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

by Michelle Ziegler

  Eadric nodded and kept eating.

  "Well, when you came for me at the lab. It was as if my entire life was a hole. I didn't even know what to miss or wish I'd done. There was just nothing, except my sister. I'd miss her a little."

  He was still quiet, but he seemed to listen. An odd thing for her. Someone who listened to her. When had that ever happened? Ever?

  "You're sister? Do we need to go get her?"

  Lilly smiled. Honestly smiled.

  "Would you do that?"

  He put his container down, empty while hers was barely touched. He came nearer to her, and this time she didn't back away. The desire, or the need to do so disappearing. But the scent of him overpowered the stew. It overpowered the earthen tones of the cave. The cinnamon musk of Eadric seemed to weave its way into her, and a moment of panic hit her.

  Could she leave him when the time came?

  "Lillyanna, I would do anything for you. I would go retrieve this sister if it meant you were happy."

  The bowl of food in her hands trembled. Her heart beat against her chest, and breathing- well, hell. She wasn't breathing. She'd forgotten how. No. She hadn't forgotten, but for the first time it didn't hurt. It didn't hurt to feel.

  Eadric gripped the container of food and placed it down next to them.

  His tongue ran over his lower lip, as if he were licking the remnants of the stew, and the warm stream of a need she'd only ever imagined filled her.

  She wanted to taste him.

  The heat of his hand cradled her head, and she melted.

  Was this it? Was this her first kiss?

  Did she want it? Yes. Definitely.

  Closing her eyes like she'd read in her books, she waited. Waited for him.

  6

  Eadric hated the sadness in her eyes. The confusion that he couldn't understand. As a warrior, he separated his emotions from those of duty. He couldn't feel when wars came. He couldn't want anything, but this female was cracking the numbness. Was this normal? He worried about her. Worried that what he needed from her was more than she could give, but even now he could feel Kal's desperation to save his mate.

  Could Eadric risk her?

  Without really knowing what he was doing, he reached out to her. She didn't pull away. He removed the meal she was nursing. As his hand rested against her cheek, she seemed to relax into his touch.

  Desire, need, and something he'd never felt swept through him. As he moved closer to her, he didn't really care what it was. He wanted to know what her lips tasted like. He studied her, going between those beautiful brown-gold eyes to her lips, waiting and watching to see if his prey might spook and run.

  His lips hungered for her, but he stopped. Stopped close enough to feel the small puffs of air from her mouth. He could hear her heart stutter and hammer away the closer he got. Sniffing the air, he drank it in. The scent of her own need for him lingering. His head swam, drunk on her. His dragon raging with the command to take her.

  But Eadric didn't want that. Not yet.

  His skin burned with his power, lighting the markings that were his as a warrior, those of a powerful near immortal.

  "Mine," came out a whisper on his lips. No more waiting. He pressed in and claimed her lips.

  Just a taste. That was all he needed, but damn when she pressed her own lips harder against his did he throw caution to the fucking wind.

  He pushed up on his knees, never breaking their connection.

  Hungry.

  More. He needed more.

  Lilly lay down as he pressed forward. Her head cradled in his hand, and she leaned back against the mat. Pulling his hand away, he wondered at her beautiful curves. Running his fingers down her side over the horrid fabric that she'd been forced to wear. Fuck this stupid outfit. He shredded the top as his claws broke through his human form.

  Finally, her flesh was there, free for him to caress. He liked the way her skin dimpled as his touch ran the length of her.

  He pushed aside her leg, making room for himself between them. She moaned as his knee pressed lightly at the apex of her thighs.

  Snaking his hand around, sliding beneath the waistband of her pants, he slid his hand down her ass.

  So hungry.

  Releasing her lips, he kissed the line of her jaw down to the delicate skin of her neck.

  A moan escaped her delicious mouth, fueling his need.

  His dragon wanted her. Their senses blinded by the scent of her. Why should he fight this?

  He didn't want to.

  Eadric needed her.

  "Wait," she said. Her words were breathless. A whisper.

  "Wait, please," she repeated.

  Her hands stopped roaming, the heat of her palms still against his back.

  Shit. She said wait.

  Okay. Wait. Breathing.

  He sucked in a breath. The scent of her need filled the air, but underneath there was now the bitter taste of a fear. Why was she afraid?

  "Are you afraid of me?" he asked.

  She shook her head, blinked, and then nibbled on her lower lip.

  He cocked his head, still not moving Not yet.

  "No. I, uh." She cleared her throat.

  "You what?" he asked.

  She started to wiggle under him. He pushed away, allowing her to sit up.

  "I've never done this before."

  Eadric looked at her. Done what? Push away a male? The tightness in his groin wasn't appreciative of that right now. He needed her, wanted her, and she'd rejected him.

  She'd rejected him. The thought swam in his head. What had he done wrong? Wasn't your mate supposed to want you?

  How many times had his supposed mate rejected him now? Perhaps he should start a tally on the cave walls. Leave it as a proof he'd given it the old college try.

  No, that was worse than just mentally keeping track. What the fuck was he supposed to do to win her? He'd saved her. Fed her. What more does a female on this planet need?

  He sat up on his haunches, trying to adjust his throbbing hard on.

  Running his hands through his hair, he tried to muffle a growl of frustration. Damn it, this mating thing was hard.

  "Eadric?"

  He stopped, his eyes darting to her. That was the first time she'd said his name. They, he and his dragon, nearly came at the sound.

  "Lilly?" what else was he supposed to say? He was fucking confused.

  "I just need time," she said.

  Time? What if he didn't have time. Every day his dragon grew more and more unstable. Wasn't that why they were here? The urgency to find their mates? Or now, to save his brother's mate. He needed to save his brother, before he ever worried about himself. He was blinded by his own need, and that couldn't happen again.

  Grunting, he stood. Yes. He was blinded by his own need, and that wouldn't work. What did it matter if he was no longer? His brother had found a higher purpose other than himself, other than the duty to protect the worlds. He'd found his mate. Eadric would protect Kal.

  Stepping away, he didn't listen to another word. He couldn't. Whatever her reasons, they were fine. He didn't want to feel anything further. He didn't want to ache for her.

  No. He couldn't. He needed to get the antidote. Mission one was to save Kal's mate. Mission number two might be to save his own hide. Someday.

  Stepping outside the dim cave, Eadric took in the mountain air. Trees. He smelled a lot of trees. Maybe an odd little creature that wouldn't even count as a snack. He needed some kind of release.

  Sex. Sex was a release, his dragon said.

  Yeah, yeah. That wasn't going to happen. He tried to think back on his frivolous life. Too many faces, and none important enough to remember names. None of them would do even if they were on this planet. No. He only needed one female and as it turned out her will was stronger than his own. Leaning against a large boulder, he couldn't decide if he should scream or laugh. Fate hated him. The frustration won out. Bending over, bracing his hands on his knees, he growled.

&
nbsp; What was this horrible feeling again? Oh, right, rejection. Rejection sucked.

  Standing up, he looked around. There was a lot of nothing here. Even worse.

  "Eadric?"

  Her voice echoed through the cave long before he saw her.

  Before he had to talk to her, he shifted into his dragon and turned away.

  Okay, yeah, he was pouting.

  The dragon was less emotional and more angry. Let her deal with that.

  He could make out her footsteps, the sound changing from a light padding along the cave changing to crunch along the underbrush. The dragon turned his head, catching her out of his peripheral, but trying to ignore her all the same. Shit, if they didn't like the way she clutched the shredded shirt.

  "Eadric?"

  The dragon snuffed out some air and turned around. He sat, pretending like she wasn't there.

  "Eadric, don't you dare ignore me?"

  As she rounded on him, his dragon turned again and sat.

  "Eadric, you're acting like an ass. My sister told me all men were no good. Don't you dare ignore me and prove her right? I was just starting to think maybe she was wrong."

  He snorted.

  "Eadric? This is stupid. I'm sorry I stopped you. But..." she stopped.

  His head perked up, as if waiting.

  "I've never been with a man before. I didn't even know what one looked like until you started walking around all naked. I mean. I didn't know that, they. Well. You know, were so big."

  The dragon smiled. Sitting a little taller.

  And this time she growled. "Oh, for crap's sake. Don't you dare go acting like I'm impressed or anything. It's not like I have a comparison."

  The dragon whipped his head around.

  "Yeah. That's right, big guy. I have no comparison. So, don't go thinking you're amazing. Try that. Think you get to pout? No. You're supposed to respect the woman. Treat her like she matters. So you just take that giant ego -" she cut off and growled.

  He didn't know humans did that. Eadric kind of like this feisty side, when she wasn't hitting or running away that is.

  "You can take your ego and go shove it off a cliff." Lilly stomped around.

  Good thing no one was hunting them, his dragon thought.

  Eadric did look around, though. There was no cliff.

  "Good Lord. Not like a real cliff, you idiot. Ugh. Alien. Dragon. Male. What the hell else should I expect. Just, ugh. Shut up and turn back into a human."

  She walked over to his flank and slapped him.

  His dragon lifted a heavy brow.

  "Ugh. I can't even hurt you."

  Hurt him? No. She couldn't, and why would she? Well, she could and did. She hurt his male pride; he supposed. His dragon did like this attention. Any attention was good attention, apparently.

  "Turn back into a human, you idiot."

  He turned his head a bit and watched as her hand curled into a fist, igniting in a blue flame.

  "If you don't, I'm going to, well…” She looked around. "There isn't even anything good to hurt you with here." Picking up a rock, he watched as it turned blackish red before she finally threw it at his hide.

  The dragon studied her. Well, that was uncalled for.

  Shaking his own head, the Dragon retreated and Eadric shifted back into human form.

  "Why did you throw a rock at me?"

  By this time tears streamed down her face. "Because. Because you ignored me. You don't get to ignore me. You took me. You don't get to ignore me."

  Wasn't this what she wanted? For him to stop and go away? What was her problem?

  "I'm sorry?" he said, half question, half response.

  "No, you're not. They are never sorry. Why would you be any different?" She wrapped her arms tighter, still trying to keep the shreds of her shirt together.

  "Different?" he asked.

  "Yeah. Different from my father. His guards. Everyone who kept me in a cell my entire life. Why would you be any different? Maybe I can't burn you, maybe you aren't in danger of me. But-"

  She broke off.

  What? He wasn't the same as them. He wasn't like those monsters. He was different. What the hell did she mean. No. She would not compare him to those monsters.

  He stalked forward, gripping her shoulders.

  "I am not the same," he said.

  She turned her face away. "But you hurt me worse than any of them ever did."

  His eyes grew wide. But he did as asked. He hadn't touched her.

  "How?"

  She sniffled. "You left me."

  A sharp pain started behind his eyes. What the hell?

  "But you told me to leave.” He spoke the earth languages, and the words she'd said were to go away. How did he mess that up?

  This wasn't working. What had his brother told him? Or at least Kal? Always just apologize? Fine. He'd start there.

  "I am sorry."

  And pulled her into his body.

  She didn't relax immediately. Maybe she hadn't rejected him yet? Perhaps there was something he just didn't understand. Goddess, he hoped so.

  The longer Eadric held her, the more the swirling of his magic within found a calm. If she didn't want him, he'd been prepared to lose himself to the dragon. But in these few moments he felt something more.

  Now, a dark reality fell. Was he willing to fail in his own quest to find her in order to save his brother's life? So many questions and so few answers. Maybe he would try something different first, before settling on his own demise - for now.

  "Lilly?"

  She didn't answer right away and for a moment he worried she'd fallen asleep.

  "Yes?" she said.

  "Do you think you can help me understand what the poison is? Or do you think you understand anything about how it doesn't kill you?"

  She blinked as she looked up at him.

  "I don't know. I really don't. But my sister always said that one day when she left our father's lab, she'd love to work in medicine. Maybe there are others that understand this kind of thing?"

  He pulled her closer, resting his chin on her head, and she turned into him.

  "All right. We will try to find these other's and see what they can do."

  She sniffled.

  "Thank you."

  Pulling in a breath, he tried to think maybe this would all work out. But how did he just shut the door on his duty for his own selfish needs?

  "Eadric?"

  Shaking off his concerns, he focused on Lilly.

  "Yes?"

  She cleared her throat. "You don't have pants on again."

  7

  Lilly followed the two large men, looking over her shoulder as people passed them in the hall. She wasn't sure she'd ever get used to the size of these men. Eadric was one thing, but now this other one? She was still trying to wrap her head around the flight on Eadric's back to this college. Maybe, if she'd been a different person, she would have liked to come here.

  Lilly patted her hair as she watched another woman walk about. She didn't look anything like them. She was a hot mess, and now she had wind burn and knots in her hair.

  Maybe Eadric could get her some girl things like a brush. Even the lab had supplied that.

  She tripped, Eadric wrapped his arm around her to hold her up. When had she considered staying? That wasn't an option. But what if she did? She needed to go shopping.

  As they walked, people continued to walk around them like they were Moses parting the sea. No one noticed her much, but a lot of people gawked. Lilly found herself glaring at the women. Why couldn't they keep their eyes to themselves?

  She shut her mouth a moment later. Oh, no. She was jealous.

  Pulling on the t-shirt Deo had delivered for her, she felt plain and ugly. She was walking with these two and had never felt more invisible. Eadric had to be everyone's fantasy, and yet he noticed her. What if he lost interest? She was ridiculous and the one thing that made her special, if not a murderer, was her power and it didn't affect him at all.
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  As if he could read her mind, Eadric reached out to her, grabbing her hand. Her face heated as he pulled her against him. Maybe she didn't care if anyone noticed her as long as he did.

  Deo nodded as they stopped in front of a door.

  "This is her?" Eadric asked.

  Deo nodded.

  They walked into an office, nothing fancy, but behind the desk was a woman not much older than herself with long dark hair and glasses.

  "Dr. Bail?"

  She looked up at Deo and Lilly could have sworn that air thickened with sparks. The momentary pause had her wishing she could run out of there with Eadric. This was strange.

  "I am."

  She stood and took in Deo and then Eadric. Lilly hesitated before stepping in front of Eadric. Just in case doctor lady got any ideas. Lilly had no idea how to actually stake her claim, but she'd burn the woman if she had to.

  Eadric's hand rubbed her shoulder.

  "Calm yourself, mate," he whispered into her ear.

  There was that word again. It made her dang near purr inside, but she still didn't understand what it really meant. Was she his regardless? Did he need to do something? Her sister had told her about wolf shifters and the packs in the area. She'd made their mating habits seem all sexy, and yet gross at the same time. It wasn't until now that Lilly realized her sister almost seemed to talk as if she longed for someone to love her, protect her? She shook her head. That wasn't like her.

  Lilly relaxed into the warmth of his hands resting on her shoulders.

  The vision of his lips on hers, the way his hands had touched her, and she could see why her sister would want this. Swallowing, Lilly realized she was losing her edge.

  She wanted to remain the independent woman. Remain the strong woman that she'd tried to model herself after. Elizabeth Bennet never needed to kiss Mr. Darcy. Emma didn't need to kiss Mr. Knightly. And yet, here she was. Ready to sell her left arm to kiss him again.

  She didn't want to ask again. That wouldn't go well. He'd want more than she was willing to give. Her sisters words never far from her memories. The memories that sex ruined everything. She'd also taught Lilly that you could use it to bargain with as well. After their makeup session though, she wasn't sure she could ever separate the feeling from the deed.