The Dragon's Bidder (Tahoe Dragon Mates Book 3) Read online

  The Dragon's Bidder

  Tahoe Dragon Mates #3

  Jessie Donovan

  Mythical Lake Press, LLC

  Contents

  Tahoe Dragon Mates Series

  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

  Epilogue

  The Dragon’s Charge

  The Dragon’s Dilemma

  Author’s Note

  Also by Jessie Donovan

  About the Author

  Copyright

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  Books in this series:

  Tahoe Dragon Mates

  The Dragon’s Choice (TDM #1)

  The Dragon’s Need (TDM #2)

  The Dragon’s Bidder / (TDM #3)

  The Dragon’s Charge / Brad & Tasha (TDM #4 / Nov 12, 2020)

  The Dragon’s Weakness / David & Tiffany (TDM #5 / Jan 14, 2021)

  The Dragon's Bidder Synopsis

  In exchange for favors to help his clan, PineRock’s dragon leader Wes Dalton agrees to participate in a charity auction. After all, one evening dining or dancing with one lucky bidder shouldn’t be too hard to endure. Then he notices the true mate he can never have in the audience—Ashley Swift. When she wins him for the night, the battle begins between what his dragon half wants and what his human half tries to deny.

  Ashley Swift worked her way up the ranks of the American Department of Dragon Affairs and knows the ins and outs of dragon-shifters in her area. And while it’s against the rules and she knows it, Ashley is drawn to PineRock’s clan leader. They’ve danced around each other for years, but Ashley has finally found a way to spend an evening with Wes—a charity auction. Nothing in the rules prevents her from bidding, and she wins. One night is all she needs to get him out of her system, or so she tries to tell herself.

  As the pair dance around their undeniable attraction to one another, more than Ashley’s job or Wes’s position is at stake. They stumble upon unrest brewing in Reno, and it’s up to them to protect the clan. Only then can they think of a way to skirt the rules and be together.

  NOTE: This is a quick, steamy standalone story about fated mates and sexy dragon-shifters near Lake Tahoe in the USA. You don't have to read all my other dragon books to enjoy this one!

  Chapter One

  Wes Dalton barely resisted tearing off his stupid, confining blazer, and reminded himself of why he was standing backstage inside a human casino in Reno, Nevada dressed to the nines.

  He owed Ashley Swift and the American Department of Dragon Affairs—ADDA—more than one favor. And to repay it, he'd agreed to be one of the dragon males auctioned off for the night, the proceeds going to charity.

  In other words, he'd have to put aside his usual dominance and tendency to take charge like he did as clan leader and follow the whims of some stranger.

  Even with rules in place, Wes wasn't looking forward to it.

  His inner dragon—his other half and the second personality inside his head—snorted. Don't act like it's the worst thing in the world. After all, the rules mean we don't have to kiss or fuck anyone.

  True, but some human females obsessed with dragon-shifters might try to break those rules and that wasn't something he wanted to deal with. Regardless, I don't like being away from PineRock even if it's for just an evening.

  A lot had happened over the last nine months back on his clan, ever since one human and then another had come to live with his people. Not only had a mutiny been brewing among a handful of his clan members, there'd also been more than one attempted murder. And even though all of the traitors had been caught and dealt with, Wes still worried that someone had been overlooked and would try to attack the humans again.

  Humans that meant the world to their mates, ones who'd also won the hearts of many of his clan members. The thought of them being forced to flee to another clan for safety was unfathomable.

  His beast replied, We have our trusted team watching over them and the clan. Not to mention the humans' mates will guard them, too. One night away won't hurt anyone.

  Wes mentally sighed. You only say that because you're looking forward to people bidding on us.

  His inner dragon stood up a little taller inside his mind. Damn straight. If we're lucky, it'll be a human female who'll help slake my itch.

  Your itch for sex is not going to be fulfilled tonight.

  You never know. It could happen.

  An approaching charity coordinator, a female ADDA employee he'd never met before in person but only through video chats, approached him and cut off his reply to his dragon.

  The only good thing about the night so far was that one particular ADDA employee wasn't involved with the charity auction—a female named Ashley Swift.

  Because if she were, Wes didn't know if he could go through with the auction. She was, after all, his true mate. Not that he could ever claim his fated mate since she worked with ADDA, and relationships were strictly forbidden between their employees and dragon-shifters.

  And Wes's clan needed his leadership too much for him to throw it all away for a female, either. Some leaders might walk away for their true mate, but Wes had hundreds of people counting on him. That was more important than his own selfish desires.

  His dragon, on the other hand, kept fighting tooth and nail for her.

  Thank fuck Ashley wasn't here tonight. Because if she had been, his dragon would've fought against any other female winning them.

  For once, it seemed as if Wes had a lucky break.

  The ADDA female smiled up at him—her name was Jennifer Sakamoto if he remembered right—and he pushed all thoughts of Ashley aside.

  She motioned toward the stage. "You're our final bid for the night and are up next. You have the cell phone we gave you and the special list of contact numbers, just in case anything goes wrong?"

  Even though Wes was a clan leader, ADDA didn't completely trust any dragon-shifter inside one of the human cities. Not even in a place like Reno, which was constantly full of tourists and its fair share of interesting people, meaning Wes's height and distinct tattoo would often go unnoticed.

  His dragon snorted. Until our pupils start flashing to slits.

  Ignoring his beast, Wes nodded. "I have both things, though I hope I don't need either of them."

  "Good. Then just remember to smile and stay quiet on stage, and we'll do the rest." Jennifer paused and added, "Thank you again for doing this. The orphaned dragon program desperately needs all the money we can raise as more and more half-dragon babies are abandoned at our front doors."

  The orphaned dragon program helped relocate babies left on ADDA's doorstep, usually by a human who'd had an unapproved fling with a dragon-shifter. "Of course. And remember what I said earlier—PineRock is more than willing to foster some of them, too."

  After bobbing her head, Jennifer turned, and he followed her to his final waiting spot at the side of the stage. Through the curtain, he heard the applause die down, and the emcee's voice filled the room again. "Thank you, Ms. Johnson, for your generous bid! Enjoy your night with the handsome young gentleman from Clan StoneRiver. Now, the next man up for a night on the town is a very special guest indeed. Have you ever wondered what a dragon-shifter clan leader is like? Well, ladies and gentlemen, the wait is over! Welcome our final partici
pant, Wes Dalton, who is the leader of Clan PineRock."

  Taking a deep breath, Wes entered the main stage and did his best to smile. The bright lights made it hard to see at first, but as everyone sat down and the clapping slowly ceased, his eyes adjusted, and he double blinked at the packed room.

  He'd heard how the ADDA-sponsored orphan charity auctions were popular, but seeing it in person was different than hearing about it. There had to be somewhere between two and three hundred people in the room.

  Most of which had some sort of numbered card in their hands. He wondered how many would bid for him.

  His dragon shrugged his wings. Most of them. We are the greatest catch of the evening.

  Just as the emcee began the bidding process, Wes noticed one of the females in the crowd lifting a numbered sign. The human was a familiar one with dark hair piled atop her head and dark blue eyes he'd never forget.

  He stopped breathing. After all, he'd only ever seen Ashley Swift in her buttoned-down shirts and pants, but tonight she was in a tight-fitting black dress. A dress that revealed more creamy, pale skin than he'd ever seen from her before.

  And she was staring right at him, her numbered card raised in the air.

  She was bidding on him.

  Both male and beast wanted to roar, rush off the stage, and make a beeline for her.

  Ashley, their fated mate, should be the one who claimed their night. After so many years of saying he couldn't have her, a pounding need coursed through his body.

  Both man and dragon wanted Ashley for one night, even if that was all he'd ever have.

  The thought of her not winning made him clench his fingers into fists. She was so close and yet still so far.

  As the bidding continued, he barely listened to the dollar amounts. He couldn't look away from Ashley's eyes, made all the brighter by her makeup.

  Damn, she was beautiful. And while it was as dangerous as hell to wish it, he wished with everything he had for her to win.

  However, he had no control over the situation, and he fucking hated it. Wes was used to being in charge, making decisions, and steering the future of his entire clan.

  And now all he could do was wait and hope like hell that Ashley wanted to win this as much as he did.

  Resisting a growl, Wes did his best to control his emotions and waited to see who won.

  It was foolish for Ashley Swift to attend the special ADDA charity auction for many reasons. The place was full of dragon-shifters and other ADDA employees she was usually forbidden to dally with outside of work hours. Every other year, she'd been able to resist and stay home.

  But not this time. No, this time there was someone in the auction she'd always wanted to know better. Ever since she'd met Wes Dalton over three years ago, she'd been dangerously drawn to him.

  No, more than drawn. Whenever their eyes met, her heart raced, and it took a hell of a lot of effort just to keep breathing.

  And that was just when discussing work issues and dry-as-bone protocols. She'd probably combust if they were ever alone together somewhere private.

  True, there were drawbacks to being around him, too. He provoked her more than any person she knew, and he often stoked her temper. But he was also funny and cared deeply for his clan.

  Just as she cared deeply for all her charges under the protection of ADDA.

  Which meant neither of them could ever do more than trade barbs for a few minutes here and there. At least, until she'd finally figured out a loophole—the charity auction.

  The rules and fine print allowed ADDA employees to bid since the charity was registered independently from their organization. Also, ADDA wanted to help raise as much money as possible to help the orphaned dragon children and didn't want to turn away potential donors.

  So Ashley had decided to seize her only chance to be alone with him and bid on Wes Dalton. Since all she did was work or read, she'd saved up a lot of money over the last ten years at her job. And she'd gladly spend it to help a great cause and pretend she was just a normal human woman out on the town with a dragonman.

  No rules, no restrictions, no job title. She could be just a woman for once.

  A free woman who'd finally ended the farce of an engagement six months ago. She may not be able to ever have Wes, but she'd always want him. No other man could ever compare.

  Tonight would have to be enough.

  When Wes finally walked out on stage, all sexy in his button-up shirt and blazer, her jaw nearly dropped open.

  She knew he was like most dragon-shifters and had a muscled body from so much flying. But damn, he looked good in more formal wear. Add in his auburn-colored hair, brown eyes, and chiseled jaw, and any straight woman would probably start drooling after him, too.

  When Wes finally met her eyes, even from her spot in the middle of the room, she noticed how his pupils flashed. They did that a lot with her—the change signaling that his inner dragon was speaking to his human half—and not for the first time she wondered what his dragon talked about. Was it her? Or, about how much he wanted her to go away so that Wes could focus on his clan and finding his own true mate?

  As a teenager, Ashley had hoped she was a dragon's true mate. But the longer she worked inside ADDA, the more she grew wary of it becoming true in the present day. Because if she was one, she'd have to quit her job.

  Then who the hell would she be? Work was her life, and no matter how much she loved books, reading wasn't exactly a career option.

  However, as Wes continued to stare at her, never glancing away, she forgot about all that and shivered. Wes's eyes instantly flashed quicker.

  Maybe he was focusing on her because she was familiar. Yes, that had to be it. Because in all their previous interactions, he'd never looked at her like this before—a mixture of heat and something she couldn't define.

  To be honest, the lack of usual irritation in his gaze was a little unsettling.

  The emcee's voice filled the room. After they finished introducing Wes, the bidding started.

  Ashley raised her sign, but so did a number of other women. As the price went up, her competition went down.

  And by the time the bid reached two thousand dollars, it was between her and one other woman.

  Bring it, lady. Ashley had wanted the night with Wes before, but after his smoking-hot gaze and seeing his sexiness in that shirt and blazer, she would have him, no matter what it cost.

  The bid reached five thousand and the other woman hesitated. After the last calls for more bids, the emcee slammed the small gavel and said, "We have a winner! Number 203, come to the side of the stage to give your donation and collect your prize for the night."

  After Ashley scooped up her purse and light jacket, she forced her gaze from Wes's and headed to the small table positioned to the left side of the stage. With each step she took, her heart raced faster.

  Wes Dalton was hers. At least, for one night he was.

  Thankfully due to the rules, there were plenty of boundaries to keep her from doing something stupid. Because without them and the threat of losing her job, she would throw her no one-night stand rule to the wind and try to seduce Wes.

  No. Can't do it, Ash. Not worth it. To many of her colleagues, working for ADDA was a job to pay the bills and nothing more. However, to Ashley, it was a calling. She wanted a better future for humans and dragon-shifters. And there were so many changes left to usher in, ones that would require years to accomplish.

  Sleeping with one dragon-shifter wasn't worth the untold amount of damage she'd do to others in the future if she were fired.

  No, tonight would be about teasing Wes and having a good time. If nothing else, it could strengthen their working relationship. Yes, that's what she needed to focus on.

  Ashley reached the table and went through the motions, writing her check, and getting her receipts. Once done, the woman helping her motioned toward a door off to the side. "When you're ready, he's waiting for you in there."

  As soon as Ashley turned from the
woman, she took a deep breath and stood a little taller. She hadn't cowed down to a dragon-shifter in a long time, and she wasn't going to let herself act any different around Wes tonight, either.

  They'd have some fun, and Ashley could finally get the man out of her system before focusing back on her work.

  That's right, just one night of fun, nothing else. And if Wes turned grumpy as he'd done in the past, she'd remind him that the bid was for a fun night out.

  At that thought, she smiled. It seemed for once she really was the one in charge out of the pair of them. Wes would hate it, which made it all the more entertaining.

  So Ashley headed toward the door and the dragonman waiting on the other side.

  Chapter Two

  Wes did his best not to fidget as he waited for Ashley to claim him, which was made more difficult by the fact his inner dragon was pacing inside their mind.

  Wes growled, Stop it. You're acting like this is going to be more than a one-night thing, and that's all it can be, dragon.

  But it's a night with our true mate. Maybe she won us for a reason, and there's a way to have her and still be leader of the clan.

  You think I haven't thought of that, too?

  However, despite searching through the dizzying fine print of the ADDA rules available to him—which wasn't all—and the laws surrounding all dragon-shifters in the US, he'd yet to find it. He wasn't a lawyer, though. And that gave him a sliver of hope that something existed to help. Maybe not for him, but for others.