Page 1 of Dragon Rivals of New York

Chapter 1

Sora

Havingafatedmateisn’t all it’s cracked up to be. In the books, they make it seem like the best thing in the world. One person who’s destined for you out of everyone on earth. One person who knows, without a shadow of a doubt, that they’re meant to be with you.

But in reality, there’s always doubt.

“What are you doing here, Jethro?” The door is only half open, but I know it’s him. His knock has this distinct quality I recognize easily after a year of hearing it. I’m not sure why I ask the question. I know exactly why the dragon shifter is standing at my door.

My very own dragon fated mate has become my very own dragon stalker. Yeah, dragon. Even after a year of knowing dragons exist, I still have moments when I can’t believe it. It took my best friend, Finley, falling in love with one and forcinghim to transform right in front of me before I believed it was real. I’m not sure I really accepted it until seeing multiple dragons transform, including Jethro. The only reason they let me is because I’m Jethro’s mate, though Finley says she would have told me either way. She hated how everyone left her in the dark for so long.

Jethro smiles at me, as flirtatious and sexy as the first time I saw him. “I came to see my mate.”

No matter how many times he tells me I’m his mate, it doesn’t make it any easier to believe. I thoughtMannywas my soulmate, the one man I would love for the rest of my life, the one who would love me for the rest of his.

Until he cheated on me and left me with nothing but divorce papers, debt, and an existential crisis.

I sigh and hold the door open all the way to let in his massive frame. “Since you’re here, you can help me pack the goodie bags for the party tonight.”

“Or we could pack something else.”

That grin is going to be the death of me. My insides clamp around nothing, an achy empty feeling permeating my being. I remember what it felt like to have Jethro packed inside me, stretching me with his mammoth cock. It only happened once—well, four times, but it was only one night. He asked me to marry him the next morning, and I laughed in his face,promptly kicking him out.

Ignoring his comment, I lead him into the living room. My place is small enough that a man as big as Jethro could lie down and touch the walls with his toes and his hands over his head. It’s all I could afford on a teacher’s salary after the divorce. Having Jethro here makes the space feel even smaller.

He makes himself at home on the couch and picks up a blue vibrator from the coffee table, twirling it between his fingers. “Is this for tonight? Or were you missing me?”

I snap it out of his hands. “It’s for the goodie bags.”

He chuckles. “I don’t think any of the women coming tonight will need that.”

He’s not wrong. My best friend’s bachelorette party is going to be small, and everyone is in a relationship, apart from me. Although Jethro might argue that point.

He’s been respectful since the night we were together. He’s often lurking around my apartment, making up excuses to be here, but he hasn’t scared away any of the dates I’ve brought home or done anything truly concerning. From what Finley tells me, it can be really hard for dragons to resist a mating bond and they can get very territorial. So, considering that, I’m kind of impressed that the worst Jethro has done is hang around helping me with things.

My cheeks are hot as I shove the vibrator into one of the pink purses. There’s really not a lot to pack up. Not enough to need help. But I still take the excuse to have him here, and he doesn’t call me out on it. He picks up another vibrator and shoves it in one of the two other purses.

“Do you have one of these, too?” he asks.

I bite my lip, not about to tell him I do, and I tested it last night, but he sees right through me and smiles.

“Did you think of me?” His question is too casual for what he’s asking.

There’s no way I’m telling him I did, so I spin away and stomp to the kitchen, which doesn’t take more than a few steps. I refuse to feel ashamed for taking care of a very natural and normal need. But old habits are hard to break, and I can still hear my mother's reprimanding voice saying, "Sex toys are tools of the devil used to destroy healthy relationships."

“Want something to drink?” I ask, trying to keep my voice even.

“You know what I want to consume.”

My skin prickles with electricity, mind pulling up memories I try to avoid.

“Can you just be serious for once?” I throw a dish towel athim, but it flutters to the floor between us.

He looks down at it, then up at me. His normally cocky grin is nowhere to be seen, brows pinched together. He closes his eyes and lets out a long sigh. “I actually came here because we need to have a serious conversation.”

His uncharacteristic tone has me circling back to the couch and sitting down beside him, keeping a foot of distance so my traitorous body doesn’t get ideas.

“What about?” I ask.

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