The Ice Dragon

Rose is convinced that no man, let alone a dragon, could possibly want her. When an ice dragon turns on the heat, she does what her instincts scream for her to do. Grabs her sister and heads for the hills with a dragon in cold and calculating pursuit. With her destiny held in a kiss, will she ever let him get close enough to prove their match?

The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated. This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. The Ice Dragon Copyright © 2011 Tianna Xander ISBN: 978-1-55487-970-0 Cover art by Martine Jardin All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher. Published by Devine Destinies An imprint of eXtasy Books Look for us online at: www.devinedestinies.com

The Ice Dragon Dragon Bound Two By Tianna Xander

To my own alpha male. I have no idea why you ask where I get the ideas for my heroes. You should know.

Chapter One

R

ose couldn’t believe they were moving into a dragon’s house. She knew April, her older sister, fancied herself in love with the brute, but she’d never dreamed they would move in with him! She blamed it on those nude photos. If she ever found out who took them, she would blow them up. Pain shot through her chest at the thought. She had killed her own parents that way or, at the very least, she’d turned them into something else. Whatever the case, they were gone and had been for a long time. Long enough that she had to believe they were never coming back from it. She wanted to believe that if she found her own dragon, that her strange, unwieldy powers would suddenly be put to rights. Who wouldn’t want to believe that? She would love to be like her mother and wave a wand to get everything she wanted. Apparently, witches only came into their true power when they met and married their true mate. Whether their mate was a dragon or a mage, 1

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it did the trick. Too bad she didn’t know that before she’d blown up her parents. She glared at the box that held her wand. It would stay there forever if she had anything to say about it. But she didn’t. At least once a month her sisters would make her drag it out, dust it off and try to use it. You would think they would have stopped the process once they learned their spells would never work without a mate. April was lucky. She knew what her dragon thought every minute of every day. Too bad the rest of them weren’t so lucky. Every time her sister’s mate, Drake, smiled at her, she wondered if it was finally the time he would breathe his fire on her and send her to hell. Sometimes she wondered if her sisters felt the same. Still, here they were, moving into the dragon’s house after knowing him, for what, a week? Stupid, stupid, stupid. “Come on, Rose.” Her sister, May, yelled from the back of the truck. Help us carry this stuff in.” “Why did we hire movers if we’re doing all the work ourselves?” She knew the answer to that, too. Her sisters didn’t want the movers handling certain boxes, so they’d rented a do-it-yourself van and moved the more sensitive—spell related—materials themselves. Still, it felt better to complain about it. “Just grab your boxes and carry them in,” April 2

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said as she snatched up a few of the ones with her name on them. “You’re lucky Drake has such a huge house. You’ll all get your own bedrooms. Sorry, but some of you are going to have to share bathrooms. I can’t do anything about that.” Rose looked up at the house for the first time. “Holy crap, April, this isn’t a house, it’s a friggin’ castle.” April stopped and looked up at it with a grin. “Well, not really, but it sure is big. You have to admit that.” She turned to give Rose a wink. “And it’s almost Tansy proof. The outer walls and the floors are made of stone.” “You mean marble, don’t you?” “Nope…well, the floors are marble, but not the walls.” She frowned. “At least I don’t think they are.” She looked at the house for a minute longer, shook her head, then continued inside. Rose had nothing left to do but grab her boxes and follow her sister in.

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Chapter Two

O

kay, she’d given it a month and the rules were driving her crazy. Rose paced her room. No one could go out without an escort. They even had to have chaperones when they went to work. Good grief! She was over twenty-five years old. One would think she could go to the mall without a babysitter. She was going crazy with all the dragon rules. Not to mention the little get together parties her sister kept hosting where they invited every dragon male they could think of. Not one of them tried to stake a claim on any of them. Why didn’t April get the message and stop trying so hard? There was another get together tonight, damn it. She’d skip it if she had her way, but there was no doubt whomever was assigned to babysit her tonight would have her home and in the drawing room at the correct time. She sighed. What in the world made them think that this was a good idea? She looked around her room 4

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with a grimace. What if she had an accident here? All of these precious antiques would be lost. She knew she really shouldn’t complain. Her room here was larger than her bedroom at home and she didn’t have to cook! Rose hated cooking. They all did. For one thing, they sucked at it. They would have starved to death if it hadn’t been for restaurants and TV dinners. Rose turned her attention back to her room. It was beautiful really. Painted a pale rose, which was ironic, it set off the white trim and the white lace curtains at the large French doors. She strode to the doors, pushed the curtain aside and looked out at the large balcony she shared with her sisters. She stepped back, let the curtain fall back into place and examined the antique furniture. She loved the large, hand-carved four-poster bed with its matching dresser and armoire. The dark cherry wood gleamed from repeated polishing. Sighing, she flopped down onto the bed and stared up at the lacy canopy. She couldn’t help but wonder what their lives would have been like if she hadn’t blown their parents to smithereens. Would she and her sisters even be here? “Absolutely not,” she said to the beautiful lace. “Mom and Dad would have protected us and April wouldn’t have had to sell herself to a dragon to buy our safety.” 5

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“Stop feeling sorry for yourself, Rosie.” Rose sat up and glared at one of her younger sisters. “The last time I looked, this was my room, Tansy, so get out and mind your own damn business.” “My, you’re touchy today. What bug crawled up your butt and bit you?” “Just get out!” Rose picked up one of the pillows and threw it at her sister. She loved Tansy, but the irritating little worm always managed to get on Rose’s last nerve. “Come on, lazy bones. We have lots to do to get ready for the party tonight.” “Screw the party.” “Oh!” Tansy’s eyes widened. “I thought you wanted to find your own dragon.” “As if!” Rose snorted. “Like I want to live the rest of my life with some bossy dragon telling me what I can and can’t do. No thank you.” Besides, if there was a dragon out there meant for her, she would have found him by now, right? After all, she’d met at least eighty over the last few weeks. There couldn’t be anyone left. “Come on, lazy bones. We still need your help warming things in the oven and setting up the buffet table.” “Drake is rich, why can’t he hire somebody to do that? What are we, his slaves?” Rose sighed after that last outburst. Even she knew that was 6

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uncalled for. Still, it didn’t make it any easier to go downstairs and act like everything was great, when all she wanted to do was come back up here to her room and have a good cry. Tansy bounced up and down on her toes. As usual, she was full of energy and smiles. She even wore bright clothes to show everyone she was always in a good mood. It seemed strange, that someone with such a dark and dangerous job like firefighting—that the dragons insisted she quit by the way—would wear such bright colors and be so damned perky. Rose didn’t do perky. In fact, she hated perky with a passion. “Good grief, Tansy. Do you have to be so damned happy all the time? It’s disgusting.” Tansy just laughed. “I can’t be anything other than what I am.” She skipped over to the bed and sat down next to Rose. “You need to stop blaming yourself. Any one of us could have…” She let her words trail off. “As sucky as we are at casting spells, it’s no wonder something like that hadn’t happened before…or since.” That was the problem. Every day Rose worried that she would do something to harm someone else. She wasn’t even safe in harming the dragons now. As much as she hated to admit it, none of them had lifted a finger to hurt her or her sisters. Apparently, the dragons weren’t as bad as they had been led to believe all these years. 7

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Rose wandered around the room and sighed. Filled with her sisters, a few of their female cousins and overbearing male dragons looking for mates, the guest list was rather lopsided. It was easily two men to one woman. It wasn’t as though she disliked men so much as she just didn’t want one bossing her around for the rest of her life. Rose glanced around the room. What difference would it make in the grand scheme of things? Hadn’t a bossy, overbearing male already taken over her life and her sisters’ lives? Having lost what little appetite she had, Rose set her plate down on a convenient sideboard and headed for the French doors leading to the gardens. She needed some fresh air and she needed it before she went mad. The crush of people in here was almost enough to drive her over the edge. She’d never been good in crowds. Her signature mid-calf skirt brushed her legs as she walked and she reveled in the decadent feel of velvet as the hem slid over her calves. She glanced down at the deep burgundy skirt and smiled. Nothing made her feel better or more feminine than pure velvet. She waltzed past the men who meandered about the room eating the food her brother-in-law had provided and dancing with her sisters. Not 8

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one of them had approached her since that creep, Viktor Wolonczech, the ice dragon, tried to force her to kiss him. No one forced this girl to do anything. The jerk had been so arrogant he’d actually bent her over his arm and tried to press his lips against hers. The nerve! She didn’t even know him. The ass refused to let her go until she remembered her self-defense classes, stomped on his toes and kneed him in the groin. That was when he’d dropped her, damn him. Dragons may be difficult to kill, but apparently, their dangly part was just as sensitive as any human man’s. More so, perhaps. After all, legends had it that dragons felt both physical and emotional pain more acutely than their human counterparts. Rose hadn’t seen the arrogant jerk since—not that she missed being manhandled. Still, an invitation to dance once in a while wouldn’t be amiss. The cool night breeze hit her as soon as she left the crush of the party. Rose inhaled deeply, loving the scent of the flowers on the perfumed air. She gazed down at the moon-kissed garden, tempted to go for a stroll through the lovely foliage. “What are you doing hiding out here?” Rose turned to see her oldest sister, April, striding toward her. “What difference does it 9

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make where I go?” she asked with a derisive snort. “It’s not like any of those guys give a damn about me.” “You brought that on yourself,” April countered with a grin. “After all, you did knee Viktor in the crotch. Some of them have even asked Drake if they should wear a cup around you.” Rose laughed aloud at that. She couldn’t help it. “Well that explains the rather unrealistic bulges a lot of these guys have.” April giggled. “Well, that area is rather sensitive for any man. Since they think of their packages as one of their most valuable possessions—and what man doesn’t?—they take its protection seriously. You know how dragons guard their treasures.” Rose didn’t know. Not really. All she knew was what legend told, which was dragons guarded their treasures selfishly. “You’re ignoring our guests, my love.” Drake slid up beside April and snaked his arm around her waist. Leaning down, he brushed her hair back and kissed her on the forehead. Rose swallowed thickly and looked away. Deep down, she wanted what April had with her dragon. She really did. Yet Rose had no idea how to put up with such an overbearing man. “Come back to the party, Rose.” April took her 10

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husband’s hand and turned toward the house. “You’ll get a rest from it all this weekend.” Looking back over her shoulder, April smiled, a blush covering her cheeks. “We are taking a short honeymoon where Drake will mate me properly. It was what we were talking about the day you burst into Drake’s office to complain about Viktor.” “Oh, that’s right.” How could she have forgotten that? She had charged into Drake’s office to complain about Viktor’s highhandedness and caught April on his lap actually casting spells that worked. They weren’t even fully mated yet and her sister already had some semblance of control over her magic. They didn’t say why they had to leave. Apparently, dragon mating was some secret thing no one had made Rose or the other Flowers girls privy to. Whatever the ritual was, afterward, April and Drake would share the same life force and she would live as long as her husband. As far as Rose was concerned, the jury was still out on whether or not that was a good thing. After all, it seemed like things would get plenty boring after a few thousand years or so, but what did she know? Rose looked past her sister and brother-in-law to the ballroom beyond. She really was in no hurry to go back in there and have the twenty or so male 11

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dragons ignore her again. It was enough to give her a complex. She reached out, took her sister’s hand and squeezed her fingers. “I’ll be in. Just give me a minute or two. I need to think.” “Okay.” April patted her arm. “Try not to take too long, will you? I don’t want to have to explain to the others why you get to avoid the suitors and they don’t.” She grinned. Rose nodded before dropping her sister’s hand and turning to look out over the gardens. She rested her hand on the stone railing in front of her and stared out at the moon-kissed foliage. She did need to think. She wanted to cook up a plan to get out of this madhouse and find a place where she could be alone. All this togetherness was making her sick with worry. Rose never knew if or when her dubious gift to blow people and things to kingdom come would rear its ugly head. She had to get out of here before she hurt someone else—including those dratted dragons. That’s all there was to it. “Every time I see you, you’re standing alone with a frown on your face. You don’t smile much, do you?” Rose jumped and turned, lifting her hand to her throat with a frown. He wouldn’t smile much if he’d killed his parents either. “Stop sneaking up on me. That’s a good way to get yourself kicked 12

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again.” She glowered up at the blond dragon who stood almost a complete head and shoulders taller than her five-foot eight frame. “I think I’ll take my chances.” Viktor moved up beside her and rested his hands on the low stone wall. Rose felt the heat radiating off his fingers and moved her hand away with a frown. “It’s your funeral.” Closing her eyes, Rose wished that was a joke, but with her gawd-awful powers, anything could happen. “Why do you fear me?” Rose closed her eyes. What could she say to that? Since she didn’t know how to respond, she stood silent, her body rigid, acutely aware of the man next to her. “Surely you have seen that your legends are false. In fact, you and your sisters are deemed the world’s greatest treasures amongst our kind.” Why did he have to go and say that? Couldn’t he just leave her alone? Rose blinked back tears of frustration and turned to glare up at him. “I’m not afraid of you or your friends, you big goon!” She pushed away from the wall and began to pace. “God, you’re so arrogant that the thought that I don’t like you didn’t even cross your mind, did it?” She couldn’t look at him while she said those horrible things she didn’t want to say, but how 13

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else could she drive him away? He had to keep his distance. Rose knew she could never live with herself if she took another life. It might have been different if he was truly her mate, but he couldn’t be. Her magic still sucked. April’s magic improved daily after she met Drake. Apparently, their mating this weekend would finally give her total control. “Just leave me alone!” Rose couldn’t bear to see the expression in his eyes. It was a mixture of bewilderment and something else she thought might be pain, but she didn’t want to know. Spinning around, she bolted down the stone steps and into the garden. After running for what seemed like forever, Rose collapsed onto a bench, covered her face with her hands and gave way to her tears. She must always remain alone. She hated living under the same roof with her sisters, knowing she could harm any one of them at any time. What if she had another accident? She should be locked up somewhere and on medication to keep her from harming more innocent people.

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Chapter Three

V

iktor watched Rose run away. It seemed that was all she could do around him. Did she buy into the legend that the ice dragon’s emotions were as cold as the ice they controlled? That description fit him, to be certain, but only with his enemies. With his family, those he loved, he had always been as kind and understanding as he knew how. Shoving his hands into his pockets, he followed her down the steps and into the darkened garden. “We’re ready when you are, Vic.” Alexander Checkhovski, Viktor’s right hand man, slipped back into the darkness before he could reply. It didn’t matter. His men knew to watch Rose and keep her safe no matter the cost to themselves. Viktor suspected Rose feared her powers and that was why she held herself so aloof, even from her own sisters. Whatever her reasons, Victor could not allow her rebellion to continue indefinitely. She 15

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remained in danger as long as she remained unmated. It was an unnecessary risk he planned to end as soon as possible. Viktor heard her before he saw her. The sound of soft sobs reached him, making his heart ache. She felt such sorrow for one so young. It wasn’t any wonder, with the death of her parents lain so completely upon her doorstep. Sitting next to her, he drew her into his arms and rested her head upon his shoulder. He had wide and strong shoulders and he fully intended to be the man she turned to when in need. Best she get used to it now. The fact that she didn’t fight him surprised him, but he remained silent as he held her and caressed her silky sable hair. He reveled in the feel of her body, pliant in his arms. Her warmth seeped into his very pores as she pressed against his chest. It took great effort to tamp down his base urges and merely hold her against him. “Why do you do this to yourself?” “Be—” she hiccupped. “Because I can’t be around others. I’m dangerous.” He chuckled. “I am dangerous, little one. You are soft, gentle and everything a woman should be.” “I don’t want to hurt anyone again.” “And you won’t, once you find your mate.” He was her mate. Viktor was certain of it. He merely 16

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needed to convince Rose to kiss him and they would both know. The possibility that he could be wrong never crossed his mind until Alex brought it up. Of course, Viktor dismissed the notion out of hand. She must be his mate. Rose was the first woman he had felt any attraction for since he reached the age of five-hundred and decided empty sex no longer appealed to him. That day came before the birth of the Christian savior. Ten-thousand years is a long time to live alone and he was damned tired of it. Moving away, Rose pulled a tissue from her pocket and blew her nose. “You shouldn’t have let me do that. Not only are you in danger, but now look at your shirt. It’s all wet and it will have a water stain when it dries. I’m sorry.” “You worry about things you shouldn’t, dear heart.” “Don’t call me that!” “Why not?” He smiled, though he knew she probably couldn’t see it. She could still hear the smile in his voice if she cared to listen. “Because…” Viktor let her leave off at that. He had plenty of time. Hell, he’d already waited millenia for her. What was a few more weeks? He decided he would stay in the garden and hold Rose as long as she would let him. He didn’t know what it was, 17

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but something about her brought out every protective instinct he had, which was another reason he believed she was his mate. For five or ten glorious minutes, Rose let him hold her, comfort her and he wanted so much more. He wanted to kiss her, to love her, to make her irrevocably his. It was just too damned bad she would have castrated him for it. Instead, to keep peace between them, Viktor decided the best course of action would be to give her what he knew she would take—for now. The other could wait. He was, after all, a very patient man. Viktor saw a movement in the shadows and looked up. Alexander still lurked in the shadows, waiting. Deciding their plan was not the best course of action at the moment, Viktor shook his head and Alex disappeared into the night. Tonight wasn’t the best night to implement his plan, if he even decided to go forward with it. Kidnapping one’s potential mate was a risky business at best. If he decided to risk alienating her, he would do so after tomorrow. Tonight, he planned to sit right here and hold the woman he believed could be his mate. Who knew when he would have another chance? ****

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Deep in thought, Rose stood staring out into the shadowy garden. What if Viktor was her mate? What if she didn’t cooperate and later found that she had thrown away her only chance at a normal—for her anyway—life by sending him away again? According to some ancient witch-dragon legend, she would know if she would just break down and kiss him. April had known the answer almost immediately after kissing Drake for the first time, so the legend must be based on fact. If so, what was stopping her? As much as Rose wanted to stay wrapped in his arms, she knew she needed to push him away before he got the wrong idea—or perhaps it was the right one…either way, if she didn’t want him making assumption on the state of their nonexistent relationship, she needed to put some distance between them. Pulling back, she looked up at him. “I—I can’t stay here like this.” She wished the moonlight was brighter. Perhaps if it was, she could see his face better. She couldn’t read his expression with so little light, though she was certain he could read hers just fine. Dragons had awesome night vision, or so April had said. “You can’t or you won’t?” Viktor slid his hands from her shoulders, slowly skimming them down her bare arms until he reached her hands. Giving 19

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her fingers one last squeeze, he finally let her go. “Take your pick.” Rose looked away from him. She didn’t want him to see the truth in her eyes. She was scared, terrified even. He was an ice dragon. The ice dragon if what she’d heard was correct. Legend had it that the wyvern of their sect’s heart was just as frozen as the lands where he kept his lair. His Russian accent did little to allay her fears. Where was his lair anyway, Siberia? Of all dragons, the ice dragons claimed to be the most ruthless of them all. Did she really want to find out she was the mate of a cold-hearted ice dragon and live her life wishing for something or someone better? Rose shook her head slightly and sighed. She would rather not know one way or the other. It was easier, much easier and if it saved her heart from getting broken, so much the better. In her estimation, it was not better to have loved and lost. The entire idea was nothing more than romantic nonsense. “I don’t want this. I—I don’t want you.” Standing, she ran back to the house and the safety of the party. At least no one there wanted more from her than she was willing to give. Safely inside, Rose mingled a bit before she snuck up the stairs to her room. She didn’t know what to do. She only knew she needed to be alone to think. Maybe, if she put her mind to it, she 20

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could figure out a way out of this mess. “Come on, slowpoke, they’re going to catch us if you don’t hurry.” “I don’t know why I let you talk me into this.” Rose followed Tansy across the backyard and through the garden. “You let me talk you into it because you’re just as damned tired of being put on display as I am.” Tansy stopped just beneath a large tree and grinned. “See? Isn’t it beautiful?” Rose looked up at the large, majestic oak and had to agree. “Yes,” she said with a nod. “It’s glorious. I’m so glad they didn’t cut it down when they built the house here.” Apparently, dragons had a similar affinity for life as witches. Who knew? She continued to look up at the tree, watching as the branches swayed slightly in the breeze. “It’s a beautiful tree, but I don’t see what it’s got to do with our predicament.” She rested her hands on her hips and gave Tansy what her sisters all called the look. “Stop that.” Tansy smacked her arm and started to shimmy up the tree. “This, in case you’re too nearsighted to see it, is our ticket out of here. I don’t know about you, but I’m blowing this popsicle stand, sister.” She climbed up onto the first branch and looked down. “Are you coming or 21

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not?” Rose stood on the ground, intending to stand firm until she thought about Tansy out on the streets alone and Viktor just waiting to pounce at the next party April gave in their honor. Shaking her head, she sighed. “I just know I’m going to regret this.” She started up the tree, barely making it to the first branch. “You’re out of shape, sis.” “Shut up, Tansy, or I’ll push you off this branch and laugh when you hit the ground and break something.” Rose scowled at her sister. “I can’t believe I’m letting you talk me into this.” Tansy hopped up a few more branches, showing off her strength and agility. “Come on, slowpoke. The cab won’t wait forever.” “You called a cab?” That was news. Usually, Tansy didn’t think that far in advance. Tansy gave her a look that would have scared someone else. Rose just shook her head. “Nice try, but that doesn’t work on someone who’s seen you naked.” “Shout that about town and I’ll kick your ass.” Tansy grunted as she jumped, then pulled herself onto the ten-foot tall stone wall. “Come on. This has got to be eighteen inches thick. Remember your gymnastics and hop on over here. This is a hell of a lot wider than a balance beam.” “Yeah, right and I’m a hell of a lot older than 22

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sixteen, too.” Rose stood on the branch looking at the wall only four feet away. She didn’t want to let go of the branch she had a death grip on, but knew she had to follow Tansy. This particular sister had a penchant for getting herself into trouble. Lots of it. “Besides, I never jumped from one balance beam to another.” “No, but I’ve seen you somersault onto one with no problem.” “I am not even attempting that when I’m more than ten feet off the ground.” She stared at Tansy for a minute. “Okay. Who are you and what did you do with my sister? I know someone who loves me would never put me in this kind of danger.” Tansy pulled the strap of her purse that she’d hung across her torso, removed her wand and waved it toward Rose. “Don’t worry. I’ll catch you if you fall.” Ducking, Rose held up her hand. “Don’t you wave that thing at me! I’ve seen what you’ve done with it.” Visions of bursting into flame came to Rose’s mind. Tansy had a bit of control, but when she lost it, things caught fire. “Puhleeese, Rose. I have never caught one of my sisters on fire. Relax.” “And I’d never blown up my parents before either and we both know how that one ended. Put the wand away.” With a sigh, Tansy shoved the wand back in her 23

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purse and zipped it up. “Come on then. Put the strap of your purse over your head like I did and let’s get moving.” Tansy moved to the side and crossed her arms. Rose stared at the distance for a minute. She still practiced her gymnastics to stay fit. She just wasn’t as good as she used to be. Who needed to be able to somersault onto a balance beam in normal life? It wasn’t as though she was some sort of Olympiad or anything. “Come on, dammit. We don’t have all night,” Tansy hissed the words as she waved. “Eventually, someone is going to notice our absence. And who knows when Drake’s guards will decide to make another round of the walls?” They hadn’t watched for that. Hell, Rose hadn’t done anything to escape past listening to her sister’s harebrained ideas. Taking a deep breath, Rose released the branch, took a few steps and launched herself toward the wall. “Alright!” Tansy clapped her hands, then clenched her fists when she realized how loud a sound she had made. “See? I knew you could do it.” “Then you knew a hell of a lot more than I did.” Rose shook her head and wiped her sweaty palms on her capris. “I had no idea I could still do that. I didn’t keep it in my exercise routine.” 24

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Tansy just grinned. “It’s amazing what you can do when you put your mind to it.” She sat down on the wall and slowly slid off the edge to the ground below. “Come on, Tansy said as she leaned out toward the road. “I can see the cab from here.” Against her better judgment, Rose followed her sister. She only hoped they didn’t get themselves into so much trouble that one of Drake’s dragon friends had to help them out of it. If they did, it was a situation of which, Rose was certain, they would never hear the end. **** Viktor watched as Drake’s mate entered the room. She stood in front of Drake, her expression filled with worry and wrung her hands. “Rose and Tansy are missing.” “Missing?” Viktor’s heart immediately jumped to his throat. Where could she be? Would she leave Drake’s protection? His stomach clenched at the thought of his Rose unprotected. Danger surrounded the sisters. Though the dragon council had no idea why, someone wanted them all imprisoned or dead. Taking a deep breath, he shook his head and brought his attention back to the conversation. “They’re around here somewhere. Tansy 25

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probably took Rose off to some secluded area of the property to practice her magic.” Drake set his pen down and leaned back in his chair. It was obvious he was attempting to calm his mate with his own sense of serenity. It didn’t work. “You don’t understand.” April shook her head. “Rose doesn’t practice magic and, as you have experienced personally,” she paused to roll her eyes, “along with everyone else who works for you, Tansy will practice hers anywhere and on anyone.” Drake scrubbed his hand over his face, obviously suppressing a smile. “I know that for a fact. I don’t think Martin appreciated the loss of all of his hair.” He chuckled. “What I don’t understand is how she managed to burn away the hair on his crotch without setting his underwear on fire.” He held up his hand when April started to speak. “I’m sure I don’t want to know and I definitely do not want to experience it. I will happily remain blissfully, if curiously, ignorant.” Any other time Viktor would have laughed, but April’s announcement had him on the edge of his seat, the wooden arms of his chair in a death grip. He wouldn’t be surprised if he left fingerprints imbedded in it. “You’ve looked everywhere?” He wouldn’t have been surprised to find that his hair stood on end as he thought of her out in town beyond the safety of this compound. 26

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“Yes. My sisters and I have been looking all over for the two of them. After we couldn’t find them anywhere, we decided to search their rooms and we found a note from Tansy. Apparently, she’d left it on the desk, but the slight breeze coming from her opened window must have blown it on the floor. She’s decided to go and try to make a life of her own, on her own. My fear is that she’s convinced Rose to go with her.” “Why would Rose go? She knows she has no control over her powers.” Frowning, Drake stood and began to pace. “Besides, she knows that Viktor has offered for her.” “She doesn’t have to worry about not having control. She’s left her wand here.” She turned to Viktor. “And as for your offer…” She paused, biting her lip. “I haven’t told her yet. She just thinks you’re an overbearing male who wants to see if she’s your mate. She doesn’t believe she’s anyone’s mate because she doesn’t think she deserves one.” “What?” Viktor shot to his feet. “I offered for her over a week ago. Why wasn’t she told?” He knew he should have listened to his instincts and approached her himself. He started to follow Drake’s example and pace, letting out a long line of Russian obscenities. “If she’s left her wand, she has no way to focus her energies should she need to protect herself.” 27

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“Protecting herself would be the last thing on her mind. Her first thought would be keeping Tansy from danger as well as countless innocents. She’s convinced she killed our parents.” April shrugged. “All of my sisters and I were convinced of that as well until I mated Drake. Now I know our powers can’t be used to kill without the focused power of a dragon to deliver a killing blow. Rose won’t hear it though. She’s certain she killed them.” Viktor could feel his dragon taking over. The temperature in the room dropped several degrees and April moved to stand closer to her mate— whether it was for warmth or protection, Viktor didn’t know. “He’s starting to smoke.” She looked at Drake. “I know that’s not a good sign.” “He’s not smoking, my love. The ice dragon doesn’t smoke. He steams. Like the steam rising off a frosted glass. The room is several, if not hundreds of degrees, warmer than he is right now.” “Eeew! Sucks to be Rose. I can’t imagine having him touch me while…” She turned red before turning away. “Never mind.” She took a deep breath and stood up straight. “We need to find them.” Viktor itched to breathe his ice on the woman for her lack of candor with her sister, but 28

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refrained. He needed every able body searching for his mate right now. He didn’t need to alienate Drake and lose his assistance. Instead, he wrestled his dragon under control. “Yes,” he agreed with a nod. “We do.”

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Chapter Four

T

ansy opened the back door of the cab and waved her arm. “After you.” Rose climbed into the cab and fastened the seatbelt around her. “I hope you know what you’re doing because as much as I hate being under Drake’s thumb, I’m not sure this is a wise move.” Sitting back, she waited for Tansy to join her. The cab jerked to a start and she looked out the window. “Where are we going?” Tansy grinned. “I have no idea.” She sat back in her seat and crossed her arms. “Since you didn’t instruct the driver, I assumed you did so, on the phone before we left. So you must have had a destination in mind.” “Nope.” She shrugged. “I didn’t tell them anything.” “Then where are we going?” Rose leaned forward and tapped on the metal wire that separated them from the driver. “Excuse me. 30

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Where are we going?” “Sit back and shut up.” “Hey, there!” Tansy cried, “You can’t talk to my sister like that!” “I’ll talk to your sister any damned way I please. Now shut up or I’ll shut you up.” Rose looked at Tansy and mouthed the words what do we do now? She looked out of the window at the homes speeding by. He was moving too fast for them to jump out. She determined they would have to wait for him to stop at a traffic light before they could escape, but he ran through all the red lights, narrowly missing cars as they skidded to a stop to avoid a collision. Twisting her fingers together, Rose stared out the window at the blurred buildings as they sped by. The man had no intention of slowing down. If anything, he was speeding up. She listened to the whine of the engine as they accelerated through another intersection. What were they to do now? Here she was, kidnapped with one of her sisters because they refused to believe they were in danger, because they refused to search for a mate among the dragon males. She bit her lip and shook her head. Perhaps it was time to face the fact that she and Tansy were just too darned stupid to live, like some romance heroine that people love to hate because she 31

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wouldn’t listen to her hero. Sighing, Rose continued to stare through the window as they sped along the road, leading into the industrial part of town. The homes gave way to old, rundown warehouses. The landscape turned from sidewalks and businesses to parking lots abandoned by their owners and overrun with tall grass and weeds that strove to reclaim the earth. Staring through the dirty glass of the window, she wondered at the herons she saw pacing the vehicle. What was it about the beautiful and majestic birds that they seemed to turn up when she underwent a major life change? They first made an appearance when her parents died, then again when April had met her dragon mate and now, when she and Tansy faced the unknown at the hands of a stranger. Rose feared using her magic on the man, afraid that the backlash may harm her sister, especially since she didn’t bring her wand. She couldn’t do it. She just couldn’t be responsible for the death of another family member. “Do something,” Tansy hissed. She gave the driver a meaningful glance and wiggled her fingers. “I can’t.” Rose wouldn’t have, even if she could. Right now, she knew her magic could really go awry without her wand to focus it on a specific 32

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task. Strangers could die. She could level a city block or something. Who knew what could happen? The possibilities were endless. “Of course you can.” Tansy scowled and nodded toward the driver. “No,” Rose said with a shake of her head. “I can’t.” “This is no time to be squeamish, dammit!” “I could hurt someone.” Tansy shrugged. “Better him than us, in my opinion.” “That’s just it. You know there’s no guarantee that it would be just him and not you.” Rose pressed her lips together and shook her head, adamant. “I won’t risk it.” She rested her hand on Tansy’s for a moment. “I won’t risk you.” “Dammit, Rose!” “Hey, there! Be quiet, you two. I’m not gonna put up with your damned whining.” “We weren’t whining, you jerk!” Tansy looked down and put on her seatbelt. Rose felt like crossing herself like a terrified character in a movie because she had an idea she knew what was next. She may have left her wand in her room, but she knew Tansy didn’t. Leaning forward, Tansy closed her eyes and, with an effort that looked painful, she held her wrists together, her hands arced out. Tansy’s lips 33

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moved, possibly in a silent prayer, just before she pushed a ball of concentrated energy at the driver through the thick wire divider. The driver slumped forward, unconscious as the cab careened out of control toward the brick wall of a warehouse. “Shit, shit, shit…” Rose closed her eyes and visualized the driver stomping on the brakes. The car skidded to a halt and the two women jumped out. “Asshole!” Tansy ripped the driver’s door open, jammed the car into park, removed the driver’s seatbelt and dragged him from the car. “Get in,” she snarled in Rose’s direction. “We have to get out of here before someone finds us.” Rose climbed into the vehicle more because she wanted to get away from the man who had kidnapped them than because she agreed with her sister. “Where to now?” Tansy looked down at the gauges as she put the car in gear. “As far as three quarters of a tank of gas will take us, then we’ll catch a bus.” Two hours and one flat tire later, they were walking. “I’m hungry.” “Don’t whine to me about the state of your stomach, Tansy. This was your idea.” “Yeah, but you’re older. You should have stopped me.” 34

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Rose stopped walking to glare at her sister. “I’m older by months, Tansy, not years. That does not give me more experience. If it did, I would have known this harebrained scheme of yours would turn out badly.” Tansy stuck her thumb out as a car approached. “I don’t care what you think about the perils of hitchhiking. I’m hitching a ride to the nearest restaurant.” Rose shook her head and sighed. “Whatever. It’s not like you couldn’t use that weird energy thing on someone again.” “I can’t. I can only use that about once every six hours, but that’s beside the point. I’m hungry and thirsty and my feet hurt.” “Why do I always forget you’re the whiney sister until I go with some stupid plan of yours?” Rose shook her head. She almost laughed when the car sped past and Tansy stomped her foot like a frustrated child. She didn’t laugh, however, when a long, sleek limo stopped and a door opened. “Get in.” “Uh, no thanks.” Tansy backed away. “I thought you wanted a ride. You had your thumb out, didn’t you?” The man inside didn’t move to get out, nor did he attempt to coerce them into the vehicle any further. “Well…yes. I did have my thumb out.” 35

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“Then get in. I’m late for a meeting. I can’t sit here indefinitely.” “I’m not sure about this, Tansy.” Rose grabbed her sister’s arm as she sighed and headed for the car. Tansy turned around with a sigh. “You’re not sure about what? The man stopped because I had my thumb out.” She narrowed her eyes as if to say get in or you’re on the menu. I’m starved. “Get in. He’ll take us to town.” “Which town would that be?” Rose asked as she climbed into the car behind her sister, the whole time telling herself you’re just too damned stupid to live, Rose. Or maybe that was Tansy. The jury was still out on that one. **** “What do you mean you’ve lost the scent again?” Viktor glared at Alex. “I thought you said they were walking.” “They were walking. Now they’re in a vehicle. It smells like something big. A truck, maybe a limo. I’m not sure.” Alex stood before him, his hands behind his back. “Sonofabitch!” Viktor slammed his fist against the side of the car. “You’re my best tracker. Are you saying you can’t find them?” Alex nodded. “I’m saying just that, sir. I can’t 36

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find them. The vehicle that picked them up is designed to mask the scent of its occupants.” “Then it’s most likely one of us.” Viktor growled deep in his throat. If it was one of their own kind who wanted the women dead, Viktor would find him and take great delight in ripping his head off. “I’m certain she’s fine, sir.” Alex tried to calm him. “Everyone knows you believe she is yours and are looking for her. Perhaps this particular person hasn’t gotten your message as of yet.” “Or perhaps he plans to keep her for himself.” “I think that’s unlikely.” Alex moved back. Viktor always knew his second in command was a smart man. Since they were alone, in the middle of nowhere, Viktor let his dragon have free rein for a minute. If he didn’t, there was no telling what would happen if a human triggered his anger. He felt his dragon take over. His bones popped and cracked as he changed from his human form to that of his dragon self. He grew taller and wider, his legs changing to powerful hindquarters, his arms to equally powerful forelegs. He shimmered with the silvery ice blue of his family’s color and let out a bellow that would have had the bravest human wetting his pants. “We’ll find her, sir.” Turning his head, he pierced his friend with an 37

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icy gaze and shifted himself enough to give his dragon human-like vocal chords. With a voice he knew was as deep as any simulated voice he had ever heard, Viktor replied, “We had better. I will mate with no other.” With a deep sigh, Viktor forced his dragon back under control and took his human form once again. This time the transition was faster, smoother and he had little time to think of the changes in his body. His dragon emotions in check, he glanced at his friend. “Why wouldn’t she kiss me?”

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Chapter Five

W

hy wouldn’t I kiss him? Stupid, stupid, stupid…Rose paced the room in which someone held her prisoner. They’d separated her and Tansy as soon as they got to town and into this business. She’d only gotten a glimpse of it. She wasn’t sure what it was other than some sort of club. Music blared as she tried to think. She knew she could blast her way out of here, but how many innocents were here? How many people would she hurt in an effort to escape? She continued to pace the room until the door opened and a woman walked in. “I thought you might be hungry.” She was, but Rose had no intention of eating a thing until she found out where her sister was. “Where’s Tansy?” “Um…she’s in the room across the hall. Would you like me to get her for you?” “Of course I would! She’s my sister. I’m not 39

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eating a damned thing until you show me that she’s okay.” The woman smiled. “She’s fine. I’ll go get her. We didn’t separate you to make you anxious, only to give you time to rest.” As if she could rest when she didn’t know where her sister was! “I would like to see her. Now!” “Of course.” The woman left, leaving the door open and walked across the hall. She opened the door and stuck her head in. “Your sister would like—” Rose pushed past her, uncaring that she was being rude. Normally, she wouldn’t act this way, but she’d reached the end of her being courteous rope. “Tansy!” Rushing over to her sister, she pulled her into her arms. “I thought…” “I know what you thought, Rosie, but I’m okay.” Tansy pulled away and turned to look out the window. “You have a window?” Tansy nodded. “Yes, and I absolutely love the view.” She paused. “To an extent. There is a part of it I could do without.” Rose moved up beside her sister and looked down at the parking lot below. Two men stood talking for a moment, one tall and dark haired, the other tall and blond. Though it was getting dark, she thought she recognized the dark haired man 40

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from the limo, Armand. The blond looked suspiciously familiar. Rose got an uneasy feeling in her stomach and put her hand to her throat. It couldn’t be… After a moment, the two shook hands and looked up at the window. Crap! It was. Viktor stood down there looking up at her, his expression not one she wanted to see. He was mad—very mad by the looks of it. His icy gray eyes glittered with anger as he stared up at her, his usually sensual lips pressed together in a frown. “Uh, oh. He’s mad. Sucks to be you.” Viktor said something to his companion who scowled and glared up at Tansy. His dark eyes practically shot sparks in Tansy’s direction and she sighed. “Damn…sucks to be me, too. I wonder what Viktor just told him.” “He probably told him how we both risked our lives, got kidnapped by a cabby, stole a car and then ended up on foot where he found us hitchhiking,” Rose said dryly. “That would be my guess anyway.” The two men headed for the building and Tansy moved away from the window. “Here they come. I hope you’re ready for a lecture.” “Me? Why should I get the lecture? You’re the one that talked me into this mess.” The woman who had stayed to listen to their conversation jumped. “If you’ll excuse me, 41

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ladies…” She gestured toward the door. “I’m needed downstairs.” As soon as the woman made her exit, Viktor stormed into the room and grabbed Rose by the arm. “If you won’t kiss me willingly, I will kiss you whether you like it or not.” He growled and pulled her into his arms. “I’m not going to fight you, Viktor.” Rose wrapped her arms around his neck. “I’m going to prove you’re not my mate once and for all.” He looked down at her, his gray eyes stormy. “And if you are wrong?” Rose sighed. “Then we will have to cross that proverbial bridge when we come to it.” Standing on her toes, Rose waited for him to press his lips against hers. Heat curled in her middle as he kissed her, tinged by a sensation of cool she could only describe as a breath mint. Hot yet cold, his kiss moved her, but told her nothing. Unlike when April kissed Drake, she didn’t feel connected to Viktor, she only felt a melting heat deep inside that she must find a way to ignore. Pulling back, Rose took a deep breath and smiled sadly. “I almost wish you had been right, but now that we both know otherwise, will you please cease your harassment of me at April’s? If you do so, I promise I will go back and submit myself to whatever punishment Drake has for our transgression.” 42

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**** Reluctantly, Viktor released her. Why hadn’t their kiss bound them the way it should have? Even Drake had said it had only taken one kiss with April to convince her she was his mate. What had he done wrong? Why did he still feel bound to her while she felt nothing? The kiss may have convinced Rose that she was not his mate, but it was far from convincing for him. Viktor knew, deep in his heart, Rose was the one woman destined to spend forever with him. He had been serious when he told Alex he would have Rose or he would have no other. Now he just needed to convince his mate that she needed him at least half as much as he needed her. “I will take you back to your sister’s.” “You didn’t answer me.” She glared up at him. “I kissed you, dammit, and nothing came of it. Are you going to leave me alone or aren’t you?” “It matters not what happened with that kiss.” He growled. “I still want you as I have wanted no other. I will pursue you whether you like it or not.” She crossed her arms and glared up at him. “Then I’m not going back.” “You are. You have no choice.” He waved toward Tansy and her companion. He didn’t 43

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know the dragon well. He only knew that Armand Rouvilliou ran a club for people with peculiar tastes. He hoped his newfound sister would be fine with him, but if she was his mate, he had no real say in the matter—especially since she didn’t seem to mind the other man’s advances. “Unless you plan to stay here with Tansy, but I’m certain you will soon feel out of place.” Rose sighed. “I’m definitely not leaving without my sister.” Tansy stepped around Armand and moved up next to Rose. “I’m going back with Rose.” Armand looked as though he wanted to say something, but remained quiet. The look he gave Tansy was one Viktor thought he recognized. He knew just how the other man felt. He was sure his own face held the same expression when he looked at Rose. No other woman would ever do for him. He knew this as well as he knew his own address. He wanted Rose with her pain-inducing knees and acerbic tongue. He wanted to live the rest of his life knowing the woman before him loved him and no other, not that she merely tolerated him because of her sister’s boring parties. Viktor not only wanted, he needed her love and respect along with her full, curvy body that was soft in all the right places. Eventually, he would convince her that she was 44

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his mate. Somehow, he would manage to ignite the spark of magic between them and Rose would finally see they belonged with one another. For now though, Viktor knew he must be content to know in his heart that the two of them were destined for each other. Viktor stepped aside and swung his arm toward the door. “Shall we go now, dear heart?” “I wish you’d stop calling me that.” Rose sighed as she moved toward him. “We both know I am not your heart.” Viktor could have sworn he heard a whisper of her voice in his head that said, No matter how much I want to be. He dismissed it as wishful thinking and turned to her sister who bounced up between them. The woman, always full of energy, seemed to ooze good cheer wherever she went. Viktor wasn’t sure why, but it had the opposite effect on him. He found it rather irritating to be around someone who was so damned happy all of the time. Perhaps it was just because he needed his mate. Or maybe he just disliked perky women. He wasn’t sure. “Can we stop on the way home and get something to eat? I’m starved!” She threw an accusing glare at Armand. “Our host for the last few hours neglected to feed us.” Armand stepped closer, his hands behind his 45

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back, no doubt to hide the fact that he’d just balled them into fists before he shoved them quickly behind him. “I beg your pardon! I told the kitchen staff to feed you two over an hour ago.” Tansy raised her chin and stared him down. “Well it never arrived. Maybe you should have more control over the people who work for you.” She crossed her arms and tapped her foot with obvious irritation. Viktor wanted to grin. If Armand thought to take one of the Flowers sisters as a mate, he would certainly have a merry chase that would keep him on his toes. He looked at his own formerly wayward mate and raised a brow. “Well…are you ready?” He did hate to repeat himself, but he would repeat that a million times if it would convince her to accompany him. Rose glanced at her sister and waved toward the door. “The food Armand sent up is in the room across the hall. The woman who showed me in here delivered it just before she brought me to you. You’re welcome to go grab a few bites before we leave.” Tansy shook her head. “I don’t want that now.” She sniffed, her chin in the air. “It’s cold by now.” She looked up at Viktor and gave him a smile that may have made him take a second glance if he had not already been smitten by one of Rose’s 46

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endearing scowls. “We’ll have Viktor stop and feed us on the way home.” With a laugh, Tansy startled Victor by sidling closer, wrapping her arm around his and tugging him toward the door. The action brought her up against him and he felt her body heat as she pressed close. What was she trying to do, get him killed? He heard Armand’s growl from across the room. He shot the other man a glance that he hoped Armand would interpret as a plea for help. “You needn’t insult me by making advances on another in my presence, woman,” Armand said with another growl. “I will see you fed.” “I don’t think so.” Tansy stuck her chin in the air, her bottom lip stuck out in a pretty, yet irritating, pout. “As a matter of fact, I don’t think I want you to take me anywhere.” She sidled closer to Viktor. “I like him better.” In shock, Viktor did his best to extricate himself from Tansy’s grasp and attempted to back away. He was right. She was trying to get him killed!

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Chapter Six at her sister, Rose realized that for the Glaring first time in her life, she actually wanted to kill Tansy. She imagined a slow, painful death for her sister as she watched her hanging all over Viktor like some sort of cheap tramp. What in the hell did she think she was doing? She narrowed her eyes, wishing for her wand so she could show Tansy a thing or two. Why didn’t she go get her own man? Viktor was hers! She paused at the thought. No, Viktor wasn’t hers. He couldn’t be hers, could he? She snuck a glance at the man who had insisted they belonged together from practically the first moment he’d seen her and sighed. She just didn’t know anymore. Never in her life had Rose ever wanted a man the way she wanted Viktor. Taking a deep breath in an effort to calm herself before she did kill her sister, Rose continued to glare at Tansy as she hung off Viktor’s arm. Then she turned the same 48

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glare onto Viktor who did absolutely nothing to stop it. Rose felt her power growing stronger within her. Her fingers tingled and itched as some nearly uncontrollable force filled them. Her fingers, a conduit and outlet, burned and sparked with the need to release the pressure that built inside her. Static electricity filled the air and everyone’s hair lifted away from their heads. It would have been comical had Rose not been so pissed or scared that she would harm someone. “Uh, oh.” Tansy finally released Viktor’s arm and stepped back. Armand grabbed her by the hand and pulled her behind him for protection, no doubt. “Kiss her, Viktor. Provide the conduit she needs to release her power safely. This is the one thing that will prove she is your mate.” Why did everyone believe she was Viktor’s mate? “We’ve already kissed and felt nothing.” She didn’t say that she’d been just as disappointed as Viktor. After two months of his pursuit, it was a letdown to realize she had been right all this time. She hadn’t wanted to be right. This was one time when being wrong would have been okay. One thing was certain. It was a good thing she had never gotten her hopes up. She would have been devastated. Rose bit her lip, trying to keep the power from leaking out and harming 49

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someone. She looked at Viktor and wanted to cry. Who was she kidding? She was devastated anyway. “I have to get out of here before I kill someone.” Or demolish Armand’s very nice business. She stared at Viktor for a minute, her heart breaking all over again. “Move out of the way. I don’t want to hurt you, but I need to get outside.” Viktor didn’t move. He merely stood and stared back. “Move!” Shaking his head, Viktor moved closer. “We are going to try this again. Only this time, you will try to make the connection instead of fighting it every step of the way. You will try because you do not want to kill me or your sister.” He stood in front of her now. Lifting his hands, he cupped her face and leaned down. “Open for me, my heart. Release your power through me. Let my ice cool the flames of your angry magic.” “Don’t call me that. I’m not your heart.” Rose didn’t want him to call her that because she might miss it when he was gone. She couldn’t let him know she gave a damn. If she did, it would be that much harder to drive him away afterward. Tears in her eyes for what she was about to do, Rose opened her mouth. She would kiss him because it was too late to do anything else. It was too late to run. Her magic was about to burst from 50

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her and she would kill everyone in the room. What was wrong with one last kiss? Viktor pressed his lips against hers, the touch so gentle at first, she wasn’t sure she really felt it. After a moment or two, he snaked his tongue into her open mouth, plunging and tasting her as he took her power into him. Rose cried as she released her power, knowing the force would kill him. Her knees buckled beneath her as icy heat flared within her. Mine! The word burst into her mind as he continued to slant his lips over hers. His tongue plundered her mouth like some Viking gone berserk, touching, tasting her own as he continued to explore every inch. He moved slowly, so slowly, as though he savored every moment, every taste of her as he continued his sensual assault. You are mine! Tears flowed freely down her cheeks as she realized the power that flared within her had driven her mad. No one would be safe ever again. She knew he wasn’t her mate, yet she thought she heard his voice in her head. She had gone insane. Someone needed to put her down like a diseased animal before she injured someone. You are not insane, my heart. You are my mate! The sound of Viktor’s voice was in her head again, just before she caught glimpses of him in 51

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ancient times watching the construction of the Great Pyramids. He spoke with a man who had the power to heal, to love unconditionally—a man who had more power in his pinky than she and her sisters combined. She saw him fighting men who appeared to be shogun warriors, and finally before he pulled away when the last of her power dispersed, she saw him as a Viking, the very kind of man he brought to mind when he kissed. He stared down at her, his eyes filled with an emotion she couldn’t identify. “You are mine.” Rose nervously licked her lips and looked everywhere but at him. He was in her mind, in her heart and somehow, in her very blood. She could no longer deny their connection and truthfully, she didn’t want to. Nodding, she cleared her throat. “I guess…I guess I am.” Tansy clapped her hands and, as usual, bounced up and down. “I knew it! I knew it! I just knew if I acted like I wanted Viktor, you would blow a gasket.” “What?” Rose stared at her sister for a minute, a new spark of anger filling her mind. Taking a deep breath, she shook her head. “I don’t believe you did that to me, you little dweeb.” “Fungus,” Tansy shot back, a huge grin on her face. Great. Now she’d never live this down. Tansy 52

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would lord this over her the rest of her life. She just managed to make Rose realize she loved Viktor and now there would be no shutting the little creep up. Dammit! Viktor smiled down at her and Rose wanted to fan herself. Goodness, he was gorgeous! A lock of his gold-blond hair hung across his forehead, his silver-gray eyes sparkled with happiness and his smile…Rose sighed. His smile made him even more handsome. An hour ago, she would have thought that impossible. He brought up his arm for her to take it. “Shall we go?” Rose nodded and tucked her fingers into the crook of his elbow with a smile. “I would love to.” For the first time since her parents died, Rose felt free. Free to live her life as she wanted and free to practice magic without worrying that she would harm someone. It was amazing how grounded she felt now that they had managed to bind themselves together, even superficially. She knew it would take much more than that before she could trust herself with her wand. She would have to mate with him in the ritual way before she would have complete control, yet just knowing they were connected, that he could temper her power, left her feeling more relaxed than she’d felt in years. 53

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**** Viktor looked down at Rose and smiled. He’d never seen her so relaxed, so…carefree may be the word. The lines around her eyes had softened since their kiss. Her adorable frown was gone, replaced by a smile that could brighten the darkest of nights. He sighed when he realized he loved this woman so much he was even thinking in clichés. He pulled her into his arms and held her close, surprised for a moment that she didn’t put up a fight. It didn’t matter. None of it mattered now that they knew they were destined to be together. He’d known it all along, of course. It was just a matter of convincing Rose of that fact. You weren’t certain either. Had you been certain, you would have kissed me like that a long time ago. Just the thought of her answering him through their bond was enough to make him want to shout with joy. Instead, he opted for leading her from Armand’s home and business before the other man remembered that Tansy had rubbed her scent all over him. The last thing he needed right now was a challenge. Viktor didn’t want Tansy. He had never wanted Tansy. It had always been Rose. He took a deep breath and drank in her unique scent. No one smelled like his Rose, no one could 54

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make his stomach clench and his heart beat the way she could just by being near him. He closed his eyes and thanked everything that was good that after almost ten-thousand years he had finally found his mate. Viktor wanted nothing more than to carry her off to his lair where he could make her his with no interruption. Yet he knew he must take her back to Drake’s. As much as it chafed, Drake was Rose’s only male relative present and as such, had the last say in their pairing. He owed Drake that courtesy. He wasn’t worried that Drake wouldn’t agree, he just disliked the delay. Even though Viktor knew there was no real hurry now that they had bonded through their kiss, he still couldn’t wait to make Rose truly his. He wanted to have her close, to protect her from the evil that would harm her and her sisters. He thought of the cab driver they’d found face down and unconscious. The women must have felt threatened to use their magic on him. None of them, save April and Tansy, used any form of magic at any time outside of their monthly practice sessions. Shifting his gaze to Tansy, he was certain she had incapacitated the driver, even with the absence of fire. He couldn’t say he blamed the others for abstaining from the practice. At their last session two weeks ago, Tansy had accidentally set one of 55

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Drake’s garages on fire and managed to singe all of the hair off Martin Baccus, Drake’s personal assistant. He fought the urge to smile at the thought. The man still looked ridiculous with no eyebrows. Taking Rose by the hand, Viktor paused as the connection between them blossomed. He felt her emotions, her fear at using her powers even though she felt him grounding her. The palm of his hand warmed against hers to the point of pain as their connection grew. In a hurry to get back and get Drake’s final word on the matter, Viktor pulled Rose from the building and headed for his car. Tansy giggled behind him and he shot a glance her way. One thing he’d learned while frequenting Drake’s home over the last few months was to never ignore one of that woman’s laughs—it usually preceded some minor catastrophe. Armand had her in a loose hold, his fingers wrapped around her wrist. Smiling, she turned to look at her sister. “I think I’ll stay here after all, Rose.” Turning, she gave Armand a teasing glance. “Armand has promised me dinner some place nice.” Viktor turned his attention to the other man. “You will protect her?” Nodding, Armand bowed. “With my life.” “Call Drake if you leave his presence,” he 56

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instructed Tansy. If she had been any of Rose’s other sisters, he would have insisted on escorting her himself, but he knew Armand and the worst he would do was break the girl’s heart. Besides, Drake’s abused household needed a break and if things were as he suspected with Armand, the other man would soon regret his decision to woo Tansy Flowers.

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Chapter Seven

R

ose let Viktor drag her from the building and escort her to his car. She stared at the red sports car for a minute, unable to keep her amusement from showing. “Compensate much?” Viktor took her by the shoulders and gently pushed her back against the car. He pressed the full length of his body against her and leaned down to whisper in her ear. “Does it feel like I have anything to compensate for?” The heat of his breath against her ear had warmth washing over her as tendrils of delight winged through her system. She could feel every hard inch pressed against her as his tongue snaked out and traced the shell of her ear. Swallowing thickly, she forced herself to answer. “Uh, no.” Rose turned her head away and tried to push him back. “From what I can see…er, feel, there’s nothing for which you should feel the need to compensate. Nothing at all.” Rose’s face burned as he reached around, 58

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opened the passenger door and helped her into the car. She was no innocent, but she had never felt such…intensity for a man before in her life. Whether it was her emotions alone she felt or Viktor’s as well, she had no idea. Rose knew one thing though. It was all a bit overwhelming. They hadn’t been in the vehicle more than a few minutes when Viktor’s phone rang. “Wolonczech. State your purpose.” “Wow. What a way to answer your phone.” She grinned at him to let him know she was teasing. Viktor glanced at her for a moment, winked then turned his gaze back to the road. “You did what?” Uh, oh. That didn’t sound good at all. He sighed and pulled off the road and turned around. “Yes. I realize the implications. This just couldn’t have come at a worse time.” Viktor sighed, flipped on his right turn signal and slowed to make his turn. “I don’t care what your excuse is. Hell, Damek, you’re almost as old as time. I would think you could manage to make a donation without screwing it up.” “Dammit!” he snarled as he ended the call. Taking a deep breath, he glanced at Rose. “I hope you don’t mind, dear heart, but I have to make a stop before we go back to your sister’s home.” Rose smiled. “I don’t mind.” She really didn’t. 59

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The longer it took them to get back to her sister’s house, the better. She was nervous. What would happen after they got to April’s house? Would he expect her to go home with him? Mate with him? She bit her lip to suppress her relieved smile and looked out the window. “I can’t tell you how much I don’t mind.” “Thank you, Rose.” She squirmed in her seat at his use of her name. His deep voice resonated in his chest when he said it, as though his dragon took over for a moment. The sound made all her girly parts tingle. She tried to ignore it, she really did, but he did something to her, he made her feel…different and she had no defense for it. “Where are we going?” “To the botanical gardens on the edge of town.” “Aren’t they closed now?” She looked at the clock on the car stereo. It was after seven. “I hope so.” He sighed. “I have to break in and get something that doesn’t belong there.” “Um…why do we have to break in?” “We aren’t breaking in. I am.” He gave her a stern look as though that alone would keep her in the car. “Uh, uh. Wither thou goest and all that.” He was not leaving her in the car while he committed a felony. “Rose.” 60

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“Don’t Rose me. Using that uber sexy voice to try and get your way just isn’t fair and I won’t have it.” “You think I have an uber sexy voice?” He grinned at her and pulled into the parking lot of the gardens. Shoving the gearshift into first, he shut the car off and turned to look at her. “Don’t change the subject.” She unfastened her seatbelt and glared at him. “Why are we breaking into the botanical gardens?” “We are breaking into the gardens because Damek, in his ultimate stupidity, donated a very rare and dangerous plant to them by mistake.” He raked his fingers through his hair. “He called me from some plant safari he’s on in Africa as soon as his assistant noticed the error. Dragon’s Desire is a plant thought to be extinct. It’s also a mystical plant that can cause a dragon to feel…ardor, along with affecting humans.” “What does it do to humans?” “When a dragon touches it, he feels the effects as increased drive. When a human is near a dragon who has touched it, it causes instant attraction to the dragon. The human will want the dragon whether they like him or not. When a human is exposed to the oils of the plant, it would make the human crave anyone of the opposite sex who is immediately available. It is a true aphrodisiac and the ultimate Spanish Fly.” 61

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Rose narrowed her eyes. “You haven’t touched any of this Dragon’s Desire, have you?” He’d better not have. If he had and she found out about it, she would find a way to kick him in the groin again. “No, Rose. What we feel for each other is real. Dragon’s Desire wouldn’t make you feel anything more for me here,” he paused, touching the center of her chest. “It would make you quite…” He paused as though searching for the correct word. “I guess libidinous would be the word.” He grinned. “Not that having you that way wouldn’t be a good thing. She got out of the car and scowled at him. “Now is not the time and,” she paused, waving her arm toward the entrance, “this is obviously not the place.” Turning, she looked at the locked gate. “How do we get in there without being seen and setting off the alarms?” Viktor just looked at her and lifted a brow. She sighed. If he ever found out how sexy she thought that was she’d be doomed. Too late, dear heart. Damn. **** Viktor chuckled at her look of consternation. If there was one thing he loved the most about this 62

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woman, it was her ability to make him laugh, even when she was mad at him. “Come along, my love, and you’ll see how we get around the security of this place.” They approached the gate where, within the lock itself, Viktor fashioned a key out of ice and turned it. “Seems like that would have broken…” Rose mumbled as he pushed the gate open and surrounded them with mist to protect their identities until he could freeze the security cameras and alarm system. After three minutes, he had everything disabled, even the electricity, just in case someone should see that the system was down. With luck, they would run a diagnostic before sending any authorities their way. They walked through the flower gardens where he made note of a new rose. The color was the same as he was in dragon form with small, light blue spots. It was strange. Perhaps he would take a flower and present it to Rose before they left. Getting back on track, Viktor moved into the laboratory where they kept the rare and hybrid plants. He suspected it would be there since humans thought the plant was an extinct fern from the cretaceous period. Pulling his phone from his pocket, he brought up a text from Damek and looked at the photo. It 63

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was in a bright orange pot with purple stripes. He curled his lip at the colors. “Only that fool would give away a plant that could have humans wanting to have sex with anything that walked.” He scanned the lab, using his dragon’s vision until he saw the fern. Careful not to let the leaves touch his skin, he picked it up and headed for the door. “We should leave.” There was no reason to think anyone would come to check out the security system. The facility’s security measures left much to be desired. They needed an upgrade to an offsite monitoring station. From what he’d seen of the multi-plex inside the lab, it was still VHS, which meant no offsite monitors and no need to worry about being caught. It was a good thing he’d locked the gate behind them in case of patrols. “It doesn’t look like anything dangerous.” Rose looked at the plant and reached out. “Don’t touch it!” Viktor hissed as he pulled the plant out of reach. In his hurry to make sure she didn’t touch it and inadvertently cause the leaves to rub against his skin, the leaves of the fern shifted and waved, brushing the back of his hand. “Great.” He hurried through the door with the hope that it wouldn’t affect him. He was the ice dragon. Plants didn’t like cold. They should sense that in him and not release their toxins into his 64

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skin. He glanced at Rose and swallowed. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen with her rich, sable brown hair and eyes as blue as the Caribbean. “Oh, no. We have to get out of here.” He led her into the gardens and she gasped. “Viktor, why have I never noticed how utterly handsome you are?” she practically purred the words. The exaggerated sway of her hips as she approached was not lost on him either. The effects of the fern were getting to them both. “Don’t do this, Rose.” He backed up a pace and held up his free hand when what he really wanted to do was move forward, take her in his arms and kiss her until her toes curled. Yet, he knew if he touched her, he would lose what little control he had left. “Don’t do what?” she asked with a grin. “This?” She launched herself at him with a loud, “Meeoowwr! Give me what you’ve got, dragon!” Viktor dodged her and set the fern down before she made matters worse by touching the damned thing herself. He’d seen a human react to the effects of Dragon’s Desire before and the only thing that would calm them was action. Still, he needed to keep control. He didn’t want to harm her. She was human after all. Reaching out, he plucked a rose from a bush 65

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and held it up. Perhaps he could talk her down from her high, but he doubted it. The longer the oil from the fern was in his system, the more he wanted to give her what she craved. Rose approached him, the light of her passion in her eyes. She removed an article of clothing with every step she took and Viktor found he couldn’t look away. “Let me touch you, Rose.” He reached out with the flower and brushed it over her cheek, across her lips and down through the vee of her cleavage. His stomach clenched as she grinned and removed her bra. Viktor had only seen such perfection in his dreams. He tightened his grip on the rose as he brushed it across her silky flesh. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He couldn’t fight it anymore. Here he was, alone with the most beautiful woman he had ever seen and he was fighting his instincts. Why? With a growl, he grabbed her, pulled her to him and slanted his mouth over hers. He was through battling his need and through denying them both. **** Rose squeaked with surprise when Viktor ripped his clothes off, gently lowered her to the ground and covered her body with his. There was no clothing in their way, no people 66

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to worry about and nothing to do with their time together but love each other and Rose couldn’t have been happier. Nothing felt as right as their bodies sliding together and his hands as they caressed her body, carrying her higher and higher until the world shattered in one giant explosion, then stacked itself together again. Viktor smiled down at her. “Hello.” “Hello.” Heat filled her face as she smiled back. “Um…you were right to come get that fern.” “I know. You can see the effect it would have on the world if someone managed to make a serum out of it. The effects would be devastating.” She shook her head as he helped her up and picked up their clothes, sorting them as he went. “What I meant was that I’ve wanted to do that all day.” The ride to April’s wasn’t as awkward as she would have thought. Viktor made every effort to see that she wasn’t embarrassed by her reaction to the fern. It was expected of a human to react the way she had. Still, she didn’t know what she would tell her sisters. It wasn’t as though any of them were saints, but how would she ever live this down when she had been so adamant that Viktor was not her mate? “They will understand, my love.” Viktor took his hand from the gearshift, rested it on her knee and squeezed. “They know you didn’t mean 67

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anything you said. They know you tried to drive me away because you were afraid of your power. Now that you have me to ground you, you don’t have to worry about hurting any of them.” They pulled into Drake’s driveway and Rose sat staring at the huge house. She wanted to go in and shout out her news, but she also wanted to hold it close to her heart for just a little while longer. Though seeing the motorcycle in the driveway made up her mind for her. She had to see who belonged to that, because if it was the person she thought it was, she had a whole new set of problems. Viktor led her into the house and straight to Drake’s office. Drake didn’t look up when they entered. “Did you get the fern?” “Yes.” Viktor nodded. “That is not why we are here.” Leaning forward, Drake rested his elbows on his desk and grinned. “When’s the big day?” “As soon as you’ll give your blessing. Being Rose’s only available male relative, I am here to announce my intentions to marry and mate her. I ask your blessing and your permission to do so.” “Drake has no say in who my sisters marry,” said a voice behind him. “I do. And I’m not sure I like the looks of you, dragon.” Rose turned to her brother standing in the doorway, rested her hands on her hips and 68

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scowled. “Don’t even try to come in here and presume to tell me who I can and cannot have a relationship with, Lancelot Flowers!” Viktor and Drake started laughing. “One or both of your parents had a strange sense of humor, Lance,” Drake said with a snort. “So, are all of your brothers named after famous knights?” “Yes, dammit.” Lance, sighed. He looked at Rose and narrowed his eyes. “And you, miss, will marry the man I say you can marry.” He winked. “And I guess you can marry the ice dragon.”

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About the Author Tianna Xander is an eclectic author of numerous paranormal, sci-fi, time travel romance erotica books. Gaining inspiration for her characters and dialogue through her family and her addiction to the internet, she never fails to amaze readers with each new book she creates. As a reading junkie herself, Tianna has no problem reading whatever is available at the moment from romance novels, murder mysteries and encyclopedias to books on solar energy. Tianna’s life wouldn’t be complete without a happily ever after of her very own. She resides in Michigan with her husband, two children, three cats, two dogs and an intimidating bunny. Never one to fail to give credit where it’s due, she commends her family for their constant support. After writing many books and receiving rave reviews, her family is just as proud of her. Always full of ideas, Tianna rarely puts the pen down, so readers can look forward to many more exciting stories in the future. Other books by Tianna at Devine Destinies: Prophecy The Golden Dragon

Co-authored books Ruby Dare Emerald Dare Topaz Dare Opalite Dare Other series by Tianna at eXtasy Books: The Endowed Series The Chosen Series Hidden Breeds