Dragon Hearts (Book 1 of the Dragon Series)

Chapter 1

Everett

I ordered our drinks and sat at a table in the back. I made sure I could see Elias and Elle and took my phone out of my pocket to call home.

“Heya,” cried Ginny’s voice into the phone. “What you want booger face?”

Ginny was my little sister. She was almost sixteen and more hyper than a jackrabbit on speed… all the time. We are all a little afraid of what happens when she finally changes into her dragon. Elias has bets on how many burns she’ll get and how many forests she destroys. As crazy as she drove me, she was my favorite sister and I loved her.

“Hey snotbutt, where’s mom?” I asked rolling my eyes at how quickly she gets me into her immature name-calling.

“Mooooooooooooommmmmm! Everett called me a snotbutt when all I said was nice things!” Ginny screamed through the phone.

I couldn’t help but chuckle as I heard my mom admonish Ginny then take the phone from her. “Honestly like I’d believe you say nice things to your brother. Go get your dad Gin, tell him Everett’s on the line.”

I laughed again as I heard Ginny scream for Dad and my mother grumbled under her breath. I missed the craziness of the house already and couldn’t wait to get back. I glanced up at my mate again as she laughed and talked with Elias. Goddess, she was gorgeous.

“Everett? Everett?” My mom’s voice came through. “You there or what?”

“Sorry, mum,” I said. “I wanted to call and tell you that I just found my mate.”

Immediately there was screaming in my ear and I dropped the phone. I heard my mom calling for my dad to get his fat arse over to the phone. I held my hand over the speaker of the phone to muffle her voice. When it seemed to die down, I put it back to my ear. I was immediately greeted by my dad’s grumpy voice telling my mom I wasn’t saying anything.

“Shh, guys, quiet” I whispered into the phone. “I’m in a coffee shop surrounded by ordinaries.” Ordinaries were our code for humans.

“Tell us about your mate!” My mom gushed.

“Well, she’s beautiful. More beautiful than I could ever imagine. I’m fairly sure the goddess never showed me her face because even a dream couldn’t do her justice,” I gushed and quickly. “But there’s one slight issue.”

“What?” My dad grumped.

“She’s an ordinary,” I said quietly. I heard the phone drop.

“She’s a human?” My mom gasped.

“Aye,” I replied. “Which is why I called you. The Goddess showed me a purple dragon in my dream. How could she be ordinary?”

There were a few seconds of silence over the phone. I could hear my parents whispering to each other in hushed voices so I couldn’t understand. I glanced back over at Elias and Elle again and saw Elle had looked up at the same moment. I couldn’t help the smile that spread across my face and I waved. Her hesitant wave and answering blush made my heart speed race in my chest.

“Everett,” my mom called for my attention and I grunted in response. “Everett, I think it means you’re meant to change her.”

I froze. Change her? She couldn’t mean….

“What?” I said.

“You’re going to have to change her into one of us,” she replied.

“But how?”

“I’ll have to ask the elders. But I’m almost certain this is what must come to be, son,” my mother says. “It will be okay; the Goddess knows what she’s doing. She must be an extraordinary girl to be chosen by our Goddess. Especially if she’s meant to protect our kind.”

“So now not only do I have to introduce her to the world of dragons but then convince her to become one?” I asked. My mouth went dry.

“Yup,” my dad said. He sounded a little less grumpy and I felt his pity. He was a man of few words.

“How am I supposed to do that?” I asked.

“Where is she now?” My mom asked.

“Talking with Elias. They’re friends.” I couldn’t hide the distaste in my voice. I heard my mom laugh.

“Well then have Elias help you! Maybe that’s why he was put in her life first. To help you.”

“I don’t need his help,” I grumbled and looked back over at them. They were standing by the door now. Elle had her arms opened wide and he walked into her embrace. Just walked right into it like her mate wasn’t sitting on the other side of the room! I glared heatedly at Elias back.

“Don’t be so stubborn,” my mother chided. “You’re gonna need help whether you want it or not. Don’t be stupid and push her away. Our existence is kind of on the line here.”

“Gee no pressure,” I said grumpily. “I gotta go, mom. Call when you hear anything.”

“I will, love you son, and congratulations and good luck!” My mom gushed again.

“Love you guys too,” I replied and hung up the phone. I grabbed our coffees and walked over just as Elle was leaving and I handed him his coffee. We both watched her walk until she disappeared.

“So,” Elias said peering at me from the side. I was still watching the spot Elle had disappeared hoping she’d come back. “That was completely unexpected.”

I nodded.

“Did you call home?” He asked and we left the shop, walking to the car.

“Yeah,” I said, and my stomach clenched at what my mom had to say. “Mom thinks I’m going to have to change her.”

Elias’s eyes bulged out a bit at my statement. Noone has turned a human into a dragon before at least not that we’ve ever heard or seen. It was dangerous enough changing a human into another kind of shifter, but dragons were pure magic…and huge. It wouldn’t be easy and the likelihood of a human, especially a small human, surviving isn’t particularly good.

“So, what’s the plan?” Elias asked after his shock wore off. I could tell he was worried for her.

“Well, first I’ll have to earn her love and trust. Then I’ll tell her about what we are. And hopefully, she’ll agree to turn into one of us,” I said.

Elias thought about that for a while as he drove back to the condo. I was lost in my head, daydreaming about my little mate. I got to see her whole self while she stood up with Elias. She was shorter than us but still tall for a girl; maybe 5’9. She wasn’t fat, but she had curves in all the right places. My heart swelled thinking of her wrapping her arms around me as she had done to Elias. Then I remembered that he had the balls to hug my mate before I could even touch her, and I shot him a glare.

“What?” Elias asked when he saw my glower.

“You touched my mate,” I snapped. “I should’ve killed you right there.”

Elias rolled his eyes and chuckled. “Take it easy Ev, Elle has always hugged me like that. She gives the best hugs too. All soft and warm but firm.”

I growled at him and turned away from his mocking face. As he drove, I slowly slid my hand over to his coffee cup. I touched it with one finger and concentrated on the heat. I pulled my hand back as Elias reached for his cup and took a sip. Immediately he started choking and spitting out the coffee. I laughed hard.

“Not cool!” He yelled, wiping up scolding coffee off his shirt and steering wheel.

“No, I’d say that was hot, boiling hot,” I laughed. He punched me in the shoulder. “So, what’s the plan with Elle?”

“She’s gonna come out to dinner with us,” he replied grumpily. “Try and actually talk to her instead of just staring and smiling. If you keep that up, she’ll run for the hills.”

“I couldn’t help it,” I said with a blush as I remembered our first encounter. “She’s just so beautiful and I was shocked that she was there right in front of me.”

“I’ve never once seen you not be able to talk to a female without charming the panties off her,” Elias chuckled. “It was hilarious to see you speechless.”

We pulled up to the condo and got out. Elias said we were meeting Elle at her college at six and going to dinner. I had three hours to make myself presentable. I wanted to erase her first impression of the staring i***t who could only say Hello.

A few hours later….

“Come on Ev!” Elias shouted at me through the bathroom door. “You said you’d be ready in five minutes a half hour ago! What the hell are you doing in there?”

“Almost done yeah,” I called out and took the tie I had been tying off and threw it to the floor with the others. It didn’t look right either. Maybe I wouldn’t bother with a tie. I unbuttoned the top few buttons of my dress shirt and stepped back. I wore a light purple and white plaid dress shirt and dark blue jeans. My hair had been washed and dried and teased for that just out-of-bed look. I spritzed some cologne again and walked out the door. Elias immediately started to cough and choke as I walked into the room. Maybe I have overdone it a bit.

“Come off with the cologne mate!” He cried out still gagging. “You’re gonna shut her airways in a closed space.”

“Well, we’re walking there right?” I asked and he nodded, still trying to breathe. “I’ll just air out on the way there.”

“I hope so because we’re gonna be late. I already texted Elle to wait for us.”

“Great, first I just stare at her like an i***t and now I’m late for my second chance,” I sighed. “How am I already royally screwing this up?”

“You’ll be alright mate, human or not, no one can resist the mate bond,” Elias said. He clapped my shoulder with one hand; the other was covering his nose and mouth with his shirt. “It may take her a bit, but she’ll eventually figure out that life seems to be a bit brighter with your big goofy face around.”

I smiled at the thought; not his backhanded compliment, but her being happy just to be near me. Humans don’t feel the mate bond like a shifter can. To a dragon the effect is immediate. Their scent draws you in and then you lock eyes. You’ll never not want your mate. They’re your complete other half and I knew she was my mate the moment she looked into my eyes. The space that’s been empty was filled with her scent and I felt whole. We haven’t even fully mated yet and I would die for her. For a human though, it starts as a strong attraction and grows into admiration. Once she is marked, she’ll be able to feel the physical effects more.

“Let’s go,” Elias called me out of my head. “You do not want to starve Elle; she takes hangry to a whole new level.”

We started walking towards the college. It wasn’t far from campus and Elias works at their IT lab part-time. That’s how he and Elle became friends since she’s a student. I tried to air out my clothes as much as possible as we walked.

“Elias,” I said after a few minutes of walking. “I need to ask you a question and I need you to be honest with me. No piss yeah?”

He looked at me with a smirk. He knew what I wanted to know.

“No, I’ve never touched Elle more than just a hug or a pat on the shoulder. Sometimes I flick her hair but that’s just to annoy her,” Elias said. “I don’t have any romantic feelings for her, and she has none for me. We’ve even talked about it before. We’re more like brother and sister yeah? Kinda like you and Ginny only less hyper and obnoxious.”

I nodded at him. Elias was like a brother to me and I would have really disliked having to kill him for desiring my mate. But I felt the truth to his words. Still didn’t want him hugging her though.

We walked towards the student hall once we got onto campus. Elle was already out-front waiting for us. She was pacing nervously back and forth. She saw Elias first and smiled. I tried to quench the jealousy but then she saw me, and her eyes brightened and sparkled, and her smile widened bigger. I smirked at her reaction to me.

“Yeah yeah,” Elias muttered to me. “Remember to actually speak and not just smile like an idiot.”

“I’m gonna try,” I said honestly. We approached Elle and her scent smacked me hard. I was dazed almost instantly as I smiled at her…like an i***t.

“Hey!” She said and beamed her smile at Elias and me. “I was wondering if I was getting stood up. What took you so long?”

“Boyo here couldn’t pick what to wear. My whole bathroom is covered in his entire wardrobe!” Elias said with a hard shove to my shoulder. I glared at him before turning back to Elle.

She smiled sweetly at me and quickly scanned me from eyes to toes. She returned her grey-blue eyes to mine and her smile widened. I thought I saw a hint of lust in them.

“You look handsome, purples my favorite color,” she said, and a blush immediately took over her cheeks and nose. “A-erm, so um, where are we going for dinner? I’m starving!”

“Wherever you want,” Elias said to her then his face turned to puppy pout. “Hey, where’s my hug?”

Elle opened her arms wide and Elias stepped into her arms. He scooped her up and swung her around, so he was facing me.  Hugging her tight and sighing deep and dramatic. My eyes narrowed to slits and my nostrils flared. Elias winked at me and set her down on her feet.  She looked at him strangely and smoothed out her clothes.

“Well, okay,” she laughed shaking off her confusion. “I’m happy to see you too Elias, for like the third time today I think.”

“Well, it’s not like you can’t get enough of me,” Elias replied and laughed at her eye roll.

“Someone’s being super egotistical today,” she said and poked him in the ribs. He let out a high-pitched giggle and I couldn’t help the burst of laughter.

“Did you just giggle?” I asked through chuckles. “Like a wee girl?”

Elias stuck his tongue out at me and offered his arm to Elle as we started to walk down the steps off-campus. Elle took his arm but held the other out to me. She looked up at me and smiled and wiggled her elbow offering to link my arm through hers. I slid my arm through hers and marveled at the warmth she brought to my skin. I knew I must feel blazing hot to her, and my skin is tough and stiff; a characteristic of a dragon. But she doesn’t seem to notice or at least mind if she did and continues to walk arm and arm with us.

“S-so,” I struggled to say and cleared my throat. Elias tried to hide his smirk. “So how was class?”

I still hadn’t directly spoken to Elle yet and I was getting frustrated with my shyness. It’s not like I haven’t talked to a girl before; I’m not even a virgin. I’ve had a few relationships in my day and I know how to flirt. But for some reason, I get so nervous to speak to her or I get lost in her eyes and I forget how. Man, maybe I’m the wee girl?

“Oh, it was kind of boring,” Elle said with a sigh. “I should’ve dropped it when I had the chance, but at least it’s an easy credit.”

“What’s the subject?” I asked thrilled that she was chatting with me.

“Public Speaking,” she rolled her eyes. “Like I want to stand up in front of a bunch of people and talk for fun? Do people even enjoy that?”

“Yeah, talking can be hard,” I said, and Elias snort laughed on Elle’s side. She nudged him with her elbow.

“Be nice,” she chided him. “So, Everett, Elias says your thinking about moving here. How do you like it so far?”

I was glad Elias had told me about his little white lie otherwise I would’ve looked like a tool when I admitted I’ve already moved here.

“Actually, I’ve been crashing on Elias’s couch the past couple of weeks. I was thinking about getting one of the other condos when it was available and just staying for a little while.”

Elle’s eyes lit up and she smiled at me. I felt her body subconsciously lean closer to me. My heartbeat was hard in my chest and I had to force myself to look away from her eyes. Otherwise, I’d be back to a smiling mute i***t.

“Wow, that was easy!” Elle laughed. “I didn’t even have to show you around to get you to stay.”

“You’ve got quite the effect on people,” Elias chuckled. “How about some Madhouse burgers to celebrate your victory?”

“Hell yeah!” Elle said excitedly. “I deserve some Madhouse! It’s a lot of work putting up with you two bickering like little boys.”

She rolled her eyes at us and headed into the restaurant. My arm felt cold after she walked away.