by Anna Lowe
Dragon Passions
Three fiery & suspenseful paranormal romances
by
Anna Lowe
A sampler box set including LURE OF THE DRAGON, REBEL DRAGON, and FIRE MAIDENS: PARIS
Dragon Passions
Copyright © 2020 by Anna Lowe
[email protected]
Editing by Lisa A. Hollett
Cover art by Kim Killion
This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner without the express written permission of the author except for the use of brief quotations in articles or reviews.
This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons is purely coincidental.
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Contents
Dragon Passions
Aloha Shifters: Jewels of the Heart
Lure of the Dragon
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Aloha Shifters: Pearls of Desire
Rebel Dragon
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Epilogue
Fire Maidens: Billionaires & Bodyguards
Fire Maidens: Paris
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Epilogue
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Dragon Passions
Hot alpha heroes. Kickass heroines. Ruthless enemies. Exotic locations that ignite passionate romance!
Discover your next hot alpha hero in this unforgettable volume of steamy & suspenseful paranormal romance! Each story puts the “hero” back into “heroine” and introduces a rich story world, from the tropical Hawaii of Magnum, PI to the shady shifter side of Paris, the City of Lights. Sizzling romance and hot military heroes guaranteed!
In Lure of the Dragon, Kai Llewellyn and his band of battle-hardened shapeshifters know the rules: Don’t trust a human, and never, ever fall in love with one. But Tessa is different. Her emerald eyes mirror the mysterious pendant she wears, and her flaming red hair makes Kai’s heart race. Is his inner dragon just greedy for a new kind of treasure, or is Tessa his destined mate?
In Rebel Dragon, Special Forces vet Connor Hoving’s whole future — and that of his brothers — depends on acing his new job as head of security at an exclusive seaside estate. But Connor can barely get his inner dragon to focus with alluring, off-limits Jenna around. Can this rebel dragon learn to play by the rules when his true love’s life is on the line?
And in Fire Maidens: Paris, Tristan Chevalier is appointed bodyguard to his destined mate. The problem? Natalie is absolutely, positively off-limits despite the smoldering desire they both feel. Worse, every shifter in Paris has set their sights on her, from bloodthirsty vampires to power-hungry dragons and jealous rivals. For Tristan, it’s the test of a lifetime, and the outcome will affect the fortunes of an entire city.
Each of these stories is Book 1 in a different best-selling series. What better way to decide which great series to start your next binge read with?
Aloha Shifters: Jewels of the Heart
Nothing is forbidden to this elite corps of shifter bodyguards and private investigators…except falling in love.
What do dragon, wolf, bear, and tiger shifters do when they move on from a decade of service in an elite Special Forces unit? Transitioning back to civilian life isn’t as easy as it sounds — not even in sunny Hawaii, where they land a sweet gig as caretakers of a luxurious seaside estate. Fate still has a host of challenges in store for this band of brothers, including the deadly threat of evil shifter foes, the mysterious powers of a long-lost collection of jewels, and the alluring temptation of true love. Will they be forced to chose between their destined mates and duty, or will they conquer the odds and earn the ultimate prize?
This thrilling series kicks off with book 1, Lure of the Dragon. Turn the page to dig in to a page-turner packed with action, emotion, and romance!
Lure of the Dragon
Aloha Shifters: Jewels of the Heart, Book 1
Good dragons? Bad dragons? Twenty-four hours ago, private chef Tessa Byrne didn’t know about the terrifying world of shifters. Now she knows too much, like the fact that a ruthless dragon lord is determined to claim her — forever. Tessa flees to Maui, where sunny skies, swaying palms, and a handsome stranger conspire to play tricks with her heart. Can she truly trust Kai Llewellyn and his band of battle-hardened shapeshifters to save her from a gruesome fate?
Don’t trust a human, and never, ever fall in love with one. Those are lessons Kai learned the hard way. But Tessa is different. Her emerald eyes mirror the mysterious pendant she wears, and her flaming red hair makes his heart race. Is his inner dragon just greedy for a new kind of treasure, or is Tessa his destined mate?
Chapter One
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* * *
Tessa took two shaky steps toward the ornate gate of the private driveway and stopped. Was she really going to do this?
You can trust them, Ella had said. Ella, the neighbor who’d come along at exac
tly the right moment and saved her life.
Tessa bit her lip. The fabric at the shoulder of her shirt was ripped, and her throat ached from the attack. Her fingers were still shaking, and her mind was haunted by visions of a terrifying beast. How could she trust anyone after what had happened less than twenty-four hours before?
You have to trust them. No one else can protect you from that monster.
Crickets chirped from the lush foliage, and a bat flew overhead, a splotch of black against the dark night. Palms swayed in the tropical breeze, echoing Ella’s words. No one else. There’s no one else.
Tessa shivered in spite of the balmy night, unwilling to trust her own senses. Sure, the sea was whispering over the shore in a reassuring way. And yes, the moon’s rippling reflection over the Pacific should be soothing, like the sweet scent of hibiscus. But even the island paradise of Maui could try to deceive her. Nightmares could break the deepest peace — real-life nightmares she couldn’t block out of her memory no matter how hard she tried. She could still see the glowing eyes of the creature that had attacked her.
Mine. You will be mine, his voice boomed in her mind.
She drew a deep breath and looked over her shoulder, wishing she hadn’t sent the taxi away. The past twenty-four hours had been a whirlwind. She’d barely slept, and fear pulsed through her veins like poison. How could she possibly judge whom to trust?
She tipped her head back at the stars and gulped. She was alone at night in a remote corner of Maui, far off the beaten track, about to knock on the door of a complete stranger for help.
A very rich stranger, she decided, inspecting the gate. There was an elaborate design in the middle, but she couldn’t quite make it out. Something swirly. Toothy. Wait — was that a tail? Shit, was it a dragon, or was she seeing things?
She shook the thought away and told herself to think. A gate that massive must protect a hell of an estate — a seaside estate in Maui that had made the taxi driver whistle when she gave the address back at the airport.
“Koa Point Estate,” he’d said. “You’ve got the right friends, miss.”
Tessa gnawed on her lip. These weren’t friends. They were complete strangers. And anyway, the man who’d attacked her in Phoenix was rich, too. Rich didn’t mean trustworthy — or even human.
A tremor went through her at the memory of her attacker’s fingernails turning into claws and reaching out for her.
Mine. You will be mine.
Tessa shook her head and turned back for the road. Who knew what secrets lay behind that gate? It would be safer to head back to Lahaina and find a hotel for the night. After a good night’s sleep, she could—
The beams of twin headlights blinded her, and a powerful engine purred into the driveway. Tessa froze as a vintage Jaguar approached then stopped. For a moment, nothing happened, and Tessa considered whether to run, but her legs stayed rooted to the spot.
The driver’s door opened, and a tall man climbed out. Tessa squinted against the lights, trying to make out his face as he stood silently inspecting her for a full minute.
“Have you decided yet?” His deep voice boomed, making her jump.
Tessa clutched her bag to her chest. “Who are you?”
He stepped forward, and a tiny grin formed at one corner of his mouth. “Who are you?”
Tessa tried to form an answer, but her lips were shaking, as was the rest of her body. Was this man a potential ally or a deadly foe?
His dark hair and bright blue eyes contrasted with the pure white of his dress shirt, open at the neck. Sharp, angled features cast their own sub-shadows over his face. Tall and imposing, he seemed perfectly at home in the night.
Vampire, her subconscious screamed. He must be a vampire.
Tessa discarded the idea a second later. Surely a vampire would give her creepy vibes. Despite the fine cut of his clothes, this man exuded an untamed, animal feel, like a lion or a wolf. A predator just as capable of ripping an enemy limb from limb as he was of protecting the one he loved.
A little shiver went down her spine.
Tessa tried to shake the feeling off and collected her thoughts. She doubted he was a vampire. Ella had sent her to a band of shapeshifters, right?
“I’m Tessa. Tessa Byrne.”
She hadn’t intended to give her full name, but damn. There was something fiercely commanding about the man — that, and he was so blindingly handsome, even in the dimness of night — that her brain had short-circuited.
“So, Tessa,” he murmured like a man savoring a new brandy. “Have you decided yet?”
“Decided what?” she asked, taking another step back.
“Whether you’re coming or going.”
Coming, part of her brain said. The part that couldn’t help noticing the ripple of muscles under the thin fabric of his shirt.
Going, the terrified part of her soul screeched. Go, quick.
But she didn’t move. She couldn’t. Or maybe she didn’t want to, because that might mean losing sight of him — and being alone when instinct screamed at her to stay.
“I’m…I’m not sure.” God, she hated being indecisive. Her whole life she had been confident, capable, and strong. But ever since she’d been attacked by something not-quite-human, she didn’t know where she stood anymore.
He stood studying her for a full minute before speaking again. A minute in which his eyes grazed over her body and his nostrils flared. A lot like her attacker had, and yet in a totally different way. For some mystifying reason, this stranger put her at ease, whereas she’d been wary of her attacker long before he’d shown his true self.
When the man locked eyes with her, her heart thumped hard and heavy, and an achy sensation set in under her ribs. An inexplicable yearning sensation, as if she’d been missing something terribly important all her life and only realized it now.
“What are you doing here?” he asked.
She shook her mind back into focus and asked herself the same thing. A gentle sea breeze kissed her cheeks, reminding her where here was. Maui. A speck of an island in the middle of the Pacific. Would she be safe here?
“Ella sent me. She said to come to Koa Point and ask for help. She said to explain what happened.”
“And what might that be?”
“I was attacked by Damien Morgan. Last night, in Phoenix.”
The words came tumbling out, and when the man didn’t react, Tessa panicked. Had she said the wrong thing?
Then she realized he had gone stiff all over, and his eyes were no longer on her, but sweeping the darkness behind.
“Come with me,” he said curtly, tapping a keypad beside the gate.
Fear nipped at her heels, and she hurried toward the car. His voice was that urgent, that convincing.
“Get in,” he said, motioning her to the passenger seat.
His arms were so long and sculpted, she did a double take before obeying. The man was built like an Olympic swimmer — the big guys who swam butterfly, with incredibly broad shoulders and lumps of muscle along both arms. Even when he slid into the car beside her, he was pure, coiled power.
He hit a remote control, murmured something Tessa couldn’t hear into a speaker, then drove in.
Tessa clutched at her leather seat, wondering if running away would have been the safer bet. But it was too late now.
The driveway was full of twists and turns, hiding the view ahead. The moon peeked from between the palms, giving her short glimpses of a varied landscape: patches of perfectly trimmed lawn between thick bamboo stands and huge, leafy bushes that whispered and swayed. One sweeping curve later, the driveway ended at a long, arched garage. It looked like a stable, making Tessa wonder how many thoroughbred engines lay slumbering inside. The man parked and stepped out of the car in one smooth motion.
“Follow me.”
He motioned her down a flagstone path between lush bougainvillea and palms, following closely enough that it ought to make her nervous, yet she felt comforted instead of crowded. As if
he was protecting her back, making sure she was safe.
But when they came out into a clearing lit by tiki torches, Tessa halted in her tracks. She’d been expecting a breezy mansion, perhaps with a uniformed servant or two, but what she saw was an open-sided shack with a thatched roof bristling with guards. Well, the four men there looked like guards. They were big — really big, not to mention intent and focused as she approached. They held their arms away from their sides, ready for imminent action. Like this was a war zone and not Hawaii.
Then she remembered what Ella had said. They’re Special Forces. Well, they were. Men with rough backgrounds and tough starts. But don’t let them scare you. They’re puppies inside.
Tessa balked, because rottweiler was a more apt description of the men before her now.
The tallest of the four stepped forward and shooed her into the building with a gravelly, “Come in.”
When she hesitated, the man who’d met her at the gate nodded her forward with a gesture that said, Don’t worry. I will keep you safe.
She might have snorted at the idea, but then she saw him glare the other men down in a distinct, touch-her-and-you-die stance. So she stepped forward, wondering why she trusted him already. Why she trusted any of them.
“Sit down,” the tall man said. “Talk. Explain.”
He was definitely military, she decided, even if the surroundings were anything but. The open-air structure resembled some luxury apartments she’d seen — the kind of place with a big, open layout, except without walls. There was a living area with four couches set in a square. A wide dining table surrounded by heavy chairs stood to one side. A designer kitchen occupied the left side of the structure, complete with an island and a rack of hanging copper pots — the kind of kitchen she would have loved to explore if she wasn’t completely on edge. A huge grill took up one corner, and an oversized stainless-steel refrigerator stood beside a deep sink. The sea breeze wafted through the space since there were no walls, just posts supporting the broad roof that extended a good yard over each side.