by Alisa Woods
Rosalyn huffed a laugh that was half cry—she hadn’t even realized her mother was there. Or that her gown was lifted to make way for the new little prince. She blinked tears of joy and surprise away, finally seeing clearly all who were gathered around her and the looks of awe and joy and amazement that lit their faces. Leksander’s face was ashen, even though a smile seemed to occupy his face. Erelah and Lucian stood on either side of him, surprise beaming from their faces. Alora stood just back from her mother at the end of the couch, her hand over her mouth.
A tiny cry went up. Her baby. Rosalyn gasped and struggled against Leonidas, who was holding her up, halfway to sitting, so she could see the tiny being in her mother’s arms. She was wrapping him in a baby blanket someone had conjured for him, such that only his tiny, precious head and hands peeked out. Those little, perfect fingers were curled into fists that were tucked to his chin, but his wide blue eyes were open and staring in wonder.
Rosalyn’s mother was unabashedly crying. “Oh, Rosalyn. He’s beautiful.”
Rosalyn held her arms out—he’d only been out of her body for a few moments, and she was already desperate to hold him and have him close. Her mother gave him over, and Rosalyn brought him to her chest, and only once he was there could she look up at Leonidas.
Tears ran down his cheeks, but they had to be tears of joy. What else could they be?
“You did it.” The words were filled with disbelief. “I don’t know how, Rosalyn Thorne, but you’ve saved me. Again.” Then he dipped to kiss the baby’s head.
The sight of that made her heart soar so much, she thought it might burst from her chest.
He pulled back to look at her. “He’s so strong. And beautiful. Just like his mother.” The tears were still shining in his eyes, but a smile was finally coming out to join them. Then he leaned down to kiss her… and their lips sparked magic when they touched! It wasn’t the same as before, not when she had her witch magic or after he had sealed her with his dragon magic. This was… different, but even more powerful.
He pulled back with amazement in his eyes. “Was that…” His gaze roamed her body like he was looking for something, then he met her gaze again. “The fae magic. You still have it.”
A small laugh escaped her, and she snuggled their baby closer. “I think… I think he gave some of it back. Right when I needed it.”
Leonidas’s face was scrunched up again. “Or maybe giving it away doesn’t mean you have less.”
She beamed. “Just like love.”
Then he kissed her again, and the baby, and her once more, and she laughed for the sheer joy of it. Somehow, miraculously, they had all survived.
“Well, don’t keep us in suspense,” her mother said. She was still sitting at the end of the couch at Rosalyn’s feet. “What’s his name?”
Name? Rosalyn peered up at Leonidas. They’d literally never discussed it… almost like it was taboo to speak of it, when all along, they weren’t sure he would make it.
Leonidas finally smiled, for real this time. “I have no idea.”
“We could name him Angel,” Rosalynn said with a small nod to Erelah, who was still beaming near the foot of her couch. “For the angeling who saved him.” Erelah’s smile shone even brighter, and a hum of song filled the air, sweet and joyful and almost too high-pitched to hear. Leksander had finally regained the color in his face, and the way he looked at her at that moment, reminded Rosalyn that she needed to have a talk with him… and soon. About the nature and power of love and how it could cross any barrier, solve any problem, defeat literally any demon.
He just had to believe in it.
“Barachiel is a fine angel name,” Erelah proclaimed. “Or Harut. I’ve always been partial to Harut.”
The smiles that went round the small gathering—her family—were just short of laughter. Although Aunt Alora looked vaguely horrified.
“Erelah,” Leksander said gently. “We should let them name their own child.”
“What?” Erelah asked, a look of pure confusion on her face. “Those are good choices.”
He just shook his head and gave Rosalyn a sheepish look.
Erelah straightened and looked slightly offended. “For the record, princess of the House of Smoke, I would not have killed you as you wished.”
“What?” Leonidas growled, all mirth fleeing.
The baby made a mrrping sound at the sudden burst of noise, so Rosalyn snuggled him closer, and he relaxed into her chest. But Leonidas looked like he was about to lose his mind, or yell at Erelah, or something, so she put a hand on his arm to stop him before he got all wound up.
She waited for him to turn to her. “It doesn’t matter now. We have a son, Leonidas. And if it weren’t for Erelah, he wouldn’t be here. Let’s give him a name and forget everything that might have been.”
A dozen emotions crossed his face, so fast Rosalyn couldn’t catch them all. “You’re right. Of course.”
“Don’t you forget it.”
That brought out his smile again, and her heart was full once more. He leaned in and whispered, “Just so you know, Rosalyn Thorne, I have every intention of sealing you with my dragon magic again.”
“Wait, what?” Rosalyn asked. “You can do that?”
“I can. And I will.” A shadow crossed his face. “Although… there’s no precedent for it.” He glanced to his brothers. Everyone was keeping quiet, allowing them this small pocket of privacy. Leonidas turned back to her. “Normally, there’s only one dragonling per couple. My mother bore the three of us, but we were triplets. A strange miracle of magic in her womb. But you, my love… you’ve given me a dragonling, but you’re no longer sealed. In theory, we could do this all over again… we could make another baby.” His lips trembled as he spoke, and she understood why. They had been through so much…
She turned to Leksander, who was still standing next to Erelah and gazing at her and the baby by turns. “I think it’s Leksander’s turn next.”
His eyes went wide. It must have just hit him.
“Indeed.” Erelah’s nod of approval sent grimaces around the room. Because everyone, with the possible exception of Rosalyn’s mother and aunt and Erelah herself, knew there was only one person Leksander wanted to mate with… and she was an angeling who had no idea he loved her.
And magic help her, Rosalyn would fix that soon as well.
Lucian coughed to cover the awkwardness. “Well, this baby still needs a name.”
“Thorn,” Rosalyn said, the name just coming to her before she thought it through. She peered at Leonidas. He was frowning, but more like he was confused than disapproving. “What does a thorn do?” she asked. “It protects the rose. Our baby, even in the womb… he was protecting me, Leonidas. He absorbed most of the demon as he grew, and then, when I was giving him all the fae magic I could, to keep his tiny heart beating, he made sure to leave some behind with me.”
“Thorn Smoke.” Leonidas had a shine in his eyes. “Protector of witches and humanity. It’s quite a name to live up to.” He nodded, the smile coming out. “I like it.”
“I do, too.” Rosalyn’s mother gave her toes a gentle squeeze. Of course, Thorne was the last name they shared, as well as the name of their Thornes and All apothecary. Thorn Smoke—a melding of the witch and dragon and fae powers that would define her son his whole life.
It was perfect.
She snuggled baby Thorn closer, then realizing she could safely let this powerful little prince go, she handed him to Leonidas. His eyes grew round, but he quickly and confidently took his son in his arms. One by one, each member of her family—and they were all her family, even Erelah, without whom she and Thorn wouldn’t be alive—took a turn holding the baby and oohhing and aahhing over him. All but Leksander, who held back at the end of the couch, a tortured and awkwardly stricken look on his face.
Rosalyn gestured him to her. She could already feel her body recovering from the birth—fae magic was insanely powerful, even more so than dragon or witch—
but she wanted Leksander’s attention away from the others, who were now taking turns conjuring an entire wardrobe of baby outfits for little Thorn. He was as quiet as a mouse with all the attention.
Leksander knelt by her side. “Are you all right?” he asked as if she ushered him over for something she needed.
“You need to tell her,” Rosalyn said.
By the way he dashed a look to Erelah, who was currently breathing an angel kiss on the new prince of the House of Smoke, he knew exactly what she meant.
“Now’s not the time.”
Rosalyn gently squeezed his arm. “Don’t wait,” she said, with all the conviction in her heart. “You never know how much time you really have.”
But her words didn’t seem to find any purchase in his heart. He just nodded in a perfunctory way, gave her a small smile, then rose to rejoin the others. They laughed at a tiny bronze-metal dragon outfit, complete with hood, that Alora had conjured. It was outrageous and beautiful, and Rosalyn could hardly believe all her dreams had actually come true.
Love really was the most powerful magic of all.
Leksander and Erelah's story begins in...
LOVED BY A DRAGON
(Fallen Immortals 7)
coming March 2017
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Of Bards and Witches
London, The Year of Our Lord 1600
Leonidas is a dragon shifter, a century into his allotted five, and he’s entranced by Master Shakespeare’s theatre and the comely and lusty women of London’s bankside. But when he finds a witch in the practice of her art in clear view of the stage, he must act… for dragons are the keepers of the peace between the mortal and immortal realms. But never has duty been so sweetly sexy and delicious to the touch as a witch whose very skin sparks pleasure. He becomes lost in his bed, breaking his own cardinal rule—never seduce a woman for more than a night. As one pleasure-drenched night bleeds into the next, he runs afoul of a danger he ought already know… never cross a witch.
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READING ORDER
Shifters in Seattle
True Alpha (Book 1)
Dark Alpha (Book 2)
A True Alpha Christmas (Book 3)
River Pack Wolves
Jaxson (Book 1)
Jace (Book 2)
Jared (Book 3)
Wilding Pack Wolves
Wild Game (Book 1)
Wild Love (Book 2)
Wild Heat (Book 3)
Wild One (Book 4)
Wild Fire (Book 5)
Wild Magic (Book 6)
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Fallen Immortals
Kiss of a Dragon (Book 1)
Heart of a Dragon (Book 2)
Fire of a Dragon (Book 3)
Chosen by a Dragon (Book 4)
Seduced by a Dragon (Book 5)
Touched by a Dragon (Book 6)
Loved by a Dragon (Book 7)...coming soon
Marked by a Dragon (Book 8)...coming soon
Claimed by a Dragon (Book 9)...coming soon
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Alisa Woods lives in the Midwest with her husband and family, but her heart will always belong to the beaches and mountains where she grew up. She writes sexy paranormal romances about alpha men and the women who love them. She enjoys exploring the struggles we all have, where we resist—and succumb to—our most tempting vices as well as our greatest desires. She firmly believes that love triumphs over all.
All of Alisa's romances feature sexy alphas and the strong women who love them.
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Alisa's website: www.AlisaWoodsAuthor.com
