Shifter Queen (Dragons & Phoenixes Book 3)

by Miranda Martin

  He stepped closer and carefully took me into his arms.

  "I know," he said simply, pressing his cheek against the top of my head. "I got Heavener myself. I'm sure he regretted his decision to betray us after I was done with him."

  I shuddered a little at the pure rage in his tone. Heavener's last moments couldn't have been pleasant. And I couldn't feel badly about that.

  I hugged Ashur back. Both of us were bloody and battered with a literal war zone around us.

  But we were still alive.

  And we were together.

  I closed my eyes and rested my head against his chest.

  I would count this as a win.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  "Are you sure about this?"

  I nodded, smoothing down the white gown that I was wearing for the occasion. It had some gold and lavender embroidery along the edges and the square neckline that I felt was a nice nod to all of my allegiances along with the white that Emberich's city favored.

  Ashur was dressed in an outfit that I hadn't seen him in before. A doublet-like jacket in black that hugged his form faithfully with a pair of slim black pants. He had a sword at his side and gold medallion around his neck that denoted him as a Dragon Lord that I had never seen him wear before. He'd told me he wasn't really into the ostentatious but that he did have what he needed for the occasion.

  Maybe I could get him to put this getup on again when we were alone and had more time.

  "I'm sure," I answered, feeling the truth of that in my bones. No doubts.

  "Okay," he said simply.

  He hadn't tried to talk me out of my decision, which I appreciated. We were waiting just inside the throne room, at the door leading out into the area outside that had been set up for the occasion.

  It had only been three days since we'd won the war and Emberich had been defeated, but it felt like it had only been a blink of the eye. If I had been able to delay the coronation, I would have. But phoenix tradition dictated the ceremony needed to be held within three days of a change in leadership and we didn't want to stray from phoenix tradition any more than we already had. We needed to be careful of their culture. As much as we were able to anyway. We were trying to make the transition to new leadership as painless and calm as possible. We had our fingers crossed.

  "You're up," Sven said, ducking his head in.

  I nodded to Sven and turned to Ashur. Rising up on my tiptoes, I kissed him on the cheek.

  He smiled back at me.

  "You have this."

  "I have this," I repeated.

  Then the door swung open, and, my heart beating hard and fast, I stepped out with Ashur on my arm. Phoenixes were arranged on every spare inch of space, some even standing on rooftops while others in their phoenix forms hovered in the air to get a good look.

  Some of Ashur's skein was there as well, along with contingents from the other dragon skeins, but we didn't want there to be too much of a dragon presence for the phoenix coronation. It felt like rubbing salt into the wound already.

  I walked out directly to the dais that had been set up for the occasion, the phoenix leaders already arranged there and waiting for me.

  Ashur helped me up onto the stage but then moved to stand with his skein at the foot of the stage. Close, but not right next to me. We'd thought long and hard about how to position him. On the stage felt too aggressive when dragons not the phoenixes' favorite people, despite having helped with the coup. Or maybe partly because of it. It was difficult to get a handle on that when the people themselves were so split. But I needed to be seen as Emberich's heir, not as a puppet for Ashur. Or the dragons in general.

  My eyes landed on Barani, the man who was in charge of the ceremony itself. He was standing at the front of the stage, his bearing ramrod straight, his face set in stern lines as he watched me walk up to him. He was dressed in the traditional tunic and pants combination, his embroidery in a deep blue that set off his eyes. He wasn't happy with how things had turned out, or at least not completely happy. But he had been nothing but polite to me, if formal. I could handle polite.

  He got started as soon as I was on my mark.

  "Mia Hill, daughter of Emberich, do you accept this crown?" he asked formally, holding up a thin gold circlet that had been on Emberich's head only a few days ago.

  No way did I want it on my head. But tradition was tradition, and it was a minor thing in the end. Just a metal circle.

  "I accept the crown," I agreed, just as formally.

  I'd practiced everything I was going to say today, not wanting to stumble and embarrass myself. Fortunately, the ceremony was brief and to the point, so I didn't have to remember much.

  "Do you promise to serve the phoenix race to the best of your ability? To forgo any other loyalties you may have? To lay down your life for the good of your people?"

  There might have been a slight pause and a flick of his gaze to Ashur at the second question. A little shady, but discreet enough. I didn't really blame him for it.

  "I do," I said seriously.

  I could not believe that Emberich had taken this same oath and done what he'd done.

  "Kneel before us. Before the people you serve," he ordered.

  I knelt, keeping my head slightly bowed. Barani moved to place the crown on my head. The actual weight of it was light, but it still felt heavy. Probably just in my mind.

  "Queen Mia. The Phoenix Queen," he announced.

  A warm round of applause that I felt was less for me and more for the fact that I wasn't Emberich. That didn't offend me at all.

  I stood up, smiling at the crowd and bowing slightly.

  "My thanks," I said, taking a deep breath as I rubbed my hands on my skirt. Now was the hard part. "But I am not fit to rule the phoenixes." The applause and cheers slowly died down to a confused silence as people started muttering to each other.

  "What?"

  "What did she say?"

  "Then why did she lead a coup?"

  I held up my hands in a quieting gesture.

  "But I know somebody who is," I continued, searching the crowd until I found him. "I hereby abdicate the throne. And pass it on to Sven Light. For the good of the people."

  You could have heard a pin drop in the resulting silence. And nobody looked more shocked than Sven as he stared up at the stage, his mouth slightly ajar.

  "Sven?" I urged, waving him up to the stage.

  He blinked at me, looking around as people cleared space around him. I jerked my head at him again and he finally moved. He walked up onto the stage in silence and stopped right next to me, the smile on his face strained.

  "What are you doing?" he whispered in a tight voice. "We agreed that your bloodline is needed to stabilize the throne," he hissed. "This was not part of the plan!"

  "I did use my bloodline," I pointed out in a low voice as I took my crown off. "I've been reading up on phoenix law for the last few days to be sure. There is a provision that allows the next in line to create a new next in line when he or she feels unable to fulfill their duties well. And since I have such strong ties to the dragons, I do think a conflict of interest is at play here. Also, I know you'll do a better job than I will. You will be more than a figurehead, which is what I would likely become."

  Not wanting to give him too much of an opportunity to refuse, I turned back to the people and raised my voice.

  "Do you accept this crown, Sven Light, for the good of the people?"

  A beat of silence.

  I glanced over at him from the corner of my eye to see him raising a brow at me. Had I gambled wrong here? I hadn't ask him beforehand because I didn't want him to start arguing against the idea, which I knew he would. I thought it was good to have someone in charge who didn't necessarily want to be in charge. The people who wanted to be in power sometimes were the ones that needed to be watched out for the most.

  "Yes. I accept the crown," he finally agreed after making me sweat for a moment.

  As he knelt down and I place
d the crown on his head, I didn't think the crowd heard the rest of what I had to say in the formal passing of power. They were too busy cheering and applauding, their roar of approval drowning out any other sound. A much more enthusiastic response than I'd gotten.

  I'd made the right decision.

  I smiled as I stepped off the stage and moved over to stand next to Ashur as Sven finished the ceremony and gave a short speech promising to lead the phoenixes into a new future.

  "I was a little worried there for a second," Ashur admitted as he took my hand.

  I squeezed it.

  "So was I," I admitted, watching Sven. And knowing I done the exact right thing. I just wasn't cut out to be a queen. But Sven had all the makings of a good king. He knew how to get people to work together, was willing to risk himself when he thought it was the right thing to do, and he was smart, with no ego. He did what had to be done, even if it was difficult.

  Even though I'd rather the phoenixes turn to a democracy of some kind, I thought Sven was a good choice. But that was the human in me talking. Neither dragons nor phoenixes had a true democracy.

  I sat back and watched the rest of the coronation ceremony in a much better mood.

  This was Sven's headache now.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  "Why couldn't I come to the coronation ceremony?" Omari demanded for what felt like the hundredth time.

  "Because I wasn't sure how safe it was going to be," I repeated again, for the hundredth time. What if they'd decided to just behead me on the spot rather than let the coronation happen? But I didn't tell him that.

  "Nothing is safe enough for me!" Omari pouted, crossing his arms. "You always leave me behind."

  "You have plenty of time to run straight into danger when you're older," Ashur replied easily, humor tinging his voice. "How about for now we just watch this movie and have some of this candy I brought for you?"

  "Candy?" Omari perked up. "What kind?"

  "Your favorite kind."

  I chuckled as he ripped open the box immediately and shoved the chocolate into his mouth.

  "Good thinking," I whispered, kissing Ashur. "He's probably not going to be young enough to distract this easily for long, though."

  "I am not above bribes," he whispered back. "And I'll just find better ones as he gets older."

  It was a light statement, but it held the promise of a future together. And that meant everything. I felt warm and at home as we had a nice movie night with Omari at Ashur's place.

  It was just about the speed I wanted to go at right now. I had no idea what the future was going to bring. But as long as I had Ashur and Omari with me, I was looking forward to it.

  We let Omari stay up a little later to make up for the fact that he hadn't been able to go to the coronation ceremony. He was sure to milk that for all it was worth. But we finally put him to bed even as he was protesting while he was yawning.

  "But I want to watch another movie," he said as his head hit the pillow. He was out like a light in no time.

  Then Ashur and I went to bed. We both started stripping to get under the sheets.

  "Do you know how much power you just gave up?" Ashur asked as he lay down on the bed in his boxer briefs, crossing his arms under his head.

  I grinned, lying down next to him in my sleep shirt. Hmm. We were alone and Omari was asleep...

  I sat up and pulled the shirt off, revealing my nakedness underneath. His eyes immediately went to my body, his eyes heating. I loved the way he looked at me. Like he couldn't stop looking. Like he wanted to devour me.

  I rolled over on top of his hard body and his hand went straight to my bare ass, cupping and squeezing.

  "I have all the power I need right here," I teased, giving him a slow, clinging kiss.

  He chuckled, a part of him stirring with even more interest against my stomach. He kissed me back, deepening it until I was really feeling the heat. Not that it took much with him. He was definitely my weakness.

  "You'll always have this power," he murmured against my mouth as he broke the kiss. "Feel free to exercise it whenever you want. I insist."

  "How magnanimous," I said, smiling as I kissed my way down his strong throat.

  "I try," he agreed, his breathing already coming faster as I kissed my way across his chest, rubbing my face against the soft hair there.

  I gave his nipples a hard suck that had him jerking a little and then kissed my way down his stomach to his navel and the happy trail leading down into his boxers. Looking up to meet his eyes, I hooked my fingers in his underwear and pulled them down and off his legs, revealing his fully hardened erection. It was thick and long and flushed, veins tracing up the underside. My mouth watered just looking at it. I took it in my hand, enjoying the steel hardness of it juxtaposed with the silky softness of his skin.

  "Careful there," I warned as I leaned down and licked a slow line up the underside of his cock, feeling it jerk at the touch. "The power might go straight to my head. And I might become completely insufferable."

  His hands slid into my hair as I took his tip into my mouth, tasting the slickness already dripping from it.

  "I'm willing to...take that risk," he gasped as I sucked on him, licking at him, exploring with my tongue.

  And then we weren't talking anymore as I used my mouth to drive him crazy. Sucking and licking and using my hands until his thighs were trembling under my palms and sweat beaded on his skin. But he abruptly pulled away and flipped us over before I was finished.

  "Hey," I protested. "I'm not done." But the protest died as he set his mouth against me and returned the favor.

  Oh man. It wasn't fair how good he was at that. I sighed and it was my turn to clutch at his silky hair, my thighs tightening around his head as he licked me hard and fast, knowing exactly what I liked. He didn't stop until I orgasmed. My body arched, the hot waves of release sliding through me in a beautiful cascade of sensation as he continued to lick at me, forcing me to ride it for as long as possible. But I still hadn't had enough when he raised his head, licking his lips.

  He chuckled as I grabbed him and rolled him underneath me again. But it faded away as I took ahold of the base of his erection and pointed him up before sitting down on him, taking his thick length inside me, where I wanted it most. His hands clenched on my hips, and his head arched back as he gritted his teeth.

  I took my time sliding down on him, working him in, his size and the angle making me go slow. And then he was all the way inside me, both of us going still at the perfection of it. But I had to move. I rode him slow and steady, torturing us both with the gentle pace. Ashur groaned as I settled down on him again, grinding against him.

  "Faster," he growled, his eyes opening into narrow slits to meet my eyes. "Go faster."

  "I'll go as fast as I want," I retorted with a small smile. "I told you the power would go to my head," I pointed out.

  He chuckled even as he groaned again.

  "You're...evil."

  "True," I agreed.

  I kept us both there on the edge for quite some time. Until we were both slick with sweat, our breathing harsh.

  "Mia," Ashur warned, his hands tightening even more on my hips. "If you don't finish this, I will."

  That was my cue. My next thrust down was hard and fast, making both of us moan. I needed more. I slid my hands to Ashur's shoulders, meeting his eyes as I picked up the pace even more. There was no more finesse to it, no more rhythm. It was just a hard ride to the end. And it didn't take long at all to reach that end, not after that build up.

  Ashur shut his eyes and thrust up against me as he came, his erection jerking inside me even as I clamped down on him in my own climax. We clutched each other as we came, our bodies pressed together in a long line. And it was perfect, just like it always was when we were together. Because it was Ashur.

  As I dropped down onto his body and he wrapped his arms around me, both of us trying to catch our breath, I knew he would always catch me when I needed it, which w
as why I was so hopeful for the future despite trying to manage my expectations. I knew we'd face it together.

  "I love you," Ashur murmured, kissing my cheek sweetly.

  My heart melted, just like it always did around him. I was becoming a real softy.

  "I love you, too," I whispered, snuggling my face into the side of his neck and breathing in his scent.

  I didn't know how I got here. Here, with more than I ever thought I'd have.

  I was grateful for it, and I'd protect it with everything I had. As I hugged Ashur close, I knew I'd never again be the person I was before I met him and Omari. Maybe that did make me more vulnerable. But it also made me better. I couldn't imagine my life without them now. Didn't want to.

  I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

  Tomorrow was a new day.

  And I couldn't wait.

  SHIFTER QUEEN is the third novel in the Dragons & Phoenixes series. Want us to write more in this world or with these character? Let us know by signing up for our mailing lists and replying to the welcome e-mail with what you’d like to see!.

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  MIRANDA MARTIN

  & JUNO WELLS

  Blurb

  Not every alien is an enemy, even if he kidnaps you...

  Calista is happy with her life of scientific research. She doesn't need love, she has her books, her friends, and her work. Things are fine until her ship is attacked by space pirates and crash lands on a desert planet with heat so intense she and her friends can't survive without help.

  Ladon is a Zmaj warrior resigned to a life alone, who only desires to protect his treasures. His hopes for a mate faded long ago, yet when he meets Calista something stirs. It takes only one look to know that she belongs to him. He's been alone for so long but she is the ultimate treasure and he will protect her.