by Anya Nowlan
She reached up, balancing herself on his biceps, her lips hungry for a kiss. He gave in without question, and when he kissed her, the world seemed to truly disappear around them. The rain was forgotten, as was the wind, and all she could feel was the most blissful heat that seemed to fill her completely and wrap her in a cocoon of safety and happiness.
“Yes,” she whispered breathlessly when the kiss ended, rain trickling down both their faces. “Yes, I will stay.”
“That’s all I needed to hear,” Donovan said with a grin, hugging her tight.
Funny how sometimes it took near-death to show what really mattered in life, and how easy it was to overcome things when there was something worth fighting for on the other side.
Epilogue
Donovan
“It’s gorgeous,” Pearl gasped, walking next to Donovan, her hand on Ares’.
“It really is something,” Ares agreed, giving Donovan a nod of his head.
“Thank you. I could not have done it without Sabrina,” Donovan said, pulling his mate closer to him.
“Right, because I know anything about antique furniture or art,” Sabrina scoffed as they strolled through Snarling Dragon Manor, showing their guests the freshly redecorated rooms.
“I would never have taken on this project without you, you know that,” Donovan said lightly, planting a kiss on the top of Sabrina’s head.
Fires were burning in all the hearths, and the house that had seemed so forgotten and gloomy a year ago was now filled with light, warmth and happiness. The Goldplains had been the first to arrive, though Donovan was expecting most of Shifter Grove to show up within the next few hours. Who would want to miss a Halloween party in the premiere haunted house in Idaho, after all?
Well, that was probably only a part of the appeal. Seeing the lord of the house had to have been a big piece of it as well, along with enjoying a good party. It would be the first time that Donovan Silvertip would open his house and home to the community and indeed meet most of them as well.
It had been a fantastic year for Donovan. Not only had Sabrina agreed to move to Shifter Grove and settle in with him, he had also learned that there was more to life than simply hiding away in the darkness of his beloved lair. Slowly but surely, he had begun rebuilding the manor itself, as well as meeting the people that made up Shifter Grove in all its glory.
The latter had taken considerable coaxing from Sabrina, and he had started slowly, only getting to know the men who had come to rebuild the road that led to the mansion, and then moving from there. But progress had been made, clearly evident in the fact that he was now throwing this party at his sanctuary.
“Oh, Sabrina, would you show me the nursery?” Pearl asked suddenly.
Donovan frowned for a moment, but a soothing squeeze from Sabrina wiped that emotion from his expression. He was still, and likely would always be, very guarded with most of his emotions and what was going on with his family and work, but Sabrina had shown him that he didn’t need to expect the worst from the world.
Sometimes, a little bit of trust could lead to good things.
“I thought we were keeping that to ourselves until the wedding, my little one,” Donovan commented with a slight smile.
“Right, like you could hide a dragon pregnancy from another dragonkin mother,” Pearl said with a snort as she took Sabrina’s hand. “Come now before the others get here!”
Sabrina mouthed a quick ‘I’m sorry!’, followed by an ‘I love you!’ with a beaming smile over her shoulder at Donovan before scampering off with Pearl.
I love you too, Donovan thought, allowing himself a smile.
Words that he thought he would never speak to anyone a year ago had become commonplace, comfortable and familiar to him now. It felt good.
The nursery was on the second floor, but the men had returned to the main reception hall of the manor, the one that Sabrina had set up her little camp in the first time she’d come to the house.
Now, the room was restored to its former glory. The walls were covered in priceless paintings, many of which Donovan had brought up from the vaults. The floors had been buffed and waxed, the windows fixed and the furniture brought in once more. Of course, at the moment, the whole place was swarming with servants preparing plates of hors d’oeuvres and flutes of champagne.
“I think this might be the fanciest party we’ve ever had in Shifter Grove,” Ares remarked as he picked up two glasses from a waiter skittering by them, handing one to Donovan.
“Definitely for Halloween,” Donovan said, accepting the glass with a nod. “But I think what you meant to say was that this is the most dragon party we’ve had in Shifter Grove.”
Ares met his grin, and they clinked their glasses before both taking a sip.
A year ago, a whiff of the man’s scent had sent Donovan snarling and his dragon thrashing. And now he welcomed him in his house. How the times changed.
There was a kind of kinship between the two dragons. Though they both protected their hoard and would never allow the other to even catch a sight of it, aside from that, they’d become… well, friends. Another concept that had been alien to Donovan before Sabrina had waltzed into his life and changed everything for the better.
It helped that he was now only days away from making Sabrina his wife and binding her to him for life. Though there was no doubt in his mind that she was already his, completely and truly, it could only be sealed when that dragon stone around her neck was turned into a precious jewel and his hoard was made as much hers as it was his.
He couldn’t wait.
“Are you sure you’re ready to deal with all of Shifter Grove in your home?” Ares asked after a moment, hearing the sound of the first trucks arriving in front of the manor.
“Well, as long as I can observe them from a distance when need be, I think I can handle it,” Donovan said with a slight smirk.
“What do you mean?” Ares asked with a frown.
Instead of answering, Donovan pulled the mask that he had kept tucked in his hair over his face. The black and silver swirls hid his eyes and most of his features, leaving only his strong chin and thin smile to identify him.
“Ah, that would explain it,” Ares chuckled, pulling on his as well.
What better time to get acquainted with all of Shifter Grove than during a masquerade ball.
Not all steps had to be big ones, after all. Some things could be tackled piece by piece, and while Donovan Silvertip still had days when he wanted to throw his mate over his shoulder and hide away underneath the mountain, he knew that he was far happier now than he had ever hoped to be. Embracing change came with that, for better or for worse.
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Shifter Grove Brides: Books 1-6 Bundle
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The Great Disapurrance
Don’t miss the excerpt of Anya’s next book, Bear My Heir, on the next page!
Bear My Heir Excerpt
“You know you’re playing with fire, right?” he asked casually, flicking a look at Dice that the werebear met with a nod.
“I know. But I don’t think they’ll be the ones I really need to worry about.”
“I think you’re right about that,” Thor said with a wink. “I think your girlfriend’s about to get here.”
Dice heard it too now, the ominous rattle of two large vehicles drudging through the jungle. His stomach twisted and he must have looked like a lovesick puppy there for a moment, because when Thor turned around to go stalk after the wolves, Dice heard a very obvious chucle pa
ss over his lips.
The twins might think they’re all that, both sets, but it’s fucking Thor who could drop me like a rock from a mile away, Dice thought, watching the man leave before turning his attention back to the narrow road leading into the compound.
His heart thudded in his chest as the cars arrived, parking right in front of him. When the door to the first one opened, Dice thought he wouldn’t be able to find any words to speak ever again.
It was her. It was Meredith.
And she was alive. And she was here.
“Meredith,” he whispered, staring at her dumbly while she seemed to be doing much the same in response.
What’s a man supposed to do when he’s reunited with a woman he thought he lost five years ago? Whatever it was, Dice couldn’t quite wrap his mind around it, so he did the one thing that felt natural. He walked over to her, pulled her out of the car and into his arms and kissed her like she was the only oxygen he could ever breathe again.
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Shifter Squad Six: Complete Series
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Hearts Laid Bear
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This anthology of bestselling shifter shorts includes the following books:
The Mate
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Outcast's Claim
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About the Author
Anya Nowlan is a USA Today Bestselling Author who loves sex and writing about it. The sexier and naughtier the better. She mostly writes paranormal and fantasy erotic shorts, focusing on shifters and their lucky mates. Her stories are bite-sized, just what you need to soothe that craving for brave women and growly alphas with a big side-order of smutty sex.
Anya lives in Boston with her boyfriend and several dogs of varying sizes and levels of mischief. She can't go through a day without chocolate and has an unhealthy addiction to purses, but every girl is allowed her little vices, right?
If you have enjoyed her shorts or want to just shoot the breeze a little, don't hesitate to contact Anya via e-mail: [email protected]
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