Dragon's Second Chance (Elite Shifters 0f Colorado Book 2) Read online

  DRAGON’S SECOND CHANCE

  ELITE SHIFTERS OF COLORADO

  (Book 2)

  ______________

  Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright

  DRAGON’S SECOND CHANCE (ELITE SHIFTERS OF COLORADO BOOK 2)

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Epilogue

  Sample: Dragon's Mate (Elite Shifters of Colorado Book 1)

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Human Alpha Protector: Wolf Shifters of Wakerlin Book 1

  Author’s Note

  Copyright © 2020 by Alicia Banks:

  All rights are reserved.

  It is illegal to reproduce any part of this Book in any form i.e. mechanical, electronical, printed, or audible form including storage information and retrieval system without any written permission from the Author, except brief quotation in a Book Review.

  DRAGON’S SECOND CHANCE (ELITE SHIFTERS OF COLORADO BOOK 2)

  DRAGON’S SECOND CHANCE (ELITE SHIFTERS OF COLORADO BOOK 2)

  Blurb:

  #Betrayal, Bitter Memories, and a Broken Dragon.

  He was the son of the Elite Dragon King and the strongest and fiercest among all the shifter clans.

  He was the only heir but he didn’t want his throne back.

  He had been betrayed by his own blood.

  He had his one true mate and there was no replacement for her.

  But life had different plans…

  Going back to Colorado was the last thing he wanted until he saw her.

  He had peered into the depths of her striking and beautiful eyes.

  There was something vibrant about that woman, who seemed to deliberately slam herself into him.

  He knew he was betraying his mate, but he had no control.

  And the cat shifter, she was with made his blood boil every time.

  He was a danger and he needed to protect her.

  He tried to douse the flames of anger, jealousy, and desire.

  She was a human and he didn’t intend to stake a claim on her.

  So why did his traitorous heart beat faster and ache when she was around?

  ◆◆◆

  Chapter 1

  “Hey Silvia, I’m heading for the meeting. If the meeting goes long, I may just go directly back home. Please take care of yourself and have a great night!” Mickey said, walking out of her office as she hung her bag on her shoulder and began adjusting her dress.

  Silvia was the secretary at Petals to the Metal, and Mickey felt she had a great connection with her since they’d been working together for such a long time. Every time Mickey had to go out of the office for any sort of meeting, Silvia handled everything in her absence with both care and finesse. Two things that made the woman worth her weight in gold, as far as Mickey was concerned.

  Mickey strode out of the building and quickly jumped into her car. She threw it in reverse and began driving to the next meeting. It was about an hour’s drive from her office, and she knew it would take no time to get there, but still, Mickey’s professionalism demanded her punctuality. It was just who she was.

  Ring. Ring. Ring!

  Mickey glanced down at her phone as it rang and hit the talk button the moment her eyes flickered over the caller ID. It was Sarai, one person she just couldn’t ignore, her best freaking friend.

  “Hey girl! What’s going on?”

  “Oh, Jeez! I just had to give you a call to let you know that I major appreciate you, lady! I’m serious. I just don’t know what I’d do without you and bouncing these babies on my hips!”

  “That’s what best friends are for, Sarai.”

  “Yeah, but as the owner of Petals to the Metal, I feel like I’ve kind of let my clients down with all this,” Sarai said.

  Mickey scoffed with a light chuckle. “Honey, you’re my best friend, and to be frank, your company is doing fantastically. I mean, think about it. You’ve got a huge contract for decorating a giant celebrity wedding and your brand just keeps blowing up all the time!”

  Sarai exhaled softly and giggled a bit. “Yeah, you’re right about that. But you’ve contributed to that just as much as I have. I just can’t believe how well things have gone. Are you almost to the office yet?”

  “No, I’m en route, but I should be there soon. You know me, I’m never late.”

  “Right, of course. Okay, well let me know how things go. I’m anxious and eager, as you know.”

  “You got it, hun. Talk to you soon.” She quickly ended the call and pressed the stereo button on her steering wheel. The radio began blasting Alana Grace’s Black Roses Red, one of Mickey’s favorite songs. She smiled as she began to sing it. Her thoughts shifted to how grateful she was to be working at the job she had. She thoroughly enjoyed it, and it was her passion, which made it a breeze to both do and enjoy!

  Within the hour, she would be arriving at the meeting place, and she needed to be in that positive, happy space in order to deliver on a deal she knew both she and her best friend could handsomely profit from.

  An hour later, Mickey pulled into the parking lot of the celebrity office space. She slammed her car door and skipped across the lot to enter the office in haste.

  Oomph!

  Stunned, Mickey blinked as her body ran smack into a tall and devilishly handsome man who was, sad to say, entirely focused on his phone.

  Wow, self-absorbed much? Mickey thought, as her eyes met with his. She was at a loss for words, but from the expression on his gorgeous face, he seemed equally speechless, as he didn’t so much as even offer an apology. Feeling suddenly uncomfortable, Mickey glanced away as she stepped back.

  “What?” she finally asked. The man continued to stare at her, and she felt his eyes boring into her as if he was trying to peer right through her! She sighed and shook her head as she began striding toward the elevators. She didn’t have the time for gawking jerks, that was for sure. Besides, she knew that David, one of Sarai’s top managers and employees, was already waiting for her, and she hated leaving anyone hanging on a thread.

  Mr. Tall-and-Sexy would just have to continue to watch her as she disappeared from his sight. Since she and David had met at Sarai and Alistair’s wedding, and they had become very close friends, despite the fact that he was a cat shifter. Mickey had already accepted the shifters’ world since the day Alistair had shifted into a humongous dragon in front of Mickey and Sarai. And now her best friend Sarai, who was deeply and madly in love with Alistair, was married to that gorgeous dragon shifter. Alistair was a great husband who loved Sarai so much and he had even fought with his own father for Sarai. Since that day, Mickey wished she could also get lucky enough to have a gorgeous dragon by her side.

  Mickey pushed the elevator button and waited for the doors to open. She knew David well enough to expect this meeting to end rather promptly. After all, he had earned his position because of his cutting-edge eye for detail and precision. David had an incredible eye for décor, which was precisely why Mickey needed him to brief her over his designs as manager first. Mickey and Sarai had learned many of their tricks from the internet and the events the two had gone to, but David actually had an interior design degree, and he was a guru at certain things.

  Finally, the elevator opened,
and Mickey sauntered in, her eyes flashing back to the man she’d run into. The man who she observed had long and incredibly kinky curls as his taut and thick physique strode out the doors. There was something strangely magnetic about him, but Mickey glanced up as the elevator doors closed and shook it off. It wasn’t like she would ever see him again, anyway.

  After the meeting, as Mickey and David headed out of the office, her thoughts shifted back to the long-haired man. Who was he and what had he been doing there? Did he work here? Her curiosity was highly piqued and for some reason, she felt a little disappointed that she didn’t see him again as David held the door open for her.

  God, Mickey, what kind of an idiot are you? she thought.

  What kind of stupid fool was she to be searching for someone she knew had already left? Furthermore, why the hell would he even stick around to talk to her after she’d regarded him so hastily and rudely?

  ◆◆◆

  Stephan was in Colorado to attend a meeting. It was the office of a big Hollywood celebrity, who was Stephan’s friend. He was seated on the third floor at his friend’s office.

  As he talked to his friend about the details, a smell entered his nostrils. A shifter’s near. A cat, he sensed.

  “Please excuse me, I need to make an urgent call,” he lied. He needed to check if there was danger around.

  “Sure, I hope everything is fine, Stephan,” his friend replied.

  “Yes, everything is good. I just forgot some office work, so I need call Thomas.” His friend nodded and Stephan walked down to the main hall.

  Actually, it would be a good idea to call Thomas first, before taking any action, Stephan thought.

  He stared down at his phone as he moved towards the entrance. His eyes flickered from side to side as he slid his tongue across his lower lip. There was something vibrant about that girl, the one who had slammed herself into him. He knew it was somewhat his own fault, but seeing her had been so incredibly unexpected.

  He had been stunned what just had happened. Never in his life had he imagined that a glimpse of any living woman would bear so uncanny a resemblance as the one that woman seemed to bear. Because the woman she resembled, Aiyana, had long been gone from his life, and it was almost impossible to imagine the brief meeting he’d had with her could even have occurred.

  Her image fluttered through his mind, so real, so concrete that he knew he would never forget it. And because he hadn’t uttered a single word to her, and stood there like a fool, he’d missed out on the chance for a proper introduction.

  He regained his conscious as the she moved towards the elevator, and he quickly went out to call Thomas.

  “Hello, Stephan,” Thomas answered.

  Thomas was his personal assistant, and Stephan viewed him much more as a father figure than the man even recognized. When Stephan’s uncles, George and Dale, killed his parents and brother Vincent, Thomas was the one who saved Stephan and settled in Australia with him. Thomas had worked for King James, Stephan’s father, and James had deemed him the most trustworthy person.

  “Thomas, there is a cat around. It could be dangerous. I need your thoughts on that, what do you think I should do?”

  “Oh, did it hurt someone?”

  “No, I mean, I don’t know yet.”

  “Son, I would suggest you don’t do anything until you witness something. The cat might work there at the office; as you know, they lead their lives like normal humans. Just like we dragons try to do.”

  Stephan took a deep breath and said, “I think you’re right, Thomas, it’s just that I have been constantly thinking about the past.”

  Colorado was the last place in the world Stephan wanted to be at. It was suffocating as the bitter memories and ugly truth from the past flashed back in his mind since he had landed here. If it was not for his friend, he would have already rejected to contribute the wedding event, no matter how much money he may have lost.

  “I’m coming back to Australia; my work here has finished here,” Thomas said.

  “Wow, really? When do you leave?”

  “Thursday morning at nine o’clock. The flight is supposed to arrive at four o’clock in the afternoon. Will you be able to pick me up?”

  “I don’t see why not,” Stephan replied. “Give me a call when you depart. I’m also heading back tomorrow morning, as my meeting has finished.”

  “Of course, looking forward to seeing you. And don’t stay there too long. I don’t want you to get into any fights. They could have grown more dangerous. It is not the right time, and we need to work on proper plans and preparations,” Thomas warned.

  “Yes, Thomas, please don’t worry. I will be back soon.”

  Stephan ended the call and let out a loud sigh. He thought about his parents and brother; they’d all been so happy here in Colorado. He shrugged off the thoughts and headed back to the third floor and sat on the chair near the big glass window. Still, his mind kept coming back around to settle on her once again. He had peered into the depths of her striking and beautiful eyes, and what he’d seen there was magnetic without a doubt.

  Every detail about her was so perfectly etched into his mind’s eye, perfectly managed long waves of her hair, luscious lips and oceanic eyes made his heart sink in his chest. Indeed, everything about her was like a breath of fresh air, like hope had once again been breathed deep into his lungs.

  Stephan had never experienced love, or even feelings of attraction towards any other person since he had lost his mate, Aiyana. He was a quiet and distrusting person, and it wasn’t something he was at all used to.

  Chapter 2

  Stephan stared out the big window glass from his friend’s office as he blew a light breath out over his steaming coffee. His eyes widened as his eyes once again spotted the enticing female who he’d bumped into earlier. But she was walking through the parking lot with another man. Stephan watched with a curious smirk as she slid into a car and the man hopped in alongside her. The car pulled off and he watched it until it disappeared down the long drive and out over the horizon.

  The woman and her male accomplice were long gone, but he couldn’t help but wonder about her. Who was she? What did she do? And why did she have to so strangely resemble Aiyana? Suddenly, Stephan wished he could stay for just one more day. Maybe then he could get another chance to see her. To actually meet her properly. For the first time, Stephan actually wanted to stay in Colorado, even though he hated it, but he knew it just wasn’t possible. Especially not with Thomas coming back home so soon. With a sigh, he resolved it was best to go back to his hotel room and catch up on some much-needed rest.

  Soon, he would be heading back to Australia, but the thoughts of that luscious woman and her divine scent, a fragrance he couldn’t decipher… Like a bouquet of fragrant wildflowers. The thought of it alone made him break out into a smile, happy and content in ways he hadn’t been in ages… hell, years.

  ◆◆◆

  “I think you’re really going to like it here; this is one of my favorite restaurants,” David said as he held the door open for Mickey. Something about the place already screamed expensive and fancy, she could tell that right off the bat. Thankfully, she had worn a nice dress that could pass off as semiformal, as it was evident to her this was a classy place, and underdressed was the last thing she wanted to be. Another plus was that David had brought them just in time for the crunch between lunch and dinner, which made getting a table a breeze. Within moments, the two of them were seated and smiling at one another from across the table.

  “Have I told you how incredible you look?” David asked, smiling widely as he winked at her. Mickey hated it when he did this, and frowned slightly.

  “David, we agreed, just friends. Remember?” she asked in a low tone.

  “Yes, we did, but even a friend can pay a friend a compliment. Right?”

  “Can I get you two started with something to drink?” A young waiter approached, smiling widely as he glanced at the two of them.

  “Yes
, actually. Can you get me a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon? I think a nice red would be great for a starter. Then, I think we both need to browse the menu for just a few moments. Isn’t that so, Mickey?” he asked.

  “Yes, please.” The waiter disappeared and David piped up instantly.

  “The shrimp scampi is excellent, if you like seafood. Their steaks, however, are the best in town, and I highly recommend them, if that’s your sort of thing.”

  “Well, I do love me a good steak.” She smiled, closing her menu. “I think that will be perfect, actually.”

  “So, are the meetings always that easy?” David asked.

  “Sarai’s work speaks for itself. Clients tend to be agreeable with proven formulas and performance. It’s simple, really.”

  “Yeah, but this isn’t going to be Sarai’s work, this will be yours,” he said.

  “Yes, but they are Sarai’s designs. I’m just executing them,” she stated matter-of-factly.

  “You don’t give yourself nearly enough credit,” he said with a frown. Mickey frowned back, unsure of what to think of that statement. Then there was the matter of his tone, which she didn’t like at all.

  “Are you and Alistair having a poker night?” Mickey asked, realizing it was time for a change in the subject matter – real quick like.

  “Alistair is a father now; he doesn’t have time for poker. In fact, I haven’t seen him around the gym much at all. He still owns the place, but I think he stopped training all together. It’s why I needed to find a new job, and franchising Sarai’s flower shop was just the project I needed.”

  “We’re both very grateful to you,” Mickey reassured him.

  “I’m the one who is grateful. I get to work with two beautiful women, and you two make my job easy. Like you said, the product sells itself, so marketing is a breeze.” David laughed. Mickey blushed and shook her head. The compliments always bordered on flirting, and sometimes she didn’t know what to think of it. But she still loved spending time with David and valued his creative abilities.