Fire Maidens: Rome

by Anna Lowe

  Lena knew the truth, but frankly, she would be happy to forget.

  Then there was Amber, who had run off with the third mate of Vicente’s yacht. First, she’d made the most of her status as Vicente’s last lover, a story she related in juicy detail to any reporter — and better yet, photographer — who bothered to listen. Then Amber and the third mate left for Greece, where — alas — their relationship petered out. On the upside, Amber had hooked herself a new lover — a shipping magnate three times her age.

  Lena shook her head, wondering if Amber would ever find happiness.

  Unlikely, her dragon side said. Not happiness like ours, at least.

  She wrapped her arm around Sergio’s and closed her eyes, marveling at how everything had worked out.

  “Let’s go,” Sergio murmured. “I’m dying for a run before dinner.”

  He meant in wolf form, and her inner beast rumbled in reply. I like the sound of that.

  She nodded, though a tiny pinch of sorrow registered inside. She’d made great progress and had even come to enjoy shifting. But Sergio was a wolf, and she was a dragon. As much fun as it was to shadow her lover from above, part of her wished they could frolic side by side.

  Then she straightened her shoulders. A girl shouldn’t be so picky. She had her man and a great new shifter body. What else could she ask for?

  Entering the villa — her villa — only reinforced the feeling, and by the time they’d dropped off her things and headed back out to the park, she was raring to shift and fly. Darkness was falling rapidly, and the wind was perfect.

  The thing was, her shoulders were all stiff, her fingers achy. Had she flown too much the previous night? Or did it have to do with carrying things from her apartment to the villa all day?

  She shrugged off the feeling — along with her clothes, once she and Sergio found a sheltered spot deep in the park. Sergio gave her a quick peck on the cheek, then stepped back.

  “Ready?”

  She nodded. “After you, my love.”

  Sergio grinned, then dropped to his hands and knees. For the first few seconds, he touched the earth like a farmer. Then he hunched, and the fine hairs on his skin thickened. Lena watched, fascinated. His shift was so smooth. His body so perfect, in human and animal form. A moment later, he gave himself a firm shake that started at his nose and traveled all the way to the tip of his tail. Then he looked up, grinning, all wolf.

  Lena kneeled to stroke his thick ruff, marveling. That wolf looked nothing like Sergio, yet he was exactly like Sergio in all the little ways that counted. The soulful look, the eager wag of his tail. The love pouring from his eyes.

  He nuzzled her then let out a quiet yip. Ready?

  She stepped back. “Ready.”

  Closing her eyes, she pictured her arms stretching into wings and fingers turning into claws. But something felt off. Something she couldn’t quite explain.

  When she opened her eyes, Sergio tilted his head. What’s wrong?

  She forced a little smile, then tried again. Nothing. Just a little clunky tonight, I guess.

  He snorted, and a rush of steamy images flooded her mind, telling her just how much he loved her agile body — and what he’d like to do once they got home.

  She rolled her shoulders then tried again. Arms to wings, fingers to claws…

  Usually, her shoulders widened in order to shift, but tonight, they hunched. Meanwhile, her knees refused to let her squat the way her dragon body liked. An itch set into her jaw, and she scratched it impatiently. What was wrong?

  Nothing wrong. Perfectly right, her inner beast chuckled.

  That was funny, too, because the voice was higher and less growly than usual.

  She concentrated harder, thinking of treetops rushing beneath her as she tracked Sergio through the woods. But those images warped and changed until she saw herself loping beside him.

  A little fantasy, she supposed. Dragons were kings of the air but not too graceful on the ground.

  Lena, Sergio whispered in awe.

  She shook her head, refusing to open her eyes. Couldn’t he tell she had to concentrate?

  But her focus was all over the place, along with her limbs. Instead of spreading her arms to her sides, she ended up on all fours. Her tail was all messed up too, refusing to extend to the length required for stability in the air.

  “Dammit,” she murmured, but it came out all mumbly.

  Lena… Sergio breathed into her mind. Look at you.

  She didn’t want to look, because she felt all wrong. Just like those first few shifts when she’d felt stuck between human and beast.

  But for some reason, Sergio was gleeful. Look at yourself.

  She cracked one eye open, then the other, afraid of what horrific combination she might find. One hand human, the other one a claw? Wings that ended in stubby little fingers?

  Neither, as it turned out. The first thing she saw was two furry paws. Turning quickly made her right ear flop in a way it never had before, and her tongue kept lolling around. She frowned at the overwhelming urge to scratch an ear with her back foot. What was going on?

  Wolf, Sergio whispered in a low chuff.

  She picked up one paw, then the other. Next, she glanced back, glimpsing two more. But her body turned at the same time, and it wasn’t until she twisted that she spotted her tail. A furry canine tail, not a long, slender dragon one.

  She twisted the other way just to make sure, but whoa. Her front paw buckled, and she rolled. For a moment, panic shook her. Rolling would damage her wings, right? But there weren’t any wings to damage, because she was all wolf.

  And, wow. Rolling on her back turned out to be fun. She rocked one way, then the other, and finally kicked to come out on the other side. Shakily, she stood, then wagged her tail.

  Wow. Am I really a wolf?

  Sergio bounded over, his tail wagging a mile a minute. You are. You are! Che bella.

  His mouth stretched into a huge canine grin. She’d never seen Sergio so excited. Excited as a puppy, in fact, leaping and bouncing around until she had no choice but to feel genuinely bella. Beautiful — her? As a wolf?

  She looked down at herself again. Well, yes, actually. She was pretty damn bella, thanks to thick brown fur that lightened to gold around the tips.

  Sergio nuzzled her side so hard, she fell over.

  Hey!

  It came out as a high-pitched yip, and Sergio nosed her anxiously until she wobbled back to her feet.

  Scusi.

  She gave herself a shake, only to fall over again. Slowly, she clambered to her feet.

  Wait. I don’t get it, she said through a series of whimpers and barks. How is this possible?

  Sergio’s ears drooped. You don’t like it?

  It’s great, she assured him. A dream come true, really. But how was it even possible? And, oops. Was she going to start changing into different animals every time she shifted?

  Sergio nuzzled her gently. Humans who mate with shifters take their mate’s form. You already had dragon blood, but I suppose the wolf still comes through.

  Can Gemma turn into a lion? she asked, thinking of the Fire Maiden in London Sergio had put her in touch with.

  Not that I know of. Then again, her mate is only half lion. He dipped under her neck and dragged his body along her left side. Anyway, this is amazing. Ready to give it a try?

  She took one cautious step, then another, surprised to find that walking on four feet was a lot like walking with arms swinging wide. It just came naturally. Of course, that only meant Sergio set the bar higher by trotting ahead. Then he glanced back.

  Coming?

  She lurched along, trying not to trip over her own feet. Where to?

  Not far.

  A few steps later, he disappeared into the trees, only to pop out a moment later with his tail wagging wildly. He was so excited, he leaped straight over her and circled her three times.

  Look at you. You’re a wolf!

  Lena could hardly believe i
t herself. Does that mean you could turn into a dragon someday?

  Sergio went totally still, as if she’d asked if he might turn into a pumpkin.

  I don’t think so. He blinked. I’ve never heard of a born shifter taking on a new form. Then his tail resumed wagging. I think I would be okay with turning into anything as long as it was with you.

  She laughed, which came out as a panting kind of wheeze in wolf talk. Even a pumpkin?

  He frowned. There are no pumpkin shifters.

  The poor man thought she was serious, so she nuzzled his thick ruff. Never mind.

  And, boy, did wolf nuzzling feel good. They wound their necks around and around, marking each other with their scents.

  Where to, Romeo? she asked when Sergio pulled back to admire her.

  He flashed a sly smile and stepped toward a copse of trees. Follow me.

  The foliage was thicker there, and branches swatted Lena’s sides. Luckily, her fur was so thick, the motion only tickled. When they reached a little hollow in the center of the trees, Sergio turned to her and cocked an ear.

  She looked around, sniffing. The air smelled of resin and dry leaves, underpinned by traces of humans — sweaty joggers, careless picnickers, amorous couples. But there was Sergio, looking at her like this was their most special place.

  When she licked her lips to buy time, she nearly yelped at her long wolf tongue. Then she cleared her throat and pawed the ground, wondering how she was supposed to react.

  Um…nice?

  Sergio snorted. Not particularly, no. Not like some places I intend to show you. But it is special. This is the place we met for the first time.

  Her breath caught as she looked around, finally recognizing the landmarks. A moment later, she grinned and pranced around her mate, wagging her tail.

  That does make it special. We have lots of special places, actually. Like the Trevi Fountain… My old apartment, where you visited that day…

  Sergio snorted. So romantic, with your landlady snooping from the landing.

  Okay, then our first night together at the aqueducts, and our first night at your place.

  Sergio grinned. That’s actually your place, remember?

  She shook her head. It’s our place now.

  Sergio dragged his body along her left side, then the right. I like the sound of that.

  She did too. But, heck, all that nuzzling ignited the desire that seemed to percolate constantly in her shifter soul. She nuzzled her mate in ever slower, more sensual movements, calculating how long it would take to get back home and into bed.

  But after a few heated moments, Sergio pulled away, his eyes sparkling. One more thing before we go home. Okay?

  He looked so eager, she couldn’t say no, not even with a raging desire to get down and dirty with her mate. So she followed Sergio when he headed over to a little knoll. A peek into her lover’s mind revealed all the joys he yearned to share with her — trotting through streams, loping over hills, and…howling?

  She hid her skepticism. How could something as mournful as howling be fun?

  Sergio stopped, turned in a circle until he found exactly the right place, and waited for her to nestle at his side. Then he raised his muzzle and closed his eyes. A hush fell over the park, and Lena held her breath. The light of a quarter moon bathed the knoll, giving it a special, almost spiritual, air.

  Sergio took a deep breath, then raised his nose and began to howl. He started with a quiet note, then took a quick breath and followed with a longer, louder howl. One that lifted and dropped in a long, wavering tune. His song might have sounded mournful to a human, but Lena’s canine ears found a whole new meaning in the ballad. Yes, there was sorrow — sorrow for the dark times in Sergio’s life. But that was only one thread of his tune. The rest was pure joy — a joy made richer by all the times he had despaired.

  She closed her eyes and leaned into Sergio’s side, listening closely. Her heart swelled, and she lifted her muzzle, responding to the call of the moon. The next thing she knew, she was howling with him. She just couldn’t help it. All the joy in her bubbled up, needing somewhere to go. So, she added her voice to Sergio’s, and together, they sang into the night. A warbly, canine duet that filtered through the trees and up to the moon. Not too loudly, of course — not as long as they were in Rome. But that was fine. Love, hope, and happiness weren’t measured by volume. They could be whispered, and the sentiment would be just as strong.

  Lena took a breath then sang on. As a human, she’d never been much of a singer. But wolves, it seemed, didn’t have to worry about sounding good as long as they meant what they said.

  And boy, did she mean it, because her luck exceeded her wildest dreams. She could run alongside her mate. She could fly and breathe fire too. She could walk the streets of a beautiful city with the man she loved and call it all home. Not only that, but she could devote herself to meaningful work she loved.

  Suddenly, she noticed that the only howl filling the night was hers. Sergio had stopped to listen, wearing the same awestruck expression he had on so many other occasions — the one that asked how he’d gotten so lucky.

  Well, she was the lucky one.

  She gulped, going silent, listening to the echo of her own howl. Then she nuzzled Sergio.

  I’m so lucky. Why me?

  Because you deserve it, Sergio said so firmly, she licked his face. Besides, I could say the same thing.

  But then his eyes wandered to the distance, filling with a hint of sorrow.

  She tilted her head, making her ears flop again. What’s wrong?

  Sergio sighed. Just thinking about Marco.

  Lena nodded slowly. Marco had left Rome not long after the fight with the Lombardis, heading back to Lisbon to take care of business of some kind. He’d warmed to Lena, going so far as kissing her once on each cheek for luck before he departed. But he hadn’t warmed to the idea of mating. In fact, he’d left Rome vowing never to surrender his heart to anyone.

  I’ll leave that to you two, he’d said when they parted.

  Lena had never been so tempted to use her Seer skill to see what had made him so bitter, but somehow, that didn’t feel right.

  I wish he knew how great life can be with a mate, Sergio said, gazing into the distance.

  Lena gave her tail a meek wag. Who knows? Maybe he’ll find someone.

  Sergio didn’t look convinced. It would take a hell of a woman to break down the walls around Marco’s heart.

  Well, you never know. I never expected to meet you here.

  Sergio laughed. True. I certainly never expected to meet you. Then he butted her shoulder. I’m so glad I did.

  Everything that had happened flashed through Lena’s mind — the good and the bad. She looked over the lights of Rome, up to the stars above, and finally, at her mate. Then she heaved a heartfelt sigh.

  Why me?

  Sergio nuzzled her. I was thinking the same thing. I get you — my mate. And I get to stay home, in Rome.

  If Lena hadn’t been a wolf, she might have shed a few happy tears. Instead, she dug her paws into the earth and scrubbed her fur against her mate’s. They nuzzled at the neck, then along the full length of their bodies, gradually heating up again. Steamy images filled her mind, and soon, she was pining for a bed.

  She nudged Sergio toward the park exit. Ready to go home?

  Sergio flashed a toothy canine grin. Oh yes. He knew just what she wanted, and he was ready — as ever — to provide it. Forever.

  Ready, my love.

  * * *

  Thank you for reading Fire Maidens: Rome! If you enjoyed the story, please leave a review on Amazon or Goodreads. Reviews are the best way to thank an independent author for a story you’ve loved.

  Sergio and Lena’s story is Book 3 in Anna Lowe’s Fire Maidens: Billionaires & Bodyguards series. The action, emotion, and passion continues in Book 4, Fire Maidens: Portugal. Click here for a sneak peek!

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  Fire Maidens: Rome is also available in audio. Audio brings the story to life in a whole different way and can be enjoyed anywhere, anytime. While driving, cooking, walking… you can settle back, relax, and let the audio story sweep you away!

  Finally, you can read about the inspiration for Fire Maidens: Rome in the bonus materials section of Anna’s website, so please come and visit today!

  Sneak Peek: Fire Maidens: Portugal

  For centuries, the Guardians of Lisbon have kept shifter forces in check — dragons, vampires, and witches. Now, with their powers dwindling, they’re too busy to respond to a lone woman’s cry for help. Laura’s last hope is the mysterious warrior who saves her from a vampire attack. Unfortunately, Marco da Silva, heir to an ancient dragon dynasty, has been burned by damsels in distress before, and he’s determined not to get involved. But somehow, he just can’t resist. Before he knows it, he’s spiriting Laura off to his private island hideaway with his inner dragon swearing to keep her safe. Because his heart isn’t the only reckless force stirring in the shifter world — ruthless enemies are on the move too, and they’ll stop at nothing to seize Laura — and control of the entire city.

  Book 4 in Anna’s Fire Maidens: Billionaires & Bodyguards series visits bustling Lisbon as well as the towering cliffs of mystical, mysterious Madeira. Don’t miss the action, intrigue, and romance!

  * * *

  Don’t miss any of the action, intrigue, or romance of Fire Maidens: Portugal. Get your copy today!

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