A Dragon's Honor

  A Dragon’s Honor

  By Dahlia Rose

  Copyright © September 2012, Dahlia Rose

  Cover art by For the Muse Designs © September 2012

  ISBN 978-1-936668-70-0

  This is a work of fiction. All characters and events portrayed in this novel are fictitious or used fictitiously. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book, or portions thereof, in any form.

  Sugar and Spice Press

  North Carolina, USA

  www.sugarnspicepress.com

  Chapter One

  The sounds of the night filled the air—chirping crickets, hooting owls, howling coyotes, the rustling of tree limbs in the breeze, and the occasional crunch of dried leaves and twigs under wild animals’ feet. While these sounds would cause most people to become fearful, they comforted Raven. Being the daughter of an archeologist meant that by the age of five she had slept in more tents than beds and she’d played with children from Egypt to Peru. She never went to a regular school like most people. Her studies were done via laptop at whichever dig site her mother was on at the time. She left for college when she was eighteen and was further advanced than most students in her classes at Yale. At twenty–three, with all accelerated class requirements under her belt, she was working on her final project and thesis for her Masters and Ph.D. in Wisconsin at her own personal archeological dig site. While other students were heading to the usual digs in South America and the Middle East, she took a different route since she had seen all those before. She was going to chart and find the last few remnants of a tribe long gone. Her thesis was aptly named The Last Traces of The Mohican Tribe. She was going to prove they migrated to Wisconsin over one hundred years ago.

  Sitting outside her tent in front of a roaring fire, Raven looked up at the sky. There were so many stars she lost count in the inky black sky. She could’ve had interns to help her with her project, but she chose to travel alone. She didn’t want anyone ruining her trip with beer drinking and late night parties. You’re an old soul in a young body. Raven chuckled, thinking of the words her mother often told her. Raven had no time for keg parties or dating. Most men were put off by her intelligence and her lack of naivety when it came to the games they played. Yet, she was as innocent as a newborn babe having never had sex in her life.

  A long, high-pitched screech broke her from her thoughts and she looked up at the full moon that hung in the sky. What she saw next made her think of the hallucinations that people described when they took peyote. Peyote is a paste made from cactus that American Indians used to facilitate visions in their religious ceremonies. Yet she’d had none. The only thing she’d had that night was a cup of hot chocolate loaded with marshmallows as a treat.

  In the sky two large silhouettes were locked in battle. Raven quickly grabbed for her backpack and dug out her binoculars and focused them on the sky. She had to be dreaming, just had to. But when she pinched her leg hard she winced from the pain of it. She was certainly awake and watching what looked to be two mythical creatures fighting. One was a dragon with emerald green scales that caught the moonlight; a majestic Nordic beast of legend living in the Viking realm from Greenland to the North Pole. She focused on the other beast, which had an elongated body and a wingspan smaller than its opponent. Its scales were brownish black. It looked to be a serpent dragon, probably from the Asian mythological lore of dragons. While Nordic lore did have serpent dragons, the scales and markings on this one suggested it to be of Asian descent. Raven watched in horror and fascination as the two beings made the sky their battlefield.

  For a long time it looked like the dragon was winning, but the serpentine beast reared back and caught the dragon squarely on the neck with a bite. The pained roar that came from him seemed to echo through the night. The dragon began to fall from the sky and locked its jaws onto the serpent’s body, taking it with him. She heard them as they crashed through the night, hitting branches and then the ground, causing what felt like an earthquake from the force. Raven didn’t even think to be terrified. She picked up the shotgun she always packed with her for her projects and ran in the direction she saw them fall. This was even better than all she knew of the Mohicans. She had just seen creatures that weren’t technically supposed to exist fall from the sky.

  When she came to the clearing, instead of seeing two dragons, she saw men, one of which was lying on the ground. The other was advancing on the naked man lying in the middle of the destruction. This man was Asian and she immediately knew she was correct in her previous assessment. He had a knife in his hand and the malevolence on his face was evident. He was going to kill the other man and somewhere inside her she knew that it couldn’t happen. Raven raised her shotgun and fired one shot in the air. The Asian man suddenly turned, looked at her and smiled. Her stomach turned.

  “Step away from him now,” she ordered.

  “Really? Are you going to stop me, little girl?” His voice had a slimy quality to it that gave her the creeps.

  She lifted her head and looked at him bravely. “Let’s just say I’m a crack shot with this rifle, and from what I’ve read about Asian serpent dragons, you have two hearts. One is hidden somewhere in your body and one is right in the front, under a hard fused rib cage, so a chest shot would be of no use.” She leveled the gun at his head and said coldly, “But one of these bullets in your brain will make that a moot point; no head and you’re dead.”

  “You think you can shoot me before I get to you, silly human?” he snickered.

  Raven didn’t give him a chance. She shot and the bullet hit his shoulder. The serpent man howled in pain and anger and she waited until he fell quiet.

  “I hope you see that I don’t bullshit,” she said calmly. “The next shot will take your head off and that’s really messy.”

  “I’ve got your scent, human, and I’ll find you. That is a promise,” he said.

  “Promise of vengeance, yeah, yeah, I’ve heard that before,” she muttered.

  But she kept her eyes on him as he moved quickly into the tree line. Even injured he was faster than a human and when he took off into the sky from between the trees, she gasped. Obviously, she hadn’t injured him enough, or they regenerated quickly. She turned her attention to the man lying naked a few feet from her. She moved towards him quickly and pointed her pocket flashlight down at the prone figure. He was built like someone carved him of granite, his medium length dark hair was a stark contrast against the grass and she could see blood on his skin. What are you doing? He could be as dangerous as the Asian one, she thought. Raven nudged him with toe of her boot and he rolled over with a groan.

  “Have some care, female. I’m an injured man for Christ sakes,” he said. His accent was delicious and she placed him from somewhere in the Scandinavian region.

  “I just saved you from a not-so-nice serpent slash human guy; I’d have a care of how you speak to me,” Raven snapped. “I just saw two beings that do not exist fighting in the sky and now you’re lying here.”

  “We usually keep our presence in the human world unknown, but while I was on patrol I was attacked.” He winced as he sat up. “He got a good bite in though. No worries; he’ll pay eventually. I think his bite dislocated my shoulder.”

  Raven held back the urge to laugh like a maniac. Here she was talking to a man who had obviously been a dragon moments before, yet he was speaking like they’d just met for an evening stroll.

  “What are you anyway?” she asked. “And do I need to shoot you too?”

  He laughed as he stood and she saw his true height. He had to be at least six foot six to her five-three stature and obviously had no problem with being nude as a wide grin was plastered on his face.

  “Female, I mean no harm to you, but if the Shen abo
mination comes back, he certainly can do damage to a body such as yours.” He inclined his head. “My name is Raul and I am one from the Paladin Court.”

  “First, if you call me female one more time—” she began.

  “Are you not female, or are you one of those people who aren’t quite sure?”

  “Are you asking if I’m transgendered? Because, let me assure you, I’m all woman,” Raven snapped.

  “I certainly wouldn’t mind finding out for myself,” Raul answered.

  “You choose to flirt with a girl who’s holding a gun,” she snorted. “And what is a dragon from the Paladin Court, by the way?”

  “We’re protectors of your realm while we reside in ours, but enough of this for now. We must take our leave before the Shen dog comes back with a few friends.” Raul passed by her. “Do you have a vehicle?”

  “Yes, I have a vehicle, but wait. I need to know more…more about all this.” Raven waved her hands. “I need to take care of my campsite before we do anything.”

  He looked back at her. “And you shall know more, but not here. First, I need clothes and hopefully you can treat my wounds,” Raul said as he began walking away again. “At your home, preferably.”

  “Of course,” she snapped and ran to keep up with his long strides. “Because I’m just so accustomed to bringing strange men—not to mention dragons—to my home. What did you mean by that Shen thing would do me more harm?”

  “They are known for taking women for breeding. Their cocks have barbs that tear women apart and the eggs are no better. The women die either way,” he explained. “He has your scent, so now you’re under my protection which is good for you. Direction to your car, please.”

  “I seem to be stuck with an obnoxious, pompous dragon,” she muttered. He turned and raised a tapered eyebrow at her in question. She pointed through the tree line facing west where she had watched the sun go down earlier. “My truck is that way.”

  “Truck. How very tomboyish of you. I take it you’re not a corvette kind of girl?” Raul grinned.

  “You can’t drive a corvette onto an archeology dig site, hence my truck,” Raven retorted. “Are all dragons such jerks?”

  He frowned. “Jerk?”

  “Mouthy, insulting, rude, a cad. All of that equals jerk.”

  He stopped and faced her. She was even more aware of his nudity when he was only a few feet from her, and the thick flaccid length of him that hung between his legs. If he’s this massive now, imagine when he’s erect and…

  His words cut off her thoughts. “I apologize for being rude; I am, of course, in your debt for this.”

  They reached her campsite and she broke everything down easily and packed up, taking care to make sure all the hot ember of her fire were out. She was so accustomed to camping that in fifteen minutes she had everything rolled up and secured. Without even asking, Raul picked up the pack and another bag and threw them over his uninjured shoulder.

  “How about saving your ass in the clearing?” she pointed out, pouring another bucket of water over the now steaming fire pit.

  A slow smile spread across his face and he spoke. “I heard the whole thing, and, if necessary, I would have acted. Sometimes it’s best to let the enemy think they have the upper hand until you’re ready to strike.”

  “So you were playing possum? He could’ve attacked me with some kind of barb thing.” She stomped away in the direction of her truck, frustrated. “Maybe I’m having some kind of mental break down and all of this is happening in my head and I’m actually asleep or hallucinating.”

  “You are not hallucinating and I am certainly not a sleeping rodent who likes to hang from trees,” Raul caught up to her easily.

  She stopped when she saw the silver gleam of the rim of her truck and reached in the back to grab a blanket she always kept there for emergencies.

  Raven threw it at him and he caught it easily. “Use that to cover up so I won’t have an imprint of your junk and ass on my leather seats.”

  “Hey, many women would not refer to my manhood as junk,” he said, offended, tossing her belongings into the back of the truck.

  I have no doubt of that, she thought, but kept her mouth shut. She pulled her keys from her pocket and slid behind the wheel as he climbed in the passenger side. Her truck was roomy, but Raul filled up the space and dominated the cab of the truck. She silently started the vehicle and pulled away while he leaned his head against the window and closed his eyes. She took that time to take in his features, letting her gaze glide over him. His chin-length hair was dark, his face lean but chiseled and his thin goatee enhanced his debonair look. His eyes, though closed now, were a startlingly bright green against the dark contrast of his hair. His mouth was full but firm and she wondered what those lips would taste like.

  Stop this mess right now. He is some kind of hybrid—not human—and you shouldn’t be thinking like that. Still, Raven made a mental note to ask him about human/dragon sexual relations for scientific purposes, of course. She smiled, excited about the possibility of learning of a race that was completely unheard of to people in her field. She’d gone to learn about a tribe lost to history and a new one—albeit a devastatingly handsome one—fell into her lap. In her mind, many questions began forming and she made a mental list of things to ask him later. While she drove towards home, a man who could become a dragon slept in the seat next to her.

  Chapter Two

  It was a little past midnight when she pulled into the driveway. She unlocked the back door, leading into the kitchen. Raven invited him in and he sat at the kitchen table. All she knew about him so far was that his name was Raul, he was a dragon shifter, and he was injured. That’s what he called himself, a dragon shifter, when he told her about his second nature. The bite on his shoulder had begun to heal, but still looked pretty bad and needed taken care of before they could discuss anything further. And then there was the matter of getting his very muscled shoulder back into place. At least now he was only shirtless, but even that was a distraction. She’d found some old clothes—pants mainly—tucked away upstairs that belonged to her brother’s boyfriend. They must have left them the last time they visited. Michael was a big man and yet his jeans were visibly too short for Raul.

  She looked at him dubiously after cleaning his wound, first with soap and water and then with rubbing alcohol. “You’re way bigger than me. There is no way I am going to be able to put your shoulder back into place. I think we should take you to the hospital and have that taken care of.”

  Raul shook his head. “It’s already healing itself. By the time we got there, it would be too late and my shoulder would be in the wrong place.” He got up from the table and sat on the floor facing the wall, waving her over to him with his good arm. “Brace your back against the wall here, and put your foot against my shoulder. You’ll take my arm and pull as you use your heel for leverage. It should be enough to pop it back into place.”

  Raven stood and looked down at this sexy creature sitting on her floor. “That’s going to hurt like a bitch on wheels.”

  Raul laughed. “A what on what? You Americans—I love the way you talk.”

  “Yeah, you should hear how you sound,” she said under her breath and moved to stand in front of him with her back pressed against the wall.

  “You like my voice then?” He gave her a wink and smiled.

  Even though her heart fluttered in her chest, Raven rolled her eyes. “Your voice is like anyone else’s. Let’s get this over with.”

  She took off her boots and lifted his arm, holding it at the wrist with both her hands. His chuckle was cut off with a wince of pain when she braced the ball of her foot against his shoulder.

  “We’ll do this on three,” she said and took a deep breath. “One, two…”

  She pulled hard on his arm and pushed her foot against him simultaneously before she got to three and felt his shoulder slip back into place. He cursed loudly and rolled back on the floor.

  “Mother of God, I t
hought you said on three, female!” he roared. His roar was so loud it made the small kitchen shake, and a few plates fell off the shelf with a clatter.

  Raven moved around him. “Well, if you knew when it was going to happen, you would have tensed up and made it worse. And my name is Raven. If you call me female one more time I’m going to kick you in the balls.”

  He sat up and glared at her. “I told you that my muscles had begun to heal already.”

  “Suck it up, champ. You’re a dragon shifter, after all.” She grabbed a bottle of Ibuprofen out of a cabinet.

  He muttered about bloody coldhearted females as he got up and sat back in the chair at the table. Raven handed him the bottle of Ibuprofen. He practically tore the childproof cap off and poured what looked to be at least twelve tablets in his hand.

  “Wait, that’s way too much,” she said. He gave her a look and then tilted his head back, swallowing them dry. Raven grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and put it on the table in front of him. “I would have given you water.”

  “I didn’t want to bother you with that. I was afraid you might bludgeon me over the head with it,” he replied.

  “It’s plastic. It wouldn’t have done a lot of damage,” she said mildly. “Okay, so your shoulder is back in place, which means you owe me some answers. Who the hell are you and what’s going on?”

  “I told you I am Raul of the Paladin Court,” he replied and took a long swig from the water bottle. Raven watched his Adam’s apple work as he swallowed and felt butterflies in her stomach.

  “Yes, you said that, but humor the human in the room. What the hell does that mean?”

  He laughed. “I like you. You’ve got fire in your belly.”

  “I’m glad I amuse you. So how about you give me a laugh, buddy,” Raven replied.

  Raul inclined his head. “The Paladin Court is in the realm that mirrors this one where dragons roam. Those of us of the court are charged with the protection of your realm from those who would farm humans like cattle and enslave you.”