The Alpha Dragon's Bond (Dragon Shifters of Kahului Book 3) Read online

  The Alpha Dragon’s Bond

  Dragon Shifters of Kahului (Book 3)

  Brittany White

  © Copyright 2019 by Brittany White

  All rights reserved.

  In no way it is legal to reproduce, duplicate, or transmit any part of this document in either electronic means or in printed format. Recording of this publication is strictly prohibited and any storage of this document is not allowed unless with written permission from the publisher. All rights reserved.

  Respective authors own all copyrights not held by the publisher.

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  Contents

  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

  Epilogue

  Also by Brittany White

  About the Author

  1

  Jillian

  * * *

  I placed a small bronze vase of light green and burgundy lilies in the center of the table before scanning the arrangement one last time. In the center sat dishes of rice, poi, and salmon, garnished with fresh-cut fruit and a variety of red and orange syrupy sauces that I made from scratch.

  After slaving in the kitchen all afternoon trying to perfect recipes I picked up from friends around the island, I stood there gnawing on my thumb as I surveyed the spread, hoping it would be enough. The guests I was preparing to entertain could inhale massive amounts of food in mere minutes. Better to be safe than sorry, I thought, rushing to the kitchen to throw a leftover dish of Kalua pig in the oven as a backup.

  I carefully inched the hot pink napkins to the center of the deep brown bamboo plates and perked up the large palm leaf centerpieces for the twentieth time. I used to be a pro at entertaining on the fly, but even with days of preparation, I was still stressing over every last detail.

  Mostly because when I lived with these guests before, I was rarely the one to cook. And when I did, I still never felt it held a candle to my friend and former roommate, Sara’s delicious cooking. She was a chef after all. Then there were Ella’s baked goods which were to die for. Carrie wouldn’t be picky or judge my skills in the kitchen. And the men joining us this evening would scarf down just about anything you put in front of them. They were quite pleased with human food after years of seaweed and sand… or whatever it was dragon shapeshifters ate in their realm.

  Still, it had been bittersweet to part ways with them all when I decided to move into my small studio in the city. My roommates and I had come together in the house on the beach to focus on surfing; a shared passion of ours. But everything changed when four dragon shapeshifters showed up on our doorstep one day after thousands of years hibernating beneath the sea.

  The most unlikely of house guests, we had no idea even existed before, quickly became more than just visitors. Before we knew it, Sara was pregnant with Daegal’s baby. While it wasn’t an easy road for them, they were eventually married. Which meant all the dragon boys would be staying for quite some time. Not long after Ella settled into her new place in the neighborhood, I knew it was getting too cramped and it was time for me to move on as well. This would be my first time seeing them since I left our shared house just three months before.

  I wanted it to be a relaxed, fun evening for all of us. Mostly I wanted to show them I was doing well. While I spent most of my life on my own traveling from place to place, they hadn’t known that side of me. I knew they were worried about me, and this was the perfect opportunity to show them how well I flourished in my own space.

  I checked the time on my phone with a confident nod. They’d be here any minute and everything was finished and looking great. I glided across my small but well-decorated living room, fluffing the pillows one last time and inching around a few knick-knacks back into their proper spots. I rested my hands on my hips with a satisfied sigh as I looked over my collection of souvenirs from my life so far. There hadn’t been enough space to display all of them in our shared house, and I was excited to finally show all of my precious things to my friends.

  A series of knocks sounded against the front door, sending me leaping over with an excited shriek to let them in. I flung the door open wide with a welcoming smile, delighted to set eyes on my friends. Sara stood front and center with Keanu squirming on her hip, Daegal standing close behind as always. Ella was arm in arm with Gregor, both with their typical shy smiles and blushing cheeks, as they huddled in close cradling their newborn. Carrie and Edvard shuffled behind them as they all pounced forward in a rush of hugs as they entered.

  “Hey, stranger!” Sara beamed as she put Keanu down who hit the floor running. I eyed him and my belongings cautiously, realizing my place wasn’t designed to handle the wrath of a toddler. Especially not one who was part dragon.

  “I wanted to get all settled in before I had you over to see the place,” I replied through more smiles and hugs, shrugging off Keanu’s mischievous disappearance. I was too excited to see them to worry about whatever damage the little guy would cause. It was well worth it to be in their company again.

  “Have a seat! Please!” My arm swept proudly toward the dining table, glowing with almond blossom scented candles, reflecting against the colorful floral arrangements and place settings. I took my seat at the head of the table and began passing around a basket of bread and serving utensils. “Wait,” I frowned, noting the empty chair. “Where’s Sebastian?”

  A series of snickers and rolling eyes darted around the table.

  “That’s a great question,” Sara sighed in annoyance.

  “What my beloved wife means,” Daegal interjected, recoiling slightly from the heated glare she shot over to him. “Is that we are unaware of Sebastian’s whereabouts this evening.”

  “Or most evenings,” Sara huffed.

  “Rest assured that whatever prevented our dear brother from joining us tonight must have been quite urgent and regrettable,” Gregor insisted, his eyes widening with each new dish placed in front of him as he piled up his plate. “I am certain he would have much rather accompanied us to this feast.”

  Carrie burst out in mocking laughter as more strange glances fired back and forth.

  “I don’t get it,” I side-eyed them suspiciously, picking up on something uncomfortable and unspoken. “What’s going on?”

  “We haven’t seen much of Sebastian lately,” Sara finally blurted, quickly prompting what looked like a series of displeased nudges from Daegal under the table. “What!?” she protested. “I don’t see why we shouldn’t tell her. Jillian was close to Sebastian. She deserves to know.”

  “Whoa…” I griped, hating how mysterious they were all being. “I wouldn’t say we were close… not by a long shot. Unless by close you mean we couldn’t stand each other. But… know what? What’s going on?”

  The ladies cast a look of skepticism over me, never missing an opportunity to suggest that Sebastian and I’s bickering was some form of flirtation.

  “Will someone just come out with it already!” I snapped, dropping the serving spoon down into the rice bowl with a startling clang.

  “Sebastian se
ems to be enjoying a human life a little too thoroughly these days,” Daegal explained. “He stays out all hours of the night, not returning to his chamber at all some evenings. He has taken quite a liking to human nightlife.”

  “Especially since you left,” Carrie murmured tauntingly.

  “Ugh, enough with that already!” I growled. “Whatever idiotic things Sebastian decides to get himself into has nothing to do with me.”

  “He has scarred his body with permanent markings!” Gregor declared in disgust. “Some sort of sick human masochistic tradition. Ink shapes on his arms. He paid men money to do this to him! His body is ruined.”

  The girls erupted into a fit of giggles. “They’re called tattoos,” Carrie snickered, rolling her eyes.

  “I don’t care what you call them!” He cried. “They’re disgraceful.”

  “I must agree with you, Gregor,” Daegal sighed heavily, looking around in disappointment. “Those markings are nothing like the beautiful body art we knew in the dragon realm. And in the human world we knew many ages ago, only primal tribes would bear those kinds of skin drawings. Now it seems to have become quite a popular trend, though I can’t say I understand it.”

  “I think you’d look sexy with a tattoo. You certainly don’t seem to mind mine,” Sara teased, referring to the small three wavy blue lines on her ankle as a tribute to her love for surfing.

  “Woman!” he scoffed in embarrassment, touched with a flattered grin he couldn’t contain. “I have asked you repeatedly not to refer to our naked bodies or use words like ‘sexy’ in front of our friends. I have learned it is inappropriate and makes others uncomfortable.”

  She cackled and shrugged off his newfound sense of propriety as she dug back into her dinner. “This is delicious, Jillian!” she moaned through her full mouth.

  I tried to hide my proud smirk as I humbly changed the subject. “Wow… so Sebastian’s all tatted up now.”

  “Did you see his new motorcycle?” Ella asked sheepishly as she bounced her baby between bites of food.

  “’ Tis a death trap,” Greggor murmured in shame. “Not a bike, as you’ve called it. He’s going to kill himself.”

  “When did you all become such prudes!?” I shouted, sparking another eruption of giggles around the table. “I’m sure Sebastian is just adapting to human life the best way he knows how.” I took a coy sip of beer. “I mean, all man-whores ride motorcycles and have tattoos. Now he just needs to pierce his ears and to join a band.”

  “Pierce his ears?” Edvard gasped in horror, his mouth gaping open.

  “She means like this,” Carrie groaned, tugging on her earring.

  “I did not think such mutilation was common among men,” he sneered. “Though I have seen most women wearing these strange embellishments.”

  I noticed a little look from Carrie toward Edvard, one of many I’d already noticed that evening. Even before I moved out, I noticed the two of them spending more and more time together. Sara told me they were inseparable now, but still swore they were just friends.

  We all laughed and carried on for hours, occasionally being interrupted by a screaming baby or a crash from Keanu’s antics. Thankfully nothing too valuable or irreplaceable was broken, but Sara was still embarrassed and endlessly apologetic. I was just glad the whole place didn’t get flooded, which had now apparently become a common occurrence in their household. Dragon toddlers weren’t skilled enough to control their powers yet. And what little control they did have was often disregarded for the sake of causing trouble.

  The conversation soon drifted from Sebastian’s most recent behavior and reports of the trouble he got himself into at the bars every night. Ella and Gregor were always eager to empathize with Sara and Daegal over the pangs of parenthood. Everyone gushed over new projects, jobs, and hobbies. And as always, the odd musings of our dragon men never failed to provide interesting dinner conversation.

  I looked across the table, beaming from the warmth of my dear friends’ company once again. But I couldn’t shake this incessant nagging feeling in the pit of my stomach each time my eyes crossed Sebastian’s empty seat. Typical, I thought. He had always been a rude asshole, in my opinion. Figures he wouldn’t even bother showing up to this dinner I had worked so hard to put together for everyone.

  A gnawing ache plagued me nonetheless and lasted well after my friends reluctantly departed. My eyes were wide open as I laid in bed clutching my pillow and telling myself I’d clean the kitchen tomorrow. It was true that Sebastian and I bickered and carried on to no end, never missing an opportunity to insult or humiliate one another. But wasn’t that just the nature of our friendship? Or whatever we had.

  Not much of a friendship or anything else, I huffed to myself as I clenched my eyes tight, trying to push him from my brain and fall asleep. What kind of friend would just be a no-show without so much as a warning or apology? Good riddance.

  2

  Sebastian

  * * *

  I prowled down the city street through the neon glow of bar signs, scouring the selection for a place I hadn’t been kicked out of in the past couple of weeks. For as much as I loved the humans’ pubs, they did not seem to take the same liking to me. Once I had been banned from everywhere in one area, I’d move on to another town. Not to worry. There was an endless supply of drinking establishments on the island of Kahului.

  Things were never this exciting in the dragon realm. My demeanor wasn’t as offensive to my dragon brethren and the bar wenches back home. This new world held so much potential for a good brawl almost every night, though the humans didn’t seem to enjoy getting rowdy as much as I did. They were eager to attack but quick to withdrawal and toss me out on the street instead.

  I spotted a flickering neon silhouette of a woman, which I had learned was a beacon signaling to roaming men that women danced entirely nude behind those doors. I eagerly flung open the alley door and made my way to the bar, grumbling to myself as I hunched down in my seat over a bright-colored cocktail adorned with a little pink umbrella. There were all sorts of these sweet and fruity concoctions available in these establishments, but for some reason it caused the human men to harass me. Apparently, it was not socially acceptable for men to drink these sorts of mixtures, but I delighted in them unapologetically. I would not be put off the nectar of the gods.

  My head bobbed around half-heartedly as I took in the sight of the naked dancing women. This was a great source of joy for me when I first discovered this strange custom, but I quickly learned that the thrill faded fast. I also learned the hard way that you could not touch these dancers, no matter how much they enticed you. Perhaps that was why the appeal diminished so swiftly.

  On nights like this, I would often look on either side of me and wish that my dragon brothers were by my side. So much more fun could be had with their company, but it was nearly impossible to drag them away from the human women they had latched onto.

  I noticed another man nearby who looked just as lonely, bored, and restless as I was. So, I nudged my stool over to his, desperate for conversation.

  “Having a good night, fellow?” I proclaimed, startling him as he furrowed his brow at my brightly colored drink. He grumbled something indistinct in response. “I do wonder what my dragon clan is doing right now,” I considered out loud to the stranger. “Ahh… not that it matters,” I rasped with a dismissive wave of my hand. “They’re probably changing diapers and conversing with their mates. Doing common chores like servants.”

  The man nodded with a sympathetic but confused smile. “Women. Pfft. What’s that about dragons you say?” He answered himself with an amused laugh. “Yeah… dragons. The lot of ‘em.”

  “You see, both Daegal, our dragon prince, and Gregor found their mates in the house of women we came upon after first awakening,” I explained to him. “And while Edvard still swears he has not found a mate in Carrie, you’d never know it by the way he clings to her. Sure, I could join my clan in their new home. They’ll welcome me any
time. But their dwellings are filled with the screams of their offspring and the playful bickering of their wives.” I rambled in disgust, the man struggling to keep up with uncertain nods.

  “I have no desire to find a mate!” I proclaimed, swishing my glass in the direction of my new friend. “I want many mates. A new one every night!”

  The man coughed out a raspy laugh, excitedly raising his glass to meet mine. “Mates, you say?” He asked, melting back into hesitation. “I loved me a woman once. She loved me back pretty well. But that’s all over now.” His lips pursed at the rim of his mug as his eyes glossed over with sadness and regret.

  “Ah yes,” I groaned. “After my dear dragon brothers were chained down by these women, there was only one person left to talk to. Or rather, argue with. The dark-skinned wild woman named Jillian. I could not deny her physical appeal. No sane man could. She had dark skin that glowed like the light of the moon, stretched over the muscles she had developed from riding the waves like a goddess of the sea. Her dark hair was untamed like her spirit, spiraling out in every direction in tight bouncy curls. When she wore them in a bundle on top of her head, her long graceful exposed neck would torture me. I had a painful longing to press my lips to her coconut scented skin, but she made her disdain for me quite clear.

  The only thing more enticing than Jillian’s body, which she frequently put on display as a means of tormenting me when she would go to the beach clothed in almost nothing, was her face. Honey tanned cheeks speckled in the most adorable little dots, kissed by the sun itself. Glaring dark eyes that could burn straight through me and a steely tongue that could cut a man in half. She was clever. That much I will admit. I suppose…”