by Brenda Trim
This was the wrong avenue to take her down. Last thing he wanted was for her to add sperm retrieval to her list of tests. Liar. You want her to get the sample with her mouth.
“But does that make it right? Just because you can doesn’t mean you should.” Hayden was tired of having the same conversation with the female.
“You can save your friends from your fate if you give me what I need.”
“You will never find my friends.” They’d remained hidden for centuries. And still would be if it hadn’t been for you. For the millionth time since his capture, he wondered why he’d taken action that put all of the Tehrex Realm in jeopardy.
Millie pulled her cell phone from her pocket with a grim look on her face. “I wouldn’t be so sure about that. We’re very close.”
She tapped an app and turned the phone to him. His blood froze in his veins and he sat up in a rush despite his fatigue and pain. Zander and Bhric were fighting a group of soldiers. It was obvious to Hayden that his friends were trying to hold back. His heart galloped in his chest.
Knowing Zander, he didn’t want to give them any hint about their abilities and he didn’t want to kill them either. Hayden winced when a bullet slammed into Zander’s shoulder. His eyes flashed black and one corner of his mouth lifted to reveal a fang.
Fuck! They knew he was a vampire. No doubt they were very eager to get their hands on him. Bhric tossed the soldier that had shot his brother at another one before the view shifted. He saw Evzen punching a soldier while three more crept up behind him and Izzy running toward a male. She’d been through enough. They couldn’t capture her.
For the first time since he was captured, Hayden felt his mantle stir. His friends were in danger and they were close to the Virginia pack lands. He recognized the area from his visits. That was far too close for his comfort. He prayed his animals would emerge so he could get the fuck out of there, but they disappeared along with his energy.
He slumped against the wall and watched the melee. He made a mental note to have the local pack moved. For the millionth time he wished that he was magical so he could get the fuck out of there. If he was a sorcerer like Evzen and Jace he could have opened a portal and gotten out of dodge that first night.
His friends had all been shot and were at a point that they were in danger of being captured. Zander had barely avoided a dart a second before. Get the fuck out of there. Hayden’s mind screamed the warning helpless to do anything else. As if they’d heard him, the three males disappeared.
“How do they disappear? Clearly vampires exist, so I imagine witches are real, too, but I want to know how they up and vanish.” His heart skipped a beat. That meant they didn’t manage to grab Zander and the others.
“That’s what happens when we die. We disappear with nothing left behind. Why am I not surprised you guys are murderers, too?”
“That can’t be right,” Millie murmured. “That girl didn’t look like she’d been hurt. She was just a teenager…” Her voice trailed away, and shadows crossed her eyes.
“What did you think would happen when you attacked innocent people?” He searched the screen for any sign of Suvi. She had to be close to make them disappear like that. That was the only reason he could think they’d vanish like that. And he doubted Evzen could have concentrated enough to cast the spell.
“They’re…gone?”
“Yes,” he snarled at her. “You can tell your boss he’s failed. You will never get your hands on them now.” Hayden didn’t believe Zander would let this go. He’d search high and low for him and sooner or later Millie’s soldiers would get their hands on them.
Zander had been right all along. Where the fuck was the Goddess when they needed her? It seemed as if she had forsaken Hayden. As long as she didn’t turn her back on the Tehrex Realm, he would understand. After all, he’d gone against her wishes.
“What have I done?” Tears filled Millie’s eyes when she lifted them to him.
He never would have thought a woman like Millie capable of torture, but she was. It was a fact he needed to remember. She wasn’t an innocent female in this whole scenario.
He had to convince her to help him get the fuck out of there and soon. Then he’d teach her a lesson for messing with the Omega. He’d tie her to his bed and spank her for disobeying his commands.
As much as he wanted to deny the erotic thoughts, he couldn’t. He would eventually have her in his bed. After everything she’d put him through, it’s the least he deserves. She looked lost as she knelt between his knees.
He poured all of his energy into cupping the back of her neck. He gazed at her for several heated seconds, allowing his desire to rise to the fore of his mind. It was difficult to drown out the way he felt betrayed by her.
I need to taste her again. The thought quickly became a compulsion, and his head was lowering to hers. Her breathing quickened and her eyes dilated. He groaned when she ran her tongue along her bottom lip.
Their breaths intermingled and he tightened his grip on her neck before he broke contact and sank back against the wall again. He was in deep shit if he couldn’t hold onto his anger at this delectable female.
Chapter 8
“Do you have any news?”
Blaine cringed at the hope in Avanna, Troy’s mother’s voice. He had talked with his parents before approaching the King given his long-time friendship with Theodore, his fellow maahes. To his surprise both Avanna and Theodore had been happy at his request because they insisted it wasn’t their son that had been killed by Donovan.
It seemed like wishful thinking for dragons that had waited a thousand years to find each other then be blessed by the King so they could have children. The worst part, Blaine kinda believed them. After all parents experienced the loss of the connection to their child like a physical ache when they died.
“What have I told you, Avanna?” Theo interrupted before Blaine could come up with an excuse.
“I know he never promised us anything. And I know there is a chance he was using substances that could have altered our connection to him. But you know as well as I do that wasn’t our son that was killed.” Avanna crossed her arms over her chest as they stood behind their house.
When Theodore had mated Avanna, he had chosen not to move from the forest on the outskirts of Sordette. The dragon knight was a beloved member of the area and Avanna had given up her apartment in the city of Duamutef to join him.
Blaine preferred living in Duamutef close to the castle where he had easy access to the females, so being out in the open like this with nothing but trees and wildlife surrounding him was unnerving.
“You’re right, I can’t promise you I will discover anything that will answer the questions you have, but I will be diligent in my investigation and share everything I discover with you.” And hopefully not make you hate me in the process.
After all, he was trying to clear Donovan’s name and get him freed. If Blaine proved Donovan was left with no choice because of Troy’s actions that was going to confirm the allegations of attempted rape. The maahes would lose Theodore if that happened. Blaine knew Theo well enough to know he would leave the force. It would reflect poorly on him that he hadn’t taught his son better. No one would trust him ever again.
“Unless you’d rather not hear details of anything uh, bad that I might find,” Blaine added, wanting to save them any more pain.
Theo narrowed his eyes and growled low in his throat. Blaine couldn’t understand the emotion behind it. He preferred to play the field and hadn’t sought the company of the new Tuya that had been identified in the realm over the last couple decades.
“I want to know every detail. I can’t believe my son became such a scrote. We raised him to be better than that,” Theo insisted through a clenched jaw.
Blaine slapped his shoulder. “I know you did which is why I went to Angus about this. I couldn’t let it go and I’m tired of canceling dates because I can’t think straight, so I will be getting to the bottom of this.�
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Theo’s jaw unclenched at that and he dangled a key in the air. “Here’s a key to Troy’s studio. He spent most of his time there when he wasn’t at the castle training. We haven’t been able to go in since…you know where to find us if you have questions.”
Blaine nodded and took the offering and headed away from the couple. He felt their gazes on his back until he’d entered the small house and closed the door behind him. Taking a breath, he stood there and took in the place. Like most dragon homes, it was built with a large circular room in the center with the bathroom and bedroom branching off that.
Their dragons needed a big enough place to come out and rest when needed. Unlike ninety-nine percent of the Cuelebre dragons living on Khoth, Troy’s central space wasn’t clean and clear. He hadn’t let his dragon out in the place in a long time, if ever.
The clutter in and around the room made Blaine cringe as his breathing became shallow. His dragon clawed at his insides being so closed in. There was only one door on the exterior wall. Blaine walked around two tables laden with jars, papers, cups and various dried plants then skirted a chair and sofa.
A loud crack filled the air and echoed around the domed space. Blaine lifted his foot to see a broken ceramic bowl. Looked like it had some kind of fish in it. At least that was his assumption given the discolored scales and putrid odor.
“Damn, someone should have come in here and cleaned this place,” Blaine muttered to himself. The place gave him the creeps. Maybe Troy haunted the place still. There was an unseasonable chill in the air.
Energy sizzled along his skin when he clasped the handle of the door. Blaine closed his eyes and tried to decipher its origins. It wasn’t from a dragon rune and the power fueling it was fading. Blaine guessed if he’d tried to open the door soon after Troy’s death, he wouldn’t have been able to enter. Why would Troy enchant his bathroom anyway?
Turning around, Blaine searched for another door, but didn’t find any. On the other side of the space, he saw a cooler and a smoker next to it. Had to be the kitchen, but where did Troy sleep? There might be pillows and blankets somewhere in the mess on the floor, but he couldn’t tell without looking further.
Blaine took a deep breath and searched the bathroom for anything that didn’t belong. In the shower cubicle he found soap and a razor. There was also a toothbrush, toothpaste, and comb plus a towel hung on the back of the door.
Returning to the big room, he scanned the floor. There were dirty clothes everywhere along with discarded dishes. The tables seemed like the first place to start. They were out of place in a dragon’s home.
Some of what he found looked like gold and gems. Perhaps, Troy had started his hoard and Theo hadn’t told him where to hide it yet. That would be odd for any parent. That lesson started when a dragonette first took to the skies. Their natural desire to collect shiny objects and treasure was undeniable for their kind.
There was no kind of organization in the place at all which made Blaine’s head hurt. He wanted to drag a trash can out there and start pitching shit as he put the place in order. Instead, he set all of the vials aside and sorted through the other crap.
There were papers, dried flowers, herbs, decayed food stuffs, crystals, some powdery substance and a mortar and pestle. The writing on the paper was unfamiliar and the powder made Blaine’s nose itch and smelled foul.
He removed the cap from each vial and lifted them a few inches from his face. The blue ones reminded him of the ocean and sky while the green liquids made him think of Gaia, dirt and plants. The yellow was sweet, and the red was like sherulla. The black one was unrecognizable and set Blaine’s teeth on edge. His skin rippled and his dragon prowled in his mind. There was a foreign energy to this one.
Blaine shoved the potions and papers inside the bag he used to hold his clothes when shifted. Angus needed to see this. Theo and Avanna were waiting outside when he left the house. Blaine locked the door and turned to the couple.
“Did Troy dabble in healing concoctions?” He hoped the male was interested in using plants and herbs to make potions that helped others. Otherwise, Troy might have been caught up in the growing drug trade on Khoth.
For over a thousand years Khoth had been an isolated realm and their drug problems were almost non-existent. The drug trade had been growing ever since the portals opened and other creatures started visiting.
Avanna shook her head from side to side. “Not at all. Why?”
Blaine waved a hand and adjusted the satchel strapped over his shoulder. “There were some plants and potions inside. They didn’t smell like a substance that would alter minds and moods, so I doubt they mean anything. I’m taking them to the castle for evaluation. I’ll let you know what I find.”
Theo nodded his head once. “Thank you, Blaine.”
“Anytime,” Blaine replied and quickly stripped his clothes. After adding his clothes and shoes to the bag, he shifted into his dragon form and headed for the castle.
He went over what he found again while he flew through the darkening sky. Was Troy addicted to some kind of substance?
Blaine’s initial reaction was to deny the possibility, but he had to admit he hadn’t encountered many of the toxic substances. They knew the appeal was the false sense of euphoria users received, but not what each smelled or felt like. The Gods only knew how many different drugs there were now.
Before long the parapets came into view and Blaine headed right for the closest entrance. Blaine shifted right before his talons touched down and continued through the open door. He nodded at Caleb as he entered.
Slate was there getting dressed, as well. “Were you on patrol?”
Blaine removed his shirt and pants. “I’m investigating Troy’s death.”
Slate’s head bobbed up and down. “I heard about that. I thought you were a lover not a fighter.” Slate’s ribbing was good natured and something Blaine heard often. He had never apologized for always seeking female companionship and wouldn’t start now. “You know Caleb’s tracking skills might come in handy.”
He glanced out the door and saw the black-haired maahes talking to another knight. “That’s a good idea. Right now, though, I need to take this to Dyson.” The court physician would know what this was.
Slate fell into step with Blaine as soon as he stuffed his feet into his boots and laced them up. There were countless knights coming and going in the castle. The familiar chatter calmed Blaine’s racing mind. There was no way to know what this shit meant until the scientists looked it over.
Blaine searched for Isis and Pema when he entered the throne room. Thankfully, Angus was with the witch sisters at the table in the room. Isis jumped to her feet when she saw them approaching. “Did you learn something already?”
Blaine bobbed his head then removed the papers and set them on the table before adding the potions. “I found these in Troy’s house. Which was a damn mess. I’ve never seen anything like it in a dragon’s home. I could hardly walk through it.”
Angus cocked an eyebrow as he lifted one of the bottles with black liquid inside. “I feel energy coming off this one.” The king picked up a red one. “But no’ this one. Is it a mind bender?”
Dyson took the black one from Angus and held it up to the light. “It’s nothing like the other potions and I don’t think it’s a mind bender. Those always have an iridescent quality to them. This one is opaque.”
“We can cast a reveal spell to identify the intent.” Isis accepted the vial from the physician and turned to her sister.
The sisters stood and stepped away from the table then lifted their jeweled hands up. Isis placed the glass in the center then the pair started chanting. “Live and learn, learn and live. I endeavor to receive what life can give. Bring to me the lessons true. And knowledge of what to do. Amid the mess and chaos fierce. Shine a light to darkness pierce. Show the way to knowledge deep. Which to let go and which to keep. Clear the way so I might heed. The lessons that I truly need. Show me what I need to learn. By
the Power of Three, so mote it be,” the witches called out in unison.
Mist gathered at their feet and built to surround them. That was when Blaine noticed their mates had joined them and were clasping their shoulders. An electrical current raced through Blaine, heating his blood. Energy swirled around everyone gathered and had drawn everyone in the room to them.
Blue and gold light emanated from their hands. It seemed to be coming from the gems embedded in their palms. Blaine recalled the witches telling them they were their mating stones. Tuya were marked with a dragon that shifted color when a mating was completed between a pair. A gem they could add to their hoards would be an addition every dragon would crave.
Images formed in the mist and he saw the Unseelie rune. His blood froze along with his heart. Angus and Keira had gotten to their feet at some point during the process and now the king was prowling toward the image.
“How the fuck is Cyril behind this?” Angus’s demand made them all jump. No doubt every dragon present wanted to comply and answer him, but none of them had any relevant information. “Troy shouldna be involved with anything Unseelie.”
“Maybe he discovered a way to kill a dragon slowly from the inside out,” Keira postulated. Blaine was glad the queen mentioned what they were all thinking.
Dyson lifted his gaze from the other vials on the table. “These are all common healing potions. One rejuvenates cells while another increases blood volume and a third enhances senses. Not sure why Troy would need them, but it’s possible he was sold this one under the guise of it helping somehow.”
Blaine rubbed the back of his neck. “That’s plausible, but a dragon as young as him would have no need for anything of this nature even given the rigors of the knight training. They should heal before they get home each night.”
Angus pinned Blaine with his glare. “Did Troy have more injuries than the others?”
Blaine tried to ignore the scowl on the King’s face and focus on the question. It was a difficult task. If you pissed Angus off, you wouldn’t like the result. He might be soft and caring to Kiera, but he wasn’t like that with anyone else.
