Sentinel of Darkness

by Katie Reus

  Keva nodded. “I do, and thank you.”

  “I would like this, and my sister-in-law is not purchasing anything for me.” She sniffed haughtily and looked over at Arya. “I have my own funds.”

  Arya simply rolled her eyes and picked up a bracelet that Keva had handcrafted with platinum and glass she’d found on a long stretch of deserted beach in California.

  By the time the women had gathered all of their choices, Keva had learned their names—Mira and Prima—and they’d racked up over two thousand dollars in sales. Which was an incredible day indeed.

  Keva couldn’t fight the smile even if she’d wanted to as she tallied up all the sales. She swore the dragons kept her in business. Though the tourist season was always nice and definitely kept her afloat, the dragons had helped push her business heavily into the black. Something she liked very much. So did her bank account. There was a certain kind of security that came from having financial independence. After she’d been dependent on her ex—who’d burned through the money her parents had left her—nothing compared with being able to take care of herself. She would never go back to being the woman who’d been so stupid, so dependent on a man, so beaten down.

  As the three shifters left, she froze as the man from yesterday stepped inside. He simply nodded at the women, barely glancing their way because his gaze was laser sharp on her.

  She immediately stepped around the counter. Some intrinsic part of her, a part she barely understood, knew without a doubt he wouldn’t hurt her. That alone confused her—along with the fact that she was very much attracted to the big jerk with the insulting offer. His shoulders were wickedly broad, his dark hair close-cropped, making his cheekbones stand out even more. And there was just a hint of silvery-gray in his blue eyes, making them appear like flecks of ice. He wore a simple T-shirt and jeans, his biceps straining against the material. “Mr. Hunter.”

  “It’s Dagen.” That sexy voice swept through her and she was glad she’d actually worn a bra today.

  Because her nipples beaded tightly from that damn voice alone. “Okay.” Her tone was noncommittal. “Can I help you with something?”

  “I came by to officially apologize for my offer yesterday. It…was just business for me. But I see why it was insulting.”

  “Just business, not personal, right? I hate that phrase.”

  He simply nodded, looking uncomfortable. Then he cleared his throat. “I should also tell you that I wasn’t authorized to make that offer by Conall. It didn’t come from him. I was just doing my job. But I was too overzealous.”

  She wondered at his motives. “Is your Alpha making you apologize?”

  He blinked once and she noticed he hadn’t walked very far into her store. “It’s strange to talk to a human who knows what I am.”

  She lifted a shoulder. “I really don’t know that much.” But she wanted to know more. So much more.

  He was silent for a long moment, then said, “No, he didn’t make me apologize. I came here on my own. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

  For some reason, she actually believed him. It didn’t mean she was going to become buddies with the guy, but she nodded politely. “Apology accepted.”

  He blinked again, looking surprised, but the tightness in his shoulders loosened and she absurdly wondered what he would look like naked—but only because she wanted to sculpt him. That was all. Oh my God, Keva, that’s the saddest lie in the world.

  He continued to stand there for a long moment, looking unsure of himself, and she wasn’t sure what to say either. He was…ridiculously sexy.

  “Did you need help with anything else?” she finally asked.

  “Baby shower,” he blurted.

  She blinked once. “Excuse me?”

  “I’ve been invited to a coed baby shower. I need help shopping for something.”

  She looked around her store and suppressed a grin. “I don’t think I have anything appropriate for a baby shower gift here. Unless you’re planning on buying jewelry for a woman who is not your mate?” Because even she knew that was a big no-no in the shifter world. Shifter males in particular could get very possessive. At least from what she’d seen. Heck, that was pretty much a no-no for humans too.

  He frowned as if the thought had just occurred to him. “That is true.” He shifted from foot to foot as he glanced around the store, his expression curious. Then he strode over to a sculpture she’d made of a beautiful dragon with bluish-gold wings that looked as if they were on fire themselves. The beautiful animal was in the middle of breathing fire the same color as his wings. In the sunlight, even more colors glittered through the glass and gems. That piece had taken her ages to finish and she almost hated to sell it.

  “This is incredible,” he breathed, awe in his voice. “You made this yourself?”

  She felt her cheeks heat up at the compliment. “I did.”

  “I’ll take it.”

  “Ah…it’s fifteen hundred dollars.”

  He didn’t even blink as he gently picked it up. “It’s worth more.”

  Now she was the one to blink in surprise. Even more heat rushed to her cheeks but she simply put on her “store-owner’s smile” and said, “Thank you. Just give me a second and I’ll get a box and some stuffing so I can wrap it properly.” Today had turned out to be a very good day indeed. And it was only a little after lunch, so it was very likely that she would still see more customers.

  For some strange reason, she was glad this virtual stranger was the one who’d purchased the piece. It was clear he valued it.

  * * *

  Dagen steeled himself and stepped inside Keva’s shop the next morning. Just like the first time, seeing her—and scenting her—nearly knocked him on his ass. He tried not to be obvious but all he wanted to do was inhale that rich, sweet, wild scent. Fuck. He needed to get it together.

  She was clearly surprised to see him but smiled politely. It was nothing like that original smile she’d given him—before she’d known who he was. The smile that stole his breath and much more.

  “Good morning,” she said softly.

  The little bell jingled overhead as he stepped fully inside and let the door shut behind him. “Morning. I brought you some pastries from the shop a few doors down.” It was owned by the clan and Isobel ran it. Arya had told him what Keva’s favorites were, though he was still unsure how the ancient female even knew that. But she seemed to have a wealth of knowledge.

  “Why?” she blurted. Then she seemed to wince and said, “I mean, thank you. But also…why are you bringing me pastries?”

  “To be nice. And because I wanted to ask you out to lunch. Or dinner.” Basically he wanted anything she would give him. Which felt a little sad and desperate, but his dragon apparently had no pride or shame when it came to her. He just wanted the chance to get to know her more. To see if this insane connection he felt was real, and could be reciprocated.

  Her delicious lips pulled into a thin line. “You mean like a date? Or is this some plan to get me to sell?”

  “I do not want to buy your property. I don’t care about that. I…just want to ask you out on a date.” God, he wasn’t some untried dragon barely out of his youth. He was a fucking sentinel, part of the team that kept their borders secure. But right now he felt out of his depth, as if he was drowning.

  “Oh.” She bit her bottom lip, the action adorable. But when she crossed her arms over her chest, the move protective, he knew she was going to say no before she said it. Sighing, she continued, “Look, I completely accept your apology. But I’m not looking to date anyone. Especially not…a shifter. And I mean that in the nicest way possible. I’m just not looking for anything at all—with anyone.” There was such a finality in her words, but also a hint of regret.

  His dragon definitely picked up on the regret and clung to it. “Are you looking for a friend?”

  “I guess,” she said, then laughed lightly. “I mean, if you really want to be friends, sure, but I’m making it clear right now tha
t I am not looking for a relationship. Or sex either.”

  He perked up at the word sex but kept his expression neutral. That was hard, especially when he scented more than a trickle of lust roll off her. He went completely still for a moment, inhaling the turbulence of her mixed emotions. She wanted him. Even if she didn’t want to want him. “Okay, then. Would you like to go out to dinner as friends?”

  She snorted softly again, a hint of amusement lighting up her eyes. “Somehow I feel like you’re not hearing anything I’m saying.”

  He lifted a shoulder. “I hear everything you’re saying.” And not saying.

  “I can do lunch on Saturday. I’ve got extra staff working that day so I can get away.”

  Saturday seemed an eternity away, but he would take it. Moving closer, he was careful not to crowd her space as he set the bag of pastries on the countertop. “I’ll need your phone number.”

  “You should have my phone number from the files for the real estate offer.”

  “The number is in there, but I didn’t want to invade your privacy and save it in my phone.”

  She blinked in surprise but then smiled, one of those real ones that he couldn’t get enough of. Then she rattled off her phone number. He quickly put the numbers in his phone and texted her once so she had his.

  “Saturday, should I pick you up here?” he asked.

  “Sounds good. How about eleven thirty? There’s usually a lull around then and I won’t feel bad about leaving my shop.”

  He nodded. “I’ll see you then.” And he’d likely be counting down every second. He wasn’t sure how mated males, or females for that matter, ever got anything done. All his focus was on Keva. And if she wanted to be just friends, then fine. Well, not fucking fine. But he wanted her in his life. He wasn’t sure how things would play out if his attraction grew even stronger but he was going to take it one day at a time. Hell, one step at a time. He needed to prove to her that he was a worthy male. The only thing he knew was that he got to spend time with her on Saturday. That made his dragon very happy.

  He was a predator by nature, but his dragon half thought in very simple terms. And right now, one hurdle had been crossed. Convincing his future mate to spend time together was complete. And he’d gotten to give her food. Yes, this pleased him very much.

  Chapter 4

  Keva was already second-guessing her decision to go out to lunch with that sexy dragon on Saturday. She should have just said no, that she didn’t need any more friends. But it seemed stupid to agitate members of Conall’s clan.

  Okay, that was a big fat lie. She’d said yes because she wanted to go. Period. For no other reason than apparently she was a masochist and wanted to spend time with the very sexy man who could only ever be a friend.

  Because she hadn’t been kidding about not wanting a relationship. She’d gotten burned so badly before that she hadn’t even dated since her ex died. A lot of that had to do with getting her business up and running. But the thought of dating a shifter, where the power dynamic was so lopsided? No, she didn’t think she could deal with that again.

  Her ex-boyfriend had seemed sweet and charming in the beginning too, though there had been telltale signs. She just hadn’t been able to see them. She’d recently lost her mother, and even though they hadn’t been particularly close, both her parents had died in such a short timeframe that she’d felt alone in the world. Without an anchor. And Randall had been so damn charismatic.

  God, she still felt like an idiot for falling for his lies. When he’d told her he was a shifter, he’d made it out like he’d confided this huge secret to her because he trusted her. What a load of crap. Only later had she realized he’d told her to keep her in line, to keep her afraid.

  Dagen seemed nothing like that. The fact that he was respectful and had asked for her phone number when he easily could’ve gotten it on his own gave her a good feeling, but she wasn’t sure she was willing to risk anything again.

  Besides that, she’d seen him yesterday with Arya, and the woman had linked her arm through his. The two were clearly chummy. Maybe even more than just chummy. She thought Arya might be mated but she wasn’t sure if dragons were faithful or…what. Her ex certainly hadn’t been. And she didn’t know enough about dragons or other shifters to know their norms. She just knew that mates got all possessive, but that did not equal fidelity. God. She was just getting caught up in her own head. And she had work to do.

  A customer stepped inside and she shelved all thoughts of the sexy man who’d infiltrated her dreams the last couple nights.

  By the time Keva was able to take a breath and actually relax, four hours had passed. One customer after another had come in, the beginning of spring season here. She was definitely not complaining since there would be a lull come the end of spring and into the beginning of summer. She’d hired a couple seasonal staff—because someone had to work the store while she actually created the jewelry. And she had the urge to design anyway. She loved what she did and loved that she got to make money from it, though the work was definitely time-consuming and exhausting.

  Smiling at the mother and daughter leaving her store, she rounded the countertop and glanced at her phone when she saw the little blue light blinking.

  When she read the recent text message, ice chilled her veins.

  Where is my brother?

  She knew who it was from even though she didn’t recognize the number. Even as she tried to shake off the fear, she recalled her plan and texted back. Who is this?

  It had been four years since Randall had died. And she was going to say she hadn’t seen him in over three years to anyone who asked—which was true. So she couldn’t act like she knew who this was or what this was about.

  Her phone pinged again. Don’t be stupid.

  Whoever this is, I think you have the wrong number.

  Two minutes later another text came in. This is Richard, Randall’s brother. Where is he?

  Yep, it was exactly who she thought it was. Randall’s older brother hadn’t been the Alpha of his pack, but he had been second-in-command. Randall had always told her that one day he’d settle back with his pack, but not until he was done roaming. He hadn’t liked having an Alpha very much. She wasn’t sure of the exact dynamics of what that meant but it sounded a lot like having a boss.

  She waited another minute, then texted back. Why are you bothering me? I haven’t seen him in three years. Then she set her phone down and greeted a new customer stepping into her store. She was afraid, yes, but she wasn’t going to let that fear control the way she acted today. She wasn’t going to let it control her life.

  She wasn’t a match physically for a wolf, or any shifter for that matter, but she had invested in a gun, pepper spray, and a Taser. Overkill? No. Definitely not. Because she knew about the things that went bump in the night, and shifters weren’t the only supernatural creatures out there.

  There were also vampires and a few other things her ex had mentioned in passing. Now that she knew about them, she wanted to be better prepared in case she was ever attacked by anyone—or anything—again. Not that she was worried supernatural creatures would randomly start attacking her. They’d been around as long as humans, and apparently had their shit together better since they were able to live in relative hiding.

  But she shook those thoughts away. She had a business to run and bills to pay.

  She’d worry about what she was going to do about this later. And maybe…she’d call Conall to let him know.

  Chapter 5

  Dagen tried not to feel like too much of a stalker as he followed Keva to her vehicle. A bone-deep compulsion ordered him to watch out for her, to make sure she was okay. Just because she had no idea they were mates didn’t mean he could stop acting against his nature. To do so would be like cutting off a limb. So even if it could be construed as creepy to be following her, he wasn’t a human. It wasn’t like he was going to peep in her windows later tonight.

  As she headed down the sidewalk, h
e stuck to the shadows even though he could have easily cloaked himself. To do that, however, he’d have to get completely naked. That was a dragon gift. Whether in dragon or human form, dragons could cloak themselves in camouflage.

  But he was adept at blending into his surroundings regardless. As he trailed after her, he scented fear. Just a hint of it, and it raged against his senses. She was afraid of something? He hoped to God it wasn’t him. But he couldn’t imagine that it was. He hadn’t scented anything like that when he’d last seen her. Just confusion, and yes, lust. That scent was forever seared into his brain.

  She walked past the last row of shops on the street before turning left. He knew she parked in a well-lit parking lot two blocks away. So he kept his distance, maneuvering around the humans still out strolling, even as she rounded the corner.

  By the time he made it to the parking lot, he knew something was wrong. First, he smelled wolf shifter. And not any wolves he recognized. If someone was in Petronilla territory, they should have announced it to his Alpha, and Conall would have let everybody know. Sometimes mistakes happened and supernaturals stumbled into one another’s territories. That was always no harm, no foul. But when he spotted Keva talking to a huge shifter male, her body language screamed that she was terrified.

  Going straight into warrior mode, he caught some of the conversation as he used the vehicles to cover him. Moving quietly, he was in complete stealth mode.

  “I don’t understand why you’re here bothering me,” Keva snapped out. “I already told you, I haven’t seen him in over three years. After he blew through my trust fund he had no need for me anymore.”

  The male growled and it took all of Dagen’s restraint not to breathe fire at him. “If I find out you hurt my brother—”

  Keva let out a sharp laugh of incredulity. “Are you kidding me! That’s not possible.”