“This is entertaining, but it's all for nothing, Warden,” the woman called to me. “I will only summon more of my warriors.”
“Then summon them,” I said. “I can do this all night.”
The man before me moved aside and I wasn't able to react in time. A knife shot out of the darkness of the living room, burying itself up to the hilt in my side. I grunted in pain as the blade tore through my flesh. I felt warm blood rolling down my body and then felt that something was wrong. My skin burned and there was a strange sensation coursing through my body.
“In case you wondered,” the woman said. “The blade of that dagger was coated in a rare poison. It's deadly to the Dragonborn. Or so I'm told. You'll have to tell me if that's true or not.”
“W – where did you get it?” I gasped.
It had been only moments, but I was already feeling lightheaded, my vision starting to blur and grow fuzzy around the edges. I tried to shift into my dragon form – an act of sheer desperation – but found that I couldn't. Whatever the poison was, it had me locked in my human skin.
“Doesn't matter where I got it,” she said. “It only matters that it's effective. And judging by the amount of sweat pouring off you, I'd say it is.”
I was dying. There really was no other way around it. I felt my body growing weaker with each passing second. Knowing that I was about to die, I wanted to see Jessica one last time. I stumbled back to the bedroom door, barely strong enough to hold onto my sword. When I got to the doorway, I threw it open, stepping inside clumsily, and then closed and locked the door behind me.
The Shongtal were in no hurry – they knew they'd won.
I sat down on the edge of the bed, swaying and unsteady. Jessica looked at me with tears in her eyes. She knew what was about to happen.
“I – I'm sorry,” I said. “I tried to protect you and I failed.”
She laid her hand against my cheek and through her tear stained face, gave me a small smile. “You did not fail, my love,” she said softly. “And if this is how it has to be, at least we'll be together at the end.”
Her strength and courage, even in the face of her own looming death, set a fire in my belly. I may not have much longer in this world, but I was going to make the Shongtal pay. I leaned forward and kissed Jessica, knowing it would be the very last time our lips met.
Standing up, I waited. The Shongtal were gathered on the other side of the door. More had come and they crowded into the hallway beyond the door. I could feel their dark malevolence growing and multiplying.
But I had a surprise for them.
Using as much strength as I could muster, I raised my arms, summoning the lightning outside. I spoke a few words of an incantation I knew and outside, the thunder boomed with the intensity of a cannon. It was what came next though, that brought a smile to my face.
I closed my eyes and I could sense the bolt of lightning as it shot out of the clouds overhead, streaking for the apartment. It came through the blown-out windows and straight down the hallway – incinerating the bodies of the Shongtal standing outside my door. At least, some of them. And judging by the intensely agonized screaming I heard coming from the hallway, that bolt of lighting had done damage to a good number of them.
It wouldn't kill them, but it would ruin the bodies they'd stolen enough that they have to go and find another.
The bedroom door burst inward and the woman stood there, clearly unamused. Half of her face was scorched and the smell of burnt flesh accompanied her. Three or four of her minions crowded into the room behind her.
I looked to Jessica and found that rather then terror, her face was set in an expression of grim determination and resolve. She clutched the swaddled bundle to her chest protectively, as if she was daring any of the Shongtal to take it from her.
And when one of the woman's minions reached for Jessica, she buried her silver dagger into his chest. The demon screamed and fell dead upon the bed, the red light in its eyes fading to nothingness. The woman looked at Jessica and then at me, slightly annoyed, slightly amused.
“Your woman is feisty,” she said. “I like that. But it's time to end this game.”
She turned and in one smooth motion, drew and hurled a dagger that hit Jessica in the forehead with a loud thump, the blade burying itself deep. I watched in horror as Jessica – the love of my life – slumped backward on the bed, her eyes rolled back, her mouth hanging open. She was dead. Gone. Forever.
I screamed out and using the last of my strength, raised my sword as the woman grabbed hold of the bundle in Jessica's arms. Two of her minions stepped forward and drove their swords into my midsection. Their steel hissed as it entered my body and I groaned in agony. I used the life force within me to charge myself, sending a bolt of electricity up through the swords, electrocuting both of the Shongtal fighters. They screamed and flew backwards, hitting the floor with a thud.
The woman though, howled in rage as she realized that she'd been duped. The bundle she'd taken from Jessica contained nothing more than another blanket. I smiled wide, knowing that my child was out of her reach, gone with Chelsea just as I'd instructed.
I'd failed in my duty to protect Jessica, but at least I'd managed to protect my child – and protect the world I'd sworn to serve by denying the Shongtal. It was the one thing I took comfort in as I felt my life force ebbing.
The last thing I saw was the woman turn to me, rage flashing through her eyes as she approached, the light in the room glinting off the edge of her blade.
Chapter Two
Astrid
Present Day...
I set the alarm and exited my shop, locking the door behind me before closing and locking the gate . You could never be too careful, after all. Though a bookstore wasn't the likeliest of targets for would-be thieves, you just never knew.
My bookstore – The Attic – had been open for a little over a year now, and it was doing pretty well. It encouraged me – and made me happier than I could say – that people still seemed to love the written word. Books were my life. Always had been. Within the pages of a good book, I could lose myself for hours, traveling to faraway worlds, meeting brave and dashing strangers, and having grand adventures.
Basically, within the pages of a book, I found lives that were everything my own life was not.
(Continued in Saved by a Dragon…)
United States
Other Countries
The doorways stand between two worlds – do they hold the keys that will unlock their survival as well as their passion?
Astrid lives a normal, unremarkable life. She owns and operates a bookstore, has a small circle of friends, and avoids social interaction like the plague. She's alone most of the time, but that's how she likes it. It's routine, there are no unexpected surprises – or chances of being hurt.
All of that changes though, when a chance encounter with a mysterious man turns her world upside down. Suddenly, nothing is routine and unexpected surprises are the norm.
Quint is a Dragonborn Warden, a guardian and protector of humanity. He takes his job as a sacred responsibility and is single-minded in his determination to wipe out the evil Shongtal where ever he finds them.
But when he meets Astrid, he begins to change. His priorities begin to change That singlemindedness slowly gives way to something else within him.
Astrid and Quint stir something deep within one another and it's a primal call that neither can deny – nor do they want to. But will they survive the coming fight to indulge in those primal passions that have set their minds and bodies ablaze?
Saved by a Dragon features a curvy redhead who comes into her own, becoming a regular spitfire and a tall, built Dragonborn shifter – both with a hunger for passion and insatiable desires.
This book is a standalone, no cheating, no cliffhangers, and a guaranteed happy ending!
United States
Other Countries
EXCLUSIVE – The Bear’s Princess
Azaria is sick of life. S
he’s bored and hates the politics. She’s sick of being told what to do. Worse yet, her father is trying to marry her off to a Vamp three times her age—not her idea of a good union. She runs off and finds a wounded bear in the forest. When she realizes he’s dying she uses her blood to save him not even thinking of the consequences to both of them. He’s her mate and in that moment, nothing else matters.
Dulex is surprised when he finds himself naked in a dirty and dank cabin hidden far in the woods with none other than the Princess of the Vampires. Problem is she’s his mate and nothing will stand in his way to save her from the unwanted bonding. Dulex will do anything to protect his princess from harm, and when he wakes to find her missing… His beast takes control planning to wreak havoc on any that gets in his way or lays one hand on his mate. If only he could convince—her father, the king, that she is safe with him.
The vamp she was promised to isn’t playing nice and brings him before the Royal Council. It will take more than him alone to keep her safe. They must all work together to imprison the man sent by a rival to overthrow the King and Queen.
Will Dulex find a way to bring his princess home before it’s too late or will she succumb to the vile darkness threatening to take hold?
Chapter 1
Azaria
I wouldn’t do it. My father, fuck him, didn’t get it. Just because he was the King didn’t mean anything. How in the world did he get the idea that I’d want to bond with someone that much older?
I mean for real.
Just because I would live to be older than all get out didn’t mean I wanted to be stuck with some old school Vamp that had expectations of the Old Laws.
He lived by the Old Laws and that meant I would be nothing more than a live-in servant who had to do his bidding. It was my duty to produce the next heir to the throne as well, and I was nowhere near ready to become a mother. I was only 30 for heaven’s sakes. Living Vamps struggled to produce, but my family always produced a female heir and bonded with another royal family to keep the peace. It was our way. It’s why there were so few of us, and most of them ended in a horrible miscarriage and death for the female. I didn’t want to lose my life, and sure I understood what I had to do—but not with him. He was arrogant and old.
Love.
That’s what I wanted. No one seemed to get it. It was almost as if they wanted to force the bond so I couldn’t find my mate. I knew he was out there somewhere, but finding him was nearly impossible. Humans and other Supes populated the land. It was like looking for a needle in a stack of needles. I smiled at nothing. The saying was cliché but so true. I had less than three months to find my mate or I’d be stuck with Julian—forever.
Shuddering, I glanced outside. That thought didn’t sit well with me. Instead of focusing on my doom I realized it was raining again. Normally I loved watching each drop splash along the pavement outside my window as they glistened under the moon, but not tonight. My heart shuttered in my chest slowing to nearly nothing. That’s what happened when a living vamp stressed. The ache spread through my body thinking of how Father’s eyes had glowed when I fought. I hated when he was angry with me. Then he treated me like a teenager that rebelled and sent me to my room. I hated when he treated me like a child, yet he was trying to get me to act very much the opposite by bonding.
The hairs on my neck stood as footsteps sounded in the room. I didn’t move or acknowledge the man who wanted to ruin my life.
“Azaria,” Julian said with a deep and demanding voice.
I cringed. I had been taught to respect my elders, but I couldn’t do it. So, I sat immobile watching the clouds roll and the rain splatter against the asphalt. The street below was empty of its normal pedestrians.
“You should be so lucky to be bonded to me. I don’t understand why you seem so—unhappy about our upcoming union.”
I knew he really didn’t get it. There was no way I could explain it. Being the only child to the King and Queen meant showing no weakness. Wanting love was exactly that.
This time I spun towards him and narrowed my eyes when he seemed to take that as an invitation and sat next to me. His large, heavy hand was on my knee and I wanted to rip his fingers off when he squeezed.
“We’ll make a great pair for all the others to see.”
I sighed and lifted his hand moving it from my body. I held back the distaste as much as possible. “I don’t doubt that.” And that was the truth. We would make a great political pair. He was feared and respected across the world. I understood my father’s choice on that level. It was a smart move. But for me it was the wrong one. Not that it mattered.
“Then why did you fight the King.”
I rolled my eyes. “The King is also my father.”
Julian squeezed my knee again. “Princess, that doesn’t matter.”
He ran his nails over my bare flesh easing up my dress. This time I laid my hand over his using my strength to keep him from doing something he would regret. “It does, and I swear if you don’t stop touching me like this you will lose your hand.”
He chuckled but removed his hand from my leg. I didn’t let out the breath I was holding. Weakness wasn’t something I could show, because as my bonded he would use it against me. I needed to establish my dominance now or I’d never get it. Sadly, my mother hadn’t done that with my father, and that was exactly why she’d told me since birth to always be strong. Show the male we were a force to be reckoned with. I intended to do so.
***
Dulex
“Run little bear, run.”
The voice taunted from not as far behind me as I’d like. My bear wasn’t fucking small. That pissed me off more than the chase. I was used to being on the run. That wasn’t new. My paws sunk into the damp dirt throwing off my balance enough to slow me down.
“Dammit!”
It rained the night before, and it made for easier tracking.
I’d been running my whole life. Before Ma was caught, she told me to keep running and never look back—and that’s what I did. Being half bear and half Fae meant I was different and the magic worked a lot different for me. There wasn’t a day that I hadn’t been told I was an abomination. The Fae didn’t breed with the bears. It just wasn’t done. But Ma and her Fae lover sure showed them. I was proof of that. And I was certain there had to be others like me in the world—somewhere.
I’d spent my years as hiding with a traveling carnival. Being a smaller blue-black bear with wings tended to garner attention. Finally, the Fae trackers had found me. There was a pretty price on my head. I should take the compliment but instead I felt nothing but insulted. I hated running, and I was exhausted from always looking over my shoulder.
I’d always hoped to find another one—just one like me. It would get these Fae trackers off my ass and show the Fae council that they couldn’t kill me. I wanted that damn price off my head. I wanted my freedom and peace. It was only a matter of time before they caught me. In fact, they could have already, but these fucks liked to play.
I hated games, and this was no different.
I was so lost in my thoughts I’d missed the scent and the flutter of wings in front of me. I tried to stop my momentum but it was too late. The Fae was tall and thin with a bare chest. He wore trousers that fit like a second skin. They were black matching the suede boots that tied up the side of his calves. I wasn’t sure why I paid so much attention to him considering the sword he held was meant to take my head…
Only he didn’t do as I planned. Instead he shoved the blade right through me to the hilt. I didn’t even have it in me to growl. The agony started from the front of my chest and ended on the other side. My body shook and I panted before he yanked the sword back out adding more fiery pain through my body. A shifter could handle a lot but even this was too much for both sides. It was iron. As my body shook I was forced back into my human shape laying on my back and covered in dirt and blood. I felt the beat of my heart slow. I knew in that moment they had finally won. I was going to die.
Chapter 2
Azaria
Julian followed me around like I was going to run. He wasn’t totally wrong, but dammit. I needed time alone. I was sick of being watched like a hawk. Sometimes a woman needed a break. He didn’t seem to understand that. I walked down the corridor of the castle and looked over my shoulder to make sure I was alone before opening the trap door to the tunnels.
Most people didn’t know the original layout of the large castle. It had been in my family for hundreds of years. The Lucians were always royalty. They always ruled the Vampires. When Thomas Lucian came to the US and established his place, we’d stayed from then on. My family history was full of blood and pain, but I hoped to change that. It was time for the Lucians to pass the reign to someone else. Not that my parents would ever go for it. Father was nearing retirement. I knew that was why he pushed so hard, but he had to realize pushing only made me want to rebel.
I didn’t need light to guide me through the tunnels. I hefted my bag over my shoulder clenching the strap tight in my hands. I didn’t want to lose it. Ghosts loved to play pranks and this wasn’t the time. Normally I’d indulge them but not today. I was too close to getting away. This time I wouldn’t come back. I would not be bonded to that sorry excuse for a man.
I shuddered when a translucent figured grabbed my arm. “Princess,” he said.
I smiled at the boy I’d spent almost 30 years with. “Milo, my dear, not today, okay.”
He frowned. “Why, princess?”
“I’m leaving.”
He frowned harder. “But you’ll be back.”
I sighed. He was one of the spirits that attached to living creatures. And yes, I was living. My heart beats. I could eat and function like a normal human. I was just a bit extra.
Okay a lot extra, but that was beside the point.
“Not this time buddy.”
Saved by a Bear (Legends of Black Salmon Falls Book 2) Page 115
