by Minx Malone
He was completely defenseless.
Then in the midst of the chaos in his mind, he smelled something perfect and right. A feminine fragrance that reminded him of sunlight and gold and blue skies. Something that was his alone. His dragon rumbled approvingly.
My mate. Mi tesarik.
A soft hand landed on his mouth, bringing the sweet fragrance closer. “Please, you have to be quiet. Your life depends on it.”
He opened his eyes briefly and beheld the face of his angel.
Then a moment later, all was dark.
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Excerpt of Ian’s Fall
© April 2016 Minx Malone
As Ian Drake flew lower and prepared to shift, he observed his land with pride. The mountains spread out below him like a feast, bursting with the first colors of spring. Although it wasn’t his exactly, he felt a sense of ownership over these mountains after they had served as his refuge for so many years. A refuge that he and his brothers had sorely needed.
After their parents had been executed for treason, they’d been cast out of their ancestral lands. In the blink of an eye, they had gone from the spoiled princes of Rivenell, one of the mightiest dragon clans in the world, to destitute outsiders. His oldest brother had kept them together and somehow managed to find work so they wouldn’t starve. Other the years, they’d managed to build a thriving business locating and retrieving priceless objects for some of the world’s most influential people.
Although they’d managed to build their own small clan, Ian still yearned for the chance to make things right. His older brother was the rightful king and even though Nate didn’t seem to care, Ian wanted him on the throne. His desire to see justice done had pushed him into riskier and riskier behaviors over the past few years. But what he’d just done was up there.
If he’d been in his human skin, he would have grinned imagining his cousin Avan’s reaction when he discovered the former regent’s royal seal carved into every rock, tree and hill that Ian had been able to find. Each branch of the royal family in Rivenell had their own crest. It had been years since his father’s mark had been seen and Ian knew it would send a strong message.
Despite what Avan thought, there were still dragons who supported the restoration of the rightful king to the throne. If they could organize them, there was a chance they could overtake Avan and the current regime.
A whistle caught his ear. Two figures waved from below. He recognized Jonas and Sam, the young boys his brother Gavin had taken on as apprentices. Ian let out a roar of acknowledgment. Distrustful of humans in general, Ian had thought it was a foolish move to allow humans into their small clan at first. But he’d eventually had to admit that taking on some help was a good idea.
It turned out that the two brothers actually had some dragon heritage but couldn’t shift. Nulls were rare in the dragon community and weren’t generally treated any better than humans. But despite his defect, Jonas had proven himself an asset many times over. He handled all their dealings with the local humans. Everyone mainly gave them a wide berth but it helped to have someone non-threatening to deal with the locals.
Keeping the peace with the humans was a delicate balance between fear and mutual respect. Something he wasn’t good at. He tended toward aggression first and conciliation second. As his brother’s right hand, it was his job to watch his back and keep their little clan safe. Being the regent’s second in a small clan was no less difficult than in a big clan. Probably more so because they had fewer resources to work with. The fact that he was currently on a mission during Mating Fever proved that fact. He should be locked in his den working off the fever with a willing female.
Ian grunted, the sound coming out on a bark of fire. Once he got back to his den maybe he would put in a call to one of the local women. There were always humans fascinated by dragon males so he never had trouble finding female company. But despite the fire burning through his system, the thought held little appeal. As the years passed, it was harder and harder to work up the enthusiasm to entertain a human woman who just wanted the chance to say she’d ridden a dragon. Now that his older brother had found his one true mate, the secret yearning to find something real was stronger than ever.
Something flew by his ear and Ian flinched. The motion put him off course and that’s probably the only reason he saw the dart fly past. The dart that would have hit him if he hadn’t moved. Ducking into a twist and roll motion, Ian streaked through the sky. He’d been flying almost as long as he’d been walking and after a lifetime of flying with his brothers was particularly skilled at evading capture.
His mind raced as he flew lower and darted through the trees. Had someone seen what he was doing in Rivenell last night? Why wait until now to follow him? More importantly, where the hell was he going to go?
The last thing he wanted was to lead them to his land. If there had been time to warn his brothers of what was coming perhaps but he’d die before he led trouble to their door while they lay unsuspecting.
Something flew right by his face. His ears registered the sound right before pain exploded everywhere.
Ian was aware of himself falling but all of his focus was on pulling air into the lungs that currently felt like they were on fire. Bones popped and stretched as he shifted. He passed out and then woke as he shifted again, the process completely out of his control.
Aware suddenly of how fast he was falling, he stretched his wings trying to slow his descent. It was a struggle to get his limbs to respond, like they were attached to his body but outside of his control somehow. The world around him was a blur of blue, green and orange as he streaked through the sky falling end over end. The trees below him rushed up to meet him.
He had to shift. His scales would protect him somewhat and he’d sustain far fewer injuries in his dragon form. But as he concentrated with all of his focus, the part of him that was dragon was completely silent. It was like he was alone in his body for the first time since he’d shifted as a child. His dragon wasn’t going to be able to save him this time.
As the ground got closer all he could think was, This is going to hurt.
** Ian’s Fall is available now ** Click through to my booklist for links!
Have you read the other MATING FEVER books yet?
DRAGON SHIFTERS
- Minx Malone
Nathan’s Heart, Brotherhood of Bandits
- Saranna DeWylde
Ondrej, Drago Knights MC
- Ronin Winters
Mica, Dragon Horde
- Elsa Jade
Dragon Fever, Masters of the Flame
BEAR SHIFTERS
- V. Vaughn
Andre, Rocked by the Bear
- Elle Thorne
Cross, Barely After Dark
- Kenzie Cox
Cyrus, Black Bear Outlaws
- Selene Charles
Chance, Bears of Kodiak
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Other Titles available by M. Malone
* * Paranormal Romance * *
BROTHERHOOD OF BANDITS
Nathan's Heart / Ian's Fall / Gavin's Curse
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* * Contemporary Romance * *
BLUE-COLLAR BILLIONAIRES
TANK / FINN / GABE / ZACK / LUKE
THE ALEXANDERS
1. One More Day / 2. The Things I Do for You
3. He's the Man / 3.5 Christmas w/The Alexanders
4. All I Need is You / 5. Say You Will
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
NYT & USA Today Bestselling author Minx Malone lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area with her three favorite guys: her husband and their two sons. She likes dramatic opera music
, staid old men wearing suspenders, claw-foot bathtubs, and unexpected surprises. The thing she likes best is getting to make up stuff for a living.
www.MinxMalone.com
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Nathan’s Heart
Copyright © March 2016 Minx Malone
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer's imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the publisher except in the case of brief quotation embodied in critical articles and reviews. For information address CrushStar Romance, 2885 Sanford Ave SW #16301, Grandville, MI 49418
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
ISBN-13: 978-1-938789-31-1
