“I wish you would’ve allowed me to carry that for you, Mrs. St Clare,” he grumbled.
“Son, I’ve spent over thirty years trying to persuade her to let me do the heavy lifting, she isn’t about to change now,” Brianna’s father pitched in with a low chuckle.
“I’m no damsel, Etienne, and you boys have done the heavy lifting, I’m only bringing up the light stuff,” her mother set down the box on the kitchen counter and blew out an impressive breath as she looked around the apartment again, “Brianna, I have to admit I was reticent when you announced you were leaving the city, but if this is what money can buy out here in the sticks, I can see the sense in it.”
“Thanks, Mom, B and I knew this was the right place when we first saw it,” Brianna beamed up at him as he easily placed down the two large boxes he carried and came to circle her in his arms, placing a kiss on her forehead.
“I could sure get used to that view,” her father added as he placed his hands on his hips and caught his breath. Brianna inwardly rolled her eyes, she knew her old man had been trying to keep up with Etienne with the unpacking of boxes, he had no idea that her dragon had been careful not to lift the boxes too easily.
“I have to admit, Brianna, I’m glad you got a place on the top of the building, I suspect those forests are full of bears, mountain lions, wolves even. I feel better knowing none will be able to accidentally wander in through an open window or back porch,” her father frowned.
Her family were city folk through and through and Brianna laughed at her Dad’s assessment. If only he knew what was lurking in the Darkhills. And if only he knew how her dragon would flambé anything that posed a threat to her.
“I’m sure I’ll be perfectly safe from any beasties, Dad” she grinned and gave Etienne a squeeze before walking over to link her arm through her father’s.
“John you’re ridiculous,” her mother pitched in waving her hand in the air, “Besides, Etienne here will slay anything that would dare go after our girl. Isn’t that right, young man?”
Brianna snorted her amusement. Her ‘young man’ nodded solemnly and crossed his arms over his broad chest.
“You can count on it.”
His voice was a deep baritone that made Brianna light up inside. She sure did love that voice; her dragon didn’t even need to touch her, and she was already on fire for him. Part of her couldn’t wait for her parents to leave, so she could Christen every square inch of their new home with her dragon.
“Behave, Little One,” Etienne spoke into her mind, “I will gladly fulfil your need to claim your territory soon.”
His eyes met hers briefly and the dark promise there made her insides clench in anticipation.
“Alright, what do you want us to unpack first? You want me to set up the bed?” Brianna’s father clapped his hands together, ready to get stuck back in.
“I can start on the kitchen and make us some lunch?” Her mom added.
Brianna waved her hand dismissively, “Don’t sweat it Dad, B and I can get all that done, you and Mom have done enough today.”
“Indeed, it was very gracious of you to assist, but Brianna and I can take it from here,” Etienne said politely as he gently took a box back from her mother’s hands.
“B and I would like to take you out for something to eat, to say thank you,” she added, “there is a great bar in town that serves the best nachos.” Brianna sing-songed knowing the promise of beer and nachos would convince her parents.
“You had me at ‘bar’,” her dad held up a hand and grinned.
“And you had me at ‘nachos’,” her mother added, “lead the way, B,” she instructed, swinging her purse over her shoulder.
As they all piled out of the apartment and headed toward the stairs, her mother linked arms with her and placed a small kiss on her cheek.
“I like this place, it suits you Brianna, and in case you hadn’t realised, your Dad and I, adore Etienne, he’s a real sweetheart.”
Brianna grinned; he was a sweetheart. He could set the whole world on fire should he wish, but to her, he was as her mother described, a sweetheart.
“Just what is ‘B’ short for exactly? I’ve not been able to figure your little pet name out.” Her mom asked.
Etienne and her father walked ahead and appeared to be discussing the security of the building and crime rates for the town. It looked like her dad was still uneasy about small-town life.
“OK, well, bear in mind that we met while I was doing that stupid hiking trip for a story,” Brianna began.
“Yes, I remember, and you told me there wasn’t a country mouse that’d taken your eye,” her mother slapped at her arm in admonishment.
“He’s hardly a mouse, Mom,” Brianna laughed,
“I’ll say, there’s definitely something in the country air, cos they sure don’t make men like that in the city,”
“OK, that’s gross, no more eyeing up what’s mine, please Mom,” Brianna screwed her nose up.
“I’m just stating the obvious, the boy’s a mountain,” her mother shrugged, “So come on, the nickname?”
Brianna sighed, “So he found me while I was having a few problems with life in the wilderness, and at first he scared the Hell out of me.”
“What was he doing in the forest again?” Her mother asked sceptically.
“He lived out that way and was out hiking,” Brianna added, “Anyway, he heard me having the worst time and magically appeared out of the trees to help me, only I didn’t know he was trying to help me, so I screamed, and called him a few choice names,” Brianna had practised this abridged version of events so many times now, it rolled off her tongue as if it were the truth.
“So, the pet name?” Her mother prodded,
“It’s short for Big Foot.”
Her mother cast a curious glance down at Etienne’s feet where he had stopped to hold open the lobby door for them to exit onto the street. She patted him lightly on the cheek, exclaiming him to be a gentleman as they passed by.
“You don’t say,” her mother whispered to her, before breaking into a fit of giggles that Brianna found impossible to resist.
“Did I do something amusing, Little One?” He said into her mind.
“No, B, you’re good.” She replied as she continued to laugh with her mother who was wiping tears from her eyes.
“They’ve started now, Son, there’s no telling how long this will go on for,” her father sighed dramatically and clapped his hand on Etienne’s back, “the sooner we get to that bar the better.”
Brianna watched through smiling eyes as the two men walked ahead of them down the street in the direction of the bar. Happiness flowed through her as she considered her good fortune.
She began her life with Etienne as a frightened and weak damsel in distress, but since knowing him, she had taken on challenges and proved what she was truly capable of.
The world she knew was far richer and diverse than she could’ve ever imagined, and she had grown into someone that made her proud. She had fought for what she wanted and pushed back against those things that threatened to rob her of her principles. She may not breathe fire or have wings, but she was just as bold and fearless as any dragon, and she possessed the greatest treasure of all.
“I love you, B,” she sighed happily into his mind.
“And I love you, Little One.”
The End
Acknowledgement
Thank you for reading Broken Slumber, the third instalment in my Darkhills series. I hope you enjoyed Brianna and Etienne’s story as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Writing and publishing these stories is a dream come true for me, and I couldn’t do it without the support of some very special people.
So I’d like to thank my long-suffering husband, who puts up with all kinds of nonsense from me and does so with a smile. My children for being my playmates when I just can’t look at a screen for a moment longer, my family and friends who have been kind enough to encourage and support me throu
ghout.
I also couldn’t have done this without the help of my beta readers and sense checkers. Michelle, without you lending me your keen eyes and expertise I’d be in a right pickle!
Last but not least, my wonderful readers! Your kind words and reviews are like a warm hug. – Thank you! x
About The Author
Elizabeth Greene
Elizabeth Greene is an avid reader and writer of paranormal romance. She loves action and adventure, feisty heroines and hot as hell heroes that leave you tingling in all the right places.
She enjoys writing the stories that come to her when her mind wanders, which is often. All her stories are unapologetically fantastical and more often than not, feature mythical creatures: shifters, vampires, demons, elves and whatever else takes her fancy.
The Darkhills Romance Series is a collection of standalone paranormal romance fictions that are cliffhanger free.
While the series can be read in any order, readers are encouraged to start at the beginning as there are a few characters that feature throughout the series. (What can she say? – Some characters just get under her skin and are simply too interesting to restrict to just one story.)
All her stories come with a happily ever after guarantee.
Books By This Author
Saved By The Big Bad Wolf
Raised by her grandparents, Rose Woods has lived a safe and steady life as a member of the Darkhills wolf pack. When her place within the pack is under threat, she is faced with an impossible choice:
Mate the Alpha or leave.
All seems lost until she is forced to defy pack law and go on the run with a mysterious and dangerously enthralling lone wolf.
Cayden Greystone is the rightful Alpha of the Greystone pack, but past tragedies have convinced him he is better off alone. That is until he meets Rose. When she’s threatened, his wolf’s need to protect and claim his mate has dire repercussions for them both.
Will the strength of their bond be enough to save them, or will pack covenants and past demons prevent a new moon rising for the Darkhills pack?
Saved by the Big Bad Wolf is the first in a paranormal romance series from Elizabeth Greene. If you like stories that feature action, adventure, feisty heroines and hot as hell heroes that leave you tingling in all the right places, then you’ll love what is waiting for you in the Darkhills.
Intended for an 18+ audience, this story contains steamy sex scenes, scenes of violence and some strong language.
Trigger warning: This story contains mention of sexual assault but is not explored in any detail.
Escaping The Beast
This was the last time, she vowed.
Never again would she settle his debts or give him an alibi… she had said the same thing the last time, and the time before that.
When Katherine was summoned to help her charlatan father with his latest business deal, she convinced herself to go to her old man’s rescue. She was, after all, studying to become a lawyer and assisting him with the terms of a contract should’ve been a walk in the park.
What she hadn’t expected however, was that a deal had already been struck: her freedom had been sacrificed for her father’s. Determined not to act the victim or let her poker face slip, she finds herself negotiating terms with the devil himself.
One thing she is absolutely certain of; she won’t let her heart become part of the negotiations. Even if there is something about the dark and dangerous Lucian Nightingale that calls to her.
Lord Lucian Nightingale was preparing to leave the Darkhills to seek new distractions from the void of his long, immortal existence. Deciding to tie up loose ends, he agrees to an unconventional proposition from a man who owes him a large debt.
He never expected to fall for the woman who strode into his mansion like she owned the place. Drawn in by her intelligence, stubbornness and false confidence, Lucian finds himself compelled to know her better and quickly becomes determined to win Katherine’s trust and heart.
If he can do that, perhaps he can prove that he is not the beast that he first appears to be, and she might hold the key to banishing the loneliness that haunts him.
Broken Slumber
Her heart thumped and her body ached as the forest scratched and clawed at her, but there was no way she could possibly stop.
Brianna St. Clare was running for her life, of that she was certain. The problem was, she had no memory of what she was running from.
A dragon shifter’s lair becomes the perfect place to hide, and there’s no better creature to protect her from the repercussions of her past crimes, than a dragon.
As the two of them try to piece together the gaps in her memory, Brianna finds herself drawn to a man with whom she couldn’t be more different. She wants her life back, but some of the dragon’s possessiveness is rubbing off on her, and now she’s wondering if she can keep what is hers.
Etienne tasted her fear on the wind and his dragon demanded he act.
Having rescued a lost and frightened woman in the woods, he may have found a new purpose for living.
However, she is a journalist who had her memory wiped because she planned to expose the paranormal world. Is his dragon’s fascination with the woman preventing him from doing what he should, to protect others like him?
All he knows is, his drive to possess, protect and pleasure the woman will either save or destroy him.
Broken Slumber is a dragon shifter paranormal romance and is the third in the Darkhills series. While each story can be read as a standalone, readers may wish to also read the earlier books: ‘Saved By The Big Bad Wolf’ and ‘Escaping The Beast’. Each book comes with a Happy Ever After.
This slow-burn, BWWM PNR contains steamy love scenes and some crude language. Recommended for an 18+ audience.
Broken Slumber: A Darkhills Romance Page 17
