The Dragon Shifter’s Desire by Harmony Raines

Chapter Three – Larisa

Larisa couldn’t stop herself from staring at Ivan. Maybe it was because he was the first dragon shifter she had ever met. After all the stories her father had told her about dragon shifters, she’d longed to meet one. Now here he was.

Of course, it helped that he was a good-looking guy. Ah, so that was it. Her attraction was probably based on her biological clock that seemed to be ticking loudly in her head every time she allowed herself to dream of having children with a man she loved.

A man who had so far eluded her.

Yet, as her eyes flickered to his face once more before she looked down at her hands clasping her coffee cup, it was hard to deny the attraction wasn’t real. There was something about him that was familiar even though she’d never seen him before in her life. She’d remember him if she had. The amber glow in his eyes would have firmly stuck in her memory.

Not to mention his muscled physique. But those were all superficial traits. What she needed to know was who he was beneath the cool handsome exterior.

Her father had talked about dragon shifters all her life. She’d grown up knowing the secret of shifters, a secret she never shared with anyone else. Her dad had never actually made her promise not to speak to others about it. However, she understood from the tone of her father’s voice as she sat on his lap and he spoke of dragons who could fly across the mountains and dive deep into valleys, that this was their secret.

Only a few others knew of them. Those who had met Andor personally, and their children.

None of their lives had been impacted in the same way as her father’s. But they’d all worked to help clear his name by finding the pendant and finally identifying the person responsible for the murder of Andor and his mate, Diana, and also Murray, a lowlife who had a strong connection to Andor’s death.

Larisa knew not all of those involved in finding the pendant were doing it for Davy Westward. A couple of them were more intent on tracking down the pendant so that they could lure out the dragon it belonged to and take his treasure.

If the pendant truly did belong to another dragon shifter. There was no real proof. But Andor had hinted to Davy that he and his family were in hiding from another dragon. But he never shared more details, he’d told Davy the less he knew, the better.

But it all made sense. And this other dragon was responsible for wrecking her father’s life.

She glanced at Ivan. Simon had told her Ivan had no treasure except a tiara that had been in the hands of Reggie, an associate of Murray’s. Only by chance had it been found in the garden of the house Reggie had rented before his death. Reggie who, along with Murray, had also been partly responsible for Andor’s and Diana’s deaths. They hadn’t committed the crime, but they had provided the information that led the murderer right to Ivan’s parents.

“Larisa has been searching for other dragon shifters for some time,” her father said with a hint of pride. “We’ve been trying to find the dragon responsible for your father’s death for years. With no luck finding the pendant, we’ve been following any clues that might uncover another dragon shifter.”

Ivan glanced sideways at Zara and Karros, it was a subtle look, easily missed. Larisa watched them through her lashes as she sipped her coffee. People gave so much away if they thought no one was paying attention.

However, Ivan switched his attention to her, his eyes still glowing faintly, making her heart beat faster. Color crept across her cheeks, and she swallowed hard. No man had ever had this effect on her.

She gulped loudly and placed her cup down on the table, her eyes fixed on it as a sudden thought filled her head and refused to budge.

Dragons, like other shifters, had mates.

She was his mate.

Larisa inhaled deeply and raised her eyes to lock with his. He stared at her unflinching, the glow in his eyes deepening as he studied her. They shared a moment of recognition and his eyes widened.

Ivan knew that she knew.

Relief flooded him, his eyes dilated, and the glow receded. He must have been standing there trying to figure out how he was going to tell her the news that her destiny was entwined with his. That they were meant to spend the rest of their lives together.

Larisa sucked in a deep breath and reined in the flood of mixed emotions that threatened to swamp her. She’d spent her whole life chasing down a dragon shifter who had caused her father misery. Even though she longed to meet one, to know they were real for absolute certain, she’d formed a prejudice against them.

From everything she’d heard in her search for these creatures, dragon shifters were arrogant and sometimes cruel. That’s what Andor had told her father.

However, her father had also told Larisa that Ivan’s father was a good man, a generous man, who had given both his money and his time to good causes.

“And have you succeeded in finding other dragons?” Karros asked.

Larisa blinked several times as she refocused her mind, dragging it away from thoughts of flying on the back of the dragon as they crossed mountains and oceans. “Have I succeeded?”

“In finding dragons?” Karros glanced at Ivan as he smothered a smile. The guy also knew that she was the mate of Ivan. So why didn’t Ivan come out and tell everyone? She wasn’t going to keep it a secret from her father or her brother. They had a right to know.

Her forehead creased and she looked down at her hands that clasped her cold coffee cup. Her father’s life had been ruled by the actions of a dragon shifter. His choices had been taken away from him because of the actions of one. Now her choices had been stolen from her, too.

Fate had decided that Ivan was the man she would marry. He was the one who would father her children. She had no choice in this. Unless she wanted to live with the knowledge that she’d ripped his heart out of his chest and hung it out to dry until it was shriveled up and dead.

“Finding dragons?” Larisa jumped as her father’s hand covered hers.

“Are you okay?” Davy’s watery eyes fixed on her face, and she blushed, her cheeks turning pink as she coughed and then nodded.

“I’m a little overwhelmed,” she admitted. “After searching for so long, to be sitting here in the presence of a dragon shifter is a shock.”

“Maybe we should go get some air?” Ivan nodded toward the door and as if he had physical control over her actions, she rose to her feet and left the table.

“That might be a good idea.” Larisa didn’t dare look at anyone else as she strode to the door, her fingers closing around the familiar curved handle as she opened it and stepped outside.

“Did you ever find any other dragon shifters?” Ivan asked.

“That’s not the question I expected you to lead with.” Larisa walked to the end of her father’s beloved backyard where he spent most of his time and energy these days.

“You thought I’d ask if you knew we were mates even though we both know you do.” A hint of a smile crossed his lips.

“So it is true.” She exhaled, her shoulders slumping forward as if she were deflating.

“Did you doubt it?” He shadowed her movements but didn’t get too close, as if he were afraid he might frighten her away if he invaded her space.

She hugged herself as she turned to face him. “No. I suppose part of me hoped it might not be true.”

His eyes darkened and the deep glow returned. A burnished orange infused with streaks of copper swirled around and around, mesmerizing her, luring her to him. She leaned forward, licking her lips before she blinked and broke the spell.

“You don’t want to be my mate?” Uncertainty crossed his face and he swallowed hard.

“I don’t want to be anyone’s mate.” That wasn’t true. As she traveled across the world, seeking out shifters, she’d often experienced a pang of jealousy when she saw a shifter family. They always seemed so settled, the lack of uncertainty over the relationship of a shifter and their mate had an appeal.

If she accepted Ivan as her mate, she would never have to doubt his loyalty. She’d never have to worry if he was out drinking with his buddies or secretly seeing another woman on the side. Larisa had seen the repercussions of that scenario played out and the damage it wrought.

A couple of years ago, Simon had been engaged to the woman of his dreams. They had a wedding date set, the caterers booked, and Angela had even picked out her dress. Everything was perfect. Until she squashed Simon’s dreams.

Angela worked in finance and often traveled for work, staying in hotels with other members of her team.

Simon had trusted her. They were in love. They were getting married.

Angela had gone to a conference on her birthday. Simon had driven to the hotel she was staying at to give her a surprise. He’d taken a cake and her gifts, only to find her in bed with another man.

With a heart crushed into a million pieces, he’d come home and never dated again.

“I’m not going to force myself on you,” Ivan said.

“You can bet your life you’re not!” Larisa retorted.

“I didn’t mean it like...” He sucked in a deep breath, his broad chest rising and falling as he exhaled. “I meant that it’s your choice whether you accept being my mate. You have free will.”

“But you don’t.” She pressed her lips into a straight line as she studied him.

A small smile filled with irony crept over his lips. Lips she longed to kiss. It was as if he’d put a spell on her. Did dragons have magic? Magic that was deeper than the ability to shift?

“I have no choice. No free will. There’s only ever been you. And there will only ever be you.” His heartfelt words pierced her heart. This guy, who she’d just met, had no choice. It wasn’t his fault they were bound together by fate. He was as much a victim as she was.

“I can’t promise you I’ll ever feel the same way,” she replied.

“I’m not asking you to.” He held out his hands as if offering her the world, or at the very least his soul. “All I ask is that you give me a chance. You give us a chance.”

“I can do that.” She put her hands on her hips. “But not until I’ve helped my dad finally move on from what happened all those years ago.”

“You intend to track down the owner of the pendant.” Ivan didn’t seem too happy about that.

“I do. I made a promise to myself that I’d do whatever it took to help my dad. He sacrificed so much for me and Simon. He raised us single-handedly when our mom passed away. He never once put himself before us.” Tears pricked her eyes. “I need to repay him.”

“Then we’d better get started.” He sighed as if he’d taken on the weight of her task and let it rest on his shoulders.

“I am not asking you to help me.”

“I know. But I’m offering my help to you. If you want it.” He turned away from her and plunged his hands into his pockets as he stared back at the house. “Before I met you, all I wanted to do was go back to Wishing Moon Bay and get back to work. I never needed to know what happened to my parents. It’s in the past. A past I feel disconnected from.”

“But now?” She closed the distance between them and placed her hand on his shoulder. He visibly jumped as if he’d been struck by a bolt of electricity. Larisa felt it, too. Her fingers tingled, a sensation that spread up her arm, infusing her with warmth.

“If we have children…” He glanced down at her, his eyes aflame. “I want them to have a history. I want them to know where they came from and who their grandparents were.”

“Didn’t it ever bother you? Growing up without knowing your family history must have been tough. Simon told me you were raised by a woman named Valerie, but you had no idea where you came from.” Larisa couldn’t imagine not knowing who her parents were. She was a part of them, and they were a part of her even though her mom had died when she was young.

Her father had made sure that their mom was still a big part of Larisa and Simon’s lives. He’d talk about the things they had done and the places they had visited. Davy spoke of their hopes and dreams, of their plans for the future. A future that never came to fruition.

“Valerie and my brothers were my family. Are my family. Valerie loves me. She taught me everything I know, she raised me to always try to do the right thing and to work hard to achieve my dreams.” He caught hold of her hand and held it in his. Heat radiated from him as if dragon fire burned beneath his skin. “She also taught me to open my heart to others.”

“I don’t want to ruin what you have with your family. With Valerie. You have your reasons for not looking into your past in the same way I have reasons to search until I have uncovered the truth.” She placed her hand on his heart, feeling the steady thump and gaining comfort from it. “If our future truly is with each other, I don’t want to spoil it before it’s even begun. I don’t want you to feel as if you owe me anything because we’re mates.”

“We don’t owe each other anything.” He smiled softly, the glow from his eyes fading. “I want to do this for us. For you and me and our family. It’s time I summoned the courage to question the past and search out answers.”

“I’m ready when you are,” Larisa replied.

“Then we’d better get started. It’s a long drive to Wishing Moon Bay.”