Healing a Broken Dragon Read online

  "Bullshit," Renford snapped, unzipping whatever it was in front of him. "I've seen your magick heal people, and I've seen it make people fall in love."

  Miles frowned, but then realized Renford probably didn’t mean him specifically when he said you.

  “Okay, maybe you’re talking about elixirs and potions, but those aren’t spells. Not really. Those are medicines.”

  “Or poisons.”

  Miles felt the little muscle in his cheek twitch. “Yes, there are poisons, as well.”

  What the hell was this guy’s problem? He couldn’t figure it out.

  But then Renford reached out, his hand snatching Miles’s wrist so fast, like the strike of a cobra.

  He pulled Miles’s arm up onto the table, exposing it.

  “What are you doing?” Miles tried to pull away.

  Renford wouldn’t let him. “Shut up. I’m treating your arms.”

  “You’re the one who did it.”

  “I know.”

  Miles didn’t think he would ever understand this guy, but the good news was that he didn’t have to stick around long enough to understand anything. He still planned on getting the hell out of here the first chance he got.

  He hissed when Renford dabbed the cuts on his arm with what had to be alcohol, but then he started to feel better.

  At least his wounds were being cleaned. He didn’t think he would be able to do it until he got his glasses back.

  “So you can’t fix your eyes?”

  Miles shook his head. “No. I mean, I could, if I paid for the surgery, but there are some things that you can’t fix with magick.”

  He wasn’t sure why the silence seemed so thick after he spoke those words.

  Miles focused on looking around the little cabin he was in. For the most part, it seemed to be a one-room cabin, but if he was seeing things right, there was a little set of stairs over there. The roof wasn’t so high, so it must lead into a loft.

  There was a small kitchen, and then the livable area, but there wasn’t much by way of furniture in here.

  “What is this place?”

  “It’s a shed I converted into a cabin.”

  So he’d been right.

  “Are you part of Keagan’s clan?”

  “I was.”

  This was the part that worried him the most. “Can I ask why you’re not anymore?”

  If Renford didn’t have any sort of agreement with Keagan’s clan, then did that mean he wasn’t bound by the peace agreement Keagan’s clan and Miles’s coven had come to?

  Which meant this guy could, possibly, have some nefarious reason for bringing Miles here that he really wouldn’t like.

  Renford didn’t answer him, and that freaked Miles out just a little.

  Maybe Renford saw it on his face, because he rolled his eyes and groaned dramatically.

  "It's nothing you need to worry yourself over. Just forget about it, all right?"

  "Your clan leader had a peace agreement with us. What the hell am I supposed to think if you defected from that and then kidnapped me like this? What do you even want?"

  "You sure do talk a lot for someone supposedly so scared of me."

  "I am scared of you!"

  Renford snapped his head back to stare at him, hard.

  Miles’s heart slammed. His palms felt sweaty. He should probably keep his mouth shut, that would be the smart thing to do, but he was never the smart one between him and his sister.

  "I still don't know what you did with Molly. You act like you hate all warlocks—"

  "I do."

  Great.

  Miles pressed on. "You brought me out to the middle of nowhere to whatever the hell this is supposed to be. Yeah, I'm freaked out."

  Renford tapped his fingers on the table. He kept staring at Miles with that thoughtful look.

  As if he was thinking of the best way to kill him and hide his body.

  "What exactly do you think I brought you here for?"

  Miles swallowed hard. His groin tightened.

  Fuck.

  "Well, because of…certain things, I think you brought me out here to fuck me where no one can disturb you."

  More of those tapping fingers.

  "Do you have any issues with that?"

  Yes. Say yes, idiot!

  Miles tried to get the word out, but he couldn't make it happen. He shook his head. "No. I don't."

  Stupid body. Stupid dick with its stupid throbbing that made him say things he definitely didn't mean.

  Renford got to his feet.

  Miles backed up a step.

  "What are you doing?"

  "I don't know, all right?" He looked around the little cabin. They were probably going to do this up in the loft. That tiny couch over there looked kind of small, even if he just wanted a quickie.

  His heart pounded, and when Renford took another step forward, Miles didn't move this time.

  "I can hear your heart jumping around." Renford touched Miles’s shoulder, his touch gentle, and the heat generated from this small skin to skin contact was nearly unbearable.

  And yet Miles wanted to push himself against the man's chest and get more of it.

  "What is it you're afraid I'll do?"

  Miles snorted. "Christ, what am I not scared that you'll do?"

  He looked up at the other man, but Renford seemed to be genuinely waiting for a response to his question.

  Miles sighed. Did this guy even know they were mated? Or was that just on him? He must know. Miles wasn't a shifter, and it was usually the shifters who were in tune with that sort of thing.

  Non-shifters could feel deep attractions, but they were often the last ones to know when there was a bonding like this occurring.

  "You know we're mated, don't you?"

  Miles’s eyes flew wide. He stared at Renford, his mouth gaping.

  "You…you knew?"

  Renford rolled his eyes. "Of course I knew."

  His grip on Miles’s arm tightened. "How could I not feel it?"

  Miles gritted his teeth and bore the pain of Renford's strong grip. He didn't want to give anything away to this guy. His pride wouldn't allow for it.

  Renford again seemed to notice what he was doing. He released Miles’s arm, looked down at his hand, and flexed his fingers.

  Then he growled and punched down on the table. The thing jumped and cracked.

  Miles jumped, too, but Renford turned away from him, not looking at him, as if he didn't want to.

  As though he were fighting to keep from looking at him.

  The man paced around his tiny kitchen. He snarled like a caged animal, his fists clenched and his claws out. Scales began appearing in patchy spots across his arms, the side of his neck, and even his face.

  His eyes glowed a bright golden color, and now Miles really was worried the guy would come over here and rip him to pieces.

  He should run. This wasn't a good place for him to be. The mating pulled him toward the other man even now, and maybe Renford knew that, but it also seemed as though the dragon shifter really needed his space.

  Miles got the impression that it would be the worst thing for him to go over to Renford to comfort him right now from…whatever it was that was haunting him. Not because Miles would be in physical danger if he did, but it looked very much like Renford might actually break if Miles went over there.

  So Miles didn't run away, and he didn't go to comfort Renford either. He stood exactly where he was and let the Renford snarl and snap and occasionally slam his fist down on the tiny kitchen counter.

  It got to the point where Miles stopped jumping at the show of anger, violence, or the loud noises.

  Then, finally, Renford came to a stop. He let his head fall back, staring at the ceiling and letting out a breath before he turned his attention back to Miles.

  And Miles knew he was in trouble when the other man marched right to him.

  Chapter Four

  Renford grabbed Miles around his middle, slinging him over h
is shoulder. Miles briefly had the wind knocked out of him because of that, but as Renford carried him to the stairs, Miles realized what was about to happen, and his stupid dick throbbed for it.

  "At least feed me dinner first, asshole," Miles snapped, even though he couldn't give a damn about the food. He just wanted something to say.

  "Be quiet," Renford said, climbing the simple wooden steps to the loft.

  All the memories of wet dreams he'd had, jerking off in the shower to the thought of Renford's face, came flooding back to him.

  Miles could remember the first time he'd seen Renford. Scowling and angry as he and his clan leader, along with a few other dragons, landed in the clearing and requested audience with Alistair.

  Renford had been magnificent in his dragon form. He was the first one to land, and the first one Miles had seen.

  Of course, Miles had been hiding away in the shrubs, getting some time to himself and reading away from where his sister could pester him.

  A few of the kids had colds, and Miles had been faking being sick since he could get away with it, but it had been a beautiful day.

  The dragon with the curled horns and burning eyes had been the most beautiful thing he'd seen in his life.

  When he shifted to his human shape, Renford crossed his arms over his massive chest, and somehow, his attention was immediately drawn to Miles.

  Miles could remember his heart stopping, and the first thing that rushed through his barely working brain was how nothing would ever be the same.

  Instant. As though he knew something about this man was different, that Renford would become his, one way or another.

  And then the dragons left, and Miles thought he would never see the man ever again.

  Now he was being dumped onto the bed in the man's loft. Not the most romantic thing in the world, but romance wasn't the most important thing on his mind as Renford ripped open what was left of his robes, grabbed him by the waist of his pants and yanked them down Renford's waist.

  "Thank you very much for not ripping these," Miles snapped, but in reality, he was glad to be out of his clothes. His cock no longer felt quite so confined, and it was suddenly as if he could breathe.

  He wasn't having trouble getting any air beforehand, and yet it was a relief when he had his pants off.

  "These are so ridiculous," Renford grouched, pulling away at the remaining rags of Miles’s robes. "Why the hell do you wear something so stupid?"

  "I don't know, why do you wear loincloths and furs?"

  Renford grabbed Miles by the hips and spun him around so he was on his hands and knees. Yeah, this was definitely going fast.

  "Do you see me in furs and loincloths right now?"

  "No," Miles said, embarrassed.

  It sounded as though he were digging through the little drawer next to his bed. "We don't wear that all the time. It's tradition, is all."

  "So are our robes."

  Renford paused at that, but then he seemed to find what he was looking for, and when his fingers touched Miles’s asshole, they were slick and a little on the cold side.

  Miles jumped, he gasped, and Renford stopped.

  "Are you a virgin? If you tell me you are…"

  Miles couldn't believe it. "You know, it's not very reassuring when you don't finish the threat."

  "It's not a threat. Now answer me. You are in your twenties, right? You look about old enough."

  Miles rolled his eyes. This seemed way too late to be having a conversation like this, but he supposed it didn't matter when he was on his hands and knees, ass in the air. They'd gone this far already, so he supposed he couldn't blame the other man for getting carried away.

  "I'm twenty-seven."

  Renford sighed. "All right, you're no virgin then?"

  "No," he lied.

  The farthest he ever got was with his first girlfriend who'd gone down on him, and he'd put his fingers inside her. They had been learning each other, and while it had been fun and interesting, it wasn't what Miles yearned for.

  "Are you lying to me?"

  "God, how are you fucking doing that?"

  Miles glared at the other man over his shoulder, and he could swear he saw the color drain out of Renford's face.

  Miles groaned, annoyed now that this had taken so much time to get to.

  "Does it fucking matter? I thought you just wanted to fuck. What's it matter if I've never fucked someone before?"

  "What does that mean? Have you ever taken it in the ass or have you ever topped?"

  This was getting humiliating. "Neither, but that doesn't mean I'm entirely inexperienced."

  Renford sounded angry again. "How the fuck does a male your age not fuck at twenty-seven? Do you know how old I was when I took my first woman? Or man?"

  "I don't care how old you were, just that you're making me regret being up here with you right about now, and since I live in a tiny space with my sister, it's not the best idea in the world to bring lovers home, all right?"

  And he wasn't the sort of guy who wanted to fuck outdoors or have the entire coven know about it.

  He'd wanted to keep his dating pool outside the coven if only for the simple reason that if he ever broke up with someone, or they broke up with him, then he at least wouldn't have to see them walking around in the common areas immediately after.

  Of course, that made it difficult to get a date since there were a lot of covens out there who held as much animosity for each other as the dragons did for the warlocks.

  Everyone was always competing or fighting for something. People thought that if everyone was exactly the same, that no one would ever fight, but it was all bullshit.

  Everyone hated everyone else. No one ever got along or gave each other what they wanted.

  And right now, Miles wanted to feel what it was like to be fucked by his mate. He didn't want to have to think about all the nuances of anything.

  He wanted to feel good.

  "All right, it's getting embarrassing."

  He turned over and tried to slide off the bed.

  Renford stayed on his knees, but then, at the last second, the other man reached his hand out and grabbed him by the wrist, stopping him before he could grab his jeans and head down the loft.

  "What are you doing?"

  "Come back here," Renford said.

  Miles wanted to. So badly.

  “Why should I?”

  He glanced back. Renford would not look at him. He rubbed at his scarred mouth with his other hand.

  Miles’s heart twisted.

  The man almost looked…ashamed of himself. It was strange.

  “Please come back.”

  Miles bit his lips together. Why did he have to sound reluctant to ask?

  Still, Miles did as he was asked.

  He went to sit on the bed. He looked Renford in the face, but again, the other man seemed to struggle to look at him.

  As if he were pushing through the worst pain of his life.

  Which was when Miles realized there was something painful here. This wasn’t just him being a dick.

  Miles reached out for him, he put his hands to Renford’s face, and Renford’s eyes flew wide. He stared at Miles as though he never expected him to want to touch him like this. “Who hurt you?”

  Renford glared at him, slapping his hands away. “That’s not your fucking business, you got that?”

  He pushed Miles back down on the bed, towering over him, but aside from a mild alarm over the change in tone and expression, Miles wasn’t scared.

  He couldn’t be entirely sure, not until Renford confirmed or denied it, but he was starting to get the feeling that a warlock had given him the scars on his face and throat.

  That had to be it. Dragons and warlocks were famous for constantly fighting with each other. Why wouldn’t he hate warlocks for what they had done to him?

  Had it been in battle? Or worse, torture?

  Miles didn’t know, and that made his heart ache all the more for him, just for the
simple fact that it made his imagination run wild.

  And that made the possibilities so much worse.

  Renford’s eyes stayed narrowed. “Stop looking at me like that.”

  “I can’t help it.”

  Miles reached for his face again. Renford growled a little when Miles cupped his cheeks, but he didn’t fight him too much when Miles pulled him down and softly kissed his mouth.

  Renford immediately went stiff.

  For lack of a better description, he was like a terrified animal.

  He was either an angry, caged animal or a terrified deer in the headlights.

  And a dragon shifter of all things should not invoke the image of a scared doe on the road.

  Renford didn’t kiss him back. He didn’t need to.

  Now that Miles knew he was the one who scared Renford, he realized there was some care that needed to be taken here.

  So he would give the guy more time. A little more space.

  So to speak.

  He pulled away from the other man’s mouth, looking up into his eyes.

  Renford still stared down at him with that angry suspicion. “What was that for?”

  Miles shrugged. “I don’t know. If you’re going fuck me, shouldn’t you kiss me at least once?”

  Renford groaned.

  “Were you really planning on not kissing me when we got to the sex part?”

  “Shut up.”

  Renford pressed his face into the crook of Miles’s neck and shoulder. He seemed to be struggling with something pretty big.

  And the heat in his body was just getting worse.

  Miles smiled, fairly sure the guy was embarrassed.

  “You’re not the romantic type, are you?”

  “You like that sort of thing or something?”

  “Maybe. I just always thought that if I ever…found someone, then maybe there would be some romance involved.”

  “Well, that’s tough luck for you, isn’t it?”

  Annoying prick. It shouldn’t be cute, the way he got so defensive and prickly, but it was.

  This big, macho guy who had clearly seen some battles in his life was embarrassed because Miles had kissed him sweetly.

  There was something precious in that, and Miles didn’t want to ever let that go. Even if Renford turned out to be a huge grump for the rest of their lives, at least he could remember this about him.