Table of Contents
PRAISE FOR DRAGON BOUND
Black Dagger Brotherhood readers will love Dragon Bound ... Im hooked!
J. R. Ward, #1 New York Times bestselling author
I loved this book so much I didnt want it to end. Smoldering sensuality, fascinating characters and an intriguing world Dragon Bound kept me glued to the pages. Thea Harrison has a new fan in me!
Nalini Singh, New York Times bestselling author
Thea Harrison has created a truly original urban fantasy romance... When the shapeshifting dragon locks horns with his very special heroine, sparks fly that any reader will enjoy. Buy yourself an extra-large cappuccino, sit back and enjoy the decadent fun!
Angela Knight, New York Times bestselling author
Dragon Bound is full of tense action, toe-curling love scenes and intriguing characters that will stay with you long after the story is over. All that is wrapped inside a colorful, compelling world with magic so real, the reader can feel it. Thea Harrison is a fantastic new talent who will soon be taking the world of paranormal romance by storm.
Shannon K. Butcher, national bestselling author
Thea Harrison is definitely an author to watch. Sexy and action packed, Dragon Bound features a strong, likable heroine, a white-hot luscious hero and an original and intriguing world that swallowed me whole. This novel held me transfixed from beginning to end! Ill definitely be keeping my eyes open for the next book in this series.
Anya Bast, New York Times bestselling author
Fun, feral and fiercely excitingI cant get enough! Thea Harrison supplies deliciously addictive paranormal romance, and Im already jonesing for the next hit.
Ann Aguirre, national bestselling author
Berkley Sensation Titles by Thea Harrison
DRAGON BOUND
STORMS HEART
Please visit http://www.Demonoid.me for more books from our generous members.
Baileyd
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the authors imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.
STORMS HEART
A Berkley Sensation Book / published by arrangement with the author
PRINTING HISTORY
Berkley Sensation mass-market edition / August 2011
Copyright 2011 by Teddy Harrison.
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the authors rights. Purchase only authorized editions.
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ISBN : 978-1-101-51745-1
BERKLEY SENSATION
Berkley Sensation Books are published by The Berkley Publishing Group,
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I owe a big debt of gratitude to all the usual suspects, but a few bear special mention.
To my agent, Amy, and my editor, Cindy, thank you for everything you do. I will never take either of you for granted.
To Lorene and Carol, your support continues to be miraculous.
To Matt, my generous and patient rock-star web designer. You are totally made of angel material, and you created a classy, beautiful site.
And to Kristin, who came along at a very late date to join the beta reading. Your enthusiasm, prompt replies and fine eye for detail were a total pleasure. You, Shawn, Anne and Fran have made my work much classier than it would otherwise have been.
queen, n:
1. the wife or widow of a king
2. a female monarch
3. a woman eminent in rank, power or attractions, such as a beauty contest winner
queen, n:
4. a royal pain in my ass
NINIANE LORELLE, DARK FAE QUEEN
ONE
Y ou didnt ignore a summons roared from the Lord of the Wyr in New York, since it usually heralded a disaster of some proportion. You especially didnt ignore it if you were one of his sentinels.
Tiago strode out of the Starbucks located on the ground floor in Cuelebre Tower. He jogged up the north stairwell to the seventy-ninth floor. He could have taken the elevator, but he was feeling trapped and restless. He could have pushed out the coffee shops street exit, shifted into his Wyr form and flown to the roof of the Tower then gone down two flights, but frustration gnawed at his insides and he wanted to feel the burn of the climb in his muscles and lungs.
He didnt like modern urban spaces. He was counting the minutes until he could get out of New York. A rainy, wet springtime had evaporated to sultry ninety-degree weather, bypassing mild early summer temps like they never existed. Now June felt like August. Exhaust fumes, construction detritus, trash, restaurant odors, dry cleaner chemicals and all the various other scents of modern humanity sizzled in the heat. The smells burned the back of his throat, leaving him feeling irritable and out of place.
He was one of the ancient Wyr who were so long-lived they were known as immortal. The old ones had either been formed in the creative fire from the birth of the solar system or had been born so long ago their origins were a mystery even to them. They had existed in their animal forms for millennia, but when the new species of humans burgeoned, the old Wyr learned how to shapeshift so they could walk in secret among humankind.
Civilization was a dance, and the ancient Wyr were late to the ball. They donned masks and slipped with silent predatory grace into the ballroom. They watched with sharp eyes that glittered deep in the shadows behind their assumed facades, recording and learning the twist and rhythm of the dance, the social mores, when to bow and press their lips to the back of the hand, how to smile and say good evening, please and thank you and yes, I shall take more sugar with my tea.