Dragon Lords Volume 1: BBW Fantasy Romance Bundle

by Lyra Valentine

  Dragon Lords

  Volume 1

  Lyra Valentine

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  Copyright © 2016 by Lyra Valentine

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Dragon Lords: Volume 1 by Lyra Valentine April 2016

  Table of Contents

  Caught by the Dragon Lord

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Claimed by the Dragon Lord

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Bound by the Dragon Captain

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Bonded to the Dragon Captain

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  About the Author

  Caught by the Dragon Lord

  The Dragon Lords #1

  Lyra Valentine

  The Mating Moon Run is upon the folk of Castle Sherwin. A time when unmarried crofters offer themselves to dragon riders in the hopes of being caught for a nice of passion and furthering the dragon rider bloodline.

  This year, Marnie Allaway is of age to offer herself for the Run. With no prospects of marriage in her croft, she doesn’t dare to hope of catching a dragon rider’s eye.

  But then the largest dragon sniffs her out of the line and brings her to the attention of the castle’s new Dragon Lord. Dungan Rutherford is more than a little interested in the stubborn, curvy woman than the simpering fools he’s supposed to pick. Can Marnie make this a Run to remember?

  Chapter One

  The blast of air from sweeping wings let the women know the dragon riders had arrived. There were ten this spring, a smaller number than usual. But some said there were less and less dragons each spring. Meanwhile, the cluster of women grew each spring. Some fifty girls stood watching the dragon riders circle above. Some tittered behind their hands. Others stood still and stared wide eyes at the giant dragons the men rode. She saw girls from all the croft clans; McAlister, Carr, Glenn, Fairbairn, even another from her own Allaway clan. Marnie held herself apart from them all, fingering the patch on her skirt that marked her clan.

  They would be presented before the dragon riders participating in the Mating Moon Run. Held once every spring, all the unmarried women from the surrounding crofts were required to offer themselves to the Run. The unmarried men would have their own Run the following day, after the fathers riled themselves and their boys up on the riders’ mead. Tradition long stood for the riders to get a good look at the women and men offered to them, and to check if the crofters were holding any breeding stock for themselves.

  Offered. The term made Marnie crinkle her nose. She wanted to go back to crafting trinkets made from the shells of the little firestarters that lived on the loch cliffs, not attend an event that would only drive home how undesirable she was. She’d turned of age to participate in the Run, which meant she was eligible to marry. But with no prospects for marriage, she was simply an offering to any dragon rider during the Run and unlikely to be chosen, at that.

  “They like the athletic girls.” Her mother had tried comforting her while pulling hard at the laces of her bodice. She gave up, and attacked the fire gold curls on Marnie’s head. “They usually pick from the crofts nearer the castle. Those girls are trained to fight. That’s what’s needed to become a dragon rider.”

  Marnie lined up with the other girls. It was rumored that the new Dragon Lord would be among the participants this spring, and she wondered which one he was. She ruled out the smaller and more flamboyantly colored dragons; she didn’t think the Lord would be on a something bright and flashy. She thought a rich color, like brown, or red would better suit a Lord.

  The dragons landed a short distance away, then lumbered to the group. The men atop the beasts eyed each girl up and down while the dragons huffed in their scents. The riders were only permitted to take a woman from the offered group, with the dragons taking their scents to help.

  Layla McAlister roared with hysterical laughter as the first dragon blew air around her, lifting her skirt away from her body. She smiled coyly at the rider on the beast’s back.

  Marnie frowned. Layla was from the closest croft. She was born and raised to become a rider herself, though her last chance to be chosen was at the ceremony after the Run. She probably knew each of the men in the Run today, by sight if not intimately. Even if she wasn’t picked to be a rider, she’d likely go on to have perfect little dragon rider babies. Marnie tapped her foot. It would be best if they could hurry up. She wanted to get back to her home and her trinkets.

  The first dragon reached her place toward the end of the line. She crossed her arms and stared into the mottled green eye. His eyelid slid over to blink, covering the bright green before sliding back to show the slit pupil narrowing further at her. His snout, and the rest of his enormous body, was a dull red. The color reminded her of dried blood. She shivered at the sudden memory of being told tales of evil dragons as a child and told herself she was being silly. Dragons never carried away maidens. It was always their riders.

  She shielded her eyes to get a look at the man. He was taller than the others, but the size of his dragon made him look small by comparison. His shoulders were broad, and his arms were roped with muscle that shifted when he gripped the ties looped over his dragon’s neck. Dark red hair covered his head, straighter than hers and a deeper color too. His cheeks were bare and showed a strong jawline, which was strange to see. Most of the men she knew grew their beards long and thick, and decorated them with braids and beads. Piercing green eyes almost the same color as his dragon’s held her in place. He nodded to her; a singular inclination of his head that made her heart skip a beat, before he turned his dragon away. She was too bewitched to pay attention to any of the others staring at her.

  He must be the Dragon Lord. His eyes were cold and calculating—exactly what was needed to rule over all the dragon riders under him. Rumor had it that he killed the previous crusty old Lord over some slight in the mess hall. A breeze blew across the highlands and she wasn’t certain it was just the air that sent a chilling shiver down her spine.

  He pulled on the reins and didn’t bother letting his dragon smell any of the other women.

  Once the last dragon and rider passed, the mothers of the women rushed in. They straightened clothes and hair put out of sorts by dragon breath and flustered girls. They offered last minute words of wisdom to their daughters, some of them born after a Run in their youth. It was an honor to be caught by a dragon rider and carry his child.

  “Don’t you get any ideas. That was the Dragon Lord. He’s to choose Layla this spring, it’s whispered. We can’t have the McAlister clan angry with us,” Marnie’s mother hissed.

  Marnie started. She didn’t hope anything. She knew she’d never be chosen, especially by the Dragon Lord. It would be right for him to choose Layla. Layla, with her long and graceful neck, and the pile of blonde
hair braided on her head. Marnie shook her head. Her dress was too tight to breathe and move properly. She wouldn’t go far or fast.

  She kissed her mother’s cheek. She knew the woman was only looking out for her. She didn’t need protecting, but it felt nice to have her undivided attention. It was hard to have such moments when six other mouths were running at once. “I’ll see you after, Mum,” she said with a quick smile.

  She received several sidelong looks from the other women when she lined up with them once more. She sighed. What did they expect her to do? Unmarried women must offer themselves during the Run, or their croft would pay. Her croft did well for themselves, but that left little to tithe to the dragon riders at the end of each spring. They couldn’t afford to let her sit out.

  The dragons lumbered heavily to stream out in a line across from the women. They weren’t supposed to watch where the girls ran, though it was only a matter of turning their heads to see the general direction. They would be given a head start before the dragons and their riders took off to track them from the air.

  The largest dragon, the one the Dragon Lord rode, reared back on his hind legs. A great jet of fire erupted from his mouth. Marnie felt the heat of the flame, though it was well above everyone’s head. In spite of the heat, she shivered.

  The ground shook when he settled back to all four clawed feet. The girls took one last look at each other, and they were off.

  They darted between the legs and tails of the dragons. Marnie dashed quickly to one side, and jumped over a bright blue tail. Most of the women were already ahead of her, and she thought briefly of sitting down and giving up. She glanced back, and saw the mothers and sisters gathered to wait. Fathers and brothers would be at the castle and deeply drinking the provided mead.

  She cleared the last point of a tail, and managed to keep up with the pack as they crowded over and down a hill, losing sight of the gathering behind them. She watched as the women crested the hill beyond and disappeared from sight. They would head for the highlands, and try to lose themselves between the boulders and shrubs dotting the hills. She had other ideas. The loch cliffs were near, and she was sure she could reach them before the riders took off to begin their hunt.

  She ignored the stitch in her side, and banked to her left. Her heart pounded loudly in her ears. She could barely keep up with the youngest boys from her croft. There would be no challenge if she was to behave like the other girls, and she didn’t want to embarrass her clan. Anyone that would deign to look for her would need to be clever.

  She skid to a stop at the edge of the cliffs. The loch stretched out before her. A rolling fog covered the far side, but she knew she wouldn’t see the far edge even on the clearest of days. Birds screeched overhead, and the smell of sulphur hung strong in the air. The firestarters liked to nest in the cliffs, and prey on unsuspecting birds.

  She spent her time climbing the cliffs and gathering the broken shells of the firestarters. They were hard as rocks, and polished beautifully. She knew no one would think to climb down and hide amongst the cousins of dragons, not when the real ones were chasing after them.

  Marnie bent down and tied her skirts between her legs. She usually wore loose pants for this, but tradition called for dresses during a Run. She scoffed. Riders sure didn’t want much of a challenge from their women.

  She settled on her belly, and wiggled her legs over the edge. She felt for a foothold, then began her descent. Her mother always called her half goat, for her ability to scale just about any surface. Her feet felt for holds, and her fingers dug into rock. She angled her descent to an outcropping covered with glimmering shells. She might as well make this Run a useful expedition.

  Chapter Two

  He was bored. Completely and utterly bored.

  Dungan Rutherford sighed, and considered kneeing his dragon around and taking off for a day of flying and hunting from the air. But he knew the decision wouldn’t sit well with the other dragon riders or the crofters.

  He hadn’t suspected just how much he would hate the politicking of being the Dragon Lord of Castle Sherwin when he challenged old Timothy. The man had been hell on the riders and clans alike, and needed to go. He just wished someone else had taken the initiative.

  Twenty and two, in his first fight as a ranked dragon rider, and he’d killed his opponent. Timothy had been insane with the loss of his dragon, but that hadn’t excused his behavior. He was the Dragon Lord, and someone who should protect those under him, not offer them for the slaughter to the highest bidder. It’d caused a rift within the castle, and a fair number of dragon riders rode off to another castle. Dungan intended to heal the rift, but first he needed to solidify his power. Participating in the Mating Moon Run would go a long way toward that goal.

  He sighed again, and looked at the sun in the sky. It was almost time enough to begin the Mating Moon Run. And he would need to pick a girl to bed. The tradition went back countless ages, and did serve a purpose. Dragon riders begot dragon riders, and they were in always in need of new blood. The dragons somehow knew exactly how many men and women would be compatible, and laid clutches accordingly. There was a small clutch of eggs waiting for the children of castle and croft, as well as those chosen from the Run, to pass by and perhaps hear the call of the dragon within.

  His council wanted him to pick from the McAlister girls. They were built strong, and many more riders came from their stock than any of the other surrounding crofts. Even outside of the riders, they were warriors and gained much honor in battles with warring clans. He wasn’t interested in them. They were all long limbs and agile, sure, but there was nothing of interest to them.

  He steeled his spine, and felt Birro shift underneath him. The dragon had been his companion ever since he’d picked him as a young boy. Birro chose him early, so he was never put through the Mating Moon Run. The dragon didn’t understand why it was so complicated to pick a mate.

  The girl with the fire gold hair, that was who caught his eye. From the farthest croft, from the lowest clan, she didn’t look anything like the others. She had curves he could hold on to in the middle of the night. Her hair looked like spun gold set ablaze, and her blue eyes were sharp and clear, but sparkled with humor. He was certain there wasn’t a hint of dragon rider blood in her veins, going back generations. She hadn’t been chosen by a dragon as a child, and she was unlikely to be chosen by a rider now. Except him.

  Anticipation grew steadily in the air. He could almost feel it coming off the other riders in waves. Certainly the mothers and sisters in front of them felt it. They wanted to know which of their children were coming home that evening, and which of their children would have another chance to bond with a dragon. Even those that didn’t bond would earn special scrutiny afterward, to see if they carried a dragon rider’s child.

  Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the sun climbed to its zenith. He put two fingers in his mouth and whistled sharply. The dragons wheeled around on their rider’s’ commands. Birro rose up on his back feet again, and shot out a jet of flame to the cheers of the women behind him.

  One by one, the dragons lumbered forward. They beat their wings, and jumped into the air, catching themselves and rising higher into the sky. They circled above while waiting for him. When he and Birro were aloft, the red dragon let loose a third jet of flame, and the Run began.

  The others flew right off over the highlands. They were sure to find their chosen women with ease. The dresses they wore helped blend into the landscape, but the dragons had their scent and many wanted to be caught. He hadn’t requested any referees this time around; with so few riders participating and so many women to choose, he didn’t need to fear any violent fights.

  He hauled on Birro’s reins and flew a different direction. The loch called to him. The blue of the Allaway girl’s eyes reminded him of the water. He felt Birro draw in a deep breath, and let his dragon take the lead. He knew whom to search out.

  They soared high above the cliffs. No one walked the edges
as far as Dungan could see. He kneed Birro lower, and still saw no movement. They slowly flew along the edge, a panic growing in his gut. Had she run elsewhere? No, Birro would have tracked her scent if so. Had she fallen?

  They wheeled in the air, and Dungan looked up and down the cliff edge. The only movement he saw was from the firestarters and birds. He was about to give up and check the highlands when a group of firestarters burst over the edge of the cliffs, squawking and breathing small jets of fire at one another in annoyance. Something had disturbed their nest.

  Birro hovered over the cliffs, and Dungan kneed him over and down. A brief flash of green caught his eye, and he saw her. She was stuffing herself into an indent in the cliff wall, likely where the firestarters had been. How in the flame she’d gotten herself there, he couldn’t imagine. He whooped and directed Birro toward her.

  Great buffets of wind blew around them. Her hair swirled in a halo of curls. He was startled to see her scowl at him.

  The wind from Birro’s wings lifted the shells away from the ledge and they poured down the cliffs in an iridescent shower. She waved a shard in her hands at him, then gestured angrily at the ones hitting the water below. He could barely hear her words, but the ones he did hear made his cheeks color.

  “Jump over!” He called to her.

  She glowered at him. Then hurled the shell at his head. It didn’t go far, not with the gusts from Birro’s wings, but he was impressed with her liveliness. There was no doubt in his mind that he wanted to choose her over the simpering others.

  “Jump!” He called again, and motioned in case she hadn’t heard him the first time.

  She smiled sweetly, and he thought he’d won. He’d found her; he just needed to get her atop Birro with him. They would fly back to the castle, and enjoy their night together.