Goddess Rising #2 by Juliann Whicker

Can a Gemstone Heart take this much heat?

Back at home, far from the law of the master of all dragon shifters, the Eminent, Ember and Cole need a chance to figure out their relationship, before he finds out that his dragon married her, but the fire handlers sent to train her, have also come to train Cole, and make sure he accepts his dragon and his place in the clan once and for all.
Cole has ten months to pay off his own tiny clan’s member fees, at the small price of two million dollars or lose all his well-guarded independence. No problem. He can sell his soul to the god of the underworld and raise the fees, while dealing with betrayal from within and without. The one thing he doesn’t need: other clan members to protect. Too bad other halflings like him decide that he’s their best hope at fair representation and won’t take no for an answer.
Misfits unite in a battle against the powers that want them to get in line or die.