Dragon with Benefits (Forgotten Dragons Book 4) Read online

  “Do you feel okay?” Chad put a hand to Trevor’s forehead, and Trevor dodged away.

  “I’m not sick. I’m fine. It’s just—”

  “Doesn’t look fine to me,” Tristan said. “Want me to go behind the building and call the oracle?”

  “Yeah,” Chad said. “Ask her what would cause a dragon to lose the ability to shift.”

  Tristan walked around the building and out of sight while Trevor sank into a crouch, putting his hands over his head and wondering what could possibly be wrong with him.

  He hadn’t felt good ever since he lost Petra, but that wouldn’t be enough to hurt his dragon’s ability to function, would it?

  “Hey!” Tristan called out, poking his head out from behind the building. “Can you use your powers? Shielding? Cloaking?”

  Trevor shook his head as he raised his hand to cast a shield and only a few weak golden sparks sputtered from his fingertips. He focused on cloaking, and that didn’t happen either.

  He just felt oddly empty. Oddly numb.

  It was ironic that he’d wished to be human when he now couldn’t access his dragon.

  “I’m worried,” Chad said, putting his hand on Trevor’s shoulder. “I know I don’t do this often, but can I read your thoughts?”

  Trevor sent him a harsh glare. “Why?”

  Chad sat down next to Trevor, letting out a sigh. “We’ve always trusted each other, so I’ve never looked in your mind. But right now, I think you’re hiding something. And I think you need to tell me, but you can’t. I’ve seen you torturing yourself over it, but I can’t help if you won’t let me.”

  “You can’t help at all,” Trevor muttered. He took a deep breath in, plucking up a piece of grass and fidgeting with it. Then he tore it into two pieces and threw both away from him. “And stay out of my mind.”

  “Then talk to me.” Chadwick urged.

  But Trevor didn’t know how to. How to add to the stress lines around Chadwick’s eyes. How to make him see that Trevor almost let their world fall apart.

  Would he feel betrayed?

  They had to deal with fae soon. They didn’t have time for this.

  Tristan jogged back over to them, sliding his phone in his pocket. “Okay, so I didn’t tell her who it was. I just told her the symptoms, and she gave me some possibilities.”

  “Yeah?” Trevor asked hopefully.

  “But the other problem is that some of the fae haven’t shown up at the meeting yet,” Tristan said, looking at Xander. “Apparently, we didn’t account for time zones, so some of them already went to their respective training homes.”

  Trevor stood up, feeling confused as he brushed his pants off. “What?”

  “The light and dark fae you two are hosting may already be at the mansion. Heck, they probably already let themselves in.”

  “The door is locked,” Trevor said flatly.

  “You think that would stop a fae?” Tristan asked. “You need to come to more briefings with Taylor.”

  “Right,” Trevor said. “Where is Taylor?”

  Tristan sighed. “He’s at the meeting. He went separately, ahead of us, to help make things smoother.”

  “So should we skip the meeting, go see if they are there?”

  “I don’t care if they’re there,” Chadwick said. “You two go on ahead. I’m going to stay with Trevor. He’s not doing very well.”

  “I’m doing fine,” Trevor snapped. “And I don’t want strangers in my home right now without me there.” He focused on his wings, thinking about needing to fly to his mansion, but nothing happened and dull pain shot through his back.

  He’d never felt so heavy. So helpless. “Dammit!”

  “About that,” Tristan said. “The oracle said that the only thing that might cause something like that is a very deep betrayal.”

  Trevor let out a snort. “I haven’t betrayed anyone.”

  “Even yourself?” Tristan asked softly. “She said if there was something your dragon wanted and you hurt it badly enough, it might separate from you. You might not be able to access it.”

  “But it’s me,” Trevor said.

  “Right,” Tristan said. “It’s one part of you. When it’s really far out of harmony with the other part, you end up like this.” He shrugged. “Supposedly.”

  “But he’s okay?” Chad asked, standing and brushing off his pants as well.

  “Should be,” Tristan said.

  “So,” Xander said, sidling up to Trevor. “How have you been betraying yourself?”

  Trevor sank to the ground again, this time allowing himself to just lie there flat on his back and stare at the sky. The clouds moving across the overcast sky were so peaceful. How have I not betrayed myself?

  “I’m going to call the oracle and see if the ones missing from the meeting are the ones we’re hosting,” Chad said. “Hold tight, Trevor.”

  Chad jogged over to the car, got in the front seat, and pulled out his phone to have an animated conversation with the oracle.

  Trevor turned his eyes back to the sky.

  “Hey, big guy,” Xander said, sitting down next to him. “You doing okay?”

  “No,” Trevor said. And it felt good to be able to say that for the first time. To be honest.

  “That’s a start,” Xander said. “Seriously, you’re not fooling anyone. We can all see something’s terribly wrong.”

  “It’s my mate,” Trevor breathed out in the lightest whisper so only Xander could hear.

  “Tristan, can you go help Chad?” Xander asked. “I need to talk to Trevor.”

  Tristan shook his head. “I’m staying here with you. He needs our support.”

  Trevor looked up at Tristan, confused about whether he should be angry or grateful.

  Everything was upside down lately, but at least when he’d been with Petra, it had felt like the right kind of upside down.

  He let out a long sigh, watching the clouds and thinking of the day he’d sat on the balcony with Petra, watching the overcast sky.

  He felt something spark in him and sat up abruptly, realizing the problem.

  “My dragon wants Petra,” he said softly, mostly to himself.

  “What?” Tristan asked, taking a knee in front of him.

  “This human,” Trevor said. “Look, don’t tell Chad about this yet. I just… I met someone. I fell for her. I got advice from Xander to just enjoy the time I could with her because I have to share a mate with Chad later. The problem is I can’t share.”

  Tristan let out a breath. “I hadn’t even thought about that. The other double dragons we met were all happily mated. I guess I did notice you two weren’t, but I didn’t think much of it.”

  “Something’s wrong with me,” Trevor said. “I could never feel anything for the women Chad brought home, but I feel like I could die for this human.” His dragon let out a resounding growl, and Trevor placed a hand over his chest. “I think that’s how I betrayed myself. I let her go because I knew we couldn’t be together.”

  “Why?” Tristan asked.

  “Because I’d kill Chad if he touched her, and it’s my duty to mate someone with Chad, to get a third power for our area.”

  Tristan pinched the bridge of his nose. “That’s so stupid.”

  “I told him that too,” Xander said.

  “You don’t understand,” Trevor said, glancing at the car to make sure Chad was still on the phone. “I’m under a lot of pressure.”

  Xander cocked his head. “Well, you aren’t a lot of use right now anyway. So it can’t hurt to bring it up with Chadwick. You can’t do anything if it’s what your dragon wants. And what your heart wants as well.”

  It was. She was. Even now, at the thought of going to her, Trevor could feel the heaviness inside fading, the magic swirling again.

  Would that be enough for the oracle?

  “I don’t want to let people down,” Trevor said dully, the hope in him fading again. “They need me.”

  “You won’t be letting p
eople down,” Xander said. “And even if you were, it wouldn’t matter because you can’t betray yourself like this. Chadwick wouldn’t even want you to.”

  “So you say,” Trevor said, looking at the car again. Perhaps that was the biggest problem. His deep, long-lasting friendship with Chad. Would Chad be hurt? Would they be split up? Would Trevor even be able to remain in the shifter world?

  “One thing I know,” Tristan said, looking into Trevor’s eyes earnestly, “is that when you fall for someone like that, it’s forever. At least in the experience of every dragon I’ve ever met. So yeah, maybe it’s not convenient that you met her. Or that you can’t share. Or that it won’t work for Chadwick. But if your dragon is going to be no use to anyone because you’re heartbroken, is there really any point to hurting yourself?”

  Trevor stared into Tristan’s vivid blue eyes and slowly shook his head.

  Tristan was right.

  There was no point to this.

  And Trevor needed to stop worrying about every bad thing that could happen and just go do what he knew was right.

  Which was to find Petra, tell her everything, and hope that the magic he felt between them was something she couldn’t live without either.

  Because he couldn’t bear it if she said no.

  And if she said yes and the world said no, Trevor would stand up to them. He wasn’t a weakling. He’d fought his whole life in dangerous situations. He’d work through whatever happened once he claimed his mate. He was stronger than even he realized sometimes.

  “Is this the sushi douchebag reporter?” Tristan asked.

  Trevor raised an eyebrow. “You know about that?”

  Tristan stood, flushing slightly. “Chad mentioned it. He seemed happy you were exploring something new.”

  “Because he thought it was for both of us.”

  “Be that as it may, from what I know of Chadwick, he’ll just be glad to know and want to help you deal with this. He’s a good friend.”

  He was, Trevor thought. Much better than Trevor deserved sometimes.

  Whack.

  “Ouch,” Trevor said, leaning forward and rubbing his head where Xander had delivered a firm whack. “What was that for?”

  “I didn’t even need to read your mind to know you were dwelling on something negative. Dude. You need to go find your mate. We’ll talk to Chadwick.”

  “No,” Trevor said. “Not about this.”

  “But—”

  The door to the car flung open, and Chadwick strode out, walking quickly toward them. “Hey, we got a problem.”

  “What is it?” Trevor asked.

  “The fae are at our place already. I actually got to talk to them.”

  “What?” Trevor’s brows scrunched together. “You did?”

  “Yes,” Chad said. His purple eyes met Trevor’s. “And they say they’ve caught an intruder.”

  Trevor’s heart started to beat faster. “An intruder?”

  “A human showed up at the house. The fae thought she was a human emissary sent to help with acclimating to their new environment. Apparently, they told her a whole bunch of stuff before they figured out she was just a regular human. They believe she is trying to stalk Trevor because she claims to be in love with him, and they both know that dragons like us only mate in pairs.”

  Everyone went silent as Chad’s pronouncement fell over them, sinking in.

  It had to be Petra, Trevor realized almost instantly. His heart leapt at the idea that she’d gone to his home. Had she already realized the same thing he just had and gone back to see him? It was too good to even be true.

  Chad frowned. “They have her tied up on the front lawn, so maybe we should—”

  Rage flared through Trevor, and before he knew it, gold was crackling everywhere and he was rising from the ground, the dragon in him roaring internally and then externally, shaking the ground with its strength.

  Xander looked up at Trevor’s dragon and let out a low whistle. “Well, I guess that settles that.”

  But Trevor just took off into the air, not needing anyone’s commentary. He just wanted to get to Petra.

  Nothing else mattered in the world.

  Chapter 24

  As Petra wiggled against her soft, fluffy white bonds, it was hard not to be a bit pissed off.

  She was lying on her side on a blanket that had been nicely set out for her on the lawn while she waited for the dragons to show up, and her brain was still racing, trying to process everything she’d been told.

  Fairies. Fairies existed.

  More importantly, dragons existed, and Trevor was one. One who couldn’t choose for himself who he mated.

  Everything made sense now in a way she never would have guessed in her wildest dreams. It was a bit of a relief, though, finally knowing what was going on. Finally realizing why Trevor could seem so utterly in love with her yet not be able to make any promises.

  She frowned as she watched the sky, almost wondering if the fairies were pranking her.

  They were sitting in lawn chairs, discussing how odd it was that human women tried to break into houses.

  They hadn’t believed her about Trevor at all. Simply said dragons like him shared mates. She remembered Chad’s attempt to kiss her hand and his invite to stay for dinner, and she flushed.

  Trevor had been trying to protect her. Trevor had dated her behind Chad’s back. She supposed she should be flattered that he liked her so much he would be so reckless.

  When he showed up, if he showed up, she intended to give him a piece of her mind. Plus a big hug and a warning not to hide anything from her anymore.

  She glanced at the sky again, wondering if the fairies were actually right. It was easier to believe that human-like creatures could have magical abilities (like a fae) than it was to believe there would actually be huge, mythical beasts inhabiting the sky.

  She tried to picture Trevor as a dragon but let out a muffled laugh because she really couldn’t.

  The white-haired fae, who hadn’t bothered to give her a name once he’d decided she was a criminal, glared over at her sharply.

  She’d realized quickly that while he might look beautiful and delicate, he was actually the sharper-tongued and quicker-to-action of the two.

  She shook her head, and the white-haired fae looked away, seeming a little ruffled.

  Perhaps he was starting to doubt his assertion that she couldn’t be Trevor’s lover. “Mate,” as dragons called it apparently.

  She did sort of hope Trevor wouldn’t beat them down, if he was a dragon, because they hadn’t harmed her really, and even if she didn’t like being tied, she was comfortable.

  They didn’t seem like bad people—well, fairies—but they weren’t the easiest to deal with for sure.

  “There,” the black-haired one said, pointing at the sky. His glistening waves shimmered with oil-slick colors in the sunlight, mesmerizing her gaze. “I think he’s coming.”

  “He’s cloaked,” the white-haired one said. “That’s ingenious. The only thing I envy about dragons.”

  “Some fae can cloak,” the black-haired one said.

  “I can’t,” the white-haired one said.

  “Me neither,” the black-haired one said.

  “Mind reading would be useful too,” the white-haired one said, as if discussing which book to rent from the library.

  “Agreed,” the black-haired one replied.

  She squinted at the sky but couldn’t see anything.

  Then she thought she could make out a shape moving through the clouds, getting lower in the sky. Invisible or the same color as everything around it but moving, if you looked close enough.

  Was it possible?

  As it got closer, she could make out wings moving up and down. How big was it? It already looked huge from this distance.

  As it lowered and came even closer, her eyes strained to make out more of the shape. But it was flying too quickly, and all she could feel was wind as it approached.

  T
he grass blew back and the blanket flapped around her as whatever it was lowered to the ground, landing with a thump that shook the whole area, making her teeth knock slightly.

  When she looked up, her eyes widened in shock.

  A glittering veil fell like rain from fifty feet above. As it fell, it revealed a huge, glittering gold creature. Its head and back were lined with massive golden spikes, and its wings were encrusted with golden crystals at the junctures.

  It was the most beautiful, most terrifying thing she’d ever seen. And when it looked her in the eyes, she recognized those distinctive gold irises as Trevor’s.

  The huge creature let out a huff, then turned to glare at the fairies.

  “What the hell have you fuckwads done to my mate?” The dragon’s voice rumbled, angry and terrifying on a primal level, targeted at the fairies.

  The white one cocked his head. “Your mate? But I thought—”

  A giant shimmering gold dome fell over both of the fae, making them both stand up and examine it.

  They still didn’t seem at all afraid.

  “Here’s the deal,” Trevor, the dragon, said as he took a rumbling step forward, shaking the ground. “You’re on my turf. You follow my rules. This human belongs to me, and if you so much as touch her again, with your hand or your magic or, God help you, anything else, you’ll be dead before you can say ‘fairy snack.’”

  The fairies looked stymied as they stepped back, the white-haired one folding his arms petulantly as the black-haired one shook his head at him.

  The black-haired one stepped forward, sweeping into a bow. “We apologize. We meant only to—”

  “Untie her,” Trevor growled ominously.

  The white one looked disappointed, but he waved his hand and Petra felt her fluffy bonds disappear.

  As she sat up, she gasped as the big creature in front of her just disappeared and another veil of sparkles filled the air. Then Trevor was there, striding forward, looking handsome as his wool coat flew out behind him and his muscular legs ate up the distance between them.

  Sooner than she could even hope for, she was in his arms, being held tight.

  “I’m just confused,” the white-haired fae said. “This isn’t how I was told things work here. Double dragons are supposed to—”