“Yeah,” Kaida said. She hated lying to her best friend, but she couldn’t tell her about the invisibility potion. Elora was doing her a favour and she didn’t want the affable and sweet witch to get in trouble.
Kaida stared at Sika over her coffee cup. “Are the other clan members talking about me behind my back.”
“Some,” Sika admitted cheerfully. “But most of them think it’s just a fling or a phase you’re going through.”
“Seriously?”
“Yep,” Sika said. “Honestly, Kaida, you’re not the only clan member who has started,” she paused, “socializing with the humans.”
“What?” Kaida sat up abruptly, coffee sloshing over the side of the cup to burn her fingers. She set the mug on the coffee table and wiped her fingers on her jeans. “Are you joking?”
“I’m not,” Sika said. “Finn has been going into the city almost every night, as has Savina and Atticus. All three of them return smelling like humans.”
“What has the council said?”
“What can they say?” Sika said. “They are grown dragons and free to do what they want.”
“They could be banished,” Kaida said.
“Didn’t you hear?” Sika replied. “The council elders across the country had a Skype meeting. They decided to, at least temporarily, stop the banishments.”
“Holy shit,” Kaida said.
“Cadmus was the one who suggested it and the other council elders agreed to it. Bones was there when Cadmus told the other council members. He told Jarvis that Ryul just about lost his mind.”
“I can’t believe they actually stopped,” Kaida said. “Is it the councils everywhere?”
“The councils in Canada and Europe have agreed to stop as well, but the Russian and Asian councils flat out refused to put an end to the banishments,” Sika said. “No one’s heard a word from Australia and New Zealand.”
“It’s good that they’ve ended the banishments,” Kaida said.
“It is,” Sika replied. “In Europe they’re allowing their dragons to fly during the day as well. There have been videos all over the internet. Cadmus said it’s best if we hold off for a while longer though. I think mostly because of Bren’s father.”
She wrapped her arms around her knees. “I can’t wait until we’re allowed to fly during the day. I have never flown in the light before.”
Kaida stared guiltily at her coffee mug as Sika said, “I’m very happy for you, Kaida. Will you and the human try for hatchlings sooner than later?”
“It is not serious between us, Sika,” Kaida said. “It can’t be.”
“Why not?”
“Do you honestly think the clan would allow a human to live with us? They think it’s a phase, remember?” She stood up and paced back and forth angrily. “They believe that I will come to my senses soon and mate with someone like Drago. They don’t care that Bren is my mate, or -”
She shut her mouth with a snap as Sika smiled gently at her. “Not serious, huh?”
Kaida rubbed at her temples. “Am I making a mistake, Sika?”
“No,” Sika said. “If you love him and he is your mate, then you should be with him. Do you love him, Kaida?”
Kaida stared at her best friend. “I think – ye -”
The knock on her door sent her already racing heart into overdrive. She walked to the door and yanked it open, frowning when she saw who it was. “What do you want, Drago?”
He pushed past her. “We need to speak.”
“Good morning, Drago,” Sika said.
“Hello, Sika. How is the hatchling?”
“He’s good,” Sika said.
“Will you leave us? I’d like to speak to Kaida alone,” Drago said.
Sika glanced at Kaida. Feeling more than a little annoyed, Kaida nodded. Sika stood gracefully and kissed Kaida’s cheek before leaving the cabin.
“Why are you here, Drago?” Kaida carried her coffee cup to the kitchen and dumped the coffee down the sink.
“We need to speak about our future,” Drago said.
She stuck the coffee cup into the dishwasher then turned to face him. “We don’t have a future.”
A scowl deepened the lines on his forehead. “I am aware of your indiscretions with the human, Kaida. We all are. You stink of him.”
“What’s your point?” she said coolly.
“My point is that despite your,” Drago paused, “infatuation with the human, I’m willing to overlook your foolishness so that you may take your proper place at my side.”
She stared in silent shock at the redheaded dragon. He couldn’t actually believe that she would be his mate, could he?
Taking her silence for acceptance, he said, “We leave for Belinda’s clan tomorrow. You should spend time with your grandmother today, she’s been missing you the last couple of weeks.”
“Have you gone mad, Drago? Is that it?” Kaida said.
She thought her dragon would be angry at Drago’s assumption that they would simply bend to his will, but her dragon wasn’t even remotely angry. Amusement was its sole emotion and she had to fight to keep the smile off her face as her dragon’s amusement grew.
“Have you?” he asked. “You barely spend any time with the clan now. You are with the human all night and when you are here, you’re distant. The human is not your clan, Kaida. We are. If you think he can replace us, you are mistaken.”
“I know exactly who my clan is,” Kaida said. “And it’s not you. You are not my mate nor my friend, nor my clan member. You are nothing to me, Drago and I’m tired of your insistence that I’ll be your mate. I will never mate with you and you’d be wise to stop insisting that I do. Both my dragon and I are weary of your attention.”
“You’re making a mistake,” Drago said as smoke drifted from his nose and nostrils. “You think the clan will accept the human as your mate? They won’t. You’ll spend the rest of your life alone. You will never have a mate or a hatchling.”
“Leave, Drago,” she said. “I wish you well on your journey to Belinda’s clan.”
He glared at her, the sparks practically spitting from his mouth and his golden eyes glowing brightly. She crossed her arms across her chest and stared pointedly at the door.
“You will regret turning down my offer to be your mate,” Drago said before yanking open the door. With a low growl, he left her cabin, slamming the door behind him.
* * *
Kaida tasted the sauce before stirring it again and adding a bit more onion powder. She placed the lid on the pot and checked the time. Bren would be home soon, and she drained the pasta and left it at the back of the stove before placing the garlic bread in the oven.
She was reaching for the pasta bowls in the cupboard when she heard the door open. She smelled Elora’s scent and her dragon purred happily. It liked the little witch, and it made another low purr as Elora walked into the kitchen.
“Oh my God, Bren, that smells delicious. Tell me you made enough for me – oh, hey, Kaida. Sorry, I should have knocked.”
“It’s fine,” Kaida said. “How are you, Elora?”
Elora dropped into a kitchen chair. “Good. Is Bren home yet?”
“Not yet. Do you need to speak with him?”
Elora picked at her nail. “No, not really. Helen is at her monthly poker night and I was feeling bored.”
“Would you like to have dinner with us?” Kaida asked.
“I don’t want to intrude,” Elora said.
“You’re not.”
“In that case, I’ll gladly accept the dinner invitation,” Elora said. “What can I do to help?”
“You can finish setting the table,” Kaida said. She stirred the sauce again as Elora placed the pasta bowls on the table.
“Where is your crow shadow?” Kaida asked.
Elora laughed. “Lilianna was sleeping and she’s a real dick if you wake her up. I left her at home. I’m really glad you and Bren are dating. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him this happy.”
“Well, it’s only possible because of you and your potion,” Kaida said. “So, thank you.”
“Not a problem. Do you need some more?”
“It’s getting a bit low,” Kaida said. “Do you mind?”
“Nope. But I will need more of your hair and another scale,” Elora said. “Remind me to grab them from you before I leave.”
She added silverware to the table before rooting through the cupboard for napkins. “Did you hear about the big rally this afternoon in Hyde Park?”
“I watched a bit of it online,” Kaida said.
Elora rolled her eyes. “I was at the potions store and it’s only a few blocks away, so I went to it. It was so ridiculous. Bren’s father is an asshole. He was working the crowd up into a frenzy. He has no idea how much damage he’s causing by trying to pit humans against paranormals.”
Kaida didn’t reply, and Elora patted her arm comfortingly. “Don’t stress about it though, okay? There have been plenty of pro-dragon/paranormal rallies the last two weeks to counter the negative ones.”
“I know,” Kaida said. “My friend Willow – her mother-in-law organized one two days ago. Willow invited my clan to go. The council thought it better if we didn’t go, but Willow said there were lots of humans and paranormals there in support of allowing us to just… live our lives.”
“I went to that one too,” Elora said. “It was great. The woman who was running it – it must have been your friend’s mother-in-law – gave a fantastic speech. She seriously should consider running for mayor.”
“I thought the mayor was pro paranormal,” Kaida said.
“He’s pro whatever he thinks will get him re-elected,” Elora replied. “Anyway, my point is, I know it’s stressful and rallies like the one the senator held are terrible and stupid, but I’m confident that most people in the city don’t hold his views.”
Kaida stirred the sauce and didn’t reply. She wanted to believe that Elora was right, but she hadn’t watched only a bit of the senator’s rally, she’d watched all of it, feeling more and more sick to her stomach, the longer Bren’s father spoke.
“Has the pressure eased off your clan yet?” Elora asked.
“No, not really. There are maybe a few less reporters trying to sneak onto our lands, but not enough to make a difference. We still require security around our land and clan members still have to be snuck out by Bishop and his team members if they want to avoid being followed all over the city.”
“That sucks,” Elora said. “People will calm down eventually. Something new will come along and it’ll be the next big thing.” She looked over Kaida’s hair. “Did you see that putting streaks of colour in your hair is trending right now for humans?”
“Yes. The clan has been keeping a close eye on anything related to dragons that’s popping up on the internet.”
“Does it bug you that they’re mimicking your look?”
“No,” Kaida said. “It’s a good thing. It makes it easier for us to blend in.”
Elora laughed. “You make a good point. Hey, were you born with that colour in your hair or do you dye it?”
“We are born with it,” Kaida said. “It matches the colour of our scales when we are in our dragon forms.”
“Same with the flecks of colour in your eyes, huh?” Elora said.
“Yes. Most dragon’s eyes are gold with flecks of colour, but a few are born with their irises the colour of their scales rather than gold in colour.”
“That’s so cool,” Elora said.
The front door opened, and Kaida’s dragon purred so loudly that she couldn’t contain it. Elora grinned at her as Bren yelled out, “I’m home! Holy God, that smells good.”
She could hear him heading down the hallway as he continued to talk. “So good, that I’m going to put my plan to take you straight to bed on hold and instead eat some dinner before I eat your puss- Elora, hey.”
Bren stopped in the doorway of the kitchen, his face turning a cute shade of tomato.
“Hello, Bren,” Elora said with a grin. “How was work?”
“Uh, good.” He hesitated and then crossed the kitchen to press a kiss against Kaida’s mouth. “Hey, that smells delicious.”
“The garlic toast will be ready in about thirty seconds. I’ve invited Elora to have dinner with us tonight.”
“Cool. I’ll change and be right back.” Bren kissed her again and left the kitchen, bumping his fist against Elora’s as he walked by.
Elora grinned at Kaida as she grabbed three beers from the fridge. “Oh my God, you two are friggin’ adorable.”
* * *
Kaida stood in the doorway of the kitchen and stared at Bren’s ass as he loaded the dishwasher. He straightened and closed the dishwasher, then set the pots in the sink to soak. As he ran hot water into the pots and added soap, she moved behind him and put her arms around his waist.
“Hey,” he turned and kissed the tip of her nose, “I’m almost done cleaning up. Did you and Elora pick out something to watch on Netflix?”
“Elora said thanks for the invite, but she headed home.”
Bren grinned at her. “Perfect.”
Kaida laughed and squeezed his waist. “She’s your friend, Bren.”
“She is. Which is why she took off. She could tell I wanted some alone time with you.”
Kaida pressed a kiss against his shoulder “I don’t want you blowing off your friends for me.”
“I’m not.” He turned and slid his arms around her waist. “I promise.”
He kissed her. It was slow and deep, and immediately made her want more.
“The bedroom,” she said. “Now.”
He grinned and took her hand, following her without complaint to his room. He had already opened the window and the room was cold. It felt amazing against her over-heated skin and she smiled at him. She loved how thoughtful and considerate Bren was.
“Thank you for opening the window,” she said. “I’m sorry it needs to be cold.”
He tugged her shirt over her head and reached to unclasp her bra. “I’ve told you before, you don’t need to apologize. The room heats up quickly even with the window open.”
He took off his own shirt and added it to her shirt and bra on the floor before unbuttoning her pants. She shimmied out of them and her panties, enjoying the way his eyes darkened when he saw her pussy.
“Soon it will be too cold for you to keep the window open,” she said.
He shoved his pants and briefs down his legs, stepping out of them before pulling his socks off with a couple of hard tugs. “I’m not worried about it.”
She sat on the side of the bed and removed her own socks as Bren took out a condom and set it on the nightstand. Maybe he wasn’t worried because he didn’t plan on still being with her when the weather turned below freezing.
Her dragon growled angrily at the thought and she could feel the smoke drifting from her nostrils. The human is mine. Mine!
Enough, she said sternly. Bren agreed to dating, nothing more. This will never work out between us so be happy with what it is now.
He is my mate. Her dragon sulked like a toddler. He is my mate and I will not allow anyone else to have him.
He isn’t a toy for you to play with. He has his own thoughts and wants. You cannot simply demand he be your mate.
Yes, I can.
Arguing with her dragon was pointless. Bren was standing at the end of the bed, staring thoughtfully at her.
“Sorry,” she said. “I was, um, talking to my dragon.”
He smiled a little. “What did she have to say?”
“Nothing of importance.” She relaxed on the bed, smiling at Bren when he joined her. They faced each other on their sides, and she pressed against him as they kissed. God, the human was a good kisser. He held nothing back, always letting her taste and feel his need for her with every brush of his mouth against hers. She sucked on the tip of his tongue, his low moan vibrating against her breasts.
Her dragon purred to
him as he cupped one breast and toyed with her nipple. Her chest was already beginning to glow red. Even his gentle caresses made her desire grow and her flame build in her chest. If she wasn’t careful, one day she really would set him and his damn room on fire.
“Hey,” he pressed a kiss against her throat, “stop worrying about it. You haven’t burned me yet, right?”
“How do you know that’s what I was thinking about?” She gasped when he pinched her nipple before trailing his fingers over her abdomen and down one thigh.
“You get the same look on your face.” He tasted her throat, then teased her collarbone with his tongue.
“What look is that?” Her hand dug into his side and she threw one thigh over his hip when he touched the top of her pussy.
“The one that says, ‘Oh my God, he’s the best lover I’ve ever had, I’m worried I might set him on fire’.” Bren grinned at her when she laughed. “What? That’s the look.”
She cupped his jaw, her face turning serious. “You are the best lover I’ve ever had, Bren. I mean that. Before you, I rarely lost control of my flame and now…”
She waited for a smug smile to cross his face. What man wouldn’t get one? To her surprise, his smile was unbelievably sweet. “I feel the same way about you. Minus the losing control of my flame part.”
She studied his warm blue eyes and the face that had become so important to her in so short a period. She wanted to tell him how loved and safe she felt when she was in his arms, but his fingers were sliding over her clit and the thought was lost under a wave of pleasure.
She squirmed in his embrace, pumping her pelvis against him as he rubbed her clit. Her pussy ached, squeezing uselessly around nothing as he teased her with soft strokes.
“I need you. Now,” she moaned.
She reached for his dick, growling at him when he pulled away. He kissed the palm of her hand. “Just a minute, honey.”
He rolled the condom onto his dick, then pushed her lightly onto her back. She shook her head immediately, sitting up when he kneeled between her thighs. “No, Bren. I can’t – my face, that is… I shouldn’t be facing you so close. Just in case.”
The Dragon's Mate (Shifters Series Book 7) Page 27