by T. S. Ryder
Avalon obeyed and her mother held her hands tightly. She began chanting a spell and though Elaine had never heard the words before, she was soon chanting with her.
***
When they returned to their guests, both mother and daughter were all smiles. Avalon's gaze sought out Vaughn at once as Elaine went to her husband. It seemed everybody who had waited for them had dark circles under their eyes. Though it had been dark when they had gone onto the pond, the sun was high in the sky now.
Avalon forced herself to smile and respond politely to the congratulations that came at her from all sides, but all she wanted to do was lie down and sleep. She hadn't slept for more than twenty-four hours, after all.
Vaughn led her back to the castle, putting himself between her and the press, who kept trying to ask her about what exactly had happened. Soon they were back in her room and Avalon collapsed onto the bed.
"Are you okay?"
Avalon nodded, a grin breaking over her face.
"More than okay. I'm amazing. It was amazing. But I'm also exhausted," she laughed and held out her arms. "Snuggle me?"
Vaughn grinned. He removed her dress, kissing her body as he did so, but when she yawned he slipped her under the blankets and curled up next to her. Avalon stroked the smooth skin of his chest and smiled sleepily. No words were needed for this moment. All was right, all was peaceful.
She had her dragon, she had her birthright and was ready to face the future.
*****
THE END
About T.S. Ryder
If you’re in for hot-as-hell vampires and shifters, you’re my girl. There’s nothing paranormal that I don’t like or write and I’ll give it all I’ve got to bring beasts and hot men (preferably both :) ) to life for you.
I love writing stories about sexy and protective alpha males and the strong women they love. My stories are always full of steam and I generally throw in a fair amount of action.
So kick back, get comfortable, grab some chocolate and tea and fasten up your girdles for some extra smoldering hotness. Enjoy!
Please check my author page for the latest news and releases.
Selected Other Books by T.S. Ryder
The Vampire King's Virgin
A desperate curvy virgin PLUS a vampire king who needs fresh blood PLUS lethal beasts and enemies out to kill!
Curvy Sofia Velásquez is desperate and poor. So when the vampire king offers her a million dollars a year to be his new blood donor, she doesn’t hesitate.
She just needs to make sure she doesn’t faint every time he flashes his firm abs and delicious V. Her virginity needs to be protected at all cost.
Vampire king Aaron is every woman’s fantasy. Tall and square-shouldered, his body radiates power and confidence. He gets everything he wants. And what he wants is his new blood donor and her curves. He can just claim her, right?
Um, wrong. Turns out the path to love is paved with curses, potions, witches, and beasts. And all of them are out to get Sofia and Aaron.
Can Aaron protect Sofia against evil? Will they risk everything for a chance to live? And can Sofia stay a virgin and get pregnant at the same time?
It’s time for Aaron to show what he’s worth. He’s the king, and they’re about to find out what that means.
Her Two Alphas
A curvy virgin given away by her father PLUS two Alphas ready to share a mate PLUS a wolf looking to sacrifice for love.
Curvy Elena Aldana is about to be mated to not just one, but two Alphas. Except she doesn’t know about it. Her father has made the deal. She doesn’t want to. Until she sees them – tall, broad-shouldered, and muscled. Hmm, her virgin lady parts might like this after all.
Lukas and Will are ready to share a mate, both for their own reasons. Lukas is in massive debt and, though not his fault, he needs wealthy Will’s help. And Will? He gets what he wants, and that’s a family.
But bad things are afoot. A rare astrological event has brought forward the soul of the Geisterwolf, an ancient Alpha who will sacrifice a living Alpha's mate to bring his own lost love back. And this time he's chosen Elena.
If Will and Lukas can't bind together to fight for her, Elena will be dead within a month…
They can’t fail.
The Vampire Prince's Bride
A BBW with a secret PLUS a vampire general who needs human blood PLUS a shifter army out to kill!
Vampire general Darius isn’t looking for love or romance. He’s looking for a promotion. And for that, he needs a human wife and a baby. Just one look at Cleo’s curves and he knows she can give him what he needs. The thought of another man touching her makes him want to kill.
Cleo has always been strong, always in charge of her own destiny. But what Darius doesn’t know is that she isn’t as invulnerable as she seems. She keeps her secrets just as he keeps his. They made a deal. Why should they be concerned with each other's intimate lives?
But Darius and Cleo are forced to confront their worst fears when Darius is sent to fight a group of rebel shifters that may just get him killed. Violence is a vampire’s domain. But can he survive this?
As feelings deepen and danger grows ever closer, Cleo and Darius will have to face hard truths–and decide if ambition is really worth their lives, or if love is worthy of sacrifice.
The Alpha's Baby
A curvy wolf looking for an escape PLUS a hot-as-hell Bear choosing his mate PLUS his biggest enemy on their heels!
It’s Joshua’s responsibility to lead his Bear pack as he sees best. And what he thinks is best is to take his enemy’s daughter as his mate. It’s all for his pack. But when he sees her curves, he can’t help but feel his loins tighten.
Wolf Naomi should have been Alpha after her mother, the previous Alpha, died. But her father made sure that didn’t happen. She wants freedom, not love, and Joshua's offer is her escape. She can’t let that perfect V of his abs distract her.
But their new union is put to the test immediately when Naomi finds an abandoned baby in the woods. Where did it come from? Where should it go?
When, on top of that, they discover plans that threaten the whole Bear pack, Naomi and Joshua have to make a choice. And Naomi has to face her biggest fear... her own father.
As danger rises and desire heightens, Naomi and Joshua need to focus and stay alive. They can’t mate yet. She has to stay a virgin, until Christmas…
Chosen by the Vampire King
A BBW who needs money PLUS a vampire king who wants to impregnate her PLUS a violent enemy out for revenge!
Maribel Arnaz never thought she’d sell off her virginity. But she’s about to...
Robbed of everything by an ex-boyfriend, Maribel needs money. One signature and some blood, and she has what she wants – a job as a vampire’s blood donor. This should be easy, right? Right. Until the sexy-as-hell vampire king makes her an offer. She can have whatever she wants, if she bears him a child.
It’s just a business agreement. No emotions involved. So why is she so drawn to that predatory gleam in his eyes?
Vampire king Sheridan wants an heir and has found the right woman for the job. But he can’t satisfy his needs, because he might lose control and hurt his human mate. What is he supposed to do? She tortures him with her golden-olive skin, lush curves and body made for love. How much longer before he gives into temptation?
When others try to take her away from him, there’s nothing he won’t do to make them pay. There’s only one way to make them obey a vampire king. Fight. Destroy. Anything to get her back.
Claimed by Two Werebears
A curvy girl unlucky in love PLUS two hot bear shifters wanting a mate PLUS a deadly attack!
Destiny is looking for adventure and love. So when she finds a dating website just for bad boys, she signs up.
Turns out that it’s a shifter site and that her curves attract not one, but two sexy bear shifters. She can’t decide which is hotter, but she doesn’t have to. She can secretly date them both. Right?
Too bad the guys are clanmates. Luckily, they see her dilemma and make her a proposal that make her cheeks blush...
Does she really have room for both, though?
Add to that the outside prejudice against shifters that suddenly turns lethal, and Destiny feels torn. Is dating a shifter worth the nasty looks and comments? Will she be able to decide on just one or will she lose them both?
Her Two Bears
A BBW in danger PLUS two hot werebears ready to share a mate PLUS a deadly opponent with dark intentions!
Danita Valdez is about to live her dream. She’s inherited a small farm from her uncle, and wants to make it her little paradise. But then loan shark McGrath turns up and transfers her uncle's debt to her. If she doesn’t pay, he’ll auction off her virginity to the highest bidder.
And as if things can't get worse, two of McGrath's thugs show up to “protect” her.
Bear shifters Killian and Ryan are supposed to keep an eye on Danita for McGrath. But they know what they want as soon as they see her. This woman with her soft curves is their mate. They’ll protect her with their own lives if they have to. But will she ever trust them?
Forced to live in the same house as the two Bears, Danita soon has only one thing on her mind. She can’t help it. These gorgeous men, all strength and muscle, would have any virgin dropping their panties.
But as the tension builds and their feelings deepen, McGrath's true desires come to light, and the Bears realize there is only one way to save Danita. And that path just might end up getting them all killed.
Owned by the Vampire King
A curvy runaway trying to survive PLUS a sexy Vampire King who wants a child PLUS a killer on the loose!
Twenty-something Rosa Lopez is on the run, hiding from her abusive stepfather. Living in a women's shelter and struggling to feed herself, life isn’t easy. So when Angelus Rex, King of the Vampires, offers her a way out, she accepts.
The deal is simple. She gets all the riches and luxury she could ever imagine. In return, she will be his mistress and have his child.
Angelus has been a Vampire for hundreds of years. Now he wants an heir. And with her lush curves and delicious smell, Rosa is the one he wants to impregnate.
What started off as a business contract becomes complicated when Angelus and Rosa find a passion that neither can deny.
But there are enemies who want to destroy Angelus and his mate. Don’t they know what happens when they cross a Vampire King?
When everything that he loves is in danger of crumbling to dust, Angelus has to make a decision that could destroy everything. Can Angelus save Rosa and their baby? Is he prepared to risk it all to save the one he loves?
The Billionaire Dragon's Mate
A curvy witch helping her best friend PLUS a gorgeous billionaire with a secret PLUS a conspiracy to take his wallet and break his heart.
Jesse Barrett is a superhot billionaire businessman and celebrity. His rich lifestyle looks like a dream and women are ready to drop their panties instantly when they see him. But secretly, he longs for a woman who loves him for who he really is, and for the dragon inside of him.
Ella is a curvy, down-to-earth witch who isn’t interested in money or a new pair of Louboutins. What she is interested in is her BFF Charlotte who is in tears because Jesse just broke up with her. She’ll do anything to make her feel better.
Charlotte is out for revenge. She wants to hurt Jesse as badly as he hurt her. And she needs Ella and her magic for it. They want to blackmail Jesse for money with a plan that involves faking a pregnancy, revealing his deepest secret and breaking his heart.
But when Ella meets Jesse to put their plan into action, she finds out that all the magical spells in the world cannot save her when she looks into his eyes.
Can she go on with this game of trust and betrayal? Will the truth come out? Will she have to choose between Jesse and Charlotte?
Her Two Wolves
A BBW looking for love PLUS two hot werewolves who want to complete their Alpha triad PLUS a jealous opponent!
Amelia Fernandez is sick of the loser boyfriends her overprotective brother keeps sending her way. Determined to find a man who will treat her and her curves with respect, she signs up for a shifter dating site.
Only to catch the eye of not one, but two Alpha males in search of a mate.
Xavier Knight and Timothy Pond are the Alphas of the joint Rocky Ridge and Lakeland werewolf packs. For years they have been looking for a female to complete their Alpha triad but none suits them both. But when they see Amelia's profile, they know they've found the one.
Who knew the hardest part was yet to come?
Between the packs angry that their Alphas would look among humans for a mate, a jealous female who feels jilted, and Amelia's brother, who would much rather see her settle down with his best friend, there is no shortage of opposition in their way.
Not to mention their heated tempers that might tear them apart before they're even together. Can they overcome the hurdles life throws at them to find their happily ever after?
The Bear Detective's Mate
A personal assistant who comes under attack PLUS a hot Bear detective assigned to protect her PLUS a conspiracy they have to uncover!
Curvy Ana Medina is sick of unlucky romances and focuses on her job - being the PA to a Senator fighting for Shifter Rights. But they have enemies and when there’s an assassination attack on the Senator and herself, she is put in protective custody.
Detective Joseph Baker has found his mate. At least, that’s what his Bear tells him. Joseph doesn’t want a mate, but no matter how he tells his Bear to shut up, he can’t help himself when he’s around her. He’s supposed to protect her, but her luscious curves, delicious scent and mocha-kissed skin call out to him.
Police rules forbid intimacy between the two, which proves to be a challenge. All Ana can think about is the muscles that ripple all over him, his dress shirt that stretches over his perfect pecs and those buttons strained to keep it closed. Too bad he’s proving himself to be a class-A jerk.
Joseph tries to protect her any way he can but the attackers will stop at nothing and Ana and Joseph have to work together to uncover a conspiracy, even if that means that Joseph has to pretend to be her boyfriend.
Can they resist the undeniable attraction to each other? Will they stay alive under the string of attacks? And can they find out who the enemy is?
The Vampire Prince's Harem
A curvy witch ready for love PLUS a hot vampire prince with a bitter heart PLUS a Harem in the dungeons of the vampire Fort
Born to filthy rich, stuck-up, self-centered parents, Lola is a young witch who has been deprived of affection all her life. After a childhood spent seeking love and pandering to her preening mother, it never occurred to her that she could be special to someone.
When her mother shuns her completely after her father’s death, Lola returns to work to get busy and forget everything. A quick make-out session with a hot stranger is just what she needs.
Valnoir is a 300-year-old vampire prince who has lost his zest for life. When the King announces his concern over the blood supply at the Fort, Valnoir signs up for a simple task. But he’s in for a surprise.
When he executes the task, Lola catches him red-handed and Valnoir ends up kidnapping her, locking her into the Harem. But his attempt to break her fails. As does her determination not to fall for him.
Their chemistry can’t be denied, but they also annoy each other immensely. Both of them get way more than they bargained for, more than they can handle. And as if that isn’t enough, Lola has a gift that the vampires need desperately.
Will Lola accept the task the vampires want her to perform or try to escape? Does she even want to leave, especially when a little surprise announces itself? Can Lola and Valnoir overcome their differences and love each other?
The Billionaire Gorilla's Baby
A curvy thief caught red-handed PLUS a hot billionaire who
wants to make a deal PLUS a dangerous secret and an attack
Scarlett Brenan does not steal. She's an acquisitionist. Stealing would imply she was taking things that could not be replaced, and that sort of behavior would be extremely ungentlewomanly.
Yes, some still would call it stealing and she does have the moniker of the 'Gentlewoman Thief' in the newspapers, but she would never take anything from someone who didn't already have far more than they needed. Besides, she makes a point of redistributing her acquired wealth, so really she is in charitable work.
Only one person, her mentor, knows of Scarlett's humanitarian efforts… until she is caught by billionaire Maximillian Barnes in his safe.
