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  “Yeah, we’ll beat you up.”

  “Only if you make her cry, though.” Caleb was the voice of reason between the three of them, and all of the kids agreed. They circled Christopher, giving him dirty looks, but the dragon seemed unbothered with this dramatic turn of events.

  “I promise I won’t make your sister cry,” he said. He looked up at Allison when he said this. “And yes, she is my mate.”

  Allison smiled, grinning at him.

  Mate.

  It was such a powerful word for such an incredible thing, and she couldn’t quite believe that she’d been lucky enough to find that with Christopher. She’d managed to find someone who would love her, adore her, and care for her, and she was going to love him right back.

  “I’m happy to hear that,” Allison’s mom said. She smiled at Christopher and then turned to Steven. “I do say, it reminds me of when you and I realized we were mates.”

  “That was a fun time,” Steven’s eyes twinkled, and the couple turned to hear back inside. Yvette and the little dragonlings followed, and Allison walked slowly over to Christopher.

  “So,” she said.

  “So.”

  “Mates, huh?” Allison wiggled her eyebrows happily, goofily, and Christopher just laughed.

  “Mates,” he promised, and he kissed her.

  Allison knew that the future was bright and that their road was going to be wonderful. Christopher was an incredible man, dragon or not, and she couldn’t wait to spend the rest of her life loving him. Now and forever, she was his.

  BRIAN STOOD IN HIS office and walked to the window that overlooked the city. Oh, it was beautiful, but he couldn’t relax. He couldn’t calm himself down enough to enjoy what he was seeing. That had always been his problem, hadn’t it? He’d always considered himself to be the big brother of the group. That was stupid since they were triplets. They were literally all the same age. Still, he’d felt a sort of pressure to perform.

  He’d always felt like it was his job to make sure that everyone else was okay. Recently, it seemed like that was all he did. He took pride in the fact that he cared for his brothers, but now he wondered what cost it had been at.

  Declan and Christopher were both very happy with their mates. Zoa was incredible, and she’d been a wonderful asset to their company. Her accounting skills truly were fantastic. Christopher’s mate was a sweetheart, too. The fact that they all worked together hadn’t been detrimental to the company at all. In fact, it had seemed to make the organization flow even more smoothly.

  Now, as Brian looked out of the window, he wondered whether or not things were ever going to look up for him. He was a busy man. He was too busy to find a mate. He always had been.

  His phone rang, and he reached for it. He didn’t bother looking to see who was calling. He simply swiped his finger across the front and answered.

  “Hello?”

  “Hey,” the voice on the other end of the line was smooth and sultry. Instantly, he pulled the phone back to see who was calling him, but the number was blocked. Weird.

  “Can I help you?” Brian asked, all business. It was late for someone to be calling him with a work-related issue, but it wasn’t unheard of.

  “Actually, that’s what I’m calling about. I hope that you can. My name is Winter, and I’m a writer with Dragons Daily.”

  “The tabloid?” Brian was irritated. Why the hell would a tabloid writer call him on his private line? A better question would be how she even got his number in the first place.

  “No, that’s Dragonette Daily,” the woman said calmly. “It’s a common mistake. Don’t worry.”

  He wasn’t worried, and the idea that he might be worried was a bit grating. Who the hell was this woman? Why did she want to interview him?

  “Dragons Daily is a nationwide newspaper for shifters.”

  “Does it come out every day?”

  “Yes,” she said, “but I’m writing for a special edition. We’re doing a huge special on dragon-owned businesses and we’d like to cover Monster Brothers Security. I was wondering if I’d be able to set up a time to come interview you in person and to talk more with you about your company.”

  The woman sounded...sweet. Professional. Businesslike. Brian was always a bit wary around females because he never really knew what to expect. It was his own prejudice, he knew. He was worried that someone would try to come after him for his money. He feared that someone might try to hurt him or his brothers if he wasn’t cautious enough.

  This woman seemed...

  Well, she seemed kind of interesting. Besides, Brian wasn’t the kind of dragon to turn down free advertising, was he? He’d learned long ago that if you could get people to write about your business, people would pay attention. The average client could see an ad about your organization and care less, but the more exposure they had to your organization, the more you could build up your reputation.

  That meant a greater sense of trust, and considering the fact that they ran a security company, that was pretty important to Brian. Yes, he thought that meeting with the reporter might be a good idea. He could get together with her and talk about his company, and that would be that. They could meet for coffee. No, they could meet in his office.

  “I’m intrigued,” he said, and the woman laughed. Oh, he liked the sound of that laugh. He didn’t even know what she looked like, and already he knew that he liked her laugh. How weird was that?

  “Good,” she said. “How about next week? Monday morning?”

  “Monday at noon,” he said. “We’ll have lunch in my office. I trust you know where our headquarters is?”

  “I know,” she said. “See you next week, Brian.”

  The woman ended the call, and Brian stared at his phone. He rolled her name around on his tongue. Winter. It sounded like the name of a fairy or a pixie. It sounded like the name of a girl who knew what she wanted, and who wasn’t afraid to try.

  He liked that.

  Brian sat down in his chair and spun around, once more looking out of the window. This time, the lights seemed to sparkle a little bit more, and this time, his heart seemed a little bit lighter.

  This time, Brian thought that maybe, just maybe, things were about to start looking up.

  THE END

  IF YOU WANT TO READ Brian and Winter’s story, check it out in MONSTER DRAGON. I hope you love the conclusion to this series and enjoy the future spin-offs from this book! It was a lot of fun to write about Allison and Christopher. Writing Brian and Winter’s story was just as wonderful. Thank you for reading!

  Author

  Sophie Stern writes vampires, cowboys, werewolves, dragons, and fairy tales. Her books feature deliciously wonderful characters and deliciously naughty adventures. If you enjoyed Naughty Dragon, you may like one of her other romances, such as Dark Favors or The Feisty Librarian.

  Please make sure you subscribe to Sophie’s mailing list here.

  You can also follow her on Facebook for frequent updates.

  Thank you so much for reading.

  Books

  Other books by Sophie Stern

  HONEYPOT DARLINGS

  HONEYPOT BABIES

  DRAGON ISLE

  THE FABLESTONE CLAN

  DON’T DATE DEMONS

  POLAR BEARS OF THE AIR FORCE

  DARK FAVORS

  SAVORED

  Sophie’s books are available wherever eBooks are sold.

  The Bear’s Virgin Darling

  Did you enjoy this book? Do you want to read more stories about paranormal creatures and the humans who love them?

  I have six books out that take place in Honeypot, Colorado and that feature sweet, sexy, and sassy shifters. Check out a chapter from The Bear’s Virgin Darling now. Then consider reading one of my other stories:

  The Bear’s Virgin Darling

  The Bear’s Virgin Mate

  The Bear’s Virgin Bride

  The Polar Bear’s Baby

  The Tiger’s Baby

  Th
e Jaguar’s Baby

  Each story is wonderfully sexy and has a guaranteed HEA.

  Check out Hope and Wyatt’s story now wherever eBooks are sold or keep reading for a sneak peek of Chapter One of The Bear’s Virgin Darling.

  Click here to get your copy now!

  Chapter One

  Hope

  Hope.

  That’s my name.

  My parents struggled for years to have a baby and then finally, they had me. They named me Hope to remind themselves that things can always get better. No matter how tough life gets, there’s always a way to make things better.

  Always.

  It doesn’t matter if you’re old or young or skilled or uneducated. No matter what you’re going through, you can get through it.

  As I grip the steering wheel of my beat-up Saturn so hard I think my hands might bleed, their words run through my mind.

  “Sorry, Mama,” I whisper. “There’s no hope this time.”

  The highway is empty and I’ve been driving for hours. I still have at least two to go until I reach beautiful, isolated, far-from-home Honeypot, Colorado.

  I don’t know a damn thing about the town except that it’s a 12-hour drive from my rink-a-dink hometown in Missouri and that I have a job interview with some ranch.

  Like I know anything about ranching.

  That doesn’t matter though. I learned this great skill in drama class called “fake it ‘til you make it,” and that’s exactly what I plan to do.

  Holbrook can kiss my ass and so can Jacob Clint. Did he really think I wouldn’t find out he was fucking my best friend?

  Did she?

  It’s been a month since I caught them fooling around, but the pain hasn’t dimmed. It took me a whole month to sell my stuff, give my landlord ample notice I was leaving, and set up this damn job interview.

  I applied for a few gigs closer to home, but when I saw the posting for a ranch hand in Colorado, I couldn’t resist applying. I’m still shocked they liked my application. I’m still shocked they called me.

  Granted, I could show up tomorrow and they might tell me to get lost, but it’s something new, something different, something brave.

  It’s something to keep my mind off how badly my heart hurts.

  I hope Jacob and Margaret are very happy together in hell.

  I press the gas pedal a little bit harder.

  I can’t wait to get to Nowhere, Colorado. Not too much further now. I blast my music and stare out the window, driving with one hand down the highway. My car is loaded with my life’s belongings. I sure as hell hope I get the job because if I don’t, I’m going to be stuck in Colorado with no house, no job, and no boyfriend.

  Soon my stomach growls and I decide to stop for a quick burger. The only two things at the next exit are a gas station and a fast food chain, so I eat my run-of-the-mill burger in silence, stretch my legs, and fill up the tank. My thoughts alternate between being horrified Jacob was the best I could do and being horrified that I won’t get the job.

  I need the job.

  I get back on the road and start driving once more. I need to stop feeling sorry for myself and start getting myself pumped up about the interview, but I just can’t. I’m still too hurt. The pain is still too fresh.

  Unfortunately, my thoughts are so focused that I don’t realize when the speed limit drops from 75 to 55 just outside of Honeypot. The sirens in the rearview mirror catch my attention and I growl in frustration as I pull over.

  Dammit.

  A ticket is not what I need right now. I barely have enough money saved for a hotel room while I’m in Honeypot. If I don’t get the job, or if I have a bunch of unexpected expenses, I will definitely be living out of my car.

  This is a problem because my car is full of clothes, books, and trinkets I couldn’t leave behind.

  Taking a deep breath, I place my hands on the steering wheel and wait for the officer to run my plates. I’ve never had a ticket before, but I’ve been pulled over, and I remember the cop explaining that he had to call in the license plate before he even came to speak with me.

  After a few minutes, my heart finally begins to slow, and I realize that this was just an honest mistake. Besides, getting a ticket isn’t the worst thing that could happen to a girl like me. By the time the officer gets out of his car and walks toward mine, I’ve convinced myself that I’ll handle this like an adult.

  I definitely will not cry in front of this stranger. Maybe I’ve been through a lot, but crying in front of strangers is definitely a hard limit for me. Unfortunately, as I begin to roll my window down – yes, my car is so old that I have to roll the window down – I catch a glimpse of the cop and he’s no tubby police officer.

  No, this guy is tall, cut, and fit to be tied.

  Dammit.

  My mouth goes dry when he approaches and I’m very aware of the fact that I’ve been in a car all day and probably smell like stale French fries.

  “Hello, ma’am,” the officer greets me, standing outside my window. He places one hand on top of my car and peers in the window at me. I swallow loudly as I stare at his aviators.

  He’s so tall he almost has to bend in half to peek into my car. Suddenly, I wish I was wearing a low-cut shirt to give him a show. He smiles brightly, his perfectly white teeth shining in the evening sunset. And oh, is he filling out that uniform in all the right places.

  “Fuck me,” I say out loud, and I immediately cover my mouth with my hand and start shaking my head. Shit! Shit. Shit. Shit. I did not mean to say that out loud. “I’m sorry,” I mumble, and look away, completely embarrassed. I can’t believe I just said that to a stranger.

  To my surprise, the police officer doesn’t get upset, though. He just chuckles.

  “New to the area?” He says, and I nod, but don’t say anything. “Well, do you know why I pulled you over?”

  This is the part where I feign innocence. This is the part where I cry damsel, where I say that I just got out of a bad relationship and I’m trying to get a fresh start. This is the part where I say I didn’t know any better, where I simply say that I missed the sign.

  Only when he lowers his glasses and I see his deep brown eyes, I know I can’t lie to this cop.

  Something tells me he’ll know whether I’m telling the truth or not.

  Something tells me he doesn’t do lies.

  “I was speeding,” I blurt out, and again, covering my mouth. What is with my bluntness around this guy?

  He nods, and asks for my registration and driver’s license. I hand both over to him, cringing the entire time. He flips over my license and eyes my registration, then he asks me the question I’ve been dreading.

  “And where are you headed, ma’am?”

  I point to the exit that’s just up ahead, number 234.

  “Honeypot,” I say. “I have a job interview tomorrow.”

  “Is that so, miss?” He looks surprised, and I wonder why. I’m guessing not too many new people come to Honeypot. It’s basically in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by dense forests. The last exit was about ten miles back, so I’d say it’s pretty isolated.

  “It’s not full of murderers, is it?” I ask him on a whim, wondering what secrets I’ll discover in the tiny town. “Because if you say it is, I’ll turn right on back around.”

  He chuckles and shakes his head. “No murderers. No need to worry about that. Now, you just hold tight.” He heads back to his car to check something. I don’t know what. Maybe he’s checking to make sure there aren’t any warrants out for my arrest.

  I sit still, not bothering to play with my phone or pretend to listen to music. I don’t have anyone to text and I doubt I get cell service out here, anyway.

  Lucky for me, dating Jacob really ruined my friendships, so I don’t have anyone to care that I’m gone. There’s no one to miss me, no one to call. Everyone hated him and when I was with him, I became this unrecognizable bitch. It was my own fault, but the truth still hurts.

  Final
ly, the officer returns and gives me a ticket. He looks at me, all business, and tells me to slow down.

  “Yeah,” I say, taking it glumly. I shove it in my glove compartment, along with my registration. My license goes back in my wallet. “I’ll do that.”

  “Best of luck in Honeypot,” he says, trying to be friendly. I can tell he’s the kind of cop who takes pride in his work, who doesn’t give out tickets just to be mean. Still, it’s annoying he chose me to target for his ticket-writing today.

  “Yeah. Thanks. I hear the Blair Ranch is beautiful,” I say, trying my best to stay calm. Don’t cry, Hope. Don’t think about how much this ticket is going to cost you, Hope. “Hopefully it’ll be everything it’s rumored to be.”

  “The Blair Ranch?” He cocks his head, suddenly interested. His body is turned, like he’s going to walk back to his car, but he pauses, waiting to hear more.

  “Yeah, I have an interview there tomorrow,” I say. I try not to meet his eyes. Those dark brown, beautiful, gorgeous, could-get-lost-in-them eyes are just too much. This guy must be drowning in pussy because he’s seriously hot. “I’m hoping I’ll get it,” I add, motioning toward the back of my car. “Obviously.”

  He looks in the backseat, seemingly noticing the boxes for the first time.

  “Is that so?” He says. I can’t tell if he’s curious, amused, or annoyed. This guy is completely unreadable to me, which is fine. I’m not looking for a relationship. I’m only looking for a job and possibly a new vibrator if this town has a sex store, which I’m guessing it doesn’t, based on its current population size.

  “Yeah, well, who knows how many people they interviewed?” I shrug. I really shouldn’t get my hopes up. “But the guy wanted to see me in person, so I guess that’s good, right?”

  Why the hell am I talking so much? This poor cop doesn’t need to hear my life story or how nervous I am about the interview.

  “Do you know Mr. Blair?” I ask. I’ve only ever talked with the guy through email. He could be a cranky old codger for all I know.