Temptation's Flight: Dragon Alliance, #5

By Delwyn Jenkins

Kate Lancaster knows she can never return to Earth, so she works hard to build a life for herself in her new home on a alien world. She creates a family with her adopted sisters, makes friends, and has the dubious honor of being claimed by two dragons. Her life is good – or it would be if she could get the enforcers who ride her dragons to invite her to their bed.

Nash cares for Kate, but his heart is too broken to offer her the love she needs. He's managed to find a space for his den-mate Rowan and their dragons, but that connection is a intrinsic part of their enforcer bond. 

Rowan believes Kate is the perfect addition to their family, but Nash resists the connection. Kate might be smart, beautiful and desirable but Nash understands she's not for him. Even though he wishes she was.

When they undertake a dangerous mission far to the north, all three face mortal danger. Will the threat cause Nash to close his heart forever? Or will this be the flight that tempts him to risk it all?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Delwyn Jenkins
• Release date: Feb 20, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393977551

Delwyn Jenkins

Delwyn Jenkins can’t remember a time when she didn’t have a book in her hand. The stories she read fired her imagination, and gave her a legitimate excuse to disappear for hours at a time into the endless realm of her imagination. She lives on the beautiful south east coast of Australia, not too far from the Great Ocean Road. When she’s not spending time with family and friends, she happily clacks away on her computer, stirring up trouble and ruling her imaginary world like a benevolent Queen. Well…perhaps not always benevolent – because where’s the fun in that?

Book preview

Chapter One

Kate Lancaster sat on the floor of the living room, her bare toes pressed against the floor-to-ceiling windows. The cliff face that housed hundreds of dragons and their riders was an imposing structure, and this high up the view was breathtaking. When she was alone in the den, she often took up this position. The peace and tranquility of the landscape always managed to temporarily soothe whatever troubles she was battling.

The lush, green forest rippled out before her, giving away on her right to a lake of deep, fathomless blue. To her left, far in the distance, the spires, domes and turrets of Sapphire township rose up in all their baroque glory. It looked like something out of a Tolkien novel—beautiful, magical, and nothing like the place she’d called home all her life.

She was a long way from New Zealand and her Wellington home. So far, in fact, she was on a different planet with a very different life to the one she’d envisioned for herself. Now, her old life only existed in her heart and her memory. She couldn’t point to Earth on a star map, so even if she had the means and opportunity, she still wouldn’t be able to find her way home.

Kate was a practical woman but, in this case, it had taken her a lot of hard work to let go of her old life. To release her grief, anger and frustration. She was on the planet of Gemarra for the duration, and that was an irrefutable fact.

When she’d been kidnapped from Earth—along with hundreds of other women—they had been destined for slavery of one kind or another. The Brightstar corporation, who owned the northern continent on the other side of the planet, had intended to use their captives for incentive, reward and profit.

The birth rate on Gemarra was extremely low, and the few babies born every year were invariably male. All the women currently living on Gemarra came from off-world. And every one of them was documented, approved, and there of her own free will.

Except those who weren’t.

Kate had no idea how many women were being trafficked, but her experience proved that particular area of the black market was flourishing.

On her arrival on Gemarra, she’d been taken to Allsgate, the capital city of the northern content. She’d been ensconced in a luxury apartment and deemed the property of a high-ranking politician by the name of Janket Chillsliegh. Chillsliegh actually lived and worked in Sapphire, which was the largest settlement on the southern continent.

Chillsliegh was a man of influence, and much of his power came from his position on the High Council and his political connections. He had the kind of diplomatic duties that made his trips to Allsgate mandatory.

The seat of Brightstar’s power was thriving hub of advanced tech. Everything was automated, and all manner of hovers and passenger craft flew the skies. It was busy both day and night, and there were so many lights it was as though the sun never set.

And Kate had watched it all through the window of the thirty-fourth floor, unable to leave, forbidden to participate. Her life hadn’t been terrible in comparison to what her fellow captives had endured, but it was a situation she’d desperately wanted to leave.

When the opportunity for escape arrived, Kate grabbed it with both hands. Her rescuers came in the shape of enforcers, oversized warriors who rode fierce battle dragons. Kate wasn’t intimidated by the height and breadth of the enforcers, but she did balk at getting on the back of an until-now mythical animal that was the size of a small plane (if small planes had teeth, claws, and could spit fire).

To be honest, she’d been scared shitless. But she’d climbed aboard Jurassic Air, determined to grind through it until her feet were back on the ground.

When she’d arrived on the southern continent of Ivasta, she’d been invited to stay at the den the dragons and their riders called home. The tall, cliff-like structure housed over three hundred dragons, their enforcers, and all the attendant support staff.

Her rescuers, Nashmentar Sendabrya and Rowansayle Wesserdehn had invited her into their home. They had given her shelter and protection. More importantly, they had offered her their friendship and understanding. They’d been patient with her while she’d learned about her new world, and they’d supported her in ways both material and intangible.

She’d grown to care for Nash and Ro in a way that went beyond mere friendship. The trouble was, she wasn’t sure those feeling were reciprocated.

And she’d been staring out the window for far too long, meandering through memories rather than making an actual decision about her non-existent love life.

When she heard her friend Sarah call her name, Kate let out a sigh of relief.

I’m here. Kate didn’t get up, but she waved her arms so they appeared above the sofa that was obscuring Sarah’s sight line.

Of course you are, Sarah said in her lovely English accent. Striding across the room, she maneuvered herself onto the overflow of Kate’s nest of cushions. An awkward proposition, as Sarah was wearing the gown, bustle and corset that was the mandatory dress code for women on Ivasta. Sarah’s day dress had fitted sleeves, a modest neckline and a complex array of tucks and pleats that ran down the tight bodice and the full skirt. The muted floral fabric was a sea of blues and greens, and looked fabulous with Sarah’s auburn hair and blue eyes.

Kate, on the other hand, was wearing the silk pants and tunic that were forbidden attire outside her quarters.

You’ve been spending a lot of time in your meditation corner, my friend.

Kate shrugged. I like the view. And there’s a lot to think about right now.

Like?

Like whether or not to push my relationship with Nash and Ro to the next level. Kate had talked about this before, and she was tired of going over the same ground. It was time she made a decision one way or the other.

You want to become lovers with Nash and Ro? Sarah's question sounded more like a statement.

Yes. But only if that was what Nash and Ro wanted too, which was the heart of Kate’s problem.

Sarah chuckled. You’re a petite blonde with hazel eyes and bed-tousled hair. If you want those boys, all you have to do is blink in their direction.

As if what I look like makes a difference. Her enforcers were too smart to be swayed by looks alone. I know they like me. The question is, how much?

I worry about that, too.

Sarah was a natural redhead, with a voluptuous figure and sparking eyes. She was also one of the kindest people Kate had ever met. Any man, enforcer or otherwise, would be lucky to have you.

If you say so. Sarah screwed up her face. The problem is, I don’t want to be a consolation prize. I don’t want to hook up with Tori and Shay, just because we’re the last pieces on the board. If I’m going to be in a relationship, it needs to be with someone who wants me for who I am.

Kate chewed her lip. Yes, that is a problem.

Four of their friends had ended up in relationships with the enforcers who’d taken them in. Chelsea, Sorcha, Tansy and Abby were all deliriously happy with their mates. But it didn’t necessarily follow that Sarah and Kate would enjoy the same success. And, with four out of the six women in relationships, the remaining matchups were feeling a bit like a foregone conclusion.

Which didn’t worry Kate so much, because she wanted Ro and Nash like nobody’s business. But she wanted them to want her too. It would help if they weren’t so fucking sexy.

Sarah nodded. I hear you.

The enforcers were—to a man—tall and heavily muscled. Their features were even, but their eyes were tip-tilted and the bridge of their nose was flat instead of having the slight dip of human features. The enforces were crazy-handsome, and they came in such pretty colors.

Their skin was warm and copper-toned, but it was their other features that really set them apart. Their hair was long, thick and silky, and could only be described as mane-like. Nash’s hair was purple and, in the sunlight, it took on the sheen of a highly-polished amethyst. His eyes were a blue so pale they were almost translucent. Ro had hair the color of red wine, and his thickly lashed eyes were black. Not dark brown. Actually black.

Both enforcers had a dragon tattoo on their backs. A circular design, it depicted their dragon at the top of the arc, and their dragon’s mate on the lower half of the circle.

Every enforcer in the den had the size, weird coloring and tattoos that her enforcers shared. But, for whatever reason, Ro and Nash were the only ones who made Kate go weak at the knees.

It should be wrong for two men to be that good looking, she grumped.

Agreed.

Kate stared out the window, thinking about Ro and Nash, and left Sarah to mull over Tori and Shay.

It was a wee bit pitiful to be honest. Ordinarily, Kate was more than happy to take charge of her own life. If something was not to her liking, she did her best to change the situation or her behavior.

But her relationship with Ro and Nash impacted every facet of her current circumstances. She lived in their home and she adored living in the thriving community of the den. All Kate’s friends were here and, as they lived so close together, she was able to see them all the time.

And Ro and Nash’s dragons had imperiously claimed Kate as their pet. She was often ambivalent about dragon ownership, because they were beyond arrogant. But she had no desire to relinquish the title or the privileges and security that came along with it.

Kate was worried she’d have to leave the den if she offered herself to her enforcers and they declined. Not that Nash and Ro would ever kick her out. They were too honorable for that. But Kate wasn’t sure she could throw herself out there, be rejected, and then carry on as if she weren’t cut to the bone.

She was a straight shooter, which meant she was hopeless at pretending something she didn’t feel. It also meant she didn’t like dithering, and her inability to make a decision about her enforcers was driving her nuts.

How’s the design for our armor coming along? Sarah asked.

Kate offered her friend a wry smile, grateful for the not-so-subtle change of topic. Good, I think.

When the idea for armor for the Earth women living at the den had first been raised, Kate had inserted herself into the design process. In her old life, she’d been a Cosplay enthusiast, and she’d had costumes in her wardrobe that ran from elves to wizards to comic book heroines. The chance to work with true artisans on real, practical battle gear was too good to pass up. But she’d had to earn her position as unofficial liaison, starting from ground up.

Initially, I spent a lot of time with the novice armorers, she said. Now I’ve progressed to the more experienced craftsmen and women. Finding a balance between form and function has been even more difficult than I thought it would be. The process has been challenging and rewarding in ways I couldn’t have imagined.

The enforcers were, for want of a better term, professional soldiers. Their battle armor covered them from head to foot and was designed not only to intimidate, but to be a weapon in and of itself. The dragons also had their own battle gear, though they were loath to use the word armor. Apparently, the A-word somehow implied that their scales were not strong enough to withstand the strike of a weapon. Kate had the impression it was the dragon equivalent of telling a guy he had a tiny dick.

Several weeks ago the enforcers, their dragons, and the Earth women living in the den went on a mission to rescue a group of women who were being held as slaves. When the enforcers realized how unprotect their women were, they decided all the Earth women living at the den should have their own armor, even if they never used it.

Kate had leaped on the idea, because she sure has hell needed a project. In her old life, she had also been an IT trouble-shooter, a job both challenging and satisfying. But there were no computers on Ivasta. In fact, there was no technology at all. The frequent and sudden ion storms that beset the southern continent worked like mother nature’s EMP. Even the mildest storm killed any tech, so the Ivastans had turned to alchemy and engineering for the comforts of modern living.

The towering den had elevators that utilized counterweights instead of electricity. Illumination was provided by combining a specific moss with a particular crystal, which gave off a clean, self-sustaining light. Medicines were herbal in nature, and the healers in the den had a breadth of knowledge that left Kate in awe.

Not to mention that the dragons had healing powers of their own. An injured enforcer could sleep in the arms of his dragon and wake up the next morning only a little worse for wear. It was one of the many dragon-related secrets the den fiercely guarded.

As was the ability of the enforcers to speak mind to mind with their dragon partners. A privilege the dragons had extended to their human pets.

A privilege Kate had no problem trading on, when the need arose.

She stood, offering her hand to help Sarah to her feet. Let’s head down to the workshops. I want to show you the latest incarnation of the Armor That Will Never Be Worn.

Sarah chuckled. You don’t know that. We might be called into battle at some point.

Yeah, when hell freezes over. Between the over-protective enforcers and the possessive dragons, we’ll be lucky if we even get to dust the damn suits, let alone wear them.

Strangely enough, I’m not overly eager to be shot at.

I’m not either. But I’ve put a lot of time and energy into the design process. It would be a shame if it were all for nothing.

Kate stood still and opened her mind to the channel she used to speak to her dragons. Magrahn, can you inform the armorers I’m on my way?

Of course, pet.

Thank you.

Kate grinned to herself. Magrahn’s self-opinion was so inflated he believed any request he fulfilled was an act of magnanimity. His tone was usually condescending and he was committed to the idea that he was in control of his entire universe.

It was sweet, really. Misguided, when it came to Kate, but sweet just the same.

Just give me ten minutes to get changed.

All the Earth women had visited the tailors to have more comfortable garments made. They all had regular bras and panties, comfy pants and tops, and the kind of dresses a woman could actually slouch around in. But if they stepped foot outside their quarters, they had to dress in a way that wouldn’t scandalize the den. Or cause a riot, which is what Nash and Ro were convinced would happen if anyone saw a woman in trousers.

Kate believed that the folks living in the den would get used to Earth fashion if they were given the chance, but she’d lost that battle. More than once.

So she played the game and went to her room to change. She stripped out of her tunic and pants, then pulled on a chemise and stockings. Her soft half-boots were next, because there was no way she could bend down to lace them up once she’d strapped on her corset.

After the corset came the bustle and an over-kill of frothy petticoats. Once that was done, she reached for a pale pink gown and shimmied it over her head. Then she buttoned and laced until she was trussed up and presentable. The outfit was a pain to get into, for sure, but it spoke to the part of her that loved Cosplay.

Heading back into the living room, Kate collected Sarah. Linking arms, they made their way down the pale-grey, plas-covered hallway.

Even if our armor never gets used, it won’t be a waste, Sarah said. You’ve made some great connections because of this project, and it’s given you something new and interesting to focus on. You can build on that.

Kate hit the call switch for the elevator and turned to her friend. Is that what we have to look forward to? A series of projects that don’t go anywhere? Busywork for the unemployed and useless?

Sarah shrugged. That’s up to us, don’t you think? If we can choose where we invest our efforts, then we can select endeavors that have merit.

There was something in the tone of Sarah’s voice that gave her away. You already have something meaningful lined up, don’t you?

Almost. I was a schoolteacher, you know. Before.

The doors opened and Kate stepped in, waiting for the elevator to begin its descent. You have a job lined up at the school in town?

Not yet, but I’m working on it.

Get Sorcha involved.

One of Sorcha’s mates was the commander of the den. Jaxmyre Randovar had plenty of clout, but Sorcha’s real power came from Jax’s dragon, Tengale. Everyone in the den was terrified of the huge, belligerent black. And Tengale liked it that way.

Sarah shook her head.