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

  He was starting to understand if only a little bit. He had two different types of dragon inside of him, which meant he wasn’t purely one type. Something told him he needed to focus on that thought, but he shook his head.

  Not now.

  He wanted to get his tribe and his mate home. Zarin was waiting for him, and if he knew correctly, he wasn’t feeling well at all.

  “We should go home.”

  Ilias caught on to the seriousness of his tone, and it seemed like him nearly dying made the adolescent attitude disappear, at least for the time being. He was so young, and Aris remembered him being moody, too. Nineteen wasn’t a fun year for him, either. It was almost as if that was a dragon’s puberty. Many changes happened, and although he shifted fully the first time at 19, it wasn’t until 21 that he noticed other changes in his size and bulk, thoughts, moods, and everything in between. But Ilias had yet to shift fully, and his moody behavior was more extreme.

  “Everything okay?”

  Aris nodded, not wanting to worry his young brother. “Yeah, I think I’ll feel much better when Sophie is nine hours away from this place, you know? Her captor won’t be able to find her again.”

  Sophie bit her lip, and he raised a brow wondering what she was thinking, but she shook her head. Now he felt closer to her, yet as soon as he was okay she put distance between them again. Women were confusing. He had no idea how to deal with them, and through the years he hadn’t ever dated. He’d slept with many women, but that was all. It had been years since he’d even done that. Humans were sketchy by nature, and he couldn’t be himself with them, so why bother?

  No one argued as they turned around and picked up all the food and went right back out into the early morning. It was muggy and cloudy.

  “Storm’s coming,” Blane announced as if they couldn’t have figured it out on their own.

  Aris smiled. “Better get a move on then. We all know how you hate driving in the rain.”

  Max and Ilias laughed. Blane was a perfectionist, and one to make sure he did everything right. Something about the rain had always bothered him. He seemed to lose his ‘luck’ when it stormed.

  He glared at the brothers, but his lip tilted into a small smile. “Yeah, well, let’s go then. Sophie will probably feel better at home, too.”

  She hadn’t said anything, but this time when she walked to the car, Aris slipped his hand into hers and tugged her toward the back seat. “You won’t be back in that house ever again. You’re one of us now.”

  He was relieved when she didn’t pull away or tense.

  Progress.

  Maybe all it took was nearly dying to make his mate realize he wasn’t a monster.

  He opted to sit in the back with her, and Max took advantage as he took the front. He helped Sophie into the car and slid in next to her. “You can sleep.”

  She shook her head, but he could tell she was worried.

  “It’s okay. We’ll protect you.”

  “He’ll find me,” she whispered and faced the window.

  Aris took a deep breath. He knew she would have problems feeling safe, and it was his job to make sure she was secure. Once they got home, things would be better.

  ***

  Only an hour from home was when Aris finally felt relief. Sophie had fallen asleep gratefully. He hadn’t wanted her to worry the whole time. She had it in her head that whoever it was that hurt her was going to find her. He knew better than to try to convince her she was wrong, but he wanted to promise her. The pamphlets said not to make any promises to an abused victim. They wouldn’t believe it. They’d already had too many broken promises. Chances were, any progress gained would be lost with just two simple, yet deadly words. To a victim, a promise was like a knife to the heart.

  He read the material again, trying to figure out the best way to help Sophie heal. Most of it said patience and letting the victim decide when they were ready. That meant no questions and no pushing. That was going to be the hardest part for Aris. He wanted so badly to know what she’d gone through, but he couldn’t – not yet.

  Everyone else rode in silence. It was as if everyone needed the quiet. He was surprised by how attached his brothers were to Sophie already. Blane who found her, Max who managed to calm her, and Ilias, who although he hadn’t said anything, seemed to relate to her on some level. He felt a sense of calm among them and couldn’t wait to see how her presence affected Zarin. Maybe she’d help soothe his beast just long enough to find his mate. He didn’t want to lose any of them, and Zarin seemed to be the sickest, especially now since he was better…or so it seemed.

  Aris wasn’t so sure he was all the way better. There had to be more to it than just having his mate close to him. He felt it. They needed to bond fully (whatever that meant) and until they did, there was a chance of him falling back into the sickness, and next time, his heart could stop for good. That’s what worried him the most. What if Sophie couldn’t complete the bonding? What would happen to him then?

  CHAPTER 10

  When Sophie woke up, they were still driving. She glanced to her side and saw Aris still next to her. It wasn’t a dream. She was free, but for how long? Ron always told her that if she ever escaped he’d always be able to find her. She wasn’t sure how or if that was just a way to get her compliance, but it worked. Even free, she was still bound to him.

  Aris noticed she was awake, and his face brightened. “You’re awake.” He slid his fingers across the seat as if asking for her touch. She nodded and let him wrap her hand in his. This brought a smile to his face.

  “We’re almost home. Zarin is anxious to meet you. He’s the only one that you haven’t gotten to meet yet.”

  She watched his thumb rub small circles on her hand. It was as if he was trying to soothe her. “Why didn’t he come?”

  The car filled with tension and it was hard to breath. These men – no, these dragons were an emotional bunch, and their energy was like nothing she’d ever felt before. She wondered if she might be in more danger than she was before, but no, they seemed to care…well, care was an understatement; they seemed to have so much to give and needed something in return. She felt kin with their loneliness. It was why she felt like she fit. They were searching for something, and she thought maybe she was that ‘something’ for Aris.

  “He’s sick, too,” Max said and twisted in his seat to watch her. His pale blue eyes held a desperation his personality wanted to hide.

  “Sick how?”

  “Like Aris. And me, though I’m not as bad as them. Hopefully, Aris won’t be sick anymore, though, because of you.”

  Sophie pondered this. She wasn’t sure she fully understood it, but if it were like the fiction books she was allowed to read, then because she was Aris’ mate, she was able to heal him since she was the missing part of his soul, hence ‘soulmate.’ She shook her head in wonder. It was as if everything she ever dreamed had come to life right before her eyes. The problem was, she couldn’t help the others. They would need to find their mates, too.

  “So, until you find your mates, you’ll be sick, too? All of you?”

  Aris rubbed her hand a bit faster, and she realized he did this when he was anxious, not when she was. “Hopefully, we’ll find their mates sooner rather than later, but Ilias and Blane haven’t gotten sick, at least not to the extent that Zarin and I have, but they are also the youngest, and even though they aren’t sick, they have that feeling of something missing. They haven’t reached their full potential. Finding our soulmates is what balances our dragons.” He sighed and ran his free hand through his fluffy white mane. “This is all new information, so we aren’t 100 percent certain of anything yet. But in theory, we each have two different breeds of dragon inside of us. We’re called Halflings, and each half battles for dominance because they have conflicting thoughts and personalities, so therefore they need an anchor to balance them. That’s where the mate comes into play. You’ve already balanced my dragons just by accepting me.”

  Sophie not
iced how he hesitated to say that last part, as if he wasn’t sure she had accepted him, or maybe accepting him with words wasn’t enough. She shivered at the thought of what would be needed. Out of fear or excitement she wasn’t sure.

  ‘No one will ever love you like I do, Sophie-girl. No one will want to run their hands over your scars or kiss your most intimate places – no one but me.’ Ron’s voice echoed in her mind. She yanked her hand back from Aris, surprising him. She couldn’t get used to him. He wouldn’t want her once he saw.

  The others watched her carefully, but she couldn’t take it. She broke contact and wrapped her arms around herself, gazing out the window but seeing nothing. Nothing but fields of grass and a gray sky. It matched her mood. The more she let her guard down, the worse his voice became. Her nightmare would follow her everywhere she went.

  ***

  It wasn’t long before Blane turned down a road. She wasn’t sure where it led to. The whole area was surrounded by nothing but trees – lots of trees. They really lived in nature and in the middle of nowhere. The gravel crunched beneath the tires as the car slowed to a stop. She held her breath, waiting to see exactly where she would live.

  At least for now.

  Sophie wasn’t convinced she’d be staying very long, but she owed them. They’d saved her from Ron. ‘Only for the moment Sophie-girl. I’ll always find you.’

  She wanted to scream at the voice. Tell it to shut up. Tell it to fuck off. Her eyes widened at those thoughts. She would never talk to him that way. If she ever did he would punish her, and Sophie couldn’t handle anymore punishments. God, why couldn’t she get him out of her head?

  If the others noticed her strange behavior, they didn’t say anything. They didn’t look at her like she was crazy or losing her mind. They didn’t even look at her with pity. That alone surprised her. There was no pressure to talk, no pressure to open up and tell them all the horrid things that had happened. Not that she ever would. They didn’t need to know what she had endured for the last seven years.

  Before long, a giant house – no, a giant mansion – came into view, but it wasn’t built out of brick or stone; it was built out of wood and logs. It was the ultimate log cabin. Her eyes widened by the sheer size of the land. Everything was big and spread out. The yard itself could have had several other houses built in it. The ground was covered in bright green grass, and there wasn’t a leaf in site, though the mansion was surrounded by nothing but trees. She tilted her head back to see above. The house had windows galore, as if letting in the natural light was of utmost importance, and she could see the house sat on brick, meaning there was a basement. She shuddered and decided right there they would never – and she meant never – get her into that basement. Never again would she be locked away in the dark.

  Blane pulled up to the side of the house where a garage was attached. He opened the door and hopped out. She was ready to get out and stretch, but then she’d have to go inside, and a part of her was scared that she was walking into another dungeon. She didn’t know these men. What if…No, she wouldn’t allow herself to think badly about them. They’d saved her after all, and that had to mean they wouldn’t hurt her. She was just scared. She hadn’t been around other people since middle school. She had no experience with men, other than Ron, and she prayed he wasn’t the definition of what a man was like.

  CHAPTER 11

  Aris led Sophie into the house. It was home and a place he was proud of. She seemed shocked by the size of it, but a dragon needed space – and five moody beasts under one roof, well, they needed massive space. It was a way to make them all comfortable. She observed everything with a quiet demeanor. He couldn’t tell what she thought or felt. Strange…he should be able to feel her.

  The den was right around the corner, which was right where he wanted to be. The others were talking, but all froze when Sophie stepped down into the room. It was the biggest in the whole house. It was the place where they spent the most time together. Aris followed behind her, unsure of what she was doing, but he wanted to see how Zarin was doing.

  It turned out his brother wasn’t doing well. He lay on the couch covered in a thick blanket, and Aris frowned when he saw how gaunt he looked. His skin was pale and it almost looked gray. His eyes that usually shined with sarcasm and wit were dull and lifeless. Aris pushed Sophie out of the way; he hadn’t even realized he’d done it until she gasped. He looked over his shoulder, apologizing with his eyes. At that moment, his brother was the important one. He knelt on the floor by Zarin and laid his hand over his forehead. It was hot and covered in sweat. He wiped his hand on the blanket.

  “We’re here.”

  “This fuckin’ sucks, man. I shouldn’t be this sick.” He shut his eyes and licked his dry lips.

  Aris wasn’t sure what to do. How would he be able to focus on both Sophie and Zarin? It was too much. He wanted his mate – no, he needed her – but Zarin was his family. One of the moodiest bastards he’d ever met, but he didn’t want to lose him. He felt a cold hand on his shoulder.

  “Maybe I can help?” She shrugged. “You talked about me possibly being enough until he found his mate, right?”

  So, she had been listening to their conversations. “It’s a theory. You’re my mate and he’s my family. Hopefully, you’ll be able to soothe his beasts.” Aris didn’t want to hope, but he couldn’t help it.

  Sophie slid in front of him and knelt on the floor. Aris moved back to give her some space, wondering what she was going to do.

  ***

  Sophie wasn’t sure what help she would be, if any, but as soon as she offered her help all of them looked at her like she was the magic they needed. She didn’t want to let them down. She stayed close to Aris, liking the warmth of his body against hers. It soothed her in ways she never thought possible.

  The others stood around this sick man and watched her. As soon as she lifted her hand and brought it toward their brother, their eyes tracked her every movement. She brought the tips of her fingers and brushed Zarin’s jaw. She hadn’t officially met him yet, but she already felt like she knew him.

  “My name is Sophie,” she whispered.

  One of his eyes slid open, just enough to see her. “Zarin.” Then he shut his eye again.

  She licked her lips and ran her finger along the strong bone of his jaw. Each brush of her finger seemed to release something in him. His stiff muscles loosened, and the hard lines of his face smoothed out. She couldn’t help but think that he was too handsome to look so fierce and angry. She brought her finger to his temple and added pressure, rubbing in circles.

  Zarin’s mouth went slack and…was he purring? Sophie pulled back to see dull green eyes watching her. She could imagine those eyes were normally bright and full of life when he wasn’t sick, and she made it her goal to see him healthy. She wasn’t sure what he was thinking, but he no longer looked angry.

  “Please, don’t stop. That felt so good.”

  His voice was deep and raspy, and if it hadn’t been silent in the room already, she wouldn’t have been able to make out what he said.

  “Of course.” The floor wasn’t comfortable, so she stood and perched on the edge of the cushion, bringing her finger back to his temple. This time, she used both hands, one for each side, and rubbed the tension right from his body. Her body leaned over his, and she heard that faint noise again. It sounded like a cat purring. She was certain now.

  Aris hadn’t said anything as she worked on Zarin, but she could feel his stare on the back of her body and the surprise he felt. She realized, then, that his theory was really that – just a theory. He had no idea if her being around would help. She added a bit more pressure to Zarin’s temples and was rewarded with another purr. Zarin tipped his head back and stared at her. He didn’t say anything, but it was in that moment that Sophie felt his acceptance of her. She wasn’t sure how she knew she would need to gain it, only that she had to.

  The road trip made it easier to get it from the other guys, but Zarin h
adn’t seen where she’d come from. He was dealing with his own monsters, and accepting the new human in their life probably wasn’t on his list of priorities.

  “Thank you; you’re a sweet human.” Now when he spoke, his voice was still low and raspy, but it didn’t hold the tense contempt. “I think I’ll take a nap now.”

  Sophie went to stand up but, faster than she thought possible, his hand gripped hers. It wasn’t large like Aris’, but the hand was long with thin and nimble fingers. The skin was pale and dry from sickness. “Wait until I go to sleep?”

  Sophie let out a breath and relaxed. She adjusted her hand in his and lowered it to the top of his blanket. Kicking out her legs, she nodded that she would stay. When Zarin loosened his tight hold on her fingers, it reminded her of when she was a kid and she was afraid of the dark, back when being afraid of the dark was the most of her worries. Back when her mother had cared, and Rob hadn’t come into their lives.

  CHAPTER 12

  Aris had never seen anything like it. More than all the others, Zarin was the ruthless, mean SOB that never let his guard down for anyone. He most certainly never allowed anyone to see the vulnerable side of himself. Now, Aris watched Zarin gripping Sophie’s hand like it was a lifeline. His body was relaxed, and Sophie seemed content to sit and watch as Zarin drifted off to sleep. It wasn’t just him that watched Zarin, the others did as well. They were just as shocked as he was of how their brother had reacted to Sophie. Aris was worried he would be the one who didn’t accept her. He would make it difficult and push her, but it turned out she had the magic touch. Everyone already accepted her and felt a bond with her.