by Donna Grant
V sat in the forest long after Ulrik had departed. The memories of a time long ago came to the surface, ones that V would rather forget altogether. But that wasn’t to be.
It was the Dragon Kings’ curse to remember.
Everything.
It was known that V hadn’t been on board with welcoming the humans when they arrived on Earth. He’d argued against protecting them, but Con had given the final verdict. Though V wasn’t one to back down from a fight, Con had the role of their leader for a reason.
In the end, he deferred to Con’s decision. The peace that followed had been surprising. But it hadn’t lasted. It seemed only a blink later that the betrayal by one human female had begun the war.
V willingly hunted down the bitch for wanting to betray Ulrik. Every reason he had to reject the humans came back with a vengeance. When Ulrik went after the mortals, V was by his side, slaughtering his way through the ungrateful wretches.
The dragons had accepted mankind. The dragons had even moved away from their homes, from land that had been theirs since the beginning of time for them. How did the creatures repay such kindness?
By hunting small dragons for food and planning an attempt on Ulrik’s life.
V didn’t regret any of the mortal lives he took. They’d brought the wrath of the Dragon Kings down upon their heads. Yet as the months passed and more and more dragons were killed, V began to see the futility of it all.
It didn’t matter how many humans died, nothing would bring back the dead dragons. He had helped Con convince many of those who followed Ulrik to return to Dreagan. Then his worst fears had come to pass—the dragons were sent away for their safety.
After Ulrik had been banished from Dreagan, and the Kings took to their mountains, V didn’t think he would ever wake from dragon sleep again.
But he did. What he discovered of the world was far different than what he’d left behind. And just when he thought he could forgive the mortals, one of them stole his sword.
Every Dragon King was given three things: the ability to shift from dragon to human, a tattoo, and a sword.
Not having his sword haunted him, and he’d let his temper get the better of him, killing many of the villagers before he could get any answers.
Con had intervened, and V returned to his sleep. He didn’t know how much time had passed before he woke the next time. His first thought had been finding his sword. It consumed him, that driving need to find what had been taken from him.
No matter how hard he searched, though, he couldn’t find it. Every mortal he came across refused to even listen to his story or try to help. In his fury, he’d caused the Great Fire of Rome.
He slept again, waking hundreds of years later, intent on doing things differently. However, no matter what he did, things always ended the same. So when he’d found his mountain for the fourth time, it was with Con’s vow that he wouldn’t be woken unless the dragons were returning.
V looked around the forest. If only he could remember where he’d been when he lost his sword. Though it had been thousands of years since it was stolen, he had a feeling the sword hadn’t moved far from its last location.
He wouldn’t be whole again until the weapon was in his possession. It exasperated him that he might never know why it had been taken. He’d been good to the humans around him. Was it greed that had pushed them to take something that wasn’t theirs?
When he’d left Dreagan this last time, V vowed not to return until he had his sword. As he’d spent the weeks traveling, he realized that he needed help to finish his quest. That help was at Dreagan. Returning didn’t mean he was doing anything for Ulrik.
He’d spent so much time sleeping, that he had no idea what was really going on with the Dragon Kings, their war, Ulrik, the Fae, or the mortals.
It was time he got up to speed on everything before he chose a side. Because in a war between Dragon Kings, there wouldn’t be a chance to change sides once the lines were drawn.
V might not know where he was, but he knew how to get home. He turned to the south and started walking. Once it was dark, he would take to the skies.
He passed many mortals on his trek. None stopped. Villages or cities, it didn’t matter. They kept to themselves, their heads buried in their electronics.
Decadence lay all around him as the humans hoarded things they didn’t need to survive. Huge houses, various vehicles, fancy jewels. Yet they still coveted land, even though it was getting harder and harder to come by.
The mortals had the entire world after the dragons left, and all these thousands of years later, it still wasn’t enough for them. He heard talk of space exploration to possibly colonize another planet.
Did they not remember their own beginnings? How could any species continue if they didn’t know their origins? It boggled his mind, but then again, he’d come to expect nothing less from them.
He’d never been more thankful than when night finally descended. Though he’d covered a fair distance in his walk, he’d be able to reach Dreagan in dragon form long before the sun rose.
The onslaught of a thunderstorm made him smile. He shifted and let the coming storm cover his ascent into the clouds. He never felt more at home than when the wind was rushing over his scales as he flew. It wasn’t right that the original inhabitants of the realm were forced to hide who they were, flying at night or not at all, simply because the humans couldn’t accept them.
The actions of the mortals in the past and present were pushing him to side with Ulrik once more. V wanted to hear Con’s side of things first, however. And since it had been nearly eight hundred years since he’d walked the world, he needed to learn what happened during that time.
He’d just reached Scotland when Con’s voice filled his head. His first instinct was to ignore the King of Kings, but since he was returning to Dreagan, that wouldn’t be a wise start.
V opened the link. “Con.”
“I was beginning to wonder if you’d ever answer me.”
The annoyance dripping from Con’s words wasn’t a good sign. “You wanted me at Dreagan. I’m returning.”
“As much as that pleases me, you can no’ do it as a dragon.”
“Why?”
Con sighed. “We’re being watched. Mortals actively search the skies for dragons now.”
This must be part of the war with Ulrik. V ground his teeth together. “Even in a storm?”
“How far out are you?”
“I’ll be there in less than thirty minutes.”
“Stay high and in cloud cover until Arian can get a storm brewing.”
The link was severed. V liked Con. He always had, even if he didn’t agree with every decision the King of Kings made. And V loved Dreagan. The Kings were his family. He really didn’t want to walk away from all of that, but so far, nothing was helping their cause in shifting his decision to them.
Ulrik must’ve known that’s how he would feel. The King of Silvers was an amazing tactician. Ulrik didn’t do anything he hadn’t looked at from every angle.
The winds were blowing the rain sideways as Dreagan came into view. V dove from the clouds to the back entrance of the mountain connected to the manor. He landed and folded his wings as he spied Con and Kellan standing together. V shifted into human form and met Con’s gaze.
“Ugh. Cover up,” Darius said as he threw something at him and walked into the cavern.
V caught the jeans Darius tossed his way. No one spoke until he’d buttoned and zipped the pants into place. Then he met Con’s black gaze.
“Why did you leave?” the King of Kings demanded.
V had expected this. “You know why.”
“There’s a lot going on,” Kellan said. “We need you here.”
“I’m here now.”
Darius scratched his eyebrow. “What brought you back?”
V looked at each of them. He saw the wariness in their gazes. Ulrik must have done a lot of damage to create such an atmosphere within Dreagan. “As I’m sure each of you is awa
re, things have changed much in the mortal world. I still doona remember where I lost my sword. I grew tired of searching with nothing to show for it.”
“So you returned for our help,” Con concluded.
He gave a brief nod. “I did.”
Kellan took a step toward him. “And during your time away, did you speak with Ulrik?”
“Aye.” There was no need to lie. They would discover the truth soon enough anyway.
Both Darius and Kellan grew incensed at the news. Con was the only one who didn’t so much as blink. In all the time that V had slept, Con hadn’t changed at all.
“You might wonder why Darius and Kellan are acting in such a way,” Con said.
V looked at Kellan and Darius. “Ulrik told me some of us have taken mates. I assume that includes both of you.”
“Aye,” Kellan said tightly. “Did Ulrik also tell you that he tried to have my woman killed?”
That part had been omitted. It was one of the reasons V hadn’t made a rash decision. He liked to figure things out on his own with as many facts as he could piece together.
Darius’s gaze flashed with fury. “He tried to turn Sophie against me. When that didna work, he went after her. Talk to any of the mates here. They’ll tell you how Ulrik tried to kill them.”
“Or was involved in their deaths,” Kellan said. “Like Rhys’s Lily.”
Rhys mated? That wasn’t possible, surely. V had been with Rhys on some of his womanizing forays. If Rhys had lost his mate, he would be inconsolable. “Lily died?”
“For some reason, Ulrik decided to bring her back to life,” Con said as he crossed his arms over his chest.
That’s when V knew it had been Mikkel, not Ulrik, who’d had Lily killed. Ulrik had said that the Kings blamed him for everything Mikkel did. That wasn’t saying that Ulrik wasn’t responsible for some of the attacks on the mates, but it did explain why he’d brought Lily back.
It also made V wonder if Ulrik was really over the betrayal of his woman. He’d thought her his mate. Even after all the centuries that had passed, Ulrik couldn’t stand to have a King lose his mate. It was why he’d saved Lily.
Not for himself.
Not for Rhys.
Not even for Lily.
But for love.
Though V doubted Ulrik would admit that. Hate had turned Ulrik into something twisted and cruel, but the old Ulrik was still inside there somewhere. Which meant there might be hope for them yet.
“What did Ulrik tell you?” Kellan asked.
V looked into celadon eyes and wondered why Kellan didn’t know. He was Keeper of History, which meant he saw things as they happened and wrote them down.
Those events were usually important ones. So either V’s chat with Ulrik hadn’t been significant enough for Kellan to see it. Or he was lying.
“He mentioned the mates. He also told me that there was a war and he intended to fight Con,” V said. He intentionally left out the mention of Mikkel. For now.
Darius raised a blond brow. “He didna ask you to join him?”
“Of course, he did.”
Con’s gaze narrowed a fraction. “Have you returned to spy for him?”
“Apparently, Ulrik already has a spy. Nay, Con. I returned for the reason I told you. If you doona believe me, I’ll leave.”
Kellan shook his head as he looked to the ground. “I want to believe him, but we’re already looking for—”
“I know,” Con interrupted him. Then he glanced at Darius and Kellan. “Leave us.”
V waited until the Kings were gone from the large cavern before he allowed himself to look around. While he’d slept the years away in his mountain, it was easy to forget how much he loved Dreagan until he saw it again. His gaze swept over the etchings and drawings of dragons around the spacious cavern.
“Can I trust you?” Con demanded.
He looked into Con’s eyes and told him the truth. “I heard Ulrik’s side. I want to hear yours.”
“You’ve no’ changed, V.”
“Neither have you.”
Con dropped his arms and pivoted, waving V to follow him. “Let’s get a drink, and I’ll fill you in.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Though Anson had his eyes closed, he didn’t have to look at Devon to know that something was wrong. He could feel it in the way her body tensed in his arms.
“What is it, lass?”
“You didn’t use a condom.”
“I can no’ get you pregnant.”
There was a soft sigh from her. “Oh. But there’re still diseases.”
“You willna catch anything from me.”
“Because of magic?”
He heard the dubious tone of her voice, but he didn’t take offense. Instead of trying to explain immortality as magic, he opted not to reply at all.
Devon rose up on her elbow and looked down at him. Her blue eyes scrutinized him. “What happened between us was … beautiful.”
“Aye. It was.” Even he could admit that.
Having her in his arms had felt so absolutely perfect that it had taken his breath away. The way her body had responded to his touch, the way her eyes had held such wonder and passion, and the way she had given herself to him had been his undoing.
“No one has touched me like you,” she said.
It was on the tip of his tongue to tell her that no man ever would again, but he stopped himself in time. He feared they might very well fall—and he wasn’t sure just where they would land.
He’d lived most of his eons of time in the shadows. Yet with her, he wanted to be in the sunlight, basking in her beauty.
“Why am I drawn to you?” she whispered.
His fingers grazed her jaw before sliding into her thick hair and cupping her head. He rolled her onto her back, moving atop her and lowering his head until their lips were nearly touching.
“Sometimes, it’s better no’ to ask such questions.”
She lifted a finger and traced his lips. “Because of the answer?”
“Because I doona have a reply.”
“I should be terrified of this hunger I have for you. I’m not, though.”
The pulse at her throat was erratic as her chest rose and fell rapidly. Her pupils dilated as desire filled her eyes once more. His cock responded instantly.
He ran his hand down her side to the indent of her waist and then over her hips to her long legs. His gaze lowered to look at her full breasts and the dusky nipples that strained for attention.
Hunger. Aye, that’s exactly what he felt for her. That first taste had merely been a sample. He craved more. Even as it led him closer to the edge of this unnamable precipice, he wouldn’t be denied what was so sensually offered.
“Anson.”
He looked up at her parted lips still swollen from his kisses and groaned. Taking her to bed had complicated things, but he couldn’t undo what had been done. Nor did he want to.
Just as he was lowering his head to kiss her, someone rang the doorbell. His head jerked around, and she stiffened beneath him.
“Expecting anyone?” he asked.
She shook her head. “No.”
He jumped up and yanked on his jeans before hurrying downstairs. At the door, he looked through the peephole and saw Devon’s assistant.
When he turned around, Devon stood behind him in a blue silk robe. “It’s Stacy,” he told her. “I’ll be upstairs.”
Devon walked behind him and placed her hand in the center of his back on his spine where his tattoo was. Warmth spread from her hand over every inch of the tat. He wanted to ask her what she thought of it.
The doorbell rang again, and her hand fell away. It was his cue to vanish from sight. He looked back as he reached the stairs and found her staring at him. He shot her a smile of encouragement.
She returned it before unlocking and opening the door. He heard the two women talking as he returned to the bedroom and the rumpled bed.
The night had turned out quite differently than
he’d imagined. He hated that Stacy had interrupted them. Perhaps it was beneficial. He was there to protect Devon, not make love to her all night. With his attention on her in such a way, he couldn’t guard her properly.
He heard something buzzing and bent over to find his mobile that had fallen under the bed. Once it was in his hand, he saw that he’d missed six texts from Kinsey and Esther. Now they were calling him.
“Aye?” he answered.
There was a grunt before Kinsey said, “About time. What were you doing? Shagging her?” The laughter on the other end of the line died when he didn’t reply. “Anson?”
“Someone attempted to break into the second-floor window. I’ve used magic to prevent anyone from getting in. Same with the doors,” he explained.
“Yeah. Okay. Um … is that all?”
“Her assistant just arrived.”
Kinsey cleared her throat. “Well, I guess that’s nice. In the days we watched Devon, no one came to her flat except those with deliveries.”
“Stacy said it was to check on her since Devon had acted so weirdly this morning.”
“How is Devon?”
Passionate. Warm. Beautiful. “She’s beginning to comprehend how treacherous all of this is.”
“Does she know that Stacy may be part of them?”
“She’s smart enough to keep things to herself.”
“Hmm. About my comment regarding you shagging her—”
He didn’t want to talk about it, so he quickly interrupted her and said, “Leave it.”
There was a beat of silence. “Just … be careful.”
“I’m no’ the one you should be telling that to.”
“I’m out of my depth here. This is probably a conversation you should be having with Ryder. Or even Con.”
He ran a hand down his face. “This is my business.”
“Well, not technically. We’re all in this together. We need Devon completely focused on her task.”
“She will be.”
“Next time, answer the phone so we don’t worry,” Kinsey said. “By the way, has she mentioned anything about returning to work tomorrow? The quicker we get this done, the better.”
He thought back over the evening. “That subject hasna been broached.”
