by Reus, Katie
He followed after her, watching the interaction between the two of them with a weird ache in his chest. Everything about Dallas was so open and real.
“Someone has been missing you,” called Aurora as she appeared from around the side of the house. She nodded once at Rhys then looked back at Dallas, who was laughing under Willow’s kisses.
“I’ve missed her too,” she said on another laugh.
As Dallas finally stood, Willow scrambled toward Rhys excitedly. Despite his intention to stay a little removed from them, it was impossible—and he found himself crouched down and scratching behind her ear as Willow kissed his face.
“We’ve had an eventful day,” Dallas murmured, quickly launching into what they’d learned from Thurman.
Aurora listened to everything, her eyes widening only slightly, as if some of this wasn’t exactly a surprise.
When Dallas was finished, Aurora spoke. “King and I were informed about some of this earlier.”
Rhys straightened, but still petted Willow’s head. The little dragon leaned into him and gazed up at him with adoring eyes, and damned if it didn’t cause a squeezing sensation in his chest. “About the missing vampires and humans?”
“Missing vampires, at least. Humans aren’t as open with King or his pack yet. They’re all still adjusting to the new order of things, I think. Or maybe people without family have been taken, so no one knows they’re missing. I don’t want to speculate too much, but we need to figure out where they’re being held. Come on,” she said, motioning for them to follow her inside.
Dallas kissed the top of Willow’s head before her dragon took to the skies and started happily flying around the yard, completely content.
“I need to know exactly what Thurman said about this,” Aurora said as Rhys unfolded and laid the drawing of the crest on the kitchen countertop.
“That only witches would be able to see this crest. It’s actually not all that uncommon. This kind of thing dates back centuries. My kind have been hunted for as long as we’ve been around.” Dallas’s voice was carefully neutral as she sat at the center island and she avoided looking at him. Instead she stared at the aqua-colored bowl filled with bright red apples.
A fissure started in his chest, cracking slightly at her words.
“In order to keep coven meetings secret, witches would spell certain symbols at different houses, or locations, letting other witches know that a place was safe. So while the use of this spell is common, according to Thurman this crest will help us find the missing vampires and humans. I can do a finding spell and at least narrow down where this place is using the crest as a guide. I won’t be able to find it directly because witches are notoriously tricky like that. But I should be able to get a decent radius, which will help us narrow down where we need to search. Well, where I need to search.”
“I’ll be going with you,” he said.
She looked up at him and simply nodded, her expression still carefully neutral. She didn’t trust him yet, and he wanted her to. So much it stunned him. Not that he’d done anything to earn her trust.
Aurora had her phone in hand. “I’m going to call King. What do you need for the finding spell?”
“I really just need a map of New Orleans—something physical. Thurman didn’t say where this place was, so it might not even be in the city. If that’s the case, then my spell won’t do much good and we’ll have to broaden our radius. But I can’t imagine why he would have had a vision of something not connected to the area.”
“Give me a second.” Aurora hurried from the room, her phone at her ear.
“Is it difficult to do a finding spell?” He’d studied up on witches as much as he could, over the last year especially. But knowledge on their practices was secret and limited. They kept to themselves much in the way that dragons did. He didn’t blame them, especially considering he’d been a judgmental asshole about witches until the other day. Until Dallas. It made sense that they protected themselves.
Dallas lifted a shoulder.
He really didn’t like that neutral expression or the way she’d pulled away from him. He’d started to say something, though he wasn’t sure what, when Aurora strode back into the room and unfolded a huge map, laying it across the granite countertop. “Will this do?” Her phone was still at her ear as she asked.
“Yes, it’s perfect,” Dallas said.
“Good. King wants to know what you need from him.”
“Nothing now. Though…I don’t know who he can trust other than me to look for this crest. Because if witches in the city are involved in the taking of humans and vampires, he probably shouldn’t start telling other people we’re looking for them.”
Aurora nodded. “He said the same thing. So just do what you need to do.”
She looked between the two of them and shifted nervously on her seat. “I need a little privacy for this. You guys need to wait outside.”
Rhys didn’t like the thought of leaving her alone, but not because he didn’t trust her. “Do you want us to leave the back door open?”
She shook her head and didn’t look at him.
Some deep part of him felt like a temperamental child, wanting to demand that she look at him. Instead, he strode outside with Aurora, feeling that fissure in his chest grow even wider.
* * *
Dallas moved quickly and grabbed a ceramic bowl from one of the cabinets, then plucked a knife from a drawer. Technically she didn’t need to be alone for this, but she didn’t like revealing any parts of her practice to others, especially not a dragon who’d made it clear he didn’t trust witches and was out to kill one.
An annoyingly sexy dragon.
She didn’t have her normal tools like her athame with her, but a regular fillet knife would do.
Though she was going to use her own blood. This wasn’t actual blood magic, not in the sense that she was practicing the dark arts like some of her sisters. Blood magic was when witches or others used someone else’s blood, usually without consent, and for dark purposes.
As a natural-born witch, she could use her own blood when necessary, and if it was for the greater good, there was never any bounce-back on her. Bracing herself for the pain, she wrapped her hand around the fillet knife and slid it across her palm in one quick slice.
She hissed as it dragged across her skin, but softly chanted the simple spell as she held her bleeding hand over the bowl. Her blood started to drip into the bowl but as she continued chanting, the droplets suspended in midair, twisting and turning in a delicate dance before finding their mark on the map.
Her blood swirled around and around, hovering over the map, and for a long moment she thought maybe the missing vampires and humans weren’t even in the city, when suddenly the crimson drops spread out in a circle and landed on the paper below, creating a perfect oval. Her blood immediately turned a very soft blue, as if she’d drawn the line and not used part of herself.
She quickly put the bowl and knife in the sink and washed them, wanting to get rid of any traces of her blood. A witch’s blood could be used against her, something she knew personally. Her mother had tried to control her once upon a time.
She winced at the pain from the cut but her skin was already knitting itself back together. Since she’d created the spell with good intentions, wanting to help, it made a huge difference in how fast she healed.
Once everything was cleaned up and only an angry red mark remained on her palm, she opened the back door to find Aurora and Rhys standing there with Willow, both cooing and petting her. Well, Rhys wasn’t cooing, but he was still petting her.
Her chest tightened at the sight of the big, strong dragon being so sweet with Willow but she shut down those emotions. That male was not for her.
“I’m done,” she called out, before she quickly turned away and hurried back inside. Being around him was messing with her in too many ways.
“You’re sure this is it?” Aurora asked as she traced her finger around the blue oval.
“As s
ure as I can be. So I need to search in this radius and it’s pretty damn big.” Relatively speaking anyway. “I just need to grab something to eat and then we can start.” It was almost dusk, but it wouldn’t matter—with symbols like the crest, it would glow neon for her to see. If anything, it was almost more visible at night.
“Are you sure? You’ve been on your feet all day.” Rhys’s mouth pulled down into a frown. His concern was…sexy. Of course, everything he did was sexy. He definitely had that whole brooding, tortured male thing going on. Something she’d never thought was attractive. Until Rhys.
“I’m sure King can find someone else to come with me.” Maybe he didn’t want to be her babysitter anymore, and frankly, that would be easier on her.
That intense frown deepened. “Are you kidding me? That’s not what I meant,” he snapped. “And I’m not leaving your side.”
Aurora’s eyebrows simply raised as she looked between the two of them with interest.
Dallas rubbed a hand over her face, fighting a wave of exhaustion. “All I need is some food and I’ll be ready to go. We can cover a lot of ground over the next few hours. At least we can eliminate some neighborhoods and then I’ll start again in the morning. Unless King wants me doing something else?” He had called her to the city to scout out various food plots.
“No, he said this is the main priority,” Aurora said. “And he’s going to pull in a few more of his pack to go with you guys. Even if you’re the only one who can see this crest, if these witches are kidnapping people, they’re not going to like it if you find out where their victims are. You’re going to need backup.”
“I am a dragon.” Rhys sounded beyond offended at the thought of taking backup.
Aurora simply snorted. And despite everything, Dallas hid a smile. Sweet goddess, dragons really were arrogant.
“Backup won’t hurt,” she murmured.
His frown was still in place but he moved to the refrigerator. “I’ll fix you something and you will eat all of it. You look way too tired.” His voice was all gruff, but she saw the worry in his eyes.
And okay, that kind of touched her. Although maybe he was just worried that if something happened to her, he wouldn’t be able to find…Catta. But whatever, he was concerned and she kinda liked it. Which was probably sad, but she ignored that thought.
As Aurora took a picture of the map—likely to send to King—Dallas sat at the island top.
Rhys peered into the huge fridge. “We’ve got cheeses, fruits, meats—”
“How about a grilled cheese sandwich?”
“That’s it?”
“And any fresh fruit you have. Strawberries or blueberries?”
He nodded and started moving around the kitchen with an impressive efficiency. It was sexy as hell to have such a big, capable male cooking for her. Something she shouldn’t care about. But again, her head and heart were not in sync.
This male had made it clear that his goal was vengeance. He wanted to use her. Not…anything else.
She would do well to remember that.
Chapter 13
Catta smiled at the male vampire who sat down next to her on the barstool. She sent out a little thread of magic, searching, probing his thoughts for what he liked, didn’t like. When she got what she needed, pleasure punched through her. This one would be easy. No real kinks, which was surprising for a vampire.
She stood when he was looking away, then quickly mixed a confusion spell and a glamour one before settling back on the chair and into her temporary role. She and the rest of her coven had been working overtime kidnapping humans and vampires. Normally she left this duty to her coven members but the darkness inside her craved power, desperate for it. She needed the blood.
She knew it had been a risk coming to New Orleans, but so much of the world had been destroyed, including her former residence. So she and her coven had gravitated here, not telling King they’d recently settled in the city. This was an epicenter for supernaturals and she could carve out a place here. She’d been born to rule, born to be a queen. Now her time was near. There were enough covens here that she could take over all of them.
“What are you drinking?” she purred at the male who’d already half turned in his seat, the scent of his lust rolling off him in potent waves as he raked a hungry gaze over her. Right now she knew he saw her as his ideal lover—a tall, fit blonde with waist-length hair and blood-red cupid’s bow lips. So prosaic.
His gaze flicked to her neck, to her pulse. He really was a fine specimen of male. Maybe she would use him later for her own pleasure. “Hopefully you,” he murmured, flashing fangs at her.
Now that supernaturals were out to the world, his flash of fang didn’t surprise her in this human-run bar. Because she knew better than to hit up supernatural-run bars. It seemed he had the same idea, was likely hunting for someone to feed on. “Hmm, that sounds promising.”
He turned fully to face her now, reaching out a strong, muscular arm along the polished mahogany bar top toward her. With his dark hair, a huge, muscular build and a large bulge outlined in his pants, she definitely wanted to try this male before taking his blood. Her lust was real, potent, and would help her get him out of the bar.
“Have you ever been fucked by a vampire before?”
She would give him points for boldness. She made a purring sound and stroked her fingers over his forearm, injecting just a bit of her own magic onto him. The threads were nearly invisible as they started binding his powers, making him weaker. He would have no idea. “Perhaps. But it’s been a long time, so maybe you should refresh my memory.”
He hadn’t even ordered a drink but slipped off the bar stool and took her hand in his. She didn’t have the same senses as shifter supernaturals, but his lust was a wild thing she felt pulsing in the air. Her nipples tightened as she felt it.
“My place isn’t far from here,” he murmured as they stepped out onto the crowded street.
“What’s your name?” she asked as they headed down the cobblestone path.
“Benjamin,” he murmured, his gaze falling to her neck again as they passed a quiet alley.
She tossed up a blurring spell to keep the alleyway free and dragged him into it.
For a moment he seemed shocked, maybe by her strength or by the lust she was throwing off. “I’m Catta. How about you remind me what it’s like to fuck a vampire right here?” she asked as she dragged him up against a brick wall.
Hunger glinted in his glowing amber eyes as he switched positions and pinned her up against the wall, his fingers digging into her hips before he shoved her dress up.
“You’re bare? That’s so hot,” he growled, crushing his mouth to hers.
As they kissed, it didn’t take her long to free his cock. Just as it didn’t take long to wrap her legs around his hips and guide his hard length inside her.
The male was so damn thick, pumping into her like an animal as he finally broke the skin of her neck with his fangs, drawing on her blood.
He sucked hard at first, in tune with his thrusts. She reached between their bodies and stroked her clit, wanting an immediate release. Because soon he would be passed out on the dirty ground. And she was getting hers before that happened.
Her climax hit almost immediately, the pulls from his fangs ratcheting up her pleasure sharp and fast. Waves and waves of pleasure rolled through her as she threw her head back. As her climax subsided, little tingles still surging through her, she dropped her legs from around him.
“What…” He frowned slightly, confused as she lifted off him, taking away what he wanted. He was still rock-hard, his cock throbbing with the need for release.
She dropped her glamour spell and smiled at him, a real one. She shoved her dress down and adjusted it into place.
He swallowed hard, blinked as he stumbled back, neither his brain nor body understanding what was happening. Her blood had put him into a state of paralysis. Foolish, foolish male.
“Sorry, love, it’s not personal. You
drank my blood and now you’re mine,” she whispered. She thought about jerking him off so he at least got to finish before he died, but then dismissed the thought as soon as it entered her mind. But maybe she’d screw him later once she had him back in her coven’s dungeon.
As he fell to the ground, his eyes wide with horror when he realized he couldn’t move, two of her coven members entered the alley on silent feet. “Take him to the van. I’m going to head back to the club. I should be able to get a couple others tonight. How is everyone else doing?”
“Very well,” Margaret said, a smile on her face as she threw a cloaking spell over the fallen vampire. “He makes fifteen.”
“Good.” It wasn’t enough—nothing ever seemed enough lately. Likely because she’d experienced what it was like to have true power coursing through her. Dragon blood.
Unfortunately that had backfired on her eventually. She’d been filled with unstoppable power until the blood coursing in her veins had forced her into stasis, into a Hibernation like all those dragons took. It had robbed her of thousands of years’ worth of her life, of the ability to grow her power.
Soon she would get it all back. The darkness inside her needed feeding and tonight was just the beginning. Poor Benjamin had barely taken the edge off.
Soon she would have enough power flooding her that she’d be able to go up against a dragon—drink it dry. Once that happened, she was never going into stasis again. No, she would take her place as the true power in the region. No more hiding in the shadows. The world needed witches now.
They needed her.
Once she was powerful enough, she would go after that dragon with her daughter. Hmm. Maybe she would even use her daughter to draw him out. The male wasn’t with his clan, was isolated… Yes, maybe she would. And she would force Dallas to watch as she killed him.
That was the perfect punishment for leaving her.
Chapter 14
Rhys strode down the quiet, historic street, Dallas silent beside him, consistently searching each gate, mailbox or anything that looked like it might have a hint of the crest that Thurman had drawn for her. Willow flew high above the treetops, keeping them in range, but just enjoying herself in the air. When Dallas stopped and pulled out her cell phone, he froze.
