Kai Darrow is a dragon shifter and the next leader of the Dásreach Council – that is if he and the other twelve members of the Thirteen can find their mates. Years of frustration push Kai to take action and with a little luck and finesse maybe he can find the woman of his destiny.
Alvena Anderson prefers books over people, yet she still craves love and adventure. In a rut, a trip with her Book Worm friends is just what she needs – until unexplained accidents, a Psychic reading, and a tattooed hottie from the plane make her want to run home.
Unbeknownst to the Thirteen a darkness is working against them, preventing possible mates from coming into contact with them. Working in the shadows and using human pawns, the darkness has set its sights on Alvena and her friends.
Can she accept her real life hero before it’s too late?
Finding the Dragon, from Chapter 15 © Josette Reuel
The following excerpt is part of Chapter 15 and occurs right after Kai, Charlie, and Malkum tell Alvena and her friends about the Dásreach.
Kai turned to Alvena and pulled her to him, he held her face between his large hands.
“I look at you and I see my world, Alvena.”
“You don’t even know me Kai.” Alvena breathed.
“All I want is to get to know you, to protect you, to hold you, to kiss you.” He stroked his fingers along her jaw. His gaze was glued to her mouth as she nibbled her lip. “Can I kiss you Alvena?” His voice was full of need.
“Yes.” She whispered.
Kai moved his hand to the nape of Alvena’s neck, stroking his thumb back and forth where her hair ended. He felt like an uncontrollable storm was rushing through him. He did not want to overwhelm her, but he wasn’t sure how long he could fight his need to take her. Possess her.
Kai used all of his restraint and lightly brushed his lips against hers. Her lips were just as he remembered them from the night before. He moved his hand to hold her head in place.
“Open for me Alvena.” He growled as he swiped his tongue across her lips. On her gasp he plunged deep inside her mouth. Her taste drove him on. When he felt Alvena’s tongue against his own, tentatively sliding along his, Kai’s control snapped. The fire raged. Kai needed this woman more than air, which was probably for the best, since he didn’t plan to come up for any for a very long time. He felt Alvena’s arms come up around his shoulders. Her fingers twisted into his hair. He finally pulled back from her, gasping for breath, he looked down into her eyes as he cradled her head in his palm. He glanced around and saw the shed. He slowly walked her backwards until her back hit the wall on the side facing away from the house.
As he came back in for another kiss, one hand holding her head in place, he slowly began to stroke his free hand up and down her side. Feeling her curves. So full. So luscious. He would eat her alive if she would only let him.
Need. Her. Right. Now. He reluctantly pulled his lips from hers. Alvena made a noise of disappointment. But, he had to ask, he had to know.
“Alvena, can you accept me, lass? Can you accept that you’re my mate and live your life with me?” Kai asked.
**
Al looked into his eyes, she wanted to say yes, but this had to be crazy. Spirit guides, shapeshifters, and destined mates. As quick as it was, as little time as they’d had, she already felt something for Kai. But it’s got to be lust, right? The only time she’d really gotten to talk to him, to get to know him, was on the plane. If what he was saying was true, then he had hidden so much of himself. Who is the real Kai? What is the reality? My god, this is so much like one of my books. Al broke her gaze away from his eyes, then reached over and pinched herself.
“What are you doing lass?” Kai chuckled.
“This can’t be real Kai. I’m 35 years old. I’m average. And I’m so single that becoming a nun is a possibility. There is no way that a gorgeous man could be a paranormal creature from a romance novel and want me.”
“Oh, love, you are way more than average and I’m way more than a romance hero.”
His lips crashed down on hers for a quick kiss, before continuing, “Just give us a chance Alvena. Let my friends and I figure out who is after our mates and I will give you as much time as I can to get to know that this is real. I want you with a strength that I’ve never felt. Even growing up Dásreach, I never knew it could be like this… promise that you’ll give me time to show you.” Kai pleaded before kissing her again.
Al tugged at Kai’s hair to get him to pull back. Her lungs were desperate for air. Even as her body demanded that she let him continue. As she struggled to take in deep breaths of air, she looked into his eyes. It wasn’t rational, but she wanted to promise him anything. Her body was fighting her brain. Lust versus logic. Because, Al couldn’t believe that it was her heart struggling to be heard. It couldn’t be love.
“Kai, I…”
Before she could answer, a loud boom shook the earth. Shouts and gunshots sounded from the front of the house. Kai immediately looked around and grabbed Al’s hand. He drug her towards the back door. Kai was going so fast that Al couldn’t quite keep her balance, she tripped over the growth of grass and weeds on the ground. Without his tight grip pulling her along behind him, she surely would have face planted several times.
When they finally reached the back porch a man dressed all in black came around the corner. He aimed the biggest gun Al had ever seen at her and Kai.
What happened next, occurred so fast that Al wasn’t sure that she was seeing what she was seeing. It felt like it all happened in a split second. One minute Kai was holding her hand, the next he pushed her against the side of the house, stepped away from her and shifted. Al watched as the man she was just wrapped in a passionate embrace with became the dragon he said he could become. But, dragons were fictional characters. How could he be a dragon? How could he…
A gorgeous dragon stood in front of her. His green and blue scales glinting in the sunlight of the early morning. The sight was mesmerizing and Al watched the large head move to look at the man with the gun, who was stopped cold, disbelief on his face. A wing came down around her, pulling her in close to the dragon’s body, shielding her. Oh. My. God! It’s true. She was either in a coma living a dream or she had a dragon shifter who wanted to be her mate.
The following excerpt is part of Chapter 15 and occurs right after Kai, Charlie, and Malkum tell Alvena and her friends about the Dásreach.
Kai turned to Alvena and pulled her to him, he held her face between his large hands.
“I look at you and I see my world, Alvena.”
“You don’t even know me Kai.” Alvena breathed.
“All I want is to get to know you, to protect you, to hold you, to kiss you.” He stroked his fingers along her jaw. His gaze was glued to her mouth as she nibbled her lip. “Can I kiss you Alvena?” His voice was full of need.
“Yes.” She whispered.
Kai moved his hand to the nape of Alvena’s neck, stroking his thumb back and forth where her hair ended. He felt like an uncontrollable storm was rushing through him. He did not want to overwhelm her, but he wasn’t sure how long he could fight his need to take her. Possess her.
Kai used all of his restraint and lightly brushed his lips against hers. Her lips were just as he remembered them from the night before. He moved his hand to hold her head in place.
“Open for me Alvena.” He growled as he swiped his tongue across her lips. On her gasp he plunged deep inside her mouth. Her taste drove him on. When he felt Alvena’s tongue against his own, tentatively sliding along his, Kai’s control snapped. The fire raged. Kai needed this woman more than air, which was probably for the best, since he didn’t plan to come up for any for a very long time. He felt Alvena’s arms come up around his shoulders. Her fingers twisted into his hair. He finally pulled back from her, gasping for breath, he looked down into her eyes as he cradled her head in his palm. He glanced around and saw the shed. He slowly walked her backwards until her back hit the wall on the side facing away from the house.
As he came back in for another kiss, one hand holding her head in place, he slowly began to stroke his free hand up and down her side. Feeling her curves. So full. So luscious. He would eat her alive if she would only let him.
Need. Her. Right. Now. He reluctantly pulled his lips from hers. Alvena made a noise of disappointment. But, he had to ask, he had to know.
“Alvena, can you accept me, lass? Can you accept that you’re my mate and live your life with me?” Kai asked.
**
Al looked into his eyes, she wanted to say yes, but this had to be crazy. Spirit guides, shapeshifters, and destined mates. As quick as it was, as little time as they’d had, she already felt something for Kai. But it’s got to be lust, right? The only time she’d really gotten to talk to him, to get to know him, was on the plane. If what he was saying was true, then he had hidden so much of himself. Who is the real Kai? What is the reality? My god, this is so much like one of my books. Al broke her gaze away from his eyes, then reached over and pinched herself.
“What are you doing lass?” Kai chuckled.
“This can’t be real Kai. I’m 35 years old. I’m average. And I’m so single that becoming a nun is a possibility. There is no way that a gorgeous man could be a paranormal creature from a romance novel and want me.”
“Oh, love, you are way more than average and I’m way more than a romance hero.”
His lips crashed down on hers for a quick kiss, before continuing, “Just give us a chance Alvena. Let my friends and I figure out who is after our mates and I will give you as much time as I can to get to know that this is real. I want you with a strength that I’ve never felt. Even growing up Dásreach, I never knew it could be like this… promise that you’ll give me time to show you.” Kai pleaded before kissing her again.
Al tugged at Kai’s hair to get him to pull back. Her lungs were desperate for air. Even as her body demanded that she let him continue. As she struggled to take in deep breaths of air, she looked into his eyes. It wasn’t rational, but she wanted to promise him anything. Her body was fighting her brain. Lust versus logic. Because, Al couldn’t believe that it was her heart struggling to be heard. It couldn’t be love.
“Kai, I…”
Before she could answer, a loud boom shook the earth. Shouts and gunshots sounded from the front of the house. Kai immediately looked around and grabbed Al’s hand. He drug her towards the back door. Kai was going so fast that Al couldn’t quite keep her balance, she tripped over the growth of grass and weeds on the ground. Without his tight grip pulling her along behind him, she surely would have face planted several times.
When they finally reached the back porch a man dressed all in black came around the corner. He aimed the biggest gun Al had ever seen at her and Kai.
What happened next, occurred so fast that Al wasn’t sure that she was seeing what she was seeing. It felt like it all happened in a split second. One minute Kai was holding her hand, the next he pushed her against the side of the house, stepped away from her and shifted. Al watched as the man she was just wrapped in a passionate embrace with became the dragon he said he could become. But, dragons were fictional characters. How could he be a dragon? How could he…
A gorgeous dragon stood in front of her. His green and blue scales glinting in the sunlight of the early morning. The sight was mesmerizing and Al watched the large head move to look at the man with the gun, who was stopped cold, disbelief on his face. A wing came down around her, pulling her in close to the dragon’s body, shielding her. Oh. My. God! It’s true. She was either in a coma living a dream or she had a dragon shifter who wanted to be her mate.
Josette Reuel is a writer and editor with over fifteen years of experience as a technical communicator developing diverse types of documentation in both online and printed formats. Working primarily in the Information Technology field, she started her technical writing career developing software documentation for Human Resources, Accounting, Order Entry, and Distribution management software solutions. She also has experience in quality assurance, peer development, and project management.
Josette has worked as a consultant providing high quality deliverables; such as, software manuals, online help, and training class materials. She utilized her ability to use a wide range of computer software, learn on the fly, and research and implement solutions in these environments. She has developed documentation requirements, managed schedules and team availability, coordinated team schedules and deliverables, and maintained documentation department standards and guidelines. Josette is also PMI Project Management Professional (PMP) Certified.
Throughout her work career she has participated in self-editing and peer editing, showing a strong aptitude for improving the quality of the written word.
Josette has a diverse educational background that allows her a unique perspective to provide the necessary skills to provide exactly what a client requires. She has an Associates of Applied Business, an Associates of Applied Science, and has completed course work at the Ohio State University in Art and English towards a Bachelors degree.
As a prior-member of the Central Ohio Chapter of the Society for Technical Communication (STC), she participated in presentations and outreach events and was co-editor of the Chapter’s newsletter, Techniquill, for almost 3 years.
Josette enjoys working in HTML and has helped create several Web sites for use in small business ventures. She is involved with her local 4H club, helping the kids to achieve their goals while learning valuable lessons for their futures.
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@JosetteReuel
Great excerpt.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a great read. I would love to read Finding the Dragon
ReplyDeleteME TOO!!! I hope you entered the giveaway to win one!!!
DeleteLooks interesting
ReplyDelete