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  Suddenly abashed, Nathan wished he’d taken the time to don a pair of pants at least. But why should he feel that way? Why bother dressing when he was the only one there? He stood taller. Too bad if she was uncomfortable, this was his home. And I live alone.

  “I said, who are you?” Sniff. Witch.

  He sensed her powers instantly, along with a light citrusy fragrance that was simply her. Tempting, but he needed to focus. She might not be friendly after all. We’ll see about that.

  “Nathan Silvertongue?” Her voice rang out. It seemed to wrap around him like a sweet embrace, while setting him on guard at the same time. What did this temptress want with an old, solitary SeaDragon anyway?

  “Who are you and why do you trespass on my isle?” He spoke with the authority that was innate in one as old and powerful as himself.

  He was, after all, Nathan Silvertongue. Six-foot six inches of honed muscle and power. A SeaDragon Shifter who’d seen more than a thousand years on the Earth. Breather of fire, retainer of Cancer, and master of the oceans and seas. He was none to be trifled with.

  “I’m Phoebe Bright, Mr. Silvertongue. I’m a Junior Station Master and I’ve been assigned to you by the Heralds of Terra-”

  “Leave,” he growled the word.

  Nathan turned his back on her, struggling to keep control in her presence. His Dragon was pushing forward, trying to get out, but Nathan couldn’t allow that. What the heck was wrong with him?

  Breathing in and out, he forced his Dragon back down inside of him. He would deal with the tempting Witch swiftly and efficiently. Walking back to the slate countertop that he’d cut and polished himself; Nathan sipped his cooling coffee. Ignoring her gasp of surprise and defiant glare, he chose to act as if she were already gone.

  “Mr. Silvertongue,” she said, her short-heeled sandals clacking across the smooth stone floors grated on his nerves as she strode towards him. He had to admit he admired her determination to confront him, a six and a half-foot Dragon Shifter. She is brave, this Witch, even if she works for those bastards.

  “Mr. Silvertongue, I don’t think you understand, my job is to make you do yours. The fate of the world is at stake here-”

  “The fate of the world is always at stake, away with you now before I get angry.”

  “Get angry then! I’m not leaving until you fully understand and complete your mission,” she stood toe to toe with him, her blue eyes blazing. So pretty, he thought. Then, angry at himself for such a sentiment, Nathan grabbed the Witch by her hips, lifted her to his eye level and dropped a hard peck on her kissable lips.

  “Ooopf!” She pushed his shoulders and he laughed, dropping her back to her feet and walking around her.

  “There now, seeing as how you aren’t here for other forms of entertainment and as I have no mission, Witch, I will say it again. Leave. My. Island.”

  “No, you are a Warden of Terra! Sworn to protect the Earth-”

  “The Wardens are no more. Why do you insist on dredging up a past best left forgotten?” He growled as he shrugged on a pair of pants, no longer comfortable flaunting his nudity.

  It was that kiss. That pitiful excuse for a kiss, the one he’d pushed on her meaning to frighten the blonde beauty away, had stirred something inside of him. Something best left hidden and alone.

  “I am afraid you’re mistaken, Mr. Silvertongue.”

  She narrowed her ash blonde eyebrows at him, her frown caused a dimple to peek out on one otherwise smooth cheek. Stubborn. No feisty. Grrr.

  His Dragon seemed to approve of her resolve. She was a plucky little thing indeed. Positively adorable. Wait? What?

  Drawing himself up to his full height he turned his silver glare on her. Nathan Silvertongue did not think this pest was adorable! Or sexy. Nope. Not at all. He wisely ignored his SeaDragon’s dramatic eye-roll. But what was it she just said?

  “Mistaken? How am I mistaken?”

  “Mr. Silvertongue, the Hounds of God have been disbanded by the Greyback Pack, the Wardens are once again needed-”

  “Ha! Those mongrels were defeated then?”

  “No, I am afraid corruption within weakened them. The Werewolves have a sort of new leader now, they are re-grouping and, we are now allied with them.”

  “Ah! I knew those dogs could not remain in power forever. Not that the Heralds would heed my warnings-”

  “The point,” she interrupted his tirade, “is that the Wardens of Terra have been called upon once more. We are back in business, as they say.”

  “You may be back in business, but I am not,” Nathan bristled.

  How dare she come into his home, intrude on his island, and order him about! Not now. Oh sure, he’d waited for a hundred years, or three, to be called back by the Heralds. Waited for the world to realize what he’d meant in the fight against the Dark. But no. He’d not been missed. All he’d sacrificed had been dismissed. Grossly discounted, in fact.

  He’d had family once. A mate. A home. All gone while he was out doing his duty. Arianna, how could you? Pain squeezed his chest briefly as he recalled his greatest mistake with agony. Forgive me, my brethren.

  The names of the fallen whispered across his mind. Bluewing, Diamondscale, Onyxclaw, and young Ambereyes. Four of the finest Dragons he’d ever known. All Wardens of Terra. Like him. Though they’d carried no sign of the Zodiac, they’d had other gifts. But still, they’d fallen under the betrayal of the one he vowed to protect above all. The elemental Arianna.

  Nathan shut down the images of the past. His Dragon growled against the pain in his mind’s eye. But like a steel door, he switched it off, focusing instead on the curvy little Witch who’d dared bring up his past.

  “Leave,” his voice was quiet. Dangerous. But did she heed his warning? No. Of course not. Stepping forward once more, she raised her hands as if in surrender and spoke.

  “You have been called upon, Nathan Silvertongue. Terra needs you,” bright blue eyes bore into his and Nathan shuffled back.

  No, he would not fall for her plea. He was wiser now. Stronger. He would not be fooled by the Heralds again. Standing up, tall and only half-nude, he stalked the shorter woman until she backtracked to the door from whence, she came.

  The sun was just breaking out behind the storm clouds that had been passing more and more frequently overhead. Not a good sign, he acknowledged. The storms he’d seen on the weather tracker were coming. Fast. He needed to get his supplies, but first, he had this to deal with.

  “The Wardens may have been recalled, but I am not one of them. Not anymore. Leave my island, Witch. You’ll find no heroes here,” he slammed the reinforced door in her pretty little face.

  CHAPTER 2

  Phoebe Bright gasped in shock as she was unceremoniously locked out of the SeaDragon’s home. Pompous ass! She couldn’t believe what had just occurred.

  Her charge, the Warden she’d come to supervise, was angry and distant at first. Then, he strutted around naked like he owned the place! Well, technically he did own the place, but that didn’t matter!

  It wasn’t nearly the worst thing he’d done in her presence. Oh no! The jerk insulted her organization, interrupted her every time she spoke, and basically just ignored her! Did he not realize who she was?

  Phoebe prided herself on being a White Witch born of the Coven Clarum. She was the daughter of the infamous Starr Bright, the high priestess for her Coven and renowned healer.

  Phoebe was celebrated in some magic circles as hailing from one of the most talented Witch families of the age. Not as gifted as her mother perhaps, Phoebe herself had a certain knack for creating shields and other protection spells with her magic.

  That gave her an idea. She smirked at the intricately carved door depicting a terrific scene of a Dragon rising from a turbulent sea, droplets of water raining down from his great wings. It was absolutely beautiful, but she had no time to admire it. Phoebe had work to do.

  She shook her head. Perhaps she’d have time later to remark on the artistic a
bilities of her reluctant host. A reluctant host who would soon have no choice, but to listen to her.

  Could she even reason with the beast of a man? Maybe. But only if she remembered her training! You’ve doubted yourself for the last time, Phoebe. Standing as tall as her short stature would allow, she sucked in a breath, straightened her shoulders, and knocked on the door. Loudly.

  “Mr. Silvertongue! Mr. Silver-”

  To her surprise, the heavy thing opened. Phoebe hid her startled expression and was only vaguely disappointed to see he had further covered himself with a tight cotton t-shirt.

  The thin fabric did nothing to hide his impressive muscles from her covetous eyes. And boy did she covet. Wowza. Shifters were generally good-looking, but he was positively gorgeous. Must be a Dragon thing, she thought as she tried to appear unaffected by his nearness.

  Not that it was easy. The man was practically a god. His black hair was shorn close to his skull, except for the top. Long, thick strands of his ebony hair flopped forward in the front, almost hiding his silver eyes from sight. Oh boy, he was truly breathtaking. A superb specimen of man, er, Shifter.

  She shook her head. Criminy, Phoebe, just do your job! Her job. That’s right. She was there to perform a duty, one that did not give her leave to indulge her fascination with the sexy SeaDragon. Um. Yeah. Right.

  “I thought I told you to leave,” his deep voice resonated with something inside of her, making her squirm under his glittering stare.

  “Yes, well, I didn’t,” she had to run to catch up to his long stride.

  This is ridiculous. Her lack of height had often given her fits in her youth, but she’d never felt positively tiny around anyone. Not with all her curves. But being called “Shortcake” and “Mite Bright” all her life had given her a slight chip on her shoulder. Hence her skills with certain spells. Spells she wasn’t above using now, for that matter.

  With a wave of her finger a heavy branch from a tall Palm broke off and fell right in Nathan’s path. Take that! But the maddening man simply leapt over it without looking back. He didn’t even have the race to break a sweat. Drat!

  “You’ll have to do better than that.”

  “Mr. Silvertongue, I have no intention of doing ‘better than that.’ My goal isn’t to hurt you. I just need you to listen to me,” she stumbled over a rock, but quickly righted herself as she jogged after him.

  “Can’t. I’m busy. Have to go get my supplies. Make sure you’re gone by the time I get back,” he said.

  Phoebe was stunned to see a genuine smile cross his handsome face as the ocean waves splashed onto the shore. Her eyes followed the movement of his large hands. They moved to the waistband of his shorts, gathering the fabric and getting ready to tug them off when he cleared his throat.

  “I don’t mind you watching, but I expect you’ll return the favor then,” Nathan cautioned, one perfect eyebrow raised mockingly. He laughed as her cheeks heated and she could only imagine her hideous blush.

  “No need to be shy now. Look all you want, if you like, Witch, but I should warn you, you’ll never be the same,” he winked before yanking them off.

  A moment later, a forty-foot SeaDragon with placoid scales, every color of the ocean stood mightily before her. He glittered in the sun like a gemstone, his tooth-shaped scales reflecting light making it appear as if he glowed. Maybe he did. She wondered at his coloring.

  It seemed as if he were made of the sea. His scales were dark, a deep, rich blue green on his legs and back. Then they lightened to a pale, almost translucent, seafoam green on his neck and chest. He was unlike any beast she’d ever seen. Phoebe couldn’t hide her gasp of pleasure. Beautiful.

  Large, unblinking silver eyes flashed at her, the knowledge of who he was remained in his bright irises. She thought him regal, magnificent. Definitely inhuman. Then, he winked at her.

  With a lithe flick of his tail, the SeaDragon tucked his short, powerful wings against his enormously muscled body. He crouched low, leaving his imprint on the sand beneath him, before vaulting high into the air, diving beneath the waves in a move that left Phoebe shocked and awed.

  “Wow,” she whispered to herself.

  The man was truly magnificent. That is, his Dragon was. The man was a bit of an ass. Don’t you mean he has an excellent ass? She shut her horny inner voice up as she gathered her nerve and headed back to his house. One thing she knew for sure, he wasn’t chasing her away that easily!

  “Just like a Dragon to build his home at the top of a hill,” she grumbled. The climb back up to the SeaDragon’s lair was much more daunting than the run down had been. Go figure.

  For a Witch whose love of chocolate cake and caramel fudge was obvious in her ample curves, Phoebe was actually very healthy. All in all, she was in excellent shape. Hiking, swimming, and bicycling were some of her favorite hobbies. It was just that she also liked food. A lot.

  Despite all her athleticism, the steep incline was hell on her calf muscles. But ever the persistent little Witch, she pushed through. Thinking of the ways she’d get him back for leaving her on the beach like some washed up piece of junk.

  “Ooh, I’m gonna filet that overgrown sea lizard, just you wait!”

  Arrogant bastard. And to think she’d been thrilled when the ancient Herald had visited her back at the Virginia Station. Even Rex, her boss, had congratulated her on the assignment. Then again, the grumpy Bear was probably being sarcastic. Sigh.

  Well, she was here now. and she was going to make the best of it, dammit. Even if it killed her. Okay. Maybe not killed. Maybe just left her out of breath.

  For the time being, she was going to break into his house, take a shower, and settle in. And if Mr. Sexy-but-growly thought he was going to send her packing, she’d show him!

  He had no idea who he was dealing with. Whatever was in his mind was one mystery that Phoebe did not care to unravel. He was just another stupid alpha male. Probably resented her for being a female in charge!

  “Oof,” stumbling over the tree limb she’d sent after him earlier, Phoebe growled in frustration. This was all his fault!

  She never lost her cool like this. Wouldn’t talk to her? Wouldn’t listen? Well, she’d make sure he stayed put the next time he landed on this godforsaken island. Now, what did she need for that spell? Oh yes! A little hair, I’ll get that from a brush or comb. Next, she needed some sand, she bent and scooped that up, and lastly, just a touch of intention.

  Nathan Silvertongue, you aren’t going to know what hit you! She grinned as she pulled her Spellbook out of thin air. Well actually, it was her magical storage space which existed on another plane of reality. Most Witches had one. She was still grasping the book when she used her powers to open his front door.

  He didn’t even bother using his Dragon magic to seal the place! Clearly, he didn’t see her as any threat. Well, she would have something to say about that! Phoebe might look sweet and cuddly with her baby blues and curvy figure, but she could be one tough Witch when the situation called for it, and this one did. Lucky for her, but unlucky for a certain grumpy SeaDragon!

  Stepping over the threshold to his rather impressive home, Phoebe took a moment to compose herself after her hike. She flipped her hair over her shoulder, aware that the humidity had probably turned her soft curls into a huge frizzy mess. She puffed out a breath and turned to the correct page in her Spellbook.

  Using rhythmic meditative humming, she called the objects she needed to her and began the circle. Magic pulsed through the air, tickling her skin and making her grin wildly. Like all true Witches, Phoebe was born with certain talents. She always had a special knack for calling upon her limited stores of magic and using it to create shielding spells.

  Spreading out all her ingredients before her, she bit her lip and concentrated. This was unlike any shield spell she’d ever done before, but she was certain it would work. She was a Bright after all! Nodding her head, she began composing the words that would teach the big, bad SeaDragon not to mess
with her.

  Placing his hair together with a strand of her own and a pinch of sand, Phoebe drew a circle on the smooth stone floor with a piece of black chalk she withdrew from the pocket of her long skirt.

  “East, West, North and South,

  I bid you shield Nathan Silvertongue with me,

  Until my heart’s desire’s revealed,

  None shall find us, nor shall we leave,

  As I will so mote it be.”

  “There. Now he just needs to cross the threshold and he won’t have any choice. He will have to listen to me if he wants to get off this island.”

  CHAPTER 3

  Nathan flapped his strong wings, lowering himself on the rock lined pathway outside of his front door. He gently dropped the large wooden pallet filled with box after box bearing the smiling icon of his Prime membership before descending himself.

  The whole idea of being able to simply one-click everything he could possibly desire was even better than some magic. Humans certainly were amazing, if pesky little creatures.

  Still, the free shipping alone beat the hell out of hunting down grounded ships for supplies. Satisfied with his haul, Nathan flexed his claws after releasing his heavy burden. His wings ached with the exertion, but it was a good ache. One of triumph and success. Not quite the same as how he’d felt after battle centuries ago, but still content.

  “Grrr,” he growled as he rolled his muscles, still in his enormous other skin. Who knew the material items he required could weigh so damn much?

  His Dragon grinned just thinking about the treasures he’d collected to add to his hoard. Especially the hundred bricks of Callebout baking chocolate.

  A puff of smoke floated out of his nostrils at the thought. Grrr. Nathan couldn’t help himself,himself; he had a rather serious sweet tooth when all was said and done. Perhaps he’d make a pan of fudge brownies after he showered.

  Speaking of a sweet tooth, it was a damn shame he’d gotten rid of that Witch so soon. Luscious and plump in all the right places, she was positively drool worthy. A damn sight better than his own hand. But what could he do? It’d been a good century since he’d last experienced anything remotely like lust for another being. And yes, he’d felt a powerful lust just looking at the tempting Witchy morsel.