18. Jaiyana

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

JAIYANA

R ehan clutched me tight to his chest as he landed on a moonlit sandy beach on his hind legs. His rage made his blood pump and vibrate the very air around him. The moment his grip loosened, I slipped to the ground and backed away, somehow still holding the stupid heels that matched my dress.

I touched the side of my neck, feeling Tyson's mate mark seared into my skin. Anger, hurt, and confusion mixed. He rejected me. Having kids was my only function in his eyes, and I couldn't do that. What was he thinking?

The humidity in the air swelled. Tiny droplets of water formed and floated like frozen rain before flying toward the water dragon, now shrinking into his human form. In the glow of the moonlight, he morphed into the naked powerhouse of a man who pinned me to a wall what felt like a lifetime ago. His dark hair cascaded around his shoulders.

In two powerful strides, he stepped to my side and pulled me into his arms. "That shouldn't have happened." He pressed his lips into my temple before wincing in pain, cupping his balls with one hand.

I tried to pull away, but he released his junk and squeezed me to his chest.

"No. You're worth the pain." He grunted. "My mate mark should have protected you; I should have protected you."

I took deep breaths and held my trembling hands together. It had been a very long time since I found myself powerless in a situation. Memories of my younger years, especially the Renaissance era, before I cut off all my hair and pretended to be a boy, circled. For a lot of history, men took what they thought they deserved, and I'd lived through all of it. Unwanted hands and advances were things women learned to deal with, and fortunately, that was the worst of my experiences.

But this had been different.

Yes, he'd forced me, and it was wrong. But the rush of need his mark flooded my system with was something I'd never felt before—more than that. I'd been at his mercy, pinned to a tree with his hard-on pressed against my skirt. Instead of punching him in the face and running, I leaned into him, embracing his mark.

He mate marked me, a second bond tying me to a dragon.

He's in love with you.

He's a moody toddler and fucking bipolar.

…

Yeah, no comeback for that, bitch.

Tyson scared the piss out of me, but that was mostly it. I truly believed he wouldn't have gone further than he did unless I asked for it. A shiver of equal parts fear and need made my knees tremble.

Would I have asked for it?

I don't know.

I reached up and ran my fingers across the drying blood on my neck before squeezing my eyes shut. Tyson's need to dominate me, to use me to overcome his anger, as unhealthy as I knew it was, had been hot as fuck.

Yeah, it felt good to be needed, not to be the strong one.

Yeah, it did.

I opened my eyes and pushed away from Rehan's embrace. He stepped back, watching me like I was going to break. My core still pulsed with need. The magic of two mate marks and days of Tyson's teasing left tingles across my skin and my imagination running wild. My gaze wandered down Rehan's built, very naked figure, taking in every sculpted muscle quivering with his own emotions.

This wasn't the time or place.

You take the fun out of everything. Bang the hot naked dragon on the beach in the moonlight!

Sand will get everywhere.

So what? Ever heard of a shower?

He'll get shocked before we can do anything fun.

Fine, be lame.

I sucked in a breath and pushed down my libido before covering my eyes and pointing at the sausage hanging between his legs.

He tried to cover it with his hands but couldn't quite get it all. "Sorry. A naked man's probably the last thing you want to see right now."

I bit my lower lip, ‘want to see' was definitely in question. Not that I had a way to express that without my voice.

His dark blue scales shimmered in the moonlight, encasing his lower half in practical armored shorts which hid his dick. "Follow me."

I darted forward and grabbed his arm, hopefully reassuring him it wasn't a big deal. He covered my hand with his and led us toward a dark square at the top of the beach.

My new friend—at least I hoped he was my new friend—paused at a wooden door and unlocked it. He stepped into the building and flicked on an old-fashioned light switch. A bowl just inside the entry held a few bits, including hair ties. He grabbed one and twisted up a ponytail.

I gaped at him. The action looked so mundane after seeing him turn into a dragon and make armored shorts out of scales.

Rehan put out his hand. "Ah, you can come in."

Heat flushed my cheeks, and I stepped into what I assumed was his home.

The exact opposite feel from Tyson's high-end hotel apartment, Rehan's light and airy beach hut smelled like sea air and man. The original shades of grey and blues were barely visible under Rehan's collection of seashells, starfish, bottles, and homemade picture frames—dragons with dark blue hair filled every one.

Off to one side, a chair hung in a small conservatory. Stacks of books lined the back wall, with the top ones precariously close to toppling over. At the far end, a kitchen similar to Tyson's sported dated yellowy appliances. It wasn't the kitchen that drew my gaze but the middle of the room. A large round hole in the floor had a circular couch sunk into it, surrounding a fire pit. It looked like a fancy conversation pit from the seventies. I kind of loved it.

"Love," Rehan said, returning in a pair of blue shorts.

One word said in his deep voice caressed my ears and sent a pleasant warmth across my skin.

He beckoned me to a side door I hadn't noticed. I slipped through it and found myself in a moody dark bedroom with no windows, something much more fitting for a dragon. My heart fluttered, and I looked away from his simple, frameless bed to the tower of blankets stacked precariously against one wall.

Fire and water. Opposites even in their collections.

"I don't have any clothing in your size, but we'll fix that tomorrow." He offered me a gray hoodie that smelled like salt, pineapple rum, and man.

We awkwardly looked at each other before he ran his hand down my arm and walked back to his main room. I let out a frustrated breath. It only took me a moment to locate his bathroom. I helped myself to his soap and took a quick shower, tearing out the updo Tyson's dad had dolled me up with.

Joke's on him. His hairdresser knew exactly what Tyson wanted.

I sucked in a tired breath and leaned toward the mirror, studying the second mark on my neck. The flame shape almost flickered with details. It parallelled Rehan's wave on the opposite side. Magic. I took a deep breath, feeling the weight of both scars even if I couldn't sense their power.

Mate bonds were no joke. I'd never heard of magic able to fake one, but I'd lost track of, well, everything in the last few years. Maybe I was wrong. I had to be. How else could I have two?

I needed a way to start testing my blood and magic. A lab, maybe even my fucking crystal ball – not that it had ever been overly accurate, but its vague information was sometimes helpful. It was better than nothing, and right now nothing was all I had.

If I could find the tattooed dragon, he might have some answers. Or he might just have fun tattoos. I couldn't count on anything.

I exited the bathroom, dried off, and dropped Rehan's hoodie over my head. The water dragon wore a size up from Tyson, and it came to my mid-thigh. His scent surrounded me, making me light-headed, and my core tingled.

Oh, yes, you still need to get laid!

Fuck off. This is not working out for us.

He likes you.

Not again…

I pulled myself out of my thoughts before they went further and returned to the main room.

Rehan dimmed the lights and lit a small fire in the fire pit. The flickering flames reflected off his bare, sculpted chest. His piercing dark blue eyes watched my every move as I found the steps and joined him. He left a glass of water in a spot next to him, and a bucket of ice held a bottle of what looked like sparkling wine.

"It might not be appropriate," he said, noticing where my gaze landed. "All things considered." His eyebrows pinched, and he stood. "But you are my mate, and I've waited my entire life to find you."

I shook my head. I couldn't give him kids. That was the only reason they even brought humans to the island.

"You are." He stepped forward and put two fingers under my chin. "I felt it in The Hunt, and we confirmed it with that kiss."

I bit my bottom lip. Every piece of me grew warm as his tongue twirling with mine filled my memory.

Yeah. That kiss.

Shaking myself out of the memory, I pointed at my neck.

Rehan let out a frustrated sigh. "I don't know what Tyson told you, but that piece of work has a lot to answer for." He pulled his fingers away. "Sit. I got something for you."

Crossing my legs, I sunk into the couch that was ten million times more comfortable than it looked. Rehan handed me a laptop, and I had to stop myself from throwing my arms around his neck and kissing him.

You go, girl. Suck his face off.

So, Tyson's mate mark can shock his balls?

Right, I forgot.

I rolled my eyes before setting the computer onto one of the decorative pillows and placing both on my lap. The lid slid open at my touch, and a chat box floated in front of a generic background of blue. The names Rehan and Not Betty sat at the top of the chat.

A tear welled in my eye, and I pushed it away. I spent two days trying to be Betty, then the next trying to fix my lies. Rehan already knew.

Not Betty: Not Betty?

Rehan: There's no way your paperwork is right.

I looked from the screen to peer at him, leaning over his laptop.

Not Betty: You know you can talk, right?

Rehan: But you can't, and I want us to be on equal footing.

My heart fluttered, and I blushed like a fucking schoolgirl before peeking up at him through my lashes. His soft smile melted my heart.

Fuck.

He was being nice. What were the chances he was in on my abduction? Or could he be another innocent bystander like Tyson?

I studied his dark blue eyes and the slight downturn of his lips. Even if I hadn't told him I couldn't have kids, he'd already figured out I wasn't Betty, and I needed help, as much as I hated admitting it.

Kissing him eased the curse on you.

Fuck, it did.

His gaze swirled with charged emotions. Despite his size, he looked at me with an open vulnerability which was too hard to fake. This shifter wasn't in on it. Or if he was, his acting was so good it would dupe me either way.

I poked around his chat app's settings before finding where I could change my name.

Jay: Equal footing. I like it.

Rehan: So, your name's Jay?

Jay: Jaiyana, but no one calls me that.

Rehan: When you get your voice back, you'll have to teach me how to pronounce it.

I nodded at him, smiling. Instead of looking back at either of our computers, we sat gazing into each other's eyes. He didn't quite have the sculpted perfections of Tyson, but his square superhero jaw looked like he just shaved it. Faint crow's feet kissed the sides of his wide eyes. He discovered my paperwork couldn't be correct even without me present, so he was already a hundred times more observant than Tyson.

Wrinkling my nose, I broke our staring contest first. I had to stop comparing the two shifters.

Jay: You've both mate-marked me. How's that possible? Male dragons don't share?

I flicked my gaze up. Dark blue scales crawled up Rehan's face, and wisps of cool, hazy air curled out of his nose.

Jay: That should only be possible in pack shifters, like wolves.

He cocked his head to the side and looked me over a second time.

Jay: If you fucking ask who the fuck am I, I will chuck this lovely gift in the fire.

Rehan snorted.

Rehan: Then I'm going to assume you're planning on filling me in. And no, in our history, a female has never been marked by two males, human or shifter.

I swallowed.

Peachy.