Curse
of a Dragon's Claim by Ciara Lake
The
Forsaken Series, Book 2
The flame within
a dragon warrior's heart awakens Arianna's passion as she begins a journey in
which she will discover she's something more than she ever imagined possible.
The realm of the
dragons is a world of magic, danger, and mystery. For centuries they've been at
war with the vampires, but now the two enemies must work together to save all
immortals, and the mortals they co-exist with, from an ancient evil. In order
to do so, they need the help of the Forsaken, descendants of immortals who were
cast out into the human realm, their memories wiped clean of their true
heritage.
Clayne MacDagon
is a powerful dragon warrior who is sent on a mission to find one of the
Forsaken. Although he's told that this woman is his fated mate, he can't
believe it could possibly be true. Arianna Mergliano possesses both dragon and
vampire blood, and Clayne has an intense hatred for anything even remotely
related to vampires, the evil beings who were responsible for his beloved
twin's death.
When Arianna
meets Clayne, she's convinced that the man is insane, or maybe he's a warlock
or even the devil himself, but whichever it is, she wants nothing to do with
him.
Clayne knows he
can't fail at his mission. And once he meets Arianna he also knows that what
he's been told is true—she is, ironically, his intended mate.
Convincing her to
accept him is only the beginning. He has to protect her from those who might
want her dead. Together, they must face the shadows and evil that have long
plagued the immortal realms and find a way to survive the coming war.
Content Warning:
graphic sex, some violence
Excerpt
Don't
scream. I mean you no harm, Clayne said as he studied Arianna's reflection in
the mirror. "Screaming will only cause an unnecessary disruption to their
party. I'll have to disappear, only to come back later." Touching her
cheek, he captured a tear with his finger. He placed the tear on his tongue,
his eyes falling to half-mast for a moment. "Mmm, you taste sweet."
Stunned,
Arianna gaped at him for a moment. "What are you doing here?" She
ground out each word. "How long have you been here? I didn't hear my door
open." Their stares locked in the mirror. She paled when she realized he
had not entered through a door. "If I'm not a witch, you are."
I'm
not a witch, those fickle creatures are governed by wealth rather than any true
loyalty. He leaned down and boldly kissed the mark on her shoulder.
Arianna
jerked in surprise. The feel of his lips made her pulse quicken. She shivered,
helpless to her response.
You
carry my mark, something I wasn't informed of. I find this all fascinating. His
eyes bored into hers. Then he shook his head. "It seems even in my years,
I can still be surprised." Placing his hands on her bare upper arms, he
lightly squeezed. "I was determined not to like you, there's so little of
your kind redeemable to my species."
Arianna,
frozen, as if hypnotized by him, continued to stare at his reflection.
I'm
fated to what I've despised for so very long. At least half of you is what I've
despised. The fates can be so…unpredictable. They do like their games. He
grinned. "The fates enjoy these circumstances." The blue flames in
his eyes flared as he watched her. The implausible light show within his pupils
woke her from her trance.
Your
mark? She glared at him. "What you've learned to despise? The games of the
fates?" Arianna spit each one of his phrases back at him. "You,
Signor, are clearly insane. I don't understand a thing you're saying. Nor do I
care to."
You
may think I'm insane, but I'm not. Instead, it seems I'm cursed to be fated to
a beautiful dracvipen. I've yet to decide what to do with this revelation.
After all, curses aren't all bad. Especially when they aren't really curses.
Boldly, he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her tight against him.
"You do feel nice. You smell good too. I think it a fair exchange. One can
ignore the mix as long as it comes in such a beautiful package."
She
stood, struggling to get free of him. He held her firm, sniffing her neck.
Unable to help it, she tilted her head, giving him better access for a brief
moment before she returned to her senses. "Unhand me, you insane
rogue."
As
you wish, Arianna. Clayne withdrew his arms from around her. A chill passed
through her heated body as he let go. "You'll miss our heat." He
continued to stand behind her. His eyes flamed bright. "You're lovely. You
have spirit, yet there's sweetness to you. A beautiful combination, you're
absolutely fascinating." You’re most definitely a charming mix.
Get
the hell out of my head. You…you…rogue. Arianna turned to face him. She tried
to stomp on his foot. Deftly, he avoided her attack.
For
a woman with such linguistic abilities you're truly lacking in vocabulary to
describe me, he teased.
She
wanted to slap his face, taking the grin right off.
And
you'll have to learn to move much faster to keep up with me. I'm very swift. He
reached around, swatting her on her behind.
How
dare you!
About the Author
Reading and writing is a wonderful
diversion from an often-difficult world. I love to create my own stories and
have control over how things will end. It's exciting to create brand new worlds
and characters. My imagination can come alive.
In sci-fi, fantasy, and paranormal
stories, I can invent wonderful places and people. Anything is possible in
these genres, it's limitless. I'm able to create an escape into a special world
filled with unique and fantastic things and there is always a happy ending.
A high school teacher inspired me
to write. However, instead of initially pursuing my writing career I became a
lawyer. I work in divorce court, so erotic romance is a great escape. There can
be true love and happy-endings, at least on my pages.
My two children and I have two
good-humored dogs that share our home and ease our stress. I have traveled and
lived all over the world, and these experiences have given me great creative
ideas. I look forward to creating many more adventures in romance.
Thank you for hosting today.
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