Beaufort Creek Shifters (10 book series)
The Dragon’s Pretend Marriage Chapter 12

Brandi

His fiancée.

His.

Had Milton really said that to me?

I held back tears as I dropped my arms to my sides. "Just how exactly do you plan on doing that?"

"We lure them out. I'll call Jermaine, set a trap, and you call them right into it."

He looked a little too proud of himself.

Dragons, am I right?

I shook my head. "I don't know about that, Milton."

"I'm not letting you do a damn thing without me."

"I thought you'd be angry."

He stepped back an inch without releasing my shoulders. "You really think I'm about to let you do any of this by yourself? Especially after I pledged myself to you publicly?"

A sort of indignant chuckle rose from his chest.

"Ridiculous," he said. "Supremely strange, moonbeam."

"You're ridiculous."

The tears came whether I wanted them to or not. He was just doing this for looks. That was it.

He wasn't doing this for me.

"We have reputations to uphold," he said while correcting his posture. He gave me a dashing grin and nodded toward the staircase. "Come along. We have to dress the part. The shifter world will be holding their breath about this." "You can't be serious."

He was treating this like some kind of circus act. We were the main attraction, weren't we? Just the front page news. Magicians and fae alike would read about this over their morning coffee or tea. We would be the filler content for gossip circles. And once people were done gabbing about my untimely demise, they would move right on to the next big thing.

It made me wonder what it would be.

Just like that, my powerful dragon turned back into a selfish billionaire. He'd really led me on when he claimed me like that, didn't he? He had really made me believe that I was worth something to him.

I'm just part of his image, I thought. I stepped away from him. I'm just part of preserving his image. That's it.

"Come on, Brandi," he said, looping his arm through mine. "We have a lot to do."

Gee, I couldn't wait.

***

It couldn't have been any hotter on the road where I had originally been caged about two weeks ago. The tar steamed under the afternoon sun and the cage sitting in front of me smoldered in the muggy breeze, reflecting light whenever the branches above rustled in the wind.

I glanced at the sky. Milton was up there somewhere. He was probably narrowing in on my tits or something.

Proud dragon or not, he was still a guy who liked my body. And even though he had been upset, he gave me the impression that his desire for me hadn't faded. Not by a long shot.

This is so stupid, I thought as I crossed my arms over my chest. This is going to be a disaster. Milton can't kill these guys.

But it was too late. A truck appeared on the horizon, muddied up by the steam rolling off the pavement. It barreled straight toward me at an alarming speed that made me want to jump out of the way.

I held my ground despite the urge.

The truck's lights flashed twice and then the vehicle slowed. It came to a grueling halt right in front of the cage. The guy with dreadlocks stepped out of the driver's side, flashing me a triumphant smile.

"So glad you came to your senses, baby doll," he drawled. He stepped toward the cage and kicked it. "This for you?"

"For transportation, yes. I figured it would be a sign of good faith."

He scoffed. "Good faith? You already ruined that with your reckless behavior." He clicked his tongue twice. Disappointment-I hated that sound. "No, we're going to do this my way, sweetheart."

He turned to the truck. Two gigantic tanks stepped out of the back and huffed while joining the guy at his side. Both of them looked worse for wear. I assumed they were the massive wolves who had cornered me a couple of weeks ago. Where were the others? They had to be around here somewhere. This guy surely wouldn't leave his pack lands without more backup. Maybe he had even told Raymond about it. Nothing said victory like having Raymond to back him up.

Or maybe if he was dumb enough to lend to an unreliable woman like me, then he was dumb enough to leave his alpha out of it.

Time would tell.

I cracked my knuckles. "Alright, I'm going to shift. I'll go in the cage."

The two men flanking the guy with dreadlocks shifted into their massive forms. Saliva dribbled from their jaws as they stepped forward.

The guy shook his head. "No, we're going to just have to take you here."

"What?" I held my gut. "But don't you want your money? I told you that you could hold me ransom. I know a guy who can-"

"You mean your scaly boyfriend? No, thanks." He laughed. "I don't want to get into it with a Kane. I'd rather handle you here."

"If I don't come home, he'll-"

He barked with more laughter. "He'll come after us? Honey, you were probably too skittish to tell him you were in any kind of trouble. If you had, he would have given you money ages ago." He sighed. "Actually, when I saw the news, I was kinda hoping you would just throw some cash our way. But you didn't."

Realization converged in my center.

He was right. I could have asked Milton outright for money the moment we came up with our little plan. It wasn't like he was pissed off about me owing money. Just the fact that I hadn't told him that I owed someone money.

It would have been so easy to make it part of the deal.

Why the hell hadn't I done that?

I shook my head as I took a step back. A strong breeze blasted overhead. My hair shuddered under the weight of it. That was Milton flying low-he was about to attack.

I just had to distract these fuckers a bit longer. "Sure, I could have done that. But you know what?"

"What's that, dear?"

I sneered at him. "Don't call me that."

"Why not? You're not alone out here. Don't think I'm stupid, baby doll."

"What are you talking about?"

He waved. Three more massive wolves broke through the trees. One of them carried a bear between his teeth. The bear weakly lifted his head-it was Jermaine. My heart raced. "Okay, fine. I'm not alone. Sorry about that."

"Not as sorry as you're about to be."

The two massive wolves lunged at me. Their wicked jaws snapped at my legs, giving me no time to shift into my wolf form. I did the only thing I could think to do.

I turned tail and ran.

The wind that blasted me to the ground could have knocked over a building. A split second later, an earsplitting screech cut through the air and had the gigantic wolves howling. I rolled to my side while covering my ears. Jermaine was on the ground. His fur was bloody and his arm rested at a crooked angle. It was probably broken.

Gods, this is all my fault. I rolled to my belly and craned my neck to see what was happening near the cage. If I hadn't gotten in so deep-

Another screech forced me to shut my eyes. The sound dug right into my bones, eliciting an ancient fear that belonged to my ancestors before me. Milton was menacing in his dragon form. Most shifters aren't particularly big, at least no bigger than their human counterparts.

But Milton?

He was a skyscraper. No, he was an asteroid.

No, he was a planet.

The ground quaked. He landed on his feet with two huge wolves between his teeth, snapping his jaw shut so quickly that both wolves lost their limbs. Blood rained on the ground. I gagged while rolling out of the road, seeking shelter among the trees. That guy was right. I hadn't been alone. But we had told Blake and the others to stay back. Just in case things got hairy.

But it looked like Milton had everything under control.

Or most of it, anyway.

Jermaine grunted and rolled to his side. His round belly rose and fell quickly-his injuries were taking hold. And there were still two ridiculously big wolves closing in on him.

I had to do something.

With an aggravated shout, I tore off my clothes and shifted into my wolf form. I raced to Jermaine, howling my warning as I beat the earth with my paws. I pounced on the wolf closest to me, biting his ear to get him distracted. He released a mighty roar while trying to shake me off his head.

The other wolf batted at me with his huge paw, landing a few blows that I knew would bruise later. This was a bad idea. I knew that. I felt it in my bones.

But I also knew that letting Milton go wild with these wolves would get all of them killed. He'd had a taste of blood. He was going to want more.

I wasn't sure how that made sense. I just knew that it was true. Somewhere inside me resided a series of strings that pointed in Milton's direction. It didn't matter which way I turned. Every time I tried to find him, I did. Just by listening to that which rested in my

core.

And I didn't have time to think about it.

While digging my teeth deeper into the wolf's ear, I listened to the fights erupting around me. I spotted a few from my pack in my peripheral vision. One of them was a lion and the other was a wolf. Both of them dove toward the wolf that was attempting to bat at me again.

In the road, Milton roared again, raising his talons to attack the wolf that I had under me. I had it all under control. Didn't he see that? Or was he just bloodthirsty at this point?

Milton, no! The way I projected the words through my mind stung.

But the result made me freeze up.

Because Milton stopped in his tracks.

The distraction cost me a rib. The wolf swiped me from his head and pinned me underneath him, cracking the ribs on the left side of my body. I yelped when he opened his maw and exposed a row of grimy teeth.

No, there were several rows of teeth.

What kind of wolves are these?

A screech responded. And then came Milton's voice as clear as day, They're hybrids.

My throat tightened as I raised my paws. I knew it wouldn't be enough. The unnatural shifter was about to snap me in half. This was such a bad position. Even with Milton on the way, he wouldn't make it in time. Especially after- The wolf recoiled. Pressure dismounted my ribs. I gulped air into my lungs, lifesaving air, life-giving air. As the wolf stumbled back, I noticed the bear crawling over my body, putting himself between the distorted wolf and me. Until Milton stepped in. He gently pushed the bear out of the way and bowed his body over me, extending his long neck toward the wolf that he had called a hybrid. Fire billowed from his maw, spilling all over the road. The wolf backed into the truck.

My chest hurt. My back ached. The smell of sulfur made me dizzy. I was getting ready to stand up when I felt something hard knock me in the back of the head.

Darkness took over. I couldn't move. All I could do was fall.

***

"She looks pale. Is she pale?"

"She's pale, yes. But she's fine, Leah."

"I don't know. It's too pale for her. Tanner, what do you think?"

"I think Lenny is right and you're worrying too much."

"Where's the dragon?"

Chuckles brought me out of my misty dream. Was I dreaming? I could have sworn I was dreaming. The last thing I could remember was standing on the road with a strong breeze at my back.

I felt supported. I felt loved.

I felt safe.

I sat up, slowed only by the crackle of my ribs. I hugged my gut and groaned as I gripped the back of the couch.

My brother came into view. "Easy, girl. You're going to puncture a lung."

Leah gasped next to him, her face paler than the moon. "Tanner, are you serious?"

Inez poked my arm with her little fingers, punctuating every word. "Where. Is. The. Dragon?"

"Sweetie, stop," Leah whispered while grabbing her daughter's hands. "Auntie Brandi is injured. Can't you see that?"

"Injured?" Inez widened her mouth. "Ohhhh..."

I rubbed my head. "Oh, right. Where's Milton?"

Silence.

Lenny was the only one brave enough to poke their head into the pile and reply, "He's waiting outside." "Outside? Why's he outside?"

"He's trying to decide if-" Lenny blushed when Tanner looked at them. "Well, I'll let your family tell you about it, okay?"

I frowned while rubbing my head harder. "Come on, I'm dying here. Can I just go home? Where am I, anyway?"

"We're at my house," Tanner replied, "since your boyfriend decided to destroy your home. And Lenny is staying here, too."

Heat flushed my entire body. "Sorry."

"It's not your fault," Leah reasoned.

Tanner's features tightened but he ultimately agreed with his mate. "Right, it's not your fault you took out a loan with some sharks and then couldn't pay it back."

"They're wolves. Not sharks." But my snarkiness was met with a harsh glare from my brother.

He turned to Leah and nodded toward the kitchen. She sighed and lifted Inez, grunting slightly as she shuffled off.

Tanner sat next to me. "You could have told me."

"You were sailing the world, remember?"

"You could have said something."

I clutched the cushions of the couch. It was the only thing keeping me safe at this point. "I guess you know all about the fake engagement, too. Don't you?"

He sighed. "Milton told me." He shook his head. "What were you thinking, Brandi? You could have gotten killed. You could have gotten Milton killed."

"You can't judge me. You did the same thing."

"No, I didn't."

I stared at him. "You pretended to be mates. And now you're mates. Is it really that bad?"

"It's bad when you're not actually mates."

Ouch. "You don't know that."

"You and Milton just..." He sighed. "You don't fit. You're not the right match."

"You don't know that."

He stood up and pointed to the door. "Fine. Don't believe me? Spill your feelings to him and see what happens. See if I care."

My brother stepped back, giving me room to get off the couch. I stood up slowly, feeling woozy still from the battle. How long had it been since then? A few hours? A day?

I took a cleansing breath, squared my shoulders, and walked to the door.

Doubt slithered into my shoulders. By the time I made it to the porch, my confidence had tanked-and it really didn't matter. Because Milton was waiting for me next to his limo. Just seeing him standing there got my heart racing all over again.

He perked up and popped open the door, gesturing for me to crawl inside. "Alpha says we need to do the ceremony pronto."

Oh, right. The engagement, the ceremony, the performance-all the things that had built to this moment.

Did it matter if it was real or fake? As long as I had him?

My heart said yes. It did matter. That I wouldn't be able to live with myself unless I told him the truth.

But would he be able to live with me once I admitted the truth?