King of the Dragons: Dragon's Blood M.C. (Dragon's Blood M.C. Book 9)

by B. A. Stretke

  King

  Of The

  Dragons

  ✽✽✽

  Dragon’s Blood M.C.

  Book 9

  ✽✽✽

  By. B.A. Stretke

  Copyright © 2019 by B.A. Stretke

  Published by Superiorland Publishing

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

  This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to any person (living or dead), place, or event is purely coincidence.

  PROLOGUE

  King Duncan stood on his balcony and looked out over the ocean and the rocky shore. He wondered how his people would adjust to the dry expanse of the Wyoming landscape. They'd resided on the Shetland Islands for over a thousand years, and now they were relocating to a land far away from these shores.

  Clan Keith had completed their Quest and found mates in a place not many would have thought possible. But Fate had a plan for them, and that plan included a dry, out of the way, place in America's west. He thought of the many mates already found and the anxiousness of his people to follow Clan Keith. It had been five hundred years now since he took over leadership of the Shetland Dragon Circle from his father and his brothers then took their place as his Dragon Knights. His Uncles, his father's Dragon Knights moved to Elder status upon the death of his father, the Dragon King. It was the way of the dragon.

  He watched the setting sun and wondered if his mate waited for him in America. Would he begin his life in this new place? He was nearing eight hundred years upon this earth and was still alone. His brothers were younger but not by much, and they too remained alone. Everyone held high hopes for their future in America. The anticipation was beyond exhilarating.

  CHAPTER ONE

  Lyle sat on the edge of the bed in his motel room in Fort Collins, Colorado contemplating his life and trying to ignore the musty and dank smells that surrounded him. You get what you pay for, and this room was all he could afford.

  He tried to clean the place the first day and the second and the third, but no matter how much bleach he used the smells returned. The fetid odors were as much a part of the room as the chipped paint on the walls and the frayed carpet on the floor.

  He stared at the phone in his hand and wondered if today was the day that his brother would talk to him. It had been nearly two weeks now since Hunter was disowned and thrown off their father’s ranch. Lyle was the cause and it ate at him daily knowing that he may have destroyed Hunter for no other reason than his own petty jealousy.

  Hunter was the old man's eldest and professed favorite according to their father, Morris Davis. Hunter never bought into it and urged Lyle to ignore the old man. Lyle didn't hate his brother, he loved Hunter but sometimes the old man would try to set them against one another, and this time Lyle took the bait. For some reason, this day he was tired of being compared to Hunter and always falling short.

  Why hadn’t he just ignored the old bastard like he usually did? No, this day he decided to out Hunter in order to save his own hide and put Hunter in a negative light, it was despicable, and he would never forgive himself for being so weak and so two-faced.

  Lyle never thought their father would do what he did to Hunter. Hunter was being groomed to take over the ranch and Lyle just wanted to knock him down a notch, not destroy his life. Morris depended on Hunter to run the ranch and deal with business, Morris was a failure when it came to dealing with people. He couldn’t make it without Hunter. Lyle never thought he’d do what he did.

  The moment the words were out of his mouth Lyle knew he fucked up in the worst way possible and tried desperately to backpedal, but it was too late. Morris was in a foul mood and had been searching for something and he wasn't going to let it go. Lyle gave him the ammunition with which to devastate his brother and the memory of that day continued to relentlessly tear at his heart.

  Morris accused Lyle of being a faggot when he refused to take the daughter of one of Morris' friends to the Centennial Dance. Lyle might be forced to work like a dog, but he'd be damned if Morris was going to start pimping him out for favors, so he flatly refused and suggested he have Hunter take her.

  Things just continued to escalate from there with nastiness and hatred until Lyle erupted with, ‘I’m not the faggot in the family, that would be your precious number one. The heir apparent to this shit hole ranch.’ He said it because he was angry and wanted to back off his father and hurt his brother at the same time and now, he felt like a complete monster for doing it.

  The gravity of what he'd done hit him immediately, as his father tore from the house and went after Hunter yelling that he would not abide homosexuals in his family or on his land. It was bizarre and heartbreaking simultaneously. Lyle raced to Hunter’s room and grabbed everything he knew was important and irreplaceable and stuffed it into a duffle before running out to the stable.

  He arrived just as Morris was backhanding Hunter across the face and dragging him to his truck. It was a scene Lyle would never forget, it was burned into his memory for all time. He threw the duffle into the back of Hunter’s truck as Morris slammed the door and shouted for Hunter to get off his land and out of his sight and so many other terrible things. But it was the moment that Lyle’s gaze connected with Hunter’s that broke him. The pain and betrayal he saw in the depths would live with him forever.

  Morris continued to shout obscenities at Hunter as he drove away and then he turned on Lyle. The beating he got then he believed was deserved considering what he’d just done to his brother. He stood there and took what his father dished out. When it was over Lyle went to his room packed a few things and left.

  He stopped when he reached Fort Collins and found a cheap place to stay for a while that had now turned into two weeks. He was working a part-time minimum wage job and so far, Lyle's finances had held out. He had a small savings and pawned everything he had of value except his phone.

  For the past two weeks, he'd been calling and leaving messages, but Hunter had refused to answer. He couldn't blame him for wanting to cut off contact, but Lyle needed to explain, he needed his brother to forgive him before he could ever move on with his life. He stared at his phone contemplating another call. It was late, but he decided to try anyway.

  He punched Hunter’s name and put the phone to his ear and waited. His voice mail always picked up after five rings but this time it only rang three times and then he heard Hunter say hello.

  His voice was so unexpected that Lyle froze for a moment before answering. He immediately apologized for what he’d done and tried to explain quickly fearing that Hunter would hang up, but he didn’t.

  "I'm listening, Lyle," Hunter said and then waited to give Lyle space and time to explain himself. He told him everything. He admitted his behavior was selfish self-centered and without real cause and he asked for forgiveness.

  “I’m sorry Hunter, please don’t cut me out of your life.” Lyle was desperate and close to crying.

  "I hear you, Lyle," Hunter said and Lyle hung on every word. "I know the kind of man our father is and what he has done to us both. It'll take me a while to forget but for now, I love you too and I do forgive you."

  “Thanks, Hunter, that means the world to me.” Lyle let out a heartfelt sigh. “Are you okay, are you in a safe place?
”

  “Yes, I met some people that have come to mean a great deal to me in a very short period of time. I have friends and I have support.” Hunter was being careful not to tell him too much. Lyle recognized the way he talked around the facts, but then why would he tell Lyle anything personal considering how he’d treated Hunter’s biggest secret? The forgiveness gave him peace, but the memory would always bring him shame and that’s just life.

  Lyle checked his watch and knew he had only a few minutes to get to work but also loathed to say goodbye. “I have to go, but may I call you tomorrow?”

  "Yes, that would be nice," Hunter told him.

  "Thanks for taking my call," Lyle added.

  “We’re brothers Lyle we will always work things out.”

  "I love you, Hunter."

  “I love you too Lyle.”

  …

  Lyle hurried off to work feeling better than he had in weeks. The motel wasn’t far from his job, so he opted to walk most evenings as he was trying to save his gas for long trips. His mind was consumed with analyzing every word Hunter had said and trying to figure out the new relationships he’d spoken of when suddenly he was aggressively knocked to the ground and he was being pummeled by fists and feet.

  It was lights out for him almost immediately. His last awareness was his face hitting the concrete and the sound of a man's voice. He came to the next day when the sun was high in the sky, so he assumed it was around noon or after. Rolling onto his back, he attempted to sit up but failed after three tries so moved back to his side and managed to get to his hands and knees and then moved to lean against the brick wall behind him.

  As he moved, Lyle felt one big explosion of pain after another. His ribs ached, his face was swollen and throbbing, and he was pretty sure two fingers on his left hand might be broken. His watch was missing along with his wallet and his phone.

  He pushed to his feet using the wall behind him for support and stood there for a few minutes. He recognized his location, a narrow alley not far from his motel which was fortunate. Looking around he noticed his wallet laying open on the ground. The twenty he had was gone but everything else was there. Life was looking up he thought until he made his first few steps, and every pain came back to life with a vengeance.

  Lyle knew he needed to get to a bed and soon otherwise he was going to pass out in public. Some good Samaritan would probably take him to a hospital or clinic, and he didn’t want that. He could take care of his injuries, he didn’t need medical staff nosing into his business.

  The walk to the motel felt like fifty miles when in fact it was less than five hundred feet. Once he stepped inside his room and closed the door, he found the bed and collapsed. He lay there very still and tried to figure out his next move.

  His job was a washout with a no-show he would have been fired, that fact had been made clear at the time of hire. He was paid up at the motel through Thursday, so he’d take it easy and try to heal as much as possible and then head towards Denver come Friday. There would be opportunities for him in Denver.

  …

  “It’s nearly mid-night and Lyle hasn’t called.” Hunter checked his phone and tried to call him. “There is still no answer.”

  “Do you know where he was calling you from yesterday?” Forbes asked.

  “No, I assumed he was at the ranch, but I called one of our neighbors and they said Lyle left weeks ago.” Hunter tried again to call him. “I should have asked if he was okay, but I was too caught up in myself.”

  “He may be fine and just not able to answer his phone.” Flynn offered.

  “I need to find him, I have a bad feeling.”

  “We’ll find him.”

  …

  Lyle vaguely heard someone enter his room but lacked the energy to open his eyes or respond. It was as if he were in a dream state of total exhaustion that refused to let him go. It sounded like his brother and other voices, but he must be dreaming. It can’t be Hunter he had no idea where Lyle was. He was too tired to fight so just leaned into the dream and let go.

  When he next opened his eyes, he was in a hospital. The stark whiteness and the hard sounds were a dead giveaway. He tried to bring himself to awareness by gathering his energies around him, but nothing happened except a halfhearted moan and he was able to turn his head to one side. It was then that he conceded that perhaps he was ill.

  “Lyle, it’s me, Hunter. You’re safe, I have you.” Those were the sweetest words he’d heard in a long while. Having his brother nearby was enough to make Lyle stop fighting and relax. He tried again to open his eyes, but they fluttered and closed once again.

  "Just sleep, Lyle," Hunter told him. He lay still listening to the voices around him and wondering who they were.

  “He’s going to be fine, Hunter.” Someone with a deep voice said and then added. “The antibiotic is taking care of the infection. He needs to sleep and get his strength back, but he is well.”

  “Someone beat the living hell out of him, Flynn.” Hunter was upset and it caused Lyle to tense.

  "It wasn't your fault my love." The deep voice assured him, and Lyle was glad because this in no way was Hunter's fault and with that thought, he fell back to sleep grateful for the peace and comfort.

  Lyle finally came fully awake with a jolt and looked around the room he was in. He thought he had been in a hospital, but this place looked like a bedroom, a large and spacious bedroom. He tried to move and this time he was able to sit up. There was no one in the room, so he threw his legs over the side of the bed and just sat there taking in his surroundings.

  When Hunter walked in his delight was apparent in the smile on his face and in the way he rushed Lyle and held him in a crushing embrace. Lyle gladly returned the hug so relieved to be awake and to have his brother back.

  “Lyle, you’re awake, thank God.” He said as he rocked back and forth still holding him tightly. “I was so fucking worried about you.”

  "Where am I? The last I remember was crawling into bed to recover from a mugging." Lyle told him. He glanced down at the fingers on his left hand, they were bruised but not broken. They hurt, but he could move them. "Was I in a hospital?"

  “We found you in that awful motel half dead with a fever, you stupid little shit.” Hunter was talking like himself again and it warmed Lyle’s heart to hear it. “You were in a clinic briefly, but I knew you’d recover better at home, so I brought you’re here to my home. I live here with my two partners. So why didn’t you tell me you left the ranch and that you were on your own?”

  “You had enough to deal with, my life was not your problem. I just wanted to make things right with you. I didn’t want to lose you even though you had every right to kick me to the curb. Now with that said, let’s go rocketing right back to your ‘two partners’.” Lyle pulled the light blanket over his lap covering his briefs in case someone came in.

  "You should have told me." Was Hunter's only response before grabbing him and hugging him again and completely ignoring his statement.

  “So, where am I?” Lyle asked again after Hunter released him but stayed close.

  “I found a couple men who have come to mean a lot to me, I love them, and they love me, and this is their home, our home now in Laramie.” Hunter began and Lyle was all ears.

  Just then the two men in question, twins believe it or not, entered the room looking all manly and capable and drop dead gorgeous. His brother was always the lucky one. Lyle kept looking from one to the other seeing the love for one another in their words and actions

  Hunter introduced Forbes and Flynn Keith and explained their relationship and told him the story of the events of the past couple weeks. Lyle was captivated by the account and the obvious connection the three of them had.

  “The crazy guy from the bar that attacked you here, did you have him arrested? He’s not still a danger to you, is he?” Hunter had said he tried to hurt him but was stopped by Forbes and Flynn and their boss a guy called Calum but he didn’t say what they did with
him. Lyle did not want to think a crazy person like that was not in jail.

  “He’s no longer a danger to us, he has been dealt with.” One of the twins told him. Lyle couldn’t tell them apart, so he wasn’t sure if it was Forbes or Flynn. He wasn’t sure what dealt with meant but the look on the guy's face was dark and serious, so Lyle decided not to inquire further.

  "We would like you to stay here with us until you get your legs under you," Hunter said abruptly and the twins seconded the statement and they sounded sincere. "We have this extra room and you're welcome to stay."

  “I appreciate the offer Hunter, I really do, but you need your space and your privacy. You don’t need your stupid little brother underfoot. This is a new beginning for you, and I won’t interfere, besides I was going to give Denver a try before that mugger laid me out.” Lyle smiled and tried to reassure Hunter that he was well and had some sort of a plan. “Just knowing that you’re here if I need you is all that I require.”

  “Will you stay for a couple more days just to make sure you’ve recovered completely?” Hunter pressed. “Just two days, please.”

  “Give the poor guy a break, Lyle and say yes.” One of the twins offered with a bright smile and it was all the encouragement Lyle needed. He would not intrude on his brother’s good fortune and his bright future, but he could stay a couple more days.

  “Okay, two days and then I’m off to Colorado.” Lyle received another hug and the twins both came up to him and shook his hand.

  "The bathroom is across the hall and your clothing was placed in the closet." The one twin told him, he was pretty sure it was Forbes, knit brow and a deeper voice. Flynn had a less severe expression and his tone was lighter. "When you're done come on out and have lunch with us."

  “Thanks, I really appreciate everything you’ve done for me.” Lyle was feeling good except for a little stiffness and a hot shower to sooth his joints sounded good.