by G. K. DeRosa
He loosed a slow breath. “I told you I wanted to take things slow, and if we went back there, I knew we wouldn’t.”
“But we still have to go back eventually.”
“Yes, but now you’re satisfied, right?”
I could never have enough of Talon so no, but I didn’t want to ruin his devious plan. “Of course,” I whispered before brushing my lips against his cheek. “For now.”
He chuckled, and a wicked grin split his lips. “This is only the beginning, Azara.”
A thrill raced up my spine. Why did we wait so long? We’d wasted so much time apart and nearly lost everything. “I love you, Talon. Every part of you.” I nuzzled against his shirt and his smoky, musky scent filled my senses.
He tugged on my hand and drew me from our secret nook. “Come on, we better get back before one of the guards catches us.”
“Ugh, fine,” I grumbled.
We darted through the hallways, past the atrium and back to Block One. I never thought I’d think of my cell as home, but now home was wherever Talon was. We turned the corner, and the door to the men’s bathroom swung open.
A bleary-eyed Vander halted in the doorway. The scent of alcohol permeated the air between us.
Oh, fudge. This was not how I planned on ending my perfect evening with Talon.
Vander’s eyes drifted down to our interlocked hands, and his nostrils flared. His head dipped back, and he inhaled a deep breath. “I see you two are officially back together, then.” He wobbled before staggering a step back to lean against the wall.
“What we are is none of your business,” Talon snapped. His fingers tightened around my hand in a possessive grip.
“Talon.” I tugged on his arm, trying to steer him past his brother, but his feet were planted to the floor. Even with my demon strength, I was no match for the two-hundred-pound wall of muscle.
“No, Azara, it’s fine.” Vander raised his hands in defeat. “I knew you two would end up back together eventually, I just didn’t think he’d forgive you so quickly after...”
Talon’s pupils narrowed to reptilian slits, and an ominous growl rumbled in his chest.
“He won’t even look at me, but you, I guess I can’t blame him for looking at you with a body like that.” His eyes drifted down the plunging neckline of my dress.
“Watch your tongue,” Talon growled, “Or you won’t have one for long.”
Vander slumped against the wall, a lazy grin tugging on his lips. “What does it matter anyway? I’m persona non grata at the SIA, I’m stuck here in this damned prison, no friends, no girl and my own brother and best friend has banished me.”
I wrapped my arm through Talon’s, and the tension radiating from his skin seeped into my own. “It’s not worth it, Talon. He’s wasted.”
“Just like the night we hooked up, right, Azara?”
Talon broke free of my hold and lunged. His fist crashed into Vander’s jaw with a bone-crunching crack. The wolf’s head bounced against the wall as his brother hit him again and again.
“Talon, stop!” I cried. Vander was so drunk he was barely able to defend himself. Or maybe he’d given up all together. “Talon!” I jerked on his arm until he halted his assault. When he turned to face me, his face was more dragon than man. Scales rippled across his flesh, his eyes narrowed to reptilian slits and those teeth…
“Azara is mine,” he roared at Vander who’d doubled over the moment his fists stopped flying. “Whatever you thought you had with her wasn’t real. She would never have knowingly betrayed me. Do you understand that, brother?”
Vander swept the trickle of blood from his chin and dipped his head. “Of course, I do,” he muttered. “It’s always been you, T. After you moved in with us, even my own father preferred you. He would’ve made you, a dragon, the alpha of our wolf pack if it had been possible.”
Talon’s fangs jutted out over his lower lip as he pressed his mouth into a tight line. He inhaled a deep breath and the pointy incisors receded, the light scales covering his flesh retreating under the surface. “You don’t know what you’re talking about,” he grumbled.
“Yeah, whatever.” Vander’s gaze dipped to the floor, his head dropping with it. “Enjoy the rest of your night, you two.”
Talon stood frozen for a few more seconds until I was finally able to coax him forward. I glanced at a bloodied Vander over my shoulder as we walked away, and guilt assaulted my insides. It was my fault they hated each other. I mouthed a hasty “I’m sorry” and turned back to follow Talon. On our way back to our cell, I made a quick stop at our vampire next door neighbor’s chamber and sent Dallas to check on the fallen wolf.
Once we were safely back in our room and the door whooshed closed, I spun at the sulking dragon. “What the hell was that?”
He shook his head and slumped onto my bed, burying his face in his hands.
“Talon?” I snapped. “I know Vander was out of line, but he was wasted. I get that you’re still pissed at him, but why so angry all of a sudden?”
“Because now you’re mine,” his harsh dragon voice filled the small cell.
I marched toward him, my knees nearly touching his before I stopped. “As much as I love you, this possessive dragon thing is a little macho sexist. I don’t actually belong to you, Talon.”
“Tell that to my dragon.” He hitched his thumb at his chest. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m in control, but relationships work differently with dragons than they do with demons or humans for that matter. Once my dragon claims you as his, all rational behavior flies out the window. He’s felt the blood bond, and he yearns for more.”
His candid words swelled my heart to double its size, but I couldn’t let him off that easily. “So it’s just your dragon that feels that way?”
He looked up at me and smirked. “No, of course not. But I blame the bad behavior on him.”
“I don’t recommend that tactic. It doesn’t work out in the long run, trust me.”
Talon’s arms came around my waist, and he drew me between his muscular thighs. “I’m sorry if I got out of line. The closer we get, the harder it will be for me to temper his possessiveness. Dragons are incredibly jealous creatures, and he’s already lost you once. I doubt he’d survive a second time.”
I framed his sullen face with my hands, allowing my thumbs to graze the soft stubble. Dipping my head to his mouth, I brushed my lips over his full, kissable ones. “I’m yours,” I murmured against his lips. I straddled his lap and heat uncoiled in my lower half. I want you. All of you this time. I broadcasted my thoughts to him, hoping he’d hear.
A low growl filled the air between us, and I could feel his desire.
Not yet. His rough voice echoed in my mind. “You think my dragon is bad now. Once he’s had all of you, he may never let you go. Which is another reason why I want to take it slow. To be sure. A mate bond is much easier to trigger after a blood bond, and when you couple that with nearly losing you, my dragon will be anxious to seal the bond.”
I gulped as saliva pooled in my throat. A part of me was thrilled, nervous energy thrumming through my veins. Everything had been heightened with the blood bond. I’d never felt anything like it. But a small part of me was terrified. What if we did trigger the mate bond when we finally slept together? Were we ready for that?
Chapter Five
“The director of the SIA is breathing down my neck.” Logan steepled his hands, his elbows propped on the mahogany desk. “He’s starting to question the team’s dedication to finding Azara.”
All eyes whipped to me, and if they didn’t belong to my closest Triad buddies, I would’ve squirmed in my seat. Talon’s weighted stare was the heaviest of all, filled with concern. After a blissful night in his arms, we were rudely awoken by a particularly brusque gargoyle C.O. and summoned to the warden’s office.
Now here we were, Dallas, Hayden, Talon and I huddled around Logan’s desk. I wondered why Vander hadn’t been called in. Had the warden already been informed of last nigh
t’s encounter? Another twinge of guilt wracked my insides as grisly images of Vander’s bloodied face ran across my mind. He’d been out of line, but Talon had taken it too far.
I side-eyed the massive male beside me. His dragon’s possessiveness was going to be tough to handle.
“So what can we do?” Hayden’s question drew me from my inner musings.
“Stall as long as we can.”
“And let him think we’re completely incompetent?” Dallas interjected.
“What other choice do we have?” Talon seared his Triad brother with a scathing glare, and the vampire slumped back in his seat, hands raised.
“There’s only so much longer I can keep Maxim at bay,” Logan continued. “If we don’t provide him with something, he’ll boot us from the mission and call in another team.”
“Well, at least they’d never look here, right?” I threw a hopeful glance at Logan.
“Not on their own, but it won’t take long for them to hear rumors,” he answered. The crease between his light brows deepened. “You said you freed at least a dozen demons from Thax’s castle when you escaped, right?”
I nodded.
“They all knew where you were going, correct?”
I nodded again, chewing on the inside of my cheek. Dammit. A good deed never goes unpunished.
“Not to mention Delacroix,” added Talon. “He knows exactly where you are.”
Great. “So basically, I’m screwed.” Maybe Lucifer had been right, and I should’ve paid a visit to the new demon dark lord to confirm his silence.
Logan leaned across the desk and squeezed my hand. “We’ll figure this out, just like we always do.” A low growl slid from my dragon bodyguard’s lips, punctuating the warden’s words until his fingers released mine. Logan pierced Talon with a scathing glare. “Is there a problem, agent?”
Talon’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed the snarl down. “No, sir,” he snapped.
“Good. You’re all dismissed. We’ll reconvene by the end of the week and see what we’ve come up with.”
We all stood, but Logan beckoned me toward him before I got far. “Stay, Azara. I’d like to have a word in private.”
Talon froze beside me, his gaze intent on our warden.
Logan cleared his throat. “In private. That means you too, Talon. You can wait outside.”
My dragon bodyguard’s lip curled into a snarl, but he pivoted toward the door anyway. I’ll be right outside. His words echoed across my mind.
I’ll be fine, I shot back.
Once the door closed behind the last of the Triad boys, Logan motioned me to the sitting area by the fireplace. He sank into the couch and patted the cushion beside me. “We need to have a little chat.”
My cheeks flamed. Why did this feel like my dad sitting me down for a sex talk? “What’s up?” I squeaked.
“I heard about the incident with Vander last night.”
Oh, shish kebabs. “Is he okay?”
He nodded quickly. “No permanent damage, but even with his accelerated werewolf healing, he’ll have some bruises today. I couldn’t get much out of him, but I assume it had something to do with you and Talon and your renewed closeness?”
Oh, gods, I did not want to be having this conversation with my dad’s best friend right now.
Just spit it out, man. You’re in charge here, and it’s your job to look out for her. Logan’s deep voice ricocheted across my skull, and I nearly jumped out of my skin.
I snapped my jaw shut and forced my expression to remain blank. I was pretty sure the warden wouldn’t want me sneaking around in his private thoughts. But apparently my magical ESP was growing stronger. To confirm, I stole a quick glance at my tattoo which had lit up like a Christmas tree.
“Azara? Everything okay?”
“Yup. I was just thinking.” I paused and drew in a breath, clearing my mind. “You’re right. It was because of Talon and me. We’re trying to work things out, but it’s only making everything worse with Vander.”
“I assumed as much.” Logan’s lips thinned to a tight line. “I’m not sure how much you know about dragons, Azara, but I feel obligated to point out a few important details.”
“Um, okay.”
His cheeks rosied, and I dreaded what would come next. “When it comes to mating, dragons become fiercely possessive. Especially after sexual relations. I won’t ask if you’ve gotten that far yet, but judging by Talon’s reaction earlier, his dragon already considers you his.”
Heat seeped up my neck and blossomed across my cheeks, reaching all the way to the tips of my ears. Oh gods, why were we having this conversation?
“In any case, a jealous dragon is a difficult one to control as you can imagine. So I only ask that you consider the implications long and hard before moving forward. Talon is a good man, but he’s not without his demons.”
No pun intended, huh?
After an uncomfortably long pause, I murmured, “Okay, thanks for the advice.”
He gave me a tight smile and rose.
I couldn’t believe I was going to drag out this awkwardness any longer, but I had to tell him about Luci’s continued harassment. Given our situation with Maxim and the SIA, maybe a visit to the Underworld wouldn’t be the worse idea ever. “There’s one more thing I have to tell you.”
Surprisingly, Logan agreed with my grandfather. Now I just had to convince my overprotective dragon boyfriend that a trip to the sixth realm was the best course of action. The more I thought about it, the more sense it made. Not to mention the tiny dark voice inside that still sought her revenge against Thax. Discovering what really happened to my traitorous cousin would be well worth the trip.
Somehow, I doubted Talon would see it that way.
I stepped out of the shower and dried off, thankful for the moment of quiet time. With Talon at the door of the ladies’ room, not a single inmate would dare enter. After dragging a comb through my tangled locks, I regarded my reflection. It was hard to believe I was the same person from six months ago. Sure, things hadn’t been perfect living with Emi in the Nether Lands, but they were nowhere this level of crazy. To think, if Luci had his way, I’d be sitting on Thax’s throne right now. Shaking my head, I slipped back into my jumpsuit and reluctantly trudged out.
Now to break the news to Talon. His eyes raked over me as I emerged, the depth of concern reflecting in those silver irises startling. We’d only been apart for less than ten minutes, but I could feel his anxiety as he scrutinized me. He wouldn’t make this talk easy.
I’d spent a good portion of my time sitting under the lukewarm dribble of water contemplating the best way to spring this on him. After careful consideration, I’d decided to just spit it out.
“I’ve decided to go to the Underworld to see Delacroix as Luci suggested.” I raced through the words as we walked toward our cell.
He stopped dead in his tracks and spun me toward him. “Are you out of your mind?”
I whirled free of his grasp and narrowed my eyes as a pair of curious inmates passed by. “No. And I’m not the only one who thinks it’s a good idea. Logan agrees with me. And I bet if you asked the guys, they would too.”
Talon’s pupils narrowed into barely visible slits, the raging silver eclipsing everything else. “I don’t care what they think. It’s too dangerous. I don’t want you anywhere near Balthier. He can’t be trusted, especially now that he’s usurped Thax’s throne.”
“He’s barely holding onto it, according to Luci. The other warlords are fighting for a chance to steal it again, and he’s hardly been able to keep the demons in the sixth realm contained. If they get out into Azar or worse, the human world, it’ll be our fault.”
“This isn’t your responsibility, Azara.”
“Yes, it is.”
He seared his gaze to mine as a swirl of emotions played across his sculpted jaw. “Don’t tell me you believe what Lucifer said? About you being the one to sit the throne?”
I shrugged, lowering my
eyes to the floor. I didn’t know what to believe anymore, but so far the oracle had proven eerily accurate. “I don’t know,” I hissed. “But I do know that if we can do something to help, we should.”
After months with my demon in control, I couldn’t combat the gnawing guilt inside to do something to make up for my sins.
“And risk losing yourself in the process?”
I shook my head, anger puffing out my chest. “You have to start trusting me eventually, Talon. I’ve had a good handle on my demon for weeks now. That can’t always be your excuse.”
He dipped his head so we were eyelevel, and the storm of emotions brewing in his dark gaze pummeled my insides. “I only want to protect you.”
“I know,” I whispered. “And I love you for that, but if this relationship is going to work you can’t only be my bodyguard. You have to let me fend for myself, make decisions for myself. Most of the time, I can handle it.”
His jaw softened and the fire melted from his irises, giving way to molten pools of silver. “You’re right,” he murmured. “But it will take me time to adjust to the new dynamic.”
“Fair enough.” I smirked. “The first step could be accompanying me to the Underworld.”
He nodded slowly, his jaw clenched.
I glanced both ways down the hallway and inched closer. A few inmates still loitered around. Crushing my lips to his, I rewarded him with a searing kiss. When I pulled away, the heat of curious gazes swam over me.
“I suppose it’s official then.” Talon grinned as the whispers grew in intensity around us.
“I guess now you’re mine.”
Chapter Six
A mix of excitement and anxiety tangled in my gut, the two beasts pummeling my insides as we marched up to Thax’s—or, Delacroix’s, castle. Per Luci’s recommendation, we’d decided to make an impromptu appearance. The boys and I had been greeted by my cousin’s old narkin guards before reaching the ancient drawbridge.
