Dragon Ugly (Dragon New Year) (8 page)

A bright light shone into the cabin and he blinked a few times before squinting out at the bent figure of a Police Officer.

“Everything okay?” the man asked. Concern filled his hazel eyes. A breeze through the window brought with it the scent of pine and earth. Werewolf. Brent’s dragon bristled at this shifter. A possible competitor for Carissa. A growl burbled up in his throat, but he quickly squashed it. He didn’t want to have to call Tor or Fletch for bail.

Brent swallowed again and tried to figure out what to say. Rather than lie he went for the truth, telling the officer that he was just tired after an extra-long shift.

The officer nodded. “I don’t smell any alcohol on your breath, but you do look exhausted. How about I follow you home to make sure you get there okay? How far are we?”

Brent looked out the front window. “We’re only a few yards from the street, five houses down.”

The officer stood up and removed the light.

“Okay, fine. I’ll be close behind. Go slow. Oh, and I’m Officer Peters.” The policeman moved away.

Any threat he’d felt from the man was gone once he’d left his vicinity.
“Calm the hell down
,
”
he hissed at his dragon.

The creature just blinked at him.
“We’re still not properly mated to her
,
”
it said.

Brent ignored it. He doubted that Carissa would want to be with him if he got arrested for assaulting an officer, all because he’d been freaked out about a possible competitor. It was clear that she was interested in Brent, but why wasn’t she mated to anyone else? Carissa was a beautiful woman; surely any unmated man with a brain and eyes would want to be with her.

He shrugged off the whys, hit his blinker and merged into the late night traffic. The slight dizziness had faded but there was a light fog around his thoughts. He managed to turn down his street and get home without incident. Once he was out of the car, he gave a nod to the police cruiser before unlocking the side door to his house and going inside.

The silence in the house was soothing. It allowed him to take an inventory of his feelings and his sense of self. He put his keys into his cubby near the door and placed his messenger bag on his hook. Then he walked through the dark kitchen without turning on any lights. He opened up the fridge and took out a bottle of water. He took a swig and his head began to clear. His thoughts turned to the events of that evening, to Carissa.

The whole night had been a disaster in his mind. Those brief interludes with Carissa had only whetted his appetite for more time with her. A headache began to pound right over his right eye and his neck felt stiff. He rolled his head back and forth, but it only increased the ache. He needed a hot shower and a way to relieve the tension that didn’t involve hitting a heavy bag; that would only ramp up his negativity. He rushed upstairs, doffed his clothes, and stepped into his bathroom. Brent placed the bottle of water on the small sill over the sink and turned on the shower to let it heat up.

His muscles throbbed with overuse. His legs demanded a rest. His shoulders felt tight and strained. His back was a mess of twisted knots. The more he thought about it, the more he wanted to visit one of the spas to get a rub down. He would need one all the more by the time this week was over. A day at the lake would also help. Maybe he would take a camping trip up in the mountains. That would give him a chance to shift and allow his dragon to run loose. It had been far too long since his last full shift.

Determined to shake off the aches of the day, he stepped into the shower stall and closed the door. In that small space, he breathed in the steam drifting on the air. Sweat pearled on his forehead and slid down his temple as he just stood there, absorbing the moisture in the atmosphere. His pores opened, feeding his dragon a little bit of its element.

He stepped forward under the spray and hissed at the heat of the downpour, but forced himself to stay under the waterfall until he adjusted. The silken slide of the liquid traced along his muscles, the dips, dents, and hollows of his body. It trickled along his spine and slipped between the cheeks of his ass. He shuddered at the gentle touch of the water rushing down his cock. His blood warmed and made the downward journey toward his cock, causing it to swell. He didn’t bother to try and coax it into a full erection; instead he just surrendered to the moment, letting his body do what it wanted.

All thoughts of work or Carissa fled as clarity pierced the havoc in his mind. A sense of calm and balance filled him, and relaxation filled him from his feet up to his head. The patter of the water on his crown gave him a sensation to latch onto. Mentally, he followed the path of the water droplets traveling along his body, savoring the sweet gentleness of the touch. Tension faded away; his cares slipped down the drain along with the water as he became one with the liquid. Now he had no bones, no muscles, just strength of will to keep him standing. Everything became so simple. He could just stand there and let the water carry everything away with it.

Out of the stillness came Carissa’s face—just there, hovering behind his drooping eyelids. He could see her deep brown eyes, clear brown skin, full lips and button nose, the gentle roundness of her cheeks, the straight fall of her coffee-colored hair. She had looked happy at the pub, enjoying being around friends and the food. Her eyes sparkled when they met his gaze, and she’d smiled at him whenever he appeared.

The dragon opened its bright blue eyes and suddenly Brent saw Carissa on a picnic, happy and laughing, in a moment of passion. He stared into her eyes, which were so dark that they’d become black. Then, a new image appeared, a picture that took his breath away: Carissa cradling their child—with café-au-lait-colored skin, sky blue eyes and her mother’s plump lips, tiny hands grasping at air.

Brent’s legs gave out from under him and he crashed to the hard marble floor of the shower stall. A shudder ripped through his heart as he struggled to breathe past the lump that was forming in his throat. He tried to throw off that glimpse of what might be, and yet the dragon kept pushing it on him, forcing him to see a possible future with Carissa and a child. Yearning tugged at his heart as tears filled his eyes.

Could it be possible? Any interbreeding of species could create a hybrid, a child that would be tormented and caught between two worlds. And yet in the depths of his soul he wanted that, almost needed that…almost.

“Stop it
,
”
he ordered the dragon. It took a few seconds, but the beast pulled back, and with it the idea of him and Carissa together as a couple with a child. Brent didn’t want to let that influence him in the least. It was too much to hope for. He grabbed the bottle of shower gel, squeezed out a large amount and began to clean off the night’s filth. He even washed and conditioned his hair.

Brent finished washing up and dried off before pulling on some boxers and slipping between the sheets. All tension was gone. His thoughts were static. Nothing leapt out at him to tease him away from sleep, not even notions of what Carissa might sleep in. He knew he’d find out soon enough. His eyelids became heavy. The bed cradled his body, hugging muscles, curving around his limbs and taking the weight of his back. His breathing became slow and easy as the dream world wove around him, tucking him into an atmosphere of warmth and safety.

His dragon opened its bright blue eyes. Black and blue scales shimmered under slivers of moonlight as it made its way through a darkened forest at the witching hour. A wolf with dark golden fur, a creamy white underbelly and golden eyes cantered beside it, its thin pink tongue lolling out of its mouth as it kept pace. Together they chased rabbits and animals in the underbrush; they chased the wind and lapped at a sapphire blue pool of water. The sweetest liquid he’d ever tasted filled his mouth with each gulp. Nature embraced them both as he crawled up the side of a mountain while his canine companion scrabbled along until she reached the peak where he had settled.

He could feel the grit of earth and smell the sweet, green scents of the trees and grasses around them. The faint cologne of animal musk drifted past his nostrils. It was a moment of contentment for him. As he gazed out of the darkened town of Shadow Bay, with only the twinkling lights of a few houses and businesses as a guide, he took in his world and felt safe and whole. There was nowhere else he’d rather be.

The female wolf had settled down on her stomach beside him, eyes reflecting the environment as far as she could see it. For the first time, he felt centered and at ease. The wolf nuzzled his side before snuggling closer, until the dragon could feel the animal’s warmth against his scales.

With a rough sigh, the dragon shrunk in size until it became the same height and weight as a large lizard. He snuggled with the wolf, relishing her warmth. Peace drove deep into Brent’s soul as the night wore on. He felt he could stay there forever, but yellow light shone beyond his eyelids, and birdsong could be heard, far away.

Brent didn’t want to move. His bed was too cozy and welcoming. Thoughts of work and chores flitted through his mind, but the most pressing issue seemed to be Carissa and how to go about wooing her. At least her wolf was fine with the way things were going, if the dream was anything to go by.

With reluctance Brent opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling. For the first time in a long time he was alone in the bed, and didn’t mind. He rolled out of bed, stretched and got dressed for the day. He downed a granola bar and some orange juice, and then headed out.

Downtown Shadow Bay was busier than usual. There were people everywhere and they all seemed to be in a shopping mood. Brent pulled into a parking lot, found a spot, and got out of the car. His senses came alive as Carissa’s unique scent swirled around him on the breeze. The dragon came to life, blinking. Steam streamed out of its nostrils. Brent inhaled deeply, seeking out the source of that rare perfume that clung to his mate. He wove in and out of the crowd, entering shops and leaving without making a single purchase. Anticipation filled him.

Tension wove around his body, muscles tight as he continued to follow the scent. Eventually he stopped in front of Scentify, the aromatherapy store where he had first felt her presence. He blinked up at the sign and looked through the window. People milled around inside. He spotted the two women who had been with Carissa last night. With confidence, he pulled open the door and waded into the crowd. The people parted, and for a second he saw her ringing up a sale at the till and talking to a customer.

Chapter Eight

A shiver ran down Carissa’s spine and goose bumps rose on her bare arms. She looked up from her customer and there was Brent, looking right at her. For a moment, all she could do was stare. Her chest became tight as all the air seeped out of her lungs. Her thoughts scattered and she struggled to understand what the customer was saying to her. She nodded and smiled dumbly. Carissa watched as Brent walked further into the room. He cut through the crowd like a shark, heading directly for her. He had a smooth, predatory gait that sent waves of desire rocking through her body. Her stomach muscles clenched and she sucked in a breath.

She straightened up and smoothed down her blouse, hoping that her hair and makeup looked okay. Brent was only a foot away when a customer approached her, demanding to be rung up. With quick efficiency, she finished the transaction and sent the person on their way. Then she looked back to Brent, who gave her a smile, amusement sparkling in his eyes.

The world narrowed to just to the two of them. Once he was in front of her, she had to resist the urge to step back as the full force of his personality slammed into her. It was like being tugged down by a riptide. Fear and adrenaline rushed through her. She swallowed and tried to remember to breathe. With a bright smile, she tried to stay businesslike.

“Hi, I’m Carissa. Welcome to Scentify. How can I help you?” Her voice trembled. A flash of heat crashed through her chest, down her arms, causing her palms to become sweaty. She swallowed and tried to focus as her cheeks flushed and her ears prickled. She cleared her throat and tried again. “We have a special sale on relaxation oils and lotions. There’s fifty percent off all lavender and sage items.”

Her lips quivered as she tried to maintain the smile, while her wolf began to howl in her head. The urge to lean forward and get closer to Brent shook along her legs; she wanted to move around the counter and snuggle into him, feel the strength of his body against hers and inhale his scent. Instead, she stood where she was, praying her body wouldn’t betray her. The aroma of water brushed against her face. Liquid relaxation quaked along her limbs, threatening to take her strength from her.

Carissa sighed, unable to resist the call of his presence and she shuffled forward until the counter pressed against her stomach.

Brent’s grin grew even wider. “Actually, I want something that’s not on sale,” he murmured, coming closer to her, bringing his body heat and scent nearer. Carissa moved back. The wolf bumped her from within so that she leaned over the wide space separating them.

Crap. She tried to pull back but the wolf locked her limbs in place. “Really?” she asked in a husky whisper. She cleared her throat.

Brent moved his face closer, until his lips were a hair’s breadth away from hers. She could practically feel the solidity of the firm, pink flesh against lips. Tingles broke out all over her body. A whimper formed in her throat but she swallowed it down, refusing to let him know how he was making her feel.

He nodded. “Is there someplace we can go for a bit more privacy?”

She licked her lips and looked around to find a line had formed behind him. Jez and Anna were giving her incredulous looks. The store came back to her, and with a sigh, she shook her head.

“I can’t leave just yet. Lunch?” She prayed that he would say yes—or maybe no. She wasn’t sure how she would handle him if he agreed, but she couldn’t bear for him to refuse.