Page 1 of Dragon Blood (Dragon Island #3)

K ai Sun paced the wall of windows overlooking Victoria Harbor. Tearing his gaze from the spectacular Pacific sunset, he read the invitation again.

His sister, Kymri Steelscale of Aeleftheria, was to marry the new king of the mountain dragons, Jori Mountainside, at some private island—location to be given on acceptance.

Cryptic, but understandable, since until recently the two nations were at war with one another.

Kai was damned sure not every Aeleftherian was on board with one of their own marrying a centuries’ old enemy, let alone their king.

Repercussions from that conflict had rippled out into the rest of the paranormal community, including his father’s tiger clan, here in Asia. Everything the dragon shifter tribes did affected everyone else around the world.

But there you have it, perfectly calligraphed in gold ink on expensive card stock.

He sighed, tapping the embossed card against his other hand as his gaze drifted over the ships ambling in and out of the harbor below his penthouse.

Kymri. A sister he hadn’t seen since she was an infant, a considerably long time ago.

Their mother was responsible for this setup.

Kolina. A total stranger since he was fourteen, she had suddenly walked back into his life a few months ago, turning him upside down and inside out.

He glanced at his laptop, snoozing on the glass coffee table.

Too much work to do.

His sister… and forced time with a mother who had abandoned both him and his father. For what? Duty?

Fucking Aeleftherians.

He snorted, tossing the card on the table beside the laptop.

But… that perfect, chubby little face with the trusting bright eyes glued to his. Kymri’s grasping little hands clinging to his fingers. A promise of family. Until Kolina left them, taking his sister with her.

The clan aunties had filled the gap that she left behind. Never perfectly, but they’d done their best by him, keeping his father in line and focused on clan needs.

Long buried memories sliced his heart as they shot to the surface.

He drew a breath, rubbing his eyes and turning back to the fiery panorama.

The sun rode the distant mountain range, sinking behind it.

Boat sails captured the sun’s flaming golds and reds along the glittering ocean surface, reminding him of yet another female from his past, also best forgotten.

The one that he’d given what was left of his heart to, only for her to drop it at his feet and sail away.

I shouldn’t have come back here.

Should have stayed inland, as far from the sea as possible.

But he’d been unable to resist the coast for long.

A sucker for punishment. A masochist.

He snorted.

Would she come back, in that glorious, red-sailed galleon of hers?

Turning away from the final moments, the most beautiful of the sunset, he retrieved his laptop to finish his work.

He had partnership contracts to review. Whether or not he was prepared to set himself up for a fresh round of torturous heartbreak, there were still swathes of designated conservation lands that needed more stringent protections.

This portfolio had taken months of painstaking work to fill out. He had to see it through. The conservationists depended on him to ensure that there were no gaps that tycoons could use to worm their way onto their lands for development or resource mining, no matter how hard they leaned on the government to change the laws in their favor.

Someone had to fight for them.

Whether or not Kai went to this wedding full of strangers, he had to ensure this vulnerable organization had everything they needed to protect themselves.

There was no way he was going to allow exploitation of a precious band of wilderness that was home to too many species endangered and at risk.

Removing his shirt, he dropped it onto the back of the sofa before stepping into the first position of his martial routine.

Hands together, he closed his eyes, standing motionless for several minutes as he centered himself.

The room darkened around him, buffering him from the world, lending comfort to his aching heart.

Hands flowing outward and around, foot sweeping, smooth and controlled.

Kai imagined running through lush jungle like the one that he worked to protect. Remembering the wilderness surrounding his father’s territory.

His powerful, silent paws grasping root-covered rocks to climb gullies and gorges, muscles bunching, striated white and black fur glimmering under the brilliant moonlight.

Soon, he lost himself in the darkness and the motion, calming the memories, shadows growing around him.

With the last motions, he swept the shadows away with fluid hands and opened his eyes, releasing the last vestiges of strain from his body.

There was work to do.