As if sensing his doubts, Melanie added, “Believe me, I know what it’s like to want to protect your family.” She gave a faint smile. “After all, I came here to save my brother’s life.”
She stared down at her hand on his chest. As she started to stroke him, some of the tension eased out of his body. Her voice was soft when she continued, “I swear on my brother Oliver’s life that I’m not trying to deceive you or do anything to intentionally hurt your sister.” She looked back into his eyes. “And if that’s not enough, I’ll swear it on the life of our unborn child. Please, Tristan, let me meet your sister and see if I can help her get past her fear of humans.”
“Why do you seem so intent on helping everyone? First Cait, now offering for my sister. What’s in it for you?”
“I could ask the same thing, about you teaching the young dragon-shifters. It’s just something I do without thinking. I can’t stand to see people hurting who have a chance at happiness.”
Believe her, his dragon crooned.
A small part of him hidden deep, deep inside agreed with the beast. But the human-half asked, “Is that what I am to you? A fix-it project?”
She frowned. “I just want to get to know the father of my baby. Is that too much to ask?”
He was suspicious of Melanie’s ulterior motives, but with his dragon urging him to agree and the deeply buried part of him that remembered being interested in humans as a boy coming back to the forefront of his mind, Tristan decided to give Melanie a chance. Just one. If she betrayed it, he’d find a way to stay away from her, even if it meant leaving the clan for a few months.
Decision made, he said, “Wait here for a second. I’ll be right back.”
She blinked at his order, but nodded. He reluctantly released his grip on her arms and went to the dragonwoman currently handing out student lunches. Each step he took away from the human made his inner beast try to crawl out and take control. Let me take care of the young and then I will go back to her.
His dragon seemed skeptical, but with a few more reassurances, it grumbled and retreated. As soon as he was close enough to the dragonwoman, he said, “Can you watch the children and take them to their next class? I need to take care of the mother of my child.”
The dragonwoman darted a glance toward Melanie, but instead of the disdain he’d expected, the older woman had sympathy in her eyes. The dragonwoman nodded. “I remember what it’s like to get morning sickness, and it’s ten times worse for humans carrying one of our children. Take her home and pamper her, Tristan. Humans are so fragile, and who knows if these next nine months will be her last.”
No, she will NOT die, his dragon screamed inside his head.
He pushed the beast back and said to the female, “So you don’t care that she’s an outsider on our land?”
The woman, Lia, if he remembered right, shook her head. “Why would I? She’s helping our clan’s future by coming here and being willing to bear one of our children, despite the risks to her life and her reputation if she leaves here after the child is born.”
“You’re in the minority, then.”
Lia shrugged. “Maybe. But all that matters is that you take care of her, Tristan. I’ve heard the rumors about you not even checking in on her this past week, and it’s disappointing. I knew your mum, and no matter what race the mother of her grandchild was, she would’ve expected you to take care of your future family.”
He made a noncommittal noise. He wasn’t about to discuss his mother with who knew how many students listening to his conversation. What Lia had already said was bad enough. He turned and said, “I’m going now.”
Without looking back, he walked over to Melanie. As he approached her, he caught the human’s scent and his dragon started growling. Only when he put a hand on Melanie’s lower back did the beast fall quiet again. No doubt, it was semi-behaving because Melanie had just been sick.
Funny, that. His dragon stopped thinking about fucking her whenever she threw up. Morning sickness might work to his advantage.
He pushed against her back. “Come with me.”
Melanie looked up at him. “Where are we going?”
Without thinking, his hand started to rub her lower back. “You’re going to get cleaned up and then we’re going to pay a visit to my sister, Arabella.”
~~~
Sacrificed to the Dragon: Part Three will be available no later than September 5, 2014
(It will probably be ready at the end of August, but just in case).
Turn the page to learn how you can get an alert for when it’s for sale!
Dear Reader:
Would you like to know when the next part of Sacrificed to the Dragon is available? (And receive exclusive goodies and information too?) You can sign up for my newsletter at www.jessiedonovan.com or by liking my Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/JessieDonovanAuthor.
Also, I need to ask you a favor. Word-of-mouth is crucial for any author to succeed. If you enjoyed this book, please consider leaving a review. Even if it's only a line or two, it would be a huge help!
While waiting for Melanie and Tristan’s next installment, maybe you’d like to check out the first story of my erotic shifter romance series, Convincing the Cougar, or the first book in my Asylums for Magical Threats paranormal romance series, Blaze of Secrets. Turn the page for a glimpse of my other works.
With Gratitude,
Jessie Donovan
Convincing the Cougar
(Cascade Shifters #0.5)
Kian Murray is a cougar-shifter clan leader with a problem—he has a limp. Despite earning the injury protecting a group of cubs, he feels helpless. His clan and mate deserves someone hearty and whole, and he's nothing more than a liability. The best thing he can do is give up his clan and his mate and find a way to start over.
Trinity Perez-Murray refuses to watch her mate give up his clan because of a small limp. After four months of trying and failing to bring him back from the edge, she only has one card left to play—she's going to seduce her mate. But just as her charms start to pay off, she and Kian are attacked by a group of unusual shifters.
Now it's up to Kian to help fight off the intruders. But in the heat of the moment, will his alpha instincts return and release the warrior inside?
———————
Available now on All Romance eBooks.
Blaze of Secrets
(Asylums for Magical Threats #1)
Kiarra Melini overhears the dangerous secrets of her blood and decides that if Feiru elemental magic is to survive, she needs to die. However, before she can finish the deed, a strange yet determined man shows up in her cell, throws her over his shoulder, and carries her right out of the prison for elemental magic users.
Jaxton Ward is ordered by his superiors to train the stubborn elemental fire user he rescued. There's only one problem—she claims her magic is gone and he has no idea how to train a woman who spent the last fifteen years inside a prison cell. He's determined to keep his relationship professional, but as the danger amps up and they're forced to go on the run, he starts to fall for the newly confident woman who ignites his temper like no other.
Kiarra's final secret is the key to them staying alive, but can they outrun the prison enforcers long enough for her to embrace her unique magical talents and finally learn to love again?
———————
Available now on All Romance eBooks.
Books by Jessie Donovan
Asylums for Magical Threats
Blaze of Secrets (AMT #1)
Frozen Desires (AMT #2)
Shadow of Temptation (AMT #2.5)
Cascade Shifters
Convincing the Cougar (CS #0.5)
Reclaiming the Wolf (CS #1, September 2014)
Shifter’s First Christmas (CS #1.5, November 2014)
Stonefire Dragons
Sacrificed to the Dragon: Part One
Sacrificed to the Dragon: Part Two
Sacrificed to the Dragon: Part Three
(late August 2014)
Sacrificed to the Dragon: Part Four (late September 2014)
Seducing the Dragon: Part One (mid-to-late October 2014)
About the Author
Jessie Donovan wrote her first story at age five, and after discovering The Dragonriders of Pern series by Anne McCaffrey in junior high, she realized people actually wanted to read stories like those floating around inside her head. From there on out, she was determined to tap into her over-active imagination and write a book someday.
After living abroad for five years and earning degrees in Japanese, Anthropology, and Secondary Education, she buckled down and finally wrote her first full-length book. While that story will never see the light of day, it laid the world-building groundwork of what would become her debut paranormal romance, Blaze of Secrets.
Jessie loves to interact with readers. When not reading a book or traipsing around some foreign country on a shoestring, she can often be found on Facebook and Twitter. You can email her at: [email protected].
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the writer’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Sacrificed to the Dragon: Part Two
Copyright © 2014 Laura Hoak-Kagey
First Digital Edition
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner without the express written permission of the author except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Cover Art by Clarissa Yeo of Yocla Designs
ISBN: 978-0989733687
Sacrificed to the Dragon: Part Two Page 5