Wes Dalton had always wondered when his first real test as clan leader would come. And of course, when it rained, it fucking poured.
As Cris finished telling him what had happened to Jose and Victoria's cabin and then left him to deal with the ADDA employee, his dragon growled. We should be going with Cris, not dealing with her.
The sooner we get her away without raising suspicion, the quicker we can help Cris find the ones who dared risk the wrath of ADDA.
His beast grunted. Then just tell the human to go away and come back later. Having her around only makes it hard for the pull to fade.
Ah, yes. The true mate pull. The female didn't know she was his true mate, but he sure as hell did.
Until Victoria had shown up on PineRock, he hadn't seen Ashley Swift in over three years. He'd thought maybe that had been enough time to allow the constant need to kiss her fade. The ability to move on happened with some dragon-shifters, given enough time.
Just not him.
Of course both man and beast still noticed how damn beautiful she was, loving her dark hair and curvy yet tall body. However, her position within ADDA and the law against ADDA employees fucking—let alone mating—dragon-shifters hadn't changed. He couldn't have her, or he’d risk his clan and all the goodwill they'd earned in recent years.
So he'd stayed away. Even his inner dragon had accepted they'd never have her. Or, at least his beast had until the human female had reappeared in their life.
If Ashley kept coming around, Wes wasn't sure what would happen. Inner dragons didn't see the need to hold back as much as the human halves. Constant contact may even put this fairly well-trained dragon to the test.
Pushing thoughts of the female out of his head, he replied to his beast, The meeting with Ashley will go faster if I put you in a mental prison. That way, your lust won't make it hard to concentrate.
Fine. But bring me out as soon as she's gone, or next time, I'll fight it.
As much as Wes hated to do it, he constructed a complex prison inside his head and locked his dragon inside.
Maybe now he could solely focus on protecting his clan and not notice the human female.
He pressed a button on his desk, letting his assistant know he was ready for the human. A minute later, Ashley walked into his office at the Protectors' security building.
As her long, dark hair swished behind her as her lush hips swayed, he barely kept his jaw from dropping. Without even trying, she was the sexiest female in the world.
Then her scent bombarded his nose, and he resisted a groan at the clean female scent with only the slightest hint of something flowery.
Even though he wished it wasn't the case, in a room full of people, he'd be able to pick out Ashley in a heartbeat.
The mate he'd never be able to have.
Forget her, he reminded himself.
Somehow he kept his expression free of emotion and stood in greeting. "Since I knew you'd make a fuss if someone else told you my message, I figured I'd just do it myself. You're going to have to come back later, Ms. Swift."
Unfazed as she'd been the first day he'd met her, she raised her brows. "Just because you say something in a dominant tone and treat it as an order doesn't mean I have to follow it, Wes."
Even just hearing his name on her lips made his dragon beat against the mental prison.
Wes needed to get the human away from him, and quickly. He stated, "Victoria isn't feeling well, that's all. She can call you to let you know when she's better."
She studied him a second. "I think you're lying."
How the fuck did she know that? Wes was extremely good at hiding his true thoughts. It was almost a requirement to be clan leader. After all, letting your emotions dance all over your face would only reveal weaknesses to be exploited. "Do you really want to waste time bringing Dr. Carter in to repeat the same information, just because you wanted to display your power over me?"
She crossed her arms over her chest. "I think we should call the doctor. Not because I'm running a power play, but because you're lying, and I want to know why. You may not see Victoria as anything more than a baby machine, but she's my charge and duty. I'm the one tasked with protecting her, and I won't let her down."
Her dedication and loyalty only made him want to rush over to her, pull Ashley against his body, and kiss the living shit out of the human.
She was like his waking dream made real.
No. He wanted to growl in frustration at the impossible, but resisted. He didn't have any other choice. "Look, Ashley, I have something to take care of inside my clan, something that doesn't involve you. If you want to pull your ADDA superiority training out and make this into a contest of wills, I'll win in the end. You know it. So just believe me when I say Victoria is safe"—for the moment—"and she'll meet you again in a few days. So leave and go take care of whatever other babysitting duties you have."
She leaned forward, and it took everything he had not to stare at her plumped up breasts.
Fuck, what she did to him. His clan was about to devolve into crisis if he didn't act fast, and here he was, wondering what her naked breasts looked like.
After staring at him a few beats, she uncrossed her arms and sighed. "Fine, I'll go. But have Victoria call me as soon as possible. If I don't hear from her by the end of the day, I'll file a complaint and come back. And next time, I won't leave, either, until I see her." The human turned toward the door but stopped to add, "You're hiding something, Wes. And I'll find out what it is eventually. Remember that."
He was hiding more than one thing, but he remained silent and didn't change his expression.
Ashley finally exited the room, and as soon as the door clicked closed, Wes ran his fingers through his hair and let his dragon out of the cage.
His beast growled. The more she stands up to us, the more I want her.
I know, dragon. Me too.
But they could never have her.
After straightening up and taking a few deep breaths, he moved to the monitor at his desk and watched the security feed until Ashley drove out of the tunnel and off PineRock's lands.
The temptation gone, he dashed out of his office, shouting a few things to his assistant, and headed toward Victoria's cabin.
It was time to get the shitstorm under control and put his clan to rights.
Before becoming clan leader, he'd been an investigator of sorts, working with humans to locate missing persons or solve mysteries in the more remote locations that could only really be accessed via helicopter or dragonwing. If he hadn't gone for the clan leadership, he probably would've earned his way into the joint human-dragon police unit for the greater Tahoe area by now, one of only a handful of such cooperations in the entire country.
It may have been a few years since he'd used them, but Wes hoped his skills were still sharp enough. If he didn't solve who had possibly tried to kill the human, and soon, he'd have no choice but to send Victoria to either ADDA or one of the other dragon clans for protection.
And given how happy the female had made Jose, he didn't want to do that. And not just because sending her away could make his dragon go insane, either.
So he picked up his pace and ran, the exercise helping his brain to focus.
After all, the crime was an attack on his leadership, too. And while the humans liked their laws and various warnings via paperwork, dragons needed more. He'd just have to figure out what the hell to do to reach both the human and dragon halves of his clan members.
Chapter Twelve
After Dr. Carter had cleared Victoria's health, three Protector escorts took both her and Jose to his parents' house. No doubt it would've been easier to keep them inside the security building, but there weren't any long-term living quarters inside it. As Victoria and Jose had left, Cris muttered about changing that as soon as she could.
Once they'd finally seen her and Jose inside the Santos's house, the Protectors went to various posts around the perimeter to stand guard.
It se
emed Victoria would be stuck inside the house until further notice.
While it was petty to resent it, she'd had so little freedom already. Now she might have even less.
Only Jose maneuvering her to his lap, murmuring how he loved her, kept her from becoming completely worried and a little depressed about their situation. It wasn't every day someone tried to kill you, after all.
Since Jose's parents were both still at work, and Gaby was in South Lake Tahoe getting ready for her own lottery, it was just the two of them.
And for probably the first time in her life, Victoria wished the house was full of people. With a sigh, she said, "I actually miss your family."
She felt his smile against her forehead. "That didn't take long."
"Well, I don't know why, but when I'm around your family, it doesn't feel like a crowd. Maybe because there's always so much chaos, and conversation, and laughter that I don't feel everyone watching me. I still don't know them all yet, at least very well, but no one's said even one harsh word to me. I think that helps, too."
He hugged her tighter against him. "I can invite as many of them over as you like in a little while. However, right now, I just want to hold you and make sure you're okay."
She leaned back to meet his gaze. "That's the thing—just sitting here is making me think of everything that could've happened today, Jose." She turned in his lap to straddle his hips. "What I need is a distraction. Or maybe a mini-celebration of life." She kissed his cheek. "As I sat on that bathroom floor, all I could think about was seeing you and one day, our baby." She kissed his brow. "Remind me of how we're both still alive, and that you're here with me right now."
She placed a gentle kiss on his lips, lingering there, merely reveling in his soft, warm skin.
When Jose finally pulled away, he searched her gaze. "Are you sure, love?"
She raised her brows. "Are you saying you don't need me, too?"
With a growl, he picked her up and carried her to one of the guest bedrooms upstairs. "Don't you ever say that. You're my life, my happiness, my guiding light, Tori. I was trying to be sensitive and understanding, but I think you need a little animalistic dragon-shifter attention. "
At the intensity of his gaze, the heat, the wanting, the desire rushed forth. Her heart rate kicked up. "Yes, I do. I really do."
He sprinted the last few feet to the guest room, shut the door after him and tossed her gently onto the bed. "Tell me you'll stand in front of the clan and officially be my mate under both human and dragon law."
"Yes," she breathed.
He ripped off her top and bra. "Tell me you're mine."
"I'm yours, Jose. Always yours."
Her skirt and panties were next.
Which meant she sat naked on the bed, a sexy as hell dragonman surveying every inch of her body with approval. "Then it's time to pleasure my little mate and show her just how much I need her, want her, can't live without her."
His clothes were gone within seconds. And before she could do more than blink, he was lying atop her, his hard shaft pressing against her belly as he leaned his head down, his lips nearly touching hers. "I love you, Tori. Always."
Her heart thudded so hard she swore it'd explode. "I love you, too, Jose."
With a growl, he crushed his lips against hers, the kiss no longer gentle but demanding, probing, seeking. It was as if he needed to confirm she was still with him.
And Victoria needed the same.
So she tugged his head even closer, her other hand going to his shoulder and digging in her nails. He growled into her mouth and started to thrust against her, his long, hard cock rubbing deliciously against her throbbing clit.
Her legs fell open even more, and soon she ached to feel him, needing him inside her. She broke the kiss and lifted her hips. "Don't make me wait, Jose."
His pupils flashed quickly, never settling on either round or slitted. She had no idea who was in control, but she didn't care. Victoria loved all of him, inner dragon and all.
He positioned his cock at her entrance, murmured, "Mine," before thrusting deep.
She scratched down his shoulder and moaned, "Oh, yes," before he began to move.
Each thrust of his hips was a claim, a reminder that he was here with her—right here, right now.
His lips never left hers, his tongue nearly as demanding and aggressive as his cock, plunging, taking, stoking her to a fever pitch.
Then one of his hands found her bundle of nerves and with a few strokes, she crested over the edge, pleasure rushing through her body, making her scream his name into his mouth.
Jose followed, his orgasm sending her even higher, to the delicious point bordering on pleasure and pain. The place only he could send her.
Her mate, her love, the father of her child.
Jose finally collapsed on top of her, at least mostly, being careful not to completely crush her.
She smiled. He'd remembered how she liked feeling his strong, warm body over hers. "I don't think I can ever live without you, dragonman."
He grunted. "Good, because I sure as hell couldn't."
Jose lifted his head, his pupils flashing wildly. She asked, "What does your dragon want?"
"You." He brushed hair from her face. "Can you take him, too?"
"Always."
She'd barely muttered the words before her mate's dragon took over and showed his own brand of love and claiming, making her feel more wanted than she'd ever thought possible.
Hours later, Jose held a sleeping Victoria in his arms, both man and beast more settled than they'd been earlier.
His inner dragon spoke up. She's tired because of me. We both know that I wear her out more.
Why do you say that so smugly? She is carrying our baby, which means you shouldn't try to exhaust her so much.
His dragon huffed. She's strong, and the doctor said in perfect health. She can handle me. Otherwise, she wouldn't be our mate.
He watched Victoria's eyes dart behind her eyelids and resisted the urge to trace every curve of her face. It'll be even better once we make it official in front of the clan.
What neither of them said was that they could only do it if Wes and Cris found the culprits and settled things down enough for ADDA's approval.
He'd never really thought about how much control ADDA had over their lives before, but he was starting to realize it was far too much.
Maybe that was something Wes could work on, too. The clan leader seemed to have a way with humans that Jose usually didn't, except with his own mate, of course.
Brushing aside the concern and wondering if it were possible for now, he merely watched his female sleep, the sight calming both halves of him.
Jose had no idea how much time passed before his cell phone vibrated in the pocket of his forgotten jeans on the floor. Under normal circumstances, he'd probably ignore it to let his female sleep.
But today wasn't normal, so he slowly slipped out of bed, fished it out, and noted it was from Wes before answering. "What did you find out?"
Wes didn't bother with any sort of greeting, either. "We found out who did it and have them in custody. Can you and Tori come to the Protectors' main building? I want to talk with you before making my final decision about what to do."
His grip tightened on the phone. "Who is it? Tell me."
"No, because then you'll try to find a way to punish them on your own. And if you succeed, I'd have to issue your punishment, too, and I don't need to lose any more clan members today."
His dragon wanted to roar and say it was their due. However, Jose managed to keep control of their mind and answered, "We'll be there as soon as possible."
Clicking End, he looked over to find Victoria sitting up, awake. "Was that Wes?"
"Yes, and he found out who did it. But don't ask for any more details because he didn't fucking tell me anything."
She stood and went to him. Her hand on his bare chest helped to ease his anger a little. "He's our clan leader, Jose. We need to trust him."
Just her referring to Wes as their leader and not his helped him to rein in his fury. "I know. It's just hard. We may appear civilized, but dragon-shifters are still half animal. The instinct to eradicate threats to our family runs deep." He eyed her torn clothing on the floor. "We need to find you something to wear, though, because Wes wants to meet with us straightaway."
"Your sister is taller and more toned than I am, but maybe she'll have something loose-fitting that'll work."
Jose tugged on his jeans and followed her to Gaby's room. After a few minutes, she found a stretchy dress that fit, as well as some flip-flops that were a little big but good enough, and then they met the Protectors at the front door.
He looked down at his mate. "We'll get there faster if I carry you."
After a beat, she nodded. "Okay, but don't take it as a free pass to do it whenever you feel like it. In the future, ask before you start carrying me around the clan willy-nilly. Otherwise, everyone's going to either think I'm super weak or super manipulative."
He put one hand behind her knees and the other at her back, and lifted. "As soon as people get to know you better, there's no way they'll think those are possible. To be honest, they'll blame it on me being super protective because of your pregnancy."
As he walked, she smiled up at him. "Then maybe I should use that excuse for other things, too."
"Use it for whatever you want, love."
Her brows drew together. "I prefer when you argue a little about it, though. Otherwise, it's no fun."
He snorted. "Sometimes, I don't completely understand you."
She grinned up at him. "That just makes life more interesting."
With the late afternoon sun shining down, highlighting the reddish streaks in her dark hair, he chuckled. "If I could love you more, I would in this minute."
She leaned against him and laid her head on his chest, saying nothing.
He hated not being able to see her face or read the emotions in her eyes.
But somehow, he knew she needed to hear something. "No matter what happens or what decision Wes makes, I'll find a way for us to stay together, I promise."
The Dragon's Choice (Tahoe Dragon Mates Book 1) Page 10