by Eden Ashe
Daniel nodded once. Not even Cage, the strongest Hunter in existence, had that kind of power. “Someone saw something then. Get Broderick on it. Have him access every known video feed and camera shot he can find. I want answers.”
“The others?” Luca asked. “What do you want them to do?”
Daniel barked out a humorless laugh. This was why he wasn’t supposed to mate. He didn’t know how to do this. Judging by her temper earlier, she was damn close to killing him. If it was anyone else in the world, Daniel could have extracted himself from the problem. As the leader, it was his responsibility to be the first line of defense. The first one through the door, the first one to take the hit. If he showed even a second’s hesitation in doing what needed to be done where Shelby–his mate–was concerned, it would weaken him in the eyes of those who trusted him to lead.
He was walking a fine line right now. If the others found out he’d unwittingly mated to a woman who’d sicced a Hunter on him, they would be within their rights to kill her. If they found out she was involved in the Hunter world, they would kill her, period. Their rules had been in place since the first dragon had turned evil. And there were reasons for them. It was Daniel’s job to enforce those laws, a job he had never hesitated to do before.
For the life of him, he couldn’t figure out why he wasn’t handing her over. Why he’d brought her here, despite knowing what she was. He couldn’t afford to make mistakes, or second guess himself.
“Put them on lookout for right now. I want hourly updates. I want to know immediately if a single cameraman shows up.”
Luca nodded, though he didn’t move. “What are you going to do with her?”
“What I have to do. We can’t be sure she’s not a mole.”
“If she’s not?” Luca asked quietly, when Daniel didn’t say anything else. “What are you going to do with her if you find out she’s just a victim of our world?”
Daniel’s face and eyes were devoid of emotion as he reached down into the arsenal to grab the blade he was looking for. “I don’t get a mate. I’ll find a way to break the bond without killing us both.”
“If she’s being set up, it makes her unsafe.” Luca tunneled his fingers through his hair. “Before you make any decisions, there’s something else bothering me.” When Daniel only raised a brow, Luca cleared his throat. “How well do you know the people closest to her?”
Not liking where the conversation was going, Daniel hesitated, his hand wrapped around the hilt of the knife he had been sliding out of its sheath. “It’s been almost a year. The ones I remember checked out. Why?”
Luca’s jaw worked for a long moment, before he finally got the words gritted out. “Because there’s a good possibility one of them tried to have her killed.” As Daniel’s other half leaped to the surface, Luca visibly braced for the hit. “There was too much media attention today, all directed at her. So why now? Why today when every camera and television in the world is watching her? When she was surrounded by more security guards than the president?”
“Someone was sending a message,” Daniel murmured quietly, barely controlling his fury. “They can get to her. Anytime. Anywhere. Only the people closest to her would have had access to her, and her schedule.” When Luca continued to hold his gaze, Daniel nodded once as he got to his feet, slipping the ancient dagger into his boot on his way up. “Get a list of her people, then start running background checks. If they scrub her toilet, I want to know every fucking thing about them. Tell the others to be ready to gear up. We’re leaving as soon as I’m sure she’ll survive the trip.”
Luca stood with him. “What are you going to do?”
Daniel’s jaw set. “I’m going to find out what she knows.”
To his surprise, Luca didn’t immediately jump to do what he was told. Instead, the other dragon cleared his throat. “What about you? You look like dog shit, Ashborne.”
“Fuck off.” Crouching, he reached down into the hidden room. Before he could grab the ladder, a low, violent sound tore out of him. He was stalking toward the bathroom in the next heartbeat. She was left handed. She couldn’t shower if she couldn’t use her good arm.
He didn’t bother to knock. She’d argue with him, and he wasn’t in the mood. “Goddamn it, Shelby, would it kill you to ask for–”
His words cut off as he caught sight of her reflection in the mirror. There were tears streaming down her face. The blanket was discarded at her feet, her tiny body nearly convulsing with tremors as she stared at the ugly wound where the bullet had torn through her porcelain, unmarred skin.
“D-D-Daniel.” When her terrified, stricken gaze lifted to meet his in the mirror, the fury and bloodlust in him to find who had done this to her was almost blinding. “Someone–someone sh-shot me, Daniel.”
6
Daniel was deceptively calm as he stepped into the bathroom and closed the door behind him. He wanted to demand she stop crying and face it like a man, but she wasn’t a man. She was a woman and his mate. He doubted he could demand such things of her. Nor could he point out how many knife wounds, bullet holes and broken bones he’d had in his life, and got through it without tears.
He had one desperate moment when it occurred to him Luca might know how to calm her, but then she let out a strangled sob and turned into his arms, burying her face in his chest. His next thought. Like. Fucking. Hell.
“Daniel.” Her small fists wedged up between them, pushing against his chest. “I can’t breathe.”
He cursed himself when he realized he was crushing her. She watched him with eyes full of tears, expecting something he didn’t understand. No matter how hard he tried, though, he had no idea what she wanted him to do. How the hell was he supposed to make this better for her?
When he didn’t move, she let out a pathetic sniffle. She wiped at her eyes with her good hand, then moved back out of his arms. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“You didn’t,” he snapped. He clenched his jaw, then moved with dizzying speed to lift her and set her on the bathroom vanity, his arms caging her against him. “Of course you fucking upset me. I don’t know what to do with tears!”
When her eyes widened slightly as she studied him, he had the damndest thought she was trying to decide if she should be amused or irritated by his temper. He didn’t care which one she chose. Either would be better than her freaking crying.
Temper won. It darkened her eyes as she scooted back. He almost expected to see lightning flash in the depths of the pale green of her irises. “Yelling at me doesn’t stop them.”
He snorted as he yanked off the scrub top he’d stolen from the hospital and threw it into the corner. The bandages wrapped around his torso went next, the wound beneath it reduced to barely more than a scratch. “Bullshit. There’s no reason for them.” He pulled off his boots, unbuttoned his jeans and shoved them off, leaving him in nothing but his dark grey boxer briefs. “They don’t change anything. They sure as hell don’t make anything better.”
“Whoa.” Her mouth dropped open. “What–Daniel, what are you doing?”
He ignored her as he reached in to turn on the bath water, then moved in and lifted her into his arms before she could protest. “You didn’t think I’d forget you were left-handed, did you?” He moved slowly as he sat, and carefully settled her in front of him, his jaw clenching tightly as her perfect ass molded against his aching hard on.
Ryuu, he had no self-control where this woman was concerned. “Don’t move,” he gritted out, dropping his chin on her good shoulder as he reached for the bar of soap. He could do this without making an ass of himself. “I’m not going to be happy if you rip open your wound despite my efforts to keep it from happening.”
He turned her around to face him, taking his time lathering up his hands before he slowly went to work cleaning the blood off her soft skin. His cock got harder as goose bumps ran over her skin, her nipples tightening against the chill. The entire time he worked, she never took her gaze off his face.
“Do you think it will scar?” she finally asked after he’d washed her hair. Her voice was soft, hesitant, as if afraid of his answer.
“I can make sure it doesn’t,” he murmured, deliberately keeping his tone mild. He needed answers, but knew her well enough to know she wouldn’t give them until she felt safe. “Shel, I need you to tell me what happened tonight. What do you remember?”
She jerked back as her teeth began to chatter. He murmured a chant, warming the water and filling the bathroom with heat.
An adorable, confused look flashed over her face as the steam thickened around them. “How did you…” A crooked smile tugged at her mouth as her voice trailed off, and she jabbed a finger in his shoulder. “You are not going to convince me you are a dragon, Daniel.”
“We’ll discuss it later. Right now, I need to know what you remember about the shooting.”
Panic flashed in her eyes. “I’m trying, but there’s nothing there.” She pulled her knees up to her chest, shaking her head slowly. “I remember getting ready and walking to the limousine the producers sent for me, but that’s it. No matter how hard I try, everything after the limo door closes behind me is gone.”
He managed not to let his frustration show. There had to be something there, something inside of her head to give them a starting direction, but he knew when people were lying to him. It was what made him good at his job. The only thing in the world he cared about was protecting the secret of his people. There wasn’t a person in the world whose emotions had clouded his judgment.
Until now. His instincts were off when Shelby was involved, and he couldn’t afford it. Not when it wasn’t only his life, his future, at stake. He could not afford to fall for her act again.
“I want a play by play of everything that has happened over the last week,” he finally said. “I want to know every little detail. Who you talked to, who you went out with, who you worked with, who you slept with. I want a list of everyone who has a reason to hurt you or want you out of the picture. I want a list of ex-boyfriends. Enemies. Your life is an open book to me now, do you understand?”
To his surprise, she scowled. “No, I don’t understand. Do you know what you did to my life the last time I let you into it? I am still trying to put the pieces back together. Thank you for your help, but I think I’ll take this to the police.” She swayed on her feet when she stood too quickly. He was up in a heartbeat, grasping her waist to hold her steady before she could fall forward. His teeth gritted as her soft breasts mashed against his abdomen. How the fucking hell had he been able to forget how perfect her body fit against his? Her breath caught as her eyes went round. “Daniel.”
“Yes?”
“Your hands.”
It took him a moment to realize what she was talking about, until he followed her gaze down to where his hands gently cupped her breasts. His cock went rock hard as he felt her nipples harden for him. He wasn’t sure what came first–her soft moan of pleasure or his dark growl of need.
* * * *
Shelby thought she’d forgotten how perfect his hands felt against her skin, and the way he could make her the most beautiful woman in the world just by looking at her. She’d wanted to forget.
Her breath shuddered as the pads of his thumbs brushed lightly over the tips of her breasts, her hands coming up to rest possessively over his strong, sturdy shoulders. His eyes darkened, and that was it. He pushed her back against the wall, his mouth closed over hers, and simply devoured.
Out of sheer desperation to get closer to him, she wound her good arm around his neck. It took her a moment to realize the intense banging that echoed in her ears wasn’t her own pulse.
“Goddamn it, Ashborne! I’m talking to you here!”
Shelby winced at Daniel’s anger when he pulled back, his gaze scorching as he glared at the door. “Go the fuck away, Dragan. I’m busy.”
“Yeah, about that.” Luca cleared his throat. “Seren said you are to keep your hands and all other relevant body parts to yourself until you’ve both had at least twelve hours of real rest, and one good calorie-and-protein-packed meal.”
“So help me, Luca, you’re pushing it–”
“I know. I need to talk to you.” He hesitated a beat. “My Lord.”
Shelby shivered at the undertones lacing Luca’s words. The dark fury on Daniel’s face worried her, though. Her hand tightened on his powerful shoulder. “He sounds serious.”
“He’s Dragan,” was all he said, as if it explained everything. He shifted his body, setting her on the bathroom floor gently. He held onto her for a moment longer until she was steady, before he let her go and stepped back. “Get dressed. I’ll bandage the wound when you’re done.”
She snorted, hurrying to grab a gray towel to cover herself. She knew it was silly to worry about modesty after what they’d been doing, but with space between them now, she could think clearly and her common sense returned. “Get dressed in what? My dress is in tatters at the hospital. I’d rather not wear a blanket for whoever knows how long.”
He grabbed the towel from her, wrapping it around her himself. She held it closed, mostly because she was sure he’d find a way to do it for her if she didn’t–though a perverse part of her brain thought it might be fun to see what he did next.
Shelby couldn’t help wondering if the man even realized he was taking care of her. It was sweet, really, even with all the temper he was throwing her way. His gentleness never wavered, not even for a second.
He pointed at her as he grabbed another towel and hooked it low around his hips, before reaching for the door handle. He hesitated, his gorgeous eyes storming as they roamed over her for a moment. A low, muted cadence murmured from him, and the steam in the room thickened again.
She barely blinked this time. The man was hot enough to boil water, so why not?
* * * *
Daniel ignored the smugness on Luca’s face as he closed the bathroom door behind him and headed toward his bedroom area. Opening the top drawer of his dresser he pulled out a pair of black track pants. Not bothering with modesty, he dropped the towel to tug them on, before crouching and rifling through the bottom drawer. When he had what he wanted, he stalked back to the bathroom, yanking the door open without even a knock.
“Put these on,” he snapped.
Once she’d taken the clothes, he shut the door again before rounding on Luca, who was leaning against the kitchen’s island. “Alright,” he snapped. “I’m listening.”
Luca raised a dark brow at him. “She shoot you down?”
“Fuck off. I thought you had news.”
The humor faded off Luca’s face. He jerked his head toward a chair. “You might want to sit.”
Daniel let out a string of curses. Ignoring his suggestion, he planted his feet where he was, his arms crossed over his chest. “I’m listening.”
“The media’s having a field day with this.” At Daniel’s bland look, Luca’s gaze hardened. “I get you couldn’t give a shit, but this is your mate’s life. Without answers, the media are making up their own. That could be dangerous for all of us.”
Daniel scrubbed a hand over his face. Luca was right. He couldn’t care less about what the media was coming up with. Ryuu. This should have been the least of his worries.
“I’m listening,” he repeated.
“There are already whispers her shooting is tied in with what happened to you at her place.”
Daniel felt the muscle under his eye begin to twitch. “What’s the spin?”
Luca shrugged. “Not good. The second they couldn’t find her at any area hospital, the tone of the news stories went from sympathetic to…well, nasty. They’re digging into everything–her past, her friends, any relationship they can connect to her.” Luca crossed his ankles, then his arms over his chest. “So far, none of the stories have come close to anything with a supernatural bent, but with all the reality shows featuring ghosts and the hunt for mythical beings, it’s only a matter of time before rumors start surfacing,
especially if someone gets a shot of her without a bullet hole in her shoulder.”
The pounding that had started at the base of his skull was quickly ratcheting itself into a full-on migraine. Daniel rolled his neck once in a useless effort to loosen the knots. “Anything else?”
“Not only are the police searching for her, the media is hinting she faked the shooting to disappear because of her involvement with what happened to you.” Luca winced. “That means the police are looking hard for you. They want answers from her. Right now, they’re treating it like she’s guilty as hell.”
It was on the tip of Daniel’s tongue to snap that she was guilty and he wouldn’t put it past her to stage her own shooting. Only the words wouldn’t come. Instead, he said, “the police won’t find me here.”
“No,” Luca agreed, his tone ominous, “but a Hunter could.”
Daniel didn’t say anything right away. He knew Luca meant they needed to get the hell out of there, but no one was stupid enough to give him commands. Well, no one except Shelby. Daniel’s head turned toward the bathroom. She hadn’t come out yet. Despite all common sense, worry started to build in his gut. She’d been through hell in the last couple of hours, and the last thing she needed was to go on the run.
His face was blank as he made up his mind. “We’re not going anywhere yet. She needs to rest first.”
“Ashborne–”
Daniel cut him off with a snarl. “Not open for discussion. We’ll take turns on the roof. I’ll take the first shift. You don’t let her out of your fucking sight.”
Luca cursed under his breath. “You’re being an ass. Have you looked in the fucking mirror? The undead look healthier than you, my Lord. You need to rest as much as she does, and we both know if a Hunter is motivated enough, they could already know where we are.”
“Then we don’t let them in. If someone is stupid enough to come at me head on, they’ll be stupid enough to take out easily.” Daniel stood up, his voice hard and unyielding. “Nothing is going to get past me to hurt her. I won’t allow it. If anyone is going to strangle her, it’s going to be me.”
