Slay All Day
Page 24
Harrison blinked. “What?”
Elise’s stomach knotted even more. “If I’m lacking, something bad might happen.”
“You are not lacking.”
“Jeez, lower your voice!” Elise tossed an everything-is-fine smile at the assembled fey. “Nothing to see here, folks. Just a little pre-crown chit-chat.”
There were murmurs. Uneasy ones. I know the feeling.
“Bad…like how?” Harrison wasn’t keeping his voice quiet.
“I don’t know. I supposed a worst-case scenario situation would be the whole kingdom plunged into darkness and my black, black heart explodes?”
He scooped her into his arms. “You are not lacking.”
Good to know he thought so.
“And fuck the crown. If it kills people, it’s not touching you.”
There were gasps. Some tears and some folks even dropped to their knees when they heard his words.
“Stop,” Elise’s voice came out oddly calm.
He stopped his frantic dash to the door.
“If I don’t take the crown, it goes to my brother. You know what happens then.”
His lips thinned. “I can kill him. Then it won’t be an issue.”
A woman fainted. A very graceful faint into the arms of the man who stood behind her. Fey had flair, everyone knew that.
Elise shook her head. “I have to do this.”
He looked at the crown, then back at her. “No, you don’t. I’m here to tell you that you never have to do anything you don’t want. You can leave the kingdom right now, and I’ll help you. Hell, I’ll fly you out. You matter. You come first. I stand with you, always.”
That was so sweet. She kissed his stubbly cheek. “Thank you.” Another kiss. “But I need you to put me down.”
Growling, he did.
Her gaze swept those in the hall. The men. The women. The children. They were all waiting. Depending on her.
“We’re going to take care of these people.” Elise nodded. Her fingers twined with Harrison’s. “We’re going to take care of this kingdom. We are going to—”
Something slipped over her head.
She gasped.
There were murmurs. Some more tears. At least two other fey fainted—a man and a woman.
Elise’s left hand lifted. “The…crown?”
Harrison’s mouth had dropped open. “Was it supposed to fly to you?”
The crown…had chosen. That was what it did. It chose the next ruler. It judged…
It had found her worthy.
Magic poured through her body. Magic and power and joy. So much joy. Blue and gold light swirled around her as Elise let out a laugh of pure delight.
The crown had chosen her.
She looked at her dragon.
And she had chosen him.
She locked both arms around Harrison, hauled him close, and kissed her mate.
***
Harrison waved away the guards. “I need a minute.”
They hurried to obey. He’d found that everyone was jumping to obey these days.
Almost everyone.
Ardon glowered at him. The fey was chained in his cell, a beard covered his jaw, and his once pristine appearance looked a bit wilted. “What the hell do you want, dragon?”
“Honestly? For you to be dead and no longer a threat to Elise.”
Ardon stiffened. “So you’ve come to kill me? Now that she’s queen, you’re going to eliminate the last threat to her. I heard you already took out the wraiths.”
“Oh, yes, taking out those bastards was step one after I came back to this realm.” He considered that situation. “Your father was responsible for them, huh? Bound you to them when you were a kid? Elise said they were made of darkness. She thinks their darkness seeped into you. Tainted you.”
“The fact that I had a demon father seeped into me.”
Harrison’s lips twisted. “Guess we both have daddy issues.”
Ardon rose. His chains clinked against the stone. “Are you here to kill me or annoy me?”
“I’m not going to kill you…yet.” Though a quick death would certainly make things easier. “Elise thinks you still have good in you. I’ll see how that pans out first.” He unlocked the cell. Stepped inside.
Ardon’s chin notched into the air. “If you’re not killing me, then what are you doing?”
“I’m here to beat the shit out of you.”
“What?”
“Remember when you fired that blue light and hit Elise? And she was hurt?”
“Uh…”
“Yeah, I remember, too…” Harrison drove his fist into Ardon’s face.
***
Elise stood in their tower. They had an honest-to-heaven tower. Harrison still couldn’t quite believe that. He’d grown up living in motels, hiding in condemned buildings, hunting and tracking every minute, and now he lived in a glittering, fairy-tale castle.
She was waiting for him, standing at the foot of their massive bed. She was completely naked, and her wings—those gorgeous, delicate wings—stretched behind her back. There was no sign of her crown.
“You disappeared on me.” Her lips pulled down. “I was worried about you.”
“I had to take care of a little business.” He stalked toward her. Stopped when he was less than a foot away. Drank her in. “You are the most gorgeous thing I’ve ever seen.”
Her gaze warmed. “Funny. I was about to tell you the same thing.” But a furrow appeared between her eyes. She reached for his hand. “Your knuckles are red. What happened?”
“I tripped, and my fists fell into Ardon’s face.”
“Harrison—”
He picked her up. Scooped her into his arms and took her mouth. The kiss was long and hot and ravenous. The way he always kissed her. His need for her hadn’t dissipated. It grew more and more every day.
“I didn’t kill him,” he muttered against her mouth. “Let him live. For you.”
She kissed him back. A long, savoring kiss. “You’re awesome, but you have on way too many clothes.”
He felt the charge in the air and when he glanced around, he saw little blue sparks dancing around them. And just like that, his clothes were gone.
Harrison smiled. His wings flapped as he lifted them into the air. Hers moved in gentle time with his. He was about to do his new favorite thing—sex in the air with Elise. Apparently, there were some serious benefits to being a dragon.
He kissed her. Her legs wrapped around his hips. He wanted to thrust deep into her, but he had to make sure she was ready for him. His hand worked between their bodies. Slipped over her clit. Oh, hell, yes, he loved it when she moaned just like that. Loved it when she arched against him. Loved it when she—
“I want you in me, Harrison!”
Exactly where he wanted to be. He drove into her. They both gasped. Their wings beat against the air. Their bodies heaved. Faster and harder. Deeper. Rougher. She clawed at his arms.
He yanked her tighter against him.
He kissed a path down her throat. Licking. Biting. Marking her. Loving her.
Her sex clamped greedily around him as she came, and she whispered his name.
He exploded right after her, an endless release that left him wrung out as they fell and collapsed on the bed. He sucked in a breath. Then about twelve more as his heart drummed madly in his chest. There was nothing that compared to sex with Elise. Nothing. He caught her fingers in his and brought them to his lips. “Elise?”
She stretched drowsily. Sexily. “Yes?”
“Thank you for being my best friend.”
Her head turned. Her eyes met his. Misted a little. He heard her give a quick, sweet hum before she told him, “Thank you for being my happy ending.”
He leaned forward and kissed her. “Sweetheart, you’re my happy ending.” She was his everything, and Harrison knew that Elise always would be.
The dragon had finally found his treasure, and it was her. He would protect her and he would love her
for the rest of his life.
And if anyone tried to hurt her…
He’d burn those bastards to ash.
No one fucked with the dragon’s queen.
The End
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One Hot Holiday
She’s running for her life. He’s the safe haven she never expected to find. The holiday season is about to get HOT.
Hiding out for the holiday season in the heart of the South? Not something that Haley Quick ever expected to have on her to-do list but then…she never expected her ex to want her dead, either. Turns out, life is full of surprises. Time to deal. Haley has ditched New York for a crazy little dot on the map known as Point Hope, Alabama. It’s a town gone extra crazy for the holidays, and Haley is sticking out like a sore thumb with her very much Grinch-self.
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He just got his Christmas wish.
Sheriff Spencer Lane can’t believe his luck. The most beautiful, fascinating woman he’s ever seen has just dropped into his life like a gift from, well, the big guy in red. Only the problem is that Haley seems to think Spencer is some by-the-book, nice guy. Probably because of the badge. And if she wants him to be the hero, that’s a role that he’s happy to play for her. But the truth is, Spencer has plenty of darkness inside, too. Ex Special Forces, he knows how to get sh—um, stuff done. He also knows how to be very, very naughty.
When danger threatens his Haley, all bets are off. No one is going to hurt her. No one is going to threaten her. Not in his town. Not on his watch. The nice guy will show Haley just how bad he can be.
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A Note From the Author
Thank you for reading SLAY ALL DAY. I was so excited to write another paranormal story and getting to release this tale right before Halloween made me extra happy. Dragons, fairies, and monsters…oh, my. This one was such fun to write! Bring on the paranormals!
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Again, thank you for reading SLAY ALL DAY.
Best,
Cynthia Eden
cynthiaeden.com
About The Author
Cynthia Eden is a New York Times, USA Today, Digital Book World, and IndieReader best-seller. Cynthia writes sexy tales of contemporary romance, romantic suspense, and paranormal romance. Since she began writing full-time in 2005, Cynthia has written over one hundred novels and novellas.
More Information
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Her Other Works
Wilde Ways
Protecting Piper (Wilde Ways, Book 1)
Guarding Gwen (Wilde Ways, Book 2)
Before Ben (Wilde Ways, Book 3)
The Heart You Break (Wilde Ways, Book 4)
Fighting For Her (Wilde Ways, Book 5)
Dark Sins
Don’t Trust A Killer (Dark Sins, Book 1)
Don’t Love A Liar (Dark Sins, Book 2)
Dark Obsession Series
Watch Me (Dark Obsession, Book 1)
Want Me (Dark Obsession, Book 2)
Need Me (Dark Obsession, Book 3)
Beware Of Me (Dark Obsession, Book 4)
Only For Me (Dark Obsession, Books 1 to 4)
Mine Series
Mine To Take (Mine, Book 1)
Mine To Keep (Mine, Book 2)
Mine To Hold (Mine, Book 3)
Mine To Crave (Mine, Book 4)
Mine To Have (Mine, Book 5)
Mine To Protect (Mine, Book 6)
Mine Series Box Set Volume 1 (Mine, Books 1-3)
Mine Series Box Set Volume 2 (Mine, Books 4-6)
Mine Series Deluxe Box Set (Books 1 to 6)
Lazarus Rising
Never Let Go (Book One, Lazarus Rising)
Keep Me Close (Book Two, Lazarus Rising)
Stay With Me (Book Three, Lazarus Rising)
Run To Me (Book Four, Lazarus Rising)
Lie Close To Me (Book Five, Lazarus Rising)
Hold On Tight (Book Six, Lazarus Rising)
Lazarus Rising Volume One (Books 1 to 3)
Lazarus Rising Volume Two (Books 4 to 6)
Lazarus Rising Deluxe Box Set (Books 1 to 6)
Bad Things
The Devil In Disguise (Bad Things, Book 1)
On The Prowl (Bad Things, Book 2)
Undead Or Alive (Bad Things, Book 3)
Broken Angel (Bad Things, Book 4)
Heart Of Stone (Bad Things, Book 5)
Tempted By Fate (Bad Things, Book 6)
Bad Things Volume One (Books 1 to 3)
Bad Things Volume Two (Books 4 to 6)
Bad Things Deluxe Box Set (Books 1 to 6)
Wicked And Wild (Bad Things, Book 7)
Saint Or Sinner (Bad Things, Book 8)
Bite Series
Forbidden Bite (Bite Book 1)
Mating Bite (Bite Book 2)
Blood and Moonlight Series
Bite The Dust (Blood and Moonlight, Book 1)
Better Off Undead (Blood and Moonlight, Book 2)
Bitter Blood (Blood and Moonlight, Book 3)
Blood and Moonlight (The Complete Series)
Purgatory Series
The Wolf Within (Purgatory, Book 1)
Marked By The Vampire (Purgatory, Book 2)
Charming The Beast (Purgatory, Book 3)
Deal with the Devil (Purgatory, Book 4)
The Beasts Inside (Purgatory, Books 1 to 4)
Bound Series
Bound By Blood (Bound Book 1)
Bound In Darkness (Bound Book 2)
Bound In Sin (Bound Book 3)
Bound By The Night (Bound Book 4)
Forever Bound (Bound, Books 1 to 4)
Bound in Death (Bound Book 5)
Boxed Sets
Lazarus Rising Volume One (Books 1 to 3)
Lazarus Rising Volume Two (Books 4 to 6)
Lazarus Rising Deluxe Box Set (Books 1 to 6)
Bad Things Volume One (Bad Things, Books 1 to 3)
Bad Things Volume Two (Bad Things, Books 4 to 6)
Bad Things Deluxe Box Set (Bad Things, Books 1 to 6)
Only For Me (Dark Obsession, Books 1 to 4)
The Beasts Inside (Purgatory, Books 1 to 4)
Mine Series Box Set Volume 1 (Mine, Books 1-3)
Mine Series Box Set Volume 2 (Mine, Books 4-6)
Forever Bound (Bound, Books 1 to 4)
Cynthia Eden has written many other works. Check out her full book list.
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