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    Her Dragon's Fire: Dragon Guard Series, #2
    Her Dragon's Fire: Dragon Guard Series, #2
    Her Dragon's Fire: Dragon Guard Series, #2
    Ebook379 pages9 hoursDragon Guard Series

    Her Dragon's Fire: Dragon Guard Series, #2

    By Julia Mills

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    About this ebook

    Her sharp wit and his fierce strength are all that's standing between these Fated Mates and certain death.

    Can Grace distract her captor by playing the witless damsel in distress? Will Aidan make it before the traitor discovers their deception? Can these Fated Mates defy all odds to find their happily ever after?

    This Guardsman must protect his Mate at all costs. Even if it means staining his hands with the blood of his kin.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherJulia Mills
    Release dateFeb 15, 2024
    ISBN9781524241056
    Her Dragon's Fire: Dragon Guard Series, #2
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      Book preview

      Her Dragon's Fire - Julia Mills

      1

      H ey, Grace. Busy day?

      "The busiest. How about you, Adam?" she asked, not really having time to talk but not wanting to be rude. Adam was, after all, a pretty nice guy…for a lawyer.

      "Depositions day four. Thank God, it’s Friday. I’m not sure I could take hearing one more dirt bag swear he was with his poor sickly mother, when I know damn good and well they were all part of the scam."

      I hear ya. She was just about to ask if they had any reliable witnesses when her cell phone rang. Looking at the display, Grace was excited to see her best friend’s name. Holding up her phone as if Adam could see who it was, she apologized. Sorry, I need to take this.

      No worries. Take care.

      You too, Adam, she called to his back as he left the breakroom.

      It was the only break she’d been able to squeeze in since her six forty-five arrival that morning, but talking to Kyndel was more important than fresh coffee and a stale bagel.

      Hey you, what’s up?

      Nothing much, girlie. How’s tricks? Kyndel’s bubbly voice and southern accent was just what Grace needed to roll away the blues. It had been almost a week since the last time they’d spoken, and she missed her best friend.

      After seeing each other all the time and talking daily for almost eight years, it was hard for Grace to only have phone conversations with Kyndel. Add to it that she now lived somewhere in God’s country with her new husband and his incredibly large extended family, and Grace had only laid eyes on her bestie once in the last six months, the young lawyer had to admit she was lonely.

      Same shit, different day, Kyn. Just putting away the bad guys. You calling to tell me you’re coming home? At least for a visit?

      Soon, doll, I promise. I actually called to give you some good news. You sittin’ down?

      Ummm…. Grabbing a chair, she quickly sat. Kyndel wasn’t one to exaggerate, so if she said to sit down…Grace sat down. I am now.

      You’re gonna be an auntie! Kyndel squealed through the phone, her excitement palatable.

      "Oh crap! You’re…pregnant?" Grace was glad her friend had told her to sit.

      I am! Isn’t it the best news ever?

      Summoning all the love she felt for her best friend, Grace pushed her shock to the side and filled her voice with enthusiasm. It is, honey. Just the best! How far along are you? When’s the due date?

      About a month. Kyndel laughed. Don’t have a due date yet. We just got confirmation and I wanted you to be the first person we told. Rayne is crazy happy, but seriously overprotective.

      Grace chuckled. I bet. She could only imagine how the huge man she’d only met once, but who’d stood beside her friend like an avenging angel, would be protective over his wife and unborn child.

      I talked to Rayne and we’re gonna come see you real soon. Maybe you can take some time off for baby shopping…please, Auntie Grace?

      She couldn’t help but laugh at Kyndel’s little girl voice and lisp as she pretended to beg. How could I say no to that?

      Yay! Kyndel again squealed though the phone. For the hundredth time, Grace marveled at her friend’s happiness since getting married. She was happy for her friend…really. Maybe a little jealous, and most definitely missing the time they spent together, but really pleased Kyndel had found her happily ever after.

      Lost in thought, she almost missed what Kyndel was saying. I’m sorry to cut this short. Rayne’s brethren are coming to dinner, and I have to fry enough chicken to feed an army. I promise to call soon. She paused, then added, I love ya, Grace. You know that, right?

      Brethren? Well, Rayne had spoken with a slight accent. Must be a regional thing.

      Of course I do, you big goofball.’ They both laughed. And I love you, Kyn. Now, take care of yourself and my little niece or nephew. We’ll talk soon."

      "I will. You take care of you," Kyndel responded, and disconnected.

      Thinking back to how she and her best friend met, Grace smiled. From the moment they bumped into each other at freshman orientation, she knew they’d be best friends. It didn’t matter that they were total opposites. It was just a feeling she couldn’t deny. Grace was from the city and a powerful, political family, while Kyndel was from the country, raised by her granny. But none of that mattered. It was an immediate connection that even after all those years, she knew was the only reason she’d made it through college and then law school.

      Kyndel may not have wanted to trust Grace at first, but it hadn’t taken much time at all for the city girl to charm the country one.

      Yeah! Let’s go with charm, not pain in the ass stalking.

      Grace possessed an innate ability to know when things were as they should be. It was something she’d been born with. She and Kyndel were sisters of the heart, and all that sentimental crap, from day one.

      Yeah, you’re not sentimental at all. Keep working on that argument, Counselor.

      Kyndel was the one person in the world who didn’t treat Grace like a princess, or only wanted to be her friend because one or both of her parents could further their political or social agenda. The girl from the south with fiery red hair had never even heard of Ambassador Kensington or his beautiful wife’s humanitarian efforts. Kyndel didn’t give a shit. She treated Grace just like everyone else, and after a few short weeks, they were inseparable. Distance couldn’t change that, Grace reminded herself for the tenth time.

      It was the weird things about their friendship she missed. Like, Kyndel wasn’t afraid to call Grace on her crap. She frowned, remembering the night Kyndel had met her new husband. Grace had borrowed Kyndel’s car, and then true to form, completely spaced about picking her up.

      Kyndel assumed Grace was hooking up with some random guy, an assumption that bothered Grace more than she let anyone know. Sadly, her best friend wasn’t the only one who thought she had a guy hidden around every corner, no matter how many times or how vehemently she denied it. Many people over the years teased her about the same thing, so she’d finally given up on correcting them, even Kyndel.

      In actuality, Grace hadn’t been with anyone since her senior year of law school. Walking in and catching Derek screwing Mitzi, the local fuck your way to the top second year law student, had ruined any and all aspirations Grace had for a love life. It was a shock she’d never truly gotten over. She’d been so in love with the asshole she would’ve forgiven him for cheating. But when she overheard him tell Mitzi he was only with Grace to meet her father and use his connections to further his political career, everything she felt for the jerk died.

      As if that hadn’t been enough, right before she made her presence known, he told the slut that Grace was a spoiled princess with a fat ass. Walking away and never looking back, Grace decided to focus on school and then her career. Love was for suckers. Anyone who didn’t like it could kiss her fat ass. Grace Kensington was going to be an amazing lawyer. She would make sure of it.

      And I did!

      She never told anyone, not even Kyndel, what she’d heard that night. They all thought she’d walked away because Derek was a cheating piece of crap, which was enough. From that night forward, Grace devoted all her time to studying, and when she graduated in the top ten percent of her class with job offers from five of the most prestigious law firms in the country, it was affirmation that all her hard work was worth it.

      Month after month of interviewing was tiring. There were great offers from great firms, but none felt right. She wasn’t going to settle. The right firm for her was out there…she just had to keep looking.

      Finally, Grace’s determination paid off. She was called to interview with the state prosecutor’s office. At first she was sure it was because of her father and thought about not going. Thankfully, she talked herself into it. When the man who later became her boss, the state prosecutor himself, asked about her family, it was clear he had no idea who she was related to. Grace said they were estranged, and then leveled the do not fuck with me look she’d perfected early in her life at him.

      The attorney straightened his tie—a move Grace later found out meant he was rethinking his position—and went on with the interview. Out of all the offers from all the prominent law firms she’d received, she decided to work for the state. It held true to her determination to put away the trash preying on those weaker than themselves. Grace Kensington made it her way, and no one could take it from her.

      Being a lawyer was the perfect fit for Grace. After all, she’d spent most of her life negotiating with nannies or tutors or whoever she was stuck with while her parents were out saving the world. Early on she’d learned to argue any perspective, of any issue, decisively and effectively, with her eyes closed and a hangover from the party the night before.

      At a young age, her favorite nanny, Miss Annabelle, had told her she’d make a fine lawyer. No one can stand their ground and present the facts like you, Gracie girl. Miss Annabelle’s voice echoed in her mind.

      She smiled, remembering all the times Miss Annabelle was called to school after Grace defended another student, eloquently eviscerating the bullies with her words. The debate with Wade Sheffler, the star pitcher, was one of her favorite moments. The topic was the unfair treatment of mathletes. Grace had presented point after point regarding the outlandish perks the baseball team received, despite the fact they’d yet to have a winning season, as opposed to the lack of perks the mathletes received. She argued that the incredibly intelligent group held the title of state champs five years running. It was such a spirited defense that she ended up standing on the table in the center of the cafeteria, demanding equal treatment for all academic clubs.

      Of course, that was the exact moment Principal Stark made his appearance. Grace was taken to his office and Miss Annabelle was called. Grace remembered the twinkle in her governess’s eyes as she assured the principal her ward would be properly reprimanded. The proper reprimand included dinner at Dairy Queen and a night at the movies.

      That incident, on top of all the others, had solidified Grace’s decision to go into law. She would fight for the underdog or put away the ones who preyed upon them. Fate had decided she was better suited to put the trash away, and that was exactly what she was doing. Better than any other first year associate in any firm in the country…and she was doing it her way.

      The night she’d forgotten to pick up Kyndel, Grace had been at work…not hooking up. The case she was prepping was heinous to say the least. The accused needed to be hanged, shot, and disemboweled before being left out for the vermin, but putting him behind bars would have to do since her other thoughts were illegal.

      Kidnapping cases involving young women were happening more frequently, and the police were helpless to find the culprit. These poor victims were simply disappearing…no ransom demands, no bodies found later…just gone. The night Kyndel walked home alone the police had finally gotten a lead and asked for a consult with the state prosecutor’s office.

      Grace got the assignment and went right to work, so engrossed in her mission she worked through the night, and even showered in the locker room at the gym in their building, changed into the spare clothes she kept in her office closet, and didn’t eat. It wasn’t until lunch the next day that she remembered she was supposed to have picked Kyndel up from work the night before.

      When Grace hadn’t been able to get a hold of her friend, she was sure Kyndel was ignoring her and knew it was going to take some serious groveling to get back in her good graces. Grace left messages at Kyndel’s job, but as usual, didn’t hear back from her. Then she remembered that Kyndel’s cell phone was in the car Grace had borrowed, so that was a dead end too.

      After leaving five messages and making countless unanswered calls, it was after six in the evening. Panic had taken over. Racing to Kyndel’s apartment, Grace imagined every possible scenario, and almost lost her mind when she found the house empty. A week spent not eating, not sleeping, working all day, searching all night, and being sick with worry took its toll on Grace.

      Finally, on the morning of the eighth day, Kyndel called. Grace was overjoyed. But joy turned to skepticism as her best friend explained she’d literally run into a guy while walking home…and it was love at first sight.

      Kyndel went on and on about Rayne and his family, completely ignoring Grace as she tried to apologize and explain what had happened. Over that grueling week, the young lawyer had decided to set her best bud straight about the men in her life, or the lack thereof. She was even going to tell her the whole story about Derek. It had been a long time coming and something that needed to be cleared up between them, but Kyndel was so caught up in talking about the new man in her life that Grace couldn’t get a word in edgewise.

      The woman she’d spent almost every day of the last eight years with, in one way or another, seemed to have undergone a complete transformation. Kyndel was gushing over a man. The longer Grace listened, the more her instincts screamed there was something her best friend wasn’t telling her.

      Her suspicions were confirmed when she met Rayne. Grace’s spidey senses said he was full of secrets, but that his intentions were pure. He’d somehow convinced the person who trusted absolutely no one, the girl who’d put Grace through every test in the world before calling her a friend, to marry him in less than a week. It just didn’t fit. Something didn’t feel right.

      And I’m not even gonna mention that I wasn’t invited to the wedding.

      The look in Kyndel’s eyes said she was over the moon in love and sickeningly happy. All gagging aside, Grace was thrilled for her. No one deserved the love and devotion she saw in Rayne’s eyes more than Kyndel. Her life had never been easy, and to see her happy warmed Grace’s heart.

      Still, no matter how hard she tried to put her suspicions aside and blame them on the envy she felt at watching them together, the fact was, there was more to the story. She just knew it. Grace hated herself for being suspicious, but she always followed her gut. It was one of the things that made her good at her job, and had saved her too many times to count.

      Deciding Kyndel was not in imminent danger and that Grace would get more details when they talked alone, she focused on one of the other changes that rankled her nerves. The fact that one of Rayne’s brothers was staying at Kyndel’s apartment. It was silly. She knew it was, but it still bothered her.

      Not only did her bestie trust the guy she’d married in less than a week, she also trusted his family? With her home? And her plants? It was a complete turnaround from the Kyndel she knew. Grace had always heard love changed a person, but this was more…she just couldn’t put her finger on it.

      To add insult to injury, when she stopped to check the plants and pick up the mail, this brother was nowhere to be found. Grace knew he’d been there by the intoxicating scent he left in his wake. It was hard work not to get lost in the rich, masculine scent of the woods after a snowfall. She breathed deeply, immersing herself in the intoxicating aroma, wanting to carry it with her. Her obsession had gotten so bad, she was inventing reasons to stop by the apartment more often.

      Riiiiigggghhhhttttt. That’s why I’m going over there. Just to smell that man. I don’t want to get a look at the man or anything. Oh no…not me. Damn, I’m a crappy liar.

      All she really wanted was to get a look at the guy who made her pulse race and nipples harden just from the way he smelled. He entered her thoughts more and more. She wondered what he looked like and what his hands would feel like against her skin.

      Her imagination got the best of her. The words on the file she was studying blurred as thoughts of him made her eyes slide shut. Images of his lips on her neck, his hands moving under her silk blouse, his body moving against hers made Grace ache.

      He moved up her ribs, palming her tender nipples, whispering his plans for her pleasure. In an attempt to contain a purr of excitement, Grace bit her bottom lip.

      Her body felt like molten lava as she scooted farther down in her chair. Goose bumps covered her body as the lace of her panties rubbed against her aroused flesh.

      Oh God, that felt good.

      Grace? Are you still here? Alice, her assistant, called from the other room.

      Jerking herself upright, Grace barely grabbed the desk in time to keep from landing face first in a pile of paperwork.

      Yes! I’m in here, she called through the open door, sounding much more breathy than she should’ve and praying that Alice didn’t notice.

      Oh, shit! I really need to keep my mind on work. It’s definitely safer.

      There was enough to worry about with trying to convict a kidnapper and now, Kyndel’s pregnancy, without dreaming about a guy she’d never seen…and probably never would.

      With my luck, he’s the bum of the bunch and bald to boot.

      2

      Three days spent tracking dead end leads. Six months since the brother he’d thought dead pulled ‘a Lazarus’ with a plot to kill their entire Force. Frustration was threatening to make him pull out his hair. And all Aidan wanted to do was get a good night’s sleep before starting the rat race all over again.

      Hey, ‘A’, what’s up? Lance, one of his brethren, asked through mindspeak.

      Nothing much. What’s going on over there?

      Same. Any luck?

      Aidan thought about ignoring him but answered anyway, trying to keep the frustration out of his voice.

      Not a damn bit. With all the black magic he’s got running through his system the little shit can hide almost all his scent. The only signs I could find indicate he’s sticking to the populated areas, so tracking him is a real bitch.

      You hear anything from the other clans? Maybe he’s taken off across the pond.

      No signs of him anywhere by anybody. Flying blind sucks.

      I know that’s right. You need some help?

      No, I’m good. It would’ve been nice to have the company, but Lance was the prankster of their Force, and Aidan knew little to no tracking would be done with him around.

      Okay, cool. But ya know, I was thinking…

      That can be dangerous. Aidan chuckled.

      Lance laughed. "No shit, but seriously, if he keeps relying on his magical abilities so heavily, the little traitor’s gonna screw up and you’ll be there to grab him up."

      From your mouth to Fate’s ears, bro. This is damn hard on the ego.

      You’re good, ‘A’. It won’t be long now.

      Thanks, man.

      Yep. I gotta run. Royce is bitching about something I may…or may not have done.

      I’m betting on ‘may have’. Aidan laughed.

      You know it, was all Aidan heard as his friend severed their connection.

      Thinking about the hunt for his brother led Aidan’s thoughts down a dark path. He’d spent the better part of six years mourning Andrew’s death and dealing with the crushing guilt of having failed his brother. It was Aidan’s fault they’d been flying over that exact field at that exact time, the same time and route as the night before. It was his need to catch a glimpse of the one the Universe made for him that had cost his little brother his life…or so the Guardsman had thought.

      Aidan’s obsession had begun months earlier, when the fantasies of a raven-haired beauty with curves begging to be explored began to haunt his dreams. As Fate would have it, the night before he lost his brother, the scent he’d only dreamt of became a reality. It enveloped him and his dragon, making it hard for them to stay in flight. It was a confirmation of every story he’d ever heard about mates. Like called to like. Recognition was instantaneous.

      My mate.

      So close, he could touch her. It was the best feeling in the world. His heart soared and his dragon pushed to be free to claim her as their own. He felt complete for the first time in all his hundred years. But none of that excused what he’d let happen.

      It was his duty as the older brother to protect Andrew. Instead, he’d flown off half-cocked, brother in tow, ignoring all their protocols, intent on getting a glimpse of his woman. They were taken by surprise due to his inattention. Overpowered by black magic, Aidan lay unconscious a few yards away while Andrew was taken and hidden.

      At least that’s how Andrew tells it. Would’ve been vital information during my six years of torment.

      Aidan awakened disoriented, just in time to see what he thought was Andrew’s head being thrown into a huge pyre surrounded by wizards, all chanting and swaying.

      It had all been subterfuge; Aidan knew that now. Not Andrew’s head, but the head of a farmer they’d sacrificed for their blood ritual was thrown into the fire. From the information he’d gathered, Aidan learned the wizards had spent most of their black magic knocking two full-grown dragons out of the sky, then subduing and hiding his brother.

      The evil practitioners were forced to perform the additional rite to amass more black magic. It allowed them to virtually disappear while he struggled to get back to the lair for help. At least Aidan now knew the use of black magic was limited and needed recharging. Very good news for dragon kin.

      He’d relived every gory detail of that night every day of his dreary existence, until the moment Andrew was unmasked six months ago. The shock had left Aidan mute and dumbfounded during most of the altercation that had injured Kyndel. When he finally got his shit together, Aaron, his twin, had the traitor wrapped in silver chains and Rayne was in dragon form, preparing to carry his injured, unconscious mate to their Healer.

      His rage consumed him, to think that Andrew, a man Aidan had helped raise and train for admittance into their Force of the Dragon Guard, had sided with not one, but both of their mortal enemies. Groups whose sole purpose was to destroy dragon kin. It was unfathomable. Aidan tried to reason it out, tried to find an excuse for his brother’s actions. But the fact remained…Andrew had betrayed them all.

      He’d escaped the wizards, killed an entire coven, and set out on his own. He’d chosen to abandon the clan. He blamed his family, his Force, and dragon kin for his misfortune. Most of all, he blamed Aidan. In his warped and broken mind, Andrew decided revenge was all he had left. The black magic he’d acquired, mixed with his dragon magic, had somehow enabled Andrew to hide his true nature…his dragon.

      Fortunately, after six months of searching and then analyzing what he found, Aidan learned a few things that would give him an advantage in his hunt for the traitor. First of all, by hiding his dragon for so long, it seemed Andrew wasn’t able to call him forth at all. It made sense that if the traitor still possessed the ability, he would’ve done so when he was plummeting towards the ground after escaping Aaron’s talon. Secondly, Andrew couldn’t mindspeak with any of his brethren. In a few of his weaker moments, Aidan had called out to his brother, using their specific link, but felt absolutely nothing, not even a spark. He had no clue how any of these anomalies were possible; no one knew, not even the Elders. It was a little scary that the oldest and wisest among them had never heard of a case where a bond as strong as theirs, one of a blood relation, children of the same parents, and the blood bond shared by all Dragon Guard, had been subdued or broken.

      The bond Aidan shared with his brothers, Aaron and Andrew, was so strong that even when they shielded their thoughts from one another or were great distances apart, there was still a buzz, almost like a cell phone vibrating in a pocket. But since the night Aidan believed Andrew was dead, there had been nothing at all. That was the only reason Aidan had been so sure his brother was dead. Even when he reappeared in their lives, it was as if their bond had never existed, something that shouldn’t have been possible.

      Aidan remembered the day his baby brother was born….

      He and Aaron were ten years old. It was a normal day of gathering firewood and playing in the forest. Everything the twins did was an adventure. Aidan was the commander, Aaron his faithful second. They were scouting the area for scavengers out to pillage and loot their clan. Sticks were their swords and large pieces of bark their shields as they swung at every branch and bush daring to cross their path.

      Deep in make-believe battle, parrying with a particularly evil villain, a buzzing began in Aidan’s head. He immediately recognized it as another of their blood. The connection was like what he shared with his twin, only a bit different at the same time.

      The baby’s been born.

      His new brother, fresh from the womb and unable to form words, was reaching out to his older sibling. Aidan could feel his happiness, combined with contentment and the feeling of being incredibly loved. The twins raced home, their journey filled with tales of everything they would teach him and the pranks they would play now that there were three of them.

      When they arrived, every member of their clan was lined up to pay tribute to the O’Brien family and to get a look at the new baby. After an hour, the twins finally made their way into the family home. As the eldest, having been born two minutes before Aidan, Aaron was first to pay his respects.

      When

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