“Absolutely.” She reached up and kissed him softly on the lips.
“What do you say we get out of here and…”
“Hey!” someone said behind him.
Obsidian turned. It was Clay. The male had a strange look on his face.
“What is it?” he barked, irritated that the male was interrupting his conversation. The idiot probably wanted to throw him some wiseass comment about not being picked…again.
“Would you like to pair up with me?” Clay asked.
Obsidian’s frown deepened. “Pair up? Me?” He cocked his head. “Are you sure you’re asking the right person?” He turned and looked behind him. There was no one there.
Clay grinned. “Yes, Obsidian, I’m sure.”
What?
Had the male actually just called him by his given name? Not a fuck! “Are you sure?”
Clay rolled his eyes. “I’m very sure.”
“You’re not afraid?” Obsidian narrowed his eyes. What was his game?
“No!” Clay shook his head. “You’ve gone soft.” He gave a one-shouldered shrug. “You’re no longer that lonely, angry male I remember. In fact,” he cracked his knuckles, “I think I might just be able to take you.” The grin was back.
“Are you sure you want to goad me?” Obsidian narrowed his eyes on Clay, who laughed.
“I’m not worried.” Clay shrugged. “Not anymore.”
Cocky fuck! Obsidian grinned. “You warm up while I say goodbye to my mate and my whelps.” He pulled her against him, putting a hand on her lightly rounded belly. “I look forward to kicking your ass.”
“In your dreams, Obsidian.” The male said his name like it was a taunt. “Good to see you.” Clay waved at Demi, giving her a wink. Then he sprinted away.
Obsidian kept his eyes on Clay. Watching as the male shifted.
“You have a look in your eyes,” Demi said. “One that doesn’t bode well for Clay.”
“I’m shocked!”
“It was only a matter of time before someone finally picked you. Mountain, Page and I have been telling you that for months.”
“Not that?” Obsidian snorted.
“What then?”
“I don’t like being called by my name.” He felt bewildered. “For years I’ve hated that nickname…”
“Not when I call you Savage you don’t.” She looked at him from under her lashes and his dick took notice. It was not a good time for that!
He felt a goofy smile appear on his face anyway. “No,” his voice was thick and husky, “not then.”
She giggled. “I think I changed your mind about the name and now you like it.”
“That must be it.” He nodded.
She suddenly turned serious. “Don’t hurt that male. I know you’re tempted but don’t do it.” She wagged a finger at him in a playful manner.
“No, I think I’ll hurt him some.” Obsidian glanced at where Clay was flying above them.
“What?” Demi frowned.
“I won’t break him, but I’ll toy with him a bit…bring him down a level or two.”
“No breaking anything though. No tearing off wings or…”
“That only happened once…the wing thing that is. It happened once and it was only one wing.” Would anyone ever let him forget?
“Take it easy, that’s all I’m saying.” She circled her hands around his waist. “You’ve been waiting for a chance to spar for a very long time. Don’t screw it up.”
It wasn’t just about sparring. It was about becoming a member of the team. A real member. “I won’t.” He nuzzled into her. “My voice of reason. I love you.”
“I love you too.” She kissed him. “My sweet savage dragon,” she murmured as they pulled apart. Demi winked. “Now go and teach Clay a lesson.” She patted him on the ass.
“Yes, my love.”
“I’m going to watch. There might be a reward for you on the other side.” She licked her lips. “One that would see me on my knees, using my mouth.”
He swallowed thickly. “All I have to do is win?”
She choked out a laugh. “I know you’ll win. Leave him in one piece. No broken bones, don’t break anything and I promise to break you.” She bobbed her brows.
He groaned. “That sounds good. I’ll be back shortly.”
“I’ll be waiting.” She put a hand to her belly and rubbed.
Obsidian took to the sky with a roar. Clay could goad him all he wanted. The only bait he was taking belonged to a certain wolf. The keeper of his heart.
Chapter 23
Shale walked into the bar. It was humming. Gorgeous females everywhere he looked. They frequented several establishments in this town. This one was by far his favorite. Excitement coursed through him. It had been six months, almost to the day, since he had last been there. Since he had last bedded a human female.
Several sets of eyes tracked him. This was his favorite part, picking the lucky female he would spend the night with. He would take his time about it too. No need to rush into anything.
“Look at her,” Stone groaned, knocking a shoulder against him. “And the legs on the blonde,” he continued.
The female in question winked at them, eyes on Shale. She wore a tiny dress and did, indeed have fantastic legs.
“You lucky fuck!” Stone grumbled. “You always get to pull the best females.”
“Of course I do.” He snorted. “I’m a prince.”
“Yeah, but they don’t know that,” the male chuckled.
Shale shrugged. “They can sense it. Besides, I’m way better looking than any of you assholes. Not to mention I’m better in the sack.”
“Yeah, but again, she wouldn’t know that.”
“These females talk, and word gets around.”
Ore arrived, fresh from the bar;, he handed them a couple of beer bottles. Shale and Stone said their thanks, chinking bottle necks with each other and with Ore. Shale drank deeply, watching as the others did the same.
Stone wiped his mouth with the back of a hand. “I guess it helps that you can have your pick of dragon females as well. It benefits being an unmated royal. Some of us have to wait long periods between ruts. We get…rusty.”
Shale laughed. “Rusty and horny. Not really a great combination when it comes to rutting.”
The male narrowed his eyes. “It’s not so bad as that...” Then he stood a little taller, his attention back at the bar. “That female doesn’t seem to like you much though.”
Shale followed his line of vision. He recognized the female who was scowling at him but couldn’t say when he had seen her before. He doubted she was one of the females he had bedded over the years, but he couldn’t be completely sure.
Her jaw tightened and her eyes narrowed. She turned away, her eyes drifting over the rest of the patrons.
Stone chuckled. “One of your conquests?”
“I don’t think so.” Shale shook his head.
“I think you might be mistaken. She definitely recognizes you. All that anger doesn’t come from nowhere. She probably wanted more and you cold-shouldered her.”
Shale had a rule. He didn’t rut a human more than once. They tended to become attached far too easily. “I doubt it but—”
Stone shoulder-bumped Shale again. “Hey look! She’s coming over.” Stone sounded animated.
It was the leggy blonde. Her gaze was still focused on Shale.
“Shit but she’s gorgeous,” Stone enthused.
“She’s all yours,” Shale remarked. The blonde was pretty but a little too eager for his tastes.
“She’s here for you,” Stone remarked.
“Trust me, she’ll be all over you as soon as I leave.”
“It doesn’t get too much better than that,” the male groaned.
Shale gave a one-shouldered shrug. “I’m pretty sure it does. Maybe even the next female to walk through those doors…” He gestured to the main entrance. Just then, the door opened and a female walked in.
“Oh fu
ck!” he growled when he saw who had entered. “Holy shit!” he added, realizing who the female at the bar was.
“Who’s that?” Stone asked, sounding confused. “I’m not sure that female should even be in here.” He frowned.
The female’s eyes moved across the busy space, stopping when they locked with his. She clenched her jaw, looking as pissed as all hell.
“Hi there,” the blonde remarked, stopping in front of them. Her timing could not have been worse.
Shale ignored her, keeping his gaze on the approaching female. Unable to move so much as an inch. Adrenaline flooded his system. That and the cold icy fingers of fear traced his spine.
“I’m Tina,” the blonde said.
“Stone,” his friend answered. “It’s good to meet you. Can I get you a drink?”
“You asshole!” the approaching female growled as she drew near. Her eyes were blazing. Her whole body radiated tension.
“Yes, thanks,” the blonde sounded unsure.
Stone chuckled. “I hope this isn’t what I think it is.”
Fuck!
Oh hell!
Shale didn’t say anything. Stone and the blonde walked away.
“You said I couldn’t get pregnant,” the female said, craning her neck so that she could keep her eyes locked with his. “You said it wouldn’t happen. You said you were clean and that you were sterile.” She waved an accusing finger. “Does this look like sterile to you?” She pointed at her distended belly. “I’m such an idiot,” she muttered, more to herself.
“No.” He shook his head. “It can’t be.” He shook it harder, frowning to the point where it felt like his face might crack. She hadn’t been in heat though. Not even close.
“This is the part where you deny being the father. Well listen up, bucko…you are the only guy I’ve had sex with in a very long time. You and only you.” She jabbed a finger into his chest again. “I picked you that night because I knew you wouldn’t be interested in a relationship. You can relax ‒ I’m not here to try to trap you or anything. I still don’t want a relationship.” She shook her head, her eyes welling with tears, but she quickly blinked them away. “I’m not ready to be a mother…I’m not…” More shaking. “I can’t raise…can’t possibly...I just can’t do this!” She handed him a piece of paper. “Here.”
As if on autopilot, he took it and lifted it. There was a telephone number scrawled on the paper.
“My number,” she said. “I’m due in three months. You have that long to decide if you want to raise this child.” She touched her belly, the anger leaving her, sadness welling in her eyes. “Otherwise, it looks like I might have a great family lined up to adopt this baby. I can’t keep it.” She sniffed, her throat working. “I wish things were different but I…um…I just can’t.” She sniffed again.
Then she turned and walked away.
Shale had always been a rational male. He quickly thought things through. A couple of things were apparent. She was definitely pregnant, although he couldn’t tell if the baby was a dragon or not. His or not. Not with so many warring scents. His! Oh fuck! He tamped down on the panic. He had taken her back to the hotel six months ago. The female at the bar was her friend. The same female had obviously tipped her off that he was there. Fuck! Shale couldn’t remember either of their names.
More adrenaline spiked his system and he began to walk towards the female. This was a total cluster fuck of epic proportions. Three months. She’d told him he had three months. However, if she was pregnant by him, she was due now. Any day. Also, she was pregnant with twins. Not one but two. He was an Earth dragon after all. Lastly, they would not be human. She didn’t know any of this.
Fuck!
The blood drained from his body and sweat beaded on his brow. Shale picked up the pace.
Dragon Whelps is on pre-order now
About the Author
Charlene Hartnady is a USA Today Bestselling author. She loves to write about all things paranormal, including vampires, elves and shifters of all kinds. She lives on a couple of acres in the country with her husband and three sons. They have an array of pets including horses and a gecko named Pickle.
She is lucky enough to be able to write full time, so most days you can find her at her computer writing like mad. Charlene believes that it is the small things that truly matter, like that feeling you get when you start a new book, or when you look at a particularly beautiful sunset.
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Also by Charlene Hartnady
The Chosen Series:
1# Chosen by the Vampire Kings
2# Stolen by the Alpha Wolf
3# Unlikely Mates
4# Awakened by the Vampire Prince
5#Mated to the Vampire Kings (Short Novel)
6#Wolf Whisperer (Novella)
7# Wanted by the Elven King
The Program Series (Vampire Novels):
Book 1: A Mate for York
Book 2: A Mate for Gideon
Book 3: A Mate for Lazarus
Book 4: A Mate for Griffin
Book 5: A Mate for Lance
Book 6: A Mate for Kai
Book 7: A Mate for Titan
The Bride Hunt Series (Dragon Shifter Novels):
Book 1: Royal Dragon
Book 2: Water Dragon
Book 3: Dragon King
Book 4: Lightning Dragon
Book 5: Forbidden Dragon
Book 6: Dragon Prince
Water Dragons (Spin-off to The Bride Hunt):
Book 1: Dragon Hunt
Book 2: Captured Dragon
Book 3: Blood Dragon
Book 4: Dragon Betrayal
Earth Dragons :
Book 1: Dragon Guard
Book 2: Savage Dragon
The Shifter Night Series:
1# Untethered
2# Unbound
3# Unchained
Complete Box Set Books 1 - 3
The Feral Series:
Book 1: Hunger Awakened
Book 2: Power Awakened
Demon Chaser Series (No cliffhangers):
Book 1 Omega
Book 2 Alpha
Book 3 Hybrid
Book 4 Skin
Demon ChaserBoxed Set Book 1-3
Excerpt
Chapter 1
Cassidy’s hands were clammy and shaking. She had just retyped the same thing three times. At this rate, she would have to work even later than normal to get her work done. She sighed heavily.
Pull yourself together.
With shaking hands, she grabbed her purse from the floor next to her, reached inside and pulled out the folded up newspaper article.
Have you ever wanted to date a vampire?
Human women required. Must be enthusiastic about interactions with vampires. Must be willing to undergo a stringent medical exam. Must be prepared to sign a contractual agreement which would include a non-disclosure clause. This will be a temporary position. Limited spaces available within the program. Successful candidates can earn up to $45,000 per day, over a three-day period.
All she needed was three days leave.
Cassidy wasn’t sure whether her hands were shaking because she had to ask for the leave and her boss was a total douche bag or because the thought of vampires drinking her blood wasn’t exactly a welcome one.
More than likely a combination of both.
This was a major opportunity for her though. She had already be
en accepted into the trial phase of the program that the vampires were running. What was three days in her life? So there was a little risk involved. Okay, a lot of risk, but it would all be worth it in the end. She was drowning in debt. Stuck in a dead-end job. Stuck in this godforsaken town. This was her chance, her golden opportunity, and she planned on seizing it with both hands.
To remind herself what she was working towards, or at least running away from, she let her eyes roam around her cluttered desk. There were several piles of documents needing to be filed. A stack of orders lay next to her cranky old laptop. Hopefully it wouldn’t freeze on her this time while she was uploading them into the system. It had been months since Sarah had left. There used to be two of them performing her job, and since her colleague was never replaced it was just her. She increasingly found that she had to get to work way earlier and stay later and later just to get the job done.
To add insult to injury, there were many days that her a-hole boss still had the audacity to come down on her for not meeting a deadline. He refused to listen to reason and would not accept being understaffed as an excuse. She’d never been one to shy away from hard work but the expectations were ridiculous. Her only saving grace was that she didn’t have much of a life.
There had to be something more out there for her ‒ and a hundred and thirty-five thousand big ones would not only pay off her debts but would also give her enough cash to go out and find one. A life, that is, and a damned good life it would be.
Cassidy took a deep breath and squared her shoulders. If she asked really nicely, hopefully Mark would give her a couple of days off. She couldn’t remember the last time she had taken leave. Then it dawned on her, she’d taken three days after Sean had died a year ago. Her boss couldn’t say no though. If he did, she wasn’t beyond begging.
Rising to her feet, she made for the closed door at the other end of her office. After knocking twice, she entered.
Savage Dragon: Earth Dragons Series: Book 2 Page 17