TheWaterDragon (2 page)

Heart pounding like a fledgling facing his transformation for the first time, Adrian wiped his damp palms on his strange leggings they called jeans, stood and slowly turned to face the woman he would, with any luck at all, claim as his mate one day soon.

The name Summer fit her well. Sunshine poured through the front door as she entered, filling the foyer with a golden light. He wouldn’t have thought much of it had the light dimmed when one of her dragon bodyguards closed the door behind her.

Perchance it was her beautiful smile that lit up the room as though sunlight poured through the ceiling over her head. Long, shining golden blonde hair fell about her shoulders. When she smiled up at one of the males as he took her wrap, Adrian fought the urge to growl.

He didn’t want to frighten her, nor did he want her to think he would consider her property. The best thing he could do was keep his emotions in check, though it was a difficult thing to do with the other males so close. He felt his scales fighting to emerge, his arms turning a light, iridescent blue with a silver undertone.

Overjoyed to find his mate at last, Adrian quickly moved to step forward and introduce himself.

Damek grasped his arm, pulling him back before Adrian could voice his presence. “Maybe it would be better if I introduced you.” His brother gave the other males a stern look that had them scrambling to get away. Few, if any, ever argued with Damek. He
was
the oldest of their kind, after all.

Adrian felt it when she saw him. He could actually
feel
her gaze upon him. His skin tingled and his body went hard. When he turned, he didn’t expect her to be standing so close, with her beautiful sky-blue eyes staring at him with curious interest.

“Hello, Summer. I hope this day finds you well.” Damek greeted her formally as he bent over her hand. Straightening, he turned to pat Adrian on the back. “Allow me to introduce my brother, Adrian.”

Adrian smiled down at the girl, his chest aching with some strange pain. He never expected his mate to be as beautiful as this woman was. What had he done to deserve her?

“I’m pleased to meet you, Mr. Antaeus.” Summer held out her hand with a soft smile.

Adrian paused for a minute, fearing to take it lest he squeeze her delicate bones too hard and break them. “And I you,” he replied as he, too, bent over her hand. Only instead of just taking her hand in his, he kissed it.

The shock of power and recognition shot up his arm and sent a prickle of awareness through his lips. Her aura melded with his, bringing him warmth. He could not say it was an unwelcome sensation after so many centuries encased in ice.

“What brings you to my sister’s home?” She gently tugged her hand, as though he would release it.

Not likely. Letting this woman go was the last thing on his mind. He fully intended to take her with him when he left, even if he must carry her over his shoulder like a sack of grain.

Adrian straightened with a smile. “I have come for you.” He frowned at the sound of his brother’s groan behind him.

“I know I told you that modern women required a bit of delicacy, brother.” Damek all but growled the words.

He needn’t have bothered. Adrian could already sense his mate’s interest flag as she jerked her hand from his grasp.

“You’ve come for me, or come to meet me?”

Her smile seemed genuine, if not a bit strained so he thought it best to enlighten her. She
was
his mate and they were as good as married in the eyes of his people.

“I have come for you, mate.” He smiled again. It was a good smile. One he knew the maids loved. Well…they
had
loved it a thousand or so years ago. Women couldn’t have changed that much. “Now, if you would just go to your sisters and tell them goodbye, I will speak to the head of your family and pay them the bride price.”

Another groan behind him had him turning toward his brother with a scowl.

Would the man never stop his groaning? “Are you in pain, man? If so, find yourself a draught of ale and have a seat. All will be well before you know it.”

He wasn’t certain Damek was well at all. He looked rather red in the face.

“You’ll…you will what?”

“I shall purchase you, of course. Where is your brother so that I may give him your bride price?” He waved his hand. “It does not matter that I do not know the price. No price is too high for my mate.” He turned her toward the stairs, patted her on the rump and gave her a gentle nudge. “Off with you, now. Go find your brother and leave us men to our discussion.”

“Off with me, now? Leave the men-folk to their discussion?” Her face turned a becoming shade of pink before turning a darker red.

“Is there some sort of sickness of which I should be aware?” Adrian frowned as he looked between his mate and his brother. “Both of you have turned a hideous shade of red. Shall I fetch a healer?”

Thunder crashed outside. Lightning flashed through the windows and the house shook with the force of the wind buffeting it. “I think you should remain downstairs. It looks as though this storm could bring damaging winds. I would have you safe.”

The wind calmed a bit as Summer stood glaring at him, her blue eyes filled with something he could not name. “I think I can manage to get my brainless little self up the stairs without injuring myself, thank you.”

Lightning flashed, followed by another crash of thunder as she turned to leave the room. “Don’t worry about me,
Mister
Antaeus. I have no intention of allowing you to claim me as your mate when I can barely stand the sight of you.”

Chapter Three

Summer stalked from the parlor and headed for the stairs. Tears burned her eyes as she ran all the way to her room. That…that
cretin
had turned what had begun as a wonderful thing into the most horrible experience of her life.

How could her dragon,
her
Prince Charming, turn out to be such a vile, chauvinist pig? Summer could have overlooked his bossiness. However, she couldn’t overlook the fact that he thought females were brainless trophies available for purchase. Women had been emancipated years ago. Where had that guy been during the women’s lib movement? Under a rock?

Slamming her door behind her, Summer threw herself on her bed, buried her face in her pillow and cried. How could the man she’d hoped to fall in love with turn out to be such a jerk?

What had he been thinking when he told her to run upstairs like a good little girl? Oh, she knew that wasn’t what he said, but it was what he meant. Shock filled her at his words. Disappointment, sorrow, rage, also filled her when she found that the one man meant for her was such an ass.

How could she ever make a life with a man like that? He obviously had no respect for women if he could treat her like that. It was…it was almost as though he were from the dark ages or some other equally as backward time.

Did the creep actually think she would do as she was told? What a joke.

A knock sounded on the door.

“Go away.”

“Summer?” April asked from the doorway. “Are you okay?”

“No,” Summer replied, brushing her tears away as she sat up. “I was in here trying to have a crying jag so I could start to heal my broken heart.” Did that sound melodramatic? She hoped not.

“Broken heart?” her sister asked as she sat next to her on the bed and offered her a tissue. “Who broke your heart? Let me know and I’ll see what I can do to get Drake to go rip the culprit’s heart out and give it to you as a replacement.”

“
I
broke it.” Summer accepted the tissue and blew her nose. “Betcha didn’t see that one coming.” She half chuckled, then began to sob again. “Why? Why am I the only one who really wanted a dragon for a mate and the drop-dead gorgeous dragon who tries to claim me turns out to be a male chauvinist pig dragon?”

“Uh…what?”

“Nothing.” Summer waved her hand. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine. I’m
always
fine.”

April wrapped her arm around her. “We figured it was you when Adrian didn’t even sniff at the other girls when he got here.” She gave Summer a squeeze. “So, tell me. Why is he a pig-dragon?”

“Because he told me to trot upstairs like a good girl so the big, strong men could handle all of the smart talk.”

“He
didn’t!”

“Well, no, he didn’t really say it like that, but that’s what he meant. He even alluded to the fact that he intends to purchase me!”

“Good grief! Are you serious?” April took one look at Summer and nodded. “Of course you are.” She shook her head. “I knew he’d been imprisoned for some time, but I had no idea he would come here with such antiquated ideals.” April stood and began pacing the room. “They said they would educate him first. He appeared educated. He never said anything to alienate any of the other sisters. Though, the other sisters weren’t his mate either,” April said as though she was thinking to herself, more than talking to Summer.

“What on earth are you talking about?”

“What? Oh! You don’t know, do you? You’ve been out visiting your friends for the last few weeks.” April took a seat on the chair next to the window. “Adrian is the dragon we all released from that horrible spell the last time you were here.”

“And?” Summer tilted her head. How did that explain his bigoted actions? “What has that got to do with anything?”

“Honey, that spell had him locked away, encased in a layer of rock and ice for over a thousand years. I would be surprised if he
didn’t
act a little like a caveman.”

“A thousand years?” Standing, Summer moved to the window and stared out at the darkened sky. Clouds swirled over the house as lightning struck a few charred places in the garden.

If she didn’t wrangle control of her powers soon, Drake would have little garden left. She cringed every time she saw the remains of the caretaker’s shed. Drake left the blackened shell the way it was for fear that she would only incinerate it again. Lightning was not very forgiving.

She thought about the man who wanted to
buy
her. “He didn’t mean to insult me, did he?” Summer thought not. What would be the point in that? He probably wanted a mate more than she did.

“I wouldn’t think so,” April said warily. “Though, I can’t tell you what the man was thinking.” She stepped up beside Summer and gave her a one-armed hug. “Why don’t you go downstairs and start over. I know he blew his first impression, so why don’t you go down and see if he looks better the second time around?”

Summer shrugged. “Why not? What have I got to lose?” Squaring her shoulders, she headed for the stairs. If the jerk screwed up this time, she might have to lower her standards and agree to marry a mage. Providing she could find one willing.

Chapter Four

Adrian sat at the kitchen table, holding a cup of coffee. He took another sip and grinned down at the dark brew. To think, dark beans steeped in water could make such a delicious drink. He should have thought of such a thing millennia ago.

After taking another sip, he looked up at his older brother and watched as Damek paced the room. “I fail to see what I did wrong. Is the woman not my mate? Do I not possess the right to claim her under dragon law?”

“Did I not tell you, brother, that you cannot treat women as you once did?” Damek growled at him as he paced the room, his expression fierce. “I fear that you may have even gotten
me
into hot water with my own mate.” He closed his eyes and cursed. “You have no idea what an angry mate can do to your life.” He turned back to Adrian. “Always remember this above all else. A happy wife means a happy life. An unhappy wife means an unhappy life. It is one thing most males refuse to understand and it is quite simple.”

“Are you saying that it is the male’s responsibility to see to the female’s happiness?”

“You just don’t get it, do you?” Damek glowered at him. “I think being stuck in your own spell for so long has damaged your way of thinking. I seem to recall that you were much brighter than this.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“That’s precisely what I mean.” Damek ran his fingers through his hair. “I think your stay within your rock has addled your brain.”

A sharp clacking sound came from the hallway and Damek turned to face the door, a smile splitting his face as his beautiful mate, May, hurried into the room. “Hello, Adrian,” she said with a smile as she breezed by, leaving the scent of flowers in her wake.

“Damek, you won’t believe the cutest little crib I found while out scouring the yard sales.”

“Yard sales? Do I not give you a large enough allowance?” He scowled down at her. “My mate should not be
scouring
yard sales. I am not a poor man.” He paused for a minute, then tilted his head. “You bought a crib at a yard sale?”

Adrian looked on with interest. He had no idea what a crib was, but he could tell by the expression on his brother’s face, the word held
some
import with Damek.

May nodded, her expression more animated than Adrian could remember seeing the past few months that he had stayed in his brother’s home.

“It’s hand-carved oak and just beautiful. I think it was a steal for fifty dollars. I almost feel bad for not offering to pay more.”

“You bought a crib.” The stunned expression on Damek’s face was almost enough to make Adrian want to shake them both. What in the land of Hades was going on?

“Did I hear Damek say that you bought a crib?” Summer asked as she entered the room. Her attention was on May and Damek. Not once did she even look in Adrian’s direction.

Adrian cleared his throat, then shuffled his feet. He wanted her attention, but he didn’t want to look like a child seeking his mother’s approval. As much as he wanted her attention, he decided to just stand still and wait for her to glance his way. What was it about her that had him standing here with bated breath hoping that she would just glance his way?