Dragon Guard Protector: Prologue Preview

Prologue

Dragon Guard Protector Preview 

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Prologue

About three years ago …

The rhythmic crashing of the waves against the shore was the only sound Stein could hear for miles. But the tension in the air was palpable, and every dragon shifter on the beach could feel it hanging over them like a heavy curtain. The enemy forces were on the way and they had to be ready to defend their country and its people.

“What do you think is going through Aleksei’s head?”

Niklas’s voice broke through Stein’s reverie like breaking glass.

Who knows, Stein answered through the mind link that connected every dragon—in their case, water dragon—of the same kind.

As usual, neither Stein’s clipped tone nor his fierce stare directed into the distance could discourage the gregarious Niklas as he continued. “Gods, he must be having a rough time. I can’t even imagine what he must be feeling right now.”

“He nearly lost his father, of course he’s having a rough time.” The somber statement came from the man beside Niklas. Although they were identical in every way, Gideon was much quieter and more pensive than his twin.

“I get it,” Niklas said. “At least now he and Sybil are finally mated. That should help him through this.”

Stein’s head snapped toward Niklas. The prince and female are mated? The idea jarred him so much he practically shouted it into his companion’s minds.

“Stein, dude.” Niklas winced and rubbed his temple. “I’ve had enough screaming in my mind for one day. Tone it down.”

You are certain? Stein interrogated.

“Yeah, I’m sure. Right, Gideon?”

Gideon nodded. “She spoke to us via the mind link, which confirms their status as bonded mates.”

“More like screamed out graphic sex details I never want to know,” Niklas moaned. “It’s not the best way to find out, but I’m happy for them. I know Sybil was reluctant and all, but no one can stop fate, can they?”

The words made Stein’s blood freeze in his veins.

“She’s not going to be very happy once she’s out of the basement,” Gideon reminded him.

Basement?

Niklas’s blonde eyebrows furrowed. “Right before we went to the war room, Sybil insisted in coming along and fighting. Alexei wasn’t having it, so he locked her in the basement with Lady Willa.”

Stein raised an eyebrow. Whyever for?

“To protect her, of course.”

“That’s the most idiotic thing I’ve heard.” Indeed it sounded so preposterous to Stein  he had to say it aloud.

“You do know that’s our future king you’re talking about,” Gideon pointed out.

Yes. But Sybil Lennox is hardly a wilting flower. She may have grown up privileged, but she is no spoiled princess. She is strong on the inside and out. And she is a mountain dragon, lest you two forget.

The twins gave him identical slack-jawed expressions, so he continued. We could use her in this fight. Her fire alone could turn the tide for us. To have her locked up when she could help us is preposterous and a waste.

“That’s true, but she’s also the future queen of the Northern Isles,” Gideon reminded them. “And mate to Aleksei. If anything happens to her, he’d be devastated.”

Niklas’s face turned serious.  “I can’t even imagine what it would be like to find your mate and lose her.”

Stein swallowed the lump growing in his throat. Thankfully, before anyone else could say anything, their prince’s voice rang through their mental link.

Ready! Aleksei commanded.

A group of ships appeared on the horizon and they were fast approaching. Every single dragon on the beach replied to their prince with an affirmative. Clearing his mind of all distraction. Stein grit his teeth and readied for the battle ahead.

Attack!

Loud war cries pierced through the air as the men hurtled toward the ocean, transforming into their dragon forms. Stein easily slid into his animal’s skin, his body elongating into a large creature covered in blue and black scales. The humungous dragon’s scarred body dove into the waves and headed straight for the enemy ships.

I’ll take the lead ship, Prince Aleksei ordered. And you take your positions and attack at will.

There was no need for more instructions after that. The Dragon Guard and the Royal Dragon Navy had their orders and face their enemies full on.

The battle raged as the dragons clashed with  the forces of the Knights of Aristaeum. Stein relished every moment of it, using his own pent up rage to fuel his dragon and crush as many boats as he could. In fact, he was so caught up that he didn’t hear the din above him until he felt the heat of fire as lava spilled into the cool ocean, the steam billowing off the waves. Small objects began to drop around him, like baseball-sized raindrops, and the smell of burning metal assaulted his nose.

What it the gods’s name ….

Stein paused and looked up.

Thousands of drones flew overhead, all of them headed for the mainland. However, something large and gold and shimmery followed them, its great maw opening as fire spewed out from its mouth.

Sybil Lennox.

Now that was a queen. 

He was entranced for a moment as fierce pride rose in him. He knew that Sybil was fierce and strong; the gods surely would not have given their future king a weak mate.

Though some might think that the gods could sometimes make mistakes when it comes to such things.

… Do what you can to assist my mate. I’ll be right beside you.

Stein caught the tail end of the conversation, not really sure if it was meant for him. But it seems Sybil needed some help so he pushed his dragon up, flapping its wings to hurtle himself out of the water. The mighty creature dashed toward the hoard of drones, ready to swat down as many as it could when Stein saw a smaller group break off from the swarm and head west.

To the capital city.

A cold, icy feeling gripped Stein. It was a feeling he was unfamiliar with, because he thought he had banished it from his very being that night years ago when vowed no one would even have such power over him again.

Fear.

Without another thought, he turned his dragon’s body to chase after the drones.

Stein! Thoralf, Captain of the Dragon Guard, called. Where are you going?

He couldn’t ignore his captain, so he shouted back, A few drones broke off from the hive and are headed to the city. I need to get there before they destroy the city and hurt anyone.

Before they hurt her.

 

***

If there was one lesson her mother never let Lady Vera Solveigson forget it was this: being nice will never get you what you want. It didn’t matter who you had push or claw out of your way, but you can’t let others stop you from achieving your goals.

And just like her dear, deceased mother, Vera always got what she wanted.

Growing up as the only daughter of the Northern Isles’s richest and more powerful Jarl ensured she always had the best things: the most expensive toys, finest designer clothes, exotic vacations, and the best schooling from the top schools in London, Paris, and Switzerland.

So when she finally came back to the Northern Isles two years ago, she decided she had to have the best from home too: Crown Prince Aleksei.

Vera thought he’d always been handsome and dashing. The fact that he was dragon shifter never bothered her; she was from the Northern Isles after all. In her mind, it made perfect sense—him, the only son and heir to the throne of the kingdom and her, daughter of the king’s most powerful adviser and ally.

For the last two years, she’d done everything she could to catch his attention and stay in his radar. Attended every boring event and dull dinner at the palace, made conversation with Prince Aleksei when she got the chance, and even bribing the royal social secretary for his whereabouts for every official function in the city.

The crown prince had always been polite, dancing with her at balls and conversing at dinners. He might not have been as warm as she’d like, but since he was a public figure, he had to keep his emotions to himself. Vera knew she only had to be patient and bide her time. One day, they’d be alone and he would have the chance to declare his interest in her.

But now, that … woman ruined it.

Vera scoffed. Sybil whatever her name was. An American, of all things! Sister of a dear friend and personal guest of the prince. Hah! The Northern Isles’s location was a secret to the bigger world, and there was no way the royal family would have just invited anyone. No, Vera knew there was something different about this woman.

Even though her mother had been dead for six years now, her voice rang clear in Vera’s head.

Do not let this usurper ruin two years of hard work, Vera. You know what you need to do.

A simple switch of the place cards at dinner the other night ensured Vera would be able to keep the prince away from that outsider. But still, when they were all supposed to gather in the drawing room for after dinner drinks, the prince and Sybil were noticeably absent.

Vera, you weak fool! This is your fault. Did you really think you could keep the crown prince’s attentions? You’re too ugly and fat. Who knows what they could be doing right now?

It made Vera want to scream as she imagined the prince and that woman together. 

Of course, as of the moment, she knew they couldn’t be up to anything because of the nationwide lockdown ordered by the Royal Dragon Navy.

Vera sighed and propped her chin on her hands as she sat by her bedroom window. It was beautiful, clear fall day in the Northern Isles. However, apparently there was some kind of security breach with the magical veil that protected the islands, so everyone was ordered to stay inside. She and her father had been having lunch when their security team rushed in and told them of the lockdown. It wasn’t unusual; they had drills like this a few times a year. However, as she had been whisked away to her room, the serious, hushed tones of her father and the head of security told her something else was going on.

That had been an hour ago and she hadn’t heard anything else. And to think, she had the perfect excuse to go to the palace today. She’d overheard during dinner that the Queen’s Trust, Prince Aleksei’s dear departed mother’s charity foundation, were looking for volunteers. She was going to march in there and offer her services, sign up for every committee, and if she had to—kiss and serve soup to every ragamuffin and guttersnipe on the street.

“Stupid lockdown! Why the—” Vera frowned as she spied three vehicles making their way up the driveway to their mansion. They weren’t just normal cars or vans. The bright yellow and black buses chugging toward the house were emblazoned on the side with the name of the nearby elementary school.

What on earth was going on?

Dashing out of her room, Vera made her way to the main downstairs hall where her father stood at the foyer, speaking to a middle aged woman dressed in a dull gray suit as a stream of children entered their home.

“Vera,” her father greeted, his face fraught. “What are you doing here?” He shook his head. “Never mind. I was going to fetch you anyway to take you down to the basement shelter.”

“Sh-shelter?” Her hand went to her chest. “What do you mean shelter, and who are these people?”

“My lady.” The woman gave her a respectful nod. “My name is Elsa Midrad, principal of King Hakkonnen Elementary. Thank you for your offering your home as a shelter for the children during these trying times. We have our youngest students here, from the pre-kindergarten classes.” She patted a young boy who stopped in front of them. “Go on, Johann, follow your friends …”

Vera frowned. “Father, what’s going on?”

“Dear … this isn’t a drill.” He gently placed a comforting hand on Vera’s shoulder. “We are under attack by enemies of our country. The prince, the Dragon Guard, and the Royal Navy are battling them now.”

A hand covered her mouth. “No … Prince Aleksei …”

“Will prevail,” he said, confident. “But we must do our part. I have offered to shelter as many people as we can handle here, as well as set up an overflow for the hospital should it be needed.” The nearing sound of a siren punctuated his words. “Ah, that’s probably the back up staff from Odelia General. I’ve instructed the security team to lead them to the rear entrance so as not to alarm the children. I must go and greet them. Please, Vera, go take shelter in the basement now.” The urgency in her father’s voice was unmistakable.

“Y-yes, Father.”

She watched him rush out, her heart hammering in her chest. This was serious. Because of the secretive nature of their country and the presence of the water dragons, everyone in the Northern Isles grew up learning drills and memorizing emergency plans in case they ever did get attacked. And now it was coming true. For the first time in her life, she was truly frightened.

“My lady?”

She turned to Principal Midrad. “Yes?”

“Shouldn’t you be heading down to the shelter?”

“I …” She supposed she should do that. But something twisted in her stomach. As if her breakfast didn’t settle in properly. Like something felt … off.

Remember what I told you, Vera. Only look out for yourself.

“Principal Midrad, is there anything I can do?” Vera found herself saying.

Midrad glanced around her. “Looks like the first bus is done. I should go out and start unloading the children from the second one. If you wouldn’t mind, could you stay here and ensuring the next batch of children that come in don’t stray and head toward the right direction?”

“Of course.” It seemed like an easy enough request. Vera knew nothing about children. She knew someday she’d have some of her own, but after birthing them, she always assumed she’d hand them over to a team of nannies so she could return to her social activities. It was how she had been raised after all. How old were these children, anyway? She had no idea.

Vera started as she heard the sound of footsteps and more children started streaming inside, single file. “Er … that way … children,” she called out, pointing to the hallway that led to the basement shelter. “Go on … yes.”

Most of them were quiet and somber, though some were wide-eyed as they surveyed their surroundings. She wondered what they were thinking and what Principal Midrad told them. Did they think this was a drill or the real thing? Were they confused? Scared? Excited?

When one child—a dark-haired boy that was no taller than her waist—strayed from the line, she reached out and patted him the head. “It’s going to be all right.” Gods, that sounded awkward. When was the last time she’d spoken to a child? Perhaps when she had been one herself.

Searching, she saw one of the maids take the hand of the little girl at the of the line and lead them toward the kitchen, where the entrance to the Solveigson bunker was located. Oh thank the gods.

As more children came in, and Vera simply did as she was told. “Stay in line now … that’s it …” It didn’t seem very hard at all, taking care of children. I might even get used to this. The stream of youngsters seemed never ending, with Midrad peeking in once through the doorway to let her know there was one last busload left.

When the the last child walked through the door,  Principal Midrad hurried in from behind. “Looks like we have all of them,” she declared. “Lady Vera, thank you for your help.”

“Principal Midrad! Principal Midrad!”

The principal’s gaze shifted just over her shoulder. Turning around, Vera saw a blonde boy dashing toward them.

“Kirk? What is it?”

The child took a deep breath, his puffed up cheeks red from exertion. “Principal Midrad, Lisbet is missing!”

“Missing?” Midrad gasped. “Why did her buddy not say anything?”

“She-she didn’t have a buddy,” the boy confessed. “And she wasn’t in my class so I didn’t know until we were all down there. Please, you have to find her!”

“Calm down, Kirk.” She brushed the tears away from his face. “Go back to the to your friends and I shall head out and find him. My lady,” she said to Vera. “You should take shelter as well.”

Vera pressed her lips together. “But the child? Where will you look for her?”

“I saw her get on the bus.” Midrad pursed her lips. “So she must be here somewhere. Perhaps she’s on the bus or broke off from the line as she was getting off.” Her eyebrows knitted together. “Lisbet hasn’t been quite the same since her father died last year. She’s been mostly keeping to herself, and the other children tend to tease her a lot.”

“How cruel.” Vera curled her fists into her palms. “Principal Midrad, let me help you look for her.”

You don’t know this child, Vera. Stop acting foolish.

“You want to help?”

“Of course. No one knows the grounds and the estate better than I do.”

“But you should take shelter—”

Vera raised a hand to stop her. “She can’t have gone far. I’m sure she’s just somewhere nearby.

“I—“

What are you doing, Vera?

“Please. Let me help.”

Midrad blew out a breath. “If you insist, my lady. But if it’s taking too long, please go inside. I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

“I’ll be fine,” she assured her. “I’ll take the east side and you take the west, then we’ll circle to the back and meet by the dragon fountain in let’s say … fifteen minutes? That should be enough time to cover the perimeter of the house and find the girl.”

“All right.”

They headed outside together, down the grand marble steps, then separated at the bottom by the driveway. Vera headed to the right, making her way to the east side of the perimeter, but didn’t get very far. She cursed as her heels sank into the gravel walkway. I just got these from Milan last month, she thought glumly. Stopping by one of the rows of rose bushes, she sighed and slipped them off her feet.

“Achoo!”

That had to be the girl. “Lisbet?” she called. “Lisbet, are you there?” Glancing around her, she followed the sound of rustling leaves and twigs just a few feet away, stepping through the gap between the bushes. Sure enough, found a small figure crouched into a ball. “Are you Lisbet?”

The blonde head lifted and wide blue eyes stared up at her, and the vulnerable expression on the child’s face made something in Vera’s chest crack. “I’m scared.”

Vera sighed. “It’s all right. So am I. But everything’s going to be fine. The dragons will protect us.”

“My m-mama … she works in the capital, cleaning offices,” she continued. “Do you think she is safe?”

Vera desperately wanted to tell her that her mother would be all right. But as she knew, no matter how much people thought their parents were immortal, it simply wasn’t true. However, before she could find the right words, a loud buzzing sound made her pause and look up. “What in the gods’s—”  She gasped.

In the distance, what looked like a dark swarm of birds were headed straight for them. Something inside her told her that she had to run. Without a second thought, Vera scooped the child up in her arms and made a mad dash to the house.

The ominous buzzing sound grew louder and Lisbet kicked and struggled, making it difficult to run so Vera halted to try and calm her down. “Please, lilla du,” she soothed, hugging her tight and pressed her cheek to the child’s temple. “We must get—”

A screeching sound interrupted her. The fierce howl made every hair on her body stand on end.

“Look!” Lisbet gasped, finger pointing to the sky.

Coming even faster toward them was a humungous winged creature, covered in scales in various shades of blue and black. Its mighty horned head swung back and forth as its wings flapped hard and overtook the swarm. Vera watched in horror as the dragon stopped right above the house and spread its wings, blocking the black swarm with its back. She crumpled to the ground, covering Lisbet’s body with her own as the explosion made the ground shake.

Something dropped a few feet to her right, crashing down with a loud metallic crunch. From the wires and various electronic components, it looked like some kind of robot. Or an explosive. Quickly, she picked up Lisbet and dragged them both to the nearest tree, sheltering them from the rain of debris. To her horror, when her gaze turned skyward, the dragon flapped its wings helplessly, until it eventually stopped.

She didn’t know why, but she let out a scream.

“No!” Her chest tightened at the sight of the dragon falling to earth. To her surprise, however, it quickly shrank, but that didn’t make the sickening sound of a human body hitting the ground any less worse. “Lisbet.” She clutched the child’s shoulders. “Go inside.”

“But—”

“Please!” She smoothed the girl’s mussed hair. “Your friends and Principal Midrad are looking for you.

“The dragon … he saved us.”

“I know … and I’ll make sure he’s safe, all right?”

Make sure he’s safe? her mother’s voice mocked.

Convinced, Lisbet nodded. “Yes, miss.”

“Good.” She gave the child her best approximation of a comforting smile before she ran off toward the house. Straightening her shoulders, Vera rushed toward the fallen dragon. Though they weren’t immortal, as far as she knew, dragon shifters were strong and could heal from most injuries. However, that explosion sounded and felt terribly powerful and dread pooled in her stomach as she wondered what state the shifter would be in. She held her breath as she drew closer.

The now-human figure lay still, but thankfully fully intact. From what was left of his armor, Vera guessed he was one of the Dragon Guards who protected the royal family. Had she seen him before at the palace? She couldn’t recall because she never did pay them any mind. The scars on his large body were old, though there were healing wounds on his massive back. Bile rose in her throat at the smell of singed flesh.

Get back inside, Vera. He’s done his duty. He should be proud to die for his king and country.

Ignoring the voice, she carefully approached the fallen man and knelt down next to him.

Her breath hitched in her throat. His head was turned sidewards, so she could only make out his profile. His dark hair was cut short and shaved on the sides, but a long braid hung from the back. The strong lines on his face made him look fierce, even in sleep—or was he in a coma?

A strange pang echoed in her chest. Unable to help herself, she reached out toward his brow, but before she could even touch him, a humungous hand snaked out and caught her wrist.

She let out a cry of surprise and yanked her hand back. Attempted to, anyway, because he was so strong she couldn’t move an inch. His eyes flew open and steely gray orbs stared right into her. A brief flash of surprise crossed his face, followed by an other emotion she couldn’t name.

“What … are you … doing?” His voice was low and gravelly, like he had just woken up after a deep sleep.

“Y-y-you fell,” she replied, her voice shaky.

“Why … are you … out here?”

Why was she out here? “Look, there’s no time for this, we need to get you inside before more of those … things come back.” Again she tried to yank her hand away, but he wouldn’t let go. “Release me at once!”

Those steely eyes pinned her. “You should have been inside,” he growled. “Where it’s safe. You could have been hurt!”

What was this man talking about? “You should get those wounds looked at. We have medical staff inside—”

“No.” He released her, then pushed his hands on the ground, letting out a pained grunt as he attempted to get up. “I should need to go back to the battle.”

He stumbled forward and Vera instinctively braced herself against his massive chest. Heat spread through her as she felt his bare skin on her cheeks and hands. She’d never touched a naked man in her life, after all.

“Careful!” she snapped when he attempted to push her away. It sounded harsh, even to her ears, but she’d never been in such a situation before. “Clumsy buffoon,” she muttered.

“I must go,” he grumbled as he attempted to disentangle himself from her.

“You’re in no condition to leave,” she stated. Gods help her, she didn’t know why she cared. He was a soldier. This was his duty. But the wounds on his back weren’t fully healed yet and from the way he placed most of his hulking weight on her, she could tell he was not doing well. “Come on.”

Vera wrapped an arm around his trim waist, ignoring the way his rock hard abdomen muscles jumped when her fingers clutched at him.

“Stop … must …”

She grit her teeth and dragged him back toward the manor, heaving and grunting as he struggled against her like a weak kitten. Miraculously, she managed to haul him all the way to the front steps.

“Help!” she cried. “Please! I need help!” Relief rushed through as two people dressed in scrubs hurried toward them. “He’s hurt,” she told one of the nurses.

“I am fine,” the Dragon Guard snarled, but winced when the male nurse slipped an arm under him.

“Check his back,” she told the female nurse. “It looks terrible.”

“It’s healing,” he corrected. “And I told you, I am fine! Stop hounding me, woman!”

“Woman?” she cried in indignation. “How dare you? Do you know who I am?”

“Leave me alone,” he shouted. “All of you.”

“You stubborn oaf!”

“Nag,” he shot back.

“Why I never—” 

“My lady.” The male nurse cleared his throat. “Your father has been searching for you. You should head inside.”

“But—“

“We will take care of him,” he assured her. “We are trained to heal both humans and shifters.”

“I … of course.” She nodded at him, then turned to the Dragon Guard, but he refused to meet her gaze. Fine then. He could rot for all she cared.

Turning on her heel, she marched back into the house. But her opulent home didn’t give her any comfort. Inside, the silence inside punctuated the pounding of her heart. Was he really going to be fine? Were his wounds healing properly? What if his injuries were too serious? The fact that he needed her help to get to the manor was not reassuring.

Forget him, Vera.

He was a gruff, boorish oaf who called her nag. And to think she was trying to help him!

See, I told you, Vera. That’s what you get for being nice.

“Miss?”

The small voice started her. “Lisbet? What are you doing out here? I told you to go to the basement.”

“But miss …” Wide blue eyes blinked at her. “The dragon … is he hurt?”

“Yes,” she said. “But he will be all right. The nurses are helping him.” Swallowing the lump in her throat, she led the child toward the basement shelter. Before they turned the corner, she looked back at the door, a knot in her chest growing.

He’s a dragon, she told herself. He’s going to be fine.

What do you care, Vera? You—

NO! Vera screamed at the voice. Shut up! I’m tired of listening to you.

“It’s so noisy outside,” Lisbet said, slipping her hand into hers.

Indeed in the distance, she heard the sounds of explosions. Her stomach twisted in knots at what could be happening right now. Did everyone have time to take shelter?

She gave Lisbet’s hand a squeeze. “Everything will be all right. Now come, let’s go somewhere safe.”

Dragon Guard Protector

Releases March 23, 2022