Defiant Dragon by Kassanna Read Free Book Online

with their own kind. It was sheer luck that she was befriended by a few of the mermaids from that clan years ago.
    Against her dad’s wishes, she’d gotten it into her head to swim around the world. Traveling alone, she was caught off guard by some mermen she hadn’t realized were following her. The Mako mermaids came out of the coral reef like a school of swordfish. She actually felt a little sorry for her attackers, those women were vicious in a fight and they hadn’t hesitated to jump in and help her.
    Eastern merpeople handled things a bit differently than their western cousins. Their clans were run by mated couples, whereas the western tribes answered solely to a king. Within the western hierarchy, women were considered treasures to be admired and not touched unless a mating had been arranged. The king had regents in place who handled the everyday business of the tribes and gave him updates as necessary. That system was splintered when Drago took over. Some clans stayed in the Alliance of Ancients, a treaty created by Dragonrex Manx and Merpeople King, Tucker. When Drago claimed acting sovereign from his father after Manx’s disappearance, some of the mer clans ceded with Tucker.
    In eastern tradition the women, Ajumma , handled everything from fighting to food gathering. The men, Ajosshi , settled political matters and took care of the child rearing. The summer she’d spent in the Yellow Sea was one of her fondest memories. During those few months she’d spent with the Mako, they’d taught her a lot about defending herself. One of her best friends was Hyori, the youngest of the clan’s princesses. She hadn’t seen her buddy in a couple of years, but they spoke regularly. All she needed to do was get in, catch up with Hyori for information, handle their business, and get out. Finding whatever Jax was looking for shouldn’t take more than a few days.
    She didn’t have the time to make contact before she left, she would once they reached the city. Hopefully Hyori would be able to point her in the right direction as to who led the Sumatra beasts.
    The dragon begun his descent, he tucked his wings close to his body and they dove, spiraling downward. She held tighter to the strap. Her body floated up and wind rushed up her nose making it hard to breath. Suddenly, he unfurled his wings and caught a current, slowing their decline. They touched down in an open field. She sat up, sucked in air, and rubbed her belly to soothe her roiling stomach. From her perch on his shoulders River could see lights in the distance. She twisted and was able to make out the denser outlines of the mountains. After getting her bearings, she swung her leg over Jax’s neck and jumped down, waiting as Jax took on his human form.
    She had to admit, he was an impressive dragon with navy scales that covered his massive body. She’d seen a few reptiles and he was by far the biggest she’d come across. But the man was just as hot to look at. She took a deep breath. Down, girl . He dropped the bag and the heavy thud pulled her from her thoughts. She scanned his body. His arm and shoulder were now completely covered in the dark markings. The loops and swirls seemed to be moving across his chest and up his neck. They would have to get that looked at soon. She continued to study his form and her attention fell to his cock semierect between is thighs. She licked her lips and returned her gaze to his face.
    His mouth slowly rose at the corners. “Like what you see, River?” His gruff, faintly accented voice teased her senses. She could listen to him talk all day, every day. He snatched out a pair of jeans and a shirt from the bag.
    River ignored his question. “I need my cell. I think you need a healer or a vet.”
    “I doubt today’s human animal doctors would know what to do with a dragon,” Jax responded drily as he scrounged through the bag and pulled out a plastic case with her cell. He held it up. “This what you want?”
    She