Not His Dragon by Annie Nicholas Read Free Book Online

house.” She hated it when Ken strummed her heartstrings. He knew all her notes. As orphans, they’d both been considered strays of human kind.
    He grinned. “Thanks, Ang.”
    “You better not come back with fleas. Wash those dogs good.”
    He set the bottles aside and started shifting.
    She hurried from the room to give him privacy. Watching shifters change shape poured too much envy in her blood.
    Beth sat at her desk, another muffin in hand. “Will Ken go with you?”
    “Yes, Mother.” Angie nodded to her next customer. “Room two is ready if you’d like to go shift.”
    Ken joined them and set the bottles on the desk. “Not one word about this to the pack, Beth.”
    She smirked and pretended to zip her lips. “My lips are sealed.”
    “Why exactly are we visiting the dragon?” He grabbed a muffin and wolfed it down in one bite. “You never told me your long story. Dragons are a bad idea.”
    How did he manage to speak with his mouth so full and not choke?
    “We were interrupted by your tenants.” Angie glanced at room two. She’d never get out in time to have dinner and a shower if she kept being stalled. “Beth can give you the details. We have to be there at seven, so don’t be late, okay? I don’t want Eoin greeting us with a bottle of ketchup in his hands.”
    “Hey Ang,” Ken called.
    She paused on her way to room two. “What?”
    “The sink in room one is plugged up something fierce.”
    She rubbed her temples. Every day something different broke.
    “Do you want me to call the plumber?” Beth offered.
    “No, I’ll look at it first.” Since opening the shop, she’d collected small amount of tools. She owned a pipe wrench. Maybe if she whacked the sink enough it would unplug.
     
     
     
    Eoin pulled up to his home and parked his Harley in the detached garage. The urge to itch had almost made him pull to the side of the road. Only the thought of hidden paparazzi taking photos of him kept him on his bike. It was the longest trip ever. He jogged inside the castle.
    Once across the threshold, he came to a halt in the grand foyer as a breeze blew in from behind and stirred the loose leaves across the floor. A pile had gathered in the far corner of the foyer across from the broken stained glass window. Eoin took a step inside, his gaze following the sunlight to the cobwebs decorating the ceiling and the chandelier. The candles in the chandelier had melted away long ago, leaving piles of wax on the dusty metal. He’d forgotten to fix the busted window. That was—what?—five years ago when his roar had shattered it? He couldn’t even remember what had upset him.
    Crossing the foyer, he stopped at the entrance to the dining hall. Broken glass littered the floor. The remains of the charred table stood in the center of the room. He recalled how elegant his home had been not long ago when he’d first moved here. The local humans and supernaturals had wanted to meet with him. To ease their fears, he’d thrown a ball. Food and wine had flowed freely all night. That had only been a century ago.
    Maybe he should hire a maid.
    He rubbed his chin. The place had taken a beating over the last decade and had a whole retro-abandoned thing going on. The petite not-a-she-dragon might not return to finish treating his scale rot if she thought him poor. She would arrive later this evening and there were no second chances at making a first impression. He’d already failed, but his home didn’t have to. Maybe he could clean before Angie arrived? Scowling, he turned his back on the dining room. He couldn’t afford to alienate her. She held his health in her sharp-nailed hands.
    She also possessed secrets. Shifter ancestry or not, her smell wouldn’t leave him. She was in every breath he took. He liked secrets. Either way, he needed to not frighten her away until the scale rot was taken care of and he figured out why she smelled of she-dragon. Both were equally important to him.
    Pulling out his cell phone,