I'm warm... and it feels so good. The heat at my back reminds me of one of the large stoves used in the kitchens. I take a deep breath and my chest aches slightly, but not as bad as it had. If I were dead, I don't think it would continue to ache at all. My head feels fuzzy and I'm very tired. It doesn't stop me from remembering the nightmare of the dungeon cell. Whatever nice dream I'm having needs to continue. This is so much better than the dark and cold."Meagan," someone whispers in my ear as a large, warm hand covers my breast.My eyes pop open and I notice three things at once. I'm in the dragon's bedroom, his hand is covering my breast, and something hard is poking into my back. I'm lying beneath soft linen and it's Tahr who's causing the heat."Meagan?" It's a question this time.I have no way to answer and I'm very frightened of what he will do when he discovers I'm here in his room and that I'm not Meagan. I don't have long to wait because he jumps from the bed which shif

I used my magic to put her to sleep because I needed time to gather my thoughts. With her awake the strange magical current between us intensifies. There is a similar connection between a dragon and his bride, but nothing this strong. No matter how crazy it sounds, she has her own magic and it resonates with mine. This should be impossible.I remove my pants and jump from the bedroom perch. The imbalance I feel sends my thoughts back to the time before the curse. A time I rarely think of because it causes such deep pain.My parents loved me and as the humans of the earth realm would say, I was raised with a silver spoon in my mouth. I was repeatedly told I came from the mightiest lineage of dragons and had to live up to my birthright. I was third in line to the throne-a royal child by right of royal birth. My parents were protective and also spoiled me rotten. Bastian, Laryn, and Sarn were not in my life when I was younger. My uncle Drakon, who ruled the silver dragons, felt other,

A few hours later, thunder and lightning filled the sky. I'd never seen anything like the angry display of fierce weather. Then as suddenly as it began, all went quiet. A woman's harsh voice swelled within our heads until the pain was so great we fell to our knees. My eyes were tightly shut with my hands covering my ears. A female voice rang bitterly through my mind until I thought my head would explode.The Goddess cursed us and we could do nothing. One-hundred-thousand years for the sins of my uncle. Each word of the curse was more painful than the last. When her voice stopped, the sun shown for the first time since the death of our parents. We didn't fully understand the depth of the Goddess's hatred. After vomiting our guts up, we tried to appear brave by joking about her wrath. Love for some human bride was the least of our worries. It seemed minor after everything we'd lost.Days later we all became violently ill again. The Goddess had told us to choose the first to claim a bri

She hates me. What a joke! And I can't help my large grin at her feistiness. I like when a bride challenges me. No! Not a bride and I must remember that.I've decided the best way to care for Pepper is to have her care for me. That way I can keep an eye on her. Seeing her standing so close to the ledge terrified me. I slice my fingers through my hair wondering what the hell she was thinking.Then, there is the magic that flows between us when we touch. Magic, I can no longer overlook. I wonder if her parents were more than what they appeared. As far as I know, earth shifters and vampires don't become ill. There's no denying she was very sick when Meagan and I fetched her as a child.I pull a large section of my hair in frustration this time. I really need to visit Sarn and his mate, Sierra. It took a long time to forgive what he did to Roxy and Ashrac. Now I'm just relieved he's finally happy. And living in the earth's realm, he or even his mate might understand what Pepper is. Beca

Tahr hasn't said a word since reading my note and I'm worried. I finally got tired of waiting for his response and went to my room to lie down. He followed me in a few minutes later with the rope in his hands-still silent, still running his fingers through his hair, and still as gorgeous as ever. He's dressed in tight trousers and no shirt. There's nothing about his body I don't like and in his current state of silence, pacing and making no eye contact there's nothing for me to do but scrutinize him.None of the humans I know have muscles quite so defined. They flow under his skin and make my mouth water. Other parts of me water too but it's embarrassing. Meagan told me of such things but I didn't believe her at the time. "It's like an itch that needs scratching," she once said. Now I know it's more like an out of control fire that needs extinguishing.Is his silence because I called him foolish? Or is it telling him of my dream? He must think I'm crazy and it's actually a good possi