The Last Dragon Shifter (Shifter World - Book Eleven) (Series of 13 Short Stories)
Chapter Eight: Death is Temporary

Zephyrus stared at his mate for a minute, then his lips formed into the biggest, brightest smile. She has been a Vampire for over three hundred years. And now, she is willing to give up all the powers of being a Vampire, and die, just so she can have his hatchlings.

“You know, after you’re cured, you will be a regular old Human, until we can gather enough Witches to perform the ceremony, that will turn you into a Dragon Shifter.”

She smiled. “I won’t be a regular old Human.” She said as she moved closer to him.

“Oh?” He asked as he pulled her into his lap again.

She nodded. “I’m a Fated Mate, remember.”

He chuckled. “So you are.” He said as he wrapped her legs around his waist.

Bridget tightened her legs around her mate and smiled when she felt the bulge in his pants.

“One more go at it, while I’m still a Vampire?”

He grinned as he lifted her up and pulled the pants down her legs, then tossed them off to the side. She lifted the t-shirt over her head and tossed it over with the sweats. He pulled his hard cock out of his pants, then took hold of her hips and slammed her down onto it.

Bridget cried out as pleasure poured through her body. She tilted her head back and moved her hips over him. He squeezed her hips, then lifted her off his cock, and slammed her down again. He did it a few more times, then pulled her closer and sucked a nipple into his mouth. She moaned as she held onto his head. He grunted as he lifted her up off his cock and pulled her down again, this time, not quite as hard.

She sighed with pleasure as she ground her hips into him.

Zephyrus let go of his mate’s nipple and pulled her face to his, for a kiss. She moaned against his mouth, which made them both groan. They picked up the pace and soon he found himself out of control. When she screamed out her orgasm, he cried out her name as her pussy clamped down on his cock. He pumped into her a few more times before he let himself go, deep inside her.

“Fuck.” Zephyrus said with a groan.

She chuckled as she held onto his head. His forehead pressed against hers.

“I think I’m falling in love with you.” She whispered.

He opened his eyes and looked at her. Her eyes were closed, so he couldn’t see the emotions in her eyes, but if they were anything like his, they would be sparkling with love.

**

“So, what do we do?” Bridget asked as they stood in the field of wildflowers.

He smirked at her. “Well. I shift into my Dragon, and you sink your teeth into him and drink his blood.”

‘I don’t want mate to die.’ His Dragon pouted.

Zephyrus sighed. It won’t be for long. Now stop being a Lizard Boy, and be the big bad…

‘Dragon Lover!’

Zephyrus snorted. Yeah, sure.

Bridget giggled as she listened to them banter. It was going to be strange to not be able to hear people’s thoughts anymore. But she wanted his hatchlings more than she wanted her next breath.

“Okay, let’s do this.” She said with a nod to her mate.

He chuckled. “Impatient much?”

She shrugged. “The sooner we do this, the sooner I can have your hatchling.”

He grinned at her, then took a step back.

Bridget watched her mate as his skin turned red and scales popped up all over his sexy as sin body. When the fire ignited around him, she sucked in a breath.

He was so magnificent.

She knows that the process could take two seconds, rather than the thirty seconds it takes when she’s watching him. He liked to watch her response to his transformation.

When his Dragon burst through the flames, she grinned up at his magnificent form.

“Amazing.” She breathed.

Zephyrus’s Dragon’s head moved down till one large eye looked right at her. It was almost as big as her.

“Are you ready, Mafilia?”

She nodded.

He let out a puff of smoke and she giggled.

“Let’s do this.”

She walked up to his arm, which was resting on the ground. His claw digging into the earth.

“Are you okay?” She asked as she rubbed his shoulder.

He shivered at her touch, then nodded his large head.

She took a deep breath, then wrapped her arms around his large arm.

“I hope this just feels like a bee sting.” She said, then sank her teeth into his scales.

They were hard, and she had to push to get her teeth through them. If she wasn’t a Vampire, she wouldn’t be able to penetrate them.

“Fuck.” Zephyrus cursed. “I should have let you do this in my underside, much easier there.”

She smiled around the blood that was flowing into her mouth. He tasted sweet, like the ripest strawberries, with whip cream. She didn’t know if it was the taste of the cure, his Dragon, or the fact that he’s her mate.

When she knew she’d had enough, she let go, then licked the place she had bitten him. He shivered and she giggled.

She looked up at him and pointed up towards the cave. “Go.” She said. “I will let you know when…” She felt a sharp pain in her heart and fell to the ground with a scream as she held onto her chest.

“Bridget!” Zephyrus hollered.

“Go!” She cried out. He didn’t need to see this.

“I’m not leaving you.” He said with a growl.

She cried out as another pain had her falling the rest of the way to the ground.

Zephyrus shifted back into his Human form and ran to his mate.

“Go.” She whimpered when he lifted her into his lap.

“I’m not leaving you here, to die alone.” He whispered as he kissed her forehead.

She snorted. “Stubborn ass Dragon.”

He chuckled. “That we are.”

‘Did it work? Is mate cured?’

I don’t know. She looks the same.

‘She sniffs different. But she still smells like raspberries.’

Zephyrus smiled. That she does.

Bridget stared at her mate. He was talking to his Dragon, and she couldn’t hear shit. Does that mean she’s cured? Is she Human?

Zephyrus smiled at his beautiful mate. “I think it worked. Can you hear my thoughts?”

She shook her head.

He placed a finger in her mouth. “Try to bite me, with your fangs.”

She bit down on his finger, but her fangs did not come to the surface. She smiled around his finger, then sucked on it.

Zephyrus groaned as he pulled his finger from her mouth. “Later.” He promised.

She smiled. “I’ll hold you to that.” She said, her voice gruff.

He chuckled, then stopped and stared at her blank stare.

“Fuck.” He said with a groan as tears slid down his cheeks.

He knows she’ll come back to him. But fuck, this is torture!

“Come back to me.” He whispered into her ear.

**

Bridget blinked as she looked around the white room she was in. Then, in a blink of an eye, she was in a garden, that looked very familiar, though she’s sure she has never seen it before.

“Hello, my pet.”

Bridget spun around and stared at the Goddess. “Biason.” Somehow, she knew it was her.

Biason smiled. “Of course, you know me. You are one of my favorites, after all."

“Where am I?” Bridget asked as she looked around the garden.

“You are in your garden.” Biason said as she walked over to the birdbath.

A sweet tune played as she caressed the water with her fingertips.

“I know that music.” Bridget said as she stared at the birdbath.

Biason chuckled. “Of course, you do. I used to play it for you; when you were here.”

Bridget blinked. “I was here?”

Biason shook her head. “Has being cured, made you deaf?”

Bridget snorted with annoyance.

“I said. You are in your garden.”

Bridget’s mouth fell open as she spun in a circle.

Memories flashed past her mind’s eye and she sucked in a breath. She remembered the day her soul mate had gone to Earth. She remembered the day Biason had told her the boy was safe. That he will be waiting for her to join him.

She remembered being so lonely, without her soulmate, that she couldn’t bear it anymore. Biason helped her escape to Earth, three hundred and thirty years; before she was supposed to.

She remembered growing up human.

Then one day, a Vampire had killed her family. But he wasn’t the Vampire who had turned her. No… Tate had found her, and teleported her away from the Vampire, who was going to kill her. Then he…turned her.

“What the fuck?” Bridget asked as she looked at Biason.

The Goddess laughed, having seen the scenes unfold in her pet’s mind.

“He doesn’t remember. Well, he will now that you’re human again. But we wiped both of your memories.”

She nodded. “So, I wouldn’t follow him around.”

“Right.” She said with a smile.

“Why am I here?” Bridget asked as she looked around the garden.

“Because you need your memories. You will be the only Fated Mate who will have the memories, from their time here.”

Bridget blinked. “Why me?”

Biason grinned. “Because you are my second favorite. And you need this. After what you’ve been through.” She sighed. “After what I put you through.”

“But you didn’t do anything…”

“But I did.” The Goddess said as she moved towards Bridget. “I sent your mate down, much too soon. And you had to suffer without him.”

“But I have him now.”

She nodded. “You do.”

Bridget smiled as she looked around the familiar garden again. Wow.

“Your mate isn’t happy; you’ve been gone too long.”

Bridget smiled. Now he knows how she had felt.

Biason paused for a moment as her eyes glossed over. She then moved to the birdbath and tapped the water. She rolled her eyes and turned to look at her.

“You must go now.”

“But… I have so many questions.”

“And I will answer them for you, in time. But right now, your friends need you.”

Bridget’s eyebrows furrowed as she moved to the birdbath and grunted when she saw the vision.

“Go. We will speak again.” Biason said, then snapped her fingers.

**

Bridget sucked in a deep breath as she woke in her body, in her mate’s arms.

“About fucking time.” Zephyrus said as he pulled her closer.

She coughed as she looked up at him. “We need to go.”

He stared down at her. “But you were just cured and died. You need to rest…”

“The Fated Mates are in trouble.”

He grunted, then stood, her still attached to his chest.

“I don’t know how long we have, but we need to get to them fast.”

He grinned. “Good thing your mate is a Dragon.”

**

-Two Hours Earlier-

“Sharissa, get your ass ready to go!” Dustin hollered from the living room of their suite.

“I’m ready.” Shar said as she came out of the bedroom.

“Let’s go.” He said as he took her bag from her and headed out the door.

“Where is everyone?” She asked as she followed him to the elevator.

“They’re waiting for us in the hotel’s foyer.” He said as he pressed the down button of the elevator.

She smiled as she took hold of his arm. He smiled down at her and kissed the top of her head.

“I love you.” She whispered against his arm.

He smiled. “Love you too. But you’re the slowest fucking Shifter, I have ever encountered.

She chuckled as she rolled her eyes.

“I can’t wait to see the cubs.” She said as she bounced up and down on her toes.

He chuckled. “Me too.”

“Why are hunters here?” She asked as she looked up at him.

He shrugged. “I have no idea.”

The elevator doors opened and a man in a black mask glared at them from inside the elevator.

“Fuck.” Dustin growled.

“We’re tired of you fucking Shifters stealing our women.” The man said, then pulled out a gun and shot Dustin in the chest.

Sharissa screamed as she tried to run to Dustin. But the man grabbed her arm and pulled her into the elevator. She struggled to get away from him, but he held a cloth up to her face. She may be a strong, Fated Mate Shifter now.

But even Fated Mates, are susceptible to chloroform.