Her Dragon: An Urban Fantasy Romance (Silver Shifter Book 2) Page 5

  “I don’t need a whore,” Maximus said, opening the oven and pulling out a foil-wrapped bundle. “I have a mate.”

  “Maybe you should’ve had a little fun while you were waiting for her to show up,” I said. “All those years of celibacy must have really taken their toll because you, my friend, need to get laid.”

  Maximus scoffed quietly, but he didn’t protest. As the realization of what that meant sunk in, a fist of jealousy clenched in my chest. He had gotten laid. That’s why he was up and around, feeling good enough to cook.

  Never underestimate the healing power of a good orgasm.

  I tried to shake off the thought, but it kept needling me. I was Ari’s mate. She knew I could satisfy her. What did she need grumpy old Maximus for? The guy was about as sexy as a porcupine. I couldn’t begin to imagine what she saw in the guy. It must just be the mate bond. It wasn’t like she’d chosen him for his charming personality and sparkling wit.

  That’s what she had me for.

  Shit. Maybe that meant she had him for when she needed sexual release.

  I’d have to work on being less charming.

  “That smells amazing,” Ari said, skipping into the kitchen. She walked up behind Maximus and wrapped her arms around him, planting a kiss between his shoulder blades. Maximus twisted around, and she stood on tiptoes to press her lips to his.

  Damn. I was going to have to learn to cook, too.

  “Would one of you mind grabbing the others?” Maximus asked as he carried two skillets of food to the table.

  Before we could answer, the door to the basement opened, and Jett emerged wearing nothing but grey sweatpants and a lot of sweat. He sniffed loudly, mopping his forehead with a wadded-up T-shirt.

  I might have had them all beat in the personality department, but Jett’s abs were truly impressive. Ari gulped so loud I could hear it across the kitchen, her eyes riveted on the beads of sweat trickling between the ridges of muscle rippling under Jett’s brown skin.

  Maybe I’d agreed to this whole multiple mates situation too fast. Competing with the other guys to be the best man for Ari was going to be a full-time job in itself.

  “I’ll get Owen,” I said, tapping out a text on my phone before sliding it into my pocket and standing. “Want me to set the table?”

  When we were all seated and eating, we discussed how to continue on to the last two clans. They knew Maximus had found the Silver Shifter, and they must be impatient to meet her after so many obstacles had slowed us. We were just getting into what kind of extra security we’d need when my phone rang. I would have ignored it, but it was the ringtone I’d set for the head of the Dragon Council, and I knew he’d only call if it was important.

  I excused myself and slipped into the living room. “What is it?” I asked into the phone.

  “What is it?” Virion asked, his voice incredulous. “You left me a message saying the Silver Shifter is actually a dragon!”

  “A dragon and a wolf,” I corrected.

  “We need to see her right away,” Virion said. “You have no idea what this could mean for our clan. I didn’t think there was any chance we’d be the next to get a Silver Shifter, since we had the last one. This is incredible news! Our clan will surely be the most powerful now that we’ve had two in a row.” I winced. It wasn’t often I heard Virion speak like this, but power was the vice of many a dragon. Still, hearing him not only talk about Ari that way, but also my mother, the last Silver Shifter, made my blood boil hot again.

  “Well, Ariana is not only a dragon,” I said, trying to make sure he understood. There was a certain prestige gained by the clan that claimed the Silver Shifter, but that didn’t belong to the dragons any more than it did the wolves.

  “But she is a dragon. You said you saw it with your own eyes,” Virion pressed.

  “Yeah,” I said, glancing toward the kitchen. I could hear the others going on, making plans without my input. “Can we talk about this later?”

  “Yes, of course,” Virion said. “Bring her tomorrow, and we’ll discuss it in detail.”

  “She’s only halfway through her tour,” I said. “She overused her fire the first time she shifted, and we haven’t been able to continue.”

  “Surely she’s healed by now,” Virion said. “Is there a reason you don’t want to bring her back here?”

  “Of course not,” I said. “It’s just that the sooner we finish, the sooner the clans can unite to fight the vampires. Their attacks are growing increasingly bold.”

  “Yes, but we need to discuss the Silver Shifter’s dragon status,” Virion said. “Now that we know she’s a dragon, we’ll want to send several dragons to escort you and provide protection for her.”

  Irritation flared inside me. They should have done that whether she was a dragon or a wolf or a goat. She was the Silver Shifter. Hell, I should have demanded a dragon fleet to escort her. I would have if I’d realized the danger we were in. I wasn’t like Maximus, though, who could just command his entire pack to act on something. The power in our clan was more evenly distributed, and everything had to go through the council. There was no way they would have sent a fleet of guards out for a wolf, even if she was going to unite the clans.

  But for a dragon…

  “I’ll see what I can do,” I said. “The more clans we have on our side, though, the better. So have everything ready for us when we get there. We’ll have to make it a quick stop.”

  When I’d hung up, I returned to the kitchen to find the others still in deep conversation. Ariana looked up, her eyes flooding with concern when she saw the scowl on my face. “Who was that?” she asked.

  “The Dragon Council,” I said. “It seems they’d like to see you.”

  “It can wait,” Maximus said. “The sooner we get the Silver Shifter to all four clans, the sooner we can present a united front to the vampires.”

  “Yeah, sorry about that,” I said, rubbing the back of my neck. “I’m afraid I couldn’t change the council’s mind. They’re determined to see Ari now. I told them we’d stop by tomorrow. It’ll only take half an hour—an hour, tops.”

  “It can’t wait?” Ari asked.

  “It can,” Jett said. “The dragons already got a visit. They’re no more important than our clans.”

  “They offered a fleet of dragons as protection if Ari’s really a dragon,” I said. It sounded awful when spoken aloud, but I didn’t want to keep it from my mate or any of the other alphas.

  The four of them stared at me.

  “If I’m a dragon,” Ari repeated at last.

  “I know you are,” I said, taking my seat at the table again. “I saw you. And they believe me, they’re just…”

  “Stubborn as fuck,” Jett supplied.

  “Something like that,” I said. “They want to see it with their own eyes. They can’t wrap their heads around it. It’s never happened—you’re either a dragon or a wolf. It’s pretty unbelievable, Ari.” I shook my head in admiration, and she responded with a wry smile.

  “At least you all believe me,” she said.

  “Of course we do,” Owen said, giving her hand a squeeze. “I’ll call my clan and let them know we’ll be a little late. It’s worth a stop to protect you. Even the vamps won’t mess with us if we have a dragon guard in tow.”

  “Then it’s settled,” I said, giving Maximus a grin when his brows lowered in a stormy expression.

  “Looks like it’s going to be another long day tomorrow,” Ari said, pushing her plate away and stretching her arms over her head. The four of us watched, transfixed, as her body unwound gloriously before our eyes. Her back arched, her breasts straining against the fabric of her T-shirt, and her head fell back. When she was done, she yawned again and then sat back, her eyes moving around the circle. “What?”

  “Nothing,” Owen said, stuffing the last bite of fajita into his mouth. “I’ll wash up.”

  “I might hit the weights for a few more minutes,” Jett said, scooting through the door to the
basement and disappearing downstairs.

  Maximus and I looked at each other and then at Ari. Tension crackled in the air between us. I tried to think of some way to ask where she was sleeping tonight before he did, but I didn’t want to come right out and ask it. It would sound presumptuous. Just because we’d hooked up once didn’t mean she was obligated to do it again anytime soon.

  “Want to watch a movie?” Maximus asked, his attention focused on our girl.

  “Sounds great,” I said, pushing away from the table.

  If looks could kill, I’d be a dead man after the thunderous frown Maximus aimed my way. But I wasn’t about to let him sweep our girl off to his bedroom for the night. Not without spending a little time with her first.

  Seemingly oblivious to the competitive waters churning between her mates, Ari sauntered into the living room and curled into the middle of the couch. Maximus immediately parked himself beside her and slid a possessive arm around her shoulders. I picked up the remote and took a seat on her other side, resting a hand on her knee. Maximus’s jaw tightened, and he stared straight ahead at the TV without speaking. I leaned into Ari just a bit, enjoying the warmth of her slender body beside mine.

  And okay, maybe I was needling Maximus a little. I had no animosity toward the guy, but he was so uptight that it was impossible not to fuck with him. Unlike him, I wasn’t the overly possessive type. I just wanted to be near my mate. When she sighed happily and snuggled down between us, though, I knew I’d made the right decision by joining them. The look of contentment on Ari’s face made everything else disappear.

  8

  Ariana

  Cash’s car roared beneath us as we sailed up the highway towards the city. He wound in and out of traffic, a smug grin plastered on his face. Before the others could protest, Cash had stolen me away early that morning to head to dragon territory. I had a feeling he wasn’t happy I’d chosen to sleep in Maximus’s room again, and he was taking this opportunity to get some one on one time. We took a twisting route toward the city, avoiding anything even slightly suspicious. I knew my other mates wouldn’t be pleased we’d snuck out early, but I felt safe with Cash, and we had left a note. As soon as the others woke up, they’d head to the city to meet us.

  “So how exactly am I supposed to prove I’m a dragon in the middle of New York City?” I asked, raising my voice a little to be heard over the rumble of the engine.

  We turned onto the bridge into the city all too soon. I’d been so busy enjoying the thrill of driving fast, that I hadn’t stopped to appreciate my time alone with my dragon mate.

  “Well, you could shift on the roof, or I could do something to get your blood burning.” Cash flashed a wicked grin.

  “I don’t think that’d be appropriate in the middle of the council,” I said.

  He chuckled. “I suppose you’re right. Is there anything you can think of to get yourself angry enough to go scaly?”

  I looked thoughtfully out the window as I combed through my memories. There was a lot to be angry about—being imprisoned for my entire life, being forced to fight for my food, being constantly mocked and tormented in the pits. My hands tightened into fists on my lap.

  “Whoa there, Ari. Calm down. Can’t have you destroying another one of my cars.” Though his smile was amused, worry flashed in his eyes.

  I took a deep breath. Cash slipped his fingers through mine and squeezed my hand. When I’d finally calmed down, we were sailing between skyscrapers.

  “I’m okay,” I said. The heat that had risen inside me faded, and I gave Cash a reassuring smile.

  “Good.” Cash sighed. “So, yes, we can prove to the council quite easily that you are indeed a dragon as well as a wolf.”

  “I guess so,” I said.

  Cash grew silent as we twisted through the city, taking a roundabout route to dragon territory. I watched the world slide by outside the window--pedestrians crossing, taxis flying by, cars honking, and humans hollering.

  Cash cleared his throat. “Can I ask you a question?”

  I cocked an eyebrow. It wasn’t like him to ask for anything.

  “How much has Maximus taught you about our world?”

  “About the shifter world?” I asked. I hadn’t been expecting that.

  Cash shrugged. “About supernatural society in general.”

  I scrunched my lips to one side as I thought. “Not much, I guess. I mean, I’m a shifter, so I guess he assumes I know all the important stuff. I know there are warlocks, pit fights, and shifters of all kinds. I know there are four clans in New York—wolves, dragons, bears, and panthers. Apparently I killed the next vampire king, and you mentioned they’re currently ruled by someone called the Lamia Queen. From their attacks, I gather they don’t like you guys much, which is fine by me. I have no love for the bloodsuckers after my experiences with them. What else is there to know?”

  Cash’s forehead wrinkled and pity flashed in his eyes. “There’s much, much more to know, Ari,” he said softly, squeezing my hand.

  “Oh? Like what?” Though I didn’t like the pity in his eyes, my curiosity won out. I knew there was an entire world of humans out there—I’d seen as much on TV. But I didn’t know as much as I felt I should about supernaturals and who we were, despite being one myself.

  “Well, you know that humans aren’t aware of us, correct?”

  I nodded.

  “Good. There is a lot to tell, and not a lot of drive left for me to tell it. What do you want to know?”

  I paused and rolled my eyes toward the ceiling of Cash’s Lincoln, considering what I wanted to ask first. A thousand questions flooded my mind, but I pushed most of them back. I should ask things pertinent to myself and my mates...and my enemies. “Can you tell me more about vampire society? How do they work? Do they have a king in every city?”

  Cash nodded. “Those are good questions. First of all, vampires are a sect of supernatural society just like us shifters are another. We’re all governed under the Society of Supernaturals, a council of leaders from each of our factions.”

  “Oh.” I couldn’t believe it. We had our own form of government?

  “We don’t have many laws, but the ones we do have mostly boil down to, don’t harm each other unless in self-defense, and don’t let humans find out about us.”

  I snorted. “Have the vampires heard these rules?”

  Cash’s lips twisted in a rueful smile. “Yes, but they’re very good at getting out of trouble. The head of the Supernatural Council is the Lamia Queen. Not only does she rule the vampires, but technically, she rules all of us.”

  My jaw dropped. “That doesn’t seem fair. Can she be voted out? Or does she have a term that will end?”

  He shook his head. “Unfortunately, no. She’s the oldest member of the council, the oldest lamia alive, and vampires will always follow her because of what she is.”

  “And that is?” I asked. “What the hell is a lamia?”

  Cash smirked. “It’s a bit complicated, but basically, she’s a vampire with the additional powers of a witch. She assigns who will rule each section of a country, such as Victor Bancroft, the vampire king you killed.”

  I sighed. This was a lot to take in. “So that’s why all the vampires are after me? Because I killed a king of a section of America? Does the Lamia Queen know that they came after me first?”

  Cash shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s possible.”

  Before I could get out another question, we pulled up in front of Cash’s home. I narrowed my eyes at the building. It was ruining my line of questions. I still had so many to ask.

  “We can talk more about this later,” Cash assured me. “But we should get our meeting over with quickly so we can continue on the tour today.”

  “You’re right,” I reluctantly agreed. “Let’s go.”

  The elevator dinged as we reached the twenty-third floor of the dragon’s skyscraper. The doors slid open to reveal a hall lit by old-fashioned sconces set into the walls every few feet. Ne
rves twisted my stomach as I recalled the last time I’d visited the Dragon Council. While most of them had been pleasant enough, one of the councilmembers, Laurence, had leered at me every chance he got. When he wasn’t being a pervert, he was acting like a bigger asshole than Jett. And that was saying something.

  I sighed and stepped into the hallway. Cash followed, his forehead wrinkled with worry. I tried for a smile and took his hand. “We’re in and out in half an hour, remember?”

  Cash’s lips twitched in a small smile that never fully formed. “I remember.”

  “You really hate visiting the council that much?”

  Cash led the way down the hall, his eyes darkening with every step we took. “Yes.”

  My smile fell. I wasn’t used to seeing Cash look so disturbed. Usually, I couldn’t get the smirk off his face. “Hopefully this will be the last time for awhile, then.”

  We stopped outside large dark oak doors with golden handles. Cash only hesitated for another moment before he pushed inside, not bothering to knock before he strode into the council chambers. I followed quickly, my heartbeat picking up speed as eight sets of eyes turned on us.

  “Good afternoon,” Cash said. He closed the door behind us before pulling out my chair.

  “How was your trip over?”asked Genevieve, one of the only two council women. Her smile made me relax.

  “It was fine,” I said. I took a seat, and Cash pushed in my chair in before taking his own.

  “No more vampire interceptions?” Laurence asked. He placed his chin on the back of his hand, a wicked smile curving his lips. As the youngest member on the council, he looked only a few years older than Cash. Though Cash was my mate, I’d never asked how old he was or how long dragons lived. Laurence looked thirty-five, forty tops, while Virion, the leader of the council, had to be at least ninety… If dragons aged the same way humans did.

  “No vamps,” Cash said.

  “I’m glad to hear it,” Virion said. He shot a look at Laurence before returning his gaze to us. “Let’s get right to it then, shall we?”