shift happens 03 - no were to run (13 page)

Stupidstupidstupid. I was making a mess of things and I needed to regain some kind of upper hand here. What the hell would distract a weyr of Dragons from sex and shocking revelations?

Blood.

I could do that. Violence would help me work out the forbidden sexual tension flowing through my veins.

“Since I will not fight my brother’s child, I will accept challenges from anyone that would like to have a go at me,” I called out.

Nicolai’s eyebrows shot up. I was unsure if he was disappointed he wasn’t going to get laid by a princess or if he was now positive I had a death wish. It didn’t matter. Being around him right now was far more dangerous than slaying Dragons.

Fighting I understood. What was happening between me and Nicolai—not so much.

The challenges came fast and furious—four men and two women stepped forward. So much for thinking they were beginning to like me. Again, I didn’t need their friendship. I needed their respect and after tonight, I would have it. It would come at a cost, but what in my life hadn’t thus far?

“Dragon or human?” I shouted to my challengers.

“Dragon,” the bloodthirsty crowd chanted.

“So be it,” I muttered as I removed my clothing and let my body shift into my Dragon.

The feeling of freedom and rightness overwhelmed me as my body went from skin and fragile bone to massive gossamer wings and glittering golden scales. My vision was clearer and the air smelled sweeter. If I had my way, I’d spend all my time like this. Although, I wouldn’t be fighting…I’d simply fly.

“You will engage with her one at a time,” Nicolai instructed over the din of the excited Dragons. “And there will be no fight to the death. If
anyone
,” he said giving me a narrowed eyed sideways glance, “goes for the kill they will be taking
me
on. Am I clear?”

His people nodded to him and went to their knees. For a guy who despised royalty, he had his people trained to a tight protocol.

“Begin,” he shouted.

And we did.

The first four—two men and two women—were a breeze. I sustained some bloody injuries, but to me they were mere nuisances. The blood flow and damage to my challengers were far more severe, but they would live. If this was an accurate representation of the fighting prowess of the Resistance, it was no wonder they were losing the war.

“This is ridiculous,” I huffed. Pink and purple flames left my jaws as I spoke. “This is child’s play. These are the best you have?”

My large body shimmered in the quickly setting sun. A menagerie of rainbow colored points of light covered the ground around me as the sun bounced off my shiny scales and I knew I looked every inch the Princess I was. The Dragons pointed and whispered. A few danced in the sparkling lights. I was curious if Maria had gold in her hide when she shifted. I’d have to wait and see.

My last two challengers backed away. This was boring and the crowd echoed my sentiment. My Dragon itched for a real battle, but apparently it was not to be.

“I challenge you,” came a familiar voice from below.

Oh shit…beware of what you wish for.

Nicolai removed his clothes and shifted quickly into his Dragon. It was fluid and gorgeous. I admired him and assessed him for weakness. I couldn’t find any. His massive body gleamed and his silver makings seemed to dance along his skin. This would be satisfying and my Dragon approved.

“The rules remain the same,” he said. His voice in his Dragon form was deeper and unfortunately even sexier. “We fight until I pin you.”

“Or until I pin you,” I corrected him to cheers and shouts from the crowd.

“Never happened. Never will,” he shot back with a huff of laughter that produced an orange flame dotted with black and gold glitter.

“First time for everything, Big Boy,” I said as I took to the air and waited. My body trembled with pent up aggression and sexual frustration. Nicolai was about to receive the brunt of it.

“Rule number one,” I called down to him as he watched me hover above the tree line. “Never screw with a pissed off female Dragon.”

“Oh I’ll screw with you,” he threatened as spread his massive wings and soared up to me. “But it will be in the privacy of my suite after I pin your golden ass to the ground, beautiful.”

“And if I win?” I questioned, tamping down my excitement at the thought of laying underneath him.

“I’ll still let you take me to my suite,” he bargained arrogantly.

“In your dreams.”

And so it began—on a dare and some innuendo.

The Dragons went wild. Neither Nicolai nor I held back. The massive fires and blood flow from both of us were proof. I’d never had such an equal adversary in my life and I’d not had fun like this in ages—granted it was painful fun, but fun for a Dragon was slightly different than it was for the average Shifter.

Nicolai fought with a viciousness that would have left me speechless if it didn’t delight my inner Dragon to the point she wasn’t sure if she wanted to fry him or mount him. Thankfully I was still in charge and we did neither.

Short of killing blows we went at each other like the animals we were. And it was glorious.

“You ready to call it?” Nicolai snarled as he took swipe at my midsection with the tip of his razor sharp wing.

He connected and I went hurtling backward in the air. A tree caught my trajectory and I bounced off and recouped. That was going to leave a scar even in my human form. I’d escaped most of his truly crushing blows as I was far more agile in the air with my smaller, sleeker form. Due to my speed and deadly accuracy, I’d gotten in just as many punishing blows as my cocky challenger.

“I won’t ever call it, Dragon Boy,” I hissed as I ran my talons down his back drawing blood and an enraged roar from him.

I laughed with joyous abandon knowing I had scarred him. Thinking too deeply about having left my mark was a mistake. However, enjoying my last blow was an even bigger error.

He came like a tsunami and knocked the breath out of me as we went hurtling to the ground. Clouds and trees zipped by at warp speed as I desperately tried to regain the upper hand. His body weight and size made it impossible. We landed with a jarring thud, but the impact was minimal.

WTH?

I opened my eyes and stared into the amused and victorious green eyes of the Dragon beneath me. He’d taken the brunt of the fall so he didn’t crush me. While the girly part of me was all a flutter my Dragon part was miffed. I didn’t need the arrogant leader of the Dragon Resistance to cushion my fall. I’d cushioned my own falls—always.

“I say we call it a draw,” Nicolai said as he rolled me off of him and shifted back to human.

I followed suit and quickly searched the area for something to cover my nakedness. Nicolai just walked around butt to the wind shaking hands and speaking with his people. The simple fact that I was tentative about being naked was proof that I’d been away from normal Dragon life for too long. Nakedness was simply a nonissue for a Shifter. I was the odd one—or maybe it was because the idiot who had sort of let me win was watching me far too intently.

“Here you go, child,” Elaina said with a twinkle in her eyes as she handed me a robe. “You’re very impressive. I’ve never seen anyone but Lenny or Seth give Nicolai such a run for his money.”

“He wussied out at the end,” I said with a dismissive shrug. “He won, yet he lost by a technicality of a false landing.”

“Sometimes you don’t win by winning, my dear,” Elaina said easily as she took my hand and led me into the chattering crowd. “Sometimes a consensus is far more beneficial.”

“Consensus?” I asked as I noticed a distinct change in attitude from the Dragons toward me.

“Yes. Consensus. I like the word far better than compromise. In a compromise there is always a loser. In a consensus there are two winners.” She smiled and slipped away.

I laughed. Elaina was another one who liked to drop bombs of wisdom and then walk away. Seth and Nicolai were very fortunate to have her as a mother. I definitely would remember the consensus versus compromise one. I would keep that handy for Daniel.

I was alone amidst Dragons who only an hour ago wanted to see my blood spilled on the ground. Now I was being asked pointers on fighting and getting compliments on my killer instinct and sparkling golden scales. It felt wonderful and for a brief moment I was grateful to the arrogant man who clearly knew what he was doing. He let me keep my pride for the most part, but demonstrated to his people that he had my back as well.

Crap. Staying pissy and rude to him was going to be childish now. However, I had a real child to think about and getting involved with a Dragon who had an ego the size of several states wouldn’t fly. He would never accept my child and I would never accept a man—even for one night—who would not want my son.

Easy peasy.

Or not…

Chapter 10

“I will not open it. I will not open it. I will not it,” I whispered frantically to myself as I tossed and turned in my enormous bed. “I. Will. Not. Open. It.”

The knocks at the door of my suite came hourly all night long. And hourly I ignored them. I knew he could bust it down if he felt so inclined and I was fairly sure he had a key, but he waited for me to let him in—very un-Dragon like. His politeness, even though he was keeping me up all night, confused me. Nicolai was a mass of contradictions.

I couldn’t let him in. If I did, I knew exactly what would happen. My focus had to be on the mission not the missionary position…not that I imagined something so bland would be Nicolai’s position of choice.

Sleep was impossible, so I simply counted the minutes until the short sharp knocks would resume.

He didn’t disappoint and he didn’t give up.

This was going to be a problem.

***

The day dawned bright and chilly. I’d barely slept a wink, but for some reason my mind was clear. Most likely it was the newly acquired acceptance I’d gained from the Dragons. It was a relief and now that I had their trust, it was time to come clean and give them mine.

I’d held back sharing the plans to empty my father’s accounts and sell off his property holdings. I’d needed to withhold information incase the Resistance rejected me. Nicolai would be unhappy that I’d held such an important card close to my chest, but so be it. Maybe, he would get angry enough to leave me alone.

Doubtful but possible. Damn it, the thought of him giving up depressed me.

Hell, I was a mess and the day had just begun.

“Your fighting was impressive last night, Sir…I mean Ma’am…I mean Co-General,” Cade stuttered as heat crawled up his neck and landed on his handsome and now mortified face.

“Dima. Call me Dima, Cade,” I told him with a grin as I shook his hand and looked around the Command Room. Thankfully the animosity from the other Dragons toward me was gone. “I’ll even answer to
hey you
as long as you’re polite. But if you call me Princess, I’ll take your ass out.”

“I’m the only one allowed to call her Princess,” Nicolai said as he came up behind me and deftly moved me away from Cade.

“What are you doing?” I hissed as he smiled and waved to the entering Dragons while pushing me across the room and away from everyone.

“Listen to me and listen to me carefully,” he said tersely. “Not real sure what’s happening here, but I just wanted to tear the head off of my best friend. I’ve known Cade for three hundred years. Because he was talking to you and you touched him, I wanted him dead where he stood. I don’t like this. I don’t understand it. But I’m having a
hard
time controlling it. Pun intended.”

Glancing down, I realized he wasn’t fibbing. The bulge in his pants was enormous and my knees went weak. However, he was insane if he thought I wasn’t going to speak with the male lieutenants. I was one half of the team leading these people. I needed to have their backs and they needed to have mine.

“Um…not gonna fly, dude,” I told him, slapping my hands on my hips and raising my defiant gaze to his. “I’m not hitting on anyone here, not that it would be any of your business if I was, but you will not tell me who I can speak with.”

“Do you like Cade?” he inquired stiffly.

“He seems like a nice person,” I replied with an eye roll.

“Well, I like him a lot and I
really
don’t want to kill him. He’s my closest friend other than my brother. So I would greatly appreciate if you’re going to speak to him or any other male you keep at least six to ten feet between you and said male,” he growled and then banged his head against the wall. “I can’t even believe I’m saying this shit.”

“Neither can I,” I said. “Were you really going to kill him?”

“Yep, I was. I almost shifted right in the room, which would have blown the walls out. So until I figure out what the problem is, will you be a good girl and do as I ask?” he implored with his eyes closed and his hands in his hair.

“What about Seth?” I asked as I watched his brother enter the room.

“What about him?”

“Can I talk to him?” I snapped sarcastically.

Nicolai glanced over at his brother and winced. “Not sure. I think I’m good with Lenny, but that might be it at the moment.”