Dragon's Heart (The DragonFate Novels Book 3) Read online

  Dragon’s Heart

  A DragonFate Novel

  Deborah Cooke

  Deborah A. Cooke

  Dragon’s Heart

  By Deborah Cooke

  Cover by Dar Albert of Wicked Smart Designs

  Copyright © 2020 by Deborah A. Cooke

  All rights reserved.

  Without limiting the rights under copyright preserved above, no part of this book may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means, (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright holder and the publisher of this book.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

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  Contents

  The DragonFate Novels

  Dear Reader

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Epilogue

  Sign up for My Newsletter, Dragons & Angels

  Dragon’s Mate

  About the Author

  More Paranormal Romances by Deborah Cooke

  Dragon’s Heart

  The DragonFate Novels #3

  Her kiss will rock his world...

  Dragon shifter Rhys believes in what he can hold in his talons. A chef with his own restaurant, he is organized, practical, and distrusts surprises. When his firestorm sparks in the realm of Fae, he’s sure it’s an illusion created by the Dark Queen and a trap. Even though he wants a partner and family again more than anything else, Rhys isn’t going to be seduced by a fake destined mate—even if the kiss of that beautiful selkie melts his very soul and is one temptation he can’t resist...

  Selkie Lila learned long ago that her independence is her most precious possession. But Rhys challenges everything she believes to be true about mortals—he defends her right to choose, even at his own peril, and that’s more seductive than Lila wants to admit. Is it just a trick to convince her to bear his son? Or is this Pyr warrior as honorable as he appears to be?

  When an ancient and evil dragon prince joins forces with the Dark Queen to eliminate both the Pyr and the selkies, Rhys and Lila must work together to save their kinds—and each other. When they plunge into unknown realms with only each other to rely upon, will their combined abilities be enough to triumph—or will they have to surrender more for their unborn son and the chance of a future together?

  The DragonFate Novels

  Paranormal romances featuring dragon shifter heroes

  1. Maeve’s Book of Beasts

  2. Dragon’s Kiss

  3. Dragon’s Heart

  4. Dragon’s Mate (October 2020)

  To learn more about Mel and Raymond’s backstory, you might want to read An Elegy for Melusine, my retelling of a medieval fairy tale.

  To learn more about Micah and Rosemary, you might want to read my short story and vampire romance, Coven of Mercy.

  To learn more about the other Pyr and their stories, check out the Dragonfire Novels.

  Dear Reader

  Dear Reader;

  Welcome back to the world of DragonFate and more of my dragon shifter heroes called the Pyr. Rhys and Lila’s book features their firestorm, of course, but in the DragonFate series, the heroines all have powers of their own. Lila is a selkie and another kind of shifter hunted by Maeve, the Dark Queen of Fae. She also distrusts men and determined to defend her independence. She seeks out Rhys after their first kiss, but Rhys is skeptical. He thinks their firestorm is another spell of Maeve’s, like Kristofer’s firestorm, and means to ignore it. Unfortunately for Rhys’ plans, Lila is hard for him to ignore, especially with the firestorm on her side. I love how these two challenge each other and examine the secrets of the past. Their romance is a powerful one for me, and I hope you enjoy it.

  I’m finding with this series that all of the other Pyr want their cameos—I should have known that they wouldn’t stay out of a quest to defend their kind from Maeve’s plan to eliminate all shifters! You’ll catch a glimpse of some old friends in this book. Be sure to check the family trees on the Dragonfire website to discover the books about any of the Pyr you’ve missed.

  Visit the Pinterest board for DragonFate to see some of my inspiration for this book and for the series as a whole.

  There’s also a new DragonFate List of Characters on the Dragonfire website, which will be updated after each addition to the series.

  Next in the DragonFate series will be Dragon’s Mate, which is Hadrian’s story. He has a vision of Rania in this book, which shakes him up. Like the other Pyr caught in the war against Maeve, he’s uncertain whether to trust the enchanting beauty or the apparent firestorm and I’m excited about writing his and Rania’s story.

  To keep up to date with my books, please sign up for my monthly paranormal romance newsletter, Dragons & Angels. You’ll hear about sales on ebooks, be notified of new releases, and have the chance to download free bonus content exclusively for subscribers.

  Remember that the Dragonfire Novels have their own website and blog, and their own Facebook page.

  I hope you enjoy Rhys and Lila’s story!

  Until next time, I hope you have lots of good books to read.

  All my best,

  Deborah

  Prologue

  Monday, October 28, 2019—Manhattan

  Rhys watched in astonishment as the portal opened in the wall of the bar called Bones. What he saw made no sense at all: never mind that the Pyr were in the company of vampires and a werewolf with attitude who wanted to make an alliance. Kristofer’s firestorm had ignited, his mate had vanished through a solid brick wall, then Kade had drawn a doorway on the wall and it had opened.

  He wasn’t nearly drunk enough to be imagining things.

  In fact, Rhys didn’t think it was possible to be drunk enough to have hallucinations like this. It must really be happening. There didn’t seem to be anything beyond the door that had opened in the wall, just darkness and the glow of Kristofer’s firestorm.

  Kristofer was already heading for the doorway, a flame dancing on his fingertip. It was a beacon, leading him to his destined mate, and Rhys knew Kristofer would feel compelled to follow it.

  Rhys would have hesitated and asked questions: he was the skeptic of the group of friends. Kristofer was the believer—but Rhys would have Kristofer’s back. Rhys wouldn’t have gone through that door voluntarily for himself, but he’d go without hesitation in support of a friend.

  Alasdair had stepped back with caution, while Hadrian, also in his dragon form, was crossing the threshold right behind Kristofer. Kade was staring down at the stylus he’d used to make the doorway, as if he was astonished by its powers, too. Rhys h
eard Theo shout a warning in old-speak, but he had to stay with Kristofer.

  There was no telling what they’d find on the other side.

  He’d already shifted and was glad to be in his dragon form. His senses were keener and he thought he could smell danger. An icy shiver slipped over him as he crossed the threshold. Rhys spread his wings, sensing that the ground fell away beneath him and took flight. There was no sign of either Kristofer or Hadrian and he turned in the air when he realized he couldn’t even see the light of the firestorm anymore. He looked back toward the door and the bar.

  There was no door.

  He was surrounded by darkness and all alone.

  Rhys didn’t panic. That was how others made mistakes. He calmly flew onward, pretty sure of his direction. It only made sense that he’d catch up to his companions. Kristofer must have raced on ahead to meet his mate, and Rhys already knew that Kristofer flew faster than he did.

  To his relief, in half a dozen beats of his wings, something glimmered ahead. The firestorm! Rhys swooped low, hoping he arrived in time to help Kristofer, only to discover that he’d seen light reflected on the sea.

  What sea?

  He should be in the building adjacent to the bar, Bones, in Manhattan. It should be the basement of a warehouse, or another bar, or a tunnel—not an ocean. Despite his conviction, water spread to the horizon in every direction, lit by a glow.

  What was going on?

  Rhys flew in a wide circle, unable to explain his situation. He remained beyond the glow of light, distrusting it. He swooped down to dip his toes in the water, but nothing changed. The sea was silvery blue and calm, with just a slight undulation of waves. There were small islands in the distance and the crescent of a rocky beach on the closest one.

  And that glow. It was golden, not like moonlight at all.

  It was more like a firestorm’s light. From this distance, it was just a golden light, one that didn’t illuminate anything specific.

  Rhys barely discerned a splash, coming from the direction of the glow. The sound was faint, even with his keen Pyr hearing, and he guessed that someone hadn’t wanted to make a sound. It had to be Kristofer’s firestorm. He sped toward the light silently, flying close to the water to avoid detection. The light dipped beneath the waves and dimmed. Rhys spotted a dark silhouette surrounded by a golden glow in the water. Whatever it was went deeper and the light faded.

  Rhys dove into the sea in pursuit, expecting to find his friends.

  To his astonishment, a spark lit at the end of his own talon. It glowed orange, radiant even in the water, which only gave him more questions. The flame sent a heat through him that couldn’t be denied, heating him as well as filling him with desire.

  But this was supposed to be Kristofer’s firestorm.

  Was his own destined mate nearby? That would be a coincidence beyond belief.

  The flame was brighter when Rhys held his claw down toward the dark depths. The yearning and desire that filled him could only be explained by the firestorm. That form had to be his destined mate. He returned to the surface, took a deep breath, and dove. He held his claw before himself, following the glow like a beacon.

  How could his mate swim so deep?

  Rhys swam harder and spotted a silhouette, once more framed in that golden glow. The shape surprised him. Was his mate a seal? How could that be? The light was brightest around the creature. Rhys gave chase, his chest tight. He didn’t dare return to the surface and lose sight of her. He had a strange conviction that if he did, he’d never find his way back again.

  The light drove him on, but his mate had no intention of being caught. Rhys swam as quickly as he could, ducking around coral and rocks, swimming deeper and deeper. His chest ached for lack of air, but he forced himself to continue. The water became as dark as midnight, especially in contrast to the golden light of the firestorm. That glow startled eels and fish that never saw such bright light, but didn’t illuminate much else. Just when Rhys thought his lungs would burst, the flame flared to golden brilliance, illuminating the entry to a cave, then winked out.

  She must have taken refuge there.

  Rhys reached inside, knowing he could manage only one grab before he had to return to the surface. His talons closed around something—or someone. It felt suspiciously like a woman’s waist and the contact sent a fire through his veins that could only be the result of the firestorm. She struggled and squirmed, but she had to be in need of air, too. Rhys knew that people who were drowning often fought their rescuers. He gripped her with resolve and surged toward the surface.

  On the way, he changed to his human form, reasoning that he could still hold on to her but would require less air. The water was lit with a blue shimmer during his transformation. He kept one arm around his mate’s waist and used the other to haul them up to salvation. They were surrounded by a golden glow, but Rhys didn’t look at her, not yet. He broke the surface with a gasp and took a greedy gulp of air.

  Then he looked.

  Rhys held a seal, a creature with large dark eyes that stared back at him fearlessly. He would have thought he’d made a mistake if it hadn’t been for the thousands of little sparks of the firestorm, the tiny blazes that illuminated every point of contact between them.

  This was his mate?

  She squirmed in his grip and he saw a blue shimmer that was more than familiar. He watched, incredulous, as her shape began to change. He held tightly, uncertain what she would become but having his hopes. She drew back her skin quickly, as if removing a hood. If he had blinked, he would have missed her transformation.

  She was a woman, a naked one, with fair skin and long dark hair that hung down her back, slick and wet. Her eyes remained thickly lashed and expressive, just as dark and mysterious as those of the seal. There was no sign of her skin, but Rhys understood about hiding one’s truth. She braced her hands on his shoulders and pushed, flames erupting from the flats of her palms against his skin.

  “Let me go!” she said, struggling against him. She spared a glance at the sky. “I have to hide!” She had a Scottish accent and a low sultry voice, but her fear was real.

  She didn’t yet know that he would do anything to protect her.

  She maybe didn’t realize his capabilities.

  Rhys changed shape again, soaring high with her captive in his embrace. It felt good to carry his mate in his dragon form, to feel the wind beneath his wings and the power in his body. If anything, the firestorm was stronger and hotter, driving all other thoughts from his mind. He wanted to kiss her, to seduce her, to pleasure her—but she seemed to have the opposite reaction to his presence.

  “Please, release me! You’re being a shifter just means she’ll get two for the price of one.” She fought him hard, but without success. “If you want to be captured, leave me out of it.”

  “Captured by who?”

  She gave him a look, as if he was an idiot. “The Dark Queen, of course. I won’t say her name. She means to kill us all, and I intend to live.”

  “But this is the firestorm. Can’t you feel its heat? The firestorm trumps everything.”

  “The firestorm?” Her tone became curious and she stopped struggling. She frowned a little, examining the light that flared between them, placing her hand on him then moving it away. She repeated the move, as if testing that the result was consistent. It was a delicious torment that turned Rhys’ thoughts in a predictable direction.

  “You’re right. The light of Fae is silver, not gold.” She stroked his chest and the light flared to brilliance between her hand and his scales. They both caught their breath simultaneously and Rhys felt the acceleration of her heartbeat. His own matched its pace, a sensation that left him dizzy and he flew in a spiral with his eyes closed, wallowing in the pleasure of her touch.

  His firestorm.

  It was a dream come true. He would have a family again.

  “What exactly is a firestorm?” she asked, her tone more practical than Rhys felt.

  “An
ancient power,” he replied in a low rumble. “The mark of one of my kind finding his destined mate.” Their gazes clung and Rhys felt his mouth go dry. She was beautiful.

  To his surprise, she laughed. It was a wonderful sound, like a thousand silver bells. She surveyed him with amazement. “Destiny? I’m not sure I believe in that.”

  “I’m not sure you need to.” Rhys pulled her closer, creating a flurry of sparks between them and sending a simmering heat through his veins. He watched her take a deep breath, savoring the sensation, then she considered him with sparkling eyes.

  “So, this is how a dragon is brought to his knees,” she said, teasing him.

  “Absolutely,” he agreed. “You’re beautiful.” He meant it. Even without the firestorm, he would have been struck by her beauty. She was naked, so he could see a lot of her skin. As he glanced down, her nipples tightened but she didn’t blush or avert her gaze.

  “You aren’t so bad yourself,” she said and ran a hand across his chest, creating a line of flames that made them inhale in unison. She met his gaze and lifted a brow. “Although, a dragon. That sounds like playing with fire.” Her lips twisted at her own joke and he hoped she might laugh again.