by Julia Mills
For the Love
of
Her Dragon
By Julia Mills
Copyright © 2014 Julia Mills
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 author except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or used in a fictional manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
NOTICE: This is an adult erotic paranormal romance with love scenes and mature situations. It is only intended for adult readers over the age of 18.
Edited by Lisa Miller, Angel Editing Services
Cover Designed by Linda Boulanger with Tell Tale Book Covers http://telltalebookcovers.weebly.com/
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Book #4. Who would’ve ever thought it possible? This has been an amazing ride and I look forward to even more fun and magic with the Dragon Guard and whoever else may make their presence known. None of it would have been possible without the amazing readers that took a chance on a new indie author who chose to write about dragon shifters of all things. Thank you for the bottom of my big ole southern heart – YOU ARE AMAZING!
A BIG HUGE THANK YOU goes to my beta readers, Tonya Allen, Cindy Barton, Charlene Bauer, Stacey Bradley, Karen Branch, Charlene Cain, Bonnie Dahl-Rediske, Tammy Hall, Lia Hearn, Rosemary Hendry, Rose Holub, Laurie Johnson, Rebecca Larsen, Debb LaVoie, Audi Lewis, Karen Mikhael, Lisa Miller, Kathy Moore, Susan Newman, MJ Prater, Anna Salamatin, Jacklynn Sizemore, Carrie The Book Fairy, Bridget Thomas-Parker, Cindy Turner, Sandy Elens Vogel, Janna Ward, Melanie Williams YOU ARE THE BEST!
Thank you to Linda Boulanger, who from my crazy character descriptions creates the most breathtaking covers I could ever imagine. She is magical! THANK YOU COVER MASTER!
Also by Julia Mills
~~~~~~~
Her Dragon to Slay, Dragon Guard Series #1
Her Dragon’s Fire, Dragon Guard Series #2
Haunted by Her Dragon, Dragon Guard Series #3
DEDICATION
You can do anything you put your mind to…All you have to do is BELIEVE!
Thank you, God.
To my girls, Liz and Em, I Love You. Every day, every way, always.
To Emma Edwards, the absolute best writing partner in the world. You are BEAUTIFULLY BRILLIANT in every way. Is it Wine Day yet?
To Charlene Bauer aka Bold, absolutely the best right hand anyone could ever ask for. She is my friend, my sounding board and cracks a mean whip. Thank you from the bottom of my heart! I couldn’t do it without you.
FOR THE LOVE OF HER DRAGON
Index of the Words of Love of Original the Dragon Kin
Drakes
Male Dragons
Vibrias
Female Dragons
Dragonettes
Young Dragons,
either male or female
Mo chroi
My Heart
Mo ghra’
My Love
Evgren
Sunshine
Ta’mo chroi
istigh ionat
My Heart Is
Within You
A Thaisce
My Treasure
M’Anamchara
Soul Mate
A Chumann
Sweetheart
M’Fhioghara’
Mate
Fi’orghra’
True Love
Table of contents
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
EPILOGUE
CHAPTER ONE
The sound of boots hitting the wet ground drew Royce to the mouth of the cave he had called home for the last thirteen days. In the distance, he could see his brother Rian, Head Elder of the Blue Thunder Clan of the Dragon Shifters and winner of Most Arrogant Brother of the Year one hundred and fifty years running, making his way towards him. His daily visits had grown old on day one and did little more than exponentially add to Royce’s nasty attitude. Deciding to prepare for the inevitable lecture, he moved back to his camp chair by the fire and stirred the logs in an effort to calm his turbulent mood. All was wasted when Rian called to him before he had even crossed the threshold, “So tell me little brother, how long are you going to hide in these caves?”
“Hide? What the hell are you talking about, Rian? I am not hiding,” Royce answered through gritted teeth, ignoring the ‘little brother’ dig. So what if the asshole was an inch taller and a year older, he had grown soft over the years and Royce had no doubt he could take him in a fight. The thought of using his pompous ass of an older brother’s face to work out some of his frustration almost brought a smile to his face.
“Aye, brother you are. You’re hiding from the wee lass with platinum curls and violet eyes,” Rian answered with a cocky grin that made Royce grit his teeth and the brogue of their ancestors.
“Damn you! Stay the hell outta my head!” Royce barely contained the roar he felt building.
“Tsk Tsk Tsk…did I hit a nerve?” Rian held up his hand to keep Royce from lashing out again. “If you don’t want the entire clan to see what you’re truly feeling towards the little witch, I suggest you learn to shield your thoughts while you sleep. It’s obvious that no matter how hard you fight it, the mating call has its hooks in you.” His brother raised one eyebrow and smirked, “At least I have the decency to block you out before your ‘hormones’ take over. I’m not sure the younger of the clan will be so courteous…should your thoughts reach them.”
Rian chuckled and Royce worked hard to control his temper. He was well aware of where his thoughts regarding Kyra went when he let his guard down. How could he not think of her in all the ways a dragon shifter was supposed to think of his mate? She was, after all, the One promised to him by the Universe. She was absolutely gorgeous. Yes, she was short, only five foot two, but she was a force unto herself. Her long platinum hair reached to her waist and was both straight and curly and seemed to just be shy of being tamed all the time. Her violet eyes were vibrant and expressive and held a wisdom that went beyond her age or her experience. She seemed to glow with energy and exuberance, and her heart seemed to lead her no matter the magical power she wielded. But that did not negate the fact that she was a witch, and no matter what he felt for the beautiful woman, he would not mate with her. She was witch! A fucking witch!
At first, he tried to justify it with the fact that Kyra’s father was human, which worked for about five seconds; just long enough for him to remember the other half of her lineage. The half that came from one of the most powerful and highly regarded white witches in all the world, mommy dearest, the Grand Priestess Calysta St. Croix. That alone gave her immense power. Power that crackled and sparked all around her. Power that he knew could twist and corrupt even the purest of hearts. Although, he had to admit, that he felt nothing but goodness and light in Kyra, and for a few brief hours every day when he was so tired he just dropped onto his pallet, his treacherous mind and heart imagined a life with her, but he knew there was no way he could trust it. Everything could change in the blink of an eye and he was not going to be caught unaware, not again. He would fight Fate with his last breath. A lonely, loveless life was better than living every day waiting for his mate to turn in to a power-hungry piece of tras
h that would slay all he held dear to gain the power she thought she deserved.
He shook himself from his thoughts. One glance at his brother and he knew Rian was just gearing up to spout more BS, and true to form, big brother did not disappoint. “Even if I hadn’t been able to see the turmoil in your head, I’ve had visits from Stefan. Not only is he the clan’s Spiritual Elder…you do remember that he’s also our uncle and the man who helped raise us after Mother’s death, do you not?”
“You know I really hate when you get the high and mighty ‘I’m the Head Elder’ tone in your voice, Ri. And you know damn good and well that I remember who he is and all that he’s done for us. That’s precisely the reason I wanted to talk to him. Stefan was there when mother and Rhianna were killed. He tried everything in his considerable power to keep our mother and sister with us. It was he that identified the spell Ilsa had been trying to work and sanctioned her execution when father was unable to do little more than breathe and grieve. Who better to know how I feel about witches than he?”
“That was a long time ago Roy and the Universe does not make mistakes…”
“SHUT THE HELL UP!” Royce roared, letting all the frustration, anger, and helplessness he felt at the cards Fate had dealt him freely flow.
For the first time that he could ever remember Rian just stood, staring…not speaking, not spouting pious recriminations, just waiting to see what would come next. It was something Royce had never experienced in his very long life; his brother was actually listening. Royce took a deep breath and began again, “I understand what a wondrous gift a mate is, but Kyra is a witch and I cannot and will not live my life with a witch…white or not.”
He let his head fall forward into his hands and sighed, the weight of all that had happened in the last six weeks bearing down on him like a boulder. How could the Universe, in Her infinite wisdom, pair him with a magic practitioner? Yes, Kyra was beautiful and intelligent and had a heart ten times bigger than her tiny five feet two inch frame should be capable of containing, but she was a witch!
He spoke his thoughts out loud, “I have seen her capacity for goodness. Hell, I could actually feel her agony and regret as she apologized to Grace and Lance for unknowingly helping Andrew.” He turned and watched as Rian took the seat across the fire, still not speaking.
“I damn near cried myself when she knelt before Sydney and apologized, promising with complete sincerity that she would do everything in her power to stop the man that had almost taken her new daddy from her. I can feel that her intentions are pure, but what scares me is the power I feel within her; it is immense.
“I know Rory and I were much closer to Ilsa than you. Father always took you with him, making sure you learned everything you needed to know to become the next leader of our clan, but you have to remember how much we trusted her. She was like a second mother to us all. She took care of us, kept us out of trouble, made us all believe she was family and then…”
Tears filled his eyes and the lump in his throat grew so large that he could barely breathe. A memory so strong it felt as though he had been transported back in time began to unfurl in his mind and he was helpless to do anything but let it play out.
There in front of him was the home where he and his brothers had spent their youth, looking the same as it had all those years ago. He could see the beautiful stained glass windows that decorated every turret, each depicting a famous dragon in the throes of battle. His fingers itched with the need to touch the ivy that lovingly grew in every nook and cranny of the brick structure, and he almost laughed out loud remembering all the toys that he and his brothers had hidden from one another in those tangled vines, only to be found and used for ransom in one of their many games of war.
He watched as a much younger version of himself made his way around the house, a large buck slung over his shoulder and a huge smile on his face. His father had dispatched him that very morning to rid the lair of the deer that continued to raid almost every garden. It was with great satisfaction that he remembered hanging the carcass from the tree while others of their clan began to gather and congratulate him on his hunt.
The hair at the nape of his neck stood on end, just as it had so many years ago, when his mother’s blood-curdling screams cut through that beautiful fall day. The earth shook from the responding roar of his father’s dragon, miles away. Unable to stop the flood of memories that had irreparably changed his life, his heart raced and sweat rolled down his back as he watched a younger version of himself race through the house and up the steep wooden staircase that led to the bedrooms. Just as he reached the door of his parent’s room, his point of view changed. No longer was he an innocent bystander, but an active participant. He had slipped into his much younger body, doomed to relive one of the most horrific events of his life. The actions that had rushed by and fought for his attention only seconds before now moved in slow motion.
Fury and disbelief caused bile to rise in his throat in reality just as it was in his memories. His mother, Riona, hands extended over her head, was tied to the bedposts, legs stretched wide and knees bent with her feet secured, just as was their custom during a pure dragon birth. The coppery scent of fresh blood flooded his senses as it dripped from the dagger that was clenched in Ilsa’s hand, their long time nursemaid. The chant that escaped her lips was guttural and ominous, nothing like the sweet melodious voice that had sung him to sleep more times than he could count. He watched, helpless to stop what pure evil had already set into action, as the blade descended and cut a wide path through his mother’s already ravaged abdomen. Riona fought with all her might against her restraints while begging for her most trusted companion to stop the madness that had obviously befallen her.
Royce raced forward and grabbed Ilsa by the waist, turning as he went in an effort to get her and her deadly stiletto as far from his mother and unborn sister as possible. The one time confidant struggled to stay upright while still slashing her blade in Riona’s direction. In her bid to escape Royce’s grasp, Ilsa tripped, her blade missing her mark and plunging into Royce’s shoulder, ripping his skin, tearing tendons and muscles, stopping only when it grated against his collarbone. Unable to pull her blade free, the nursemaid began tearing at his face and chest with her nails that had somehow become talons since he saw her that morning at breakfast.
As he battled to control the rampaging woman that had attacked his mother, the room filled with members of their clan, all attempting to save his family from what looked to be certain death, even for a dragon of her breeding and power. Out of the blue, wave after wave of pain, anguish, anger, and fury threatened to drive him to his knees. His father had finally reached his mother and with no thought except of his ravaged mate, his usually well-secured shielding blew away. All the outrage and pain from what his beloved was suffering rolled unchecked through the unique bond the Head Elder shared with all that had pledged their allegiance to him. From clan member to clan member, their turbulent emotions added to their leaders, making the room thick with a mixture of anger, sorrow, and a growing need for retribution at what had been done to their queen.
With one last burst of energy, Royce subdued Ilsa and handed her off to several clan members, who proceeded to bind her hands and feet and gag her. He immediately made his way back to his mother’s bedside and stood opposite his father and brothers. His father gently held his mother to his chest, unfazed or unaware of the blood that ran from her body or the tears that stained his cheeks. Never had his father been a man that let his emotions show, but there was no denying the depth of anguish and fear the older dragon felt when faced with the loss of his mate. As he watched, his father attempted to infuse his mother with the strength and incredible healing powers of all his years and stature. Royce could see the majestic blue-green dragon that lived within his father attempting to push to the forefront, the need to save his mate just as powerful as that of the man’s. The sheer strength of the beast caused its image to be transposed over and around his mother and father.
Movement at the door alerted him to the arrival of his Uncle Stefan, the clan’s Spiritual Leader, and Niall, one of the oldest and most powerful healers of all dragon kin. The crowd parted as the Elders rushed to aid Riona. His brothers backed away, allowing the men to kneel at the bedside. They laid their hands upon his mother’s still bleeding stomach and began the Healing Chant. Within seconds, the entire room was enveloped in the revenant verse of healing and prayer meant to call upon the Universe and add strength to the couple as they fought with all that they were to heal the damage done to the once peaceful, vibrant woman. now clinging to life in her mate’s arms.
The scent of incense and candles filled the room as one after the other the healers his uncle had summoned began to appear. He could feel the massive power of his clan pouring into his parents as they melded into one entity with the common goal of saving his mother and unborn sister. They prayed with one voice and all the power they could muster to save the first purebred dragon female to be born in over a thousand years. Rhianna was to lead the way to the resurgence of their race and give strength to the human mates each dragon shifter was promised by the Universe.