Months passed and we settled into our life. Acasia was my blessing and I cherished our time. It hurt me when I felt her sadness. She would offer a smile, but I knew the sadness was there. Often, making love would take the feeling away, but sometimes she went into a melancholy that lasted days. It frustrated me because my other brides rarely did this once they settled. Acasia was different. She loved deeper than any human I'd ever met.I flew to my bedroom perch and shifted to human form. I could hear her in the library, her soft breathing an ever present part of me. I showered and changed into jeans and a t-shirt because I liked the look in her eyes when she saw me thus.I needed to speak to her about a raid I had planned with Laryn. The dragon's foul moods were too much for me, and I wanted to take his mind elsewhere. I could not bring Acasia with me, and dreaded her being alone. This was not a conversation I looked forward to.She sat at the end of the table at the back of the lib
I felt as if I won a major battle. Finding the sketchbook was heartbreaking and eye opening. Bastian's pain was so incredibly deep, and I would do anything to ease it. He needed to trust that I knew what was best. Stubbornness was the way of men and it didn't matter if they were human or dragon.We ate lunch in the library and I realized something else was wrong. He wouldn't look at me when he finally spoke."I am going away with Laryn. We will be gone a few days and you are staying behind."I calmly rested my fork beside my plate. "Where are you going?""We are raiding a neighboring realm."Fear made my voice tight. "And I have no say in this?""It is the way of dragons. A bride's place when her dragon goes hunting treasure is at the hearth. You will do as told."One step forward and one-hundred steps back when dealing with a pigheaded idiot. "When do you leave?""In an hour."I wanted to hit him, and I could tell by his refusal to look at me that he postured for the sake of
Laryn had trouble keeping up with me on our return home. He would pass through my territory before continuing to his lair. Our hunt had been successful, our bags full of gold. Laryn seemed in better spirits and I was glad we'd gone. I was not glad to be away from my bride.Approaching my lair, I noticed the gold and jewels thrown from my perch. If this was the worst of it, I would have her in my arms, and minutes later, my cock buried deep in her warmth.The rooms were silent when I walked through them naked. I needed my bride. I searched everywhere before making my way to the hallway leading to the remainder of my castle. I unlocked the door, throwing it open. Maxwell stood on the other side. I could immediately tell he was upset."Is she here?" I thundered.He shook his head and pointed to the front of the castle away from my private rooms."When did she leave?"He stared at me in a panic.I took a breath knowing I had to ask yes and no questions."Did she leave today?"He n
I woke up in a soft, unfamiliar bed. It took me a few minutes to remember what happened. I looked around. There seemed to be only one room and one bed. I could smell the dragon, but it wasn't my dragon. This was no good.The door slammed open against the far wall and Laryn entered carrying a stack of wood. There was a fire in the hearth and a cool current of air passed through the room from the open door.Where the hell was I?I pulled the covers closer to my neck and waited for Laryn to turn my way.He didn't smile and his voice was surly. "How do you feel?"Should I answer?No, not yet.He walked closer and I gripped the covering tighter.It didn't stop him. He grabbed a handful of the material and whipped it from the bed. I screeched involuntarily. The only thing I was thankful for at this moment was I still had my clothing on from earlier. Or yesterday. I had no idea where I was or how long I'd been here.Tears swelled painfully behind my eyes as I tried to stop them.Lar
Three days and there was still no sign of Acasia or Laryn. Sarn and Tahr helped me search. If they hadn't fed me, I wouldn't have eaten. My moods switched from rage to overwhelming sadness and back to rage. Mostly I was angry with myself.Besides our monthly poker games, we usually spent very little time in the company of other dragon brides. Tahr brought Megan to Sarn's lair to help Calista. When we weren't scouring territories, I observed their relationships. It took no time for me to realize we were at the mercy of our brides. If they were happy, we were happy. As dragons, we postured, but the bottom line was we loved our brides deeply. This knowledge did nothing to help my situation, so I stored the information.This was the third night, and Sarn had taken it upon himself to make sure I was drunk enough to sleep. The females had gone to bed an hour ago and we were on our second bottle of whiskey."I think Laryn took her out of the realm," Tahr said before upending his goblet.I
Laryn took her to another realm. I no longer had any doubt, and I could no longer keep Tahr or Sarn away from their brides. My head pounded from lack of sleep and too much alcohol. I told them that if today's search failed to uncover my bride, Tahr and Sarn would return to their homes and I would return to mine.Alone.Sarn, offering his lair, saved my sanity over the past few days. But I had to find a way to go home, though I wasn't giving up my search. I needed another plan. One was contacting Dmitri and having him make inquiries throughout the earth realm.The sun had gone down, but the moons showed the gold and jewels that littered the area under my perch. I didn't care; there was no treasure worth more than the one I'd lost. My dark room just added to the gloom. Her smell overwhelmed me and I almost turned around and left when I heard a slight rustling from the bed. It had to be my imagination, but something drew me closer. My feet hit a hard surface then something wet slopped
I loved him before, but somehow that love grew. Buried deep in the back of my mind was the longing for my family and friends, but it was a small spark. Bastian was my family and my best friend. Our lives had changed. He talked to me about dragon business, or dragon theft as it truly was.He explained about the magic from my old realm and how it was misused, so the dragons took it. I had no reason to doubt him, knowing the goodness in his heart. We spoke for hours and slowly made our way through his bride illustration book. I was never jealous and loved hearing him laugh. He told me stories about all the legend brides from my old realm. I made him promise that when I was gone, he would speak of me and remember me. I noticed his anger, but he eventually made the promise. He told me he wished to go on a treasure hunt with Tahr. And if I was willing, I could stay with Sarn, his bride, and Tahr's bride, who would also stay with Sarn.Before I could answer, he placed his finger on my lip
It would have been a better trip if I hadn't worried about the trouble I knew Acasia was capable of finding. Tahr teased me endlessly because I moaned and groaned about how long we waited before sneaking into the castle we'd planned to steal from.We'd stolen from King Sturpas before. I'd had my eye and thoughts on one of the crown sets I hadn't managed to steal before. Our patience paid off and I had what I needed for Acasia's one-year bride anniversary. Tahr also gathered some items to make his journey worthwhile.I worried about Acasia until I wrapped my arms around her the afternoon of the third day. We said our goodbyes to the others and left so I could get her home and into my bed. Three days was too long, and I needed her. I flew as quickly as I could."Bastian?"I didn't like her tentative tone. "Yes, female." I knew using the word female would bother her.Just a touch of the angst I'd grown to appreciate entered her voice. "Laryn came to Sarn's lair."Rage exploded withi
"I'm Acasia." She gestures behind her. "This is Bastian. We're very pleased to meet you. We just didn't expect you after what Jewel told us."I drop her hand and interlock my fingers in front of me so maybe I won't strangle her son in front of her. "I didn't expect to be here either," I reply honestly."Mother."We all turn to Ashrac."I'm in the middle of a kidnapping here and it would be better if we had this conversation another time. I haven't gotten to the having my wicked way with her part yet."My elbow slips and lands directly in his ribs. My cheeks burn. Boiling oil's too good for the ratfink.His father steps closer, his expression filled with concern and more than a touch of anger. "Flora, I will take you back to Earth if you wish to return."A loud rumbling growl leaves Ashrac's throat. "She is my mate, Father. No one will be taking her anywhere but me."Bastian's eyebrows arch. I'm guessing Ashrac doesn't usually speak to his parents this way. Decisions, decisions.
My eyes peel open to sunshine. I'm in Ashrac's room, in his bed, and he isn't. I look around and still no Ashrac. I stretch my arms and I'm about to rise from the bed when a shadow passes in front of the window from the balcony. Dragonbreath went for a flight without me. We'll be discussing this after he comes back to bed and welcomes the new day with me like he should have.The dragon's shadow shifts to a smaller human than Ashrac and before I can put together what human it is, Jewel pops her head in the window. She looks at me questioningly. I pull the cover over my bare breasts that were perky and waiting for my mate. "Come in," I say because what else can I do? The strange expression on her face isn't what I'm expecting, and for a moment I wonder if I should have read more into her friendship with Ashrac.She sits on the end of the bed and continues staring at me."Is there something you need?" I ask.She gives a small smile that in no way reaches her eyes. "Ashrac sent me to g
I've chosen my mate and so has my eagle. I can no longer fight that he's the one. Seeing Ashrac with the kids melted my heart and changed something deep inside me. Ashrac caring about the humans and trying to make their lives better blew my world apart.He's about to do it again.His body against mine is firm, powerful, and incredibly sexy. His muscles ripple beneath my touch. I'm barely able to think and what I'm thinking is that I should tell him I've never done this before. Then, he releases my mouth and his lips travel down my body, kissing every inch of flesh along the way. I stop thinking at all and just feel. His tongue circles my bellybutton before dipping inside. I actually giggle over the sensation. My fingers go to his glorious hair and I pull slightly to make him stop. His head comes up and he's grinning. There are also flames dancing in his eyes and all I can think of is sensual fire.He lowers his mouth back to my flesh and continues on his merry way. Flames lick at my
A light bulb went off in my brain at the table. It was the strangest feeling. The bulb then exploded into a million shards and sent an electrical current throughout my body. The feeling's been described to me many times, but I had no idea how instantly my world would change.Flora is my mate.My mind knows and my body knows. It no longer matters what her clothes hide. It no longer matters that she turned me green or that she hasn't told me about being an eagle shifter.She's mine.I have no idea how or why it happened, but it did and nothing will stand between me and this woman. No mountains or dragons or Goddesses.Flora follows us as we walk to the lab. The kids don't bother shifting to fly because she's here and they have no idea she has her own wings. I'm actually proud that they're considering her feelings. We enter the lab and I walk over to my latest experiment. The electrical circuit is within a plastic shield made up of melted cell phone glass. I have cell phone batteries
Botan gives me sad eyes and says, "Something smells really good and I'm a very hungry growing dragon."Cute is not a good enough word. I like this little guy."No," Ashrac says with a frustrated look. "Your mother will expect you home."Inside my head I'm calculating how much more food I need to make. "Okay," I say aloud, "I'm not cooking this alone so if you help, you can eat with us."Cheers go up at the same time Ashrac raises his hands in defeat. "It's on you," he says to me. "They'll eat me out of house and home and leave a huge mess behind."Kettle, black? "Why don't you run off to your little lab? We'll handle dinner.""Fine." He spins and marches off grumbling."Botan and Rotan, you're in charge of setting the table. Drayce, Ejder, I need you peeling potatoes. Zara and Zora you're backup and will be doing what's required to get this meal on the table. Right now I need more meat and potatoes brought up from the cellar."The kids hop to it and we have a meal for six growi
I slog into a dense part of forest and remove my sopping clothes. I tie them into a small wet package that I can carry in my beak. My shifting powers are different than conventional shifters because I need words to start the process. I whisper the sacred words in my head that my mother taught me and her mother taught her. The world goes from blurry to crystal clear. In human form, without my glasses, I can see for miles if the view is unobstructed. Close up is another matter; all eagle shifters are far sighted when in human form. Shifting to eagle brings everything into focus."Stupid dragon," I mumble in my head as I scoop up the bundle and fly out of the tree line. I can't help turning and flying over the lake. There he is deep in the water bathing, thank the goddess. At least when he flies me back to my realm he won't smell like a dirty old shoe.I don't think about what I'm doing, it just kind of happens. He plunges his soapy head into the water and I swoop back around. My gooey
She's been hiding from me. Now that I've seen her eyes I know there's more. Taking her to the lake to bathe is the only way I can think to see her naked body and decide for myself if she's worthy of mating a red dragon. I catch sight of myself in the lake as we fly over; Flora is riding in the saddle. Maybe the green will wash off.She's right about bathing, though. I do smell. I would say it's not a normal condition, but when I'm engrossed in a project, I forget about everything, including food and especially bathing. My mother still smacks me upside the head when she visits and I'm filthy. She also feeds me.Flora has no fear of being on my back. She's an eagle and I'm still flummoxed that I didn't know she was a shifter. I sensed her magic from the beginning but there are so many kinds. From precognition to witchcraft to vampires and weres it just never occurred to me that she could shift. Our children would be double shifters and could choose which form to take. Not that they wou
He's consuming me-his mouth, his touch, his very presence. The world around us stops revolving, or at least it feels that way. It's as if I've been waiting for his lips my entire life. They're firm where mine are soft. I consume right back. He plays with my mouth and I realize he understands the finer finesse of kissing. Who would have guessed that an egotistical megalomaniac would take the time to learn to kiss a woman properly? He explores my lips like they're an exotic treasure. When he bites my bottom lip, I open for him and he accepts my invitation. His tongue twirls and parries with mine. His head moves slightly and he pulls me closer to deepen the kiss. I swear my brain rolls out of my head, across the floor, and out the door.There's something else going on too. His incredible body, which is now fully pressed against mine, burns a trail of fire everywhere we touch. My hands go to his forearms and they're as big as my thighs but not soft at all. He's pure corded muscle with ama
I haven't provided any and maybe that's what this woman is upset about. Interesting. I'll have to think more on it. Without the glasses, she's passably pretty. Maybe if I could see her entire body, she would be a lot more interesting.Bowls hit the small side table off the kitchen. Eating in this room should be done by servants, which I don't have, so I guess I can lower myself to eating in the kitchen as long as the woman will be here too. Flora, that's her name. She might like it if I called her by her name."Flora," I say louder than I intended to. She jumps and turns in my direction. "Does it bother you if I eat like this?" I make a motion with my hands to show her I mean my naked body. Her eyes go straight to my big green appendage that isn't at its most attractive at the moment even with its great size. She keeps staring until I startle her again. "You like it?"Her eyes snap to mine and her face goes from yellow to red in mere seconds. "It's, um, very nice as far as green pen