Page 10 of Her Enemy Dragon Captor (Dream Team Shifters #5)

CHAPTER 10

A lex paced across his living room, hands clasped behind his back, his mind a tangled mess of thoughts – the vast majority about Jane. It had not even been two days since he'd locked her in the cabin, but it felt like weeks. To say that everything on every side was spiraling out of control was an understatement. And he was on the verge of losing his grip completely.

He knew the imminent invasion should be at the top of his concerns, but it wasn’t. In the short time since she had appeared in his life, Jane had quickly come to dominate his thoughts. And that wasn’t all. His dragon had been relentless since the moment he'd left her, constantly pushing against his control, urging him to return to her. Even now, he felt the pull, like an invisible tether connecting them.

I must be going mad.

He'd spent most of the day coming to terms with the undeniable truth: Jane Donovan, an FBI agent, was his mate.

Fate must think it’s pretty funny.

The sound of a vehicle approaching broke his concentration. He moved to the window and groaned when he recognized Dylan's truck pulling up, with Cindy in the passenger seat.

Perfect. Just what I need right now.

No doubt, Jack had sent them to pressure him once again about getting a mate.

He wasn’t sure when he was supposed to have found one, with them reminding him more or less every hour on the hour.

He briefly considered pretending he wasn't home, but decided to just suck it up and get it over with. The sooner they got to lecturing him, the sooner they would be leaving. With a resigned sigh, he opened the door before they could knock.

"Gee, what a surprise." he said flatly. “Here to continue the pressure campaign?”

"Well, hello to you too, sunshine," Cindy chirped as she breezed past him into the house. "Can’t we just swing by to say ‘hi?’ Love what you've done with the place, by the way. Very... minimalist bachelor pad."

“A warrior does not have need of decoration,” he said simply.

Why are they here, if not to lecture him?

“You never just show up ‘to say hi,’ What gives?”

He had too much on his mind to indulge in idle chit-chat.

I should have just pretended I wasn’t home.

Dylan offered a non-committal shrug. “Oh, we have things to discuss.”

Alex closed the door with more force than necessary. "I know Jack sent you then. Shouldn’t you be working on countering the jaguar separatist’s conspiracy theories or something?"

"Ooh, testy, testy. Someone's grumpy today," Cindy said, plopping onto his couch and kicking her feet up on his coffee table. "Long day of brooding got you tired out?"

Dylan snorted before he caught himself, ”No need to draw this out...”

"Draw what out?" Alex growled. "And I'd appreciate it if you'd take your feet off my?—"

"So," Cindy interrupted, ignoring him completely, "You wouldn't happen to know where any missing recruits are, would you?"

Alex froze mid-sentence. "What? Missing recruits? Me? No, of course not..."

"No recruits that might have been digging for the truth?" She examined her nails casually. "No FBI agent recruits, perhaps?"

"What are you talking about?" Alex felt his heart rate accelerate. He was pretty sure he was screwed, but did his best to keep his face neutral.

"Oh, come on," Cindy said with an exaggerated eye roll. "We know you've got the FBI agent locked up in that old cabin out behind the warehouse."

Alex stared at them before letting out a big breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. "How did you?—"

"It didn’t take much. I was just out getting some air. I couldn’t miss her really, all banging around like she was. Plus, she's got quite the set of lungs on her. 'Help, I've been kidnapped!' Very dramatic. Anyhow, I had a little chat with her," Cindy continued. "Through the door of course."

Dylan nodded, his expression a mix of concern and amusement. "Cindy came straight to me after she found her."

“Great, well I am sure you had a great laugh. The mighty dragon champion of Fiora, tricked by a little human...”

“Well, yes, it is rather comical,” Dylan said, but Cindy thinks she can help...”

“Help? How? I am screwed...”

Cindy's eyes softened. "She's your mate, isn't she?"

Alex felt his face heat up, the words striking like a physical blow. "How did you know?"

"Oh, come on, really? Isn’t it obvious? You remind me of two school kids teasing each other on the playground," Cindy said, studying him. When he stared at her trying to comprehend what she was talking about she continued. "I bet you have had dreams. Am I right? Vivid ones? With her..." Cindy wiggled her eyebrows at him.

Alex tensed, recalling the intense dream that had left him sweating and confused. And more than a little... excited. "Maybe, but what does that have to?—"

"It happens a lot. A LOT," she explained, leaning forward. "Especially when shifters resist their true nature. A lot of my students have had dreams for years...of being their fursonas...”

“Yeah, but that’s different- “

“And from my research, shared dreams often occur when shifters resist their bond. Call it a little friend push from your dragons, or maybe fate itself."

"Wait a sec," Dylan's head snapped first toward Cindy, and then Alex, a mix of anger and relief crossing his features. "You knew you had found your mate? Why didn't you say so? The whole alliance is on the verge of collapsing!"

"I didn't—I wasn't sure—" Alex stammered. “So, yes maybe she was in my dream... and I did suspect, but come on, she’s the enemy!”

“Are you so sure about that?” Cindy replied. “And did you really have to lock her up?”

“Of course I had to lock her up. She had literally broken into our documents room. She thinks we’re all lunatics... and is not shy about saying how she is going to lock us up. So, yes, I had to lock her up instead...”

"That’s fair," she said, as she rocked her head side to side, seeming to weigh the situation. "And now you have no idea what to do with her I’m guessing?"

"None at all," Alex admitted, slumping into a chair. "I didn't even know she was my mate until today. Or I didn’t accept it. But it’s obvious she is, and it’s obvious she hates me. So yeah, next steps are looking a little foggy.”

“I thought you said she thinks we’re all lunatics? Not the same as “she hates you,” Dylan commented.

“Oh, right. Well in that case I guess it’ll be smooth sailing from here on out then.”

Alex just shook his head, before adding “I’m screwed and the galaxy is doomed.”

"Maybe, maybe not. Perhaps you’re in luck... or we're in luck..." Cindy leaned forward, her eyes bright with excitement.

"Um...not sure how you are making the leap from “doomed” to “lucky." Alex scoffed. She’s a government agent who is convinced we're running some kind of cult. And I locked her in a cabin. And if I can’t win her over... it’s just a matter of time before the alliance collapses, and then when the..."

Cindy interrupted him with a dismissive wave of her hand. "Details, details. The important thing is, I think she has very strong shifter potential.”

Alex just gave her a blank stare, waiting for her to say more. But she didn’t. “Am I missing something? How is that going to help? Even if she can shift-“

Dylan interrupted him, “Thanks to Lester, we know all humans have the ability-“

“But do we? Weren’t the earthling’s ancestors sent here because they couldn’t shift in the first place?”

“Yes, but with the breakthroughs I have made with the meditations and with Lester’s help we have had some success helping even those with the most recessive of recessive shifter genes to do it... And your Lucy-Jane is strong in the shifter genes. I am sure of it.”

Alex could feel his dragon breathing in frustration. Already wanting to return to their mate. He could feel that pull too, but still did not dare believe it could really work out.

“Great, so we will build her a little gecko participation trophy when she shifts. If she shifts! Which she won’t cause she thinks we’re all crazy! How is this any help at all? Fuck!” He let out the last word in a bellow of rage at the impossible situation, his frustration having reached a boiling point.

Cindy let out an exaggerated impatient sigh, “Language, Alex! It’s a good thing you guys are all big and strong and protective, cause otherwise, you would be totally useless...”

Alex exchanged an annoyed glance with Dylan.

“Dummy,” she said, “This is how you get her to realize that we aren’t a cult and aren’t crazy!”

“What is?”

“All you have to do is shift in front of her, or better yet, get her to shift!” Cindy put her hands out, palms up, as if to emphasize the simple perfection of her plan.

“Oh, is that all?” Alex said in an innocent voice, before raising it once again, “Are you crazy? She would run screaming at the first sight of my scales!”

“Fine, so you get her to shift...”

“Look, Cindy, I appreciate your help...but...”

"Have you ever heard of tantric yoga...?"

“Tantric what?” Of course he had not heard of it. He had gone to great lengths studying earth’s ways to prepare for his mission, but his knowledge of human way was basic at best.

"If she is your mate, which I also believe her to be, then in spite of her surface anger – and gee, I wonder why she’d be angry?” She glared at Alex for emphasis. “In spite of her totally justifiable anger, she will feel your bond too. You must capitalize on this... and convince her to do this exercise... I have found it very helpful in activating the recessive genes and connection to the primal core...”

Alex was starting to feel very uncomfortable all of a sudden. He looked at Dylan...

“It’s worth a shot... Anything is at this point...” was all his brother said.

"Come here and sit across from me. Don’t worry, this won’t hurt a bit... just let me show you the postures, and techniques. You will have to do the rest...”

“I don’t know Cindy... I don’t think...”

“Don’t worry, I am confident your dragon will know what to do... as will hers...”

“Hers!” He managed to stammer...

“There is more to this little ‘gecko” than meets the eye... now get your butt over here ... and just be open-minded for a change...”

Alex sighed, feeling both skeptical and desperate enough to try anything. His mate was locked in a cabin, probably planning his murder.

But if securing his mate and saving the galaxy really hinged on something called “tantric yoga,” his dragon was already all in.