Total pages in book: 49
Estimated words: 46156 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 231(@200wpm)___ 185(@250wpm)___ 154(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 46156 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 231(@200wpm)___ 185(@250wpm)___ 154(@300wpm)
As the eldest dragon in the horde of dragons protecting Wyvern, Oldrik has seen more than any other beast. The scent of a new mate has always been undeniable. One woman tantalizes him, but the full power of a potential mate bond is not there.
Ardon is a youngster compared to the longevity of the others. Confused by the allure of an artist he can’t pinpoint as his mate, he seeks the advice of the eldest. When they approach Skye together a passion unlike any other he’s experienced flames inside him. He hears Oldrik’s guttural reaction and realizes the same response has also ensnarled him.
Change has come to Wyvern. A centuries-old pact between the founders and their powerful allies could save the inhabitants of the city once again, but only a dragon Daddy can truly guard his mate from harm. Or should that be dragon Daddies?
*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************
Prologue
Nestled in the center of a ring of imposing mountains, the village of Wyvern has existed for hundreds of years. Its quaint town center wraps around a square featuring a commanding dragon statue elevated on a block-wide platform for all to admire. The words chiseled into the risers of the stone steps are a mystery to most. Almost all the ninety-plus commemorative etchings feature the last names of the founding families of the town without explanation. During the prosperity of technological tools, most forgot the old ways.
One female descendant of each founding family has traditionally served as the keeper of knowledge. Passing a huge tome from generation to generation, that woman ensures the pact the original settlers made with the first inhabitants of this land can’t be forgotten. The agreement between the huge, lethal creatures living in the mountaintops and the struggling, besieged humans sealed the duties for both sides. Promising protection for the people and fated mates for the dragons, this pact has evaporated from the minds of most of the citizens of Wyvern. But the dragons have not forgotten.
When all things powered by technology suddenly ceased to function, the worst features of humanity erupted as people struggled to survive. Once again, the strength and power of the massive beasts who have guarded the city is needed. Revealing themselves once again to the masses, the dragon horde fulfills their promise.
As descendants of those original families are found, mate bonds are forged between dragons and humans. The old ways are essential to the survival of all, and the ancient pact will soar in importance once again. For there are dragons, and they hunt for more than just prey.
Three dragons of the horde have recently discovered their mates in the growing population of Wyvern. Others still search, hoping that each day brings their mate back to their ancestors’ home. The stakes are dire for the shifters. Mates create a balance between their human and dragon identities. One teeters on the brink of madness without the companionship of a mate.
Chapter 1
“You’re coming with us, beautiful.”
Skye battled the terror that froze her in place. The expressions of the five grungy men surrounding her reflected their steely determination and lust. Skye didn’t detect a sliver of compassion or sympathy.
Vultures.
“Nothing to say, blue eyes?” a voice from behind her asked.
Skye glanced over her shoulder. A bulky man walked forward. She turned slightly but froze as the first man who’d greeted her took several steps forward as well. The circle around her was solid without gaps. At least not at torso level. Her fingers tightened on the straps of her light backpack.
“Hey! What’s going on?” a male voice called from a few feet away.
Everyone turned to see two men approaching. One carried a bottle of amber liquid in his left hand.
“Beat it. She’s ours,” the thug closest to the newcomers growled.
“Now, that’s not very neighborly. We thought you might wish to join us in some whiskey,” the man holding the bottle suggested, waving it around. His voice was slurred and slow.
“We capture her and dispatch them.” This recommendation coming from one of the men Skye now thought of as vultures didn’t surprise her.
While they considered that, their attention wavered from Skye. Without a second’s hesitation, Skye threw herself to her knees and scrabbled through the opening between the men’s legs. The stench of their bodies assaulted her nose, but it only lasted a breath. She raced for the men who’d risked interrupting and darted behind them without a word.
“Seems like this young woman wants to go with us,” the second man said. “We’ll just take her off your hands.”
Her first savior turned and gave Skye the bottle. “Hold on to this for me. I don’t think they’re smart enough to walk away.”
She shook her head, agreeing. Whatever the group of thugs were, it wasn’t intelligent. Vultures. She definitely didn’t give away that he had slipped her a knife as well.
With a wild yell, one of those vultures raced forward. His weak approach was nothing like the swooping forays of the dragons who raced in Skye’s dreams at night. She stepped slightly back from the men who’d come to her defense to give them room and lifted her two weapons.
Gone were the days when she rode the bus to the park to draw or sat in a class, trying to capture the feminine beauty of a model. Skye had gotten this far on her trek back home by being alert and hiding from threats. Lost in thought, she’d missed the warning signs of this attack. She had to survive to reach her hometown. Wyvern.
While the men in front dealt with the first attacker, the others raced forward to join the fray. One of the lowlifes sidestepped the others to target her. When he grabbed for her upper arm. Skye whacked him over the head with the bottle, stunning him. That vulture staggered back, weaving uncertainly. Another took his place. Skye held on to the neck of the shattered bottle.