Dragon's Choice

by Juniper Hart

  Missy eyed him, slightly surprised by the sentiment. It was probably the nicest thing Andrew had ever done for her, and she seriously appreciated it.

  “Thanks,” she muttered. She went to the front door of her house and thew it open.

  “SURPRISE!”

  Missy screamed in shock, her purse falling to the floor as she saw the entire foyer filled with her friends and family from all over the States. Several of her own sorority sisters had made the trip as well, and even Grampy was there, grinning his toothless grin.

  This was all a ploy for my birthday? Missy thought, gazing around in disbelief. She whirled to stare at Andrew just as he was walking through the front door, and he laughed aloud, genuinely beaming from ear to ear.

  “You really thought we had screwed you over today, didn’t you?” he asked, and Missy was too stunned to respond.

  He was in on this?

  She didn’t have time to consider his part in the surprise party, because she was soon embraced by dozens of party-goers kissing her cheek and wishing her well.

  After a few minutes, Missy became painfully aware of how underdressed she was for the occasion. If this was going to be a birthday celebration, she needed a more appropriate outfit.

  “Let me run upstairs and get changed!” she squealed, untangling herself from the others and dashing for the stairs before anyone could stop her.

  She threw open the door to her room and jumped again.

  Dev stood inside, peering out her window. He appeared lost in thought, but his head automatically turned when she entered.

  “Wh-what are you doing here?” she choked out, unsure if she was happy or angry to see him. Perhaps it was a combination of both. All she knew was that he didn’t want him to leave again.

  “I came to finish what we started,” Dev replied, covering the distance between them in two easy strides.

  Missy expected him now, opening her arms to accept him as he snatched her by the waist and tossed her down onto the bed.

  In seconds, Dev had peeled off her tank top, his lips tracing the taut skin of her nipples with his tongue. Heat filled Miss to her core, and she undid her pants as Dev teased at her breasts.

  All afternoon, she had been playing out the scenario in her head, wondering how she could have let him slip by her.

  This time, he’s not going anywhere, she decided, yanking her jeans off her ankles and locking her legs around him. She sighed as his engorged member brushed against her through his khaki shorts, but when he lowered his head to taste her center, she shook her head.

  “No,” Missy said, her voice barely above a whisper. “I want you to take me. Now.”

  Dev gazed into her eyes and seemed to read her desire. He did not argue as he wrangled off his own shorts, pausing to slide his index and middle fingers into her waiting entrance between her legs.

  Missy drew him down again, and he plunged inside her with one fluid thrust. She allowed a scream to rip its way out of her throat, not caring about who might hear her, and Dev seemed to take the encouragement with gusto.

  He pushed into her, hard and deep, each movement more frenzied than the last. Missy could see that he had wanted her as much as she had wanted him.

  Dev sat back to angle himself better, and Missy wrapped her calves at his ears, arching her back upward.

  “Harder,” she commanded in a short gasp, and he groaned as he leaned down to capture her mouth, his thrusts becoming stronger and quicker.

  The spasm started in her thighs and infused through her core, exploding at Dev’s shaft as he joined her in the orgasm.

  Dev cried out, shaking as he released into her, his sensational blue eyes locked onto hers.

  A shiver of gratification slithered through Missy as Dev smiled at her, guileless and content.

  “Why did you leave so abruptly at the mall?” she asked as he slipped out of her and laid at her side, gently brushing aside her chestnut hair.

  “I had a party to prepare for,” he told her lightly, but Missy could tell he wasn’t telling her the truth.

  “That’s not why,” she said, sitting up. “Tell me.”

  Dev took a deep breath. “I, um…” He cleared his throat, clearly uncomfortable. “I knew your parents were going to tell you about yourself today.”

  The revelation shocked Missy, and she didn’t know what to say. If anything, that just made her have a lot more questions.

  “You—you know about me?” she breathed, curling her legs against her naked body to hide herself. Had he been stalking her? Did her parents know about him? “How? Who told you? How long have you known?”

  Dev sighed and grabbed her hand, sweetly cupping her face.

  “You silly girl,” he said tenderly. “I am a Lycan, too. How do you think I knew your name?”

  She stared at him uncomprehendingly. “I… I don’t know. How?”

  “Because we used to play together as children, but when we were about six or seven, they kept us apart. Since you hadn’t shifted, our parents decided they didn’t want us together until you knew you were a Lycan.”

  Memories of Dev came flooding back, and Missy remembered his bright, welcoming eyes and the games they used to play. “Why would they keep us apart? That doesn’t make any sense…” Missy said, not understanding.

  “Because you’re my mate, Missy,” Dev murmured. “And they wanted the timing to be right.”

  The intense feelings she experienced made sense, and the thought of Dev being her mate created a rush of adrenaline that flowed to every cell in her body. Missy bit down on her lip, excited by the thought of spending passion-filled nights with the man who continued to gaze at her.

  She bit down on her lower lip, and was shocked by a painful stabbing sensation. She immediately touched her teeth, searching for the sharp object that punctured her lip. Her canines were unexpectedly elongated and sharp.

  “What’s happening?” asked Missy as she looked at her finger and saw a small pool of blood form on the tip of her finger in the exact spot she had just touched her teeth.

  A knowing smirk formed on Dev’s perfect lips. “You’re starting to shift,” he said excitedly. You won’t actually shift until the next full moon since it’s your first time, but the elongated teeth are a sure sign that you’ll finally be one of us.

  As their eyes locked, a clash of chocolate and azure, Missy could not think of a better birthday she had ever had.

  THE END

  Click Here to Read the Entire Shifter Pursuit Series

  4

  Shifter Pursuit: Out of Control

  Courtney ran the vacuum over the same spot over and over, barely noticing that she was wearing down the runner.

  Who does he think he is? she thought to herself, muttering under her breath. If he thinks he’s going to find someone better than me, he’s bloody well in for the shock of a lifetime. Wanker.

  “Court!”

  He has the nerve to call me obsessive-compulsive! At least I don’t live like a rutting hog in a pen. What did I see in his smug, self-important face, anyway? He did me a favor, really.

  “Courtney!”

  I bet there’s someone else. He probably couldn’t keep it in his pants. He probably has a harem of trollops at the frat house right now.

  Courtney wasn’t sure if what she was experiencing in the wake of her break-up with George was jealousy, anger, or merely self-pity.

  Possibly all of them. It’s not that great of a loss… She shook her head to herself. Except that he was perfect. On paper, anyway. Mum and Dad would have approved of him.

  Abruptly, the vacuum died, and Courtney looked blankly at the machine, clicking the On button in futility.

  “Hello? Courtney?”

  The voice was almost in her ear, startling her from her inner diatribe.

  She whirled and looked at her roommate, Cassandra, who held the electrical cord in her hand, shaking her dark head with a wry smile on her face.

  “What are you doing?” Courtney demanded. “I wa
s cleaning.”

  “Yes,” Cassie agreed. “You were cleaning so well that we were going to lose the runner for the front hall in about two minutes.”

  Courtney glanced down at the rug and then up sheepishly at her friend.

  “Right,” she agreed, sighing, her British accent causing it to sound even heavier. “I suppose I was lost in thought.”

  “I can see that,” Cassie replied, reaching out to tentatively take the vacuum from her. “You’ve been lost in thought a lot and taking it out on the house. I think you need a break. Or a drink.”

  But Courtney didn’t want to sit down. She wanted to continue cleaning. It was the best way she could unwind when her mind was racing, and in the past few days, her mind had been racing with too many thoughts for her to handle.

  Still, she could see that her desire to clean was driving her roommate crazy.

  This is precisely what George was complaining about, Courtney realized, color flooding her fair cheeks. She allowed Cassie to take the appliance from her hands.

  “Come on,” Cassie called, gesturing with her head for Courtney to follow. “I’m making a batch of margaritas.”

  “Aren’t you going to wrap up the cord?” she asked automatically, and Cassie stifled a scowl.

  “Later. Drinks first.”

  Reluctantly, Courtney glanced at the hallway, eyeing the vacuum woefully. She knew Cassie would not accept a negative answer, though, and so she followed her into the kitchen.

  I’ll just sneak out here when she’s not looking and wind it back up, she promised herself.

  “Court, you’ve been moping around the house for a week,” Cassie told her as they sat at the kitchen bar. “You need to get out of here and enjoy your summer. It’s your last one as a college student, you know.”

  Courtney scoffed at the thought.

  “In my defense, I fully intended to enjoy my summer,” she retorted, flipping her blonde head back. “George rather foiled that idea, didn’t he?”

  Cassie didn’t reply, turning her back to pour the drinks from the blender, but Courtney could tell by her demeanor that she was growing irritated. She was only trying to make her feel better, and this was how Courtney was repaying her? She felt ashamed of herself.

  “Anyway,” Courtney continued quickly, hoping to ease her roommate’s annoyance. “What harm am I doing? The flat has never been cleaner.”

  She hoped her voice sounded lighthearted, but even she could hear the note of wistfulness in her tone. What else could she do, though? It wasn’t like she didn’t want to stop feeling this funk, which had ensued following the unexpected end of her six-month relationship with George.

  He never intended for us to be long-term, she thought. I was someone to warm his bed in the winter months, and once summer sprung, he dropped me like a hot potato. I am such a fool for not seeing it. And to think I gave up the opportunity to return home for the summer, just so I would be closer to him. Bollocks.

  Courtney reasoned that she could always call her parents and have them send her a ticket back to London, but then she would be forced to explain why she’d had such a sudden change of heart, and she was not sure she had the strength to endure that kind of interrogation. She could already hear her mother’s scornful tone.

  “Truly, Courtney, you remained in the States to chase a man?” she would chide her. “I had thought your father and I had raised you to have more self-respect than that.”

  “But Mum, you would have liked him!” Courtney could hear herself protesting.

  “Well, there’s no way of knowing that now, is there, dear?”

  No, Courtney thought mournfully. I am not going home this summer. Instead, I am doomed to remain here and avoid George at all costs.

  “Court, you really shouldn’t be wasting your time thinking about him. He’s not worth the heartache. You need to get out of the house,” Cassie tried again. “Tonight, I’m going to try something that I think you might be interested in.”

  Courtney swallowed a snort and resisted the urge to roll her hazel eyes.

  While she and Cassie had been friends for two years, they did not run in the same social circles; Cassie was a lovely girl, but she was meek and a bookworm. Courtney had always surrounded herself with strong women, and Cassie simply didn’t fit the mould.

  She was surprised that Cassie had even bothered to make margaritas—it wasn’t something she usually did.

  Still, with almost all Courtney’s sorority sisters back in their respective hometowns, she did not have many more people she could spend time with over the break.

  She made the margaritas for you, Courtney realized, and guilt flooded her.

  “I don’t think so, Cassie,” she said, but her voice was uncertain.

  She’s not wrong, she admitted to herself. I shouldn’t be sitting about in our flat, seething with anger. George doesn’t deserve my anger. He doesn’t deserve any emotion from me.

  “What harm can it do?” Cassie insisted. “It’s one night out, and it will probably help you forget about George altogether.”

  Courtney laughed mirthlessly. “Not likely,” she replied. “Where is it that you’re heading?”

  Cassie grinned, her face turning slightly pink as she shifted her eyes downward slightly.

  “I’m going speed-dating,” she answered, and Courtney could not resist chuckling in contempt.

  “What? You mean like those awful, desperate types who wear name tags and chat for three minutes until moving on to their next victim?”

  Cassie’s face turned stony. “Sorry I mentioned it,” she said flatly, slamming Courtney’s drink onto the countertop and whirling to leave the kitchen. “I was only trying to get your mind off George, but I guess you’re too good for anything else.”

  Courtney’s mouth instantly parted, contrition invading her chest.

  She didn’t deserve that. And she’s right—what harm can it do to go out, even if the evening is ridiculous?

  “Wait!” she called after her roommate, and Cassie begrudgingly turned to face her. “I’m sorry,” Courtney said, rising from the kitchen bar with her glass in hand. “I would love to join you. Thank you for thinking of me.”

  Cassie eyed her with suspicious blue eyes.

  “Are you making fun of me?” she asked, and Courtney shook her head.

  “No!” she assured the brunette. “I would like to come. Who knows? I may even find someone I fancy. Besides, I could use a good, hot revenge shag now, couldn’t I?”

  Cassie giggled, and Courtney raised her glass in toast. As their glasses clinked together, Courtney found the idea of speed-dating growing on her.

  Why not, she thought, taking a sip. George is so junior year. I am a senior now. I should find someone worthier of my stature. Someone who is not simply good on paper, but also good in reality. And much better in bed.

  Courtney’s mind was made up. She was owed better than her slimy ex.

  “A church?” Courtney glared at her roommate in disbelief and then looked back at the building before them. “You’re bringing me to a church for this speed dating?”

  Cassie glanced at her, steering the car into an open parking space.

  “Yes,” she answered slowly. “Where else would they host one of these events?”

  “I don’t know!” Courtney replied, her temper flaring slightly. “Some place with a decent pint, maybe? Why didn’t you tell me this was a religious affair?”

  “It isn’t!” Cassie exclaimed defensively. “I mean, the pastor put it together, but—”

  “Oh, bloody hell. I have to get out of here.”

  Cassie’s jaw dropped open. “Oh, come on!” she protested. “We just drove all the way over here, and it starts in like ten minutes!”

  “Never mind,” Courtney snapped, exiting her roommate’s car. “I’ll call an Uber.”

  Cassie’s mouth tightened, but she didn’t answer, locking the vehicle as they made their way toward the entrance.

  Courtney reached for her cell, shaki
ng her head.

  You should have known better, she thought angrily as she slowly climbed the steps into the building, unlocking her phone. Of course Saint Cassandra would bring you to a church event. Stupid of you not to have questioned it. She continued to mount the stairs, her eyes glued to her phone as she scrolled through it to order a car.

  Not paying attention, she bumped into someone and looked up to scold the offender.

  Her breath caught slightly as she saw the man with whom she had collided. He was broad-shouldered, with a slight dark scruff on a sullen face, his green eyes flashing with something Courtney could not quite identify.

  Lips parting, she was about to apologize to him when the man snapped, “Watch where you’re going!”

  If he had not been quite so handsome, Courtney would have given him a tongue lashing he would not soon forget, but she found herself completely entranced by his attractiveness. Instead, she just murmured, “Sorry,” and watched as he retreated down the steps, scowling.

  At the bottom of the stairs, he reached into his breast pocket for a pack of cigarettes and lit one without looking back.

  Is he here for speed dating? Courtney wondered, her eyes widening as she carefully dropped her phone back into the depths of her purse.

  The man was everything Courtney knew was bad news: unkempt but in a sexy, dishevelled way, and a smoker, though the way the smoke curled out from the side of his profile was mesmerizing.

  He seemed like a jerk, yet Courtney knew he was precisely what she was looking for. Everything about him was exactly the opposite of clean-cut, proper George.

  I think he’s exactly what I need, she thought.

  “Excuse me, miss?” Courtney turned and saw the pastor smiling kindly at her as he held open the door. “Are you here for speed-dating? If so, we’re about to get started.”

  Her cheeks stained crimson, feeling like the holy man could read her unholy thoughts. She then cast the stranger one last look before she made her decision.

  “Yes,” she replied quickly, stepping inside. “I am here for the event.”

  She could not even bring herself to say the words “speed-dating.” The entire scenario still seemed so bizarre to her.