Taming: A Reverse Harem Series (To Tame A Shifter Book 1) Read online

  Chapter One

  Kreedence

  I feel him long before I ever see him. He’s in the nerves that claw through my body, he’s in the rapid stumbling of my heart, he’s in every shaking breath I take.

  But especially, he’s in the magic that snaps through my fingertips. With a burst of white light, the power rips from my palm. Through the quiet living room of Agatha’s small cottage, out the open door and into the dark night my magic soars. It seeks out a target with intent.

  The three dragon shifters in the middle of the room still hover over Sinister. The demon looks more dead than alive but that doesn’t seem to deter the brooding shifters from pinning him to the floor. Silence stretches on as my fingers fist into the thin blanket covering me. The old floorboards beneath me were such a comfort when I slept but sleep is the furthest thing in my mind now.

  He’s here. I feel it.

  The bright light twirls, quickening its pace as if it’s about to reach a finish line. Magic bursts on impact with a flash of crimson as it strikes its target. That color bleeds illuminating light on the man lurking at the forest’s edge.

  Familiar red eyes eat up my features with slow appraisal. The gentle breeze catches the tips of his inky hair. His head tilts with a smile slicing across his knowing lips. There’s an acquainted look in his sharp features. The man looks at me like he knows everything about me.

  Like he made me.

  In a way, he did.

  I’m not that helpless little girl any more. I’m done running from him. I’m not afraid of Kreedence.

  Not anymore.

  The moment I see him, I stand. But I guess, I’ll never be as fast as a changing shifter.

  The embers of light fade out softly and in an instant dark scales rip over Chaos’ arms. He’s barely out the door when wings burst from his back. He changes from the sweet man I’ve come to know into a storming, roaring beast.

  The sound of the dragon’s aggression tears through the night. I feel the rumbling of his anger in the shaking floorboards beneath my feet, the dress against my calves, the strands of my hair. In this moment, rage is a living breathing thing.

  I know Chaos is an unpredictable creature. There’s too many emotions tearing through that man. And I see that clearly as his claws rip up the dirt and anger fumes from his snout.

  A molten glow of orange and yellow drips from his lips, leaving a trail in the dirt. It sparks my interest even as the pretty colors start to fume against the earth.

  It’s … acid.

  The light of it highlights the dragons every move. Strong muscles flex with each step, inky scales glisten, power coils through every inch of the beast.

  Rime stands, keeping his gaze locked on his friend as he takes quiet steps back. It takes me a moment to realize he’s standing purposely in front of me, shielding me from the open door and whatever lurks beyond it. Kain remains kneeling on the floor. He keeps his big palm against Sinister’s shoulder as if the demon might somehow harm us in his unconscious state.

  And Chaos is alone out there. Suddenly I am afraid. Fear trickles in and I run after him. Jarring steps slow my pace as I stumble against the deep claw marks etching the ground. Tingling magic burns my fingertips as I fire shots into the dark forest in the distance. Magic brightens the world in streaming streaks of pure white. It teases the shadows. It warms the night. It reveals the demon waiting with patience for the beast ahead of me.

  Color spews from Chaos’ roaring mouth. Acid showers over the darkness. It lights up the surroundings like rain kissing the ground. It burns through nature itself. Leaves sizzle into nothingness. Tree bark cuts away inch by inch before the trees topple over onto one another. Acid stings the air itself and I can do nothing but breathe it in.

  It’s everywhere.

  And yet, it missed its target.

  White smoke wafts up. It burns a transparent memory of where Kreedence was just standing. My fingers tense against my palms with waiting magic as I stare wide eyed at the eerie emptiness of the night.

  Warm breath and taunting words crawl down my spine.

  “You didn’t think you’d be rid of me so easily, did you?”

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  Also by A.K. Koonce

  The Mortals and Mystics Series

  Fate of the Hybrid, Prequel

  When Fate Aligns, Book one

  When Fate Unravels, Book two

  When Fate Prevails, Book three

  Resurrection Island

  The Royal Harem Series

  The Hundred Year Curse

  The Curse of the Sea

  The Legend of the Cursed Princess

  The Hopeless Series

  Hopeless Magic

  Hopeless Kingdom

  Hopeless Realm

  Hopeless Sacrifice

  The Harem of Misery Series

  Pandora’s Pain

  The Severed Souls Series

  Darkness Rising

  Darkness Consuming

  Darkness Colliding

  The Huntress Series

  An Assassin’s Death

  About A.K. Koonce

  A.K. Koonce is a USA Today bestselling author. She’s mom by day and a fantasy and paranormal romance writer by night. She keeps her fantastical stories in her mind on an endless loop while she tries her best to focus on her actual life and not that of the spectacular, but demanding, fictional characters who always fill her thoughts.