Dragon Royalty (Dragon Shifter Academy Book 1) Read online

  Damon gives me directions to Kade’s house, which is literally one house over from ours. It takes less than a minute to drive there.

  I’m not surprised to see that his driveway is already full of people. We’re a little late, but I prefer being late today.

  “I hope nobody here was at the party last night,” I mumble, shifting uneasily in my seat.

  “Most of them were there,” Damon admits. “But don’t worry, Jaqueline won’t be here.”

  “Jaqueline… the girl who threw her drink on me?”

  He nods.

  “Why will she not be here?”

  “Because Kade can’t stand her. Actually, neither can Ty or me.”

  “Are the three of you friends?”

  “They’re my best friends,” he says. “We have been since birth, pretty much.”

  We get out of the car and I follow him toward the back of the house.

  “That girl… Jaqueline… she alluded to the fact that Ty is her boyfriend.” I dart a glance at Damon’s face, not entirely sure if I want to hear his answer to my next question. “Did they used to date or something?”

  Damon laughs. “No. She probably wishes. He wouldn’t give her the time of day.”

  “Why not?”

  “You met her… she threw a drink on you. Does that not answer your question?”

  “She’s pretty… beautiful.”

  He stops and turns toward me. “Next to you, she pales in comparison. Plus, you’re not just beautiful on the outside. You’re stunning on the inside too.”

  His words take my breath away.

  “Look, Jaqueline dated Ty’s older brother. She did it thinking she could get closer to Ty. I guess his brother thought the same as you… that she was beautiful.” Damon shakes his head and heaves out a sigh, pausing briefly before he continues. “She broke his heart. Ty hates her because of that. She will never get him. She’s just jealous because Ty likes you.”

  “He does?” I ask in a quiet voice.

  Damon nods. “So does Kade. He feels really bad about what he said last weekend. He didn’t realize that you don’t know.”

  “Don’t know what?”

  “Never mind.” He grabs my hand and pulls me along with him.

  I wonder what I don’t know, but that thought is pushed aside as we walk through the gate that leads to Kade’s backyard.

  Two truths and a lie.

  Damon is right. I don’t see the girl who threw her drink on me anywhere. There are other girls though. And every one of them look like they want to throw their drink on me, or worse. I try to ignore them. They truly aren’t worth my time.

  Instead, I focus on Damon, who still hasn’t let go of my hand.

  “Reign, you came.”

  I turn around and see Kade standing behind me. He’s got a huge smile on his face.

  “Hey,” I say, returning his smile.

  “I didn’t think you’d come after how rude I was on Sunday. Sorry about that.”

  I shrug. “Don’t worry about it.”

  “You look stunning today,” he murmurs as his eyes rake over me.

  “Thanks.” My face grows warm at the compliment. Not just because he’s complimenting me, but also because Damon is standing beside me, holding my hand, and I feel weird about Kade flirting with me while I’m holding hands with another guy.

  Neither Kade nor Damon seem affected though.

  Who am I to object if they don’t have a problem with it?

  “You made quite the impression on Ty last night,” Kade says. “He hasn’t stopped talking about you. He should be here soon. He’ll be thrilled to see you.”

  “Seriously?” I blink a few times in rapid succession.

  I don’t know why, but hearing this makes me feel giddy. I feel like Ty and I really connected last night and I’m glad he felt the same way. I was worried that after that girl threw her drink on me, it would’ve ruined it all. I mean, I did make a huge scene at his party… or his parent’s party, I guess. Still, after how mad Victoria was last night, I figured he would be mad too.

  Kade grins, looking at Damon.

  “Dude, I told you. Ty is such a freaking ladies’ man.”

  “Told him what?” I ask.

  “Nothing.” Damon throws a warning look at Kade.

  Still, I feel like I’m being left out of the conversation.

  “Let’s get you something to drink.” Kade motions for me to come with him. I start to walk, but I look back to make sure Damon is all right. He’s smiling, shaking his head at the two of us.

  “I don’t drink,” I tell Kade, as we’re halfway to his outdoor bar.

  “Neither do I.” He turns to the person behind the bar. “Two Dr. Peppers.”

  The guy passes us two cans and I grab one. “Thanks.”

  Kade leads me over to a couch that is under an awning and takes a seat. I sit beside him. I wonder where Damon went, but it’s kind of nice to hang out with Kade too. I haven’t talked to him since Sunday, and I feel bad about how we left things.

  “I’m sorry about Sunday.” I shift in my seat slightly to face him a little more. “About running out of there. I was… really offended. But perhaps I overreacted.”

  “You didn’t,” he assures me. “It was my bad. I had no idea that you… well, that you don’t know about who you are.”

  “What do you mean?” Frustration creeps into my tone. “Everybody keeps saying that, but nobody will clarify.”

  He waves a hand. “It’s not a big deal.”

  But isn’t it?

  “You have beautiful hair.” He leans in and tugs on the end of my hair. I momentarily forget what we were even talking about. Does it really matter, as long as he keeps looking at me like he is?

  “Thank you.” I cast my gaze downward, not wanting to meet the intensity of his eyes.

  Kade is… beautiful. There is no other word I feel would be adequate to describe him. But he is absolutely stunning. His eyes are so blue they almost look inhuman.

  I feel his hand gently graze my chin and my breath stops.

  It’s the first time he’s ever touched me. I don’t know why I know this, but I do. And I have to look at him—I have no choice.

  Mine.

  I hear him say it, but his lips don’t move. I think maybe I am going crazy… or maybe I’m just crazy for this boy. I don’t know.

  This isn’t normal. I shouldn’t have these kinds of feelings for guys that I’ve just met.

  Guys.

  As if one guy isn’t enough.

  “I’ve never met anybody like you before,” he murmurs. “I always knew that it would change my life, I just didn’t realize it would change it so quickly.”

  What does he mean?

  I’m about to ask him when I hear footsteps coming up behind us.

  “Reign.”

  I turn around and see Ty standing there, a huge smile on his face. Butterflies fill my stomach once more.

  “Ty, hey,” I say.

  He sits down on the other side of me, and I have to scoot closer to Kade to make room for him. I’m sitting so close to both of them that my thigh on each side is touching them, and I like it.

  Normally, I don’t like being close to anybody. What makes these guys so different?

  Kade and Ty’s shorts both keep it from being skin on skin contact though. I don’t know why, I want to reach out and touch Ty—just once. I want to feel his skin against mine, which makes me feel silly.

  “I’m really sorry about ruining your party last night.” I’ve been wanting to apologize all day but haven’t known how to. “I suppose I should apologize to your parents too.”

  “Apologize for what? You can’t help what Jaqueline did,” Ty says. “After you left, I had her removed from the party. I only wish I had done it sooner. I’m sorry that happened to you.”

  I’m honestly surprised he isn’t blaming me.

  I bite my lip. “Still… she told me that you’re her boyfriend. I think me talking to you made her j
ealous.”

  “She is not my girlfriend.” He wrinkles his nose as if the thought is disgusting to him. I don’t know why, but the thought of him being disgusted at the thought makes me happy.

  I shrug. “I just wanted to be sure.”

  “Be sure that Jacqueline doesn’t hold a candle to you.”

  Kade clears his throat and my face grows warm.

  I’m embarrassed.

  I didn’t forget Kade was here, how could I, but it seems Ty has forgotten it. Or maybe he just doesn’t care. I’m thinking the second option considering that he is now smirking.

  Kade’s voice is filled with confidence when he speaks up. “He’s not wrong.”

  I resist the urge to hide my face, but I do stand up.

  Being around just the two of them is a little too intense for me.

  “You know, I don’t really know anybody here,” I point out. “Maybe I should get to know them.”

  “Why? They’re boring,” Kade says. “You’re far more interesting.”

  If my face wasn’t red before, it must be the color of a tomato now.

  “I think you’re embarrassing her,” Ty muses.

  “Sorry,” Kade mumbles. “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”

  “Perhaps she’s right. We should introduce her to everybody,” Ty suggests.

  Yes. That is a good idea.

  Kade’s face lights up. “How about a game?”

  A game?

  I can do a game.

  A few minutes later, Kade gathers quite a few people in a circle—not everybody is interested but a lot of people are. From the way they’re looking at me, I think they’re mostly coming to play because they’re curious about me.

  “We’re going to play Two Truths and a Lie,” Kade announces, then looks at me. “Have you ever heard of it?”

  I shake my head.

  “The rules are simple,” he says. “It’s in the name of the game. You tell two truths and one lie about yourself and everybody else has to guess which is a lie.”

  I nod. “Okay.”

  “You go first.”

  “Me?” I ask, my face growing warm.

  “I’ll go first,” Damon offers, then winks at me.

  At least he’s willing to take the heat for me on this one. I mean, I would’ve gone first, but I’d like to see what other people say beforehand. Also, I need to figure out what to say. Until I moved to Vegas, my life was pretty lame. Nothing exciting ever happened. Here… everything is so fresh and fun. Mostly because of Damon, Ty, and Kade, but they don’t need to know that. At least, not yet.

  “Earlier in the summer, I went skydiving at the Grand Canyon,” Damon begins.

  I didn’t know that was a thing before I moved here—sky diving at the Grand Canyon. But I know from a billboard I’ve seen that it actually is possible. Still, it’s crazy. I don’t know Damon well enough to know if this is the lie.

  “I went surfing in Bora Bora three summers ago,” he adds. “And I am desperately attracted to my almost-cousin.”

  My face heats up at his last statement.

  “You have never been to Bora Bora,” Kade guesses.

  “You’re right. It’s on my bucket list,” Damon admits. “Someday, though.”

  Wait…

  So that means he is attracted to me?

  “Reign, your turn,” Ty says, turning to me.

  Okay.

  Well….

  “I’ve never been kissed,” I say. “One time, the plane I was on caught on fire and we had to make an emergency landing. And last year I got stuck on a rollercoaster at Six Flags and it took them three hours to get us off.”

  The last one is a lie. It happened—it just happened quite a few years ago and not last year.

  “The kiss,” a lot of people say. A few people roll their eyes.

  I wonder why this is their first guess. I mean, I guess it’s a little weird that I’m seventeen and never been kissed, but it seems like there are plenty of girls like me out there.

  “The rollercoaster is a lie,” I say. “It happened when I was twelve, not last year.”

  “You expect us to believe you’ve never been kissed?” some guy sitting on the other side of Damon says.

  “It’s the truth,” I say, shrugging my shoulders. “It doesn’t matter if you believe it or not.”

  Damon, Ty, and Kade all look at me, disbelief on their faces.

  “What? I’ve never had a boyfriend. Or been on a date,” I say.

  “Why not? I’m sure guys ask you out all the time,” Kade says.

  I shrug. “Never a guy I wanted to say yes to.”

  “I didn’t think girls like you were picky,” a girl says, wrinkling her nose.

  Honestly, what does she mean like girls like me?

  I get up from the circle, mostly because I don’t want to cry in front of these people that I barely know. “I think I’ve had enough of this game.”

  I walk away as quickly as I can. I don’t even know where I’m going, I just know that I can’t be around them all anymore.

  Girls have always made comments like that to me. I’ve been called a whore more times than I care to remember. I just don’t get it. What makes me so unlikeable? Is it because guys are attracted to me? I can’t help the way I look. Besides, I don’t think I’m that pretty. Not pretty enough to make everybody hate me.

  I’ve never had a girl as a friend. Never. Not once. And guys… they’ve never wanted to be just my friend.

  When I came here, I hoped things would be different. There are a lot of pretty girls here. All the girls I’ve met have been gorgeous. But it’s still the same. I am the outcast. The girl nobody wants near their boyfriends because they think I’ll steal them.

  I wish…

  I wish I was normal.

  I hear footsteps come up behind me.

  “Are you okay?”

  It’s Damon.

  I turn to face him, not giving him an answer. Instead, I shrug my shoulders.

  “I’m sorry about what that girl said.”

  “Why does everybody think that I’m that girl?” My voice is shaky.

  “They’re just… judgmental.”

  “I’m so tired of people thinking that about me.” I cross my arms over my chest, protectively.

  “I think it’s cool that you’ve never been kissed.” He puts his hands into his pocket. “People assume you have just because you’re so beautiful.”

  I sigh. “I’m just waiting. I know it sounds silly, but I feel like there is somebody out there that is perfect for me. Like, you know, the one. Realistically, I know the first guy I kiss will probably end up being a jerk in the end, but I like the idea of the first guy I kiss being the only guy I kiss.”

  “I don’t think that’s silly,” he protests. “I’ve never had a girlfriend before either. Everybody knows that, it’s no secret. But I’ve never kissed a girl either.”

  “Really?” I ask, biting my lip.

  I don’t know why it surprises me to hear this, but it does. I just assumed…

  Damon is a very good-looking guy. I’m sure girls throw themselves at him all the time.

  “I’m waiting for my mate,” he admits, a blush rising on his cheeks. “I know a lot of the kids at school don’t, but I wanted to save myself for her.”

  “I think that’s really sweet.” I soften my tone. “Whoever you end up with will be very lucky.”

  He grins. “You want to go home?”

  I nod. “I can order a Lyft or something. Or I can walk. You can take my car home later.”

  “Nah, I’ll go with you,” Damon says. “You’re the only reason I wanted to come tonight anyway.”

  My heart swells at his words.

  Am I really falling for him?

  Thursday, August 22

  First day.

  Today is my first day at my new school.

  I never thought I’d be going to an actual school. I’ve always been homeschooled, so I don’t even know what to expect. A
ll I know is that I’m going to a private school. Damon told me there isn’t a dress code, so I’m a little nervous. What am I even supposed to wear?

  I wake up extra early to fix my hair and get dressed. I eventually settle on a pair of skinny jeans and a nice top—in movies, kids never dress up to go to school, so I can’t imagine anybody will be too dressed up today.

  When I walk out of my room, Damon is walking out of his too. He’s also wearing a pair of jeans, so I feel better about my outfit choice.

  “Is this okay?” I ask him, spinning in a circle.

  “How do you look hot in everything you wear?” A smile tilts his lips, and I swallow hard at the combination of his words and how gorgeous he is.

  Okay.

  Yep. Good choice.

  I follow him downstairs. Victoria is in the kitchen, talking to the cook.

  Victoria doesn’t cook, at least I’ve never seen her cook anything in the almost month that I’ve been here. Honestly, she’d probably break a nail, so I don’t see it ever being something she would bother to do.

  “What on earth are you wearing?” Victoria asks, her eyes growing wide as she looks at me.

  “Um… jeans,” I answer, looking down at myself to make sure I didn’t accidentally forget to put on pants or something.

  “Why would you wear jeans?” She wrinkles her nose. “And where did you find them? I did not buy you jeans.”

  “I brought them with me,” I say, shrugging my shoulders. “Damon is wearing jeans.”

  “Yeah, but Damon isn’t an Evermore girl either, is he?”

  Evermore girl?

  Is that supposed to mean something?

  I mean, Mom always referred to us as Evermore girls, since it’s our last name, but even she never had a problem with me wearing jeans. In fact, she wore jeans all the time. I don’t understand why Victoria is making such a big deal out of it.

  “I’m sure lots of girls will be wearing jeans, Victoria,” Damon interjects. “Actually, probably all of them will. I don’t see what the big deal is. She looks hot.”

  Victoria’s face goes completely white. “Reign, you are not leaving the house wearing that.”

  My mouth falls open.

  Is she serious?

  She looks serious.

  I look to Damon for help because I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do or say.