by Ruby Forrest
In his dragon form, Darian’s tendencies were slightly more animalistic, but due to his more mature age he had mastered the art of keeping himself in check. His senses were far superior to humans while transformed, giving him the ability to focus in his hearing and sight on the smallest detail, even if it were miles away. He just had to know what he was looking for.
He scoffed at himself as he remembered the way he had so carefully examined Briana’s movements. The symmetry of her step, as he had noted, was very unique to herself. He had admired the way her grace allowed her body to flow through space as though it were passing through water. Closing his large-lidded dragon eyes, he took in a deep breath and focused on the steps roaming around the park. There weren’t many, again as it was a quiet weekday afternoon, but it was not long before he was able to hone in on the unique movement that could have been none other than the beautiful Briana.
With her location identified through sound, Darian tested his eyes, focusing in and out on the trees around him. He began to zoom in on the spaces between the trees, using his flawless reptilian sights to narrow in on her from across the park. Watching her through his dragon-gaze, Darian was able to see her up close the way he had imagined just moments before. He couldn’t even comprehend how she could be that much more beautiful by simple looking a little closer. Her skin was such an even finish, and the gleam of her white smile enhanced the light that shined in her gorgeous eyes.
Darian decided in that moment that he would allow himself a small liberty that he had entirely vowed that he would never do. He was going to remain in his dragon form for the day, watching Briana from the sky.
In reality, the danger of Darian assuming his dragon form and flying around the city was substantially lower than one would expect. With the various talents that came with his paranormal other half, another that was probably the most necessary and valuable was his ability to appear invisible to the human eye. He lifted his large wings, gracefully heaving them up and down through the air to bring his large form into flight. It was a beautiful sight, seeing his large silver form streaked with brilliant copper colors cascade through the air and out from the tree tops.
Despite the beauty of the act and the way that Darian had always felt it was one of his defining features, meaning the beauty of his dragon body in flight, he knew it was a side to himself that he would never be able to share with anyone other than his brothers.
Later that night, after he’d shifted back to his human form, he’d gotten a phone call from his brother, Stetson.
“Hey, brother,” Stetson’s low voice had sounded through the phone.
“Stetson, what are you doing?” According to his watch, Stetson should be on a job right now. But lately, Poppy had taken up most of his time and his thoughts. He knew it was only a matter of time before Stetson retired to take Poppy traveling, as he’d promised her.
“I was on security detail for Lila, but the chick went to the mall, so I decided to kill some time,” he responded back flatly.
“You are by far the most irresponsible bodyguard I have ever met. If our clients only knew,” Darian hissed.
“Um, Darian, you are the one pining after your ward,” Stetson laughed.
“Why must you pester me with your childish intrigue into my private life, Stetson?”
“Darian, you have no private life. Brett and I, we cherish our true nature and are constantly in and out of our shifter forms, communicating with one another,” Stetson said reminding Darian of the sort of connection he had been longing for.
“You mock my desire for privacy, yet it is my private nature that has kept us safe all these years,” Darian said, suddenly getting serious.
The weight of how irresponsible he had been towards Briana was beginning to be felt. He had risked exposure when he allowed his emotions to spiral out of control, resulting in him publicly lighting a bush on fire. He had then gone running through the park with a singed jacket and silver scales streaking across his skin, only to burst into a wooded clearing and explode into his massive dragon form. And considering he could not be cloaked from the prying eye until fully transformed, he absolutely could have been seen during any of those events.
“It sounds like this girl has managed to take your tightly controlled temperament and turn it into a puddle of repeated irresponsible tendencies, Darian,” Stetson mocked, obviously amused by the trouble that Darian was having keeping himself in check when around Briana.
“That’s it, Stetson. I’ll talk to you later.” With a click, he disconnected the phone call.
He remembered back to earlier today, trying to feel guilty about having stayed in his dragon form all day. But he couldn’t summon up the feeling. Gliding through the open air was something that Darian had always enjoyed, but he never allowed himself to experience the comfort of it. In a way, he had forced himself to reject the silver-skinned beauty that rest beneath his human figure. The difficulty of rejecting such an inherent aspect of his nature had forced him to often forget all the things he enjoyed about becoming the dragon he was born to be.
With the recklessness that he felt Briana had managed to inject into his life, Darian decided that it couldn’t hurt to allow himself to simply relax and enjoy the moment. His intelligence was high when human as well as dragon, but in his dragon form he couldn’t help but notice his more calculated perspective, seeing Briana on the ground almost from a predatory standpoint. He had also felt the power of his unworldly form pulse through his body, coating his armored scales with what felt like an entirely second line of defense. With each large flex of his wings he had felt as though he could live a happy existence never returning to the meek human form he usually maintained.
That was part of the danger of being a dragon—the intoxicating nature of the power that was held in the dragon form. The seemingly entirely different character that assumed his dragon self was easy to become swallowed whole. Darian had heard tales of other shifters that had lost their human selves to the demanding nature of the beast within, never returning to their human form after being consumed by the cunning and strong animal that had once mainly resided beneath the surface.
He also knew that the greed of a dragon was insurmountable. The fact that he hardly made demands of his brothers that could not be disobeyed in their shifter bodies was attributable to the fact that he hardly became a dragon at all by which he would be able to make such demands. He also found that while a dragon, he instinctually was drawn to different things of value. Gold was a common attraction, as the stereotype that dragons had once guarded great treasure was, in fact, more than just a stereotype.
It was more than just monetary value as well. The gleaming skyscrapers that lined various cities were also seen as a great beauty and value in the eyes of a dragon. When a teenager, Darian remembered how his dragon-self had been enamored with the beauty of the empire state building. Unable to control the urges of the beast inside, he’d flown to the top and landed on its peak, the beast prepared to protect the beautiful structure from any potential dangers. Fortunately, it had been under cover of night and no one had seen him, but the damage was not. His large talons had punctured holes in the glass lining of the building. The news had gone crazy about the sudden and mysterious damage that had been done to one of the world’s most iconic structures. Major news outlets had somehow managed to chalk it up to a lighting strike.
Now, Darian could relate to the urge his younger self had been unable to control at a such young age. He felt a similar pull to Briana. She was, after all, the most beautiful thing, living or not, that Darian had ever seen, and his desire to protect and guard her was welling in his pulsing dragon heart.
Gliding over the city and observing her from his enigmatic dragon form had been a pleasure that racked Darian’s form. The desire to protect and revere Briana had burned behind Darian’s molten eyes, and his scales had flexed and pulled against his body like a snake’s when slithering across the hard ground. His creature form had been al
ight with desire to possess and maintain her. Rearing his head back, the monster inside heaved out large breaths of black smoke, charring his gaping, toothy mouth and leaving dark soot around his flaring nostrils. A burst of brilliant blue flames had escaped his throat, and he had been able to feel the beastly side of him becoming antsy and agitated to be nearer to Briana. His desire for this woman was nearly uncontrollable. He had never wanted to behold anything so intensely, and he had actually started to fear the emotions that were taking control of the large dragon he had become.
Forced to accept that he could not reconcile his dragon-self with his growing desire for Briana, he had subdued the ghastly beast growing more and more irate by the second, knowing that he should return to his human form as soon as possible. Anticipating the necessity, Darian had installed a helicopter pad on his penthouse which he could return to in his dragon form and transition back to his normal self in privacy.
Briana had gone home after her walk at the park, and he had simply been circling her tall building while lost in his thoughts of the relationship between the dragon inside and his desire for this impossibly beautiful woman. Darian had decided he should be able to return home and re-dress without subjecting Briana to any serious danger. He had silently moaned about the fact he would have to shower after. His body was always coated in thick black soot when he returned back to his human body—but he looked forward to the privacy and warmth of a shower where he could imagine the beautiful Briana gently swaying through the park.
CHAPTER FOUR
Briana had noticed the beautiful man stalking her through the park. She had thought she had seen him at a coffee shop the day before, but he was so gorgeous she wasn’t sure whether he had been an apparition. It was when he showed up at the gym that she knew he was real. His presence had caused a disturbance in the air around him. Women and men cast weary glances his direction, despite the fact he had seemed to stay obscure and off to the side. Briana herself had dealt with the malice of people jealous of intense beauty. But with this stranger, it seemed different. It was as though people feared his beauty more than envied it. They skirted around him quietly, as though they were nervous to speak too loud in his presence, or brush against him absentmindedly.
She couldn’t help but find humor in the fact that this man probably thought he was being inconspicuous. Unfortunate for him, there was absolutely nothing unassuming about this man. He had the most beautiful blond and silver hair she had ever seen on anyone, man or woman. It was stark enough of a color to make one wonder whether he had dyed it that color, but the purity of its silver tone from root all the way to the ends of his hair revealed that it was a natural occurrence. His deep set grey eyes were like dark grey clouds hovering in the distance, beckoning for someone wild enough to chase the storm.
Briana had seen her fair share of beautiful men. After working in the industry of beautiful people for so long, she had thought she’d seen it all. But whoever this strange figure was, he managed to top any man she had ever seen. Easily the most unique of his features was not part of his physicality. No, it was not his firm masculine hips that fell into long and lean legs. Nor was it his broad shoulders that shaped a lean and sinewy figure. In fact, the most intriguing thing she found herself drawn to was the long, pitch black tattoo that escaped from the nape of his neck and wound in circular patterns up underneath his ear.
It beckoned to her, and like some magical force, she was starving to see the rest of that tattoo and the way it framed his appealing body. Briana considered whether she should be concerned about the man, especially when she had gone for a walk in the park today. She had gotten sick of feeling afraid to leave her home or talk to strangers, and she hadn’t noticed the security detail that Lila had claimed she would personally hire to protect her.
Finally, in frustration and maybe a little bit of carelessness, Briana decided that she would live her life the way she pleased. Again, she was disappointed that in her attempt to find more freedom and happiness in life, she had managed to head the other direction. Just as she was not going to let her bad experience with Petrov potentially ruin her chances at love, she also was not going to let his threats interfere with her life. And so, she had gone about the last few days as normal, with the strange silver enigmatic figure haunting her in the shadows.
He had begun to feel more like a protector than a stalker to her. She had dealt with all kinds of crazy fans and men. Most of the time, the dangerous ones were too eager to intrude in her life to stay so hidden. They also were overt in their photo-taking and shouting of proclamations of love. No, this one was different. The intensity, curiosity, and power in his eyes revealed an individual that was calculated and controlled. Also, his looming in her shadow seemed to scare people from her presence, and she had been able to lead a very private life the past few days with him roaming around her.
It was this exact reason that she had chosen to walk in the park yesterday. She would have never dared anything like that, that is until this man began to stick around. She felt so safe, and there was something warm about his energy. Briana was a smart girl, but she also desperately wanted to try and live her life to the fullest. To her that meant when her gut was not telling her something was wrong, she would listen to it.
She had been unsettled when she had been walking through the park and realized that he was no longer around. Trying to continue with her activity, she sat on a bench and put effort into a peaceful meditation. In an odd way she was angered by his disappearance. She found herself taking his lack of presence as a personal offence in away, as though he had abandoned her just when she decided that she needed him most. Somewhat pouting, she had gotten up from the park bench and began to stroll through the park, hoping that he would reappear for her.
She was sorely disappointed when there was no such luck. She had noticed that in a large clearing near where she had been sitting there was a large disturbance. It seemed for a second that there was plumes of smoke rising from the trees, but it was faint enough that she wasn’t sure whether it was real or just something she had imagined. As she watched the tree line, she noticed that all at once the large branches of the trees swayed and heaved, and for a split second she became alarmed thinking there was an earthquake or something more sinister hiding amongst the trees. It was when she stood frozen for a second while nothing happened that she acknowledged how ridiculous she was being.
With a sigh she continued on her way through the park. The lack of the silver-haired beauty and the odd movement in the trees had been enough to inspire her to return home for the afternoon. She figured she had pushed her luck enough for one day, but she was also feeling dejected that the man had not been around.
Briana had dated on and off in Hollywood, but she always felt that the reason the men had even engaged in any kind of relationship with her was for purely superficial reasons. Not to mention that despite how beautiful she was or how much effort she put into developing a meaningful relationship, Hollywood men were incapable of loving anyone as much as they loved themselves.
There seemed to be something different about this man. He followed her without aggression, and the few times she had caught him looking at her, there was something unique and genuine in his eyes. She couldn’t help but feel like he laid his eyes on her in a way that no man ever had. It was as though he was looking at something precious and priceless, and respecting the value of it was the most important thing in the world at that moment.
She also couldn’t deny the attraction she felt. She wanted to feel his strong legs wrap her hips in a thrusting embrace. She wanted to feel his lean and long-fingered hands dig deep into her thick black hair, pulling her mouth onto his. Most of all, she wanted to sit with him, speak with him, learn about him. It was true, she had never wanted to know someone more than she wanted to know this man.
Unfortunately, she was far too jaded to ever consider engaging in any kind of flirtation with obscure figures. She may have been oddly drawn to this man, but she knew t
hat if there was anything that she had learned from her years in Hollywood, it was that she could trust no-one, regardless of how unassuming. Petrov had reinforced that for her, and she didn’t think that she could bare another personal disappointment like that.
Upon returning to her apartment, she took the elevator up to her top-floor penthouse. Walking through the door, she collapsed onto her couch, burying her face in the cushions. It was confusing to her that she had started the day with so much hope and a renewed sense of ambition to lead a life she desired. But now, she just felt…sad. As much as she hated to admit it to herself, she knew it was because of this silver haired man. No one had ever managed to make her dependent on them, and no one had ever managed to entangle their presence with her immediate emotions the way this man had managed. And she had never even talked to him! Her only consolation to these feelings was that if she was able to find such an emotional pull when it came to a man that she had never even spoken too, there must be a chance for love.
With that in mind, she decided that she would call Lila. She had told her that she was willing to continue to try the dating game again, but she thought that maybe Lila hadn’t arranged anything yet out of fear of pushing for another date too soon. Picking up her cell phone, she dialed Lila.
“Briana! How are you beautiful?” Lila asked, obviously trying to put on a positive front.
“I am good Lila. I, uh, I was calling you to ask about the security,” Briana blurted out. She had called to ask for a date, but somehow the security detail was the first thought that popped into her mind upon her musings over the grey-eyed shadow.
“Oh, your security detail should have been on you the past several days,” Lila responded hurriedly.