Title: Dragon Consultant
Series: Supernatural Consultant, Book One
Author: Mell Eight
Publisher: NineStar Press
Release Date: April 20, 2020
Heat Level: 1 - No Sex
Pairing: Male/Male
Length: 33300
Genre: Paranormal YA, LGBTQIA+, YA, dragon shifter, mage, men with children, magical detective agency
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Blurb
Dane, a supernatural consultant, is hired by the FAA to look into a series of reported dragon attacks on their planes. What Dane finds in the wooded area where the attacks took place is not quite the problem he expected: a group of dragon kits and their sick father hiding from the authorities.When he learns the real reason the family was in the woods, his case grows more dangerous, and though Dane is experienced at both crime solving and watching his own back, taking care of baby dragons and their ill father makes everything else look easy.
Excerpt
Dragon Consultant
Mell Eight © 2020
All Rights Reserved
The phone started ringing out in the
main office just as Dane was finishing up with his last client of the day. He
had to suppress an eager smile—Dane could only think of one reason for the
phone to ring so late—and refocused his attention on his current client. Dane
had been expecting the client on the phone to call a week ago; he could wait
ten more minutes.
“Mrs. Hempstead, I assure you the pixies
are not the ones harming your prized roses. In fact, I’m fairly certain that
the pixies are the only reason your roses are still alive, given the extensive
damage in your garden.” Dane tried to speak slowly and calmly so the elderly
Mrs. Hempstead would understand and hopefully not get angry. It was probably a
lost cause, though. She screamed pretentious and arrogant from the large pearl
necklace around her wrinkled neck to the expensive mink coat she was wearing on
a warm spring evening. She was used to hearing yes to everything she asked, so
Dane telling her she was wrong would probably not go over well.
“If it isn’t those disgusting pixies,
then what is destroying my roses?” she snapped, her back regally straight and
her eyes flashing with anger. Dane was shivering with fear in his chair…not.
“You are supposed to be the premier consultant on everything supernatural. I
expect results!”
Dane kept his face pleasant through
sheer force of will. He had known this reaction was coming, but that didn’t
make it any more fun.
“The teeth marks on the bushes were
quite distinctive,” Dane continued gamely. “I would suggest that you keep your
dog away from that part of your garden if you want your rosebushes to bloom at
all this year.”
She gasped, one silk-gloved hand flying
to her chest as if Dane had uttered the most offensive thing she had ever
heard. “Diamond would never do something like that!” The Chihuahua in question
chose that moment to fart loudly in its carry-purse on the floor next to her
chair, an action Mrs. Hempstead completely ignored.
“I have found the pixie family from your
garden a new home where their abilities will be properly appreciated. You
shouldn’t be bothered by their presence any longer.”
She sniffed in disdain. “Well, at least
you’ve done as I asked. I’m sure my rosebushes will recover now that they’re
gone. Contact my solicitor for payment.” She got to her feet smoothly, turned,
and walked out of his office without a single word of thanks. Her roses would
be dead by the end of the week; he’d bet that damned ankle-biter currently
destroying her designer purse would ensure that.
Mrs. Hempstead didn’t dawdle on her way
out of the office. Barely thirty seconds later, Dane heard the outer door shut
with a click. The phone on his desk lit up, and his secretary’s voice sounded
through the speaker.
“You have a call on line two. It seems
important; he insisted on holding until you were done with your meeting.”
“Thanks, Becky,” Dane replied into the
speakerphone. The lights on the phone all vanished as Becky hung up, except for
the button blinking for line two. Each line belonged to a different type of
client thanks to a nifty spell that made his life so much easier. Mrs.
Hempstead would have gone to line three, as an ordinary human. Supernatural
creatures lit up line one. Line two was for anything remotely associated with
the government.
Dane picked up the phone, hit the
button, and held the handset to his ear. He already knew who would be calling
and why, but a touch of professionalism never hurt.
“This is Dane, your local supernatural
consultant,” Dane said, his voice stiff with formality. “How may I help you
today?”
“Why aren’t you already traveling to the
mountain in question?” the voice on the other end snapped.
“Why, hello, Jacobson. So nice to hear
from you!” If he was going to give Dane flack, Dane would give it right back.
Jacobson was the ignorant fool in charge of the local division of the SupFeds,
or the Federal Bureau of Supernatural Investigation, the branch of the federal
government that oversaw all supernatural issues that had to do with the police
or military. Jacobson was a human without the slightest magical ability. He
relied on those who had power, like Dane, with far too little foresight. He
simply didn’t understand just what he was dealing with whenever he called Dane.
If he did, he would be a whole heck of a
lot politer.
“You know exactly why I’m calling. The
FAA is talking about calling up the Air Force for a strike.”
“All for a dragon harassing a couple of
airplanes?” Dane asked, skeptical that things would be so bad for such a little
problem.
“How about multiple dragons? We’ve had
sightings of at least one red and one blue dragon in the area.” Now that was an
interesting fact that hadn’t made the news. “They’ve attacked three planes and
forced an additional dozen to turn back. We’re diverting flights right now, but
it’s not sustainable. We need those dragons contained as soon as possible. If
you don’t step in, we’re going to have to take drastic action. I’ve sent all
the information we’ve been able to gather to your email.”
The phone clicked and Jacobson was gone.
He had hung up on Dane. What a bastard. One of these days someone was going to
eat him, and Dane would get a nasty phone call from his successor asking Dane
to figure out how, who, and why. Dane occasionally wondered how he would
explain that Jacobson was an ignorant dick while still maintaining his
professionalism. It really wasn’t a phone call he was looking forward to.
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