Nothing—and no one—will stand in her way
Kadence Thorne will do anything to save her sister, even risk the fury of her seductive new Lotus League partner, Lok. But she didn’t join the secret league of assassins to become a Lotus, and failing the entry test was only the beginning. As punishment, they’re sent to the island of the Eight Immortal, Han Xiangzi. Only through offering the Immortal a trade he can’t resist can she find a cure for her sister. And Lok? Well, he’ll just have to tag along for the ride.
An outcast in one world, a fugitive in the other
Amongst his dragon kin, Lok of the Shenlong Dragons is an azure-scaled beast, capable of manipulating the skies to his every whim. In the human realm, he is Lok Smith, a powerless human who must conceal his true identity at all costs. Falsely accused of murdering his den-mates, Lok has spent the past century searching for their killer—and a way to clear his name. When the Matchmaker offers him her aid in exchange for joining her Lotus League, it’s a chance Lok can’t refuse. Even if it means being paired with a woman as intoxicating as she is infuriating.
Pushed to the edge of passion
Kadence’s search brings Lok dangerously close to exposure. Even worse, there’s a treasure hidden inside Kadence, one that he—and every other dragon—will do anything to possess. When Kadence’s schemes throw his plans off-balance, Lok will have to straddle both worlds and pray they don’t collide.
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This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events, places, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2016 by Rachael Slate
All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce, distribute, or transmit this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever.
First Edition July 2016
Edited by Kelley Heckart
Cover design by NovelArt Designs
Tribal Artwork by Jeanette Palafox
Formatting by NovelArt Designs
Epub: ISBN 978-1-988396-01-9
Kindle: ISBN 978-1-988396-02-6
For dragons everywhere
Table of Contents
Free Read!
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Glossary
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Books by Rachael Slate
Preview of Book 7, IN WOLF'S CLOTHING
Lotus League Training Facility – undisclosed location
665 days since the first outbreak of the Red Death
Lok was staring. Not polite, stolen glimpses, but outright fucking gawking at her. The long tendrils of her hair flickered beneath the fluorescent lighting while she jabbed her fists into a punching bag. Reds, oranges, and golds sparked like the flames of a greedy fire.
Distraction. He shook his head and wrenched his gaze aside. This entire situation was a bloody jest. Gripping the puny barbell in his hand, he curled his bicep toward his body. Pathetic. After a century of concealing his true nature, he ought to be used to the ruse, but these displays still frustrated him. He could lift every one of these weights, twice over, but doing so was a risk he would never take.
Just like her.
He sniffed the air and her scent carried to him. Sweet, blossomy, and…hmm. Not quite human. Clenching his jaw, he forced himself not to study her, not to attempt to discern her nature. Unlike him, she either wasn’t powerful enough to mask her scent, or she didn’t care.
A luxury beyond his reach. What he wouldn’t give to stretch his wings and roam the skies as he used to. Sighing, Lok replaced the barbell and twisted to study their instructor. What a bloody joke. He was in no more need of “training” than a dragon youngling claiming its first kill.
His instincts, his nature, had been bred into him from the moment he’d hatched from his gilded egg. He belonged to the race of Shenlong dragons. Godlike beasts capable of manipulating the weather. Powerful and majestic, and nothing like the pathetic human he portrayed to the world.
A human female, the instructor, stepped into the center of the room. She was pretty, in a girl-next-door fashion, with dark auburn hair and expressive brown eyes. He took in a whiff of her feminine scent. Interesting. Not merely a human, but a Chosen. Snake, if he wasn’t mistaken. The Jade Emperor—the supreme ruler of the heavens—paired the twelve Chosen humans with the spirit animals of the Chinese Zodiac and tasked them with restoring the yin-yang balance to the world.
Well, good fucking luck with that. The Red Death—a plague that continued to decimate millions—was just the beginning. A war was brewing between the humans and the supernatural beings of the Jade Emperor’s realms. And Lok was pretty damn sure which side would win.
He planned to be long gone when that happened. Already, several dragon clans had begun their migration. If he hoped to join them…
In the back of the room, the instructor raised her voice at a large male. Lok sniffed. Ox? Well, well, two Chosen in one room. The Matchmaker certainly had her manicured hands everywhere.
Even on me. Still, her offer wasn’t one he could risk refusing. A century of hiding had brought him no closer to the truth, no closer to clearing his name. Joining her little Lotus League seemed an easy trade.
“No. I love you, Nat.” The big male drew the instructor aside.
This was definitely getting interesting. The other dozen students in the room watched as well, snickering or smirking at the lover’s spat. Including her. Lok angled his gaze, peering from beneath the slashes of his hair, toward the flaming-haired female. Like him and the other recruits, she sported the flowering lotus tat on her inner left wrist. No other markings appeared to be inked across her pale, creamy skin. She wasn’t a Chosen. Nor a fox spirit. Huh. What the hell was she?
The doors swung open and a familiar clack of heels resonated off the floors. The Matchmaker. He stiffened, but she strolled straight for the sparring couple. The instructor, Nat, rushed to her side, the male trailing.
“I have decided to change the order of your training for this session,” the Matchmaker addressed the trainees. The instructor shuffled through her clipboard, but the Matchmaker continued, “You will be partnered in teams of two. The task is this. Ensure the survival of your partner. Follow me.” She spun on her heel and departed through another set of steel doors toward the back.
The recruits assembled into pairs and filed through the exit. But not the fiery-haired female. She hung back, twisting her fists at her sides. Before he questioned what he was doing, Lok rose and strode toward her. “Guess we’re partners.” Pausing a few feet away, he raked a hand through his hair. “I’m Lok. Smith.”
“Kadence Thorne.” She inclined
her head, studying him with sparkling violet eyes, a quirk to her lips likely aimed at his ridiculous name.
Holy hell. She was exquisite. His throat went dry, his muscles tensing. He dragged his hand to grip the back of his neck, fingers aching to stroke her pearlescent skin. The urge to swoop her into his arms, spread his wings, and carry her off to his cave consumed him.
He was staring at her, but hell, only one thought pinged in his mind.
I want her.
***
Kadence narrowed her eyes at the intense man who reached forward to stroke her cheek with the back of his finger like she was his…possession. Oh hell, no. She dodged his hand, glowering. “Don’t touch me.” Just because he was sexy as hell didn’t mean she would welcome his groping.
He blinked at her, then at his hand, his thick brows drawing together over blue eyes so dark they were nearly black. “Ah, sorry.” He shoved that large hand through his rugged, black coal locks, swiping them away from his face.
Wow. She swallowed hard and struggled not to gape at this gorgeous male. His ethnicity was hard to pinpoint, but his chiseled cheekbones and broad, strong jaw lent him a timeless air of beauty. At five-nine, she was used to looking most men in the eyes, but she had to tilt her head back pretty far to do that with him. He was wearing the same outfit she was—black short-sleeved shirt and cargo pants, but man, did he fill them out nicely. His biceps were easily as thick as her thighs, yet he’d been lifting one of the lightest barbells. Weird.
Even weirder was how he’d kept casting her sly glances, like she wouldn’t notice him ogling her.
Ugh. Men. Despite how hot he was, she didn’t have any intention of hooking up with him.
Or anyone.
Not while her sister, Melody, depended on her.
Right. Kadence squared her shoulders. Her stomach had done a flip-flop when the Matchmaker had announced they’d be doing this in pairs, but after this dude’s unwelcomed leering? Yeah, she’d be more than happy to ditch him.
“Well, come on then, partner.” Rolling her eyes, she strolled through the door. Her contact—a shop owner in Hong Kong—had set this up with perfect timing. Ling had one foot in the Jade Emperor’s world and one in the human realm, making her an excellent resource.
Now or never.
Blinding light struck her face. She raised her hands to shield her eyes, blinking and squinting until they adjusted. Cool mist gathered around her legs. A cloud? A wide chasm spanned between her and the opposite side.
“Bloody hell.” Her partner stepped beside her, rubbing his eyes.
Without consulting him, she sprinted several paces backward, then surged forward, and leapt across the canyon.
Cursing echoed toward her while she landed in a crouch on the opposite side. Ha. Things were about to get worse for him. Way worse.
Kadence raced ahead, not waiting for him to catch up with her. The only way her plan would succeed was if he failed.
Lapping waves splashed ahead. She paused at the edge of an expanse of water. Maybe he can’t swim. Well, here’s to wishful thinking. Kadence leapt into the water and swam across, crawling onto the opposite shore. So much for the League’s badass reputation. This obstacle course was easier to traverse than a playground. Solid earth stretched before her, beckoning her forward into a verdant jungle.
This was almost…too easy. Pounding vibrated behind her. She whipped around and spotted Lok racing toward her, a scowl darkening his expression. His eyes burned into her as he slowed to a walk, stalking forward. “What the hell are you doing? We’re supposed to work together.”
Leaves crunched to her right. Instead of answering him, she glanced aside, toward the vines snaking across the dirt path…
Right toward Lok. His hands fisted at his sides, his chest expanding with each huffing breath. He was so worked up about her ditching him that he didn’t appear to notice the vines. Perfect.
Despite her rushing ahead, he’d managed to catch up with her. If they finished this together, they’d pass the test.
But her plans would fail.
Unacceptable. Kadence tilted her head and smiled at him. “Sorry. Guess I was just excited.” As his brows drew together, those fierce eyes narrowing on her, the vines closed in on him. A little bit more. She swept up her wet hair, twisting it against her head. Her T-shirt was plastered against her damp skin, her nipples pebbling.
Lok’s gaze dipped to her breasts. She tugged on the hem of her shirt, molding the fabric to her breasts and gluing Lok’s stare. So predictable.
The vine slithered around his ankle and snapped to lock tight. Lok’s hooded eyes flew open a second before the vine whipped him upside down.
“Motherfucker.” He squirmed and bucked, but the vines dug in tighter, snaring around his legs. “Are you going to stand there or help me?” he growled at her.
She sauntered below him and peered upward. “Sorry, I can’t.” She winked at him, then spun and strolled down the path. Success.
Lok’s cursing followed her to the exit, but she stepped through without him.
Without a single regret.
Fury hissed through Lok’s veins. It had taken every ounce of his will to not employ his strength and free himself from the vines. The damn instructor and her partner had shown up, and revealing his true identity to anyone—but especially to one of the Jade Emperor’s world—was a death sentence. So he’d played the victim, despite the bitter disgust it had left on his tongue. Now, he trailed them out of the obstacle course, on the verge of erupting.
That little minx. She’d distracted him with her lush, plump breasts, and he’d fallen for it. Why the fuck had she ditched him? The Matchmaker had made it damned clear that success depended on exiting with one’s partner. Which they hadn’t. Was this a game to Kadence? While she might have time for a century of penance cleaning Immortal toilets, he did not.
Her carelessness had cost him time he did not have.
Squeezing his eyes, he fisted his hands, willing his beastly side not to spring free. In an entire century, he’d never been so close to losing control. Not worth it.
Exhaling deeply, he opened his eyes and uncurled his fists.
Kadence’s luscious scent drifted across his nose. Hell.
He stormed forward, straight up to Kadence, and gripped her by the throat. “What the fuck did you do that for?”
Eyes wide, she clawed at his forearm, but just this once, he employed an ounce of his strength, holding her firm.
She hissed, squirming. “I don’t have to answer to you.”
He leaned in closer, the scent of her growing sweeter. His cock hardened, urging to thrust deep inside her.
Want her.
Can’t resist.
Her essence called to his dark nature, coaxing him forward. His veins pumped with desire, with longing, with…
Covetousness.
Oh, fuck.
He wrenched his hand off her, jerking backward. His chest heaved—had he been panting, pining for her? For what she was?
Dammit. He scanned the room, but luckily the other trainees had cleared the area. There was just her. And him. Alone. He could claim the treasure inside her and no one would ever know…
“I’m disappointed in you both.” The Matchmaker sashayed into the room, her gaze cutting straight to him. Shit, he’d failed her test and broken his end of their deal. Would she renege on hers?
“My assistant will arrange for your penance.” She waved a hand at the mousy-haired female behind her, then spun on her heel and headed toward the exit.
Hell, no.
Lok rushed to her side. “That wasn’t my fault. She’s fucking crazy.”
The Matchmaker’s cool stare drifted over him. “Then perhaps you should have chosen your partner with a wiser piece of your anatomy.” Her sharp obsidian eyes cast a pointed glare toward his dick.
“I didn’t—” He shut his mouth. Because really, his dragon nature had chosen her. Dammit. “You’re not backing out of our deal, are you?”
/>
“No.”
He exhaled in relief.
“Neither can I allow this to go unpunished. My rules are clear, so play along, keep an eye on your partner, and after an acceptable amount of time, I’ll reinstate you both.”
“No, no bloody way.” He lowered his voice to a growl. “I’m not going anywhere with her.” The temptation was too much. Now that he’d discerned what she was…
“That was not a request, Lok.” The Matchmaker glanced toward the female. “Kadence is…important. And driven. Yet she cannot succeed without aid. Your aid. So you will help her, ensure her survival, and return her to me. Are we clear?”
Fucking hell. Whatever Kadence was up to, the Matchmaker knew about it. I’m not a damn babysitter. He shoved a hand through his hair. “You can’t ask me to look after…that.” Because obviously if the Matchmaker knew the rest, she also was aware of Kadence’s true nature.
The Matchmaker glided forward and pressed her manicured hand on his arm. “You are not the only one who will covet her, Lok Shenlong. Would you rather see one of your brethren claim her?”
Mine. Voracious spikes of possessiveness slammed through him.
The Matchmaker patted his arm. “Indeed.” She sauntered off, heels clacking into echoes.
***
“Um, so are you ready?” The mousy-haired assistant pushed her glasses up her nose and peered at her clipboard. “I have an opening in the house of Han Xiangzi.” She waved toward them. “If you’ll follow me.”
Kadence rose, tentatively treading past Lok, who seemed lost in himself as he glared at the wall.
Whatever had passed between them had been…intense.
Normally, she didn’t welcome men groping her and getting hot and heavy near her, but wow. Lok had some powerful magnetism rolling off him. She rubbed her hand across her throat. When he’d first grabbed her, she’d been afraid he’d intended to strangle her.
Instead, he’d held her firm while he’d inhaled against her skin like she was a flower he wanted to pluck.
Or screw.
Well, maybe wherever he was from, men went around scooping up their women and hauling them off to their caves, but personally, she preferred the evolved kind of man.
Matching Dragons Chinese Zodiac Romance Series Book 6 Page 1
