Never Fall for a Dragon (Mate Mountain, #1)

by Lola Glass

My past experiences told me that supernatural guys were pieces of shit, and to be avoided at all costs.

Holy hell, he smelled incredible. Like campfire and trees.

The flames running through me liked his violence.

A low growl rumbled in my ear. “Eyes off the demon if you want to avoid a fight, Fireball.”

I didn’t know how a dragon’s sister could be a demon, but I didn’t know much else about dragons and demons, either.

We were going to fight the heat. Not embrace it.

“Alright.” There was a pause again. “Make sure you wash your hair, too. I could smell your friends in your hair.” I raised my eyebrows. “Why were you smelling my hair?” “It’s unavoidable,” he growled. “Just wash their scent out. Please.”

No one soap can effectively do four things like this one claims.”

“You’re aware that you’re gigantic and ridiculously gorgeous. Supernaturals are always cocky assholes—you know exactly how you affect me, and why.”

The bond between a dragon shifter and his mate was a codependent one, which was why most of us avoided it like the plague. A dragon couldn’t fly without his mate. Shifting without her at his side became physically impossible. His mate, on the other hand, would go into heat every month after sealing the bond. It was a week of hell for her, month after month, if he didn’t soothe it for her.

“It’s physically impossible for most supernaturals to hurt their mates. Dragons included. And until the bond is broken, that’s exactly what they are.”

“I want a dragon shifter.” “You can have this one after our bond breaks,” I drawled. Vi snorted, and Randa laughed. My stomach clenched, though. Despite my words, I didn’t like the thought of her with August. It made me nauseous to even consider it.

“If you’re staring at the demon, you know I’ll have to kill him, Fireball,” August grumbled. “She’s staring at you, asshole,” Brynn shot back from the kitchen. My gaze jerked to hers, and she winked at me. “I’m the only one checking out Bash.”

He leaned a little closer. “You’re mine for the next few weeks, Fireball. Mine. Got it?”

“Some kinds of lizards have something on the roof of their mouth that helps their sense of smell. Dragons have them too—but they’re only active as far as our mates go. It’s a mesh between tasting and smelling. Supposedly, I’ll be able to tell your needs apart based on your smell when I get used to it. Right now, all the scents in the house are making it impossible and driving me insane.”

“You’re beautiful.” His voice was quiet. “I can’t remember if I’ve told you that.”

I’d be back for my Fireball, and the home we’d made ours, as soon as possible.

I sat down on the comfortable-but-weird-smelling couch my best friends and I had gotten the day after we’d moved in. It should’ve felt homey, but it didn’t.

“You smell amazing, Vi” Eli offered. “Just figured I’d throw that out there.”

“Please?” I clasped my fingers together. “Fine.” He ran a hand through his hair. “If anyone asks, I’m telling them you held a knife to my balls.” “Deal.” I didn’t bat an eye at the crude visual. “I’ll bring a chef’s knife, just to sell it.”

Dragon shifters surrounded me, one on every side as I followed Jasper through the hallway and down a set of stairs. Those stairs were followed by more stairs. And more stairs. And more stairs. So many stairs that I started to wonder if maybe the shifters’ size wasn’t because of their magic—it was because they spent their whole lives climbing stairs.

“I have a really big…” I lifted my eyebrows, and he finished, “Teeth.” “A really big teeth?” I drawled. “That’s not even almost grammatically correct, Auggie.”

“If I die, you’re going to end up with some other bastard,” August said. “So I’m not going to die. There’s no reason to talk about it. You’re mine.”