Dragon Bound (Elder Races, #1)

by Thea Harrison

Someone was making a thin whining sound. Oh, it was her. Shut up, stupid.

Answer me now, Dragos commanded. Having a hell of a week, she managed to articulate.

There’s my girl . The thunder was gone, replaced by desperate relief. Talk to me. Are you hurt?

We finally got ahold of someone who can cast a tracking spell. I’ll be able to follow you in just a moment. How are you tied? Can you get loose?

They’re those plastic restraints. No locks. I can’t get them off.

I have to tell you things in case we lose contact. We’re not going to lose contact, he snapped. That’s it. I’ve got a tracking spell on your braid. I’m on my way.

Will the tracking spell still work if we cross over to an Other land? He said, I’m not going to let you get that far away.

I’m sorry. He turned gentle. None of that matters right now. Let’s just focus on getting you back.

Her sense of land magic grew stronger. Uh-oh. But I have to tell you. I’m pregnant. His roar filled her head. WHAT!

When I realized what was going on this morning, I was so scared I was going to miscarry, all I could think was I had to get to the doctor fast and get the IUD removed. And I was so damn mad at you. I thought you’d done it on purpose.

I dreamed about him this morning. I think it was real. He was a white dragon, the most beautiful little boy you’ve ever seen

“Oh sweet Jesus, lady, you’ve been kidnapped?” Ya think?

I know where you are, he said in satisfaction. Well-done.

He was too far, too far, and now she was gone again.

His enemies had taken his mate. His child. She had to be alive. Anything else was unacceptable.

Too bad his head was still attached to his body. She had been hoping she would meet him the other way.

“I’m asleep, then I’m awake. Then I’m asleep and now I’m awake again,” she croaked. “Make up your mind already.”

“Well, you have not been boring, I’ll give you that, but haven’t you been one slippery bitch to get ahold of. And appar...

“Can I have some water?” “Sure, why not.” He threw cold water in her face.

“Not boring and not dumb. That’s so much better than your boyfriend, who both bored me and was dumb. To be honest, I don’t know what you saw in him.”

“Ex. Ex-boyfriend,” she said. “I swear to God, I’m never going to live that down.”

There you are. Looks like it’s just you and me, peanut. For now, anyway.

Her revenge to-do list kept getting longer and longer.

It was too bad he was such a monster. With his lean supple build, high cheekbones, white skin and raven black hair, he should have been one of nature’s miracles.

“Local anesthesia at the dentist? Forget about it. It doesn’t take until they pump enough in me to numb an elephant.”

“It wasn’t intentional,” she said. “Well, maybe the mystery part was, but that was supposed to go unsolved.”

All these stupid old people. Had every last one of them met, heard of, gossiped about, or smelled her mom in the distance? Way to be inconspicuous. Thanks a lot, Mom.

And I hoped that if I took only the penny, just maybe Cuelebre might not kill me if he ever caught up with me.”

“Why hasn’t Cuelebre killed you yet?”

So, my dear, you have not only humiliated Cuelebre by stealing from his hoard, but you have the ability to escape from his Tower too. I knew you would be worth tracking down.”

Huh, didn’t know she was still upset about that, which was mighty irrational of her, wasn’t it? It wasn’t as if Dragos had had any choice. That game face of his might have saved her life.

You think he bought it, peanut? Can’t tell. Maybe, maybe not. Don’t ever play poker with this creep.

We’re mates, maybe. Probably. Or now, according to Graydon, I’m his hoard. Which makes no sense.

Anyway I’m pregnant with his son. He may not love us, but that’s got to matter to him. Right?

but then we had some Goblins in trucks smash into us. And somehow that event leads back to you, doesn’t it.”

“Well, you see, one of these days I’m going to finally succeed in killing Cuelebre. You just got in the way.

“I didn’t know this was a job interview, or I would have put on a suit,” she said, fury making her reckless.

Whoa, throttle back there, filly. He’s not torturing. Remember, that’s a good thing.

Her kidnappers approached. Her own personal Thing One and Thing Two.

Well, dying just wasn’t an option. She was fighting for two now. “Hang on, peanut,”

She could tell by how it struck him in the temple that he was dead as he hit the ground.

She felt nothing, no mercy, no remorse, as she watched his body crumple. Huh. So this is what a killer instinct feels like.

She couldn’t believe it when the last guard dropped. She stared at his body, grateful that she was still numb. She had just killed four people in as many minutes,

“Remember, they drugged and kidnapped her the first time—they didn’t kill her. They want her alive.”

“She’s pregnant. Urien has my pregnant mate.”

Death was another good friend of his and flew in his shadow.

Pia had no idea where she was or where she was going. Story of her life, apparently.

She got maybe fifteen minutes of peace and quiet. Then Urien hissed in her head,

Snot, snot. Threat, threat.

The lunatic inhabiting her body said to the Fae King, I can beat any pace you set, asshole. Catch me if you can.