Matching Dragons Chinese Zodiac Romance Series Book 6 (2 page)

Now or never.

Blinding light struck her face. She raised her hands to shield her eyes, blinking and squinting until they adjusted. Cool mist gathered around her legs. A cloud? A wide chasm spanned between her and the opposite side.

“Bloody hell.” Her partner stepped beside her, rubbing his eyes.

Without consulting him, she sprinted several paces backward, then surged forward, and leapt across the canyon.

Cursing echoed toward her while she landed in a crouch on the opposite side.
Ha.
Things were about to get worse for him. Way worse.

Kadence raced ahead, not waiting for him to catch up with her. The only way her plan would succeed was if he failed.

Lapping waves splashed ahead. She paused at the edge of an expanse of water.
Maybe he can’t swim. Well, here’s to wishful thinking.
Kadence leapt into the water and swam across, crawling onto the opposite shore. So much for the League’s badass reputation. This obstacle course was easier to traverse than a playground. Solid earth stretched before her, beckoning her forward into a verdant jungle.

This was almost…too easy. Pounding vibrated behind her. She whipped around and spotted Lok racing toward her, a scowl darkening his expression. His eyes burned into her as he slowed to a walk, stalking forward. “What the hell are you doing? We’re supposed to work together.”

Leaves crunched to her right. Instead of answering him, she glanced aside, toward the vines snaking across the dirt path…

Right toward Lok. His hands fisted at his sides, his chest expanding with each huffing breath. He was so worked up about her ditching him that he didn’t appear to notice the vines.
Perfect.

Despite her rushing ahead, he’d managed to catch up with her. If they finished this together, they’d pass the test.

But her plans would fail.

Unacceptable.
Kadence tilted her head and smiled at him. “Sorry. Guess I was just excited.” As his brows drew together, those fierce eyes narrowing on her, the vines closed in on him.
A little bit more.
She swept up her wet hair, twisting it against her head. Her T-shirt was plastered against her damp skin, her nipples pebbling.

Lok’s gaze dipped to her breasts. She tugged on the hem of her shirt, molding the fabric to her breasts and gluing Lok’s stare.
So predictable.

The vine slithered around his ankle and snapped to lock tight. Lok’s hooded eyes flew open a second before the vine whipped him upside down.

“Motherfucker.” He squirmed and bucked, but the vines dug in tighter, snaring around his legs. “Are you going to stand there or help me?” he growled at her.

She sauntered below him and peered upward. “Sorry, I can’t.” She winked at him, then spun and strolled down the path.
Success.

Lok’s cursing followed her to the exit, but she stepped through without him.

Without a single regret.

Fury hissed through Lok’s veins. It had taken every ounce of his will to not employ his strength and free himself from the vines. The damn instructor and her partner had shown up, and revealing his true identity to anyone—but especially to one of the Jade Emperor’s world—was a death sentence. So he’d played the victim, despite the bitter disgust it had left on his tongue. Now, he trailed them out of the obstacle course, on the verge of erupting.

That little minx.
She’d distracted him with her lush, plump breasts, and he’d fallen for it. Why the fuck had she ditched him? The Matchmaker had made it damned clear that success depended on exiting with one’s partner. Which they hadn’t. Was this a game to Kadence? While she might have time for a century of penance cleaning Immortal toilets, he did not.

Her carelessness had cost him time he did not have.

Squeezing his eyes, he fisted his hands, willing his beastly side not to spring free. In an entire century, he’d never been so close to losing control.
Not worth it.

Exhaling deeply, he opened his eyes and uncurled his fists.

Kadence’s luscious scent drifted across his nose.
Hell.

He stormed forward, straight up to Kadence, and gripped her by the throat. “What the fuck did you do that for?”

Eyes wide, she clawed at his forearm, but just this once, he employed an ounce of his strength, holding her firm.

She hissed, squirming. “I don’t have to answer to you.”

He leaned in closer, the scent of her growing sweeter. His cock hardened, urging to thrust deep inside her.

Want her.

Can’t resist.

Her essence called to his dark nature, coaxing him forward. His veins pumped with desire, with longing, with…

Covetousness.

Oh, fuck.

He wrenched his hand off her, jerking backward. His chest heaved—had he been panting, pining for her? For what she was?

Dammit.
He scanned the room, but luckily the other trainees had cleared the area. There was just her. And him.
Alone.
He could claim the treasure inside her and no one would ever know…

“I’m disappointed in you both.” The Matchmaker sashayed into the room, her gaze cutting straight to him. Shit, he’d failed her test and broken his end of their deal. Would she renege on hers?

“My assistant will arrange for your penance.” She waved a hand at the mousy-haired female behind her, then spun on her heel and headed toward the exit.

Hell, no.

Lok rushed to her side. “That wasn’t my fault. She’s fucking crazy.”

The Matchmaker’s cool stare drifted over him. “Then perhaps you should have chosen your partner with a wiser piece of your anatomy.” Her sharp obsidian eyes cast a pointed glare toward his dick.

“I didn’t—” He shut his mouth. Because really, his dragon nature had chosen her.
Dammit.
“You’re not backing out of our deal, are you?”

“No.”

He exhaled in relief.

“Neither can I allow this to go unpunished. My rules are clear, so play along, keep an eye on your partner, and after an acceptable amount of time, I’ll reinstate you both.”

“No, no bloody way.” He lowered his voice to a growl. “I’m not going anywhere with her.” The temptation was too much. Now that he’d discerned what she was…

“That was not a request, Lok.” The Matchmaker glanced toward the female. “Kadence is…important. And driven. Yet she cannot succeed without aid.
Your
aid. So you will help her, ensure her survival, and return her to me. Are we clear?”

Fucking hell. Whatever Kadence was up to, the Matchmaker knew about it.
I’m not a damn babysitter.
He shoved a hand through his hair. “You can’t ask me to look after…
that
.” Because obviously if the Matchmaker knew the rest, she also was aware of Kadence’s true nature.

The Matchmaker glided forward and pressed her manicured hand on his arm. “You are not the only one who will covet her, Lok Shenlong. Would you rather see one of your brethren claim her?”

Mine.
Voracious spikes of possessiveness slammed through him.

The Matchmaker patted his arm. “Indeed.” She sauntered off, heels clacking into echoes.

***

“Um, so are you ready?” The mousy-haired assistant pushed her glasses up her nose and peered at her clipboard. “I have an opening in the house of Han Xiangzi.” She waved toward them. “If you’ll follow me.”

Kadence rose, tentatively treading past Lok, who seemed lost in himself as he glared at the wall.

Whatever had passed between them had been…intense.

Normally, she didn’t welcome men groping her and getting hot and heavy near her, but
wow
. Lok had some powerful magnetism rolling off him. She rubbed her hand across her throat. When he’d first grabbed her, she’d been afraid he’d intended to strangle her.

Instead, he’d held her firm while he’d inhaled against her skin like she was a flower he wanted to pluck.

Or screw.

Well, maybe wherever he was from, men went around scooping up their women and hauling them off to their caves, but personally, she preferred the evolved kind of man.

Didn’t she?

Damn, why then had her panties grown wet, her nipples puckering, begging for him to notice them?

The way he’d looked at her… As though she were some kind of treasure. His thumb had stroked her throat, caressing her skin, while his gaze had burned through her.

She’d never let anyone do that. See through her. Not even Melody. Twenty-four, and three years younger than Kadence, her little sister was too delicate for the harsh reality of this world. Kadence had done everything in her power to shield her.

Except from that.
The curse.
Suck-ass Monkey King.

Melody was sick because of Kadence.
My fault.
If she hadn’t gone out that night, hadn’t stumbled into that nightclub and had been sober enough to see through the glamor that bastard had employed…

Well, she never would have slept with the creep. He’d never have noticed her sister in the next room the morning after, and demanded to have Melody too.

Ugh.

When Kadence had told him to fuck himself instead, the Monkey King had revealed himself for what he really was—a scheming, impish prick. One who’d cursed her sister.

Melody was dying because of Kadence’s mistake. If she didn’t save her sister…

No, I’ll save her.
Kadence fisted her hands and marched to the assistant. “Ready.” Joining the League—and failing—was the key to procuring the cure for Mel. When tracking down the Monkey King hadn’t worked, she’d stumbled onto something else—a cure that was a surefire solution, and the Immortal was going to help her get it. The problem was, Han Xiangzi was something of a loner, never leaving his magical island palace. There was only one way in—joining the Lotus League. Or rather, failing the test to join. It was common knowledge that those who failed the entry test were sent as servants to the households of the Eight Immortals. Kadence had called in a favor from a friend, and boom. Suddenly, there was an opening in Han Xiangzi’s household.

The assistant directed her to a portal, and Kadence stepped through it, not waiting for Lok to catch up. He was an unfortunate casualty in her plans, but battling the Monkey King was war.

The Matchmaker had likely explained that to him during their little discussion. Whether or not the woman knew what Kadence was up to didn’t matter, so long as she allowed her to carry out her plan.

Kadence squeezed her eyes as the portal sucked her through, like a tube squeezing out toothpaste. Slipping out the other side, she pressed her palms against warm tiles and blinked.

So this was Han Xiangzi’s hideout? Not bad for an Immortal. She tilted her head and admired the estate. Manicured lawns stretched out in front of her, an enormous trilling fountain sprinkling in the middle. Beyond that lay a columned, marble villa, stretching as far as an entire football field’s length.
Nice digs. Don’t get used to them.
She wasn’t sticking around, and certainly not to scrub any toilets.

Oh hey, guess Lok would come in handy, after all. Grinning, she twisted around as another figure emerged from the portal, plunking onto the ground behind her.

Welcome, partner.

***

Lok stared at the ground, forcing his breaths to even, to not inhale her scent. His attraction to Kadence was growing worse with each second. Dragons possessed few weaknesses…and she was one of them.

A fucking
flaming pearl.

Inside her was a treasure so great any dragon would be compelled to go batshit crazy hoarder to possess.

He’d never encountered one inside a human, but they were rarely in their natural pearl-shaped states. Most often, he’d heard of them encapsulated within another treasure, like a crown or scepter.

Even worse, he’d never possessed one…

The yearning pulsed through him, causing his claws to threaten to break through his clenched fists. Lok steadied his resolve and peered up at a female strolling down the path toward them.

He could, he
would
, resist Kadence.

The only other option was death.

“Well.” The matronly lady sneered down her nose at them. “Come with me.” He sniffed, but caught nothing extraordinary in her scent. Just a disgruntled human, then.

Lok eyed Kadence while she trailed the woman. His shoulders tensed, anticipating another one of her antics. Would she try to run off, abandoning him here to complete their penance alone?

If only he could stretch his wings and…

No.
He shook his head and hastened his steps to catch up. Only after he cleared his name could he risk revealing himself to his dragon kindred.

The housekeeper led them through a gated entrance and into the grand room of the manor. A sprawling, red-carpeted staircase spanned in front of them. Two corridors connected on either side. Empty. Barren. No statues or paintings.
Huh.
Most immortals lived in lush comfort. Guess Han took the exception.

“This way.” The housekeeper veered left down the corridor, all the way to the end, where she halted abruptly and swept her arm toward a wooden door on either side. “These are your rooms. You’re free to roam the estate, but do not disturb your master.” One arched brow dared them to just try. “Report to the servants’ kitchen tomorrow morning for your first assignment.” She pursed her lips and strode from view.