Not His Dragon (6 page)

Chapter Nine

Angie lifted a scale. The rot was a soft black moss-like substance. It seemed to take root on Eoin’s skin and lifted his scales as it grew. This type of work should be gagging her but the stuff was dry and didn’t smell. Actually, as she cleaned off an area a sense of satisfaction developed akin to when she cleared her kitchen counter and could actually see the gleaming surface.

With a set of metal pinchers, she plucked a few strands that had been left behind. The patch of rot measured about four by eight feet. She’d been at this for over an hour and had only cleared the big clumps. “This might take me more than a week.”

Eoin lowered his chin to the ground.

“I’ve cleared the visible areas. Tomorrow, I’ll work on the stuff deeper under your scales. Do you have a pen light I can use?”

“Buy one and I’ll reimburse you.” Thick muscles moved under his skin as he shifted his weight and he lowered his wing to the floor so she could descend. He felt so warm under her.

“I guess you don’t have to heat the place in the winter.” She landed on her feet, thank God. The last thing she wanted was for Eoin to see her fall on her ass. He probably thought her the biggest fool he’d ever met after their first encounter on the street. The whole dramatic scene with Ryota in front of Eoin’s castle wouldn’t have helped the dragon’s opinion of her. What was she going to do with that alpha?

Eoin’s body went hazy as if she were seeing him through a heat wave.

She wanted to rub her eyes, but not until she’d washed the scale rot from her hands.

The dragon’s body shimmered and moved like silk as he shifted. Eoin, the man, stood in front of her. His upper body was completely tattooed with sleeves on both arms but the bottom half was
au naturel
, including his ass.

She dragged her gaze away from the hard-packed muscles of his behind before he turned around. After months of dealing with shifters in both beast and human form, Angie had grown accustomed to being around naked strangers. None of them had been Eoin, though.

He slowly turned to face her. “What do you mean?”

“W—what?” Oh God, had she said that out loud? Or worse, could he read minds?

“About heating the castle?” He strolled toward her, shoulders rolling like a predator on the hunt. “Most of my rooms have fireplaces.”

She was giving off enough heat from blushing to take over any fires. “I didn’t think you would get cold.”

He drew closer. All she had to do was raise her hands and she could touch the deliciousness. “My human form needs to be kept warm.” Those piercing blue eyes… It seemed like Eoin could see right through her, down to the core of who she was.

Her mouth went so dry, her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth. She didn’t want to know what he saw. Poor and alone, she had been left raw and scarred by her life. The last thing she needed was a dragon’s pity.

He reached around her.

She held her breath, unable to move from sheer anticipation. Would he kiss her? Would he sweep her off her feet and carry her away?

Please
.

He straightened, holding a robe that had been on the table behind her, and he dressed. It was an old-fashioned piece made of thick tapestry-type material. The sleeves were worn on the edges and elbows. The hem dragged on the ground and the belt didn’t match. He looked thrift-store sexy as he settled the wide collar around his neck.

Clearing her throat, she returned the pinchers in her hands back to the table and kept her back to him. This was ridiculous. She’d broken up with Ryota because she didn’t want a shifter relationship, yet here she was ready to jump in Eoin’s bed.

No.

She learned from her mistakes. No boyfriends, lovers, or fuck buddies until she got her shit together. She needed a home. A knot formed in her gut. She wouldn’t attain her goal if she had a man butting into her business. In Eoin’s case, literally.

“Angie?” Eoin’s hot breath caressed her ear.

She jumped and spun, only to stumble into his arms. Jerking away, she pressed against the table.

He gave her a shy smile. “You have such expressive eyes.”

She dropped her gaze and clung to the edge of the table. A wave of dizziness threatened to send her back into Eoin’s arms. What had he seen in her gaze? Likely too much. She liked him better when he was threatening. It was easier to hate him.

“Would you like a tour of the castle?”

“All of it?” The place suddenly seemed immense. She’d seen clips on television from helicopters but no one had ever filmed the inside. “I don’t want to intrude.”

“I wouldn’t have offered if that were the case.” He held out his hand, waiting for her to take hold.

She stared at it. His invitation was weighted with more than just a look at his home. The way his eyes caressed her face and his possessive proximity triggered her meager shifter instinct. How stupid was she? Not very. “Maybe another night. I’m pretty tired.” She’d been up since dawn and hadn’t eaten much. “It’s time for bed.”

His shy smile turned salacious.

“My bed.” She edged away from him.

He followed. “Tell me more.”

She set her hand against his chest, preventing him from closing in. “Alone.”

“You’re no fun, Angie.” His words didn’t sound malicious. He only teased.

A smile tugged at the corners of her lips and she fought the urge in vain. “I’m a lot of fun, but not tonight.”

He entangled their fingers. “Then tomorrow, after our appointment. I’ll make you dinner.”

Like a crash of ice-cold water dumped on her head, the sudden grip of desire had her gasping and she jerked from his touch. She wanted to very much, but she didn’t know Eoin. Hell, he was a
dragon
. What was wrong with her? “Uh, that’s very kind of you.”

His eyebrows rose. “Are you refusing?”

“Look, I just broke up with Ryota.”

Eoin grimaced and crossed his arms. “I’m nothing like the alpha.”

“Doesn’t matter. I don’t want a relationship.”

He smirked. “Obviously, since you don’t even want me to call you my caregiver. It’s just dinner.”

Her heart thumped. It wasn’t that simple. Her gut told her this was much more than just dinner because the idea of Eoin cooking her food didn’t nauseate her like it should. “I’m only dating my own kind from now on.”

“We’re partially the same kind.”

She rolled her eyes and walked away from him. “This again. I’m human, no matter what you smell.” She spun to meet his hot glare. “I’m human.”

“On the surface.”

“What the fuck does that mean? So what if I carry some piece of dragon DNA in my system?” She held up her nails. “This is it.”

“I think there’s more.”

She blinked. “How would you know?”

He shrugged. “Instinct.”

“Save me from shifter instinct. It’s time for me to go home.” She pulled out her cell phone to call Ken. The last thing she needed was for Eoin to raise any hope of her being more. It had taken her years to accept her humanity. She didn’t need a dragon knocking down her confidence. She could manage that all her own if she wanted.

“Dragon genes are very rare. Not to mention skipping so many generations to occur in you. I might be able to help you find answers you are looking for.”

Returning her unused phone to her pocket, she squashed the hope blooming within her chest. “So what if I have dragon blood. I’ll always be human in everyone’s eyes as long as I can’t shift. It’s not like
your
people will claim me.” When she had first realized that she wasn’t like other children, she’d done everything to hide her differences. It only grew worse and she couldn’t keep it from her parents anymore. Their worried looks and late night whispers she wasn’t
supposed
to hear isolated her even further. Her parents feared the shifters would take her away. She wished she could have told them their fears were unnecessary, but they died soon after.

She was caught between two worlds. Not really accepted in either. The last thing she needed was to recall her parents’ disapproval or their passing. She knew how alone in the world she was. Eoin’s claim only made it worse. “I don’t have any questions that need answering.”

“I didn’t mean to upset you.” He extended his arms toward her but she stepped out of his reach.

“But you did.”

“I’ll take you home then.” He disrobed and shimmered to his dragon form. “Have you ever flown before?”

Chapter Ten

“I’ve flown in a plane.” Angie eyed the dark dragon filling the ballroom. “Are you suggesting what I think you’re suggesting?” Was it possible? Her heart skipped a beat.

He moved toward the far side of the room and climbed a set of wide stone stairs. “Follow me.” The tip of his tail nudged her hand until she took hold.

This was how horror movies started. The bad guy would lure the idiot girl to his home using his charm and then show her his collection of torture tools. She chuckled. She was the one who had used those tools on Eoin though. Not the other way around.

She took a hesitant step but the tug of his tail in her hand propelled her faster. If she were smart, she’d call Beth to retrieve her and wait on the front steps. Nobody would accuse Angie of being smart though. She held the state record for running away from foster homes until they made the orphanage her permanent home. She’d also dropped out of high school only to return six months later to finish with a GED.

She wanted to belong, yet every time she started to fit in something drove her away. It was stupid.

Like following a dragon deeper into his lair.

But he’d said something about flying…

For as long as she could remember, she’d dreamt of having wings. Not a fantasy, but at night in her sleep she would often have sweet dreams of playing in the clouds. She had to take the stairs two at a time to keep up with Eoin so she wouldn’t have to let go of his tail. The castle was a maze of stairs and halls. She’d be lost in minutes. Her lungs burned for oxygen as she climbed higher and higher until at last cold, sharp air hit her face.

Eoin stood on a balcony with no railings, a silhouette against the night sky blocking out the stars. “I like to launch from here.”

Darkness blanketed the wilderness below so it seemed she stood above an ocean of nothing. The chirping of frogs reached her even this far up and reassured her that the world still existed. She released his tail and leaned against the wall, scanning the vast view. “The sky seems to go on forever.” She spoke between gasps.

He made a pleasant rumbling noise that moved through the stone under her feet. “The sky does go forever, and everywhere. I can take wing now and go wherever I wish.”

“It’s freedom.”

His tail wrapped around her ankle. “Yes, it’s precious to our kind.”

“Eoin, stop it. Not
our
kind.
Your
kind.”

“You’re so stubborn. Maybe you have distant relatives your parents never mentioned or someone’s done a family tree. I’ve never heard of a partial dragon. I didn’t think it was physically possible. That deserves some attention. Trust me, you’d rather have me looking into this than other dragons.”

She laughed but it sounded bitter next to his excitement. “Because you’re so sensitive?”

He growled. “No, because I won’t snatch you away from your life and keep you as a pet. Don’t let modern television blind you. Most supernaturals follow human laws because humans outnumber them. Dragons aren’t part of that faction.”

“I don’t hear about dragons stealing people. You’d think that would make the news.”

“That’s because they don’t, normally. We’re a quiet species. Time moves differently for us and in the last century the world has changed so much it has made us even more isolated.”

“You’re one of the few that talks to the press.” She’d known dragons didn’t like living among humankind but she hadn’t known why. With the sudden advancements in technology over the last century, it made sense that the old dragons hadn’t caught on. “Why are you so social?”

“I haven’t a choice. Someone has to do it.” Smoke drifted from his nostrils and curled above his head. He gave her a crooked smile. “No extended family?”

“No grandparents, aunts or uncles, no fucking cousins. Sorry to disappoint you but my heritage will remain a mystery to both of us.”

“What about the people who raised you after your parents passed?”

“You mean the state-run orphanage? Let it go.” She wrapped her arms around herself. “Don’t get me wrong. The orphanage and Mrs. Gracie were my salvation. Better than those crappy foster parents who only wanted my monthly check. But Mrs. Gracie doesn’t know more about me than I do. My parents kept to themselves, they didn’t have much money and they loved me with all their hearts. That’s all that matters and now it’s gone.”

He lowered his body until he rested on his stomach then pulled her close by using his tail. “I’m sorry for your loss. I’m alone too.” He pointed to the tattoos by his eye. “Do you know what this means?”

She couldn’t resist touching the raised blue tinted markings. “No.”

“When a dragon reaches maturity his clan places their mark to claim him or her. Their status determines the position of the mark on their body.”

“Why don’t any of your other tattoos show when you’re in dragon form?” He was covered in them as a human.

“Magic, of course.” He tapped by his eye. “This mark comes from my people. The other ones are done by a local vampire.”

“Seriously? Your tattoo artist is a vampire?” She knew they were around but they were as elusive as dragons. Maybe more so, since they were rumored to still need human blood to survive. Prejudice still ran thick in mortals, and vampires bore the brunt of it. Who would cry foul over a pile of ashes?

“I’m his canvas.” He said it so softly she had to bite her tongue on her sharp remark. There was a lot of pain behind those three words. The tattoos meant something more to Eoin than just ink.

She stroked his muzzle. “What does your clan mark mean?” Just yesterday the thought of being this close to a dragon would have made her stiff with fear. Amazing how her sense of preservation melted with Eoin around.

“Its proximity to the eye means I’m a forward scout for the clan military.”

She’d read about the dragon wars in school. It had been one of the few subjects that interested her. The last battle had been fought over Iceland over a hundred and forty years ago. “Were you part of the Gálgahraun conflict?” The volcanic territories were quite a prize.

“No, my clan lives in the Andes.”

The number of dragons in the world was unknown. A few scientists tried to keep track of the more public dragons like Eoin but everyone knew most of them lived in isolated pockets away from mankind.

“See the X over my mark?”

She leaned back to get a better view. “I thought that was part of the design.”

Eoin shook his head. “It means I left my clan.” He rose to his feet and lowered his wing until it brushed her hands. “Climb aboard.”

Hesitant, she stared at his back. How could he drop a bomb like leaving his clan and not expect a thousand questions?

“Angie, are you afraid to fly?” The challenge was clear in his tone.

She’d been so wrapped up in her head, she’d forgotten his offer. Gripping his wing, she began the climb to his back. “There’s nothing for me to hold. What if I fall?”

“Sit between my shoulder blades. I’ll fly smooth enough that you won’t need riding straps.”

She swallowed a lump in her throat. How many times had she dreamed of flying? More than she could count. Could she trust Eoin not to drop her? After pepper spraying him yesterday, she gave herself fifty-fifty odds.

He twisted his head. “Shifters are simple people. We like someone, we go after them.”

“Until your mate comes along and you drop the other person.”

“Ah, the elusive mate. It’s a much rarer occurrence than you think. Most shifters don’t even aspire to ever finding one.”

“You?”

“Never. Well, not actively. I mean, if she showed up on my doorstep, I wouldn’t turn her away.”

Angie finished her climb and settled where he’d directed her. Eoin wasn’t what she’d expected. He was easy to talk with and he listened. Over his shoulders, she glimpsed the ground so very far away. “Uh.” She squirmed and clenched her thighs uselessly on his thick neck. “I changed my mind.”

“Don’t be silly.” He gently launched from the balcony with his wings extended so he easily slipped into a glide.

She clung to him and screamed from the bottom of her lungs as if she’d dropped from the top of a roller coaster ride. Running out of air, she let her voice fade.

“Done?”

Heat of embarrassment scorched from her chin to the roots of her hair. “Yes,” she whispered with a hoarse voice.

His body vibrated with a chuckle. “I won’t let you fall.”

“The ground is telling me something different.”

“Don’t look at it. The earth lies.” He leaned slightly and made a slow turn toward the city. The yellow glow of the lights haloed the skyline, a beacon in the night calling her home.

She sighed and relaxed into her spot. “It’s so peaceful.”

“It’s one of the reasons why I choose to live here. I enjoy watching the city at night.”

“You do? I don’t think I’ve ever seen footage of you flying at night.”

“I wonder why?” he glanced at her and winked.

When she gazed at his wings, she realized how well he blended in with the sky. She laughed. “The press can’t see you.”

“I’m sure with their fancy night vision cameras they could, but they don’t know to look.”

“You make a perfect scout.” He’d be capable of flying anywhere at night unseen.

“I know.” He sounded suddenly distant.

“If you didn’t like your clan, why don’t you join another?” She knew the answer as the question came out. It was difficult to become part of a new family.

“Clans are not like clubs where I can apply for membership.” He shrugged, which was quite a feat with her between his shoulder blades. “I’m happy here.”

She rolled her eyes. She didn’t have to be a shifter to smell his lie.

Banking to the right, he flew over the neighborhood with her shop. “Where do you live? It has to be close to work since you don’t have a car.”

“Just leave me here. I’ll walk home.”

“No, it’s not safe for a female alone at night.”

“I can take care of myself.” She’d left her pepper spray at home since Ryota had tossed her in the trunk unprepared.

“I noticed.” He pointed to his eyes where she had attacked him. “I can glide all night until the sun rises, Angie. Or you can make things simpler and give me directions.”

“You’ll scare my neighbors.” Which was true, but her neighbors were made of stern stuff. They lived among gangs and thugs. Eoin would give them something to gossip about for a week. She didn’t want him taking her home because she wasn’t proud of her address in a torn-up part of the city, where drug lords ruled and the police turned their backs on crime. Angie didn’t want Eoin to see where she lived. Bad enough the werewolf pack knew.

He snorted and a small flame shot from his nostrils. “Then get comfortable. It’ll be a long night. Unless you want to return to my castle?”

“Eoin!”

“Another option is to land by your shop and I’ll shift so I can walk you home.”

“Naked?”

“Sounds like the best option, doesn’t it?”

“I live in an apartment building on the corner of Fifty-fifth Avenue and Elm Street. Land on the roof and please don’t roar or shoot flames.”

His rumble sounded suspiciously like laughter as he winged toward her neighborhood. “Is this it?” He hovered over the red brick building.

She leaned forward to peek over his shoulder. “I think so.” She’d never seen her home from this vantage point.”

“Careful, don’t fall now.” He circled the roof slowly until he landed soft as a butterfly.

Before he settled on his stomach, she slid off his back and hit the rooftop hard enough to snap her teeth together.

Whipping around faster than Angie’s eyes could track, Eoin steadied her with a clawed hand. “What’s the rush? You’ll hurt yourself with stunts like that.”

Her jaw hurt and her knees protested. She leaned against Eoin even though her ego refused to admit she was being a dumbass. “I’m fine. Really.” She limped a few steps toward the roof entrance. “You can go now.”

“Are you dismissing me?”

“Oh my God, don’t tell me you’re the sensitive type.” All day long she had to deal with one type of shifter or another. They all had their idiosyncrasies that she had to tiptoe around and she’d had it. Seeing Eoin in the evening was a terrible idea. Her shit-o-meter for dealing with shifter crap was full.