Single Red Dragon: A Dragon Shifter Fated Mates Novel (Space Dragons Seek Mates Book 2)

by Michelle Ziegler

  She'd smelled it before, but where?

  Lilly tried to remember, but sedatives had a funny way of slowing things down.

  Orange-gold eyes flashed in her mind. Tanned skin. Muscles everywhere. Wait. That was it. The scent was a dragon, well no. A shifter. The one who stole her from the lab.

  She couldn't breathe. Her lungs didn't want to work.

  It was all coming back now. He'd found her in the alley.

  Her chest grew heavy against each breath. This was just trading one prison for another. The difference here is that her old cell kept people safe from her, but not here. No one would be safe from her here.

  She'd spent years remembering like it was yesterday. Letting guilt eat at her. She'd killed people, killed her mother, all just by touch.

  The first time her father had used her. The first time her powers had been lethal.

  A small child should never be used like that.

  Hatred for the man she called father seeped in, beyond the guilt though. Perhaps this new prison would give her new chances. Eadric didn't seem like the kind of guy to use her as a weapon. But still. She was dangerous, and no one was to be trusted. Except maybe her sister.

  The dragon scales shifted below her hand and her eyes flew open this time. She squinted and blinked against the light.

  He couldn't touch her, he'd die. Only, she couldn't say that. She couldn't get the words to form. Pulling every bit of energy she had, she made a feeble attempt at moving. She tried to run away but instead crawled, wobbled, swayed, and eventually fell to her stomach.

  Well, crap.

  Her cheek lay against the cold stone. Her neck couldn't hold up her head.

  This sucked.

  Laying there for, well she didn't know how long, she finally mustered the energy to roll over. All that did was pin her arm under her awkwardly. Sigh.

  Great, now she was staring at the ceiling, and her arm hurt. Not a huge improvement.

  "Are you okay?" asked the male, Eadric.

  Frustration worked its way around her exhaustion.

  "What? No. No, I'm not okay. You kidnapped me. You chained me to a pipe. And now, well, you drugged me?"

  His feet shuffled against the floor as she tried to shrink away further, but nope. She was done, out of energy. Or, well, her body was.

  Lilly had never thought of herself as pretty, but right now she was positive that she probably looked like one of her fathers failed experiments dragged through a muddy bubble and tossed in the trash heap. Not how she wanted a gorgeous man, one that maybe she hated or had the stupidity to dream about, to see her.

  Frankly, there wasn't much going her way. She couldn't even look decent while getting kidnapped.

  Gah. How crappy was her life that she literally had all of two things to worry about. Escape and not hurting everyone around her. Of course, now she had someone to daydream about. Right after she got away.

  While laying vulnerable and helpless on the floor she watched him come to her. At least she got to see someone new, someone like him, before she went into hiding somewhere. Anywhere. It just needed to be beyond her father's reach.

  "I did not kidnap you. I saved you. You were their prisoner. I saw your chains. And I only locked you up to keep you safe while I figured out what to do. You wouldn't listen to me."

  She blinked a few times. His voice echoed around her. Where the hell was she? Lilly finally focused on the dark cavernous ceiling above her. Rock. She knew rock. The facility they were in now hadn't always been what it was. No. Before it she'd been kept in an unfinished room, a cave within a mountain.

  She tried to push herself up and fell back as a wave of nausea swept through her.

  "What did you do to me?"

  She couldn't get away this time because there was no more fight in her. Exhaustion, the only friend she had right now.

  A tear slid out against her will. She wasn't a crier. She didn't cry. She hadn't cried since her mother.

  "I didn't do anything. Or, well." His massive shadow eclipsed the light coming from behind him.

  Kneeling next to her, she flinched.

  "Please stop, Lilly. Let me at least check that you didn't tear the wound. We have advanced healing methods, but you're still human, we think. You do nothing the way we expect."

  The heat of his hands rested on her shoulder. "I'm going to turn your head a bit. Or you can turn it. I don't care. Just let me make sure you're not bleeding before you pitch another fit."

  Her eyes grew wide. "I do not pitch fits."

  He leaned over her, his eyes glowing in the dimness of the cave. Fascinating. They were beautiful. She swallowed. He was beautiful.

  He smirked.

  "You pitch fits all right. I've seen dragonlings behave better than you. You're lucky I don't bruise easily." He cocked his head to the side. "So, are you going to turn your head or should I?"

  Pressing her lips into a thin line, she blew out air through her nose. "Fine."

  Next, she tried to keep the grimace off her face as the motion of moving her neck hurt.

  A familiar heat of his touch grazed her neck, and might have been nice if it weren't for the tenderness of the spot he grazed.

  "What is it? Why does it hurt?" Lilly asked.

  He grunted. "We had to remove a chip. Deo, my brother is a medic, and was able to get it out. Do you know what it was for?"

  Closing her eyes, Lilly fought back a new feeling. A weight that had been sitting on her shoulders, nearly crushing her for her entire life, lifted with his words.

  "I do," was all she said.

  His hand left her neck. "Can I help you sit up?"

  Should she let him? Accepting help was a sign of weakness. How many times had she been told that? How many times did her father preach that if you wanted something you did it by yourself. Not that she'd been allowed to do much. Accepting punishment was what he'd meant. He trained her like an animal. Be afraid of the hand that feeds you because it can take away what it gives.

  "I. I can do it."

  Fighting against the weakness flowing through her, she shook and strained. No. Just kidding. She couldn't sit up.

  Without another word, he slid his arm under her shoulder and upper back, pushing her up slowly.

  Oh no. The world spun a bit, and then her stomach caught up to the torture.

  "I'm going to throw up," she said, before doing her best to turn away from him.

  The heat of his arm, the strength of his grip never leaving her as she moved from emptying her stomach to dry heaves.

  "Poison," she gurgled out.

  Snuffling in air, she tried to pull the precious substance down her throat.

  "It's a poison. A special concoction he's threatened me with it my entire life. The chip releases enough to subdue me. To control me. It's a tracker too, but until now I didn't realize what that meant."

  A growl escaped Eadric's lips. She'd have recoiled away from him, but he was the only way she could move at all.

  "Please don't hurt me. I can't fight you anymore," she sobbed out.

  "Why the hell would I hurt you? That fucker has done enough hurting for an entire lifetime, maybe two."

  Silence followed as she worked on breathing. Then he spoke again.

  "You mentioned a poison. The doctor poisoned my brother's mate. Do you know how to cure it?"

  Did she? Uh, sure. In theory. Her sister had mentioned that it would run its course through Lilly because of the magic in her blood. Her sister had tried to reassure her over the years that father would never kill her. Only, just because something isn't deadly didn't mean it didn't suck.

  The poison made her sick. She'd never tested it further. Lilly had always been obedient, or well she had after the guilt of killing too many dear to her.

  "I. It won't kill me. We just have to wait. But, from what I understand, it will kill anyone else."

  The air changed, heated up. An orange glow filled the space. She turned to see tattoos on his skin, ones she hadn't noticed before n
ow burning bright.

  "That is not an option. If it is a poison and you will not die, there must be an antidote and you will find it."

  The words were harsh. His arm fell from her, her own hand the only thing still keeping her upright. A strange ache of emptiness filled her.

  Lilly nearly fell, but instead her arm finally listened to her command and held her up.

  "You know there is an antidote but like everything else you will fight me won't you? Damn it. What did I do to deserve this?" Eadric asked.

  He got up and started pacing.

  She watched as his tattoos dimmed, and his massive hands ran over his face. It was then that she noticed how tired he looked. He was a dragon. A creature. Not human. Not according to her father. They're aliens. Vicious creatures sent to destroy earth. Every alien was the enemy.

  Her sister used to tell her stories, trying to rid herself of the guilt. Trying to rid herself of the pain their father caused, but it was what she did for survival. What they all did to live. Looking at him, she realized that maybe the creatures, the not-quite humans, weren't the monsters.

  Her heart shuddered as he roared into the cave.

  No, this one was a monster. Her body instinctually recoiled at the sound.

  It took every ounce of strength to sit, now that running wasn't an option.

  He bent over something dark and she had a hard time turning her eyes away from his naked backside. She'd never seen a naked man before. Monster or not. At least if she was going to be imprisoned there was something new to see. And for all the fear, she was realizing that he wasn't planning to torture her. Something in the back of her mind said she was safe, but when did one ever believe the voices in their own head?

  He stood, and she nearly choked on spit. Darkness wasn't filling the cave fast enough. Good God, is that what a man looked like? Were they all that big? Is this what her sister talked about?

  Her sister had shared so many stories, some that she couldn't image until now. One about how she had lost her virginity to a guard, a cute one, and one that got her extra access to Lilly. Lilly had hated him for using her sister. Hated what her sister described as sex. It was just another way for men to use you and that wasn't going to work for her.

  She averted her eyes. There was no way she'd trade herself for anything.

  Not that anyone could touch her without dying, anyway. Studying him, though, she realized he had. Eadric had touched her countless times, and he was still here.

  This time she studied the man and focused less on the scary scaly part.

  Why could he touch her?

  She looked up as he came back, towering over her. She couldn't figure him out.

  "Here," he said, his voice gruff. Handing down two pills and a bottle of what looked to be water, she looked up at him in question.

  "Take these. They help with the pain. As soon as you can stand you're going back and finding the antidote."

  Darkness, a place within herself that kept the pain from overtaking her, found its way back in. No matter how much happiness she'd tried to muster. Or all the hope of finding someone like Mr. Darcy. Every part of her that still hoped for something other than what her life was all retreated back into her tiny little box within her soul.

  She wasn't going back.

  4

  Eadric instantly regretted his words as her entire body began to tremble.

  Shit.

  "I am not going back," she spat at him.

  Eadric closed his eyes, trying to channel some calm. Fuck. He needed her to cooperate and right now all she was doing was fighting him every step of the damn way. He was probably being a huge asshole right now, but damn it if she didn't make his blood boil.

  This wasn't how finding a mate worked. Or was it? Shit. He didn't know, and he didn't want one. He saw what love did to his mother. She'd died from a broken heart. Left him alone, or well, not totally alone. He had his brothers, not by blood, but by the fates that made them who they were.

  His father had been an elite Amit warrior and had been killed in battle. What if it had been the other way around? How would it be for a warrior to have lost his mate? Losing a mate was the worst thing that could happen, it was like losing your soul.

  Kal came to mind. That's who mattered.

  "No. You will. You have to." Eadric tried to hide the lilt of panic from his words.

  She paused and finally looked at him. "I can't."

  The sadness in her voice caught him off guard and the fierce need to protect nearly swallowed him as his dragon snarled within him. Yeah. Fuck off beast was all he could think. But deep down, he felt the need for her too.

  "Why?" he asked.

  She wrapped one arm around herself. He watched her, noticing how pale she was now. This wasn't the fiery witch he'd stolen away from that lab. No. She looked frail. Damn it.

  Was this his fault? Or was it the poison? What was he supposed to do now?

  He put his hand out, but she wouldn't look at him, let alone take his hand.

  "Come here. I have a mat you can sit on. It has to be better than the cold floor."

  She still didn't look at him.

  "Lilly? What the hell? Take my hand and I'll help you."

  She swallowed and finally turned her eyes to him. For a moment. Then they darted away again.

  "Do you..." she paused, "have any pants?"

  Pants? Is that why she wouldn't look at him? Pants?

  He pursed his lips and glanced around. Did he? What had Deo left? A bag of basic supplies. Pants wasn't usually a thing they worried much about in training, but on a mission like this. Maybe?

  He grunted and walked over to the bag, digging around. Water, food, med kit, blankets, and there, at the bottom, pants. Huh.

  Thanks Deo.

  Welcome.

  He chuckled. Of course he was still listening in.

  How is your mate?

  Eadric glanced over his shoulder. She seems pale, weak, but that's to be expected.

  Silence for a moment before Deo responded.

  Yes, it is. I'll be back in the morning to check on her. You can handle anything small, otherwise call me.

  His mind quieted as his brother backed away. These warriors were his life, but now he had her. Caring for her meant that this mission to save Kal's mate just got a whole lot more complicated.

  Eadric put on the pants. He needed to go back to the female, no Lilly. Shit. If he thought of her as more than just a female, could he even send her back into that hell he'd rescued her from?

  Sucking in air, he let it out on a slow release. He tried to keep himself distant.

  Turning back to her, he was ready to keep it all business. One look at her though and, fuck.

  Could he control himself? There was little chance in hell. His dick practically jumped up to say hello and his dragon clawed at his heart to mark her.

  Down, killer. Don't make this harder.

  His dragon snarled. Yeah. Well, whatever. It was fun to be at war with one's soul, wasn't it?

  Game face. He had to have one.

  "Better?" he asked, as she finally met his eyes.

  A curt nod was all he got.

  Holding his hand out once again, he waited, and this time she took it.

  Her grip was weak, and as he held her, he thought better of it.

  She was barely sitting up without weaving.

  Damn it.

  Bending down, he slid one hand under her knees and the other around her back before lifting.

  "I can walk," she protested.

  Rolling his eyes, he said, “Doubtful. You're weak."

  This time it was her turn to growl, but the sound just made him laugh.

  "I am not. I know basic martial arts. I can do chin ups and pushups. I could take you."

  He raised a brow. "Really?"

  "Well, okay. Maybe not. But still. Don't call me weak."

  Eadric stopped at the edge of the mat, bending to put her down.

  "Fine. I meant that you still app
ear to not be fully recovered from the extraction of the chip."

  She shuddered in his arms, and he wondered why. Her defiance no longer seemed to be out of anger or hatred for him. Or he could only hope.

  Now seemed like the best time to question why she wouldn't help him.

  "Why can't you go back? Other than the obvious, they had chained you to the building," he asked.

  As he went to lower her onto the mat, her arm hooked around his neck, and damn it if his dragon didn't react. Who was he kidding, he reacted? He wanted to pull her in closer, give her the protection of his body. He gave a mental scoff. No. That wasn't the goal here. When she didn't let go, he paused.

  "They'll put me back in my cell they call a room, or worse," she said, finally meeting his own gaze. "I'll never get out again."

  His grip tightened without thought.

  "I would not allow it."

  She shrugged. "I don't see how you could stop it. You don't understand what you're up against."

  Suddenly she jerked in his grip as if he'd burned her. Placing her on the mat, he studied her. She gasped as she turned her hands over. Twisting them around. The crappy white outfit she wore did nothing for her, he noticed, although it was more brown than white at this point. Why was she bothering with her hands?

  "Do you need to wash your hands?" he asked.

  She shook her head.

  Well, she was a little crazy. That seemed to be consistent about their mates, wasn't it? Whatever. He didn't care what he was up against in that lab; he needed her to help him. "All right. Getting back to the lab. It doesn't matter what I'm up against. I would not let them take you."

  She focused on her hands once more before turning to him.

  "Okay. Can I see your neck?"

  Odd little human.

  He didn't mind much though and turned to her, exposing his bare back to her.

  He knelt on his haunches, and her hands took their liberties.

  A shiver ran down his spine as her touch grazed along his skin. Her gentle fingers caressing the skin at his neck.

  "I don't understand," she whispered.

  Understand? What?