HUNTED BY A DRAGON: Fated Dragon Series (Book 2 of 3) (DRAGON MATED) Read online

  HUNTED BY A

  DRAGON

  Tanya & Kemir

  (Dragon Mated Series, Book 2)

  Christina Wilder

  HUNTED BY A DRAGON

  Copyright © 2018 Christina Wilder

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or

  reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written

  permission except in the case of brief quotations

  embodied in critical articles or reviews. This book

  is a work of fiction. Names, characters, events, and incidents

  are a product of the Author’s imagination. Any resemblance

  to an actual person, living or dead,

  is entirely coincidental.

  AISN: B07L2JS9L6

  Acknowledgments

  This book would not be here without the support of

  many special people.

  First, I want to thank my mom for always believing in me.

  And my family, who puts up with rushed meals and

  my endless talk about characters, cover art, and plot twists.

  And, Stephanie, my very first CP. Even though my writing was

  absolutely awful back then, you’ve stuck with me!

  Renée, who is spot-on with plot suggestions.

  Alex, who always cheers me up when I’m feeling down.

  Jes, who is fabulous with graphic design & critiques.

  Lee, my bestie, even though we live

  on opposite sides of the world.

  Laura, who gives me endless practical advice,

  keeping me grounded.

  And Katrina, whose friendship I could not live without.

  This book wouldn’t be here without all of you.

  Cover Design by Black Canvas

  3 Fierce Dragon Shifter Princes

  3 Feisty, Curvy Best Friends who are

  fated to be mated to dragons.

  Tanya:

  Falling through the cave, I shoot out into a cavern and butt-skid on a sandy beach. In no time, I’m captured by a pack of snarling, three-eyed bugs. They tie me up and dangle me on a spit over a roaring fire, and it’s clear they’re planning a feast—but I’m the main course. Then a dragon swoops in and incinerates the bugs. Nothing like a hero, huh? There are a few weird things about my dream-man, but I’m falling fast. If only our whirlwind romance could last for more than one night…

  Kemir:

  After rescuing Tanya, I take her to a cave and proceed to mark her as my mate. With so few women in my world, I need to act fast. But when I’m captured by giant birds, Tanya must rescue me. She sweet and sexy and thinks she’s totally in control, but she’ll soon learn who’s boss. While a dragon only mates once, he’s the prince of his underworld castle.

  Other books from Christina Wilder

  DRAGON MATED

  A humorous dragon shifter novella series.

  CAPTURED BY A DRAGON

  HUNTED BY A DRAGON

  CLAIMED BY A DRAGON

  MY BIG FAT POMPEII ROMANCE

  A romantic comedy with a gladiator twist, out now

  on Amazon/Kindle Unlimited

  Books Co-Written with Laney Kaye

  CAT SHIFTERS OF AAIDAR

  A Sci-Fi Alien Romance Series

  Available now on Amazon & Kindle Unlimited

  ESCAPE

  ENGAGE

  ENSNARE

  ENDINGS

  Chapter One

  Tanya

  I was about to be roasted alive.

  Which was only marginally better than the alternative—being eaten alive. Although, that might still be on the agenda.

  How had I ended up here?

  After jumping into the hole in the cave, determined to save PJ and Jenny, I’d slid down forever, no doubt plunging all the way to the center of the Earth. I swear, days passed, but that couldn’t be true. No one could slide through tunnels for that long, right?

  Jenny & PJ’s screams as they fell, chilled me to the bone. I needed to rescue them, but I couldn’t find a way to slow my fall, let alone seek them out.

  Just when I thought I’d be falling for the rest of my days, a circle of light appeared ahead of me. While some people welcomed the light, I wasn’t ready to stroll through the pearly gates quite yet. Jeez, I was only twenty-six.

  My body continued skimming along, right up to the hole, and I rushed through it, finding myself airborne on the other side. A quick glance told me I was in a large cavern. Weird blue lights shone from the ceiling, and water dripped down the dark cave walls. Below and to my left, a long, wide river churned its way through the cavern.

  Wind bit my cheeks and snarled up my hair. Which sucked, because I’d used my flattening iron on it this morning and knew it looked hot. Now, my head probably resembled a bird’s nest on steroids.

  I traveled through the air, my wails echoing around me, slowly descending. Until I landed with a jolt on my butt on a long beach beside the river, like I’d morphed into a jet plunging onto a sandy runway.

  Scrambling to my feet, I patted my legs, and my hips and butt, making sure everything was still attached and functioning, and was relieved to find out it was. Worried about PJ and Jenny, who might not have fared as well as me, I peered around, hoping I’d find them nearby.

  Nope. Where were they?

  A scratchy-clawing sound behind me made me whirl, calling out, “Jenny? PJ?”

  Nope. Nope. Nope. This was not PJ or Jenny.

  I gasped and then screamed. My heart jumped into my throat, beating faster than the first time I strode in front of a camera in silky undies, when I began my career as a lingerie fashion model.

  Six large—and as tall as me—black insects scrambled toward me, upright on their hind legs, their antennas wiggling, their pointy teeth baring, and their big lobster claws extended and clacking.

  Panic shot through me, and I screamed again while backing away, stumbling over rocks, sticks, and sand clumps until I smacked into a steep granite wall.

  Peering up frantically, I couldn’t find a way out. No cute paths wound to the top. No convenient handholds to grab onto. And no vines I could climb.

  My legs trembling, I gaped around further.

  Where was an AK-47 when a girl needed one?

  With my death gleaming in each of the creature’s three, beady red eyes, the bug-things descended. They latched onto me with their big claws and threw me onto the ground.

  I clawed at the soil, trying to get away, but they held me down. Please. Please. No!

  While I struggled and pleaded and shrieked, one of them located a long, thick stick. Much like what I should’ve found and used to whack off their heads.

  They laid it on the ground beside me, then lifted me up and dropped me onto the top. The wood bit into my spine, and I winced. As I writhed and cringed, they spun ropes from their spit—yuck—binding me to the stick with my hands thrust over my head, and my ankles locked together and pinned at the bottom.

  They chattered and clicked their claws, while I struggled to get free.

  After huddling together, like a group of teenagers at a school dance, they grunted and gathered up a bunch of wood to build a fire.

  This didn’t look good.

  I had a feeling they planned to roast marshmallows, and I was the marshmallow.

  Almost merrily, they lifted me up by the ends of the stick and carried me over to the fire, singing gibberish in off-key voices.

  “Wait,” I yelled, because I was determined not to go down without a fight. Assuming I could find a way to fight. “You’re not doing this right. A
ren’t you going to season me first?”

  They paused, cocked their elongated heads that came to a point at the top, and gaped at me.

  Maybe this would work!

  “I think you need to marinate me first,” I said firmly. “In the river. For a good long while.” I’d rather take my chances with the fishies than these gross, enormous bugs. “It’ll…tenderize me.”

  Ugh. My belly heaved.

  The insects not holding my stick drew together, as if they needed to discuss my suggestion seriously, but the biggest one of them all (maybe the leader?) made a high-pitched cheep and the others bowed.

  Chattering and snapping, they reinforced their grips on my stick and rumbled toward the fire, their black, chubby feet stomping on the sand.

  While I hung from my stick suspended between the bugs, a few of the others rolled a couple large boulders over to either side of the pit.

  I hadn’t been the praying kind since I last went to church when I was little. After my mom died in the car crash, I was an orphan. Dumped into foster care, I hadn’t had the heart to pray for anything more than survival.

  But I sure prayed now.

  “Dear Mary,” I cried out. “Holy Jesus. Oh, God. Oh, God!” I screamed as they lifted my stick up and set each of the ends on one of the boulders.

  They stepped back and rubbed their enormous claws together, as if pleased with their cooking skills, then backed away, leaving me to roast like a goose on a spit over the fire.

  “Help!” I yelled. The wood hadn’t fully caught yet, but an unpleasant heat seared through my red climbing jumpsuit. Now, I wished I’d spent the extra money to get flame retardant material.

  How long would it take to cook me alive?

  The bugs gathered around, their claws waving, studying me intently with their combined eighteen eyes. As if they expected me to simmer and burst right in front of them.

  I shrieked and wrenched at the ties as the material covering my butt started to smolder, but I couldn’t get away.

  Further down in the cavern, something roared. My screams faded.

  The bugs went stock still, their red eyes peering around.

  This could not be good. If they were afraid, I should be afraid.

  They cowered, staring upward, as if lightning was going to shoot from the cavern ceiling and blast them to smithereens.

  Or maybe a daddy bug was coming down to steal their feast.

  A giant bird soared across the cavern.

  Not just a plain old bird, though.

  It was a fucking dragon! With gleaming blue and green scales, broad wings, and a long, pointy snout with smoke chugging from its nostrils.

  It dove down, aiming for me. I gulped and struggled against my bonds.

  Flames shot from its mouth like a hyped-up rocket launcher. The bugs skittered in circles, bumping into each other in their flurry, but they didn’t seem to know that running in one direction was their only chance of escape.

  The lead bug must’ve figured it out, because he—she—it—darted toward the river. The others scampered behind.

  Could they swim?

  As the dragon came close, it razed the ground with flames, the red-hot dragon breath gaining on the cluster of bugs racing toward the water.

  Fire hit them, and they burst like black popcorn, spurting purple goo-strands into the air.

  In one swoop, the dragon incinerated the creatures, leaving nothing behind but black, steaming mounds and rocks splattered with purple gook.

  I was going to pass out. No, I wanted to pass out. I gulped back the knot in my throat that tasted sour in my mouth.

  The dragon landed on the ground nearby, its long, pointy claws digging deep grooves in the sand. While I trembled and struggled and lifted my butt away from the reaching flames, the dragon stalked toward me.

  It stared at me for a long moment, then tipped its head back and roared.

  My eardrums nearly burst.

  More flames shot from its mouth, reaching high enough to scorch the ceiling of the large cavern.

  With a growl, it grabbed my stick, with me still attached.

  I mumbled more prayers, because holy hell, I was scared. Like, pee-my-pants-scared.

  Gathering itself with me still clutched in its claws, the dragon sprang up into the air.

  As I wiggled and tried to get away, the creature soared across the cavern, heading for a black hole on one side. A deep-Earth exit?

  Not that it mattered, because I was probably going straight to hell.

  My goose was definitely about to get cooked.

  Chapter Two

  Kemir

  I needed to strip my woman of her clothing, before the overheated material scorched her tender flesh.

  Leaving the refuse of my sarlon slaughter behind me, and clutching the woman tight in my claws—being very careful not to harm her—I darted across the cavern and entered a long, dark tunnel. Tiny blue insects—lunarlights—guided my way, but I didn’t need them to see. Multiple generations of life in the center of the Earth had helped dragons develop excellent night vision.

  I needed to locate a safe spot where I could help my woman. Save her.

  Fear was a knife in my chest, twisting, biting deep.

  My mate. The first woman I’d seen after seeking the Livegiver blessing.

  She was beautiful, roundly shaped, feisty—if her struggles were any indication—and she was all mine.

  I couldn’t wait to savor her sighs of pleasure.

  But pleasure would wait. My mate was on fire, her clothing glowing red from the flames. She’d need time to recover before we mated.

  Locating a cave opening along the side of the tunnel, I dove inside and landed hard, my claws screeching on the stone floor. Frantic, I lowered her carefully onto the ground. While she squirmed against her binds and stared up at me wide-eyed, her face filled with what must be pain, I gazed down at her, eager to strip her quickly.

  Growling, I attacked her red, steaming clothing with my claws.

  Gods willing, I wasn’t too late. The Lifegiver would not grant my mate-blessing only to snatch her away. That would be too cruel.

  She gaped up at me while my claws ripped and tore, severing the red material at her neck, along her arms. She cringed, and squirmed, as if she was desperate to get away from the fiery fabric.

  “What are you doing?” she shouted in a quivering voice, startling me. She shrunk and trembled, as if she hoped to disappear inside her own skin.

  I could shift and soothe her, but removing her clothing would be quicker—and easier—in my dragon form, because of my claws. My pack had been dropped in my haste to reach her, and I didn’t have a blade.

  I shuddered as I remembered hearing her scream. Knowing a woman, perhaps my woman, was about to be cooked alive by the sarlons sent fury through me in a burst of volcanic lava.

  If she was a surface dweller, like Jenny, as I suspected, she wouldn’t understand that beneath my blue-green, scaly form, I was a man who’d been placed on this Earth only to love her.

  My sole purpose as her lifemate was to worship her body.

  The growling rumble in my chest should reassure her. A mate would instinctively know when her dragon was trying to help.

  “Eeek!” She released a shriek as I ran one claw slowly down her front, severing her garment, exposing her rich, lightly tanned skin to my gaze.

  My mate was gorgeous. Soft skin. Lush hips. And large breasts, peeking from behind a scrap of pink, lacy material. She was utterly stunning, and, thankfully, unburned from what I’d seen so far.

  Now that I was fairly sure she hadn’t been injured, I was greedy to touch her, to sink myself inside her welcoming body.

  But I’d wait.

  As I pushed the scorched red material aside and cut along her hips and legs to sever the rest, she inhaled in great gasps, her chest heaving.

  Then she stilled, looking up at me with her beautiful brown eyes. Fear and something I couldn’t define shined in them. Lust?

&n
bsp; Deep inside me, my man form stirred, answering her call.

  “What are you doing?” The words came out hesitant. She licked her lower lip. “This, um…All right.” Her generous breasts lifted, the nipples peaking behind the material. Nubs I hoped to soon taste. “So, I’ll admit it, if you promise not to share.” A husky laugh erupted from her throat. “Crap, I’m talking to a dragon. A big, beautiful dragon, but a creature who probably doesn’t understand a word I say.”

  This wasn’t true. I understood everything.

  But beautiful? A part of me wanted to puff out my chest at the compliment, while the rest of me winced.

  I was awesome. Fearsome. A prince among dragons.

  Not beautiful.

  My mate continued, “Confession time. No one else knows, not even my best friends, but I’m slightly, sort of, actually addicted to extra steamy alien romance. You know. Women and, um, aliens. Ones with big…” Her gaze cut to my abs and slid lower, but in dragon form, I was not a man. She gulped. “But I need to make one thing clear. Getting off on a fictional story doesn’t mean I want to experience the thrill in real life.”

  What was this alien romance?

  Shaking my head, I continued with my task. I tugged her shredded clothing out from underneath her, plus cut and nudged aside the tiny scraps of pink material she wore underneath the red. One was just a thin thread tucked between her luscious thighs, hovering over her slit.