Dragon Star (A Shifter Football League Novel) Read Free Page A

shifter, besides the molten pools of gold in his eyes. He was nothing like Jae. It was like all of his bad sides— the insecurities—had been reversed in his dragon brethren.
    Could Jae change?
    Not likely. Cass fell onto her bed before Jae stormed into the room and yanked her up.
    “I'm not through with you.”
    Cass had hoped he would be. She knew she had angered him by leaving.
    “I know what you're trying to do, and I don't appreciate it. After all that I did for you. Getting you this job, keeping you here, and this is how you repay me? Do you know where you'd be without me?”
    His fingernails cut into her flesh. Pain welled in tight circles around her wrists, but she wouldn't try to escape. If this was all she would get, good.
    He let go of her wrists, took her by the waist, and then spun her around until she faced the tall standing mirror.
    Dizzy, she stared ahead at her terrified reflection. Cass always thought herself a strong girl, but not even most shifters could stand up to a dragon. It would take a small country's military to take one out.
    “Lift your arms,” he hissed. When she didn't do it fast enough, he flung them up. A yelp escaped her as he lifted her shirt and tossed it.
    Cass didn't need to turn around to see what he wanted to show her, the scars from her failed escape. He had turned into his dragon and she had not gotten far. One swing of his claws tore her flesh practically in two, and she had the marks to prove it. Forever they would be there, three long gashes curling from her left shoulder down to her right side.
    If she turned around, she would see those terrible scars, a reminder that Jae controlled her, and always would.
    “Look,” he said.
    She flinched, her lower lip trembling.
    How terrible that she couldn't control how scared she was...
    Cass had dealt with many nasty shifters in her line of work. She always knew when they would be angry or full of hate. Jae had snuck in, pretending to be good. He had tried to play the nice guy in the beginning, which was far more dangerous.
    “Look,” he said again.
    She turned and saw the horrible scars. Tears formed in her eyes, and for a second, she thought they would disappear without him knowing. There was nowhere to go but out. Cass blinked as the hot tears streamed down her cheek.
    “Every night, I want you to look in this mirror, just like this, and remind yourself what it's like to anger a dragon.”
    He paused. He tilted her chin up and then kissed her, something rare for him to do. He tasted acidic. She wanted desperately to spit and cough.
    “The only dragon,” he said.
    What about the other eleven? She wanted to ask that, but she knew she would probably have a new set of scars.
    What about Nico?
    In Jae's mind, he was the only dragon that mattered.
    And the only person who should matter to Cass too.

    * * *
    C ass lay on her bed and peered out the window, the view tormenting her, showing her what she couldn't have.
    She wouldn't anger him again. There would be no one who could save her. She was sure that if Jae was pushed far enough, he would kill her. Cass would stay here.
    Where she would always be from now on. Locked in this beautiful golden room, her golden cage.
    She didn't know how long she'd be immobile on top of the sheets if it weren't for her mother's call.
    Cass rolled onto her knees and then sank back, the phone pressed to her ear, her skin still cold and sweaty from the fear Jae had put in her.
    “Hi, Mom.” Her tone betrayed her true feelings. It was upbeat, without strain.
    “Hey, how are you doing, Cass? I haven't heard from you in a while, and I know that the team has an extra week off, so I thought it'd be fine to call you.”
    “I'm good, Mom. You know you can call me anytime. I'm not that busy.”
    “Oh, nonsense. Wait...hold on, someone wants to speak to you.”
    Cass' Mom put her younger sister on the phone. From behind her, she could hear her older brother trying to push in for a turn.
    “Now wait your