Dragon Star: A Powyrworld Urban Fantasy Shifter Romance (The Lost Dragon Princes Book 1) Read online

  Dragon Star

  A Powyrworld Urban Fantasy Romance

  Anna Morgan

  Emma Alisyn

  Contents

  Acknowledgments

  Your FREE Book

  Welcome to Powyrworld

  Glossary

  Sneak Peek

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Epilogue

  Publisher’s Note

  Dragon Claimed

  Chapter 1

  Your FREE Book

  About the Author

  About the Author

  Copyright © 2017 by Danae Ashe/Dreamkeeper Publishing

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Line Editing by Sue Soares of SJS Editorial Services

  Proofreading by Danae Ashe

  Powyrworld: The Lost Dragon Princes was created and plotted by Emma Alisyn

  Created with Vellum

  Acknowledgments

  Thank you to our fabulous alpha and beta reader team. We appreciate all your input!

  Janet Swiftbird

  Tiffany Rippy

  Sheila Willert

  Would you like your next Dreamkeeper Romance FREE?

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  WELCOME TO POWYRWORLD, where dragons, wytches, and vampyrs battle for power and survival among humans, and their ancient, demigod ancestors watch from afar- willing to step in and restore balance should any one conflict threaten the survival of the planet…

  The Lost Dragon Princes: The identities of the 5 missing Princes’ of the Dragon Court are finally revealed…

  Dragon Star by Anna Morgan. Vampyr rockstar prince meet- and mate- beautiful dragon general.

  Dragon Claimed by Cecilia Lane. Dragon Court spy meets her match- and her mate- in a Shadow Mob boss.

  Dragon Blood by S.A. Ravel. A Thunderbird skinwalker seeks the help of a reclusive dragon wizard against the dark mage threatening their secret baby.

  Dragon Mob by Tiffany Allee coming soon

  Dragon Prince by Emma Alisyn coming soon

  Each title is a standalone connected with the book before and after, but the series does not need to be read in order of publication.

  These paranormal urban fantasy romance books are for readers who enjoy fast-paced action, adventure with lots of magic, steamy love scenes and heroines who kick ass. Our heroes are alpha shifters who fight, growl, and kill concrete for their mates- but never cheat or try and hold a girl back when her earrings come off. Each romance will be a standalone with a happily ever after, no cheating, no TSTL or miscommunication and plenty of heart pounding personal conflict.

  POWYRWORLD GLOSSARY

  Khepreians: A race of demigod beings with the ability to wield a magical force called Powyr, and shift into any shape of their choosing, at any time. They are the ancestor species of all Powyrful non-humans. Stay to themselves and are rarely seen, however will interfere in current events if their children are about to cause a world war or something. Wytches tell their children to behave or the Khepreians will come get them...

  Dragons: Shapeshifters descended from the Khepreians. Birth live young, breathe fire and mate for life.

  Mesopotamians (Wytches & Wyrlocks): A race of powyr wielding ‘humans’ descended most directly from the Khepreians. They live in covens.

  Vampyrs (Dragon Star): Mesopotamian’s who have fallen victim to a blood disease caused by a curse gone wrong a millennia ago. Dying of anything other than natural causes activates the curse. Vampyrs are also able to infect, through bites, non Mesopotamians as long as they carry some kind of Khepreian gene. This is how many people who believed they are human find out that nope, someone supernatural dipped their tallywacker in the mortal pond...

  Patomas: Island home of the dragons. Currently magically encased so dragon cannot leave without permission, due to civil war.

  Cognate (Dragon Star): The name for a group of vampyrs bound by blood oath. Typically live in same neighborhood and are governed by a single sire.

  Shadow Mob (Dragon Claimed): The One-Drop Rule is considered even in the criminal underworld. Any connected individual found to have a drop of Powyr in their blood is funneled into the Shadow Mob. They are assigned a Don, tested by combat to identify their power level, and assigned a role in the organization.

  Shadow Yakuza (Dragon Claimed): As with the Shadow Mob, the Shadow Yakuza is made up of Yakuza with Powyr in their blood. While the Shadow Mob families are loosely affiliated with one another and act on the personal goals of individual family heads, the Yakuza are a single fist and act with the entire organization in mind.

  Powyr: The name of the magical force wield by all people of Khepreian descent, to various degrees.

  Heat: Sexual maturity for male dragons. Occurs by mid-twenties. They are sexually inactive until then. Vulnerable during the Heat, they tend to attach to a female if he sleeps with her during that time. Many choose to closet themselves away if they cannot find a willing female to sleep with who agrees to not take advantage of their mating instinct.

  The Heat can be suppressed or delayed by a spell or by being raised by non-dragons (pheromones trigger the Heat, so the lack thereof suppresses it.)

  Sire: A vampyr who has created offspring through a bite.

  Descent: The offspring, through a bite, of a vampyr.

  The Lost Dragon Princes: The moniker given to the five dragon hatchlings of the current mated Delphina & Pythian pair. Kidnapped, and current whereabouts not known.

  Delphina: The female co-rule of the dragons.

  Pythian: The male co-rule of the dragons.

  The Mad Queen: The current Delphina. Went mad decades ago when her five hatchlings disappeared from eerie cribs. Is powyrful, and not quite sane. Rules with her husband, the Pythian.

  Calla Andris (Dragon Star): First General of the Dragon Court.

  Mateo Guerin (Dragon Star): Celebrity rockstar, secret assassins and vampyr. Also a dragon.

  Annika Leeds (Heroine, Dragon Claimed. Secondary character, Dragon Star): A member of the dragon court

  Eoghan Gilchrist (Hero, Dragon Claimed): Shadow Mob boss, dragon

  Giancarlo Spadaro (Hero, Dragon Mob): Mob prince and dragon shifter. Don of his newly formed Shadow Mob family, with his mate, Domenica, as his Capo.

  Domenica Todaro (Heroine, Dragon Mob): Mob daughter who now serves as a Capo in the Shadow Mob with her mate, Giancarlo.

  Sneak Peek

  "Would you like something to drink?"

  "Your blood?" she replied, voice sweet. "In a priest-blessed goblet?"

  Mateo sat in the seat across from her, hooking an ankle over his knee. "Blessed item
s are a myth, sweetheart. You should know that."

  Her look was scornful. She turned her head to the small window, ignoring him.

  "You know, if I thought you wouldn't eat me after, I'd be happy to take you to bed." He waited until she looked at him again, eyes narrowed. "My sense of self-preservation is much healthier than my cock, however." His faint, mocking smile managed to indicate ruefulness.

  "I would give you my word," she said, and stretched, unfolding her legs. He'd brought her slinky black leggings, and a navy-blue t-shirt with a plunging neckline… and slashed sleeves. She wondered if it was the drummer's wardrobe.

  Mateo's eyes followed her movements shamelessly. "The word of a female?"

  "The word of the First General of the Dragon Court."

  He snorted. "Even worse. Well, darling, if you don't want a drink, I do."

  She watched him walk away. "Bastard."

  "Only in bed, Calla Andris," he said over his shoulder. "Especially in bed."

  1

  Mateo lurched off the couch, the half-naked groupie's arm in one hard hand. She stumbled against him, giggling, high. Higher now that he'd put his mouth to work on her body. That had been a mistake. He wiped his lips with the back of his hand and thrust her ahead of him, towards the doorway. Out.

  She didn't get the message. Her limp hair tangled in her eyes as she tried to entice him to follow her. "Let's join the rest of the party," she yelled over the music. She dropped one hand down to her bare stomach.

  Mateo kept his eyes strictly on her face. She'd mistaken him for something he wasn't. More to the point, he'd played his role too well and it started to chafe. He needed space. Air.

  "Get out," he said, brusque, rough hands emphasizing his tone. "You're a boring lay anyway."

  She resisted his attempts poorly. Even if Mateo hadn't been physically trained, she was drunk and uncoordinated. She took two rough steps back and her giggling expression dropped into a sneer. "So, it's true what they say. The big, cocky rock star can't get it up—"

  Mateo slammed the door in her face. He didn't need to hear rumors about his virility. Especially when they were true. He rested his forehead on the door. He could feel the thump of the after party just beyond. Thankfully there was no yelling or door-pounding from the groupie. He'd had to fend off worse.

  Mateo sighed and turned to brace his back on the door instead. He was frustrated with the pattern his life had found. Stuck in a rut, trapped by family loyalty and his own lack of direction. He didn't know what he needed, but he yearned hard for something every day. Something different. It had driven him to tour across the world this year. Constantly traveling helped scratch some of that itch. He'd also demanded more room. A bigger touring bus, bigger hotels, more space. The walls of his life were closing in and Mateo couldn't stretch out far enough.

  Nothing seemed to help.

  In his pocket, Mateo's cell phone jangled a tune. He fished it out and frowned at the display screen. His foster-father was calling. The only father he had, really. A man who had taken him in against a lot of common sense and stayed loyal despite Mateo's growing restlessness. A man he owed more than his life to, but his very soul.

  He answered the phone. "Sire. I trust you're well."

  "Ah, Mateo. My Descent. Are you alone?"

  "Yes." Mateo shrugged off the door and walked briskly to the back of his dressing room where the pounding music wouldn't distract him. Estophen was a man of direct action and Mateo had become much like him in the intervening years since they'd met.

  "I have an assignment for you."

  Mateo stiffened. "I can find a flight back tonight." Anything less than immediate action was unthinkable. The cognate took its work seriously, and were known for their results. Mateo had much reputation to uphold as a member of the vampyr family.

  "That won't be necessary," Estophen said. "You are already ideally placed. Now attend my words…"

  Mateo focused as Estophen outlined his straightforward mission. Capture, detain, and wait for instruction. He was to prepare himself to assassinate his target when given the word. It wasn't unusual for the rich and powyrful of the world to manipulate or blackmail their way into position and they often used Estophen's cognate to do it. Their success rate was unmatched and their client list completely confidential.

  Mateo asked only for clarifying details that didn't include the why of things. It wasn't his job to play politics. He was merely the hired knife.

  His sire closed the call and Mateo sat heavily on the couch, phone in hand. An assignment like this wasn't what he was looking for. In fact, he'd taken the rock star persona on a world tour in part to get away from the stifling law of cognate life. Estophen had indulged him at the time, but clearly, he'd reached the end of his leash.

  Mateo flipped his phone idly. He was tempted to burn down the public identity he'd forged for so long. He could take a bottle of booze out to the party and run the whole thing into the ground. Start a fight. Win. Kick everyone out. It was a tempting idea. The very physical nature of a fight attracted him.

  But the cognate wouldn't appreciate burning that cover. So few of them interacted with mortals now. After hundreds of years in their lives, humanity was just an idle distraction. Mateo was young enough, by comparison, that he still remembered life as a mortal. As human. He remembered college frat parties and cram study sessions. And he remembered, intimately, the night he submitted himself to Estophen's will and joined the cognate for eternity.

  Mateo's gums itched. He rubbed his lips with the back of his hand, struck by the lingering sexual scent of the groupie he'd kicked out. With a soft growl, he shoved his phone back in his pocket and escaped the after party via a side door. His body thrummed with heat and Mateo felt the first cascade of change come upon him. It was too late now to burn the party down, he had to find a vein, and fast.

  He usually had more warning than this. Maybe the phone call had been more than just an assignment. Mateo knew much about the way of vampyrs, but Estophen was nearing his first millennium and possessed many skills. Drawing out Mateo's vampyr was just one of them, though he'd never done it without clear intent before. Had he pushed his sire too far with his wandering?

  A door down the alley slammed and a woman laughed, her voice pitched high. Mateo turned towards the sound. His fangs descended and his vision sharpened. The night held no secrets from a vampyr.

  Two mortals, tangled in each other, stumbled down the alley. In a blink, Mateo was there, his hot palm on the male's cheek, forcing direct eye contact, pressing his will inside.

  "Watch as I please your woman," Mateo growled. The man's mind and body collapsed. He sat in the alley, eyes glazed with Mateo's spellbinding.

  Mateo turned to the woman. At his touch, her curved body melted into his. He heard her pulse race with adrenaline as he spelled her into submissiveness, her head falling back. Mateo took a deep, fortifying breath. Then he plunged his fangs into her throat and drank deeply.

  The itch in his gums immediately subsided. It took several more seconds for his heat to abate. He regained control of his senses, dulling his hearing and smell against the thumping music and mix of perfume and beer. The woman in his arms arched, her breathing short. She moaned with each swallow he took, the pitch rising steadily.

  Mateo growled against her throat. She clung to him, shifting her body for more contact even as he tried to distance himself. His bite was euphoric, sexually intense, and Mateo had always disliked it. The few vampyrs in the cognate he'd spoken to indicated he was the only one who had a problem. But then, immortality tended to change a person over time.

  The woman seized against Mateo suddenly and he ripped himself away before the iron taste of her blood could shift with her climax. She shuddered with ultimate pleasure. Mateo unceremoniously dumped her beside her be-spelled date.

  With his vampyr satisfied for the night, he could focus on his assignment. Mateo was aware he was replacing one empty life for another, but he had an obligation, and a loyalty, to the cogn
ate. He'd been allowed to roam free and he'd still been unable to find whatever purpose drove him. It was time to return to the fold. There was one final show to perform.

  Calla adjusted the diadem pinching her temples again. A perfectly clear jewel hung from the center, low on her forehead, and she kept catching glimpses of it. The thing was elegant and impractical. It wouldn't last ten seconds in a decent fight.

  "You're certain every member of Clan Sanabee is accounted for?" she'd asked her soldier, Annika, earlier. This would be a perfect opportunity to strike the court, when they were relaxed and dressed for play and not combat.

  "As certain as we can be," the younger female said. "We have Clan Sillas under surveillance as well. They've shown signs of shifting loyalties."

  Of course, this was supposed to be a wedding, not a war. Calla forced herself to leave the head decoration alone, resting her hand instead on the pommel of her dress sword. It was also a show piece, but at least the sword could gut a man. Not as well as Calla could with her claws, but—

  Focus. Wedding. Calla frowned at herself and cast her attention around the expansive hall one more time. The court wasn't as full as she'd seen it in the past. Their numbers had been dwindling from years of fighting and even more time under the unsteady claws of the Delphina, ruler of all dragons on Patomas, whom outsiders had dubbed the Mad Queen. But she spotted Oskan and her mate Daedrik standing together and nodded to herself in satisfaction. They had lost three offspring in battle and Daedrik was permanently grounded, yet they found the strength to be here.