Mated to the Dragon: A Dragon Shifter Romance (Feral Dragon Book 3) E-Book

Mac Flynn

• Herausgeber: Crescent Moon Studios, Inc.
• Kategorie: Fantasy und Science-Fiction
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023

Beschreibung

The dragon of the Pitted Mountains has been vanquished and all that remains to set things right is to venture to Lochanna, the Empire of Swamps. There awaits Sullivan, the final dragon of the three and the last, and first, to be cursed.

Emma and Edmond’s journey to the swamps is not without its own adventure, however, as they find themselves in a mess of trouble along the long route they decide to travel. Their path takes them through several small towns and villages, and at each one they find themselves confronting mistakes of the past brought on by the century-old curse.

Things are made worse when they discover that something lurks in the shadows of the magic-laden land. A creature stalks the enchanted creatures and is suspected of stealing magical items from the humans. That thing sets its sights on the pair, and they find that their new foe is actually an old enemy, one that has no intention of letting them reach their destination.

Leseprobe

MATED TO THE DRAGON

Feral Dragon #3

MAC FLYNN

CONTENTS

Copyright

Author’s Note

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapter 38

Chapter 39

Chapter 40

Sneak Peek: The Falling for a Dragon Series

A Small Favor

When’s the Next Book?

Series by Mac Flynn

COPYRIGHT

Mated to the Dragon (Feral Dragon Book 3). Copyright © 2023 by Mac Flynn.

Published by Crescent Moon Studios, Inc.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, disseminated, or transmitted in any form or by any or for any use, including recording or any information storage and retrieval system, without the prior written consent of the author and/or artist. The only except ions shirt excerpts or the cover image in reviews.

This is a work of fiction. All the names, characters, organizations, places and events portrayed in this novel or on the cover are either products of the author’s or artist’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental and not intended by the author or artist.

AUTHOR’S NOTE

Dear Reader,

Thank you so much for joining me on a journey through my imagination. If you’re looking for romance and adventure with a guaranteed Happily Ever After, then you’ve come to the right place. My books contain paranormal plotting and fantastical action, and I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I enjoy writing them.

* * *

You can keep in touch with me by joining my newsletter or checking out my website for the latest updates.

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Thank you for giving my book a chance, and Happy Reading!

- Mac Flynn

CHAPTERONE

I hate mornings.

The bright sun. The cold air. All of it wrapped around me like a wet blanket as I slid out of bed and shuffled over to the dresser. I slipped into my clothes, though giving the intruding sunlight an obligatory glare, and shambled out of the room.

Coffee. Need coffee.

I paused in the corridor with its stone floor and walls, and the archaic unlit torches that hung from them, and a groan escaped me. Sometimes it sucked being stuck in the middle ages.

“I should invent coffee. . .” I mumbled as I shuffled down the hall and the stairs.

I found the foyer a little more inviting. A large fire burned in the hearth and the table was set for two. Elinor stood beside the hearth stoking the flames with some fresh logs.

She looked up at my coming and offered me a bright smile. “Good morning, Emma.”

“‘Morning. . .” I mumbled as I took a seat beside the empty head of the table.

Elinor moved over to me and poured me a cup of her warm brew. “I hope you slept well.”

“Like a log,” I replied as I picked up the mug and took a sip. The heat warmed me, but my thirst for dark brew was unsatisfied.

Elinor’s smile widened. “You have the most unusual sayings, but when one thinks about them they are so appropriate.”

I snorted and set the mug on the table, cradled in both my hands for its warmth. “They were thought up by people a lot smarter than me.”

She wagged a wizened old finger at me. “You have your own wit about you. You did save My Lord from his brother with your bravery and thought.”

I thought back to that episode and stared down at my hands. “Yeah. I just wish I could figure out how to use this power instead of just getting lucky.”

Elinor set a hand on my shoulder. “I’m sure you will. In the meantime, would you like your breakfast served?”

I cast a curious look at the empty chair beside me. “Where’s Edmond?”

She shook her head. “Unfortunately, I haven’t seen him. He must have risen early. Perhaps he is checking on his brother. But if you will excuse me, I can see you’re rather chilled. I’ll fetch some warm food.” And with that she whisked herself into the kitchen.

Without her company my mind slipped back into its dullard state. That is, until I was jolted out of my sluggish mood by the sudden slam of a door. It was Edmond coming out of the entrance to the labyrinthine basement. He had a look of annoyance and fury on his face.

He marched a few yards into the foyer and swept his eyes over the high open-rafter ceiling. “Niks! Niks!”

A moment later the little ball of light floated out of the wall behind the fireplace. “You rang, My Lord?”

Edmond balled his hands into fists at his sides and he nearly quivered with rage. “Where is it?”

Niks floated about his head, though well out of his reach. “Where is what, My Lord?”

Edmond’s words came out in a growl. “Where is he?”

Niks ghosted over to the table where I sat, and Edmond stomped after him. “I haven’t the faintest idea to what you refer, My Lord. If this is some kind of game then I do want to play-hey!”

Edmond swiped his clawed hand across Niks’ body. The wisp was cut into ribbons, but quickly reformed himself and zipped out of reach about our heads. “That wasn’t very nice!”

I stood and set a hand on Edmond’s arm. “Before you cut him into fine bits, could you tell me what’s going on?”

At my touch some of his rage was soothed, but he still glared at our bright, mischievous friend. “Balmore’s egg has gone missing from its place in the basement.”

Niks floated back and let out a gasp. “And you suspect me of doing that?”

I snorted as I directed Edmond into his chair. “Who else?”

Niks flitted about our heads as I resumed my seat. “I’m insulted! I’m outraged! I’m-”

“Guilty,” I finished for him as I leaned my elbows on the table and lap my chin my clasped hands. “So where is it?”

A laugh escaped Niks as he danced above us. “Alright, you have me! I stole the egg, but I bet you can’t guess where it is!”

“Breakfast, My Lord,” Elinor announced as she swept into the dining room with a tray full of food.

She set the platter on the table in front of us and lifted the lid of one plate to reveal a veritable mountain of omelettes. A look of horror spread across both Edmond and my faces, and we whipped our heads to the wisp.

Niks zipped back a few feet. “No, not there! Sheesh! You two act like I’d murder an innocent egg!”

“So where is it?” I mused as I helped myself to the feast.

Niks floated to and fro. “I’m not telling! You have to find it!”

“Then you killed him?” I teased as I took a mouthful of food.

“I did not!”

“Then prove it!”

“Fine, I will!” Niks flew over to the pile of fireplace and hovered over the mantel. “He’s in the fire.”

I spit out my food and the color drained from my face. I would have leapt to my feet, but Edmond grasped my hand and offered me a small smile as he pulled me back into my chair. “We’ll leave him there.”

My jaw hit the table. “But he’s on fire!”

He shook his head. “We’re dragons. Even though his main element is earth he can’t be burned, even in his current form. The heat will actually be beneficial to him.”

A little bit of my tension slipped away and I removed my hand from his to pick up my fork. “Is anything normal about you guys?”

He flashed me a mischievous grin. “We are still men.”

I snorted and resumed my eating. “My aching bones are reminded of that nightly.”

Niks floated over to us and landed near the platter. “You fleshy creatures are so strange!”

I lifted an eyebrow. “So how do wisps do it?”

Niks laughed. “We don’t do it at all! Wisps are born from the mists of sorrow that are created by your tears!”

My face drooped. “That’s not very cheerful.”

The wisp pranced across the tabletop. “Maybe not, but it gives life to us! That’s a cheerful thought!”

I snorted. “Now that’s a matter of opinion.”

“Speaking of opinion,” Edmond mused as he stood with his plate unused and offered me his hand. “There’s something I would like to discuss with you.”

I lifted an eyebrow, but set my fork down and accepted his hand. He drew me out of my chair and up the stairs. Rather than toward the bedroom as I expected, he led me to the far end of the hall which led out onto the parapet. The high wall looked out over the vast forest kingdom, still uninhabited but just waiting for humans to return.

Edmond stopped us beside one of the lower walls and set his hands on the stone and his sights on the woodlands. “It has been a long while since I stood up here. The view grew to be too painful to bear.”

“Is that when you stopped flying around, too?” I wondered.

He nodded. “Yes, though I am pleased to say my wings have improved greatly. I may need them in the coming days.”

My heart skipped a beat. “Why?”

He didn’t look away from the view as he pursed his lips. “The road to Sullivan’s domain was never hospitable, and after a century of neglect it could be incredibly dangerous.”

I leaned my side against his and lay my head against his shoulder. “You know I’m not letting you leave me behind.”

A sigh escaped him. “Even if I desired that outcome, I don’t believe I could resist the temptation.”

I snorted. “I can’t really be that nice smelling, can I?”

“You did lure the king of the fae to attempt to cheat on his wife.”

“He was sick at the time.”

He looped an arm around my waist and lay his head atop mine. “Sick or not, you do attract trouble.”

I rolled my eyes up to him. “I guess that means we should cancel each other out. You’re just as much trouble as I am.”

Edmond chuckled and pressed our lips together in a long, gentle kiss. I was sorry for it to end as he drew away. “We’ll have to see how much trouble we can find on this trip.”

“So when we do leave?”

“Tomorrow.”

CHAPTERTWO

Packing. Again. It was a chore I hadn’t yet gotten used to, and I was glad for the help as I rummaged through the attire Edmond had given me.

Well, most of the help.

Niks flitted about Elinor and my heads as we packed as much as we could manage into my bag. He dropped the occasional odd sock and torn shirt. “You should take this! And this!”

I tossed away another in a long line of red handkerchiefs and frowned up at our flighty friend. “You’re not helping.”

The wisp rolled through the air. “Maybe not now, but I can help on the way!”

I shook my head. “I don’t think you’re going to be coming with us.”

Niks drooped onto the bed covers beside the bag. “But I didn’t get to have fun last time. . .”

“Elinor needs your help around here,” I reminded him.

I noticed a small wince from my packing buddy. “He was. . .amusing during your journey to the mountains.”

I snorted and clapped a hand on her shoulder. “It’s okay. He drives me nuts, too.”

She blinked at me. “‘Drives me nuts?’”

I shook my head. “Another one of the funny sayings from my world. It pretty much means he strains my patience, too.”

“I help out!” Niks insisted as he snatched up the clothing in Elinor’s hands and dropped the bunch into the bag. “See! I’m helping! That means I can help you on the way to the dragon’s domain!”

I plucked the clothes out of the bag and shook my head. “I think we’ll have to ask Edmond about that. In the meantime-” I set the clothes back in Elinor’s arms and moved over to the dresser, “-we have some work to do.”

Niks zipped over to me. “You don’t think I can help! Remember when I saved your life!”

I set my hands in the open drawer and sighed. “I’m not trying to be ungrateful, but you’re, well, over-exuberant and more than a little mischievous.”

Niks puffed out his front and shone a little brighter. “Thank you!”

I snorted as I dug through the clothes. “That’s not really a compliment.” Something in the drawer caught my attention, and I reached in and drew out the green and white stones I had been given. “But maybe you can tell me what these are.”

Niks flitted up to me and hovered over my hand. “Where did you get those?”

I shrugged. “Some sprites gave me the white one and Lady Ione gave me the green one.”

“They have a great deal of magic in them,” Niks mused as he fluttered from one to the other. “

I wrinkled my nose as I set them on the table near the middle of the room. “They haven’t helped so far, at least not the white one. I had that with me at Mur and nothing happened, though to be honest it didn’t leave my bag.”

“Keep them close to you!” Niks insisted as he flew up close to my face. “They’ll protect you!”

At that moment Edmond entered the room and the light from the candles about the area illuminated his pensive expression. At the sight of me, however, his mood lightened and he smiled. “I came up to see if you needed any further assistance.”

“Not when they have me!” Niks spoke up as he flitted about us. “And I was just giving Emma advice on her stones. I told her she should take them in case she needs their magic.”

Edmond lifted an eyebrow. “Magic is a fickle friend. These may be more of a hindrance than a help.”

Niks flitted over to Edmond and bonked him on the top of the head with his warm body. “Trust me! I’ve had this feeling before and it turned out to be true!”

Edmond studied our flighty friend with a curious look. “When was that?”

Niks flew back a little and cleared his voice. “That is, well, it was a long time ago. Very long. I forget the details. Anyway, what time do we leave tomorrow?”

The dragon lord kept his focus on the wisp as he nodded at Elinor. “She may need your assistance while we’re away.”

The wisp’s body flamed up a bit. “She didn’t need my help last time! All I did was light her way through the halls so she could sweep the cobwebs out of the corners!”

Edmond crossed his arms over his chest and studied our glowing friend with a sharp look. “If you travel with us you will have to swear to be silent when commanded.”

Niks shot up and bounced up and down through the air around us. “I swear! I swear! You won’t hear a peep out of-” A look of warning made our wisp companion fall into silence.

Edmond closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose before he raised his head. “We leave at first light. I expect you to be at the gates at that time.”

“And we’ll finish the packing,” I assured him.

Niks bobbed up and down before he scooted out of the room. I couldn’t help but smile, but Edmond gave a soft sigh. “I wonder if I haven’t made this journey more difficult. . .”

I set a hand on his shoulder and shook his head. “Nope. After all, it means we don’t have to pack any torches and you can keep both of your hands free.”

Edmond chuckled. “Then the benefit is worth the risk.” He looked past me and at the bed. “Did you need any help packing?”

“No, My Lord,” Elinor answered him as she folded and tucked away the last of the clothes, or at least the ones that would fit. She clasped her hands in front of her and smiled at us. “Did you need me for anything else?”

Edmond opened his mouth, but he gave pause and tilted his head to one side. A sly smile appeared on his lips. “I fear you’ll be needed for quite a bit more.”

At that moment the sound of a horn echoed over the castle rock. Elinor and my eyes widened, and we looked at each other before we spun around to face Edmond.

“What was that?” I asked him.

He nodded at the window. “Look outside.”

Elinor and I scurried over to the window, but I noticed Edmond didn’t follow us. Quite the contrary. He strode toward the door. I half-turned to him. “Where are you going?”

He didn’t look back as he left the room. “To greet our guests.”

“Emma!” Elinor shouted from the window. “Come and see!”

I cast a scolding look at Edmond’s back before I rushed to the window. Elinor and I leaned out, and I gaped at the sight at the base of the castle mount.

A couple dozen wooden wages were parked around the stony foothills of the keep. Four times more people mulled about the area, casting curious and apprehensive looks at their surroundings. They had brought with them cows, horses, and even a few sheep. The animals mingled with the people to create a busy crowd of curiosity.

The source of the noise, however, came from the gates, and Elinor and I watched the lord of the castle enter the courtyard and proceed to those large battlements. He opened those imposing slabs of wood on his own and revealed a contingent of some dozen of the menfolk.

The man in the lead stepped forward and bowed low at the waist to Edmond. Edmond returned the gesture with use of his head alone and then they shook hands. A hearty laugh arose from their group before they ventured into the courtyard with Edmond leading them.

They moved out of sight, and Elinor and I hurried out of the room and into the hall. We could already here the sounds of their voices as they ventured into the great foyer. By the time we had reached the landing on the stairs the men had taken up residence around the glowing fire.

Edmond noticed us standing in our stupor on the steps, and he hurried over and offered me his hand. “May I introduce you to our guests?”

I gaped at the people behind him before I returned my attention to him. “Where did they come from?”

“In my morning wing exercises I happened to stumble upon a mess of wagons encamped a few miles inside my domain,” he revealed as he swept his eyes over the people. “They were the descendants of my people. Having heard the news that the curse was lifted, some of their younger folk decided to make the journey here to see if the rumors were true. I invited them to stay at the foothills and see if they wouldn’t want to settle in their ancestral lands.”

Elinor’s eyes teared up and she clasped her hands against her chest. “My Lord, what wonderful news! The castle will be brimming with voices and footsteps once again!”

He turned to her and smiled. “And neither of us will be alone. I most feared leaving you here by yourself. Even Niks would have made a better companion than none.”

She shook her head. “I will be very content with these new folks, My Lord! And bless the gods for bringing them here!”

CHAPTERTHREE

The night was pleasantly spent conversing with the humans, and come sunrise the smoke of campfires and din of voices and laughter floated up from the bottom of the hill. I leaned out my window in the early morning hour, eyes bleary but with a content smile on my face.

The door to the bedroom opened and Edmond stepped inside. “It’s time we left.”

I sighed and turned around to lean my back end against the window frame. “Pinch me.”

His eyes took on a mischievous glint as he sauntered over to me. “Any particular reason why?”

I snorted. “Only because this feels like it’s too good to be true. Two kingdoms freed and us leaving to free the other one, and now your people are coming back.”

His smile faltered a little as he looked out the window at the horizon. “We must return from this endeavor to enjoy the latter.”

I lifted an eyebrow. “You say that like we’re not coming back.”

He sighed and his studious eyes fell on me, giving me a look over like this was the last time he’d get a chance. “Sullivan was always the most violent and ruthless of we three. A century of isolation with only that hatred in his heart for company could not have improved his demeanor. Then there was your vision.”

I shut my eyes and shuddered. Memories of that nightmare of walking through the abandoned city to the formidable fortress still haunted my waking moments. “Don’t remind me. . .”

“But I feel that I must, if only to warn you that this may not be a joyous adventure with a bright ending.”

I stared hard at him for a moment before I slapped his arm. “Knock it off with all the doom and gloom! We’re going to get through this even if it kills us.”

The corners of his lips twitched upward. “That would be the problem.”

“Yeah, well, maybe I’ll learn to cast Life before we get to the end,” I mused as I looped my arms around one of his and tugged him toward the door. “Now let’s get going.”

He dug his heels in at the doorway and we jerked to a stop. “There’s one problem.”

I frowned at him. “What problem?”

He nodded at the bed. “You’ve forgotten your bag.”

I whipped my head around and sure enough my bag hadn’t magically leapt onto my back for the trip. A faint chuckle came from my captive, and I shot him a look of warning. “Don’t say a word,” I growled before I scooted over to the bed and snatched up my bag.

I rejoined him at the door which he held open for me. “An interesting start to our adventure,” he teased as I slipped out into the hall.

“Just don’t tell anybody about it,” I advised as I adjusted the straps. “It might jinx the trip.”

He lifted an eyebrow. “What does it mean to ‘jinx’ something?”

“Make it unlucky,” I explained as we headed down the hall. “Like starting a trip on the wrong foot or saying that everything’s going to go great-”

“This is going to be great!” The yell came from down the corridor and Niks made his appearance. He whisked around us and stopped at our fronts to grow brightly. “I’m sure nothing will happen with me around to light your way!”

I cast Edmond a bemused look before he shrugged. “We must accept the fact that we have already ‘jinxed’ ourselves.”

“What’s that mean?” Niks wondered as he flitted about us. “Is it something from your world? Is it bright like me?”

I shook my head. “It’s something quite the opposite of bright, but we should get going. The sun will be up soon.”

We ventured downstairs where Elinor had lit a fire. Bundles of tightly packed food lay on the table. She turned to us with a smile on her lips but uncertainty in her eyes. “You will be careful?” she pleaded as she met us at the table.

Edmond set a hand on her shoulder and nodded. “We’ll be back soon.”

“Nothing’s going to happen with me around!” Niks spoke up.

I shot him a death glare, but the eager wisp was too obliviously eager to notice it. He zipped over to the front doors and waved to us. “Come on! Let’s go!”

Edmond reluctantly released his loyal servant and we ventured out into the cool, crisp morning air. I wrapped my coat tighter around me as a slight breeze wafted past. The eastern horizon had a speck of light along its seam, but otherwise all was draped in shadow.

We hurried across the courtyard and down the winding road that ran along the exterior of the hilly keep. Our path took us through the new arrivals, some of whom stood at our coming and bowed their heads. Edmond returned the compliment and we moved through them without a word.

Edmond turned us toward the faint light and we set off into the woods with the coming sun as our guide. We had only gone for a few yards, however, when Niks flew in front of our faces, forcing us to stop.

“Wait a minute! You’re going the wrong way!” He flitted past our right sides and hovered in a southward position. “Your kingdom abuts the other one to the south. Why are you heading east?”

Edmond nodded in the direction we faced. “We can find suitable lodgings along the main road and we won’t have to be concerned about our supply of food until we venture into Sullivan’s domain.”

Niks flew into our faces. “Not that way! We go south!”

Edmond shook his head. “We head east until we near the old main road into the empire.”

Niks flitted a few feet away and hovered very stiffly in the air. I could just imagine a pair of arms crossed over his bright body. “Then I’m not going!”

I frowned at him. “Last night you were pleading to go with us, and now you don’t want to?”

Niks floated a little lower. “It’s. . .it’s just that I think that route is really boring!”

Edmond raised an eyebrow. “I wonder at your saying that. The original trail leads through the swamps and is hardly a sight to behold, even for a wisp.”

Our wispy friend landed on my head. “Yeah, well, maybe I just don’t feel like seeing all the people along that road. . .”

I tiled my head back and cast my irritation at him. “So are you going or not?”

Niks squirmed atop my hair before he let out a sigh. “I’ll go. . .”

I lifted an eyebrow. “Are you sure?”

He floated off my head and hovered in front of me. “Yeah. Let’s go.”

With that little outburst finished we continued on our way through Edmond’s realm. The crisp morning gave way to a comfortable day, and I couldn’t help but sniff the air a little. There was something familiar about it. “Do the seasons change in this world?”

Edmond nodded. “We have four of them.”

I breathed a sigh of relief. “Then I think I’m smelling a fall coming up.”

He lifted an eyebrow. “Your world, too, has that name for when the trees drop their leaves?”

I grinned. “It’s not really that surprising, is it? It’s a pretty descriptive name.” I noticed that our wispy companion had fallen into an oppressive silence. “Does the cold bother you wisps?”

Niks scoffed. “Of course not. We’re only bothered if we get stuck in water.” He landed on my shoulder and shuddered. “I remember taking a swim in a nice pond and getting stuck under a rock. I thought I was going to drown until something in the water pushed me out and I was able to escape.”

I cast a look of curiosity at Edmond. “Could that happen to you, too?”

He furrowed his brow as he stared ahead. “I’m not sure. While I breath air as others do I have ventured deep into the depths of some lakes without any harm done to me. In that regards, like many others, I more closely resemble the fae folk.”

Niks hopped up and down on my shoulder. “I’ve seen some of them stay in lakes for days having fun with the fishes! I even watched one walk into a volcano and speak with the rock folk in there!”

A small smile danced across my lips as closed my eyes and I shook my head. “I have a lot to learn about this world, don’t I?”

Edmond slipped one of his hands into mine and when I looked up at him he offered me a smile. “There’s time to learn it all. For now we’ll start your education with the High Road. We glimpsed an offshoot of that illustrious thoroughfare on the way to the Pitted Mountains. Now we’ll see the main-” He jerked to a stop and lifted his eyes to the sky.

I followed his lead and followed where he looked. A group of large black birds flew high over our heads. At our looking at them, however, they took off on a southerly direction.

I caught Edmond’s eye and pointed at the disappearing birds. “What were those?”

“Crows,” he told me as a frown pursed his lips. “I’ve never seen them fly so high before.”

“Probably getting ready to go somewhere else for the fall,” Niks spoke up as he hopped against my shoulder. “Now let’s get a move on!”

CHAPTERFOUR

The three-day trek across Edmond’s domain was uneventful, and on the third day I noticed a change in the woods. The trees thinned out, and stumps cut in the recent decade appeared. The scent of water now mingled with the essence of tree, and at midmorning on the third day we stopped atop a short embankment and stood on its brow to look out over open country.

The trees parted to create a clearing some hundred yards wide and twice that long, and a large graveled road cut the clearing in two. The thoroughfare stretched north to south, and the spot at which we stood was a three-way intersection. I couldn’t help but notice the embankment to our left had at one point been opened to allow another stretch of road, but the way had been blocked off by boulders. Moss and large trees grew between the stones, so I had no doubt to date the reason as century-old.