. “Nothing I can’t handle. You look after those guests of yours.”

  Wayrian followed Chase back to the quad, hoping she’d do a better job of getting on this time. Before she could even try, a strange beeping noise filled the air. The sound was coming from Chase. Wayrian stared at him, not game to proclaim her ignorance and ask what it was.

  It couldn’t be too serious, because his dad turned away and headed back to his bike.

  Chase pulled something out of his pocket, and Wayrian recognised it. Karla had something similar. She called it a phone, and said she could talk to her people over long distances with it. Wayrian guess it must be kind of like dragon voices, only with a better range.

  “Karla?” Chase demanded. “What happened? Is Lisa okay?”

  Wayrian heard a faint reply, but even though she strained to hear it, she couldn’t make out the words.

  Chase’s dad had stopped, half way to his bike and turned to listen as well.

  Chase listened for several, long moments, then he said sharply, “How long is that going to take?”

  He listened again.

  Wayrian wished she could hear what Karla was saying. This one-sided conversation was almost more frustrating than not being able to hear any of it.

  “Surely it would be better if we were all together?” Chase demanded. “I don’t like the idea of Lisa dealing with all this on her own, what if…” He broke off, his eyes lifting to where his father was, then he continued. “What if Ultrima hassles her?”

  Wayrian suppressed a shiver.

  She was small fry. Unless she was in the lightning dragon’s way, he’d probably ignore her. But Lisa, she was with Prince Verrian. Ultrima would surely go after them.

  And Chase would want to protect Lisa.

  Of course he would. He should.

  The frown on Chase’s face as he listened indicated Karla wasn’t thinking the same thing.

  “Of course we’ll be fine here,” Chase said impatiently. “It’s not me I’m worried about.”

  For a moment, Wayrian thought Chase might be talking about her, but he didn’t even look in her direction. Then she realised.

  Lisa. That’s who he was worried about.

  She was surprised at the surge of jealousy. Chase wasn’t her mate. He hadn’t ever even indicated that he might like to be. Just because some goddess in a dream had told her she should mate him didn’t give her any right to feel jealous.

  None at all.

  But feelings rarely listened to logic. Apparently, the dream was enough for her to feel some claim to Chase.

  A claim she had no right to.

  It didn’t matter if she were attracted to him. Attraction didn’t equate to love. And love certainly didn’t equate to mating. There was so much more to it than that. It was understanding, a shared commitment, an agreement to make that commitment.

  If Chase wanted that with someone else, she wasn’t going to stand in the way.

  What did she know of attraction anyway, much less love and mating? Anyone was going to look attractive compared to a prince she’d never met.

  “Yes, I’ll wait,” Chase said impatiently, “but keep me informed.”

  He ended the call, and stared at Wayrian for a minute. She could sense something in his frown. Impatience? Frustration?

  The phone call reminded Wayrian that her grandfather’s objections weren’t the only thing keeping her away from Chase, if he were in love with Lisa, then it didn’t matter that the goddess thought they were fated mates.

  Wayrian bit her lip. She should tell him to go, that she’d be fine.

  But somehow, she couldn’t make her voice say the words.

  “Who was that?” Chase’s father asked curiously. “Another one of your dragons?”

  “Karla,” Chase said shortly.

  He didn’t volunteer any more information, even though his dad waited for him to elaborate.

  “Is everything okay?” his dad asked eventually.

  “Not really,” Chase said bluntly. “Lisa and another one of the dragons, one of their princes, are hiding in town. But the reporter I told you about, or one of their enemy dragons, could give them trouble at any point.”

  His father stared at him as though he couldn’t quite believe it. Then he cleared his throat. “Of course. Um… should you go help them?”

  “I can’t,” Chase said in frustration. “I need to look after Wayrian and her grandfather.”

  His father hesitated, then heaved a sigh. “I could probably keep an eye on them if you like?”

  Chase stared at him for a moment, then he gave a laugh. “And just what are you going to do if a lightning dragon shows up and starts breathing lightning everywhere?” he asked.

  His father’s eyes widened. “Do you think that’s going to happen?” he asked faintly.

  Chase shrugged. “Never know with these dragons. It wouldn’t be the first time.”

  His dad looked taken aback. Then he seemed to recover. “Well, what are you going to do if that happens?” he demanded.

  Chase stared at him for a few minutes, then he laughed. “No idea, but I’ll think of something.”

  And he would. Wayrian somehow had no doubt about that.

  His dad didn’t look so convinced. He looked like he’d like to say something, even opened his mouth to speak, then he closed it again. He sighed. “Well, let me know if there’s anything I can do to help,” he said finally.

  Chase nodded. “I will,” he said warmly. “But right now, I have things to take care of, so if you’ve got everything here, we’re going to go back to the house.”

  He didn’t even wait to for his dad’s nod, just swung himself onto the quad, and waited for Wayrian.

  Somehow, she wasn’t too sure how, Wayrian got on behind him, and held on tight as Chase sped off.

  He didn’t attempt to talk. The loud sound of the engine, combined with the wind noise, meant any meaningful conversation was impossible.

  When they arrived back and the engine was shut off though, he told her more of what Karla had said. “Karla says we need to stay put for at least a few days. Rita, apparently gave Lisa and Verrian a lift back into Mungaloo. Karla is worried she’s going to continue to snoop around and find her way to the lair, so she said we need to stay where we are.”

  The feeling of Lisa being in the distance faded away. The look on Chase’s face, frustration mingled with concern, was all too close.

  She couldn’t bear to see him so unhappy. If he did, indeed, love Lisa, then she couldn’t stand in the way.

  “You don’t want to go back to the lair,” she pointed out. “Su
rely there’s no danger in you going after Lisa?”

  Chase’s eyes met hers, conflict flickering in them. “I can’t leave you and your grandfather alone. So far, Rita only knows where one dragon is, and Ultrima doesn’t know where any of us are. Taking you into Mungaloo puts you in danger.”

  Wayrian swallowed. “That’s what Karla said. What do you think?”

  Chase stared at her for a moment, then heaved a sigh. “Lisa is safe in Mungaloo. Ultrima isn’t going to attack her in a crowd of humans, he’s already proved that by running from Rita. And she has Verrian to protect her. I can’t really help.”

  Was that what he was thinking, or was he still repeating what Karla had told him? Wayrian suspected the latter.

  “You care about her, don’t you?” she asked softly.

  Despite wanting what was best for him, her heart ached a little. Why was she the one always asking this question? First Taurian, when she’d realised he loved Karla, and now Chase.

  Maybe it would be easier if she just gave up on the idea of love. If she mated one of the princes, as her grandfather insisted, then none of this would matter. She’d have the commitment and certainty, even if she didn’t have love.

  Wayrian sighed. Why had the goddess put this idea into her head? She’d said it was going to be hard, but this was beyond hard.

  Wayrian wouldn’t try to make him mate her if he loved another. No matter how much was at stake. If her grandfather had his way, she might have to accept living with someone who was only with her out of obligation, but she wouldn’t do that to Chase. He deserved better.

  Chase didn’t answer immediately. He pulled his hat off and ran his hand though his hair before putting it back on. Frustration bunched up his expression for a moment, then cleared. He heaved a sigh.

  “Of course I care about Lisa. We’ve been friends since we were kids.”

  Wayrian tried not to let her heart lift at his word choice. “Friends?”

  Chase met her eyes, his expression forthright. “If you’re asking if I’m in love with Lisa, the answer is no.”