Wicked Rage

Chapter 1

Feather

“C’mon, Feather,” Andi begged. “Prom isn’t going to be the same without you.”

“I don’t have a date, remember?” Feather unclipped the last hot roller from her best friend’s silky black hair and put it back in the box. “You know Rizan will eat anyone who touches me. Besides, I didn’t buy a dress.”

“You can be my date.” Andi fluffed her hair and pouted, her red-glossed lower lip sticking out. “Just wear the dress you wore to your mom’s swearing in.”

“Two girls going to prom together isn’t going to fly in rural Arizona. Besides, what would Christopher think?”

Letting out a derisive snort, Andi brushed her hair aside to reveal a mating bite on her shoulder. “He might be a mated alpha, but he’s a teenage male. You know exactly what he’s going to think about having two beautiful dates for prom.”

Feather unplugged the hot rollers and set them aside to cool. “You shouldn’t have let him bite you so soon. Aren’t you going to miss going to college?”

“That was never my dream,” Andi replied, slipping her feet into high-heeled sandals. “I just want to take my place as the alpha’s mate and raise a family. Christopher is having enough trouble leading the pack as it is, and it will fall apart unless he has a strong bitch at his side.” She paused, her expression going distant and sad. “We lost so many, and it’s our duty to make the Arizona wolves strong again.”

As if on cue, there was a knock at the door. Andi brushed her cheek against Feather’s, an instinctive gesture from wolves to show affection and companionship. “Please, come with us?”

The thought was tempting. Feather sighed in resignation, knowing she was going to spend her prom night alone with Netflix and a few fingers of scotch from the bottle of single malt in her father’s office. Even if she wanted to go, which she did not, fates be damned, Rizan would shadow her every step if she got brainless enough to attempt going to prom with or without a date.

The massive diamond rose he’d given her for her eighteenth birthday threw a rainbow on the ceiling of her bedroom, mocking her with its presence. It was a constant reminder of him. She knew the peculiarities of gifts from dragons. It would come back like a bad penny even if she dropped it into a volcano. All she asked for was a little time. She wanted to go to college. There was a whole world beyond Navajo territory, and Feather wanted to explore it. But she wanted Rizan too.

Fates, he was gorgeous. He had that ridge of muscle on his hips that made a smart girl stupid in no time flat, and she wanted to lick it. The part of her that was bear drooled at the idea. His kisses had been so sweet. She could almost taste his essence of cinnamon and vanilla rum on her tongue.

Not that Bear every spoke to her. She an ephemerally faint presence in Feather’s mind, but she’d called her other nature Bear since she was a little girl. It had been almost like having an invisible friend.

No, bad mage.

Christopher pushed her bedroom door open, his lanky body filling the doorway. As usual, his eyes went soft when he saw Andi. He might be alpha, but the sight of his mate turned him into a puppy.

In an old-fashioned show of manners, Christopher bowed over Andi’s hand and kissed her knuckles. Grinning, he said, “Your chariot awaits, my lady.”

“Weirdo.” Andi tugged on his hand and pulled him into a hug. “I’m trying to convince Feather to come with us. Want to help?”

“No,” Christopher straightened, the strength of an alpha wolf blanketing Feather’s room making the air thick and hard to breathe. “She’s claimed by a dragon, and we won’t interfere.”

“But—”

“I said no, Andi.” Softening, he kissed her cheek. “Let it go.”

It was easy to discount Christopher. Barely past his eighteenth birthday, he was all long limbs and bone, with a goofy grin and a cheerful personality. He was a powerful alpha though, and didn’t shy away from conflict. His father had been the same way.

“It’s okay,” Feather said, trying to relieve the tension. “I’m going to binge something on Netflix and steal papa bear’s booze. Go on, and have a good time.”

“Are you sure?” Andi asked, biting her lip as she glanced at Christopher.

“Yeah, I’m good. Go have fun.” Feather ushered the couple to the front door, waving as Christopher’s pickup rumbled away. Breathing out a sigh of relief mixed with a little sadness, she shut the door.

“Didn’t want to go to prom anyway,” she muttered, trudging to the kitchen. She opened the fridge and sighed at the unpalatable offerings her parents favored. Salad with organic veggies for her mother, and enough salmon to choke a bear for her father.

Bleh.

She grabbed her keys off the pegboard by the back door and shoved her bare feet into boots. Kayenta had pizza, and it was only twenty minutes away. Still grumbling, she opened the door and about choked.

Rizan stood on the stoop, his hand lifted to knock. He held a garment bag over one muscular arm. She hadn’t seen him in weeks, and not in his human form since he kissed her. He looked… Fates.

“Why are you wearing a tuxedo?” she asked.

The suit fit him like it was made just for his beautiful body. Studs of jet pierced both ears, and ran down the front of his snowy white shirt. He’d tied his thick locs back into a long braid, highlighting a chiseled jaw decorated with rough black stubble.

He stepped through the door, forcing her to move before he touched her. “I’m told this is what one wears to a senior prom.”

“I was just headed out for pizza.” She grimaced, knowing she sounded like an idiot. What was it about Rizan that made coherent thought disappear from her head?

Rizan’s eyes flickered with interest at the mention of food. “I’ll provide sustenance after we dance.” He crowded her, cupping her chin in a warm palm. “My brother told me you wished to attend this event. I will be your escort.”

“What?”

Thrusting the bag into her arms, he said, “Get dressed, morsel. I wish for you to dance with me at this prom.”

“Aren’t you a little old to be going to a high school dance?” she asked. It was a stupid question. Next to Aunt Yan, Rizan was the oldest living thing on the planet.

He shrugged, tightening the seams of his jacket over broad shoulders until she thought they might tear. “I’m sure I’m a little old for many things, but I will be your escort anyway.”

Feather glanced down at the garment bag in her hands, trying to decide what to do. He’d brought her a gown, taking away her excuse of having nothing to wear. He’d gone out his way to dress for the event, and boy did he clean up nice.

“You can’t eat anyone,” she warned. “All my friends are going to be there, male and female, and I’m going to talk to them.”

“As long as they don’t touch you, I won’t eat anyone.”

“Lots of them are wolves. They hug each other and people they’re close to because wolves do that. You can’t eat anyone, period. And you can’t threaten it either.”

A muscle worked in his jaw and he nodded. “Very well. I’ll just roast anyone who touches you. I won’t eat them.”

“Rizan…”

He cracked a grin, revealing pointed canines. “Don’t worry, morsel. Your sire has educated me on what will be expected. I promise to be on my best behavior.”

No wonder her parents hadn’t insisted on her going to Flagstaff with them. She gritted her teeth, knowing she’d been thoroughly set up. “Fine. Give me fifteen minutes.”

Stomping into her bedroom, Feather resisted the urge to slam the door, shutting it quietly instead. She laid the bag on the bed and unzipped it, revealing a stunning dark purple dress beaded with what looked like real diamonds.

She gasped softly, then lifted it from the bag. The heavy silk shimmered, catching the rainbows from the rose on her desk. Strands of diamonds made up the shoulder straps and crossed in the back, leading down to a full, diaphanous skirt. Fates, she’d never seen anything so beautiful. It must have cost a fortune.

She laid it down and pulled boxes from the bottom of the bag. One contained purple stilettos encrusted with yet more bling, and there was a large velvet box she was almost afraid to open. Biting her lip, she lifted the lid to find a choker made of diamonds the size of blueberries, plus earrings and a bracelet to match.

“Holy shit.” She’d been born and bred in this desert and didn’t have a material bone in her body. Fancy jewelry and clothes had never been her thing, but damn. Rizan sure knew how to tempt a girl.

After stripping down to her panties, she pulled the dress over her head, nearly moaning at the feel of silk against her skin. It fit perfectly, of course, letting her know her mother must have been involved. The bodice dipped low, revealing the upper curves of her breasts. The back fell almost to her ass, making a bra impossible.

She spun in a circle and giggled, letting the skirt flare around her legs. Her smile faded and she took a good look at herself. Diamonds and silk weren’t her, but she could fake it until she made it for tonight. Grabbing mascara and a lipstick, she slapped makeup on her face and twisted her hair into an updo with a few strands left out to tickle her shoulders. Although she almost never wore heels, the sandals were surprisingly comfortable, if a bit precarious. She wondered if she ought to leave them off and wear flats.

They matched the dress though, and Rizan wouldn’t let her fall. All she had to do was make it out of her bedroom without faceplanting on the carpet.

Her hand hovered over the jewelry box. What if she lost them? They had to be worth a fortune. No dragon would have anything to do with fake gemstones. Shaking her head, she laughed at herself and got the earrings from the box, then pushed the posts through the holes in her ears.

Gifts from dragons didn’t get lost. Though passive, it was powerful magic. Even if they were stolen, they’d return to her within a day or two. Morgaine had explained that when Feather mentioned selling the diamond rose so she could donate the money to relief efforts along the coast after Teran’s destruction.

The dragons chipped in, dipping into their hoards to fund the cleanup and reconstruction everywhere, not just the United States. Feather was privately convinced Rizan had something to do with it, but the stubborn lizard refused to admit to anything.

That, more than anything, had endeared dragons to humans. They were like rock stars now, especially Rizan. Still elusive and cranky, he was rarely seen, and never in his human form. She doubted there was a teenage girl in the states that didn’t have a poster of him on her wall. Even the infants had a fan club numbering in the millions, and a team of lawyers were settling terms to make a movie about them.

Despite seeing beautiful women all over the world go on social media with offers to let him father their children, Rizan paid no attention to anything except Feather.

The bear inside her growled in jealousy. Although Feather took after her mother and had never developed the ability to shift, a tiny part of her would always be two-natured. It might have been cool to go to Alaska for fishing trips with her dad, but Feather refused to miss something she never had.

She straightened and checked her teeth for lipstick, then opened the door to face Rizan.

 

Rizan

When Feather opened her bedroom door, Rizan had to swallow and forcibly push the dragon down. He’d been wise to insist on the dark purple for her garment. It matched the color of her magic perfectly and turned her dusky skin gold like honey. Her heeled shoes made her almost as tall as he was, and she looked like a queen, elegant and too regal for casual contact.

Humans ought to be bowing at her feet, begging to touch the hem of her gown.

Not his mage. Instead of the trappings of power, she preferred rags and boots. She read old books instead of controlling the masses as she ought to. Unlike Davryn, Rizan had no interest in learning to read. Why bother, when one knew all the stories already?

“How do I look?” she asked, biting that plump lower lip.

He bit back a growl, wanting to kiss her more than anything he’d desired in more millennia than he cared to count. Wracking his brain, Rizan tried to remember the appropriate response Morgaine had given him.

I want to strip you naked and devour your sweet pussy until you spill your cum all over my face was not the correct reply, and he’d likely end up with another blast of her magic to his chest. His ribs still ached from the last time she’d done it, and she’d only used a fraction of the power he sensed within her slim body.

Fates, she’d be terrifying with a familiar. When they’d fought together in the battle against Teran, it had taken all his strength to keep up with her. She’d exhausted Myrddin to unconsciousness, yet still poured her magic into his flame, making it hot enough to sear the land to glass.

Although he knew the earth’s magic was rebalancing on the thunderbird’s wings, Rizan wasn’t sure he liked the evolution of mages. Several of his brethren hid in their hoard chambers already, nursing wounds given to them by the disagreeable creatures. He couldn’t muster up much sympathy for them though. They’d been warned about what would happen if they tried to take a mage by force.

Yet he couldn’t deny the fierce need to carry Feather to his caves and bind her in soft rope, then tease and tempt her until she begged to join her magic with his. Her face would flush pink, and the scent of mage and desert flowers would grow more potent. She would taste like…

“You look beautiful. I knew that color would suit you.”

“Thanks.” She looked down and opened her hand, revealing the bracelet he’d given her. “I couldn’t do the clasp by myself. Will you help me?”

“Of course.” He took it from her and wrapped it around her slim wrist, wishing it was rope. When he got it fastened, he lifted her hand and dropped a kiss on her palm. She blinked up at him, her lips parted in a soft smile. She smiled often, but almost never at him and it nearly stopped his heart.

“Are you ready to go?”

“No. I mean, yes. I…” He’d forgotten something and cast about for words to say while he tried to remember what it was.

Disappointment flashed across her face and she took a step backward. “It’s okay, really. We don’t have to—”

His Feather would never wear that look of sadness again. He would kill anyone who made her sad, and Rizan swore to himself he’d give up his own life to make sure she never felt unhappy.

“I almost forgot your flowers.” The white blossoms of Sidhe night orchids filled his hands, their stems twisted into a crown. “A beautiful woman should have flowers, but they aren’t as lovely as you.”

Blushing a furious pink, Feather lowered her head, allowing him to place the crown on her dark hair. “Who are you, and what have you done with Rizan?” she asked, looking up at him, her dark eyes hooded with thick lashes.

“The day we met, the thunderbird told me to grow some manners. Have I met your expectations?”

Fates knew he’d tried. Morgaine had schooled him for weeks in preparation for this event, and he’d even managed to make Feather’s mother nod in approval once.

“Wow. I mean… Yeah.” She looked down, still blushing. “We should go now.”

Although he had no idea how to drive it, he escorted her outside to show her another present he’d obtained for her. Instead of the rattletrap old pickup truck she called Daisy, he’d purchased something called a 1951 Jaguar, trading it for a handful of rubies of no particular value. She needed something beautiful and elegant.

Feather stopped short, staring at the car. “Awesome, you turned my pumpkin into a carriage for the ball.” She laid careful fingers on the hood, petting the glossy blue paint. “We’ll have to remember to send it back later.”

He held up the keys and put them in her hand. “No, I bought it for you. It’s yours.”

“Rizan… Fates. I don’t know what to say to that.”

“You don’t need to say anything. Drive it and enjoy it.”

She spun around, her dress flaring around her ankles. “You need to stop giving me stuff.”

“I like giving you things.”

“No.” Feather rubbed her forehead. “It’s too much. Diamonds, a huge expensive car, this dress. I can’t even… And that rose.”

Tears welled in her eyes and Rizan understood why his brother went crazy when his mate, Morgaine, cried. It was an awful scent, sickly sweet with bitter salt, and he hated it.

His muscles swelled under the idiotic suit Morgaine had given him, threatening to tear the seams. Flame rose in his belly, an atavistic response to anything that distressed his mage.

Calming himself, he stroked her arms, enjoying the touch of her soft skin. “I don’t want to upset you, sweet Feather. My hoard is worthless unless you enjoy it, and I want to share it with you. It makes me happy to give you gifts.”

Letting out a breath, she nodded and wiped her eyes. “Okay. Yeah… Okay. I can deal. Just no more presents for a while, please?”

In an effort to cheer her, he said, “But all my gifts were for occasions. You needed a present for your birthday, so I gave you the rose. The dress and jewelry were for your prom, and the car is for graduation.”

She cocked her head and burst into laughter. “Okay, you got me there. But no more, please. No more gifts until I graduate from college.”

“Except your birthday. I’m going to give you something to celebrate the anniversary of your birth, and maybe also for the anniversary of the date you kicked me in the chest, and every year on this date too.”

“What’s so special about today?” she asked stroking the leather seat of her car.

Touching her chin, he lifted her face. “It’s the day you smiled at me and meant it.”

Feather rolled her eyes and got behind the wheel of her new car. “Fair enough. Hop in, cowboy, and I’ll take you for a ride.”