All Chapters of The Gentle Dragon: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

***This is Book 4 of the Elemental Dragon series. While this book can be read as a standalone novel, it is meant to be read as part of a series. References will be made to events in the other books without specific explanation in this book. If you would like to read the series from the beginning, start with The Arena.**I wake up alone to the shouts coming from just outside the main doors of the school. We opened our doors three months ago and everything was great…for about five minutes.Who knew that including all shifters, elves, and our current residents of laboratory created dragons and hybrids could cause so much chaos? Not only that, who knew that in our very first year, that we’d have to start a waiting list? I had no idea that a university for shifters was so desperately needed. We’ve already started plans to build an addition to the main hall and to build out a separate laboratory for Everett, moving his current medical space out of the main hall and giving us a couple more r

I watch Everett and Fenian walk inside before turning back.“He’ll figure it out eventually, Kaylani,” Kenna says kindly.“I doubt it,” I say, turning to her. “What brings you to the school? Registering for classes?” I ask, smiling.She growls at me, but I just look at her. She needs to be here as much as anyone else. Yhendorn will as well once she’s old enough.“Given the waitlist you already have, I think that’s a good idea, Kenna,” Yhendorn says to her.“You can’t be serious,” she snaps at him. Fire dragon and Lycan. She’s a powerful hybrid and in her current youthfulness, I lot of that burns as fiery emotions.Her mate, however, not only loves her fire, but seems to know how to stoke her flames without allowing them to burn him to ash.“I want to be a good mate to you, Kenna. Always. There are many things that I don’t know about you and that you don’t know about me. We have time, but sometimes the expectation of what is to come becomes overwhelming the closer you get. I don’t want

I work with Naida until I have to shift and get ready for class. I’m an animal, I’m used to being naked. The elves, however, are not as used to nudity and I find them staring, not just at me, but at all of the shifters when they shift. Being the mother of a teenage daughter, I find it uncomfortable that teenage elvish boys are staring at my naked daughter when she shifts. I need to talk to Yhendorn about that while he’s here.I wait for Naida to shift and watch as Aithlin openly stares. I growl at him, just as Tesha smacks him in his chest.“Get lost, perv. Naida doesn't want you gawking at her naked body.”Naida turns to look at Aithlin who has turned an uncomplimentary shade of red. He drops his gaze and races off. I hand her my clothes to put on since hers shredded when her dragon answered Ancalagon’s call.As we walk inside, I send Naida to her room and I head to mine, quickly getting dressed before heading out to my classroom. Because today's class is Elemental Manipulation and t

I wake up, having slept better than I have since, well, since the last time I slept with Everett. I reach out and feel that the bed is warm but empty, just before the sounds of the shower reach my ears.I know that as soon as we walk out of this room, all of Everett’s walls will go back up. I know that he will push me away and try to keep his distance. But I also know that every time he breaks and spends the night with me, there is less time before the next time.The first time we were together, I thought he had finally given in, finally agreed to be my mate. I was so hurt when he went back to acting normal the next day. I know he loves me, he’s told me, but only when he thought I was dead, when I was paralyzed during an attack on the scientist’s lab. He has never said the words to me in the throes of passion or just because he wants me to know how he feels.After the second time we were together, I realized that he can’t resist me. No matter how hard he tries, he can’t push me away f

I watch amazed, as I always am when there’s a crisis and my mate takes charge, facing off against Ancalagon or anyone who gets in the way of him helping those who are injured, directing others to get him the information he needs, and continuing to look after his patient while keeping up with everything that’s going on around him. As usual, I’m utterly in awe of this man.To watch him, to listen to him, you’d never know that he was worried sick about losing his patient. But then, he’ll reach out to me, need to touch me to help keep him grounded. I know that’s the reason because I need it to. He may not recognize the mate bond the way I do, but he definitely feels the impact of our mate bond.“How long before we know for sure if Amne is going to be okay?” I ask him.“I need to run more tests and I’ll need to stay with her today to make sure she stays stable,” he says.I look at the clock. “You have class today, Everett. I’ll stay with her. Take her blood and get the tests started. If an