Page 2 of Destined By Dragonblood
Towering sky rises above me blocked out the final rays from the sinking sun. Brisk wind continued to buffet through the streets as I stood in front of Elijah’s building, the main entrance glass doors allowing me a peek into the brightly lit lobby. Warmth flooded my bloodstream, in contrast to the sinking temperature on my human skin.
Naked and camouflaged, I leaned against a light post, hidden from sight to those scurrying past in their rush to return home after a long workday. I’d come directly from Elijah’s, not having time to stop by the penthouse suite I owned but rarely utilized. It was one of many escapes I’d kept from Elijah’s knowledge along with the rest of my physical assets and wealth from having invested in America’s stock market since its inception. As alpha, I’d never felt the need to include Elijah in the various outlets of my life outside the physical, same as Father had done with Papa.
But there were other secrets I’d hidden from him.
I chose to put the past behind me when I’d finally submitted my body to Elijah that wintery day in 1962, after agreeing to pursue companionship with each other since there were no other of our species that we’d found in our years together prior to that day.
But my heart and head refused to submit fully, thus the constant battle for dominance between us.
Now, a fresh start lay before me where not even the sky was the limit.
Something far greater than a tumultuous relationship with another self-proclaimed alpha awaited me, a gift from fate for having lived too many centuries seeking to bond and breed as a Blood Born’s instincts demanded.
A low whine drew my attention off Elijah’s building. Some sort of raggedy, downtrodden dog peered up at me. Hunger shone in his eyes, bones protruding along his gray-speckled chest, further evidence he hadn’t eaten in a while.
I bent, running my hands over his filthy head. “Who’s a good boy?” I murmured, keeping my voice low so no one became aware of my invisible presence.
A lick over my face made me smile, and I scratched behind his matted ears. “You need someone to take care of you, don’t you, boy? Hmm?”
He rolled onto his back, giving me his belly, and I scratched, glancing over at Elijah’s building.
Employees began their exodus from Tolzman Industries, and I inspected every dark-haired woman for a glimpse of the one Dakota’s vision had revealed as my new friend continued to gladly accept my weighted strokes and murmurs of praise.
Minutes passed without my female’s arrival beneath the evening sky, and the rush of people turned into a trickle, unease prickling the back of my mind. Had I somehow missed Ashley in the throng? Was her dragonblood of so little potency that she had escaped without me catching the scent of her? My forehead etched into a deep furrow.
No. I refused to believe she would be unnoticeable, that she could have slipped by me countless times in the final month I’d spent in this very city searching for Elijah’s and my female. I had admitted defeat and returned to him empty-handed, determined to offer him every part of me in the hopes we might find some sense of contentment together.
I hated to believe my human side’s alpha nature hadn’t been able to locate Ashley after ten years of searching, but I’d grown desperate. Eyes closing, I sought out my inner beast, the one Father had taught me to rule with an iron fist—the lesser beta-like creature within me that I refused to bow down to. Rarely did I allow him equal rein, but I felt I had no choice.
“I need you.” I muttered defeat I rarely admitted to, unleashing his instincts instead of only his beastly form I required to take flight.
Embers hot as lava flared in my gut as I lowered the walls between us, a rumbling of life cracking through the manacles I used to shackle his natural inclinations.
Yips sounded and quickly faded, saddening me for scaring my new friend away when I could have provided a better existence for him.
A cackle of glee over sudden freedom flared like flames in my chest, nearly bursting through my skin, but I managed to retain my human form.
Relief oozed through my pores as my inner beast settled, shivers pebbling my skin. A sense of rightness I despised began to weave our minds into each other, allowing both of us equal control. He tended toward greediness, so I lay in wait, ready to smother him at a moment’s notice if necessary.
I quickly glanced around, heart aching over the missing dog.
Breathe…
Embracing our true self, we opened our airway fully, drawing oxygen deep into our lungs, scenting through the beast’s senses rather than our lesser human’s. Clogging exhaust burned our nostrils. A wafting stench of sewage curdled our guts. Putrid traces of body odor and cigarettes clung to those passing us by. Cloying perfume and spiced aftershave hit our nose, both of which caused a grimace to stretch our lips.
Vanilla, sweet as syrup?—
Our eyelids snapped upward. Movement slowed as though we’d suddenly been submerged in water. Silence descended, stifling regardless of the beauty before us.
Like a siren, our female called to us while stepping from Tolzman’s doors into the breeze, dark strands floating past her face, covering the eyes we lusted to see. Flushed, high cheekbones, a dainty, pointed chin…full lips our tongue lusted to stroke and taste, urged us to drink our fill and flooded our senses with everything that she was and imprinted them for all of eternity into our memory.
Arousal swelled through our groin like a tidal wave, causing an instant ache as she paused mere feet from us. We leaned toward the source of our need, energy rippling outward like a massive swell, attempting to drown us in desire. While my human half disliked anyone touching us other than those worthy of our attention, this female made our skin itch for caresses and kisses.
Need.
She lifted a trembling hand to tuck nearly-black hair behind a perfectly formed ear, baring what we longed to see.
Dark lashes framed the violet-colored eyes our human side had caught a glimpse of in Dakota’s vision. Though less in brightness and intensity, there was no mistaking the irises of the woman before us. The faintest scent of her dragonblood filled our merged noses and lungs, assuring us she was our female. She was much more human than beast, but her beauty, the allure of her scent, caused my superior half to not care about her lesser blood as much as I’d expected.
