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Aww Snap, Dragon

Dragon Guard #31

by

Julia Mills

There Are No Coincidences.

The Universe Does Not Make Mistakes.

Fate Will Not Be Denied.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Cover by Linda Boulanger with Tell Tale Book Covers

Edited by Lisa Miller with Angel Editing Services

Edited and Proofed by Tammy Payne with Book Nook Nuts

Beta Read by Linda Levy

Formatted by Charlene Bauer with Wicked Bold Creations

DEDICATION

Dare to Dream! Find the Strength to Act! Never Look Back!

Thank you, God.

To my girls, Liz and Em, I Love You. Every day, every way, always.

To Felicity Taylor, Thank you for allowing me to name the Heroine of this story after you. She is as fun-loving, joyous and lovely as I know you are. Your messages always brighten my day. You are a beautiful pink snapdragon who spreads love and happiness everywhere you go! Never change!

In Loving Memory of My Brother, Jim Lake

I know you never wanted to read schmexy scenes written by your big sister and that’s okay, I understand. However, Julian, the Bengal Tiger, is in honor of you. He has your quick wit, infectious smile, and loves his family with all his heart, not to mention – he loves the Bengals just like you.

Fly high, Baby Brother.

Love you Always

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Epilogue

About Julia

Also by Julia

The Dragon Guard

We soar the skies
Free to a certain extent,
As long as we stay hidden 
From prying human eyes.

Our scales differ in color
Our defensive weapons,
Tails, horns, talons and all,
Are never the same.

We are one with nature
We blend in with nature
The wind helps us soar high in the heavens
While the earth grants us healing strength in our hour of need.

We are one with the world
We are the guardians of our kin
When evil conspires to maim and hurt
We are protectors of this human race.

As majestic animals of fairytales
We share our beings with great men
They walk in honor and the grace of Fate,
Fate that we cannot deny.

Copyright © 2016 Melanie Williams
- This Poem is based on the Series, The Dragon Guard by Author Julia Mills.

Index of the Original Language of the Dragon Kin

Aww Snap, Dragon

Gaelic

Mo ghrá………My love

Mo chroí………My heart

Mo chara……….My friend

Ceithre……….Four

Spanish

Mi amigo……….My friend

Pequeña hada……….Little Fairy

Chapter One

“Hey, Felicity! How ya’ doin’?”

“Super, John! Thanks for asking,” she smiled at the tall, lanky blond who served as the gatekeeper of the huge Dragon Tech building. “How are you today?” She added, swiping her access card through the flashing red lights on the top of the shining stainless-steel podium. Tapping her foot as she moved her canvas bag from one arm to the other, she nearly ran through the turnstile when the lights turned green.

Rolling his chair towards her, leaning on the high side of his massive wooden desk, his smile a little too bright, John went on, “Pretty good. Your flowers were delivered early this morning. I had them moved into the backroom. Just let me know if you need help getting them to all the floors.” Winking, he added, “Those boxes sure looked heavy.”

Hurrying away, narrowly escaping yet another dinner invitation from the gregarious Security Guard, Felicity slipped into the office-turned-workspace she’d been assigned and let out the breath she’d been holding. “How many times can one man hear the word no before he just gives up?”

“One-hundred-fifty-three…maybe fifty-four times,” Bitsy’s high-pitched, almost mousy voice answered a split-second before the tall, blond bombshell of a Flower Fairy appeared, floating upside-down with her legs in the lotus position and her braids floating like a halo around her head.

“Dammit, Bitsy!” Felicity shrieked, slapping her hand over her heart to keep it from jumping out of her chest. “How many times have I told you not to follow me to work?”

“Three-hundred-and-forty-four times.”

“And to never sneak up on me?”

“Oh! That adds three-hundred-and-sixty-two to the count, bringing it to…”

“The question was rhetorical, Bitsy,” Felicity deadpanned. “That question is always rhetorical.”

“How am I supposed to know when you want an answer and when you’re just blowing sunshine up my heinie. I mean, you know that I was made to answer all questions immediately and precisely. It’s not something I wanted, or that I even like, it just… is, like everything else I got outta this whole being the youngest of the group gig.”

“Yeah, I know,” Felicity huffed then quickly turning to smile at her little sister. “And I’m sorry, but you know how nerve-wracking this job is for me.” She laid her hand on Bitsy’s shoulder, “And you know you’re supposed to be at the shop helping the others get ready for the Spitz wedding.”

“Yeah, but all my stuff is done, “Bitsy huffed. “And you know how much I hate baking. Josie knows all that measuring and pouring and mixing makes me nutso, so, she asked me to make the sugar paste flowers for that ginormous eight-tier cake.” Her hands flew up which was actually down as her sass turned into a rant. “I mean really. Come on, people. White flowers on a white cake on a white table in a white room – is this a wedding or a hospital.”

Making Felicity’s head spin as she flipped herself upright, Bitsy continued, talking faster and faster the more irritated she became. “Why can’t we just give these people a little zap when they have stupid ideas? I could jazz that stupid wedding up with a splash of pink there and a skoosh of bright yellow over there. That’s all it would take. You know it. I know it. Hell, a five-year-old would know it, but noooooooooooo, these stupid humans want white – literally the most boring color on the whole stupid planet.”

Deciding it was better not to mention that white wasn’t really a color, rather the absence of pigment, Felicity moved over to the first pallet of flower boxes as she replied, “You know as well as I do that we cannot and will not be zapping anyone for any reason, especially to change their minds about the color of their wedding. If the bride and groom want white, then we give them white. That’s just how it is.”

Sighing while trying not to roll her eyes, Felicity once again thought about her life, or the lack thereof. Living with her three sisters and co-owning Fancy Affairs, a multi-faceted business where each sister was able to use her talents to plan and facilitate the most amazing parties Texas had ever seen, was good…even great most days. Felicity loved her siblings with all her heart, appreciated the synergy with which they lived and worked, it made every day an adventure with people she knew absolutely always had her back. However, she couldn’t escape the dream of someday finding a mate and having a family of her own. 

It wasn’t that she never wanted to see her sisters again, or that she wanted to break up the businesses they’d worked so hard to build, it was just that Felicity needed something all her own. Something and someone she didn’t have to share with anyone. She wasn’t being selfish, she wanted the same for each of her sisters, she was just tired of waiting for it to happen. The Goddess and the Universe were taking their sweet time, and Felicity was damned tired of all of it.

Born as a set of four, what the Fairies refer to as a Ceithre, the girls popped into the world exactly seven minutes apart on a cool spring morning, to the fanfare of the entire Seelie Court. Princesses one and all, their father, King Owain of the Seelie Earthen Fairies, and their mother, Queen Cecily, the great-grand-daughter of Morgan le Fey, the girls were all bound for glory no matter what they chose to do. But as with all things Fairy, the enchanted world the girls were born into was in constant upheaval. Battles for leadership seemed to flow from one to another, creating an endless war that the King and Queen refused to let their daughters be drawn into.

Under the cover of darkness, with the help of their great-great-grandmother Morgan, the girls, at the age of eighteen, were disguised as Brownies and smuggled into the mortal world. The first century in the human lands, the girls lived in the forest, took care of the flora, fauna and wildlife, and were perfectly happy to live out eternity in obscurity. It was actually as close to Paradise as they could ever be.

The arrivals of non-magical folk led to exploration which brought civilization to the girls’ quiet, solitary life. Quickly assimilating to the New World, the Fairies were sometimes called Witches by those who didn’t understand, and on a few occasions, were forced to hide under the cover of Spells and Charms for months at a time. In the end, and after a really steep learning curve, the Ceithre fell into the swing of things and as the humans say, so far so good.  

Now, the Goddess knew they’d all worked incredibly hard and made real sacrifices to start their own businesses. Fancy Flowers, which took care of the floral upkeep for many businesses and onsite setup for parties and weddings was Felicity’s. Buttons and Buds, a storefront florist, belonged to Mary Beth and always had a waiting list. Josie, the first-born, could whip up anything sweet and delectable, so she named her bakery Sugar and Spice Specialties. Then there was Bitsy, whose stationery store, Sweet Sentiments, was the perfect addition to their enterprise because that youngest of the bunch was so exact and precise everything she made was sheer perfection. Together, the four shops made up Fancy Affairs, Inc., the one and only place everyone in the Southwest United States called to do their wedding, bar mitzvah, baby shower, sweet sixteen galas, or plan old fancy party.

And it was phenomenal, really it was, but four-hundred-years of togetherness was enough. It was time…. hell, it was past time for them all to get a life and start truly living. Felicity had vowed to herself on more than one occasion that if Fate and Destiny threw a chance her way, she would grab it with both hands and hang on tight for her happily ever after.

Pulling herself back to reality, already behind and needing to get back to the shop to help the others with the Spitz wedding, she opened one box and then another and then another. Inhaling the mixture of sweet vanilla, spicy cinnamon and coconut pie from the elegant purple, yellow and white orchids she’d ordered to decorate the halls of Dragon Tech to usher in Spring on the inside to match the out of doors, the Flower Fairy felt like dancing. There was just something about the scent of fresh flowers and the anticipation of spring that made the glittering gossamer wings laid tightly to her back flutter with excitement.

Watching the so-small-they-were-invisible-to-the-human-eye Dragonfly Fairies flit and flitter from bloom to blossom tending the orchids, spreading the pollen and helping the blooms thrive, made Felicity think of a much larger dragon with a wickedly handsome smile and dark blue eyes that seemed to reach right into her soul and set fire to her heart. Tristan O’Doherty was everything she’d ever dreamt of and so very much more. The only problem was, every time she got near him, it was like she was a teenager of barely a hundred years old again.

Her mouth would go dry, her palms got sweaty, her tongue got tied, and she suddenly had two left feet. No matter how many times she told herself to be cool, had taken deep breaths, or meditated to keep from falling flat on her face, all bets were off the second the rich scent of smoky ash combined with a cool evening’s breeze hit her senses. Her inability to speak, walk, or stand in his presence became super awkward. It was a blow to her confidence, making her believe she’d ruined any chance she would ever have of getting to know the oh-so-sexy Dragon who made her Fairy heart go pitter-pitter-pat-pat.

“You better get outta Dreamland and get busy,” Bitsy snarked, stepping up to Felicity’s side with her hand on her hip and a goofy smirk on her face. “Stop fantasizing about that spicy Dragon and get to work. You know Josie expects us back by four.”

“Since when do you care when anyone expects of you?” She gave her younger sister the side-eye. “Ya’ know, if I had a nickel for every time I had to stop what I was doing to track you down and haul your butt back to the shop for a delivery, I could retire on my own Fairy Mound, eat honey and tea cookies all day and be waited on by half-dressed Avalonian males.”

“Not cool, Fliss, really not cool,” Bitsy scoffed, her hands once again flying in the air. “I can’t help it if I’m bored. I need adventure. Want to do more than work all day and night planning other people’s fun times. It’s me who needs the fun times.” She tapped Felicity on the arm to emphasize every word she spat, “I. Was. Not. Meant. To. Be. Pinned. Down.”

“Neither was I, Little Sister.” Felicity spun towards Bitsy, immediately enraged and ready to blow a fuse. “You think I don’t want more? That the others don’t want their own adventures? Their own fun? Their own freakin’ lives?” Taking a step forward, forcing her sister to move backward, she raged through gritted teeth, “We all do, Bits. Every bloody one of us. We want mates, some little Fairylings, a house, even a Goddess-damned white picket fence. So, grow the hell…”

The door flew open cutting off Felicity’s grand finale as a short, platinum-haired woman stamped into the room, pointed her blood-red fingernail right at Flicity and ordered, “Stop bitchin’ and come with me. I can help.”

Watching the woman do an about-face on her four-inch black leather stilettos without so much as a ‘How do you do?’, Fliss looked at Bitsy whose eyes were opened as wide as they could get and mouth was hanging open, and whispered, “Do you know her?”

“Nope,” Bitsy slowly shook her head, still staring at the spot where the woman had been standing. “But from the power rolling off of her, I’d say you better get a move on. She’s not someone I’d mess with, and ya’ know I mess with everybody.”  

Chapter Two

“Well, I guess she told you,” Julian chuckled, shifting in his seat as he added, “I’m not sure what she is, but I’m pretty sure that short stack of dynamite could mess up your day in ways you’ve yet to imagine, Old Man.”

“Don’t ‘Old Man’ me, Morris,” Tristan growled, adding oomph to the nickname his friend hated the most before getting to his feet and pacing the width of his office. “I was here. I have ears, I heard every blasted word.”

“And, aren’t you the least bit intrigued? Isn’t it kind of exciting that she’s given you the kick in the butt you needed to at least talk to that sexy little Fairy you’re always eyeing?”

Inhaling deeply and clenching his fists at his side as he exhaled and counted to ten, Tristan tried not to roar when he grumbled through gritted teeth, “First of all, she has a name. It’s Felicity. Secondly, I have not, am not, and never will be eyeing her. I simply find her work with flowers fascinating. And lastly, a kick in the butt is the last thing I need.” The last words were snarled as the bronze Dragon spun towards the window to avoid the knowing stare of his long-time friend.

“Whatever you say,” Julian jested. “You’re the boss.”

Tristan didn’t have to turn back to know that his friend was grinning from ear-to-ear, the tone of his voice was proof enough. The Dragon had never been ‘the Boss’ and couldn’t think of a time when he ever would be. From the day he and the Panther joined forces, they’d both done whatever needed doing, without worrying about whose name was on the letterhead, or who got the credit.

Being the showoff that he was, Julian did almost all the interviews, TV appearances, and schmoozing, which was perfectly fine with Tristan. He was much happier staying in the shadows, working mostly by himself, and tinkering with whatever project he could imagine. Not only did it suit his personality and his need to invent, but it soothed his soul, and in the darker times, helped him forget the past, or at least make him feel like he was preventing anymore tragedies. 

But some demons simply refuse to be slayed…

Transported to another place, another time…what seemed like another lifetime it was so very long ago, he could feel the wind in his wings, the sun on his scales and the fire blasting from his throat pushing his soul to wander down Memory Lane.

Looking down, the tingle of a toothy grin spread across his massive snout, egging a triumphant roar from the depths of his soul as the vitality, enchantment, and excitement of his kin filled the air.

Mating ceremonies were always cause for celebration, but the upcoming nuptials were nothing short of miraculous. His younger sister, Bethanee, had found the One made for her in the man known as Anton, the Prince and Heir Apparent of the Sapphire Dragon Clan. Not only was Tristan extremely happy for his one and only sister, but the joining of Bronze and Sapphire Dragons- two very powerful bloodlines - would make them one extremely formidable Clan, their Guard damn near unbeatable, and spread their land holdings from the Isle of Sky to Loch Ness and everything north of that line including all the ports and fishing trades.

Zeroing in on Bethanee, the platinum highlights of her light brown hair catching the sunlight as she sat alongside their mother, Karita, a stroke of inspiration crossed his mind forcing a grumbly chuckle to rise from his massive chest and smoke to billow from his muzzle. Dropping his left wing, he pointed his snout towards the ground and in a deep sweeping move, flew just a few feet over their heads.

“Two can play that game, Big Brother,” Bethanee’s laughter popped through his mind.

Jumping to her feet, little more than a blur as she sprinted across the garden, Tristan barked with laughter as from one heartbeat to the next his favorite person in the entire world changed from woman to Dragoness and took to the skies.

The race was on. They’d played this game since Bethanee’s first transformation nearly a hundred years earlier. Whoever made it to the top of Mt. Tom a'Choinich first would be declared the winner and have bragging rights, something Bethanee had ever enjoyed.

Pushing his long, powerful wings against the airstream, cutting through the sky as if he’d been shot from a cannon, Tristan lovingly goaded, “What’s the matter, Little Princess? Saving your energy for your mate?”

“You’re just jealous,” Bethanee teased, concentration and determination coloring her every word.

Faster and faster, neck-in-neck, two brilliantly bronze Dragons battled for supremacy, their need to arise the victor only overshadowed only by their adoration for one another. Rolling his enormous body over once, twice, three times, showing off for their kin below, Tristan called to Bethanee, “How about a wager?”

“I’m in!” She squealed with delight. “Anything you can do, I can do…LOOK OUT!”

Bethanee’s fear slashed through Tristan’s mind right on the heels of her shouted warning, but it was a split-second too late. The sheer mass of his colossal body combined with his break-neck speed made it impossible for him to stop.

Hurdled into an invisible fog of malevolent, treacherous, perfidious mysticism, it felt as if he was mired in a mass of thick, viscous, partially melted Jell-O with immense strength and razor-sharp intellect. Frenzied static, manic buzzing, agitated nips and snarls invaded his mind and attacked his scales, burrowing towards his soul, the overwhelming need to overtake and control him driving them, feeding their malicious desire, forcing them to mindlessly attempt to devour him.

White hot magic, the enchantment of the Dragon King with whom he shared his soul, seared through his veins and scorched the lining of his throat, propelling long blazing bolts of Dragon fire in every direction. Agonized howls cut through his mind. The scent of burning rubber assaulted his senses. Acrid smoke lay siege to his eyes. Tears blurred his vision. Then, with a mighty burst of ancient mysticism and brute force, the Dragon broke free.

Reversing directions, he called to his Brethren, his anger and apprehension growing with every second of unanswered silence. Blinking rapidly, his vision blessedly clearing, fire flew from his lips as rage-filled every fiber of his being.

A primordial evil, born of hate, deviance, and insatiable deprivation, the Obscured, a myth to most, was so destructive that not even the Fairy bastards who created it could control it. Visible only when harmed, the fiend, now an inky, oil corpus, was stripped with smoldering stripes from magical of a true Dragon King, Diarmuid, Tristan soul-partner.

Squealing in agony, the Obscured scrambled to solidify its grotesque form, regain its invisibility, and continue its attack. This beast, this malformation of utter depravity, was the horrific result of a collaboration between both Fairy courts, Seelie and Unseelie, an abomination born of a spell gone awry that stripped away the darkest, hungriest, most abhorrent parts of all the members of both courts.

For years, the Fairies held the Obscured deep underground, within an impenetrable iron room, allowing it to suck the lifeblood from the creepy crawlies, the Earth itself and the roots of decomposing plant life, thinking if they kept it weak, near starvation that they could control it. In desperate times, in the dead of winter when hibernation covered the world, the Fey were forced to sacrifice sacrificed their disabled, weak, ugly, and less magical kin to satiate the atrocity's ravenous hunger.

But it was never enough. The Fey were never more than half a step ahead of the creature’s dark desires. Then came the Wild Hunt.

Led by Odin, disguised as the God of the Wind, he rushed through the skies astride his eight-legged steed, Sleipnir. Raising his Gungnir, his three-pronged spear made of the Asgardian metal, Uru, his shouted commands rumbled through the air in the coldest, darkest, most ominous nights, calling to his warriors, ordering them to reap the harvest of blood, flesh and soul.

Leaves atop the trees rustled. The north winds howled, their frozen breath decimating everything in their path. The haunting war cry of the horde of undead huntsman immediately answered the short rapid staccato blast from Odin’s Hunting Horn, announcing their prey, the living, breathing beings of the Earth, were roused and seeking shelter.

Thundering hooves, those of the ebony stallions the huntsmen rode, shook the ground as the steeds breathed fire, their neighs so discordant that children clapped their hands over their ears and dove under their beds for cover. Hounds, black as night, with glowing red eyes and the blood of their last kill still dripping from their fangs, bayed at the moon as they caught scent of the life’s blood, the flesh, the very souls of their quarry.

Stopping short, hovering over the Fairy Mound, the malignant churning of the Obscured called to the Leader of the Wild Hunt, reached from its dark, dank depths, begging to be released. A sinister smile broke across Odin’s face as he lifted his Gungnir and shot icy flames at the ghastly creature. His victory cries echoed for miles as the Obscured burst through the frozen Earth, bathing everything in its path with wild, untamed, powerfully malformed magic…and now, on the most important day in the life of Tristan’s family and Clan, the fiend of old had come to destroy them all.

Fighting with every ounce of strength, every molecule of mysticism both he and Diarmuid possessed, Tristan battled the Obscured until he fell from the sky. Barely making it back to his human form before crashing to the Earth below, the Dragon flung the last remaining flames of his fire at the colossal mass of pure evil swirling and snarling overhead.

Falling to his knees, the icy fingers of death tearing at his flesh, gripping his spine, ripping the heart from his chest, Tristan breathed his last breath and closed his eyes, waiting for Death to steal what little life he had left, but nothing happened. In the blink of an eye, the Obscured was gone, the sun was shining, and Tristan was still alive.

Rolling onto his back, gulping at the air, he called to his sister, his mother, his father, his Brethren, but as before, only silence filled the bonds he shared with those he loved. Slowly, painfully climbing to his feet, embracing the powerful healing magic Diarmuid forced into every cell of his body, Tristan looked left and then right, forward and backward, up and then down, but as far as the eye could see, there was nothing. The Lair he’d grown up in, the land he’d explored, and most importantly – the Dragons, his people, his kin were simply, without question, gone.

“Are you in there? Have you gone doolally on us? Do Dragons go doolally?” Julian’s laughter yanked Tristan from his memories.

Swiping at the single tear creeping down his cheek, the bronze Dragon turned towards the sound of the Panther’s voice, biting back his harsh retort when he saw Drákon, a new friend and valuable ally. Smiling and waving, the usual shit-eating grin on his face, and mischief dancing in his clear blue eyes, the Sea Dragon and Companion to one of the revered Daughters of Poseidon, snickered, “I hear a sexy little Fairy’s got y’all tied up in her short pants, Brother.”

Thinking about how Drákon and Una, a Daughter of Poseidon, had saved him from a demented band of Hades’ minions hell bent on sacrificing him and other Shifters, Tristan nodded and opened his mouth to speak but was cut-off as Julian laughed out loud, “Oh yeah, she’s got him by the short hairs all right. And would you believe that they’ve never said more than two words to each other.” Looking to Tristan, the Panther added, “Talk about Fate, you let your Dragon out after centuries of being locked away and boom, Fate sends Love to knock-knock-knock on the door of your heart.”

Julian’s comment mixed with what Drákon had just said and added to the ass-chewing he’d received from Gerri culminating in the biggest Aha moment of the bronze Dragon’s very long life. The light bulb of inspiration flashed with fury. Something inside him snapped. His heart beat with renewed purpose and Diarmuid roared his approval.

“In for a penny, in for a pound,” he sighed under his breath before rounding the corner of his desk and heading for the door. Stopping beside the Sea Dragon, he grumbled, “I blame you and Una for this. I’m not mad, but remember, paybacks are a real bitch, Bucko.”

“Wait! What? Me?” Drákon sputtered. “What the hell did I do?”

Decision made, ignoring his friend’s questions, Tristan marched into the hall, made a left towards the elevator, and as he pushed the button, muttered to himself, “Time to see a Fairy about the date of a lifetime.”

Chapter Three

Sitting in the Main Street Garden across Main Street from the huge Dragon Tech in downtown Dallas, Felicity drank her honeysuckle tea while trying to focus on the Paranormal Matchmaker’s words. It was more than a little unnerving that the spitfire of a woman had appeared out of nowhere, barking orders, and talking about how the Flower Fairy could get the Dragon who made her wings tingle and her Fairy dust sparkle if she’d just get off her butt and make a move.

First of all, she doesn’t know me. Secondly, I do things in my own time and…*sigh*…well, she just might be right.

“Ya’ know what I’m never gonna understand?” Gerri asked, laying her hands atop the pad of paper she’d retrieved from her black leather briefcase and sliding her stylish black-rimmed glasses atop her head. “Why in the hell do y’all resist the call of your mate like it’s the plague? Do you think you can outrun it? Ignore it, and it’ll go away?” Leaning back in her chair with a loud harrumph, the Matchmaker went on with a scowl and a raised eyebrow. “Are you crazy kids tempting Fate, Destiny and the Universe? You know, the tremendous Forces that rose from the primordial ooze when the world was black and endless?”

Unsure what to say, or if the Matchmaker really even wanted an answer, Felicity was completely flabbergasted. Sitting perfectly still with the rim of her mug poised at her bottom lip, she could only star and wait. Thank the Goddess, Gerri didn’t notice and ranted on without missing a beat. “I mean, I love what I do. Seeing all the happy couples in the world and knowing I had something to do with getting them together is better than hundred-year-old Scotch or Cuban cigars, but sometimes I have to scratch my head. Y’all really are a crazy lot!”

Laughing along but not sure why, Felicity nearly jumped out of her chair and hugged her sister around the neck when Bitsy appeared out of thin air babbling about the cute barista who made the best chai latte she’d ever tasted. “His eyes are such a crystal blue, if I didn’t know better, I would swear he was one of ours…or maybe a Gypsy or a Witch.” Setting her drink on the table and pulling her chair closer to Felicity, the younger Fairy cooed as she sat down, “I gave him my number. I know you’re gonna tell me I’m crazy, but you know that I don’t care. Got to sow those wild oats while I still can.”

“See?” Gerri jumped into the conversation, scooting to the edge of her chair and slapping the flat of hand on the table top. “That’s what I’m talkin’ about.” She motioned with both hands and a confident shake of her head. “Bitsy’s got the right idea. Get yourself out there. Have some fun. As my old granny used to say, ‘You’ve gotta kiss a lot of frogs to find your prince’.”

Looking between the two women at the table like she was at a tennis match, Felicity listened in awe as Gerri and Bitsy went back and forth discussing all the things that were wrong with love in the modern day. Finally, when their boisterous conversation turned to sex, the Flower Fairy jumped in with both feet and changed the subject as quickly as she could.

“So, have you been a Matchmaker for long, Gerri?”

Snapping her attention to Felicity, her blue eyes turning a warm, swirling gold, Gerri leaned her elbow on the table and her chin on her hand and grinned, “Long before you were even a gleam in your daddy’s eye, Little Girl.”

Trying to maintain the Matchmaker’s stare as goosebumps covered her arms and the wings lying flat on her back ached with the need to tear through her blouse and whisk her away, Felicity summoned her courage, squared her shoulders and with a sassy retort, replied, “Is that so? Then that makes you just three days shy of being older than dirt.”

Throwing back her head and barking with laughter, Gerri emphatically praised, “Yes! There it is! That backbone, that spine, that spunk I knew you had buried somewhere deep inside your cute little curvy body.” Taking a sip of her quad-shot espresso, she went on, “Now, all we have to do is direct it at that grumbly, growly old Dragon and he’ll be putty in your hands.” Picking up her pen then immediately sliding her eyes back to Felicity, Gerri added, “And enough of that Mr. O’Doherty bullshit. Yeah, I heard,” she sighed with added eye roll. “Call him Tristan and say it like you mean it. These boys think they want a shrinking violet when what they need is a Venus Flytrap.”

Feeling empowered, Felicity hung on Gerri’s every word, answering every question in the same rapid-fire manner in which they were asked. The more they talked, the more excited the Fairy got and then like the proverbial wind stolen from her sails, the other shoe was dropped with a resounding thud as Gerri asked, “Do you like your sex rough and tumble or soft and sensual?”

Her cheeks heated to a five-alarm fire, her heart beat like a bass drum, and sweat trickled down her spine. And as if things weren’t bad enough, Bitsy giggled, “Yeah, spill, Fliss. How do you like your sex?”

“Shut. Up. Brat.” Felicity grumbled before turning to Gerri and politely asking, “Can we talk about that somewhere a little less,” she looked around at the multitude of people all seeming to be focused on her answer when in actuality they didn’t know Felicity was even there, “populated?”

“Hell no, we cannot,” the Matchmaker adamantly objected. “That’s another problem I face on damn near a daily basis – hang-ups about sex from the younger generations. You guys are a bunch of mamby-pamby wusses, whispering behind closed doors about what you like, don’t like, and how you want to be loved.” Slapping her hand on the table again, her voice rising with every syllable that flew from her lips, Gerri announced, “The sexual revolution is over. We won. Get on out of the damn shadows and live a little. I promise you’ll thank me for it.”

Closing her eyes and covering her face with her hands, Felicity cringed as Bitsy joined the charge with a whooping, “Hell yeah! Speak the truth, Sister. Sexual freedom is our Goddess given right.”

Popping out of her chair and slinking away under the guise of getting another cup of tea, Felicity quickly set her mug on the side counter of the Coffee Shack, looked over her shoulder to be sure Gerri and Bitsy were still ‘preaching’ to all who would listen then slipped behind the java joint and leaned against the wall. Taking slow, deep breaths, counting to ten before slowly exhaling, the Fairy had just gotten her pulse below a thousand beats per minute and the temperature of her cheeks under boiling when a smooth, rolling baritone murmured, “Just the woman I was looking for.”

Son of a bitch, can’t a Fairy catch a frikkin’ break around here?

Chapter Four

“Who? Me?” She squeaked, her eyes nearly popping out of her head.

Not the reception I was hoping for…

Powering on with Gerri and Julian’s words fueling his every action, Tristan reached for Felicity’s hand, still trying to be as suave as a centuries-old Dragon who hadn’t been on a date since a horse and buggy was the preferred mode of transportation, he smiled, “Yes, Felicity, you. I wanted to ask if you would do me the honor of having dinner with me this evening?”

The tremor in her voice matched the trembling of her hand as it took two attempts for her to push out the words, “Y-yes, M-Mr. O’D-Doherty, I would be honored.”

Leaning closer, forcing her to look into his eyes, Tristan whispered, “I don’t want you to be honored, I need you to be excited. And do call me Tristan.” Her instantaneous intake of breath and the way the Fairy’s heart skipped a beat, emboldened the Dragon, fed the attraction he’d been keeping at bay since the first moment he’d laid eyes on her and demanded he take just a little taste of her glistening pink lips.

One touch was all it took. Flashes of light burst behind his eyes. Fire filled his veins. Not only did his heart and soul recognize this Fairy as the one the Universe had made for him, but Diarmuid roared his recognition and acceptance of their Only True Mate. Unable to hold back, needing to own Felicity, possess her, never again be without her by his side, Tristan dropped her hand, wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her body tightly to his.

Running the tip of his tongue along the seam of her lips, begging entrance, he simply could not get enough of his gorgeous Fairy as she mewled her approval allowing his tongue to slide alongside hers. Arousal thickened in his blood as Felicity accepted his every advance, and whimpered with need, her hands sliding under his jacket, and her short, manicured nails biting into the tops of his shoulders.

Delving deeper, ravenous to taste every inch of her erotic curves, the scent of freesia, sweet peas and sunshine, her scent, intensified, warmed, combined with his own smoky aroma, driving the Dragon nearly out of his mind. Rocking his hips between her legs, the tip of his erection bumping her aroused clit through their clothing, Tristan worked his tongue in and out of her glorious mouth, imitating what he’d dreamt of doing so very many times with his body.

Pulling his lips from hers, he kissed and nipped across the soft skin of her jawline, nibbled on her earlobe and teased the tender spot behind her ear as he whispered directly into her mind, “You will be mine, Felicity Fairweather.” 

Her only answer was the raking of her nails down his back as they made their way to his ass, digging in and pulling him closer. Unable to stay away, needing to be a part of her in any way she would allow, Tristan returned to her lips. The flames of desire roared brighter, their connection burned hotter, his need to touch every inch of her beautiful body became insatiable.

Cradling her bum with his hands, Tristan lifted Felicity off the ground, forcing her to grab his shoulders as and wrap her legs around his waist. Driving his body against hers, in sync with the racing beat of their hearts, Tristan’s left hand slid under the soft cotton of her blouse.

Jolts of electricity flew up his arm and down his spine, landing in the very depths of his soul, super-charging his every emotion, thought, and action. If there had ever been any doubt that Felicity was the one for him, it was instantly thrown by the wayside at the sheer magnitude of the feelings one kiss had summoned within him. He needed to mark her, to have his scent all over her, to be sure everyone everywhere knew that Felicity Fairweather was his and he would give his life to keep her safe, happy, and well-loved.  

 Running his fingers up her spine, memorizing her body, inhaling her gasps, Tristan could stand no more. Tearing his lips from his Fairy’s, setting her feet on the floor while grinning from ear-to-ear as she grumbled at the loss, he threaded his fingers through hers and turned to leave the park, planning to have his wicked way with her just as soon as he could get them both to the privacy of his office.

“Where are we…”

His mate’s breathy question was cut off as Gerri’s roar of, “Felicity, get your ass over here. Bitsy’s been poisoned,” sliced through their minds.

Changing directions in the blink of an eye, Tristan was now being pulled along, Felicity’s grip like iron as her fear beat at him with the furious intent of a hot poker. Flying around the corner of the Coffee Shack, his Fairy sprinted to where her sister lay unconscious on the concrete with Gerri on her knees by her side.

Stopping beside the Matchmaker as Felicity slid to the opposite side, sat on the ground and pulled her sister into her lap, the pungent odor of burnt almonds and the metallic scent of iron assaulted his senses. Leaning closer, letting Diarmuid’s magic flow directly into Bitsy, the Guardsman was consumed by rage as the Dragon King confirmed what Tristan had already feared, “She has indeed been poisoned – Arsenic and liquid Iron if I’m not mistaken, but I am sure those were used to mask the real danger. And… I don’t think Bitsy was the intended target.”

“What are you saying?” Tristan’s snarled demand was barely audible as the fangs of his Dragon descended from his gums.

“Look here.” The tip of Diarmuid’s talon pointed to a small, misshapen blob, the color of ink, the consistency of gelatinous goop with the power of pure evil pulsing within its core. “Look familiar?” 

“Son of a bitch,” Tristan spat aloud, reaching for Felicity as he ordered, “Give me your sister. I know what’s inside her and I know the only people who can fix it.”

“But…h-how?” She hiccupped through her silent sobs, tears streaming down her face, her pain filling the air with a deep blue mist of sadness and despair.

Unwilling to waste any more time, Tristan slid his arms under Bitsy, held the blond Fairy to his chest and got to his feet. “Just trust me. I’ll explain on the way.”

Not waiting for her answer and silently thanking Gerri as the Matchmaker commanded, “Follow your mate. He knows what to do. Be sure to tell them the poison was in the coffee.” Tristen sprinted across the park, into the bottom floor of the five-story parking garage and ran straight for his Black SUV.

Clicking open the locks and opening the back passenger-side door with only a thought, he laid Bitsy on the backseat, quickly moving out of the way as a shell-shocked Felicity climbed in after. Lifting her sister’s head onto her lap, she looked up at him as if he were her only hope as she pleaded, “Are you sure this person can help?”

“I’m positive.” He gave her a single nod before adding, “I’ve known Max for a very long time. If there’s anyone in the world who knows what to do, it’s him.”

Slamming the door, he raced around the back of the vehicle, threw open the door and dove into the driver’s seat. Squealing out of the garage, he called telepathically to Julian, “We’re headed for your King’s house. Meet us there. Oh, and bring Drákon. We’re gonna need all the help we can get.”

Chapter Five

Holding tight to Bitsy as Tristan drove like a bat outta Hell, Felicity could no longer hold back her questions. She had to know what was wrong with her sister and she had to know right away.

“How do you know what’s inside Bitsy? Do Dragons have something special, some super, kicked-up diagnostic magic? I should’ve known something was wrong when Bits said the barista flirted with her. It’s not that every guy in the world doesn’t try to flirt with her, it’s that she scares the bejesus outta them and they end up gawking like kids at the circus.”

The silence was deafening. She could feel Tristan’s mind turning over one scenario after another, searching for the right words to explain, and it pissed her off almost as much as some asshole poisoning Bitsy for no reason at all. So frustrated she was literally seeing red and frightened out of her skull, Felicity screamed, “Tell me. Fuck the right words. Just spit it out.”

Watching his shock in the rearview mirror she almost felt bad, but then she looked down at Bitsy, her normally glowing complexion, now sallow and dull, her breathing labored and her heart starting and stopping like an old clock on its last legs, and she growled, “Out with it, Tristan. I mean it. A piss offed Fairy is not someone you want to mess with, even if you are a Dragon.”

That was all it took, the floodgates opened and he started to explain. The longer he talked, the more vivid his memories played out in her mind. She could see the horrid creature that had attacked not only Tristan, but his entire Clan. She experienced it undulating, stretching, devouring every living thing within its path. Could feel the heat of the bolts of Dragon fire attacking the monster he called the Obscured from the inside out. What had been little more than a dusty haze, became horrifically visible, its agonizing wails piercing and stabbing at Felicity’s mind.

Bursting from the abomination, Tristan, in the form of his brilliant bronze Dragon, fought with every ounce of strength he possessed until finally the Obscured fled and her poor mate was left battered, bruised, and totally alone. Her heart ached. How had he survived all these decades without his Clan, with no other Dragons?

“It took me a while to come to terms with the fact that everyone I’d ever known was gone. Something deep inside told me then and still whispers at me in the middle of the night, that they are still alive, somewhere, out there, trying to come home, but I’ve never been able to find them.”

Running his fingers through his hair as he inhaled deeply, Tristan continued while maneuvering the curves of the nearly abandoned road he’d turned onto with the ease of a racecar driver. “That’s how I ended up working with computers. I went to college, several times over the years to keep busy, to take my mind off what I’d lost and my need to find out what happened to them.” He scoffed, shaking his head as if he saw something no one else could see. “I have more degrees than I know what to do with, a lot of them in every field of physics and quantum mechanics, and what I learned along the way made me believe that if I could recreate the exact frequency of the Obscured, combine that specialized technology with my magic and Diarmuid’s, that I could call the filthy bastard to me and destroy it once and for all.”

“I’m so sorry for everything you’ve been through, but I have to admit, I don’t know diddly about physics, quantum whats-a-who-its or even computers. It’s fair to say that the book Computers for Dummies is so far over my head it lives on the International Space Center and me in a hole in the ground. So, I have to ask, what does everything you just told me have to do with Bitsy? How can your mysterious friend help her?” Unable to hold back her tears any longer, Felicity pulled her sister closer, knowing she should call Mary Beth and Josie, but unsure what to say or how to say and thankful that Tristan was once again talking.

 “Over the years, I’ve run across places where the Obscured has attacked. Vast, desolate plats of land that were once alive and thriving, and in less than a blink of an eye destroyed and one thing always remained – miniscule specs of black, oily sludge, scattered about, palpitating with what remained of the tainted magic that bore them, emitting a signal, a type of call that I could only assume was to its host.”

“I’ve collected more samples of the gross goo than I’d like to remember and the same thing always happens. Once separated from its host – the Obscured, and without a living host to feed upon, the blobs dry-up, and fade from existence.”

Clearing his throat, his apprehension filling the SUV with the sickeningly sweet odor of rancid fruit, Tristan’s eyes darted to hers before immediately looking away when he began again. “With the help of my Dragon, I examined your sister and found one of these nasty little buggers squatting like an overgrown toad in the depths of her soul.”

“But why Bitsy? What does she have to do with anything? How would they even know…”

“It was meant for you.” Tristan’s whispered declaration stole the words from her mouth and the breath from her lungs. Hurrying to explain, his words coming so fast, she had to truly concentrate to understand, her Dragon’s tone grew sharper, more adamant with every word. “I’ve known from the moment I set eyes on you that you were the one for me, but I never acted upon it. After all, I had all but locked Diarmuid away. He hadn’t come forth in nearly two hundred years. I’d stayed hidden, doing my research, promising that the day I could find my family and lay waste to the Obscured I would once again claim my place on the throne of the Bronze Dragons and find those still alive.”

Pausing as he took a sharp right turn and then an immediate left, he picked up where he’d left off, “Then I was kidnapped by Hades’ demons with a Hellhound called Brody. We were rescued by one of the Daughters of Poseidon and her Companion, Drákon, who I’m sure you’ve seen around DT.”

Shaking her head because quite frankly it was the only thing she could do, Felicity tried to follow as Tristan went on as the SUV made another abrupt left turn onto a long, bumpy dirt road. “During our fight to escape, I had to call Diarmuid forth and by doing so, unlocked his powerful magic, and well…”

It was the first time he’d stuttered which made Felicity hold her breath in anticipation of whatever bomb was about to be dropped. Sure enough, it was a doozy.

“With all that Dragon magic unleashed, I am just now finding out that I was like a beacon to not only other Dragons and Supernaturals, but also to all the Obscured that I thought I’d left behind.”

Still not sure what it had to do with her and needing to know the answer more than she needed almost anything else, Felicity opened her mouth to ask when Tristan brought the SUV to a screeching halt, jumped out of the driver’s seat and was opening her door before she could speak. Watching carefully as he gently lifted Bitsy into his arms and stalked towards the mansion, she jogged to catch up, stumbling over her own feet when the front door opened and a tall, suave Latin man with the deep green eyes and the sinewy grace of a Panther came into view.

Stepping to the side and with a sweeping gesture of his arm motioning them into his home, the man’s smooth, Latin accent shook with contained power as he instructed, “Through the kitchen and down the stairs, mi amigo. Sebastian and Miguel are in the Clinic.”

Staying close to Tristan, praying someone in the immaculately decorated castle of a home could help her sister, Felicity felt her magic take hold as she followed her Dragon into a dark, narrow stairway. Grabbing the back of his jacket, she whispered, “Are you sure about this?”

But it was the Panther who answered, “Do not fear, pequeña hada. Tristan knows where he’s going. You and yours are safe from all harm within the walls of my home.”

Something within her snapped. She was suddenly angrier than she could ever remember being. Bitsy was dying. It was supposed to her. And the kicker was, it had all started because she, Felicity Fairweather, wanted to have a freakin’ relationship…hell, even a date. Frustrated that she didn’t understand what was going to happen next and downright pissed that she no clue who was gonna live or die, she loosened the tight grip she always kept on her enchantment.

Letting the magic of her illustrious family spring to the forefront, the violent magenta of her rage glowed so brightly it filled the stairway. Spinning on her toes, Felicity poked the Panther in the chest and demanded, “Who the fuck are you? How can you help my sister? And why the fuck should I trust you when I just laid eyes on you for the first time in my life?”

Not bothered in the slightest by her outburst or her assault on his chest with her rather pointy fingertip, the Panther simply smiled and held out his hand, waiting for her to lay hers on top then shrugging and continuing when she flatly refused. “My name is Maximillian Prentice. I am the King of the Big Cats, and besides your extremely formidable mate, just happen to be the only other in existence who has ever encountered the Obscured and lived to tell the tale.” Walking past her, he added, “Oh, and you can call me Max. I have a feeling we’re going to be fast friends before you know it.”

Chapter Six

He’d hoped to have explained everything that was happening, or at least what he had firsthand knowledge of before they reached Max’s house. Had wanted Felicity to understand what was going on and that Max, along with his Pride were the only people in the world who knew more about the Obscured than he did…but of course, that wasn’t how it happened. Instead, Tristan had been swept up in the whirlwind of memories that took him down the dark paths of his past and demanded he share certain things with his Fairy that he’d hoped to keep quiet at least until they knew one another a little better.

Now, she was angry, actually furious better described what he felt filling their mating when she’d lashed out at Max. Thankfully, the King was nothing if not quick on his feet and cooler than the proverbial cucumber. More times than not, it was the Panther’s diplomatic flair and ability to pull the correct words right out of his ass that had gotten them out of more than one scrape over the years.

Kicking open the metal doors leading to the humongous sterile white room used for Triage in the Clinic Max built under his massive estate, Tristan rushed forward, trusting that Felicity was right on his heels. Laying Bitsy on the gurney, he looked up at Sebastian, a tall, muscular Bengal Tiger, with more healing magic and medical knowledge in his little finger than even Diarmuid, as he matter-of-factly announced, “This is Bitsy.” He motioned to the blond Fairy between them then turned to the side as Felicity swooped in and grabbed her sister’s hand. “And this is Felicity…ah….um, Bitsy’s sister.”

Coming up on his other side, Max added something in Spanish that sounded suspiciously like, ‘And his mate,’ which Tristan pointedly chose to ignore. “Look into my mind, Bash. Can you see what Diarmuid found? That nasty little blip of shit festering within Bitsy.”

“Yeah, I see it, but I need to get a closer look. I’ll have to join my Spirit with hers. It’s the only way to truly get a grasp of what is happening in there.” The Tiger shook his head and furrowed his brow while never taking his eyes off Bitsy. “Something about your recollection seems off, kinda skewed…almost distorted.” Sebastian’s voice trailed off as his eyes slid shut and the tickle of magic filled the air.

Unsure what the Tiger meant, but knowing he had to restore Bitsy back to the picture of health if Tristan was to have any chance of a life with Felicity, the Dragon stood completely still. Reaching for his Fairy’s free hand where it laid on the cot, he thanked the Heavens that Felicity didn’t pull away, actually holding on tight and accepting the comfort and support he was allowing to flow to her.

Doing as Diarmuid bid, Tristan let his Dragon King’s Life-force follow Sebastian’s path into Bitsy’s chi. Long minutes passed. It was as if the seconds were ticking off in his head, each passing with an ear-splitting bong, the dread of impending doom creeping towards him in a dark, dank cloud of malevolence and pain.

Images of the past, of all the villages, settlements and Lairs he’d seen decimated by the Obscured as he trekked thousands of miles across every country in the World in search of his family and his Clan. Watching them all on instant replay, he tried to find something, anything he might have missed the hundreds of other times he’d relived the loneliest time of his life.

Zeroing in on the recollection of a barren strip of land along a basin within the Columbian Andes, Tristan once again saw the man, face down in the dirt, festering wounds striping his back, his ribs the only thing holding up his pale, emaciated skin. Aiming towards the ground, changing from Dragon to man in mid-air, his feet silently touched down less than ten yards from the motionless body. The soul of a Panther stirred in the depths of the injured one’s soul, reached for Diarmuid with a resounding growl, bidding Tristan to come closer.

Hurrying over, the Dragon dropped to his knees, touched the base of the man’s neck with the tips of his two middle fingers, breathing a sigh of relief when the Panther’s slow and sluggish pulse pushed back. Turning the man onto his back, the Tristan grimaced at the blisters, boils, cuts and gouges covering every inch of the Panther’s body.

Carefully lifting the man into his arms, Tristan walked for miles searching for a place to clean the man’s wound and to nurse him back to health. Finally, just before the sun had completely set, he found a stream of fresh, clear water flowing into a deep abandoned cave.

Making camp as far into the cavern as he could go, the Dragon spent the next three days tending the man’s wounds while letting Diarmuid force his healing magic into the Panther. Finally, when Tristan was sure he’d need to take the Cat to one of the nearby Prides, the man opened his eyes and pushed himself up to a sitting position.

“Thank the Heavens. I was beginning to think you’d never wake up.”

“I began to wonder myself.” The Panther’s voice was hoarse and gravelly from lack of use, further proved when the few words he’d caused him to cough, sputter and struggle to catch his breath, But, he was up and that gave Tristan hope.

Handing the man a canteen of water, holding it steady as he took a long drink, the Dragon nodded, “My name’s Tristan.” Taking the bottle from the Panther’s hand when he was finished, Tristan added, “How long were you caught within the Obscured?”

Shaking his head, his eyes haunted by memories of what he’d been through, the Panther shook Tristan’s hand as he deflected the Dragon’s question by replying, “I’m Maximillian Prentice, but please call me Max.” Clearing his throat, he paused for a moment then nodded, his voice barely above a whisper. “To the best of my knowledge, I was trapped for almost three days.” Running his hand across the scars lining his forearm, the Max went on, “I was traveling back to my Pride and stopped at one of our smaller Lairs to check on a litter of Pumas when the…the…What did you call it?”

“The Obscured.”

“Si, yes, the Obscured struck. It was like a giant vacuum devouring everything in its path. I called forth my Panther, lunged into the mist thinking I could rescue the Pumas only to find that I was all alone.” Scratching at the whiskers covering his jaw, Max went on, “They all vanished. Just gone without a trace. When the…the…Obscured,” the Panther’s voice cracked, “Spat me out, I ran for nearly an entire day trying to catch up to it, to find my Cats, to preserve the last of a Royal lineage.”

“Tristan? Tristan, did you hear me?” Sebastian’s voice cut through the memories, dragging the Dragon back to reality.

Looking at the Tiger then at his mate and finally at Max, Tristan returned his gaze to Sebastian as he shrugged, “Sorry, got lost in my own mind. What did you say?”

Before the Tiger could answer, Max spoke up, laying his hand on Tristan’s shoulder but looking at Felicity as he replied, “Sebastian and I will leave you two alone to discuss the next steps.”

Dropping his hand and heading towards the door, the King called over his shoulder, “You too, Miguel. Let us leave Tristan and his Fairy alone.”

Tension dancing upon his every nerve, anger that he’d let his memories divert his attention from what was most important – saving Bitsy, frustration that he’d caused the whole blasted mess and most of all, fear that Felicity would never accept him as her mate, tipped Tristan over the edge of sanity. Sticking both feet and half his arm straight into his mouth, the Dragon glared at his Fairy and demanded in a truly belligerent tone, “Well, what the hell is going on? Why are you looking at me like I have one eye, warts and no front teeth? Yes! I let my mind wander. Yes! I am an arrogant asshole. I’m just trying to do what’s right. Talk to me. What do we need to do to get Bitsy better? Just tell me and I’ll make it happen. Stop making me feel bad for being at least partially human.”

Doubling down and adding showing his ass to his long list of offences when Felicity remained silent, Tristan ripped his hand from hers, took a step back and roared, “Will you just tell me? Stop icing me out? Kick me. Spit in my face. For god’s sake, do something. This bloody silent treatment is driving me fucking nuts.”

Still silent, but instantly closing the distance between them, her brow furrowed so tightly he could barely see her lovely lavender eyes, Felicity’s magic popped, snapped, and crackled in the air. The fierce magenta glow of her fiery rage painted the stark white walls of the Clinic making it appear as if hundreds had been massacred as Felicity accented every word she snarled with a sharp poke to his chest. “He said that you are Bitsy’s only hope and that we have to be formally mated to save my sister, you stupid jackass.”

Switching from her finger to her fist and adding the other hand to the mix, she pounded on his chest, painfully zapping him for added effect as she thundered, “But, don’t you worry, Asshole. I’d rather turn myself into a Redcap and kiss a dog’s ass before I get stuck with the likes of you.”

Turning her back, Felicity snapped her fingers and as Tristan was flying from the room, she added, “Forget you ever met me.”

Chapter Seven

“I’ve never been so mad in my entire life,” Felicity ranted, praying Bitsy would open her eyes and tell her to shut up. “Who the hell does he think he is? Did you hear him yell at me?”

Starting to pace, needing to burn off the excess energy while trying to think of a way to save her sister without having to ask for the idiot Dragon’s help, she stopped dead in her tracks, slapped the heel of her hand to her forehead and spun back towards her sister. “Why am I so stupid? How could I not have thought of Aunt Esme? I know you’re thinking why don’t I just call Josie and Mary Beth or Mom and Dad, and well, it would be because Sebastian pretty much said it would be a waste of time, and…if I can save you without bringing their hysterics into the picture, I’m gonna do it.”

Pulling the aquamarine pendant from under her shirt and holding it close to her chest, Felicity closed her eyes, pictured her mother’s sister’s face and telepathically called to the most powerful Healer in the entire Seelie Court. “

Why Fliss, it is so glad to hear from you? I was just thinking of you and Bitsy. What have you girls been up to?” Esme’s sweet soprano voice made Felicity smile despite the situation.

Suddenly feeling ashamed for not calling her sisters or trying to contact her parents, even after explaining her reasons to an unconscious Bitsy, Felicity thought about lying to her aunt, contemplated saying she was just checking in, but as it always happened, Esme read her mind and gasped, “Oh my Goddess, Felicity Morgana Fairweather, what is wrong with Bitsy?” Not waiting for an answer, she screeched on, her voice more piercing as true panic set in. “No, no, no this just can’t be. Why is the Obscured in Dallas? How did this happen? Why Bitsy? None of this makes sense. Tell me. Tell me everything right now. Hurry, Felicity, why aren’t you speaking?”

“I’m trying, but you have to hush long enough for me to get a word in edgewise.” Not giving Esme a chance to speak, Felicity rushed on, “We’re at the home of the King of the Big Cats…”

“Max Prentice,” Esme threw in.

“His Healer, a Bengal Tiger by the name of…”

“Sebastian.”

“Yeah, him. He looked at the piece of this Obscured thing that someone used to poison Bitsy and said it was…”

“Meant for you. Well, yes, of course, Dear. You’ve found your mate, and from what I’m picking out of your head, I can see that it’s Tristan O’Doherty. You know he’s the only one besides Max who’s ever escaped the Obscured. There’s a whole cult of idiot humans and a few misguided Witches who’ve pledged their loyalty and their lives and I think all their money, too, to the Obscured. They just zealots, crazy as bedbugs, with hardly a brain between them all. Just horrible people, Fliss. I’m sure Bash is right. They were trying to poison you, make Tristan go after the chunk of the Obscured, and when he did, they could capture him and feed you both to that horrible beastly monstrosity. Oh, darling, I feel just horrible, absolutely dreadful.”

Giving up trying to speak, instead listening to Esme, Felicity suddenly felt a pain in her stomach and bile rising in her throat as her aunt’s explanation sickened her with disgust. “You know it’s our fault. The Fairies, I mean, both the Seelie and the Unseelie. Well, yes, yes, it is. We created that thing. Not knowingly, of course, with no malice at all, but we did it nonetheless, and instead of finding a way to destroy it, we locked it away and hoped for…”

“You what?!” Felicity shrieked. “You had a hand in creating this awful… terrible… whatever the hell it is? Were mom and dad involved? Why were we never told? What do I do? Do I have to mate that bastard of a Dragon to save Bitsy? Can Mary Beth and Josie help? Can I do it alone? Oh, Goddess be damned, tell me, Aunt Esme, tell me?”

“First of all, calm down and get a grip.”

“That’s rich coming from you,” Felicity seethed. “Considering you were just ranting in such a high pitch I have no doubt Max’s estate is under siege by every stray dog within a hundred miles.”

“Nasty never did look good on you, Felicity Morgana. Mind your tongue. I am still your Elder.”

“Yeah, whatever. You fucked up and now, my sister – YOUR NEICE - might die. And while we’re at it, Esme Matilda, stop using my middle name. Two can play at that game.”

“Point taken, Dear. I think we both need to take a breath and let our cooler heads prevail.” There was a pause in which Felicity heard Esme breathing before carrying on. “Now, tell me what Sebastian told you, every word, leave nothing out.”

Thinking it might just be easier to be saddled with Tristan for the rest of her life, Felicity jumped to attention when Esme cleared her throat and growled, “Do not make me magically slap your heinie. You know I’ll do it. Now, speak.”

 Wanting to tell her aunt that she was not a dog and that she would deal with everything herself, Felicity instead gave in and told Esme everything that had happened.

“Sebastian said that because Tristan battled the Obscured in the past and lived to tell the tale that he would have to let his soul leave his body, travel into Bitsy, and remove the taint with his Dragon fire before it has a chance to embed itself.”

“But why can’t Max do it and why do you have to be formally mated for Tristan for all this to happen?”

“I was just about to tell you.” Felicity rolled her eyes, quickly losing her patience and what was left of her mind.

“Well, do hurry, Dear. Your sister doesn’t have much time.”

Holding tight to the unraveling thread of her patience, Felicity ignored Esme’s comment and continued, “Max doesn’t have Dragon fire, remember?” She thought about saying ‘duh’ then thought better of it since her ears were still ringing of Esme’s previous freak-out. “And because Tristan has only recently reunited with a few of the Dragon Guardsmen, making his bond to them tenuous at best. With a formal mating, we would bonded together as tightly as two people can be and I would be his anchor, the only one who can return his soul to his body.”

“Then you have to do it,” Esme declared, her tone accusatory and demanding. “What is the problem? This is Bitsy’s life. Get over yourself and help your sister.”

“Well, I… It’s just that he… Well, you weren’t… Oh dammit all to hell, you’re right. I’m being a little shit.”

“Yes, you are. Now, go find your Dragon and make him yours.”

“I’m going,” she spat, even more irritated with herself than she had been with Tristan just moments before.

Making her way back to Bitsy’s side, Felicity looked down into her younger sister’s face, the lump that had been in her stomach rising to her throat nearly blocking her airway. Brushing a runaway curl from Bitsy’s brow, Felicity leaned forward and placed a kiss on her sister’s forehead. Pulling back, tears once again filling her eyes, she wept, “I am so sorry, Bits. I promise I’ll make this right. I swear I’ll never… Wait! What’s happening?”

Jerking her hands from her sister’s hand and face to keep from being burnt, Felicity watched as Bitsy’s cheeks became instantly flushed and drops of perspiration appeared upon her upper lip. Not sure what to do, fearing the worst, Felicity ran towards the hall, threw open the door and was just about to scream for Tristan and Sebastian when the scent of smoky ash riding a cool evening’s breeze hit her senses.

Spinning on her toes and sprinting back to Bitsy’s side, Felicity nearly fell to the floor when everything became shockingly clear. Searching her soul for the glow of the bond she shared with Tristan, the Fairy followed it out of her body and into his, letting herself fall forward when she found an empty shell where her vibrant, stubborn, hard-headed Dragon had been moments before.

Holding tight to the rail on the side of the bed, her tears freely falling down her cheeks, Felicity looked into her sister’s face as she cried, “Oh, Bitsy, he’s done it. He didn’t wait. He’s trying to heal you without me, without an anchor, with no one to bring him back.” Letting her chin fall to her chest, she sobbed, “Oh my Goddess, I’m such a bitch, such a failure. What am I gonna do if I lose you both?”

    Chapter Eight

“Tris, I really don’t think you should do this without a safeguard, someone to moor your soul the real world… without touching Bitsy.”

“Either you help me, or I’ll do it myself, Sebastian.”

“But Max said…”

“I don’t give a shit what Max said. This is my life, my mate, my fuck-up. Felicity never wants to see me again. She blames me for what’s happened to her sister and rightfully so,” Tristan ran his fingers through his hair for at least the hundredth time. “It’s my fault. I knew unlocking my magic, letting Diarmuid free after all those years, would only bring trouble, and I was right. Here I am having put the one person I’m supposed to protect no matter the situation in harm’s way.”

“You can’t think that you caused this,” Sebastian sputtered. “You’re smarter than that. Just wait until Max gets back and then…”

“And then what?” Tristan jumped to his feet. “He’ll come up with a miracle? Tell me to pray?” No! No way,” he vehemently objected, pacing from one side of the giant living room to the other then stopping directly in front of the Tiger. “Either help me or get the hell outta here.”

Shaking his head, Sebastian sighed, “Well, I’m sure as hell not letting you do it without me. Max will have me neutered and declawed.” Getting to his feet, his Tiger flashing in his deep amber eyes, the Healer snapped, “Are you going to move, or do I need to go through you?”

Trying to control his temper when all he wanted to do was punch Sebastian in the nose, hit a wall, or throw himself off a cliff, Tristan stepped to the side and bit his tongue. Every second that ticked by brought Bitsy closer to death, made Felicity hate him just a little more and dumped another metric ton of guilt square on the Dragon’s shoulder.

Waiting as patiently as possible, clenching and unclenching his fists, Tristan finally exhaled when Sebastian shut and locked the door to the library, turned back around, picked up a carved wooden box from the shelf and headed back in the Dragon’s direction. Sitting on the floor and nodding to the space across from him, the Tiger made a production of setting the box on the red and gold oriental rug and opening the lid.

Taking off his jacket as he sat where the Tiger had indicated, Tristan crossed his legs in an almost lotus position, laid his hands in his lap and watch intently as Sebastian cautiously took an enormous, perfectly cut crystal quartz from the box. Holding it out, the Tiger instructed, “Take the gem into your hands, hold it level with your heart, close your eyes and picture Bitsy in your mind’s eye. The magic of your Dragon King and the love I know you feel for Felicity will take you where you need to go. Once there, you will need to call forth your Dragon fire and quite literally burn what I now fear is the spawn of the Obscured, not merely a piece of the original, from the young Fairy’s soul.”

Following the Tiger’s directions, unable to picture Bitsy without also seeing Felicity, Tristan let the undeniable feelings he’d had for his mate since the moment he first caught sight of her wash over him. Leaving his body, his consciousness falling deeper and deeper into the glowing bond connecting him to his Fairy, the Dragon allowed Diarmuid to give him one final magical push.

Using the affection Felicity felt for Bitsy to pass from his mate’s soul into that of her sister, Tristan took an extra moment to watch the beautiful memories of the Fairies’ childhood pass by. It was heartwarming and perfectly insightful to see that his mate was as close to her family as he had once been to his.

“Time for you to get to work,” Diarmuid ordered. “Sharing another’s soul without an anchor in the real world is dangerous in the best of circumstances, deadly more times than not, and in this instance, highly dangerous for both of us. You need to find the taint of the Obscured, immediately get rid of it and then let me put your Spirit back where it belongs.”

“I know, Diarmuid. I was just…”

“Mooning over our Felicity. I was there. Now, get moving.”

Ignoring the Dragon King’s continued grumbling, Tristan followed the golden rays of her dimming psyche to the center of Bitsy’s soul. Once there, he carefully wove in and around the different colors and levels of her unconscious mind, searching every corner for the poisonous invader devouring her life force.

The longer he searched, the farther from his own body he moved and the more things around him started to change, morphing from bright and happy to dreary and sorrowful to an inky ebony that clawed at his own essence. The Obscured was near. There was no denying the stench of death and decay.

Around the next corner, hiding behind her heart, the barbed tips of its long spidery tentacles barbarically burrowed into the soft tender layers of Bitsy’s Spirit. The throbbing bulbous grotesquely misshapen miasma of perverted magic and unadulterated hate and envy expanded and contracted to a staccato rhythm all its own, completely unaware that its existence was about to be terminated.

Careful not to make any sudden movements while rousing his ancestral magic, Tristan accepted Diarmuid’s gift of ageless Dragon enchantment, hopefully welcoming the burn in his fingertips as he floated ever closer to a miniature copy of an enemy he knew all too well. Focusing every molecule of his strength, every glimmer of his mysticism, and every ounce of adoration he felt for Felicity, Tristan thought of everything the abomination had already taken from him, letting his anguish fuel the purifying flames of his fire flowing freely from every fiber of his being.

But the evil bastard was prepared.

A blur of flailing legs accentuated with the unspeakable screech of a flock of buzzards feeding on roadkill, the repugnantly evil abhorrence leapt from side-to-side. Over and about, spinning left and twirling right, the spawn of the Obscured launched oozing, steaming balls of noxious scum into the flames of Tristan’s fire, creating a smokescreen of venomous fog to use as cover.

Refusing to be beaten, roaring with the rage of centuries of pain and loss, the Dragon doubled his efforts, letting Diarmuid spring forth as his human form faded into the background. Embracing the raw power of the ancient Dragon King, looking for the Obscured’s weaknesses from a different perspective during the heat of battle, Tristan’s agile mind searched for a new plan of attack.

Back and forth, left then right, zigging and zagging, Diarmuid was barely able to stay ahead of the disfigured blight while maintaining a steady stream of fire, snarling his fury at what was beginning to look like a losing battle. Spinning to the left before instantly rotating to the right, the Dragon King raced forward, dropped to his underbelly and slid underneath the Obscured, slicing and instantaneously cauterizing a massive gash from what Tristan could only guess would be called the Obscured’s stem to stern.

Yowling in agony, black globules of gore and tacky glutinous strings of foul fluid oozed from the aberration’s gut, the monstrosity struggled to remain standing while raising its two front appendages, and pelting BBs of sizzling acidic pustules at the underside of Diarmuid’s neck. With the upper hand, adrenalin racing through his every metaphysical scale, the Dragon King moved in for the kill, so completely enthralled with the victory at hand that he misread the Obscured’s intent, catching a series of deadly furuncles in the center of his chest.

  Using the tips of his wings for support, repudiating any notion that he would or could be beaten by such a miniscule lump of discarded, unwanted magic, Diarmuid continued to pelt the Obscured with flames and bolts of Dragon magic until the atrocity finally, blessedly exploded into millions of aberrant, putrid, smoldering bits of filth. Dropping his underbelly to the ground, forcing Tristan to the forefront, Diarmuid wheezed, “The Fairy is safe. The spawn of the Obscured is no more.”

“Thank you, my friend,” Tristan rasped, the stinging in his chest morphing into a slow burn that quickly dimmed the spark of his life force, leaving him feeling weightless and drowsy.

Reaching for the trail of magic he’d left on his way into Bitsy’s soul, Tristan repeatedly failed to grasp his only lifeline. Exhausting the very last drop of his energy, the Dragon laid back and whispered to Diarmuid, “We had a good run, my friend.”

“Indeed, we did, mo chara. I could’ve asked for no better companion.”   

Chapter Nine

Caught between her need to stay by her sister’s side now that Bitsy was stirring and the unrelenting fear that Tristan was most definitely not okay, Felicity screamed her frustration at the wall before grabbing the Lion she was sure was named Miguel as he walked by the swinging metal door and ordering him to stay with Bitsy until she returned. Taking the steps two at a time, barely noticing the dark narrow stairway that had freaked her out when she’d been going the other direction, she burst through the heavy wooden door, ran down the hall and followed her Dragon’s scent to an obscenely tall wooden door with an obnoxious brass handle that was inconveniently locked.

Raising her foot and slamming the sole of her dark brown Doc Martens into the carved wood just above the nob, Felicity flew through the broken door and ran across the room before dropping to her knees beside Tristan. Growling at the fact that he was unconscious and propped against a deep blue velvet covered ottoman, she grabbed her Dragon by the shoulders and screamed, “Wake up, you big dumb idiot. Wake up right now.”

Again and again she shook him, demanding he open his eyes, ordering him to wake up, pleading with him to return to her and somewhere along the way admitting, “Damn you, Tristan O’Doherty, don’t you leave me. Don’t you dare do it, not before I’ve had the chance to tell you that I’m sorry, that I need you, and that I love you, ya’ big dumb Dragon.”

Letting her chin fall to her chest and her head to Tristan’s chest, Felicity groaned, “Go away,” as large warm hands gripped her shoulders.

Unwilling and most definitely unable to move away from Tristan, she wasn’t surprised when Max’s calm, smooth baritone asked, “What will you do to have him back?”

“Don’t toy with me, Panther. You may be the King, but I’m a pissed off Flower Fairy with a Royal heritage and the will to fuck up your day in a really big way. Tell me you know how to bring him back or get the hell off of me.”

“Oh yeah, I like this girl, Max. I can’t wait to see her wrap Tris around her little finger.”

Recognizing the snickering voice as Julian Mattice, Tristan’s friend, partner, and Goddess help her, another friggin’ Panther, Felicity lifted her head and looked over her shoulder. “Who are you?” She glared at a tall blond who looked like he belonged on a surfboard or at the very least hanging out on Venice Beach.

“Name’s Drákon. Sea Dragon’s my gig.”

His name did ring a bell, but Felicity had neither the will nor the inclination to dig for the information. Her focus was putting Tristan’s soul back in his body and waking him up so she could kick his ass for doing something so dangerous without her. 

A staticky buzz alerted her to the fact that one, two or all of the men – Big Cats and Dragon alike - in the room were speaking telepathically. Lifting herself off Tristan’s lap and getting to her feet, she stepped to the side, turned towards Max, Julian, Sebastian, and Drákon and demanded, “Tell me how to fix him.”

“You’re not going to like what has to be done,” Sebastian replied.

“I’ll be the judge of that,” Felicity deadpanned, before growling through gritted teeth, “Tell me.”

“Good Lord, I’ll tell her if you won’t,” Julian sighed with a roll of his eyes as he stepped forward, stood in front of her and announced, “You have to formally mate Tris. Only by forming the irrevocable mating bond and accepting your mark from the Universe can you lead your Dragon home.” Covering his mouth with his hand, he cleared his throat before adding, “And I hear that’s not on your list of top ten things to do today.”

Opening her mouth to disagree, Felicity slammed her lips back together and looked into the eyes of each and every one of the men standing before her. Making sure they saw the truth in her eyes and could feel her conviction to do whatever she had to do to bring her Dragon back to the land of the living, the Fairy adamantly swore, “With the Goddess as my witness, I will do whatever it takes to save Tristan.” Clenching her fists by her side and working as hard as she could not to scream, she added, “Are you going to help me, or waste what little time he has left?”

Grinning like the cat that ate the canary, Max nodded, “Indeed, we will help.” Turning to Drákon, he added, “Will you do the honors?”

“Sure, I’m a bit rusty, but as I was told not so very long ago, it’s time for me to get off my lazy ass and start acting like the King I am.” Chuckling, he went on, “What better way to start then saving Tris’ life and helping the One the Universe made for him?”

Crossing the room, Drákon stopped by her side, smiled the most genuine smile she’d seen since the whole blasted mess started and winked. “Sit down there by Tristan. We’re gonna do this the only way I can think of when the Dragon is unresponsive…we’re gonna improvise.”

Doing as she was told, Felicity wound her fingers around Tristan’s, held on tight and silently prayed that what they were about to do would work.

“Now, remember, it’s been a really long time since I’ve done any of this. It’s been Poseidon’s duties since I washed up on the shores of his Acropolis, but I’m gonna do my best.” Clearing his throat, Drákon continued, his voice taking on a reverent tone that reenforced the importance and significance of what was about to happen.

“Long ago, when Knights and Dragons fought side by side defencing King and Country, it became apparent that Dragon kin were no longer safe from those who sought to expose and destroy them. Their only hope of survival and completion of the mission the Universe had given them as Her chosen warriors was to join their souls with the knights who had been their greatest allies through so many battles. Through magic and the will of both Dragon and knight, the Dragon Shifters were born.”

“Tristan is a proud Bronze Dragon who has suffered at the hands of enemies both magical and common and has also been victorious more times than even he can remember. He and Diarmuid, the Dragon King with whom he shares his soul, like their ancestors before them, were forged from the hard core of the Earth. They are powerful, unyielding Dragons whose scales are harder than diamonds and more durable than time itself. Because of this, they are often referred to as ‘Warrior Dragons’.”

“Protective to a fault, they will fight to the death to defend all they hold dear. They seek justice at every turn. They have meticulous with ambitious attitudes and use a combination of their mind, body and heart to make every decision. They love hard, strong, and without fail or end. They never lose faith in whom or what they believe in and will stand beside their convictions without fail. To mate a Bronze Dragon is to accept all that they are and honor the power shared between the sacred bond of mates.”

“Do you, Felicity Morgana Fairweather, Daughter of King Owain of the Seelie Fairy Court, and Queen Cecily, the great-grand-daughter of Morgan le Fey, also of the Seelie Fairy Court pledge your love, your life, your heart, and your soul to the One the Universe made for you, Tristan O’Doherty?”

Looking at her Dragon, unable to believe what he’d done for her, the sacrifice he’d been willing to make to save her sister, Felicity answered without reservation, “I pledge all that I am. I would give my life right this very second for his. Tristan is all I could ever want, all I will ever need, and I now know, the only man I could ever love.”

Looking up at Drákon, she couldn’t help but return his smile as he nodded before jesting, “Now comes the interesting part.”

“Interesting?”

“Yeah, that’s the only way I can explain it.” He gave a half-shrug. “If Tris were awake, we’d all leave you alone to make with the kissy face and receive your blessing and marks from the Universe, but since he’s not, we’re gonna ad-lib.”

“Okay,” she answered, unable to keep the skepticism out of her voice, glad when the Sea Dragon hurried on.

“We are still gonna leave because I’m pretty sure even in this extreme circumstance, you two have to be alone. So, when we’re gone, you’re going to have to kiss Tristan while opening your whole self to him.”

“That’s it?”

“That’s the best I can come up with. Any questions?”

Shaking her head, Felicity quickly replied, “No, I have faith this is gonna work.”

“That’s what I like to hear.” Drákon gave her a thumbs up that made her chuckle before he turned around, pointed towards the door and cheered, “Forward ho, gentleman. Let’s leave our young Fairy to it.”

Waiting until Sebastian had pulled the door closed even though it wouldn’t lock since she’d kicked it in, Felicity straddled Tristan’s lap, placed her hands on either side of his face, and without hesitation laid her lips to his. The same magical connection she’d felt earlier in the day when he’d kissed her so passionately and made her feel things she’d never imagined, zinged through her body, lit her up from the inside-out, and threw her heart and soul open to the promise of her own happily ever after with the one true mate of her dreams.

Falling into their embrace, never wanting it to end, the transition of her spirit out of her body and into the ether where Tristan’s essence was trapped, was seamless and only interrupted by the sharp burning sensation on the side of her neck. Weightless, floating on air, not sure what to do or how to do it, she focused on her enchantment, following the sparkling trail that reminded her of shimmering snowflakes of her youth and imitated what Tristan had done when he’d spoken directly into her mind.

“Alright, hot stuff. I’m here and we’re mated. Hope you’re not mad at me, but I’m gonna take you home or die trying  

Chapter Ten

“Tristan? Tristan, where are you?”

He’d spent only the Goddess knew how long ignoring Diarmuid’s continuous harping that he needed to stay awake, but this was different, nicer, beautiful…melodic. Images of his Felicity, her long light brown curls flowing across her shoulders and her expressive lavender eyes sparkling with excitement at her latest floral creation refused to be pushed away as the voice became more insistent, almost growling.

“Tristan O’Doherty, I swear to the Heavens I’m gonna kick your ass so hard your Dragon’s gonna lose scales if you don’t answer me.”

“Felicity? Is that you?”

The words were barely off his lips before the bend where his neck met his shoulder began to sting, and his entire spirit was filled with devotion, commitment and a love he’d never expected to feel. Everything came together in one brilliantly bright shining light that was nothing short of miraculous.

Opening his eyes as wide as they would go, he bellowed, “Felicity? Felicity, mo ghrá, where are you?”

Holding his breath, letting his enhanced hearing reach as far and wide as he could at the same time that Diarmuid’s soul collided with his just as it had when they’d been brought together by the Mage’s spell, Tristan felt them melding them together. He experienced the merging of their union, the one that had been torn asunder when the Obscured exploded, was sewn back together. Tristan was finally ready to call out again when Felicity answered, “Tristan? Tristan, where are you?”

“I’m here. I’m coming.”

Moving as quickly as he could, reinvigorated by the strength of his brilliant connection with Felicity, Tristan’s spirit darted towards the sound of her voice, not breathing normally until he laid eyes on his spectacular mate. Rushing to her, his hands reaching for hers, an explosion of lights, sounds, and emotions locked them together, transported them through time and space and shoved their souls back into their bodies.

Unwilling to let another moment pass without kissing Felicity, Tristan placed his hands on her face and pulled her lips to his. Kissing her as if she was the very air he needed to survive, his hands slid down her neck, across her shoulders, and down her back, committing her sensual curves and erotic dips to memory, promising to never again leave her side.

Getting to his feet with Felicity in his arms, Tristan laughed out loud when his amazing mate shrieked, “Put me down!”

“Oh, I will. In just about forty-five seconds.”

“No! You will now.”

Stopping at the obstinate tone of her voice, Tristan looked deep into her eyes, holding his breath as she scowled, “If this is gonna work.” She motioned bac-and-forth between them. “Then you have to promise never ever to put yourself in danger like that again. My heart can’t take it.”

Looking away and taking a deep breath, he could hear the wheels turning in her mind but refused to eavesdrop, instead summoning his hard-fought control to be as patient as possible. When she spoke, her tone was soft and incredibly apologetic.

“And I promise to never lose my temper, act like a spoiled brat and shout horrible names at you.”

Unable to hold back his laughter, Tristan chuckled, “I might just hold you to that.” Kissing the tip of her nose, he went on, “And I promise to never scare you like that again, because Felicity, my gorgeous Flower Fairy, I love you more than every bloom, blossom, flower and vine on the entire planet.” Winking, he added, “Now, if there’s no further objections. I’m gonna show you exactly hove very, very much you mean to me.” 

“Lead on, Dragon Man. Make me yours, cause baby, you’re already mine.”

Pulling her back to his chest, loving the way she curled into his body, laid tiny kisses on the side of his neck, and paid special attention to what he now realized was his mating mark, Tristan had to look down at hers. Shaking his head as he immediately recognized the image of a snapdragon etched on a Dragon scale, he made a promise to himself to plant an entire field of the gorgeous flowers, in honor of the amazing mate the Universe had blessed him with.

Climbing the back staircase to the room he used when he stayed at Max’s, Tristan barely made it to the door at the end of the hall before his lips met Felicity’s in another life-altering kiss. Pouring his undying love and wholehearted commitment into their caress, he made absolutely sure she would never doubt how truly special she was to him, by speaking directly into her mind, “Thank you, Felicity, thank you so very much for saving my life and making me the happiest Dragon in all the world.”

Stepping over the threshold, he kicked the door shut with the heel of his shoe stalking across the room like a man possessed. Gently laying his Fairy on the soft down of the navy comforter Max’s housekeeper always put on his bed, Tristan settled his body atop hers, holding his weight on his forearms positioned on either side of her head.

Settling in between her legs, his erection throbbing in her delicious heat, Tristan rolled his hips, holding her body captive, as he basked in the look of complete abandon and unadulterated passion on Felicity’s face. Feeling his way across her hips, up her ribs, his hand found it’s rest under the wonderful fullness of her breast.

His thumb teased her nipple through the silk of her bra, smiling as Felicity arched her back and moaned his name as she tried to force his touch to her bare skin. He hadn’t meant to torture her but had to admit watching his mate driven wild by his touch had just become his new favorite pastime.

Unable to stand his own torment a moment longer, Tristan pushed up onto his knees pulling Felicity into a sitting position and while tasting along her collarbone, made short work of her blouse and bra. His mouth watered as her voluptuous breasts and berry-colored nipples came into view and Diarmuid’s growl shook the inside of his mind.

Licking across first one and then the other of her hardened peaks, he was quickly rewarded with a mewled, “Oh, Tristan… Oh, my Dragon… please… please never stop.”

Needing to leave no part of his Fairy untouched, Tristan took one of her nipples between his lips, teasing it with his teeth and tongue until Felicity’s head thrashed from side-to-side as she pushed more of her breast into his mouth while continuing to beg him never to stop.

The scent of freesia, sweet peas and sunshine filled the room as he pushed Felicity’s arousal higher and higher before releasing one nipple and moving to the other. Needing her blessedly naked for him to love, mark, and worship, Tristan ripped the denim jeans from her body. Abandoning her nipples, he kissed the delicately tender skin between her breasts, working his way across the swell of her stomach until he reached the lace waistband of her panties.

Inhaling deeply, unable to resist the heaven of her body any longer, Tristan knelt between her thighs, ripped the silk panties from her hips, and threw them over his shoulder, gazing at his blessedly naked and extremely beautiful mate. As slowly as his need to be inside her would allow, he took in every inch of her glorious body.

Starting with the deep red polish on her toes, up her shapely legs that would soon be wrapped around his body, to her soft thighs he’d dreamt laying his head upon from the first time he’d watched her walk away, Felicity was nothing short of stunning. Every inch of her begged to be loved over and over and over again.

“Tristan?” His name on her lips drew his gaze.

“Yes, mo ghrá?” He crooned, massaging her thighs, making sure to brush the outer lips of her pussy with every pass, his cock jumping in response to the enticing rise and fall of her hips.

“Tristan…I want…No… I need….” She panted.

“What is it you need, mo chroì?” He teased, slipping the tip of his index finger inside her wet pussy, loving the way her body worked to pull him farther into the warmth of her body.

Listening to her ragged breathing. Watching her head thrashing from side to side as she begged him to continue, amazed Tristan. Felicity in the throes of passion, her head thrown back, her eyes closed tight, her mouth open as she called his name like a prayer to the Heavens was the most beautiful sight he’d ever seen.

“I…Tris…Tristan…I…I love …you,” she wailed as he pushed through her folds and teased her opening, the juices of her arousal wetting his hand and flowing down the inside of his wrist.

Contracting around his finger, pulling his digit farther into her warm wet passage, Tristan added another finger, before thrusting them in and out, his thumb drawing lazy circles around her swollen clit as his fingers drove her higher. Every few swipes he bent his fingers in a come-hither motion, letting the tips gently brush the bundle of nerves that drove his Fairy wild with pleasure.

Needing to taste her more than he needed his next breath, Tristan pulled out his fingers from her body, answering her moan of loss by driving his tongue into her pussy as far as he could reach. Her taste exploded on his taste buds and flashes of light burst before his eyes.

He devoured Felicity like a starving man, swallowing every drop of her arousal just as quickly as it flowed from her body. The more his tongue moved within her, the more of her essence he drank in until he felt drunk with the all-encompassing love he felt for his one and only Fairy. Her legs came over his shoulders, closed around his head, making breathing nearly impossible, as he continued to consume all that she was.

Involuntarily tensing, every muscle in her body shook as Felicity was swept away on the tidal wave of her orgasm, wailing his name at the top of her lungs. Continuing to lick and suck, working his tongue smoothly in and out of her body as she floated back to reality, Tristan slowly pulled his tongue from her body, and looked up, ecstatic to find her smiling a lazy smile and gazing at him through passion-filled eyes. Keeping that exact look on her face for the rest of eternity was the only thought that registered in his lust-soaked mind.

Pulsing against his zipper, it was Tristan’s erection that reminded the love-struck Dragon that he was still completely dressed. Not wanting to leave his place between her thighs but craving skin to skin contact, Tristan stood in one fluid motion, tore his starched white dress shirt over his head and stripped out of his pants quicker than a blink of an eye.

Climbing back onto the bed, holding himself above Felicity, with only a scant few inches separating his lips from hers, Tristan slowly slid his cock into her warm, wet channel. Inch by glorious inch, he became one with his mate, shaking with the effort to go slow and savor every moment.

Every contraction, every movement, every second that passed pulled him farther into the haven of her body, milked his cock, and begged him to move faster. But Tristan resisted. He held tight to his steely resolve. Open-mouthed panting as sweat coated his chest and ran down his back.

 Felicity was so wet and so ready, her excitement compounding with her every breath that her arousal flowed freely, puddling between them. Finally seated completely within her, Tristan held completely still, reveling in the feel of his Fairy’s body wrapped so tightly, so perfectly around his cock, wondering how he’d lived so long without her by his side. Watching her face, eyes closed in passion, sweat dotting her upper lip, and lips parted, he crooned, “Look at me, mo ghrá. Look at the man, the Dragon who will love you with every fiber of his being for all eternity.”

Felicity’s eyes flew open. Tristan felt the electricity only they could create sizzling stronger, brighter, more magnificently between them. Wrapping her legs around his waist, she held tight as he began to slowly move in and out of her. Meeting one another stroke for stroke, their pace accelerating, turning frenzied, driving them both to the release they so desperately needed, he saw stars and struggled to catch his breath.

Grabbing his shoulders, her manicured nails biting into his skin as she crushed her chest to his, the feel of her pebbled nipples rubbed against his chest, creating a friction he had no doubt would set them ablaze. Shifting his hips, causing his pelvis to bump her clit and his cock to rub the sensitive bundle of nerves atop her channel with every stroke, he could feel her orgasm building, pushing them both to the peak of something bigger and better than either had ever imagined.

Buried deep inside his mate, Tristan felt Felicity’s muscles close tighter still around him until the Guardsman was sure they’d become one in body, just as they already were in heart and soul.

“Trust me, mo chroì, let go and trust me. I’ve got you. You’ll never ever be alone again,” he groaned, thrusting into her so hard and fast that he bumped her cervix, the exquisite sensation undoing them both.

Coming with such force their bodies shook, and Tristan fought to stay conscious, he had no clue if the shouting he heard was his or hers or both and he couldn’t care. Watching his exquisite mate float back to earth, the bronze Dragon simply could not resist placing butterfly kisses on her face and neck.

Rolling to his side and taking her with him, Tristan lovingly placed Felicity across his body, enjoying that she was boneless and spent, and it was all because of him. A peace he’d never known flowed between them, reassuring him that above all else, there would never be a day that he didn’t tell her how very much he loved her.

Hours later they lay completely exhausted, her head on his chest, their legs intertwined while their sweat soaked bodies cooled from their lovemaking. Her hand rubbed tiny circles on his chest, making Tristan feel so loved that he sat up and pulled Felicity into his lap.

Grabbing his pants off the floor, he pulled a black velvet box from his pocket and handed it to his mate, winking as she gasped before telling her, “Open it, my love.”

“But I have nothing for you,” she pouted.

Kissing the tip of her nose, Tristan assured, “Oh, my beautiful, beautiful love, you have given me more than I ever hoped for. Now, open that box before I do it for you.”

“Okay, okay, Mr. Bossy Pants,” she teased, lifting the lid on the box and gasping, “Oh wow… How did you… Oh, Tristan, it’s beautiful.”

Taking the emerald cut, four-carat canary diamond that had belonged to his grandmother from the box, Tristan slid it onto Felicity’s left-hand ring finger, looked into his mate’s eyes and pledged, “From now until the end of time, you are mine, and I am yours, Mrs. O’Doherty. One heart, one soul, one love.”

Tears filled her eyes, but this time they were nothing but pure joy as Felicity laid her hand on his chest and beamed, “I love you, Tristan O’Doherty, truly, deeply, forever.”

Laying her lips on his, his Fairy kissed him with a slow, languid sensuality that confirmed with action everything she’d just said. Pulling back while he still could, Tristan needed to ask, “What about your sisters, especially Bitsy? Should we get dressed and check on her? Give the others a call?”

Waggling her eyebrows and leaning her forehead to his, his magnificent Fairy, the only woman he would ever love, the one person who completed him like no other ever could, tapped her temple with the tip of her finger before shrugging and winking, “I know their good. They were talking so much, I ended up locking them out of my mind.” Her smile was contagious and her laughter warmed his heart. “You’re all that I want and need for…let’s say, the next thousand years or so.”

Kissing her soundly and holding her tight, Tristan wholeheartedly agreed, “And I’m gonna hold you to that.”

“Oh, sweet Dragon Man, we’ll be holding each other…forever…”

Until Next Time….

Dare to Dream! Spread Your Wings & Soar!

Epilogue

Following Uther and the jaguar named King, Kayne bitched under his breath as the rocks burnt through his gloves and the steam singed the tip of his nose. He knew they had to retrieve their brethren, knew the Berserkers were being held against their will and deserved to come home, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that something more than lost Guardsmen was buried in the depths of the mountain called Devil’s Kiss.

Climbing onto the ledge, waiting as Drago and Angus, the last of their group, joined them, Kayne looked up at the apex of the mountain. It was amazing that Uther had climbed the damned mountain in front of him and rescued Mara not even twenty-four hours after digging himself out of a hole in the ground.

See? That’s what being in love will do for ya’. Make you crazy enough to climb inside a volcano…

Wondering how long it would be before the lava reached its boiling point and the volcano erupted, drenching the landscape and the sea with steaming rock and ash, a flash of light drew the demi-god’s attention.

Narrowing his eyes, he used the enhanced perception of his Dragon King to study the billowing clouds of smoke, trying to locate what or who was crazy enough to be on the top of an active volcano. Zeroing in on what appeared to be a shadow, but had far too much substance to be a mere trick of the light, Kayne poured more magic into his preternatural sight.

It took several long seconds, but what had been eluding discovery finally came into view, making the golden dragon doubt his own sanity. He recognized that long golden beak and those luxurious wings covered in thick tawny feathers, knowing they belonged to a bird most people thought was long gone from the world.

But we know differently. Don’t we, pretty girl?

Her eyes, yellow and round and magnificent in their ability to see more than most, met his. Ailill, the Dragon King with whom the demi-god shared his soul, growled, lifting his head, and flashing the horns on his head as a way of enticing the lovely fowl.

Wondering why she was there, contemplating simply asking, the Strix beat Kayne to the punch. Her thick British accent and lilting tone filled his mind as she gave a single flap of her wings and rose into the air. “I see you, and yours have finally come to retrieve your lost kin.” 

“We have,” Kayne grinned.

“Then I suggest you hurry. The one called Zared is fading fast. I can only do so much with the abilities I’ve been given. You dragons are a hard lot to heal.”

Trying to understand what was giving the Strix so much trouble, Kayne’s heart ceased to beat as the huge mythical owl with the fantastic powers of intuition, foresight, and healing pointed the tip of her beak downward and dove straight into the mouth of the volcano.

“What the hell are you doing?” Kayne bellowed.

“Your job, son of Lugh. Don’t like it? Hurry your ass up.”

Snaking through the Devil’s Kiss, sweating pouring from damn near every orifice of his body, Kayne continued to follow the scent of his mate. Open air and the fresh scent of sunlight filled his senses and blazed a trail to his kin, the Berserkers, gone so long most thought they were dead.

Bright light flashed in a cavern to the right, the light he recognized as the Strix’s, one of her many powers, both ancient and mystic. Picking up the pace to nearly a sprint, he ignored the grumbling of Drago and Angus, as Uther caught to him with his sidekick King, the jaguar the Guardsman had picked up during his trek through the Amazon.

Damn, I wish he’d been buried on a beach in the Bahamas with scantily clad waitresses and seriously alcoholic drinks…

“You and me both,” Uther chuckled, reading Demi-God’s mind.

“But no, you had to ornery, didn’t you, Old Man,” Kayne snickered, slowing his step as he felt an evil he knew he’d encountered before.

Holding up his fist, an old signal he’d learned in the military that he still used, before signaling that he would enter the cave on his own. Walking forward, letting his enhanced senses lead the way, an acrid malevolence slithered across his shoe, under his pants leg and up his arm. He could feel it trying to invade his body and mind, continually being zapped by the god-powers he’d inherited from his father. 

Crossing the threshold, he saw the Strix, perched upon a ledge nearly twelve-feet high, staring at the far wall, her eyes glowing with unspent power. Following her gaze, Kayne had to take a second, deeper look as he instantly knew what had become of his formidable brethren.

“Drago, stay back and keep everyone with you. We are FUBAR.”

“Show me what you see,” the Commander of the Enforcers demanded.

Opening his senses wider, encompassing the Dragon known as the Assassin, the Demi-God reinforced his mental blocks, trying to keep out the living, breathing embodiment of hate, vengeance and malevolent intent. The black, icky goo covering not only the empty silver coffins, but an entire wall of the grotto, pulsed with dark energy, its center moving in and out like the very lungs expanding in his own chest.

Revulsion coupled with the need to hunt and feed beat at Kayne’s shields, reached for not only him, but all his brethren. He could feel Drago poking around, pushing his magic into the horrific mass of pure evil.

Looking up higher, making sure the Strix was still out of the path of the malicious being, Kayne took a step back as he took in the cloud of malignance forming overhead. He felt it calling to all things dark and evil, summoning all with the desire to consume goodness and spread darkness with its web of wickedness.

“You’ve seen this before?” Drago’s voice broke the spell created by the black cloud, and Layne replied, “Yeah and you’d heard of it. This is the same little beastie Kyran, and I fought when we killed Eve. Only now he’s not so little and a helluva lot more powerful.”

Before he could hear Drago’s response, the Strix, his mate’s, voice whispered in his mind, projecting images illustrating her words. “The smell of rancid blood and burning flesh shall cover the Earth. All creatures, magical, blessed and human alike shall be conquered. It shall consume and devour, corrupt and condemn. It is the Conqueror, and it cannot be stopped.”

Her voice stopped, but the visions continued. The thing, the blob of black goo he and Kyran and Caitlin had tried to kill was alive and prospering. It had awakened from its long, deep sleep in that shack in the woods and used its thin black tendrils to slither and slide its way to the jungle, to the volcano, to seek a portal to Hell.

It had been left in the dark for way too long. It was hungry and would stop at nothing to have what it wanted – the magic, the power to seek an audience with the Devil himself. Watching intently as the being’s breaths increased, the huge bulbous formation in its center growing, reaching for him, Kayne shouted aloud and into the minds of everyone in the cave, “It’s got the Berserkers. The fuckin’ bastards have our Brethren.”

Get the Whole Story Here

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Book #1 in the Dragon Guard Series

HER DRAGON TO SLAY

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Sassy and stubborn have gotten Kyndel through everything life had to throw at her. Will her moxie help when destiny falls at her feet?

Hundreds of years of loyalty to Dragon Guard have made Rayne a fearless leader. When the long-foretold pull of his mate rocks the Commander’s world to its core will he be able to save her from his enemies in time?

The chemistry between this strong-willed curvy girl and fierce warrior makes all the difference in the world where nothing is as it seems. The existence of an ancient race of honor-clad, tradition-bound protectors might be hard to accept but now the dead are coming back to life and holding a knife to her neck.

Can these fated mates defeat their greatest enemies and get their happily ever after?

Fate Will Not Be Denied!!

 Wanna Learn More About Drákon and the Daughters of Poseidon?

Get Book #1 – Out of the Ashes - HERE

The mission is simple – get into the enemy camp, free the humans, return the demons to Hell and return home the victor. For a Daughter of Poseidon and her constant companion, Drákon – a centuries old water dragon, that’s called a good day at work.

Everything is going as planned. Una, eldest daughter and Guardian of Pisces, has checked one and two off her list, and is headed to three when things get complicated. Brody Mason bows at her feet, pledging his allegiance to not only her but also, the gods and the Light. As a show of loyalty, he promises to take her to the portal from Hell and with his own blood help her close the door on the Underworld. This one act will rid the world of evil forever. There’s only one problem…he’s a Hellhound.

It doesn’t matter that Drákon doesn’t believe him, fearing it yet another trick of Hades to deter them from their mission or that there’s fire in his eyes and the smell of brimstone on his olive skin, she can feel the truth in his words. It also doesn’t hurt that with just one glance he sets her heart ablaze and her pulse racing. Not that this is about love or lust, it is all about saving the Earth, protecting the humans, defeating her uncle’s evil…or is it?

One leap of faith leads Una and Brody on a race against time and facing the fight of their lives. Hiding from Poseidon, Hades and an army of Guardians led by her sister, Zoe, this couple may have the best intentions but in the end, isn’t that what paves the road to Hell?

And Book #2 – Scorched Ember – HERE

The world is in danger…

The fabric of the Universe is unraveling…

Magic has been corrupted, tainted, polluted by a malicious force with designs on world domination…

White witches are turning to the dark arts, while the already malevolent practitioners are trying to conjure Hell on Earth.

Armed with the pure Earthen magic of her mother and the throwing stars given to her by Astraea, the Star Maiden—Goddess of Innocence and Purity—Roxane, Guardian of Taurus, has answered Poseidon’s call. Crossing the Crystal Gateway and infiltrating a coven of Elemental Witches devoted to destroying the forces of evil was easy…then she met Ladon and the piece of her soul she’d thought lost to the Fates was suddenly within her grasp. But he’s a distraction she doesn’t need. Worse than that, he’s hiding something…and secrets are just as good as a knife to the back in a war where nothing is as it seems.

Hiding in plain sight, Ladon has gotten very good at playing human. He’s spent nearly two centuries protecting not only the pure white magic entrusted to him by the Elders of his clan, but also his dragon, the last of the Fire Water Clan…then came Roxane. She calls to not only the man, but also his beast. Their attraction is immediate, soul-deep, and life-changing.

She’s unlike anyone he’s ever known – beautiful, powerful…dangerous in ways he has yet to discover. There is no denying the pull she has on him, no getting away from the call of Fate that Ladon had lost all those decades ago. But Roxane has secrets, and in a world gone mad…secrets can be deadly.

With the fate of the world resting squarely on their shoulders, can this Guardian and her dragon save mankind and find their happily ever after?

Not even the gods know what will happen next…

The answer is written in the stars…

About Julia

Find all my stories on Amazon!

Hey Y’all! I’m Julia Mills the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author of the Dragon Guard Series. I without a doubt admit to being a sarcastic, southern woman who would rather spend all day laughing than a minute crying. Living with my two most amazing daughters and a menagerie of animals, keeps me busy but I love telling a good story. Now, that I’ve decided to write the stories running through my brain, life is just a blast!

My beliefs are simple. A good book along with shoes, makeup, and purses will never let a girl down and no hero ever written will compare to my real-life hero, my dad! I’m a sucker for a happy ending and alpha men make me swoon.

I’m still working on my story, but I promise it will contain as much love and laughter as I can pack into it! Now, go out there and create your own story!!! Dare to Dream! Have the Strength to Try EVERYTHING! Never Look Back!

I ABSOLUTELY adore stalkers so look me up on Facebook, sign up for my newsletter at JuliaMillsAuthor.com and follow me on Amazon.

Send me a message!

XOXO Julia

Also by Julia Mills

Find Them All on Amazon

*****

The Dragon Guard Series

Her Dragon to Slay, Dragon Guard #1

Her Dragon’s Fire, Dragon Guard #2

Haunted by Her Dragon, Dragon Guard #3

For the Love of Her Dragon, Dragon Guard #4

Saved by Her Dragon, Dragon Guard #5

Only for Her Dragon, Dragon Guard #6

Fighting for Her Dragon, Dragon Guard #7

Her Dragon’s Heart, Dragon Guard #8

Her Dragon’s Soul, Dragon Guard #9

The Fate of Her Dragon, Dragon Guard #10

Her Dragon’s No Angel, Dragon Guard #11

Her Dragon, His Demon, Dragon Guard #12

Resurrecting Her Dragon, Dragon Guard #13

The Scars of Her Dragon, Dragon Guard #14

Her Mad Dragon, Dragon Guard #15

Tears for Her Dragon, Dragon Guard #16

Guarding Her Dragon, Dragon Guard #17

Sassing Her Dragon, Dragon Guard #18 (Sassy Ever After Kindle World)

Kiss of Her Dragon, Dragon Guard #19

Claws, Class and a Whole Lotta Sass, Dragon Guard #20(Sassy Ever After Kindle World)

Dragon with the Girl Tattoo, Dragon Guard #21 (Paranormal Dating Agency Kindle World)

Dragon Down, Dragon Guard #22 (Part of the Fire Kissed Box Set)

Twinkle, Twinkle, Sassy Little Star, Dragon Guard #23 (Sassy Ever After Kindle World)

Dragon Got Your Tongue, Dragon Guard #24 (Paranormal Dating Agency Kindle World)

Her Dragon’s Fury, Dragon Guard #25 (One True Mate Kindle World)

Dragon in the Mist, Dragon Guard #26

Dragon Got Run Over by A Reindeer, Dragon Guard #27 (Part of the 12 Magical Nights of Christmas Boxed Set)

Tangled in Tinsel, Dragon Guard #28

Cupcake Kisses & Dragon Dreams, Dragon Guard #29 (Part of the Sinfully Delicious Anthology)

Her Dragon's Treasure, Dragon Guard #30

Aww, Snap Dragon, Dragon Guard #31 (Paranormal Dating Agency Kindle World) Coming 4/10/18

Imagine Dragon, Dragon Guard #32 Coming 4/27/18

King Outta Water, Dragon Guard #33 (Paranormal Protection Service Kindle World) Coming 5/18/18

Her Love, Her Dragon: The Saga Begins, A Dragon Guard Prequel

*****

Dragon Guard Berserkers

BANNING

ASHER

*****

The ‘Not-Quite’ Love Story Series

Vidalia: A ‘Not-Quite Vampire Love Story

Phoebe” A ‘Not-Quite’ Phoenix Love Story

Zoey: A ‘Not-Quite’ Zombie Love Story

Jax: A ‘Not-Quite’ Puma Love Story

Heidi: A ‘Not-Quite’ Hellhound Love Story (Magic & Mayhem Kindle World)

Lola: A ‘Not-Quite’ Witchy Love Story (Magic & Mayhem Kindle World)

Sammie Jo: A ‘Not-Quite’ Shifting Witchy Love Story (Magic & Mayhem Kindle World)

Harmony: A ‘Not-Quite’ Haunted Love Story (Magic & Mayhem Kindle World)

Daphne: A ‘Not-Quite’ Voodoo Gumshoe Love Story (Magic & Mayhem Kindle World)

*****

Kings of the Blood

VIKTOR: Heart of Her King ~ Kings of the Blood ~ Book 1

ROMAN: Fury of Her King ~ Kings of the Blood ~ Book2

ACHILLES: Soul of Her King ~ Kings of the Blood ~ Book 3

*****

CAUGHT: A Vampire Blood Courtesan Romance

*****

MARROK: A Wolf’s Hunger

*****

Out of the Ashes: Guardians of the Zodiac: Pisces ~ Book 1

Scorched Ember: Guardians of the Zodiac: Taurus ~ Book 2