“Of course I want you,” she whispered. “No one has ever showed me as much kindness, or tenderness, as you have. That alone ensured my heart would be yours.”
His eyes opened, a searing flash of carmine under his dark eyebrows. Brienne’s legs suddenly lost their strength, and she found herself pressed up against him. She sucked in a sharp breath when he rocked his hips forward, proving his desire was just as strong as hers.
Brienne parted her lips and Dorran swooped in, his mouth meeting hers, his tongue pressing forward to caress her own. His fingers returned to her hair briefly before trailing down her neck to her shoulders. His deep kisses coaxed her nearer, and his hands worked to push aside her tunic and vest.
Brie hummed in slight protest and broke free of his mouth. “Your-your friends,” she breathed, trying to wriggle away from him. He held her fast.
Without moving from where he stood, Dorran called out in a booming voice, “Rothilian!”
The shuffling of feet sounded outside the tent walls and someone replied, “Yes, my king?”
“Take the others and see if you can hunt down something to prepare for dinner.”
A slight pause, then, “Should we post a guard? In case more enemy Faelorehn happen upon us?”
Dorran glanced down at Brie, his breath stirring her hair, and arched one dark brow. She managed to give her head a small shake. “If you killed all the men and faelah, there should be no others. This place is desolate and not often visited by travelers.”
His smile was simply sinful when he replied, “No, Roth. No guard is necessary.”
“Very well, your Majesty.”
The scrape of boots on stones indicated his departure, but Dorran called out one more time, “Be sure to take plenty of time. Two hours, preferably three.”
A knowing bark of laughter followed by a cheerful, “Yes, my king,” was the last thing Brie heard before the men moved off. Where Mynne had gone, she had no idea, but she sent one last, I am fine. More than fine. Feel free to hunt with our new friends if you wish, before returning her attention back to Dorran.
Feeling uncharacteristically impish, Brie wrapped her arms around Dorran’s neck and molded herself to his body. The Firiehn king’s hands settled on her hips, and he groaned softly when she pressed into his groin, teasing him with her unspoken promise.
“Since you have heard all my deepest, darkest secrets, I feel it is only fair that you tell me yours.”
Taking her lead, Dorran bent down and nipped at her neck, drawing a gasp from her throat.
“But,” he murmured against her pulse, his tongue flicking out to taste her skin, “I have told you all of my deepest, darkest secrets.”
She laughed, a breathless sound that only egged him on. His fingers traveled up her sides, just as they had the morning after her plunge into the river. And just like that time, her tunic and vest lifted with them. She stood, naked from the waist up, before him.
His eyes raked over her, lingering on those scars he had claimed to be beautiful, before meeting her gaze once again. He nearly burned her with that intense attention of his, and she shot her arms out, pulling at his fine tunic and embroidered jacket. Before she could remove all of his clothing, he was kissing her again, his fingers at her hips, this time pushing her trousers away to reveal more skin. For a few impatient minutes, the two of them struggled to free one another of the burden of their clothing until, finally, only heated flesh and building passion stood between them.
“You may have told me your secrets,” Brienne said eventually, her pulse increasing at Dorran’s adept and sensual ministrations, “but I did not understand you.”
“Would you like me to tell you again, fireheart?” he whispered huskily, his warm breath heating her skin like draghan fire.
For once, Brienne did not recoil. She would never fear fire again, now that she knew how to kindle it so well.
“Please,” she barely got out as his tongue flicked in just the right place.
“Shall I use words, my lady? Or would you rather I employ my tongue in other ways?”
Brienne almost growled. What a silly question.
“Perhaps,” she managed, her fingers tightening in his hair, “you can do both.”
With a smile and a chuckle, he did just that, showing her the depth of his trust and the intensity of his devotion. In return, Brienne opened her body, and her soul, to him, no longer fearing judgment or pain but welcoming instead loyalty, happiness, and love.
About Jenna Elizabeth Johnson
Jenna Elizabeth Johnson grew up and still resides on the Central Coast of California, a place she finds as magical and enchanting as the worlds she creates.
Jenna received a BA in Art Practice with a minor in Celtic Studies from the University of California at Berkeley. It was during her time in college that she decided to begin her first novel, The Legend of Oescienne - The Finding. Reading such works as Beowulf, The Mabinogi and The Second Battle of Maige Tuired in her Scandinavian and Celtic Studies courses finally inspired her to start writing down her own tales of adventure and fantasy.
Jenna also enjoys creating the maps and some of the artwork for her various worlds. Besides writing and drawing, she is often found reading, gardening, camping, hiking, bird watching, and practicing long sword fighting and archery using a long bow. She also loves getting feedback from readers, so feel free to send her a message any time.
Jenna Elizabeth Johnson can be contacted at [email protected]
Other books by this author:
The Legend of Oescienne Series
The Finding (Book One)
The Beginning (Book Two)
The Awakening (Book Three)
The Ascending (Book Four)
Tales of Oescienne - A Short Story Collection
*Read excerpts of these books here*
The Otherworld Series
Meghan’s POV
Faelorehn (Book One)
Dolmarehn (Book Two)
Luathara (Book Three)
Cade’s POV
Ehriad - A Novella of the Otherworld (Book Four)
Ghalien – A Novel of the Otherworld (Book Five)
Robyn’s POV
Lorehnin – A Novel of the Otherworld (Book Six)
Caelihn – A Novel of the Otherworld (Book Seven)
Meghan’s and Cade’s POV
Faeleahn – A Novel of the Otherworld (Book Eight)
Standalone Novel
Faeborne – A Novel of the Otherworld (Book Nine)
Aiden’s POV
Faebound – A Novella of the Otherworld (Book Ten)
*Read excerpts of these books here*
Connect with Me Online:
Twitter: @AuthorJEJohnson
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorjejohnson
My Website: http://www.jennaelizabethjohnson.com/
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/authorjejohnson/
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Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/authorjejohnson
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Rise of the Dragons
Chapter One
Catori Reinhardt ran across the field, her chest burning and her feet blistering. She had no sense of direction, she just knew the way forward was where safety lay. She squeezed her arms around herself, tears streaking her face and blending with the dirty water from the rain pouring down over her long black locks. Her clothes hung in rags, worn down and ill-fitting. The Lucidium Order wasn’t in the habit of providing tailored garments for prisoners.
Time was not her friend. Every second that ticked by was another moment the Order could catch up with her. Staring up into the cloud-filled sky, the rain stinging her face, she wondered where she could go. She had to find shelter soon, for the weather would take her out if she got sick, and there was no way she was going to let it. She sucked in a breath and straightened her back as she slowed her pace. Her
lungs were on fire as she limped along. Wiping her face with the back of her hand, she caught sight of a faint light up ahead.
It hadn’t been too hard to slip through her captors’ fingers. She’d been imprisoned for some time and had figured out their routine. Along with her best friend and fellow dragon shifter, Jack, they’d found a gap in the prison guards’ rounds. Now, if she was captured again, the Order would not make it easy to get away again. Her only regret was not having Jack here with her.
Stumbling down the abandoned rural road, she kept her eyes peeled and her ears open. The town was far behind her, and the rain hid her tracks well. The houses she passed were dark, sleeping in the wee hours of the morning. It made her loneliness more apparent as she wrapped the shreds of cloth around her rail-thin body and stepped past puddles threatening to swallow her whole.
Her life had been taken over by tests: poking, studying, instigating, fighting. She could barely remember a time when she would nuzzle close to her mother’s chest, happy and loved. Now those memories were faded, leaving nothing to cling to except the desire to fly free. Those were things of imagination and did not belong to her anymore.
Lightning cracked above her, and the rain slung down harder, pelting her back as she hunched over to keep it from stinging her face.
She made her way past the last of the houses and followed a rarely used trail which led out into the woods. Maybe she’d find shelter there. She slid in the mud with her worn shoes and nonexistent soles, crumpling to her knees and landing on her hands. Cursing as she squeezed her fingers into mud, her tears mixed with the water dousing her cheeks.
It would be so easy to give up right now. She could let the Lucidium
Order take her back to her cell. At least it would be dry and warm, with three hot meals a day. Not this endless frigid weather that wrinkled her skin and made her fingertips numb. Not this fear, loathing, and running all the time.
She’d just begun running, and it had already worn her through.
No, she couldn’t give up that easily. She’d fought hard to get away and had almost given her life to escape her prison for freedom. If she submitted now it would all have been in vain, for nothing, and Jack, her friend in the prison, would’ve died for absolutely no reason. She couldn’t let his memory go to waste.
There was no way of knowing if he’d survived either. She wasn’t sure he was dead. He’d made the jailbreak with her but had sacrificed himself to get her out of the Lucidium compound. It was better to think him dead than still a prisoner in that horrible place.
Squeezing the last of her tears from her eyes with renewed energy, Catori shoved off the ground and wiped the mud on the remains of her clothes before making her way down the dirt road, into the darkening forest. After what felt like an eternity she spotted the soft glow she’d seen up ahead. The dirt road ended at a property with a nice, inviting porch in the front and wide open windows which radiated the soft glow of a fire burning within.
It was a two-story, timber-framed ranch home that had been converted into a lodge. From the looks of it, there was but one person here. There was only a single car parked out front, and none of the upstairs rooms were lit.
Relieved to find such a treasure, she hoped whoever was inside wouldn’t notice her sneaking through a darkened back window up on the second story. She slipped in and shut the window quietly. She could feel the creaking weakness in the floorboards and avoided the noisy ones easily. Her senses were hyperaware of such things, and she was glad they at least did her some good now. She found herself in an unused bedroom, and luckily there was a closet full of dusty but dry clothes which she exchanged for her rags.
When she was done, she wished for food to relieve her grumbling stomach but settled for the warm bed. Slipping beneath the smooth, down-filled comforter, she sighed, happily relishing the warmth breathing the life back into her fingertips and toes. Turning up her own heat, she felt her aches relax as exhaustion overtook her. It wasn’t hard to slip into oblivion after her long trek, and as she drifted off, she felt as though she didn’t ever want to wake up again.
Chapter Two
“Thank you so much for coming to assess the lodge.” Farryn shook Mr. Johnson’s hand as he nodded. He turned and wobbled down the muddy path toward his Cadillac, avoiding any questionable puddles and holding a newspaper over his sparse hair as he hurried along. Farryn had called the realtor to check out the lodge to put it up for sale, and at least he was confident it would sell.
She watched his car speed away then blinked up at the tumultuous sky pouring down sheets of rain over the surrounding forest. She rubbed her arms, feeling a slight chill before turning and heading back into the lodge.
What would her father say about all this? He would be rolling over in his grave if he knew she was thinking about selling his pride and joy. Farryn shook her head. It’d been his dream, not hers.
And yet, here she was, managing her father’s affairs and picking up the pieces he’d left behind after his untimely death. Her goal was to sell the place and head back to New York to resume her professional life as an editor of the city’s most prestigious magazine. It was far from glamorous, with long hours of hard, underappreciated work, but she had loved every moment of it.
Being back here in rural Colorado, where she had grown up, her childhood came flooding back, filled with nostalgic memories. It had been a good life here; serene, loving, carefree. She could understand why her father could never let the place go for the loud, bustling city. Standing here after so many years of being away, she felt she was already growing roots again.
Shaking it off, Farryn returned to the warmth of the lodge to enjoy her tea next to the fire. There was no way she would be able to keep this place. Her father had been behind on some bills and property taxes, which would take up a good chunk of her savings. While the place did respectable business during the fall hunting season, and fishermen came throughout the summer, it was a little too far afield to attract more casual vacationers. There wasn’t enough money coming in, especially considering the amount of repair work that needed to be done. If only she knew someone who could run a lodge for cheap, without her having to be there. She would consider it, but if she couldn’t find anyone who could operate the business, it would have to be sold, most likely to a Silicon Valley millionaire who’d use it as a vacation home.
Thump, thump. Farryn jumped from her chair at a noise from upstairs. There was no one else here, unless some creature had snuck in for sanctuary from the rain. It was quite possible. There were raccoons and other wild critters living in the woods surrounding the lodge. If one got in, though, it could wreck an entire room by befouling the rug, chewing up the bedposts, and tearing the good linen on the beds. She couldn’t afford any more work on this place, so she grabbed a broom and hoped whatever creature had wormed its way in would not be violent.
She hopped up the stairs and listened for further noise, but none came. She groaned. She’d have to check every room, and there were five of them on the second floor. Making her way to the first door on the left, she pushed it open slowly, flipped the light switch on, and peered about. The room was empty and free of any noticeable mess.
“Here, kitty, kitty,” she called, finding the situation kind of funny. She was not an animal person and had never owned a dog or cat after leaving the lodge. There’d always been the joke that she must have been switched at birth because of her slight aversion to rural life, never quite enjoying the company of animals. She tolerated them, yes, but there was no way she had time to take care of anyone but herself.
After checking three rooms, she turned to the fourth, on the right side of the hallway. It turned out this door was locked, which made her wary about who or what might be waiting on the other side. She was certain she’d left them all unlocked after sprucing them up for the realtor. It turned out the effort had been wasted, though, as he’d only peeked into a couple of the rooms.
She fished out the keyring which held copies of all the door keys
and inserted the proper one, turned the lock, and swung the door wide open. A gasp escaped from a young girl with long black locks and pale white skin, who sat up in the bed, staring back at Farryn with wide brown eyes.
“Who are you? You’re not supposed to be here.”
Farryn held the broomstick out in defense as the girl jumped out of the bed and slammed her back against the wall, looking about wildly and breathing hard. She’d obviously scared the girl out of her wits, and she was edging toward the window. She reached it and tried to yank it up, but the rain had caused the frame to swell; it was stuck tight. How had the girl even opened it in the first place?
“Whoa, calm down. I’m not going to hurt you. What’s your name?” Farryn dropped the broom and held out her hands in the hope of calming the girl. It didn’t seem to work, for the girl was still struggling with the window, grunting and cursing under her breath. Farryn just waited and watched the girl work to no avail. “Sorry to say it, but I don’t think it’s going to open. The rain swells up the frames, and they won’t move even for the Hulk.”
The girl stopped fighting and peered at Farryn, terror rising in her deep brown eyes. “I’m sorry, I was just… it was so cold and wet. I’ll just leave now. I didn’t mean to mess with anything.”
“Look, it’s okay. Really. You don’t have to leave. For goodness sake, it’s pouring outside. Please, it’s all right. Stay.”
The girl’s eyes widened even more as she watched Farryn step back into the doorway, holding the door. “Are you hungry? I have a pot of stew still warm on the stove. Would you like some? It’ll go to waste otherwise.” She hoped the girl would say yes, for the poor thing looked like she hadn’t eaten in weeks. Her hair laid in snarls down her back, stiff with knots. Farryn noticed that the lodge’s logo was stamped on the nightgown she was wearing. That had been her father’s idea, but it had turned out the guests didn’t want to wear nightgowns someone else had used—“How is it any different than using the towels?” he’d argued—so they’d been stuffed into the closet in this room. It was the draftiest room in the lodge, so it was rarely rented out.
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