by Vella Day
Destiny In Flames
Hidden Realms of Silver Lake
Book 4
Vella Day
Destiny In Flames
Copyright © 2018 Vella Day
Kindle Edition
www.velladay.com
[email protected]
Cover Art by Jaycee DeLorenzo
Edited by Rebecca Cartee and Carol Adcock-Bezzo
Published in the United States of America
E-book ISBN: 978-1-941835-72-2
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author except in the case of brief questions embodied in critical articles or reviews.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events or locales, is entirely coincidental.
One shifter. One mate. No exceptions.
When dragon shifter, Declan Sinclair, was asked to travel to Earth to heal someone, he thought it would be an easy in—easy out affair. Boy had he been wrong. Not the healing part, but what happened during his one-hour visit: he met Chelsea McKinnon. The bad part? His body had exploded with need like he’d never experienced before, which was wrong on so many levels. Declan already had a mate. Sure she’d died in the line of battle, but everyone was aware of the golden rule: one shifter, one mate, no exceptions. So what the hell was going on?
The moment wolf shifter, Chelsea laid eyes on Declan, she knew the two of them belonged together. She was so convinced they were fated for each other that she gave up her life on Earth and moved to Tarradon. So what if Fate said they couldn’t be together. She’d find a way. Too bad the journey wasn’t anything like she thought it would be. Instead it was dangerous and challenging, but oh, so hot.
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
About the Book
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Excerpt From Passionate Flames
Other Books by the Author
About the Author
Chapter One
We’re not in Kansas anymore, Toto, are we?
Far from it, her wolf answered, sounding excited.
Chelsea McKinnon wanted to pinch herself. The sudden warmth, the intense stars plastered against the sky’s inky backdrop, and the distant rolling hills drew her in like nothing she’d ever experienced before. Wow. Had she really just traveled to another realm in a matter of seconds?
“So?” her brother Finn asked. “How was your first portal experience?”
“I’m still trying to absorb it all. It was almost too easy.” She took a step to make sure the ground was real and then glanced over at Finn and his mate. “This place is remarkable. You didn’t do it justice when you described it.” It was vast. Open. Clean. And best of all, warm—a far cry from Tennessee’s chilly winter weather. Chelsea unbuttoned her heavy vest.
Kaleena laughed. “There will be a lot more surprises and experiences in the coming weeks. Speaking of which, are you ready for your first dragon flight? We should get going.”
Heart still pounding, Chelsea grinned. “Oh, yeah. I’m so not going to be a wimp like my brother was on his maiden voyage.”
Finn laughed. “Don’t forget when I first arrived, I didn’t know dragons existed.”
“I’ll give you that.” Poor Finn had been blindsided by everything within seconds of his arrival. “How about showing me your big dragon self? You say you’re huge but seeing is believing.”
Neither he nor his mate had dared to shift when they visited Earth since they didn’t need anyone to freak, especially because few knew that dragons even existed.
Finn glanced over at Kaleena. “Ready, my love?”
“Always.”
Both Finn and Kaleena stepped back, and in the blink of an eye, they shifted. It might have been pitch black in the middle of the empty field, but Chelsea’s sharp shifter eyes were good enough to make out their huge shapes. Holy shit, they were big. Kaleena’s black scales were sprinkled with a light rose color, whereas Finn’s were interspersed with dark maroon ones. She couldn’t wait to study them in the daylight.
“You’re huge.”
Her brother approached and held out a claw. He’d already explained how flight worked, so there was no reason to be afraid.
“Should I climb on, or will you pick me up?” she asked, knowing full well her brother couldn’t answer.
A second later, she was in his grasp, being swept high into the air. Chelsea grabbed hold of his talon and tried to relax, but she wasn’t sure she succeeded. When Finn readjusted her in his claws so that she was facing downward, she pretended she was skydiving—something she loved to do. “This is amazing,” Chelsea shouted.
Finn squeezed her briefly to indicate he’d heard. Within minutes, the darkness gave way to the bright lights of the city below, meaning the too short ride was nearing its end. Darn. She wanted it to last longer.
He glided over the city toward its center. The traffic, crowded buildings, and street noise gave the town a very cosmopolitan feel. Then with a light touch, Finn set her down on top of a building, released her, and stepped back.
After he shifted, he smiled. “Like it?”
“I loved it. I can’t wait to go again.”
Kaleena laughed. “Are you sure you’re Finn’s twin?”
Finn snarled. “Watch it. I’d like to see Chelsea break into a castle and save you.”
Kaleena sashayed over to Finn, threw her arms around his neck, and kissed him. “Don’t worry, my love, you’ll always be my white knight.”
Okay, this was awkward. “Ahem, I’m right here,” Chelsea chimed in.
They both cracked up. “Let’s get you settled,” Finn said.
They headed down one flight of stairs before entering a long, well-lit hall. After taking the elevator down two more floors and walking the length of another hallway, they arrived at Kaleena and Finn’s condo.
Finn leaned over and used an eye scanner to open the door. That was cool. Chelsea stepped inside. “Whoa.” She glanced over at Finn. “You’ve come a long way, brother.”
Finn grinned. “It’s all Kaleena’s doing. You know my style—easy bachelor pad.”
How true. The upscale condo was lavishly decorated with rich beige leather sofas and artwork she bet cost a mint. One picture was of a waterfall, surrounded by lush greenery. She stepped closer, not sure how it was created. It wasn’t painted nor was it a photo printed on canvas.
“It’s laser generated,” Kaleena said, as if she could read Chelsea’s mind. “It’s quite a painstaking p
rocess and costly, but I had to have it.” From the way her skin blushed, she had a personal connection to the area, but Chelsea wasn’t going to ask for details.
Kaleena turned and walked across the living room to a small entryway. “Here is the guest room. I took the liberty of buying some clothes for you since your backpack couldn’t possibly hold enough for everything you’ll need.”
Chelsea didn’t know what to say. “You didn’t have to do that. I was planning on doing a lot of laundry,” she said as she joined Kaleena.
Her brother’s mate hugged her. “Nonsense. We’re family.”
“Thank you.” Her welcome was overwhelming. From the way Finn was eyeing Kaleena though, he couldn’t wait to be alone with his mate. “It’s late, so I’ll head to bed,” Chelsea said. “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you transporting me here.”
“We’re thrilled to have you,” Kaleena said.
Within seconds those two disappeared into their room, and Chelsea went into hers. No surprise, the bedroom looked like a designer had handpicked the green and blue décor. Not only did it have a large bed, there was a desk across from it and a seating area under a window. A guest could get used to this.
Despite being tired, Chelsea needed to shower. Her body still vibrated from the flight.
Her only regret in coming to Tarradon was in not being able to tell her friends where she was headed. Her parents knew, of course, and she’d sure miss talking to them—especially her mom. How long she planned to stay was anyone’s guess though. After the funding for the animal shelter was cut from her vet tech’s office, Chelsea had been laid off since she’d been the last one hired. Ever since then, she’d been unsettled and figured this was as good a time as ever to see where her twin lived.
You came because you want Declan, and you know it, her wolf said.
Declan Sinclair—the man who had haunted her dreams these past few weeks. She never would have believed that someone from another realm might be her mate. Then again, Finn and Kaleena came from different realms, and they were mates.
Fine. You might be right, she shot back.
This trip would give her a chance to see if she’d only imagined the alluring connection between herself and Declan or if it was real. She’d been around him for only a few minutes when he’d come to Earth to heal Ronan, but the intense draw had been undeniable. Chelsea sure hoped his good looks and that huge, strong body of his hadn’t been what had thrown her libido into overdrive.
No, they were mates; she was sure of it.
A knock sounded on her bedroom door. “Chels, are you up?” Finn asked.
Huh? Slowly, she cracked open her eyes, forgetting where she was for an instant. Sunshine, along with the warmth of the blue and green décor, greeted her. Holy shit. She’d slept in—something she rarely did. “Coming.”
She slipped out of bed, glad she’d decided on wearing body-covering cotton pajamas instead of her usual T-shirt. The moment she pulled open the door, the scent of eggs and bacon reached her—as did a smile.
“Breakfast is ready.”
She rubbed her eyes. “What time is it?”
“Eight thirty, but Kaleena needs to head to work soon,” Finn said.
Yikes. It was late. “I’ll be right out.”
After brushing her teeth and dressing quickly, Chelsea rushed out to the main room. Kaleena was in the kitchen piling scrambled eggs onto three plates. A mound of bacon was already on the table, along with a pot of coffee. Everything looked and smelled divine.
“Have a seat,” Kaleena said as she carried over the food.
“This is amazing. Thank you.”
Finn smiled. “Kaleena is amazing.” His mate practically blushed at his compliment. “What would you like to do today?” Finn asked.
“I don’t need to be entertained.” She could wander the streets for hours, checking out the area.
“I took off today and tomorrow to show you around,” he said, tossing her a fake pout.
“Aw, you are the best brother.” Chelsea reached out and squeezed his arm. For the next few minutes, they ate the delicious meal in relative silence. “I can see why you are so enchanted by Tarradon. It’s a lot like Earth—eggs, bacon, and even great coffee. What more could anyone want?”
“It is quite similar to Earth, but some things are different—dragons for one,” Kaleena said.
Chelsea smiled. “I know, but most are friendly, right?”
The glance Finn and Kaleena shared appeared ominous. “For the most part,” she said.
Finn had told her about the dragon shifting Royals who had kidnapped Kaleena. “Every society has its bad element I guess.”
“Tell me about it. Ugh,” Kaleena said.
Because it seemed to be a touchy subject, Chelsea let it drop. Once they finished breakfast, Finn helped Kaleena clean up, refusing to let Chelsea do anything.
“Do you think I could go for a run today?” Chelsea asked. Her wolf was being rather rambunctious—or rather horny—of late.
“Absolutely. There are numerous trails outside the city that are perfect. Just last week, Kaleena and I flew to this one spot, shifted into our wolf forms, and had a great run.”
Kaleena sighed. “It was so freeing to be able to be in my dragon form one minute and then shift into my mate’s wolf form the next. I love being in the forest surrounded by trees, rocks, and waterfalls.”
“That sounds divine.” Just the thought made her pulse slow.
Kaleena washed her hands, grabbed her purse, and then said her goodbyes. “Have fun, you two.”
“We will.” Finn turned to Chelsea. “Are you ready to see a new world?”
“Absolutely.” Other than some US cash that she stuffed in her pants in case she wanted to buy something, she left her purse at the condo. She didn’t think carrying a purse while in Finn’s grasp would be easy.
“I thought I would take you on a tour of the city first by car, and then we can head on out to the countryside. You’ll be able to see more of the area in the daytime.”
“Sounds great.”
For the next few hours, Finn showed Chelsea where to shop for clothes and food, and then took her to an animal shelter on the outskirts of town. “I can’t believe how well they treat their animals here.”
Finn chuckled. “Did you think they’d be abused?”
“No. I guess since the workers are shifters, they have a great deal of respect for animals.”
“I imagine that’s true. Ready for your run?”
“More than ready.”
“It will be faster if we take off from here.”
“Works for me.”
This time when he shifted and held out his claw, she climbed on, ready for the adventure. And Finn did not disappoint. She suspected he was being careful about keeping fairly level to the ground since the sudden altitude shifts might have caused some unwanted consequences. When skydiving, she only went in one direction—down.
From this high up, Chelsea was greeted with a great view of the town. For the most part, the tall buildings and dense population were limited to one area—not sprawled out like so many cities in the States. Compared to Silver Lake, Edendale—the town where Finn lived—was massive though not quite as large as Nashville.
It didn’t take long before they were soaring over miles of green countryside. The lush landscape was amazing. While Tennessee was beautiful, the expansive grass areas and rolling hills of the Avonbelle Province made it more romantic. Yes, there were roads, and even an occasional castle, farm, or home, but for the most part, the area was uninhabited—except for the sheep—lots and lots of sheep.
Finn made his descent slowly and landed without jarring her. Once she was on the ground, he shifted back. “It’s something to see from up above, isn’t it?” he asked.
“It’s incredible.”
“I’m still amazed by this place. Come on. The trailhead is just up this way.”
Once they arrived, Chelsea needed to remove her clothes since af
ter her shift she’d be naked. The last thing she needed was to be escorted back to town in tattered clothes. “It must be nice not to have to change every time you shift,” she said.
He’d told her that dragon shifters here were imbued with a magic that allowed them to be dressed in the same clothes after their shift as before.
“Totally, but it was odd at first. Kaleena had to convince me to keep my clothes on.” He laughed. “I kind of take it for granted now. Not having to replace shredded clothes is a real plus, especially since I fly from one place to another so often. I span large distances and never would be able to hide my clothes beforehand.”
“I have to agree that would be tricky.”
Even though Chelsea had changed in front of Finn hundreds of times on Earth before taking a run, she felt a little self-conscious this time. She stepped behind a tree, disrobed, and stashed her clothes at the base. She then shifted into her wolf.
The moment she was in her animal form, the endorphins of freedom surfaced, and she howled. Finn was already in his wolf form when she returned to the trail.
He took off, and Chelsea followed.
The next two hours were exciting and exhilarating but quite tiring. Finn showed her lots of waterfalls, some caves, and endless fields of green. Chelsea finally was no longer able to keep up with her brother and had to slow down.
Finn bayed, though she couldn’t guess if he recognized their need to return, or if he was mocking her for being out of shape. Eventually, they made it back to the original tree. After shifting and redressing, she walked back to her brother, her muscles rebelling. “You have endless energy,” she said.
He grinned. “It’s because I mated with Kaleena. My stamina now is incredible.”
She laughed. “Then you’ll have no problem flying my limp body home?”
“None whatsoever.”
As if he could run for ten more hours, Finn shifted into his dragon form. Being able to choose between being a wolf or a dragon still blew her mind. She must have looked too tired to walk over to him, because he flew to her and lifted her up like she weighed nothing.
