Lord of Rain
Book 5: Dragon Demigods
Charlene Hartnady
Copyright © September 2020 by Charlene Hartnady
Cover Art by Melody Simmons
Copy Edited by KR
Edited by [email protected]
Produced in South Africa
[email protected]
Lord of Rain is a work of fiction and characters, events and dialogue found within are of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, either living or deceased, is purely coincidental.
With the exception of quotes used in reviews no part of this book may be reproduced or shared in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including but not limited to digital copying, file sharing, audio recording, email and printing without prior consent in writing from the author.
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Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
About the Author
Also by Charlene Hartnady
Excerpt of Hunger Awakened
1
Bolt
“What do we know about this bitch, aside from the fact that she’s on her way to drain my powers?” I ask, feeling calmer than I should. I feel myself go cold. “All my powers, including my ability to shift, which will piss me the hell off. I’m beginning to think it might be karma getting back at me for being such a dick when you informed us about what had happened to you.” Namely, the harpy sucking Lyre’s power every last drop and me telling him not to waste my time when he called a meeting. I feel bad now. That doesn’t happen often.
My friend narrows his eyes, looking at me like I just grew a third eyeball on my forehead. “You don’t believe in karma.”
I shake my head. I’m definitely a facts and figures person. “No, but I’ve come to realize that I’m partial to my powers. More than I thought I was.” Being able to manipulate the weather has its perks. I enjoy shifting into my dragon form and flying through the air at breakneck speed. It tends to help me blow off steam. Which reminds me, I haven’t shifted in the longest time. Too long. I’m tempted to do it right now. I can’t. And now I might never do it again. The thought is sobering.
This situation is fucking insane.
“I’m sorry,” Lyre says, running a hand through his hair. I can see he’s nervous. “I couldn’t think of anything else but to contact you. I have to get Morgan back.”
“Of course.” I shrug. “Which brings me back to my original question, what do we know about the harpy?” We need a plan. I can’t build a solid solution without knowing as much as possible about the harpy bitch. Only then can we have a hope in hell of beating her. Since she and the human are on their way right now, time is ticking.
“Not much.” He pushes out a breath, sounding despondent.
That’s going to be a problem. “Give me what you have.”
“Power is like candy to her. Actually,” he scratches his head, “more like crystal meth or heroin. She may need it as food, but I also think that she’s addicted. She sounded strung-out when I spoke to her.”
“Great! It’s impossible to negotiate with an addict.”
He winces. “I don’t think negotiating will work with her. It’s important that you don’t underestimate her. She’s petite and sexy – for an evil-as-fuck bitch.” His eyes turn steely. “She has a way of getting under your skin.” He pulls in a breath, and his eyes shift away from me for a moment. “I acted out of character around her.”
“That makes sense.” I rub my chin. “I was shocked when you said you hooked up with some strange woman. I doubt she’ll be able to mess with my head. I’ve been around the block too many times. Dealt with more sharks than a surfer in open water.” Some of these tycoons will eat you for breakfast. I’m not easily duped. I’m not a nice guy like Lyre.
His eyes narrow on mine. “Be careful! It’s thinking like that that’ll get you into shit every time. Very important, don’t let her get close enough to give you that neck squeeze. Here,” he touches an area at the base of my neck, “if she squeezes you here, you’ll pass right out. I told you about it before. Do you remember?”
“I still can’t believe that is even a thing.” I widen my eyes. I doubt that would work on me, but I won’t take chances. It would be foolish to underestimate this woman.
“You’d better believe it,” he tells me, looking serious. “I’ve landed on my ass twice now. It knocks you out cold. Not just for a few minutes, either. Don’t let her get close enough.”
I nod. “Okay. What else?”
“I want to get my power back. That means capturing her instead of killing her.”
I snort. “You’re optimistic. There’s a chance she’ll hurt the human if we try anything. You realize that, right?” I don’t like this. The harpy has us by the short and curlies. We’re on the back foot, and I don’t do back foot.
“About that…I’m not risking Morgan under any circumstance.”
I figured as much. “I can scent that you’ve been fucking her. This house reeks of sex. I can smell it on you too.” I fold my arms. “What I want to know is, do you have feelings for her?”
Lyre nods.
I roll my eyes. This is getting worse by the second. Can we even trust this human? I’m not sure we can. Lyre’s head is in the gutter. He looks just about as pussy-whipped as a man can get. I can’t trust his judgment when it comes to Morgan. “I had a feeling. Don’t overreact to my next question—”
We both hear a car pulling up outside. The engine cuts. It’s them! Lyre’s girlfriend and the harpy who just happens to be here to drain my power. I’m supposed to let her, or she’ll kill Morgan. I won’t underestimate either of them. Lyre’s phone starts to ring. “Yes?” he barks, sounding nervous.
“We’re here,” I hear a feminine voice say on the other end of the line. “Is the door unlocked?”
“It is. We’re up the stairs in the living room.” The harpy was here once before when Lyre brought her home. When she took his powers. My skin prickles. My muscles bunch as I squeeze my hands into fists. I don’t like this one bit.
“I see your friend’s car is parked outside,” the woman says, sounding ecstatic. I’m going to assume it’s the harpy. “So far, so good. I will have a gun to Morgan’s head. If you try anything, she dies. Are we clear?”
“Yes,” Lyre says, his voice cold. I see his jaw tighten. He looks like he’s fighting for control.
“We’ll be up in a minute,” she says.
“I look forward to this being over,” Lyre mutters.
I assume she ends the call because he puts his phone in his pocket, turning to me. “You heard?” He raises his brows. His eyes are unnaturally dark.
I nod once.
“What di
d you want to ask me?” he asks.
“Can you trust this human?” I’m not one to mince my words.
“I trust her one hundred percent,” he answers immediately. It looks like he wants to tell me something but thinks better of it. I feel marginally better that he trusts her without question, but…back to the part about him being pussy-whipped by the human. I will stay on my guard when it comes to both women.
“We’re on our way up,” a female says from the bottom of the stairs.
I can hear that there are two of them, but Morgan doesn’t say anything.
“Keep your hands where I can see them,” she snaps. “You don’t want blood staining your nice wooden floors, do you?” the harpy says.
I hear how Lyre grinds his teeth as they make their way up. The harpy is behind and just to the right of Morgan. Compared to the human, who I would describe as being average-sized for a woman, the harpy is tiny. Like a hummingbird to a pigeon. Her skin is like porcelain. Her hair cascades down her back in waves, but it’s a little thin and lackluster. Her eyes are a gorgeous blue, but they’re hard and cold. She’s attractive, but not as off the charts as Lyre described her. I’d say she’s a little on the thin side. Quite frankly, I’m disappointed.
The harpy has a gun pressed tightly to the human’s temple. As soon as they hit the landing, Gabby grabs Morgan around her torso, putting the gun into the underside of Morgan’s jaw. If she pulled the trigger, she would blow Morgan’s brains out. Lyre puts his hands up as the universal sign for being unarmed. I do the same.
Morgan has a gag in her mouth. Her eyes are calm as they lock with Lyre’s. She looks down and then back up and then sharply down again. Then she does a side-to-side movement with her eyeballs. I try not to frown. She’s obviously trying to tell Lyre something. I hope to god he knows what the fuck she’s talking about because I don’t have a clue.
“You,” Gabby says, looking my way. “What’s your name, handsome?”
I have to work hard not to tell her to go and fuck herself. I’m tempted to shoot a lightning bolt into her brain. Being able to control lightning is another one of my powers. It ties in with weather…thunderstorms and all that. Problem is, if I electrocute her, I’ll fry the human as well. I have a feeling Lyre would kill me if I hurt so much as a hair on her head. The guy is smitten. Far worse than I ever thought. This situation is getting more fucked up by the second. “Lyre,” I say, turning to him, “the harpy is exactly as you described her.”
“Oh?” Gabby licks her lips. She’s looking at me with greed and longing. Definitely a junkie. “How did he describe me?”
“Small, sexy, and fucked in the head.” My eyes narrow on her.
Surprisingly, she makes a noise of agreement. “About right, and you don’t mess with someone who’s fucked in the head.” She presses the gun a little harder against the human’s jaw. Morgan winces but doesn’t make a sound.
Lyre visibly bristles as he steps forward, his hands fisting at his sides. He looks ready to tear Gabby limb from limb.
“Don’t you dare,” the harpy snarls. “I will kill her. You…” she looks at me, “get over here. Move nice and slow. Stand here on my left, so that I can keep an eye on Lyre.”
Fuck! I don’t have much of a choice here. I push out a breath and look at Lyre, hoping he stops me.
“Eyes on me, handsome,” Gabby says. “I’m the one giving the orders. Your friend will hate you forever if his girlfriend ends up dead.”
Ain’t that the truth. I walk over to her, standing on her left as she instructed. I’m not getting close enough for her to reach my neck. I’m much stronger than she is. I’ll take her if I get even the smallest of gaps.
The gun is still flush against the human’s throat. I will do everything to avoid giving her my powers, but I might not have a choice here.
“I won’t bite,” she says to me. “Come closer.”
The harpy holds out her free hand to me. “Take it,” she instructs.
I frown. What does she want? Why my hand? Is this how she’ll take my power? Does she only have to make contact to be able to suck me dry?
“Don’t be such a big baby. Take my hand.”
I remind myself of how much bigger I am. I am definitely more powerful. I still don’t like it. I sigh as I reach my hand out.
Gabby grins. It’s fucking evil. She looks like she’s won. Her skin is cool to the touch. That’s when I feel it, the sharp prick, followed by warmth flooding my veins. I try to pull away, but it’s like my arm and my mind have disconnected somehow. The warmth is spreading. It feels wonderful, and yet…wrong. I try to tell her to stop, but I make this moaning sound instead. My cock is filling with blood. The need to fuck is clouding my brain. Those eyes are hauntingly beautiful. Her hair. Her smile. Fuck! This woman is magnificent. I want to know everything about her. I want to fill her with my seed. I hope that life will take root in her belly. I want her to carry my children. I want to mate her.
My teeth feel sharper. My vision more honed. Her tits are plump…so ripe. I can scent the heaven between her legs. The harpy is…the harpy… Something is wrong. I need to be closer to her. That’s what’s wrong.
She lets my hand go, and I want to cry out from the loss of contact. I need to get closer. I need to be inside her…now.
Gabby crooks her finger at me, a sexy smile on her full lips. I want to devour those lips. I want to know everything there is to know about her. I take a step towards her.
She cups my face in her hand and giggles. I feel like the luckiest man alive at this moment. “You are a handsome one, aren’t you?” she says.
I suck in a breath. I’m in awe. “You are so fucking beautiful.” I need her so badly. I’ve never wanted anyone like I want her. My heart is bursting. “Kiss me,” I beg. I’ll get down on my fucking knees if I have to. I’ll kill for this woman. I’ll do anything. Any-fucking-thing!
“Not just yet.” She gets all coy with me, and I love it and hate it in equal measure. “Oh…” Her eyes go wide. “Not too much.”
I don’t know what she means. My mind is fuzzy. My cock hard. I’m desperate for her. My balls are clenched tight. I take a step towards her. I have to tell her how I feel. If I don’t have her soon, I might fucking die. My heart will stop.
The human sucks in a breath, and I am reminded that there are others in the room. Why are they here? What the fuck do they want? I need to be alone with my woman. “Let’s get rid of these two and—”
“That’s the plan, handsome.” Gabby winks at me. “First, I need to have a quick talk with Lyre.”
Lyre.
Fucking Lyre.
What does he have to do with anything? I’ll kill the fucker. He can’t have her. He doesn’t deserve her. “He can’t give you what I can give—” I start to grind out.
“Bolt!” Lyre growls at me. “What the fuck, bro?” He wants her for himself. I knew it! I fucking knew it! Bastard!
Good thing I can see the love radiating from my beautiful Gabby’s eyes. I don’t have to worry. “Quiet!” I point a finger at him. “Gabby and I are in the middle of something,” I warn.
“Yeah, she’s taking your power away from you.”
I frown. Power? My…Gabby loves me, and I love her. “She would never,” I tell him. “Gabby is kind and sweet and… I love you.” I needed to get it out. It feels so good saying the words. I want to tell her over and over again while I place kisses all over her body.
“What the fuck did you do to him?” Lyre growls.
“Relax,” Gabby says. “It will wear off. Might take a while.” I’m not sure what she means. I don’t care. She’s smiling at me again, and my heart is melting. All I can do is smile back. The love of my life.
“You have what you came for…now leave,” Lyre says, sounding angry. I think he is jealous, but I don’t care. I can only stare at my beautiful Gabby. Those eyes. Those lush lips. I need to feel them against mine.
“Come here now!” she yells, her eyes on Lyre.
I
smile because she is angry with him. She loves me. That’s why.
“Take it easy,” Lyre says.
“Back to the part where I’m the one giving the orders,” Gabby spits out.
Lyre walks to her. I know that he wants to try to change her mind. He wants her for himself. What man in his right mind wouldn’t want such a precious gem? Anger and jealousy course through me.
“She’s mine,” I snarl at the male, taking a step forward. I’ll fucking kill him.
“It’s okay, handsome,” my beautiful princess tells me. “I just need a quick word. That’s all.”
I am sure she wants to set things straight. She’s going to let Lyre know once and for all that he can’t have her. We are destined to be together forever. I narrow my eyes on Lyre in warning but step aside. Gabby will soon be my mate, I need to trust her. I do trust her, with everything in me.
“Come closer and take my hand,” she says to Lyre. I feel myself bristle. I have to trust my woman. I force myself to stand my ground.
Lyre mutters something, but I don’t catch it. I’m too busy taking her in…my Gabby.
“Just do it,” Gabby tells him.
My gorgeous woman holds out her hand to Lyre. “Do it now!” Gabby sounds angry with him. “I’m done waiting.” So fucking sexy when she gets all bossy.
He takes her hand, and I have to stop myself from intervening. Lyre’s eyes widen, and he sucks in a breath. I close my eyes just as Lyre groans. It’s a noise of pleasure. Of course it is, the lucky bastard is touching this ravishing creature. My woman. I am about to take his arm off at the elbow when she lets him go. I push out a breath.
Lord of Rain (The Dragon Demigods Book 5) Page 1