Scaling Her Dragon: BBW Paranormal Shape Shifter Romance (Paranormal Dating Agency Book 8)

by Taiden, Milly

  “Wrong how?” Gerri frowned. “You’d think a good guy would make you feel good.”

  “Right?” She scooted up the bed, bringing her back to the wall and curling her feet under a pillow. “No, these guys haven’t been bad. We just didn’t emotionally connect. I want a man who will make me feel things… Passion. Desire. Need. Not just expect to have sex because he’s there, you know?”

  “Oh,” Gerri nodded slowly, “I know. So why not give my services a try?” She winked. “You never know what kind of smoking, fiery man you may end up with.”

  She laughed at the way Gerri waggled her brows. “I don’t know if I want anyone I need to carry a fire extinguisher for.”

  “What are some of the characteristics you want in a man?”

  Becca pursed her lips and thought about it. “I guess a man who will appreciate me. Who likes to laugh. Someone who loves to spontaneously take off and do things. I have a deep love for going to new places, so that would be fun. I love to explore; that could be cool. Maybe he can like being home, too. Someone who is comfortable and easy.” She laughed. “I think I want a dog, not a man.”

  Gerri giggled. “I was about to ask if sex means a lot to you?”

  She nodded. “Hell, yes! Puh-lease, like I’d want a man who’s not good at that. I want that fire and smokin’ hot passion we spoke of earlier.”

  Gerri nodded. “Sheet-burning sex, huh?”

  “Oh, yes.” Becca nodded vigorously. “I’ll take that times five, please.”

  “You might need that fire extinguisher for that, though. Does it matter?”

  She grinned. “If he’s that good in bed, I’ll happily strap on a full fireman’s outfit and wait for him to light my fires.”

  “You seem to be pretty laid back over finding a man, not as frustrated as other clients I’ve had. Why is that?” Gerri refilled her cup and offered Becca more wine, but she shook her head.

  “I guess it’s because I have faith that I will meet the right man, someday. I know it may not be today, tomorrow, or soon, but I will. There’s no way I’ll go through my entire life alone. I’m fun. I’m nice. I’m cute, and I have a smoking-hot body. What’s not to love?” She laughed.

  Gerri laid an elbow on the table and shook her head. “I really like you. I’ll find your man, Becca. You’ll see.”

  Becca yawned again. “No pressure. Not like he’ll die if he doesn’t meet me in the next few days. I’ve got all the time in the world.”

  “Oh, honey. You have no idea what’s in store for you.”

  FOUR

  Vikter growled and slammed a door on one of his underlings. The anger inside him had grown like mold, eating through every moment of happiness from the past. Fury over his impending doom was all he had left.

  A knock sounded at his door. His dragon pushed at the skin. Lately the animal showed himself more when Vikter found himself unable to control the rage.

  “What?” he roared.

  The door jerked open, and Razzy marched in, her gaze filled with disbelief. “Did you really just yell at Rimond?”

  He shrugged, turning away from her and pushing off the slice of guilt in his heart. Rimond had been his assistant for years. He’d never disrespected Vikter. Vikter’s anger over his numbered days was getting out of hand. “What do you want?”

  Razzy narrowed her eyes. “I want you to get out of this room. You’ve been stuck here for days. How in the world are you supposed to run this kingdom from your office? The change of seasons is approaching. I want to host a ball.”

  Vikter glanced out his window, his gaze on the rocky drop from the side of the castle to the raging river below. “Do whatever you want.”

  “You’ll need to host with me, Vik. You can’t just hide away from our friends,” she insisted, her voice filled with concern.

  “No!” He whirled around to face her. “I’m not interested in seeing any of their happy faces.”

  She flinched, taking a step back. “Vikter,” she said softly. “What’s happening to you?”

  He glanced away again. “Death. That’s what’s happening to me. Soon, I’ll be nothing but a memory.”

  “Don’t speak like that, brother!” She gasped. “You know this is your kingdom. These are your people. They would be lost without you.”

  He shook his head, watching her sad expression reflected in the window glass. “Go, plan your ball, Razzy. Don’t worry about me.”

  He’d stopped worrying about himself. When he’d been a kid, his father taught him that being a great leader didn’t mean having to be there. Leaving a legacy was just as important. For Vikter, that would be Razzy. She’d take his place when the time came. He hated that she’d have to start making decisions for others and worrying about having to find a mate soon.

  Razzy turned on her heels, stomping away and slamming the door behind her. He didn’t think about following her. She’d learn to control her outbursts with time.

  A loud thumping sounded at his door, followed by: “Vikter, open this door or I’ll push it down.”

  “It’s open.” He knew nothing he said would push Brecc away. There was none of that with his friend.

  Brecc entered, his brows dipping in a fierce scowl. “Why have you ignored all our invitations? Charlotte feels like you’re angry with her.”

  Charlotte, Brecc and Eros’s mate, was a beautiful human with a soft and loving heart. No matter what he was going through, Vikter couldn’t take his frustrations out on her. She was innocent in all this.

  “I’m sorry, Brecc. I’m just not in the right mindset to be around others.” Especially mated, happy others. He didn’t want to say how much harder it was to control his dragon’s fury lately.

  Brecc marched farther into the room and threw the door behind him, shutting it with a harsh click. “I understand all that. But we’re your friends. We’re here for you. Don’t hide. We can help.”

  “No. You can’t,” Vikter snapped. He took a deep breath and curled his hands into fists, trying hard to keep the change from taking over. “I have to handle this on my own now.”

  “Give us a chance. Come over. Charlotte’s sister is coming in the next day or two. I’m sure it would be nice to meet someone who’s not from around here,” Brecc said, shoving his hands into his pockets. “We want to get you out of the mood you’re in.”

  “You mean the I’m-going-to-die-in-a-few-days mindset? That’s kind of hard since it’s true,” he said, voice filled with sarcasm.

  “Razzy is hurting seeing you this way,” Brecc threw back. “Is that what you want? For her to be thinking of your imminent demise forever?”

  Fuck. No. That wasn’t what he wanted. What he wanted was his dragon to stop trying to control him—for him to not feel all that anger. He wanted a lot of things he wasn’t getting at the moment. “I’ll talk to her.”

  “Do that.” Brecc came closer, his gaze sweeping Vikter from head to toe. “Have you already given up on life, my friend?”

  Vikter growled, turning away. “My appearance no longer matters. There are more important things to worry about now. None of them revolve around me.”

  Brecc sighed and turned to go. “I understand. Just know I’m here for you. I’ve gotten one of my best friends back now. I don’t want to lose you before it’s time.”

  Vikter listened to Brecc’s strong footsteps as he left his office. Once he’d gone, Vikter sat with a groan. Life was getting harder to handle. Even with so little time left, things didn’t get any easier.

  FIVE

  Becca wiggled in the soft material Charlotte gave her to wear under her clothes. She had no idea how her sister could live in icy mountains. It was damn cold up here. Becca’s ideal place would be by the sea, or in a spa. You could never go wrong with a spa. Jacuzzis were her favorite. She could spend hours in one, just letting the jets massage her all over.

  “What are you doing?” Charlotte giggled, watching her from the bedroom door.

  “Dancing in my pajamas,” she replied, wiggling h
er ass some more.

  “They’re not pajamas. They keep you warm, so you don’t have to wear every piece of clothing you brought with you.”

  “Thank god for that. It’s cold as fuck up here. How the hell do you manage to stay warm?” She flipped around with a huge grin. “Never mind. I know how you stay warm. Those two big, hunky men who keep eating you up like you’re ice cream.”

  Charlotte laughed. “At least they’re not looking at me like they’re lactose intolerant.”

  She shook her head, chuckling. “So what are we doing today?”

  “We’re not doing anything,” Charlotte said with a pout. “I’m sorry, sis. I have to go with the guys to visit Brecc’s sister. Her little girl is teething, and apparently I’m the only one who can calm her down. Just call me the Baby Whisperer.”

  “You?” Becca gasped. “You were so not a kid person before.”

  “She’s really cute,” Charlotte said.

  “That’s fine. I can go for a walk and check out the area. It all looks nice from up here, but I bet down by the river things are much prettier up close.”

  “That’s right,” Charlotte agreed. “We won’t be gone long. If you want, you can come with us or you can wait ‘til I return.”

  “Nah. I’m good. I can walk and see the alien life.”

  Charlotte slipped on a jacket. “They’re not really aliens. They’re shifters.”

  “I know. It’s just fun to say aliens. I keep thinking something is gonna pop out of my chest and try to make me its momma.”

  “You have issues.” Charlotte laughed, walking out of the room.

  * * *

  Becca had walked a lot—a heck more than she was used to. She pulled out a bottle from her backpack and gulped on the water. She’d been tempted to fill the bottle with wine, but Charlotte warned against it. Still, she’d had a few cups of the fruity punch before she left. Now she felt she could take on the world. She wondered if it was a side effect from the wine or the height.

  Ah, shit. She’d forgotten that heights made a person feel liquor a lot faster. Fucking hell. She blinked, bringing the forest into focus. This was probably not a good time for her to realize she was a little bit tipsy.

  It wasn’t as cold in this area as it had been on the other side of the river, closer to the icy mountains where Charlotte lived. The hills here were a soft yellow, covered with bright, burgundy trees. She could see fruits high up on the branches, but had no idea what they were. Instead of walking, she sat under the shade of one particularly giant tree and leaned back on the trunk.

  The grass was thick and soft, a nice cushion to help her feel comfortable. She glanced at the sky and smiled. Two suns. The bigger one was a bright yellow, while the other was more blood orange. Both appeared to be really close to the planet. At first glance, her heart skipped a beat from the thought that they were falling into Aurora.

  A shadow appeared over the sun. She frowned, wondering what it was, until the distinct image of wings made her jerk to a sitting position.

  What. The. Hell?

  In awe, she watched the animal glide through the sky. No. Not happening. This was a shifter planet, but there was just no way in hell she was seeing what she thought she was seeing. This was the product of too much wine. Dragons were mythical creatures. She’d never heard of one as a shifter on earth. Never.

  Her attention returned to her surroundings. The sound of shuffling between the branches made her glance around, looking for what the made noise. Suddenly, a young girl appeared out of nowhere. She met Becca’s gaze and squealed.

  “You’re here!”

  Okaaay. “Hi. I’m—”

  “Oh, I know who you are. You’re Charlotte’s sister, Rebecca.” The girl grinned. “I’m Razzy.”

  “Hello, Razzy. Yes, I am Becca. How are you?”

  “Great! I’ve been dying to meet you. Charlotte told me all about you and how you can’t be dared to do things, because you actually do them.”

  Out of all the things Charlotte could have told people about Becca, she’d chosen that. That was her sister. “Yeah. I do have a bit of a problem turning down a dare it seems.”

  Razzy laughed, her beautiful, purple eyes glowing. “I think that’s awesome. Shows you’re confident in yourself.”

  “And stupid. Confident and stupid.”

  “No!” She laughed harder. “Don’t say that. I can tell you like to have fun. I do too. I love Charlotte. She’s so nice. I don’t have many friends who give me good advice. I love having her so close.” Razzy glanced around. “Are you sitting here for a reason, or would you like to walk with me?”

  More walking? She guessed it was easier going toward the warmer side than returning up the cold mountain. Not to mention, she really didn’t want to climb.

  “Sure, we can walk,” she groaned, her muscles aching as she stood.

  “Come, you have to see the garden we have at the palace,” Razzy gushed. “We have the prettiest rainbow flowers ever.”

  She didn’t bother asking about another palace. Apparently each shifter nation had their own leader, most of which lived in a bigger holding. If Razzy’s castle was anything like Alyx’s, she’d fall in love all over again. Charlotte and her wolves lived in a massive cabin at the top of the mountains. That didn’t mean it wasn’t the size of what most estates were on earth. It just had an earthier feel than a castle.

  SIX

  They followed a path of big red-and-yellow flowers that reminded her of sunflowers, only the center of the flower was yellow and the petals and stem were red. She didn’t get too close for fear her allergies would go crazy. She’d been taking her allergy meds since she arrived. Gerri told her she didn’t need meds, because she should not have allergy problems in Aurora, but she didn’t want to chance it.

  “Razzy, you have the prettiest purple eyes,” Becca said when the girl smiled at her again.

  “Thank you! Charlotte said the same thing. It’s so strange to hear someone else say that. Since we all have different eye colors, it’s normal to see such variety.” Razzy picked up one of Becca’s shoulder-length curls and rubbed it between her fingers. “I love the texture of your hair and the color of your skin.”

  Unlike Razzy’s paler complexion, Becca had a warm-cinnamon coloring that allowed for her to tan nicely. “Thanks. I love the color of my skin, too. Not sure about the hair. You should see it when it’s wet. It’s everywhere.”

  Razzy sighed. “I wish my hair curled. It just falls in this long, straight, boring mess.”

  “Darling, you have beautiful hair. I’d kill for the shine in yours.” She laughed at the irony of life. “Isn’t that always how it is? We want what we don’t have.”

  They neared a massive stone wall. A doorway appeared out of nowhere, and Razzy grabbed her by the hand and led her inside. “Come on. You’re going to love the flowers.”

  Doors appearing out of nowhere. Two suns. Weird colored flowers and blue snow. Yeah. She really hadn’t had enough of that wine yet.

  They crossed into an open courtyard. They passed people who stared at Becca with curiosity. She stared back. Their eyes amazed her. Orange, blue, green, silver, pink, and every color of the rainbow she had ever seen looked back at her. This was the most colorful planet in the universe.

  Hallway after hallway they went until a giant opening brought them to a massive garden. She gasped, her gaze busy taking in the beauty of the pristine garden.

  “Holy shit!”

  Razzy chuckled. “You have the best reactions.”

  “Are you kidding me? This isn’t just a garden. This is like every garden ever made put together,” she whispered in awe. She took a few steps toward the closest flower: a deep green with specks of red and pink and a blue stem. The flower was the size of her head. She lifted a hand to touch it but stopped mid-way.

  “What’s wrong?” Razzy asked. “Don’t you like the baby flowers?”

  Becca snorted. “Baby?”

  “Yes. They can grow in size. We call the
se babies, because they are hybrids and much smaller. The originals grow in the wild and can be the size of a dragonling.

  She’d never heard of a dragonling flower, so she wasn’t sure how big that was. “The flower is beautiful, but I shouldn’t touch it. I’m allergic.”

  “I promise they will not harm you. Our flowers do not contain the same pollen your earth flowers do.”

  She was tempted. After an internal debate, she leaned forward and touched the petals with the tips of her fingers. “This is unreal. They’re so soft.”

  “We have a bed of pillis,” Razzy said. “Come. I’ll show you.”

  She turned to follow the girl and frowned. “I don’t know what ‘pillis’ are.”

  Razzy stopped suddenly and lifted a hand to point in front of her. “That’s them.”

  Becca’s jaw dropped. Tiny flowers with petals in every color ever created covered a large section of the garden, making them look like they were a kaleidoscopic wave.

  “Wow,” she gasped, her legs refusing to move, keeping her rooted to the spot.

  “We call the bigger ones rainbow flowers. The babies are called pillis.” Razzy turned to her with a wide grin. “I knew you’d love it. Charlotte loves these flowers. We don’t pick them. We admire nature as it is meant to be. Unless someone is getting mated, to celebrate the union, we do not kill plants.”

  “Your planet is beautiful.”

  Razzy nodded. “I love it. I’m glad you’re here. I hope you will come to my ball.”

  “Ball?” she asked, still a little dazed from the walking, the wine, and the high altitude.

  “Yes. Charlotte promised to come. We’re celebrating the turn of the seasons. Our people are coming out of sleep, and I think a celebration is in order.” Her lips tipped down and sadness filled her gaze. “Mother loved having one every year when she was alive.”

  Damn. How could she say no to that face? “I’ll be here. I think it’s a great thing you’re doing. Keeping her memory alive with tradition.”