by Gaja J. Kos
“Shift, damn it,” I cried out as Caz shook off three of his attackers, only to meet four of them in return. “Caz, shift!”
For a second I thought he hadn’t heard me. But then his amber eyes locked on mine, and I knew—I knew that whatever these bastards had done to the chamber, it kept his powers in check as much as the fucking ward was suppressing mine. Crap.
Even if I managed to break through and burn the bastards to ashes, I seriously doubted Caz had the luxury of waiting so long.
He’d crossed the gang’s paths one too many times. And Kauer’s men were adamant to eliminate him from the equation.
Fury burst to life inside me, growing hotter with each blow that marred Caz’s skin until I thought the demon fire licking at my fingers would consume the whole damned cell. Only it didn’t. Still, it didn’t.
Even watching my mate become weaker, watching him step ever closer to that line where all it would take for him to slip into the underworld was a single well-placed punch… I couldn’t do it. The ward held, and I was left helpless and immobile, counting down the minutes to Caz’s death.
The fury morphed into bitter sorrow that choked the air from my lungs. I couldn’t stand this. Couldn’t lose him before I had the chance to explain why I’d run. Explain that I was scared because I never believed it was possible to love someone so fucking much.
A gentle wave of reassurance entered my core.
Caz.
He was using the ethereal link between us to let me know that it was all right. To push that fierce love I’d tried running away from down the bond that would stay as a cruel, yet caring reminder even when the tendrils of Veles’s realm ensconced his soul.
The bond.
It was sacred. Something that reached far beyond any magic or laws of this world. If I could feel it from behind the ward, then maybe…
I scooped up every ounce of my power from my core, the ethereal hands thrusting it down the channel linking me with Caz. My vision swam at the sudden depletion, at the gaping void that sprang into existence where my power used to be. But as Caz gasped out in surprise, I really didn’t care.
Whatever happened to me, it was worth it.
Because I felt the unmistakable breeze of power brushing against my cheeks, felt the barrier around me deteriorate as the shimmer of magic expanded, then sent me flying against the far wall.
And just in time, too.
The ceiling groaned and shook, the other side of the room practically exploding outward. I coughed as dust filled my lungs, and although every instinct was telling me to use that final scrap of magic I still held on to to transport my ass to the safety of my lair, I just couldn’t.
My gaze caught on the towering form, on the glint of green scales visible even through the thick layer of debris, and I smiled.
I smiled as screams rose in a beautiful melody that caressed my ears and fed the fire I saw burning in those stunning ancient eyes, staring back at me.
Chapter 22
Magnificent.
Caz was absolutely magnificent.
His green scales glimmered like gems as his body moved between light and shadow, the massive leathery wings tucked close, lashing out only to catch those foolish enough to try and squeeze past him into the hallway beyond. Or the remnants of it, at least.
His change to dragon form had nearly brought down the entire place, killing more than a few men straight away while trapping the others. And if there was one thing I could taste on my tongue—aside from dust and my own blood—it was his need to finish them all.
For what they had done to the girls. To the demon he never even knew. And his own mate.
I huddled as far away from the destruction as the small space would let me, watching the orange glow of Caz’s embers lick at the ruined walls, as well as Kauer’s men, the stench of burnt flesh growing stronger with each fiery exhale. Thick, dark magic rose in response—the warlock, trying to raise a shield between him and the blade of death that was my mate. But it seemed Zirnitra’s protection only went so far.
He was the dragon god of sorcery, after all, and when choosing between the two, he clearly preferred the fiery beasts to those in possession of magic.
A cold, sinister voice inside me cheered viciously as Caz pushed the warlock farther back, towering over him like a god before a disobedient subject. I couldn’t help but revel in the fear that now flashed across the man’s sharp face, that blunt evidence of his realization that he would soon join his brethren as nothing but a charred heap, discarded on the ground.
His death wouldn’t bring back the girls, nor would it give them closure—but at least the bastard would taste some of the terror he had put them through. The rank smell of his horror permeated the air as Caz took a long inhale. The warlock threw his hands up, as if such a weak barrier could ever hope to hold back the force of a Perelesnyk’s flame.
Only the burning caress never came.
Instead, Caz flashed a line of lethal, sharp teeth, each as long as my forearm, and snapped the bastard in two.
The sight was brutal, a testimony to the ruthless predator Caz was, and yet, in that moment, I couldn’t have loved him more. Seeing the blood drip from his teeth, witnessing that one last side of him he had kept tucked away…
The final link of resistance within me snapped.
I knew I wouldn’t run any longer. Knew that I would do anything and everything to set things right between us. He was the person—my person. Soul mate.
His dark eyes came to rest on my face—the bond freely speaking of all that I was feeling, that endless well of such fierce love and understanding that would have driven me straight into his arms if the circumstances were any different.
As it was, the cascade of falling rubble cut our moment short.
I supposed it was a miracle the structure even held for as long as it did. I sucked in a breath as I felt the stones weaken through that faint trickle of Kolduny magic still pooling in my core and connecting me with my surroundings. Shit. We were about to be buried alive. And given how deep underground we were, I wasn’t certain even Caz’s massive form could brave such a force.
“We need to get the fuck out, Caz,” I shouted over the dying groans of rock, cement, and metal.
Those black eyes blinked, then a shimmer descended upon the dragon’s form, sweeping him from my sight for a few torturously long seconds before he emerged from behind the veil of magic once more, nude and smelling faintly of fire as he threw himself into my arms. The instant our bodies touched, I called to the umbilical cord rooted deep inside me, but I was too weak, my power too depleted to kickstart the shift and subsequent travel.
I snarled as a chunk of concrete tore open my already injured arm. But before the sound even managed to permeate the wall of dust around us, I felt Caz’s power—my power—slam into my core.
I gasped as he fed it all to me, as he pushed back everything I had given him and more. And as the ceiling finally collapsed in earnest, our bodies broke down into atoms, the sum of us ensconced in the loving magic of the cord.
Chapter 23
We reformed in the heart of my lair in a tangle of sweaty and bleeding limbs, our ragged breaths ricocheting off the dark walls of the chamber. I didn’t let go of Caz even when it started to feel almost silly, clutching on to someone as if the world was about to end while lying within the pentagram of a perfectly calm, perfectly safe room. But I couldn’t face losing the heat of his body just yet.
All I wanted was to breathe in his fire-touched scent, feel the heat of his skin against mine, and listen to his heartbeat pulse through the bond, so vibrant and beautiful between us as our powers once again settled in our respective cores.
So I did just that.
I held him, my body fitted to his, not a single thought in my mind beyond how grateful I was that we were here. Together.
I didn’t know how long we stayed like that, but eventually a low, rumbling laughter broke the silence. I opened my eyes and saw the delicate hint of mirth cup
ping Caz’s handsome features. His amber gaze locked on mine, and he laughed once more, then drew me down into a kiss that swept away the last touch of reality, creating a universe composed only of us.
His taste filled my mouth, intoxicating and wild, making me desire the promise of oblivion and fulfilment it held with a force that burned through my very veins. But in a weak, completely unexpected moment of responsibility, I forced myself back instead. I scanned him with a critical eye, noting every bruise and cut that had yet to heal.
“Are you all right?” I asked, voice husky.
He gave me a mischievous smirk, eyes dark with hunger. “Would have been better if you hadn’t stopped kissing me.”
“Asshole.” I snorted, but the sound was soft, the familiar tightness spreading low in my body. “I’d never transferred my power to anyone before. It didn’t…affect you in any odd way, did it?”
Caz lifted himself on his elbows and trailed his gaze from my face to my right arm. It was only then that I felt the sting, the rush of blood still flowing down my skin where the jagged cement had snagged me right over the two cuts the warlock’s buddy had made. The damn thing hurt like shit, but I knew it would knit itself together soon, now that I had my powers restored.
“Well?” I pressed, but Caz only leaned forward and ran his tongue over the wound. Once. Twice.
I shivered under the heat of his touch, my thoughts scattering until I couldn’t remember what it was that I’d wanted to know. When his tongue traveled across the gash for the third time, he shifted his body on top of me, a corner of his sensual lips turned up.
“Better, love?” he asked, his voice low and seductive, slipping under my skin until it felt as if I were living on his caresses.
“Huh?” I asked through the fog clouding my mind.
Caz angled his head at my arm, and I gasped in surprise as I noticed there was only a faint white line where the wound had been.
Of course.
Ancient creature. Healing saliva.
I laughed. “You’re full of surprises, aren’t you, Caz Zeman?”
“Quite useful to have around, too, especially for someone in your line of work.”
There was a growl to his words, a hunger that I knew all too well. I forced myself to stay calm, to keep the whispers of the bond quiet. At least until I was sure…
“And you want to be around?” I chewed on my bottom lip.
He looked at me as if I were speaking in some long-forgotten demonic tongue. I released a breath, hushing the fear still inside me.
“When you left this morning, I thought…” I looked up, battling my tears. “I thought you didn’t want this. Didn’t want me. I mean, why would you? What I’ve done… It’s inexcusable. But I need you to know that I never wanted to bind you without your consent, Caz. I love you, and I want to be with you, but I understand if you choose to leave.”
Bewilderment touched his features, coupled with a sincere laugh that warmed me all the way to my core even as faint tremors still rushed down my limbs.
“And here I thought I was doing the right thing by giving you some space.” He shook his head. “You had my consent, Lena. I’d already given it to you, and I meant it. Shit, nothing had or has changed. I wanted this from the moment I held you at gunpoint out in those woods.”
I chuckled, the tears now sliding down my cheeks. “Such a romantic.”
“You have no idea.”
Even before the last syllable fully left his lips, he slanted his mouth over mine.
I opened myself up to him, wholly and completely, every ounce of my existence laid bare before my mate.
My forever.
Chapter 24
“And you’re absolutely sure about this?” Liva asked, scanning me with a critical eye as I continued to stock up on weapons, pretending not to notice.
I was once more in my black hunting attire, the only color on me the classy makeup I didn’t have the heart to wash off. It enhanced my features, giving me an air of old elegance I never thought I could pull off. Still, compared to my sister in her pink dress and dolled-up, come-fuck-me blonde hair, I was nothing but shadow. Only a shadow of my own choosing.
“Should have known this whole conventional marriage thing was a sham,” Lana pitched in, one hand resting on her rounded belly, the other cradling a glass of non-alcoholic champagne.
I laughed and tucked a portable ward in its designated pouch on my belt.
“Hey, now. I gained a shiny new surname, didn’t I? Lena Ambrose Zeman. If that’s not badass—and proof that we’re serious—then I don’t know what is.” I grinned. “Plus, I saw you get all teary-eyed, so don’t even think about denying that the ceremony was anything but nice.”
And it really, truly was. White dress and all that stuff-dreams-are-made-of shit, but nice shit. The single unconventional thing we’d decided on was the setting. Instead of some magistrate back in the human realm, we got hitched surrounded by the lush grassland of the Earth Court in Faery. This way, Caz and I had been able to honor our love for freedom that was an inherent part of who we are, while adding some of that fairy tale wedding essence to the mix at the same time.
In all fairness, I enjoyed myself more than I would have ever believed possible.
The Bounty Hunting Queen in pumps and a lavish white gown. My marks would probably drop dead just from the shock of seeing me in something other than black and leather.
I chuckled, then moved over to the ornate dresser and strapped on two more knives. Their weight greeted me like an old friend, and I breathed out a content sigh once I faced my sisters again, now armed to the teeth.
“You have your babies and demons and zombies,” I said to Lana, barely able to keep my voice straight, “and you”—I raised an eyebrow at Liva—“have the whole dirty High Lord sex and Faery peacekeeper thing going on.”
Lana gave me a mock scowl, but Liva just winked and flashed a blinding grin that had me chuckling again.
“Yeah, yeah, we get your point, Bounty Hunting Queen.” She waved a hand through the air. “We’re all messed up and way too tangled in blood and power for our own good. But going on a hunt for your honeymoon? At least you could spend a week in bed first, don’t you think?”
“Ah, but who needs a bed when there are all those lovely dark and abandoned alleys greeting you at every corner?” I shot her a lopsided smile. “Trust me, with the detective as a get-out-of-jail card by my side, I’m eager to explore all avenues.”
When my sisters and I finally reemerged from the guest bedroom upstairs, I found Caz sprawled across an armchair in the sitting room, Cian and Alin keeping him company.
A demon-slash-ex-gang lord, a High Lord, and a Perelesnyk with a badge. I could have sworn there was a joke in there somewhere.
But the way they seemed perfectly at ease with one another trapped the words that might have otherwise spilled from my mouth.
All three men looked up the instant we entered the room. There was something so endearing about the way their gazes immediately fell on their respective mates that I felt myself blush, but only moderately hated myself for it.
After all, as a quick glance at my sisters revealed, I wasn’t the only one who struggled to keep my hormones in check at such an impressive sight.
Besides, there was no point in denying that Caz looked positively stunning in combat pants and a formfitting black tee, his gun already resting in his shoulder holster. Maybe Liva was right and I should drag him back to my lair—or our house—and fuck his brains out. We still hadn’t gotten around to those cuffs he kept promising.
“Ready, love?” he asked, snatching me away from my thoughts—only to fuel the fire.
His muscles rippled with mouthwatering grace as he walked over, the quick flash of hunger in his eyes the single warning I received before his mouth claimed mine. He tasted like fire and mountains, the warmth of his hand pressing against my ass and drawing me closer.
Yeah, Liva had most definitely been on to something.
; Once my senses returned and Caz’s lips were nothing but a phantom, although so delicious whispering against mine, I glanced across the room. I took in my sisters, now sitting in their respective mate’s laps, all smiles and bright gazes. I’d always wanted a family.
While ours might not be the most conventional one, I couldn’t have asked for anything better.
I looked at Caz, grinning. “Ready, Detective Zeman.”
And I was.
We had ourselves a crime lord to catch.
And a fucking awesome eternity to spend together.
Thank you so much for reading Nightstorm! If you enjoyed the book, please consider leaving a review. Your opinion means a lot to other readers who are still deciding if they want to take a chance on Lena and Caz.
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If you crave more paranormal romance, there are two more books in the Nightwraith series, filled to the brim with suspense and heated romance:
WINDSTORM (Liva & Cian)
BLACKSTORM (Lana & Alin)
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Caz also makes an appearance in PARADISE OF SHADOWS AND DEVOTION, a standalone paranormal romance.
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Alternatively, if you’re looking for some action-packed urban fantasy with a little steam added to the mix, check out SHADOW MOON (Lotte Freundenberger #1) or SHADOW WORLD (Shade Assassin #1) to delve deeper into the demonic realm.
Also by Gaja J. Kos
FANTASY WORKS CO-WRITTEN WITH USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR BORIS KOS
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SHADOWFIRE TRILOGY
Upper YA fantasy
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