Bonus Short – Merrill and Katla

I’m so happy you’re here!

Thank you so much for reading DRAGON MARKED. As a token of my appreciation for loving the Dragon Kings as much as I do, here is an EXCLUSIVE bonus short!

The warmth of the late afternoon sun bathed Katla’s face while her back was cradled against Merrill’s chest as they sat near the summit of a mountain. His arms wrapped around her as his chin rested on her shoulder. She was surprised at how breezy it was, but there was something soothing about the wind moving around them. Almost as if it caressed them.

Enormous shadows cast by thick clouds sailed across the verdant slopes and down into the glen. Glen. She loved the word. Her gaze fastened on one of the dozens of waterfalls that tumbled from the mountains to the streams that then emptied into lochs. She loved that word, too.

There was so much about Scotland that she had fallen in love with. It was no wonder Merrill and the other Kings called it home. She couldn’t feel the magic as they did, but there was something about Dreagan that gave her a sense of it. That combined with the rugged beauty of the Highlands, and she was besotted.

She stifled a yawn as her gaze dropped to the loch nestled in the glen. A smile pulled at her when she recalled Merrill, Ulrik, and Rhys swimming in the water yesterday. Merrill had managed to coax her in, but she only got to her ankles before the icy water had her rushing to shore.

“I crammed too much into our stay,” he murmured before kissing her jaw.

She smiled as she thought about their four day stay. She had explored the Dragonwood as well as the manor. They had made it a game to see if she could find all the dragons within the house, which she had lost. While she had met everyone at their mating ceremony on Zora, her attention had been solely on Merrill. This time, she was able to get to know the Kings who remained behind on Earth to protect it and their mates.

She’d had long talks with the other mates, lively dinners cooked by Tristan where she was regaled with stories where she laughed until her cheeks hurt. She learned all about whiskey distilling, drank more if it than she probably should have, got a ride in Lily’s helicopter which had been exiting, and traversed the many tunnels of Dreagan Mountain. The history of Dreagan and the Kings was everywhere she looked.

Then there was her first car ride. There had been a line of them to choose from in the garages in every color and style possible. She couldn’t remember what Merrill’s was called, but it had been very fast. She loved how fast it could go. Merrill promised to teach her how to drive next time. Her first foray out of Dreagan had been the biggest shock. The people, the cars. The noise. There were so many options for everything that it overwhelmed her at times. That didn’t stop her from shopping with the mates. She let them bring her clothes as she tried on outfit after outfit.

It was the kind of community she had once had, the kind she had longed for. Now she had them. Both on Zora and Earth.

“Hm. I don’t think so. I had fun, though it all went by too fast,” she answered.

She felt his cheeks move as he grinned. “Does that mean you want to come back?”

“Definitely.” She flexed her feet to look down at her colorful shoes. “What are these called again?”

“Sneakers.”

“They’re comfortable. I hate to leave them.”

He chuckled. “Then doona.”

“They don’t belong on Zora.”

“You can wear them at Iron Hall. No one will care.”

She shook her head. “It’s better that I don’t. Same with the jeans and shirts. I like the clothing here.”

“I like you without clothes.”

“I definitely prefer you without clothes.”

He slid his arms along the top of hers. “I can make that happen.”

“Soon. I want to see the sunset.”

He pressed his cheek to hers. “Whatever you want, my love.”

“I wonder how much more advanced Zora would be if Villette hadn’t kept setting us back. How easy it is to get books or watch a movie.”

“You’ve seen the good parts of Earth, but there is another side.”

She leaned her head back against his shoulder. “I did see some of the news. The fact you can get news from all over the world is amazing. I’m going to miss the telly and all the shows, but I’m not going to miss hearing about the wars, the political unrest, the poverty, and the murders.”

“All of that happens everywhere, sadly. Zora just doesn’t broadcast it.”

“Maybe that’s for the best. It can get depressing.”

He linked his fingers with hers. “While Zora might be behind us technologically, it has a purity Earth lost long ago.”

“You’re talking about the noise.”

“I’m talking about light pollution, noise pollution, and water and air pollution. Earth once looked like Zora. No skyscrapers, no highways interrupting animal migration, no oil spilled into oceans. There’s a tradeoff for technology.”

She heard the cry of a bird and looked up to see a golden eagle soaring above them. “But this is home for you.”

“Scotland will always be in my heart. My home, however, is with you.”

Katla turned to face him and shifted to her knees. “And mine with you. You know, there’s one place I’ve still not seen.”

“Where’s that?” he asked with a mischievous grin.

“Your mountain.”

He pressed his lips to hers for a soft kiss. “We were going there when you saw this view.”

“Perhaps it’s time to head to your mountain,” she said as she ran her hands over his hard chest.

“What about the sunset?” he asked teasingly.

She leaned forward and ran her tongue along his neck. “What sunset?”

“Och, lass,” he murmured as he flipped her onto her back and leaned over her. “Doona tease me.”

She rocked against his arousal. “Oh, I never tease. You know that.”

His dark blue eyes filled with desire. “The wind can get cold.”

“The sunset and now the wind. You’re making me think you don’t want me.”

“Never,” he murmured before he claimed her mouth in a fiery kiss.

She shivered from the wind when her clothes were removed with his magic, but the heat of his body quickly warmed her. Her hands splayed over his wide shoulders and down his back. She moaned as his lips left a heated trail down to her breasts. When she looked up, she spotted the eagle as he flew toward the orange and purple sunset. Her first time in Scotland was one she would never forget. But they would be back.

If you’ve enjoyed DRAGON MARKED, be sure to find out what’s happening on Zora with more of the Dragon King series and the Elven Kingdoms series!