by Lela Grayce
“I didn’t tell,” he said, raising his hands in innocence.
“There are those who watch this club,” Gwenna said. “Watch what is important to its members and most importantly it’s leaders. You are well protected and rarely seen. No one knows your abilities. There is speculation surrounding you and this… organization.”
“God, you make it sound like we’re doing something illegal, but we’re not. We run in the same crowd as the big boys but that’s because we can back up our good-doing with loyalty and no one wants to mess with that,” I crossed my arms feeling defensive.
“Loyalty starts from the top and works its way down. You are being watched and seen. It’s not a bad thing.”
“Stalking is a bad thing. Something I’ve made a part of my normal life lately,” I muttered the last part thinking of Brutus and now Kreed. Total stalkers.
“I still don’t understand how your ability works,” Kreed stated, looking from me to Gwenna and back again.
“Even I don’t know that. I just know.” I shrugged a simple yet confusing answer.
“What is she?” Kreed asked, pointing at Gwenna.
“She is equal parts Fae and witch,” I answered immediately. “It’s not unheard of but Hybrids aren’t the norm. I would consider myself lucky to have met two of you in the same night.”
Gwenna’s eyes widened and her mouth opened in surprise. I grinned at her surprise then it fell from my face just as fast as I remembered everything else. My face drained of color and I felt light-headed.
“Hey, now, whoa,” Gwenna said, crouching in front of me, her hand on my shoulder.
“There were so many in there,” I gasped, the shock at what had happened catching up to me. “Every single one was a Hybrid, equal parts just like you, but the boss was… different.”
“Different how?” Kreed, Jed, and Gavin said at the same time. Gwenna just sat looking at me stunned.
“I’ve never met one before. It took my radar longer to figure it out. As I stalled trying to get a definitive read on them, I was…” I mean how do you describe what happened. While stalling I caught a whiff of a guy then entertained sexy thoughts, proceeded to act them out, and then I let him bite me and drink my blood.
“It was like you were entranced like the dance a snake does before it strikes,” Jed said. I had forgotten that he was upstairs behind the two-way glass keeping an eye on me.
My cheeks heated as embarrassment set in. What had I been thinking? I wasn’t and I still felt that it was my fault. I must have given off some sort of vibe. I mean, more than I normally would. Flirting was normal as a waitress. You had to so you could get the best tips.
Jed’s massive feet pounded on the floor. He stopped in front of me and I felt his hand grip my shoulders. Gently, he lifted me from the couch so I was more on a level with him.
“This is not your fault, Nik. Do you understand me? He took advantage of you while you were in a compromised state. A lowly coward like that does not deserve your fear or your guilt.”
I gulped not from fear but from surprise maybe. My emotions were all over the place. I felt exposed and I hated it.
A crash sounded from behind Jed and we all turned startled. Kreed had thrown the table against the wall with such force that the whole piece of furniture had shattered and now lay in a pile of rubble on the floor.
“Something to add?” I wasn’t sure where that had come from.
“I heard you,” Kreed growled, his shoulders hunched as he faced the wall, fists clenched, probably wishing for another table. “I can hear through soundproof walls and spells. I heard you loud and clear, but then it went silent and I didn’t know if I should wait or go in.” He paused, then the next second, he had Gavin by the shirt and pushed up against the wall. “You said this was routine. Normal. Nothing would harm her. It was safe, you even humored me so that I could be nearby and listening in.”
“Kreed, stop. There’s no way you or he could have known there was a dragon,” I blurted then slapped my hand over my mouth as everyone turned to me.
“A dragon? Nik are you sure?” Gwenna grabbed me next and I was starting to hate being man handled all the time.
“Nope, because this ability of mine is wrong like all the time,” I said, sarcastically.
“Sorry, it was reflex.” She released me and I was grateful for it.
Until Jed swept me up into a hug that would make a bear jealous if they weren’t extinct. Kreed made a noise of protest but I ignored it. “If I’d known I would have gotten you out of there no matter the cost,” he whispered, which had tears gathering in my eyes. Damnit.
He released me and I sat down on the couch a bit shaky. Kreed had put Gavin down and they had come closer. I put my head in my hands hating how weak I looked and felt. Plus, I hated that everyone stared at me with sadness and pity.
“Give her space guys,” Gwenna said.
Footsteps grew fainter as people moved away but one presence remained. Kreed. He crouched down in front of me. I knew this because I was always a cheater at heads-up-seven-up or the best player ever depending on how you looked at it. Just catch a glimpse of the shoes and you guess right, every time.
“Nik, I know you haven’t had time to process what you just experienced,” Kreed said. “I will give you all the time and make sure you get it, but first I need you to tell me everything. The first few hours are critical for memory recall.” He placed a firm hand on my shoulder going for reassurance, but it just made my skin crawl. The cool temperature of his skin reminded me of… him.
“I promise I’ll tell you everything I can remember but you have to do something for me first,” I whispered knowing his super-duper-sorta-vampire hearing would pick up my words. He squeezed my shoulder slightly in agreement to my request. “Please don’t touch me. Your cool touch reminds me of…” I trailed off hating the weakness I was showing.
Earlier tonight I had found his cool touch invigorating. I wanted to wrap it around me and attempt to warm him up but now it was repulsive.
Kreed’s hand remained where it was and I felt my anger rise because he was again denying me what I needed.
“Look at me, Nik,” he said. I thought about denying him out of spite but there was strength in his voice that I needed. God, I had issues. “I am not him. You need to know, see, and feel that it’s me. I’m here to protect you and would never hurt you.”
I took a deep breath and nodded. His argument made sense. I was tough. I could handle a cool touch even if it reminded me of someone else who scared me more than my illness ever did.
“I walked into the VIP area and approached the couches where they were.” My voice barely recognizable even to me. “I handed out drinks, reading each of them as I went. They were all hybrids like Gwenna, but some were even rarer than her. The Witch-Fae one was scary. His eyes were milky white and his skin dark, a contrast that would ordinarily be beautiful but the look in his eyes was menacing like he was killing me in his head.” I shuddered at the memory. Besides his boss, he was the most dangerous being in that room.
The others had gathered behind Kreed as I started speaking. I walked them through the series of events doing my best to recall everything I could from sounds to smells. Any piece of information no matter how minute could be valuable.
My face grew hot when I reached the part where I had straddled the dragon’s lap and basically submitted to a predator. Kreed’s eyes blazed as I told them about the boss biting me and then how he drank. How it had felt, like he was sucking all the warmth from my body from my very soul.
“How did you get away?” Gwenna asked quietly from beside me, having sat down sometime during my monologue.
“I’m not sure, exactly. I was panicking inside but my body wouldn’t react except to stay still. Something happened. Heat from very deep inside gave me warmth and strength to pull back and push his face away. I think I stumbled after that. I was on the floor scrambling toward the stairs when he came after me. He still had blood dripping from his lips.
My blood. He looked nearly feral, eyes on fire, claws tipped his fingers, scales scattered on his forearms. Before he could get me, the witch-Fae stepped between us. He wasn’t protecting me but more like stopping the boss man from whatever he was planning. I took the chance and rolled toward the stairs. Then Kreed grabbed me and the rest you know.”
Everyone was silent for a few moments then Gavin asked a question that I was dreading. “You let him bite you?” He sounded revolted. Disgusted even.
“I didn’t let him do shit,” I said, my words lacked the normal heat behind them but I was still mad. “Weren’t you listening? I couldn’t do anything. It was like I was trapped in my own body.”
“That must have been terrifying,” Gwenna whispered, putting her arm around my shoulders. “What does it mean that he took your blood?”
“Nothing good,” Kreed said, speaking for the first time. His hand had moved from my shoulder to my knee. His muscles tensed and his eyes were a bit wild looking.
“Who can we ask?” Gwenna asked, turning to Gavin.
He took a deep breath then blew it out slowly. He did that when he was thinking or trying to figure out a problem with no clear solution. “We know literally nothing about the dragon race. Only what they tell us, which could be complete bullshit. And who would call them on it?” He waved his hand like he was wiping away what he had just said. “For the first time, I have no idea.”
“I know someone,” Kreed said, rising to his feet and beginning to pace. “But who knows when he will be up for visitors.”
“Who?” Gwenna asked, worriedly.
I had a suspicion on who Kreed was referring to and his next words confirmed it.
“My father.”
“I know what you are thinking but he is in no condition to meet with us,” Kreed added hastily.
“Why not?” Gwenna asked.
I didn’t even know how they healed people but if Kreed said he wasn’t up for visitors then he wasn’t. Kreed knew more about this than anyone else in this room and no one was going to trust an outsider regardless of what they are. I would have to make the first move.
“You’re right. Your father isn’t an option right now. So what’s out next step?”
“Getting you back to the penthouse,” Jed, Gwenna, and Gavin all said.
“Well that was unanimous and not suspicious in any way.” I glared at them all.
I mean, yes, I wanted to go home but to all agree like that hurt a little. It felt good to feel wanted, if even for a night. It was weird times like these when I really missed Syd and Lyndee.
“I don’t think that the penthouse is the safest option. That’s the first place they’ll look,” Kreed argued, squaring up to everyone else in the room. My heart fluttered at the possibility that he did care, even a little, regardless of the healing bond.
“It’s the safest place for her. Hell, it’s probably the safest place in the city,” Gavin said as he ran a hand through his hair.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Kreed asked, continuing to pace.
The penthouse was way too much for someone like me but I helped out where I could and Syd gave Lyndee and I a place to live. We were way better off than the majority of Mutts in the city, possibly the world. I knew there were things that happened behind the scenes. I wasn’t stupid, but ignorance was bliss and after my resent battle I hadn’t delved to deeply into my employer. Syd was my best friend whom I trusted with my life. If there was something that I needed to know, I would have been told. It all came down to trust. Yes, I’m aware of the irony.
“She can’t go back there tonight. It’s too dangerous. We have no idea what we are dealing with here. Add in the fact that Nik could literally out this dragon boss to the Pendragon? That boss may not know about her abilities, but he must suspect something is different about her which puts her in danger. If rumors about The Faceless having an ace wasn’t enough tonight makes that even more likely.”
“That’s it. I’m calling Syd. This is way over my head. He’ll want to deal with this personally.”
I had never seen Gavin act so spineless. He wasn’t dominant but he knew how to deal and would never admit defeat so quickly and hand the matter off to someone else. This was big.
“Kreed,” I said, The others gathered around the monitors while Gavin was in a corner speaking into something. Kreed angled his body toward me but not far enough that he couldn’t see everyone else in the room. “Do you really think this is serious?”
“It isn’t hard to connect the dots. I came in here completely blind. I could figure out that this radar of yours is dangerous.”
“How?” I was so confused. How could knowing what a person was gene wise be dangerous? Honestly, I thought my power was a bit useless.
“Nik,” Kreed sighed, looking down at me, his eyes filled with worry. “Dragons are not allowed within the territories, except for the Pendragon who owns it. If Briggs knew that there was a dragon in his city pretending to be a mob boss, there would be a dominance fight and many innocent people would be killed. You have that knowledge which puts a target on your back.”
“But no one knows of my ability. Only the people in this room, Syd, Lyndee, Brutus, and your father knows what I can do. Sure, there is rumor and suspicion but no solid proof.”
“Which is the only thing keeping you alive. The dragon won’t act until he knows for sure and if I were him, I’d have you tailed to learn as much as I could. You are a liability that he cannot afford. Or you could be useful.”
“Do you think he’d kidnap me to find out the truth?”
“I wouldn’t put anything past a dragon. They are ruthless, uncaring, and have a god complex.”
That made sense because for a second the dragon man had seemed a bit intrigued by me. I thought it was attraction but maybe it was something more. He had come here for a reason, could that reason be me? And let's not forget that he asked what I was after he drank from me.
I gasped as that little nugget of information registered. He might not have undeniable proof but whatever he tasted in my blood, but it certainly flipped his monster switch. What are you? He’d growled possessively. Whatever I truly was had gotten his attention and the last thing I needed was to have a wild dragon’s attention. Kreed was right, this was bad.
“What is it?” Kreed asked.
His solid presence made me want to lean on him desperately. Maybe I could… for just a moment. No one can be strong all the time. “After he drank my blood, he asked me what I was,” I whispered, not wanting the others to hear that part of the story.
Kreed’s jaw clenched as he went stone still. I could feel the cold wafting from his skin, and I felt that need again to banish the cold with my heat. A spark lit deep inside at the thought. That dragon had taken nearly all my heat but the iciness of the man who stood beside me sparked a different kind of fire within me that I was quickly becoming addicted to. It had to be the bond. There was no other explanation. I would cling to that for as long as I could. My heat might banish Kreed’s cold but he could do that to me too, and I’d be damned if I let anyone steal my heat again.
“Brutus is your plan?” I asked, as Kreed and I walked away from the club. “What about my car?” The sky lightened to make way for the morning hours.
“Someone will deliver it to the penthouse. Don’t worry about it.”
Oh, I was worried about it. The car belonged to me and my best friend. It was like a relationship fern but without the growing and watering. We took care of it because it meant so much to us.
“If something happens to Kurby, I’ll track them down and hurt them very bad, then Lyndee will kill them.” I let my threat hang in the air as we walked down an alley.
Kreed chuckled from beside me and I frantically searched the skies because there had to be little pigs with wings flying all over the place.
“What’s so funny?” I asked.
“Of all the names in the world it would be you to name a vehicle something so demasculating.”
/> “How do you know that Kurby is male? A female can be named Kurby.”
“I thought all cars were male.”
What rock had he been living under. “I’ll have you know that a vehicle can be whatever they want to be.”
“You make it sound like they are living creatures with feelings.”
“Well, you’ve never been in a traffic jam when it is freezing then hit the dashboard in frustration and have the car's heat turn off. Cars have feelings.” If anyone was following or listening in to what we were talking about, I’m pretty sure they’d think we were on drugs. “Where is Brutus meeting us?” I asked, changing the subject.
“Few blocks from here.”
“Why couldn’t he just pick us up at the club?” My feet were killing me. I had half a mind to grab the little flats from my bag, but I had left it at the club not wanting to go searching for it.
“This way, I’ll be able to tell if anyone is following us,” Kreed replied, his eyes searching, penetrating the shadows. He was a predator in the night scaring tiny kittens.
“And what if someone is following us?” I asked, stepping closer to him.
“Try to figure out who the person works for.” He looked up and down the street as a streetlight two blocks away flickered, then went out.
“That doesn’t mean anything.” My voice shook as all the creatures who went bump in the night ran through my head.
We waited a couple moments before Kreed stepped into the street, senses on high alert. “It was the bulb.”
We weren’t in the greatest part of town. It was old and the modern technology advances hadn’t reached these grizzly streets yet or ever would. Electricity still powered this part of the city, whereas the newer side ran on other economical means. I’d overheard Syd fuming about the over-the-top electric bill. Funny how the older things got the more money it cost to keep it running. Stupid really.
We made it to the other side of the street as another streetlight flickered, this one closer to us. I jumped bumping into Kreed. His strong arm looped around my waist, anchoring me to his side. I shivered. He was still extremely frigid which I took to mean he was in the zone.
