How to Date a Dragon

“Not really. The whole reason I had to tell you about dragons was to warn you.”

“Warn me?” She finished tying her drawstring, then dragged her T-shirt over her head. “I thought you said you’d never hurt me.”

“I won’t. I promise you have nothing to fear from me.”

“Then why do you have to warn me?”

“Because I’m not the dragon who means you harm.”

She froze. “Are you saying there are more who do?”

“Just one. Possibly.”

She jammed her hands on her hips. “How possible is this possibility?”

“It’s a pretty good possibility. Remember the biker chick who kicked my ass?”

“Fuckin’ A!”

“I know…” He started to stroll toward her until she held up one palm to stop him.

“I need a minute, Drake. Maybe a whole lot of minutes. This is a crazy amount of information to process.”

“I understand. Please don’t be afraid. Let me help.”

“Help? What can you do to help? If you’re fireproof, I expect she is too. And you can’t possibly stand guard over me day and night.”

“I know. That’s why I need to come up with another way to protect you.”

“Can you… you know, breathe fire like in the legends?”

“No. My family lost that ability centuries ago, but I don’t know about other clans.”

“There are clans? Is that because you’re Scottish, or… Oh, fuck it. I don’t even know what questions to ask.”

“I’ll answer any questions you have, later. Right now it’s important to come up with a plan to keep you safe. I can’t lose you, Bliss.”

“Especially not to someone like her. I imagine that’s why she wants to get rid of me—so she can drag you off to Hanalei or wherever it is that dragons live happily ever after.”

“I can’t lose you to anyone, Bliss. Not for any reason. I wouldn’t have told you any of this—and you can’t imagine how many rules I’ve broken—but it was important that you truly understand the danger. I’d never forgive myself if I could have warned you but didn’t because of my own cowardice.”

She stroked his cheek. “A coward is one thing you’re not, Drake Cameron.”

* * *

It had taken Drake another hour to calm Bliss down to the point where she could sleep. The one thing he wanted most was for her to be safe. When he suggested she move back with her parents, even temporarily, she about lost her mind.

He couldn’t tell her what to do. He could only make suggestions and hope she’d see the wisdom in listening to him.

She moved in his arms and mumbled something unintelligible, as if having a restless dream. Drake stroked her hair until she calmed down and her breathing returned to the long, slow breaths of deep sleep.

He couldn’t tell her that he was under orders from the Supernatural Council. They had expressly forbidden him from sharing any knowledge of their existence. He had also been told not to reveal his own paranormal identity, but he had promised Bliss he’d be honest with her, need-to-know basis or not. And yes… she needed to know.

However, one promise kept and one broken with each competing part of his life had seemed half as bad before. Now he wasn’t sure he hadn’t blown it with both.

Warning Bliss had been the right thing to do. How could he have explained the danger to her without revealing the existence of dragons? She had to know that Zina could probably breathe fire from twenty feet away. His family lost their fire-breathing abilities when his uncle tried to burn down the City of Chicago. But he didn’t know if Zina’s clan was affected too. He didn’t get the impression that Mother Nature punished all dragons equally.

Bliss also had to know that dragons could fly and that Zina could spot her from the air.

Drake would never forgive himself if anything happened to the woman he loved… especially if he hadn’t told her what she was up against. Knowing Bliss, if Zina confronted her again, Bliss might say something she’d regret. If Zina let her live long enough to regret it.

Just because he hadn’t seen Zina didn’t mean she hadn’t seen him. His skin had tingled several times when he was out on a job, battling blazes large and small. The sensation could have been a reminder that he was mortal now, but it seemed like more than that. Why hadn’t his warning sense kicked in when he was rescuing Bliss’s computer?

Maybe he was still fireproof but could be killed in other ways. Maybe Gaia was lying to him… but why? His uncle and mother had died within weeks of each other. It had made no sense at the time, but now it did. His mother had done nothing wrong, but the link between clans would explain why she became mortal as soon as her brother did. He died of a heart attack, and she had been in a car accident.

Just in case, he’d have to remember to listen to his chief from now on. The other guys relied on the chief to keep them safe, and now he should too. The last thing anyone needed was a firefighter’s funeral to attend. He had to find Zina and stop her. With Vulcan’s help, he might be able to pull it off.

Drake needed to get some sleep, but he couldn’t stop imagining all the possible scenarios. Unfortunately, he couldn’t come up with any in which Bliss would be safe and that the Council would approve. Her survival was completely up to him… and her.

He had to get her to understand. Perhaps in the morning she’d be thinking more clearly and would agree to go somewhere safe. But where? She’d refused to move back in with her parents and nixed the idea of living with one of her brothers’ families—and Claudia wasn’t open to guests. That left his place. But he’d had tingles when he returned to his studio apartment to change his clothes and pick up a fresh uniform, so he had to assume Zina knew where he lived. She had probably been watching him, so his place was out too.

There had to be someone. A maiden aunt who’d enjoy the company, perhaps? He’d explore that idea and others in the morning. If he could make her concentrate on her real business and forget about working at the bar, that might help. She had completed her designs and placed them in a safe-deposit box, hadn’t she?

Wait a minute…

What if he could get her to stay with Sadie? The woman was a psychic. She might be able to warn Bliss ahead of time if someone was coming after her.

Drake felt better. Just having an idea that might work helped.

He curled his arms around Bliss until she was snug, being careful not to wake her. She cuddled into him and sighed. At last his eyelids became heavy and his mind, well, lighter than it had been.

* * *

Drake sat across from Sadie, hoping the psychic would hear him out. He had ordered a White Russian and set the one-drink minimum on the table in front of her. If all else failed, he could simply ask her for a reading. Maybe the cards would provide some insight.

“I’m hoping you can do me a favor, Sadie.”

“You came bearing gifts, so I’ll see what I can do.” She lifted the White Russian in a mock toast and took a sip.

“Bliss is in danger.”

“I know.”

Wow. Either she really is psychic or Bliss had said something to her. He was fairly sure Bliss wouldn’t talk about dragons and such—especially when she had sworn not to. However, she still claimed to be questioning her own sanity.

“How much do you know?”

Sadie set down her drink and began shuffling her tarot cards. “I knew getting mixed up with you was going to bring her stress. I told her as much, but her heart chose you anyway.”

“Her heart?”

“Of course. Don’t tell me you think she’d go through all this for just anyone—or simply to be nice.”

He smiled. No. Bliss wouldn’t put up with anyone’s crap “just to be nice.” She would, on the other hand, tell