by Donna Grant
The next, she was drowning in misery and confusion, trying to find her footing with the hand fate had dealt her.
She didn’t hate Darius exactly. Though he could’ve refused to give her the news. Her lover should’ve had the balls to tell her himself. Was he afraid she’d go nuclear on him as she’d done at Balladyn’s fortress?
Rhi paused. She most likely would have, now that she thought about it. But that didn’t make his pansy-ass any easier to swallow.
She hated that he was in the room with her, standing beside the bed.
And she loved that he was there.
Her heart ached at his nearness. How she wanted to grab his hand and bring it to her face to feel him touching her once more.
She was pathetic, pitiful.
How many centuries needed to pass without him coming to her before she could let him go? She kept asking herself that same question, and each time it get easier to answer.
She’d been saying for a while now that she needed to let him go. Ulrik had told her that, as had Balladyn. Both held grudges against the Dragon Kings, and in some ways those resentments were justified.
“Wake up.”
His voice was like a punch in her gut. She felt tears gather, and hated him for it. She loathed herself for having such a reaction to him.
“You’ve made your point, Rhi. It’s time to wake up.”
She wasn’t ready. If she woke she’d have to face Balladyn. Worse, she would need to confront Usaeil, and she wasn’t ready. Then there was the issue of the darkness inside her.
It was growing. She couldn’t deny that any longer. How long before it stamped out her light? How long before she became Dark?
The prospect didn’t frighten her as it used to. Perhaps she’d been destined for this path from the very beginning. Maybe that’s why Balladyn was Dark, so he could help her when she turned.
Balladyn. If he could, would he be there with her? She knew the answer to that. It was an unequivocal yes. If she were anywhere but Dreagan, Balladyn would be beside her.
That warmed her heart. After all the rejection from her lover, Balladyn—as always—never failed her. Sure he’d tortured her to turn her Dark, but she’d gotten away. That kind of attention was preferable to being disregarded and ignored.
A great love. That was what she and her King had claimed they shared. If it was so great, where had he been? Why had he ended it? Why …
She halted the questions. Did it really matter anymore? She’d gone thousands of years without answers, and it wasn’t like she would get them. Ever.
Her body couldn’t move. It wasn’t the blast of Dark magic that kept her sleeping. She did that. She was at a crossroads, and she still wasn’t sure what to do.
If she remained on her path, loving a man who didn’t return her affection and letting the darkness continue to grow, she’d become that which she hunted—Dark Fae.
If she took the other path, she didn’t know what lay ahead. It could be with Balladyn or someone else.
“How is she?” said a voice with a British accent.
Henry. She sighed. Sweet Henry.
He was a good kisser, and she loved the way he looked at her. But he was human. She already crossed a line by kissing him and giving him hope that something would develop between them. That was something she needed to set straight soon.
“There’s no’ been a change.”
Rhys. He was back again? Somehow Rhi wasn’t surprised.
Henry let out a loud sigh. “I’m worried.”
“As we all are,” Rhys stated.
“I was looking for Con earlier. Someone said he was in here.”
Rhys grunted. “Aye. He was.”
“His power is to heal. Can’t he bloody well do something?” Henry asked angrily.
“He already has,” Rhys stated. “She’s healed.”
“Then why does she not wake?”
She hated the worry and fear she heard in both men’s voices, but she wasn’t ready to face things yet. Rhi sunk deeper into her sleep so she wouldn’t hear any more.
Right before she drifted off, she felt her watcher’s eyes again. He hadn’t left her side. She was more than curious as to who it was that could remain veiled so long.
It was one of the first things she would discover when she woke. Later. Much later …
* * *
Sophie knew before she ever opened her eyes that Darius was gone. She reached over and felt the spot where he had been. The bed was cold, informing her he’d left some time ago.
She opened her eyes and rolled to her back. Normally she had a hard time having an orgasm with a man, but Darius made it so easy.
The first time with Darius she attributed it to the fact that it had been a long time since she’d been with a man, but last night? Darius hadn’t just given her the climax of her life. He’d given her two in a very short space of time.
Sophie bit her lip when she moved and the sheet rubbed against her nipples that were still highly sensitized from his teasing.
She carefully lifted the covers and climbed from the bed. Shutting off her alarm a minute before it was supposed to go off, she made her way to the bathroom.
There she halted and stared at the bathtub full of water. The candles had been blown out. Darius must have done that.
Sophie quickly unstoppered the tub to let the water drain and grabbed her towel. She turned on the shower and waited for the water to heat up before she stepped in.
But under the hot stream of water, she could only stand there thinking about being in Darius’s arms. For two weeks she’d dreamed of him taking her against the building because it had been so erotic and amazing. Last night far exceeded the first. It could well last her an entire year’s worth of dreams.
It wasn’t until she was drying off that she remembered what Darius had said. She was in danger, and if she saw him she had to act as if she couldn’t stand him.
That was easy yesterday, but after another night in his arms? She wasn’t so sure. There was no doubt Darius was infuriating. He told her cryptic things like that, snuck into her flat, and then made love to her as if he would die if he didn’t have her.
Sophie couldn’t remember the last time a man made her feel that way. When he looked at her, he saw only her. Not his mobile phone, not his computer, not his friends or work. Just her.
And that felt … amazing.
She blinked and realized she was standing in front of her sink holding the towel as she thought of Darius. Dimly, she recognized the Outlander soundtrack still played on repeat.
And her glorious mood was soured as she feared she might never see Darius again.
* * *
Ulrik crossed another name off the list and stared at the few who remained. It was taking longer than he wanted, but he was slowly learning who Mikkel’s spy at Dreagan was. He closed the file and tucked it in a false bottom of his desk drawer with others.
One of his mobile phones rang. He answered with a curt, “Aye?”
“He’s no’ been here, boss,” said the deep voice on the other end of the line.
Ulrik sat back and grinned. “Are you positive?”
“We are. I kept watch on the front of the building while Jonas watched the back. Darius didna pay the doc a visit.”
“Did you watch the roof?”
“Aye, boss. Just as you ordered.”
Ulrik sat there a moment. After what Darius had gone through, he’d be the last of the Dragon Kings who would get embroiled with a mortal. Ulrik needed to be sure he was telling the truth, however. It looked like Darius had been.
Except he recalled how infuriated Darius became when he realized Ulrik had watched them make love.
“Follow the doctor to work. Discreetly,” Ulrik cautioned. “I doona want her seeing you.”
“Will do.”
Ulrik replaced the mobile with the others on the corner of his desk. His interest in Dr. Sophie Martin went deeper than finding Darius with her. She’d helped Thorn and Lexi.<
br />
Sophie worked outside the hospital, often going to visit those who couldn’t get to the hospital or who couldn’t afford it. It was by chance that one of Ulrik’s spies had seen her going into a building with Thorn. The same building where Darcy’s flat was located.
That building was now decimated by the Dark, so there was no hope of Ulrik finding anything among the rubble. Depending on how much she knew, Sophie could be an asset. He rubbed his jaw.
With the right amount of coercion and persuasion, Ulrik could turn her and use her as a spy. With the Kings’ penchant for showing up in Edinburgh and any mortal around them becoming injured, it was only natural that they’d call Sophie.
They trusted her, which meant they wouldn’t hide things from her. It would be another blow to the Kings. Though he was pleased by the video leaking the Dragon Kings to the world, that was only a small fraction of his plan.
Once Mikkel made himself known, Ulrik had no choice but to alter his plots somewhat. Now he didn’t just have to worry about fighting—and beating—Con, but he had to kill his own uncle as well.
It was either that or Mikkel killed him, and Ulrik hadn’t suffered through all the millennia as a mortal not to have his revenge.
As for his uncle, he continued to let Mikkel think he was doing his bidding. So far Mikkel accepted everything while keeping a close eye on Ulrik. But Ulrik wasn’t worried. There was much Mikkel knew, but even more that his uncle didn’t.
While the scales dipped in his favor, Ulrik was all right. However, he hadn’t gotten to where he was by letting fate decide his path. He made his own way, forging alliances and unions that would ensure his outcome.
Mikkel would try to kill him by a sneak attack. It was one reason Ulrik never slept. Nor did he trust anyone. Which led him back to ties. Sophie Martin would be a nice addition to his allies.
His decision made, Ulrik rose and went to change. He had a trip into Edinburgh to make.
CHAPTER
NINE
Sophie was thankful for the craziness of work to take her mind off Darius. She’d gotten there at six in the morning, and the next time she looked up, it was four in the afternoon.
She leaned against the nurses’ counter and jotted something in a file. It wasn’t until Claire took it from her that Sophie looked at her friend and smiled.
“You saw him last night,” Claire said in a whispery voice, her eyes wide.
Sophie tried to deny it, then she gave up and shrugged.
Claire looked to the ceiling. “Thank you, God. Now, if you don’t mind, send one my way. Bob is getting tired.”
“Who’s Bob? You’ve not told me about a Bob,” Sophie said, a little hurt.
“I have too,” Claire said and gave her a little shove in the arm. “Bob is Battery Operated Boyfriend. B.O.B.”
Sophie laughed, because only Claire would come up with such a name for her vibrator.
Then Claire batted her eyes and did her best Southern accent to mimic her favorite character, Kaylee, from the movie Serenity as she said, “Goin’ on a year now I ain’t had nothin’ twixt my nethers weren’t run on batteries.”
Sophie had to grab her sides she was laughing so hard. Leave it to Claire to make her smile.
“What?” Claire said with an innocent expression, keeping her Southern drawl. “Was somethin’ I said funny?”
Sophie held up a hand when Claire started to continue with more lines from the movie. “No more, please.”
“It’s all that coffee,” Claire said as she eyed the cup Sophie set down a moment ago. “Water, Soph, water.”
“Yes, but water doesn’t have the caffeine I need to keep going.”
“With Mr. Do-It-Right in your bed, I don’t think you’re going to need much caffeine.”
It was a reminder that Darius had come into her life out of the shadows, and he’d disappeared back into them. Sophie tried to keep the smile in place, but Claire knew her too well.
“What is it, honey?” she asked.
Sophie waved her away. “Nothing. It was just sex, nothing more. And he’s gone now. He won’t be coming back.”
“What a wanker. At least he wasn’t perfect.”
Only Claire would immediately come to her side and find something wrong with Mr. Do-It-Right, as she’d called him. Sophie smiled wryly. “He was kinda perfect.”
“Everyone has flaws. Did he snore?”
“I’ve no idea.”
“I bet he snored,” Claire said with a firm nod. “Was his thingy bent? It curved to the side, didn’t it?”
Sophie shook her head.
“Was he…” Claire trailed off and wiggled her little finger.
“Mr. Do-It-Right?” Sophie asked with a flat look. “He certainly wasn’t small.”
Claire rolled her eyes. “Hey, some small guys can do it right. It just feels better when the man is well hung. So maybe he couldn’t kiss. That’s it. He was a bad kisser.”
Sophie shook her head again.
Clair threw out her hands and let them slap her thighs as they fell. “I give up. Looks like he was perfect except that he left. That definitely makes him a wanker.”
“It’s better that he’s gone.”
“It’s absolutely not better if you think that. If you’re glad, then that means he struck a chord in you, Soph. And I’m sorry, but after seven years, you need several chords struck. Repeatedly. And often.”
Sophie checked her watch and winked at Claire. “Thanks for the pep talk. Gotta run.”
“We’re not done here,” Claire called as Sophie walked away.
Sophie merely lifted her hand and waved, not bothering to look behind her. It was a conversation she and Claire had been having for years. She met Claire six months after moving to Edinburgh, and they had bonded during one incredibly long shift.
During a girl’s night out a year later, Sophie had drank too much and ended up telling Claire the entire awful story. Claire was the only person in Edinburgh who knew the sordid details.
No matter what Claire said, Sophie was happy with her life. She had everything she wanted. Her career was on track, she loved her job, and she had a close friend. It was all she needed.
Except, with Darius, she’d begun to long for so much more. That dream of a husband and a happy life began to sprout again.
It was a dangerous thing, hope.
Especially to someone like her and all she’d endured. The humiliation, the shame.
Sophie turned the corner and ran into a man. She bounced back, but his hands grabbed her by her arms to steady her. “I apologize,” she said and looked up into gold eyes.
He smiled, though it didn’t quite reach his unique eyes. “It’s my fault. I wasna looking where I was going.”
She recognized him from the day before. “It’s fine. These halls are very busy.”
“I’ve a confession,” he said as she started to walk around him.
Intrigued, she asked, “Oh?”
“I put myself in your path. I’ve been trying to get your attention all day.”
Sophie looked at the hand-sewn suit he wore and shook her head. He practically oozed money and old-world class. “A man like you can have any woman he wants.”
“What do you mean, a man like me?”
“Handsome, rich, and charming.”
“But you doona find those redeeming qualities?” he asked, watching her intently, with a half-smile in place.
Sophie shrugged. “Handsome is always a boon. Money comes and goes easily, so that shouldn’t make a difference.”
“But it makes life easier.”
“That’s true,” she conceded. “As for the charm, I’ve learned that men use it to get what they want, but it’s rarely genuine.”
The fake smile dropped as he looked at her differently, as if he were seeing her for the first time. “You’re no’ wrong, lass. However, men are no’ the only ones to use something to get what they want.”
“Ah, but I’m not one of those women who use their bod
ies to get something. I’ve a brain.”
“Which is why I’m interested.” He held out his hand, “I’m Ulrik Dunn.”
Sophie hesitated for a moment before she accepted his hand and shook it. “Sophie Martin.”
“Doctor,” he corrected with a grin.
She found herself returning his smile. “Just what are you after, Mr. Dunn?”
“Ulrik, please,” he said as he released her hand. “I’ve learned a lot about you, Dr. Martin. I know that you often help those less fortunate with your house calls.”
Sophie immediately retrieved her hand and took a step back. “It’s not against any regulations.”
Ulrik held up his hands and bowed his head. “I was in no way saying it was. I’m merely pointing out that it’s your side work, as it were, that has drawn me.”
“Why?” Sophie was suddenly leery of him.
“You think of others. It’s a trait I admire.”
She held the chart against her chest and wrapped her arms around it. There was something about Ulrik that didn’t quite meet up. His words were right, but his eyes lacked … humanity.
Darius’s words of caution the night before came back to her. “So you’ve been following me?”
“Word of your deeds reached me. I checked you out, of course.”
“Of course,” Sophie replied tightly. She met his gold eyes and said, “Mr. Dunn, I enjoy what I do. My hours are filled here at the hospital and helping others. I don’t have any spare time for whatever it is you want from me. I’d also appreciate if you quit following me.”
“You’re going to leave without even hearing my proposal?”
She paused as she was about to walk around him. “I am.”
“You doona trust me,” he replied with a hint of surprise in his deep voice.
“As a general rule, I don’t trust anyone.” She wasn’t sure why she told him that, since it wasn’t true anymore. At least not when it came to Darius.
Whether she wanted to or not, she found she trusted Darius.
Ulrik put his hands in his pants pockets and gave a slight nod of his head. There was something in his golden gaze. It had been there for a second, so fleeting it was gone before she could realize what it was. But there was no doubt it was a bit of sadness and a heavy dose of anger.
