by Julia Mills
Chuckling the best she could with broken teeth, swollen lips and bruised cheeks, Calysta gave the only answer she could, “Rot in hell, Cleland.”
Of course, he missed the humor in her statement. She hardly had time to brace before the thick wooden handle of his cane connected with her temple and her world faded to black.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Melanie tested the ropes that held her hands behind her back, trying with all her might to break free. The black bag that had been shoved over her head remained, making it unbearably hot and impossible to see. Sweat covered her face as she fought not to lose her cool while figuring a way out of the fresh hell she found herself in.
Counting to ten, she redirected her focus to her feet, happy to find they were tied together and not to the legs of the chair. She rotated her feet in opposite directions, letting the rope slide over her skin, and was happy to find it was good old fashioned jute. Mr. Addison, her high school Chemistry teacher who doubled as the P.E. teacher, would be proud she recognized its texture and even happier that she remembered with enough friction and moisture, it would stretch. Ignoring the burning sensation working its way up her legs, she rubbed her ankles against one another as she continued to rotate her feet.
This is like the whole ‘rub your tummy and pat your head’ game only with my legs and feet. Damn, I’m talented. Now to put everything I’ve learned from Bruce Willis to work and get the hell outta dodge.
Her muscles ached and threatened to cramp, which only made Melanie work harder. Sweat ran down her legs, soaking the ropes as she listened for the sounds of her captors. It wouldn’t do any good to work this hard only to have the rat bastards show up and redo her bindings.
Distracting herself, she thought back to the men that abducted her. It was obvious they’d used black magic. They were from the very Guard she’d taunted her grandfather about. Of course, she full well planned on smacking herself in the back of the head for letting them get the jump on her and for giving the old wizard the idea. She’d like to blame her inattention on the conversation with the Grand Draoi and in all truth, it had thrown her for a loop, but it was the mind-blowing kiss from a certain tall, blue-eyed hunk that had scrambled her neurons and left her wishing for so much more. She’d been lost to her daydreaming, allowing the assholes to get the jump on her. Years and years of honing her skills of observation, always knowing everything that was going on around her, and hiding her magic from even the best mystical practitioners, were skills that kept her safe for almost twenty years. Melanie had known it was the only shot she would have to live a normal life, far away from her jacked up family that put the fun in dysfunction.
Best laid plans…
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Coming May 19, 2015
Romancing the Paranormal
Passions ignite in thirteen dangerously HOT romances.
Stephanie Rowe - Shadows of Darkness (Order of the Blade)
Haunted by a tormented past that has come to reclaim him, a former assassin must choose between saving the world, or protecting the one woman who can touch his heart and redeem his soul.
Robyn Peterman - Fashionably Hotter Than Hell
What does a Vampyre do when the woman he’s chased for two hundred years is still trying to get away? He plays dirty.
Welcome to my own personal Hell.
Where life is steamy and the sex is sizzling.
Damn it, I thought the chase was difficult…keeping the girl alive might prove to be my undoing.
Victoria Danann - Wolf Lover: Konuchur
In the middle of a war with dragon shifters, a human widow of a werewolf may get another chance at love, but feelings of guilt threaten a blossoming attraction to the one wolf everyone thought was untamable.
Kym Grosso - Lost Embrace
Dominant vampire leader, Kade Issacson, is devastated when his fiancée, Sydney Willows, is nearly killed by a demon and her transition into the supernatural tests the limits of their bond. Deep in the heart of New Orleans, they struggle to keep her alive while searching for an escaped killer who promises to end Sydney’s life once and for all.
Dakota Cassidy - What Not to Were
A cute werewolf, a hot warlock cowboy, an iguana, whacky seniors, and some magic. What could go wrong? How about pretty much everything...
Claudy Conn - Harley-Awakening
Harley is a Hybrid that doesn't want to serve revenge up cold. She wants to serve it up now and she wants serve it up HOT.
Teresa Gabelman - Forbidden Hunger
A shifter without a pack, Janna Lawson goes in search of the man who her mother died trying to protect. What she finds is Garrett Foster, a man who has the power to decide her fate and causes a hunger inside her that is forbidden to them both.
Melanie James - Gertie's Paranormal Plantation
When you run a shelter for paranormal creatures, you can’t afford to let your guard down. When carefree and quite naïve witch, Gertie O’Leary, welcomes an enchanting new guest to the plantation, she finds herself caught up in an ancient struggle. Marie Laveau and the gang will have to pull together once again to save Gertie’s love life. Love, lust and laughs await on the Paranormal Plantation.
Gena D. Lutz - Sonnet Vale: Paranormal Hunter
Paranormal hunter, Sonnet Vale, has the unique ability to hunt and kill vampires. But a chance encounter with a handsome stranger is about to change everything, teaching Sonnet what it's like to be hunted and possessed.
D'Elen McClain - Fang Chronicles: Tyboll
A grumpy bear shifter, a stubborn she-bear shifter, and more growls than a bear clan can possibly handle. Will the two kill each other or discover they make the perfect mated pair?
Julia Mills - Her Dragon's Heart
What do you get when you combine one head-strong dragon shifter with a young woman whose past won’t stay hidden, add a coven of demon-raising wizards and a Fate that will not be denied? The perfect recipe for sizzling romance, spine-tingling intrigue, sword swinging action and swoon-worthy love. Enter the world of the Dragon Guard…Forever be changed.
Brandy L. Rivers - Seductive Solutions
When Toryn’s trusted friend begins failing, he’ll search for a way to free him of the destructive bond. Isa might have a solution for Scotty’s problem, if Toryn can help her find the courage.
Cynthia St. Aubin - From Hell to Breakfast
He's a supernatural bounty hunter with a broken heart and a loose zipper. She's a succubus with a smart mouth and a long rap sheet. When her crimes become his problem, they're in for one hell of a ride.
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CHAPTER ONE
of
HER DRAGON’S HEART
My Submission in the Romancing the Paranormal Anthology
CHAPTER ONE
“I’m sure you’ve got a damn good reason for dragging me halfway around the world and then marching me through a swamp in the pouring rain…”
Liam paused and Jace braced for what was to come. He knew there was no way his best friend was done with his verbal ass-kicking. Liam was the Grande Poobah of bitching. He hadn’t even reached the path to the pinnacle of his capabilities yet.
“So out with it, asshole, before I call my dragon and head back home.”
Jace sighed a heavy sigh. He knew Liam was right. Almost forty-eight hours ago he’d awoken the other Guardsman from a sound sleep, thrown a packed duffle at his chest, and told him to ‘dragon up’. True to form, Liam had done so without question, a testament to the strength of their friendship. A bond Jace could tell was wearing terribly thin. The problem was he had no idea how to explain why they were doing what they were doing without giving away his secret…something he
’d been hiding since his first trip to the hospital almost four months ago.
One look into her haunting hazel eyes. A mere whiff of the spicy scent of flowering dianthus. Just one moment in her presence and he’d known. Could feel it with every fiber of his being. Had confirmation from the beast within… Melanie Whelan was his. The one woman in all the world created to complete him and his dragon in every way. Jace had found his mate.
He’d spent the rest of the day in a fog. Not sure what to do or say. His beast had begged for him to throw the beautiful nurse over his shoulder, carry her far from civilization and make her theirs forever. More than a few minutes were spent in debate with his dragon and in all honesty…the big guy had almost won. After a long walk around the hospital grounds, Jace returned to his post and spent the next few hours mooning over his newfound treasure like a schoolboy with a crush.
After a few sleepless nights, Jace had contemplated talking to Royce, the oldest Guardsman of their Force and his mentor, but as Fate would have it, things had gotten complicated. They had gotten a lead on the traitor, blown up a mansion, then lost the traitor. They also had a mating ceremony and welcomed the first female dragon in hundreds of years into the clan…pretty much same shit different day for his people. At least nothing was ever boring. It had, however, kept him from doing little more than smiling at his beautiful mate.
Rayne, the Commander of their Force, had tried to remove him from the detail responsible for watching Lance’s mate, Dr. Sam Malone, and Jace had come close to losing his cool. His guard detail was the only time he was sure to see Melanie. There was no way he was giving it up without a fight. It took some fancy finagling, but he’d been able to stay on the team and see his mate almost every day.
It had taken almost a week, but Jace finally worked up the nerve to have more than a three word exchange with Melanie. The more they talked, the more he realized how perfect she was. Her quick wit and wicked sense of humor were just a few of the things he would never get tired of. He’d always been told the Universe did not make mistakes, but it was still the most amazing thing he’d experienced in all his fifty-four years.
The cute way her nose wrinkled when she giggled with the children on the Pediatrics floor or the way her eyes shone when she helped her geriatric patients filled his heart with tenderness. Keeping himself from kissing her silly every time they were together had become a constant battle. Thoughts of claiming her as his own had become an obsession.
The more time he spent with her, the stronger their bond became. He had begun to feel her emotions, even caught glimpses of her thoughts. The intimacy of sharing her feelings was miraculous, something he looked forward to as much as his next breath. So when those feelings just stopped, like someone flipped a switch, Jace MacQuaid flipped his lid.
In an instant, he was out of bed, dressed, and flying down the road on his Harley, constantly reaching through their mating link, praying to the Heavens he could catch even the slightest sense that Melanie was okay. The longer her ‘radio silence continued, the more his panic grew. It was a new experience for the young Guardsman and one he hoped never to repeat.
Trying to calm both himself and his dragon, he thought back to the last time he’d seen her. She’d been quiet, distracted…almost pensive. Her emotions had become erratic after Kyra announced she had a lead on Calysta involving some whacked out coven of black witches/wizards known as the Dorcha, descendants of the Firbolgs – the dark aborigines from the 13th century.
Anxiety flooded their mating bond. Jace probed, looking for the cause of her fear, but Melanie’s thoughts were locked up tighter than Fort Knox. Her features so well-schooled that only someone who’d studied her as much as Jace would notice the rigid set of her shoulders and the way she continually glanced to the side.
He’d asked what was wrong and she’d made an excuse about being tired then walked away without looking up. Never one to relent, Jace followed, hoping for answers. Instead, Melanie ducked out of the room, returning several minutes later with her backpack and coat. She made an excuse about an early shift, which didn’t fit her schedule and raised more red flags, but the kicker was when she left without letting him walk her out.
Jace paced Royce’s front porch until he’d worn a path, then made three laps around the yard before calming enough to go back inside, cursing himself for not making her tell him what was wrong. The notion of making Melanie Whelan do anything was laughable and made him smile.
I should’ve told her she was my mate. That we’re meant to be together forever. That I’ll be there for her no matter what.
Over the next few days there had been countless times he’d on his way to see her, only to have her look up, fake a smile, then head the opposite direction. He knew she was avoiding him but had no idea why. Using every one of his enhanced abilities, he watched from the shadows, undetected but still close enough to protect her.
On the evening of the second night, he’d had enough. He knew their attraction was mutual. He’d scented her arousal when they touched, seen her pupils dilate, felt her breath quicken, and felt their connection the few times he’d lowered his lips to hers. Melanie Whelan was his, dammit, and he would protect her to his dying breath, whether she liked it or not.
Waiting in the hospital parking lot, determined to get some answers, Jace propped himself against his motorcycle and waited. Her scent filled the air seconds before she exited the large sliding glass doors. He made a beeline to intercept his stubborn mate, reminding both himself and his dragon they were there to get answers, not to be distracted by her sparkling eyes and kissable lips.
Unfortunately, two strides into his trek, the cellphone in the pocket of her scrubs rang. Her steps slowed as she pulled it from her pocket, then stopped completely as she scowled at the display. Biting her bottom lip and staring at the phone like it might bite her, Melanie finally answered with a growled, “I told you never to contact me.”
The hair on the back of his neck stood up. His dragon snarled. Jace used his enhanced hearing to listen as the raspy voice of a much older man responded. “But Meli Rose, we are family. I just…”
“You just want to screw up my life…again. Well, not this time seanathair.” The venom of her tone had Jace and his beast preparing for battle. The use of the old dragon language and a blasphemous term like seanathair had him scratching his head. Only those well versed in dragon dialect would know what an insult the use of ‘old father’ would be to their grandfather. He made a note to find out how in the hell she was so well-versed in their language.
The sing-song tone laced with malevolent force that replied to her made him want to punch something. “Now, Meli, you know you belong with your teaghlaigh. We know what is best for you.”
Melanie transformed before his eyes. Her back went ramrod straight, her shoulders pulled back, and her feet spread to shoulder width apart. A warrior was born and she was preparing for battle. The tension in her jaw worried Jace that she might break a tooth. She growled her response.
“You know what is best for me? You? You, Grand Draoi, presume to know what is best for me?” She paused, her hate and anger a living being.
Although Melanie was truly pissed, Jace felt what it cost her to stand her ground. The internal battle to fight for what was right against a blood relative was one that never came easily for anyone. He fought the urge to go to her. His hands flexed with the need to grab the phone from her hands and verbally assault the man that dared to upset his mate. More than anything, he wanted to spare her the obvious torture the mere sound of the man’s voice caused.
His beast within wholeheartedly agreed, chuffing and growling until the young Guardsman had a hard time maintaining his focus. Of their own volition, his feet moved forward. Jace ground the heels of his boots into the asphalt, willing himself to stay put. He knew Melanie would not welcome his intrusion, no matter how good his intentions. There was history to her torment, something he could tell she’d spent years learning to keep hidden. One of the many things
he admired about his mate was her strength and knew from their many conversations that she valued her independence. Watching her, he could see how hard she’d fought to attain that independence and would do whatever he could to help her maintain it. He took several deep breaths, assuring both himself and his dragon he was doing the right thing.
Seconds ticked by as he waited. Melanie stood as still as a statue, her ragged breathing the only signs she was alive. Just when Jace was sure she would hang up without another word, she spoke. The sound so low and ominous, he’d have never believed it was her had he not seen it with his own eyes. His blood ran cold at her words. “Let me guess, fuil mo chuid fola. I’m to follow in my mother’s footsteps? To carry on the family tradition and die at the end of your sword. Chained to a stone altar, pleading for you to spare my life, only to have you smile and tell me it is for the good of mo dhaoine.”
“We all do what we must for ár ndaoine.”
“At least you have the balls to be honest.”
“I have never lied to you, Meli.”
Her brittle, humorless laughter sent chills down Jace’s spine. So different from the beautiful sound of bells he’d come to associate with his mate’s laughter that he actually did a double take. “No, you’re right, you’ve never outright lied. Just twisted, omitted, and misdirected until your words bore absolutely no resemblance to the truth.”
“Melanie Rose,” the old man snarled, his eloquently constructed veneer beginning to crack. “You will listen to me.”
The words felt heavy on Jace’s ear and were quickly followed by a flair of magic. Melanie’s words confirmed its origin.
“Stop with the parlor tricks, Draoi. We both know the only reason you’re even bothering with me after all these years is that your magic is waning. You need a sacrifice to replenish your power, and not just any sacrifice… but one of your own blood. I’m guessing none of the others have come into their powers yet. Am I right?”
