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  APEX

  DRAGON’S BLOOD

  M.C.

  BOOK 1

  Copyright © 2017 by B.A. Stretke

  Published by Superiorland Publishing

  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. Any resemblance to any person (living or dead), place, or event is purely coincidence.

  Apex: The geometric center of a turn. The point at which a turn is negotiated at the highest speed and the motorcycle’s direction has changed.

  CHAPTER ONE

  Chance Bashford moved from the large round table by the window to the counter as soon as he saw the three, large leather clad giants enter the coffee shop. He wasn't stupid enough to think that they wouldn't force him to move considering the other tables were all small compared to their bulk. They weren't fat; they just took up a lot of space. They were huge men, tall and muscular.

  Chance’s short, thin frame wouldn’t hold up under any sort of aggression from any of them. He preferred to move of his own accord rather than wait and risk having them move him by force. One punch and he’d probably be out for a week. He noticed that three came inside while several remained outside talking.

  The largest of the three took the seat Chance had been using and as soon as he sat down, acted as if he were looking for something. He kept glancing around the table and then down at the chair he sat in. Chance didn’t stare but could watch him easily through a reflection in the cookie display case that was situated on the counter to his right.

  Chance figured he could watch the breathtakingly handsome man without detection. Chance loved large, powerfully built men. He felt himself drool a little when the large man flexed his arm to take a menu from one of the other guys. His muscle tone was fantastic and his face, so full of hard lines and dark features, Chance felt himself getting hot.

  Everything was fine and Chance was really enjoying himself, until the moment their eyes met in the reflection. Apparently, the man could see Chance just as clearly as Chance could see him. Chances heart lurched and his breath caught in his throat.

  Chance averted his eyes immediately but still noticed the big guy getting up. You don't stare at men like him and live to tell about it. Fear swamped Chance as he grabbed his phone and took off out the back of the seating area and ducked into the kitchen. If the guy followed, he wouldn't know if Chance went to the bathroom, the kitchen or out the back door. Hopefully, he wouldn't feel inclined to check all three possibilities.

  Chance’s friend Dane was a cook at the little café/coffee shop and was cleaning some of the machines when Chance came in and hid behind the door. “What’s up?” Dane whispered to him.

  “A big guy caught me staring.” Chance whispered back. Dane nodded and motioned him to come over nearer the refrigerator where he could hide out of sight from the doorway, in case the guy came into the kitchen.

  “Stay there and no one will see you.” Chance crouched down and Dane went back to cleaning equipment.

  "Thanks." Chance stayed crouched there for what seemed like an eternity and was considering heading out the back door when he heard the kitchen door swing open and he knew the big guy was there. He could feel the intensity in the air and the vibration of the floor beneath his feet. Dane would try to divert him, but Dane wouldn't be able to help in a fight. He wasn't much bigger than Chance, who stood five foot six and a hundred and fifteen pounds. The two of them together wouldn't be able to raise a bruise on the big guy.

  "You can't come back here; it's against health department regulation." Dane stepped up to block Chance from view. If the man came too far into the room, he would see him. Thankfully he seemed to have stopped at the entrance.

  "I'm looking for a little man that headed back in this direction." The man spoke and Chance thought he felt the ground vibrate again, or was it just his nerves. The tone was so deep and menacing that Chance thought he might wet himself. Fear like nothing he ever experienced spiked through him as he held his breath and squeezed his eye shut, willing the man to please leave.

  “There is no one here.” Dane was lying through his ass and thank God he was good at it. There was a deafening silence for a few moments before the other man spoke again.

  “Well, if you happen to run across him, small, blond with big, blue eyes, tell him Calum Keith is looking for him.” The man did not say another word and did not wait for a response, just turned and left the kitchen.

  Chance fell to his knees and covered his face with his hands. “I’m a dead man.” He whispered and then looked up at his friend, hoping for answers or even just a piece of advice. After a few moments of silent staring, Chance lowered his eyes to the floor in front of him.

  "Whoever he is, he's not from around here. So maybe he and his friends will be moving on soon." Dane answered, a hesitation evident in his voice. "Stay here for a while longer. They're probably just stopping for coffee. I'll keep watch and tell you when they leave."

  Dane moved to the front of the kitchen and over to where he could keep an eye on the main room. The small window in the door off to his left gave him a shitty view, but the men at the front table were not easy to miss.

  "Thanks, Dane." Chance didn't know what else to say. He appreciated his help but also felt tremendous guilt for getting his friend into such a dangerous situation.

  “That guy is huge, Chance. Why in the hell did you choose him to piss off?” Dane went about his duties, never taking his eyes off the main room, but kept up a conversation with Chance who was still seated by the refrigerator.

  “I didn’t even realize I was staring until I got caught, and then it was too late.” Chance whispered.

  "His friends are just as menacing looking as him. They sound like a biker gang." Dane's conversation was not comforting in the least.

  “Shut up, Dane. I’m scared enough as it is.”

  “Oh, don’t worry, they won’t hang around just to beat your little ass.” Dane turned slightly to make eye contact with Chance. “I think he just wanted to scare you. He had to know you were here and he just walked away. Guys like him eat and breath intimidation, but he isn’t going to go out of his way to hurt you.”

  Chance stayed right where he was seated. He wasn’t taking any chances on getting caught. He might just sleep the night there by the fridge and hope things looked better in the morning.

  “They’re getting up and the big guy, Calum, is paying the cashier.” Dane paused and then quickly ducked to the side and pressed his back to the wall. “Fuck, I think he saw me.”

  “Not you too.” Chance mumbled.

  “No, they’re leaving. Oh, thank God.” Dane moved over to where Chance still huddled. “I’d wait a few minutes and then duck out the back door. Go straight home and lock the door.”

  "That was my plan." Chance stood up and moved towards the door that leads to the hallway. He hesitated for a while still afraid the big guy was out there somewhere waiting to pounce.

  "Wait here; I'll go out and make sure they're gone." Dane pushed past him and went out onto the main floor. Chance watched from the small window in the door. Dane stood by the big front windows looking up and down the street and then headed back towards the kitchen.

  “It’s safe, their gone.” Dane seemed sure of himself so Chance zipped up his hoodie and made quickly for the backdoor. Once he was in the ally, he felt the apprehension crawl up his spine and take root in his imagination.

  The ally was dark since the sun was beginning to set. Chance didn’t li
ve far from the café but it seemed like miles as he rushed to get home. He lived with his cousin, Blake, but he wouldn’t be any help if those bikers showed up. Blake wasn’t the type to stick his neck out for anyone, not even family.

  Blake had offered Chance his extra room for financial reasons only. Chance needed a place and Blake offered him a room at what he thought was a fair price. They weren't friends and they lived very separate lives. Blake wouldn't think twice about handing him over to that big biker if the guy came knocking.

  …

  Calum waited in the café for longer than he intended. After three cups of coffee and two donuts, he decided it was time to leave. The little guy was not coming out of the kitchen. He was scared, Calum understood that. He and his men were a little threatening to men like the cute little blond hiding in the kitchen.

  He motioned for his friends to follow and he approached the cashier who seemed a bit uncomfortable with their presence, but was quite professional and didn’t make an issue of it. It was while he was standing in front of the cashier that he noticed the cook in the back watching him. The guy knew he was caught and quickly ducked out of sight.

  Calum paid the bill and led his men back out onto the sidewalk and over to where they'd parked their bikes. He stood there for several moments staring at the small café before turning to his brother Bryn. "We're staying a few days. Find us some lodging." Bryn nodded and pulled out his phone and began searching.

  “You interested in that little human who sat at the counter?” Bryn asked as he continued to study the information on his phone.

  “Yes.” Calum didn’t elaborate. He wasn’t certain, but he believed that the young man might be someone very significant. The vibrations he felt while in that café brought on feelings of something old and deeply profound.

  “Okay, we’re booked at the Laramie Inn, five rooms for three nights.” Bryn stuck his phone back in his pocket and gave Calum his complete attention.

  All the guys came closer as Calum gave them instructions. “Keep a low profile. Well, as low as is possible. But remember no going to jail and no property damage.” With that, Calum let them go and investigate the town with orders to check in before morning. He wasn’t surprised when his brother Bryn and his friend and Second, Alrick stayed behind.

  “What are you planning, Calum?” Alrick leaned back on his bike, a black and chrome vintage Harley Davidson Shovelhead and crossed his arms over his chest. “What has you all pent up about that blond headed human?” Alrick was always to the point. They’d been riding together for too many years for Alrick not to know what was on Calum’s mind.

  “He smelled too good. I need to get closer.” Calum told his friend.

  Alrick chuckled, but there was a hint of hope in his eyes. “You think he’s special?”

  "I believe he 's special, but he's scared. I followed him into the back of the restaurant after he bolted. He was hiding behind a fridge." He shot his friend a small grin. "I didn't have the heart to frighten him further, so I just dropped my name and asked his friend to let him know I want to see him. I thought I was subtle and non-threatening."

  Both Alrick and Bryn busted out laughing. “Subtle, nonthreatening? Have you looked at yourself in a mirror lately?” Bryn asked and continued to laugh. “That kid was probably scared shitless just to have made eye contact with you. I can’t even imagine how scared he was when you followed him. Hell, you even scare me sometimes.” Bryn was riding him now. He loved his little brother but he could do without his mouth.

  "Okay, so I might have upset him, a little." Calum conceded the point. "He's going to be sneaking out the back door pretty soon and I plan to follow him. You two can head to the inn and I will meet you there later."

  “Sure you don’t want us to help you find him?” Alrick offered. Calum ignored them. Calum loved his Clan but sometimes they could be a big pain in his ass.

  Calum got on his bike and pretended to drive away with them, but just parked down the street about a block. He then walked back towards the café and ducked down the alley that ran behind.

  …

  Calum and his men had been traveling the Amerca's now for over a hundred years. They left their dragon circle and their home on the Shetland Islands in Scotland and traveled to America to find a place and a future. Unfortunately, they had yet to settle anywhere. A new place, a new experience, seemed always to call. Their search seemed endless.

  Calum had led his men through many battles and many missteps in their pursuit of a new home. They left their birthplace and their Circle in hopes of finding that connectedness that would spur on the growth and power that had eluded them on the Shetlands. Their King, Duncan Adair, sent them on this quest to find their bonds.

  It had been centuries since any of their Circle had found their mates, their bonded ones, and without mates, there was no growth. Children were only possible through the union of fated pairs. The Clan Keith, led by Calum Keith set out on this journey with high hopes of finding their mates and propagating their Dragon Clan and Circle. As the years and decades passed their hope suffered, but their duty to their King stood fast. They would continue their quest until satisfaction was theirs.

  Calum hadn't told his friends or his brother exactly what he'd felt when he sat in that café chair and smelled that deep earthy, evergreen scent. He was cautious, not wanting to get their hopes up if it turned out to be nothing. Although, when he locked eyes with the blond beauty in the glass reflection, the feeling was electric and nothing was going to stop him from following the man. That was until he tasted the man's terror.

  He rounded the side of the café and went to the back door. The man had exited there minutes before; he could smell him, so clearly. Not sure of how to approach the skittish little human, Calum had opted to back off and follow at a distance once he'd left the café. Now he wondered if he should have just spoken to the man while in the kitchen and tried to calm him. The more the frail human ran, the more afraid he would be. Nothing he could do about that now.

  He could see the blond about fifty yards ahead of him and was careful to keep hidden as he followed. The longer he trailed the man, the more he experienced, and the more he was certain this man was his. Whoever the blond man was, he belonged to Calum Keith of the Clan Keith of the Shetlands Dragon Circle. The recognition was heady and satisfying. After one hundred years, their quest had begun to be realized.

  His men will be ecstatic to hear that he’d discovered his mate, here in this dusty town on High Plains of Wyoming. They had been told by their seer at the time of their departure that when the first mate was found, others would follow. His heart rate continued to increase with the excitement of what lay ahead. His mate was small, and he was beautiful and Calum looked forward to learning all there was to learn about him.

  For starters, he ached to know his mate’s name. He watched as the man hurried through the streets and came to, what looked to be, a converted school building. The building now housed apartments and appeared a bit run down. The little human took a quick glance over his left shoulder and then ducked his head before disappearing within the structure.

  He didn’t see Calum, but his fear was still apparent. Calum walked up to the front door, entered quietly and listened. He could hear his mate’s footsteps and followed the sound to the third floor. He watched from the head of the stairs as his mate came to the door at the end of the long hall and, after inserting a key, unlocked the door and entered.

  Calum pulled out his phone and called Kyle, one of his men who grew to be a computer genius in this new age of technology. Kyle would get him the information Calum wanted, he always did.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Chance hurried passed his cousin who was lounging on the sofa and went straight to his room. He closed and then locked the door, he wasn’t sure why, it just seemed safer. His mind instantly went back to the man in the café. He’d been careful to wait until it was clear and then sneak out the back. He checked several times on his walk home and, he saw no one foll
owing.

  It looked like he might have gotten away, this time. Never again would he allow himself to get caught staring. If Dane hadn’t covered for him, he didn’t want to consider the painful things that could have happened to him. The biker guy was huge and his friends, damn, they were a massive bunch of mean muscle. If he didn’t have to go to work tomorrow, he would stay in his room for a couple of days just to make sure they didn’t find him, if they were still looking.

  Chance took off his hoodie and dropped on his bed and ran his fingers roughly through his hair. He lay there for a while staring at the ceiling and wondering what the big biker was doing right now. He was safe in his room so he felt he could let his thoughts wander. The guy was something; he was everything Chance wanted in a man, lover, or boyfriend. He chuckled as he said the word. That man did not look like boyfriend material, but Chance wished it to be true.

  Whoever he was, he looked like someone who had led a tough life and wouldn’t take shit from anyone. Chance wished he didn’t have to take shit, but it seemed to come his way on a regular basis. Between his cousin, Blake, and his boss at the Salon, Angela, he took enough grief to last him two lifetimes. But he needed a roof over his head, and he needed his job, so he took their shit and kept smiling.

  Chance wasn't a stylist or anything cool like that. He was the receptionist and one-man cleanup crew. He took care of the stylist's stations, the nail techs desks, and the entire spa. He was the first one there in the morning and the last one to leave at night. He was certain that the biker guy would never find him at the Loveday Salon and Spa. They were not the Salon type. He smiled at the thought. He could go to work in the morning and not be afraid of bikers beating him up.

  The guy was probably long gone by now anyway. They were a biker club, the patch on their leather jackets read Dragon's Blood and it depicted a fierce, fire-breathing dragon. Those people never stayed in one place too long and Chance doubted that Laramie would hold much interest. Damn but that guy was handsome, though. The intensity of the green eyes that met his in that reflection had his heart leaping into his throat and it wasn't all due to fear. That look was sensual and in a way, it seemed almost carnal in its depth and hunger. His square jaw and dark stubble were just bonuses on a man who was the perfect bad boy, perfect wet dream.