She turned back around to face him. Pointing a finger, she narrowed her eyes. “No escaping whilst I’m asleep.”
He placed a hand over his heart. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”
At the sight of Kai trying to placate her, Jane smiled. “I like how much more relaxed you are inside your own cottage.”
Kai’s face shuttered and he pointed to the bed. “Just go to sleep.”
So much for drawing out Kai’s sense of humor. She liked to believe it was inside him somewhere.
With a sigh, Jane motioned for him to leave. “I’ll see you in a bit.”
Surprisingly, Kai nodded, turned, and closed the door behind him. The fact he hadn’t issued an order or a demand told her he was tired too, even if he was trying not to show it.
As she fiddled with the alarm clock, Jane pushed aside thoughts of why Kai would be almost teasing in one instant and cold the next. It was almost as if the dragonman didn’t like to express extreme emotions.
There had to be a reason for it.
Yet her mind was fuzzy and Jane knew thinking about the possibilities for Kai’s behavior would have to wait.
With the alarm set, Jane crashed onto the bed. About five seconds after her head hit the pillow, she was asleep.
~~~
Kai lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling, and willed his mind to calm down enough so he could fall asleep.
Yet after nearly two hours, he was still wide awake. His dragon chimed in. That’s because you’re counting down the minutes until Jane’s soft hands touch our skin.
No. After she changes my dressing, it means I get more pills to help with the pain and to counter infection.
Right. You keep telling yourself that.
The constant throbbing in his arm almost made him admit the truth. While it might be the best thing for his clan and career to push Jane away and forget about her, both man and beast were having a difficult time doing so.
Her asking about the bars on the windows reminded him of the last time he’d tried to stay away from a female.
His dragon huffed. That was different. This one wants us.
You seem pretty sure about it.
You saw how upset she was when you started acting like an arse again. You should tell her the truth about the bars. It’s time to break with the past.
Well, someone’s quite the psychologist today.
His beast growled. I am only trying to help.
Right, only so our chances of fucking Jane become reality.
Fuck you. Snarling, his dragon retreated to the back of his mind without another word. Only through years of practice did Kai know not to call his dragon’s actions a tantrum.
Glancing to the clock, Kai noted Jane should be up in a few minutes. Since falling asleep would be a waste of time, he decided to get up and do something he’d secretly longed to do for years—watch a pretty female wake up in his cottage.
At one time, all Kai had wanted was to wake up next to his true mate and maybe a child, but Maggie’s choice had changed all of that. He’d long ago accepted he’d be alone for the rest of his life; few female dragon-shifters wanted a male who’d found his true mate but couldn’t have her. If the male wasn’t strong enough, he might leave if a true mate showed up wanting him.
Yet even if he’d accepted his future, watching Jane’s sleeping face wake up might be the only chance he had to glimpse what his life could’ve been.
Standing up, Kai moved silently out of his room and down the hall. He wanted to make a memory he could draw on for the rest of his life.
Once he reached Jane’s door, he turned the doorknob bit by bit until it clicked. He pushed it open.
When the door was wide enough, he locked his gaze onto Jane’s sleeping form.
His human slept on her side with her mouth slightly open. Her expression was calm and relaxed, as if she didn’t have a care in the world. While he much preferred her fire and sass, Jane’s gentle expression reminded him of the fact that she was a vulnerable human.
Back in the alley in Newcastle, he’d been terrified something would happen to her. When the human enemy had made a go for the skip, terror had gripped Kai’s heart. One stray bullet could take Jane’s life away forever; she’d never tease him or call him out on his shit.
And she’d never be able to tell the stories she wanted to tell.
Although why that mattered to him, he didn’t know. He’d kissed her twice. It wasn’t as if he owed her a bloody thing.
His beast returned to the forefront of his mind and growled. You know why it matters. Stop being so bloody stubborn.
I can’t let down the clan.
Stop using that excuse. Even Bram senses something between us and the human. If he disapproved, he never would’ve put Jane in charge of us.
His dragon had a point. If Bram wanted Jane gone, she wouldn’t be sleeping inside Kai’s cottage. Allowing her to stay so we can protect her is one thing. Us fucking her, or more, is another.
Bram only wants you to be happy. Don’t be afraid to seize it.
Kai gave a bitter laugh inside his head. I don’t have the best track record with females.
Stop whining. You go after everything else you want, why not this?
He stared at Jane’s pink lips and then her dark eyelashes against her skin. She was beautiful, it was true, but he wanted her for much more than her beauty.
His dragon’s tone was smug when he said, You just admitted to wanting her.
Jane snuggled into her pillow and Kai’s heart warmed at the sight. A part of him wanted to keep her here so he could protect her always. The Dragon Knights were unpredictable. If Jane left Stonefire, she’d be looking over her shoulder for as long as the knights existed.
His dragon spoke up again. Stop being a wishy-washy arsehole and she might stay.
And give up her career? I doubt it.
She is clever. I bet she will find a compromise. She is our second chance. Don’t push her away. At least try to win her over.
Kai paused for a moment and then replied, She might say no.
We won’t know until we try, his dragon stated.
Kai wasn’t sure if it was the constant throbbing pain in his arm, the drugs, or the weakness of the moment, but he was tired of fighting his beast.
Maybe he should try with Jane and see what happened. After all, the worst she could do was run away. If that were the case, he could go back to focusing solely on his work.
Roaring in excitement, his beast replied, I won’t let you forget what you just thought.
As Kai tried to think of what to say to his dragon, the alarm clock beeped on the far side of the room. Jane rolled over with a groan and flicked it off.
In that moment, Kai wanted to drop kick the clock out the front door for waking up his human. She needed her rest.
Ignoring his dragon’s chuckle, Kai stated, “I’m awake, so you don’t need to dump water on me.”
Jane slowly turned over and rubbed her eyes. “Why are you standing in the doorway? Watching someone sleep when they’re a guest in your house is a bit creepy.”
He really wished he could shrug. “I saw it more as me watching over you to keep you safe.”
Jane blinked and then narrowed her eyes. “If you’re trying to butter me up to avoid me checking on your wound, it’s not going to work.”
Kai decided honesty was the best policy. “You were right before, about me changing into an arsehole. I wanted to kiss you in the alley and I still do. I’ll never have the chance if something happens to you.”
Jane sat up and rubbed her eyes with her arms. “Am I still dreaming?”
The corner of his mouth ticked up. “No.”
“What happened in the two hours whilst I was asleep then?”
“My dragon.”
“Again with the minimum. Do you ever elaborate? You know, just for fun?”
Kai did smile then. “Maybe.”
Shaking her head, Jane moved until she was sitting cross-legged on the be
d. “Let’s go back to the bit about you still wanting to kiss me. Say you’re telling the truth, how do I know you won’t go back into ‘arsehole mode’ five minutes later? I understand you’re used to giving orders, but I will only put up with so much crap from you.”
His dragon hummed. She is fantastic.
Kai took a step toward the bed. “Give me time, and I will show you.”
Crossing her arms over her chest, Jane shook her head. “I need more.”
He took another step. “I’m afraid to ask, but what would convince you that I’m serious?”
Jane studied him a second. “I want you to answer something honestly and completely without changing the subject.”
“Always the reporter.”
She sat up a little taller. “Of course. Now, stop stalling. Will you do it?”
Giving Jane free rein to ask him anything was dangerous. His dragon chimed in. It might be our only chance. Giving Jane information is akin to giving flowers to another female.
His dragon had a point. “Right, so what do you wish to know?”
Jane searched his eyes. “Tell me who Maggie Jones is and what the hell she did to you?”
Chapter Nine
Jane’s heart thudded inside her chest as she held her breath and waited for Kai to answer her question about Maggie Jones. Until he did, she wasn’t going to get her hopes up. Hearing the dragonman wanted to kiss her had sent a little thrill through her body, but she wasn’t about to live a life of him being nice one minute and an arsehole the next. As hard as it would be to walk away, she would do it if Kai didn’t pass this test.
Kai remained silent as his pupils flashed to slits and back again. She really wished she could hear what Kai’s dragon was saying to him.
After a full minute had passed, Kai’s low voice filled the room. “Maggie Jones was my true mate.”
Jane let out the breath she’d been holding. “Was, as in past tense?”
His jaw clenched a second before he replied, “She’s still alive. However, she chose another.”
“Wait, how is that possible? I thought once a dragon-shifter found their true mate, they went into a frenzy?”
Kai moved to the edge of her bed and sat down. The action reminded her that her dragonman had been shot only a few hours ago and wasn’t at full-strength.
Still, if Kai was in pain or tired, she couldn’t tell. He really was a master of self-control in all areas.
Well, except when it came to her.
Kai’s deep voice filled the room again. “While a male dragon-shifter will often know their true mate when they see him or her, it’s usually their first kiss that brings on the frenzy.” Kai’s piercing blue gaze never moved from hers. “Maggie never let me kiss her.”
Jane fisted the sheets on the bed. “So what did she do, then? Tease you and string you along? Is that why you needed the bars on the windows? So you wouldn’t go after her?”
“How do you know I wasn’t the one to run away?”
She raised her eyebrows. “That goes against everything I know about you.”
“This all happened eleven years ago, when I was twenty-one. Young dragon-shifter males spend their early twenties battling their dragon’s need for sex. In a small way, Maggie was right to be cautious.”
“Even with hormones raging through your body, I can’t see you forcing anyone. Stop stalling and tell me the rest of your story.”
Kai stared at her, but Jane didn’t look away. He stated, “I will if you stay quiet.” Jane motioned with her hands and Kai continued, “The bars came later, so let’s back up a bit.” Kai turned a little more toward her. “I met Maggie when I visited my mother, who lives with the Welsh dragon clan, Snowridge.”
Jane frowned, but her expression must’ve conveyed her question because Kai answered, “I was raised on Stonefire, but my mother moved there after my father’s death, after meeting her second—and true—mate and later had my half-sister. Since I was sixteen when she met her new mate, I decided to stay here with my uncle. However, I would visit her every once in a while.”
When Kai paused, Jane tucked away the information about Kai’s mother for later and waited patiently. In her experience, when you interrupted a story at an emotional point, you sometimes broke the spell and a person wouldn’t divulge their whole story.
Her silence paid off as Kai spoke again. “A few years after my sister was born, I was visiting and spotted Maggie for the first time. With her short black hair and brown eyes, my dragon knew instantly that she was meant for us.
“I was still learning to control my dragon. At the time, my beast often swayed me to his decisions. So when he demanded we pursue her, I didn’t fight him.
“I was twenty-one then, but Maggie was a few years younger than me and inexperienced with males. While dragon-shifters are a lot less prudish about sex than humans, there is still an awkward period like with adolescent humans.” Kai looked away and stared out the window. “I decided to be honest with her and told her she was my true mate. At first, she ran and avoided me. But after a few days, she started to seek me out. We would take long walks and go for flights over the mountains. It soon became a game for me and my dragon to try to make her laugh.
“I thought I was lucky at finding my true mate so early.” He looked back at Jane. “If we find our true mate at all, it’s usually a bit later.”
Jane reached out to touch Kai’s uninjured shoulder, but then pulled back, lest she break the spell. “Then what happened?”
He gave a bittersweet smile. “I’d only gone to visit my mother on Clan Snowridge because I was about to join the British Army for two years. I had always wanted to be a Protector, like my uncle. But I needed the military training and experience before I could even apply.
“I had thought about giving it up for Maggie, but she encouraged me to go. She needed time to digest what the mate-claim frenzy would be like and the two years would give us both time to grow up a little more. While I didn’t want to leave her, I figured having her two years later was better than never having her at all.
“So, I went. The army suited me. I always had a place to be, a schedule, and a task. I excelled at all of my training and eventually learned to control my dragon so I could fight in the harshest environments, such as combat zones. While it was hard to be away from Maggie, I knew I had made the right choice. At least, I thought so until I finished my service and returned to Clan Snowridge to visit her, my mother, and my baby sister.”
Kai paused and Jane waited with bated breath. She had a feeling that whatever happened next had changed him from the young dragonman who had liked long walks and making a young woman laugh to the stoic workaholic sitting next to her.
With a sigh, Kai’s voice filled the room again. “The instant I landed, my mother was there to greet me with a look that told me something was wrong. When I finally wheedled the information out of my mum, I found out that Maggie had recently mated one of the clan’s accountants, a shy male who worshiped the ground she walked on. To say I was upset would be putting it mildly.”
Jane frowned. Something was missing from his story. “Wait a second. If you kept in touch with Maggie, how did you not know something was wrong?”
Kai shrugged his good shoulder and grimaced. “I later found out she was afraid I’d come racing back, force a kiss, and then she’d be under the spell of the mate-claim frenzy. Instead, she thought pretending everything was fine was a better idea. Especially since if I had challenged her mate or had attempted to kill him to claim Maggie, it could’ve started a war between Stonefire and Snowridge. And she knew I wouldn’t want that, or I’d never see my mum or sister again.”
“Rubbish. I can’t imagine you ever forcing a female, not even in your youth.”
Kai shook his head. “I never would. But some mate-claim frenzies go wrong and Maggie’s cousin had suffered one. Instead of talking about her fears, Maggie ran away from them.
“To be honest, I did the same with my anger. I came back to Stonefire
and ranted at the previous clan leader, Victor Holmes. While Victor was different than Bram, he had been a good leader. He gave me two options—stay on Stonefire and get a grip on my dragon, or leave the clan until I could do so.”
“Judging by the bars, I’m guessing you stayed.”
“Yes.” Kai met her eyes and she wished she could read his expression. “Although I sometimes think it would’ve been easier if I had left.”
~~~
As soon as Kai started talking about his past and problems with Maggie, he hadn’t been able to stop.
Not even Bram had been able to get so much out of him. The old clan leader before Bram had known, of course, but Kai had wanted a fresh start with Bram. While Bram had known the basics and had seen him a few times during the worst three weeks of Kai’s life, Stonefire’s current leader had never really pushed on the subject. He sometimes wondered why Bram trusted him; there was always a small chance Kai could regress and go after Maggie if he saw her again.
Pushing thoughts of Bram aside, Kai studied Jane’s face. Telling even a small part of his past to Jane made him feel lighter. Especially since his human was looking at him with curiosity instead of pity.
His dragon spoke up. Jane just wants the story. Yet another reason she is perfect for us.
You’re really cheering for her now, aren’t you, mate?
Of course. I will never see her naked if I don’t. You’re too stubborn and never go after what you want.
Jane’s voice cut into his thoughts. “You can’t just stop there. Something must’ve happened between then and now or you never would’ve admitted to wanting to kiss me.”
His eyes darted to Jane’s mouth and he lingered on her full bottom lip. Despite the pain and his exhaustion, he burned to kiss her again.
Jane cleared her throat and he met her blue gaze. He couldn’t help but smile at the faint blush on her cheeks.
Reawakening the Dragon Page 11