She had no idea who he was, but she was darn grateful Dagan and Nik had help.
Screeches and grunts grew. Body parts soared and disintegrated in the air. Yet the chaos didn’t diminish as time passed.
Her fingers dug into the cold stone sills, her stomach queasy. Please, let him be all right.
The entrance door slammed open. She spun around, her heart racing to her throat.
“Shae!”
Relief flowing, she darted through the pews and sprinted back to the vestibule. “I’m here.” Her gaze rushed between him and Nik. “What happened?”
His expression harsh, lines bracketed his mouth as if in pain, he hauled her close. “We have to get the hell out of here.”
“Wait, wait, are you hur—”
A flare brightened up the inside of the church like the Fourth of July, distracting her. Shrieks of terror echoed through the night. She looked back through the windows. A spray of fire rained down.
“Dear Lord, what is that?”
“Race,” Nik’s voice was a disembodied echo as he disappeared.
The raging fire was Race? An enormous black silhouette with flapping wings hovered above the fleeing demons, more flames streaming out of its mouth. Crap, it looked like a—a—no way!
Heck, if demons, gods, and vampires existed, why not…dragons?
She tightened her arms around Dagan, and he dematerialized them. As her molecules dispersed, so did the brief sight of the dragon Guardian she hadn’t yet met.
Chapter 14
The instant they took form on the gloomy balcony, Dagan let her go.
Shae grabbed the wooden chair, steadying herself. He and Nik had already disappeared indoors. Forgetting her awe at seeing a live dragon, she hurried into the bedroom and slowed when she found Nik standing just inside Dagan’s bathroom entrance, his arms folded, his stance ready for a faceoff.
Frowning, she angled past him into the smallish space that held a glass-paneled shower stall, toilet, and basin. Dagan lowered an opaque brown bottle he’d obviously drunk something from.
“What is that?” she asked as he screwed the top back on.
“A potion,” Nik answered. “It helps restore our strength and takes away the weakness when we’re hurt from a demon bolt. That shit’s just brutal—”
“Dammit, Nik!”
“What?” Dread surged, and Shae’s gaze darted over Dagan, but with his black shirt, it was impossible to see where he was hurt. “Dagan?”
“It’s nothing. I’ll be fine,” he said, nailing Nik with a dark glare. And as he shifted, setting the bottle back in the cupboard above the basin, there, on his side, she saw the scorched slash on the dark material. She touched the glossy, wet patch and came away with fingers smeared crimson. He pivoted and scowled. Too worried to care, she grabbed the hem of his shirt. He snagged both of her wrists. “I said I’m okay.”
“Yeah? Then take off your shirt and show me the nothing you have on your side.”
Nik coughed as if trying not to laugh. Dagan shot him a killing look.
Christ, he made her so mad with his obstinate, I’m-the-big-strong-warrior attitude. “Dammit, Dagan, let me help you.”
Mouth tight, he yanked off his shirt and flung it aside. “Happy now?”
“Heaps,” she muttered, until she saw the wound. Her tummy lurched. It appeared as if a red-hot poker had singed the flesh of his side in a six-inch-long gash. The wound continued to bleed. Fear chased away her irritation. “Why aren’t you healing? You’re immortal, you’re supposed to have quick healing abilities.”
“Harvey,” he muttered.
“What?” Shae looked up, and at his rigid features…yeah, she’d probably have better luck getting the walls to answer. “Nik, do you have a first-aid kit?”
“No need.” Dagan put her aside like she weighed about as much as a feather, opened the cupboard beneath the sink, and got out a box. He grabbed a couple of dressings and a small jar and set them on the counter. Unscrewing the container, the musty odor of old moss and roots drenched the bathroom. He scooped out a blob of the greenish-colored ointment, angled his body, and smeared it over the burn, then slapped a layer of gauze over the wound and taped it down.
Yeah, he was all done. Darn man!
“He needs to feed.”
“Godsdammit, Nik,” he snapped. “Just get the hell out.”
“Nik, stay,” she countered.
At his indiscernible nod, her heart tripped. She realized he’d agreed to help her with her plan. This was it.
“What the hell’s going on?”
So Dagan had caught their little exchange? No matter. She may not be a goddess, but she was his mate, and she possessed kinetic powers. It should make her blood stronger, right?
One thing she did know, she didn’t want him putting his mouth on another woman. At the thought, her entire being rebelled. She pulled off her jacket, tossing it aside
“I’m your mate.” She pinned him with a determined stare. “You’re afraid you’ll get caught up in bloodlust and won’t be able to stop if you ever take my blood. No matter how shitty my life is right now, I don’t want to die. So, Nik’s here to make sure that doesn’t happen.”
A vein throbbed furiously on his brow, his tone lowered in warning. “Don’t even think about it.”
“Then you leave me with little choice.” Before he could figure out what she planned, Shae snatched the scissors from the first-aid kit and swiped the lethal side against her wrist. Shit! Pain spread like a flood up her arm. That freakin’ hurt!
“No!” Dagan’s snarl thundered off the walls. He lunged for the scissors and flung them aside. The thin, red line on her wrist gave way, blood seeping in a steady flow. He leaped away from her, his fangs out. “Are you both fucking crazy?”
“You need to feed…” She held out her wrist, and he pushed farther into the wall as if the thing would open up so he could crawl inside. “Dagan, you have to.”
“Dammit, D-man, what the hell are you waiting for? Eat.”
Dagan didn’t move, didn’t blink, appeared nailed to the wall.
Despair took hold. At the sight of her blood flowing from her wrist and spilling onto the floor, her knees gave way, and she swayed.
Cursing, Nik caught her, and snarled at Dagan. “You’re a damn idiot! Shae, I cannot let you bleed out for nothing…” Nik put his mouth on her wrist and licked her wound.
She shut her eyes as the burn faded, feeling as if someone had stomped on her heart. Pain flowed. A deadly roar filled the small bathroom like a wild animal had been let loose. Her eyelids snapped open just as Dagan flung Nik away. He snatched her before she hit the floor.
“I will kill you for this,” he promised Nik, sweeping her into his arms and carrying her into the bedroom.
Wiping the red smears from his mouth with the back of his hand, Nik shrugged and followed. “Get in line.”
“You knew what she planned, and you didn’t tell me?”
“Stop,” she whispered, trying to will away the dizziness. “It’s not Nik’s fault. I asked him for help.”
“I don’t know what the hell’s going on with you, man. You won’t even try. You’ve struggled through the centuries because of that—” Nik broke off and cursed. “Maybe you like being tormented by that sadistic— Shit, just forget it.”
Why did she get the feeling that Nik would have tacked on “bitch” to his comment? The goddess?
His features set in stone, Dagan settled her on the bed. “Stay there.”
“Would you stop treating me like an invalid?” She pushed him away and sat up. Dug into her jean’s pocket for a candy and put one into her mouth. “I felt faint because I haven’t eaten anything since lunch except for the soda at the pub—”
“Because you were busy planning this shit.”
“Call it what you want.” She tipped her chin in determination. “We’re going to do this again tomorrow and every day after that. Nik will be there to make sure nothing happens.”
&
nbsp; “You are mortal. You cannot give me what I need.” His tone was pure ice. “Your blood will only bring on the bloodlust.”
“You don’t know that—”
He grabbed her by her upper arms and yanked her up, his nose almost touching hers, his eyes scalding her. “I drank from humans—hundreds of them. I. Killed. Every. One.”
Wariness crept through her. That may have been true once, but she didn’t believe that now. Frustrated with his inflexible attitude, she taunted, “You’re telling me, you, a big, bad warrior, still has no control after so many millennia?”
“This discussion is over.” He dropped her, and she bounced down on the mattress.
Nik simply shook his head and headed for the door.
“We’re not done,” Dagan snapped at the warrior, his tone like razors.
“Then I’ll meet you on the mountaintop with swords.” Nik threw over his shoulder. “Take your best shot, maybe you’ll get lucky.”
“Angelus?” Dagan barked. “Get food in here. Fast.” Then he pinned her with those lethal yellow eyes. “You ever do something that reckless again—”
“You’ll, what? Leave? Pawn me off on Nik or someone else?” Anguish constricted her chest, making it hard to breathe. No matter the attraction between them or that she was his mate, he didn’t want her help—didn’t want anything from her. He couldn’t have made it any clearer while she was bleeding all over the floor. She would never be enough.
No longer. She knew when to cut her losses. Only an idiot would put herself through more misery. Unable to stifle her pain, needing to be in motion, she got off the bed. Wavered. He was there, reaching for her.
“Don’t!” She flung out a hand, her cold tone stopping him dead. “My personal well-being is not your responsibility. You made it quite clear you want nothing from me. So this is me, giving you what you want.”
His nostrils flared, jaw hardened. “This is not over.”
For her it was. Struggling not to let her devastation show, her hope of a relationship with him shattering like glass, she shuffled from the room, praying she wouldn’t fall flat on her face. All those sensual touches and kisses meant nothing.
She rubbed the throbbing scar on her cheek as she entered the kitchen. Angelus looked up from setting the tray, his troubled gaze skimming over her. “I was about to bring you food. Are you all right?”
No, I’m not. I just made a complete fool of myself with a man who will never see me as more than a liability.
“I’m fine, Ange.” She took the soda from the tray, popped the tab, and swallowed some to ease the constriction in her throat.
The door swung open, and Dagan stalked inside wearing a fresh t-shirt, still looking like a thundercloud about to erupt. She marched around to the opposite side, putting the table between them. His mouth tightened.
Angelus got a drink from the fridge and gave her an encouraging smile before hoofing it out of there and leaving her alone with Dagan again.
Her cell rang. Thankful for the distraction, she pulled out her phone from her jeans pocket and lowered to the chair. When she saw her friend’s name, for some idiotic reason—maybe because she’d never felt so low in her life—a tearful knot formed in her throat. “Hey, Harvey.”
“You didn’t call. I was afraid something had happened.”
“I’m fine, really.”
A short silence. Then, “What’s wrong? You sound…upset.”
“No, all’s good…I miss you.”
“Hey, I miss you, too. I don’t get to see your gorgeous face every morning. It’s all gloom and doom here.”
A shaky smile tugging at her lips, she traced the blue writing on the soda can, finding it hard to keep her gaze off the glowering immortal opposite her. “I’m sure it’s not that bad—”
“Actually, I’m calling because of your uncle’s biz man, Aza. He’s been on my back about you.”
She stiffened. “Why?”
“He knows we’re friends…” Harvey lowered his voice. “That Fallen wants you real bad. The whisper among my kind is that you belong to him and are to be his mate.”
“What?”
“Yeah, I know. Delusional ass.”
As chilling as that sounded, and God knew she was shaken, a hollow laugh escaped her. One immortal wanted her, and the one she wanted didn’t. The story of her life.
“Shae, with you suddenly gone AWOL, I’m concerned. No, don’t tell me where you are—I don’t want those bastards crawling around inside my head and getting the truth.”
“I’m sorry, Harvey.”
“Don’t be. Most fun I’ve had in a long time. Hailing cabs and opening doors gets old real quick,” he drawled, making her smile. “Stay safe. I’ll call you.”
After he’d rung off, she rose and slipped her phone into her pocket.
“What did he want?”
At Dagan’s abrupt voice, she looked up. He had to have heard every word, so why ask?
Stiffening her spine, not wanting him to see how she was hurting, she said coolly, “Seems my uncle’s business partner is looking for me. Apparently, I’m his mate. Now there’s a word I’m really starting to hate. Another immortal who wants me. No, correction, just Aza. He has people looking for me, probably so the mating can take place.”
Hoping her words struck him in the balls, or wherever the hell his heart lay, she walked out.
Tears burned her eyes. Well, she didn’t expect a declaration of anything from him.
Something crashed in the kitchen, making her jump. Inhaling sharply, she didn’t turn back, but headed straight for the bedroom.
Dagan slammed his palms on the table, glaring at the broken shards of what was once a chair, struggling to contain his temper. She’d put her damn life on the line to feed him, and now, she totally cut him out, like he didn’t exist, talking to bloody Harvey—whom she’d missed. And that fucker Aza was still after her.
Nik walked in through the back door, glanced at the mess on the floor, and arched a dark brow as he stepped over it. “What did the chair do?”
Anger flashed through him, white and hot like a fireball when he recalled Nik’s mouth on Shae’s wrist. Even though he understood Nik had healed her the only way he could, with his saliva, it was a struggle not to rip his friend apart.
“You’re an asshole. Be grateful it’s Shae who has my ire.” He straightened—fuck! He gritted his teeth, pressing a hand on his throbbing injury.
“That thing’s not going to heal. We’re low on the healing salve, and you’ve finished the last of the brew from Lila,” Nik informed him, like he’d lost his brain cells, too.
While they could self-heal most wounds, a direct hit from a hellfire bolt, not so much. It was why the Oracle’s healing ointment and potion were much needed. And since his restorative abilities had all but flat-lined, he would rely on them more.
He dropped his hand. “Text Hedori for a restock.”
“Already done.” Those pale green eyes trained on him, narrowed. “I didn’t want to say this in front of Shae, but you have no other option, Dag. You need to feed. Summon the goddess.”
Call Kaerys? His entire being revolted. “No.”
“Don’t be a dick, you can’t go out on patrol while injured. The hellfire wound will be a beacon for every evil thing out there tracking us—”
“I damn well know that.”
Nik leaned against the counter, eyeing him thoughtfully. “So then you’re going to be off patrol until you’re healed?”
“Don’t fucking push this, Nik.” Dagan raked his fingers through his hair in frustration, but they caught in his many braids. “The wound’s a shallow one, I’ll be fine.”
“Right,” Nik grunted. “So what are you going to do about Shae?
“What I planned to do before you waylaid me, you pain in the ass!”
“About time,” Nik smirked. Dagan growled, pivoting for the door. Then Nik drawled, “You’re lucky she didn’t fall for Angelus’ pretty face.”
Damn bas
tard, screwing with his head when it was already fucked-up. Later, he was going to kill the motherfucker.
Chapter 15
Shae paced the length of the dimly lit balcony, the cold night air barely calming her. Wearily, she rubbed her heated face then dashed away her foolish tears, wishing she could teleport out of there to someplace where she could lick her wounds in private.
Callused fingers grasped her wrist. She whipped around and tugged her hand, but Dagan’s grip tightened. “What do you want?”
Without a word, he pulled her into the bedroom and shut the door behind them, the fire from the hearth shedding a warm glow over everything. He let her go. She stepped back, rubbing her wrist. He removed a cigar from his pocket and lit it, inhaling deeply.
She breathed in the whiff of the cherry tobacco drifting through the room.
Oh, man. Of course! “If that’s to make a point, no need. I’ll be out of your room in a moment. Angelus is going to help me tidy up one of the unused bedrooms.”
Still silent, he strode across to the bed and set the burning smoke on the edge of the nightstand. Then, like the panther she often thought him, all lean, sinuous muscles rippling beneath the stretched tee, he moved toward her. Hastily, she widened the distance until her back hit the opposite wall, the windowsill digging into her spine.
“Do you want this, Shae? Want me, knowing what I am?” he asked softly, stopping an inch from her.
How could he? Not moments ago, he’d rejected her, and now he was back to tormenting her. “What difference does it make? You made it clear I’m the last person you want.”
In response, he brushed his knuckles along her jaw, and a tremor of desire skittered through her traitorous body. God, not now! She pushed his hand away. Glared. “Why are you doing this?”
“Because I must. You are human. Free will’s your right. You say yes, I’ll never let you go, bond or not…”
He gently traced the damp skin beneath her eyes. Remorse flickered in those sun-bright irises. Then his warm lips took the place of his fingertip, and her heart nearly stopped.
“I’m sorry I hurt you and made you cry.” He pressed his mouth beneath her other eye. “It was never my intention. I only wanted to keep you safe from the violent side of my nature. Gods, Shae, you take over my thoughts awake or asleep. When you’re not with me, my mind’s a fucking mess—”
Guardian Unraveled Page 17
