Elaina had jewelry trickle through his fingers. Humans didn’t make treasures like they used to- such a shame. She curled her fist around a large ruby a weak dribble of energy from her talisman inches up her arm. A sluggish rhythm still beat in Elaina’s chest and gnawing starvation still chilled her limbs. She had to find some more prizes. She had to take advantage of her natural talent, to score an addition to her hoard at tonight's party or she deserved to die. Thievery wasn’t as bad as committing murder right? Besides she had weakened herself by selling off a bracelet to buy an outfit for the ruse tonight. One brilliant success coming up or a deadly failure. One of the two for sure. She put the ruby in the lockbox, habit had her fingers through the steps required to protect the metal case, activate the triple security lock on the safe , insert the false bottom of the filing cabinet in her bathrooms closet and engage the deadly bolt. Full strength dragons would laugh at her feeble defensive but it was all she could afford. Stefano catered all the ritziest parties in the metro area , the employees knew her as Linda, a front office employee- who was dressed for kitchen prep tonight. Alex knew tonight was important to risk upsetting donors, even though those women willing to throw themselves at him for the temptation of money. Damned gold diggers. Years of experience had taught him what that type really was. His entire life, every woman on his arm had been lured to his father’s side after the man flaunted his wallet. He blamed his father for the betrayal more than the women he’d been shallow enough to chose. As Alex went to the dais to start the the interest going in donating for the charitable event., he notices a woman in a red dress entering the ballroom. Every nerve ending sprang to attention , focusing on her. The more he looked at her, the more she struck him as unlike any woman he had ever seen. Elaina is on the run from her murderous father and doesn’t believe in love after her parents. Elaina chose to live away from other dragons to be as far away from her father as she could. She wants to to be as far away from her father as possible. Then Elaina’s first heist goes really wrong as Alex can see her for what she really is - a dragon. The only humans that can see dragons and sense their weaknesses are hereditary knights with the irresistible desire to kill dragons. But instead Alex and Elaina have a hot relationship, Alex doesn’t want to kill her but woos her with gifts that help build Elaina’s strength and fills her lonely heart. Then Elaina’s father figures out where she is and sets out to destroy Alex’s empire to get to Elaina back,. Elaina leaves Alex to find her father and kill him.
I really enjoyed reading this book. I also enjoyed the new spin- at least for me- on dragon shifters. This made me chuckle at times and choke up at others. I loved the plot. I did love Alex and Elaina together and how they interacted and how they helped and healed each other. I really enjoyed the action. I also really liked the ending. I liked how the author linked dragon shifters to their hoard. This was a new twist for me. The authors description of dragons was great in my opinion. I wish I could rate this 4.5. I loved the characters and the ins and outs of this book and I recommend it.