Fated Dragons Complete Series: Books 1 - 5

by Emilia Hartley

“I will not let anything in this world tear us apart. Not Karim. Not the white dragons. Not my parents. It is you and me to the very end of time.” She nibbled the tip of his nose, sharp teeth grazing his skin and sending chills through his body. “That also means working through our rough patches. It means understanding one another through thick and thin. Trusting one another.”

  “That I can promise you.”

  “Did the two of you just write your vows?” Liana asked grumpily without opening her eyes. “Because, if you did, yours definitely need a lot of work, brother.”

  He reached for the nearest object, a stuffed couch pillow, and chucked it at his sister’s head. She ducked and returned the favor with a sharp smirk before tossing another back.

  CREATED BY JUTOH - PLEASE REGISTER TO REMOVE THIS LINE

  Chapter Thirteen

  Farida fidgeted the whole way from Bangor to Cairo. Rhys couldn’t blame her. They were on the way to the home that she’d been running from for the past thirty years. The best he could do to appease the anxiety riding his mate was whisper in her ear before leaving his seat and heading to the cramped, airplane bathroom.

  The tiny space should not have fit a red dragon and Rhys was rethinking his plan until Farida appeared and closed the door behind her. Once Rhys planted her rear on the edge of the narrow counter and slid his hand beneath her skirt, he lost all thoughts about the space of the bathroom. His mate, too, lost all thoughts of the fears she’d let shake her.

  It was a better plane trip than expected after that. His mate finally leaned back and pulled her portable gaming system from her bag. He watched as she commanded a little green sprite in order to conquer a great evil.

  Cairo, was not what Rhys expected. The city was a dichotomy of shining, modern structures and ancient, crumbling relics. He didn’t know what to expect when he slid into the taxi. Maybe a grand palace for his mate’s royal parents. Instead, the taxi pulled up to a modern structure just outside of town, shaped in simple cubes the color of the landscape and surrounded by a similarly colored wall.

  Inside, the home was furnished with artifacts and simple home décor that harkened back to their heritage. There were no electronics to be seen, no trace of the woman he loved. No cords or wires snaking across the floor or winding behind cabinets. He could not see his tech savvy mate growing up here. It made him reach out and grasp her hand, adding a reassuring squeeze.

  Ahead of them, sat a frail looking man with dark, weathered skin. Despite the tremble of his limbs, the man pushed himself up when they walked in. His dark beard was neatly trimmed and gratuitously sprinkled with white, but it was his eyes that struck Rhys.

  Those dark eyes told him of the strength this man commanded at his peak, still commanded despite the disease that was tearing him apart. The man closed the space between him and Rhys, sizing the red dragon up. Rhys did his best to hold the man’s gaze. He even extended his hand in welcome, even though he was nearly sure the man would let it hang in the air.

  And, for a long moment, he did. Then, the tension broke and the man, the king, gripped Rhys’s hand in his. It was a strong grip, stronger than Rhys expected. He watched as the king’s eyes flicked over to his daughter.

  “He will do for you, Farida,” the man said. “But, he is no king.”

  Rhys let go of the breath he’d been holding. “I couldn’t agree more.”

  The king’s eyes flicked back to Rhys, seeing him in a new light. The king nodded. At least they could already agree on something.

  “Father,” Farida breathed.

  She fell into the man’s arms, making him stagger ever so slightly. He held her like she was the anchor that would keep him rooted to this world, keep the disease from dragging him to the grave.

  It made Rhys wish the bruises Karim had given her had lasted a little longer, if only so that the King would see what one of his own men, the man he chose to marry his daughter, had done to her. He wished he could start the fire in this man. Sure, Karim had been exiled, but it made him wonder how many other gold dragons would treat women the way Karim had.

  “We have much to discuss,” the king said into her hair. “For one thing, you must tell me how this blasted phone works.”

  Farida laughed, a release of nervous energy that turned into bubbling laughter as she pulled away from her father. Behind him, a woman entered the room. The only signs of aging this woman carried were the faint lines around her eyes. Those eyes fell on Farida first, taking in the clothing that clung to his mate’s skin. A look of disapproval twisted the woman’s lips before she turned to Rhys, the disapproval deepening.

  The king would be no obstacle, but Rhys could already tell that Farida’s mother would be the true thorn in their side.

  “Who let you leave the house dressed in such clothing?” Her mother asked.

  Farida’s shoulders slumped, the happiness and relief she’d been feeling escaping like a puff of breath. To her credit, it was only a fraction of a movement, the slightest drop of her shoulders.

  “It is not becoming of you to wear such things,” her mother chided. “Where have you been? Your people, your father, have needed you. Avoiding our pleas to return home and take up your position as the next king’s wife has not earned you any favors. Now you return with a foreigner and tell us he will be the next king?”

  “Quiet, Alma. The girl is living a full life. I am only happy to see that she is safe and has chosen to trust us again. Do not be the one to chase your daughter away again.”

  Alma, Farida’s mother, glared at her husband. Rhys could see where Farida got her sheer willpower. It continued to amaze him that such women, women of strength and resolve, could harbor such antiquated views of women in the world.

  “Besides,” Rhys began, “I’m not looking to become a king. I’d happily settle for Queen’s Consort.”

  Alma gave Rhys an odd look. Was he mad, the woman must have thought, for denying such a position of power? Not in the least. Rhys knew his place in life and it was not leading the masses. No, he would protect them. He would make these dragons his new family, his extended family.

  “You are her mate, yet you do not ask for the title of king? Do you expect your mate to marry another man and give him the title?”

  It was the king who spoke next. His eyes were trained on Rhys and a proud smile was beginning to shape his lips. “No, I think that Rhys and I are beginning to understand one another. He wants Farida to lead.”

  “Omar,” Alma admonished her husband as if he’d just said a curse word.

  The king ignored his wife and turned to his daughter. “I have a few more years left in me. I will not give in to the gods of death and let them weigh my heart anytime soon. I give you those years to take leave once more. Go back to his world and help his family rebuild themselves in this time. Just remember that I do this not to give you freedom, but for you to learn. Learn from his family of the ways of leadership and growth. Then, in a few years, you return to us and I will pass on the title from me to you.”

  Farida’s face lit up. Rhys reached out and grasped her hand if only to keep her from throwing herself into her father’s arms again. Now was not the time for affection. It was the time to show strength and restraint. Which she did, her shoulders rolled back and her head held high, becoming the vision of the leader she would be.

  Her father smiled, pride in his daughter and a bit of joy in seeing his wife’s feathers so ruffled. Alma’s face was still a twist of disapproval, but she said nothing. The conversation was over. The night bled into Farida teaching her father to work a smart phone and helping her mother by setting up a sound system.

  Eventually, more family members came out of the woodworks, including a sweet cousin named Aditi. Rhys knew that leaving again might become difficult for his mate, but he would do whatever he could to keep that bright smile on her face. He would bend the earth for her.

  And he would destroy anyone who rebelled against her rule.

  CREATED BY JUTOH - PLEASE REGISTER TO REMOVE THI
S LINE

  Chapter Fourteen

  There was a new hope blooming in Farida’s chest after meeting with her father. It was a light that made her smile even on the cramped air plane. It might have helped that Rhys whispered in her ear all the things he wanted to do to her once they landed in Wales once more. It made her core tighten and the space between her legs warm.

  It was a good way to keep her mind off what was right around the corner.

  The red dragon leader’s funeral.

  Snowdonia was a breath of fresh air, but a bittersweet return. Black hugged her curves, wrapped around everyone in the clearing as they stood around the pyre. Across the way, the leader’s mate looked haggard. Where once, the woman was solid and immovable, she now looked like a faint breeze might blow her over.

  It made Farida reach out and grasp Rhys. She prayed that neither of them would have to live through this kind of pain. It also made her wonder what they could do to bring the woman back to life. She had so many years left in her, a long life brought on by her bond. If they could give her a job, one that would keep her busy and, maybe, even light a fire within her, it would ensure that Wesley and his mate had Maggie for years to come.

  Together, Wesley, Gareth, Cameron, and Rhys lit the fire beneath their leader with the flames of their beasts. Wesley looked gray while the flames danced in the sky. Farida was charged with helping them set a new leader in place. While Rhiannon had stepped up and pulled them together, she was due to have a child soon.

  The place rightfully belonged to Wesley. They just had to get him in the position and guide him along the way. Where they stood, it seemed like an impossible task. But, Farida would do everything she could to get there. She would see the red dragons rise again.

  ***

  Farida and Rhys stumbled up the stairs of his house. Cairo had been a tense trip for them both, but with it now in the back of their minds, there was something else both of them desired. Liana was gone for the night, giving the space they needed.

  It was the night; Farida was ready.

  Together, hands moving over each other’s skin and lips locked in a passionate kiss, they fell through the door. Farida laughed into Rhys’s kiss before his tongue swept in and stole the sound. Elation filled her heart, beating alongside excitement. Rhys pressed her until the back of her knees hit the edge of his bed, his hands roaming beneath her skirt.

  She’d taken a liking to skirts lately. They provided such easy access to pleasure anywhere and everywhere, especially considering that the two of them could barely keep their hands off one another. Rhys liked the tight skirts for the way her ass looked in them.

  He gripped the front of her shirt and pulled. Buttons sprang all across the room. Rhys growled at the sight of her now free breasts.

  “I’ve wanted to do that for such a long time now,” he said before burying his face in her chest.

  His tongue flicked at the taut nipple of her breast while his fingers danced lower. Farida couldn’t hold back the moan that rose through her. She arched into Rhys’s hand, wet and ready. She wanted the layers of clothing between them to disappear. She pulled her fire to the surface and felt the fabric begin to singe.

  Rhys saw what she was doing and did the same. Their clothing vanished in wisps of smoke and ash that rose out the window until they were flesh to flesh. Then, the bulge she once felt became warm and present as it pressed against her lower stomach. She reached down, familiar with his cock in some ways.

  Her thumb rubbed over the moist tip just as his fingers sank inside of her. She moaned and gripped his cock harder. Rhys growled and broke from the kiss. His lips trailed down her neck, leaving a trail of featherlight kisses in their wake. Fire erupted over Farida’s skin.

  He leaned back and spread her legs wide. She felt like a treat presented before him, her breasts to the sky and her hair fanned out behind her. She felt like an Egyptian goddess. Rhys’s eyes flicked to her, the unspoken question passing between them while he gripped the length of himself.

  Are you ready?

  Her beast surged forward and purred like a happy cat. Farida still had no idea how that was going to fit inside of her, but she was going to try. She was going to make him happy.

  He leaned forward, hand guiding his cock to her hot opening. Rhys’s lips brushed her ear as he spoke.

  “I’m going to make you happy, too.” With his words warming her ear, he thrust forward little by little. It was surprisingly easy to sink inside her. Farida arched up to meet him, pushing his cock deeper until she thought she could take no more and he pressed a little harder. It was too much, but, at the same time, it wasn’t enough.

  Farida’s hands reached out and pulled Rhys closer to her. The feel of his skin against hers centered her, brought her reeling mind back down to earth. Then, his hips began to move. He slipped in and out in slow, gentle movements. Her fingers fisted in his hair.

  This was what it was like to be with your mate, she thought. A familiar pressure was building in her core, lingering and warm. Rhys’s movements became longer, the thrusts harder. Each one sent a moan flying from Farida’s lips. Then, his hand slipped between them and she caught the flash of mirth in Rhys’s eyes.

  Before she could ask, his finger slipped between her folds and found their mark. She cried out, clenching his hair, his arm in her grip. His finger made lazy circles while his cock dove deeper. She couldn’t lay still. Her hips danced with him, trying to keep time as her body begged to writhe beneath her mate.

  The pressure in her core was growing, it was sending out small waves of pleasure and soon enough, Rhys slammed home. A moan slipped through his lips and Farida fell over the edge. Her pleasure bloomed through her, a sensation that rode her body right down to her toes in crashing waves, like the ocean was inside of her.

  Rhys slumped on top of her, still inside of her, and careful to balance his weight. He laid a gentle kiss on her shoulder. Farida loosened her grip on his hair, but kept them threaded through the soft, auburn strands while her other hand explored Rhys’s skin.

  “I see what all the fuss is about now,” Farida breathed.

  “Disappointed you didn’t try it sooner?”

  Farida met her mate’s gaze, the little smirk in the corner of his mouth begging for the brush of her thumb, the ring on her finger flashing. She shook her head.

  “You are everything, my beginning and my end.”

  He leaned into her hand at the sound of her words and kissed her palm. Only hours ago, they’d left a funeral and rushed to get married. Rhys slipped the gold and diamond ring onto her finger, making the claim that she would always be his and that he would always be hers. She slipped a gold band onto his finger, a vow that said she was quickly falling in love with man and knew that she would spend her life loving him.

  ***

  Afterward, they lay in a tangled mess of limbs and twisted sheets, with Rhys’s body half thrown across Farida’s. His skin was a stark contrast against hers, a visions she couldn’t get enough of. They did not blend into one creature and find that their selves disappeared. Instead, they were two halves of a whole, much like a Yin and Yang symbol.

  Rhys propped his chin on a pillow, his eyes tracing lines over Farida’s skin. She could feel her cheeks warming despite their long bout of lovemaking. It was amazing, still, that they could harbor this new feeling that tinged the world with a golden feeling. It seemed like every time he looked at her it was the first time.

  His fingers began to make lazy lines around her mounded breast. The light, trailing sensation made Farida bite her lip. She wanted this forever. This moment. This room. But, there was still a lot of work to be done. A lot of learning and rebuilding, for both the red and gold dragons.

  “You’re thinking,” Rhys declared. “I can help you with that.”

  “I don’t think I’m ready to go again.” Her confession made her face red hot, but her core was still pounding from their lovemaking. She was sure it’d still be sore for hours to come.

  Rh
ys shook his head. “I have a much better idea. Let’s go see a movie.”

  Farida opened her mouth to argue, but the twinkle in his eye stopped her. What was stopping them? There was much to do, but nothing to do at that moment. They were free to be whoever they wanted to be in that moment.

  “On one condition,” Rhys added. “We have to snog through all of the opening trailers.”

  Her laughter was contagious. It bubbled out of her and through Rhys until he, too, was laughing into her skin. She agreed and reached for the phone on her nightstand to look up the coming movie times. She wondered if she could convince him to fly to the edge of the territory with her instead of taking a car. She smiled at the realization of the freedom she had, of the dreams she was conquering.

  “There’s a movie playing at four thirty,” she said, one finger on the screen as she scrolled. “Do you think we could make it?”

  CREATED BY JUTOH - PLEASE REGISTER TO REMOVE THIS LINE

  Claimed by the Dragon

  Emilia Hartley

  CREATED BY JUTOH - PLEASE REGISTER TO REMOVE THIS LINE

  Chapter One

  The meeting took place in the depths of Snowdonia. Five dragons met on the first floor of an ancient tower that leaned ever so slightly as if tired from its own age. A tall red headed man stood back from the group, his eyes still shadowed from the events of the past week. Wesley’s mate was tending to his mother’s broken heart, a human woman new to the world of dragons and now charged with the responsibility of holding two people together in the face of grief.

  Another dragon, a very pregnant female who seemed to carry steel in her spine sat at the table and nursed a cup of tea while she studied Wesley, the heir to the red dragons. Rhiannon could have led the red dragons, could have swooped in and stole the position from Wesley if she weren’t expecting her first child. She chose her child over the group and no one blamed her, but she wasn’t going to stand aside and let her new family falter. Not now.