Dragos: The Complete Bundle (Books 1, 1.5, 2, 3 and 4)

by Amber Kallyn

  He didn’t understand why she didn’t shift. He raced forward to meet her.

  Once fully inside the circle, magic snapped shut around him.

  Pain unlike any he’d ever known crept up his paws, his legs. Tremors shook him as his muscles tensed and twitched. He felt himself falling and roared, fire turning most of the remaining dryads to torches.

  * * *

  Anna stared in disbelief as the gorgeous blue dragon shot flames at the woodland creatures around them as he fell to the snow. She ran faster, but the ground seemed to stretch, keeping him from her reach.

  Her touch might be able to free him, if their dragons were truly destined mates. But first she had to get there. Long spindly arms grasped at her clothes, her hair. She ignored the tear-jerking pain and raced on.

  Suddenly, a dryad stepped in her path. Drawing deep from the blocked well of magic inside her, she managed to loosen the lid a little. Hopefully not enough to lose control. She plowed into the dryad, her hands grasping its neck.

  The creature screamed, its best defense. Blocking the spike of pain driving into her head, she pushed her magic into the dryad. The sound cut off as it fell to the ground, dragging her with it.

  She frantically untangled herself. Only a few feet remained between her and Garreth’s dragon form. She scrabbled over the muddy ground, clasping his paw. Then she desperately grasped at her magic and pushed it out once more.

  This time, her papa’s magic began to infuse her. Squeezing her eyes tightly shut in fear, she tried to separate them. If she used her papa’s magic, she would become that which Garreth claimed her already to be.

  Sluggishly, her dragon responded and helped her block the magic which tasted of her papa’s scent. Together, they called on the mating burn between them and this male. Her own pure, clean magic expanded, bringing a sharp tang of desire with it.

  Not exactly the time for such a thing, she thought a bit hysterically.

  Heat spread through her chest, down her arm. Only to stop at her fingertips. Garreth was blocking her. “Stop it and let me in,” she cried.

  His long horned head rose inches from the ground. His navy eyes sparkled from pain, but the cloudiness resolved into comprehension. Magic shot from her body to his.

  But unlike any other time she’d shared, this was completely different.

  Her magic found his. They melded, combining into a force stronger than the two of them apart. Then it bounced back, spreading through her. The lock inside shattered completely. She screamed as torturous agony spread through her.

  The door burst open and her papa’s magic flooded her body, mixing with her own.

  Despair colored everything dark.

  She was now corrupt.

  Doomed.

  * * *

  Slowly, energy coursing through him, Garreth managed to get his bulk up on all four paws. Anna lay in the snow, curled into a shaking ball, moaning as if in pain. Her wolf raced closer, nudging her side with his nose. He whimpered, sniffing her body, then Garreth’s scaly leg.

  He stayed tense, ready for more of a fight. But the dryads were gone. The magic circle around them grew smaller until it disappeared and the blinding snowstorm encompassed them all.

  Wolf howled. Garreth flapped his wings, hovering one over Anna to block the snow. She didn’t move. Slowly, gently, he grasped her in his talons and limped back to the cabin.

  He laid her on the porch, then shifted back to his human form. He shook, shivering, skin almost as blue as his scales had been.

  Garreth managed to pull her into the house. He laid her on the couch, built up the fire, curled up in a blanket near the couch, and then passed out with the wolf sniffing near his ear.

  * * *

  When Garreth woke a short time later, Anna huddled in front of the fireplace, her wolf nearby, whimpering pitifully. She didn’t respond.

  Still half frozen, he made his way to her side, picked her up into his arms and then settled on the couch with Anna in his lap.

  His mind screamed at him to slap her in cuffs, but somehow, he just couldn’t do such a thing. Due to her bravery out in the forest, he’d survived. Which made it twice she’d saved his life.

  And never once had she shown any sign of black magic. This woman didn’t act like one who had killed her father six months ago, then devoured his soul.

  Feeling a tug in his chest, Garreth loosened his hold on her shoulders. Tipping her chin up, he met her gaze. “Thank you for saving me. Again.”

  A blush stained her cheeks rosy. She tried pulling away, but he didn’t allow it. Finally, she replied, “You saved me as well. If the dryads had got me to one of the trees…”

  “Where did they come from?” He’d only seen a few in his life, as the species was dying out like most magical creatures. Yet today, there’d been so many.

  “The master,” she whispered, breaking his hold and turning back to stoke the fire.

  “Tell me who that is.” When she remained silent, he added, “Please?”

  * * *

  She looked at him wide-eyed, her lower lip trembling. She didn’t understand his gentleness.

  He was a hunter. Men such as him were few, rare because of the hardness they carried inside. They didn’t question orders, they just followed them.

  So why wasn’t he chaining her up?

  “Neither of us wants to do this, but it is past time.” His gruff voice was a mixture of the bounty hunter and her lover.

  Anna shrugged, wanting to draw back, but he still wouldn’t let her go. Resigned, she took a deep breath and answered, “What do you need to know?”

  “Tell me about the master and your father.”

  Tears sprung to her eyes, a lump building in her throat as she pictured her papa. She didn’t know where to begin, so she started at the beginning. “When I was two, mi madre disappeared. Me and mi padre travelled the states, searching for her. He had connections to deep magic, and creatures hidden in shadow. When I was ten, Papa heard a horrible rumor that she was alive, being held by a deranged mage using her magic for black purposes.”

  She shivered, fear and pain creeping through her. Garreth’s radiating warmth filled her with a tiny bit of comfort. She tried to continue, but her voice cracked.

  He drew her into his arms, leaning her head against his chest. “I’m here.”

  Swallowing, she tried to relax, leaning into him, feeling his strength around her, his heartbeat thumping beneath her ear.

  “It took us two years to find her. I don’t even know how we got to the castle, but one night, beneath a full moon, I woke up in the back of our truck and it was just there. My papa left me and Wolf behind, but I snuck in after him.”

  Anna tried to push back the memories of the dank, dusty smell of stone, tinged with the coppery stench of blood. She’d crept down the dark halls, straining to hear her papa’s footsteps. Then, the silence was broken by his earsplitting shriek. Rage, pain, the sound nearly broke her heart.

  “We found my mama,” she whispered, the tears escaping down her cheeks. “Only it was a trap and she was dead.”

  Garreth’s arms tightened around her, and he began rocking her side to side.

  “The mage, master as he had us call him, stole her powers and her soul. My father fought, but there were too many. Young and stupid, when he fell I raced to his side. We were both captured.”

  “How long were you in that place?” Garreth asked softly, rubbing her back, his arms still protectively surrounding her.

  “Years, all mostly a blur. The master used both of us, cultivating our powers and draining some when he needed to.” She shuddered, glancing up to meet Garreth’s gaze. “It was magic stolen from me that helped entrance your brother Eric. I’m so sorry.”

  Garreth tensed and she readied for him to push her away, but he only hugged her tighter.

  The tears became a torrent and she sobbed, “The master was going to kill me. We heard the whispers. He could get more power from my soul than my living form. My papa used the
last of his strength to force his magic into me. Then he attacked the master, giving me time to flee. That was the last time I saw him, fighting for my life.”

  Wracked with sobbing, she couldn’t go on. The memories were too clear, too painful. The doubts and recriminations her constant companions. If she had turned back, maybe…

  “I should have saved him, instead of allowing him to give me his last bit of strength along with his powers.” Blinking, she glanced up at Garreth, knowing the comfort was about to end. “And now, in the forest, my father’s magic burst free when I helped you. It burned, hurting as it joined with my own magic. I am now corrupt, an Other.”

  He barked a laugh. “Darling.” His arms tightened as he pulled her closer. “An Other is a black dragon. Look at yourself. You have committed no evil.”

  “But my papa’s powers—”

  “No. Only by theft can one become corrupt with dark magic. Your father gave you a gift. It was his dying wish you be free, you live. That is a father’s love.”

  Sniffling, she risked a peek up at him. Garreth was serious, and truth radiated from his confident voice.

  She wasn’t sure she believed.

  Slowly, Anna drew the locket out from beneath her shirt. The warmth of the necklace comforted her, like always. But it was never enough. She opened the clasp and turned the two pictures toward Garreth, trying not to see them herself. It would only make the pain worse.

  Not that she couldn’t picture both her mama and papa clearly in her mind.

  “Mi madre, just before she disappeared,” she said, choking on the words.

  The woman had been beautiful, long red hair, tiny of stature, kind green eyes.

  “And your father?” Garreth asked.

  “Si.” He’d been a wonderful man, always making her laugh even in the deepest, darkest, scariest night.

  “I’m sorry,” Garreth whispered, tugging her close as she slipped the locket back beneath her shirt. He rubbed her back, chin on her head. She welcomed his comforting touch, laying her head against his chest and listening to the rhythmic sound of his heartbeat.

  Inside her dragon stirred.

  Hot magic welled inside her as the mating burn flooded through her body. Garreth’s touch, comforting just a second ago, became sensuous. Though she still felt the cold, her blood turned to fire.

  She didn’t want comfort. She wanted the very heat of life. She wanted this man.

  His hand drifted down her back, caressing the curve of her ass.

  She stared into his dark blue gaze, seeing his own exhaustion replaced by the burning. But this time, for both of them, it wasn’t just the mating magic, but the fact they’d triumphed and survived the attack.

  Though he was here to drag her before the council, like some criminal, it didn’t seem to matter.

  She needed to run, before the master sent more creatures after her. But she didn’t care. Not at the moment.

  There was only this man, his eyes bright with desire, and the burning lust inside her.

  “Shower. Hot water,” she said shakily, knowing her thought process would not clear until she’d warmed up. Slowly, she got to her feet and took his hand, drawing him up and wrapping her arms around his waist. His heartbeat thumped faster.

  “My job…”

  “Will still be there when we’re done,” she whispered. “Later, we can figure this all out. Right now, I need you.”

  She needed the comfort of his touch, of his loving. Her heart was so sore, she needed this man to remind her she was still alive.

  Pulling back, she undid the buttons of his cold wet shirt and pushed it off his shoulders. Leaning closer, she lightly bit his shoulder, then turned and headed for her bedroom. At the door, she glanced back and winked.

  Chapter Eight

  Garreth stood in the living room, her scent wrapping around him, enflaming his senses. He should push all thoughts of making love to her away. She was his quarry. His job as a bounty hunter stated strictly there would be no fraternizing with anyone brought in.

  Never one to cross that line before, he wasn’t sure if he could stop himself this time. He didn’t want to stop. His dragon claimed this woman was to be their mate. The magical burning inside did as well.

  He took a step toward the bedroom.

  Knowing the ravaging of his body, the pain, he’d experienced out in the forest, had cracked some of his normal barriers didn’t seem to matter. It wasn’t like him, yet he didn’t care.

  His heart beat quickly as he inhaled, drawing her scent in deep. His cock strained against the icy wetness of his jeans, but he didn’t want to rush after her. Not yet.

  Tonight, he was going to love this woman slowly. The frackin burn could just wait for its fulfillment.

  The thought stopped him in his tracks as he realized he didn’t just want to fuck Anna. It went much deeper than such a surface thing. Besides, did it really matter he’d been tasked with bringing her in?

  She was not guilty.

  Garreth had read her as she told her story. Her words had all been true. Her only crime was misfortune, the evil done to her and her family. She was an innocent victim.

  And the darkness which had caused her pain was still after her.

  He knew only one other thing for sure.

  This woman, this innocent, was his.

  * * *

  Anna shivered as she leaned into the wide marble-tiled shower and turned on the water. It shot from two high heads, as well as six jets on either side. Adjusting the temperature, she made sure it wasn’t too hot. At least, not until the ice encasing her veins had melted a little.

  From the doorway, Garreth cleared his throat. Slowly, Anna turned to face him. His gaze burned, serious and intense. The sensation of being watched, of being prey, was back. But this time didn’t feel quite the same.

  He was no longer a hunter who wanted to capture or contain her. No, now his gaze spoke of hunger. Garreth stalked toward her, his eyes devouring, his very presence consuming. And in his gaze was also a tinge of some deeper feeling.

  It scared her all the more.

  Slowly, he stripped his clothes then stood naked before her, his pito proudly jutting from the nest of black curls. His skin was still a bluish-white, but his length a deep purple, a drop of glistening come on the tip.

  Almost reverently, he approached her, a crooked, boyish smile on his wide lips. He stopped only inches away. “Are you going to help me get warm?” he asked.

  Unable to speak past the emotional lump and the raging lust, she nodded.

  Garreth slid his hands down her sides, tugging her shirt up, over her head. His swift intake of breath told her he enjoyed the sight of the sapphire lace bra against her pearly skin. She’d always loved the color. Yet now, it seemed to have more significance as her blue dragon trailed his palms over the mounds of her breasts, his thumbs flicking her stiffening nipples.

  He moved down to the button of her jeans, easily undoing the wet fabric, then tugged them open. Panic hit and she found herself gripping his wrists, not letting him pull her pants down.

  Garreth glanced up at her, his gaze soft. “What’s wrong?”

  “I… I’m not exactly…”

  Compassion filled his eyes. He gently removed her hold and tugged her pants down.

  She nibbled her lip, glancing away as the scars on her left leg were revealed. Garreth removed her pants, trailing his hands up the sides of her legs. He didn’t flinch at touching the scars on her leg.

  “Tell me how it happened,” he said softly.

  Refusing to look at him, she swallowed the pain in her chest and haltingly said, “I have always been too stubborn for my own good. I was branded in two parts, the first time for refusing an order, the second for trying to help another escape.”

  “The master did this.” It was a statement, not a question.

  But what surprised her was the emotion in his voice. Slowly, catching a scrap of courage, she finally looked at him.

  There was no disgust or p
ity, only compassion. He kissed her hip, then trailed his lips along the dragon tattoo on her thigh.

  “You… you do not m-mind?” she stuttered.

  “You are so beautiful,” Garreth whispered huskily as he ran his hand along her scars. The light shining in his eyes was pure appreciation.

  Something deep inside her, a dark thing she’d never even known she carried, burst free and drifted from her. Her heart seemed to expand, to fill with an ache of longing. This man accepted her.

  Too many times she’d seen disgust on the faces of those visiting the master’s chambers. So much so that he’d thankfully stopped dragging her out of the dungeon and to his rooms when others were there.

  Garreth leaned forward, rubbing his forehead on her stomach, inhaling as if his dragon was catching, nay, memorizing her scent. The scruff on his chin rasped her skin, sending shivers down her weakening legs. His hands clasped her ass a second before he sucked her clit into his mouth, panties and all. The thrilling electrical sparks shot through her blood, pulsing with desire.

  She moaned, her hands grasping at his long, tangled black hair. She needed him filling her, joining and completing her. Easing the ache of the burning that was spreading rapidly through her body, turning the ice into fire.

  He eased a finger beneath her underwear, playing with her. His face pushed against her clit, alternately flicking his tongue and sucking her into his mouth.

  Slowly, he tugged her underwear down her legs, holding her steady as she stepped out of them. On his knees, Garreth moved her back to lean against the counter. He pushed her legs apart as his hot mouth covered her mound once more.

  The desire rushing through her heated blood, the pleasure zinging along her nerves, set her on fire. The burn consumed her.

  Garreth licked her up and down, easing his tongue inside her core, then teasingly moving to press it against her clit. He slid a finger deep inside her, working in and out, as his mouth bathed her with wet heat.

  Inside, her dragon writhed in happiness at the presence, and the pleasure given by, their mate. This was what had been missing from life. Not just companionship of another, but the comfort and feeling of home, of belonging, of being protected, that this man provided.