Boreas Reborn Read online

  Boreas Reborn

  In Dragn Protection Book 2

  Ariana Hawkes

  Copyright ©2018 by Ariana Hawkes

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events and businesses is purely coincidental.

  This is a standalone romance of 38,000 words. HEA and no cheating.

  Contents

  Note from the author

  Also by Ariana Hawkes

  Get your free book!

  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

  Have you read the first book in the series?

  A Thank You from Ariana Hawkes

  Bonus story: Shiftr: Swipe Left For Love (Connor & Lauren)

  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

  Also by Ariana Hawkes

  Your free book is waiting!

  About the Author

  Note from the author

  Hi there! I was so excited by your great reception of the first book in my In Dragn Protection series, and I really hope you will enjoy this second book as much as I enjoyed writing it.

  I’ve also included a free bonus story for you.

  Please note: The main story finishes at about 60% because the free bonus story follows. So don’t be confused - the main book is a novella of 38,000 words.

  Happy reading!

  Yours,

  Ariana

  ALSO BY ARIANA HAWKES

  In Dragn Protection

  Ethereal King (In Dragn Protection Book 1)

  Shiftr: Hope Valley Dating App Romances

  Shiftr: Swipe Left for Love – Book 1 (Dina)

  Shiftr: Swipe Left for Love – Book 2 (Kristin)

  Shiftr: Swipe Left for Love – Book 3 (Melissa)

  Shiftr: Swipe Left for Love – Book 4 (Andrea)

  Shiftr: Swipe Left for Love – Book 5 (Lori)

  Shiftr: Swipe Left for Love – Book 6 (Adaira)

  Shiftr: Swipe Left for Love – Book 7 (Timo)

  Shiftr: Swipe Left for Love – Book 8 (Jessica)

  Shiftr: Swipe Left for Love – Book 9 (Ryzard)

  Shiftr: Swipe Left For Love - Book 10 (Nash)

  Shiftr: Swipe Left For Love - Book 11 (Olsen)

  Shiftr: Swipe Left For Love - Book 12 (Connor & Lauren)

  Shiftr: Swipe Left For Love - Book 13 (Frankie)

  Broken Hill Bears

  Bear In The Rough (Broken Hill Bears Book 1)

  Bare Knuckle Bear (Broken Hill Bears Book 2)

  Bear Cuffs (Broken Hill Bears Book 3)

  Christmas Bear Shifter Romances

  Ultimate Bear Christmas Magic Box Set

  Bear All I Want For Christmas Boxed Set

  Bear Home For Christmas

  Bear Christmas Magic

  Bear My Perfect Gift

  Polar Bears’ Christmas

  Lost To The Bear

  Ravished by the Ice Palace Pack

  Get your free book!

  A 4.5-star rated, comedy romance featuring one kickass roller derby chick, two scorching-hot Alphas, and the naughty nip that changed their lives forever.

  The only thing missing from Aspen Richardson’s life is a man who will love her just the way she is. In the small town she calls home, bullies from the past remain, making her wonder if it's ever going to happen. But, things are about to change in a major way, as the secret Aspen’s parents have been keeping from her comes out…

  “This book definitely needs to be added to your MUST read list – you will quickly fall in love with this steamy and fast paced story.”

  Get your free book now!

  (If your device doesn’t support links, go to www.arianahawkes.com/freebook)

  Chapter 1

  Boreas

  Boreas kicked at a lump of dirt with the toe of his boot and leaned against the passenger door of his truck. He scanned his surroundings again. Where on earth was everyone? The guard at the front gate had told him to drive straight to the parking lot where Dwayne Veitch would meet him. But he’d been waiting for fifteen minutes, and there was no sign of the man.

  Boreas clenched and unclenched his fists. He was usually a patient dragon, and he was in no rush to lay eyes on the millionaire businessman, that was for damn sure, but he had a mission to complete, and he was very focused on it. He took a sip from his takeout coffee cup and ran through his plan again. He just couldn’t shake off the sense there was something wrong and things were going to turn out a whole lot more difficult than he’d anticipated.

  The parking lot was big and square, with a huge pile of timber on the right-hand side. It must have been delivered recently. This didn’t look like a place where things just lay around. At the rear of the lot was a small, perfectly landscaped garden, and to the left was the office building. Boreas pushed himself off the side of his truck and strode in the direction of the building. It was an imposing structure, all wooden slats, steel, and a lot of glass. The roof was flat and extended beyond the walls. The whole thing looked Scandinavian in style and way flashier than Boreas would have expected from a lumber supplier.

  He walked toward the entrance door and tried the handle. It was locked. There was a little keypad with numbers on the side of the door though. Maybe the door was always locked and you needed a special code to enter. He pressed his face to the tinted glass and saw a brightly lit hallway with doors leading off of both sides, and a big reception desk at the end. No people, though.

  With a sigh, he returned to the parking lot. Shading his eyes from the sun, which was still low in the sky, he looked around again. There was a path to the right of the ornamental garden, which looked to lead to a bunch of warehouses. He turned a tight circle and contemplated his options, drumming his fingers on the side of his thigh. He could wait around here for a while longer, or he could head back to the front gate and have the guard call Dwayne Veitch.

  He pulled his car keys out of his pocket, but just as he hit the unlock button, he caught sight of a figure passing across the far end of the path. It was a woman. He made out a sweep of shoulder-length dark hair and a petite, curvy figure, and his heartbeat sped up. While he’d been looking for Veitch, this was even better. “Excuse me,” he called after the woman. “Excuse me, ma’am!” He raised his voice slightly when she didn’t stop, and took several steps along the path.

  She spun around, surprise showing in her features. She had a round, soft face, full, heart-shaped pink lips, and innocent blue eyes. The rich brown of her curly hair complimented her peaches and cream complexion perfectly. She was wearing dark grey jeans, a
white V-neck shirt and a light blue jacket. His dragon’s firebox glowed in his chest. She was gorgeous, even more beautiful close up.

  “I’m sorry, ma’am.” He cleared his throat. “I didn’t mean to startle you. I’m looking for Dwayne Veitch. I have a meeting with him. I’m looking to buy some timber and he was going to show me around your warehouse. The security guard told me to wait for him at the parking lot but it’s been a while. Do you know where I can find him?”

  She walked toward him until they were several feet apart, moving tentatively as if she was trespassing on someone else’s land. “Oh. I haven’t seen him this morning.” She hesitated, her brow furrowing appealingly. “Can I help you with something?”

  “You work here, right?” He glanced at the company-branded notebook she was holding. “Would you mind giving him a call and checking where he is? He was supposed to meet me fifteen minutes ago. I’m interested in putting in a big order.”

  She looked down at the sleeve of her shirt and brushed an invisible thread off it, then swallowed hard. “Uhh. He…uhh… he’s probably in the middle of something, and he hates being interrupted.”

  “Oh, yes. Yes, of course. Who does, right?” Boreas forced a smile and a dry laugh. “I guess I’ll wait a couple more minutes. Sorry to have bothered you.”

  “I-I could maybe show you around if you like?” she offered.

  “Yeah?” He turned his grin up several notches, aware that it was “winning” smile that the guys always gave him shit about. “That’d be great. Thank you.”

  “Sure thing. I’ve got some time before my first meeting and I’m sure Dwayne won’t be much longer. It’s not like him to be late anyways. Come this way.” She gestured for him to follow as she retraced her steps along the narrow, hedge-lined path. There wasn’t enough space for them to walk side by side, so he stayed behind her, doing his best not to notice the way her waist tapered and her hips wiggled as she walked.

  “I’m Boreas Mason, by the way,” he called after her.

  She cast a shy glance at him over her shoulder. “Rainey Hampton. It’s nice to meet you.”

  As she faced forward again, her foot slipped off the path and she stumbled and dropped her notebook. He lunged toward her, worried she was going to fall into the bushes, and laid a hand on her shoulder to steady her. She made a small sound, like an injured cat, and jerked away from him.

  His whole body jolted, and he stepped back. “I’m sorry. Are you okay?”

  “I’m sorry. I’m such a klutz,” she mumbled, straightening herself and regaining her composure.

  Boreas picked up her notebook and handed it back to her, looking into her eyes. “Are you hurt?”

  She flashed her teeth in a big, cheerleader smile. “No, only my pride. Sheesh. What a way to introduce myself to a prospective client!” She gave a bark of laughter.

  He shrugged. “Don’t worry about it. I’m known to have clumsy moments myself.”

  Her eyes ran over his body, and he could feel her gaze like a physical sensation, heating and tingling on his skin. His scales rippled as if they’d been caressed.

  “You’re only saying that to make me feel better about almost falling in front of you,” she said with a genuine smile this time.

  When they reached the warehouses, she led him into the first one. It was a big, clean and air-conditioned space with twelve rows of metal shelves neatly lined with different types of lumber.

  “You can see samples of all of our products along this row.” She led him toward the nearest shelves. “The price will vary depending on the quality of the material. That’s our most expensive lumber over there.” She pointed to the far section of the row, as he stepped up next to her. “We can make recommendations on the type you need once we see your specifications. What did you say you were building?”

  “Homes. Cabins, mainly. And some furniture. I’ve got my specifications right here.” He pulled a sheet out of his pocket and handed it to her.

  “That’s great. Let me have a look and I’ll show you some options.” She took the piece of paper from his hand and lowered her eyes to it, squinting and turning slightly to her right to block the strong overhead lamp light with her back.

  “Yeah, uh, sorry about my handwriting.”

  “That’s okay. It’s nice that you preserved a part of the child in you.” She giggled.

  He grinned, gazing at her as she studied the paper. He liked her immediately. There was something very natural about her. She was innocent and spontaneous in a way that made him trust her instinctively. And she had a nice sense of humor, which he loved in a woman. A lot of the females back home took themselves way too seriously, and you could never have fun with them.

  Rainey was muttering to herself as she flipped the page to examine the last of his specifications. A strand of hair fell in front of her left eye and, with the dreamy pace of someone in deep concentration, she stretched her right hand around the back of her head and swept her hair over her right shoulder. Boreas couldn’t help smiling at the careless, yet charming movement.

  And then the smile fell from his face.

  The bare flesh on the back of her neck was now exposed, and it was scattered with circular, dark purple bruises surrounded by lighter brown bruises.

  Boreas swallowed hard. He knew those marks too well. The brown ones were maybe three or four days old, while the purple ones had been inflicted yesterday, or even this morning. He clenched his teeth to suppress the roar of his animal, and his firebox burned with rage and the need to punish.

  “There you are!” A loud, yet shrill voice hollered from somewhere behind them, interrupting the tornado of emotion that had taken ahold of him. Rainey’s head snapped in the direction of the irritating noise, her eyes widening. Boreas straightened his face before he turned to follow Rainey’s anxious gaze to the owner of the voice, who was moving in urgent strides toward them and was much larger than he sounded.

  “You must be Boreas Mason. I’m very sorry I’m late.” The man extended a ham-sized hand and showed a set of yellowish, crooked teeth.

  “And you must be Dwayne Veitch.” Boreas shook his hand. Veitch had a weak, clammy grip. He was tall with dark, wispy hair, small eyes, and sloping shoulders. Boreas wrinkled his nose as the other man’s acrid smell hit his nostrils. Veitch was also a wolf.

  “I had a meeting I couldn’t cut short. You don’t rush the mayor when he’s got things on his mind,” Dwayne continued, pride squeaking out from his voice.

  “That’s fi—” Boreas began.

  “I see you’ve met my fiancée.” Dwayne took a step toward Rainey, whose body tensed away from him. “Rainey, dear, what are you doing here? You know you aren’t allowed to meet clients on your own after your last performance.”

  Boreas swallowed down another burst of fury as he imagined his hands closing around the man’s neck and squeezing the life out of him. “She’s actually been great at showing me around and making me feel looked after. I would’ve been on the other side of the road, putting my order through with MacLaren’s by now if it wasn’t for her,” Boreas said, making an effort to conceal the sharpness of his tone.

  “An esteemed client like you deserves the best attention and service, Mr. Mason. And I can guarantee there’s no company better placed than Veitch Lumbers to meet your needs.” Dwayne’s toothy smile reached from ear to ear. “Come on.” He laid a damp hand on Boreas’ shoulder. “Let me check out your requirements, and I’ll see what we can do for you. We offer some fantastic discounts for large orders like yours.”

  “I’ve just had a look at the specifications and have some suggest—” Rainey began.

  Dwayne clamped his arm around her shoulder and drew her close, tucking her under his arm so sharply that she lost her balance. Embarrassment and pain flashed across her face as Dwayne’s fingers whitened on the flesh of her shoulder.

  “Please excuse my fiancée’s lack of professionalism.” Dwayne rolled his eyes. “She’s a newly appointed gardener here, but she prefe
rs to act like the boss’s right hand instead.” He shook his head slowly. “Women.”

  “I’m a landscape architect, actually—” Rainey said in a tight voice.

  “Shhhhh!” Dwayne hissed.

  Boreas ground his teeth. He had a consuming urge to dump his original plan into the trash and just beat the crap out of the abusive, misogynistic asshole. His bad feeling about this mission had been right—the situation was much worse than he’d imagined. And much more difficult. But he understood he needed to keep his cool and do things the right way, otherwise it was likely to fail.

  “Look, I’m kind of in a hurry, after you made me wait for such a long time, so let’s get straight to business.” He fixed Dwayne with his most hostile stare.

  Dwayne’s smile got even more toady and simpering. “Yes, of cour—”

  “Good.” Boreas cut him short. “Actually, I forgot to mention when we first spoke that we also need a landscape architect.” He looked at Rainey. “The soil on Fire Island is very fertile, and we want to cultivate it. I need someone for a couple of weeks to come develop a master gardening plan and take charge of planting. I don’t suppose you’d be available at short notice?”