Claimed Read online

  Claimed

  Elesian Dragon Mates - Book 1

  Sammie Joyce

  Contents

  Sammie Joyce

  Claimed

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Get the Prequel - Shifting Seasons Series

  About Sammie Joyce

  Copyright © 2020 by Sammie Joyce

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Cover design by JJ's Design & Creations

  Claimed

  Elesian Dragon Mates - Book 1

  Sammie Joyce

  Chapter One

  “Rose, come here a minute.”

  Rose sighed and closed the textbook. She had a test tomorrow and a lot of studying to do. It was a long drive to college, which meant she wouldn’t be able to get much done in the morning before she had to leave.

  “Coming, Mom.”

  Alexa was sitting at the dining room table, her hands folded neatly in front of her. “Sit down, please.”

  Wondering what she could have done wrong this time, Rose sat, hoping this wouldn’t take long. Though she’d been an adult for four years, her mother didn’t seem to have gotten the memo, and still treated her like she was a teenager.

  Rose couldn’t wait until she could afford to move out, but she’d known when she decided to go to medical school after finishing her biology degree that she was signing up for staying with her parents for at least a few more years. She was hoping to get a part-time job at some point, but right now she was focusing on being top of the class. Work would have to wait.

  “I’ve decided that I want you to join a coven.”

  Rose restrained herself from rolling her eyes only with great difficulty. “Mom, we’ve discussed this. I don’t want to be part of a coven.”

  “Being a witch is your heritage. You should have joined when your powers manifested at eighteen. I let your father talk me into allowing you to abandon your duty then, but after recent events, we’ve decided that it can’t go on any longer.”

  There was no ‘we’ about it. Mike had always wanted Rose to be able to choose what to do with her life. Everyone was stressed about the rebellion, though, so it didn’t entirely surprise Rose that he’d let Alexa talk him into another attempt at making her do as witches in this town were supposed to.

  “Look, Mom, I know the Great Rebellion has been rough on everyone, but it’s under control now. The dragons have been driven back and controlled. You don’t need me.”

  “This is not a discussion, young lady. I’ve pulled some strings to get you into the Areva coven, and you will go, whether you like it or not.”

  If she wasn’t so annoyed, Rose would have been impressed. The Areva coven was by far the most powerful and prestigious of the three covens here. Still, it didn’t make a difference to her decision.

  “The answer is still no. Once I’ve finished medical school, I might consider learning more about my powers, but for now, this is what I want.”

  “I don’t think you understand. I am not asking. I’ve already called your school, telling them that you’re dropping out. The finance department has been informed that there will be no further payments from your father or me. You will take your stuff to the Areva mansion tonight. If you choose not to go there, then I wish you the best of luck in finding somewhere else to stay.”

  Rose sat in mute shock. She’d never thought her parents would go this far in forcing her to obey them. Anger warred with grief as she struggled to find something to say. Anger won out.

  “What the hell, Mom?” Rose realized that she was on her feet. “Being a doctor isn’t good enough for you? I graduated top of my class with my last degree, and still, it’s not enough! I’m not you—why can’t you understand that?”

  “This isn’t about your own selfish wishes, Rose. This is about the safety of everyone. I think that with time, you will—”

  Rose didn’t hear the rest. She turned on her heel and stormed out, slamming her bedroom door behind her. Fortunately, Alexa didn’t pursue her. Rose paced, trying to think. She had no work experience, and any starting job wouldn’t pay enough to cover her education.

  She could no doubt find somewhere else to stay, but she’d need to work to cover her expenses. Either way, medical school wasn’t an option right now. She had to decide between getting work experience and learning to use her power.

  As much as she wanted to turn away from the coven out of anger, Rose did like learning, and it had always been her intention to learn more about her powers at some point. Still, she couldn’t believe that her mom was forcing her into this.

  She knew that the dragons were always a threat, but it wasn’t like one more witch in the coven was going to make or break their control. Besides, a new witch was hardly a threat to dragons. Rose knew enough to control her powers and stop them causing accidents or making things happen without her control, but she was a long way from being a witch powerful enough to be able to challenge a dragon.

  Rose lay in bed fuming for what must have been hours, but eventually, the emotional drain of the argument took its toll, and she drifted off.

  The next morning, she didn’t speak to her mom at all as she went to breakfast. Her dad was already at work—or perhaps hiding from the inevitable argument. Alexa eyed Rose’s suitcase.

  “So, you’ve decided to join the Areva coven.” Rose didn’t give her the satisfaction of an answer, but stabbed her sausages with unwarranted force. “Or have you decided to stay somewhere else?” Alexa prompted.

  Rose was still too angry to speak to her. She finished her breakfast and walked resolutely out of the door, dragging her suitcase behind her. It didn’t take long for the taxi to arrive. Rose gave her driver the address, and they set off for the mansion that housed the Areva coven.

  Apparently, she’d been expected, because four women were waiting for her, one older and three about her age. Rose reminded herself that it wasn’t their fault her mother was forcing her into this. Taking her temper out on them would not be a smart thing to do. She forced a smile onto her face.

  “Hello. I’m Rose Haller.”

  The older woman stepped forward. “I’m Kaylee, head of the Areva coven. This is Annabelle, Wendy, and Jade. They are also relatively new to the coven, so the four of you will be learning the basics of magic together. I will instruct you at first, but as you get more advanced, you will discover what types of magic you are best at and study under witches who specialize in those types.”

  Rose nodded, wondering how long mastering her magic was going to take, but she didn’t ask. There was no need to let these people know just how eager she was to be done with this and go off to medical school. Of course, they’d likely want her to stay, but once she’d mastered magic, she could probably make enough money with that to pay for college and rent herself.

  She supposed that as long as she was doing this, she might as well do it properly. Rose had always been competitive and she enjoyed learning. She’d learn to be a powerful witch, like Alexa, then she’d go back to her life with that many more tools to assist her.

  “Annabelle will be your roommate. I’ve given her the day off so that she can help get you settled in. Tomorrow, you will join classes with the others.”
/>   Rose shook hands with everyone, then Kaylee led Jade and Wendy away. Kaylee seemed nice enough, but for some reason, Rose didn’t like her. Perhaps simply because she would be the one enforcing Alexa’s orders.

  “Come on, I’ll show you to our room.” Annabelle took Rose’s suitcase and started pulling it along. Rose couldn’t help staring around as she went. The mansion was beautiful, she’d give it that much. It was also huge.

  “I’m surprised we don’t get our own rooms here—you’d think that they have enough space,” she commented. “Not that I mind sharing.”

  “They have enough rooms for us all to have our own, but Kaylee likes new members to share so that we get to know each other better. It’s a big coven, and life will go a lot easier for you if you have friends.” Annabelle’s face took on a haunted look. “My last roommate, Vivian… she was my best friend.”

  “Was?”

  “The dragons killed her.” Annabelle kicked the edge of a carpet as they passed, causing it to come away from the wall. “The Great Rebellion cost us dearly… but at least we finally have those monsters under control.”

  Rose didn’t know much about dragons, other than that they were to be hated. “I’m sorry.”

  Annabelle nodded. “We can’t change it. We can only make sure that nothing like that ever happens again. Here we are.”

  They entered a huge room, divided into two symmetrical halves. Each half contained a king-sized four-poster bed with velvet hangings, an elaborately carved desk, tall wooden wardrobes, rich carpets, and a couple of puffy armchairs. There were adjoining rooms that Rose guessed were bathrooms.

  “Wow...”

  “Yeah, it takes some getting used to. You can unpack your stuff, then I’ll show you around.”

  As Rose unpacked, Annabelle chattered on about life at the coven. It didn’t sound nearly as bad as Rose expected. She’d thought her stay here would be like going to boarding school, but from Annabelle’s description, it seemed more like college than high school.

  They were allowed to do as they pleased, as long as they turned up for lessons. As they got more advanced, they’d get to choose who to study with, as well as what they wanted to study, and they would get some say in how and when those lessons happened.

  Rose started to feel more optimistic about her time here. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. Once she was unpacked, Annabelle took her for a tour of the mansion and grounds. That took most of the morning and left Rose feeling rather awed by the place that was now her home, at least for the present.

  “We don’t have a set lunch time, but food is put out in the dining room about now.” Annabelle started leading Rose in the direction she pointed.

  Jade and Wendy were already eating. There were a couple of other witches scattered around the multiple tables, most immersed in quiet discussion. Annabelle and Rose helped themselves from the variety of foods available, then joined Jade and Wendy.

  “So, what do you think of the place?” Wendy gestured around vaguely.

  “It’s amazing. How many of us are there here?”

  “About fifty, I think.” Jade shrugged. “We haven’t really been here long enough to get to know many people. Annabelle has been here the longest, but even she only has a few weeks on us.”

  “Did you join because of the Great Rebellion?” Rose asked.

  All three of the other women nodded. “We should have joined sooner.” Annabelle’s hands had become white as she clutched the table top. “Maybe if we had, things would have been different.”

  “What exactly happened? My mom never went into details. My Aunt Noreen was killed during the fighting. After that, whenever I brought it up, my mom just went silent.” Rose hadn’t been especially close with her aunt, but she still felt the grief of her passing.

  “Well, I assume you know the history?” Annabelle asked.

  “I know the basics. My mom told me that no one knows how witches and dragons came to be, but ever since we’ve existed, we’ve been at war. The dragons are vicious and brutal. Left unchecked, they would wreak havoc over the entire North American continent. We’ve managed to keep control of them, but they are always trying to break free.”

  “That’s right. A couple of months ago, the dragons once again challenged our control, but this time, they were more successful than they’ve ever been before. The uprising was named the Great Rebellion. The fighting was bloody and went on for longer than any rebellion in the past. They killed a lot of us, but in the end, we managed to get them under control.

  “We killed their leader, Atticus Bond. Now we have them separated and weakened. Four of the most powerful ones are under the power of the Areva coven, and the others are divided between the other two covens.”

  Annabelle’s face twisted in distaste as she finished her story. “When we have the power, we will kill them all, but for now, that would only provoke more fighting, and our forces have been too weakened to handle that at the moment.”

  Rose finished the rest of her meal in silence, digesting what she’d learned. She wondered if she’d ever see a dragon. She hoped not to have to deal with them. Learning to use her powers better was one thing, but actually having to face off against a dragon? She hadn’t joined the coven to get involved in a war.

  Annabelle, Jade, and Wendy chatted about where they wanted to take their studies. Annabelle wanted to learn to fight and kill dragons, while Wendy was more interested in learning to heal, which was just as essential to any combat situation as fighting. Jade wasn’t sure yet, and was reserving judgment until she’d learned more.

  “What about you?” Annabelle asked Rose as she picked up her plate. Rose took her own empty plate and followed, taking them to the kitchen where servants were busy washing up.

  “I don’t know yet. I guess I’ll wait to decide, like Jade.”

  “You’d do best to put your energies into combat spells. The dragons are always a threat.”

  “I don’t know… I’m not sure if I could ever fight a dragon. My mom told me how powerful they are.”

  “You’d be no threat to one now—I’m not, either—but once we learn more about our powers, we will be able to control the dragons. Kaylee has personally promised me that if I work hard, I’ll be one of the first to get a chance at killing one, when the time comes.”

  Rose could understand Annabelle’s view—the dragons had killed her best friend, after all—but she couldn’t quite imagine herself fighting a dragon. She knew they were evil and she should hate them, but Rose had never been good at maintaining hatred, no matter how richly deserved it was.

  That afternoon, Annabelle took Rose to Kaylee’s office to ask permission to take her into the forest surrounding the mansion. Kaylee nodded at the request. “They’re all inside right now. Just make sure you don’t stay more than an hour, and you should be good.”

  Rose couldn’t make heads or tails of this statement, but before she could enquire, there was a soft knock on the door. A handsome man walked in with a tea tray, setting it carefully on Kaylee’s desk. Rose noticed that his hand was bandaged, and he handled the tray gingerly.

  The man bowed to Kaylee and backed away. “Get out of here!” Kaylee yelled. “Do you think I want to look at your hideous face all day? Shoo!”

  The man hurried his steps, rushing off as though burned. Rose stared after him. As though sensing her gaze, he looked back and met her eyes. She felt warmth blossom in her chest and couldn’t seem to break his gaze.

  It only lasted a moment, before the man hurried off. Rose turned to look at Kaylee, completely bewildered. Why would she treat the man so badly when he’d been so polite?

  “We need to keep them in their place,” Kaylee said to her enquiring look, as though that explained anything. She smiled at Rose, her tone polite. Rose didn’t understand it.

  “Come on, the forest is great.” Annabelle walked to the door, waiting for Rose to follow. Rose did so reluctantly. She wondered if she should ask Annabelle about the interaction, but she didn’t want to
look as though she was questioning the way things were run here on her very first day. A bad impression now could take a lot of time to undo later.

  She followed Annabelle to the forest, still wondering about her own reaction when the man looked at her. She wished she knew his name, but thought it wisest not to ask.

  Chapter Two

  They spent the rest of the afternoon exploring the forest. It wasn’t that big, but there was certainly enough space to have a nice long walk there.

  “Do you come here often?”

  Annabelle sighed as she trailed a hand over the bark of a tree she was passing. “Vivian and I came here often when we weren’t practicing magic. Our lessons don’t take up that much time, and if we don’t want to do extra practice, we can do whatever we feel like. We spent a lot of time walking in here, or having picnics.”

  “You don’t have to bring me here if it brings up bad memories for you.”

  “That’s alright.” Annabelle brightened a bit. “It’ll be good to have a roommate again.”

  Rose privately thought that she was unlikely to live up to Annabelle’s memories of her best friend, but she didn’t say so. She wished she was less shy, but she always liked to watch and listen rather than participate. She knew she’d gain confidence once she knew more about magic and was able to converse intelligently on the subject with her peers, but for now, she just took in everything Annabelle told her.

  “Is that a necklace of power?”

  “What?” Rose lifted the dragon pendant from the chain off her neck. Her mother had given it to her for her eighteenth birthday. It had seemed an odd present, considering how much witches hated dragons, but it was so beautiful that Rose hadn’t questioned it. The detailed gold surface was inlaid with rubies, making the necklace seem to glow and shine no matter what light fell on it.