by Olivia Arran
All right then. “Hello?”
Silence.
“This is silly.”
Why do you think it’s silly? My dragon sent back.
Huh. Okay, then. You’re talking to me! Rather than trying to talk to her, this time I thought the words.
Of course I am.
But … you’ve never spoken to me before.
Silence again.
Dammit, had I scared her away?
You’ve not scared me, I’m not going anywhere, the feminine voice sent back with a reassuring firmness.
Where have you been all my life? Why now? I’d no sooner thought the question, and I knew. Trent.
Yes. He is our mate. I couldn’t find the way to you before, but his dragon called me.
Can we—
Shift? Of course silly! We are the same; what I can do, so can you.
My eyes flashed open, though I’d been unaware of closing them. “I can shift!”
“Of course you can,” Trent murmured, a smug smile tugging at his lips.
Does he know?
I wasn’t directly asking my dragon, but she answered anyway. That we are true mates? Of course he does; his dragon will have told him.
“Do you want to try now?” His question tugged me out of my internal conversation.
“Now?”
“Why not?”
Because I’m scared? What if I can’t—
I’ve got your back, and I’m not a new hatchling, my dragon replied, her tone a little huffy, as though insulted.
I sent back soothing thoughts, stroking her ruffled scales. Of course you have. “Yes. Now!” The words flew out of my mouth.
He jumped up, helping me to my feet.
I stood, swaying slightly as the magnitude of what I was about to do hit me.
Reaching back, he tugged his shirt off over his head, muscles rippling and bunching.
My eyes widened. “What are you doing?” I squeaked out.
His hands paused on his waistband, fingers hovering dangerously close to the top button. Arching a single eyebrow, he frowned. “Shifting.”
“I— But— Why?” I eventually got out.
“I thought it would be easier for your dragon to follow mine. Flying can be a little … clumsy the first time around. Of course, if you want to go solo the first time—” He winced, a doubtful expression on his face.
“No!” He was right. All juvenile dragons had a spotter for the first time, something I’d managed to forget in my jubilation.
“Okay, then.” His jeans hit the floor.
And so did my jaw. The man obviously didn’t believe in underwear. Ridges of muscle lined his stomach, jutting into deep lines that arrowed down as if pointing out the main event. I had no control, I looked.
I screwed my eyes shut, heat burning my cheeks. Then, peeling one eyelid open, I peeked, just to make sure, then squeezed it shut again.
Yup. The man was hung like a horse. Or a dragon. I swallowed back the inappropriate and slightly deranged laughter that threatened, but a snort managed to escape. Shit. Forcing myself to open my eyes, and my mouth, to explain the strange sound, I found myself face to face with a dragon.
Chapter Fourteen
Astrid
He was a gorgeous bronze dragon, his scales shimmering with a myriad of colors from dark brown to light gold, reminiscent of a sun dipping just below the horizon. His body was huge and strong, filling nearly half of the clearing, his tail curling around and resting over claws that were nearly the length of my forearm and as sharp as any manmade sword. But his eyes … they were pure Trent. The gold flickering brown I had grown to cherish.
Cherish? I rolled the word around on my tongue, trying it on for size. It felt right. Trent had quickly become important to me, not only was he a lifeline of silence in a world drowning in noise, I was quickly coming to realize that he had my back too. That no matter what he said he was, or wasn’t, going to do—he’d come through for me in the end.
Hell, he hasn’t abandoned me yet, and he could have.
Steam huffed out of his nostrils as he lowered his large head, his lips curling back from wicked looking fangs in a dragon attempt at a smile. He butted me in the chest, demanding my attention.
Letting a chuckle spill free, I scratched his brow ridge, more laughter escaping at his deep rumble of pleasure. It was almost a purr.
His forked tongue darted out, swiping the side of my face in a wet lick.
“Hey! Knock it off,” I rubbed at my cheek, a mock scowl plastered on my face, but really I was touched. Trent had just given me the equivalent of a dragon kiss.
He butted me again, this time giving me a little shove until I was at the other side of the clearing. The look in his eyes was clear—it was time for me to shift.
Or attempt to shift.
Turning around I shed my clothes, focusing on the task ahead rather than the fact that Trent was seeing me naked for the first time. Though I couldn’t help but wonder if he liked what he saw, or if my plump curves and dimpled skin were a turn off.
A quick glance over my shoulder blasted my worries clear out of the water. Trent’s eyes burned into me, filled with a longing and heat that I’d have to be dead to miss. Warmth filled me, a liquid throbbing between my thighs at the thought of him shifting back to naked and dragging me to him.
Yes … my dragon crooned, and I could tell she was torn between the thought of taking flight for the first time and claiming her mate.
I never thought I’d say it—or, at least think it, but flying seemed the least complicated of the two. It’s time, do your thing, I whispered to her, both out loud and in my head.
Invisible flames licked at my skin, a heaviness settling in my stomach as my mind seemed to fragment—as if trying to cling onto what was happening to me was too much. Too hard. The boiling inside of me peaked, a coolness rushing through me and chasing the nausea away. It hadn’t worked. Bitter disappointment streaked through me, souring my mood. “I’m sorry,” I mumbled.
At least I tried to mumble. Instead, flames spurted from my mouth, scorching the air. I tried to blink, the reflex feeling strange, and lifted my arms. Huge wings curled around me, glittering emerald in color.
Holy crap! I’d done it! I swung around and nearly tripped over my tail. I was off balance, my human arms where my wings were, but I now had four legs. Concentrating hard, I took a step forward. Lurching, I pitched forward, planting my wings in the grass at the last moment to keep from hitting the deck like a pile of undignified dragon splat.
Steam streamed out of my snout, the grass bending and wilting in the hot breeze. This was so not fair, having to go through this as a grown ass woman.
We just need practice, my dragon huffed inside my head.
I felt a scratch where my wing joined my body—on what used to be my shoulder—and pushing myself up I found myself face to face with Trent.
Hooking his shoulder under mine, he pushed back until I leaned back in a crouch, taking my weight on my back legs. Another gentle nudge from his wing, and I folded my wings against my back.
He clucked at me, the sound deep and throaty, his eyes locked on mine and filled with approval. Then he lowered his head, his snout nuzzling at my neck.
Did he want me to stretch my neck? I tried to follow his silent instructions.
My dragon’s trill of laughter was my first indication that I’d read him wrong. The second being when he continued to nuzzle, his breath heating my skin, ending the caress with a lick.
If green could have blushed, I was pretty sure I’d have turned into a pink dragon.
Giving me another nudge, this one the firm look-at-me kind, he turned and gracefully made his way across the clearing. Lowering into a crouch, he reared up onto his back legs, his wings folding against his back, then he sprung up, muscles powering him into the sky. His wings snapped out, catching the air in a move that looked so effortless, I was pretty sure I had absolutely no chance of replicating it, and then continued to beat until he hovered above me.
Okay… Bracing my knees against the need to tremble, I crouched down onto my back haunches.
Trent tossed his head in a silent you-can-do-it.
Knees bent, front legs up, wings back, look up, I recited while trying to force my new body to obey. And … fly! I kicked off, catapulting myself into the air.
I’m flying!
My excitement was short lived as my trajection altered, gravity pulling me back to earth. Shit! Wings—flap! I thrust out my wings—in my head they were still my arms—and flapped them frantically. It’s not working!
Then the air caught beneath them, lifting me to the top of the trees. But it wasn’t enough, I wasn’t strong enough, I didn’t know what I was doing. I was still going down more than I was going up!
My claws grazed a solid object and I glanced down. Trent hovered beneath me, his wings steady and strong as he lifted me higher.
Matching my strokes to his, I mimicked the slow and steady beat of his wings, the feel of the wind catching and sliding beneath them slowly starting to make sense. I had to ride the wind, not try to pummel it into submission.
With that eureka moment barely formed, he dropped away from me, leaving me shooting through the air on my own.
Chapter Fifteen
Trent
Panic radiated from the smaller, green dragon as she flapped her wings.
Easy … not too fast.
For a split second she hovered, unable to catch the air current.
Come on, you can do it, Astrid! I let out a roar of encouragement, smoky flames billowing through the sky.
She craned her emerald head, locking eyes on me. Determination replaced panic, as she forcefully beat her wings in a slow swooping glide, catching the air and riding it on a glide through the sky.
We shot forward, tracing a lazy path beneath the clouds across the dragon land. People craned their heads to look, and even from here I could see the astonishment on their faces. I knew what they were thinking. A green dragon; tales were told but never before had one been seen. Not in this lifetime.
Well, they’d seen one now. Maybe they’d think twice about treating her like dirt, and if they didn’t … well, I’d have something to say about it.
Looping around her, I nudged her to turn. It was time to go back, her wings weren’t used to flying and she would tire easily.
She let out a hacking cough: a dragon equivalent of a whine, but did as I asked. We were nearing the clearing when I put on a spurt of speed, pulling ahead. Throwing my weight back, I hovered in the air, allowing gravity to pull me down. Then I dropped to a crouch in the grass.
Your turn, I mentally cheered her on. Landing was hard, and landing in a clearing this size? Yeah, we hadn’t thought things through.
She managed the halt in mid air, but her wings were still beating too fast; she was gliding across the clearing rather than down. Ten feet, eight, six—
I winced as she hit the grass, rolling tail over ass. She turned to look at me, probably checking to see if I was laughing.
I shrugged. It was a rite of passage. I remembered my first landing, I had plowed a field in a long bumpy line before coming to a crashing stop.
Shaking off the change, I slipped back into my human skin.
A body crashed into mine, nearly tackling me to the ground.
“Did you see? I did it!”
Dark hair hung like a cloud around her face, blocking out the rest of the world. Her skin was warm and soft, sliding against every inch of mine as her curves molded to my harder frame. Brushing back her hair, I stared into her eyes, drinking in the pure happiness. “I saw,” I murmured.
Her lips curved in a smug smile, the thrill of what she’d just accomplished still buzzing through her. “Thank you.”
I tried to shrug, but I barely dared to breath. The feel of her pressed up against me had me teetering on the edge of control. If she moved—even just an inch—I would lose it. “For what? I knew you could do it.”
“Not without you.” Her words hung in the air between us.
“Anytime,” I forced out, my voice hoarse.
Her lips parted, her eyes darkening with heat as her hand slid from my shoulder, down my back.
“Astrid…” I growled the warning.
“Yes, Trent?”
My hand mimicked hers, moving of its own volition and smoothing down her back until it rested just above her ass.
She shifted her weight, her breasts crushing closer, her stomach and chest trapping my aching cock between us.
“We shouldn’t—”
“Why not?” she challenged, need clear in her eyes.
All my carefully thought out reasons for refusing evaporated from my mind. Gone. I couldn’t think of a single fucking one. “There’ll be no going back.”
“And why would I want that?” She tilted her head, letting me see her resolve.
All I wanted was to make this woman mine; to take this amazing, kind, beautifully stubborn woman as my mate. To spend the rest of my life worshiping her and protecting her from the world. My lips hovered above hers, savoring the moment. She was mine, and I was hers. Nobody else mattered; not our families or our clans. Just us.
Guilt twisted in my chest as the realization of what we were about to do sank in.
“Your clan needs you,” I eventually said.
She blinked, the softness in her eyes shattering. “What?”
“Your brother needs you. I don’t have the money to save your clan.” I wanted to roar in frustration, but facts were facts. And I knew enough about Astrid by now to know that she would hate herself for putting her needs above those of her family. No matter how much she pretended to hate them, I knew she loved her clan. “And he won’t accept me.”
Her bottom lip quivered, her hand falling away from my back. “Let me get this straight: you’re saying no because you’re worried about my family, my clan?”
Gritting my teeth, I nodded.
“Because you’re not rich?”
Did she have to rub it in? I nodded again.
“What about the fact that I’m the Seer?” she injected a dose of sarcasm into the title. “That was your excuse last time. Supposedly you weren’t good enough for me, or has that changed?”
What could I say? That I still didn’t think I was good enough, but I didn’t give a damn anymore? That I’d happily say screw you to the world—and my clan—if I could have her by my side. That she was more important. The fact that I’d happily give my life to protect hers made me more than qualified for the job in my eyes.
But I nodded anyway.
She narrowed her eyes, taking a step back. “Which is it? You don’t think you’re good enough, or you do?”
I couldn’t lie to her, and I couldn’t stand the look in her eyes. “I was an idiot to believe that, to even think it. But you can’t tie yourself to me, not when your clan is on the verge of ruin and you’re their only hope. I know you, you’d regret it. And what kind of mate would I be to not protect you from guaranteed pain?”
“I wouldn’t regret it,” she protested in a soft whisper.
“You would. You’re honorable and kind and you’d feel responsible. Your gift allows you to see the future: tell me, what do you see if we follow this path?” I wanted to snatch the words back, to pummel them into submission, but they were out there. I’d just destroyed my only hope, I was certain of it.
She took another step back and hugging her arms around her chest, stared into the distance, her eyes unfocused and misty.
My heart thudded in my chest, fighting the pain that threatened to crush it. Please let her see a future where we can fix this… But I knew I was clutching at straws. Last night in bed, I’d run every possible scenario, but every single one had ended with the Jewelcrest clan loosing.
Her gaze met mine, and I already knew the answer. It was plain to see from the anguish etched on her face. I took her hand, linking our fingers together. “Shhh, it doesn’t mean you have to mate with one of those fools. We’ll
find another way, I promise.” Even as I said the words, the whisper of a plan was forming. Unfortunately, it didn’t end with a happy ever after either, but at least she’d be free. “Come on, let’s go to the village.” The urge to claim her still beat at me, but my dragon was quiet for once, considering my plan. He didn’t like it, but he wasn’t arguing. Like me, he’d do anything to protect our mate.
Anything. Including giving up our chance at happiness.
Chapter Sixteen
Astrid
For a brief second I’d thought it was going to finally happen, that we were both going to give in to fate that had drawn us together.
Ha! Fat chance of it being that easy! I should have known by now, life liked to throw curveballs at me. Like, hey, wanna be an all powerful, all seeing Seer type? Nope? Well, you’re shit out of luck! And, hey, how about I repress your dragon and make it so that everyone you love thinks you’re either batshit crazy or dangerous? Here you go! Have a slice of pie with that!
It wasn’t your powers that repressed me, it was you, my dragon whispered in my mind.
Me? No way. I wanted to meet you more than anything!
But you fought your powers. They’re a part of us, both you and me, and in doing so, you fought me.
Huh. It made sickening sense.
Now that we are joined I can help you suppress the voices.
You can do that?
A snort echoed in my mind, followed by, Of course I can. We can pick and choose what we want to hear. How do you think Seers of the past have stayed sane? And before you ask, that’s an educated guess. I know no more than you.
I considered the new information, a perverse sense of loss filling me. Trent’s gift to me had been silence and now I didn’t need it.
But we need him, for so much more than that.
Yeah, my dragon spoke the truth. So, what now? You saw the vision, what should we do? It was nice not to be alone for once. To have someone on my side.
You’ll never be alone again. Her words soothed me, like balm on my soul.