Claiming His Prize (Bad Boy Alphas) (Feral Breed Followings Book 2) by Ellis Leigh Read Free Book Online Page B

the fire came understandable shapes and shadows. And I knew.
    The dragon had chosen Jane as his mate.
    I landed on the riverbank with a thud, not even shifting human once more like I normally would. My tail swished back and forth as I paced the rocky shore, my yowls, hisses, and grunts peppering the forest with sounds rarely heard. How had I missed this? While I knew I was definitely attracted to Jane, I hadn’t expected this . Hell, I hadn’t expected to ever find a mate. My father had told me the stories of our kind. I knew the legends that followed us, the ones we let the other shifters believe. That we chose mates at random, that they weren’t fated, that we could leave them and choose others if the whim hit us.
    All lies, sort of.
    The truth was our dragon chose their mate. The connections took time, took getting to know someone. It was much like how humans chose a spouse, except that once our dragon had chosen a mate, that was it. The dragon chose once in their life, tying their soul to the one they wanted for their remaining days. No, it wasn’t a fated connection; it was one we had to work to build and nurture. There was no instant attraction, no understanding that the two belonged together. There was only the feeling of rightness that came when you realized they were the one for you. When they proved their loyalty. When you claimed their body, mind, and spirit as a part of your own.
    And blessings to anyone—human or otherwise—who stood in your way.
    “Shit,” I hissed as I finally shifted human. For about the millionth time in my life, I gave thanks that dragons shifted with their clothes, unlike our wolfy counterparts.
    Sitting on the bank of the river, I grabbed the neck of my T-shirt and pulled it over my head. I was too warm for once, too worked up from flying and figuring out what my dragon had done. So I balled up the fabric and rested it behind my head as I lay back on the cool ground. The sky was a field of color, clouds hanging high above in fluffy counter to the sleek blue. I stared for minutes or hours, waiting for guidance. Letting my dragon settle so I could figure out what to do.
    When he finally did, when he sat back and gave me the ability to work with him once more, it was with one thought in mind.
    Mate.
    “She might not want us,” I said out loud, even though he could hear my thoughts. But I knew, even before the dragon laughed inside my head, that it didn’t matter. I’d still be chasing her. I’d still crave her. There was no turning off the mate switch once the dragon had chosen. No second chances or do-overs. Jane was it for me, for my dragon, forever.
    I just had to figure out how to make her feel the same way about me.

Six
    Jane
    “ I ’m not your mate .”
    Saern laughed, the sound echoing coldly through the chamber. “Of course you are, Treat. But we’ll get to that. First, do your job.”
    His order practically dripped with arrogance, and I bristled in response. “Excuse me? My job—”
    “Jane.” Mick’s voice made me jump, made me squeak, something that had the dragon cocking his head with interest. “Our friend here is going to join The Pack House soon, but he needs medical attention first.”
    My stomach plummeted. This animal was coming to The Pack House. The wolves could be bad enough—rough and strong and filled with testosterone to the point of overload—but this guy would be a train wreck. He’d slaughter his opponents. The only one he could possibly fight and lose to would be Tidal.
    Oh God, Piers.
    “Jane,” Mick barked again, looking irritated.
    I shook off my thoughts and focused on Saern, no matter how much I didn’t want to. “Medical attention. Right… For what?”
    “Ignorant humans stealing the sky again,” Saern spat. “I clipped one of their wind machines, and it caught my wing. I can no longer fly, my treat.”
    “I don’t—” I licked my lips, still worried about Tidal, still too terrified to move closer to the beast