Alpha Devotion: Paranormal Romance Collection

by Lola Gabriel

  “This wasn’t at all what I expected it to be,” she admitted and turned to Dax.

  “I know. It didn’t always look like this.”

  “What did it look like?” she asked.

  “Exactly how you expected it to be,” he said.

  “You did all this for me?”

  “Not only for you, Becca. I had to get myself together, you know. My whole life was a reckless mess, and meeting you changed my whole outlook on life,” he said and took her hand. He led her to the hallway and opened the door to his right. He reached for the light switch to flick it on.

  Becca’s jaw dropped as she stepped into the room and stared around her. The room was painted in a light grey and peach color, and it was fully equipped with a white sleigh crib, a rocking chair, and everything she could possibly think of for the perfect nursery. Tears filled her eyes, and she turned to Dax.

  “This is beautiful,” she whispered.

  “So, you like it?” he asked.

  She nodded as a tear ran down her cheek. “I love it. It’s perfect.”

  “I thought that maybe, if you wanted to, you could move in here with me. But only if you’re ready. I want you to know that I am fully committed to you and our child, and I will do everything in my power to keep you safe,” Dax said. He took her hand in his, the warmth of his skin sending shivers of delight through her body. “I just want to be everything you want and deserve.”

  “Dax.” Becca squeezed his hand, bringing it up to her chest, and pressed it against her heart. “I never wanted you to change into the man you thought I deserved, because you already were the man I had always wanted. I just didn’t know it yet, but now I do.”

  “I love you, Becca. From the moment I saw you, and until the day I breathe my last breath.”

  “I love you, too, Dax,” Becca said breathlessly.

  “There’s something I need to show you.”

  “What else is there to show me?” she asked.

  “Well, there was something that Mira said that really bothered you. Do you remember that?”

  “Apart from the fact that you used to have sex a lot before I came along,” she muttered.

  “Yeah, I probably should have mentioned that.”

  “Look, Dax, it doesn’t matter. It’s over. She’s dead, and now we can just go on with our lives,” Becca said.

  “I agree,” he whispered and let go of her body. “But there is just this one little thing.”

  Becca watched him as he stepped away, and she followed him apprehensively down the hallway. It was only when she walked into the large and warm living area that she noticed the file on the coffee table. Her blood ran cold in her veins, and she froze. “Is that my file?”

  “Yeah. Lucinda found it in the trash and gave it to me. She really wanted you to read it,” he replied.

  Becca moved closer to the table and noticed that the seal had been broken.

  “You read it?” Dax nodded wordlessly and slowly approached her. “I guess it’s okay.” She motioned to the file. “May I?”

  “Of course.”

  Becca walked to the couch, sat down, and picked up the file. She opened it and started to read. She read the names of her parents, Annabeth and William Dillon. Before she could read anything else, she lowered the file and shook her head. “I want to hear it from you.”

  Dax frowned, but he nodded, respecting her wishes, and sat beside her on the couch. “Your father was the son of King Timothy of Plymouth. Prince William of Plymouth. Your mother became a princess when they Bonded. They fell in love instantly and until the day they took their last breath.”

  “I know,” Becca said, her voice small. “I watched them die. There were two men who found them hiding in the reeds, and they drowned them. I was hiding, like my mother told me to, quiet as a mouse, and I watched everything.”

  “Becca, I am so sorry.”

  “Wait, so I’m the daughter of a prince?” Becca asked with a gasp.

  “That you are. You were found by—”

  “A group of women. They rescued me from the water. I was cold and shivering. I never understood why they didn’t kill me, too.”

  “Women were not allowed to kill.”

  “That doesn’t make any sense. What did they do to me then?” she demanded.

  “Nothing. They fed you and kept you dry and warm. You were the dochka knyazya, the daughter of the prince, and royalty should always be treated with respect.”

  “They didn’t extend the same courtesy towards my mother and father, though.”

  “You bore the mark of royalty,” Dax explained, “on your arm.”

  Becca lowered her gaze and noticed the two silver faded lines on her arm. She was under the impression those had been attained by an injury when she was young, not a mark that proved that she was in fact the daughter of a prince. Upon closer and longer inspection, Becca suddenly realized that the vertical line, splitting into two line in the shape of a ‘Y,’ had been in the artwork on the walls of her nursery. It was hidden in plain sight, but also very obvious if known. Becca’s jaw dropped.

  “I never even knew. They sacrificed their lives for me, and I didn’t even have the courage to open this stupid file to get to know them. They must be so disappointed,” Becca mumbled.

  Dax moved closer to her and placed his arms around her. “That is not true, Becca. Your mother and your father are very proud of you, and if they were here, they’d definitely tell you that.”

  Becca’s eyes met his, swirling pools of blue. “I’m sorry that I pushed you away, that I was afraid to let you into my life and my heart. I knew the things I had done in my past were terrible and unforgivable and that I deserved every bit of anguish I felt in that dungeon. Do you want to know something crazy, though?”

  “What?” he asked, the corners of his mouth already curling up slightly.

  “The only thing that kept me alive and sane through all that pain and terror was the thought of you, Dax. Deep down inside, I knew that you would find me, and you wouldn’t let anything happen to me.”

  “To either of you.”

  “You knew before you came to find me?” she asked.

  “I did. I heard it from Lucinda, and she told me that you didn’t want me to find you. You were leaving to figure your life out and didn’t want me to know,” he answered.

  “I am so sorry about that. I couldn’t think clearly. I was scared and I convinced myself that you wouldn’t want anything to do with me, or with the baby—”

  “How can you think that?” Dax’s expression saddened, and Becca felt her heart ache for him.

  “I know now that I was wrong. You’re the most amazing man I’ve ever met. You’re kind, and brave, and you sweep me right off my feet without even trying. I mean, you did all this—” She motioned around her at the apartment. “—for me, for us, for our future. It was unfair of me to ask you to prove your love and loyalty to me, because I felt it all along. From the very start.”

  “That information would have been handy a few months ago, you know,” Dax smirked.

  “I know, and I’m sorry,” she whispered.

  “I’ll forgive you, on one condition,” he said. He quickly added, “Not that my forgiveness is conditional.”

  Becca giggled and ran her fingers slowly through Dax’s hair. “Anything for you.”

  “Please stop apologizing. Especially in your head. You’re driving me crazy,” he chided her gently.

  Becca chuckled again. “Thank you for saving us, Dax. I know it was hard for you to Bond with someone, and I know that it’s scary, because I felt the same fear you did, but it’s going to be okay. You know how I know that?”

  “Because you said felt and not feel,” he pointed out.

  “Exactly,” she said and leaned in closer to him.

  Their lips met in a moment which Becca had waited for ever since the night at the cocktail lounge, but she had not imagined it would feel this good. Her senses were instantly heightened as she melted into Dax, their
hearts beating in unison, along with the heartbeat of their unborn baby.

  Epilogue

  One Year Later

  The snow-covered mountains which towered out before him were a breathtaking sight, and Dax couldn’t believe how fresh the air was around him, how free the open area made him feel.

  The New Horizons Mountain Retreat had been completed a week ago, and Becca had brought Dax and their daughter, Arya. Arya was wrapped warmly against Becca’s chest, with a warm hat covering her head. Becca glanced out at the complex of cabins before them, which resembled a small town, where the orphaned Gifted teenagers and children were carrying their luggage towards their new homes.

  Dax noticed a smile on her face, and her eyes glowed with pride. He, too, felt his chest inflate as he saw all the work and effort which had gone into making Becca’s dream a reality.

  After Dax had shown Becca the nursery he had put together for their baby, and how he had changed his entire apartment to make it homier, Becca had moved in with him. They had spent many evenings talking, getting to know one another, even though it felt like they had known one another their entire lives. Becca had shared the memories she had remembered while under the influence of the green stone, and Dax had listened tentatively and given her the support she’d needed.

  Dax placed his arm around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head. “This place is amazing, Becca.”

  “It’s even better than I imagined it would be,” she sighed joyfully. “Thank you for your help, Dax.”

  “No, you shouldn’t thank me. This was all you, Princess.”

  Becca smiled at him and shrugged her shoulders.

  “Your ability is really starting to shine through,” he whispered to her. “I never knew you could even do that.”

  She beamed at him. “I am capable of so much more than you think, Daxard Veskovic.”

  Dax cringed. “I hate it when you call me by my full name.”

  “I know,” she laughed. “But it’s who you are, and you’re simply amazing. I couldn’t imagine my life without you or this little princess right here.”

  “She has your eyes,” Dax said with a smile and touched Becca’s cheek. “And I hope she has your heart.”

  “Yours is pretty great, too, you know,” Becca said with a wink.

  “That because of you,” he stated.

  “How?”

  “You know how,” he said simply.

  Truth be told, after Arya had been born, Becca’s hidden ability had finally surfaced. It had been there all along, but having Arya and experiencing unconditional love had made it resurface.

  Becca, being the daughter of one of the kindest and generous princes in the entire world, had inherited the ability to change the hearts of even the most stubborn and cold people in the world. She had changed Dax’s heart so much without really changing it at all.

  Dax was a gentle and caring child, but his circumstances and the way he had experienced the world had hardened his heart. Becca had broken down those walls he had spent so many centuries building around himself, revealing his true nature.

  A wonderful man.

  A dedicated father.

  A loving husband.

  And the best version of himself, because not only did Becca and Arya deserve the best version of himself; so did Dax.

  Boss Dragon

  Dragon Curse of Lunca

  Boss Dragon

  Text Copyright © 2019 by Alexis Davie

  All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictionally. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or to actual events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  First printing, 2019

  Publisher

  Secret Woods Books

  info@secretwoodsbooks.com

  www.SecretWoodsBooks.com

  1

  Present Day

  Auckland, Australia

  The exhilaration of flying was very much overrated. Flying through the clouds, seeing the world down below in its miniature form, was breathtaking to say the very least. It was even more exhilarating for Oryn, as he felt the wind on his face, and the clean fresh air filled his lungs.

  His large green wings shimmered in the sunlight, a wingspan like no other dragon he knew of, stretched out at his flanks, slicing the clouds into multiple smaller specks. After reaching his desired altitude, he dove down towards the water, his speed increasing every moment. Close to the water’s edge, he swooped up, missing the water by mere inches. He lowered his head, his green eyes glowing contently as his scaly feet skimmed the water of the South Pacific Ocean.

  Every other morning, he made a point of flying out into the blue skies, away from any form of human life. He considered this his private time, to reflect, to soothe himself, and to prepare for yet another day between the mortals. It was time where he could be himself, his true self, without being prosecuted or shot down.

  Sadly, Oryn knew exactly what humans were capable of doing to dragons and to any immortal being. He had heard horror tales of immortals who had been experimented on and ultimately tortured to death. It was not a fate Oryn wished for anyone.

  He did not despise the entire human race; that was completely irrational, and he was well aware that there were in fact honest and good humans. They were simply hard to find.

  His mother, the Dragon Queen, Liris Veskovic, had taught him to treat people with respect, and if it was not reciprocated, he would treat them as they treated him. Or better yet, he cut them out of his life without feeling a shred of remorse. Oryn was done with toxic people in his life, having had a vast experience with those kinds of relationships. He had also spent too many nights wondering what people thought of him, before he realized their opinions of him did not matter in the least.

  Oryn was the oldest of the four Dragon Princes, and the most sensible as well. Overthinking was one of his favorite pastimes, but also his biggest vice. It seemed tedious to his other brothers, who were more impulsive than him, which made Oryn seem like the boring brother. Of course, he didn’t care much. He also didn’t understand why being steadfast, dependable, and responsible was boring. At least he didn’t set an entire village ablaze and burn it to the ground, leaving no survivors. That, of course, was a tale for a different day.

  Oryn flapped his magnificent wings, boosting him a few feet in the air, and gazed out at the endless waves in front of him. The freedom he felt was indescribable, and a part of him wished he could stay in his dragon form. This, obviously, wasn’t possible, being the owner and CEO of one of the largest data storage companies in the southern hemisphere.

  He recalled the days of his childhood flying across the Norwegian Sea, when there were no such things as radar and air control. It was just Oryn and his brothers.

  The four Dragon Princes had been scattered across the world during the last war, crippling the dragon population down to only a few hundred, the equivalent to a mass genocide that had occurred in the middle of the twentieth century. Yet another tragic event which could have been avoided if humans didn’t think they were smart enough to rule the world and play God.

  There were only a few remaining bloodlines left dating back to the Origin Era, when the princes had been born. Over the next five thousand years, their numbers had increased, but only three families had endured the First War. It was also the reason why Oryn and his family had had to leave their city, their home, and everything they cared about. They had had to go into hiding for a thousand years, and that experience had certainly humbled him.

  When humans began to multiply in great numbers, they soon figured out where the immortals hid and hunted them down. The shifters began to assume the shape of humans more permanently as a means for survival. It was de
vious to hide in plain sight from those who hunted them, but it was the only way. The immortals had inhabited the lands first, and they would never give up their territory, or their world, for the humans, hence why they tried to live in peace with them.

  Oryn descended closer to the water as a strange pulse echoed through his mind. There was a ship nearby, and Oryn knew he had to turn back. He most definitely didn’t want to get spotted by a ship, although most people wouldn’t believe the tales of a dragon flying around the Pacific Ocean at dusk.

  The sun peaked over the horizon, setting the sky above him and the sea below him on fire, and he was drenched in orange and red. Again. Nostalgia hit the eldest prince like a tsunami, and he was overcome with emotions. He longed for his brothers’ company, even if they didn’t always see eye to eye. The four were very different, each one settled in their own corner of the world, for each other’s safety.

  It was told that once the four princes united, their powers would magnify at such an alarming rate that all forms of life would not stand a chance against them. His two youngest brothers, Dax and Nyx, were all for it, but being the sensible one, Oryn had politely declined and moved to New Zealand, where he was not only happy, but had the freedom to take to the seas whenever he wished. His mother insisted these tales were true, although Oryn was naturally inclined not to believe the old tales, except for the most famous tale of all.

  The curse of Rhaena the Wicked.

  He and his brothers had been cursed by the wicked sorceress. The curse was meant to last five thousand years, and in that time, the four brothers would not fall in love or find their True Mates. Cursed with a lonely life, the princes seemed to handle it well.