Blitz (The Storm Dragons' Mate Book 1) Read online

  A far cry from an alleyway, to say the least.

  Green dotted with warm tones decorated the landscape outside, and I walked away from the envelope, opening the french doors that led to my small patio and breathing in the fresh air, trying to calm myself. After a minute of taking a deep inhale and then exhaling, I realized it was pointless. I groaned and turned back towards the letter, narrowing my eyes at it as if it was the true enemy here and not my own thoughts.

  I just needed to open it.

  So why did the idea of laying out on the luxurious furniture around me sound so much more appealing? Because this was home. The Bronzeheart estate was my home and my safe place. Why would I ever want to leave?

  My face heated. I knew why. While the estate was indeed home, there was one person who made it that way. Gage Bronzeheart. My best friend, who happened to be a year older than me, had been attached to my side since he found me in that alleyway.

  I frowned slightly, the memory of that night surging forward again, as it had done more frequently lately. Just the other day, on my birthday, I had woken up crying, with the memory of everything that had happened that night and feeling a swell of confusion that I wasn’t used to at all. More than that though, I’d found that I could think about that night with more clarity than before. It still hurt, but the level of fuzziness that had been obscuring certain facts had all but disappeared. An instinctual part of me told me to keep pushing past the pain to think through that night… I just rebelled so hard against that notion because of the debilitating effects doing so had caused in the past.

  It was a mystery that needed to be solved, though. There were too many questions about my past left unanswered.

  One of the most confusing aspects? It felt like Gage had known me, like Mr. Bronzeheart had known me, when they found me in that alley… I just didn’t understand how that was possible. The few times I’d tried to ask, or even thought too hard about it, I ended up in pure head-splitting agony, so one could understand why I was hesitant to dive back into it again.

  As for attending the academy, don’t get me wrong, there were a million reasons why I wanted to attend such a prestigious school… But the idea of seeing Gage every day? Seeing his gorgeous smile every morning like before he left for school? The concept had my heart pumping fast and a sense of warm contentment running through my system. It was always the reaction I had to thoughts of Gage… Well, that and other ones that would completely ruin our friendship.

  Which was why I needed to focus on opening this freakin’ letter.

  “Ms. Bex?” A soft, feminine voice called out my name. I looked towards the door to find Ms. Payne standing there with her pushcart and trays. I crossed the room and slid the letter further down the table, not wanting to draw attention to it.

  Ms. Bex. I nearly smiled at that. I had insisted that she call me Bex instead of Bexley, but she had refused to drop the ‘Ms.,’ so I figured it was the best compromise I would get. I had also insisted that it wasn’t necessary for her to bring me lunch, that I could go to the kitchen, but I knew she enjoyed coming to spend time with me. She was a bit older and didn’t have any family that lived on the estate with her, so I figured she grew a bit lonely sometimes.

  Plus, we bonded over knitting after she’d introduced me to the calming activity.

  “Good afternoon, Ms. Payne,” I sang happily.

  “What’s that?” she asked curiously, nodding towards the letter as I took the food from her, setting it down on the table. I also grabbed the iced coffee, taking a long sip before sitting down at one of the chairs, motioning for her to join me.

  “It’s nothing important—crap,” I muttered as she ignored me and walked around the table, picking up the thick envelope and offering me a questioning look.

  “The academy?” she asked as I took another long sip of my iced coffee.

  She knew I wouldn’t lie to her—I couldn’t lie to save my life. It was horrible when I was trying to get away with anything or plan surprises. Four times. I’d tried four times to surprise Gage with everything from a special edition car he’d wanted to a party celebrating his admittance into DIA, but every time he would ask me what was going on, I would stumble over my excuses until I finally gave in. He said it was adorable, and I absolutely did not agree.

  I was just glad he had never found my little box of notes I kept from my pen pal. It was the only secret I had kept from him outside of my feelings… And if he asked, I would one hundred percent tell him everything. My chest squeezed with the guilt of not telling him something. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to tell him, it’s just that this felt personal. No, intimate. It felt like an intimate conversation.

  “The academy,” I confirmed in defeat.

  “Why are you waiting to open it?” she asked softly, an understanding note to her voice, as she leaned forward against the back of a chair across from me.

  “It’s just a bit nerve-wracking,” I expressed.

  I wasn’t afraid to admit that. This letter and the decision inside meant so much for my future. Don’t get me wrong, I knew that the Bronzeheart family would always keep me protected and safe, but there was something about taking direct control of my life that felt important. There were a lot of things in my life that weren't in my control, so this felt right. Scary, but right.

  I reached for the envelope as she handed it to me. “I assumed I didn’t get in. It’s been all summer… And now that I have it, I just don’t know what I’ll do if they’ve rejected me.” Which was a completely reasonable expectation.

  Why would a prestigious academy’s shifter sector admit a girl with no family name? Better yet, why would they let in a shifter who’d never shifted before? Who didn’t even know what their animal counterpart was? Honestly, the more I’d thought about it this summer, the more I realized that the chances of me getting in were extremely low. Maybe it would be better for someone else to open the letter for me. I wasn’t positive I wanted to be part of the process at all now.

  Although… I hid my face in my hands. How embarrassing would it be if I had Gage open it for me and I didn’t get in? Pulling out of my thoughts, I looked up at Ms. Payne, who stared at me with sympathy.

  “I can tell you’re worked up about this. Why don’t you eat some lunch, and I’ll make some cupcakes—how does that sound?”

  Her method of providing comfort had me instantly smiling. “I can never say no to cupcakes,” I replied happily. She offered me a big smile, seemingly content that she made me feel better, as she pushed the food cart back out of my room and down the long hall. I took another long sip of my iced coffee before shaking my head. I was being ridiculous. I couldn’t avoid this forever.

  The sound of bells distracted me briefly as I trailed towards the windows near the back of the room, noticing that a motorcade of black cars had pulled up.

  The staff greeted the guests, a series of rather tall, intimidating older men, and led them towards the main entrance of the house. I had a feeling Gage’s meeting today would be an extensive one for sure.

  The Bronzeheart men—Gage’s father, and now himself—were always busy. As the leaders of the Blitz Clan, one of three Storm Dragon Clans of our territory, Trabea, they not only lived in a world essentially removed from normal shifters, even other dragons, but were solely focused on protecting their clan and the other shifters that lived under their protection. It was a full-time job, and I had slowly watched my best friend transform from the boy who played in the gardens with me to a man that would soon govern an entire sector of Trabea.

  My skin prickled at that, trying to not delve into why that type of power and dominance was so attractive to me. Then again, everything about Gage was attractive to me.

  However, because I’d sat sideline to all of this, I had grown used to the level of wealth that had surprised me upon arrival. Although, it hadn’t surprised me that much…at least not as much as I would have assumed. Rather than being cold and unwelcoming, I had found comfort in the gleam of expensive marbl
e and crystal, always finding something to admire and explore. I’d easily transitioned into this lifestyle, and now I couldn’t imagine living any other way.

  See? Even if I didn’t get into DIA, there were some positive aspects! Like my life not having to change. And then my communication with my pen pal wouldn’t have to stop! I couldn’t imagine not communicating with them. I had noticed that during the year the notes tended to slow down anyway, but this summer there had been an abundance of them. I didn’t want that to end.

  But I also knew I couldn’t live my life waiting on little notes.

  If I didn’t get in, it wouldn’t be the end of the world, but it would be three more years of not seeing Gage every day. I would probably have to find something to do for the family. After all, I’d been raised here and was considered part of the elite Bronzeheart household. They were the only family I knew, and any blood relatives I’d had before obviously had abandoned me, so I wasn’t sure I wanted to know them.

  Actually, I knew I didn’t want to know them.

  My stomach tightened, realizing that was another aspect of the academy I needed to worry about. I didn’t think there was a way for anyone at the school to know the details of how I’d come to live with the Bronzehearts, but I also had a feeling that it wouldn’t be met with a kind reception if they found out I’d come from squalor.

  The Bronzehearts didn’t keep me a secret, exactly—in fact, Gage often brought me into town—but I hadn’t attended school like other shifters. No, Gage and I had been taught by a private tutor, and on the occasion someone did ask about my background, the Bronzehearts just explained that I was under their protection.

  Leopold and Celine Bronzeheart didn’t need to explain themselves to anyone.

  This was why I didn’t want anyone to find out about my past. I would never want to embarrass them, and I knew it would look bad on them and Gage if anyone found out he was associating with someone of my pedigree. No one had ever made me feel that way, but it was one of the darker thoughts that plagued me, usually followed by a sense of deep thankfulness to them and the fates.

  Not only for taking me in, but for allowing me to find Gage.

  My only best friend—something that was purely by choice, for the record. There were other shifters who wanted to be friends with me, ones that I met sometimes at the large functions here, but I had realized long ago that more often than not, all they wanted was to get close to the Bronzeheart family. Either that or Gage would scare them off, insisting they had poor intentions towards me, and of course, I trusted him. He was always looking out for my well-being.

  “Bex!”

  A smile broke out onto my lips—speak of the dragon himself. I quickly grabbed the envelope and hid it behind the flower vase, standing from my chair and taking a long sip of my iced coffee while trying to look casual. We were about to put that lying theory to the test, because I had a feeling Ms. Payne had told him about the letter. And I was determined to open it alone.

  Chapter 2

  Bexley

  When Gage Bronzeheart pushed through the glass doors on the opposite end of the breezeway and strode towards the open doors of my suite, his emerald gaze caught mine. My chest squeezed as I tried to ignore the way my cheeks deepened in color at his full attention, something that had been happening more and more in the past year. Especially since he left for DIA and came back…different. More intense. Slightly darker. Still my best friend, but no longer the boy I’d grown up with. Then again, it was up for debate whether he had actually ever been anything but the gorgeous male shifter coming towards me.

  No! Fates, Bexley. Stop thinking like that.

  I needed to stop. I should be lucky to have such an amazing friend, so why were my body and heart insisting on ruining it with all these other feelings and thoughts?

  “Aren’t you supposed to be in a very important meeting?” I teased as I stood, meeting him nearly toe to toe as he appeared right in front of me. I tilted my head back, trying to not look over him too much, but unable to help appreciating how muscular he looked in his current choice of clothing.

  As mentioned, in the last year, there were subtle changes that Gage had gone through, and how he dressed was a significant one. Today he was dressed in all black, and his t-shirt, which molded to his perfectly cut and muscular chest, was tucked into black dress pants, the whole thing accented by a bronze belt buckle and black leather shoes. It was a really, really attractive look, and despite being in complete contrast to my own clothing choice, I didn’t feel at odds standing next to him. This was just us.

  Seriously though, I think everyone at the estate was pretty much used to how I dressed. Today I was wearing an ivory silk dress that featured a tight corset along my chest and waist, with a skirt that hung around my legs and sleeves that fell loosely off my shoulders. I had a light knit shawl that sparkled underneath the sun, and I was barefoot except for a diamond ankle bracelet that wrapped around my right foot. It was actually rather casual in comparison to my normal attire.

  Although, you could hardly blame me! Mrs. Bronzeheart was nearly as bad, and she fueled my love for expensive items by randomly having stuff shipped to the estate from across the territory. It was all her fault… Also Gage’s, though, because I hadn’t been the one to purchase the diamonds I was wearing. I also wasn’t the one who purchased the white glittering car that sat in the family’s garage.

  Nope! Not me…

  But… I had been the one to have the bathroom remodeled so that the bathtub and shower tiles were white with embedded diamonds. Yeah…that part had been me.

  “Somewhat, but not nearly as important as this.” Gage’s expression was knowing as I stepped to the side while he looked around the room. He strode forward, shifting some of my lunch trays around, clearly in search of the letter. I took a sip of my iced coffee, using the moment to watch as he ran a large hand through his richly colored dark hair to push it out of his face.

  His arm muscle flexed, and the golden light from the windows highlighted the auburn undertones of his hair and the golden hue to his skin. Fates. He was just…gorgeous. That wasn’t even including his beautiful smile and his impressively large 6’6’’ height, stacked with well-built bulky muscles.

  A sigh nearly escaped my lips, once again facing the internal problem of ‘why do I find my best friend so attractive?’ I mean, I suppose ‘why’ wasn’t in question, but more ‘why did I have to feel this way?’ I moved my gaze back to his face, not wanting to cause an issue like two days ago when I’d made the mistake of staring for a bit too long and inspiring a rather frustrating yet natural reaction in my body… That had been a bit awkward for me when my desire had scented the air.

  Gage had reacted a bit differently though—as in, he pinned me against the wall and buried his nose against my throat until he calmed down. Then he had left my room and we had yet to talk about it. So in my mind, had it even really happened?

  Who was I kidding. It had.

  It had totally happened, and I would never forget how good it felt to be pressed between the wall and him.

  Unfortunately, I knew it was just his dragon acting up like always, so I had to try to not take it personally when he just pretended as if it had never occurred. Hadn’t worked on my end, but he seemed to have forgotten about it, so that was good. Sort of.

  “Not as important as what?” I asked curiously as he snapped his gaze back towards me. I was always caught off guard by how much of a difference a foot of height made between us. The man was actually massive. You would think the height levels would have been a bit more equitable between the elite dragons and us common folk, but apparently, the fates disagreed because I felt absolutely shrimpy next to him.

  Gage stepped towards me and bent down, offering me a knowing look. His emerald eyes flashed with bronze sparks, a sure sign that his dragon was present. “Where is it?”

  “Where is what?” I asked curiously with an arched brow.

  “The letter, Bex. Show me the damn letter.”
/>
  I blinked innocently and shrugged. “Haven’t gotten it, why would I get it now? It’s been all summer.”

  “Little liar.” He chuckled softly and straightened, turning his back to me as I grabbed the letter from behind the flower vase. “That’s fine, I’ll find it.”

  I darted away, letter in hand, and sprinted towards the doors that led to my bedroom. He let out a low growl as I slipped into the luxurious space and slammed the doors shut, leaning against the surface and feeling absolutely proud of myself for avoiding his grasp. When his magic brushed against my skin, nearly overwhelming me from the other side of the door, he spoke with a relaxed tone that didn’t match literally anything else about him.

  “Hand it over.”

  “No way.” I grinned to myself, tossing the letter on the massive bed near me. “I am not opening it with you here. What if I don’t get in? There is a reason it’s been all summer, and that would be so embarrassing.”

  He let out an amused sound. “You got in. I can guarantee it.”

  I threw open the door and narrowed my eyes up at him. “You better not have said anything to them or used the family name, Gage. I will never forgive you.”

  I was such a liar.

  He put his hands out in an innocent gesture. “I promised I wouldn’t. I said ‘I will not interfere with your acceptance into the academy.’ I didn’t break any of your rules, cupcake.”

  “Good,” I murmured, trying to not blush at the nickname he called me so easily. He clearly didn’t understand how it affected me, probably viewing it as a joke because of my love for cupcakes, or he wouldn’t be calling me it. I really did have a bad addiction to cupcakes, and a not-so-small part of that was because edible glitter was usually mixed into the frosting. If that wasn’t cool, what the heck was?