Aris: A Paranormal Shifter Romance (Stratham Dragons Book 1) Read online

  They filed out one by one, and he stopped to put on a shirt before shuffling into the den. He was tired and exhausted. Tonight’s events had taken a lot out of him. Luckily, there was one good thing: Zarin was back to being himself. It was strange, but he was exactly how he’d been before he started getting sick. It was only a matter of time until it got worse though.

  He sat in the leather recliner and rubbed his temples. When he was pulled out of the vision, the last thing he heard was her whimper. His beast paced, trying to get the hell out and search for her and kill whoever had hurt her.

  ‘Calm down, we can’t find her if we aren’t smart.’

  That seemed to soothe his beast enough that he could concentrate.

  Blane scooted his chair next to his. Just having him close helped calm him and his beast. He was just that type of dragon. Always calm and collected. He was the calm one of their tribe.

  “Show me what you saw.” The way he said it seemed uncertain, but determined.

  Still, Aris had to ask, “Why?”

  Blane sighed. “I just have a feeling—”

  Aris nodded. “Okay, I trust you.” Blane was the first he found. He had a very damaged soul, but that had changed a lot in the past few years, and Aris trusted him with his life.

  Blane brought his index finger to the center of Aris’ forehead. Aris heard him mutter something, but then he felt a strange, warming sensation and he was back – right where she was.

  His Sophie. But at first, he didn’t see her. Blane threw his arms out and did something. The room lit in the same hue that his mother had appeared in. Aris was stuck in place – a silent observer.

  “Sophie, we’re here,” Blane said in a whisper. Aris went to speak but no words came out. It seemed he had no control over this, and it didn’t feel the same as before.

  Aris heard her soft cry and tried to move toward her again, but he couldn’t move. Blane led them to the sound. She lay on her side; her dress was ripped, and he wanted to tear Blane’s eyes out. Her small breasts were free, and her panties were in pieces on the floor.

  Blane growled and for the first time, Aris saw a side to him that wasn’t calm, wasn’t peaceful, and certainly wasn’t happy. He moved forward, blocking Aris’ view and knelt in front of her. Aris couldn’t see anything, but he heard her whispering.

  Aris frowned when Blane turned back toward him and muttered something, and then they were home again.

  He gasped and searched for his tiny mate. “Well, where is she?”

  Blane was bent over panting. His skin was pale and his body shook. When he stood back up with a frown he sighed. “I couldn’t bring her back,”

  Aris slammed his hand into the wall. “Why not? You know what happened to her there.”

  Blane nodded and wiped a tear. “Yes, I do, but I couldn’t take the chance of accidentally killing her without knowing more about what I can do,” he whispered. “You wouldn’t want to use your mate as a guinea pig, would you? But if you would calm the fuck down I’ll tell you what I do know.”

  For what seemed like minutes, everyone was deadly silent. Blane had never reacted that way to any of them, for any reason. No one seemed to know what to do or say. His face was still pale, and his eyes were wide and a shade of blue so brilliant and bright they couldn’t look him in the eyes. He was different now.

  “Well?” Aris wasn’t the most patient person in the world, and knowing his mate was suffering at the hands of her own monster nearly did him in. He had to get to her, plain and simple. He realized Blane’s change was a big deal, but first they had to save Sophie. Then they would figure out what happened to him.

  “She’s in Kansas City. I was able to figure out where the house is. We need to go now though. She’ll be waiting, and I don’t want to break my promise to her.” Blane’s voice was low, threatening, and raspy. Aris had never seen him so full of emotion.

  “What promise?”

  “That you would come for her before she got hurt again.”

  Blane didn’t need to say any more. That was a kick to the gut. Aris lost the air in his lungs, but managed to nod. He was going to save his mate, and his tribe was going to help him.

  ***

  Zarin had to stay home to get the house ready for a female human.

  “What the hell? How am I supposed to know a female’s needs?” He whined. But since he was still sick, he had no choice.

  Aris glared at him and said, “Suck it up. We all have to do our part, and one day you’ll be in my shoes, and I’ll be in yours.”

  Zarin didn’t seem to believe him, and Aris understood. They all feared what would come if they didn’t figure out the cure. Aris hoped he was right. If Sophie cured him, then all they had to do is find their mates, and they would be saved. He couldn’t deal with losing his brothers. Especially if he could stop it.

  “Promise,” he said, and he meant it.

  Zarin nodded and lowered his eyes. It was a sign of respect.

  Aris still had to come to terms with the fact his mate – the one woman destined to be with him – was a human. He wasn’t sure how that was going to work. The more he learned about himself, the more he realized he knew nothing of his heritage, which wasn’t exactly his fault. There had been many times he sought out others of his kind, and that is why there were four other men with him, living in this giant house. They felt like kin, yet not. There was something unique about all of them. He felt it the moment he found them, and they were as broken as he was.

  They loaded up in the SUV. Blane was driving since he knew where they were going. As soon as the car pulled out of the driveway, he looked to Aris and said, “Nine hours until we find your mate. Less if traffic isn’t terrible.”

  Aris let out a heavy sigh. Nine hours. That seemed like forever, but the others had already vetoed him flying, and by flying he didn’t mean in a big metal contraption. There was too much of a chance of getting noticed. That simply wouldn’t do. He relented, knowing he had to be smart if he was going to be able to get her out of whatever situation she was in. From the visions, it wasn’t anything good. She was sure to be traumatized. How the hell were five male dragons supposed to help a traumatized female – a human one at that?

  “This isn’t going to be fun,” he muttered.

  “Oh, the drive is going to be fine. We’ll get there in time. Blane will speed as much as possible,” Max said from the back seat.

  Aris rolled his eyes. “I didn’t mean the drive. I meant dealing with a human female’s emotions. She’s been hurt. How am I going to help her heal?”

  Max slapped the back of the headrest. “Better you than me, sir, but we’ve got your back.” He paused and cleared his throat. “We’re a package deal, though, right?”

  There was something in his tone that made Aris twist around to look at the two men in his life. They were a family. Although, it hadn’t been like that right away. Max was bitter and plain mean when they first met. Aris remembered all the fights they’d gotten into and in the end, he had kicked Max’s ass. He hated it, but he was the most dominant of them all. It wasn’t in him to let disrespect go, especially because he found them all on the street. Max was by far was the worst, and now he couldn’t imagine life without him. As tough as he tried to play, Aris could see his vulnerability. He hid it most of the time, but not now. Right now, his eyes begged him to promise him loyalty.

  “Of course, we’re a packaged deal. If my feeling is right, you’re going to need Sophie’s help, too. Especially when you meet your human mates.” Aris smirked. It was the only thing at this moment that could bring even the slightest smile to his face – knowing that his brothers were going to end up with human mates, too. It wasn’t just him, and he looked forward to the day each one of them felt what he did in this moment. The fear of rejection, the fear of loss, and the excitement all wrapped up in one. It was a new feeling, and it was hard to accept. It made him feel weak, and weaknesses got dragons killed.

  Max growled. “Just because your mate is human
doesn’t mean ours will be—” his voice trailed off as if he realized that Aris was right, but of course he wouldn’t admit it.

  Ilias had been quiet since they hit the road. Aris watched him now. He could sense the tension in his body like it was a live wire, waiting to be sparked. He was pissed. About what, Aris didn’t know, and he knew better than to ask. Ilias would come to him when he was ready. It was the way it always worked.

  It was going to be a long drive. He leaned back against the headrest and shut his eyes. He hoped to reach Sophie again, to let her know he was coming for her, but all he saw was black.

  CHAPTER 6

  Sophie shot up and gasped for breath. Her body ached even more than usual and was covered in sweat. She pushed herself into a sitting position. She was frozen to the bones. Her mind wandered back to what happened, and she bit her lip to hold back her sobs. Ron had used her the way he always promised to. Tears slid down her cheeks, mourning the loss of her innocence. Nothing would ever be the same again.

  Bile rose in her throat, and she leaned over and emptied what little was in her stomach. She scratched her short nails along her skin, wishing she could scrape away the dirt and grim. The bite of her nails into her skin brought her back to the present. There was nothing she could do to change what happened, but she could make sure it never happened again. She looked down at her arms and followed the line of blood.

  Then, she remembered another man. One of the men she’d seen in her last vision with Aris promised her they were coming. She had to believe she would be saved. The man who had come to her, Blane, had the kindest eyes she’d ever seen. She could tell he pitied her, and when he’d slid her hair from her eyes, she knew real kindness. He promised her that they were coming. They would be her family now, and she’d never be hurt again.

  Sophie cried when she tried to get him to take her then, but he told her he couldn’t. His powers wouldn’t allow that. She understood, and rattled off her address with less hope than she had to begin with. Then, he had leaned down and kissed her forehead. “You’re our sister now, and Aris will heal your soul.”

  A manic chuckle left her throat. She didn’t have a soul any longer. Ron had taken it from her. She had nothing and no one, and all of this was just a dream. She’d never be free of this life. She needed to forget her fantasies and move on. She dropped her hand from her forehead when she realized her bony finger traced where Blane had kissed her. It had felt so real.

  ***

  Her heart thumped wildly, and her eyes shot open. She still sat on the cold cement floor. Her lower body was numb, and she had no strength to move. Not when she heard the clink of the lock or the squeak of the door. Her breathing came out labored, not ready for another encounter, but she couldn’t move even when she heard footsteps. She didn’t even notice they were different, not like Ron’s at all, and she didn’t notice that there were a lot of footsteps. Instead, she closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around herself, willing it all to be over. She begged God or whomever would listen to her to take her away from it. She was ready to die. Her voice was a mere whisper of the pleas she had never dared say out loud. It didn’t matter – not anymore.

  “No, don’t touch her yet. You’ll scare her,” a voice she vaguely recognized whispered. She kept her eyes shut, pretending to be asleep. The voice was warning someone else.

  “Then what do I do, leave her freezing on the floor?” Another voice growled. If this was real and she had a voice, she would laugh at the two voices bickering over her.

  Then someone was close. She could feel him and smell the light scent of rain. “Sophie, it’s Blane. Do you remember me? My promise?”

  Her eyes opened slowly, disbelieving that it was possible that he was here, that he was even real, but right in front of her stood the same man as in the last vision she had. He smiled softly at her and held out a hand. “Can you stand?”

  She tried to speak, but her mouth was dry. Sophie shook her head and lifted her shaky hand to his. As soon as their fingers touched, he was ripped away and she screamed as she fell back to the ground.

  “Stop it, you ass, he was only helping her.” Then, “Get control, Aris, he wasn’t doing what your beast imagined.” The voices were different, and she had no idea who they were, but she started to sob as soon as she realized Aris was there. He would see her and realize she was dirty.

  “I’m calm. I’m calm.” Then, “I’m sorry Blane, seems I don’t like anyone touching her.”

  “Well you scared her, you bastard, look at her, she’s crying,” Blane replied to Aris.

  Sophie wanted to say she wasn’t crying because of him, but she kept quiet.

  “Shit,” Aris said and fell to the ground on his knees.

  She watched him ease closer to her. He moved slowly as if gauging her reactions. She tried not to show fear, but her lip trembled, and when he was close enough to see just how dirty she was, she cringed and tried to back into the wall. She couldn’t let him see. Ron told her he wouldn’t want her. That no one ever would. Not once they knew the truth about her. She was soiled now.

  He froze, and in that moment, she’d never seen a look of hurt so strong on anyone besides herself in her life. She wanted to make it go away, but she needed out first. He wouldn’t want her, and how she knew that’s what he was here for she wasn’t sure; it was something she had felt. Through the whole fantasy, she really hoped it to be true. He was the man of her dreams, her fate or destiny. But if he realized the truth, he would change his mind.

  Aris backed away from her. “She’s not scared of you,” he said to Blane, giving him permission to go to her. His voice was low and bleak.

  Blane moved back in front of her and held out his hand. He didn’t seem hurt or even angry. “Let’s see that he doesn’t freak out this time, eh?”

  Sophie gripped his fingers and held on while he lifted her from the ground. Her legs wobbled, and he lifted her into his arms. She didn’t fight him and sighed when she felt his warmth seep into her body. “Thank you,” she whispered.

  Blane nodded, but he didn’t look happy. “You’re welcome. Let’s get you out of here before that monster comes back.”

  “He’s not a monster.” She thought he was talking about Aris. “He’s protective over me. I didn’t mean to make him think I’m scared of him.”

  Blane frowned. “I’m not calling Aris a monster, Sophie. I’m talking about the human man who hurt you. He’s a monster.” He pushed her hair from her eyes and held her close. “Aris is always going to protect you, and so are we.”

  By that time, she realized she was outside. It was warm and muggy, but she was free. Her lips lifted and she smiled. “Let me down.”

  He did, allowing her to slide herself free. She held onto him for balance and took in the night sky, the sounds of crickets chirping in the distance, and mostly the beautiful stars in the sky. There wasn’t a cloud in sight, and the moon shined. “Freedom,” she whispered as if it was about to get taken away at any moment.

  CHAPTER 7

  He scented her as soon as they entered the house. Blane had warned him to stay calm and not react with his beast, but his dragon pushed to the surface. Aris’ eyes had shifted and claws appeared on one hand, ready for a fight, but the house had appeared empty. Blane led the way. It seemed he had somehow gained a psychic connection to his mate, and Aris wasn’t sure how he felt about it—at least not yet. He hadn’t had time to come to terms with it, or the fact that his beast was driving him mad, something that had never happened before.

  ‘Calm the fuck down.’ He needed some control before he lost it. Her scent wasn’t strong at all through the house. Just a hint here and there until they came to a door with a padlock. It was white with cracked paint and stained. It smelled of tobacco and lust. His nostrils flared, and that’s when he scented her. “Sophie.”

  Blane broke the lock, staying in front. Max backed him up, and Ilias had opted to stay outside to keep an eye on things. Everyone let him be. His mood swings weren’t uncommon
lately. They let it go and had made their way down the stairs.

  The basement was damp and stunk of fear, sex, and blood. Everything inside of him roared to life. He didn’t need to know what happened in this room. It was best to get his mate and get the hell out before he decided he’d stick around and kill the bastard that hurt her. Bad enough Blane made him promise not to do just that. The only reason why he agreed was because of Max’s newfound logic – something Aris and the others apparently had to get used to. It was a welcome change, though, at least for now.

  “If you’re in prison, how’s that going to help her or you. Hell, you have to think about all of us. You’re the tribe leader. We follow you.”

  Aris stared at Max, surprised that he was opening up and being so vocal. He liked to joke around and pretend he didn’t worry about anything. “Okay, I’ll be fine.”

  Only he wasn’t as fine as he thought he would be when he saw her on the floor, covered in dirt and god only knew what else. He scented things he didn’t want to think about, and in his head his dragon roared. Someone had hurt their mate; she was theirs. He felt the urge to snap, but stayed back so Blane could wake her without scaring her. She was very receptive to him, but when they almost touched, Aris lost control. For the first time in years since his first change, he had no control of the beast.

  He grabbed Blane and slammed him into the wall and lashed out with his claws. Max jumped in and wrapped him up. Blane was big, but he wasn’t as fast as Aris.

  “She’s scared, Aris. I was only helping her.”

  His beast recognized her whimpers, and his eyes shifted toward his small mate who cowed on the ground. He fell to his knees immediately, sorry he had lost it and eased towards her, but she still rejected him.

  ***

  Aris walked to the SUV, pissed at himself. He had done exactly what Blane warned him not to do, and now she was terrified of him. He leaned against the car, ready to leave and watched as Blane slid her from his body. She stood wobbly but held on to him for balance. Her head tilted back, and she smiled. That was a picture of someone who hadn’t seen the outside in a long time. He wanted to run to her and make her all the promises in the world, but he wasn’t needed.