Seduced By Flames by Vella Day (24)

Despite Nessa’s slow progress and mounting irritation, a sudden wave of exhilaration swamped her. It came from Kyle.

“Are you all right?” she telepathed. Nessa stood, taking a rest from the back-breaking task of moving the big boulder.

“Yes, Landry Madison is dead. We are finally safe.”

While Nessa was overjoyed at the outcome, her current worry over Greer didn’t provide her with a lot of joy. “Thank the Fates, but I really need your help.”

“I’m almost there.”

A loud squawking sounded overhead, and she looked up. It was hard to recognize Kyle since his green scales blended in with the trees, but she could sense it was him.

Scrub brush bordered the rock face, but the top was bare. Wings fluttered and nails scraped against the granite as Kyle slid down the rock face. Losing purchase, he plummeted to the ground fifty feet from her. His animal lay limp on the ground, and she raced over to him.

“Kyle!” she yelled. The fall wouldn’t have killed him, but he might be seriously injured.

Before she reached him, he’d shifted into his human form then pushed up on his elbows and grinned. “Hey.”

She had to chuckle. Her mate was silly. “Hey, yourself. That was a stupid—albeit brilliant—stunt to pull.” If she’d known exactly where Greer was, she would have flown there too. Kyle stood and brushed himself off. “You up for a little grunt work?” she asked.

“Absolutely.” His hands and face were scratched, but those slight injuries would disappear shortly. The pride radiating off him from a moment ago disappeared and was replaced with high concern. He quickly hugged her. “How’s Greer?”

“She’s hanging in there, but her leg is pinned under the rocks. The space is too small for her to shift. Come on.”

They both ran over to where Nessa had managed to move the boulder on the outside, but she’d yet to free Greer. They both squeezed into the cave.

“Dragon arms are stronger than human ones,” Nessa said. “You will need to partially shift. We have to make sure we have a firm grasp on the rock before we move it, or it could crush her. Can you do that?”

“I hope so.”

They changed their arms into dragon claws and wrapped them around the first rock. Greer grunted, spurring Nessa on to be careful. She’d always considered herself strong, but Kyle’s abilities were far superior.

He tugged on one rock, but it didn’t budge. “Let’s both push,” he said.

When they combined their power, the rock tumbled out of the way. Once they figured out the best way to free Greer, it went faster.

“The last one will be the hardest,” she said, since it was sitting on top of her sister.

“Wait a minute,” Kyle said. “Didn’t you tell me that when you escaped from the cave-in that you heated the rocks to break them apart?”

“I did.”

“How about if I try that?”

Holy crap. Nessa wanted to kiss him. She’d been so upset that she hadn’t been thinking straight. “That’s brilliant.”

Kyle tossed her a brief smile. “In case my aim isn’t perfect, why don’t you wrap yourself around Greer to protect her?”

“Another great idea.” Focusing on her inner dragon, she partially shifted to bring her scales to the surface. She then knelt next to Greer and used her body to block any projectiles. “Okay, we’re ready. Concentrate on pinpoint precision. Your fire will be extremely hot. With it, you should be able to cut the rock.”

“Got it.”

Fire shot out of Kyle’s hands. Rock fragments shot everywhere, but the few that hit her, bounced off her body. “You’re doing great, Kyle.”

The large rock took a lot of work to cut through. If she’d been doing it, she would have tired a while ago.

“A little bit more,” he said, his voice deep and raspy.

A moment later, the rock cracked and rolled off Greer.

Her sister was finally free. Nessa returned fully to her human form and cupped her sister’s face. “Greer?”

Her eyes fluttered, and then her head dropped to the side. Without a word, Kyle stepped close and scooped her up into his arms. “Let’s get her some air.”

Once they exited the cave, he set Greer down. “Now that your ex is dead, Lily is safe, so I’ll call Birk and ask him to find a few men to clear the path back to the cabin.”

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“I thought I told you that your evil ex claimed he’d set charges along the path, hoping to blow me up when I came after you?”

“That fuck. We’ll have to fly out of here.”

He looked upward. “There are a lot of trees in the way. Let’s see what Birk says first.”

Putting his cell on speaker, Kyle called her brother who asked a ton of questions. In the end, Birk promised to come with a couple of experts to disarm the area. The bad news was that it would probably take a couple of hours to search the entire path.

“Thanks, Birk,” Kyle said. “Given Greer’s weak condition, we’ll find another way out.”

“We’ll still need to clear the path. We don’t want some unsuspecting person killed,” Birk said.

“I agree. And thank you.”

Because that might take hours, after some discussion, she and Kyle decided the best method of extraction was to scale the rock in their human form until they were above the tree line and then fly from there.

Kyle and Nessa each wrapped an arm around Greer’s waist. They partially shifted their free hand and legs into claws to give them a better grip. Despite that added advantage, it was slow going up the seventy-foot cliff. Once clear of the trees, Kyle shifted first, cradling Greer in his claws. Nessa followed. While it wasn’t far, it seemed to take forever to reach the SinCas mining compound.

It was time to call Declan and have him heal her sister.

It had been two weeks since Landry Madison’s death. Between Declan’s extensive healing talents and Greer’s own magic, she had healed nicely. The whole experience still shook Nessa though. To think she’d almost lost her sister. A knock sounded on her condo door. Yay! It was Greer.

Nessa rushed to answer the door. “Hey, good to see you out and about.”

“I’m feeling back to normal.” She placed a hand on Nessa’s arm. “It’s you I’m worried about.”

“Me? Why?”

“When you stopped by the store yesterday, I could tell something was bothering you. Is it Kyle?”

Why would she think that? “No. He’s wonderful, though he works too hard.”

Greer chuckled. “Most men work too hard. I take it he hasn’t found a new assistant yet?”

Nessa shook her head. “It bothers me that he blames himself for making the decision to hire Tom in the first place.” Nessa rolled her eyes. “We both have that in common, I guess. I fell for Landry’s charm too.”

“I’m getting us a drink.” Greer stepped into Nessa’s kitchen. Cabinets opened and then shut. A minute later, she returned with two glasses of wine. “Here. Drink this. So how are you and Lily getting along?” She slipped onto one of the counter stools.

Nessa was finally able to give her a real smile. Greer was back to her usual helpful self. “Great. I think she’s softening toward dragons.”

“I’m happy to hear that. I’ve asked Birk about her, but as soon as I bring up her name, he shuts down.”

Nessa sat next to her and sipped on her wine. “Like we said before, I’m more and more convinced that Fate has paired those two. Maybe he’s being cautious and wants to give Lily time to heal.”

Greer nodded and then waved her glass at Nessa. “The mine is back in full swing now, so why aren’t you happier?”

“I am happy.”

“Nessa.”

“Fine. It’s just that I miss the closeness Kyle and I shared when we were searching for Landry. It seems of late, we’ve both been preoccupied with our jobs.”

“That happens, but you have to work at finding time for yourselves.” Her sister took a long draw on her wine. “You know, he’d make a fine Guardian.”

Nessa’s heart jacked up a notch. “I’ve been debating asking Dad and Uncle Jamison about it, but I fear they’d say no because he’s an outsider.”

“They brought Kaleena’s new mate, Finn, into the fold. And he was a real outsider.”

“Being from Earth would qualify him as that. Here’s the thing; I’m not sure Kyle wants to do what we do.”

Greer leaned on the counter. “Have you asked him?”

She’d been afraid of what he might say. “No.”

Almost as if he’d been standing outside the door listening to their conversation, the door unlocked and Kyle walked in. She hadn’t expected him this early since he’d been working long hours. Her traitorous body turned hot, and her purple scales glowed.

Greer set down her glass and cleared her throat. “Well sweet sister, your scales say it all. I’ll let you two enjoy each other.”

Nessa jumped up and hugged her. “Thank you.”

“Be happy.” With that, her sister headed toward the door.

Kyle hugged Greer and exchanged a few words before tossing his keys on the kitchen counter. “What was that about?” he asked once Greer left.

“Nothing.”

“Really? You two seemed so serious.”

Nessa smiled. “I’m good.”

“If that’s really the case, I’m going to take a shower. We had a small incident at Wilson Snar’s mine, and I am covered in dust.”

“Was anyone hurt?”

“Nothing serious,” he said. “It was human error.”

Greer had made her question her own motivations for why she’d been out of sorts. She wanted Kyle to be part of her family in more than just mating with her. “Mind if I join you?”

His eyes that had been dark blue in his human form, morphed into what she liked to call light sea blue. It was a combination of his old eye color mixed with that of teal—the color all male dragons possessed when stimulated.

“I was hoping I could convince you to get naked.” He cupped her cheek.

“You never have to convince me.” Right in the living room, Nessa stripped, and Kyle did the same.

He drew her near. “I’ve missed you these last two weeks. What with dealing with Tom’s death and looking for his replacement, we haven’t had a lot of time to ourselves.”

“I was thinking the same thing.” Nessa kissed him and every cell in her body exploded. She leaned back. “It’s partially my fault. I’ve been preoccupied with the mine reopening. It has taken up a lot of my time. Thankfully, that is behind me.”

“That’s wonderful. How about we take the weekend off and go someplace special? Just the two of us?”

Her pussy dampened. “I’d love that.” Nessa dragged a nail down his chest. “I have another idea too.”

Kyle’s eyes widened. “What is it?”

“While I haven’t asked my father or my uncle, I bet they’d be thrilled to have you become a Guardian.”

His mouth opened. “They’d take me?”

She laughed. “I’m positive. They’d be thrilled if you said yes.”

He hugged her tight and swung her around. “I’d love that!”

She couldn’t believe it. Kyle would be a Guardian. Happiness swamped her. “Did someone say something about taking a shower and rubbing his hands all over my body?” She so loved this man.

“I wasn’t specific, but I like the way you think.” Kyle grabbed her hand and quickly led her into the bathroom. “If I start kissing you before I shower, I think you’ll be sorry.”

She grinned. “As much as I want you right now, I’m willing to forgo a bit of foreplay for the sake of cleanliness.”

“Smart woman.”

Nessa nodded at his big cock. “How come you’re always in a state of arousal?”

He grabbed his cock and pumped his hand a few times. “I’m only like this when I’m around you.”

They stepped into the shower, and he pressed the button to turn on the pre-set water temperature. Watching the liquid sluice over his sleek body had her dragon clawing for release.

Kyle was everything she wanted in a man. He was kind, protective, smart, and above all, honorable. Nessa grabbed the bar of soap and dragged it over his chest.

He immediately palmed her nipples, hardening them into peaks. “I’ve missed you so much.”

“I’ve missed you too.” Nessa stabbed a finger at his thigh. “Did I ever tell you how much I love your green scales? They’re so…” She couldn’t think of a description.

“Forest like?”

She smiled. “Like a forest—my favorite place to explore.”

He rinsed his head and then plastered his chest against hers. The water bounced off his face and splashed her, but she didn’t care. Having their bodies together like this was beyond joyous.

Kyle leaned down and kissed her. The moment their tongues touched, heat swamped her, and she slipped her hand between them and grabbed his cock.

He broke the kiss. “You’re asking for it.”

Nessa dropped her head back and laughed. “I can’t get enough of you when you go all macho dragon on me.”

“You haven’t seen anything yet.”

He pressed her back against the far wall and dropped to his knees. With a great deal of confidence, he spread her legs wide, and her pussy screamed for his tongue. The first lick had her standing on her toes and palming the back wall. Ever since they’d mated, her need for him had grown to epic proportions, which was probably why she was a little out of sorts. Needing someone that much was not in her nature.

But it was now.

Kyle reached up and cupped a breast. Her scales glowed, and heat rushed through her. Kyle changed tactics and slipped three fingers into her pussy. He then curled his fingers to touch her sweet spot. When he pressed inward, Nessa couldn’t take it any longer and let out a yell.

Kyle smiled, stood, and moved in closer. She raised a hand. “Give me a sec to catch my breath. I have to taste you too.”

“I don’t think that would be wise.”

Before he could talk her out of it, she scooted to the side and leaned over. With her right hand, she grabbed his cock, and with her left hand, she cupped his balls. His groans turned to grunts, and his scales pulsed that glorious forest green she so loved. Needing to taste him now, she drew him deep into her mouth, licking and swirling her tongue.

He clutched a handful of her hair as a shot of cum tinged her mouth. Wanting to experience all of him, she let go. Kyle reached behind her and shut off the water. A moment later, they were outside of the shower drying off as quickly as possible. Their gazes met, and he pressed her against the bathroom door. Not breaking eye contact, Kyle ripped the towel from her body. “I need to be inside you.”

“Yes,” was all she managed to say.

Kyle kissed her hard. He then spun her around and pressed on her back to bend her over. As soon as she palmed the door for support, he aimed his cock at her entrance and drove into her. Her inner pussy walls clamped down on him, needing to keep him inside her forever.

He reached around her and pressed lightly on her nipples, tugging and teasing. Nothing had felt so good. Desiring more pressure, she thrust her hips back.

“Nessa!” Kyle grunted.

Knowing they might be able to fight side by side and enjoy each other forever made this experience ever so special. His mouth came down on her neck. While biting her wouldn’t give either of them any more power, Kyle seemed to need to mate with her again in his own way.

She lowered her head and reached behind her, but all she could grab was the side of his ass. When his sharpened teeth sank into her neck, her climax came on so hard that her knees buckled. Kyle lowered an arm and kept her upright as his hot cum filled her.

“You are my world, Nessa Caspian.”

“And you are my realm.”

“Stand still,” Nessa told Kyle. She ran her fingers through his hair to straighten the strands that were a bit cockeyed.

“It’s just dinner with your parents, right?”

“I think maybe the whole family will be there.”

Kyle cupped her shoulders. “What aren’t you telling me?” He’d been able to sense her excitement but not the cause.

“It’s a surprise. Now let’s go.”

He knew questioning her wouldn’t do any good when she wanted to keep a secret. Her parents lived outside of town, which meant it was easier to fly than drive. The evening was balmy, and the view of the city below was magical.

Once they passed the mine, they traveled another few minutes before landing on her parents’ front lawn. Not having to be constantly on alert that someone might attack was such a nice change. They quickly returned to their human form.

“There’s an awful lot of noise in there,” Kyle said. “I thought you said this was an intimate affair.”

She smiled. “It is, but I have a large family.”

As soon as they stepped inside, Kyle was surprised all right. More than just the Caspians were present. The Sinclairs were there too.

The loud conversations died down, and everyone faced him.

Laird Caspian came over to them and patted Kyle on the back. “Come in, son. We have something to discuss with you.”

Nessa had hinted that her family might officially offer him a position as a Guardian. Being able to help Nessa on her quest to right the wrongs of society appealed to him. He just hoped he could live up to the Guardian name.

Jamison Sinclair came over and stood next to Laird Caspian. “We’d like to formally thank you for all you’ve done for our family.”

He was about to say that he was just doing his job, but that wasn’t entirely true. “I love Nessa and will do anything to make sure she and her family remain safe.”

Both men smiled. Nessa threaded an arm through his and looked up at her father and uncle. “Just ask him so we can get on with the celebration.”

Laird Caspian chuckled. “Nessa always was impatient, but she’s right. We would be honored if you would agree to be part of the Guardian family.”

Just as he was about to answer, Kaleena and someone Kyle suspected was her mate, busted in. “Sorry,” Kaleena said. “We had a little trouble with the portal location. Finn and I just returned from Earth. What did we miss?”

“We’re waiting to hear whether Kyle is willing to become a Guardian.”

Kaleena and Finn both grinned.

“Yes!” Kyle exclaimed.

He didn’t even have the chance to shake either of the elders’ hands because Nessa was in his arms, kissing him. Life with her would be one hell of an adventure.

THE END

Don’t forget to sign up for my to receive three free books, as well as up-to-date information on my stories. If you prefer to only receive notices regarding my releases, follow me on .

I hope you enjoyed Nessa and Kyle’s story. Next up is Birk and Lily’s story, called .

Birk Caspian couldn’t take it any longer—or rather his dragon couldn’t handle not having the delicious Lily Harper in his life. Sure she was a human, but if he didn’t convince his future mate to go out with him—and soon—not only would his inner animal explode, his work would suffer. And that could jeopardize the lives of a lot of people.

Birk folded his wings and extended his claws as he landed on the lush green grass of the park down the street from Lily’s apartment. Once he shifted, he straightened his button-down shirt and made sure his hair was out of his face before making his way to her place.

With each step, his nerves increased, which was wrong on so many levels. Being the head of security for SinCas Gems and Metals, he was as tough as they came. So how could some blonde haired beauty with so many emotional walls bring him to his knees with a shake of her head?

Mate, mate, his dragon reminded him.

Like I could ever forget?

His problem was that Lily had refused to go out with him ever since his protection detail of her had ended, and it was causing him undo mental stress. It wasn’t like Birk was some weak man. Far from it. He was one of the most respected of the Guardians, battling some of Tarradon’s biggest foes. Yet here he was—desperate and dejected.

Lily will give in this time. I can feel it in my bones, his dragon said with what sounded like fake encouragement. And remember to smile for goddess’ sake. You look like an ogre most of the time with all your flexing muscles and perpetual frown.

Fuck off. I got this.

Or so he hoped. He didn’t need to explain to his dragon that his constant frown was because of Lily’s negative attitude toward dragon shifters in general. His sour disposition also stemmed from the fact she didn’t want to go out with him—now or ever.

He entered her building and strode up to her new wooden door he’d had replaced after her attack. Birk straighten his shoulders and knocked. The addition of the keyhole was his suggestion since the last thing she needed was her ex-boyfriend, Nelor Dobbins, another dragon shifter who’d burned her, to return.

Birk hadn’t paid for the door repair to earn her favor, but he hoped it helped her understand that not all dragons were bad. From her reaction to him over the last few weeks though, she might never change her mind.

A china cup hit its saucer and tinkled lightly. Then the voices on the television lowered, but no footsteps neared.

He knocked again. “It’s Birk, Lily. I need to talk to you.”

As if she could float without making any noise, the knob twisted and her face appeared around the edge of the door. Devoid of makeup, Lily was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. Her creamy white skin and long blonde hair were in stark contrast to her gorgeous green eyes. And those naturally red lips were made for kissing. Her sweet lavender scent wafted toward him, making his dragon claw his insides.

Birk yearned to run his hand down her arm, but he didn’t want to upset her.

“Is something wrong, Birk?” she asked, not stepping to the side to let him in.

Yes, a hell of a lot was wrong, but he’d keep that to himself. “I just stopped by to see how you were doing. Mind if we talk?”

She glanced behind her. He hoped it was to see if her place looked presentable and not to stall for time. He didn’t sense she had company. “Sure,” she said breaking eye contact.

When he stepped past her, he swore she was even smaller than the last time he’d come knocking. He was almost a foot and a half taller, but that only made him want to protect her even more.

He faced her. “Nelor hasn’t show up again, has he?”

She jerked at that dragon shifter’s name. “No. He won’t come around. He knows the cops are still looking for him.”

Birk’s job as head of security at the mines meant he believed in following the rules. Hopefully, Lily appreciated that fact. But unless her brother told her about Birk being a member of the Guardians, she would have no idea just how much he cared about people. “No other strange men lurking about?”

When she furrowed her brows, he wanted to take back his question. He sucked at small talk, possibly because most of the women of Tarradon asked him out, not the other way around. Clearly being face-to-face with his mate evaporated his social skills.

“No. Once my brother’s assistant was caught and killed, no one has threatened me. I’m invisible once more, just the way I like it.” She tossed him a quick smile, but it didn’t seem to hold much joy—only nervousness.

As much as Birk wanted to reach out and caress her face to soothe her sorrow, he didn’t dare. “You’re hardly invisible, Lily. You are not only beautiful, but you have an important job. People know who you are.”

She broke eye contact once more. “Thank you.”

Birk cleared his throat. “I came by in part because I wanted to see if you’d have dinner with me. Just so you know, I’m going to keep asking until you say yes.” He winked, trying to act cool.

A wink? Are you kidding me? his arrogant dragon asked. I’ll be surprised if she doesn’t shove you out the door right now.

Lily let out a breath. When she touched his arm, heat swamped him, and he no doubt his ruby red scales were doing a dance under his skin.

Sheesh, Lily didn’t need to see his brown eyes turn turquoise with lust or his scales flash under his skin to show how much she affected him. She was skittish enough as it was.

“I appreciate the offer, but like I’ve told you before, I’m not ready to date anyone.”

Those words seared his heart. “Is it because I’m a dragon shifter?” Birk asked.

“No.”

Her glance to the floor implied that was a lie. “It doesn’t bother you that your brother is mated to a dragon?” And that Kyle was now one too?

Her lips twisted. “Not anymore. Nessa is a great person.”

And I’m not?

His dragon growled. Don’t act defensive.

Fuck off, you fire breathing animal.

“My sister is wonderful, but I’m only asking you to dinner. I promise not to shift or shoot fire at anyone.” That was assuming he didn’t have to protect some innocent person from harm.

“Birk, please. I know I owe you my life for protecting me all those weeks against Tom Delaney—or rather Landry Madison and his minions, but I prefer being by myself.”

“I understand.” Birk had no idea how to counter that response. He’d seen how joyous his sister was after mating, and he firmly believed that Lily could be just as happy if she gave him a chance. But just because she said no this time didn’t mean he would give up. “I’ll stop by again to make sure you’re okay.”

Lily tilted her chin upward. “I think it would be best if you didn’t.”

That was harsh. “If that’s the way you want it, I won’t then. Goodbye and take care, Lily.” Those words sliced off a bit of his heart.

It took all of his self-control to walk out of the door and not punch the wall. She’d rejected him. Again. Had it been something he’d said? Birk had taken excellent care of her when those men were after his family and hers, yet he never once put the moves on her—and Fate sure as hell knew how much he wanted to.

Her brother, Kyle, told him Lily had also been emotionally scarred by Nelor, but that didn’t make it any easier to accept her ultimatum. She was his mate and he needed her.

Birk wasn’t one to give up. He was still convinced that with time and a little help from her brother and his sister Nessa, Lily would come around. The question was whether he could last that long.

As soon as Birk reached the front entrance to her building his cell went off. It was his cousin Declan who never seemed to relax when it came to managing the two mines.

“Hey, what’s up?” Birk asked in his most cheerful voice. If he’d answered in a tone that reflected his mood, even his fearless cousin might become afraid.

“Where are you?” he asked.

“I just came from seeing Lily. Why?” Declan was well aware of Birk’s need to connect with her.

“Are you free now?”

“Yes.”

“Good. I could use your help at the gem mine. There’s been an altercation between some of the men.”

“What do you need me to do?” The employees who worked the late shift were probably just blowing off steam. Most likely Declan was calling to check up on him.

“I’d like you to coordinate extra security and send them right over.”

That seemed lame. “I’ll get right on it.”

Instead of running back to the park where he could shift and head to the mine, Birk walked, stopping occasionally to plan his next move. He needed to win her over—but that event, however, was unlikely to happen soon.

Birk didn’t think it was his looks that turned her off. Many women had told him he was exceedingly handsome, though he bet they were referring to his body more than to his face. Most likely his large build scared tiny Lily. Shit. It wasn’t like he could change that. While he’d never met Nelor, it was his understanding that he was a big guy too. Lily had been attracted to that, until he went ballistic on her. Birk would never treat a woman or anyone with that kind of cruelty—unless he was in battle with an enemy and had to fight to survive. In fact, Birk had deliberately been passive around his mate, fearing she’d reject any man—or shifter—who was too aggressive.

He just needed to keep being himself, even though as of yet, it hadn’t gotten him very far. Eventually, Birk hoped she would take a chance and see the type of person he was: a caring, giving, loving and highly protective man. Lily had been hurt. He understood that, but she had let herself judge everyone by that one experience and he didn’t know how to get even a pinhole of light through the walls she built up around herself.

If you think you’ve been yourself, you’re wrong. You’ve been nothing but a sullen, over protective ass. You haven’t even tried to learn anything about her.

He didn’t need this conversation with his dragon. I know she works for an insurance company and grew up poor.

If you know so much about her, tell me her favorite color or her favorite food. What is her best childhood memory? Who is her best friend?

A horn beeped and Birk jumped back to avoid being hit by a car. While a collision with a vehicle would hurt, it couldn’t kill him. “I would know more about her if she didn’t push me away all the time. When she does answer my questions, it’s with as few words as possible. Since she keeps saying that she wants me to leave her alone, it’s kind of hard to learn about her.”

“I get it, but you have to try harder.”

Perhaps. For sure, Birk needed help in the relationship department, though he didn’t know whose advice he should seek. His cousin, Tory, was a people person, but he’d never live through the embarrassment of asking for her help. His sister, Greer, was class personified, but he didn’t know how she could help.

Right now, he needed to get to the mine. Once Birk arrived at the park, he shifted into his dragon form, and flew there. The more he thought about it, he wasn’t even sure why Declan had called him. His cousin was more than capable of handling a little ruckus.

As if on autopilot, Birk found himself over the mine a few minutes later. Not once during the short flight had he checked his surroundings for unfriendly dragons. Crap, he was losing it, and he blamed Lily for making him lose concentration—damn, sexy woman. Why couldn’t she just go out with him? He was positive he could show her a good time.

Birk did have an ace in the hole. Lily’s brother was mated to Birk’s sister. If they had a get together, he’d be in the same room with her and could hopefully charm her, though that wouldn’t show her what he was really like—a warrior, a protector, and a good man. Damn. Maybe he was destined to be alone.

When Birk landed and headed to the Sinclair Gem office, he didn’t see any major catastrophe brewing outside the mine. When he stepped inside, Declan spun around.

“What took you so long?” His lips were pressed tight. Crap.

Birk shrugged. “I came right away.”

“What did you do, fight crime for half an hour first?”

“No.” Birk didn’t need to justify himself to Declan. Okay, maybe he did. Declan Sinclair was boss over both the Sinclair and Caspian mines, but he was also his cousin.

“Did you contact your men to help out? Because if you did, no one showed up.” Declan moved closer. Usually his cousin was easy going, but something seemed to have set him off today.

“Sorry, I forgot to make the call. I got a little distracted.”

Declan stared at him as if he’d lost him mind—and that wouldn’t be far from the truth. “You forgot? You never just forget. You are the most dependable person I know.” He held up a hand. “But don’t worry about the skirmish. My men took care of it.” Declan gave him that death stare again and then chuckled. “Actually, I called you here to find out what’s really going on with you. In the last few weeks, you’ve been distant and quite honestly unreliable.”

Birk had never shirked any responsibility in his life. It was what made him so serious. “Nothing happened.” Other than Lily.

“Bullshit.”

“Fine. If you must know, when I was protecting Lily Harper I realized she’s my mate.” There. He’d spilled it.

Declan smiled. “Well, congratulations. You should be happy, but clearly you aren’t. Why?”

It was humiliating to mention his failure. “I can’t get her to go out with me.”

“Seriously?” His tone almost sounded mocking.

“It’s because Lily is afraid of dragons.”

“Hmm. What does her dragon shifting brother have to say about that?” Declan raised his eyebrows.

“Lily needs time to deal with what her ex-boyfriend did to her, but my dragon is giving me ulcers. I can’t sleep. I can’t eat. Hell, I can’t even remember to call for help one minute after you tell me there is an incident at the mine. That’s not like me.”

Declan wrapped an arm around his shoulder. “I know. And that’s what worries me. I’m sure you’ll figure it out, but I hope you do it sooner rather than later. Why don’t you take the weekend off? Think of Monday as a new start. If anything happens, we’ll call you.”

He’d suffered through too many weekends and none of them helped. “Thanks.” I think.

Not wanting to talk about his humiliating experience to anyone else, Birk left the building and took flight. Just as he was about to reach his house on the outskirts of the city, he spotted The Wings Bar below. Even though he had an extremely high metabolism rate for alcohol, a few drinks would help loosen and relax him. If that didn’t work, Birk would consider escaping to Earth for a fresh start.

(book 1)

(book 2)

(book 3)

WERES & WITCHES OF SILVER LAKE

(book 1) – FREE

(book 2)

(book 3)

(book 4)

(book 5)

(book 6)

(book 7)

(book 8)

(book 9)

(book 10)

PACK WARS (Paranormal)

(book 1)

(book 2)

(book 3)

(book 4)

(book 5)

(book 6)

(books 1–6)

MONTANA PROMISES (Full length contemporary)

(book 1)

(book 2)

(book 3)

(book 4)

(book 5)

(books 1–5)

ROCK HARD, MONTANA (contemporary novellas)

(book 1)

(book 2)

HIDDEN HILLS SHIFTERS (Paranormal)

(book 1) – FREE

(book 2)

(book 3)

(books 1–3)

(book 4)

(book 5)

A NASH MYSTERY (Contemporary)

(book 1)

(book 2)