Rancher Dragon Read online

  Rancher Dragon

  Texas Dragons Book 2

  Terry Bolryder

  Copyright © 2021 by Terry Bolryder

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Contents

  Author’s note

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Epilogue

  Sample of Onyx Dragon

  Also by Terry Bolryder

  Author’s note

  Hi,

  Rancher Dragon is book 2 in my brand new Texas Dragon series! Each book stars a new couple and a complete, satisfying, action-packed story with a happy ending. But you’ll get the best experience reading them in order due to overarching plot elements and characters.

  Get book 1 here, and start enjoying growly dragon cowboys!

  Cowboy Dragon (Texas Dragons Book 1)

  1

  Rain plummeted to the earth around Beck like a monsoon as he headed south, soaked to the bone from rivers of water that trailed down his shoulders and arms while he rode atop his horse.

  As the water reached his chest and back, a deep red intermixed with it, turning it an opaque maroon that dripped down his legs and boots and onto the muddy ground.

  Maybe this is it, Beck thought to himself.

  This storm, like so many before, had come out of nowhere, heralded by only thick clouds and ominous lightning. Lightning that continued to shatter the dull roar of the heavy precipitation at uneven intervals, making the far-off mesas in the distance loom like stony guardians over the quiet Texas range Beck called home.

  He wasn’t sure where he was right now. He and Clive, his trusty Clydesdale, were far beyond the borders of Dragonclaw Ranch at the moment.

  And the bleeding just wasn’t stopping as quickly as it usually did.

  It had all happened too fast. He’d been at the far western border of Dragonclaw, checking on some drainage ditches and making adjustments for the early summer rainfall they’d all been anticipating for next week.

  Then the rain had come.

  And one of those evil bastards had risen from the earth, looking for vengeance. A basilisk, all teeth and claws and spikes and gigantic fury. The kind of fight Beck was always itching for even if the damn thing had caught him by surprise.

  Now that he was back in his human form, Beck wasn’t sure how long the fighting had gone for. He just knew he’d been able to get a good chunk out of the beast before it slunk back into the earth where it belonged.

  Even if it had left him bleeding and nearly dying out on the middle of a rain-soaked prairie with nothing but his horse and barely enough strength to ride.

  Beck wasn’t going to get caught off guard like that ever again.

  Assuming he made it through the next hour.

  A jolt of pain slashed his insides. The basilisk’s poison was working through his veins as Beck tried to fight it off. He’d felt their poison before, knew it stung like a bitch and kept his dragon healing from repairing all the damage easily, which normally wasn’t a problem when he was close to home.

  But now? Everything seemed to blur together beneath the torrential rainfall.

  So he just kept Clive moving south. South-ish, by his directions.

  Beck knew there were spreads both big and small that neighbored Dragonclaw’s humongous territory. He’d just never been the neighborly type and, as such, had no clue who any of them were. But with no way to contact Harrison and the others and no strength to make the long ride back or shift and fly back to the safety of the ranch, all he could do was ride on and hope he ran into something.

  A part of him hoped he didn’t find whoever—or whatever—he was currently looking for.

  He looked down at the mud as his horse pressed on, even as Beck’s feet were starting to go numb. He couldn’t feel the reins in his hands either. The cold of the rain and the encroaching world around him was almost… welcoming.

  The smell of wet earth and waterlogged grass filled his nostrils as Beck took in a deep breath, trying to steady himself on Clive’s back.

  Out in the distance in front of him, it looked like he could see something, a dark shadow made blurry by the rain. Maybe a house. Or a person on a saddle. Or maybe just a single tree. But when he sat up too fast, overcorrecting for the uneven ground, the poison in him decided to hit his chest extra hard at the same time, and Beck felt himself fall to one side.

  He didn’t even feel the fall, just squishy, cold soil on his left side where he’d landed. The elements were starting to take their toll, and bad luck had already crossed him once today.

  Clive, the obedient cuss he always was, just stood at Beck’s side, nuzzling his shoulder. But Beck couldn’t really be bothered right now. Not to get up at least.

  He reached into his back pocket and felt the small, tarnished silver coin he kept there. On one side, there was the faded depiction of some person he never knew. On the other, the mark of his dragon.

  How ironic that after refusing to ever let another person have the coin, now it would probably be Beck’s grave marker.

  A fitting end for a monster like him.

  To his surprise, he heard the sound of wet footsteps in mud, distant at first but quickly getting closer.

  “Hey, mister!” The voice was hard to make out through the rain and his dulling senses. It sounded worried, he thought.

  A human.

  Normally, Beck would try to scare it off because it wasn’t safe for them to be around him. But today, all he needed was someone to mark his grave.

  And tell his friends.

  Beck’s fingers wrapped around the coin he’d sworn he was never going to give to another living person. After a moment’s hesitation, he pulled it from his pocket, shoving his hand up toward the looming shadow above him that wore a raincoat and muck boots.

  “Take this,” he growled. The dragon in him, though wounded, wasn’t giving up the fight, but Beck felt he knew better.

  “What happened? Why is there so much blood?” The person’s voice was higher pitched than what he’d been accustomed to at Dragonclaw. Much nicer.

  Beck felt what seemed like a hand brush his knuckles, and he thrust the coin into the person’s palm, glad when he felt the other person take it.

  “Get this to Harrison at Dragonclaw Ranch,” he said with a rasp.

  “But what about you? We should get you help.” The person, which was still just a vague shape to Beck’s eyes, kneeled over him, and he tried to focus. Tried to see who he was looking at. But his eyes just weren’t working right now.

  The rain didn’t help either, covering them both in a heavy, unstopping blanket of cold wetness.

  “Tell Harrison… Tell him… Beck ain’t coming back this time.” With that, Beck’s outstretched arm went limp, and he collapsed back into the mud. He heard pacing footsteps, then the person’s hands shoving him, trying to rouse him.

  But Beck had already accepted his fate. He wasn’t really made like the others
at Dragonclaw anyway. He was dangerous. Everyone else knew it, and he knew it too.

  Sometimes dangerous things needed to just go back into the earth.

  It would be better like this, probably.

  At least he’d gotten a bigger piece out of the basilisk than it had gotten from him; that was for sure.

  More talking and movement around him. And as the rain started to slowly clear in the heavens above, Beck’s senses finally slipped into the unknowing blackness he’d been waiting for.

  The last thing he heard was, “Don’t you die on me!”

  2

  He was alive. Thank heaven almighty, he was alive.

  The huge man lying on the bed in front of Sierra was still unconscious, his face in tense repose. But his immense, muscled chest was rising and falling despite the blood soaking his clothing and skin.

  The rain had made it look worse than it was, thankfully. In fact, what had seemed to be huge gashes on his arms and chest were already healing as his friend looked him over carefully.

  “You say you found him out on the range?” Harrison, a tall cowboy with dark hair and piercing blue eyes, was eyeing her suspiciously.

  She didn’t blame him. She hadn’t ever met her neighbors, so he couldn’t know they’d lived bordering each other’s land for a long time.

  “On my land,” she said, twisting her hands together nervously. “He fell unconscious. After he told me to give you that coin and tell you he wasn’t coming back.”

  Harrison pulled Beck’s eyelids back, checking his pupils, then released them. “Ain’t escaping us that easy, Beck.” He sighed in relief as he took a step back.

  “Here.” Harrison’s wife, Marian, a curvy brunette with hazel eyes and a sweet smile, came into the room and handed her a cup of coffee.

  They’d been introduced when Sierra came to the door to deliver Beck’s message.

  “Thank you,” Sierra said, gratefully sipping the coffee. She was soaked to the bone from her swift ride to get help. But it had been worth it to make sure this beautiful man made it.

  And he was beautiful, despite his immense size. Before he’d passed out, she’d caught a glimpse of the most amazing irises. She’d thought it was just a reflection of the stormy sky, but when Harrison had pulled back the man’s eyelids, she’d confirmed it.

  Pure silver gray. Like storm clouds covering sunlight.

  The rest of him was beautiful as well. Though he was huge, with a stern set to his face, short, masculine hair, and a short but full beard, there was something about him that just set her at peace.

  Even if he could probably throw her over a fence with ease.

  His nose was beautiful and straight, his jaw hard and firm. His lips, in contrast to the beard, oddly soft and kissable.

  But why was she even thinking something like that?

  The last thing she needed was a boyfriend. And this man, who had the audacity to almost bleed to death in front of her, wasn’t auditioning for the job.

  But still… she could imagine it. Having a man this big, this beautiful for her own. Working her spread with him. He could probably reach—

  “This is yours,” Harrison said, handing her back the odd silver coin she’d given him. There was a long slash over the middle as if something extremely sharp had scratched across it.

  “Oh, no,” she said, putting up both hands. “I couldn’t. He expressly said to give it to you.”

  Harrison, who was as handsome as his friend but unbearded, shook his head and pushed the coin into her hands. “I told you. It’s yours. He owes you a favor.”

  At that moment, Beck woke up in the bed, looking around in a panicked fashion. His silver eyes were even more astonishing when wide with surprise. And then they landed on her and narrowed.

  “Who are you? Why do you have my coin?” He practically snarled.

  “Well, damn, Beck. Way to thank your rescuer,” Harrison said.

  Above his beard, the big man apparently known as Beck flushed. Then he lowered his head. “She wasn’t supposed to save me. Just tell you I was dead.”

  Harrison snorted. “I’d punch you if there weren’t ladies present. Beck, if she hadn’t come and gotten me, you would have bled to death in that rain.”

  Beck pushed himself up to a half-sitting position against the headboard, groaning and putting a hand to his side. “Lady, you should have left me there.”

  Her chest tightened. “I’m sorry.”

  His expression softened, and he dropped his eyes to the sheet that half covered his body. “Well, thanks for getting my friend like I asked.” His serious eyes met hers, and she felt a spark of electricity travel between them. “But you should give that coin back to Harrison. The last thing you should want is me doing you a favor. Trust me on that.”

  Sierra nodded quickly, pushing the coin back toward Harrison, not wanting to cause any trouble.

  She had enough troubles of her own back at home.

  But Harrison shook his head, taking a step back and refusing to accept the coin from her. “That’s called a dragon talon, and ‘round these parts, it has a special meaning. You saved Beck. No doubt about it. He’ll pay you back.”

  Beck made as if to protest, but Harrison silenced him with a fierce look.

  “He’ll pay you back, Sierra,” Harrison said. “He owes you a favor.”

  “I’ll do her a favor by staying the hell away from her,” Beck muttered from his bed, sending a scowl at her.

  Sierra tried not to let the rejection sting her. It wasn’t like she had asked him for anything, even after saving his life.

  She wasn’t sure what to do next, but then Harrison’s wife stepped forward.

  Marian gave her husband a look that said, I’ll handle this, and put her arm through Sierra’s to walk her out of the room.

  Sierra could still hear Beck and Harrison arguing in the distance.

  As Marian opened the door, she smiled. “You sure you have to get back right away? I could lend you some dry clothes, and—”

  “I need to get back,” Sierra said. “My dog is probably scared out of his wits, wondering where I ran off to. Thanks so much, though.”

  “No, thank you for saving Beck,” Marian said. “I know he seems gruff, but we love him around here.”

  “It’s just what any good neighbor should do,” Sierra said, shrugging.

  Marian looked over Sierra’s soaked figure. “You deserve a little more credit than that.” She put her arm through Sierra’s as they walked out onto the porch. “Look, you should come over again soon. There aren’t many women out here, and I’d love a new friend. I haven’t met many neighbors because… Well, you met Harrison. He likes to keep to himself.”

  “Why’d he tell me to take this coin, then?” Sierra asked. “Beck didn’t want to help me out.”

  Marian cocked her head, smiling warmly. “Because Harrison instantly liked you, as I do. And as he said, there are rules here at Dragonclaw Ranch.”

  “I really think I should give this back,” Sierra said, pulling the worn coin out of her pocket. “I don’t think Beck wants me to ask for a favor, and I honestly don’t think I would want to ask him for one either. And look, I don’t need anything in exchange for doing what any good person would have done—”

  But Marian just looked at the coin fondly and then took Sierra’s hands and closed them over it, forcing her to keep it. “Trust me. You should take it.” Marian gave Sierra a mysterious smile. “You never know what might come of it. These coins are very special.”

  Sierra nodded, but she would probably place the coin in a drawer and forget about it. She’d seen the panic in Beck’s eyes at her having it.

  The last thing she wanted was to cause more trouble for anyone.

  But as she walked to her horse and swung up into the saddle, she couldn’t help but think about those pretty gray eyes.

  What a pity that such a beautiful man had to be so unpleasant.

  “Now what in tarnation was that?”

  Beck ke
pt his head down and ignored Harrison’s question as he prepared a sandwich to help him regain the strength he’d lost from almost bleeding to death.

  He’d been a bit disappointed when he’d woken up and realized it wasn’t over.

  This nightmare of a life where he might someday hurt someone he loved.

  Fighting was all he was good for. Going down in order to save the ranch he called home would have been an honor.

  That pretty lady… she shouldn’t have ridden so fast to get Harrison to bring him home.

  “How’d you save me anyway?” Beck asked.

  “When the lady was talking to Marian, I gave you a bit of my blood. Quick healing. Yours was poisoned.”

  Beck grunted, placing the top piece of bread on his sandwich. “Got it.”

  The lady sure had been something, though. Dark-blond hair, bleached sandy by the sun. Based on her tan, she worked outside a good deal. She had freckles too, cute ones.

  And she was short enough to make Beck feel even huger than he was. But her soft, lush curves made her the perfect holdable size—

  “Your sandwich has three pieces of bread,” Harrison said, shaking his head wryly. “You get your head hit out there too while you were fighting that basilisk?”

  Beck shook his head. “Was a big 'un, though.” He looked down at his sandwich to see Harrison was right. It was all messed up and he hadn’t even noticed.

  “You never fuck up your meals, Beck,” Harrison said, getting a glint in his eye. “Thinking about that lady, huh? Feeling guilty for acting like such an ass?”