Dragon Bound (Elder Races, #1)

by Thea Harrison

Okay, let’s face it. It wasn’t the smartest thing she’d ever done. But she had so had it up to ...

I got drugged again and carted off to one of Urien’s vacation homes. Then I escaped, and now he’s chasing me, and I just stepped into some damn gopher or rabbit hole.

How glad you are that I came, he said in a flat voice. What the hell does that mean? What do you think it means! she snapped.

If she were a horse, she would have herself put down. She wasn’t going to make it.

Limping backward, she raised her middle finger to the Fae King.

“There’s my bad boy,” she whispered. God, he was breathtaking.

Lightning flashed out of its eyes, but maybe by that point she was beginning to hallucinate.

“Don’t you dare leave me. I swear to God, I will follow you into hell if I have to and drag you back by the hair.”

She put her hand over his on her cheek. She said, “You say the most god-awful things.”

They were acting so dramatic, like it was life or death or something. So much for being big tough warriors. They were worse than a bunch of high school girls.

I’m awake, I’m asleep, I’m awake, I’m asleep. I’m in the house, I’m out. Now I’m in again. This is getting ridiculous.

She was immersed in the dragon’s Power. He had consumed her. With every breath, he worked her lungs. Her heartbeat faltered. The great engine of his heart took over the rhythm.

Her Power started to fade, but he had her Name. He demanded she stay in her flesh. She drifted inside him, inextricably woven with his life force.

She thought she heard her mother say, He cannot hold you forever. You may ...

But there was somebody else with them, a bright, tiny, stubborn spark. He was just a new creation, but he...

Dragos held her life to her body, but her son’s Power pulsed inside her. He was tryin...

Oh no, sweet baby, she crooned. You’re too small for that. The pea...

Then, with infinite gentleness, the dragon laid his Power on that tiny spark of life that glowed too bright, too strong, and eased it back until it nestled into place. Precious baby boy.

Dragos rose up on his elbow. He put his hand on her arm to hold her down. “Sweetheart, don’t do that.”

“I did not get hurt, other than in my heart.”

“Somebody shot you in the heart!” “Yes.” He kissed her nose. “You did, metaphorically speaking.”

He kissed her mouth, his caressing lips infinitely gentle. “You were dying, you little shit.

Your heart shut down and your lungs stopped working. I had to ta...

Then our son decided to help and almost burned himself out healing you. It scared...

“Stop that.” He cupped her face and wiped the tears away.

“I should have known better.” “How could you? We’ve been together for less than a week and under far less than ideal circumstances.

But of course I didn’t mean to make you pregnant. You’ve ruined me.”

“I had no idea my control had slipped to...

“Connecting with our son when he healed you—he’s one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen. I can’t begin to describe my reaction to him. I’ve never felt these feelings before.”

“I have no idea how to act around small new creatures. But I’m glad.”

He tapped her lips. “That one’s easy. He’s not dead. It was touch and go at first, but they say he’s going to pull through just fine.”

“There were, however, four dead guards around Urien’s house that we’ve been mighty curious about. Was that you?”

His fingers couldn’t seem to stop stroking her cheekbones, her jaw, her throat.

“I am so damn proud of you. You stepped it up when you had to. You did what needed to be done and got yourself away.”

“Yeah, well, you’re a bloodthirsty monster. Who cares what you think,” she muttered.

“To be honest, I was feeling bad about not feeling bad. Except for the guy in the truck. ...

“That’s stupid and convoluted. You are going to stop it righ...

“Urien actually thought he was going to be the boss of me.” “Which was one of the things that finally got him killed.” His eyes crinkled. “Imagine that.”

“I’m not going anywhere, Pia. Not anywhere. And neither are you.”

Dragos had a present for her, an anti-nausea charm set in a two-carat diamond pendant necklace.

They had all seen her give Urien the finger. The sentinels made much of it as they sprawled on the couches with their feet up on the furniture,

At least they were more or less housebroken.

“I can’t believe he told you guys that,” she said. “I’d just twisted my ankle and was having a bad day. I wasn’t responsible for what came out of my mouth—or head.”

“Yes, I did. I kicked ass,” she grumbled.

“You scared the shit out of the boss. He’s not used to fear. If you don’t let him fuss, I think he might blow up.

“Whatever you decide, you keep that dragon twisted around your little finger,”

Pia looked at her arm muscles and rippling stomach, thinking of all the hard work it took to look like that. Not in this lifetime.

Pia took the end of her cheerleader ponytail and flicked it at the harpy.

“The professory, growly son of a bitch?” “Yeah, well”—she closed one eye, squinted at the skyline and grinned—“Dragos is a lot worse.”

That caused another rant that went pretty much along the lines of he’d-better-treat-you-right-or-I-don’t-care-who-thebastard-is-I’ll-kill-him-myself kind of thing.