Fated Dragons Complete Series: Books 1 - 5

by Emilia Hartley

  “I’d gladly give you a team of dragons for things like this,” Dane whispered as he kissed her hair. He was just happy to feel her beneath his hands again. “The One-Eyed Dragon was just culling the raiders. You didn’t have to do this.”

  “That bastard didn’t give a crap about the raiders,” she began, raising a hand to her forehead. “He was culling the outside ranks to make them afraid of him and to make your family second guess you. What he really wanted was the power you’d built.”

  Dane felt his heart stop. The One-Eyed Dragon had almost succeeded. Had he lost Liana, had Noelle turned his family against him, he wouldn’t have been fit to lead. Sure, he would have tried, but he couldn’t say he would have succeeded.

  “I can’t say he didn’t have some fight left in him, but he didn’t have anything left to fight for.” Liana laid her head against his chest as if listening to his heartbeat to steady herself.

  His heart swelled. She must have been standing on sheer will alone. Dane finally gave in to his urges and gathered her into his arms. With one hand behind her knees and the other behind her shoulders, he swooped her up. His usually proud and rebellious mate didn’t say anything. Instead, she nestled her head against his chest.

  Dane didn’t bother flying. He turned toward his territory and began the long walk home with his mate in his arms. After a while, he saw the Quetzalcoatl and the storm dragon in the skies above him. Dane hugged her close, almost too tight. He lifted her so that he could lay kisses along her cheek, along her hairline, at the corners of her mouth. Despite her weariness, she laughed and squirmed in his grip. He was going to take her home and bury himself deep inside of her. He was going to make this woman scream his name. He wanted nothing more than to hear it on her lips.

  ***

  The dragons that gathered for the feast watched as their leader and the Welsh woman entered the center of the Territory. Liana stood on her own feet now. Dane could hear her stomach rumble fiercely when the smell of the roasting meat of the fire pit greeted them.

  He wanted to stuff her full of food and lay himself at her feet in gratitude, even if she hadn’t been too smart about how she accomplished this task. She’d done what he feared he could not. She was his warrior queen and she held her head high as if to prove it, even while some of his people openly glared at her.

  Noelle broke away from the crowd, a scowl on her lips and her sights set on Liana. Dane feared the worst, but the smaller dragon woman stopped before them and bowed her head. His heart surged with relief. When Noelle’s head rose, there was a look of acknowledgement in her eyes and a small smirk on the corner of her mouth.

  In turn, Liana smiled. It was not the beast’s toothy smile, but a genuine one even as weary as it was. Perhaps all Noelle needed was a friend, a thing she could easily find once she stopped seeing those around her as competition. It would do his mate some good, too, to have friends here in her new home.

  Miri came out of nowhere. The small girl grabbed both Dane and Liana by the legs, hugging her face between them. The girl had become attached to them in such a short time. He couldn’t blame her.

  Miri watched her parents die by the hands of the One-Eyed Dragon, one of her parents’ last wish telling her to run to Dane. That parent promised Miri he could protect her.

  Liana bent to whisper in the girl’s ear. He watched Miri’s eyes widen with fear before her mouth made an O of surprise. She turned an incredulous look on Liana and he watched his mate nod with a satisfied smile.

  His mate stood up, Miri balanced one hand on her hip and her other hand in his. Together they walked to the porch he’d been standing on only an hour ago, the one he’d considered a galley. Now, together, they turned and faced the crowd of mismatched dragons.

  “Liana Taniff of the Welsh red dragons is my mate,” Dane announced, feeling too formal and uncomfortable. “Anyone who has an issue with that can take it up with her.”

  Behind them came a low, “Good luck with that.”

  Both Dane and Liana fought the smiles that Luc’s voice brought to their lips. Dane, despite the whispering voices poking fun behind him, went on.

  “While she is my mate and the head of the new American Dragon Embassy set in place to help our status here on our own ground, she is not your leader. I will always be your leader, your protector. That means all of the United States.”

  There was a round of whispers that raced around the crowd before him. They were going to have to work harder on taking in more dragons. The Territory was going to have to expand. He was grateful his work on the stock market had kept his bank accounts buffered. Some found work crafting things, furniture, weapons, foods, but, it was going to be his money that helped fund the new Embassy and some of the new home they’d need.

  Beside him, he expected a small amount of outrage at his announcement. Dane fully expected Liana to fight him over his words, but she seemed content to hold Miri and stand beside him. Soon enough, she’d have more than enough work on her hands with the Embassy and suddenly becoming a mother to a five-year-old.

  No one had seen any of this coming, but he wouldn’t take it back for anything. He regretted not helping Miri’s family sooner, but at least the child was safe and he was going to work toward making others safe, too.

  CREATED BY JUTOH - PLEASE REGISTER TO REMOVE THIS LINE

  Chapter Fourteen

  The sun shone down on them, warming their skin while the sound of crashing water roared nearby. The day before had left Liana in a precariously unstable balance between her and her beast. It wasn’t a monster, but the hardened voice of the beast she’d always had. The beast had been too foolhardy during the fight and hadn’t wanted to give up control after it was all over. The beast had a moment where it stopped trusting Liana.

  It wasn’t until Dane, their mate, stopped them and looked into their eyes that the beast inside her realized that both of them were necessary. The beast could not interact with Dane or Miri. It couldn’t convey love with snarls and claws. It would need Liana to tell their mate how much they loved him. It needed Liana to sing Miri to sleep at night.

  It needed to trust others to live.

  That trust began with Liana and Dane. The beast would trust them to build the life in which they knew love, and in turn, Liana trusted her beast to help her fight when necessary. Together, they were strong.

  That morning, Liana had woken between herself and the beast. The urge to defend herself made her body tense and her words short. Seeing her struggle, Dane informed them he had a surprise for them.

  For the whole group, including Miri, Luc, Marc, and Isaac. Upon seeing the water falls once again, Liana’s chest tightened. She did not want Miri climbing the slippery rocks. But, it was that thought that made her realize her beast had willingly stepped back. She turned toward it, feeling the beast’s acquiescence.

  Liana sat back, her feet in the water while Miri splashed nearby. Dane stood atop the rocky falls with his three goons. Miri looked up, calling for Liana’s attention when they all jumped one by one. Splash after splash sent water flying over them. Miri giggled with excitement, especially when Dane swam up to her and burst out of the water.

  Home.

  Liana never thought she’d have a home here. It was just a work assignment when she grudgingly left Wales. Now, she had a mate and a small child in her life. They were her home.

  In a couple of days, renovations would begin on the building they’d chosen for the Embassy. She didn’t have to worry about her new career just yet, but when she thought about it, she found that she was excited. She wanted to see better for the dragons here. Her gaze fell upon the laughing Miri. Had situations been better here, the child’s real parents might still be with her.

  A wave of water fell over her, chilling her to the bone. Liana cried out. It jerked her back to the present, where she found Luc and Isaac standing in the water before her, smirks on their faces. Isaac knew enough to turn and dive back into the water.

  Liana glanced over to make sure M
iri was safe with Dane before jumping in after Luc. She caught him climbing the slippery rocks and managed to pull him back into the water. Both Marc and Isaac laughed at Luc’s expense as she bested him. She had a thought that he might be holding back, considering she was his leader’s mate.

  It didn’t matter. Everyone was laughing and happy.

  After a while, the trouble makers retreated from the water. Luc’s dark hair clung to his forehead. Isaac shook out his sopping curls like a wet dog, spraying them all with water.

  “Where are you two going?” Dane asked as Luc and Isaac packed up.

  Luc paused. Liana could see the war in his expression, the attempt to keep a straight face, but she didn’t say anything.

  “I have something to do,” was all he said.

  Liana and Dane shared a look. She shrugged. It had been a while since he’d pulled any kind of prank on anyone. He was probably itching to get home before them so he could set one up. Liana only made a mental note to carry Miri and stand a few steps behind her mate.

  Luc caught her eye. There was a silent conversation had. One where she kept his secret, but also warned him not to break anything.

  ***

  Dane kept glancing back at his mate. He couldn’t figure out why she wouldn’t walk beside him as they approached his cabin. She only smiled like she knew something he didn’t and hugged Miri closer. He became suspicious when her gaze travelled over the cabin as if in search of something.

  What was going on, he wondered?

  Dane really should have expected it. He didn’t know why he didn’t. Maybe he was caught up in his new mate, obsessed with her every movement. Worried she might turn and leave him at any moment despite the affection she’s shown him.

  Dane felt the thin, nearly invisible string pull beneath his foot and he paused. A bucket came rushing down. There was no time to jump out of the way. It dumped all over him, covering Dane from head to toe in barnyard muck.

  Behind him, Liana had to put Miri down because she was laughing so hard she could barely stand. Miri looked up at him with wide eyes and laughter suppressed behind her lips. He told her it was okay to laugh and she burst with a cackle that brought her to tears. His mate and Miri were a pair, he thought before turning to find the culprit.

  Watching Luc and Isaac leave the waterfall early should have been his first clue that they were up to something. This was their usual style. He’d been naive to think otherwise. Luc appeared in the doorway, lips pressed into a thin line to hide his own merriment. Behind him, Isaac’s glasses hid the gleam in his eyes.

  “Where did you even get this?” Dane asked as he attempted to brush the muck off his shirt.

  “The barn your mate trashed had a surplus it didn’t need,” Isaac informed him.

  Dane’s shoulder’s fell. He reeked. The smell burned his nostrils.

  Casting a glare at his family, Dane marched away from his doorstep to find the garden hose hooked up to his home. He had to spray himself down, washing away the muck with impossibly icy water before he would even think of going inside.

  When he returned, he stepped inside to find his mate near tears. A banner hung over the living room that read: Welcome to the Family. Candid shots of Liana and Miri were hung beneath it. There was a simple cake and snacks put out. The troublesome three smiled as other dragons began to pour into his home.

  Dane reached for Liana and pulled her head close to kiss her hair. He understood when she broke away from him again. Even his own nose still burned.

  He couldn’t be more grateful as he watched the family he’d built accept Liana and Miri into their fold. Noelle and Liana started talking about their dragon fire, teaching young Noelle things she hadn’t been able to learn without other fire dragons around.

  Marc and Miri slapped each other with handfuls of cake frosting until Dane was sure he’d have to drag both of them outside and give them the hose bath he’d just had. This was his family.

  ***

  The party had been simple, but more fun than Dane had in years. Little by little, the dragons filed out of his home and left an exhausted Miri and a clean porch behind. Liana wiped the frosting from her cheeks and hair before carrying her upstairs.

  Miri was neatly tucked into bed, her own bed finally. Dane was happy to have his massive bed back in his own possession because that meant Liana left behind the room downstairs to sleep in his bed. The sheets smelled like a mixture of them both and it made his beast grumble in arousal.

  He slipped up behind Liana as she was letting her hair down. The wine-colored tresses fell like silk over his cheek. He laid soft kisses down the back of her neck until she broke away from his grasp. His hands felt bereft without her and he wondered what he’d done wrong until she turned to face him with her nose pinched.

  “Shit,” he breathed. He’d forgotten about the farm and the barnyard smells that stubbornly clung to him. His beast pushed him forward, his desire growing uncomfortable in his jeans.

  Dane was forced to stand back and watch as Liana shimmied out of her pants, as the fabric of her shirt fluttered over the curve of her ass. He growled and reached for her, but she slapped away from his hand. There was a glimmer in her eye that said she knew what she was doing to him.

  The shirt opened, one button at a time, so slowly that Dane thought he would combust from flames. His desire made him rock hard and ready to take her. Any moment, he would reach out and bend her over the dresser before them. He would make her moan. But, she kept him at an arm’s length as the shirt finally slid over her shoulders. Her breasts were barely reined in by the thin layer of lace called a brassiere. It fell away, presenting her taut nipples like candy. Dane growled and stepped forward, but Liana was faster.

  She darted out of the way. Her bouncing breasts had him distracted. She laughed at him, a soft chuckle of happiness at being in charge. He was about to change that when her arm extended, finger pointing toward the bathroom.

  “Shower,” she demanded.

  He growled. Dane would have his mate. He would be inside her, if it hadn’t been for that damned prank. He made a mental reminder to get back at Luc and Isaac later.

  He reached for the button of his jeans, peeling them away so that she could see exactly how badly he wanted her. He watched her swallow when her eyes dropped over the plane of his chest and down to his cock and it filled him with pleasure. But, before she could react, he spun away and stormed into the bathroom.

  Fine, he thought, if he had to wait then so did she.

  The water sprayed over his face, refreshing and pushing back his desire little by little. He still yearned for his mate, a fire that would never die. Every move she made, every inch of her skin made his beast yowl for her. The roar often filled his head and drove him wild until he could release himself inside of her and find a moment of peace inside his own mind.

  It was strange to think that there had been a world without her in it for such a long time. She was so much younger than him, but it was almost as if the universe had made her specifically for him. As if the universe acknowledged everything he’d been through and granted him the perfect mate in reparation.

  The curtain parted and his mate stood on the other side, her breasts still presented to him. With a sly smile, she stepped into the spray of water with him and reached for the soap.

  As she scrubbed away the smells of the farm, she asked, “Do you think there’s enough room in here?”

  He knew what she was asking. “There is if you try hard enough.”

  He turned to capture her mouth. She offered it freely, opening to let him push as deep as he wanted. Her tongue flicked his, dancing in unison with him while her hands moved lower. She gripped his cock in her hands, bringing him back to the hardness that he’d had before the shower.

  In return, his own fingers slipped between her folds. She was already wet with need. It seemed he had the same effect on her. His thumb traced lazy circles while his fingers slipped inside of her. She moaned into his mouth, unable to keep it
to herself. He smiled, but she returned the favor by stroking her hand up and down his shaft while the other reached to cup his balls. It was an intimate gesture he wasn’t sure he’d ever shared with any woman.

  Yet, in her hands he melted. Pleasure was like a small firework inside his stomach, shooting in every direction.

  “Turn around,” he whispered into her kiss.

  She smiled, hand stroking a little more just so that she could watch the pleasure flash across his face before doing as he asked. She leaned forward, hands on the shower wall ahead of her and ass presented to him. He couldn’t help but look down and groan. Running had given her a perfect roundness that he could grasp in his hand.

  His cock slid between her legs in search of her opening. He slid inside her, making his mate’s head fall back. His hands gripped her waist so that he could bury himself deep and feel the cushion of her ass against his groin.

  He paused, a thought rocketing through his mind. “Are you… You’re using protection, right?”

  Liana laughed, a weak sound that said she was caught in the throes of her pleasure. Dane moved to pull out when she spoke.

  “Yes,” she breathed. “We’re safe until we decide to give Miri a playmate.”

  He smiled wide. The thought of another child, a baby that they could raise together, filled him with love. The thought was propelled from his mind as Liana began rocking her hips back and forth. His grip on her tightened as the beast growled.

  This was their mate, their future. He would say one and only love, but he knew that was a lie. He couldn’t even say greatest love because they had Miri in their lives. Who knew what else would be brought into their home.

  All he knew was that he was a happy man.

  He buried himself deep with each thrust. Liana bit her own arm to keep from crying out under the spray of the shower. With one hand up her spine, he pushed her further. His nails raked down her back and he felt her shiver beneath his touch.