Taming the Alpha

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by Mandy M. Roth




  Table of Contents

  Taming the Alpha

  Copyright

  About Taming the Alpha

  The Dragon’s Appraiser

  by Viola Rivard

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  Taking on Tory

  by S. E. Smith

  Acknowledgments

  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

  About the Author

  Broken Communication

  by Mandy M. Roth

  Dedication

  Note from the Author

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  Determined Prince

  by Michelle M. Pillow

  Note from Author

  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

  About the Author

  Bound and Tamed

  by Sidney Bristol

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  About the Author

  No Gentleman

  by V. M. Black

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  About the Author

  Falling for the Firefighter

  by Shelli Stevens

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  About the Author

  Cougar’s First Christmas

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  About the Author

  Coming Home

  by N.J. Walters

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  About the Author

  River Arrow

  by Ella Drake

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  About the Author

  Theirs

  by Eve Vaughn

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  About the Author

  Reconnected

  by Jaycee Clark

  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

  About the Author

  Mistaken Identity

  by Lauren Hawkeye

  Mistaken Identity

  About the Author

  Valan Playboys

  by Scarlett Dawn

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  Under His Spell

  by Natasha Logan

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  About the Author

  Renegade

  by Jaide Fox

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  About the Author

  Once Upon a Full Moon

  by Tracey H. Kitts

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  Performance Criteria

  by Reagan Hawk

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  About the Author

  His Velvet Touch

  by Candice Gilmer

  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

  About the Author

  Foxheart

  by J.S. Hope

  Foxheart

  About the Author

  Hail Mary Honeymoon

  by Inez Kelley

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  About the Author

  One Night of Passion

  by Eryn Blackwell

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  About the Author

 
Legendary Choice

  by Sherri L. King

  Acknowledgements

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  The Bet

  by Kennedy Kovit

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  About the Author

  Rite of Passion

  by Madelyn Porter

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  About the Author

  Thank you, Readers!

  Taming the Alpha

  Over 20 Alpha Male Tales of Contemporary, Military, Werewolves, Shifters, Vampires, Billionaires, Witches, Dragons, Demons & More

  Featuring Tales from New York Times, USA Today and National Bestselling Authors

  Limited Time Boxed Set

  Copyright

  Taming the Alpha Box Set

  Copyright © 2014

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

  Box Set ISBN-10: 1625010958

  Box Set ISBN-13: 9781625010957

  Individual Stories Copyrighted to the Author. All Rights Reserved.

  The Dragon’s Appraiser Copyright © 2014 Viola Rivard

  Taking on Tory Copyright © 2014 S. E. Smith

  Broken Communication Copyright © 2014 Mandy M. Roth

  Determined Prince Copyright © 2014 Michelle M. Pillow

  Bound and Tamed Copyright © 2014 Sidney Bristol

  No Gentleman Copyright © 2014 V. M. Black

  Falling for the Firefighter Copyright © 2014 Shelli Stevens

  Cougar’s First Christmas Copyright © 2014 Jessie Donovan

  Coming Home Copyright © 2014 N.J. Walters

  River Arrow Copyright © 2014 Ella Drake

  Theirs Copyright © 2014 Eve Vaughn

  Reconnected Copyright © 2014 Jaycee Clark

  Mistaken Identity Copyright © 2014 Lauren Hawkeye

  Valan Playboys Copyright © 2014 Scarlett Dawn

  Under His Spell Copyright © 2014 Natasha Logan

  Renegade Copyright © 2014 Jaide Fox

  Once Upon a Full Moon Copyright © 2014 Tracey H. Kitts

  Performance Criteria Copyright © 2006-2014 Reagan Hawk

  His Velvet Touch Copyright © 2014 Candice Gilmer

  Foxheart Copyright © 2014 J.S. Hope

  Hail Mary Honeymoon Copyright © 2014 Inez Kelley

  One Night of Passion Copyright © 2014 Eryn Blackwell

  Legendary Choice Copyright © 2014 Sherri L. King

  The Bet Copyright © 2014 Kennedy Kovit

  Rite of Passion Copyright © 2004-2014 Madelyn Porter

  All books copyrighted to the author and may not be resold or given away without written permission from the author.

  This novel is a work of fiction. Any and all characters, events, and places are of the author’s imagination and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or events or places is merely coincidence. Novel intended for adults only. Must be 18 years or older to read.

  About Taming the Alpha

  Featuring Tales from New York Times, USA Today and National Bestselling Authors

  Limited Time Boxed Set

  When an alpha is too hot to handle, what’s a girl to do? Simple...Tame the Alpha and make him purr.

  From deliciously sizzling contemporary bad boys, to pulse-tingling paranormal hotties, you’re sure to fall in love and in lust with any or all of these alphas. Over twenty fabulous authors bring their A-game to tempt your every desire.

  Anthology Includes: Werewolves & Shifters, Demons & Devils, Paranormal & Urban, Military, Vampires, Genetic Engineering, Witches & Wizards, Contemporary, Special Forces, Dystopia, Romantic Comedy, Romantic Suspense, Dragons, Demons, Billionaires, Magic, Fantasy, Futuristic and so much more!

  The Dragon’s Appraiser

  by Viola Rivard

  A savvy young woman uses her encyclopedic knowledge of rare artifacts to enchant a world-weary dragon god.

  Chapter One

  By the time she’d managed to free herself from the shackles, Madja was certain that there was no dragon.

  She’d never been one to believe in gods—least of all the gods that seemed to always favor the rich and privileged—but a small, fanciful part of her had always held out hope for Sevrrn’s existence.

  In ancient times, beggars and kings alike had come from far and wide to pay tribute to the dragon god. Like most children, Madja had often fantasized about infiltrating Sevrrn’s lair, if only to get a glimpse of the treasures it held. Apparently, she had never outgrown this fantasy, because even as the chancellor’s guards spirited her away the night, she’d entertained one, hysterical thought: At least I’ll see the golden cavern before I die.

  But to her disappointment and relief, there was no treasure—at least, not where the guards had left her chained up as the sacrificial offering that she was. The small cavern was empty, save for the caged chickens, the half-empty oil lamp, and the cart of goods that she’d been left with.

  Standing for the first time in hours, Madja’s legs trembled as she made her way over to the cart. A thin beam of light filtered down from a fissure in the ceiling, highlighting the cart’s contents. Junk—not that she’d expected anything else.

  No longer worried about disturbing the dragon, Madja threw the items over her shoulder as she rifled through the cart. Sterling silver rings bounced off the stone walls and rolled onto the floor. Cheap, ceramic dishes shattered into pieces, startling the chickens into a frenzy. Beneath a burlap sack of gilded pyrite, she found what she was looking for.

  Madja held the spoon up to examine it in the light. It wasn’t just the only genuine gold in the cart, but also the only genuine anything.

  For thousands of years, Sevrrn had protected Erda, the island nation Madja hailed from. Under the dragon god’s watchful eye, the island flourished. The few who tried to attack Erda were said to have died by Sevrrn’s inferno.

  But over the years, the attacks stopped coming and the people of Erda became complacent. The tributes became poorer and poorer as the wealthy denizens of Erda hoarded their valuables, unwilling to part with them for a dragon no one had seen for centuries.

  Grabbing the oil lamp from the cart, Madja inspected the shadowed areas of the room. On one side, a wide passageway led deeper into the mountainside. Humid air swept up from the tunnel, sticking to her face. On the other side of the room was a smaller passageway, the one she’d been brought down through by the guards.

  She had no doubt that they were still up there, waiting from a safe distance to ensure that she didn’t escape. If she went up now, they would catch her and bring her back, perhaps even binding her more thoroughly. It was a risk she couldn’t afford to take, and so she decided to wait until nightfall. No man would be brave enough to stand by a dragon’s lair in the darkness, especially after making such a poor offering.

  Madja paced for a while, mumbling her plan over and over to make sure she had it straight. One of the large cargo ships currently docked in the cove was captained by a good friend of her late father. It was setting sail tomorrow, bound for a small Vrynesh trading port. Maybe she would make a home for herself there, or perhaps she would stay on the ship and see the world.

  Either way, she was going to need money—and a lot of it. She wasn’t so naïve as to rely solely on charity. Fortunately, there was a simple solution to her problems.

  For thousands of years, idiots had been throwing gold and valuables into Sevrrn’s lair. There was no telli
ng what treasures awaited her if she could summon the courage to descend into the belly of the mountain.

  With the oil burning quickly, Madja didn’t have the luxury of time. She paced for a few more moments before stepping down into the warm passageway.

  ***

  Madja walked until every muscle in her body ached in protest. It had been a long time since she’d had a drink and even longer since she’d eaten. Her energy was nearly depleted.

  She was just about to turn back when she heard the unmistakable sound of water in the distance. The promise of a cool drink reinvigorated her tired limbs and she was soon bounding down the passageway.

  The walls were grey, and in some areas, black. When the lamplight hit the black rock, it revealed a sleek sheen—obsidian. It was volcanic glass, formed when lava cooled. As there were several volcanoes to the north, it was commonly seen in Allonan artwork and Dvorian weaponry, but she’d never heard that Sevrrn’s mountain had once been a volcano. Perhaps it had been volcanic explosions that had led the ancient settlers to believe a dragon lurked in the depths of the mountain.

  As she moved towards the sound of water, Madja noticed the soft glow of sunlight. Her eyebrows furrowed and she slowed to a more cautious pace. Gradually, a room came into view.

  Light flooded the expansive cavern, pouring in from a massive hole in the ceiling. Madja recognized the oblong hole as the crater featured on many paintings and tapestries. It was where only the bravest of men were said to have ventured to pay their tribute. They would stand on the edge and throw their coins into the darkness, begging for Sevrrn’s favor.

  Madja had always considered it to be a ridiculous practice, but as she stood in the mouth of the passageway, staring across the cavern, it was clear that her ancestors didn’t share her convictions. There was gold as far as her eyes could see.

  She blinked, rubbed her eyes, and then blinked again.

  Sunlight reflected off what could only be millions of gold coins. They completely covered the floor, with scattered piles forming a golden landscape of hills and valleys. At the edge of the light, Madja could make out what looked like an underground lake. The surface of the water had a strange iridescence and seemed to glitter like diamonds.

  Madja had been expecting to find some gold, maybe even some artifacts, but this was staggering. For a moment, she stood frozen in place as she oscillated between a range of emotions—amazement at her discovery, euphoria at the riches that were hers for the taking, and then…bitterness.

  For centuries—no, millennia—humans had been throwing their gold into a hole in hopes that a dragon would grant their wishes. They could have used their gold to better their lives or the lives of those around them. Countless people had been born, lived, and died in poverty while a vast, untouched fortune lay strewn about in a mountain, presided over by nothing but an absurd superstition.

 

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