Mated To The Alpha Dragon (A BBW Paranormal Romance) Read online

  After saying one final goodbye to Callie, while blinking back a few tears and giving her a few goodbye notes I'd written to a few other friends in town the night before, Mayor Richardson led me away from the house by the hand, only letting go when I insisted I wasn't going to try to run or do anything rash.

  "I volunteered for this, and I'm not backing out."

  But as we got closer and closer to the city gate, and as the sky turned gray and lavender with the first hint of dawn, my pulse began pounding in my ears.

  "Not gonna run, or do anything stupid. Not backing out. Thinking only positive thoughts. Not backing out."

  I wondered if the shifter dragons insisted on sleeping with their new brides right away, on the wedding night, even if the brides didn't want to or didn't feel ready yet. I was suddenly wondering a lot of different things. We reached the gate, and my heart began to sound like a jackhammer in my ears. I clutched the handle of one of my suitcases so tightly my knuckles must have been white.

  Mayor Richardson set down my other suitcase beside me, unlocked and opened the gate, and then squeezed my shoulder. "Be brave, now. This is for the good of everyone, remember. We've gotta keep the dragons happy, or else who knows what they might do to the town. You're helping to keep the town safe."

  I nodded. "I know."

  "Goodbye, Kate. And good luck."

  Just then, while the first rays of dawn painted the sky in shades of pale pink and peach, a Keeper in human form approached the gate and stopped a few feet beyond it. He appeared to be in his early thirties, and his expression was so stern, his face might as well have been chiseled in stone. Mayor Richardson took the side of the gate to close it. I took a deep breath, picked up my suitcases with trembling hands, and stepped beyond the gate. It immediately clanged shut behind me, and I heard the sound of Mayor Richardson lock it and jog away.

  The Keeper surveyed me, and then my suitcases. "What's in the suitcases? Clothes? Where we are going you won't need clothes..."

  CHAPTER TWO

  My mouth became dry as sandpaper, and I stammered for a few seconds before being able to form words. "What do you mean I won't need clothes where we're going?"

  The Keeper opened his mouth like he was going to answer, but then shut it and shook his head. "Not yet. Walk."

  His green eyes slightly narrowed, he took off across the grassy, hilly several-mile expanse between Haverbrook and the Smoky Mountains, not even offering to help me with my suitcases. I stood, frozen, until he turned and barked at me again to walk. Obediently, I snatched up my suitcases and hopped to, scared of what he might do if I didn't. With a sinking feeling in my stomach, I wondered if all the Keepers were as stern as he was, and if so, if that sternness could become outright cruelty. I didn't want to find out, but I knew that soon, in however long it took to reach the mountains, I would. And I was just guessing that just based on what my guide-Keeper had said about me not needing any clothes, the answer would be yes, that all the other Keepers were as stern as he was and even cruel. Shivering even in the warm morning sunshine, I pictured some sort of dungeon where all the wives were kept naked and chained. A wave of nausea washed over me.

  But soon, to my surprise, it lifted. And actually, the feeling of nearly being sick became replaced by one of near-euphoria. I'd never been outside the confines of Haverbrook once my entire life, not even for a second, and the beauty of the open green not bordered by any electrified fence was almost more than I could handle. Daisies bloomed in patches along the way, swaying in a breeze. Puffy white clouds appeared golden in the sunrise. A few butterflies whirled and zipped in front of me, and with suddenly misty eyes, I watched them twirl away toward the mountains.

  "So this is the world."

  My Keeper-captor glanced at me over his shoulder, his green eyes still narrowed. "Hurry up."

  I picked up the pace, my heart so light I felt like I could have carried even two additional suitcases. I suddenly wondered if there was still even the smallest hope, even just a shred, that the shifter dragons might not be entirely cruel. I wondered if there was even just the slightest possibility that they might let their wives out sometimes to explore the green world outside the mountains. Even if they kept their wives naked and chained the majority of the time, and even if they were abusive and cruel, I knew I could bear it, at least for a while, as long as I could experience the wide green world at least occasionally. I knew times of freedom and euphoria like I was currently experiencing could keep me going, no matter if those times were few and far between.

  My Keeper-captor and I walked along in silence for a few minutes, and I wondered if there was even the slightest chance that shifter dragons got a little nicer if they were shown that an individual was a good, friendly person, and maybe if that good, friendly person got them to open up a little. I decided it was worth a try, and I caught up to just a few paces behind the Keeper.

  "Will you tell me your name? I'm Kate. Kate Archer."

  He didn't answer, and I tried again.

  "Will you tell me your name? Or even anything else you'd like me to call you? Like, maybe just 'Sir', or...or..." I couldn't think of anything else he might like me to call him.

  He didn't even glance back at me. "You'll call me nothing, because you will not speak again. And if you do, you'll suffer the consequences."

  My heart, which had been rising like a balloon, popped. I had no intention of finding out what the consequences of speaking would be. The Keeper was fairly tall and broad-shouldered, and I knew at the very least, he could send me sprawling with probably no more than a single-fingered shove. And I knew that he could, and probably would, do much worse than that. I pressed my lips together, my suitcases suddenly heavy. And my heart even heavier.

  We began climbing a hill, and I struggled with my suitcases. But I didn't dare slow my pace. Even though the Keeper was a good seven or eight inches taller than my five-foot-four-inch frame, and even though his legs were much longer than mine, I kept up, right behind him. I didn't know if there would be consequences for slowing down, but I expected there probably would be. A thin sheen of perspiration broke out on my forehead, and not just because I was exerting myself physically.

  We crested the hill and then descended into a valley at the foot of the next hill. And then something weird happened.

  My Keeper-captor came to a stop, turned with something like a sheepish grin on his face, and gestured to my suitcases. "Set those down and rest now. Please. I'm so very sorry. Please rest. That part we just did is the part I hate the most. We're out of sight now, though. I'm so terribly sorry."

  Stunned, and unsure if I was being given some sort of test I'd be punished for if I failed, I held onto my suitcases.

  The Keeper gave me another sheepish grin. "Sorry again. I feel terrible. But you can really put them down now and rest. Oh, and to answer your earlier question, I'm Samuel. But friends call me Sam. And you can call me Sam."

  Studying him, I didn't respond, still uncertain if I was being given some sort of a test. But his green eyes seemed genuine.

  "Really, it's okay to set them down. I'm so sorry I had to act like a jerk while we were still within view of the town. Some people watch the leaving of the bride with telescopes, you know. And those of us who escort the brides have to remain very stern and fierce. And it helps us if the brides appear a little frightened and intimidated. We Keepers have to retain tight control over the town. But no matter what you've heard or thought, we're not cruel. Not at all. So, please... set down your suitcases and rest. Before I feel any worse than I already do."

  Wondering if I'd regret it, I decided to trust Sam, and I set my suitcases down. "How do you know we call you the Keepers?"

  He grinned. "Oh, there's a lot we know about you townsfolk. A lot we overhear. Some of us do a bit of spying while we patrol the fence. And in fact, I happen to know that you actually volunteered to be the bride sacrifice this year. That was very brave of you. Brave and noble."

  I smiled a little in return, weak wi
th relief at his kindness and what he'd said previously about the shifter dragons not being cruel. "Thanks."

  He smiled. "You're very welcome. So. Would you like to continue the rest of the journey to the mountains on my back while I'm in dragon form? We'll get there a lot faster."

  I nodded. "Sure. But... can I ask you a few questions before we go?"

  "Of course. Ask away."

  "Well... um, I guess I don't really know exactly how to ask this, but...." I swallowed, suddenly having a little difficulty meeting Sam's gaze. "I guess I'll just come right out and say it. You seem really nice and polite and kind, and I'm not exactly sure how all the other shifter dragons are going to be, so...." I swallowed again. "Any chance that you're unmarried and wanting a bride?"

  Sam smiled. "I'm flattered you would ask that, and thank you. But I'm actually already married, and even if I weren't...." He gave me the briefest of once-overs. "Something just tells me that this is going to be Victor's year to claim a bride. And something else just tells me that he's not even going to hardly let any other man lay eyes on you before he announces his intention to claim you for his own bride."

  "Who's Victor?"

  "He's the dragon lord. He's our leader."

  I couldn't answer for a moment while some sort of little thrill rippled through me. "And he's... he's not cruel? Does he like girls who… What kind of girls does he like?"

  "Well, as far as being cruel, no, he's definitely not, although sometimes he can be a little... maybe stern is the right word. And that's because, as our leader, he somewhat has to be. But no, he's definitely not cruel. And as far as what he's attracted to..."

  Sam gave me the briefest of once-overs again, and I couldn't be sure, but I thought his face reddened slightly.

  "Well, as his second-in-command, friend, and for all practical purposes, brother for many years, I can say with certainty that he's definitely expressed a preference for pretty blondes on numerous occasions. And I don't think my wife would mind me saying in the most platonic of ways that that's definitely you. And as far as physical attraction, I can say with equal certainty that he's definitely expressed admiration for...." Sam cleared his throat, his face clearly reddening now. "For very feminine, very, um... full, curvy figures."

  "Oh." Having to leave Haverbrook to marry a shifter dragon was starting to seem like a dream come true. "Well... oh." I couldn't think of anything more to say, my stomach suddenly full of butterflies flapping their wings as rapidly as a pair of them that were fluttering near my suitcases in the grass. "Oh, I guess."

  Sam smiled, his green eyes twinkling. "Yeah. Although I can't be a hundred per cent certain, of course, something just tells me that Victor's not going to allow a council meeting to determine who will be allowed to claim you as their bride. A council meeting is usually what happens when a new bride arrives. Those who wish to claim her for their own inform the council members, who then have a meeting to determine whose request will be granted. But as Victor is head of the council, and as I'm fairly certain that after one look, he'll want you for his own, I don't think that's going to happen. But don't get me wrong... I don't think he'll only be attracted to you physically. I know he's also attracted to kindness and bravery and compassion, all qualities you displayed when you volunteered yourself to be this year's sacrificial bride. And I'll be sure to say a few words to him about this."

  I smiled. "Thanks. I really appreciate that. All of a sudden, I'm feeling, like... really hopeful about all this. And I have to admit, earlier this morning, I was kind of fighting a little dread. Especially at the gate when you... hey. Were you at all serious about what you said? I mean... you shifter dragons don't really keep your wives, um... naked all the time, do you?"

  Sam winced. "Sorry about that. After I said that out loud, I realized it probably sounded a little more threatening than I intended it to. Although when I said you wouldn't need any clothes, that wasn't too far from the mark. See, where we live, in the caverns beneath the mountains, we have many natural pools and lakes, and even a few natural underground hot springs. Everyone, but especially the wives, loves to go swimming all the time. So as far as clothes, honestly, if you'd only packed a swimsuit, you'd probably be fine."

  Before I could answer, Sam suddenly looked up and surveyed the clear blue sky, frowning. I asked what was wrong, and he shook his head.

  "Maybe nothing. But we should go. I seem to have a sixth sense for when the Oppressors are near or when they're planning something, and I've been sensing strange things for days."

  "You have a sixth sense for... for the who?"

  "Oh, sorry. The Oppressors. That's what we call the sorcerers responsible for the Event."

  "It was... it was sorcerers who did it? But... how exactly? What happened?"

  "Sorry, Kate, but to be on the safe side, I really think we should head for the mountains now. Explanations might have to wait."

  I said that was fine, although I was really dying of curiosity. Sam asked if I was ready to fly on a dragon's back, and I said I thought so.

  "You won't drop me, will you?"

  He smiled. "No. I promise I won't. I'll fly slow. But you'll have to hold onto the handles of your suitcases tight, although if you tuck them up by the back of my neck, that will kind of help me 'hold' them for you. Now, are you ready for me to shift? I realize it might be a somewhat odd or even frightening experience for someone who's never seen it before."

  "No, that's okay; I won't be scared at all, even if it seems strange. But... don't you have to take your clothes off first? Do you want me to turn my back?"

  "Not at all. We actually don't need to remove our clothes when we shift."

  "Won't it rip your jeans and t-shirt, though?"

  All shifter guards wore the exact same thing all the time: dark jeans with a black shirt or t-shirt. It was like a uniform.

  Sam shook his head. "No. Shifting doesn't rip our clothes at all. When we shift, our clothes simply disappear along with our physical bodies, and then reappear when we shift back to human form."

  "Well, that's convenient."

  Sam gave me the slightest of winks. "It sure is."

  He told me to stand back, and I did. Then, within the blink of an eye, without even any magic words or anything, he shifted into a dragon. The same deep green as his eyes, his scaly body from head to tail was about twice the size of his human height. Massive wings, each at least ten feet long, protruded from his sides. Long claws at the ends of his four limbs appeared to be razor-sharp. I stood speechless for several seconds until Sam lowered his body to the ground and gave me a little gesture with his head that I knew probably meant hop on.

  And so I did, a little tentatively, after setting my suitcases at the top of his broad back, by his neck. His back was far too wide to fully straddle, so I just kind of sat, my legs more or less in front of me, but bent at the knees, my feet dangling over the sides. I clutched the handles of my suitcases, which I'd stacked one on top of the other.

  "Okay, Sam. I'm ready."

  Ever so slowly and smoothly, he rose to his feet and pushed off the ground. And soon we were in the sky, flying. I wasn't entirely unafraid, but sitting between Sam's gently flapping wings, I felt secure enough, and I couldn't help but giggle a bit, thrilled.

  "This is amazing."

  With my stomach doing a few flips, I turned my head and watched Haverbrook behind us become the size of a postage stamp. And then it became even smaller while we picked up a little speed. And then it disappeared. I felt a little tug on my heart, but then I remembered what Sam had said about my possible new husband, my possible new husband the dragon lord, and it disappeared. I was ready for a new life. Maybe one filled with love. I couldn't believe I'd thought leaving Haverbrook might be the end of that dream, once and for all.

  Sam and I continued flying, and I looked down at all the sunlit green beneath us, what little apprehension I had about being so far away from the ground becoming replaced by pure joy. I breathed in the fresh clean spring air, thoroughly
relishing the feeling of not only being out in the big wide world, but up in the sky. But before long at all, and somewhat to my dismay, we reached our destination, and Sam landed at the foot of the mountains. I climbed off his back and removed my suitcases, and within a blink, he shifted back into human form.

  "So how was your first dragon ride?"

  I smiled. "It was amazing. Thank you."

  I wondered if my possible new husband the dragon lord would take me flying sometimes.

  Sam took my two suitcases and led me up a winding narrow path that ended in a stone door at the base of the mountains. Two sentries stood watch; one of them opened the door, and Sam and I passed through into a long, dimly lit stone hallway.

  He glanced at me, his face golden in light from electric candles in sconces along the walls. "We have to conserve electricity around here, so hallways are pretty dim. But things will brighten up once we get to the great hall, where everyone will be waiting to meet you."

  "Everyone? Even...."

  Sam smiled. "Yes, everyone, even your possible new husband. There will also be all five-hundred-some of us shifter dragons, all three-hundred-some of our wives, and all fifty-something of our children."

  "Oh. So shifters and human women can have children, then?"

  "Yes. Not very easily, though. A couple is lucky if they have one child together, and many couples have none. But we all keep trying, though, because of course beyond the obvious joy of having children, we have to ensure that the shifter dragon race doesn't die out. We're still too needed."

  "So children born to shifters and human women become shifters themselves?"

  "Yes, at adulthood. Though so far, we've only had one child reach adulthood to become a shifter. But not because many of our children have died or anything terrible like that, but because we only started being able to have children about eighteen years ago. That was when one of the Oppressors was killed in battle. He was a powerful sorcerer only rivaled by one other, and around the time of the Event, he'd cast a spell over us Keepers that prevented us from impregnating our wives. But at his death, that spell was lifted. Very thankfully."