“And what if the other dragons strike while someone isn’t here?”
Citrine thought about it. “I suppose we will just have to keep an eye on things, won’t we? Regardless, I think Gold, Silver and Platinum will think twice before messing with a metal dragon mate, and if there is someone else out there, all we can do is wait for them to reveal themselves.”
Citrine, Opal and Aegis went ahead, and Liam stayed back with Kate, turning her to face him and stroking a hand through her hair.
“You know I’m always going to protect you, right?”
“I’m not worried,” she said. “You beat them all basically single-handedly, and we’ll be here with friends. I do worry a bit about Magnus and Titus though.”
As if summoned by her thoughts, both dragons appeared from behind them. Liam hadn’t even heard them come down the stairs.
Magnus’s dark, red-brown hair was loose around his face and shoulders, and he wore a casual blue tee with tight, stonewashed jeans. Titus was similarly attired, but his wheat-blond hair was tied in a braid as usual.
“Don’t worry about us,” Magnus said cheerfully, walking behind them. “If I get out in the world, it’s the other dragons who have to be afraid. Not me.”
“Agreed,” Titus said confidently. “I’d be happy to take them on. Nothing is going to stop me from finding my woman. Not a storm, not a sinking ship, not Aegis, and definitely not a stupid, betraying, precious-metal dragon.
Liam nodded. “I guess we’ll be okay.”
She patted his arm. “One thing I can say, it’s never going to be boring.”
He threw back his head and laughed.
I hope you enjoyed this first book in the Rent-A-Dragon series! If you enjoyed Liam and Kate’s story, I hope you’ll leave a review to help other readers find it. I really appreciate all your support.
I plan to release really quickly, but while you’re waiting for the next book in the series, you may want to grab my limited edition Awakened Dragons Boxed Set, at .99 for a short time for all SIX BOOKS.
I never do boxed sets that extreme, and I usually wait about a year after release to put books in a boxed set, so get it while you can.
Awakened Dragons Boxed Set
Thanks again so much, and make sure you are signed up for my newsletter here so you can be first to hear about the next dragon’s shenanigans: http://eepurl.com/bgG7Kf
Sincerely,
Terry
Sample of Awakened Dragons Boxed Set
Zach, Isaac Morningstar III, touched the chunky iron chain around his neck as he caught his reflection in one of the dingy shop windows he passed. Anger contorted his expression as he withdrew his fingers and started again down the street of the bad neighborhood he’d been dropped in.
He was still getting used to the modern world since he’d been woken up some months ago, but even he knew this wasn’t the type of place he would ever have chosen to go back to when he had full access to his dragon powers and a massive treasure trove that allowed him to live in comfort whenever he felt like being in human form.
And yet here he was, leveled, humbled, shackled by this collar until the oracle who watched over shifters was sure he could be “trusted”, barely able to partially shift, with no money and nothing but the clothes on his back.
Despicable state of events.
Not that he blamed the oracle. In his day, hundreds of years ago, dragons had been more akin to powerful, despotic demigods who terrorized humans when it pleased them and roamed the countryside freely. In human form, they were often dukes or lords with power to match, able to hide in the countryside in a massive estate if they so chose. To hell with caves.
Here, dragons had been remodeled to become something much more civilized. Now they worked in pairs, enforcing the laws of the shifter community and protecting shifters and humans in their area.
Protecting them.
The thought was ludicrous. Zach had never in his life met someone he wanted to protect, and he doubted anyone here in the selfish, petty human world was going to change that for him.
Thunder cracked overhead and he looked up with an annoyed scowl to see dark clouds overhead. A few more steps and he felt the patter of rain on his shoulders and shook his head in disgust. He looked around him to gain his bearings and saw a shop across the street that seemed friendly.
A human woman stood in the front window, smiling as she chatted with a man in front of her in a low chair. She had long hair, a mix of dark brown and red that shimmered over her shoulders. Soft, pale skin with rosy cheeks. A sweet mouth.
She was touching her male client’s hair, and Zach felt an odd rumble of jealousy at the sight of it.
She was providing some kind of service. Zach would go over and see what, and get out of the rain at the same time.
When he pulled open the heavy glass door, all eyes turned to him. Various men and women with striking colors of hair looked up at him in shock. Their clients, all arrayed in black cloaks, stared as well.
He saw seats to the side of the door and sat in one, glaring at the humans to try and deter the stares he was receiving.
He was a dragon, a powerful one. The world could rise or fall on the whims of him and his friends. They should show him respect, not this mixture of shock and disgust.
The girl he’d seen from the window turned to him with soft blue eyes. Kindness. That was unexpected. “Did you want to make an appointment?”
He pursed his lips and leaned back in the chair. “For what?”
“A haircut, of course,” she said, a smile touching her full lips.
Zach sat up a little straighter as a little bolt of warmth coursed through him. Most unexpected. He touched his shoulder length mop, tangled from the trip here and damp from the rain. “No. I do not need one.”
She smiled and shrugged. “Okay.”
Other customers sent nervous glances around and Zach ignored them. He picked up a magazine from beside him and pretended to hold it in front of him while he studied the people.
He wasn’t wholly ignorant of the modern world. He’d been living on a shifter-only island, but they had all of the technology. Just none of the humans.
As he assessed the people around him, he realized when this place closed, it would be evening, and time to find lodgings. He’d been walking all day, and would need somewhere to stay at night. If he could still take his full dragon form, he could go out into the woods and sleep there. His dragon form was impervious to cold. But his human form would probably freeze.
Drat.
He stared at the human again, narrowing his eyes. The man in the chair in front of her stood as she removed his cloak and took him to the counter where payment was taken. On the way there, he turned to Zach with a scowl.
“You could stop staring, hobo,” he said, before turning his back on Zach.
Zach gaped. Hobo? As in, a homeless beggar? For a moment he was speechless at the audacity of it. He was the furthest thing from that. Or was he? After all, he had incredible wealth but none of it was accessible. Incredible power but no way to use it.
He was kind of a hobo, wasn’t he?
“What is he smiling about, anyway?” the man muttered.
“Shush, Gerry,” the woman said. “You know I welcome anyone here.”
Negative one point for humanity for Gerry, Zach thought. Plus one for the girl with the kind eyes. He glanced around the shop. Probably not going to be any more positive points around here.
The oracle had said she’d remove the collar when she felt she could trust him with humans. He had no idea what that meant, but probably it meant hating them a little less. Being less aghast at the thought of protecting them.
When the man had left, the girl with kind eyes removed her black apron, revealing a soft, curvy body in a short pink dress with black leggings underneath. She sat next to him, just a chair away, and gave him a kind smile. It made him tingle slightly.
Dragons did not tingle.
He shifted uncomfortably.
“My name is Erin,” she said, leaning forward with a smile.
“Okay,” he said curtly. For some reason, this little human set him off balance. He was still considering what that meant.
“Can I help you with something?” she asked. “I can call a shelter or maybe someone you know…”
He pursed his lips. “How about you just let me stay here and continue my observation? Or is that too much trouble for you?” His tone was slightly sarcastic and she raised an eyebrow in amusement.
“No, it’s no trouble at all,” she said sweetly. “You’re welcome to just stay in out of the rain as long as you like.” She looked at the clock. “Well, until we close. I was just making sure you didn’t need help.”
“I don’t,” he said flatly. He was frankly a little offended that she thought he was some kind of invalid seeking help. What about him was giving her that impression?
He flinched back when she reached for a lock of his hair that was falling over his face. “At least let me give you a wash and a shave,” she said. “On the house.”
He frowned. He didn’t want to accept this human’s pity, as in his other form he could eat her in one bite. But he’d seen her hands in the other man’s hair, and he wanted that. Wanted her touching him. Looking at him.
“All right, human.” He bit his lip and ignored the way he’d referred to her as she let out a light, tinkling laugh and led him over to her chair.
He sat down, sinking into the soft cushion with a sigh. She had to put the chair all the way down to work on him because he was extraordinarily tall compared to most humans. And good-looking, and muscled, if he said so himself.
As he faced the mirror, he admitted he was a little the worse for wear after his travels. He had an overgrowth of black beard, but that was manly. And his hair was tangled from wind and the slight rain.
He’d worn a long black trench over his clothing because it would provide shelter from the rain and elements and he didn’t know how long it would take to find lodgings.
But he didn’t see anything wrong in the mirror. If anything, he just looked masculine. Strong.
She leaned him back and helped rest his head on the sink. “I bet you’ll be a whole new person after this,” she said with a wink.
His eyes skimmed her curvy body, so close and warm, and then came back to her eyes, a beautiful clear blue like wildflowers.
Her hands worked through his hair, soaping and kneading, and he relaxed into her touch, her scent, the soft sound of her voice. The look of her kind face. The press of her body as she leaned over him. Even being a dragon, and very impervious to heat, he was on fire.
He stared at her, feeling shock unlike anything he’d felt as she finished washing and wrung his hair dry. Then she reached for a razor and foam to start the shaving.
As she carefully glided over his face, dipping in and out of a bowl, rinsing and wiping the razor so as not to cut him, he found there was a great deal of eye contact to be found in a shave.
What was she doing to him, the minx? His body felt warm. His throat tight and dry. Every touch was hot agony.
She was still humming happily as she grabbed a towel and dried his face, bringing him to a sitting position. He took the towel from her, keeping it over his face a little longer to hide his reaction until he calmed down.
He was an immortal dragon. He did not fall for human hairdressers, no matter how kind they were. He set the towel down.
The salon was instantly silent. Zach turned in his chair to see Erin standing a few feet away, a fresh towel in her hand hanging limp at her side, eyes wide, lips parted.
The humans were looking at him differently now. Several of the women who’d been scorning him before were giving him looks of lust. Invitation.
But he cared only for the reaction of one person. Erin, who was standing there frozen in pure shock. Maybe not even the good kind.
“Good heavens, what is it?” he snapped, yanking the cape from around his neck and jerking it to the ground as he stood with folded arms. He brushed his wet, black hair behind his ears and stared them down.
Another woman stepped forward, this one pale with blond hair, looking more like the wenches from his day in England. “Can I take your coat?”
He shrugged and handed it to her. “I demand to know why you’re staring,” he said to the room.
The woman who had taken his coat was gaping at him, her eyes wandering up and down his body.
He smirked. That was the response from human women he was more used to. He turned back to Erin, and realized the fact that he cared so much about what she thought could only really mean one thing. Something he’d never considered before in either of his lives.
Even as she marched up to him, irritation flooding her beautiful face, the possibility overwhelmed him.
The oracle had sent him out here to find out if he could get along with humanity. She should be happy that he had possibly just found a human mate.
Awakened Dragons Complete Series
Also by Terry Bolryder
A Note From Terry
Most of my series go by species. Most of my books are standalone, but if you want to read them in order and see characters reappearing, here is my list of the order for each species. So just choose your favorite shifter!
Bears
Bearstone Park Series
A billionaire tech mogul, a movie star, and an Olympic snowboarder come back to Bearstone Park and find unexpected but wonderful mates.
Bearllionaire
Bearlebrity
Bearthlete
Beary Sexy Boxed Set: All three brothers in one (BEST DEAL)
Soldier Bear Series
These ex special-forces fighting bears are about to find curvy mates in beautiful, remote Bearstone Village.
Big Bad Bear
Big Sexy Bear
Big Strong Bear
Bear Haven Ranch Series
These rancher bear brothers need to find mates to keep the family land. Luckily, three curvy city girls are about to arrive just in time.
Mountain Bear
Rancher Bear
Wild Bear
Mountain Lion
Bear Claw Security
These sexy ex-special forces soldier bears are ready to protect in a whole new way, as bodyguards of the exclusive Bear Claw Security.
Bear to the Bone
Bear-ly a Hero
Bear to the Rescue
Bear-ly Human
Bear to the End
Polar Heat Series
A matchmaking papa bear sets his three bear shifter sons up with women on a Caribbean island.
Bear-ever Yours
Some Bear to Love
One in a Bear-l-lion
Remem-bear Me (Dad’s book)
Polar Heat Boxed set (Savings!)
Trapped in Bear Canyon
Sheltered by the Bear
Craved by the Bear
Redeeming the Bear
Dragons
Dragons of New York (Menage)
Dragons work in pairs, the fire-breathing enforcers of the shifter world and rescuers of anyone in distress. And these sexy dragons are about to find mates:
Double Dragons
Desired by Dragons
Destined Dragons
Tiger Protector Series (Spin-off of Dragons)
Three tiger brothers trained by dragon shifters work to bring evil shifters to justice while finding the perfect curvy mates.
A Tiger’s Bounty
A Tiger’s Treasure
A Tiger’s Destiny
A Dragon’s Heart
Awakened Dragons
These powerful, newly awakened ancient dragons are stronger, more vicious, more powerful, and ready to save humankind, if only they can decide to be heroes rather than villains…
Onyx Dragon
Sapphire Dragon
Ruby Dragon
Diamond Dragon
Amethyst (this book)
Lions
Lions
of Pride Island
The hot royal family of shifters is ready to find mates!
King of Rock
Prince of Fate
Protector of the Pride
Wolves (The Alpha Series)
Alpha Games Serial (Complete story with boxed set)
An alpha female returns home to the pack mates she left and finds herself choosing between three alpha males in this paranormal romance serial from Terry Bolryder
Alpha Games Boxed Set
Alpha Rogue Serial (Novellas with cliffhangers between volumes)
An MMA fighting shifter meets his match in his exciting paranormal romance serial from Terry Bolryder.
Alpha Rogue Boxed Set
Alpha Contender Serial (Novellas with cliffhangers between volumes)
A average human woman finds out she’s a desirable female alpha and ends up in a mansion with ten possible suitors in this paranormal romance serial from Terry Bolryder.
Alpha Contender Boxed Set
Ultimate Alpha Boxed Set (One huge series)
Ultimate Alpha Boxed Set
Alpha Defender
When alpha wolf Thor finds an acquaintance on his doorstep needing his help, will he take the mysterious person in, or step aside?
*Stars Thor from Alpha Contender Series*
Alpha Defender on Amazon
Wolf Protectors Series
Three hot, wolf shifter brothers run a martial arts studio and divide their time between training to be the toughest around and winning over their sexy, independent mates. All in KU!
Steel (Rent-A-Dragon Book 1) Page 14
