Imre: Drago Knights MC (Mating Fever)

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his book is
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P
ublished
in the United States of America by

Saranna DeWylde
© 2015

C
over Art by Croco Designs

“
H
idden Mountain was attacked
,” Imre said when he came back inside the motel room where they’d holed up for the night.

Aranka pressed her lips together and took a deep breath before speaking. “My sister?”

“Krysanthe is fine. Almost everyone is fine.” His face had gone pale.

“Almost?” She swallowed. “Just tell me.”

“Your father is missing.”

A wrecking ball crashed into her gut. “Let me guess. They don’t want us to come back to the mountain.”

“No.”

“Godsdamnit. I’m not some child who needs to be protected from the world. I can help!” Her fingers had curled into fists. She was so tired of being treated like she was some kind of delicate flower.

Imre sat down next to her on the bed and put his arm around her. “You’re going to help, Aranka.”

“How?”

“We have other chapters of the Drago Knights MC, and not all of the members are dragons. We accept anyone who proves themselves worthy.”

“Even women?” Aranka raised a brow.

“Yes, even women. Voshkie just joined at my brother’s invitation.”

Warmth spread through her. “I’m so glad. That means she and Mikolas are together then?”

He nodded. “Looks like we’re the odd ones out.”

She managed a grin. “We are the youngest. We have to be last to do everything. So tell me, how am I going to help?”

“One of our chapters requested assistance from Ondrej. We take that pretty seriously. He’s sending me, and therefore you, to investigate.”

At first, she was thrilled that someone finally believed she was capable. That she had something to offer. But nothing took precedence over her father, Glorfindel. “That’s all well and good, but I’m not going to gallivant off to who the fuck knows where with my father missing.”

“Yes, you are. There’s a chance we could get some info on who took him.”

“Who
took
him? The ghouls—”

“The ghouls are being managed by someone. Ondrej took out the Remus witch and the ghouls kept coming. This plot goes deeper than we know. We need to get all the players on the board.”

“Okay, I’m listening. What do the ghouls attacking Hidden Mountain have to do with this chapter business?” Aranka didn’t see the connection, but she wanted to. She needed to understand.

“The chapter deals in black market supernatural artifacts—”

She frowned.

“Don’t judge. Where else are you going to buy powdered newt sanctified with the blood of a werewolf under a full moon, eBay?”

“Well, why not?” Aranka grinned. She’d stuff that idea away for later. Starting her own etsy shop with powdered newt sanctified with the blood of a werewolf under a full moon, yeah, she could probably get at least a grand an ounce. Of course, she’d have to go about procuring the stuff. Not so sure she’d want to get anywhere near a werewolf on the full moon, at least not the werewolves she wouldn’t mind stabbing.

“I can see the wheels in your brain turning, Aranka. Absolutely not.”

“What? I didn’t say anything. We’re not talking about me, anyway. We’re talking about black market newtons or something?” She flashed him her best version of an innocent grin.

“Uh-huh.” He obviously didn’t buy her act for one second. “Anyway, one of their shipments was jacked and there’ve been some murders in the area.”

“I still don’t see how it connects.”

“One of the items stolen was a collar that impedes magick or any supernatural power. The thing that’s most telling is when the transport was attacked, of course the Knights fought, and one of the bodies left behind was a Headhunter.”

“Another MC?”

“Yeah. With ties to Peter Breslin. This seems to be an attack on all fronts. So we’re going to Loup Marais, Louisiana.”

“I understand now. All roads lead back to Breslin.” She narrowed her eyes. “I wonder, even if he’s immune to silver bullets, would he survive it if we fed him to a gator?”

“We’re probably end up with weregators.”

“That’s a thing I can do without. Well, actually, I mean, if we’re looking at it as an abstract it could be kind of cool. And how do you know there aren’t weregators? I wouldn’t have believed in weredragons if I were a mortal.”

“Would you want to see a weregator?”

Aranka grinned. “Probably. I snuck out to the front when we were fighting Remus because I’d never seen a real werewolf. I know,” she held up her hands to warn off his displeasure. “It wasn’t the brightest thing to do, but hey, I got to see a werewolf. I made a few friends, too.”

“You know, I’m counting on you doing just that here, too.”

She liked that about him. He could be displeased with her action without judging her for it. She liked a lot about Imre and didn’t want their time to come to an end. She’d decided he was probably going to be the one.

Aranka was still a virgin because she hadn’t found the right person she wanted to feel these new things with, but she was pretty sure Imre would be everything she’d hoped in that department.

“Are you really? No telling me not to get into trouble, no trying to make me stay in the room while you’re out having an adventure?”

“I think we all know how well that will work, but I also hope that showing that I trust you and your decisions, you’ll trust mine.”

She frowned. “So you are going to tell me to stay in the room.”

“Only when I really need you too. Aranka, asking you to stay away from the danger isn’t just for you. While I know that you’re capable, I also know that anything could happen. What if I need
you
to save
me
? But I don’t know where you are?”

She narrowed her eyes. “I… you don’t really mean that.”

“I sure as hell do. Look, I’m not an Alpha. Never have been. Never will be. I don’t need to be. I rely on a team and now that team is me and you. So get right with it.”

Aranka’s cheeks warmed. She was embarrassed and how much she liked him telling her how things were going to be. It must be something in the water. That wasn’t something she usually enjoyed from anyone. It was probably the team part. That was it. He was the first one who seemed to really believe in her.

“And this idea of staying in the room? Fuck that. It’s too easy to track. We’re going to be camping out in the swamp.”

“Really?” She tried not to squeal. “What an adventure.”

“I’m glad you feel that way.”

“Did you know that swamps aren’t like how most people think? They’re living, breathing things. They’re not stagnant and rank. They’re… they’re just amazing and beautiful. I love the old trees, the animals, the way it seems to be like a hidden magickal world. Much like Hidden Mountain.” She couldn’t hide the catch in her voice.

“We’re going to find who did this, Aranka. They will be punished, I swear it.”

“I’ll trade the punishing just to get my father back.”

“We will. Don’t you doubt it for a second. If Breslin does have your father, it’s in his best interest to keep him whole and healthy, if he’s trying to use him to increase his wealth.”

“I know that.” She put her hand to her heart. “But I don’t. Not here. We have to find him, Imre.”

“We will.”

She leaned against his shoulder and let herself believe him. She knew Imre wasn’t the type of person to make promises he couldn’t keep. So if he said they’d find him, she knew that they would.

Together.

In his arms was a really nice place to be.

Aranka had heard about the Mating Fever and she was kind of disappointed that it hadn’t struck him. That could actually put a real damper on her plans to ask him to be first.

What if he didn’t find her attractive?

Of course, Aranka was never one to let possible embarrassment keep her from something she wanted, but now wasn’t the time.

“When can I talk to my sister?”

“We’re supposed to call once we get to Loup Marais.” He pulled her a little closer. “The damage was bad. A lot of people died. They’re still accounting for the dead and trying to treat the infected. Half the mountain was destroyed. Krys is working on used the gold to shore up their defenses. Everyone is exhausted.”

“But they’re alive, so that’s what really matters. I’ll have to console myself with that.” She exhaled heavily.

“Yeah, it is. Apparently, Voshkie is a gold dragon, so I’m sure you’ll have to give her a giant helping of crap about it when you go home.”

“If the mountain is gone, I don’t know that it will be home, but I guess that’s okay, too. Change happens to us all, right?”

She grabbed him and pulled him with her to lie back on the bed.

“Just lay here a minute, okay? Everything is about to change and I’m a little afraid.”

“You? Afraid? I don’t see it.” But he complied and settled next to her.

“Aren’t you afraid?”

“No. Not about this. This is what I know how to do. This is where my experience is. Fighting ghouls on the open prairie? That was when I was afraid.”

“It didn’t seem like it.”

“Well, what was I going to do? Let my brothers go into battle without me? Let the people we’d sworn to protect suffer or pay for my fear? No.”

Maybe now was the time after all. “I admire that about you.” Her heart pounded and the sound was so loud in her ears, she would swear he could hear it. “Would you have an adventure with me?”

He laughed. “I’d love to, but I’d say we’re already having an adventure. We fought ghouls, we took a road trip, we’re going to camp out in the swamp and hunt a scary motherfucker.”

“This is true. All things I’ve never done before. So it makes sense that I’d ask you to go on this adventure with me, too.”

“Well, what is it?” he asked.

“I want you to be my first,” she blurted.

“Your first what?”

She laughed. “You know. My
first
.”

“Still not getting you.”

“For being such a smart dragon, you’re being awfully dumb. Do you just want to make me say it? Fine. I’m a virgin. I want you to be the first person I have sex with.”

He coughed.

He spluttered.

He choked.

When he finally was able to form words, he said, “Why?”

She sat up and looked at him. “What do you mean, why? Why not?”

“I’m a dragon.”

“So?”

He sat up as well and took her hands in his. “So, dragons and gold nymphs aren’t good for each other.”

“Your brother and my sister hooked up. Voshkie and Mik. Why not us?”

“Because I’m not Ondrej and I’m not Mik.”

“Well, no shit. If you were Ondrej or Mik, I’d be in big trouble. I think you’re hot, I like who you are, and we seem to adventure well together. That’s what this is. It’s just another adventure.”

“You’re beautiful, Aranka. I wish I could say yes, but I’m not as old as my brothers. I don’t have as much experience with being more than my dragon, if you understand what that means.”

She raised a brow. “Oh. So, if we have sex, you’re going to steal me and lock me away with your gold?”

“Pretty much, yeah.”

Aranka waved it off. “Bah. No, you won’t. You want to know why?”

“Enlighten me.” He tone was soft, his teasing gentle, but there was sadness in his eyes.

“Because I wouldn’t like it. I’d hate it. You’d never do something to me I didn’t want. Stealing me away, locking me away, that would kill me.”

“Which is why we can never have sex.”

“It’s not just sex. It’s an adventure. Plus, it’s not like you’ve been hit with Mating Fever.” She decided to go all in. “Kiss me and see.”

“Aranka…”

“You are the one who knows what they’re doing, so if this ends poorly, you only have yourself to blame.” She dove in for a kiss.

Of course, it could more legitimately be called a tackle.

He caught her easily and when their lips collided, it was everything she hoped it would be. It was just like in all of her favorite movies. Except for the part where she tackled him. It was supposed to be the other way around, at least, the first time because that’s the way she imagined it.

When she broke the kiss, she said, “That didn’t end badly at all.”