Her Dragon Hero (10 page)

“About that mating thing, you and I are going to have a talk, if we get back to the hotel.”

Slade swung around as two demons leapt forward from the shadows, his tail sweeping them back. He lumbered forward and fire flamed like a blow torch from his mouth.

Brim didn’t reply, but rose sharply up behind Slade with a sweep of his large wings, narrowly avoiding three more twisted, black creatures with glowing, red eyes. One looked like a kind of black jaguar, only its skin gleamed in the moonlight, showing it had no fur.

Brim hovered and she felt his body rumble while she clung on tighter and squealed when he let out his own fire.

The demons attacked with sharp blades and long spears, but Brimstone ducked and dived, using his claws, sharp teeth, and his fire as they fought. All she could do was lean down, and hang on for dear life, as both Brim and Slade quickly tore the enemy apart.

Brim finally landed. Her arms were locked so tight, they ached and her head spun from all the up and down motion.

“
Hop down, love, it’s over. They're dead and you're safe.
”

It was far from over. Her teeth chattered and she no longer felt the cold. One by one, she unlocked her fingers and swung her shaky legs over Brimstone's back, sliding onto the ground.

“Right, okay, I…um, think I need a nap now.” She stumbled away from him, but his huge tail swept around her middle, holding her up when she would have collapsed. Her head continued to spin, everything finally becoming too much for her to process.

“
Fuck, Amber, stay with me, my love. Slade quick!”

She wasn’t sure, but before oblivion claimed her, she could have sworn Brim mentioned something about love.

Chapter 8

“Got everything?” Brimstone stopped pacing at the foot of the bed, eyeing Slade setting Amber’s bag on the hotel room’s side table.

“Of course. I slipped the bus driver some more cash and assured him we were all fine, we didn’t murder Amber and bury her body in the national park somewhere.”

Brim’s eyes slid back to his little mate still sleeping on the bed. More guilt slammed into him, seeing how pale she looked against the white sheets.

After teleporting her back to the hotel, he stripped her of her bathing suit and tucked her under the blankets, while trying to get his unruly cock to stay down at seeing her naked again, feeling fucking awful for lusting after her when she was passed out because of him. What kind of mate was he to let her get kidnapped only moments after he mated her? His chest tightened and he struggled to breathe at the thought he could have lost her.

“She okay?” Slade stepped up beside him, following Brim’s gaze, concern etched on Slade’s face.

Brimstone swallowed, his body still ridged with tension and the feeling of helplessness. Killing things, he knew how to do; caring for an unconscious mate, he never did. “I don’t know. She breathes and her heart is strong. Do you think we should get one of the human healers to have a look at her?”

“I don’t know how it works with humans, but any injuries should heal quicker because of your bond.”

“She’s going to fucking flay my balls when she wakes up.” Brim clenched and unclenched his fists.

“Give her some credit, my friend. She’s tough and sassy. You’ve found a real treasure in her, especially now because she has to put up with your bad temper for the rest of your lives. I’m sure she’ll be fine.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of. I know I mated her, but what if she really doesn’t want me? I was a fucking selfish bastard, my dragon riding me to claim her. I did it without her proper consent. What if she never forgives me? Those fucking demons, fucking everything up by snatching her. Hell, she watched me kill them. I know how fragile humans are physically and mentally. What if she never recovers? I’m a monster, all I know how to do is kill. Why the fuck would the gods gift me with something as precious as her?”

Slade sighed, patting him on his arm. “Because you will willingly give up your life to protect her. Does that make you a monster? Have faith. Plus, there is far too much curiosity running around in her little head to really want to push you away.”

Slade smiled while gazing at her. “I really like her, Brim, I feel protective, too—as if she were my sister. Trust your instincts on this. The fate gods wouldn’t have given her to you if she or you couldn’t handle it. The bigger question is why did the demon take her to set a trap for us? I wish you left one alive, so we could have questioned it.”

A stab of rage hit Brim. His jaw tightened before growling. “They take her, they die, and I’d do it again.” It was simple—no one took what belonged to him and lived, especially his most precious jewel, his Amber.

“And therein lies our problem. I’ll go poke my nose around the town, and see if I can catch a whiff of anything. Someone must have known or followed us to know she was yours and use it against us. We have been rather distracted the past few days; it’s not as if we were expecting any of this to happen.”

Slade had a point, but still Brim didn’t like it. There was still a possible threat to his mate.

“I’d appreciate it if you do find out what’s going on. I’ll not leave her.”

“Whipped already. I knew having a mate changes a dragon. Gone all soft now. Ah, battles will never be the same again.” Slade’s teasing was gentle and Brim ignored him.

Brimstone was one bad, mother fucker. Soft indeed! Anyone who dared tangle with him, or look at his mate wrong would know the full force of his fury.

Slade chuckled, taking a step away. “I’ll be back later.” In the next second, Slade teleported out.

Brim sighed, his gaze still on Amber as she began to stir. He forgot everything to focus on her. His breath caught in his throat, seeing her pale blue eyes flutter open, sleepy and unfocused. Gods, she was so fucking beautiful.

Brim didn’t know any fancy words to say. Slade was the word master, and Brim knew how to use his fists and claws. He swallowed hard, dropping to his knees beside the bed. He brushed a silky strand of her hair from her forehead and stroked the smooth skin of her cheek. Fuck, he loved touching her, he loved pressing against her and feeling all her softness pillowing his harder body.

He was hard again, aching to touch more of her.

“Amber, baby.”

She blinked and focused on him with a frown. He watched as the memory of what happened flood her eyes. Her body jerked in utter panic, and she screamed and scrambled to get away from him.

“Amber, Amber, it’s me, you’re okay.” He gripped her shoulders, holding her down while she fought against him.

“Demons, there are demons!”

“Shh, baby, you're safe, they're all gone.” He jerked her struggling form against him, holding her tight in case she hurt herself in her confusion. She calmed and her body softened. He soothed a hand down her back, enjoying her skin and warmth.

“Brimstone?”

He loosened his hold and she sat back, staring at him. “Yes baby, we’re back at the hotel. Everything is okay.”

Her brow dipped while she thought things over. His chest tightened further as her frown turned into a deep scowl, before shaking her head.

“No, no, it’s not okay. Let me go.”

His stomach pitched at her words.
She does see me as a monster, and she is going to reject me.

It took great willpower to remove his arms from around her. She climbed off the bed, glancing down at her naked state.

“You put me to bed?”

He nodded, tongue-tied for what to say to her other than wanting to show her, pull her back onto the bed and bury his cock deep within. Fuck, now was not the time for such moves, even if they did help him in the past. He didn’t have any idea how he was getting out of this one.

“How long have I been out?”

“Four hours and twenty-three minutes.” Her eyebrow cocked at his accurate tracking of the time.

“Where’s my suitcase?”

“Over there.” He pointed to the other side of the room where Slade left it. "I’ll get it." Itching for something to do, he quickly fetched the piece of bright pink luggage, laying it on the end of the bed, helplessly watching as she snapped it open and rummaged through it, yanking items out.

Brimstone rubbed the back of his neck, his agitation growing the longer she ignored him. He needed to do something, say something, apologise.

“Amber, I—”

“Don’t.” The fierce anger in her gaze as she glared at him made him stumble back a step. How the fuck did a little, five foot six human woman turn a blood-thirsty, dragon soldier into such a coward? Fear gripped him, because he knew exactly why. She held his most vital organ in her small hands, one he blindly gave her without thought or reservation.

“I’m going to have a shower. Alone.” She stressed the last word. “Order some food, please. I’m starving.”

Demon balls!
He didn’t think about caring for her basic needs past keeping her safe. With a bundle of clothing in her arms, he watched her fabulous heart-shaped arse sway while she walked into the bathroom and he flinched when she slammed the door shut.

He was a dragon in love and there was fuck all he could do, or wanted to do about it. He grabbed the menu sitting on the desk and picked up the phone. At least, he would have a full stomach before she told him to go to hell.

* * * *

With water as hot as she could get it without burning herself, Amber scrubbed her skin red, and then washed her hair twice. She wanted to get rid of the grim and imaginary cold she swore she could still feel. All the while, her mind tumbled over how to deal with her new and sudden love affair with one large, red dragon, and deal with the knowledge that dragons, demons and—for all she knew, Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny—really did exist.

 Yes, she was angry at Brimstone. The big brute slammed his way into her life and simply took over. The fact there was a paranormal world, and a dangerous one, didn’t settle well.

The powerful attraction, and his claim that she was his mate, confused her. Did fate really put them together, or was it something else? She sighed and turned off the water, wringing out her hair before snatching a towel off the vanity and running it over her damp skin.

Enough was enough. If he was really as stuck on her as he claimed, things needed to change. She wanted open and honest communication, she needed her questions answered, and not only for the sake of her stories.

What would become of her life if she let the relationship continue? She remembered the horrible feeling of emptiness when she was parted from him for those forever-long moments in a cold, dark place.

The only one with the answers still waited the other side of the door, but he could wait. She took her time with smoothing lotion on her body before dressing in a long, flowing, black skirt and a pale blue, summer, cotton blouse. She combed out her hair, knowing it would dry quickly in the Darwin warmth.

Opening the bathroom door, she found him pacing in front of it.  He turned and she saw the worry in his jewelled red eyes, which were so beautiful. He no longer deemed it necessary to hide them from her.

Good.

He scanned her from head to toe as if searching out harm before glancing over her head into the bathroom, seeking out any possible enemy.

“I’m still here. No demon snatched me while having a shower.” Considering it only took a split second for her to be snatched in a public place, yet, she felt protected by Brimstone's watchful presence.

His gaze returned to her, softened and filled with admiration. “You’re so fucking beautiful.” His deep voice a mere whisper, in contrast to such a big man.

She smiled, accepting his compliment. He made her feel beautiful. “Thank you.”

“Are you…okay?” He reached out, his hand hovering, and then thought better of it and let it drop to his side. This was not like the Brimstone who railroaded himself into her life. The open vulnerability showed in his tense shoulders and concerned eyes.

“Physically, I’m fine; mentally, I’m not so sure.” This was true. With so many unanswered questions, she was unsure of what would happen to her if she let things continue.

“You can’t leave me!” he almost yelled. Ah, so there he was, the tactless dragon man she rapidly grew fond of. She schooled her face best, so she could hide her grin.

“I can’t? Why is that?” She folded her arms, refusing to be intimidated with him looming over her. “I’m not used to violence; I’ve lived a sheltered, normal, human life. What happened, wherever that place was, scared me. If life with you is going to be like this, why can’t I choose to walk away from it? Would you really stop me if I wanted to go?”

His large shoulders sagged. “No, baby, it’ll tear out my fucking heart, but I only want to make you happy. If you want to leave, I won’t stop you.”

She believed him, even with his possessive and dominant behaviour, he cared enough to let her walk away.

Brushing around him, she went and sat down at the set dining table, where a half dozen covered plates sat waiting.

“Did you order everything on the menu?”

“I didn’t know what you liked, so yes.”

“Sit down, Brim, please.”