Dragon’s Forbidden Mate
(Dragons Secret Society)
Serena Meadows
Copyright ©2019 by Serena Meadows - All rights reserved.
In no way is it legal to reproduce, duplicate, or transmit any part of this document in either electronic means or in printed format. Recording of this publication is strictly prohibited and any storage of this document is not allowed unless with written permission from the publisher. All rights reserved.
Respective authors own all copyrights not held by the publisher.
Contents
Authors Note
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
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AUTHORS NOTE
Dragons Secret Society Series
Book 1-Dragon’s First Shift
Book 2-Dragon’s Forbidden Mate
Book 3-Dragon’s Flame
Book 4-Dragon’s Prophecy
You should know that Dragon’s Forbidden Mate is the second book in the Dragons Secret Society romance series. Although each story can be read independently and all end with a HEA with no cliffhangers, to get the full experience of the series, you should really read them in order.
Prologue
Lucas Davenport stood by the window looking out at the stars, wondering how he’d let the situation with Daniel Carlson and his family get out of control. He knew that his pride was partly to blame, but Amanda had to share some of the blame as well, and he wondered if it was time to dispose of her.
It had been two years since their fateful meeting with the dragon shifters and the hasty departure they’d been forced to make. He’d walked into the gym that night sure that he would be the victor, but Daniel had proven to be far stronger than he’d ever imagined, and he hadn’t been alone.
He could feel the anger beginning to bubble up, along with an acute sense of shame, when he thought about that encounter and the strength of Daniel’s now-wife, Natasha who was just another one of Marcus Carlson’s little pets. Powerful dragon shifters were not that common, but the man had managed to not only find one but marry her off to his equally powerful son.
Now, he had no idea how he was going to fulfill the promise he’d made to his followers to rid them of the Carlsons for once and all. He’d been so sure that he’d be the victor that he’d never bothered to come up with a back-up plan, and now he was frantically trying to come up with a way to come out on top.
Amanda had proven to be a huge disappointment, her magical powers no match for the powerful dragon shifters, but he’d become fond of her and found himself reluctant to give her up. What he needed was a way to boost his powers and still keep Amanda. He needed a potent witch willing to do his bidding, a witch willing to use black magic to help him fulfill his destiny.
Chapter One
***Adam***
Adam stood next to his brother Daniel and watched Natasha walk down the aisle, thinking that if he had to get married, she’d be the exact kind of woman he’d pick. But marriage wasn’t in his plans any time soon; the state of his love life made that perfectly clear. Still, it was nice to see someone in love and happy even if it wasn’t him, but the fact that it was his brother made it bittersweet.
Daniel deserved to be happy, especially after all that he’d been through over the last few years, but the time hadn’t been easy on the rest of the family either. At first, it had been a relief to have the truth out, at least in the family, but it soon became clear that it wasn’t going to be quite as easy to explain it to the rest of the world.
But his father and James Spencer had come up with a plausible explanation for Daniel leaving Spencer United and Scott taking his place. The only problem was that Adam had been forced to take the brunt of the publicity when it hit, and it hadn’t been easy to explain Daniel’s abrupt departure to a private island in the Caribbean.
The two years he’d spent learning to master his ability to shift and control his dragon gifts had turned his older brother into one of the most powerful dragon shifters in the world. Compared to his brother, Adam wasn’t a very strong shifter but he’d learned to master his gifts as well in the year since his first shift, when he turned twenty-five.
It had been an exhausting two years, but things had finally calmed down to a level that would allow him the time off to go on a much-needed vacation. He had two weeks all to himself, with the option to extend that time if he felt like it, and he was already sure that he would.
As soon as the wedding was over, he’d be on a plane to Miami for a few days of sunshine and a little sailing. After that, he wasn’t sure where he might go; Europe held some appeal, it had been years since he’d been, or possibly Alaska for a little dose of the wilderness.
The truth was it didn’t matter as long as he was as far away from his family as possible. It wasn’t that he didn’t love them; he’d just had a bit too much of them over the last few years and needed a break to remind himself of who he was and want he wanted from life.
As the second-oldest son, he had some responsibility to the organization his family had led for generations and would always hold an elevated place. But as long as Daniel was around, he’d never have a real leadership role unless he chose to take one, and he wasn’t sure that was what he wanted to do for the rest of his life.
The only problem was that he wasn’t sure what else he wanted to do. He had a good education, plenty of money to do with as he pleased, but for as long as he could remember, his life had been tied to the organization and the fight against the evil shifters in the world.
It had only been recently that he’d begun to question that allegiance and the decision to pledge his life to the organization. He hadn’t told anyone how he was feeling, wasn’t sure who he should talk to, and he hoped some time away would give him the perspective he needed.
But first, he had to get through the wedding, which he suddenly realized was happening right in front of him while he’d been lost in his thoughts. He’d missed half the ceremony and tried his best to focus on the minister’s words, but after only a few minutes, he felt himself drifting again.
This time it wasn’t his thoughts that distracted him; it was the wedding photographer. She was crouched down off to one side of the altar, the slit in the skirt of her dress revealing one creamy thigh, and he felt a jolt of desire at the sight. Pulling his eyes off her, he tried to concentrate on the ceremony again, but when she stood and began moving around, it was impossible.
There was something familiar about her, and he wondered if he’d ever met her before but decided that he would have remembered the red-haired, green-eyed beauty. Unable to stop himself, he leaned over and elbowed his brother Max.
“Who is the photographer?” he whispered when he had his brother’s reluctant attention.
His brother shot him a dirty look, then whispered, “That’s Vivian.”
When Adam opened his mouth to ask another question, his brother gave him such a dirty look that he closed it and turned back to the ceremony. But he was watching Vivi
an out of the corner of his eye as she silently moved around the church, snapping pictures from different angles.
Luckily for him, the ceremony was coming to an end, the happy couple sharing a kiss as the guests erupted into loud clapping and whooping. He followed the couple back down the aisle, one of the bridesmaids on his arm, and out the front door. As soon as it was polite, he shed the woman who was making eyes at him, untied his bow-tie, and slid into the shadows.
He watched as, one by one, the guests came out of the church and gave the happy couple their best wishes, relieved that he wasn’t the one standing there shaking all those hands. When the last guest had gotten in their car to head to the reception across town, he came out of the shadows and joined the wedding party again.
“Adam, there you are; we were afraid that you ran away,” Daniel said. “I know how much you hate having your picture taken, but Vivian is ready for us now.”
Adam opened his mouth to complain, but then he saw her standing in the sunshine motioning for them to join her and closed his mouth. Her red hair was shimmering in the sunlight, and suddenly he didn’t mind having his picture taken.
***Vivian***
Vivian was having fun playing wedding photographer; it was a nice change from the hectic way she was usually forced to take pictures. When Daniel and Natasha had asked her, she’d jumped at the chance to take some happy pictures for a change and was having the time of her life.
But her next assignment wasn’t far from her mind, and she hoped that this wasn’t going to be the last time she had a chance to photograph a family function. Strictly speaking, Daniel wasn’t really family, not anymore. But they’d been raised as brother and sister, and blood or not, she still thought of him that way.
Pushing that thought from her mind, as well as the confusion she still felt over the revelation that Scott was really her brother, she began gathering the wedding party for pictures. The process took far longer than she would have ever dreamed and when she was finished arranging everyone the way she wanted them, it was strange to see Daniel posed with his real brothers.
As she set up the camera in its tripod, she wished once again that Katrina and Katlynn had been able to make it and cursed the weather that had kept them stranded in London. It would have seemed far more normal to her if they’d been at the wedding, and would have eased the feeling that she was an outsider.
It had taken them all a while to adjust after they found out that Daniel wasn’t really their brother, and as much as she liked Scott, it was hard to see him as her brother. She was sure that, in time, she’d learn to see him that way, but right now, it was still confusing, especially because she was sure they hadn’t told her the entire truth.
Pushing the disturbing thought that her dad was lying to her away, determined not to let all her negative thoughts ruin the day, she looked through the camera at the group, groaning when she saw that Adam’s tie was untied, one of the bridesmaids had a streak of mascara running down her face, and the flower girl had her basket on her head.
Sighing, she came out from behind the camera and started down the line, straightening dresses, fluffing hair, and wiping off mascara until she came to Adam Carlson. She stood studying him for a second trying to remember him as the boy he used to be, but then realized she was staring and gave him a little smile.
“Hi, Adam,” she said, “it’s been a while.”
He studied her for a second, his eyes roaming up and down her body, then a grin of recognition spread across his face. “We were just children the last time we saw each other; you’ve sure grown since then.”
Vivian felt her face turning pink and cursed her fair skin, not even sure he meant the last part the way it sounded. “It has been a while,” she said, reaching for his tie. “Let’s get this tied.”
Adam reached for the tie just as she did and when their fingers touched, it felt like she’d been shocked. She pulled her hands away, tempted to shake them. “Sorry, I was just going to help,” she said, backing a few steps away.
Adam fumbled with the tie for a few seconds, then said, “I think you might have to,” and dropped his arms to his sides and lifted his chin.
Vivian braced herself for another shock but nothing happened when she raised her hands and grabbed the tie. She quickly tied it, her fingers shaking a bit as she worked, then stepped back and breathed a sigh of relief.
She was just starting to think that she’d imagined the whole thing when Adam smiled at her and a wave of desire erupted deep inside her. It spread through her body, making her knees go weak, and for a second, she couldn’t breathe.
She turned and quickly walked back to the camera, then pretended to change the settings while her heart beat calmed. Plastering a smile on her face, hoping that no one could tell how rattled she was by her response to a childhood friend, she turned and faced the wedding party.
Adam had a satisfied smile on his face, and she knew that he’d sensed her reaction to him, making her think she wasn’t as good an actress as she thought.
Determined not to let him get to her again, she ignored him the best she could as she snapped one photo after another of the smiling couple and their family. When she took the last picture, relief washed over her; now all she had to do was get through the reception and she’d be done.
It wouldn’t be that hard to avoid Adam, and then she’d be on a plane to Miami to follow up on the biggest story she’d covered so far. Just thinking about it made her stomach clench with nerves, but she was ready, had done her homework and knew what she was looking for and where she’d find it.
Taking a deep breath and pushing away negative thoughts, she said, “Okay we’re all done here.”
There was a relieved sigh from the wedding party, and she couldn’t help but smile. “You’ll all be happy you put yourselves through that when you see the pictures,” she said.
“I’ll be happy when we get something to eat,” Adam said, grinning and making her heart pitter-patter in her chest.
Looking at him now, joking with his brothers, she couldn’t blame herself for the reaction she’d had to him. He was just as good-looking as the other Carlson boys; with his wavy black hair and blue eyes, he could probably have had any woman he wanted. At well over six feet, it was clear that he could take care of himself. She couldn’t stop herself from imagining him without his tux on and felt herself blushing again.
Cursing her wayward thoughts, she turned and began putting her equipment away, hoping that she could get control of herself on the drive to the reception. If not, it was going to be a long night.
Chapter Two
***Adam***
The reception banquet was in full swing, and Adam hadn’t seen any sign of Vivian yet. But then he spotted her in the back corner of the room, sitting at a table by herself, eating, and a little thrill erupted in his stomach.
It was odd for him to have this kind of reaction to a woman, especially one he didn’t really know, but there seemed to be nothing he could do about it. He hadn’t realized until she’d gotten up close to him that she was Vivian Spencer, wouldn’t have matched the beautiful woman she’d become with the little girl she’d been.
Growing up, they’d spent a lot of time at the Spencer house, and the three little girls always seemed to find a way to join in their games. More often than not, Scott would bow out of whatever rough and tumble game Daniel had come up with only to be replaced by Vivian, who never minded a skinned knee or elbow.
He’d always been just a little fascinated by her, but when she’d gone off to boarding school at ten, he’d all but forgotten about her. Now, all these years later, that fascination hadn’t gone away; in fact, it seemed to have taken on a new direction, one that left him uncomfortably aroused as he watched her.
Finally, unable to help himself, he turned to Daniel, who was sitting next to him, and asked, “Why is Vivian sitting all by herself?”
Daniel followed his eyes to the back of the room; then a frown appeared on his face. “Katrina and Katl
ynn got stuck in London, and other than her dad, I don’t think she knows anyone here. I offered to have her sit with us, but she refused. It hasn’t been easy on the three of them since Scott and I switched places, and it doesn’t help that they don’t know the real story,” he said.
That caught Adam’s attention, and he looked away from Vivian for the first time since he’d spotted her. “What do you mean?” he asked.
Daniel shrugged his shoulders. “We couldn’t tell them everything; we had to give them the story we gave the public. It was hard enough for me to believe; I don’t think the girls could have handled the truth. Besides, it would be dangerous if they knew.”
Adam couldn’t help but be a little shocked, “You didn’t tell them anything? Don’t you think they’re going to be suspicious? I mean, the story we put out was believable if you’re a stranger, but you grew up with them,” he said.
“We thought about telling them the truth, but the council decided it was too big a risk. That knowledge could have been dangerous for the girls, and the last thing I want is to put them in danger,” Daniel explained.
“It just feels like not knowing might be more dangerous,” Adam said.
Daniel shook his head. “They’re all perfectly safe. Katlynn and Katrina live in London, and Vivian travels around photographing animals for rescue foundations. None of them will ever come anywhere near Lucas Davenport or The League; not knowing will keep them safe.”
Dragon’s Forbidden Mate (Dragons Secret Society Book 2) Page 1
