Chapter 1

Loud pounding on the door made Lalani freeze in the doorway to the family room. When it continued, she set the bowl of stale crackers and a few morsels of cheese on a table and crept to the door. Lalani looked over her shoulder to make sure Lettuce was safe on the couch. She could see a hint of green fabric behind the cushions.

“Lalani Quintana! We know you’re inside. Open the door immediately. All residents are required to attend the Wyvern gathering.”

Her eyes widened in fear before she clenched her jaw in anger as her emotions warred inside her. Like she was going to open her door to hear more threats. Her mother’s neighbors had elected themselves to be the wardens of the block. Despite the police telling them she could continue to live in her birth mother’s house, they wouldn’t stop plotting to make her life as difficult as possible.

When she’d left to go to the big meeting in the square, they’d thrown her suitcase into the street and sealed the door locks with superglue. Thankfully, she had left a window unlocked off the elevated deck. They hadn’t discovered that. The kind gentleman still running the hardware store had changed the front door lock for her. She’d grilled cookies for him with the last of the propane tank.

Bang. Bang. Bang!

“Go away. I’m not in the party mood,” she yelled, feeling brave with the door between them.

“Lalani Quintana. You are required to attend. Open the door or we will remove it.”

They were going to break the door down? What craziness was this? When they struck the door again, making the entire barrier shudder, she rushed forward to unlock it. She couldn’t live in a house without a door. Her heart pounded inside her chest as she saw the burly men standing on her doorstep. These guys weren’t messing around.

“Lalani Quitana, you will come with us.”

One stepped closer. He didn’t try to usher her out but reached around her to pick her up. The others parted as he turned to carry her toward a waiting trailer being pulled by a horse. Lalani pushed against his chest struggling to free herself.

“Please don’t make me leave. My neighbors are psycho. They’ll break in if I’m not here.” She tried to appeal to the man’s sympathy.

“Your neighbors are already at the gathering,” the man answered without hesitating.

“Please. I can’t go like this. Give me five minutes to put some clothes on,” she begged as they approached the old-fashioned conveyance.

“Not happening,” the man said. “You are the last straggler.”

Heat flooded her face as everyone turned to watch them. This was so embarrassing. She couldn’t imagine what the other riders thought as she was hauled to the cart. Lalani reminded herself they were there for not following the mandate as well. It didn’t help.

He set her feet on the wooden floor of the cart and closed the tailgate. Lalani cowered into the corner as the others confined in the cart looked her over. All were in various states of casual dress. She was the only one in a nightshirt. Lalani wrapped her arms around herself and hunched her shoulders, trying to disguise her lack of a bra.

“Are you okay?” a young man asked.

She nodded.

The others chatted around her. Lalani couldn’t make small talk. She could feel herself shaking as stress and embarrassment overwhelmed her. Why hadn’t she taken the time to listen to what people told her about the event? The town leaders had even come door to door. Wrapped up in trying to adapt to the new way of life without technology, the loss of her mother, and the threat from next door, Lalani had simply not understood.

The enormous building containing the gathering loomed in front of her. She could see people inside and hear the music and conversations. When the cart stopped, she hung back in the corner as the escorts ushered people in. The same man swooped in and took her arm to tug her out and drag her inside. He deposited her in the middle of the dance floor.

Lalani was horrified to find herself the center of everyone’s attention and wished the floor would open and swallow her up. She stared down at her plush slippers. They were the welcome present her mother had given her. She’d wanted Lalani to feel at home. They’d both laughed so hard the first time she’d worn the green slippers. Who would have thought of making dragons fuzzy?

A loud voice announced the last guest had entered, and everyone seemed to look at her with resentment that she had slowed down something. A second announcement followed that the buffet would open shortly. A surge of people, obviously wishing to be first, came toward her, and Lalani panicked, looking around for an exit.

She couldn’t escape in any direction. Her pulse raced as people drew closer on all sides. Lalani closed her eyes, expecting to be swept up by the crowd or worse, knocked off her feet and trampled.

A kind female voice told her, “Hey. It’s okay. I’m Ciel.”

Lalani opened her eyes to see a younger woman standing in front of her. Her smiling violet-colored eyes were simultaneously kind and concerned. An equally friendly woman with shorter hair joined them. The newcomer reached out a hand to touch Lalani’s arm softly. Sensing these women would help her, Lalani tried to keep it together.

“I didn’t want to come. They made me.” She blinked tears away. Her voice was shaky with emotion.

“Everyone is required to be at the gathering. It’s okay. You can stay with us,” Ciel said, waving a hand at the other woman. “You’ve got two new friends. This is Aurora.”

“Lady Ciel. I have an overdress,” an older woman announced from behind Ciel. “I brought this just in case. It will fit over her shirt.”

“You are a lifesaver, Abby.” Ciel praised the new arrival. “Here. Let me help you.”

The three women swarmed around her, forcing the crowd to flow around them. They helped Lalani into a length of material that wrapped around her and tied with a belt in front. It transformed her nightshirt into a dress that covered her.

“Thank you,” Lalani whispered.

“We’re glad to help. What’s your name?” Aurora asked.

“Lalani.”

“What a pretty name,” Aurora said with a smile.

“Who are those guys?” Lalani asked.

Ciel glanced over her shoulder to see the two large men positioned behind them. “Those are our dragon mates: Drake and Argenis. They’re the good guys.”

A voice shouted over the hubbub of chatter, announcing that the main buffet was now open. The surrounding crowd surged toward the side of the room, where a delicious aroma emanated. She got jostled by the hungry town’s people, and the two women wrapped their arms around her to keep the small group together.

When they were swept away from the dragons, Lalani watched the two shifters force their way through the people. It was obvious they were trying not to hurt anyone but were determined to protect their mates. Someone rammed into them from behind. Lalani and the others struggled to stay on their feet. Off-balance, they fell to their knees. She clung to the women as they all tried to stand to avoid being trampled.

A tremendous roar made everyone freeze. Instinctively, Lalani cowered toward the floor, sure this was the end. A second deep roar combined with the first. Taking advantage of the pause of the crowd’s motion, Ciel stood and pulled Lalani and Aurora up. Lalani happened to be looking at Ciel when a third roar echoed with the others. The hair on the back of Lalani’s neck stood straight up, alerting her that something important was happening. Ciel’s face showed her surprise as she turned toward the source of that third roar. The relief written on her new friend’s face changed to joy.

What is going on?

Lalani searched for the source of that sound.

“Who was that?” Aurora asked.

“Khadar,” Ciel told her with a radiant smile.

“Oh!” Aurora answered, sounding pleased.

“Who’s Khadar?” Lalani asked. Ciel simply pointed behind her.

Holding her breath, she pivoted to face him. Lalani gasped as an immensely muscular man walked toward her. He was handsome with beautiful green eyes that held hers captive until she yanked her gaze away to scan the crowd. Lalani noticed his path never wavered. People automatically moved out of his way.

He claimed a spot equally distant from the two men in front, with the women enclosed between them. Before she could whisper a question to Ciel or Aurora, one large shifter ordered everyone back to their original spot and asked Khadar to guard them from the rear.

She didn’t have to worry about whether she was invited to go. Aurora and Ciel each took an arm and drew her with the group. Lalani couldn’t resist the urge to glance over her shoulder at the man following them. When she found him watching her, she shivered at the feel of his gaze fixed on her—was this how prey felt in the presence of a hunter? Quickly, she focused on the path ahead.

The crowd separated, allowing them safe and easy passage through the crowd. Ciel grabbed the arm of the woman who had clothed her and pulled her into the safe zone. The group reached a raised dais in the room's corner. Lalani stepped up, grateful to have some division from the main floor. Pausing to focus on the Wyvern town folk, she relaxed. The mood of those passing was jovial and excited. There were just so many of them that the massive surge was hard to withstand.

Movement caught her attention, and she watched one large dragon shifter lift Ciel into his arms. He whispered something into her ear, and color flooded her new friend’s face. What was he telling her? She turned to check with Aurora that everything was okay and found herself face to face with Khadar . Unable to stop herself, she scanned his powerful body, marveling how his clothing failed to conceal his chiseled muscles.

“Little one.”

She looked up at him, feeling her face heat in embarrassment. Stop checking him out!

His eyes flashed green, wiping all thoughts from her mind.

It didn’t scare Lalani. In fact, she took a step closer to him. Her mouth rounded in an O of surprise as he lowered himself smoothly to kneel on one leg. He reached out a hand in a silent request for hers. Unable to resist, she placed her palm on his.

When his fingers closed around her hand, she felt a flash of pain and tried to yank her arm back. “Ouch!” she said when he held her hand, trapped.

“I’m sorry, Little one. The discomfort is fleeting. I hope it’s better now,” he said and squeezed Lalani’s fingers lightly before releasing her.

Surprised to find he was correct, she looked at her hand, trying to see what had hurt her. She saw a vague pattern of dots. “What did you do to me?” she asked, moving her hand behind her back.

“It wasn’t just me. It’s the combination of both of us. I’ve been searching for you,” he shared. “I am Khadar. What is your name?”

He’s been searching for me? When he looked at her as if he was waiting for an answer, she seized on the last thing she remembered him saying. “I’ve never met a Khadar before.”

“It’s ancient, referring to a lush green land. Who are you?”

“I’m Lalani. I know it’s a really sexy for someone like me.”

“What do you mean by someone like you?” he asked. She watched his eyebrows draw together in concern, like he didn’t know what she meant.

“It’s Hawaiian. My dad loved it. It means royal child of heaven. That’s a pretty lofty name for someone ordinary.” Lalani didn’t know why she was still talking. She never said anything—especially not to strangers.

“You are not to speak poorly about yourself.” Khadar looked at her sternly, and her heart skipped a beat at his stern tone.

That shouldn’t make me hot.

Dragging her thoughts back to reality, Lalani didn’t argue with him. He was just being nice. There was no way this handsome man would be interested in her, despite his elegant manners in kneeling before her. She’d probably never see Khadar again.

“Sorry to waste your time. I’ll let you get back to the celebration,” she said quickly and dashed into the crowd, feeling bad that she didn’t take time to thank Ciel and Aurora for coming to her aid.

“Wait, Lalani.” Khadar’s voice followed her.

She looked back to see the concern on his face as he rose and started after her. Lalani ducked around a group of tall men and tried to fade into the crowd. She didn’t get very far before pain lanced through her chest. Pressing a hand to her heart, she mentally begged, Please don’t let me be having a heart attack . It felt like her heart was being torn in two.

Warm arms wrapped around her and pulled Lalani close. Lalani knew his identity without looking but glanced over her shoulder to see Khadar. Her body recognized him by feel alone.

“Princess. You will hurt yourself. The mate bond will demand that we’re in close proximity until our mating.”

“Our m—mating?” she stuttered.

“That pain you felt. That was the mate bond locking in place. It will continue to strengthen. Look at your hand, Lalani.”

Under his watchful eye, she raised her hand. Where previously there had been a scattering of dots, now partial lines appeared. The pattern had grown darker. It was in the vague shape of a winged beast. A dragon!

“You’re one of them. That’s why you are ginormous. No one has muscles on top of muscles like you do,” she accused.

“I am one of the dragon protectors of Wyvern,” he agreed.

“And those women who were nice to me. They’re mated to dragons?”

“Just as you are.”

Lalani stared at him, trying to get everything sorted in her head. She took a step away, and he relaxed his hold. Instantly, she missed the contact with his hard body. Why did she want to rub her hands all over him? She felt more turned on by simply standing by this man than she had during the few disastrous dates she’d forced herself to go on in the past. Struggling to process all the emotions and control her physical reactions, Lalani could only shake her head in disbelief.

“You are my mate,” he repeated.

“But, why me?”

“I cannot answer that. Additionally, I don’t know why you’re mated to me and not to one of the other dragons,” Khadar told her, seeming honest.

“Are you going to eat me?” she asked.

“I will not harm you.”

Lalani noticed he switched her words. Deliberately ? Her confused brain sparked with a visual image of herself stretched out on her back with her legs draped over his shoulders. She looked up at him, reacting to that mental picture.

“Our mating will be glorious, Lalani.”

Her face flamed hot at his confident statement. “Can you read my mind?” she whispered.

“Your face is very expressive, Princess. I didn’t need to eavesdrop on your thoughts.”

“Why are you calling me princess?”

“Royal child of the heavens. That sounds like a princess to me. I think it fits you well.”

“Oh.”

He actually thinks I’m a princess. How in the world is this happening? It’s impossible to deny our connection. The mating bond. Between me and a dragon shifter. A drop-dead gorgeous dragon shifter who looks at me as if I were a snack he wanted to devour.

“I like whatever you’re thinking. Unfortunately, I’ll have to wait to find out the details.”