Damaged Dragon's Forbidden Love (Shifter Doctor Daddies Instalove Romance 1)

CHAPTER ONE

BRIANNA

Never in my life had I harbored the desire to become a breeder.

“Brianna, eat your toast.”

I cringed at the authoritative tone my father often used with me. I was a grown woman living on a lavish estate in Savannah, Georgia, wanting for nothing, and yet I felt like I had absolutely nothing worth being proud of.

Except for my cousins. They were my world.

Bartholomew and Mathias were twelve and thirteen, respectively, seated on either side of my father on the other side of the lengthy dining room table. Mother sat to the right of Barty with my brother, Nathaniel—the brilliant, yet always loaded doctor—across from her.

“Brianna,” Father repeated with clenched teeth. “Eat your toast. You need your strength to teach your cousins how to fly this morning.”

“God forbid I decide I don’t like toast,” I muttered under my breath.

Father glared in my direction to which I responded with a sweet smile and replied in my ever-so-innocent voice, “Of course, Father.”

“Atta girl.”

I lifted my toast, making a show of slathering an obnoxious amount of cream cheese and jelly onto it, prompting my cousins to snicker uncontrollably from their seats. Mother eyed me carefully, a look of amusement in her eyes that shifted to concern when Father cleared his throat.

“So,” he said politely. “You received another proposal this morning.”

I stifled the urge to roll my eyes. It never ended around here with these breeders. “How wonderful.”

“Don’t sound so ungrateful, Brianna. You have more suitors than anyone has in our family’s past.”

“I must be so lucky.”

He cleared his throat again just a little louder than the first time. “More than lucky. Each suitor has exceeded our requirements tenfold. And this one is the most promising.”

“What’s his name?”

“Lance Aurelius Nelson the Third.”

I dropped my toast, crumbs scattering in every direction and inspiring the maid standing nearby to clear up my mess. I shooed her away, choosing to clean my own mess, thank you very much. I didn’t need someone waiting on me hand and foot. I was more than capable of self-care.

Well, for the most part.

“Lance,” I repeated without hiding my disgust, “is my ex-boyfriend, Father. He wasn’t exactly great dating material.”

“Maybe you need to give him another chance.”

I shook my head. “I don’t favor him. What about that dragon duke? You know, the one from overseas?”

“And have you whisked away to Europe without hearing from us again? No.”

“Oh, what a pity that would be. I’d suffer.”

He slammed his fist into the table, inspiring silence. That was how Father was—when he didn’t get his way, he made a show of his authority. After twenty-five years of witnessing such tantrums, I was bored of it.

“You will respect the proposals offered to you, Brianna Marie Thornton, and you will decide by the end of next week.”

I stared at him. “Excuse me?”

“The family line needs to be continued since your drunk brother won’t do it.”

Nathaniel raised his red-rimmed gaze to me, a steely look in his eyes. I focused on my father. “Right. All about breeding.”

He dabbed his lips delicately with a cloth napkin. “That’s right. End of discussion. It’s time for the boys’ flying lessons. Please, don’t leave the garden again. We got complaints from the neighboring mansion last week about some burned bushes.”

The boys chuckled and I bit back laughter, trying to retain a serious expression. “Of course, Father. Come along, boys.”

Barty and Mat glanced at my father, waiting to be excused. He politely sent them after me, his eyes drilling into my back as I exited the dining room. I could feel his burning gaze follow me.

But that didn’t matter. Fresh air was precisely what I needed this morning. I stepped onto the porch with my cousins and sent them off onto the garden path, instructing them on proper shifting techniques that would minimize body damage.

The only reason I took up giving them lessons was to get in some flying time. As an adult, I didn’t often get to shift, since I had so many responsibilities at the health center. That was voluntary as well, and only to get the hell away from my family.

My shoulders ached as I drew on the familiar golden cord hiding within my soul. I called my wings and scales forth, willing them to appear along my skin. Within seconds, I was a fully formed golden dragon, standing three stories high with massive wings and sharp silver talons.

The boys were much smaller than me, maybe a third of my size, but just as vicious, both an iridescent green with a golden sheen as was customary with our family lineage. We bounced from the ground and took to the skies, heading to the garden exit.

* * *

The health center was my sanctuary. It was where I could pretend to be a human for a little while, safe in the knowledge that both my best friend and the resident doctor were dragons as well. We kept each other protected. That’s what dragons did.

A flurry of movement erupted down the hall. Soon, my best friend came into view wearing her usual tawny brown scrubs with a pink lanyard. Blond hair like straw trimmed in a stylish pixie cut framed her face with her green eyes bright, alert.

“I can tell you had caffeine,” I teased. “Any for me?”

She held up a cup and slid it across the counter. “Always.”

“Has the doctor come in yet?”

“You mean your dreamboat boyfriend?”

My eyes widened as I focused on Geraldine.

“You better shut up,” I hissed.