by Ariel Marie
“You’re Faye Adams, aren’t you?” he asked as he slowly made his way to her.
Oh, hell no. Time to call security.
“Don’t come any closer,” she shouted, pulling her phone from her pocket.
“There’s no use in calling anyone,” he warned, still walking toward her.
“What in the—” She tried hitting the screen of her smartphone, but it remained black. It was as if it went dead, but she distinctly remembered charging it earlier. “Hey, do you have your phone?” she turned to her friend, but let loose a scream. Teresa was frozen in place, staring unblinking at the figure.
“As I said, it’s useless calling for help. No one would be able to hear you.” His haughty voice floated through the air.
“What do you want from me?” she asked, hardening her voice. She hoped that she gave off the appearance that she was unafraid of him. But, to be honest, she was scared shitless, and prayed her voice didn’t shake.
“Feisty and beautiful. I love it. No wonder Vander is smitten with you,” he said, coming to stand near her. She braced herself, ready to run if she needed to.
She could finally make out his features. He was tall, and well-dressed. His suit was tailored perfectly to him, denoting a body that was well taken care of. His dark hair was combed back perfectly from his face. Even with the slight breeze blowing, his hair didn’t budge.
With all of the bad vibes radiating from the man, Faye didn’t want to admit to anything, especially knowing Vander. The man in front of her was pure evil. It didn’t take a psychic to realize it.
“Who?”
“Don’t play coy with me.” He chuckled. He stood there and placed his hands in his pockets.
“I’m not sure what you’re speaking of.”
“Keep trying to deny it, but I know the truth. I also know that he will never be able to stop me, but I want you to do me a favor.”
“What would that be?” she asked wearily. She glanced at Teresa, who was still frozen in the same spot. Faye’s heart rate increased as her fear mounted.
Whoever, or whatever he was, he was powerful. Who could just freeze someone?
“Tell him to cease his pursuit of me,” he said as he turned, walking away.
“Or what?” she asked. She just had to know. Was he like Vander? Was he a dragon shifter too?
“He will lose something of extreme value.”
She blinked, and he was gone. How the hell could he have disappeared into thin air?”
“What’s going on?” Teresa asked.
Faye turned to her friend with her eyes wide. Teresa looked at her as she patiently waited for an answer, but Faye just stared at her in shock. It dawned on her that Teresa had no recollection that she had been frozen in place. There was no way that Faye could tell her, though. She would never believe it. She glanced back to where the stranger had stood, and still didn’t see any sign of him in the parking lot.
What the hell?
8
Vander’s dragon blew out a frustrated breath. There was no sign of Gamair anywhere. He coasted through the Canadian mountainous region, but nothing. It was like he had disappeared off the face of the planet. But Vander knew that his enemy would be hiding somewhere. They would have to broaden their search in the hunt of the Death Lord.
“Any luck?” Feno’s voice broke through Vander’s thoughts. Feno and Jodos were checking out other parts of the vast northern country. Gamair would only be able to hide for so long before they found him.
“Fuck no,” Vander responded. Frustrated, he angled his dragon’s body to turn around in order to head back home. Someone back in the States would make him feel better.
Faye.
Just the thought of her smile made his wings pump faster as he cut through the dense clouds. Just the thought of being near her again made his heart pound, and his dragon desperate to get to her.
The memory of the softness of her skin, the taste of her lips, and the smell of her slick folds made his dragon’s speed increase.
“Are you changing course?” Feno asked.
“Yeah, there’s no sign of him,” Vander replied telepathically. “I’m going to head back to town.”
A slight twinge in his gut caught his attention. Something was wrong. Once a dragon identified a mate, they would always be in tune with them. The dragon would always be able to feel their emotions, and right now, the slight hint of fear tingled along his spine. He knew that he wasn’t afraid of anything, so what he was experiencing could only be what Faye was feeling, and something had her frightened.
“Off to see your mate? She can wait. We need to find this fucker,” Feno huffed.
“Believe me, big brother, we will find this fucker, but I need to get back to Faye. Something is wrong.” Vander’s dragon was one of the swiftest dragons in all the land, and would make it back to her in record time.
“Go to her,” Feno ordered.
He didn’t need to be told twice. He knew that his brother and Jodos would hunt down Gamair.
He drew closer to Blue Creek, and needed to find a place to land his massive sized dragon and shift where no one would see him. His dragon magic would hide him from people as he flew closer to the town. To a human, he would look like a dark storm cloud rolling through.
He finally made it to the part of town that Faye lived. He flew over her street, finding it empty and quiet. It was late, and he was sure that she would be home from work. His dragon remained silent as he landed, careful not to alarm any of Faye’s neighbors. He quickly used his magic to shift his body back to his human form, then waved his hand, making clothes appear on his body and shoes on his feet. He glanced at her home and saw the glow from a soft light on her first floor.
He couldn’t shake the feeling that something was bothering her. Something caused her to experience fear, and his dragon didn’t like it. They were to protect her and keep her out of harm’s way.
He ran up the steps and hurried down her walkway. He arrived at her door and took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves. He rang her doorbell and waited, then he heard soft footsteps. He waited patiently as she looked through the peephole, before the unlocking the door. It slowly opened, revealing his sexy mate.
“Vander,” she murmured, with a soft smile on her lips.
“Hey.” His eyes greedily took her in, noting that she appeared unharmed. She was in her bathrobe, and her dark hair was still damp from her shower. “Can I come in?”
He laughed as she cursed under her breath, while fumbling to open the screen door. She pushed it open and he made his way into her home. He gathered her into his arms, unable to resist taking a taste of her. He covered her mouth with his as he kicked the door shut behind him.
Her arms wound their way around his neck and brought him closer to her. He groaned as his tongue dipped inside of her mouth, tasting the mint flavor of her toothpaste.
“I’ve missed you,” she said, breaking the kiss. He rested his forehead against hers, loving the feel of her in his arms. This was just what he and his dragon needed. Holding her in his arms assured his dragon that she was unharmed. “How did you get here? I didn’t hear a car out there.”
“I flew,” he murmured, pulling her over to the couch.
The television was on low, and it was on the local news channel. She pulled her legs up and tucked them beneath her as she snuggled into him. His beast released a satisfied grumble at the close contact. He could spend the rest of his life like this.
“Wait—you flew?” She leaned back, amazed. “I would love to see your dragon.”
“One day,” he murmured, laying a kiss on her forehead. He couldn’t wait for the day, but not yet. His dragon would love to be able to strut in front of her with all of his magnificent scales and power to be seen. Showing his powerful beast would bring them closer. She would be one of few humans who would know that dragons existed. “If you’re not afraid of heights, I would love to take you up for a flight.”
“Really?” she pulled back, exci
tement lining her face. “Can we go now?” She moved to jump off the couch, but he caught her hand and pulled her back down.
“Not tonight. I just flew over a thousand miles to spend time with you,” he admitted. He didn’t want to come right out and tell her that he could feel her emotions. He had to slowly ease her into the life of a dragon’s mate. So, instead of asking her outright why she was experiencing fear, he would see if she would come out and tell him.
“Well, don’t I just feel special. You flew all the way to see little ol’ me?” She batted her eyelashes at him as she joked around. He released a growl and brought her body flush with his.
“You’re damn right I did. I’ve been thinking of nothing but sliding my cock into your tight little pussy,” he murmured.
Her eyes widened with shock, then pure lust at his dirty words. He could tell that the same thing had been on her mind. That’s how he knew they were meant to spend an eternity together.
“Well, what’s stopping you now that you’re here?” Her voice grew husky as she stood from the couch.
He watched, mesmerized, as her fingers released the tie of her robe. She opened the terry cloth and dropped it to the floor, revealing her naked body to him, his pendant hanging low between her breasts. He released a snarl as he sat forward and snatched his shirt from his body. They would have plenty of time to talk. Right now, his cock was demanding to feel Faye around it.
He released a deep breath as she kneeled in front of him and brushed his hands aside.
“I’ll take care of you tonight,” she murmured, with her large, dark eyes staring back at him. He leaned back and lifted his hips to help her as she dragged his jeans and underwear out of the way. He kicked them off to the side. Her small hand wrapped itself around his aching length, caressing him.
He hissed as her lips wrapped around the head. His head fell back against the back of the couch.
“Yes,” he groaned, as she did exactly as she offered.
9
The smell of bacon circulated through the air as Faye hurried to finish breakfast. She could hear the shower running, and knew that Vander was finally up. It was mid-morning, and her stomach released an angry growl, demanding to be fed. Thanks to Vander showing up in the wee hours of the morning, she didn’t get much sleep, and they worked up quite an appetite.
She blew out a nervous breath as she sprinkled a little shredded cheese in the eggs, and grabbed the bacon from the oven. She needed to tell him about his friend showing up at her job last night. It still freaked the hell out of her. How could a man just disappear like that? Or, better yet, how did he freeze Teresa in place and take away her memory of it? From what she knew, even shifters didn’t have that power. What was that guy?
She grabbed her coffee mug from the counter and took a healthy sip. She sighed as she leaned back against the counter as the delicious caffeinated liquid slid down her throat.
“What’s the sigh for?” Vander’s voice broke through her thoughts, causing her to jump.
“Huh?” she asked. Turning, she found him in the doorway with just his jeans on. Her eyes were mesmerized by his bare muscular chest and well-defined six pack. He stepped into the kitchen and walked toward her.
“After the night we just had, the smell of bacon in the air the next morning and sighing does not go together,” he joked as he stood in front of her.
She placed her cup back on the counter as he trapped her in-between the counter and his muscular body. She tipped her head back so she could look at him. His amber eyes always took her breath away. His stare was intense as he waited for her to speak, the joking put aside.
“What is it?” he asked softly.
“I lost a patient last night.” She started to feel the same emotions overcome her when they pronounced the patient’s time of death.
“So sorry to hear,” he murmured, concern on his face. She smiled softly as she began to think on the events of the evening before.
“Something weird happened last night. After they called the guy’s death, I went outside for a breather. It’s never easy to lose a patient.” She paused, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
He patiently waited for her to start again. It felt good to finally get this off her chest. The sheer presence of him comforted her and calmed her nerves. Somehow, she knew this wasn’t something she should keep from him. The guy last night gave her the creeps. She might as well spill the beans.
“I was sitting outside, and a friend of yours was there.”
“What?” His voice hardened as his hands tightened on the counter. “Friend? What did he look like? What did he say his name was?”
“Umm, he actually never told me his name. He knew mine, though. It was hard for me to see him since it was dark outside.”
“What did he say?” Vander asked, his voice softening, but his eyes darkened, and something dangerous flashed in his eyes.
“For some reason, he knew that you were smitten with me. I didn’t tell him anything. I just knew that I was scared—”
“Did he say anything else?” Vander asked, cutting her off. Her body trembled from the intensity of his stare. Her anxiety climbed higher as she thought back to last night.
“Yeah, he told me to give you a message. He said for me to tell you to cease your pursuit of him or he would take something of value from you.”
Vander growled. Her heart slammed against her chest as she watched him back away and turn from her. She could see that he was torn over something as he combed his hand through his thick hair.
“We need to go,” he said. Turning back, he stepped to the stove and cut everything off before grabbing her arm. He pulled her to her room.
“What’s going on?” she cried out.
“Pack a bag, now. You can’t stay here.”
“Why not? Who was that man?”
“He’s no friend of mine. He’s an evil dragon shifter who we’ve been tracking. He recently wiped out an entire village, and we’ve been hunting him down to exact justice for the survivors of the village.”
“What?” she gasped, her hands flying to her mouth. Her heart went out to the unknown people. She couldn’t imagine losing everything because of a stranger with a stick up his ass.
“I don’t know how he knows about you, but if he does, it will be too dangerous for you to stay here alone.”
“Where can I go?” she asked, scrambling for her duffle bag in her closet. She rushed around the room, grabbing clothes to put in the bag. Her thoughts were racing. She didn’t know how long she would have to be gone. She would have to tell Jenna and her parents so that people wouldn’t think she was missing.
“You’ll have to come home with me.” Vander leaned against the door.
“To the condo?” She paused at her dresser as she looked at him.
“No. My castle in the mountains.”
“We’re sending a helicopter to you now,” Feno said through their telepathic link.
Vander paced as Faye packed her final items. He promised that as soon as Faye was safe in the castle, he would hunt Gamair down and tear him apart. Just the thought of what he could have done to Faye sent Vander’s dragon into a hot rage. The message was a direct threat, and Vander would be damned if Gamair touched one hair on her head.
When Faye began telling her story, he had his suspicions that something was wrong with her; something had brought fear out of her. He had thought that she was going to say an animal had snuck up on her, or something to that nature, since she had been outside at night. Never in his wildest dreams would he have thought that Gamair would be so bold to approach her.
But, the second she announced that his friend had contacted her, he immediately reached out to his brother telepathically. They would need to get her out of town immediately. Gamair had to be watching him, and that must be how he’d found her.
“I’m ready,” she said, tossing the straps of the bag over her shoulder.
“Good. My brother is sending transportation to get us,” he anno
unced as they walked into the living room.
“How the hell would he know we needed help?” she asked as she hopped around, putting her shoes on.
“We can speak to each other telepathically.” She turned to him, shock plastered across her face. “I’ve been speaking to him this entire time. He’s dispatched a helicopter to come pick us up.”
“Wow.” She stared at him with wide eyes. If this were under different circumstances, he would laugh. But right now, he had to get her to safety. “So I don’t get to fly on a dragon today?”
“Not today.” He chuckled as he ushered her out of the condo, grabbing her duffle bag.
“Go one street east. There’s a field. Chopper should be there in two minutes,” Feno’s voice broke through his thoughts as he waited for her to lock her door.
“Chopper should be here soon,” he informed her as he grabbed her hand and pulled her behind him.
The sun was high in the sky, while a few humans were out working in their yards.
“Where’s a helicopter going to land?” she asked nervously as she followed him.
“Can we cut through these yards?” he asked as they quickly made their way down the street.
“Yes. They lead to an empty plot on the other side.”
“Perfect,” he murmured as he led her up one of her neighbors’ driveway. The sound of a helicopter’s blades filled the air. They hurried past the garage and found the helicopter descending from the air.
Faye gripped his arm as they waited for the helicopter to touch down. Vander could see Hank, the pilot, give a thumbs-up when it was safe for them to approach.
“I’ve never been in a helicopter before,” Faye announced. He glanced down and found her eyes wide, locked on the chopper.
“You’ve flown before, right?” he asked, pulling her toward the oversized aircraft. He was so used to flying that he had to remember that not all humans flew. Flying to him was second nature.
“Well, yeah, but not in a helicopter. Only full size airplanes. You know, the kind that are big enough for about a hundred or more people,” she muttered as she gripped his hand tighter. He could feel her apprehension, and his dragon huffed, wanting to be the one that calmed her down. He brought her under his arm as they drew closer to the chopper.
