Dragons Under the Mistletoe Read online

  Dragons Under the Mistletoe

  A Space Dragons Seek Mates Holiday Story

  Michelle Ziegler

  Introduction

  Lilly hasn’t had a lot of Earthy experiences and I’m determined to change that. Too bad I have no clue what to do.

  Between Kal and myself we can figure this out. Maybe. First stop? The Drunken Rooster to find the only human female Kal knows.

  Lilly deserves everything, including a tree in a box and a creepy stranger dressed in a red suit.

  In the time of the corona there is very little to laugh at. But, we all know the holiday bring out the best in even the worst of us.

  Happy Holidays whenever! I hope you laugh.

  Acknowledgments

  This book wasn’t planned, but it is very much needed. Thanks to my fans for loving Eadric and Lilly.

  Thanks to my husband (who never reads my books anyway) inspires me and my kids who let me have the time to write.

  I have so many readers to thank, but especially my Beta/Alpha readers. Thanks Lucia, Bev, Carol, and Donise! They have a knack for reading between the lines.

  Thank you Emcat Designs for my cover!

  Of course, my review team is a group that has my undying gratitude!

  Lastly - thank you readers! Thank you for giving me a chance and escaping into my world and loving some confused dragon shifters from outer space.

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Coming Soon

  Also by Michelle Ziegler

  About the Author

  1

  Lilly stirred, snuggling into the warm man next to her. This still felt like a dream. She couldn’t have seen her life like this. Touching someone. Wanting to be touched.

  She had a lifetime of being deprived of human contact though, and Eadric had signed on for it. Even if he didn’t really know that at the time. She kissed his shoulder as her body slowly woke up.

  “Good morning, my mate,” Eadric said, as he leaned over and kissed her.

  “Yes, a good morning indeed.”

  Her hunger for her mate eclipsed even her hunger for freedom. Perhaps she’d craved true freedom, free and without ties, but that was because she’d never tasted Eadric before.

  Her lips curved up at the edges as she rolled over and straddled Eadric. Yes, this freedom was delicious.

  Lilly slid her hand down, connecting with his dick as her pelvis rested against the quickly hardening muscle. She loved the way his head lulled back every time she stroked his length just a certain way.

  “So mate. What are your plans today?” she asked, wiggling above him.

  He stretched and gave a little moan of pleasure.

  “Love, I want to say I am doing you. But Kal and I have plans.”

  She faltered in her mission. That caught her off guard.

  “Wait, what? You’re leaving me? But, I just got you back.” Lilly didn’t enjoy whining, but she wasn’t used to Eadric not giving in to her. He hated leaving her, hated not having her in his arm's length. But right now, he was actually able to ignore her advances.

  This wasn’t right. Lilly tried to read his thoughts. A flash of her smiling was all she got. Ugh. She needed to get better at this mind connection thing. How could he hide his thoughts when she really needed to know what was going on in his head?

  Abruptly he grabbed her hips and flipped the two of them until he was on top.

  “Lillyanna, it would not be a surprise if you read my thoughts now, would it?” He bent down, claiming her mouth with his. His hands roamed over her body, finding just the right spot between her legs. She was a goner. Breathing was becoming optional, he knew how to keep her from roaming his thoughts.

  “Eadric, stop,” she moaned.

  He smirked. “I know you don’t really mean that.”

  Lilly was panting for more, so she punched him in the arm. “You’re a jerk.”

  He slipped two fingers into her warm core and she nearly lost it.

  “Yes, well. Jerk or not, I know how you work nonetheless.”

  Lilly was almost there. Almost ready to tumble over the cliff when he pulled his fingers out.

  Her eyes flew open.

  “What the hell?”

  He positioned himself over her, “patience, mate. We have an eternity to get to know each other.” He kissed her mark on her shoulder. A spark of power shivered over her.

  “Yes, eternity,” she said, moaning.

  He kissed the soft skin of her collarbone.

  “But,” he said, “perhaps we should seize every moment.”

  He thrust forward, pushing into her in one quick movement. Her back arched into the feel of him inside her.

  “Yes, every moment,” she said on a whimper of pleasure. Her fingers dug into Eadric’s shoulders as he pushed into her over and over again until her body quivered, her body finally relinquishing, giving him what he wanted from her.

  Her own muscle pulsing around him as she took what she wanted from him.

  Yes, She thought.

  He shuddered a moment later, spilling into her. He slid out a bit and pushed in again, slowly, just enough to tease her nerves. He kissed the tip of her nose.

  “I believe this is what Earth women call a quickie. Now,” he pushed in once again and she squealed as her newly satiated body reacted. “I need to go meet Kal.”

  Kissing her, she squealed as he pulled out, leaving her still heaving for breath.

  “Eadric, what is so important?”

  She licked her lips as she watched his ass disappear into the bathroom. When would that ever get old? Never, that’s when. He was hot, and not just because of the whole dragon thing.

  Lilly didn’t know when she’d become okay letting a man have her, but as long as it was this man she regretted nothing.

  He loved her, and he always took care of her. He also allowed her freedom, as long as he could see her that was. Okay, he was going to have to get past the memory of her evil father, some day. You’d think Eadric was the one held captive. Stupid mind links. Couldn’t hide a damn thing from him. She grabbed a pillow and hugged it.

  “Hey, I just did that. Leave the pillow alone,” Eadric teased from the doorway.

  “If you come back to bed, I’ll let the pillow go.”

  He smirked. There was no way he could get sexier, but that look made her damn near come all over again.

  “Lilly, I have a surprise. I need to go, but I will return soon. I promise,” he said.

  “Ugh. Fine. Go. I’ll hang out with Maddie. Maybe she and I can go for a walk around the ship. Oh look, a cactus. Oh look, another one. Oh hey, a tumbleweed.”

  Fully dressed, Eadric came to sit on the bed. Her eyes roamed over him. Bummer.

  Fire. We won’t be gone long, and it’s nothing dangerous. I promise.

  She sat up. That hadn’t crossed her mind. Well, not this morning. Damn it. Maybe she shouldn’t worry, but she did. Dragon warrior or not, he was hers.

  “Danger follows you, all of you. Where are you going? Now I can’t not worry.”

  Eadric kissed her forehead.

  “It’s fine. I will be with Kal and we will be home soon,” Eadric said, holding her. “Please just stay here and stay safe with Maddie.”

  Safe. Ha. Fine. To be fair, Maddie had a shitty ex, and Lilly had a really bad dad. Which sort of caused all the danger.

  “It better not be dangerous,” she said, raising up on her knees she shuffled over to him. Wrapping her arms around him, she placed her lips against his soft, full mouth.

  I love you.

  He grabbed her ass in response.
/>   I love you too, he thought. Now get dressed and go see Maddie.

  Lilly grumbled, but she let him go. What was he up to? Maybe he should play poker with a face like that. He was playful, like always, except when he had something on his mind.

  Fine. She could play this game.

  Getting up, she called the fire to her hands and watched it dance around. Eadric’s magic hadn’t exactly changed who she was, but ever since they’d mated she could control her own magic much easier. No more melting everything she touched. Or, well, most of the time.

  She’d gotten really good at cooking chicken though and only charred the first dozen. Lucky for her, dragons didn’t care. Now though, she could even hug Maddie without incident.

  After she stretched her powers, like a muscle that needed to be woken up, she decided to get dressed. Sitting in her room would get a little lonely.

  2

  “Kal, why are we here?”

  Eadric looked around the bar, the Drunken Rooster. His only memory involved Kal flapping tiny chicken wings around the floor. “Don’t you remember when-”

  “Shut it. Just don’t bring it up.”

  Eadric laughed. “Okay. So why are we here?”

  Kal pointed to a woman behind the bar. They walked over to the counter and sat.

  “Hey there, fellas, what can I get you? Oh, right, aren’t you Maddie’s mate?”

  Kal gave a warm greeting to the woman. She wasn’t human, but Eadric couldn’t really tell what her powers were.

  “Man. I always thought my mate was huge. Whatever pack you come from, they sure grow ‘em big,” said Ellen.

  Eadric looked at Kal.

  Pack?

  He nodded.

  Yes, wolf shifters.

  Well, that’s interesting. Okay, wolf shifters. This planet kept getting better and better.

  “Anyway. What can I do for you? Any mate of Maddie’s is a friend of mine.”

  Kal nodded at Eadric.

  Ask her, her name is Ellen.

  Eadric swallowed. He’d been gifted at talking to women, except right now. He really didn’t want to screw this surprise up.

  “Ellen?”

  She smiled. “Yes. What can I do for you, big guy?”

  “Well, I wondered if you would share your favorite holiday?”

  She cocked her head. “Well, that’s interesting. Why do you ask?”

  He gripped the edge of the bar. He could attack an alien species. He could travel light years to a planet they knew shit about. But come up with a surprise for his own mate, and he was a puddle of sweat.

  “Well, my Lilly. She hasn’t had a lot of human experiences and before we leave for my home, I wanted to make sure I give her good memories if possible.”

  Ellen squealed. “That is so romantic. Okay. I don’t know where you’re from. You guys always came across like you weren’t from around here. Do you have Christmas? I love Christmas. I mean, Halloween is super fun too. Well, all the holidays are fun and I have something for Halloween because I got to meet my mate. But I really think Christmas is like the best of the best.”

  Eadric tried the word out. “Christmas.”

  He liked this word. “What does one do for Christmas?”

  Eadric hung on her every word. Anything to give his Lilly a proper Earth experience. It wasn’t fair her father kept her locked up, and it wasn’t fair that he was going to take her somewhere else. Granted, he was certain his world was far superior. At least they knew his value back home.

  Ever since they’d gotten to this rock, they’d fought off assholes. Lesson learned. Don’t use several hundred-year-old data and assume a species hadn’t evolved.

  Ellen thought for a moment longer. “It’s a time of giving. I feel like Christmas is always about being better than what you really are. Like everyone turns off the dickishness and learns how to actually be a good person. For a little while, anyway. But the best part, I think, is giving. I volunteer at the local soup kitchen a lot. But during the holidays people come out of the woodwork to do it. Oh, and then there’s seeing the smile on my mate’s face when I get him something he really wants.”

  Processing the information, Eadric remained quiet for a while. That was a lot. He liked the sound of this Christmas. His mate deserved all the good he could give her.

  “Okay. Where does one celebrate Christmas?”

  Ellen laughed. “Where did you say you were from again?”

  Kal grunted. “We didn’t.”

  Shaking her head, she grabbed a glass to wipe out. “Well, okay. Be all mysterious. I guess it adds to the sexy.”

  Kal and Eadric exchanged a look. Neither of them really understood half of what the females said.

  “Alright, boys. Christmas is wherever you want it to be. It really doesn’t matter. You pick.”

  Let’s start with this gift idea. Eadric thought to Kal.

  He nodded.

  “Thank you Ellen,” Kal said, as they got up and left.

  Stepping outside, they stopped on the sidewalk and looked up and down the street.

  Gifts? Where would one get something?

  They knew what gifts were, but until today Deo had been the one doing the shopping. Where would they go to get a present, not just food and clothing?

  Eadric reached out to Deo.

  Brother? Where does one buy a gift?

  There was silence for a while as they both started to walk. They kept reading store signs, looking into windows.

  “Jewelry?” said Kal, reading a sign.

  Both men stopped to look in. Shiny things. That looked promising.

  Eadric reached out for the door as Deo finally responded.

  Many stores. Did you remember the money? Stores expect paper payment here.

  Kal held out a large roll of green bills.

  Yes, we have the money.

  Both men smiled in accomplishment. They could do this human thing.

  What are the gifts for? asked Deo.

  Both men walked into the store and started to look.

  We have decided on the surprise. Tonight, we celebrate Christmas. Everyone needs to be there, responded Eadric.

  Now they just needed to figure out how to make this Christmas happen.

  An elderly lady came from around the counter.

  “Well hello men. What can I help you with?”

  Kal held out money. “We have this. What can we buy?”

  She smiled.

  “Oh dear. You’re not from around here, are you?”

  How does everyone know that? Eadric thought to Kal.

  He shrugged.

  “Alright boys. It appears you have part of the equation. The next question is what are you looking for?”

  Wasn’t that just what Kal at just asked?

  “Presents. What would you buy for your mate?”

  The little lady’s smile brightened. “Oh, how wonderful. Congratulations.”

  Eadric stood a little taller. His accomplishment should be congratulated.

  “We have a wonderful collection of male jewelry over here. Are you picking out each other’s rings? I love the new traditions that shifters are starting to embrace, some human traditions and some of the pack ways.”

  What does she mean, are we picking out each other’s? Why would I pick out your mate’s gift?

  Kal just shrugged again.

  They followed her.

  “Now, how long have you two been together? Are you both more gold or silver? Men’s rings have carbide options and titanium as well.”

  Why did she want to know how long they’d been together? Did she know of their world?

  “We have been serving together since we were children.”

  The lady paused. “Serving? You’ll have to excuse me. I don’t know much about the different packs around here or their customs. I’m just a good old-fashioned human.”

  This was going nowhere fast.

  “Why would men wear rings?” Kal asked.

  The shop owner pulled out a fe
w styles and placed them on the counter. “Well, to show their commitment to each other. Just like human men. Isn’t that why you are here?”

  Kal and Eadric looked at each other and laughed.

  “I am not committed to Kal, or well not in a manner that needs a ring. Our bond is far deeper. Our blood bonds us.”

  The lady looked highly confused. “I think I made the wrong assumption. Are you two not mated then?”

  Eadric looked at her. Could she not smell their mated scents were different?

  “This is my brother. We have mates at, uh, home. We want to surprise them with special things.”

  “Oh, I see. Well, that explains the vibe I get from you two. Very comfortable with each other, brothers. Of course. I used to be better at reading couples. I think it’s my old age setting in. Well, in that case, let’s go to this side. Are you looking for wedding bands? Human women wear a ring like mine once they are married. Or well mated in your case.”

  She held out her hand, and both men looked at it. It was that, a ring. Women at home had rings as well for decorations, their mated mark and tattoos were forever. Still, Eadric wanted Lilly to have all the human things, all their experiences.

  “Yes. A ring, then.”

  She went to work pulling out a variety of rings in all shapes. Some were very large and shiny, others were small and more decorative. What would he get for his Lilly? His fire. The white gems, diamonds, a gem believed to be beautiful on Earth, but they were not what he saw her wearing. She was full of color.

  “What gems do you have that are the color of fire? Red maybe?”

  She smiled. “We have ruby’s if you prefer. Here.” She pulled out a few more.

  There was a ruby set in silver that had intricate circles of metal around it. It almost reminded him of his tattoo now marking the skin of her stomach. Perfect.

  “This one.”

  The woman wrapped it up and went about helping Kal make his choices. Now what? This wasn’t enough. Kal handed over money to the woman who seemed to be highly surprised and pleased at their method of payment. Eadric turned away, thinking. Maybe he should seek out advice from this delightful human elder.