by J. L. Wilder
“Fucking fine, prick,” said one of the men.
“Yeah. Damn dragons think they own everything.”
“Shit can’t last forever.”
Dragons? Sarah had no time to think it over before the men looked back at her, their eyes all moving up and down her body in a way she didn’t care for in the slightest. The well-dressed man made a lunging motion towards them, not violent but threatening enough to let them know he’d noticed their eyes lingering and didn’t appreciate it. The men jumped slightly before leaving with a few hard glares.
“What the hell is going on here?” asked Sarah. “What kind of party is this?”
The man moved in close, extending his hand to her. “Adrian Thorne. Welcome to New York.”
Without thinking, Sarah took his hand. His touch was electric, a pulse of arousal shooting through her body like she’d never felt before. Her pussy clenched again, accompanied by intense tingling.
“How...how did you know I was new?”
He smiled. “Easy to see. When you’ve lived in the city as long as I have, you can spot a newbie from a mile away. No offense.”
“None taken. Just got in today, actually.”
“In today and already at a place like this? You move fast.” He leaned against the balcony, confidence and authority projecting from him.
“My friend knows some people.”
“And how about you? Do you know any people?”
Sarah shook her head. “Aside from her, no. That’s...part of the reason she had me come here tonight, to see if I could find anyone who could help me out.”
She couldn’t stop staring at his impossibly green eyes. They weren’t just green; they were ultra-green. Almost spooky, but totally sexy.
“What kind of help are you looking for? Maybe I can be of some assistance.”
His body was close to hers, and unlike the other men who’d been all over her that night, Sarah didn’t take issue with it. In fact, she found herself wanting him even closer. She wanted to know who this man was, everything about him.
“First of all, getting assholes like those guys away from me. So, I guess you’re already helping me in a way.”
“My pleasure. Men like those have a hard time taking a ‘no’ when it comes to beautiful women.”
She felt the back of her neck tingle at the words. This man was beyond gorgeous, and there he was, calling her beautiful. It took all she had to keep it together.
“Well,” he said. “I should let you get back to the party. You have my name. Don’t be afraid to invoke it if you have need of anything else.”
With one more smoky, lingering gaze, Adrian was off. And all Sarah could do was watch as he strolled away, the image of his face burned into her mind.
CHAPTER 4
SARAH
All Sarah wanted was to find Kelly and get the hell out of there. The party had been interesting for a moment, but she quickly found the people there, along with their strange menacing, to be more than she could handle.
She searched around, trying to find her friend. But there was no sign of her. Finally, when she began to think she was gone, she caught sight of Kelly. She was with a group of men, all dressed as expensively as the rest of the people there. Sarah made a beeline over to her and caught her attention.
“Hey!”
Kelly turned to Sarah with a dreamy look in her eyes. “Hey!” Sarah could tell right away that there was something off about her friend. The men turned around, all regarding her with the same skeptical, but hungry expression. She didn’t like it one bit.
“Listen—thanks for bringing me here and all, but I kind of really want to go.”
“You want to go?” asked one of the men. “So soon?”
“Yes,” said another. “We’re all very interested in getting to know you better.”
“Come and join us.”
“Yeah,” said Kelly. “These guys are so...nice. Come join us for a while.”
Sarah had no interest in joining them. All she wanted was to get as far away from them as possible.
“Are you saying you’re staying?”
“Yes, she’s staying,” said one of the men. “She’s likely going to be staying all night.”
“Come on,” said Kelly. “Have some fun, meet some people.”
Sarah could tell there was something wrong with Kelly. She seemed to look not at Sarah, but through her. It was almost like she wasn’t entirely there.
“Kelly, please come with me and take me back to your place. I...don’t feel safe here.”
“You’ve got no reason to feel unsafe,” said one of the men. “We’ve got your best interests at heart.”
“Yes,” said another. “Not a soul here would like something to happen to an omega.”
“A...what?” Sarah had no idea what to make of what the man had said. Omega? But it made her want to leave more than anything else she’d heard or seen that night. The men regarded her like a piece of meat, menacing and hungry.
“Kelly,” she said. “I’m leaving right now. If you want to come with me, then come. But I’m getting out of here.”
“Too bad,” said one of the men. “But I’m sure we’ll be seeing you around again.”
“We most certainly will,” said one of the others.
Sarah didn’t stick around to hear anything more. She turned and started off, feeling the hungry gazes of the men lingering on her body. When she approached the front entrance, she spotted the group of three, wild-looking men she’d dealt with before and turned around not to have to see them once more.
Looking back in the direction Kelly had been, she found they were gone. Sarah’s gut sank as she realized her friend had left with the men, likely gone to one of the private rooms.
She hurried towards the back as quickly as she could, fear running through her body. All she wanted was to leave. But she realized she had nowhere to go—Kelly’s was where she was staying for the night, and who could say when they’d be in contact again?
Sarah felt panic run through her as she tried to leave the party. She looked around for an escape, trying to see where she could leave. And all the while, she felt the eyes of everyone on her, all of them regarding her with that same hungry expression.
Finally, she found a door that appeared to lead to the area behind the building. She threw it open and stepped outside into the cool fall air.
There was quiet, a quiet that hit her as a relief right away. She had no idea where she was going to go, but at that moment, she was simply glad to be out of the party.
“OK,” she said to herself. “Need to find someplace to crash.”
She knew Kelly’s address in Brooklyn and considered going there. But she had no idea when Kelly would be home.
Sarah was happy to be away from all of the hungry glances, but she knew she’d have other problems to deal with before the night was over. It occurred to her that she’d spent nearly the last bit of money on her plane ticket, and likely didn’t even have enough for a cheap hotel room if it came to that.
“Hey, cutie. Where’s your friend?”
“Yeah, she leave you all alone?”
Fear ran through Sarah. She recognized the voices right away—the three men from the party.
Sure enough, they emerged from the shadows, all with the same menacing look on their faces.
“Get away from me!” Sarah didn’t waste any time speaking.
They all laughed as they moved towards her, their eyes narrowed.
“Not planning on it,” said one of them. “Not a chance in hell we’re letting an omega go. Too fucking valuable.
“Yeah,” said the other. “I mean, you’re hot as shit, but I’m thinking about the fucking money we can get for you after we’ve had our fun.”
“God, imagine what the fucking dragons will pay for this piece of ass. Enough to get us the fuck out of Queens, that’s for damn sure.”
“Anyway,” said another. “We can worry about that later. First thing’s first, you know?”
>
The three men moved towards her, this time with frightening speed that Sarah could hardly believe. It took a split second for them to be on top of Sarah, close enough that she could smell their strange, woodsy scent. The menacing looks on their faces terrified her.
“OK, kid,” said one of them. “Here’s the deal—you’re coming with us. Either you can do it easy-like, or we can take you out of here kicking and screaming. But it’s happening, so deal with it.”
Sarah didn’t wait before trying to make a break for it. She took off into a run, breaking past the three men and cutting across the courtyard. For a moment, she thought she might’ve been free of the men. But it only took a moment before their hands were on her, holding her in place with a strength she didn’t anticipate.
“Kinda fun when they run, really. Makes it more interesting, you know?”
“No kidding. It’d be kind of boring if they didn’t.”
“Anyway, bullshit’s over. Let’s get this bitch back home.”
“Yeah, bullshit’s over.”
The last voice came from a distance, and Sarah knew it wasn’t one of the three men. In fact, it was a voice she recognized from earlier in the evening. She turned to see the man she’d spoken with—Adrian Thorne. He stood a distance away from the four of them, that sly, sexy smile on his face.
“Get your fucking hands off her. I’m only going to ask you pricks once.”
“Fucking hell,” said one of the men. “Is that Thorne?”
“Yeah, it’s him.”
“Then let’s take his ass out. Tired of bullshitting around.”
“Fuck yeah.”
The three men squared up and prepared to fight. Fear ran through Sarah as she realized what was about to happen. Adrian looked capable and strong, but so did the three men. She worried she was about to witness a bloodbath.
But what she saw next wasn’t what she was prepared for at all. The men closed their eyes and their bodies changed. Fur grew from their skin, their eyes glowed a fierce yellow, and their bodies became long.
They turned into wolves. Sarah opened her mouth to scream, but nothing came out.
Before she could do anything else, the men moved towards Adrian. But Adrian didn’t run in fear. In fact, he stayed right where he stood.
The first wolf lunged toward Adrian, letting out a snarl as it did. But Adrian was ready. He crouched slightly, grabbing the wolf as it came close. With an effortless toss, he threw the wolf against the nearest wall where it hit with a sick crack. It hit the ground and stayed still.
The other two wolves formed up on Adrian’s sides and began to circle him slowly. The first moved in for strike, and Adrian was ready for this one too. He grabbed the wolf, but instead of throwing him, he gave his neck a quick turn, snapping it. This wolf, like the other, hit the ground and was still.
One wolf left. And to Sarah’s shock, Adrian hadn’t even appeared to break a sweat. If anything, he seemed amused by the whole thing.
Who the hell was this guy? she wondered. There was something about him that was certainly inhuman, and the strength and speed he showed with the wolves backed this up.
There was one more left. But Adrian didn’t wait for this one to attack. He moved forward and wrapped his arms around the wolf, squeezing him tightly. The wolf struggled, but after one more hard squeeze, it let out a yelp, and its body went limp in Adrian’s arms.
It was over. Adrian rose, not a single hair out of place. A smirk formed on his lips as he took in the scene. But it faded quickly when he turned his attention to Sarah, changing to an expression of concern. He rushed over to her and placed his hands on her shoulders.
“Are you all right?”
She didn’t know where to begin answering that question. Sarah had witnessed men changing into wolves, and then another man arriving and killing them without breaking a sweat.
“I’m...I’m...”
“You’re in shock.” Adrian looked around. “I’m taking you out of here, and we’re going someplace safe. Understand?”
Through her fear, Sarah hesitated. While she had no reason to trust the man, he did save her life.
“O...OK.”
He nodded. “Good. Let’s go.”
Adrian took her by the hand and led her out of the courtyard, through an exit he seemed to know about. Once inside, they moved through a narrow hallway to another door. Adrian opened this one, and they were back out on the streets of New York. His hand on her shoulder, he took out his phone and placed a call.
“We have a situation...yep, wolves...cleanup in the courtyard...I’m taking the car back to my apartment...”
He finished up his conversation and turned back to Sarah. Once again under his gaze, she felt calmer, protected.
“What...what the hell happened back there?” she asked, fear tinging her voice. “How did...” She had no idea how to finish the sentence—it was all so strange to her.
“We’re going to my apartment. I’ll explain everything there.”
Before she could say anything else, a sleek, black luxury car pulled up to the curb. Adrian opened the door and guided her inside. The interior of the car was as plush and elegant as the outside suggested, but Sarah wasn’t concerned about any of that. A short drive through Midtown later, they were outside of a massive skyscraper.
“Let’s go. My apartment’s one of the most secure in the city. You’ll be safe.”
“How do I know I can trust you?”
“You don’t. But you have to.”
He took her by the hand and led her into the building, through the vast, modern lobby, and into a private elevator. It went up, up, finally opening after a minute or so and revealing a penthouse so impressive that Sarah could hardly speak. And more of a relief, the place appeared as secure as he suggested.
“Come in,” he said, a commanding tone to his voice.
She followed Adrian into the apartment, moving closer to the floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked Midtown Manhattan. The view was incredible, the buildings twinkling like the stars in the night sky above.
Adrian slipped out of his suit jacket and tossed it aside before turning his attention to Sarah. He moved over to her and placed his hands on her shoulders once more.
Now that she was safe, her nerves calming, just how hot Adrian was began to settle in her mind. The man was beautiful—no doubt about that. And the way he touched her and held her made Sarah feel safe for the first time since she’d arrived. Those golden eyes stayed locked onto hers, causing her fears to melt away.
“Let me get you something to drink,” he said.
He took his hands from her shoulders, and the second they were gone, Sarah wanted them back. She watched Adrian as he made his way over to the bar, prepared a couple of drinks, and returned with them. Then he led her over to a nearby couch, guiding her to sit down.
“Take a sip,” he said. “It’ll make you feel better.”
She did, and sure enough, her nerves calmed further as the drink passed her lips. Sarah was ready to speak. Adrian rolled up his sleeves, revealing a pair of gorgeously toned forearms, the right adorned with a tattoo of what appeared to be some kind of rune.
And more than that, she felt irresistibly drawn to him. Sure, he was hot as hell, but there was something more to it than simple attraction. It took all the restraint she had not to touch him, to bring her body close to his—maybe more than that.
“OK,” she said, finally feeling well enough to speak. “What the hell was all that?”
He grinned. “You’re in a new world now, Sarah. Whatever life you’ve led before has come to an end. I’m sure you weren’t expecting your first night in the city to be like this, but I’m afraid it’s only the beginning.”
“The beginning of what?” she asked.
Adrian leaned back against the couch, spreading his arms over the sides. He was confident, amused even. And Sarah couldn’t stop staring at him. The power he projected, his handsome face, his powerful body—they all worked to make Sarah
feel so aroused, she could hardly think straight.
“The beginning of your new life,” he said. “It starts tonight.”
“You’re being cryptic, and I don’t like it,” she said. “Tell me what’s going on, and tell me now.”
He smirked again as if amused by her stern tone. “Let me ask you this: what do you feel sitting here?”
“Confused.”
“No,” he said. “You feel more than that. I can sense it.”
Sarah knew right away what he was talking about. But she wondered how it could be so obvious that she was attracted to him, that she so quickly wanted him more than she’d ever wanted a man before. Sarah felt naked, exposed.
“I...I’m thinking about you.”
He nodded. “I’m sure you are. And I’m thinking about you, too.”
She felt her barriers fall. “I’m thinking about...how much I want you.”
That was the answer he wanted to hear. Adrian leaned close, taking her chin into his hand.
“Then let’s not waste time talking.”
Before she could say another word, he kissed her. Hard.
CHAPTER 5
Adrian
He’d been doing his best to play it cool. But it was hard as hell. Adrian had an omega in his apartment, her mere presence igniting the dragon inside of him.
And now he was kissing her. He’d known that the pull between an alpha dragon and an omega was strong, but he hadn’t been prepared for this. Part of him had wanted to let her ease into things, to put the prospect of mating aside and help her into this strange new world.
But the more time he spent with her, the more he began to realize how hard it would be to keep his animal at bay. The dragon inside him stirred, and all he could think about was mating.
They kissed, their lips lingering on one another’s, both of them falling deeper and deeper into it. Adrian’s hands moved over Sarah’s curves, the sensation of her body through her clothes causing his cock to turn stone solid.
Right in the middle of things, Sarah pulled away, an expression of concern on her face.