Kohl Kohl barreled outside into the night. His dragon vision allowed him to make out shapes and a few colors despite the overcast sky. He scanned his surroundings, searching for the enemy.Through the darkness, he spotted a figure in the middle and he advanced cautiously, ready to fight.The Tryn had a human man by the throat, dragging the body behind him.Inhaling, Kohl detected his brother's scent of cedarwood and smoke. His heart hammered against his ribcage as he shook his head to process what he was seeing. His brother was a dragon, not a human. Dragons couldn't shift. This man couldn't be Taurian. It wasn't possible.A blunt force hit him in the back and the air left his lungs in a rush and pain burst across his shoulder blade, then another finger of agony twisted into his back, missing his heart by inches. Kohl groaned and twisted around, spotting another Tryn who held a piece of wood fence in
KohlIsabelle! Kohl’s heart squeezed like a giant fist...every fiber…howled her name. He glanced around, hoping for a glimpse of her or one of her smiles that seemed to light the darkness inside him. Hell, he'd shout in joy if she rose from some safe place in her yard and tell him not to shout and wake the neighbors. Luckily, it seemed one set wasn’t home as cars were gone and the lights were out. But the flames didn’t stop chewing away at anything in their path. The earth foliage blackened and ash floated in their wake.The smell of charred pine needles filled his nostrils and left an acrid taste on his tongue. He’d lost her. The devastation made him feel as if he was buried alive under the weight of despair pressing down on him.It was all his fault that she got trapped between his enemies and him. He should've never gotten involved with her. Should've walked away when he first met her instead of spend
Isabelle Isabelle woke with a start. Oh crap, crap, crap—the alarm didn’t go off! She untangled herself from Kohl’s arms and scrambled to the bathroom. Late for class again!Where was her cell phone? While she jumped into the cold shower, she scrubbed her body and teeth, nearly slipping twice, but caught herself.What was she going to do when she was the size of a barn? Eventually, she’d have to tell Principal Cooper about her condition.She threw on a plain white, flowered dress with an Imperial waistband. Kohl leaned against the door frame, watching her.“You okay? Why the hurry?”“Some of us have to work for a living.” She gave him a wink and a smile. “Not all of us can be dragon prince.”He raised an eyebrow. “Well, this dragon prince would pay any amount of money to have you take off that dress and walk around naked all day. How much for you to come back to bed?”“More than you can afford.” She laughed.
Isabelle“Why do we have to go to your planet for the birth?” Isabelle panted as another contraction hit her. “What about the Tryns?”Kohl pulled up the couch cushions to find her wedding ring. Over the last month it had gotten too tight on her finger and he fastened a chain around her neck to wear it, but the lock broke last night in their lovemaking and she didn’t realize it was missing until this morning. “I can’t find it. We’ll have to hunt for it later.”“No way!” she huffed. “I’m not leaving without it.” They still didn’t know if she’d survive the birth, but she wanted everyone to know she was Mrs. D'Kohralx. Even though Kohl’s people didn’t wear rings, but kept each other’s scent on them, she liked her wedding ring of white gold and diamonds and sapphires in twinging hearts. Both symbolize her and Kohl and their twins.“Damn it, Isabelle. We can find it later.” He raked a hand through his hair.She tap
KohlBefore the slayers came, Kohlxchijr was prince along with his brothers. They had the freedom of their wings and the skies, hunting the fat beasts to fill their bellies.Now they were half-starved and refugees in their own land. His nights were filled with all the battles they’d lost and his fallen family. He stretched his wings and groaned as one of the dragon spikes adorning his head hit the roof of the cave.A rumble echoed from the other side of the dirt-packed catacombs. His brother Taurian must have felt the vibration. That was the hassle with sleeping chambers in a labyrinth of caves instead of his father’s castle.Once, his family lacked for nothing. Now they were forced to hide during daylight and scavenge at night. As princes, Kohlxchijr and his remaining seven brothers shouldn’t be cowering deep in Renjer’s caverns, but be free. For now, staying alive took precedence.“Keep it down, Kohl,”
Isabelle Isabelle put the second pot of coffee on the stove and pushed her glasses up; they had a bad habit of crawling down. One of these days, she was getting Lasik surgery. She pulled the stack of second-grade papers closer to review them. Her student, Evan, once again transposed his letters. It was the second week of the private school, but she'd already sent a note to his parents about getting him tested for any reading or learning disabilities. Was it too expensive for his parents to get help for him? She tapped the purple pen on her table. If that was the case, she could offer extra tutoring sessions after school twice a week. Once he improved, she could recommend a specialist in dyslexia and offer to pay half. She sighed. There was never enough time and money to do what she wanted to help kids. Otherwise, she'd have Evan in extra reading and writing classes, and Julie in spelling help. She woul
Kohl Kohlxchijr choked and spat out swamp water. His side cramped as blood gushed from the wound along his left oblique. Gators swam closer to him, and he let out a dragon roar that made his throat raw. Forget transforming for now. If he did, it would probably put him in a coma and he'd wake up fodder for these lower lifeforms. Yet, he couldn’t remain in his dragon form indefinitely on Earth. They’d kill him if he was lucky or cut him up for dissection if his luck was shitty. Or at least that what his friend Dena had often told him. Overhead, a plane flew past. He cringed, filled with longing. He wanted to race the jet as he had another time here on Earth. But Dena said that was dangerous and he was lucky whoever had seen him on the plane hadn’t believed their eyes. He shook his massive head, blinking his second eyelids to keep the water and dirt out of them until he could to safety. Once he reac
Isabelle Isabelle climbed out of the taxi in front of Billy's bar. The music pounded outside. It thumped against her chest and sent a thrill through her. Another sign — the song was her current favorite. Would she see a shooting star if she looked? Overhead, the moon was a magical silver with twinkling stars around it. “Stop staring at the sky and let's go dance.” Her sister pulled her arm. “Kate is already here and snagged us chairs at the bar.” Figures her older sister would arrive before them. She’d been first at everything since they were kids. Isabelle nodded and followed Beth inside. Christmas lights were strung across the ceiling and down various walls. The only other lights were dim and barely illuminated the bar and dance floor. A live band was squished in a corner near the dancers. Girls and guys gyrated to the latest tunes. Her sister waved them over. “I got us shots to start us off.” Bef