Fated Mates: Paranormal Romance Series Starters Boxset

by Hariharan, Laxmi

  She pulled back, her action so sudden she bumped into the person behind her.

  "There, there, darlin’." Hands gripped her waist, straightening her.

  Hope turned and looked up, and up. The man was so tall he could only be a shifter.

  He grinned down at her. The smell of alcohol from this one was so strong she could have lit his fumes on fire.

  There was a growl.

  The Guardian slid his body between her and the other drunken male. His warm and very masculine arm snaked around her waist, holding her flush against his back.

  Awesome. Typical male domination.

  The two were getting ready to go head to head in a bar. Not quite conducive to the low profile she'd been trying keep.

  The scent of eucalyptus and pine surrounded her. It was as if she were transported to an open hillside. A wildness to the smell sank deep into her soul. It called to that untamed part of her. The one that had her breaking rules to come to this city.

  Faced with a back so broad it blocked off the rest of the bar from sight, she watched the muscles bunching under his shirt. She flattened her palm against those muscles, and they shifted under her touch.

  "Get your hands off her, Cain," the Guardian growled at the shifter male.

  His voice rumbled, setting off tiny vibrations over her skin.

  Hope peeked around in time to see Cain fold his arms over his chest.

  He was as tall as her Guardian and broader. The shifter was an absolute tank of a man.

  "Says who?"

  Anger was clearly a sobering emotion. Both males stood tall, chests thrust forward, and ready to beat the hell out of each other.

  "Says me."

  Hope came around to stand at right angles to both.

  Slapping a hand on each of their chests, she shoved. Muscles straining with the effort, she managed to hold both of them back.

  Each man was bigger than her, yet she'd stopped them. She'd given away how powerful she was even in human form.

  Hope darted her attention from one man to the other. Their gazes were fixed on each other, fists curled by their sides.

  Her breath whistled out in relief.

  They were too engrossed in their macho game of out doing each other.

  Amber eyes glowing bright, Cain's gaze dropped to her. He canted his head, nostrils flaring.

  He must have caught her scent. He knew she was not human, that she was a shifter.

  Stepping back enough that he was out of her reach, Cain raised his hands. "Sorry, bro." He grinned at the other man.

  Huh? He was backing off?

  Cain clapped the Guardian on his shoulder.

  Right, so they knew each other.

  "Good to see you looking more like yourself, Aaron."

  Aaron. So that was his name. Both the dragon and the woman inside her jumped at that small intimate piece of knowledge.

  The Guardian grunted. His muscles vibrated with tension, reminding Hope her palm was still flat against his chest. His very male, ripped chest.

  She let her palm stay there a second longer before letting it drop to her side.

  "What are you doing here? Did the Council send you to keep an eye on me?" Aaron thrust his jaw forward.

  "Why would they do that, hmm?" Cain grinned, transforming him into a charismatic male.

  No female stood a chance.

  Good thing she wasn't attracted to him.

  Her head was too full of the other complex brooding man whose gaze was focused on her face. She had her hands full with the Guardian.

  Cain widened his stance, lips twisting in a smirk. "You are more than capable of defending yourself, immortal warrior and Ascendant that you are."

  Her gaze swiveled back to Aaron.

  Immortal warrior? Ascendant?

  Not only had she almost given away what she was, but she had also made contact with the Council of the City. Everything her leader had forbidden her.

  “Besides," Cain flicked his gaze to Hope, a wicked glint in his eyes, "I think that you've found someone to take care of. You're going to have your hands full. Heed my words, bro, she's not as innocent as she seems."

  "Hold on!" Who was this shifter? And why was he presuming any connection between her and the Guardian? "I'm still here, you know." She waved her hands in front of his face.

  Cain just smirked, blinking slowly.

  "You were never drunk, were you?" She realized in a flash of insight: "It was all an act to get a rise out of your friend."

  "He damn well succeeded."

  Her attention darted back to Aaron's face.

  Those cobalt-blue eyes narrowed.

  Why was he was so angry? "You're jealous? Because your friend touched me?" Hope looked back, only to see Cain—the traitor—had melted into the crowd.

  That left her with one irate immortal who had the ability to twist her insides, with an emotion she didn't quite want to name.

  When she turned back to Aaron, his eyes were clearer. Perhaps he was beginning to see just how illogical his actions were?

  Swooping down, he brushed his lips across hers.

  Okay. Perhaps not.

  4

  Aaron

  Hope.

  Her name was a ray of light that cut through the darkness he was floating in.

  She turned on him, eyes flashing, asking why he was behaving in such an irrational manner.

  Aaron had no answer to that, except that he was drawn to her in a way he had never been to any woman.

  So he did what any hot-blooded male would. He kissed her.

  For the first time since Zayn died, Aaron let himself feel. Her lips, so soft, so sweet, like nothing he'd tasted. Everything he'd been waiting for.

  Her scent of vanilla and sunshine with something hot just underneath had licked at his senses. Aaron knew then, he was in serious trouble.

  Still not touching any other part of her, he nipped at her lower lip.

  Her mouth parted.

  He slid his tongue inside.

  That's when her emotions seemed to catch fire.

  Her tongue tangled with his, seducing him, sending a throb of desire straight to his groin.

  A groan shuddered through her, but he swallowed the sound.

  Her tongue flicked out to touch his lips.

  Desire pulled at him. He made no attempt to hide his arousal. He let his hardness thrust against his jeans until it brushed her hip.

  Aaron was greedy for her. He wanted to drink her up. He wanted to love her. He had found her, and his life would never be the same again. He was sure about that.

  He couldn't wait to tell Zayn about her.

  The thought sent shock waves through him.

  Zayn would never be able to kiss a woman, would never have this kind of connection with a female.

  Aaron tore his lips from Hope's.

  Her face reflected the same amazement.

  Hope must have sensed it, too. Whatever was happening was not one-sided.

  How could he allow himself to be pulled to her? To need her, when Zayn would never be able to love another?

  For so long they had experienced everything together.

  Was he trying to fill the gap Zayn had left in his life with Hope?

  He wanted to draw her essence into him. To feel something other than the grief that had shrouded his every waking moment.

  The thought made him feel guilty.

  Did she sense the conflict in him, for her eyes widened?

  The green in them lightened until they were almost colorless.

  Gold sparks in her eyes mirrored the amber around her neck.

  He'd never seen eyes like those before. Aaron had heard about it, though.

  In the hermitage where he’d grown up, Brahma, the seer who'd been like a father to him, had narrated stories of dragon shifters who had eyes so vibrant they were like golden flecks of sunlight on water.

  But, of course, that was just a story. Right?

  Someone jostled him, and the illusion broke
.

  Her eyes darted to the side.

  Aaron knew she was going to leave.

  Why was he so drawn to her? All he knew was that he couldn't stop his senses from reaching out to her.

  What was this tie that bound him to her?

  Despite the confusion in his head, the thought of never seeing Hope again sent a piercing fear through him.

  "Don't go."

  5

  Hope

  She had to leave right away, before this chemistry became something that would overwhelm both of them.

  The way he'd touched her…

  Just a stroke, like she was something precious. Like she was…his.

  Hope's dragon stretched with anticipation. Awareness shivered down her spine.

  A curl of desire tugged her lower belly.

  "Where did you come from, Hope?" He swirled his tongue around her name.

  It was as if he'd reached out and touched a hidden, intimate part of her. One she hadn't even been aware existed.

  "From Mauritania." Hope blinked.

  She hadn't meant to reveal that, but the sexual haze he'd enveloped her in had unbalanced her.

  There was no denying the sheer pull toward him, like she'd met a part of herself.

  She wanted to lean in and sink her fingers into that dark pool of hair, press her lips to the base of his throat and lick his skin.

  No! She reined in her thoughts. There was no future there, not for her. She should leave.

  She met his gaze head-on.

  The intensity of his presence washed over her, but she didn't blink. He was a strong alpha male, but she was a warrior as well.

  She flicked her hair over her shoulder in an attempt to regain composure and cast around in her mind for something to say. Anything to break the simmering tension between them.

  A psychic buzz brushed against the natural shield around her senses. It set off pinpricks of pain over her skin. She winced, shoulders hunching. "What the—?" Fear snaked an icy path down her spine.

  An unknown force was trying to get through her defenses and penetrate her mind. If it did so, it would be able to control her dragon, making her a dangerous weapon.

  Gritting her teeth, she pushed back the energy. Sweat ran down her forehead, stinging her eyes. Even as her muscles tensed, Aaron reached out on either side of her, pinning her to the bar, a look of protective possession on his face.

  He was protecting her against this psychic threat?

  The psychic buzz only grew in strength, multiplying, until it rammed her shield.

  It pulsed with such strength that she knew the attacker must have felt her shield's resistance and was trying to smash through.

  Before the unseen force could overpower her, Hope slammed down a second shield. The buzz dropped to a bearable hum. Her mind cleared.

  She found Aaron struggling to breathe. Blood dripped from his nose. More crimson trickled from his ears.

  "You're hurt!" Fear licked her nerve endings. The woman in her wanted to take care of his wounds, to ease his pain.

  Aaron didn't seem to hear. "No shifter should be able to withstand such a strong psychic hit. Yet you are still conscious. How?" Those blue eyes grew cooler until they resembled ice chips on a frozen sea.

  Her heart hammered her rib cage. He'd realized she was no ordinary shifter.

  Yeah, he'd make a hell of an opponent in a fight.

  Screams broke out from behind them, saving her the need to reply.

  Aaron swore. He grabbed Hope by the shoulder.

  He was going to throw her on the floor and cover her body with his...

  A part of her wanted him to. She wanted to feel the hard length of his body against her skin.

  Hope wrenched her mind away from those dangerous thoughts. Twisting in a move that took him by surprise, she slid out of his grasp and faced the rest of the room.

  The scene was one of utter chaos.

  The humans were out cold on the floor. Some of the shifters and vampires had their hands over their ears to block out the psychic noise. Others stayed motionless where they had fallen.

  Behind her, Aaron's body was a wall of strength. "What the hell is happening?"

  Tension radiated from his coiled muscles.

  A sick feeling twisted her gut.

  Only one force was capable of getting through the strong shields of shifters and vampires. Only one other species whose psychic force could penetrate her dragon's primary shields.

  But it wasn't possible. The Elysians couldn't have reached Bombay. Could they?

  The psychic buzz ratcheted up a notch. It was strong enough to knock the breath out of her. Despite her second layer of shields, Hope's ears thrummed with the force.

  Aaron growled. The pain in his voice cut through her thoughts.

  Heart beating fast, Hope turned to find Aaron holding his head.

  Not even an immortal was resistant to the psychic impact of the Elysians trying to get through her shields.

  On the other side of the room, a woman dropped to the floor, screaming with pain.

  Her boyfriend sank to his knees next to her. He reached to help her, only to double over and grip his head.

  Across from them, two girls held on to each other, tears rolling down their cheeks as they sobbed.

  Behind them, another psychic blast crashed through the place. Cain gripped the door. His big body jerked. He held on to the frame for support.

  The psychic lash whipped through the space, ramming through her and into the back of the bar.

  The bottles rattled.

  There was a second of silence.

  Then the glass shattered, the sound booming out. Shreds of glass sliced the air, pouring over Hope, flying past her to hit an unconscious couple.

  A larger shard sliced her arm. Pain cut through her.

  As if hunting for its next victim, the psychic whiplash honed in on her.

  It battered her second layer of shields. Finding a hairline crack, the force smashed against it, again and again.

  She had to act fast.

  There was only one way to put an end to this.

  Without waiting for Aaron to recover, Hope ran across the floor, jumping over writhing bodies.

  She had to get to the source of the attacks and stop it.

  6

  Aaron

  A metallic smell laced with bitter almonds hit Aaron. The next psychic blast crashed over him.

  It burned through his psychic shields, heading toward the telepathic network he shared with the other immortal Ascendants. The network served as a channel in emergencies.

  Was this attack designed to gain access to it?

  Aaron clamped down another shield. He had to contain the psychic force.

  Drowning out most of the psychic interference, he staggered in the direction Hope had run.

  He was barely able to stay upright on his feet.

  Whatever was out there was a potent power. It was stronger than Hope. It would hurt her, and she had headed straight toward it.

  Fear rolled down his spine, pushing him forward. Stepping over prone bodies and those still writhing in pain, he reached the door.

  Cain scrambled to rise. His face was pale, blood streaming from his nose and ears.

  Aaron held out a hand, pulling Cain to his feet. Leaving the shifter to follow, Aaron lurched across the threshold then came to a halt with Cain just behind him.

  The scene captured his attention.

  Skies heavy with rain clouds filled the horizon. A wave crashed onto the shore that ran alongside the road. The scent of salt was heavy in the air with the incoming tide.

  Hope's back was to him. She looked tiny, much smaller than the man who faced her.

  The stranger had his back to the beach that stretched out on the other side of the road.

  His feet were planted wide apart, hands on his hips.

  That man had to be the source of the psychic onslaught.

  Even at this distance, Aaron sensed the tension in the strang
er’s muscles.

  The man leaned forward, his focus on Hope. He was going to attack her.

  Aaron made to move toward her.

  A guttural cry from Hope stopped him.

  She raised her hands, and the air swirled. Flashes of green and violet flames burst from her.

  The fire shivered up her chest, twining her arms. Another stream of golden flames snaked over her waist and down her legs. The tips of her hair sparked green and gold. Her clothes shimmered. The flames slithered around her then flared up.

  He heard the sound of massive wings flapping.

  Where Hope once stood was the most magnificent specimen of a dragon.

  Patterned colors were threaded through the scales on the wings. Her wingspan was wide enough to block out the man. So large, they must at least cross twenty feet each.

  Solid enough to act as a barrier to any psychic force that may be emanating from him.

  The dragon raised her long neck. She hissed like a volcano erupting. Tongues of fire flowed from her—violet and red and blue. The fire was the most beautiful sight he'd ever seen. And the deadliest.

  The stranger swiveled. His gaze swept over Aaron's features.

  The flames struck him just as the air around him shimmered and turned silver. He became translucent enough for Aaron to see through him.

  The man vanished.

  "What the hell?" Aaron swore. "A teleporter with telekinetic energies, able to bring down an entire crowd of mixed species? What is he?"

  Beside him, Cain breathed. "I've never seen anything like it."

  The dragoness turned her neck. The grace in that movement had him inhaling in appreciation.

  Her wings were outstretched, the muscles rippling in anticipation of takeoff.

  He couldn't let her leave. Not like this. He couldn't have found hope only to lose her.

  Aaron raised his hand to call out to her, to tell her to come back, to stay.

  Her gaze locked on to his.

  Her eyes were the same emerald-green with gold flecks that he'd seen in her human form. Was she waiting to see what he'd do next?

  That's when he knew. He couldn't ask her to stay.

  Hope was the epitome of freedom. Of life. Of everything he'd once valued in Zayn. He had to let her go.