Denying the Dragon

by Rinelle Grey

  © 2016 by Rinelle Grey

  www.rinellegrey.com

  All rights reserved.

  Cover design by

  Table of Contents

  Blurb

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  About the Author

  Blurb

  When Taurian’s clan contacts them, Karla knows that her time with Taurian is coming to an end. He doesn’t need her any longer, and even though he still seems keen to make things permanent between them, she’s not sure she’s up to the commitment.

  Taurian expected his desire for Karla to fade once he was back with his clan. Instead, it only intensifies. He’s determined to convince her to be his mate—despite his clan having a mate already picked out for him.

  But there may be no time for love and mating, when Taurian’s enemy is still after them.

  Denying the Dragon is Part 5 in the Dragon Ruins serial, set in a small outback town in modern day Australia. It begins with Waking the Dragon. The 6th and final part will be out soon.

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  Chapter 1

  “Karla and Lisa should have the beds,” Bruce offered. “I’m happy to sleep on the floor.”

  Karla didn’t really care where she slept. She was just relieved Ultrima had stopped chasing them and they were back at her father’s house, and she could sleep. For a week. The fact that there weren’t enough beds for everyone seemed like such a minor problem after all they’d been through.

  It was only that morning that she’d arrived home to discover Bruce here, and since then, she’d rescued him from a dragon, healed Taurian, watched him fight another dragon, and found out Taurian’s clan was gone.

  Surely finding room for them all to sleep could be accomplished quickly and without fuss.

  “As shall I,” Taurian said quickly. “Dragons don’t sleep on beds anyway. A blanket is perfectly adequate.”

  Karla tried not to look at Taurian. Maybe this wasn’t so simple. She didn’t want to even think about where he would be sleeping. Or whether he’d be naked or not. As exhausted as she was, her body heated as soon as that thought surfaced. She tried to suppress the desire, and failed miserably.

  After his revelation earlier that day that if they slept together a third time, they’d be permanently mated, she knew she needed to keep her distance. Mating with him was a far bigger commitment than she was prepared to give right now. She’d known him for less than a week for goodness sake.

  The attraction between them didn’t seem to be related to that at all. And it refused to be silenced. She couldn’t guarantee she could say no in the heat of the moment. Better that they slept as far away from each other as possible.

  Lisa looked at both men, a half grin on her face. “Well, I’m not going to argue, I’m more than happy to sleep in a bed.”

  Since there were only two beds, hers and her father’s, that would leave all three men on the floor. Then again, her father’s bed was a double. It occurred to Karla there was an advantage in not sleeping alone in the bedroom. Far less likely that Taurian would decide to visit her. “If you want to sleep in my room, Dad, Lisa and I can share your bed,” she suggested. “Then Taurian or Bruce can have the lounge.”

  She should have known that would only complicate things further. Oh, her father was happy enough to sleep in her bed, it was the two younger men who were the problem.

  “Bruce can have the couch,” Taurian said immediately. “As I already said, dragons are used to sleeping on the floor.”

  Bruce folded his arms, a gesture that for him, was almost antagonistic. “I’ve slept on the floor more than once as well,” he said quickly. “I think, as a prince, Taurian should be the one sleeping on the sofa.”

  Taurian looked down his nose at Bruce. “Being a prince doesn’t mean I’m soft, if that’s what you’re implying.”

  “Stop. Both of you,” Karla demanded. She looked at them both. Apparently she was going to have to make a decision herself if she wanted to sleep any time soon. “Since Taurian’s the reason we’re all here, he can sleep on the floor and Bruce can have the couch.”

  Taurian looked like he wasn’t sure whether he was pleased or annoyed at her reasoning. Eventually, he inclined his head with at least a show of graciousness.

  Bruce hid a grin. He, at least, seemed happy with the decision. Karla suspected he hadn’t been looking forward to sleeping on the floor, no matter what he said.

  To Karla’s relief, once that was sorted, everyone began to get ready for bed. She brought her suitcase out of her room and offered a change of clothes to Lisa who accepted them gratefully.

  As the two of them changed in her father’s room, Lisa said,” I kind of expected you’d be sleeping with Taurian. Or was it too awkward with Bruce around?”

  Karla paused with her foot half way into her pyjama shorts and stared at her. Lisa’s face was openly curious and Karla couldn’t detect any sign of malice. It was on the tip of her tongue to deny any feelings for Taurian, but then she paused. She finished dressing while she considered the situation. Lisa’s admiration for the dragon prince was obvious. And no matter how much distance Karla knew she should keep, she didn’t think she could handle watching Lisa flirt with him.

  “Taurian and I only met a few days ago,” she said. “Given the situation right now, I think it’s better if we wait until all this is settled before we get involved in anything long term.”

  “I’d just settle for jumping him,” Lisa said. “Then again, you’ve already done that, haven’t you?”

  Karla bit back an angry retort and forced herself to take a deep breath. It wasn’t surprising that Lisa was curious. After Karla thought about it, she didn’t even really resent it. But that didn’t mean she had any idea how to answer her questions. Even the truth didn’t make much sense.

  “Look, it’s complicated,” she said. “Taurian needed me to sleep with him so he could recover his strength after the healing. Neither of us are really sure how we feel about each other yet, so we’re not rushing into anything.”

  Lisa’s eyebrows shot up. “Needed to sleep together? That’s the best excuse I’ve ever heard.”

  “It’s not an excuse,” Karla shot back, a little too defensively. She shouldn’t have said anything. She should have known the truth would just sound like an excuse. Sometimes, she found it hard to believe it herself. She took a deep breath and tried to explain a little more clearly. “The magic that helped Taurian heal so quickly requires close physical contact and a sharing of energy.” She was probably explaining it all wrong, she only half understood what had happened, even though she’d been part of it. Twice now.

  Lisa’s eyes gleamed with interest. “It does, does it? Well, that’s okay,” she said. “I won’t tell anyone. Your secret’s safe with me. But if Taurian ever needs some help recovering when you’re not around, I’m more than happy to oblige.”

  Karla opened her mouth to insist that wouldn’t be necessary, and then shut it again. Her heart sank as she realised that rejecting Lisa’s offer to sleep with Taurian if he needed it was stupid at this point. She couldn’t afford to sleep with Taurian again. Not unless she was prepared to really and truly commit to him. And given the trouble he seemed to attract, it was quite likely he’d need healing before she had a chance to decide if she was ready to make that commitment.

  The idea sent a shiver up her spine. Could she handle watching him complete the Mesmer ritual with someone else? Or would she choose to mate with him herself, despite
the implications. The second option was a bad idea, really it was, but she couldn’t convince herself it wasn’t what she’d choose.

  Sleeping with him again was a permanent commitment. More permanent than any marriage ceremony. If she crossed that line, there was no going back. Ever.

  If she crossed that line, she might as well kiss her career in England goodbye. Any career, probably. Because being the mate to a dragon prince would have more than enough responsibilities for anyone. That’s if they even lived very long, given his enemies.

  There was nothing to recommend it at all.

  Yet, it didn’t stop her being tempted. In fact, if Taurian had been here…

  No, that was just the problem. The fact that she already felt this way about him made it twice as dangerous. Feelings like this couldn’t possibly last. She’d been in enough relationships to know that. Passion and obsession turned into comfort and familiarity. There was nothing wrong with that. But when the inevitable happened, you had to have something else to sustain you, some interests and passions outside of the relationship.

  That was what she was at risk of losing. If she gave in to her desire for Taurian and gave up her job and her own passions, then what would she have left once things settled into comfort and familiarity?

  A thought that a passion like the one she felt for Taurian could never cool tried to sneak its way into her mind. Karla resolutely pushed it away. Nothing that intense could possibly last forever. Could it?

  “Karla, can I speak to you for a moment?” Taurian stuck his head in the room, and instantly Karla’s insides turned to mush, threatening her beliefs and resolve. She was glad she was already dressed, since he hadn’t even bothered to knock. Probably another thing dragons didn’t do. Like sleeping in beds. She bit back a snort.

  “Go on, I’ll be fine,” Lisa said.

  As if there was anything not to be fine about.

  “Sure,” Karla agreed, and followed Taurian out of the door.

  Once they were alone in the hallway, Taurian’s presence was suddenly overwhelming. His spicy scent filled her nostrils and made it hard to even think clearly. “What did you want?” she asked, needing something to focus on.

  He didn’t say anything, but when she looked up, his golden eyes burned into hers. “I just needed to see you,” he admitted. “We haven’t had a chance to talk since, well, earlier, and I wanted to… to apologise.”

  That surprised her. “What for?”

  “For being angry up on the cliff. You were right, talking to Edtrima and getting that information from him was far more important than my need to kill him.”

  Karla stared at him, but the words weren’t forced. He genuinely seemed to believe them.

  Damn him. Now was not the time for him to decide to be perfect. She needed an excuse to dislike him, or at least distrust him. She needed a reason to stay away. One she could convince herself to listen to.

  “I don’t think killing someone is the right choice if there’s any alternative,” she said quietly. “It’s not just about how it benefits you.”

  Taurian’s expression was unreadable. “What about Ultrima?” he asked.

  This was better. She could convince herself that she couldn’t accept his overly aggressive nature, couldn’t she? He had wanted to kill the other dragon for centuries. A word from her was not going to convince him otherwise. She couldn’t possibly condone that sort of violence... then again, Ultrima had been trying to kill him. She sighed. That wasn’t going to work.

  She stared into his eyes and he stared back. Her heart kept doing little flip-flops, as though it wanted to keep her off balance and uncertain. Taurian seemed to actually want to hear her answer. Could a word from her stop him from killing the other dragon if the chance arose?

  Did she have any right to interfere to that extent?

  Did she want to?

  “I don’t know,” she said. “And I likely won’t be around by that point. Once we find your clan, you’ll have no need of me.”

  She meant the light comment to get her point across, to herself as much as to him.

  The thundery expression on Taurian’s face showed he didn’t take it lightly at all. “We haven’t found them yet,” he said flatly.

  “No,” Karla agreed.

  “It could take a while for us to find them.”

  “Yes,” Karla agreed. Despite her misgivings, despite the very real reasons why she shouldn’t, she couldn’t help feeling a little glad about that. It wasn’t that she was obsessed with being near Taurian, she assured herself, she just wasn’t quite ready to leave this adventure behind. That was all. She needed to at least know how it ended.

  She didn’t even want to think about it ending.

  “I’m glad you decided to stay at least until I find them,” Taurian’s words were soft, and despite knowing it was risky, Karla looked up into his eyes.

  They locked onto hers, burning deep into her core, sending tendrils of desire shooting through every part of her body.

  How had she ever thought this could fade? Or that she had any chance of resisting? She couldn’t even blame the intensity on the Mesmer bond. Not because a feeling like this wasn’t magical, the opposite in fact, but no magic could produce the strength of these feelings. The Mesmer bond had been intense, but it didn’t have this depth. That had been purely physical. Though there was a strong physical component to what she felt, it didn’t stop there. She wanted to be near him, to fill her eyes with the sight of him, and her ears with his voice, even when she knew she couldn’t risk sleeping with him.

  For several long moments Taurian didn’t move. His eyes didn’t leave her face. Then without a sound, he lowered his lips to hers.

  His kiss was light, a feather touch, and yet it set every nerve ending alight and left Karla aching with longing. She knew she should pull back, not give in to that small temptation when there was so much at stake, but the kiss seemed so light and innocent, she couldn't resist.

  And intoxicating.

  That was where the danger lay. She knew that. A kiss was hard enough to resist, but once his body pressed up against hers and the desire surged through her, she wouldn’t be able to pull back. She wouldn’t even be able to remember why she should.

  She would return to her senses too late, when she was already bound to him for life. She couldn’t risk that.

  Before the sweet lure of temptation could convince her otherwise, Karla put her hands against his chest. It was solid and firm, and her fingers itched to feel and stroke his skin.

  She cut off those urges. She needed to stay strong. She needed to remember who she was and what she wanted in life, not to be seduced by the promises of temporary pleasure.

  She pushed firmly against his chest and tore her lips from his. “No,” she said resolutely. “We can’t.”

  Taurian’s eyes stared into hers. He didn’t move to kiss her again, but nor did he step back. “What if we did?”

  His low voice sent a shiver up her spine. What if they did? Would it really be so bad, spending the rest of her life with Taurian? Loving him. Holding him. Kissing him. Sleeping with him.

  Her body screamed that it would be perfect, and urged her to accept now, before he changed his mind. Even her mind whispered about the exciting life she’d lead as the mate to a dragon prince. The life of a fairy-tale.

  That was just it. It was a fantasy. It couldn’t be reality. Not forever. It had to pale eventually.

  “What if we did?” she challenged him. “What does that even mean? What happens if a dragon and human mate? Does the mating bond even work between dragons and humans?” For a moment, she had a rush of hope. Maybe being a human just might be to her advantage. If it weren’t for the mating bond, she’d have no issues sleeping with Taurian.

  Taurian shook his head sadly. “Mating between a human and dragon is no different. The mating bond is just as strong.”

  Karla heaved a sigh, any hope of an easy escape dying before it had ever taken breath.

  Tauri
an continued. “My clan will have issues, probably, if they are still alive, but they will come to accept you, even love you, once they see what a strong princess you will be.” His voice sounded so sure, as though he’d already convinced himself.

  Shock coursed through Karla. A princess? Taurian was a prince, so it made sense. She just hadn’t considered it until now.

  Another reason not to mate with him. She so wasn’t princess material. His certainty about the fact that a human-dragon mating was just as strong piqued her curiosity though. “So humans and dragons have mated before then?” History was always a good distraction.

  “Yes, before we left England. It wasn’t common, but it did happen on occasion.” Taurian’s hand caressed up and down her arm as he spoke. Karla tried to ignore the rhythmic motion. She especially tried to ignore how every stroke sent swirls of desire cascading through her body.

  She tried to focus on all the other things she had to know, even though she couldn’t quite remember why she was asking. “What about kids then?”

  Taurian’s eyes darkened. “Yes, we would be able to have children without any issues, Karla.”

  An image popped into her mind unbidden—two little dark haired Taurian’s running around, a girl and a boy. Taurian laughing as he scooped them up and swooped around the room with them. Her heart constricted at the image that couldn’t be.

  “Would they be dragons, or humans, or a mix?” She could imagine the problems if one was a dragon and one a human. That would incite the ultimate jealousy between siblings.

  Taurian’s hand stilled on her arm. “Dragons always breed true. They would be dragons, no matter how many we had.” He stared deep into his eyes. “I would love to have children with you, Karla.”

  The temptation was so great. Even though his hand didn’t move, she could still feel the craving flooding through her. Could feel the want overwhelming all rational thought.

  She blinked. She’d been determined not to succumb to this. How had it happened anyway? She clenched her stomach, trying to halt the slow progression of desire.