The Dragon's Secret Prize

by Jasmine Wylder

  Shane closed his eyes. He imagined Kayla’s face and threw himself backward. Gordon let out a surprised noise as Shane lifted into the air and came crashing down on him. Both dragons sprawled. Shane’s clawed hands reached out, groping for Gordon’s throat. They found their mark and he squeezed. Gordon thrashed and wheezed.

  You are never going to harm her.

  Gordon’s eyes were wide as he clawed at Shane’s body. Blood sprayed into the air but Shane didn’t stop. He tightened his grip, panting even as he did so. Gordon’s movements became jerky and then he stilled. His eyes rolled and the form beneath Shane began to shift.

  Soon a human lay where the dragon had been. Shane released him, unwilling to kill the other dragon. Gordon wheezed and coughed, both hands on his throat. Shane slowly shifted back to his human form. His frame was slick with blood but he ignored the pain as he glared at Gordon.

  “Either you release us all or I kill you. Here, tomorrow, the day after. You know that’s how it will end. So what is it, Hunt? Surrender or death?”

  Gordon stared up at him with terrified, hateful eyes. “Surrender,” he growled out.

  Shane nodded. “In that case, we will take our leave and never see you again.”

  He headed for the door leaving the arena. It opened and several of Gordon’s goons entered. Gordon let out a barking laugh. “You’ll never see me again, that is for certain! Kill him!”

  The goons glanced at each other. Shane tensed as he glared at the goons. They all held weapons but none lifted them. He walked through them and they parted for him. Behind him, Gordon spluttered and shouted but the goons continued to ignore him. Kayla and Tyler ran to him. Shane had to work hard not to collapse against his brother. He wrapped his arms around Kayla and held her tight.

  “I said kill him!” Gordon shouted again.

  “His empire is broken,” Shane murmured. “He’s proven to be a weak coward. It’s over.”

  ***

  Kayla had filmed the fight. She had even gotten Gordon shouting for his goons to kill Shane. That, combined with the testimony of Gordon’s former clan, was enough to shut him down for good. His power had broken and his former allies, including the cops that took a cut of his proceedings, were all too eager to turn on him. Every cop in the town was under investigation in the meantime and Shane was certain that things were going to proceed well from here.

  The dig was another concern. Kayla admitted that she hadn’t been taking Esther’s calls for a few days. Telling her what had happened ended up taking longer than Shane anticipated. He dozed while Kayla and Esther talked, and was only woken up when Kayla entered the tent and laid down next to him.

  She kissed him gently. “So I guess that Esther’s coming back to take care of the dig. Well, Dominique is going to come, too, so Bryant has an excuse to stay with Esther. That’s a pretty cozy job, being part of the queen’s guard.”

  Shane made a noise of agreement, then frowned. “She’s coming back? What about the baby?”

  Kayla’s eyes brightened. “The baby is fine. More than fine, apparently. The weird stuff happening with her pregnancy? It’s because she’s having twins. And it took this long for them to figure out because they kept playing hide and seek or something like that. All that worry for nothing!”

  “Not nothing.” Shane shifted a little to allow Kayla more room on the sleeping bag. “Dragons rarely have twins. In fact, most cases you don’t know that they’re going to be twins until they’re born. I don’t know why but when dragons have twins it messes up all the equipment and that…”

  He trailed off. During everything that had happened, he hadn’t been able to spare any thoughts to Bryant and Esther. Now, he was just grateful that their baby was going to be okay. It also made him think about when he and Kayla were going to start a family. He absently stroked her stomach. It’d be a good idea to wait a few months at least, to help them get over the trauma that Gordon had put them through…

  “I noticed Tyler didn’t stick around.” Kayla’s voice broke him from his reverie.

  “Yeah. He went home.”

  “I hope he at least said goodbye to Bernie this time. She was devastated when she thought he left the last time… oh God!” Kayla suddenly sat bolt upright, her eyes growing huge. “I’m going to have to tell her everything that happened. Oh, shitty, shit, shit! This is the worse thing to ever happen to me. She’s going to demand to know why I didn’t tell her and why I was lying to her and… she’s going to kill me.”

  Shane put an arm around her and tugged her back down next to him. He shook his head. A fond smile grew over his face as he rolled over her, caging her with his body. “She’s not going to kill you.”

  “Yes, she is. Or maybe she’ll just kill you. I don’t know.” For a moment real panic shone on Kayla’s face. Her fingers tightened in his shirt as she stared into his eyes. “We’re free, right? For real?”

  He stroked her hair from her face and nodded. “We’re free for real.”

  “And you’ll stay with me forever?”

  “Of course.”

  Shane brushed his mouth against hers and smiled as she relaxed. She released a shaky breath and he moved to her neck, being gentle and slow with her. Gordon was in jail. His cohorts were all being rounded up. He wasn’t going to be able to come after them again.

  Even though the videos of Shane participating in the fight ring had been released, the feedback had been mostly positive. While there were the idiots who pointed at them and claimed that it was proof he was lying about everything, the backlash wasn’t focused on him. Nor was it focused on Gordon being a dragon that had an illegal fighting ring. No, most of the public response was actually praising him for taking such good care of his mate.

  And now as he looked into her eyes while her fingers twisted into the hair on the back of his neck, he couldn’t help but be filled with relief. He had done it. He had protected her and now she was safe. Forever. She was here, in his arms, and he never had to fear for her safety again. At least, if he did he’d be right there to protect her. From anything that came their way.

  “I love you,” he breathed.

  “I love you, too.”

  He stroked the hair from her face, a silly grin crossing his face as he considered their position. She began to rock her hips upwards, a sure sign that she was thinking along the same line. When she knew what she wanted, she went for it. And he loved that about her. He delved into her neck, loving her scent, loving her taste. Loving everything about her.

  Screw it. He had meant to wait for some romantic interlude but they both knew what they wanted. Why should they wait? He rolled off of her, eliciting a disappointed groan from her, and rummaged through the purchases he’d brought back from the city. When he finally found what he was looking for, he turned back with a grin on his face.

  Kayla’s eyes widened when he held the small velvet box out to her. With a practiced swish, he opened it, revealing the diamond ring nestled inside. She sprang up to her knees and gasped as both hands flew to her mouth.

  “Kayla Tucker. You are the love of my life. You’re my mate and I want to spend the rest of my life funding your digs and sleeping with you in my arms. I want to give you everything you want and more. Will you accept this ring and this dragon?”

  Tears filled her eyes as both her hands dropped. A huge grin spread across her face even as she shook her head. Shane waited, uncertain exactly how to take these mixed signals.

  “You’re crazy,” she breathed. “Absolutely crazy.”

  Shane’s brows knit. “Um… why?”

  “Because you love me. Despite everything that’s wrong with me, you love me. And so you have to be crazy, right? My crazy, crazy dragon.” Kayla threw her arms around him. “Yes! I will be your wife. I’ll be everything you want me to be. I’m yours forever. I love you so much.”

  She kissed him again, wild and passionate this time. As she straddled him and he wrapped his arms around her, he closed the velvet box. He laid her down on her sleepin
g bag and she laughed as he began to make love to her–the first time as an engaged couple but certainly not the last.

  *****

  THE END

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  Description

  Those who cannot do, teach.

  Seph Vovin is one of five handsome brothers from a clutch born to one of the oldest dragon-shifter families.

  He has been blessed.

  He has been privileged.

  He has a career as a successful marriage counselor.

  But…

  He has no mate.

  What could go wrong when seeking the help of a dating service where dragon-shifters are paired with genetically-compatible women?

  Asha Hamilton is the founder of Wings of Love, one of the leading matchmakers for dragon-shifter romances. This big, beautiful woman has a flawless record when it comes to pairing up couples – until Seph walks through her door. Suddenly, she is met with a challenge, to find a mate for someone who just won’t click with anyone. Asha is determined to find the right woman for Seph, no matter what it takes.

  But what happens when she runs out of options? How far is she willing to go to succeed in her mission?

  Prologue

  They sat on opposite sides of the sofa, not looking at each other. He stared down at his knees, occasionally picking at invisible lint on his jeans; she studied the ceiling, jaw tight, arms locked around her middle and legs crossed at the knee. His body language spoke of guilt and hopelessness. Hers screamed, “I want a divorce.”

  Seph Vovin shifted in his wingback chair, his long fingers laced together over the notebook resting across his lap. “So,” he said, breaking the frosty silence that had settled over his office like a dense, London fog. His blue eyes focused on the woman and his lips curled up at the corners in a gentle smile. “Ladies first. Elaine? Tell me what has been going on between you and Robert. How have things been going since the last time I saw you,” he glanced down at the file, “last month?”

  Elaine pursed her lips and shook her head. Her slender fingers drummed against her arm. Finally, she spoke. “Where do I start?” She looked over at Robert with disdain. “He’s still out of work. I’m the only one supporting the household. I went right back to work after giving birth to our clutch, with the agreement that he would stay home with the kids until they were old enough for a nanny. That was three months ago. For all I know, he doesn’t even have a job to go back to, anymore.”

  “In my defense,” Robert said, interrupting his wife’s tirade, “I was experiencing separation anxiety from the children.” He turned to Seph with a look of sad desperation. “You know how that is, right?”

  Seph smiled. “Not personally,” he said. “But I do know it’s common for dragons to experience anxiety over being away from their children, as early as when the eggs are in their mate’s womb.” He reached up, combing his fingers through his thick, dark blond hair. “However, if you’ve been having any kind of difficulty graduating to the next stage of parenthood, you might need to speak to your physician, as it could be a medical issue that needs addressing and, unfortunately, not something I can help with.” He spread his hand over the front of his white linen shirt and blue silk necktie. “I’m here to counsel you and Elaine as a couple, to help you reclaim and maintain a perfect level of harmony in your relationship.”

  “I just feel like she doesn’t understand,” Robert insisted, moving to sit at the edge of the sofa cushion. He twisted to face his wife. “I love you, Lainey, and I don’t want to disappoint you. I just want you to be a little more patient with me.” He shook his head. “You and the kids mean the world to me. Growing up, I never had much of a family. My mom was killed in a car wreck while she was pregnant with her second clutch; they saved the eggs, but they were premature, and I wound up losing my brother and sister before they were a year old.” He swallowed audibly, his eyes filling with tears. “My dad was never the same after that. I never knew why until I became a father. I’m scared that something will happen to our children if I’m not there to protect them.”

  Elaine sighed, but her body language changed from angry and closed off to one of resignation. “Dammit, Rob,” she said. She reached over and scooped up one of his hands, lacing their fingers together. “Nothing is going to happen to the kids. They’re healthy, they’re growing up fast…” She gave a soft laugh and shook her head. “Don’t you think I miss them, too, being away from them all day when I’m at work? And I miss you. But I can’t do this all by myself. We’ve got bills to pay, we have to keep a roof over our heads.” She tugged on his hand. “I just want my husband to be my partner. We’re supposed to be doing this together.”

  Seph watched them carefully, listening to their conversation. “Elaine is right, Robert,” he said, closing the notebook and placing it on the mahogany end table to the left of his chair. “Marriage comes with a lot of responsibilities. Taking care of your family is important, but it has to start with your union.” He gestured at each of them with a wave of his long fingers. “You two are the foundation of your family. Robert, you’re afraid that your children will grow up the way you did – without a mother, without a father. You couldn’t control those events in your life, but you can control this.” He stood up, pulled his tailored gray suit jacket closed and buttoned it. “My advice to you is to work together. Every day, I want you to tell yourself that your children are going to be fine. You can leave them with their caretaker and you can go back to your job, which will alleviate some of the burden from Elaine’s shoulders. This will also allow Elaine to have a little more time to spend with the children, since it’s imperative for young dragons to bond with both parents. By becoming equal partners, you’ll find your relationship will thrive, your fears will subside, and you’ll be back to the happy couple that you were when you first met.”

  Robert and Elaine looked at him and then at each other – and they shared a smile. “I love you,” Robert said, and leaned in to give his wife a tender kiss on the lips. “I promise, I’ll do better.”

  “That’s all I want,” Elaine murmured, and rubbed the tip of her nose against her husband’s.

  The session concluded. Seph walked his clients to the door. “I’ll see you in a month,” he told them. “Good luck, both of you.”

  “Thank you,” the couple said, and made their way out through the waiting room.

  As he closed the door, Seph’s phone rang. He pulled it out of his jacket’s inner breast pocket and checked the caller I.D. A frown creased his brow when he saw the name of one of his four brothers. He thumbed the screen. “Drew! Slow day at the courthouse?”

  The District Attorney chuckled. “Well, since you answered the phone I have to think you’re either between appointments or your clients have realized how stupid it is to get couple’s counseling from someone who has never been in a long-term relationship.”

  Seph rolled his eyes. “That one never gets old,” he said. Walking over to his desk, he woke his computer out of sleep mode and pulled up his schedule. “Seriously, Drew – what do you want?”

  “I was just checking to see if you heard from Father.”

  “Why? What’s going on?”

  “Check your email.”

  Sighing, Seph sat down in his office chair and clicked on his email ic
on. He found the letter from their father, with the word ‘Urgent!’ in the subject line. Opening the file, he found a brief note telling him to come to the house tonight. The email had been copied to his brothers. Seph blinked, confused. “Why is Father calling us all together?” he wondered aloud.

  “I was going to ask you the same thing,” Drew said. “I thought I’d check with you before I called Vann, Don, or Mal.”

  Seph snorted at the last name. “Is he even in town? I thought he was on tour right now.”

  “Actually, I think his band goes on the road next week,” Drew said.

  Seph shrugged. “Well, maybe that’s the reason for the short notice,” he said. He leaned back, his chair squeaking under him. “Father must have something to tell us, while we’re all in the area.” He chewed on the skin at the corner of his thumbnail. A thought crossed his mind and he sat up straight. “Shit – you think there’s something wrong? That he might be sick?”

  “God, I hope not,” Drew said. “Look, I’ve got to go – I have a meeting with one of the judges in ten minutes. I’ll see you tonight at Tamerlane.”

  As the call ended, Seph pressed the edge of his phone against his lips. His father never ordered his sons to congregate at the family estate unless it was something important. Because Father gave no hint as to the reason, Seph found his mind wandering to the worst possible reasons. He considered calling his other clutch mates to get their opinions.

  He looked at his watch. He had a half-hour before his next appointment. Opening his phone’s contact list, he dialed his brother Vann. It did not surprise him when it went straight to voicemail. Vann worked at an upscale day spa where he always seemed to be in high demand by the female clientele who signed up months in advance to receive his massages. That’s not all they want from him, Seph thought. Last Christmas, Vann had a little too much mulled wine to drink and began bragging about all the women – many of them married – with whom he had sex during extended private sessions, making jokes about the amount of body oil he could go through over the course of a day. Seph had given up on warning Vann about the dangers associated with being a lothario, especially if a jealous husband caught on to his wife’s affair with the handsome masseur. Of course, Vann always blew him off, so Seph decided to leave it alone. He’ll find out, sooner or later.