A tall, thin woman stepped through the doorway, a predatory smirk upon her face. She was followed by five men of varying heights and weights – the Shongtal apparently weren't picky when it came to picking the bodies they took control of. I supposed it didn't matter. Their power didn't come from the bodies, it came from them. They were infused with a demonic power that was frightening in its capacity for destruction.
“I'm feeling magnanimous tonight, Warden,” the woman said. “So, I'll give you one more opportunity. Give us the child and we'll be on our way. Nobody needs to die here tonight.”
She turned and looked back at the body of the man I'd run through and smirked.
“Well – nobody else, anyway,” she said.
With my free hand, I summoned as much energy as I could and flicked my wrist, sending two silver throwing stars at the men to her right. Both hit home, sinking deep into the flesh of the creatures. Both screamed and clutched their heads, but the damage was done. Red light burst from their eyes and they fell to the ground, as dead as the man in the hallway.
The woman looked at me and sighed, shaking her head. “It did not have to be this way, Warden.”
That left four of them. Still not great odds, but better than before. To nullify the advantage they had – as well as to prevent any of them from slipping down the hallway behind me – I stationed myself just inside the archway that led to the bedroom where Jessica was.
If they wanted her, they were going to have to go through me. A task that I'd just made a little more difficult by forcing them to fight me one-on-one.
They rushed at me, but because of the narrowness of the hallway, they had no choice but to wait their turn to get a shot at me. The first man stepped forward, a heavy broadsword in his hand. He raised it and brought it down in a murderous arc that surely would have split my head wide open. But I danced backward, just out of reach, and the edge of his blade buried itself in the wooden floor.
Before he was able to rip it free, I stepped forward and drove the point of my blade into the man's throat. His eyes opened wide and he opened his mouth to scream, but all that came out was a wet, gurgling sound. The red light erupted from his eyes as the demon inside of him died. I pulled my sword free and stepped back, allowing the body to slump to the floor.
“This is entertaining, but it's all for nothing, Warden,” the woman called to me. “I will only summon more of my warriors.”
“Then summon them,” I said. “I can do this all night.”
The man before me moved aside and I wasn't able to react in time. A knife shot out of the darkness of the living room, burying itself up to the hilt in my side. I grunted in pain as the blade tore through my flesh. I felt warm blood rolling down my body and then felt that something was wrong. My skin burned and there was a strange sensation coursing through my body.
“In case you wondered,” the woman said. “The blade of that dagger was coated in a rare poison. It's deadly to the Dragonborn. Or so I'm told. You'll have to tell me if that's true or not.”
“W – where did you get it?” I gasped.
It had been only moments, but I was already feeling lightheaded, my vision starting to blur and grow fuzzy around the edges. I tried to shift into my dragon form – an act of sheer desperation – but found that I couldn't. Whatever the poison was, it had me locked in my human skin.
“Doesn't matter where I got it,” she said. “It only matters that it's effective. And judging by the amount of sweat pouring off you, I'd say it is.”
I was dying. There really was no other way around it. I felt my body growing weaker with each passing second. Knowing that I was about to die, I wanted to see Jessica one last time. I stumbled back to the bedroom door, barely strong enough to hold onto my sword. When I got to the doorway, I threw it open, stepping inside clumsily, and then closed and locked the door behind me.
The Shongtal were in no hurry – they knew they'd won.
I sat down on the edge of the bed, swaying and unsteady. Jessica looked at me with tears in her eyes. She knew what was about to happen.
“I – I'm sorry,” I said. “I tried to protect you and I failed.”
She laid her hand against my cheek and through her tear stained face, gave me a small smile. “You did not fail, my love,” she said softly. “And if this is how it has to be, at least we'll be together at the end.”
Her strength and courage, even in the face of her own looming death, set a fire in my belly. I may not have much longer in this world, but I was going to make the Shongtal pay. I leaned forward and kissed Jessica, knowing it would be the very last time our lips met.
Standing up, I waited. The Shongtal were gathered on the other side of the door. More had come and they crowded into the hallway beyond the door. I could feel their dark malevolence growing and multiplying.
But I had a surprise for them.
Using as much strength as I could muster, I raised my arms, summoning the lightning outside. I spoke a few words of an incantation I knew and outside, the thunder boomed with the intensity of a cannon. It was what came next though, that brought a smile to my face.
I closed my eyes and I could sense the bolt of lightning as it shot out of the clouds overhead, streaking for the apartment. It came through the blown-out windows and straight down the hallway – incinerating the bodies of the Shongtal standing outside my door. At least, some of them. And judging by the intensely agonized screaming I heard coming from the hallway, that bolt of lighting had done damage to a good number of them.
It wouldn't kill them, but it would ruin the bodies they'd stolen enough that they have to go and find another.
The bedroom door burst inward and the woman stood there, clearly unamused. Half of her face was scorched and the smell of burnt flesh accompanied her. Three or four of her minions crowded into the room behind her.
I looked to Jessica and found that rather then terror, her face was set in an expression of grim determination and resolve. She clutched the swaddled bundle to her chest protectively, as if she was daring any of the Shongtal to take it from her.
And when one of the woman's minions reached for Jessica, she buried her silver dagger into his chest. The demon screamed and fell dead upon the bed, the red light in its eyes fading to nothingness. The woman looked at Jessica and then at me, slightly annoyed, slightly amused.
“Your woman is feisty,” she said. “I like that. But it's time to end this game.”
She turned and in one smooth motion, drew and hurled a dagger that hit Jessica in the forehead with a loud thump, the blade burying itself deep. I watched in horror as Jessica – the love of my life – slumped backward on the bed, her eyes rolled back, her mouth hanging open. She was dead. Gone. Forever.
I screamed out and using the last of my strength, raised my sword as the woman grabbed hold of the bundle in Jessica's arms. Two of her minions stepped forward and drove their swords into my midsection. Their steel hissed as it entered my body and I groaned in agony. I used the life force within me to charge myself, sending a bolt of electricity up through the swords, electrocuting both of the Shongtal fighters. They screamed and flew backwards, hitting the floor with a thud.
The woman though, howled in rage as she realized that she'd been duped. The bundle she'd taken from Jessica contained nothing more than another blanket. I smiled wide, knowing that my child was out of her reach, gone with Chelsea just as I'd instructed.
I'd failed in my duty to protect Jessica, but at least I'd managed to protect my child – and protect the world I'd sworn to serve by denying the Shongtal. It was the one thing I took comfort in as I felt my life force ebbing.
The last thing I saw was the woman turn to me, rage flashing through her eyes as she approached, the light in the room glinting off the edge of her blade.
Chapter Two
Astrid
Present Day...
I set the alarm and exited my shop, locking the door behind me before closing and locking the gate . You could never be too careful, after all. Though
a bookstore wasn't the likeliest of targets for would-be thieves, you just never knew.
My bookstore – The Attic – had been open for a little over a year now, and it was doing pretty well. It encouraged me – and made me happier than I could say – that people still seemed to love the written word. Books were my life. Always had been. Within the pages of a good book, I could lose myself for hours, traveling to faraway worlds, meeting brave and dashing strangers, and having grand adventures.
Basically, within the pages of a book, I found lives that were everything my own life was not.
(Continued in Saved by a Dragon…)
United States
Other Countries
The doorways stand between two worlds – do they hold the keys that will unlock their survival as well as their passion?
Astrid lives a normal, unremarkable life. She owns and operates a bookstore, has a small circle of friends, and avoids social interaction like the plague. She's alone most of the time, but that's how she likes it. It's routine, there are no unexpected surprises – or chances of being hurt.
All of that changes though, when a chance encounter with a mysterious man turns her world upside down. Suddenly, nothing is routine and unexpected surprises are the norm.
Quint is a Dragonborn Warden, a guardian and protector of humanity. He takes his job as a sacred responsibility and is single-minded in his determination to wipe out the evil Shongtal where ever he finds them.
But when he meets Astrid, he begins to change. His priorities begin to change That singlemindedness slowly gives way to something else within him.
Astrid and Quint stir something deep within one another and it's a primal call that neither can deny – nor do they want to. But will they survive the coming fight to indulge in those primal passions that have set their minds and bodies ablaze?
Saved by a Dragon features a curvy redhead who comes into her own, becoming a regular spitfire and a tall, built Dragonborn shifter – both with a hunger for passion and insatiable desires.
This book is a standalone, no cheating, no cliffhangers, and a guaranteed happy ending!
United States
Other Countries
Loved by a Bear (Sample)
Prologue
The man took a seat at the counter of the roadside diner. It was late, there was a chill in the air, and it had been drizzling on and off all day long. In other words, just another typical day in the Pacific Northwest. But he was used to it. As a truck driver, he'd made the run up and down through Washington, Oregon, and California more times than he could count.
But in all his trips up and down the West Coast, he hadn't ever passed through Black Salmon Falls before. He was on his way to Olympia and this popped up as a shortcut that would save him a few hours. So, the man, always looking to do less work than necessary, decided to give it a shot.
“What can I get you?”
The man looked up from the menu at the cute, perky little waitress who was husting over to where he was sitting.
“They got you workin' late,” he said.
She shrugged. “It's quiet,” she said. “Gives me time to do some homework.”
The man nodded and looked the girl up and down. She was pretty – had a wholesome look to her, with her long blonde hair and milky white skin. She probably wasn't more than nineteen or twenty. Fresh faced and with a girl next door appeal.
And the man was suddenly in the mood for something – it just wasn't for food.
But the man was subtle. Sly. He'd had more than enough practice over the years and all of his trips up and down the left side of the country to know that he needed to bide his time and wait for the opportune moment. He was patient and he was deliberate – skills he'd spent years honing.
“Homework, huh?” he asked. “What are you studying?”
She smiled and he thought it made her even prettier. “Nursing,” she said. “I want to be a nurse.”
The man nodded. “A nurse, huh?” he said. “I bet you'll make a good one too.”
The girl smiled and her cheeks colored. She had a sweet, quiet way about her. Definitely the girl next door type. Definitely his type. The man felt that familiar surge of energy in his body he got whenever he was on a hunt – whenever he found his quarry.
And he had definitely found his quarry.
“So, what can I get you?” she asked.
He sighed and looked at his menu. “I'll take some coffee. And give me the chicken fried steak special. Fries instead of mashed potatoes, and wheat toast, please.”
“Sounds good,” she said. “I'll go get your coffee right away.”
“Thank you –” he squinted and looked at her name tag, “Aubrey.”
She smiled at him. “Of course.”
The girl turned and punched his order into her computer. She was a good-looking girl and the man smiled to himself. He hadn't intended to stumble upon this little treasure trove, but he thanked his good fortune for it. He hadn't had a woman in a few weeks and he'd been feeling a little restless. Aubrey had come along at just the right time.
The man smiled to himself again – apparently, the gods were rewarding him. He wasn't sure what he was being rewarded for, but he'd take it.
She came back and set his mug of coffee down in front of him. “So, you just passing through?”
He nodded. “Yup, got a run up north a ways yet,” he replied. “Thought I'd stop in for a little fuel for the last push.”
“Good idea,” she said. “The last thing you want is to fall asleep on the road.”
“Yeah, tell me about it.”
She flashed him another smile and then turned and walked off. She checked on two guys at a table in the corner. He felt a surge of anger rush through him as she laughed and flirted with the two guys. The girl belonged to him. And he didn't like the way she was throwing herself at those two guys.
A few minutes later, she returned and set his plate down in front of him with a smile. “One chicken fried steak special.”
“Thanks,” he said and then looked over at the men in the corner booth. “You know those guys over there?”
“Yeah, they're regulars,' she said. “Local guys. They usually come in for pie and coffee a few nights a week.”
The man nodded and couldn't completely stuff down that surge of dark anger inside of him. “Yeah? So, which one you screwin'?” he asked. “Both of 'em?”
The girl froze in place and looked at him, eyes wide, her mouth agape. “Excuse me?”
“Just a question,” he said. “You seem pretty friendly with 'em. Pretty familiar.”
The girl let out a sound of disgust and turned away from him, storming off to the other end of the counter. It wasn't his smoothest move, but the man didn't care. She belonged to him. She was his property. And he didn't like the thought of his property being handled by anybody but him.
The man dug into his meal, keeping on eye on the girl, who was trying to concentrate on her books. But judging by the look on her face, she was having trouble doing it. He'd obviously rattled her. Which wasn't a bad thing. It was part of his routine – he usually just set it up a little bit better. But he relied on his quarry being rattled and upset. It clouded their thinking and kept them off balance.
And that was exactly how he wanted them. Needed them.
He drained the last of his coffee and raised his cup, indicating he wanted a refill. Still looking angry and upset, Aubrey closed her book, grabbed the coffee pot, and walked down to his place at the counter. She didn't smile, make eye contact, or speak to him as she refilled his mug.
“Listen,” he said. “I'm sorry about before. I just –”
“It's fine,” she said, her tone telling him it was anything but fine.
She turned to go, but he grabbed her by the wrist. She cried out in pain as he forced her to turn around and look at him.
“I'm trying to apologize,” he hissed. “The least you could do was have a little respect.”
“Please,” she said, strug
gling to break free of his grasp. “You're hurting me.”
“I said I was –”
The man stopped talking when a hand fell onto his shoulder, gripping him tightly. He turned and looked at the man whose hand was on him. Standing behind him were the two guys from the corner booth – the local boys. The two guys his property was probably banging like drums.
“There a problem here?” the guy with his hand on the man's shoulder asked.
“No problem,” the man replied. “Just trying to make a point.”
“Yeah, you can probably make your point without manhandling her,” he said and then in a tone practically dripping with ice, added, “so take your goddamn hands off of her. Now.”
The man looked at him, fighting back the rage that was bubbling up inside of him. Now, was not the time to let it out. He'd be able to extract his pound of flesh later. On a field of his own choosing. He let go of Aubrey's wrist and she immediately held it close to her chest, rubbing it like it was sore.
“My apologies,” the man said. “It was a simple misunderstanding.”
“Yeah, well,” said the guy behind him, “I think it's time for you to go.”
“I haven't finished my meal yet,” he said.
“And you're not going to,” the guy said. “You can get another meal somewhere else down the road.”
The second man stepped in and took the plate off the counter, walking behind the counter and dropping it in a tub of dirty dishes with a loud clatter.
“Looks like you're done,” he said.
The man smirked and wiped his mouth off with his napkin. He didn't like the idea of being told he had to leave. But at the same time, he didn't want to make any more of a scene than he already had. He didn't want to be memorable. He'd let his temper get the best of him and now, discretion being the better part of valor, he knew he needed to retreat and regroup a little bit. Standing up, he reached into his pocket for his wallet.
“Don't worry about it,” the first guy said. “Your meal's on us. Just go.”
Married to a Dragon (No Such Thing as Dragons Book 4) Page 57