The Arterian Series by Courtney Whims

Possession of dragon contraband in the Arterian kingdom is a guaranteed brutal execution. And when twenty-two-year-old Katerina Blackwind finds a dragon egg buried in her father’s grave, she begins to question everything she thought she knew. She must return the forbidden dragon hatchling north to the secretive Dragon where dragons roam free and a rebellion group resides... morePossession of dragon contraband in the Arterian kingdom is a guaranteed brutal execution. And when twenty-two-year-old Katerina Blackwind finds a dragon egg buried in her father’s grave, she begins to question everything she thought she knew. She must return the forbidden dragon hatchling north to the secretive Dragon where dragons roam free and a rebellion group resides. But she can’t do it on her own–smuggling a dragon hatchling across the realm during a war between Arterians and rebels means she can be killed by either side. She knows there’s only one person she can truly trust, her old flame, Cole Ashbourne. Yet Cole is much different than the last time Kat saw deliciously chiseled in all the right places with a raw power lingering beneath the surface. Cole is torn between his responsibilities as a newly-promoted Captain in the King’s military, and his heart. Danger lurks at every turn, and as more secrets are unearthed Kat is left to question everything she thought she knew about dragons, her family, love, and the kingdom. less

Secret never die. They’re just buried in a grave. And graves don’t stay hidden forever. Katerina Blackwind and Daeja made it to the Dragon Lands. It should have been the key to their freedom. Instead, it’s only the beginning. The King is closing in—desperate for the one thing Kat possesses. The one thing that’s been missing for ages. The one thing he’ll tear the entire kingdom apart to claim... moreSecret never die. They’re just buried in a grave. And graves don’t stay hidden forever. Katerina Blackwind and Daeja made it to the Dragon Lands. It should have been the key to their freedom. Instead, it’s only the beginning. The King is closing in—desperate for the one thing Kat possesses. The one thing that’s been missing for ages. The one thing he’ll tear the entire kingdom apart to claim. Worse, Kat is caught between two men who broke her trust—Cole, whose lie shattered her heart, and Darian, who isn’t just a stranger… he is the enemy. With betrayal at every turn, Kat must decide who—if anyone—she can trust before it’s too late. But the secrets of the past lie in a place no one has set foot in for over a century—guarded by magic and buried under years of forgotten history and bloodshed. If Kat fails to uncover the truth in time, the last of the dragons—and everyone she loves—will be lost forever. And their blood will be on her hands. less