The Dragon's Match: Paranormal Shifter Romance (Hearts on Fire Book 3)

by Natalie Kristen

  “The boy is on my property,” Gena said, jabbing a finger in the air for emphasis. “My land.”

  Robson's nostrils flared. “Yes. We know he's here.”

  “And I'm keeping him here.”

  There was a tense silence.

  “You heard me, he's not leaving with you,” she said in a stronger voice. “And you can't step into my house without my permission. You are not coming in and you're not taking him away. The boy stays here.”

  She planted both hands on her hips to block her doorway fully.

  Robson turned and jerked his head at his lieutenants. He stared at Gena for a long moment.

  “We had no quarrel with you and your late aunt, Miss Martin,” he said at last. “You ladies caused us no trouble at all. Until tonight.”

  Robson waited but Gena refused to back down.

  “Are you sure you want to do this, Miss Martin?” he growled.

  Gena stared steadily, unflinchingly at him. The entire Lightning pack was standing behind him, surrounding her house, and she was glad that she was growing angrier by the second. Being angry was better than being scared.

  “Leave my property,” she said levelly.

  Robson's eyes flashed. “This was an internal matter which could have been resolved quietly and quickly tonight. But you have chosen to interfere and take sides. Regretfully, you have chosen the wrong side, Miss Martin.”

  Gena ignored his threat. She wasn't throwing Alex to the wolves.

  “As you said, this is an internal matter,” she said reasonably. “This is pack business. Leave us humans out of it.”

  “Too late, Gena.” He gave her an ugly smile. “You chose to stick your finger in our pie. Now you’re going to get burned real bad.”

  “Please leave. Now.”

  Robson barked an order to his wolves, and they moved silently into the shadows. Gena couldn't see them but she knew they were still watching her.

  Only Robson and his two lieutenants remained on her porch.

  “Good night, Mr Robson,” she said.

  Rob watched her, his eyes glinting dangerously.

  She stepped back into the house and closed the door. Sliding the bolt soundlessly into place, Gena leaned against the door and pressed her trembling fist to her mouth.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Gena checked the locks again and backed away from the door. She was breathing too hard, too rapidly and every breath burned her lungs. No doubt the wolves could hear her heart thundering against her rib cage.

  Damn, she could hear her deafening heartbeats herself. The sound beat on the air around her, reminding her of the terrible danger in which she had just put herself.

  Gulping, she pressed her ear to the door but there was no sound at all. Those wolves could move really quietly. But of course, they were predators. It was in their DNA to stalk, hunt and kill prey.

  She scurried to the window, almost bumping into the coffee table and peeked out.

  The wolves were gone. Every single one of them.

  Robson and his lieutenants had finally left.

  It was eerily still and silent outside. There was no movement, no sound, no one.

  “Gone,” she breathed. “They're all gone. I hope.”

  Rushing to her bedroom, she tried to open the door and found it locked. She knocked softly on the door and whispered, “Alex! Alex, open the door. You can come out now. The wolves have left. All of them.”

  She heard the lock turning and the door opened a crack. A red-rimmed eye stared out at her.

  “Alex, come on out. It's safe now,” she said gently.

  He sniffed and stepped out. “I...I should go.”

  “Go?”

  “Yeah. They'll come back. I...I shouldn't have come here, Gena. I'm so sorry. I wasn't thinking. I was just so scared, and you're the only one I trust. God, I'm so stupid.” He swore at himself. “You're my friend, and I put you in danger...”

  “You'll be in greater danger if you leave,” Gena said, grabbing his arm. “I'm sure the wolves are watching the house. They'll pounce on you once you set foot outside!”

  “But you...”

  “Don't worry about me. I have lots of food stocked up and I know my rights. I'll make a call to my aunt's lawyer in the morning. Those wolves can't do anything to me inside my own house!” Gena said angrily.

  “But...”

  “No buts. You are not leaving, Alex. Those wolves will kill you.”

  “I shouldn't drag you into this,” Alex said and started for the front door. “I'll go. It's me they want. I don't want you to get hurt because of me, Gena...”

  Gena ran to stand in front of the door. “I won't let you leave.”

  Alex bit his bottom lip to stop it from trembling. “Oh Gena...” He broke down.

  Gena gave him a fierce hug. “I won’t let you go through this alone. You've been the only one who has been really warm and helpful to me in this town. You're my friend. Actually, I kind of see you as my little brother.”

  He raised his watery eyes to her. “Really? That's funny, because I’ve always thought that it would be so great to have a sister like you.”

  Gena smiled. “We'll get through this. Together. You are not facing the wolves alone.”

  “Thank you,” he whispered. “Thank you, Gena...”

  “Now, we should both get some rest. My aunt's bedroom is empty now, so...”

  Alex let out a soft sigh. “I wish I had gotten to know Anna better. But she kept to herself and refused to let anyone in. I'm glad you came, Gena. I could tell that Anna was happy that you came too. You made a difference. More than you know,” he said earnestly.

  Gena gave a small smile. “She was my aunt. She was family.” With a sigh, she added, “The rest of my aunts and uncles didn’t think that I was part of the family. They saw me as just a mongrel that my parents picked up from the woods. But Aunt Anna saw me as the daughter of Robert and Emily Martin. It didn’t matter that I was adopted.”

  “You...you have a really big heart, Gena. You know that? When I grow up, I want to be like you,” Alex said and managed a wobbly, watery smile. “I mean it. You're smart, confident, independent and you’re an amazing person. You didn't have to come to Thunder Creek. You didn't have to help me, but you...”

  “What are you talking about?” Gena snapped. “You've been helping me since I moved here, Alex. You’re the one with the big heart. You looked out for me, recommended clients to me, helped me carry my heavy groceries home and even mowed the lawn for me...”

  He shrugged. “Well, you were new in town...”

  “...and you were so kind to me. No one else bothered with me. You’re the only friend I made in this town. And friends help each other. So—let me help you, Alex. You can't do this alone.”

  He swallowed and fought back fresh tears. “You're right. I can't. I...I don't know what to do, Gena,” he admitted helplessly.

  “Sleep. That's what you need to do right now. Get some sleep and we'll plan our next move in the morning.”

  Gena watched Alex trudge into the bedroom and kept her eyes on him until the door closed.

  Shakily, she went to the kitchen and poured herself a tall glass of water. She downed the whole glass, and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

  Opening the blinds, she stared out the window at the dark, shadowy forest behind the house. Her aunt's house was at the end of a long, lonely road, near a dense forest. Grimly, she wondered if Joe's body was still in the forest, left there for the scavengers and wild animals…

  Like me. I was abandoned in the woods by my birth mother, left there for the wild animals. I was left to die. I wasn’t meant to live.

  Gena swallowed and glared defiantly into the dark.

  The wolves were watching her. She could feel it.

  She was just one human woman, but she had taken on a whole pack of wolves. By harboring Alex, she had declared war.

  Gena went to her room and changed into a sturdy pair of jeans. She pulled on a sweater and
put on her socks and running shoes. Then she went to the kitchen and grabbed the sharpest knife.

  She slid the knife under her bed and lay down stiffly. She would try to get some sleep, but she wasn't going to sleep in her flimsy, comfortable nightie.

  It was best to be prepared, even though she had no idea what she was preparing for.

  It was a long time before Gena finally drifted off into an uneasy, fitful sleep.

  CHAPTER NINE

  Kieron finally slowed his flight and glided below the cloud cover. He had been flying like a dragon possessed. He just kept on pushing himself, on and on, higher and higher, faster and faster until everything was just a blur around him. He didn't know how long he had been flying and how far he had flown. He just knew he had to get the hell away from his brothers. He was no good to them in this state. He was no good to anyone, not even himself.

  How could he have done that to Lachlan?

  He was a bloody, selfish bastard. No wonder Breene was so mad at him.

  He hadn't been thinking straight. He hadn't been thinking of anyone but himself. He'd let his feelings get the better of him. His own heedless, thoughtless, selfish feelings.

  He didn't force Lachlan to shift for his own good. Lachlan was doing fine. His brother was happy and healthy now, and he loved working in Breene's company. Lachlan got along with everyone in the company and when he got home, he enjoyed helping Lester in the kitchen. Their cooking experiments weren't always successful but the whole family ate everything they presented with enthusiasm. Food that was prepared with love always tasted great, no matter how it looked.

  Unlike Kieron, Lachlan was making the most of his new life. He cherished every moment with his new family, and his heart was filled with so much love and joy. Lachlan was happy and contented. He wasn't bothered about his dragon at all.

  In fact, he had once told Kieron that a short, happy, meaningful human life was far better than a long, empty, miserable dragon life.

  Lachlan had been trying to tell him something. Kieron just refused to listen.

  And he had nearly cost his brother his life.

  Kieron spat out a stream of fire in fury and disgust. His brother was alive and well. Lachlan wasn't the broken, damaged one. He was.

  Kieron banked sharply and was about to turn back when he caught sight of flames flickering at the edge of the small town he was flying over.

  Something was on fire.

  The fire was growing in intensity, the flames leaping higher and higher.

  Kieron circled back and saw that it was a house. A ring of fire surrounded the little house and the flames were licking greedily at the walls. Kieron glided lower and smelled gasoline.

  He inhaled sharply. This wasn't an accidental fire.

  This was arson.

  Making a swift descent, he folded his wide wings against his body and shifted to human form before hitting the ground. He landed in a crouch at the end of a long, shadowy road and ran towards the fire.

  The houses along the lonely road were all spaced very far apart, but they didn't look abandoned. In fact he was pretty sure there were people living in those houses.

  There was no way that the neighbors couldn't see the fire. The fire was burning bright and hot, roaring ferociously as it consumed the little house at the end of the street.

  But no one came out of their houses.

  No one came to help.

  Kieron scowled and stared at the burning house. He could see curtains and blinds in the windows. The neat little house looked well-kept and lived-in. Was it empty, or were there people inside?

  Kieron glanced down the quiet street again but the neighbors weren't even looking out of their windows. Not a light came on in any of the houses. No doors banged open and there were no shouts and calls for help.

  It was as if the neighbors were doing their best to ignore the fire. They were just going to do nothing.

  Why?

  This town wasn't anything like Redrock Valley.

  Breene's castle was on a hill overlooking the small town of Redrock Valley, and Breene's company, Magnum Construction, employed a lot of the town's residents.

  Kieron had gotten to know his colleagues pretty well, and from his interactions with the townspeople, he saw that the residents of Redrock Valley actively looked out for one another. They were protective of Breene and his family, and they never revealed to outsiders that Breene and his brothers were dragon shifters.

  One scene was lodged in Kieron's mind. A kitten had gotten stuck in a tree one afternoon, and all the neighbors had rushed out to help. Men, women, children, elderly folks came hurrying down the street with ladders, safety nets and bowls of milk. They didn't hide in their houses and pretend that it was none of their business. They cared, and they weren't afraid to get out there and do right by their neighbors.

  But this town...this town seemed to be the exact opposite of Redrock Valley.

  He couldn't quite understand human behavior. People could be so strange. They could be kind, brave and loving. But they could also be cruel, selfish and cowardly.

  Kieron suddenly realized what a big hypocrite he was. He was judging the humans, yet he was the one who was scared, selfish and cowardly.

  He was too damn scared to face the truth. He was terrified of seeing his brother age and die before him.

  Fear could drive people to do terrible, horrible things.

  Kieron looked down the eerily silent street and smelled the fear. It was fear that kept the neighbors away. They didn't dare come forward to help.

  The wind whipped the flames higher and higher. Kieron moved towards the burning house, trying to scent if there was anyone in the house. But the acrid, stinging smell of gasoline, smoke and ashes was overpowering. Were the occupants...dead?

  Kieron's eyes widened at the sound of a muffled cry. He took a step closer and pricked his ears. Did the sound come from the house?

  He heard something crash inside the house, and a woman's scream pierced the air.

  There was definitely someone in the house. And she was alive.

  Fear and anger burned in him as he ran towards the inferno. Was he too late? How could anyone leave a woman to burn to death in the fire?

  With a roar, he rammed his shoulder against the door.

  CHAPTER TEN

  Gena woke to the stench of burning and she stumbled out of bed, coughing and choking. She saw flames at her window and her room was filled with dense, black smoke.

  “No! Oh God! What...fire!” she wheezed. “No, no! Alex!”

  She dropped to her hands and knees and crawled to the door. Her eyes watered and she could hardly breathe. She pulled her bedroom door open and cried out in horror.

  The whole house was engulfed in flames. The fire was devouring the furniture and had spread to the kitchen. “Alex!” she screamed, scrambling to his room.

  Pounding frantically on the door, she looked around wildly and shrieked, “Wake up! Alex! Fire, fire!”

  The door flew open and Alex stumbled out. “Oh my God! Gena...” He grabbed her hand and tugged her towards the back of the house. “Quickly! The back door! We have to get out...”

  They staggered blindly through the smoke and managed to reach the kitchen. They were inching their way towards the back door when the kitchen table collapsed with a groan and became a pile of firewood.

  Gena jumped back, covering her mouth and nose with her hand. She blinked hard, trying to see through the thick black smoke and licking flames. The fire was spreading rapidly, and the flames were closing in on them, blocking their escape…

  “Keep close to me,” Gena hissed, grabbing Alex's arm.

  He nodded, coughing. “We...”

  “We are not going to die,” she said fiercely. “Those fucking wolves killed Joe, and now they're trying to kill us. I won't let them!”

  Alex choked out an incoherent reply.

  The fire roared and they were forced to retreat. They stumbled back to the living room but they couldn't see the front d
oor. All around them were taunting, threatening flames.

  “Come on, we can make it,” Alex urged. “Go!” He shoved Gena away suddenly just as a horrible crack split the air.

  Gena spun round when she heard Alex's muffled cry of pain. She saw that Alex had pushed her away just in time, but he didn't manage to get away fast enough.

  A beam had fallen and Alex was trapped under that heavy, smoldering beam.

  She ran to him, but Alex screamed, “Go! Just go, Gena! Get out of here!”

  “We're getting out together,” she rasped, straining to lift the beam.

  “No, I...I can't...I'm stuck!” Alex shook her hand off. “Leave now, Gena...”

  Gena huddled close to her friend. The fire had sealed off all their exits. They couldn't escape. Alex was trapped and she couldn't free him. What could she do?

  Gena let out a scream of frustration, anger and terror. No! They had to get out. Somehow, they had to find a way…

  “Help! Please!” she screamed. “Please, help us! Somebody, please!”

  There was a loud bang from the front of the house. She jerked and squinted through the black smoke. The banging became louder, and she heard a shout and an angry roar. The front door gave suddenly and flew off its hinges.

  Gena screamed as a big, hulking shape came rushing towards them. Was it one of the Lightning wolves? Was the beast coming to finish them off?

  Someone grabbed her arm, and she let out a small cry.

  It wasn't a wolf.

  The man who was towering over them was very tall and powerfully built. He had the body and strength of a warrior, and he had a fierce, handsome, beautiful face. His blue eyes blazed and glowed as they fixed on her.

  It was an angel.

  She was sure of it.

  An angel had come to save them!

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  The angel was big, strong and commanding, and he seemed untouched by the flames. His golden hair gleamed like a halo and every feature on his handsome face was chiseled and perfect. Momentarily forgetting the dire situation she was in, Gena simply gawked at the masculine perfection before her.