Red Hot Dragons Steamy 10 Book Collection

by Lisa Daniels

  “Who told you that?” he demanded, knowing there were really only a couple of ways she could have come by that information.

  Could Sam and Rowan really be working together for some obscure reason I don’t understand in the least?

  Cypress willed his temper not to flare.

  “I have friends everywhere,” Rowan jeered, tracing a finger over his chest.

  Name one friend you have, Cypress wanted to challenge her but he held his tongue. For the time being, he needed to make nice with Rowan, no matter how much it churned his gut to do it. She knew something, certainly more than he did, and he wasn’t going to rest until she told him what it was.

  “Why don’t we go grab something to eat?” Rowan suggested, her eyes blazing with whatever she was on.

  “Sure,” Cypress agreed. “Just give me a minute to grab my stuff.”

  She seemed stunned by his about-face and gaped at him for a long moment.

  “Oh. Oh, okay, good,” she mumbled. “I-I need to make a phone call anyway.”

  I wonder who she’s calling, Cypress thought, but he was getting a fairly good idea what was going on. She and Sam were in cahoots, but for what reason?

  What could Rowan possibly have that benefits Sam?

  It bothered Cypress to know that Sam, one of his oldest friends and the last dragon he knew in New York, would turn on him.

  But he lied to me about Graciela and I think he lied to her, too.

  First, he would need to confirm his theory with Graciela and together, they could confront Sam.

  “Meet you at the back studio entrance in fifteen minutes?”

  “Sounds perfect!” she agreed, grinning. He watched as she wandered off, reaching into her pocket for her cell phone, and he hurried into the offices. His instinct had been to follow her and hear if she was calling his agent, but the desire to see Graciela won out.

  But when he got to her workspace, the lights were out and even her assistant was nowhere to be found.

  I bet she didn’t come in today because of me. Gods, I handled everything so badly yesterday. I need to learn how to control my temper.

  It was too late to undo the damage that was done, but he vowed to make things right with Graciela later that day.

  If I hurry, I might still hear the tail end of Rowan’s conversation, he thought, rushing back into the production site.

  He heard Rowan’s voice before he saw her, the door to her dressing room ajar slightly.

  “…coming around, Sam. Don’t be so suspicious.”

  Of course he could only hear her side of the conversation, but that didn’t stop him from listening, slowly putting the pieces together with each word she spoke.

  “We had a connection once. I can forge it again… I don’t care what he says! Things have changed now. I’m one of you.”

  Ice chips formed in his veins.

  One of us? Rowan is one of us how?

  “No, Sam! I’m being careful. I’m doing what we planned all along. Consider this a done deal. Soon you’ll have your weyr, strong and powerful as ever!”

  Oh Sam… what the hell did you do?

  “I have to go. He’s waiting for me.”

  When he was sure she was off the phone, Cypress pushed his way into the dressing room and Rowan gasped in shock.

  “Oh! Jesus, Cy, you scared the shit out of me.”

  “What did he do?” Cypress demanded. “What did he do to you?”

  She blinked and Cypress could see a thousand thoughts racing through her mind as she tried to play innocent.

  “What are you talking about? I’m starving. Let’s go for lunch. I’m thinking sushi—”

  “He turned you?” Cypress whispered in disbelief. “How? When?”

  She lost the blank look on her face, her emerald eyes hardening.

  “What difference does it make?” she snapped. “I’m one of you now. I could have been a long time ago, too, if you’d done me the service of turning me yourself!”

  “Oh gods…” Cypress muttered. “He knows better than that! It’s dangerous, fatal, even…”

  He trailed off as he realized something.

  “You’re not even high, are you?”

  “Nope! I’ve been clean from the moment Sam found me and gave me a transfusion of his own blood. Not even a craving! I’ve never felt more alive, Cy! I can’t believe you didn’t share this secret with me.”

  I can’t believe Sam did!

  But it made perfect sense. It was why Sam was pushing for them to be together. How long had it been since a female dragon had wandered the earth? A hundred years? Two? There was a reason they were facing extinction—there were no females to impregnate.

  But the side effects…

  The mania in Rowan was already apparent but that was only the beginning of what would happen to her. Mortals were not intended to be dragons and even if Rowan was able to carry a dragon child to term, the stress of it would kill her.

  She’s going to die anyway! It’s just a matter of how long before it happens.

  “Rowan, we need to exsanguinate the blood from your body and cleanse you of all the dragon blood you have,” Cypress told her, reaching toward her. “You need to trust me—you’re not well.”

  “Didn’t you hear me? I’ve never felt better! I may not be able to shift, but I can see better, hear better. I’m faster, stronger—and I can help build a weyr for all of us to live in. Sam told me all about the days when dragons protected one another,” Rowan gushed on like a lovesick teenager, oblivious to reason. “We can be a family again. We can rule the world!”

  “Rowan—”

  “All I need is your seed, Cypress. You don’t have to love me. If you want to go back to that boring mortal bitch, I won’t stand in your way,” she rushed on. “Please! Let me build our family.”

  “Rowan!” Cypress barked. “Do you hear yourself right now?”

  “Sam can’t have children,” she sighed. “He hates that, but you and I could start something amazing!”

  “Rowan…” his voice was barely a rasp. “You need to look at me.”

  But she was already gone, wrapped up in the fantasy that she was going to singlehandedly birth a litter of dragons to repopulate the world.

  I am going to murder Sam with my bare hands.

  “Rowan, why do you think Sam didn’t come to me with this plan?” Cypress tried to reason. “Because he knows how dangerous it is.”

  “I know the risks and I don’t care!” she insisted. “Look at me, babe! I’m ready to be yours!”

  “It’s not going to happen,” Cypress hissed, his eyes flashing. “I don’t agree to it.”

  Rowan sighed and shook her head.

  “Sam said you’d be difficult. I guess there’s only one way to see this through,” she sighed, spinning to leave. “I’m going to have to kill your girlfriend.”

  There was no time to consider his actions and suddenly he had morphed, fire spraying endlessly from his mouth to block her from leaving.

  She whirled, her eyes huge at the unexpected reaction.

  “Are you trying to kill me?” she screamed as the flames licked upward. The sound of terrified howls filled his ears but he ignored them, his eyes fixed on Rowan.

  “If you go near Graciela,” he growled, “I will do far worse than kill you. I’ll make sure you live out the rest of your few days in excruciating pain.”

  “You fool!” Rowan spat, staring up at Cypress hatefully as he hovered near the roof, his wings fanning over the ceiling. “Get down here! Look what you’ve done!”

  Around them, fire licked the wood floors, but Cypress didn’t flinch, his eyes boring into her.

  “You haven’t seen half of what I can do,” he promised. “If one hair on Graciela’s head is harmed…”

  “Then give me what I want!” Rowan howled, her face twisting into an ugly scowl. “If you do as you’re told, no one will get hurt.”

  “This is not a negotiation,” Cypress insisted, spittle gleaming on his silv
er teeth. “You touch her, you die.”

  “If I die, Sam will kill her anyway!” Rowan shrieked and Cypress glowered.

  She’s right, he realized. If I want this to end, I’ll have to take out Sam.

  With a screech, he swooped down, grabbing her shirt between his teeth and pulled her through the roof of the burning room, vaguely aware of the gaping faces who had piled out into the outside lot to escape the fire.

  It’s a television studio, he rationalized. I’ll figure out a way to explain this away.

  Chapter Twelve

  Confrontation

  “If you make one sound or cause any alarm, I’m not going to be happy,” Cypress growled in Rowan’s ear.

  “Sam is going to force you to do what he wants,” Rowan said with a smugness that Cypress couldn’t begin to comprehend.

  What did he do to her? How many others like her are out there?

  Personal feelings toward Rowan aside, Cypress was disgusted that Sam would do such a thing.

  He’s treating the mortals like lab rats. Doesn’t he remember this is what led to our near-extinction in the first place?

  It was dragons like Sam who had become too arrogant, not happy sharing the planet with the mortals, who had led to an uprising which had cost many dragons their lives.

  He was reminded of the incident in the marketplace all those years ago when Troy had tried to steal Miss Rachel Morrison and things had gone so terribly awry.

  Even then we knew it was the beginning of the end. Those who do not study history are doomed to repeat it, Cypress thought miserably.

  “Where is Sam?” Cypress demanded as they entered his office. Lydia, the receptionist, beamed at him, her pearly white teeth gleaming brightly.

  “Mr. Landry! How wonderful to see you!”

  “Where is he?” Cypress demanded again, pleasantries forsaken. “Is he here?”

  “He’s just on his way out. Is he expect—oh, Mr. Landry, let me announce you—”

  Cypress pushed Rowan into the inner office and slammed the door with so much force, it reverberated throughout the space. It was a small miracle that the glass didn’t shatter.

  “Cypress!”

  “Are you out of your fucking mind?” Cypress growled. “What were you thinking?”

  Sam grinned but the expression didn’t quite meet his eyes. He cast Rowan a wary look.

  “I see Rowan couldn’t keep her mouth shut.”

  “How did you see this insanity happening exactly?” Cypress demanded. “I was going to fall in love with this one as she slips further into shifter psychosis? Did you tell her that she’s going to die?”

  “She’s aware of the risks,” Sam said quickly, shooting Rowan another look. “She’s willing to take them if it means rebuilding our kind.”

  “She’s not our kind! She’s a guinea pig who is literally going to drop dead any day now! Rowan, don’t you get it?”

  “Stop scaring her, Cy, and keep your voice down. There’s no harm in trying—”

  “I can’t even talk to you idiots. How many more like her are out there?”

  Sam shrugged nonchalantly but he didn’t answer and Cypress felt his anger mounting insurmountably.

  “Are any of them pregnant?” Cypress asked in disbelief, his head swimming with the idea. “How long have you been at this, Sam?”

  “You’re really not looking at the big picture here, Cy,” Sam complained. “Don’t you remember what it was like when we ruled?”

  “We adhere to the laws of nature and the gods,” Cypress retorted. “We accept when the time has come. We don’t play mad scientist and kill mortals for our benefit!”

  “Interesting that you would say that,” Sam chuckled. “Considering who your mate is.”

  “What the hell does that mean?” Cypress snapped, defensiveness surging through him. “Are you talking about Graciela?”

  “I am,” Sam agreed and flopped onto his chair with an exhale of breath. “Aren’t you slightly curious how a mortal might be your mate?”

  “You said she couldn’t be,” Cypress reminded him.

  “And you believed me?”

  Even Rowan snorted.

  “Anybody with eyes can see you two are fated to be together,” she grumbled, a note of jealousy creeping into her voice. “It’s disgusting.”

  Cypress didn’t understand anything which was happening, but he knew he needed to see the madness through and ensure that Sam was done with this devious plan before he killed even more mortals, willing or otherwise. Suddenly, he felt a pang of shock in his chest.

  “Y-you turned Graciela!” he choked. “Is that what you’re telling me?”

  Oh gods, no. I just found her. Four thousand years of searching for my mate and she’s not going to live long enough for me to convince her we’re meant to be together.

  “I didn’t have to,” Sam replied. Fear prickled through Cypress.

  “What does that mean? Someone else turned her? Goddammit, Sam, stop speaking in riddles!”

  “She’s a carrier, Cy,” Sam explained patiently. “She’s mortal but she’s got dragon genes coursing through that pretty little body of hers.”

  “H-how do you know that?” Cypress asked, unsure if Sam could be trusted.

  “I make it my business to know,” Sam sighed. “Don’t you get it? This is my life’s work and you’re being a pain in my ass. All I want is your seed, brother, and then you can go on and have a dozen babies of your own with Graciela Kinrade if you want.”

  “No,” Cypress said flatly. “I’m not killing Rowan or any other woman so that you can have your army. Rowan, you need to get a full blood transfusion. I can’t guarantee it will work but—”

  “No,” Rowan interjected softly. “I’m not doing it. I told you, I’ve never felt better.”

  “You’re trading one drug for another!” Cypress shouted. “This euphoria you’re feeling is feigned. You’re quite literally dying as we speak.”

  “I know, Cypress. Don’t you think I should leave a legacy behind when I go?”

  Cypress shook his head vehemently.

  “I’m not doing it. You are both out of your minds. You stay the hell away from me and from Graciela. Do what you want but leave us out of it.”

  He spun to leave, knowing in his gut that it wouldn’t be the end of it, but Sam’s voice called out to stop him.

  “What do you think Graciela would do if she knew the truth about you? She’s already afraid of you, Cy. Imagine how she’d feel to know that you’re a terrifying beast underneath it all? Do you think she’d stick around?”

  Cypress slowly turned and looked at Sam. Instantly, Graciela’s scared face popped into his mind and he knew the agent was speaking the truth. Graciela would never recover from learning the truth about him.

  “Find another dragon, a willing dragon, to do this,” he hissed. “Why does it have to be me?”

  “You’re the only one in these parts,” Sam replied flippantly. “And Rowan hates to travel.”

  He smiled bemusedly but Cypress was repulsed by him.

  “Tell her,” he said flatly, making his decision. “Tell Graciela. I don’t want to lie to her about who I am. That’s not what mates do.”

  Sam’s smile faltered and his eyes became black stones of anger.

  “Should I tell her everything?” he growled. “Maybe she’ll forgive the fact that you’re a four-thousand-year-old killing machine, but will she let go of the idea that you murdered her ancestors?”

  “What the hell are you talking about now?” Cypress demanded in exasperation. He wished that Sam would stop being so coy.

  “You still haven’t figured out who she is, have you?”

  “I know who she is,” Cypress barked back. “She’s my mate and she isn’t going anywhere, no matter what BS story you give her.”

  “She’s the bastard daughter of Miss Rachel Morrison. You and your brother murdered her six-times great-grandmother as part of a botched kidnapping plan.”

  “I had n
othing to do with that!” Cypress roared. “I tried to stop Troy!”

  “That’s not what the villagers say. They saw two dragons, spitting fire and murdering the innocent for no good reason.”

  “That’s not what happened! I didn’t want to take Rachel Morrison.”

  “You’ve been a murderer for four thousand years,” Sam sighed. “Why would she think you’ve changed now?”

  “You don’t know anything about me,” Graciela replied, stepping inside the office, an impassive mask on her face. “Which is why you’ve so sorely underestimated me, Mr. Santos.”

  “Ah shit,” Rowan muttered.

  “Graciela!” Cypress breathed. “H-how did you know we were here?”

  “Like I said, I’ve been seriously underestimated,” Graciela answered, striding toward him. Instinctively, he reached out to encircle her waist with his arm and pulled her toward his strong chest protectively.

  “There’s nothing you can tell me about Cypress that will make me think poorly of him, least of all something that he did a million years ago.”

  “How noble,” Sam snapped. “But that doesn’t change the fact that I need him to do what I’m asking.”

  “No,” Graciela said quietly. “You’re not forcing him to do anything. Come on, Cypress. We have a show to prepare for.”

  “I can turn you, too!” Sam called out. “Make you immortal!”

  The desperation in his voice was almost palpable.

  Without warning, Cypress flew backward, half-shifted, and pinned the agent to his desk, saliva dripping from his bladed teeth.

  “If you come within ten feet of either of us again…”

  He didn’t finish his threat because he didn’t need to. The understanding was apparent in Sam’s eyes.

  Slowly, he let the smaller being up and turned back to Rowan.

  “I’m asking you one more time to come with us so we can get you the medical attention you need,” he told her gravely. “There is nothing Sam can do for you and he doesn’t care enough about you to help you. All he wants is his weyr, regardless of the cost to anyone else.”

  Sam glowered but he didn’t speak.

  “Sam loves me,” Rowan insisted, but there was less assertiveness in her voice than there had been before.

  “If you change your mind, Rowan, you know where to find us,” he said. “Come on, Graciela.”