Rapid Pulse: A Limited Edition Spicy Romance Collection

by Gina Kincade

  “I’m not hurt.”

  He narrowed his eyes at her.

  “I’m fine. Let’s enjoy the party.”

  She most definitely was not, and he’d be damned if he’d brush whatever it was she was going through aside so they could attend the party. He thought back to the conversation they’d been having before she’d shut down. She’d just learned that Bonnie would accompany them to Tarakona. He’d had the impression they liked each other. Maybe that wasn’t the case.

  “I can’t keep Bonnie from her mate, but if you don’t wish to associate with her once we get to the island, I’ll ensure you never cross paths.”

  Ava gasped and shook her head. “No, it’s not that. Bonnie is a lovely person. I’m glad I’ll have a friend with me.”

  Damon wanted to tug at his hair. It shouldn’t be this difficult. “How about if you tell me what’s wrong so I can fix it? Then we can enjoy the rest of the evening. You look lovely in that dress, and I can’t wait to hold you in my arms on the dance floor.”

  The truth of it was, he’d prefer it be in the tower. Alone. Or better yet, at their castle in Tarakona.

  Ava cast her gaze down for a moment, then brought it back to his. She squared her shoulders and opened her mouth to speak, determination shining in the depths of her eyes. “I—”

  “Your Highnesses, we’re so glad you could join us,” Edmond said as though they’d been given a choice in the matter. The man smartly inclined his head in a show of respect, first to Ava and then to him. Damon couldn’t care less if he’d received a slight, but he wouldn’t tolerate any show of disrespect toward Ava. “Please, join your party at the back of the room.”

  “I need to discuss something of grave importance with my mate,” he told the man who still stood way too close to either of them for Damon’s liking. “We’ll be in shortly.”

  Edmond glanced at a pocket watch he drew from his jacket. “I wish that were possible, Your Highness, but every mate and his or her Chosen must be in attendance and inside the room by seven o’clock. The magic will not admit anyone after that time. We’re already less than a minute away.”

  Damon opened his mouth to protest, but Ava’s small hand on his arm stopped him.

  “It’s okay. We can talk later,” she said.

  “We really do have to enter. It will solidify your union, King Damon,” Edmond said in a rush as he dashed into the room.

  Ava gave him a small smile, then tugged on his arm. “By all means, I’d love to see you solidify again, mate.”

  AVA ENTERED THE BALLROOM with Damon at her back only moments before a flash of pink filled the room and the tingle of magic raced across her skin. A slight pinch just above her left breast was there one moment, and then it was gone.

  High above, crystal chandeliers cast the room in a cozy glow. Elegantly dressed men and women sat at intimate tables scattered around the room.

  She became acutely aware of every person staring at them as they made their way to the most ornate table at the back where Axton and Bonnie were already seated with the beautiful woman who had helped her gather her courage outside the gate earlier in the day.

  “Is it always like this when you enter a room?” she asked in a whisper only he would hear.

  Damon sighed. “Unfortunately, most times, yes. It’s not as bad in the castle, but some of the newer staff still insists on bowing. They’ll do the same for you, or I’ll bite their heads off,” he uttered.

  “You wouldn’t!”

  The instant she spotted his grin, she shook her head. So, her new mate had a sense of humor. She’d have to remember that.

  “No, I don’t eat people. Not many dragons do in this day and age.”

  Just the fact that they did in their people’s history was bad enough, but then again, what species didn’t have something sordid somewhere in their background?

  “Your Highness,” one male said as he inclined his head. The woman he was with curtsied.

  Damon acknowledged them with a nod but didn’t stop to talk. Once they had strolled past, he rolled his eyes, making her smile. He might be a king, and he was sexy as hell, but he was like any other man—one who’d said he would fix whatever was bothering her. She clung to that thought and pushed the negativity aside. Tomorrow, she could worry about her siblings. For tonight, she’d celebrate with her new mate.

  The woman stood as they approached the table. “King Damon, Queen Ava,” the woman said. Bonnie and Axton also rose.

  Her heart stuttered at hearing her new title—or soon to be new title if the mating proceeded well—from this woman’s lips.

  “I’d heard that you’d made it. I’m so pleased.”

  Ava opened her mouth to speak, but the woman’s gaze fixed on something only she could see. An opaque color replaced her clear blue eyes as she tilted her head to the side. A moment later, she gasped.

  Damon rushed around the table, undoubtedly to assist, but Edmond was there first. “Sit, love,” he said in a soft tone.

  The woman still stared, but rather than do as Edmond had asked, she shook her head. In the next instant, her eyes cleared, but her frown remained. She looked at Ava for a moment longer, then turned to Damon. “Might I have a word with you in private, Your Highness?”

  Chapter Eleven

  Damon followed Lady Anabelle to an alcove hidden from view. Whatever her foresight had shown her, she was worried. Anyone could see that. The question was, what had she seen? The women of Tragris had stronger psychic ability than any other species. She’d been fine until she’d set her eyes upon Ava. His heart stuttered. Was something wrong with his mate? If there was, they’d leave the Citadel at once and find the healers in the mountains above the castle.

  Thankfully, the High Priestess didn’t make him wait long.

  “Your Chosen’s loved ones are in grave danger, Your Highness. The oldest female has already sustained life-threatening injuries. It’s only a matter of time before the young ones suffer the same fate.”

  “Who are they? Will the girl survive?”

  Lady Anabelle’s frown deepened. “They are her sisters and brother. I cannot tell if she will pull through. She needs urgent care, and none is available to her.”

  Damon wanted to roar his outrage. “We’ll have a healer brought in if there isn’t one available.”

  “One is available, Your Highness, but the male who perpetrated the crime and injured the female is her caregiver. He will not seek help for her.”

  This time, he could not contain his roar. The soft murmurs of conversation in the room died in an instant. “Who? Who has harmed her sister?”

  “Her father, Your Highness.”

  Damon reeled at the thought. The one person responsible for the safety of the females until they were mated had purposely harmed his daughter? “We’ll leave at once and retrieve them. I’ll deal with the father myself.”

  Before he was done speaking, she was already shaking her head. “If you leave before the three days, you will lose your mate forever. The contracts are magically enforced. It would sever the soul link you’re forging with her. Even if you chose to remain together, she would be barren.”

  Heat churned in his chest and smoke curled from his nostrils. He needed to produce an heir for his people someday, and he sure as hell wasn’t having dragonlings with anyone but Ava. Under different circumstances, he’d ask Axton to take the mission, but damning a male to a life without his mate was more than cruel—it was a soul-crushing blow most didn’t survive.

  “I need a communicator,” he demanded, not caring that he’d issued the order to the High Priestess of the Citadel.

  “There are no communicators on the premises, Your Highness.”

  His growl rumbled in his chest, and in an instant, Edmond was there, standing between him and Lady Anabelle. “You dare threaten my mate?”

  The man grew before his eyes until he towered over them all. If it weren’t an illusion, Damon might have been intimidated.

  “I threaten no one,” he
spat. “I need—”

  “Thank you for coming to my aid, love, but I am in no danger from King Damon. His frustration is founded all too well.” She turned her attention back to Damon. “It’s not that I won’t provide you with one, it’s that they are not allowed at the Citadel. There are none to be had. Either way, none of it will matter. The girl doesn’t have much time.”

  Damon wanted to tear into everything in sight. His mate would be devastated.

  “I do have a solution, Your Highness. As you know, my people do not use the same methods of travel as any of the earthbound species. My team can be there in minutes rather than days. We can transport her and the younger two to your castle on Tarakona.”

  “What’s the fee?” As much as he respected her, she was a business woman, first and foremost. There was a reason coming to the Citadel came at such a price. It wasn’t to help unite fated mates and see their happily-ever-afters. No, it was currency. Be it in gold, jewels, any number of natural resources, or favors, the cost was always high.

  “My fee is nothing more than a promise. You must give me your word that once the oldest of the three siblings comes of age, she comes to the Citadel. She will not mate on Tarakona Island.”

  That didn’t even make sense. “And if she doesn’t willingly come?”

  “It’s your job to make sure she does. The consequences, if she doesn’t, will be catastrophic for the entire planet. Do I have your word?”

  Damon needed to think. He had to speak with his mate. Until they completed their joining, all decisions in regard to Ava went through him, but he couldn’t exclude her from something so important. Wouldn’t want to if he could.

  “We must hurry. The girl’s spirit fades,” Lady Anabelle interrupted his thoughts.

  Heart pounding, Damon came to his decision. He couldn’t let Ava’s sister die if he could keep it from happening. “Do it. I’ll see to it that she comes to the Citadel upon her twentieth birthday.”

  In the blink of an eye, Lady Anabelle disappeared in a flash of blue glitter that evaporated moments later, leaving him and Edmond standing there alone.

  Ava sat with her back straight and her chin up, looking regal and beautiful, but even from a distance, he could tell her smile was tight. Bonnie said something, her hands coming up in an animated gesture.

  “What shall I tell her?”

  Edmond took a breath and returned to the form he favored and they were familiar with. “I suspect the truth might be best, Your Highness. You’re pleased with your mating, then?”

  Damon didn’t take his eyes off Ava. “More than pleased. She’s perfect. You’ve done well.”

  Then, without looking at the man, he strode to the table. Edmond was right. The truth would be best. He hoped she’d understand when he told her of the deal he’d made.

  As soon as she spotted him coming toward her, she dashed over to meet him halfway.

  “Is everything all right?”

  Leaning into her, he breathed in her scent and gave her a kiss on the cheek. It was as much affection as he’d allow in such a public place. Otherwise, the dragon would get surly, and no one wanted a surly dragon at a mating celebration.

  “They will be. For now, let’s join Axton and Bonnie and enjoy the rest of the evening. We’ll discuss things later when there aren’t so many prying eyes and ears.”

  Taking away a woman’s right to choose the course of her own life was beyond reprehensible, but what choice had he had? He could only hope that Ava—and more importantly, her sister—would understand.

  Chapter Twelve

  BY THE TIME the gathering ended, Ava wondered what all the fuss had been about. Many people in attendance had sought them out and introduced themselves, but otherwise, the gathering was much like any other party. Drinks and dancing. A lot of small talk. That was it. Maybe it was just a celebration for all the newly mated couples. Nothing more.

  “Do you need me to come in?” Axton asked Damon as they stopped at the door leading to the tower. Even though it was obvious he wanted to leave with Bonnie, the man made his offer.

  “That won’t be necessary. Thank you. I’ll fill you in tomorrow.”

  Axton nodded, then tipped his head toward her. “Good night, Your Highness.”

  Ava tsked at the man. “We’re back to this, are we? And here I thought we were friends.”

  “I fear for my safety if your mate feels you’ve not been shown proper respect, as is your due.” His tone was light, and his eyes sparkled, but truth rang in his words.

  She cast Damon a sidelong glare. He didn’t bother to deny the claim. Well, that wouldn’t do. “I’m asking you to call me by name, Axton. My mate is very understanding. I’m certain no harm will come to you if you do as I ask.”

  Damon coughed and hid his mouth, obviously covering a smile.

  “Then I’d be delighted to do so, Ava. However, as is proper, in front of our people and the general population, I cannot promise to do the same.”

  She harrumphed, but it was obvious she wouldn’t win that battle—not yet, at least. “Thank you. It’s a good start.”

  Bonnie giggled next to Axton. “Good night, Ava. Good night, King Damon,” she added.

  “Good night,” they both responded at once.

  Once the couple had disappeared around the corner, she turned her attention to Damon. Maybe now that they were alone, he’d relax.

  He reached up and loosened his tie as he ushered her into the suite. “We need to talk,” he said even before the door closed behind them.

  Rather than relaxing, his features tightened, and he sighed.

  “What’s wrong?”

  He brought her to one of the couches, then knelt on the floor in front of her once she’d taken a seat. He grasped one ankle and slipped off her shoe, then did the same for the other. With the pads of his thumbs, he rubbed her arch, making her moan. They’d been aching for a while, but she hadn’t dared take the heels off to ease the discomfort.

  When he finally lifted his gaze to hers, worry shone in his eyes.

  “Just tell me. What did Lady Anabelle say? Is something going wrong with our mating?” Her heart stuttered. She hadn’t known Damon long, but her soul recognized his. He was her fated. The budding feelings she had for him would grow. They would build a good life together. Raise a family.

  “Lady Anabelle is from Tragris. She has a great psychic ability. She had a vision when she looked at you. It wasn’t a good one.”

  Damon moved to her other foot, but he could have dipped her feet in ice water for all the good the massage did. “Tell me, please?”

  He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. “She saw a young woman, gravely injured. Near death.”

  Ava’s heart knocked against her ribs. Had the woman looked into her past and seen the ugly truth of her existence? “I’m fine now,” she hastened to add. Surely, knowing the things she’d lived through would help her plead her case to bring her siblings to Tarakona.

  “You—” His face reddened, and a vicious growl rumbled in his chest. “What do you mean? You’ve suffered the same abuse at your father’s hands?”

  “I—who are you talking about?” Terror snaked through her entire being. She’d left Amélie, Marc, and Hélène with a neighbor. They’d assured her they would keep them safe until she returned. She’d given them all her meager savings to ensure it was so.

  A muscle jerked in Damon’s jaw as he drew a deep breath.

  “Who? Who’s hurt? I should never have left them,” she didn’t realize she was screaming until Damon lifted her from the couch and settled her on his lap. His hands stroked up and down her back, and he made soft, soothing sounds.

  “Your oldest sister was hurt—”

  “Please tell me she’s okay,” if Amélie had died because their father had used her to take out his grief, she’d never forgive herself.

  AVA’S VOICE, SMALL and lost, gutted Damon. He shoved the fury deep into the darkest recesses of his mind. He’d have time later to rage and rip
everything in his path apart. Right then, his mate needed him more than he needed to expel his anger.

  “She’ll be okay. Lady Anabelle has foreseen it,” he assured her.

  Ava sniffled against his chest. Her shoulders shook. “I have to go back. I can’t leave them there. I had hoped to bring them with me once I was mated. They were supposed to be safe.”

  There was nothing they could do tonight, or for the next two days for that matter, but he could give her some peace of mind. “They’re safe now. That’s all that matters. Our healers will ensure your sister is whole and well.”

  “W-what do you mean?” her eyes rounded, hope shining brightly.

  “I had them taken to Tarakona. Your sister will already have been seen by the healers.”

  Ava’s mouth gaped open.

  “You’ll catch flies, love.”

  “You mean it? They’re on their way to Tarakona? Is Amélie well enough to travel that distance?”

  He nodded. “Lady Anabelle and her team have already left to retrieve them. They are using the Tragris mode of transportation. I suspect they may already be in Tarakona.” Before he could say anything else, she locked her lips on his and wrapped her arms around his neck so tightly that he could hardly breathe.

  When she finally released him, she shook her head. “I can’t believe it’s all working out. I was so worried.”

  Guilt tore through him. “There’s more,” he said before he could change his mind. Sure, he could hold off on telling her about the rest of it, but he wouldn’t abuse her trust that way.

  “Okay.” Ava’s smile dimmed a little. “What is it?”

  “I had to make a deal with Lady Anabelle to get your siblings transported to the castle quickly. Your sister wouldn’t have survived otherwise.”

  Ava wiggled off his lap and stood next to him, her brows furrowed. “What kind of deal?”

  “I had to promise to return her to the Citadel on her twentieth birthday—unmated.” Damon had seen battles the likes of which would make most men cry, yet waiting for his mate’s reaction to the decision he’d made struck more fear into him than any of those combined.