“If you want my father then you already know where his office is and where to find him. Go fly up to his building and have at it, maybe it’ll do you both some good and then you can both stop hounding me.”
“Desiree, I didn’t come here for him, I came here for you.”
“Me?” Oh, she was tired of this. Tired of getting her hopes up and then being disappointed again and again. “What do you want with me?”
“I—” He faltered for a moment. “Desiree, I do not like how things ended between us. And that you just left without hearing me out.”
“What, never had a woman leave you? You always do the leaving, right? Or sending away?”
“I suppose I deserve that.” His nostrils flared. “Invite me inside so we can talk now and iron things out.”
“Absolutely not, Your Highness. We’re done talking.”
“Desiree,” he said in a warning voice. “I’ve come here to make you an offer.”
“An offer?” Her voice pitched higher. “Oh pray, do tell. Are you going to offer me the world on a diamond platter?”
“No, I’ve come to ask you to be my queen.”
Deedee waited for the punchline. Or the hidden cameras to come out and tell her this was a prank of some sort. But no, nothing happened. And from the dead-serious expression on his face, she knew that he wasn’t joking. “Are you kidding me? After all you said that morning? You think I want to be your queen?”
He didn’t seem surprised at her refusal. “Desiree, listen to me. The things I said before you left were said in the heat of the moment. The Easifat was waning and I was desperate.” He raked his fingers through his hair. “I didn’t want to let you go, but there was no other way. Not without putting the burden of the throne on you.”
“Oh, so when you thought I was some poor, broke university scholar, I couldn’t hack it.” Was he really trying to make this all better or did he fly halfway around the world to insult her more? “But now that you know my family is richer than Midas and I’m the daughter of a dragon, I’m worthy to be queen and bear your heirs?”
“It was you who brought up heirs,” he spat back. “Why would you remind me of my duty if you didn’t desire it yourself?”
“Oh, for God’s sake …” She raised her hands in frustration. “You really don’t know why I brought that up?”
He said nothing, but his jaw tensed, and his eyes hardened into chips of blue ice.
“Tell me, Karim, when you gave me your first offer to stay with you, did it ever occur to you how I would feel once you did find someone to be your queen and have your children? What was I supposed to do when that time came? Just step aside? Or watch some other woman get pregnant with your baby and—” She choked, unable to say more because her heart was twisting in knots imagining it. Some beautiful Zhobghadian woman standing beside him, her stomach round with his child, looking up at him in adoration. “You can’t have thought I would stand for that.” I deserve better than to be cast off when it was time to do his duty.
Karim stared at her, his entire body going taut. “Desiree … I didn’t think—”
“That’s right, you didn’t think.” And neither did I when I fell for you, and I’m paying for it. “Just go. Please.”
“This isn’t over.”
“Yes, it is. If you care for me even a little bit, you’ll leave me be.” She turned away and walked back into her house. When the door shut behind her, she leaned back and let out a long sigh, the adrenaline draining from her body. Frankly, she was glad for the physical and mental exhaustion, because she just didn’t have the strength to do anything, even cry.
Her wolf whined again, scratching at her, trying to get her attention. She could feel its desperation and heartache. I know, she told her animal. I feel it too.
Seconds passed as she heard the sounds of murmuring voices, the closing of a car door, and the roar of an engine. A knock on the door made her spin around to open it.
Astrid stood there, arms crossed over her chest, head cocked to the side as her amber eyes searched Deedee’s. “Anything you care to tell me?”
What else could she do? “I’ll get the Ben and Jerry’s.”
Chapter Seventeen
Karim ignored the looks and glances he could feel on him as he entered The Plaza Hotel, two each of the Almoravid flanking him on either side. He had only arrived in New York this morning, so the paparazzi hadn’t been tipped off to his presence, but he knew soon they would descend on him like vultures to carrion.
The sea of people milling about in the lobby parted as they strode toward the elevators. His lead guard, Gakurh, pressed the call button, as the rest of the Almoravid blocked him from curious onlookers. No one even dared to come near him when the elevator doors opened, even those who had been waiting before him, and he entered first, followed by his guards.
This was a mistake, Karim thought as he watched the numbers on top of the doors begin to ascend. His ministers told him it was a mistake leaving Zhobghadi so soon after the Easifat had ended and without setting a coronation date. Arvin had warned him it was a mistake to go after Desiree once he found out where she was. Captain Fariba insisted it was a mistake to go to New York without any preparations. Only Aunt Zafirah and Amaya had wished him luck on his mission to win back Desiree. And he was prepared to get her back at any cost. He had been so confident that once she had calmed down, she would listen to him and see reason, and he would prove his detractors wrong.
But now, after seeing her, witnessing her anger, and being so thoroughly dismissed, he realized he should have listened to them.
The elevator dinged, signaling that it had reached the penthouse suite. He didn’t bother to wait for any of the guards to alight first into the small foyer or open the door for him, instead yanking it open and striding inside before letting the door slam loudly. Shrugging his coat off, he tossed it onto a nearby couch, then headed straight to the fully-stocked bar to pour himself some scotch.
The triple shot he took only made his throat burn, and he slammed the glass down on the marble countertop so hard, it broke into pieces. “Godsdamnit all to hell!”
And godsdamn her father, that charlatan, for taking Desiree away before he had a chance to explain to her. As soon as the Easifat lifted and he was able to communicate with the outside world, he sought out the information he needed. In his position, he had amassed many contacts over the years, some who were able to procure any type of information he wanted, for the right price.
Yet, despite paying through the nose, he didn’t get much information on Sebastian Creed, except for those publicly available and redacted military files and reports. The man’s security, both offline and online, were top-notch. Even in the darkest corners of the web, the man did not exist. Desiree’s information was easy enough to obtain, however, since his contacts were able to break into her university’s computers. As soon as he got her address, he flew to New York.
It was the last piece of information he needed that couldn’t be found at all, at least, not yet. While there were public records on Creed, Desiree, and their family, there was no information to be found about humans who could transform into wolves. No news stories, police reports, or even crazy conspiracy theory blogs. Only folk tales and fictional stories.
What was she? He thought that maybe there was no one else like her, but she did mention “her kind.” And apparently, now, there were also people who could make fire appear from their hands. The world truly was much simpler before he’d met Professor Desiree Desmond Creed.
The sound of the doorbell jolted him out of his reverie. Who in An’s name could that be? His guards wouldn’t just let anyone even get past the elevator. And no one outside Zhobghadi knew where he was. Hopefully, it wasn’t one of those damned photographers, sneaking up on him again.
“What do you want?” he snarled as he opened the door.
“That’s no way to greet someone you consider a brother, now is it?”
Karim let his guard down. “I thought I w
as a ‘royal pain in your ass.’”
Duncan MacDougal smirked at him. “Most of the time.”
“Hello, my friend.” He took the arm the Scotsman offered him and clasped it, as they always did. “It’s not that I’m not happy to see you, Duncan, but what are you doing in New York?”
“Well …” Duncan stepped aside, revealing the woman behind him.
“Julianna Anderson of New York.” Karim folded his arms over his chest as he regarded the female.
“Hello, Your Highness.” She didn’t bow, nod, or curtsey to him, but instead, met his gaze head on.
He would never admit it, but her mismatched eyes—one blue, one green—unnerved him. There was an intelligence and sharpness in them, and something that said this woman was not easily won over with shallow charm. In short, she saw right through him.
“Looks like she led you on a merry chase,” Karim said to his friend.
Duncan put an arm around Juliann. “Worth every mile.” She rolled her eyes, but her mouth was tugging up at the corners.
He motioned for them to enter his suite. “So, what do I owe this visit? Anything I can do for you?”
Duncan and Julianna stepped inside. “Actually, perhaps it’s something we can assist you with,” the Scot said.
“Assist me? With what?”
The couple looked at each other, nodded, then turned to him. “With this, perhaps?” Their eyes suddenly took on an eerie glow. A familiar sight he’d only seen one other time.
Karim had to double blink, to make sure he wasn’t hallucinating. “Mother of Enki, you too? And you two?” He marched toward the bar and poured himself another drink. Taking a deep breath, he turned around. “Close the door behind you.” He motioned for them sit on the couch as he settled himself on the armchair, glass in hand. This conversation needed to be done sitting down, with alcohol. “It makes sense, I suppose, my friend.”
“That we were alike in this way too?” Duncan had that boyish grin on his face that many women seemed to fall for.
“I suppose.” The information wasn’t absorbing in his mind quite yet. Julianna, Duncan, and Deedee were all the same. But wait … “How did you know I was here?”
“Sebastian Creed,” Julianna said. “He’s an … associate of ours. Knew the moment your plane touched down. Apparently, he was about to come here, but luckily, Duncan and I were around. We convinced him to back down and let us come instead.”
“Ishtar’s tits, I have never wanted to scream my bloody head off more when I hear that name.” He gulped down the contents of his glass.
“We were there when her father got the news she was missing,” Duncan explained. “And I had no idea he’d be coming to Zhobghadi.”
“None of us did,” Julianna added. “He, Daric, and a small team went to her site to try and find her. When Daric discovered she was in Zhobghadi with you, he went ballistic and came up with this plan to rescue her without anyone’s knowledge. Before we knew it, they came back with Deedee, and Creed told us there was another dragon in the world.”
“It had to be you,” Duncan said. “I just knew it. Somewhere, deep inside, I knew you were different.”
And perhaps, The Great One knew, too, that Duncan was like him. That’s why they had orbited to each other. “I’m sorry for the deception, my friend. It was necessary.”
“I understand, believe me.”
“And Creed? I suppose he’s spinning some tale that I took his daughter? And how is it that you’re associated with him?”
Julianna shifted in her seat and didn’t meet his gaze, but Duncan met his eyes. “What happened, Karim? Because I don’t believe you would take a woman captive. Not against her will anyway.”
The burden he didn’t realize he was carrying seemed to be lifted off his shoulders. Duncan didn’t believe any of it. He really was like the brother he never had. “I swear to you, I did it for her protection, and there was no way to send out word to her family.” And so, he told his friend the entire story of how he came to be the bearer of The Great One, and how Desiree arrived at the palace, leaving out the part of them becoming lovers of course, and continuing up until her father came to take her away. “And so, you know what I am now, too.”
Julianna’s mouth slackened. “All these years, we thought there was only one.”
“You are not the only one who thought this.” And his people, too, were shaken by the appearance of a second Great One. For a millennium, they believed there could only be one, and now, they not only saw two, but witnessed them battle in the skies. That was another reason Arvin had begged him not to go—he believed the people might begin to question their beliefs, which could in turn cause unrest. But he couldn’t stay, not when Desiree was out there. “And now, you will tell me about your people.”
“We’re—”
“Duncan,” Julianna grabbed his hand. “No. You know we can’t.”
“I think the cat’s out of the bag with this one, darlin’.” He raised her hand to his lips and kissed it. “He knows about us; we know about him. What’s the harm in letting him know? That’s why we came here, right?”
“The council forbids this.” She yanked her hand away and crossed her arms over her chest. “And I thought we were here because you wanted to protect him? If you did, then you wouldn’t reveal anything else about Ly—us.”
“Karim is my friend—no, he’s my brother.” Duncan’s bright green eyes bore into him. “He wouldn’t do anything to risk my life or that of my family.”
“All of you?” Karim said incredulously. “Even little Roslyn?”
“Aye. Except for Mum, but that’s a special case.” He looked to Julianna.
After what seemed like an intense, silent stare-down, she shrugged. “Fine. Go ahead.”
Duncan turned to him. “We’re called Lycans. We live and share our bodies with our animals—our wolves. Like with your dragon, we can call on our wolves and shift into their physical forms. And before you ask, no, we don’t turn with the moon, though there is one exception. Other than that, we can pass ourselves as normal human beings. The bigger world doesn’t know about our existence.”
“Deedee is a part of my clan,” Julianna said. “Her mother is a Lycan, and she was born here and is pledged to New York. My brother is the Alpha, and I was sent to Scotland to forge an alliance with Duncan’s clan.”
Ah, it was a coincidence then. Or perhaps fate. “And what about the ones who have special powers? I saw a man who disappeared before my very eyes, and another one who could make flames appear from his hands.”
“Warlocks and witches exist too,” Julianna added. “And when they mate with us, their offspring can be born as hybrids. Part Lycan, part magical being.”
“And there are more of them? And of you?”
Julianna’s keen eyes narrowed at him. “What are you doing here, Your Highness? Why come here, knowing that Sebastian Creed is out to get you? Is there some sort of Zhobghadi code that states that there must only be one dragon? Are you planning to kill him?” Her gaze sharpened. “Because I can assure you: that’s not going to happen. He is pledged to us, and any threat to him is a threat to all of us. My clan will do everything to protect him, especially now that we need him.”
“Need him? For what?” Karim searched her face, but found no answer. So, he continued. “I am not here for him. Yes, I want to know more about him, but he is not my main purpose for coming here.”
“Then what is?” Julianna prodded. “Tell me, and maybe I can convince my clan that you mean us no harm.”
He sighed. “I am here for her.”
“Her?” Duncan echoed.
“Her. Desiree Creed. The daughter of the dragon. I came to her this morning, but I was unsuccessful. Her father put guards on her to keep me away, but I intend to have her—.”
“I beg your fucking pardon?” Julianna shot up to her feet.
“Julianna, that’s no way to talk to royalty.” Duncan seemed amused though. “What would the dowager say?”
“Julianna—” Duncan began.
“You can’t be going around snatching people because you want them. That’s called kidnapping.”
“What do you think I am, a barbarian?” He stood up, too, and towered over her with his hands raised high, a move that Duncan didn’t seem to appreciate as the Scot shoved his way between them.
“Brother or no, I’m going to kill you if you harm my mate and the mother of my child.” Duncan’s words held a deadly edge, and his eyes began to glow.
Karim took a step back and lowered his arms. “Your child? My friend—brother—that is joyous news.” He clapped him on the shoulder.
Duncan’s hand went down to Julianna’s middle. “Isn’t it?” The lethal expression on his face disappeared and was replaced by one of … bliss?
“Can we get back on task here?” Julianna frowned. “So, if you’re not here to kidnap Deedee, what do you want with her?”
“She is mine. I want her to be my queen.”
Duncan slapped his hand on his knee. “Och, so you’re in love with her.”
“I’m not—” His friend’s words sunk into him like a stone tossed into a pond. He had never been in love with a woman before. Never thought it would ever happen to him. But this feeling, this pain … it could only be this. The realization hit him like a bag of rocks to the face.
“You look like that time in Year Twelve when Leslie Abberforth got you with a bag of rocks to the face.” Duncan chuckled and slapped him on the shoulder. “Knocked some sense into you too, if I recall. So, what’re you gonna do now?”
“I must go to her and tell her.” He rolled his shoulders back. “She will listen to me and—”
Julianna raised her hand. “Whoa, hold your horses, cowboy. That’s not something you just blurt outright. Besides, you said you already went to see her this morning?”
“Right before you got here. I obtained her address and went to see her, but her father put guards on her. One who controls and is immune to flames, and the one who walks in shadow.” That was what the Almoravid had called the dark-haired one, when he demanded an explanation as to how the palace had been infiltrated. They had looked at all the security footage around the palace and saw no one come in. Captain Fariba said he must have walked in the shadows because no one saw him come in, and the only place he could hide were in the dark corners.
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