Dragon Elements (D.O.A. Book 5) Read online

  Smiling, Calvin replied, “How about if you bring the strawberries, and I just got some angel food cake in so I can grab one of those with some whipped topping, and we can have strawberry shortcake?”

  “That sounds great. I love strawberry shortcake.” Gordy quickly replied.

  Gordy always seemed nervous and excitable, but he was a Yorkie shifter after all so they tended to be a bit on the hyper side. However, he was also sweet and fun to be around. “Then we have a plan.”

  “What about the plan for you to go and talk to Cobra?” Cameron asked.

  Sighing heavily, Calvin replied, “I’ve been working up to that for years, Cam. I even made it my New Year’s resolution to talk to him.”

  “Calvin, didn’t you tell me you’ve been in Drago for twenty-six years?” Gordy asked.

  Nodding, Calvin answered, “Yes. What’s your point?”

  “My point is, you’ve been pining for him for dang near the entire time. Why haven’t you just gone for it?” Gordy asked. “I mean, what’s the worst that could happen?”

  “He could tell me to fuck off and all my dreams of getting to suck on his chocolate banana will be nothing more than that.” Calvin answered.

  “But that’s what it is now, so what would it change?” Cameron asked.

  Calvin looked at both men, then told them a secret only he knew, “I left him a note. I just hope I have enough courage to follow through.”

  “You left him a note? What kind of note?” Gordy asked.

  Feeling his cheeks heat even more, Calvin replied, “I asked him to meet me at the park tomorrow. I’m hoping if he does…”

  “Oh wow, you’re going to hook up with Cobra? That is so awesome!” Cameron exclaimed.

  “I didn’t say I was going to hook up with him, I just want to talk to him, maybe try and get him to… shit, who am I kidding? It will never work.” Calvin said in despair.

  “Taco loves you. I bet you could always have him help you. He is Cobra’s maharishi after all.” Gordy suggested.

  Calvin’s hopes rose once more, “True, and if I have some tacos with me, it would look like I was having a picnic or something with his dragon...” Suddenly, he thought about something, “...but I can’t use Taco like that. I really like him. He’s a friend.”

  “And you did already write the man a note.” Cameron said with a laugh.

  “You could always tell him why you want to meet Cobra. I bet he’d help you.” Gordy quickly said.

  Nodding, Calvin answered, “True. I just don’t want him to think I’m using our friendship to get to Cobra. I don’t want to hurt his feelings.”

  “I’ll tell you what. You talk with Taco, and if he agrees to help you with your meet-and-greet with Cobra, I’ll make you a shit ton of tacos for a nice picnic lunch. I’ll even include some Spanish rice, sopapillas, and a nice bottle of wine.” Cameron said with a smile.

  Calvin nibbled at his bottom lip, “I… I…”

  “Come on Calvin. What is the worst that can happen? He says no. Well, it’s better to finally get that answer and move on than to keep pining for a guy who never looks your way.” Cameron insisted.

  Cameron was right. Calvin had been dreaming of Cobra long enough. It was time to either live his dream, or try his damnedest to move on to new ones. “Okay. I’ll talk to Taco.”

  * * * *

  Cobra made his way to the park on his brand new gold Street Bob. He loved the smoothness of the motorcycle and couldn’t wait to take it out for a long ride one day soon. He knew that Azul and Smoky were close, as were Pit, Taj, and Boomer. He had tried to contact Taco, but Smoky had informed him that Taco was occupied at the moment. Odd, considering Cobra was his soul bond and he wouldn’t leave without telling him.

  Looking down, Cobra read the note he held. I’ve been waiting years for this moment. Meet me at the park, near the lake and all will be revealed.

  “We’re going to meet all right and when we do I’m going to destroy you.” Cobra stated angrily.

  Seeing Pit and the others stopping just before the park, Cobra drove his motorcycle up to them. Pit sat on his CVO Street Glide with Bren holding onto his waist. Taj was on his Night Rod Special with Rylee behind him. To anyone in Drago it was two couples out for a ride on a nice sunny day.

  “Boomer is in the caves. You’re not going to believe what he reported to me not more than five minutes ago.” Pit said, sounding flabbergasted.

  “What? Did he see who the person is that’s after me?” Cobra asked anxiously.

  Shaking his head, Pit replied, “No, he said that Calvin just arrived with Taco and they are having a picnic lunch together at the park.”

  Cobra blinked, thinking he hadn’t heard his leader right, “Taco? As in my maharishi, Taco? But, Smoky said that Taco was occu… wait, you don’t think that Taco is on a date with Calvin do you?”

  “You do know that Taco is a dragon, Cobra. I highly doubt Cal would be dating a dra… huh, I take that back. Azul and I have date night when The Voice is on. So, continue with your conversation.” Bren said, with a wave of his hand.

  Pit smiled indulgently at his mate, then said, “Lex told Solo that Taco has been spending a lot of time at the grocery store, watching everything going on in there through the windows. It seems Taco has a fascination with the man.”

  “Calvin is always making special trips into the main town to get double orders of the family taco packs at Taco Bell.” Bren stated.

  “And I know that Taco is always messing with Calvin. At the Fourth of July BBQ I talked to Taco about it, and he told me that he thought Calvin was handsome and kind. He felt like there was something different about him, but he couldn’t put his finger on it.” Rylee said.

  Cobra looked at the men around him, asking, “Are you thinking that Calvin is my sentience?”

  Shrugging, Pit replied, “We don’t know. However, he could be the one sending you those letters, Cobra.”

  Handing over the new letter to Pit, Cobra said, “I just found this in the garage on my motorcycle.”

  Pit read it and said, “This is odd. How would Calvin or anyone know that you would be taking your bike out today?”

  “Or which one you would be taking.” Bren muttered.

  “I need to go and confront the man. If he’s the one sending these letters, I want to know why, and what kind of threat we’re facing.” Cobra practically snarled.

  “Wait!” Rylee shouted, as Cobra restarted his engine.

  Turning it off once more, Cobra faced his second’s mate. Rylee looked at Cobra, saying, “I know these letters have everyone in a tizzy, but Cobra, they could just be from a guy that has a fascination with you. Calvin is really sweet and he’s kind, just like Taco says. He always keeps candy behind the register to hand out to the little ones. If anyone has something they really like and can’t find, Calvin will go out of his way to find it and get it for them. He is the first to welcome any newcomers to our town. He doesn’t seem like the sinister foe you guys tend to come across. I don’t know why he’s in Drago, and I didn’t ask, but just be careful with him.” Cobra went to say something, but Rylee held up his hand, stopping him, “I’m just saying don’t go in there guns blazing. Just talk to him, find out if he’s been sending the letters, and then decide what needs to happen next.”

  Rylee’s words made sense, but still Cobra knew that something had to make the man mail a letter to him every year for the past twenty-four… well, it would be twenty-five years in a couple of weeks, and there was only one way to find out why.

  Pulling up to the park, Cobra quickly shut off the engine and dismounted from his motorcycle. He had purposefully parked on the opposite side, so Calvin wouldn’t know he was there. As he got closer to where he was supposed to meet Calvin, Cobra heard laughter and felt a shiver run over him. What the fuck was that?

  Looking out towards the beautiful sound, Cobra saw Taco and Calvin sitting on a blanket next to the pond, tossing something into the water, and laughing at the ducks as they s
crambled for whatever food his maharishi and Calvin were giving them. The slight breeze caused Calvin’s hair to flutter around his face, and when he brushed it aside, Cobra imagined running his hands through it to see if it was as soft and silky as it looked. The man looked small and dainty, for lack of a better word… androgynous.

  “How is it that in all these years I’ve never met him?” Cobra snorted, then answered himself, “Because, you make it a point not to know anyone in Drago, dumbass.”

  It was a true-enough statement. Most of the people living in the town owned and run by D.O.A., were either people that had been on the wrong side of the law and flipped on another person, or seen things they shouldn’t have and were terrified of their own shadows. Cobra knew his size and attitude scared most, so he stayed away from the people here as much as possible, often taking more assignments just to get away. Besides, Cobra wasn’t much of a people person.

  Wiz was doing background checks on all the residents of Drago at this very moment. He had informed everyone this morning of an interesting tidbit about Calvin.

  Cobra didn’t know much about Calvin, and it was odd to discover most of the other agents didn’t either. According to Pit and Wiz, Calvin came to Drago twenty-six years ago as a very young man through their old FBI contact, Clem Mitchel. Clem had only told them Calvin needed a place to lie low, and when the time was right, Clem would come for him. However, Clem never did come for Calvin, and now the old man was retired and his last known location was somewhere in Florida. Wiz was doing everything he could to locate the guy now. However, Cobra was not known for his patience. He wanted answers and he wanted them now.

  “Only one way to get them. It’s time Calvin and I said hello.”

  Just as Cobra started towards his dragon and his dragon’s new best friend, another breeze blew, and this time it was a bit more forceful than the last. The smell that caught Cobra had him gasping in shock. “No fucking way!”

  Drawing in a deeper breath, Cobra felt his cock thicken and stretch within his tight-fitting jeans as a pool of saliva filled his mouth, then a rush of unimaginable heat started from the tips of his toes, and rushed throughout his body all the way to the top of his head.

  ”Sentience,” Cobra rasped. Calvin was, as shifters would say… his mate.

  CHAPTER 3

  “Are you sure he’ll come?” Calvin asked Taco.

  Smiling, Taco tossed in another small piece of bread, “He’s already here.”

  Calvin looked left then right, before finally seeing the man he had long yearned for walking towards them.

  “Oh shit.” Calvin gasped, feeling his nerves bundle up, and he just knew he was going to puke up the lunch he had just eaten.

  “It’s about time you got here. I was too hungry to keep waiting and they were some of the best tacos I’ve ever eaten.” Taco said with a laugh.

  “You and your love of tacos. Are you gaining weight, maharishi mine?” Cobra asked with a small smile.

  “Fuck you, asshole.” Taco grumbled.

  Raising a brow, Cobra asked, “I thought you didn’t like Terminator? Well I can honestly say you do a pretty good Schwarzenegger impression.”

  Cobra turned to look at Calvin, “Hello, Calvin. I got your notes. Want to tell me how you knew I would be taking my bike today?”

  Calvin’s eyes rounded, his mouth opening and closing like a fish.

  Taco quickly said, “I’m the one that put the note on your bike. I needed to make sure you saw it before you left.”

  Calvin looked at Taco in confusion, however, before he could say anything, Cobra turned to his maharishi, asking, “How long have you known?”

  Shrugging, Taco replied, “I’ve suspected for almost a year now. I wasn’t completely certain. I didn’t understand why you had never gone into dragon heat, nor had I, but the pull has been getting stronger for the past two months.”

  “And you said nothing? How could you keep something like that from me, Taco? Did you not think I would want him?” Cobra asked angrily.

  The tone of Cobra’s voice going so cold and harsh brought Calvin out of his shock at being so close to Cobra for the first time since coming to Drago, “Please don’t yell at him. Taco is one of my closest friends, and he wouldn’t purposefully upset you, Cobra. He talks so highly of you and… well, I don’t want something I did to cause a rift with you and your maharishi.”

  Taco smiled down at Calvin, saying, “It’s alright, Calvin. We will explain everything to you in a moment.” Turning back to Cobra, Taco asked, “When was I supposed to tell you, Cobra? You’ve had us on one mission after another for years. When we are home, you close yourself off in the garage to mess with your bike, or stay in your rooms reading. You refuse to interact with anyone unless Pit forces you like he did for the Fourth of July Celebration, and even then you were in and out as much as possible so Pit wouldn’t know you weren’t talking to anyone. Then, with everything going on with Solo and his mates… I just had to be sure before I came to you. I didn’t want his feelings hurt if I was wrong.”

  “I understand that, Taco, but you should have told me. We might have been on missions, but we do have down time even then. You should have said something.” Cobra stated, sounding just as angry.

  “And what would you have done, Cobra. Calvin is a kind, loving, and sweet man. You look at the people here as if they are beneath you. Why? Because they made mistakes. Let he who has not sinned cast the first stone. Isn’t that what was said?” Taco argued back.

  Cobra’s lips tightened and his brows drew together, “I treat them that way because most of them have done more then make a mistake. Many of them have turned a blind eye to what others were doing that was causing hurt and pain to innocent people, and how can I trust them? They lie and would have continued to turn the other way had they not been caught to begin with.”

  “But Calvin isn’t like that. He’s here because bad people are trying to hurt him because of what he saw and did report.” Taco stated with pride.

  Rolling his eyes, Cobra asked, “How the hell do you know that? Because he told you? For all you know Calvin could be a really good liar.”

  “You two do know I’m standing right here, right?” Calvin asked, getting more than a bit perturbed. No one like to be talked about as if they weren’t there.

  Taco snorted ignoring Calvin’s words, “He is not like that. I’ve had months to get to know him and I agree, I don’t know everything, but I do know that he’s a good man. Worthy of any D.O.A. member. We just happen to be the lucky ones to get him.”

  Hearing the distrust coming from Cobra, Calvin felt any hope that he might have a chance with the man dwindling away. The very fact that Cobra wouldn’t even talk to him, Calvin felt his heart twist and tears building. He had made a huge mistake. He had allowed himself to wish for something he could never have.

  Turning, Calvin started to walk away, swiping at the tears that had begun to fall. Gods he was such an idiot. Gordy and Cameron were wrong. At least when he watched Cobra from afar Calvin could dream… believe… that one day he and Cobra could be together. Now he didn’t even have that.

  “Where do you think you’re going?” Cobra asked, grabbing Calvin’s shoulder.

  Not bothering to turn around, Calvin did his best to speak past the lump in his throat. “Home. I’m sorry I sent you the note. I-I won’t bother you again.”

  “Calvin, why did you send me all those letters?” Cobra asked.

  Calvin shrugged, but didn’t answer, not really listening to Cobra’s words. All he wanted to do was go home, crawl into bed and pretend like this day never happened.

  Cobra tried to turn Calvin around, but he refused to budge. It was embarrassing enough that he had enlightened Cobra to his true feelings for the man, and knowing what Cobra thought of him and the people of Drago hurt. It wasn’t his fault that his father was an evil asshole. Calvin had done everything to help the cops stop his dad from hurting any more people. He should have thought about the fact that his dad w
ould have so many of them working for him. If not for Clem, Calvin knew he would be dead by now. Hell, his dad had already tried killing him three times before Clem finally brought him to Drago.

  “Calvin, look at me.” Cobra ordered.

  Calvin shook his head, whispering, “I’m just gonna go. We can forget this ever happened.”

  “No, we can’t, Calvin.” Taco said.

  Looking up he saw Taco standing in front of him, giving Calvin an understanding smile. “What do you mean? I haven’t done anything to anyone. I’ll just go back to… wait!” Fear like Calvin hadn’t felt in twenty-six years consumed him, “Are… are you say… saying I have to le-leave Drago?”

  “No!” Both Taco and Cobra shouted at the same time.

  Calvin felt his fear receding a little but was still confused. “Then why can’t I just go home and we pretend this didn’t happen?”

  Cobra shocked the hell out of Calvin when he gripped Calvin’s shoulders and turned him around to face him. “Because, Calvin. You’re our sentience.”

  “I’m your what?” Calvin asked, looking up into the most beautiful caramel-colored eyes.

  “A sentience is like a mate to the shifter, or a spouse to the human world, but more. It means you are not just a part of our soul, but the essence of it. The reason Taco and I will ever take another breath." Cobra explained.

  Taco stepped closer to Calvin, tracing the side of his face with his large claws saying, “You are the heart that will provide the blood to our minds and body. You, Calvin, are the one we have dreamed of since our rebirth. We will love, cherish, and know that we have been truly blessed by the gods themselves, just from having you in our lives.”

  Cobra brought Calvin so they were chest to chest and leaned down, whispering, “We have hoped and prayed for you to come into our lives for centuries. There is no way we are going to allow you to leave us now.”

  The kiss that followed Cobra’s statement was hard, firm, and passionate. Tasting his mate for the first time was like nothing Cobra could have ever dreamed of before... and it was something he would do often.