Billionaire Dragon's Mate: BBW Paranormal Shapeshifter Dragon Romance Nove (15 page)

“It doesn’t matter who’d join us and who wouldn’t. As long as we’ve been around, we’ve worked to hide our identities, to keep all shifters out of the public eye. You are not the first to think that we should be ruling, not co-existing. And you know what we’ve done to shifters like you? We’ve made it as if they never existed at all. Is that what you want, Carrick?

I can understand you thinking that I am not doing right by the family, that things should be different for us. But that is on us, not the rest of society. Your problem is with me, not with everyone else.”

The moon cast a hazy glow around his brother, standing in front of the window. Carrick smirked, wrapping his fingers behind his back. He wore heavy bejeweled and crested chains around his neck. The cuffs he had on his wrists were adorned with the family crest and large emeralds. He was dressed in only the most expensive clothes. He was everything that Cillian wasn’t and never wanted to be.

“An astute observation, brother. You
are
my first problem. But I feel you are a problem solving itself. Or unraveling itself, if you will.”

He grinned, menace dripping from his words. That was all Cillian could take.

In a flash, he had crossed the room, jumped over the couch and grabbed Carrick by the chest. Cillian slammed him against the window as if he weighed nothing at all, the reinforced glass shuddering and quaking under the weight of the two large shifters. Cillian could feel chains breaking and the gold spilling to the floor. It physically hurt him, as badly as it did Carrick, but he had more pressing matters to attend to – like shaking some fucking sense into his baby brother.

“You know where she is, don’t you? Don’t you!? Answer me, you European slime,” Cillian hissed, pulling him back and slamming him against the glass again. He could hear it beginning to crack.

He didn’t care. Color seeped out of Carrick’s face, and his hands grabbed at Cillian’s wrists.

“You’re insane,” he choked, his eyes wide with surprise.

For all his posturing, it seemed that his plans didn’t account for a man mad with worry for his mate.

“Compared to you, I’m a poster boy for mental health. Where is she? Who has her?” he demanded again, the adrenaline pounding in his veins and making everything else disappear into the backdrop of his mind.

A thought occurred to him, watching his little brother dangle, surprisingly helpless. He saw stunned surprise there, and despite what Carrick put forward, it became painfully obvious that it was just that – all words, no action. Cillian gritted his teeth, looking at his worm of a brother, made soft by their father’s staunch beliefs in a world that would not return. A chilling realization ran through him.

“You never planned to challenge me at all, did you? You’d never win… You’re smaller, slower, weaker…This is how you wanted me. Half out of my mind with rage and worry, bringing me down so you could take my place. You fucking runt, that’s what this is, isn’t it!? Who put you up to this? I know you can’t be this smart on your own. You never bothered to learn a useful thing in your entitled life.” Cillian hissed, one hand clenching around Carrick’s throat and slamming him against the window time and time again.

Fear brimmed in the younger Greenmeadow’s eyes. It broke something inside Cillian, but he didn’t care. There was no room for that now.

“Fine! Fuck, let me down, Cillian!” Carrick croaked, his hands clawing at Cillian’s face.

Cillian loosened his grip, but only a little. He trembled with fury – a time bomb that could go off at any second. Somewhere out there, Ruby was in trouble, and it was all because a spoiled brat thought he could do a job reserved for men. Right then and there, Cillian vowed to himself that if he got Ruby back, he would do his damndest to end up nothing like the last few generations of elders.

He’d work for their name. He’d make it worth something again, so that wretched, spineless lizards like Carrick wouldn’t be the ones carrying their legacy.

“It was Romulus. He… he suggested I… that. Fuck. Okay, I don’t think you should be the elder. I don’t like how you’re handling our name,
working
like we’re some common lizards. Romulus got rid of Remington, so I thought I could do the same. Please, Cillian, let me the fuck down.”

Cillian’s face hardened. That’s what he, along with Devon and the Goldplains hadn’t been able to figure out. Remington Redblade had attacked Devon Bluewing, stealing his bride, challenging him for Treasure Lane’s Head of Council, a position his family had never held. It had seemed odd to Cillian that the hot-blooded but calculating Remington would take such a risk, but it all made sense if there was a snake like Romulus whispering into his ear, ready to strike when he was at his weakest, making him think that he had to fight for his position as elder.

Just like Carrick had tried to do to him. For a moment, he almost felt sad for Remington – an emotion that quickly passed when he looked at Carrick. Violence only understood violence.

“No,” Cillian said simply.

He pulled Carrick back one more time and with a roar, slammed him into the cracking windowpane, letting go just as the window shattered into a million little pieces. As if in slow motion, Cillian watched his little brother flail for a few moments, eyes wide with fear and surprise, before his instincts kicked in and he shifted mid-fall. The emerald green dragon pulled himself up at the last moment, careening over the sidewalks for a second before speeding upwards and disappearing into the clouds like a bullet from a gun.

As the last flick of his tail disappeared into the clouds, so did Cillian from the apartment. The door slammed behind him, leaving no trace that he had been there at all, other than the shattered window and the cool night air now blowing through the living room. He was perfectly certain that he wasn’t going to regret what he’d done. What’s more, he was certain who had his bride.

And they weren’t going to be happy to see him when he found them.    

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Ruby

Ruby’s red dress fit her as if it had been sewn right on her body. She knew it hugged her curves perfectly, showing off her assets in their tastiest form, and she worked it for all it was worth. Just like she’d expected, Trident had come for her a little after she woke up, and he had the good fortune of getting the first look at her. All long tan legs in high pumps and a body that shifters would kill for – she was a dame to behold.

Her lips were as red as her name, and on the outside, she was cool and collected. On the inside, though, her stomach jumped with butterflies with every step she took, and her palms were sweating like she was about to risk her life. Though, she wasn’t entirely sure whether that wasn’t the case. She was playing with wolves, and the wolves had big teeth.

Ruby put on her most dazzling smile as she entered the common room, now turned into some makeshift hall complete with plastic tables and chairs, and she could even spy a tablecloth or two. It all felt very tongue in cheek, but if Cable wanted to put on a show, hell, she could play along. She took a deep breath, ignoring the thump of metal music in the background as she locked eyes with her ‘betrothed’, dressed in his finest leathers. She’d spent far too much time being a pawn for others. This time, she was going to be in control.

She left Trident’s side and glided across the room. Her smile faltered a little and her stomach did a somersault as she saw the pendant dangling around Cable’s neck. At least her assumptions had been correct. Cable was holding onto the dragon stone, and if he had it, there was still a chance she could get it from him. It was a small mercy that he hadn’t hidden it somewhere or discarded it altogether.

I wonder if he knows what it is,
she thought, steeling her nerves.

Cable stood up and the ruckus around him dimmed a bit, expectant eyes turning towards Ruby. She made like she didn’t see them at all and was completely blind to the interest brimming around her – as if she only had eyes for Cable. He liked it, she knew.

“Cable,” she said softly as his hands locked around her waist and pulled her nearer.

He smelled like her worst nightmares. She smiled even brighter.

“My reluctant little bride!” Cable exclaimed, bringing forth another wave of hoarse laughter from the bikers around them.

Ruby could almost feel Yaya cringing from her spot next to Trident, her friend having been brought along to witness her humiliation. Ruby pecked Cable on the cheek and wrapped her hands around his neck, hugging him warmly. She had to wonder what it said about her that she could pretend to like the man so effortlessly, even though deep inside she felt nothing but disgust and discomfort.

“I hope you have learned your lesson now, Ruby. You shouldn’t run from me. I don’t like it when you run,” Cable said darkly, lowering his voice so only she could hear him.

His grip tightened around her waist,
and Ruby had to catch herself to keep from wincing.  His fingers dug into her fle
sh, as if he was trying to nail her to his side, never to leave unless he gave her express permission. She nodded demurely, anger bubbling in her stomach.

“I don’t like it when I run either,” she admitted.

At least that was the truth. Ruby Accardo was done running – that much she’d promised herself. If she didn’t like something, she’d just have to fight her way through it or suffer the consequences. Nothing but horrible things had come from turning her back on her problems.

“Good,” Cable said after a pause, his breath smelling of beer and garlic sticks – the mainstays of any great wedding.

His grip loosened a little, and Ruby exhaled, unknowingly having held her breath. She smiled as he sat down and pulled her onto his lap, making her curl up against him. It felt entirely wrong to be so close to him, but Ruby had a plan, and that plan couldn’t be brought to fruition without doing a few things she didn’t want. The pendant caught her eye, its dark glow somewhat muddled by his hairy chest with just the top of the stone peeking out from under his ragged black tee.

She bit her lower lip, turning her gaze away from it.

Play it cool,
she urged herself, quieting the maddening pounding of her heart.
Do this right and maybe things can work out with Cillian. This is the only way to give it a chance.

The crowd of werewolves and their mates still kept their eyes on their leader and his bride. Ruby cast a long look across the gathered and smiled brightly, batting her lashes like she was just about the most innocent little thing they had ever seen. A few smirks stared back at her, both knowing and judging. She paid no heed.

The only face that mattered to her was that of Yaya’s, who was sandwiched at a table between Trident and another red-bearded biker whose name Ruby assumed she had once known. After a while, all of one’s captors started looking the same. Yaya gave her an encouraging smile, her warm brown eyes projecting calm when there was none in Ruby’s heart. She nodded slightly to Yaya.

May the games begin!

“Cable, I don’t know what you had planned for tonight, but I feel like I owe everyone a good night. Of course we can party even harder tomorrow, but I think I’ve learned the error of my ways and I’d like to make up for it, you know?”

Cable looked at her, quirking a brow. Still, his half-bemused and obviously satisfied grin at having caught the little runaway bride, lingered without faltering. It gave Ruby hope that doing what she intended to wouldn’t be entirely impossible.

“And what are you proposing?”

“Well, I thought we could have some shots… Lots of shots! Tequila. Your favorite,” she rushed to add with a grin, trailing her fingertips along the length of his chin and purring into his ear the way he liked it.

She was sure he could feel the way she was trembling a little all over, but maybe he thought it was just excitement from seeing him. After all, if he thought she was simple enough to forgive getting drugged and being dragged through countless states against her will, anything was possible, right?

Cable seemed to ponder this for a few moments and then yelled out to some of his pack, his voice booming over the music and making Ruby’s ears ring.

“Runt! Roamer! Get the tequila out! My woman wants to party!” Cable’s exclamation was met by a round of cheers, and Ruby couldn’t help but giggle, exchanging another conspiratory glance with Yaya.

Now for the hard part.

***

The night wore on quickly, lubricated by hard music and even harder drinks. It took about three shots to get the first people on the dance floor, and by the fifth shot, the floor was turning into some bastardization of a mosh pit and the scene one can find at a club at four in the morning.

Some were jumping around to their own version of the beat while a few couples clung to one another, half-dancing, half-humping the night away. Ruby kept calling shot after shot until Cable took over the task. She knew she couldn’t out-drink any of the bikers, but maybe all she needed was to get them a little bit tipsy and reckless. At least, that was what she was hoping.

Cable grabbed her ass as she stood up to accept the sixth round of shots while handing one to Cable. She giggled flirtatiously, ignoring the fact that it sounded a bit strangled to her own ears.