Her Dragon: An Urban Fantasy Romance (Silver Shifter Book 2) Read online

  Cash slid into the driver’s seat, cutting off my train of thought. Maximus slid into the passenger seat and shot a look over his shoulder. His eyes landed on the arm around me, and jealousy flickered into his gaze. To my surprise, I felt a flush of guilt follow it in his heart, and the jealousy dissipated.

  Hmm. Interesting. My curiosity was piqued, but I didn’t think this was the time to ask why his feelings about Owen were laced with guilt instead of the resentment he had against Cash. When I had a minute alone with him, I was going to have to pry further. Obviously, he was having less trouble with my claiming Owen, though I didn’t know what the guilt was over. The four alphas had pasts that I knew nothing about, both politically and personally.

  “How long until we get there?” I asked, trying to distract myself.

  “A couple of hours,” Cash said, flashing a smile at me over his shoulder. “Not too long.”

  I nodded and settled back in my seat, leaning against Owen and joining my hand with his while sending Maximus a flood of love through our bond. No matter what caused his discomfort, I didn’t like it. He was my mate, and I wanted him to be happy and clear of conscience about my mates and our relationships.

  A few moments later, we pulled away from the dragon clan’s building and onto the streets of New York. I glanced over my shoulder to find our twin SUV following close behind.

  Somehow, that made me feel a little safer. I sighed in relief and turned back to face the front and the long journey ahead.

  We were an hour outside New York when I started yawning. I couldn’t help it. Though Cash might have slept in, I’d been up early rehearsing what I wanted to say to the other clans. I had to convince them that uniting was best not only for themselves, but for all shifters as a whole. We might be able to lead the New York clans to lasting peace and shine a beacon for other clans all over the world to follow. We didn’t need this kind of conflict between different species of shifter. We had enough to worry about with vampires, warlocks, and other supernaturals. Uniting all shifters under one peace agreement could only help us all.

  I had no idea what shifter clans were like outside of New York, but I was sure there had to be similar situations. Shifters were definitely out there fighting over territory, especially with the constant growth of humans and their cities. Day by day, there were less forests for wolves, bears, panthers, and other shifters to hunt in, less open space for dragons to fly unseen, less land for us all to occupy. Sooner than later, more fights were bound to break out, but if they had an example to look to—four clans that were making it work, then maybe we could make peace for more than just ourselves.

  I was completely lost in thought when I heard Cash curse. “A damn tree in the road.”

  I leaned up to look out the front window. Sure enough, a large fallen tree lay across span of the road. If it weren’t for the dense forests on either side of us, we might have been able to swerve into the ditch and continue on our merry way. But, as usual, luck wasn’t on our side.

  “It could be a trap,” Maximus said gruffly. He shot a worried glance over his shoulder before turning back to face forward. His knuckles were white on the dashboard.

  “It’s just a fallen tree,” Owen said. “Happens all the time out here.”

  “We should head back,” Maximus said. “There are other ways into bear territory.”

  “All of which would take hours to circle to,” Cash said. “Every minute we’re on the road is another we risk being attack. Let’s at least check it out. We might be able to move it and be on our way.”

  Maximus continued to glare daggers at the fallen tree.

  “It’s just a tree,” Owen said. “I’ll move it if you want to stay here just in case.” He gave my hand a squeeze.

  “I’ll guard Ariana,” Maximus said.

  Cash and Owen hopped out of the SUV, and I watched as they made their way around either end of the tree.

  “I don’t like this,” Maximus said softly.

  I leaned forward, perching on the edge of the seat. I reached up to squeeze his shoulder. “It’ll be fine. They’ll get the tree out of the way, and we’ll be on our way in minutes.”

  Maximus grunted a reply. He didn’t remove his gaze from the road, but he did reach up to take my hand.

  We watched Cash and Owen circle the tree. Owen motioned at the large swath of branches and made a motion to pick it up. Cash replied, but I couldn’t hear him from inside the SUV. My dragon mate went to the base of the tree and froze.

  Owen ran to Cash’s side, and my heart began to race. Something was wrong. Maximus’s instincts were right after all.

  Cash and Owen sprang into motion. They tore across the pavement backtoward the car.

  “I knew it,” Maximus cursed, releasing my hand and scrambling over the console into the driver’s seat. He shifted the SUV into gear and tapped the pedal impatiently until Cash finally yanked the passenger door open.

  “It was cut down!” Cash shouted as he leapt into the car. The door slammed shut behind him just as Owen jumped inside.

  “We’ve got to go,” Owen barked. “Now.”

  Maximus spun the wheel, but before he could take off, an SUV identical to ours pulled out from a side road through the trees, nearly blocking our path.

  “Hold on,” Max shouted. He slammed his foot on the gas, and we shot around the vehicle, barely slipping between it and a tree on the side of the road.

  My heartbeat pounded harder as Maximus shifted gears and sped up. We were on a dirt road somewhere in the forest. I had no idea when I’d last checked our location, but I suddenly realized I had no idea where we were.

  “More fucking vampires,” Maximus growled. His nostrils flared as he glared out the back window.

  Owen had stiffened beside me and held me tight to his side. “Can we outrun them?”

  “We can try,” Cash said between gritted teeth.

  I looked out the back window to find an SUV following us, but instead of the dragon bodyguards in the front seat, two individuals sat in full black tactical gear. Their faces were obscured by their masks, but I could see the tips of guns pointing over the dashboard.

  Definitely vampires, I thought. Nothing else could explain the need for full coverage in daylight.

  “Damn, they’re getting cocky,” Cash muttered.

  I had to agree.

  “Hold on, we’re going offroading,” Maximus called.

  I barely registered the warning before we skidded to the side, sliding a few feet before we shot off onto a small path into the woods. Branches whipped the edge of the vehicle as we sped down the narrow path. The ground bumped and bobbed beneath us, making me bounce in my seat, even with Owen clutching me.

  “Don’t wreck my car,” Cash growled.

  “You may know how to navigate the city, but I know how to drive on a dirt road,” Maximus said, a smirk in his voice.

  We made a few more turns before I dared look out the back window again. Nothing.

  I sighed in relief seconds before the SUV screeched to a halt. My seatbelt slammed against my chest and forced me back in my seat. Owen held onto me as we lurched back against the leather.

  “What the hell?” I gritted out. Another black SUV stood in our path with vampires leaping out the doors.

  I gulped, my heart thudding in my ears.

  “Back up!” Cash shouted. He gripped the dashboard hard even as Maximus slammed the gear shift into reverse. Just as he went to look over his shoulder, his eyes widened.

  “Fuck!” Maximus punched the steering wheel, making me wince as the horn blared.

  I followed his gaze to find another SUV behind us, but instead of the enemy, it was our bodyguards behind us. They were accidentally blocking us in.

  Maximus threw open his door. “Everybody out. We’re switching cars.”

  The words were barely out of his mouth before Owen undid my seatbelt and then his. He threw the door open and leapt out, pulling me with him.

  Cash was the last out. He breath
ed hard as he faced off against the vampires slowly prowling forward with guns in hand.

  Maximus roared as he charged the first to raise his gun. He slammed his shoulder into the man’s gut and sent him flying back into a thick tree. Another vampire turned on him and raised his weapon, but Maximus grabbed it and yanked it, strap and all, right over his head. He tossed the assault rifle into the trees before grabbing the man’s throat.

  Cash was in it next while Owen pushed me behind him. He backpedaled towards the other SUV just as our back up spilled out the doors.

  “We need to get Ariana to safety, now!” Owen snapped.

  Then, all hell broke loose.

  I was yanked from Owen’s grip. The air whooshed out of me as my back hit the man who’d taken me away. The vampire pulled me towards the forest as two more stepped in to take on Owen.

  My bear mate narrowed his eyes and leapt at the first.

  “Let me go!” I growled. I twisted in the man’s grip and slammed my elbow into his gut.

  Air exploded from his lungs, bathing the top of my head in hot air. Before he could recover, I ripped from his arms and raced back in the direction of the road.

  My eyebrows furrowed as I inhaled deeply, trying to find the scents of our attackers. All I smelled were pine trees, tossed dirt, clean air, and my mates.

  A vampire stepped in my path, and I skidded to a halt. He reached for my arm, but I ducked and slammed my shoulder into his gut just as Maximus had done minutes before. He didn’t go flying like Maximus’s opponent had, but he did go tumbling across the ground, giving me time to slip away.

  I was back on the road next to our SUV when Maximus grabbed me.

  “Come on,” he shouted over his shoulder.

  We rushed around our SUV to the one behind us. He wrenched the car door open just as a shot sounded. The gunshot was like an explosion in the silence of the forest. It made us both freeze, and my heart pounded in my ears.

  No. What if someone had shot one of my mates? Fear stole all of my sense as I spun away from the open door and right into Owen’s chest.

  “We’re safe. Get in the car!” Owen grabbed my hips and lifted me into the back seat before slamming the door behind me.

  Maximus had already scrambled into the front seat, while Cash cursed as he slid into the driver’s. The keys were still in the ignition, and he cranked the engine hard while switching to reverse.

  Owen had barely leapt into the backseat beside me before Cash was flying backwards. Tree branches screeched against the windows as we backed up right between two trees before Cash switched into first. Dirt ticked against the car as we sped off back down the road, heading the way we’d come.

  “What the hell was that?” Owen asked.

  “I don’t know,” Maximus growled. “But it isn’t anything good.”

  “Someone is feeding them information,” Cash said. “They have to be. How else could the vamps know not only where we’re going, but which route we’re taking?”

  My blood ran cold. “Jett.” I sat up straighter, holding onto the door and the headrest in front of me. “It has to be Jett. He’s the only one who isn’t here but knew all our plans.”

  My mates exchanged looks of concern and confusion as we flew out back onto the main road. We drifted to the side before settling back onto the paved road. Cash switched gears, and again we were racing.

  “What about our guards?” I asked.

  “They’ll be fine,” Cash said. “They’re trained for this.”

  My racing heart didn’t slow, even as we put mile after mile behind us. This was all Jett, I was sure of it. I bit my lip and stared out the window. I couldn’t understand why one of my mates would do this. Jett hated vampires as much as the rest of my mates. Why would he betray us? What did he stand to gain from sending the vampires after us?

  15

  Ariana

  After talking with his guards on the phone, we made a quick stop to regroup so they could catch up and keep watch over our car. Cash insisted on flying overhead with one of the other dragons to make sure we made it safely to bear territory without being ambushed again. Maximus sat in the back seat while I sat up front with Owen, leaning forward to see out as we entered and idyllic valley wooded with maples and oaks interspersed with fields where spotted cows grazed and red barns sat behind most houses. We were still in New York, but this was the furthest I’d ever traveled from the city. I took in everything around us, from the trees leaning over the road to the quaint mailboxes at the ends of each driveway. At last, we turned off the gravel road onto an even rougher road. Good thing Cash hadn’t brought one of his fancy cars with him. This road wouldn’t have been passable to anything with low clearance.

  Owen glanced over at me with a smile that was almost bashful as it peeked out from behind his beard. “My family is excited to meet you,” he said.

  “Me, too,” I said. “It seems like it’s taken months to finally get here.”

  “If they’re too much for you, just let me know,” he said. “I’ll make sure you can get away and have some downtime while we’re here.”

  I squeezed his hand. “If they’re anything like you, I’m sure I’ll love them.”

  Ahead, I could see a white sign at the end of a driveway. The faded paint announced a pick-your-own blueberry farm. Owen slowed and turned down the narrow drive.

  “You live on a blueberry farm?” I asked. “Or is that a cover?”

  He laughed. “It’s not a cover for anything. And yes, I live on a blueberry farm.”

  “That’s an interesting choice for a bear clan,” I said. “Is there actually anything left for people to come pick?”

  Maximus chuckled in the back seat.

  “The whole clan doesn’t live with me,” Owen said. “The bear clan is a bit more spread out. We all live in the same valley, but each family has their own property.”

  “Where’s the nearest bear family?” I asked, feeling a bit exposed. The wolf and dragon clans had been so close, I’d felt protected while there. We were out in the country here. I couldn’t even see the next house.

  Owen squeezed my hand as if sensing my unease. “I should have been more clear,” he said. “My clan owns this whole valley. Every family in a ten-mile radius belongs to my clan. The neighbors are a half-mile in either direction.”

  “You own an entire valley?” I asked, my eyes widening. I’d thought Cash was rich with his luxurious Manhattan penthouse and all his fancy cars.

  Owen owned an entire valley. Holy shit.

  “The members of my clan do,” Owen said with a grin, pulling up the steep drive and into a grassy area at the top of the hill. “I’m a simple man. A blueberry farm is enough for me.”

  A circular driveway looped past three cozy-looking houses in pastel colors with white shutters and flowers in the window-boxes of each one. Each house had a stone path to the door, and the middle one had a flag fluttering in the breeze beside the front porch. They were sweet and quaint, not at all the castle I’d expected of an Alpha who owned an entire valley.

  “My family owns all three of these houses,” Owen said, looking as proud as if he did live in a castle. He pulled up in front of the blue house in the middle. Behind all three houses, I could see rows and rows of bushes stretching back across the fields.

  As soon as he parked, the doors to all three houses burst open, and a dozen blond children tumbled out. They raced towards the SUV, piling into Owen’s arms the moment he stepped out. He scooped up a chubby little toddler and tossed her into the air. She shrieked with joy, grabbing his neck and hanging on when he caught her. As he blew a raspberry into her neck, she giggled wildly, throwing her head back and letting her blonde curls swing around her shoulders. She looked like a tiny, female version of Owen himself.

  “Oh, wow,” I muttered. I stepped out of my side of the car, feeling a little out of place as I stood there alone, watching Owen get mobbed like a celebrity.

  Five kids were talking at once, excitedly trying to tell Owen
five different stories. He held the little girl in the crook of his elbow while an older girl yanked on his arm and a boy chattered about a new pitch he’d learned in baseball.

  Maximus stepped out of the back of the car and slid an arm around my waist. “You were warned,” he said. “We can slip away and spend some time together while he’s busy later.”

  “Seeing you play the getaway driver was pretty sexy,” I whispered.

  Before he could answer, a plump woman came bustling down a ramp from the front porch and gave me a huge smile. “You must be Ariana,” she said, sweeping me into her arms like I’d known her all my life. “I’m Owen’s mama, Pam. We’re so excited to meet you. We’ve got a big celebration dinner cooking right now.”

  “Oh, wow,” I said.

  When I pulled away from the embrace, a gorgeous blonde woman had appeared out of nowhere. She had a baby on her ample hip and the kind of boobs that made men trip over their own feet. I couldn’t help but be a little jealous. I looked about as sexy as a stick next to her, and her baby was a carbon copy of Owen. I hadn’t considered that my mates might have had all kinds of relationships while waiting for me to show up, not just the casual kind Cash had participated in.

  Owen came around the truck and hugged his mom as the gorgeous blonde wrapped her free arm around me. “Welcome to Crazytown,” she said with a grin. “I’m Kimberly. Owen’s sister.”

  “Oh,” I said, breathing a sigh of relief. Apparently sexy ran in their family.

  Owen scooped the baby out of his sister’s arm, and she hugged him around all the blonde heads. I’d never really thought about having kids, but I was pretty sure the sight of Owen with his arms full of babies had just awakened my ovaries.

  “Come on in the house, dear,” Pam said, taking my arm and leading me up the wooden ramp. A porch swing hung on one end of the porch, while two wooden rockers sat at the other end.

  This was about as far from the welcome I’d received at the other two clans as I could imagine. It was like stepping into a family instead of a political meeting.