Dating A Dragon (The Mating Game Book 2) (2 page)

He had finally accepted the bitter truth, that he was not going to have both – he wouldn’t find love
and
a fertile female dragon who could carry his eggs.

That was what he had tried to convey to the woman at The Mating Game. He didn’t need love. He wanted a woman who could successfully bear his eggs to term. She didn’t even necessarily have to stick around to raise them afterwards; if she wasn’t maternal, he’d raise his dragonlings himself, and the woman would be very well compensated for her trouble.

He’d begun reciting his list of requirements for the mother of his dragonlings – attractive (after all, he would have to have sex with her), intelligent, college degree, physically healthy, not a drug addict, no criminal history – and Wynona, the owner of the mating agency, had booted him out.

Him. Orion Garrison.

Dominus of the Garrison Clan, CEO of Garrison Gold Industries, one of the richest dragons in the world.

He’d never been thrown out of anywhere.

Was it something he’d said?

Probably. He would be the first to admit that he was hot-tempered, and not always tactful.

Well, he’d been stupid to come to North Carolina anyway. He’d been stupid to hope.

Because of the severe decline in the dragon population, all female dragons were required to undergo fertility testing when they were of age, and if they were fertile, they had to place their names on the Mating Registry to be paired with an appropriate male. Most female dragons in America lived in his area, but he knew that some were scattered across the country.

He had heard great things about the success of The Mating Game in finding life-mates for shifters. He’d prayed that Wynona could find him a mate who wasn’t yet listed with the registry.

Currently the registry had no eligible female dragons who were listed as fertile, of childbearing age, and not related to him.

His phone rang, and he glanced at it. His mother, Cynthia. He hadn’t told her he was coming to North Carolina; she was probably wondering where he was. He wasn’t ready to discuss his utter failure with her just yet.

Cadence stood in the living room of her small rented house, looking around with regret. She’d only moved in a few months ago. She had just finished decorating it and had gotten it exactly the way she wanted it. On her limited budget, she’d bought her furniture at thrift stores and painted it in bright sherbet colors and reupholstered the chairs in matching shades. She’d sewn curtains the color of lemon sherbet and added raspberry-colored pom-pom trim. She’d arranged plants throughout the house to give it a lush, tropical look.

Now the results of her fertility test meant she was going to have to leave all of this behind. Quickly.

“Goodbye, Petunia,” Cadence said with a heavy sigh. “Goodbye, Violet. I’ll miss you, but you can’t go where I’m going.” The landlady had agreed to take all her plants.

“Who are Petunia and Violet?” Daisy called out. She had walked in the front door without Cadence noticing. “There’s nobody else here.”

Once upon a time Cadence would have been able to scent her approach before she got there. Not anymore.

“The plants,” Cadence said, gesturing at the two potted plants she’d been talking to. She pointed. “That one’s a petunia, that one’s a violet. Come on, Daisy, that’s basic botany.”

“Thank you, oh sarcastic one. I see you lack a daisy.”

Cadence gave Daisy a sweeping glance, taking in her enormous stomach.

“Oh, I’ve got more than enough Daisy,” she said drolly.

“Everyone’s a comedienne,” Daisy grumbled. “I’d smack you upside the head, but for now, you can outrun me. Just remember, I won’t be pregnant forever.” With a sigh, she waddled over to an armchair. “Sure feels like it, though.” She sank into the chair with an “oof”.

“So, what are you up to today, other than sneaking around and eavesdropping?”

“I wouldn’t have to sneak if you would just tell me what’s wrong. We’re best friends, and you’re hiding something from me. So spill it. Now,” Daisy said sternly. “Are you actually going away somewhere? And what’s been bothering you lately?”

Cadence bit her lip. She knew she could trust Daisy with her secret, and she’d have to explain why she was leaving anyway. She’d already given her landlord notice, and handed in her resignation at work.

“Remember when I told you that I literally couldn’t go for a run?”

“I do.”

“I meant it. As in, I can’t shift anymore. Not into a wolf, anyway. My father was a dragon.”

Daisy’s mouth opened in surprise, and her eyes widened. Cadence braced herself, tension squeezing in her chest. Was her best friend going to reject her now? A lot of people were afraid of dragons.

But Daisy just nodded to herself, and then looked at Cadence with sympathy.

“Well, that explains it,” she said. “I wasn’t going to say anything, but I had scented something different on you. So…your dragon genes are becoming dominant.”

“Yes, they are.”

“Well.” Daisy folded her hands in her lap. Cadence could see the wheels in her head turning. Daisy was always the problem-solver. “If you wanted to hide that, there are scent-disguising solutions that you could buy. Not that there’s anything wrong with being a dragon, but some people might freak out,” Daisy continued. “And then there’s that whole registry thing. And possibly being forced to agree to a mating that you don’t want.”

Cadence nodded. “Yes, that’s exactly why I’ve kept it under wraps. But my secret is out now. A few months ago I went to the hospital with a fever and they ran some blood tests. They discovered my dragon ancestry. They reported me to the registry. So I went and took a fertility test, and I was honestly hoping that I wasn’t fertile, because that would have meant that I might not have to register to be paired with a mate. But I am. Very fertile.”

She sighed. “It’s not that I don’t want children. I always have. It’s just that there’s a very small pool of potential mates out there, and most of them are way too old for me, or they’re real bastards. I’ve been doing research.” She sank down onto the sofa, nervously drumming her fingers on the wooden arm.

“How would you know that someone’s a bastard if you’ve never met them?” Daisy asked.

“When I was forced to register, some relatives of mine got in touch with me. I’ve been talking with my cousin Maude. She’s not fertile, which in a weird, sad way is lucky, because she could marry whoever she wanted. She was trying to scout out someone decent for me, but she didn’t come up with anything. There’s only a few families to choose from, and everyone’s either too closely related to me, or really old, or an abusive dickface.”

“Well, you definitely don’t want to get hitched to a dickface. How did you keep your secret for so long? I thought all dragons had to register at birth.”

Cadence summoned up a sad smile. “My late mother was a waitress at a Nevada resort which my father owned. He was married, but when he came to visit the resort he had a brief fling with my mother. When my mother found out she was pregnant, she knew that by law, the dragon clan would be able to claim me, and since she wasn’t a dragon, she wouldn’t be able to raise me. She wasn’t about to have her child taken from her, so she just left the state without telling anyone she was pregnant. Moved to New York, changed her last name. And then we lucked out, because my wolf side was dominant at birth, so nobody knew. I always prayed that my dragon side would stay dormant, but it’s not.”

“I’ve heard that there’s a private clinic in Nevada that’s experimenting with dragon fertility. They’re working on compounds that might make dragons more fertile, and they’re also developing some kind of special incubators for dragon eggs,” Daisy said hopefully. “It’s supposed to be ungodly expensive, but then, there are a lot of rich dragons out there.”

Cadence nodded. “I’ve heard about the clinic too, but it’s still early days yet. It will be years, maybe decades, before it will make any difference to dragon birth rates. And that’s even assuming it works. It won’t happen in time to save me from a forced mating.”

Daisy frowned at that. “So now you’re back in touch with your father’s clan?”

“Oh, heavens no. I’ve been told in no uncertain terms that I’m not to come anywhere near them. After all, I’m the bastard child who’s living proof of my father’s infidelity.” Cadence laughed lightly to hide the sting that she felt. “The ones who reached out to me are the clan of my uncle, Draken, from my father’s side. They live all the way on the other side of the dragon plains from my father. The two brothers don’t get along.”

“But surely at least your father’s clan would try to protect you from a forced mating?” Daisy said hopefully.

“Ha.” Cadence scoffed at the notion. “My father’s clan are the ones trying to pimp me out. They’ve got people bidding on me, offering them gold and silver mines. I’m a womb for rent.” Then she managed a rueful grin. “Get it? Womb for rent? Womb with a view?”

But Daisy looked worried, not amused. “Yeah, yeah, no one’s better than you at joking in the face of disaster.”

“Beats crying, puking, or curling up in a ball in the corner.” Cadence shrugged with more nonchalance than she felt.

“Well, we’ve got to make plans. Time’s a-wasting. I’ll help you run. I’ll give you money,” Daisy said decisively.

Then Daisy’s eyes lit up. She clapped her hands together with glee. “Wait a minute. Oh my God. It’s meant to be. I knew it. Yes! I am a genius!” She began stamping her feet on the floor with happiness.

Cadence reared back and stared at her friend with alarm. “You’re not making any sense. Is it the pregnancy hormones? Are you having a stroke?”

“No, dimwit. I have a dragon for you. He came to Wynona’s agency looking for a mate who could have his children, and he’s as handsome as sin. It’s crazy how good-looking he is. I mean, I don’t know whether or not this would be a love match, but I can assure you, you won’t mind making babies with this man.” She looked gleeful. “Oooh, I’ll be auntie to your dragonlings!”

Then her expression turned alarmed. “Oh my God, my aunt is right. I am turning into my mother-in-law. I am Dirty Harriet! How did this happen?”

“Can we please focus on me, here?” Cadence said impatiently. “What’s his name?”

“Orion Garrison. And even better, I know where he is right now. I have a friend who’s a waitress at Mount Olympus, and she just called to tell me that he was there. That’s how much of an impression he makes.”

“Wow. He isn’t related to me. I can’t believe my research didn’t turn up his name.” Could this be the answer to her prayers? Cadence realized that the curse of her birthright meant that she wouldn’t get to marry for love, but she was hoping not to be hauled off and forcibly mated to some crusty old fart in a high tower somewhere. She didn’t think that was asking too much.

She let Daisy drive her to the restaurant, struggling to keep from getting too hopeful.

Daisy let the valet take her keys and told him she’d be right back to get her car.

“So you’re leaving me here? Marrying me off already?” Cadence said with amusement as Daisy practically dragged her through the restaurant.

“I can only hope.” Daisy winked at her. “After all, you might be worth a gold mine.”

They found Orion sitting at a table surrounded by empty plates, finishing off a bottle of wine.

He was indeed magnificent.

Those broad shoulders. Those piercing eyes, not so much brown as amber. The color of whiskey.

Cadence suddenly felt self-conscious. She was wearing jeans and a pink scoop-neck T-shirt and sandals. Her dirty-blonde hair was yanked back in a ponytail, her heart-shaped face bare of makeup. This paragon of male beauty looked up at her, and she was suddenly very, very aware of the bump in her nose and the splattering of freckles sprayed across her face.

He looked at them in puzzlement.

“Remember me, from the mating agency?” Daisy said, huffing slightly from the exertion of rushing across the room. “Well, we found somebody for you.” She gestured at Cadence. “Ta-da!”

He focused on Cadence now, really looked at her, and his eyes widened. His lips curled in a slow smile, and Cadence felt a rush of arousal burning through her veins. Then his pupils went vertical and reptilian for a moment, and his eyes glowed red for just a second.

With his gaze fixed on Cadence, he made a gesture at Daisy. “You can leave now,” he said to her. “I’ll have my secretary send Wynona her payment first thing in the morning.”

“Er, hello, I’m Cadence. And Daisy is my friend, by the way,” she said.

“Ah, my apologies.” He inclined his head graciously. “I assumed that she was your assistant.”

“I’ll leave you two alone,” Daisy said. “I can see that sparks are flying already. See what I did there, ha ha, sparks?”

“Unfortunately. I cannot unsee it, in fact.” Orion raised one perfect brow.

“Watch it,” Daisy warned him. “We’re besties. My approval is necessary for this mating to go forward. And be nice to her, or I will be one pissed-off she-wolf.” She turned and waddled off.

Orion watched Daisy go with a glance of admiration.

“Your friend is very loyal to you,” he said to Cadence as she took a seat across from him. “That speaks well of you.”

He gestured at the table in front of her. “What can I order you? The filet mignon is excellent. Would you like to start with a dozen, say, as an appetizer?”

“One would be fine, thank you.” At his questioning glance, she added, “Something you should know about me. I’m half wolf shifter, and my dragon side is only recently becoming dominant. My father was a dragon, and he had an affair with my mother, and she took off with me as a child so that I wouldn’t be taken away from her.”

He nodded understandingly. “Ah. That explains why I never heard of you before. I looked far and wide for a suitable mate, and believe me, if I’d spotted someone like you, I would have proposed instantly. And I’d have been fighting off a dozen other suitors, I’m sure.”

He gestured at the waiter and ordered a filet mignon for her.

Then he returned his attention to her, his eyes boring into her. “I apologize for what I just said. I made it sound as if you were a rare Chippendale dresser – a commodity, not a person.”

“Oh, I understand the situation we’re in,” she said. “And in all honesty, this is extremely awkward. You’re incredibly attractive, obviously. It’s just that we’re sitting here basically talking about marriage and babies, and I don’t even know if you wear boxers or tighty-whities.”

He threw back his head and laughed at that – a deep, rich sound.

“I like you,” he said, and she thought his eyes glowed a little. “So, would tighty-whities be a dealbreaker?” He reached for his wine.

“Nahh, I like to think of myself as an open-minded girl. A banana hammock, now that would be a dealbreaker.”

He choked on the wine and his eyes watered slightly. “Right,” he rasped, and coughed to clear his throat. “No banana hammocks. I am willing to make that sacrifice.”

“What about you?” She gave him a wicked grin. “What would your dealbreakers be?”

He favored her with a slow smile that curled his sensuous mouth.

“From what I’ve seen so far, you could be a serial killer of small animals and I’d still probably make allowances.”

“I am not, however,” she assured him. “Not small animals, anyway.”