Dragon Lords of Valdier Boxset Books 1-3

Chapter 8-3

Zoran gave Abby as much space as he could before his need to touch her overwhelmed him. Moving down the path, he watched as Bo took off at a run. He had grown attached to the little fur ball. He found it amusing how Bo never went anywhere without the odd little green ball in his mouth. Zoran had just reached the beginning of the path when the symbiot on Abby sent a sharp warning out to him.

Zoran froze as the breath was knocked out of him. He reached out, feeling Abby’s fear. He sensed the presence of another male near her. Letting out a loud roar, he fought to keep his body from shifting, but the dragon sensed a danger to his mate and burst forth. He felt the shift of his dragon come over him as he burst down the path leaping into the air.

In moments, he was soaring high above the trees. He flew over Abby’s cabin, his sharp eyesight seeing her sitting on the ground with her arms around Bo. Turning his head, he looked around him for the danger he sensed. His gaze locked onto a transport similar to Abby’s moving at a high rate of speed down the winding road. He flew ahead further down the road where he landed and moved into the shadows of the trees. He wanted to see what had scared his mate and determine how much danger there was from the male.

He watched as the transport slowed to make a turn. His eyes narrowed in on the man behind the wheel of the transport. Breathing in deeply, he drew the man’s scent into his body. He would never forget the scent, and if the man ever came near Abby again he would know. He let a low growl roll out as he recognized it as the man who kissed Abby yesterday when she went to town.

He breathed a stream of dragon fire, curving it through the air straight toward the truck. The almost translucent symbol of a dragon appeared on the hood of the truck. The man had been marked. If he came close to Abby, Zoran would kill him.

Zoran turned, shifting back into his dragon form, as he moved back into the shadows. With a quick sweep of his powerful wings, he flew straight up into the air until he reached the path between the meadow and the cabin. Feelings of self-doubt filled him. What if Abby’s fear was of him discovering her with another man, not of the man himself? A bright flame of anger and jealousy flared inside him. It would not matter. He had claimed her. He had marked her with his scent. Jealousy turned his vision red at the thought of Abby wanting to be with another male. Zoran leaped up to the porch, throwing the door open as he fought his own fear of losing her.

Abby jumped when the door of the cabin swung back so hard it bounced off the door frame. Zoran stood in the door outlined by the late afternoon light. Abby frantically wiped at the tears she couldn’t seem to stop. She was shaking so bad she felt like she was going to shatter.

Zoran stood for a moment, taking in Abby’s tear-stained cheeks and her pale complexion. She looked so delicate, so fragile, so vulnerable. When she raised a shaking hand to wipe away the tears, Zoran’s heart melted. He could smell her fear. Breathing deeply, Zoran’s eyes glittered a dark gold as he smelled the man’s scent on her.

“Oh, Zoran,” Abby whispered, moving toward him. She wrapped her arms around him, afraid her shaking legs would give out at any moment. “I was so scared.”

Zoran held Abby tightly as she buried her face in his chest, sobbing out her fear. Zoran gently picked Abby up in his arms. He shut the door with one foot and moved toward the bedroom. He sat on the edge of the bed, holding Abby tightly while he rocked her back and forth until she stopped shaking.

“Tell me,” Zoran said, frustrated.

Abby wasn’t sure what Zoran just said, but she guessed he wanted to know what happened. She owed him that considering she had just soaked his brand-new shirt. Laying her head on his chest, she let out a shaky breath before she began.

“Four years ago, a man named Clay Butler moved to Shelby. He was a decorated soldier and considered a hero. The people of Shelby elected him as sheriff. A sheriff is our local law enforcement. They are there to protect people.

“Not long after he started, he began following me around whenever I went to town. I thought it was kind of funny. He is a good ten to twelve years older than I am, but it wasn’t only that. I just wasn’t interested. He didn’t push it too much when my granddad was with me, but he was a little more aggressive when I was alone, so I didn’t go often without Gramps.

“Anyway, about six months ago, right after my grandfather died, he started pursuing me a little more aggressively. I never encouraged him. I told him I wasn’t interested, but he always seemed to know when I left the mountain. He would show up at the post office when I did, or the grocery store, or the hardware store. It didn’t matter. He would be there. I just thought it was strange that he always knew where and when I was there.

“Yesterday, when I went to town, he showed up at the post office. I could tell he was mad when Mrs. Patterson mentioned I had received some men’s clothing in the mail. He asked me who they were for, and I told him it was none of his business. He took the packages off the counter before I could. I didn’t want to make a fuss in front of Mrs. Patterson.” Abby looked at Zoran with red-rimmed eyes. “She’s the biggest gossip in town.”

Zoran pulled Abby’s head back down to his chest. He could feel the rage beginning to build as he thought of what she was about to say. “Clay asked me again when we were outside who I was buying the clothes for. Before I could say anything, he grabbed me and kissed me. Mrs. Patterson came out of the post office and caught him. He just grinned like it was natural for him to be kissing me. I told him again to leave me alone.”

Abby rubbed her face in Zoran’s chest, drawing in a deep breath before she continued. “He pulled up a little while ago. He grabbed me and wouldn’t let me go. He told me he loves me. He said he knows every move I make, who I talk to, who I meet. He said I was his. He said he keeps what is his. I told him to leave, that I had met someone else.”

Abby drew in a shuddering breath, fighting back a sob. How had her life gotten so screwed up so fast? She tried to keep a low profile. She didn’t go asking for trouble. She just wanted to be left alone.

Zoran’s dragon was going mad with the scent of the other male on his mate. He needed to give her reassurance and make her feel safe, but if he didn’t get the other male’s scent off her soon, he was going to scare the hell out of her when he marked her. He wanted to find the male and kill him. He still might do that before they left. But first, he needed Abby to know he would never let anything happen to her.