Dragon Protector (Dragon Dreams)

by Tabitha St. George

  Kent shifted, needing a way to let off his steam and took off down the mountain toward the office. He popped into one of the small stations the shifters used to return to their human form. It could get awkward sometimes with humans around working at the company for a shifter who had just shifted back into his human form to strut around naked.

  He dressed quickly and walked inside, heading straight to Blaine’s office.

  “The West Quarter is clear,” Kent said.

  “That’s good news,” Blaine said, looking at Kent with his wise eyes. “You free today?”

  “Me?” Blaine asked, frowning. He didn’t have any more patrols to run on the mountainside, but the mines made him nervous, and he had a feeling that was exactly what Blaine was going to ask him. “Yeah.”

  “I need you to keep an eye on one of the crews. There’s been a lot of tension lately. The dragon-shifters have everybody all riled up. There’s a tunnel we found that’s full of ancient dragon relics, and it looks like it’s been used recently. Men under serious strain tend to get pretty fed up with each other very quickly, you know. It’s not really a good situation for anybody. But you’re a strong guy. I know your background in martial arts. Can you mediate for me?”

  “Do I have to go into the tunnels?” Kent asked. He wasn’t a huge fan of small spaces. The bear in him wanted always to be wild and free, at all costs.

  “Just keep an ear out and if you hear a problem, go where the problem is. Think you can do that?”

  “Sure,” Kent agreed. It wasn’t like he had anything better to do, and honestly, his blood was still pumping from the fight he’d had with Lawrence.

  “Great. You’ll get a ride out to the mine with Lance. He’s on his way now.”

  The ride was long and quiet and by the time they stopped, Kent was feeling restless.

  “Thanks for the ride, man,” Kent said, getting quickly out of the car before Lance could answer.

  He walked alone to the site where men were milling about hard at work. When they saw him approaching, most of them straightened their backs and gave him a menacing look. They must have thought he was encroaching on their turf. It was widely known he was considered one of the strongest bears on the mountain; his practice in martial arts had allowed him a lot of advantages when it came to fighting.

  “What are you doing here?”

  Kent stiffened at the sound of Jake’s voice. They had been friends as young men but as they had grown, the two of them had drifted apart. Things had become messy between them ever since a martial arts tournament, when Kent had kicked Jake’s ass quite thoroughly. The poor guy just didn’t have the type of skills he thought he had, and that was to the detriment of their relationship.

  But that was okay. Kent was used to being alone. He had all sorts of resentment built up in him ever since he was orphaned. There had been a miscommunication with the dragon-shifters from Mount Argon, and they had been killed in the messy battle that had ensued. His parents had been strong, but they had also been outnumbered. One of his mentors had decided that it would be good to enroll him in martial arts as he recovered from his grief. He had consumed himself with it, learning as much as he could about discipline and staying centered.

  “Blaine sent me,” Kent said. “Wanted me to keep things on track.”

  “Of course he did,” Jake said bitterly.

  Tension sparked between them and Kent glared at Jake.

  “You have a problem with it, talk to Blaine.”

  Jake sneered and turned his back on Kent. It was clear he wanted to start a fight, but he also knew which one of them would be finishing it. Kent shook his head and walked in the opposite direction.

  “Sorry I’m late! Um… I’m in the right place, right?”

  Kent was electrified by the most beautiful voice he had ever heard. He whipped around to find the source of the voice, only to be confronted by the dazzling smile of a young human woman.

  “I’m sorry, who are you?” Kent asked, trying his best not to stammer.

  “My name is Mary,” the woman responded, her crystal-blue eyes shining as she offered him her hand. “Are you Jake?”

  “Oh, hell no,” Kent said with a chuckle. The woman smiled warmly and he held her gaze, each of them appearing to measure the other up. She was taller than many human women he had seen, reaching to about his shoulder. She had beautiful golden hair that was tied casually back, and her body was a wonderland of sensuous curves that immediately brought his senses to life. She was more woman than he would know what to do with, and it immediately brought his bear to life.

  “Well then who can I say I have the honor of meeting?”

  The woman quickly shuffled her binder and some other odds and ends into her other arm before reaching her hand out to take Kent’s.

  “My name is Kent Black,” he said, grinning at her. Inside him, the ever-present bear was already measuring her up to stake his claim. “How do you do?”

  The girl’s cheeks turned a deep red, which encouraged him to turn up the charm. He squeezed her hand meaningfully, causing the color in her cheeks to further deepen.

  “I’m Adrian Hart,” she said, her eyes bright and full of life.

  “What are you doing here, Adrian?” Kent asked, his gaze fixed upon her intently.

  “I was told to come by the guy in charge. Blaine?”

  “What did he want with you here?”

  “I’m supposed to be getting experience out on the field. I was top of my class, so I was chosen to come and keep records. Kind of like an internship.”

  “I see,” Kent said, suddenly realizing that he was still holding the girl’s hand. She seemed to realize it at the same time and drew back, looking shyly down at the ground.

  The bear was bursting at the seams, telling him this was someone he should be pursuing. Right now. With no hesitation. The urge to claim her was overwhelming. How could this be when he had never felt this way about anyone before? And besides, she was just passing through. This was something fun for her to do for her class and to gain experience. All that would amount from it was brief gratification. Was that really something he was willing to succumb to? It seemed kind of sleazy.

  “So, what do you do here?” Adrian asked him, her beautiful eyes studying him, lit with intrigue.

  “I don’t really do anything here,” Kent admitted with a small laugh. “I’m just muscle. Keep the guys in line to make sure they get their shit done without any issues. I actually work as an independent contractor.”

  He trailed off as his eyes caught commotion in the distance and a deep growl began to rise in his throat.

  “Excuse me, ma’am,” he said, pushing past her and running to the spot where two miners were having a physical altercation.

  “You stupid son of a…!” a man about a head smaller than Kent exclaimed, lunging at a taller man who was sneering.

  “Just hold on a damn minute,” Kent demanded, pushing the smaller man away from the larger man and holding them both at bay. “What the hell is going on here?”

  “Neville here seems to think I’m his omega or something!”

  “Oh shut up, you little maggot! I don’t have anything to prove to you or anyone else.”

  Kent glared at both men and they grew silent, uneasy looks settling on their faces. They all knew what Kent was capable of. They weren’t particularly fond of the idea of witnessing his brutality in person, particularly on themselves, so they grew wisely silent.

  “I think you both know exactly what you’re supposed to be doing here,” Kent said evenly. “And I think you realize that you’re wasting everybody’s time right now. You either work together, or ignore each other. Either way, Blaine sent me here to keep an eye on your sorry asses so that’s what I’m going to do.”

  “It’s just that—”

  “I don’t care what you two are squabbling about,” Kent said, cutting the man off. “You can either keep fighting and get the hell out of here, or get your work done. What do you want me to tell Blai
ne?”

  “All right, all right,” the smaller man mumbled. “But I don’t want to work with this asshole.”

  Kent stared hard at the taller man, who sighed and shrugged. “Fine. I’ll go over here and do some sifting.”

  Kent nodded and watched with a cold eye as the men went their separate ways. Once he was sure they were going to get on with their work, he shook his head and sighed deeply.

  He caught Adrian’s eye from across the way and she smiled shyly at him before turned her gaze away. He had to do everything in his power not to race over to her and claim her right then and there. It was an intense feeling unlike anything he had ever experienced before, and in a way he was ashamed of himself for it. But he was able to restrain himself and looked away from her quickly. He was hoping against hope that soon her assignment would be over, and he would be able to move on without dealing with his feelings for this girl interfering with his life any more than it already had.

  2.

  “If he’s not a miner, what’s he doing here?” Adrian asked, turning her gaze back on the incredibly well-muscled man who was roaming the site, his dark eyes serious and pensive as he made sure that none of the men got out of line.

  “Who, Kent?” The man who was overseeing her work glanced up at Adrian, his eyes mildly contemptuous.

  “Yeah, Kent.”

  “Well, Blaine likes to keep him busy. Guy has a lot of things on his mind… kind of a dark side, if you want to be honest about it. So, we do what we can to make him useful. He’s strong, you know, and that’s something we can always use. Makes a good delegation guy.”

  “I see…”

  The conversation lulled and Adrian took the opportunity to really take a good look at Kent. He was strong, that much was painfully obvious from the way his sculpted muscles rippled as he moved around the mining site, oblivious to her gaze. He had dark hair, wild and untamed, and pensive, mysterious brown eyes that seemed to bear all the weight in the world when he didn’t think anybody was watching. Truth be told, he was ridiculously attractive, and the second she had laid eyes upon him she’d found him alluring. Just the kind of man she wanted to be with, even if not long term.

  The day went by quickly, with Adrian soon becoming consumed in her work. Although the enigmatic man managed to catch her eye every now and again, she was able to keep her thoughts on the task at hand so that she wasn’t too distracted by her unwanted feelings of desire.

  Finally, the sun began to set in the horizon and a whistle blew. It brought Adrian out of her task and when she looked up she was startled by the dark intensity of Kent’s eyes boring into hers.

  “Are you staying on the mountain?” Kent asked her, his eyes flashing with an emotion that was hard for her to pinpoint. “It’s time to go.”

  “Yeah… I have a hotel room.”

  Her body was electrified by the sheer volume of desire in Kent’s eyes, but he didn’t act on it. Instead, he gave her a small nod.

  “Come on. I’ll escort you back. It’s not safe for humans here, but especially after dark.”

  “How do I know I’ll be safe with you?” Adrian asked, her heart pounding painfully in her chest.

  “You don’t,” Kent said, his dark eyes flashing. He was so close that she could nearly feel him; just his larger than life presence was enough to make her breath catch in her throat.

  “I’ll go with you,” she whispered. “But only if you promise not to hurt me.”

  Kent grinned, a confident and boyish grin that took some of the darkness out of his handsome face. Again, Adrian’s heart contracted, tight and sharp, and she wondered just what in the hell she had gotten herself into.

  “I promise not to do anything you don’t want me to do,” he said instead, his eyes playful and brimming with desire.

  Adrian’s body was electrified by his nearness, and she did her best to look away, to hide what she was feeling. But it was clear there were just some things that you couldn’t hide from a bear shifter.

  “All right,” she said quietly.

  Kent smiled again and Adrian turned away from him, walking to her car.

  “You drove up here?” Kent asked.

  “You seem surprised,” Adrian said, raising a brow at him.

  “Well… most humans don’t like driving on the mountain. It’s pretty steep. Most of the time we shifters just roam around on all fours, you know.”

  He cast her another meaningful look and she could feel the heat rise to her cheeks. Why did everything out of his mouth sound like liquid sex? It was ridiculous.

  “I’m a good driver,” she said, getting into the car. She unlocked it and shoved the passenger’s side door open for Kent to get inside.

  “I’m sure you are,” Kent responded, his voice bemused as he slammed the door shut, filling the car with his rugged scent. It was intoxicating; like being at a bonfire in the middle of the woods.

  “You really don’t have to do this, you know,” Adrian said, trying to keep the nervous waver out of her voice. “I can take care of myself. if I couldn’t I wouldn’t be here.”

  “Oh, I’m sure you can manage just fine,” Kent said. “But just in case.”

  “All right…”

  They drove up the mountain in silence, the sexual tension between them nearly unbearable. Adrian managed to keep herself focused on the journey, her mind spinning. How was it possible for this man to be so attracted to her? She had always been a curvy girl and because of it, she’d found it difficult to date men, especially those who had expectations of what dating a big girl might entail. It always turned sour when they realized that she had a backbone and she wasn’t going to tolerate any bullshit. That was usually a deal breaker.

  “So, are you going to be at the site tomorrow too?” Adrian asked, turning the engine off once she pulled into the parking lot of the hotel. She was reluctant to leave him for some reason. She knew it was ill-advised and impulsive, but her mind was swimming with the implications of their attraction.

  “I wasn’t planning on it,” Kent said with a low chuckle. “I hate working at the mine. All the guys there are a pain in the ass.”

  “I think they’re threatened by you.”

  Kent looked up at her, surprise flickering in his dark eyes. “You noticed that, huh?”

  Adrian smiled and nodded. “I did.”

  Kent smirked to himself and shook his head. “Well, they know I could kick their asses and they don’t want to deal with me.”

  “Well, you certainly seem capable of handling yourself,” Adrian said.

  “I’m capable of handling a lot of things.”

  Adrian was suddenly trapped in Kent’s gaze. Her heart began to thud painfully in her chest. Suddenly, Kent’s lips were on hers, hungry and intense, filling her body with a slow, sensual heat.

  When he pulled away from her he frowned to himself and drew back.

  “Well. Good night then.”

  He got quickly out of the car and disappeared into the woods, leaving Adrian tingling in the seat and staring after him, her mind reeling at the possibilities of what Kent’s presence had meant to her and the reality that her desires were going to remain unmet for the rest of the night.

  3.

  What the hell am I doing? Kent growled to himself.

  Kent was deep in the woods behind the hotel where Adrian was staying. He had sincerely wanted to make sure she got home safely, especially dealing with a bunch of people at the mine who were high strung and agitated. It was hard to say what any of them might be thinking, under the pressure of Blaine’s bullshit deadlines and having an attitude toward humans that was generally utilitarian. The girl was cute. Most men might dismiss her because of her curves, but that only meant she was in more danger of being disrespected by the other bears. Adrian couldn’t have been safer than she was in going back to the hotel with Kent.

  He had never felt so urgently about a human. The desire deep in his body was overpowering. And it really didn’t make sense to him. He had to get out of the
re. The last thing he needed was a human sneaking her way into his head.

  Kent took off toward the modest home he had built himself and headed into the shower. The whole time he washed, he was consumed by thoughts of the young woman. However, he couldn’t just go and unleash the beast within him on her. She wouldn’t know what to do with herself, and he would hate to hurt her. Wasn’t it dangerous for a bear-shifter and a human to mate? Especially one who seemed so meek.

  Or maybe she hadn’t been meek at all. Perhaps she was just overwhelmed by the same feeling that was driving him crazy right that moment. Whatever the reason, he would have to get the thought of her out of his head, or he wasn’t going to be able to focus on the tasks at hand the next day. He had a lot to do tomorrow and he would need his full concentration to get through it all. He hadn’t been counting on meeting a woman like Adrian. It was ridiculous, really.

  Kent grumbled to himself as he got out of the shower and dressed quickly, laying down in bed and tossing and turning, he tried to get thoughts of Adrian out of his head.

  By the time he finally fell asleep, he knew only one thing for sure. He had to see her again, no matter what the cost.

  ***

  “Again?”

  Blaine chuckled into the phone, causing Kent’s blood pressure to spike significantly. “I know you’re a busy man, but you would really be doing me a favor.”

  “I was supposed to help Jeremy with his porch…”

  “Jeremy is going to be there too,” Blaine said. “I already called him. We weren’t expecting so many men to be injured.”

  “Yeah, I get you,” Kent grumbled. “But you know I hate that kind of work. Small spaces piss me off.”

  “Oh, I know,” Blaine said softly. Kent cringed, glad that Blaine wasn’t there in person to see the pain on his face. It had been the worst day of his life when he’d found out he was an orphan. He had spent the day in the mines, and had discovered the truth about his parents consumed by the suffocating darkness. Ever since then he’d vowed to be out in the open air. Being trapped in the darkness or in small spaces brought him right back to the worst moment in his entire life, and Blaine knew it.