Alexa's Dragon (Dragon mates Book 1) (4 page)

Alexa dug into the food paying extra attention to the bacon. She eyed him whenever she came up for air. He stared at her long and hard as if she was on the menu for breakfast. She squirmed, feeling wetness between her thighs. How could he do with one look what the few men she dated over the years had never been able to do? There was no way he was going to let her just walk away.

“What about your frozen death?”

He lifted his eyes; they were haunted as if the fires of hell were after him.

“I resigned myself to my fate long before I found you.” His dragon called him fool, what they needed and wanted was standing there for the taking. All they had to do was pluck her, mate with her, and they would live forever with the power she would give them. Syn knocked his dragon down. He wouldn’t, couldn’t do that to his mate.

He stood and cleaned the kitchen taking comfort in the small things in life.

“I’m ready.” He nodded and followed her to the door.

She grabbed her keys and stepped outside. Blackness enveloped her. Her screams mingled with those of the damned. She was dying. Why hadn’t she thrown her lot in with the delusional male who thought he could turn into a dragon? There was a tug of war for her, she was being torn asunder. Someone pulled her back toward the house as another pulled her toward the steps. She stumbled going forwards, the hold on her arm loosened. Syn was losing; she was being pulled into a realm where fear was real.

This feeling of being stalked was familiar from her dreams. Even more fear flooded her as she realized her nightmares were becoming a reality.

She screamed again apologizing to him; she should have listened. One more tug and she would fall down the steps. There was a tug on her arm almost pulling it out of its socket. Her behind met the porch as she fell backwards and was pulled towards the interior of the house.

She crawled to her knees bending over as she gasped for air. The warmth that left her was slowly invading her again and her hair stood on end. Such a strange thing to notice, but she could feel it standing straight up on her head as if she were electrocuted.

“What happened?” she panted, still not able to fully inflate her lungs.

“Mutufa has found a way to allow his essence to escape the other plane.”

“Lucky me.”

“He won’t stop until he kills you.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re my mate.”

“I hate to break it to you, Syn, but I have yet to see the good side of being your mate.”

He looked at her before walking to the door and slamming it shut. “We have to get out of here.”

“And then what? Can I go back home?”

He took a deep sigh remembering she was just a baby. “If you want to die.”

“Why aren’t you forcing me to go with you, if I’m that precious to you?”

He walked over to her, bending down so he could look into her eyes.

“You’re a baby only thirty years. I have forgotten how many years I have lived. Do I force you to bond with me so I can live longer when you have yet to live? There was a time in my life when I would have. Anything to live another day, but no more. Making your life miserable so mine will be extended is something I no longer wish to do.”

“Why? I don’t understand.”

He stood and walked away.

She got up testing her legs and walked over to him. “Explain why you’re not interested in me.”

She couldn’t help herself. She felt something unfurl within. The desire to push him sat on her shoulders urging her on. She felt her hands fist. If he wouldn’t talk to her she would pummel his back until he spoke, because she needed the answers.

He turned, the flames snapping in his eyes making her believe for a minute that he was truly a dragon. He opened his mouth his teeth having changed to small spikes. Whatever he was, it wasn’t human.

“I want a mate. Not someone who feels she has a duty to me, allowing me to rut between her legs. I have had a lifetime of women who wanted to know how a dragon shifter did it. I would rather be frozen than see the pity in your eyes as you look at me.”

Her breath caught in her throat as he walked away. A pity date. She knew all about that. Jeremy, the hottest football player in school, asked her to the spring formal in twelfth grade. Her mom took her out and bought her the prettiest dress. She was so proud when he cocked his arm and led her to the limo his parents rented for them.

The dance had been marvelous and when it was over he had the limo pull over. Her first kiss, the perfect end to a perfect day. He opened the door and they walked over to the ledge where dates came to kiss.

He had looked her deeply in her face and smiled.

“I can’t wait to tell the guys that I kissed you. They will be so jealous.”

All the joy in her stomach soured. She stomped on her emotions that night, refusing to cry just as she refused to kiss him. He pulled at her dress as she tried to pass him, ripping it. That’s when she fought. The limo driver, hearing her scream, rescued her.

He escorted her back to the limo leaving Jeremy cussing up a storm. He shouted no one would ever want her; all she would ever be was a pity fuck. She knew better now. Everyone seemed to want her but tell that to the teenage girl in her.

She dropped her head. She felt just like Syn, she wanted to be wanted for who she was and not what she was.

“I’ll go with you.”

“What?”

“If you can get us out of here I will go with you. There’s only two things I’m leaving behind–my best friend and my house. I’ll call Nadia and have her watch the house. Then we can see if there is anything between us. If not then we will go our separate ways. Deal?”

“Deal. Now all we have to do is get out of here.”

“If we escape, will it stop following us?”

“No. Its ultimate goal is for you to die before we come together as mates. Telling it we won’t mate won’t work, as long as you’re alive he will feel that I have a chance of survival no matter how slim.”

“If we mate, what happens?”

“I don’t know.”

She nodded. It didn’t matter at least not right now. If they couldn’t get out the house they were dead.

“Are you sure you can’t change into your dragon and fly us out of here?”

“Do you really want to take the chance of my dragon trying to mate with you?”

Alexa shook her head violently. She liked the thought of coming together with Syn; he made her hot and needy in places she was usually cold. Trying to fight off a horny dragon on the other hand, that would be a nightmare. Horny dragon? When had she started to take his words at face value? She was acting like he could really change into a dragon.

Why not? Something cold, dark, and inhuman grabbed her when she tried to leave. If there were demons trying to kill her, why couldn’t Syn be a dragon?

“What’s the plan?”

“We hide you.”

“What? Put me in a black plastic bag and carry me over your shoulder or were you thinking a trunk?”

“Are you always this snarky?”

“Yeah,” she grinned. feeling a small connection with him.

“Well those are thoughts but let’s make them our E and F plans. Each individual has an essence. You may even want to call it a spirit. Since I am a dragon, my essence is bigger than most. If I push it out just a little you should be able to hide in it.”

He took her hand and led her to the kitchen. He gestured to the far wall. A wave of darkness moved over his body making her step back with hesitation. She turned to look at the wall. A shadow grew there, but it wasn’t a man. She wasn’t sure what it was, but if she believed in dragons she would swear she just saw the shadow of one.

“You have to stay within the shadow until we are clear of the property.”

“Why until we are clear?”

“Mutufa’s powers are limited and he has chosen to place them over the house and the property. Once we are outside the boundary you will be safe until he regroups.”

“There are several acres between us and freedom.”

“I know. Stay alert and awake. He will try to lure you away from my protection, you must resist.”

“I understand.”

“One more warning. My dragon will be unable to stop himself from touching you; do not be afraid. He is only in his shadow form; he cannot hurt you.”

She nodded her head refusing to answer because she no longer thought he was deranged.

“When will we leave?’

“Now while we are both at full capacity.”

He walked into the living room and picked up a bag she hadn’t noticed while she waited at the door for him. He turned off all the lights and appliances before coming back to her side.

His essence seeped around her, comforting her with its warmth forming a cocoon.

“Remember, stay inside the barrier.” He opened the door and they walked out.

The sunshine was high over their heads letting her know it was around noon, but it didn’t penetrate the shadows her parents land was covered in. She shivered with fear and lengthened her steps staying close to Syn. He didn’t speak, looking each way as he started the long walk to the road ahead.

Alexa felt something snake around her middle. It was the dragon’s tail. Its huge head came down to rub against her cheek making her falter. She might have dropped to the ground quaking in fear, but she could feel the respect his dragon had for her.

She looked up to see her mother waving at her.

“Alexa we’re home. Where are you going? Stop.”

Her feet faltered and tangled on themselves. The dragon holding her shook his head. She looked at him before looking at her mother. She looked so real. If only she could stop for a moment and touch her, kiss her. The dragon encouraged her to walk, reluctantly she moved on only to catch her mother’s image fade. Not real, her dragon was correct. Whoa, her dragon?

The walk off her parents’ land was slow going. She wanted to run but Syn was taking his time practically examining every step before he moved as if he were afraid to step in the wrong place.

A slow tear tracked down her face as she thought of her mother and the trick she almost fell for.

“Alexa! I’ve been looking all over for you.” Nadia called out to her wearing a familiar friendly smile.

“Nadia, get off my parents’ land. I’ll meet you at the road.”

“Why? Stop moving for a minute I want to talk to you.”

Alexa stopped; she couldn’t leave her friend stranded. What if the demon killed Nadia because he couldn’t get to her? Syn kept walking not knowing her intention to stop.

“Come here, Alexa.”

The hair on the back of her neck rose. Why was Nadia standing so far away? Syn had finally stopped, noticing she wasn’t with him. She looked around to see she was right at the edge of his dragon’s shadow. She tried to take a few steps toward him only to find her feet stuck to the ground.

She licked her lips and tried to move again.

“Did you really think you could escape me?” The image was Nadia but the voice and the eyes were something truly evil.

Mutufa had used the love for her friend against her. Now she would die and so would Syn. Raising her hand, she felt a barrier before her. It was cold to the touch. She could move, just not forward, and if she went backward she would leave the protective barrier Syn had placed her in. How would she get out of this?

Images of her now defunct business flashed before her eyes. She had given up with barely a whimper, believing her people to be better off where they were. Images of the cruelty she suffered at school as Jeremy spread rumors about what happened that night of the formal swirled around her brain. She fought back, not that it did any good.

In her life, it never seemed to matter what defense she mounted, she always fell. Her mom would say ‘Alexa, each failure makes you stronger.’ She never felt any stronger but now her life depended on winning and Syn’s life depended on it. She didn’t know exactly who Syn was, but her heart would break if he was no longer alive. She wouldn’t let that happen.

Raising her head, she met Syn’s eyes. Her eyes locked with him asking him without words what to do. His eyes sparked. Power calling power as she felt her body heat. She was going to go super nova if she kept staring into his eyes. She felt her electric blue eyes spark, something she felt before but always hid from. The fear that she wasn’t human always scared her in the past.

The power hummed through her body making its way to her eyes. Syn’s eyes shot a beam at the barrier she was behind lighting up his side in a myriad of colors. That beam called to her stroking a feeling hot and primitive inside of her. Her eyes shot out a beam hitting the barrier from her side. The power coming from her body rocked her making her want to drop from it. She held her ground knowing that to move meant certain death for her.

Where was this power coming from? It was like Syn had ignited a small spark in her and now it was coming to her defense. It didn’t matter right now but later it would matter greatly.

Her side of the barrier began to heat up as the power flowed from her through her eyes. The barrier began to waver, sparks of her power were beginning to break through the barrier, she could almost feel Syn’s power on the other side. The barrier went up in a shock of fireworks as her power entwined and melded with Syn’s. She felt it, a tie that went around her making her feel for a moment that she was one with him. She dropped her body unable to stand any longer. He caught her in his strong arms whispering soothing words into her ear.

He carried her the rest of the way. Her body would need food to regenerate and sleep. He sighed when they crossed the barrier Mutufa set up around her parents’ land. He walked over to the car and eased her into the back seat. She would be able to rest there.

Getting into the car he looked back at her parents’ house. His little mate had been fierce. Her eyes sparked an electric blue that almost made him blow his wad watching her. She hummed with power, her body swaying and her gorgeous white hair had flowed with it. It jumped from strand to strand making him want to dip his hands into it. He wanted to be burned by her to feel her burning around him as they went up in flames together.

The layer of apathy he covered himself in went up in smoke. He would fight for his little warrior. He turned around and gunned the engine feeling for the first time in long years the power of the car in his hands. Where should he take her to eat? Remembering how she faltered when she saw her friend, that seemed to be the best course of action. Then she could reassure herself she was fine. Using her thoughts of her friend to help him tune into her presence, he turned the car towards the city and hummed a small tune.