Sirens and Scales

by Kellie McAllen

  "And you had no issues using a young dragon to do your bidding, did you?" The question is thrown at Desmond like a knife and he flinches.

  "It was all Dayphis's idea. Her brothers are the last of a powerful line. He wants their powers for his own. Blood calls to blood and once we lost the stones, Dayphis went mad trying to find them." Desmond shakes his head.

  "And you went along with his plans like a spineless worm." Ann clicks her tongue against her teeth. "Typical of a mage. Where is she now?"

  "She is never out of Dayphis's sight. She'll be arriving here with him." He stands, stepping closer to the bars, and despite the instinct to step back and distance myself from him, I hold strong. "He'll kill you before he lets her go."

  "That's for me to worry about, not you," Ann retorts. "Where is he going to stay when he gets here?"

  "They've rented a warehouse in the city. It will be heavily warded and guarded."

  "Will her mate be with them?" I ask.

  "I am not sure. Usually he only allows them to see each other once or twice a year so they don't get any ideas of trying to escape."

  I bite the inside of my cheek at the cruelty. I've only known Beck a matter of a few days, but already the thought of not being able to see or touch him for an extended period of time sends anxiety through my entire body. It would cripple me if I wasn't able to be around him.

  Ann looks to me and I meet her gaze. "Well, I think that's all we need for right now." She turns and starts to walk away, pausing when Desmond shouts at her.

  "Hey! They said you'd let me go! I answered your questions."

  "We said we'd let you go. We didn't say when we'd let you go." Ann shrugs. "We might have a use for you as of yet." With that, we both leave the basement and I rub my hands on my jeans, trying to get the icky feeling off of my skin.

  "What did he say of Isobel? Where is my sister?" Beck practically jumps on us as soon as we shut the door behind us.

  "They've got her mate. That's why she's been helping them." Ann raises a placating hand. "She should be arriving with Dayphis in the next day or two."

  Beck curses. "I must get her back. And her mate."

  "We're not sure if her mate is with her…"

  Beck's eyes change to that lighter grey color and I know he's upset. "She will not survive without her mate. We must get him back. If we get her and they still have him and they kill him, she will die if they've bonded."

  I rock back on my heels in shock. "I didn't know about that."

  "I know. I have a lot of things I need to tell you." He reaches for me, his hand cupping the back of my neck. "I must also find my family, mate. I am sorry that I must put anything before us learning everything we can about each other…"

  "No. I get it. And I wouldn't have it any other way. We've got a long time to get to know each other in and out. But your family has a limited time before they're in danger from Dayphis." I hook my arm around his waist and lean against him, letting him know without words that I'm not going anywhere.

  "Now that we know where Dayphis is going to be, we can call in reinforcements to help us get your sister back. It isn't going to be easy to pull it all together on such short notice." Ann's expression is pinched as she thinks it through.

  "But we can do it. We can call in favors with the lycans, and the coven will help, right?"

  "Of course they will help. But we'll have to speak with the lycans. It might be best to send Jem over there. She knows them best."

  I snort. Yeah, she knows them well. She'd been in a long-term relationship with the alpha. To this day he has feelings for her but Jem says he's not her mate, and she didn't want to lead him on. "This could get messy."

  "I know, but what's a little more mess added to what we've already got?"

  "Hey, Jem!" I call, hoping she can hear me and doesn't have earbuds in or something while she works on her sleight of hand.

  Footsteps sound and she rounds the corner, a curious expression on her face. "You rang?"

  "We found out where Isobel will be. With Dayphis when he arrives. They've got her mate; that's how they're controlling her. We need to get them out from under Dayphis's control and to safety."

  "Holy shit. Okay, so what's the plan? I'm getting the ring back tomorrow, and we'll figure out how to free Beck's brother. We'll have two dragons on our side. It should be no problem, right?" Jem looks to Beck for confirmation.

  "If they've got her mate and she's bonded with him, if they kill him, she'll die too. I know that if Ivy were in danger, I'd sacrifice everything to save her. I'm not sure what years of servitude have done to my sister." Beck's broad shoulders rise and fall and he pauses to draw in a deep breath. "I'm not sure what will happen. Dragons are best not messed with when it comes to their mates." Beck's hand tightens on the back of my neck and I rub my hand up and down his side, reassuring him.

  "Okay… so we need more manpower. Do we know who will be with Dayphis?" Jem asks.

  "Desmond says the whole coven will be there and that the warehouse will be heavily warded and guarded. For all we know, they have other dragons besides Isobel," Ann points out.

  "Why do I get the feeling that I'm not going to like what you're going to ask me to do?" Jem frowns, looking between Ann and me.

  "We need you to get the lycans to help us."

  Jem pushes her hands in front of her. "I don't know if I can do that, guys. Things didn't end well last time we broke it off."

  "I know, but we don't have another choice. We need you to take one for the team here, Jem. He'll do whatever you ask. You know he adores you." I plead with her, giving her my best puppy dog expression.

  "Yeah, that's the problem. He's going to want something in return."

  "Offer him a favor from the coven. He won't say no to that. Especially with his fight with the other Alphas in the area."

  Jem blows out a breath, her bangs blowing upward on her forehead. "Fine. I'll call him and see if I can go meet him after I get the ring."

  I look to Beck. I know it's not a perfect solution and it could end badly but at least we might be able to get two of his siblings back tomorrow. So long as everything goes as planned.

  "What if things don't go as planned?" Beck asks.

  "Then we'll come up with another plan until we get the results we want." I look up at my mate, meeting his gaze and letting him see the determination in my gaze. "We've got each other. That alone is enough to make magic happen."

  "This is true, little witch." Beck drops a kiss to my lips. "You know I would spend another thousand years in that cursed stone if it meant that I got to spend the rest of my life with you by my side as my mate."

  I melt against him, happiness thrumming through me. I'm not sure what's going to happen tomorrow. Or the next day. But I know that with Beck by my side, we'll handle it. Together.

  The End

  Continue the Dragon Stone Saga in book two, Up In Smoke. Thanks for reading!

  * * *

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  About the Author

  Graceley Knox is an up and coming paranormal and fantasy romance author with a serious caffeine and book addiction. She prefers to listen to music while she writes and is a former New Englander living on the Gulf Coast of Florida. By day she works in the publishing industry, and by night, she plots out the many ideas cluttering her mind. She has Bengal kitties who can usually be found lounging within distance of her desk, adding their opinions on her current projects. When she’s not reading, writing, or hanging out with her large extended family you can find her on her various social media accounts.

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  Stolen By the Sea Lord

  Starla Night

  Stolen by the Sea Lord © copyright 2017 Starla Night

  * * *

  All rights reserved under the International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduce
d or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, organizations, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Warning: the unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.

  Stolen by the Sea Lord

  Their love is forbidden. But only she can save his race.

  Tattooed mer-shifters are climbing out of the secret depths to find their soul mates and save their race!

  Tormented warlord Elan, once highly respected First Lieutenant of undersea mer city Dragao Azul, lost everything the night his son was born. Unable to protect his fierce human wife from the ancient covenant that forced her to the surface, separated from his precious newborn son, and himself forced into the role of General in a war he does not believe in, he sank into deadly darkness … and escaped. Now carrying secret knowledge that could change the face of the war, he lives only to reunite his family — no matter the cost.

  Zara almost died the night she was forced to the surface. Shattered memories are all that remain in her broken heart. Suddenly, Elan stands before her like a mirage. Heart-stopping, mouth-watering, and all hers. And he has returned with her son.

  His people will stop at nothing to enforce the ancient covenant, and yet Elan claims Zara has a mysterious, untapped power that can protect them. If she can’t, then not only will their family be ripped apart, but the ancient traditions will win — and the hope for the future of the mer-human partnerships will be lost forever.

  Contains steamy mer-shifter love scenes, a warrior who thinks he’s beyond redemption, and a curvy female who’s about to prove him wrong!

  Author’s Note

  Thank you so much for selecting Stolen by the Sea Lord. Please be aware this is a steamy romance at about the same heat level as a Harlequin Blaze or Temptation. The other books in the series are even toastier! This complete, stand-alone novel is meant for mature readers who love their happily-ever-afters with a dash of spice. A warmer version will be released after this boxed set has finished. Please enjoy!

  1

  Disgraced warrior Elan, former First Lieutenant of undersea city Dragao Azul, stood on the beach surrounded by humans.

  “Zara,” he told the serious, uniformed men and women. “I seek the woman known as Zara Robertson.”

  The man in charge nodded to show he understood the words. But he continued speaking into his remote communication device about waiting for Border and Immigration Patrol.

  It was not every day a merman surfaced on the human’s shore.

  Elan’s free hand flexed for his trident.

  As a show of faith, he had released the wicked metal weapon to these uniformed polícia, but the longer they detained him, the more sharply he felt the risks.

  He stood only a few strides from the crashing waves. He’d shifted to stubby human feet for the walk across the volcanic black sand. Shocked humans had wrapped him in a towel and given him an orange, two-legged cloth to cover his maleness. He had managed to balance and step into the “swim shorts” while still holding his precious, seaweed-wrapped bundle close to his heart.

  The authorities had arrived.

  So had the cameras.

  Distant lenses focused on his naked chest, the round glass magnifying his skin swirled with aquamarine tattoos. His honors and achievements as identifiable as a fingerprint. Even now, their notice burned as if they focused the rays of the sun.

  The bundle in his arms moved.

  Curse it.

  “Zara,” he demanded, deepening his voice with authority. “Take me to her. Now.”

  “Please wait,” said the man in charge calmly.

  Elan’s commands sounded strange in his ears. Perhaps that’s why his request was easily ignored. Moving his tongue as he forced air through his vibrating vocal chords was so different from how he issued orders underwater.

  The soul lights in these humans’ chests glowed with the same honorable intent as his city’s warriors. Their delay was not malicious. They were protecting their surface city from him, an intruder. That eased frustration.

  But the exposure and danger continued to gnaw on his mind.

  Funny how he had expected to walk out of the water and see Zara waiting on the beach. This was the third island he had visited and the first he had allowed himself to be seen by humans. Yet still, she had not appeared.

  Where was she?

  Hadn’t she longed to reunite? Join with him as desperately as he wished to join with her?

  Discomfort slivered into his chest.

  The bundle in his arms moved again. A soft whimper emerged from the seaweed.

  He sucked in a deep breath of air, calmed his heart, and gently bounced his precious charge.

  She would come.

  Beyond the police barrier, a crowd grew. Something familiar flashed. A shiver of awareness slid up his spine. Was it…?

  He craned his neck.

  Weaving through the crowd, a curvy brunette stopped at the police barrier. She exchanged a few words with the officer and was allowed through.

  Yes. He flushed with awareness.

  “Zara!” He strode forward.

  The polícia blocked him. “Stop there.”

  He obeyed out of deep respect for authority, but every muscle tensed with the need to go to her.

  She crossed the beach fearlessly.

  Rich, dark brown hair fell in waves to her softly rounded shoulders. Flashing amber-brown eyes crackled with fire. Much of her delectable skin was covered in human garments — long shorts and a fiery red shirt — cupping her mouth-watering curves.

  His manhood hardened into attention.

  Beneath her red shirt, in the center of her heart, shone a soul light bright enough to bake the ocean.

  She was Zara. His fierce, beautiful bride. She came for him like a dream … and then she stopped too far out of his reach.

  His gut clenched.

  The man in charge stole her attention. “This individual claims he is your husband.”

  She glared beyond the man, burning on Elan. “Undersea marriages aren’t legal on the surface in any country.”

  “But you do have a relationship?”

  “It ended a year ago.”

  “Then he is an ex.”

  “Is he? For my crimes, the mer struck my name from their records as if I never existed. So, you tell me.”

  The man in charge regarded her uncertainly.

  Her dark gaze never wavered. Zara’s fury was a force of nature; she swept away all obstacles in her path. Her beautiful righteousness made Elan ache.

  Even though her anger now was directed at him.

  “Keep your distance,” the man in charge finally said with a frown, and motioned for the officers in front of Elan to step aside. “You don’t know what he might do.”

  “I know exactly what he’ll do.” She stalked forward, passing the other officers. Her total focus centered on Elan. “He’ll start explaining himself. Right now.”

  His throat tightened.

  She was right in front of him.

  He craved to enfold her in his arms. Hold her. Caress her skin. Fill his senses with his luscious bride.

  She crossed her arms, walling him off. “Well?”

  He forced the words through the tightness. “I have come for you.”

  “Oh? Is that what surfacing was supposed to accomplish? I see you scaring a lot of people who don’t know what to do with a member of the ‘secret’ race of mermen.”

  For a thousand years, the mer race had lived, hidden, ben
eath the oceans. Then, less than a year ago, humans captured video of mermen and displayed it on a worldwide “announcement” platform called “Facebook.”

  The ruling All-Council required the mer to act as if they’d remained secret. Elan’s appearance here, on the shore, was an unforgivable offense.

  But he no longer cared about forgiveness. “I kept my promise.”

  Her mouth made an “oh," but she didn’t look surprised. “I see. You’ve come for me as promised. Well, guess what? My faith in you expired the night your city’s thugs beached me like a dead whale.”

  Her scornful gaze scoured the blackened surface of his heart. “Every hour, I regret—”

  “Me, too. Regrets are a waste.”

  “I took sacred vows. As a merman, as a warrior, and as a First Lieutenant. Yet, to you, I—”

  “Yes, yes.” She waved away his vows like irritating little bugs. “I swallowed your vows to me hook, line, and sinker. Where did it get me? Beached.”

  “That is why I am here. From this day forward, to you alone, I will keep my vows.”

  “How nice. Go back.”

  His heart thudded. “Go back?”

  “We’re too different. You’re a heroic First Lieutenant and I’m an evil Jezebel who tried to lead you astray.”

  “That is not—”

  “That’s exactly what your society thinks of me.”

  “Only the traditional mer who—”

  “Don’t kid yourself. I don’t know how you talked your king into letting you come up here, but there’s no happily-ever-after for us. Let’s get the closure we both need and save ourselves a whole lot of heartbreak.”

  Her anger bathed him in a cleansing fire.

  In truth, she should run from him in fear. He had torn off his honors, broken his vows, smashed trust beneath boulders. He had become a monster.