Reluctant Dragon Mate Read online

  Contents

  Blurb

  1. Dakota

  2. Achilles

  3. Dakota

  4. Achilles

  5. Dakota

  6. Achilles

  7. Dakota

  8. Achilles

  9. Dakota

  10. Achilles

  11. Dakota

  12. Achilles

  13. Dakota

  14. Achilles

  15. Dakota

  16. Achilles

  Epilogue

  Excerpt: The Dryad’s Pawprint

  Also by Laura Greenwood

  About the Author

  © 2019 Laura Greenwood

  All rights reserved. This book or parts thereof may not be reproduced in any form, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording or otherwise – without prior written permission of the published, except as provided by United States of America copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher at “Attention: Permissions Coordinator,” at the email address; [email protected].

  Visit Laura Greenwood’s website at:

  www.authorlauragreenwood.co.uk

  Cover Design by Ammonia Book Covers

  Formatting by Gina Writes Words

  Reluctant Dragon Mate is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Blurb

  Don't make important life decisions while drunk...

  Dakota's whole life changes when she swipes yes to a dragon shifter on Mater, the world's only dating app for paranormals. Waking up the next morning, she finds herself alone and only able to think about one thing...he's her mate.

  Achilles isn't interested in being a mate, his business is far too important for that. And when his latest one-night-stand turns out to be more, he doesn't want to accept it.

  Reluctant Dragon Mate is a standalone shifter romance set in the Paranormal Council Universe.

  1

  Dakota

  Don't make important life decisions while drunk.

  It was the mantra Dakota had lived her life by. Well, if she was honest, she just avoided getting drunk very often, which was fairly easy as a witch. But tonight was different. Tonight she'd been stood up.

  She kicked off her heels and flopped down on her bed, dropping her clutch bag beside her. It hardly even mattered where it landed, so long as it was in reach.

  She pulled out her phone and searched for the MatchMater app. She'd promised herself she wouldn't use it again, not after the string of disastrous dates she'd had over the past couple of months, but considering the no show of her current date, it was better this than nothing.

  A vampire. A wolf shifter. An elf. She swiped left on them all for one reason or another. It was almost like something was spurring her on that didn't normally. And she liked it.

  Her fingers finally came to rest when a dragon shifter with a mischievous grin and dishevelled black hair caught her eye. He looked like he'd just gotten out of bed. Definitely not her type, and yet there was a strong urge to swipe right even if she knew she shouldn't.

  Before she could chicken out, she did it, only to be greeted by an obnoxious array of hearts that always happened when two people matched together.

  That she hadn't expected. She didn't think she was anything special. Pretty enough without being drop-dead gorgeous, and just a completely run of the mill witch.

  Hi. The message popped up via MatchMater's in-app messaging service.

  She sucked in a breath. Had he really responded that quickly?

  Hey, she typed back before deleting and retyping it twice. It seemed like both too much and too little at the same time. Maybe this was why she didn't have any luck when it came to the app, she just didn't know how to properly interact with men, especially not paranormal ones.

  Hey, she eventually sent.

  What are you doing up this time of night?

  At least he was typing in full. She'd gotten rid of many suitors for text talk. She just couldn't stand it.

  I've been out, she responded.

  With friends?

  On a date. There was no point lying about how badly it had gone.

  Ouch. Must have been a lousy lay.

  Dakota snorted and shifted on the bed so she could lean on her side.

  He didn't show at all, she admitted.

  For a beautiful woman like you?

  Maybe all of my photos are fake. A smile twisted on her lips. She was enjoying this more than she thought possible, though maybe it was just because she was still a little drunk.

  How would he know that if he didn't come to see you? The man asked. She really should check what his name was, but it almost didn't matter. Just the way he was talking to her was flattering enough and was certainly what she needed after the awful lack of date.

  You have a point.

  So why aren't you mated yet?

  That's very forward. Her thumb hovered over the send button. Did she dare say the one thing that might end their conversation? Then again, this man wasn't the kind she'd be spending the rest of her life with. He'd be good for a bit of flirting and perhaps a quick tumble between the sheets and nothing more. She hit the button. If he stopped talking to her then she'd just shut off the light and go to sleep, no harm done.

  Perhaps, but I don't want to get caught up in any jealous mate situations.

  Has that happened before? She almost tripped over her fingers in her haste to type. She was desperate to learn more about this man and his experiences.

  You'd be surprised what I've seen.

  Finally giving in to her curiosity, she pressed his profile picture to find out his name. Achilles. It oddly suited the man she could see in the picture, especially as a dragon shifter. One of the advantages of MatchMater was that, not only was everyone on there a paranormal, but they all went through the same screening process to assure they were who they said they were. It sometimes surprised her just how many users there were because of the strict profile policies. But then, in this day and age, it was difficult enough to find a mate. This was just an easy way of taking advantage of modern technology.

  Tell me...

  Maybe if we were in person, he responded.

  Do you want to make that happen? In the morning, she'd blame the alcohol for her boldness.

  Now who is being forward?

  Maybe I just know what I want. A confidence she rarely felt surged through her. Could she really do this? Could she invite him back to her place? All she wanted was to feel good, and he didn't need to be her mate for her to take that.

  I like that in a woman.

  Why don't you show me how much...

  I'm starting to think you're nothing but a tease.

  She bit her lip. She wasn't completely sure she wanted him to turn up at her door, but something deep within her tugged on her, urging her to say yes.

  Why don't you come find out? Her thumb hovered over the send button as the two sides warred within her. She'd never been the most impulsive person. Then again, that had just gotten her a string of disappointing dates and no mate. She had her career at least, but that was a small solace during the lonely nights.

  Knowing she'd probably regret not sending the message more than she would letting the choice slip by, she hit send.

  Nerves fluttered in her stomach as she waited for the reply. What if it was too much, too soon?

  Send me your address.

  Dakota sighed in relief and typed it out, hitting send immediately.

  She hoped she
wouldn't come to regret this. Or that he wouldn't show up at all. She'd taken quite enough rejection for one week and didn't intend to endure more unless she absolutely had to. Finding her mate was supposed to be easier in this day and age, especially since the Councils started to accept that different kinds of paranormals could be fated mates.

  And yet, she wasn't finding it easier at all. Far from it. No matter where she looked, she kept finding men who just wanted a tumble in the sheets and nothing more. So now, she was going to do exactly that. There was no shame in it. She'd tried human men for a while but had found it impossible to let go completely in case her sparks flew and revealed the truth about her. She was certain a lot of people wouldn't believe that witches existed, but just one was enough.

  A nudge at her leg drew her attention to the tiny dragon made of sparks nestled next to her.

  "Okay, Rhi, a couple of pets, but then you have to go." She leaned down to scratch the creature's head, knowing it would disappear the moment Achilles came near her home. That was just how familiars worked. Only the witch they belonged to would be able to see them. Though she'd heard whispers that a witch's mate could also see them. She had no proof of that though. She was just going to have to wait and see on that front. And hope whoever it was she was destined for wouldn't take too long to appear.

  2

  Achilles

  The crunch of gravel underfoot reminded Achilles of what he was about to do. He didn't normally respond this way to women on MatchMater. He'd meet them at a restaurant, or maybe even a club. They wouldn't even make it back to either of their bedrooms before clothes were shed.

  But this one was different. The pretty brunette wasn't his normal type either. And apparently, she was getting him to break all of his rules.

  He reached out and knocked on the door. At least the neighbourhood seemed good. He wasn't likely to die here. Not that it was a real risk. The moment he was threatened, he could simply shift into his other form and destroy whatever it was that put him at risk.

  Even if it would expose shifters to the world.

  The door swung open, revealing a woman who looked exactly like her photo. At least that was something. He'd met a couple of women who looked nothing like they'd claimed. He'd walked away from them as fast as he could.

  "Achilles?" Her voice shook as she asked.

  He nodded. "Can I come in, or would you prefer it if I went away." He might just be at her house for one night, but that didn't mean he was okay with forcing her into something she didn't want. Far from it. Both of them had to be into this or it wasn't a viable thing to do.

  "You can." She stepped back and waved him in.

  The hallway was dark, but he could see enough with his enhanced eyesight and the dim light coming from one of the rooms further down the corridor. Probably her bedroom. Or the kitchen. He wouldn't blame her if she wanted to ask him some questions first.

  "Do you do this often?" she asked as she closed the door behind him.

  "Find someone on MatchMater? Or come to their house in the middle of the night?"

  "Both."

  "Every now and again to the app. To this..." He waved his hand around her home. "This would be the first time." He let a glint of wickedness slip into his eyes. Having long ago learned how to make women want him, he was determined to use everything in his power. More to put her at ease than anything else. The last thing he wanted was for her to back out at the last minute because she freaked out. He liked what he saw far too much for that.

  "Okay."

  "You can say no at any point," he promised. It would be torture for him to stop, but he would the moment she asked.

  "Thank you." She stepped forward, crowding him.

  Despite his bigger size, the desire to back into the wall and use it as a place to protect himself from her was strong. But the urge to give in was stronger. There was something enticing about the woman. The way her dark hair framed her face, glinting in the light from the other room.

  His gaze strayed to her lips. The need to kiss her growing stronger with each passing moment.

  "May I?" he asked, a light growl entering his words and charging the room with something more.

  "I don't know, can you?" she returned, a teasing glint in her eye now the nerves were starting to fade a little. It only made her more delectable.

  Another growl rumbled in the back of his throat as he slipped an arm around her waist and pulled her the rest of the way to him. "Say no if you don't want it," he reminded her.

  When she didn't say another word, he leaned in and pressed his lips against hers. She didn't hesitate. Not even for a moment. Instead, she melted into his arms, pushing her body against his. He could feel every part of her through the fabric of his clothes and knew this was going to end the way both of them wanted it to.

  It was a shame this couldn't be something that lasted longer than a night. Both of them knew that dating for paranormals was more a string of first dates and one night stands hoping to find a fated mate. Anything else was nothing more than a bit of fun, and both of them would move on in the morning.

  She broke the kiss, looking up at him with shimmering dark eyes. "Come this way." Her voice had turned hoarse from the kiss, turning him on more and exciting him for the pleasures to come.

  A hand slipped into his, and he ignored the rightness that swam through his entire body. He didn't have time to think about this woman like that. It was just wishful thinking that this could be anything more than a night between them.

  She drew him into a bedroom, the made bed looming up before the two of them.

  Before he could say anything else, she cupped his cheek and kissed him fiercely, walking backwards so they ended up right next to the place they'd end up on.

  Hands roamed over his shirt, searching for buttons and getting all tangled.

  "Let me," he murmured against her lips.

  She shook her head. "I have a better way."

  He cocked his head to the side. He had no idea what the devious smile on her face was all about, but he knew he wanted to find out. "What..."

  Turquoise sparks glittered through the air even as he finished saying the word. Ah. She was a witch. He could have found out by going onto her MatchMater profile, but he preferred to find out about a woman once they were with him. It added to the suspense of the moment.

  Plus, his grandmother had received a prediction about his mate, and he didn't want to make it come true accidentally just by knowing what someone was before they went on a date.

  Sparks ran up and down his body. Hers too. He'd heard rumours about what witch magic could do during sex, but he'd never slept with a witch before to find out.

  A moment later, both of their clothes were folded at the bottom of the bed.

  "Neat trick." A low chuckle escaped from him. "I'm disappointed I don't get to enjoy the undressing."

  "I don't want pleasantries," she retorted. "And neither do you. We both know what we wanted when you agreed to come here."

  There was no way for him to dispute that. He'd come here knowing what they were going to do. Just like she'd known when she invited him. A little part of him admitted that he'd expected her to chicken out, and yet here she was more than ready to go through with it.

  "I don't want you to regret this in the morning," he warned.

  A smirk twisted Dakota's lips. "Then you'd better make it worth my while."

  3

  Dakota

  Her phone pinged, and force of habit had her checking it instantly.

  One message from MatchMater. The little envelope next to the notification made her heart skip a beat. Could Achilles be checking in with her?

  Logically, she knew that wouldn't be the case. As much fun as they'd had, they couldn't continue their relationship. They weren't mates, no matter the odd tug she felt inside her even as she thought his name. Paranormal relationships between two parties who weren't mates never ended well. At best, they resulted in heartbreak when one of them found their true mate.
<
br />   At worst...it wasn't worth thinking about. Not if she wanted to keep herself sane. There was too much to risk it.

  Which meant no more messages from the handsome dragon.

  Even so, she clicked the icon, hoping it would be some good news.

  Dozens of paranormals have found their mates through MatchMater. Are you now one of them? Click here to rate your date with Achilles.

  She sighed. How had she forgotten about this part? The after-date check-up was one of the cringiest things about the app, though she understood why they did it. Nothing would get more users like a great success rate.

  Knowing there was nothing else for it, and that the app would bug her almost constantly for weeks, she clicked on the button to bring up the screen.

  Rate your date!

  A row of five empty stars flashed at her underneath the instruction. She flopped down on the bed even as memories of the night before began playing out in her head. Their bodies entwined together and bringing each other to the height of pleasure, over and over again. They might only have had one night, but they'd made the most of it.

  She clicked on the fifth star, letting it fill in the rest for her. She could have sworn her body still hummed from being under his touch, and if that wasn't worth a glowing rating, then she didn't know what was.

  Thank you! Did you find your mate?

  Dakota's thumb hovered over the word yes, calling to her and asking her to touch it. She'd never felt like this before. Normally, she hit the no button and then left the app alone for a few days, wallowing in the disappointment of another failed date. But not this time. The urge to say she'd met her mate was definitely there, along with a feeling in her gut that she didn't want to put a name to.