Drakon's Prey (Blood of the Drakon)

by N. J. Walters

  In the meantime, he dug deeper. Finding the information he needed was child’s play for him. Karina was older by eight years. She’d taken over raising her younger sister after their parents died when Valeriya had been fifteen.

  Karina had stepped up to head the family businesses and had travelled the world. Valeriya had spent much of her time with her grandparents, her father’s parents. He doubled-checked the information. Yes, she now lived in those same grandparents’ apartment. They’d willed it to her when they passed.

  “So you don’t live with your sister.” He ignored the sense of relief. “Doesn’t mean anything.” She was most likely still involved with the Knights.

  His stomach growled, a reminder it had been hours since he’d eaten. He didn’t bother checking the clock to see how long he’d been down here. Time had little meaning to him. He’d lived for thousands of years and would live for thousands more. The one thing he had plenty of was time.

  He stood and twisted his head from side to side, cracking his neck. He stretched his arms overhead to work out the kinks in his shoulder muscles as he walked toward the elevator. He stepped inside when it opened. “Up.” The controls were voice activated and keyed to four specific people—him and his three brothers. When he reached the top, the door opened and he stepped out. It shut behind him with an ominous thud. No one could get into his computer lab unless he let them in. It was one of the most secure facilities on the planet.

  Tarrant strode down the hallway, bypassing the bedrooms and heading straight to the kitchen. He wasn’t in the mood to cook, so he dug in the freezer, pulled out two large pizzas, and shoved them in the oven. He grabbed a beer from the fridge, wandered into the living room, and sprawled on one of the two large sectional sofas. Since his brothers were on his mind, he decided to check in with them.

  He retrieved his phone from his pocket and dialed. His brother answered on the first ring. “Everything okay?”

  That was Darius—blunt and direct. “Good”—he paused and checked the time—“evening to you, too.”

  “Cut the crap, Tarrant. Are you okay?”

  He knew his brother was worried about him, but there was no need. “I’m fine. I did have more visitors, though. This is becoming a very popular spot.” He had to hold the phone away from his ear as Darius swore. “I hope Sarah isn’t around to hear you talking like that,” he teased.

  Sarah Anderson was a librarian, a human who’d put her own life on the line to warn Darius about the Knights. Herman Temple had hired her to find a book of vast power, one that could have been used to hunt and trap his brother. She’d found the book, but when she’d realized Temple’s intent, she’d taken it and run, her actions leading her straight to Darius. His older brother was head over heels about the woman. Darius’s dragon half had decided Sarah was his mate, and his human half agreed. There was nothing Darius wouldn’t do to protect her.

  “Sarah is down on the beach with Ezra. They decided a bonfire would be nice.”

  Tarrant couldn’t help but smile at the image of two fierce drakons catering to the whim of one delicate human female. “And why aren’t you with them?”

  His brother mumbled something.

  “What was that?” Tarrant asked, even though he’d understood his brother perfectly.

  “I got sent to the house for the marshmallows. There. Are you happy now?”

  “Very.” He’d take his amusements where he could get them.

  “You had visitors. Knights?”

  “Yes.” He pushed off the sofa and headed back to the kitchen, taking his beer with him. “Two armed men, but that’s not the most curious part.”

  “Then what is?” Darius’s impatience came over the line loud and clear.

  “A woman showed up first.”

  “A woman? Who is she? And don’t tell me you don’t know yet.” Darius knew him so well.

  “Valeriya Azarov.” Saying her name had his cock twitching. He ignored his small brain and listen to his larger one. “Children’s book author from New York.”

  There was silence. “Are you serious?”

  “Completely.” Then he threw in the tidbit that would most interest Darius. “Her sister is Karina Azarov, who had a meeting with Herman Temple.”

  Darius swore again. “Then she’s with the Knights.”

  Tarrant shook off the fury that welled up every time he thought about his friend’s death. “Undetermined. The men seemed to be looking for her, and she did her best to avoid them.” For a woman who didn’t seem at home in the woods, Valeriya had been hyperalert and very good at concealing herself. How had she known they were there? Because she had known. It was a mystery, and one he would solve.

  “You be careful.”

  Tarrant opened the oven and pulled out one of the pizzas. It was hot, but he was a drakon—a little heat didn’t bother him. He tossed it down on an oversize cutting board, selected a knife, and cut the pizza into quarters. He turned off the oven so the second pizza would stay warm but not burn. “I’m always careful. You’re the one out running around and getting into trouble.”

  Darius and Sarah had survived a deadly encounter with the Knights. Thankfully, they were both okay and were safe on a privately-owned island off the coast of Maine. “And how is Ezra?” Their brother was even more reclusive than Tarrant, and that was saying something. They might have had the same sire, but they’d all had different mothers. Their personalities were totally unique.

  “You know Ezra. He doesn’t have a lot to say, but he likes Sarah. He’s already talking about teaching her to scuba dive next spring.”

  That was impressive. Ezra didn’t like sharing his private island with anyone. “What is she, a drakon whisperer?”

  Darius laughed. “Maybe. All I know is she’s mine.” There was an underlying warning that Tarrant heeded. As much as he enjoyed teasing his brother, it wasn’t smart to poke the sleeping dragon.

  “She’s all yours,” he agreed.

  Darius sighed. “Shit, I’m being an ass, aren’t I?”

  Tarrant laughed. “Since you’re my older brother, I must agree with you.”

  “You would. Listen, don’t take any unnecessary risks. The Knights are far more organized and well equipped than we thought.”

  “Don’t worry. I have no plans for becoming a blood donor so some Knight can prolong his life.” That was the primary reason drakons were so sought after by the Knights. Their blood could heal any wounds, cure any disease, and prolong life. And with the onset of DNA research, he knew the Knights would be experimenting on drakons in ways he didn’t want to think about.

  “Call if you need me, and I’ll come.”

  Tarrant rubbed his hand over his face. He could always count on his brothers. “I know you will. Give Sarah my love.”

  “No, I will not. I’ll tell her you said hello.”

  Tarrant was still laughing when the line went dead. He tossed his phone aside and practically inhaled the first pizza. Then he went to the oven and retrieved the second one. That was half gone when he picked up his phone again. He knew Darius and Ezra were fine. That left Nicodemus.

  He dialed the number and it rang three times before it was answered. “Tarrant, my man, what’s on your mind?”

  Tarrant shook his head. He could hear the noise in the background—people shouting, bells ringing, and music. “Where are you?” He didn’t know how Nic could stand to be around so many people all the time. It would drive Tarrant crazy.

  “Vegas, baby. And I’m on a hot streak.”

  They all had hobbies, things they collected. That was the dragon part of their nature, their need to gather and hoard treasure. For him it was information and gadgets. For Nic, it was artwork of all kinds. He could outfit several world-class museums and not even make a dent in his collection. They all worked and invested to finance their collections, but Nic also gambled.

  “You take too many chances.” Nic put himself too much in the public eye.

  “Don’t worry. I’ll lose enou
gh so the casino doesn’t get too angry.” He spoke to someone nearby. “I’ll just be a second.” Then he came back on the line. “Do you need me for anything?”

  Nic might come across as devil-may-care, but he was a drakon and would come if Tarrant needed him. “No, just checking in. Be careful.”

  “Will do.”

  The line went dead, and Tarrant tucked his phone away and finished off the pizza. Now that he’d talked with his brothers and eaten, there was nothing else to occupy him but thoughts of Valeriya.

  “Shit.” He cleaned up what little mess he’d made in the kitchen and then retired to his bedroom. He could watch any number of sporting events on television, but he wasn’t in the mood. He didn’t need much sleep, either. He could go days without rest. In fact, he couldn’t exactly remember the last time he’d slept well. Not since the death of Father Simon.

  The lights came on in his room as soon as he entered. There were sensors in the floor that registered his weight and automatically turned the lights on. It was the same in every room. They could be manually controlled as well. He went straight into the bathroom and stared at himself in the mirror.

  Dark circles rimmed his eyes. He might be a drakon, but even he needed rest sooner or later. His face was all planes and angles. He looked as though he’d lost weight. He hadn’t been eating regularly enough. He needed a heck of a lot more calories than a human did.

  He removed his phone, put it on the vanity, and stripped off his clothes, tossing them into the laundry hamper. He’d deal with that tomorrow. The shower stall was large enough to accommodate him. Tarrant turned the water on and stepped beneath the spray. It cascaded over his body like a caress.

  An image of Valeriya popped into his head. He wondered where she was now, what she was doing. His dick came to full attention, and he sighed, knowing he had to do something about this little problem or he’d never sleep.

  Giving in to the inevitable, he soaped his chest and arms, and then he went lower. He grasped his cock in his hand and slid his fist up and down. His groan reverberated, making the tempered-glass wall shudder.

  He remembered how she’d slid her hand over the back of the sofa, and imagined it was her smaller, softer hand on his shaft. He didn’t even know what she looked like out of the heavy bundle of clothing, but that didn’t matter. Something about her drew him.

  His dragon rumbled inside him. Oh, yeah, the beast liked her, too. Tarrant had lived for a very long time. He’d seen the most beautiful women throughout the ages, and had even slept with some of them. But none of them held a candle to Valeriya.

  His stroke quickened and his balls drew up tight. He roared when he came, shooting his release over his stomach. It was purely a physical exercise, like feeding his hunger for food. There was no joy when he was done, no satisfaction, only emptiness.

  He swore and cleaned himself up. Silence surrounded him when he turned off the taps. He was used to being alone, preferred it. But tonight, he didn’t want to be alone. Tonight, he wanted her with him.

  Growling, he dried off and tossed the damp towel over the rod. He couldn’t allow himself to become distracted by a pretty face, no matter how much he wanted her. For all he knew, she could be working for the Knights. In times gone by, they’d tie a virgin to a stake to try to lure a drakon. That hadn’t exactly worked out well for the Knights. Drakons weren’t the stupid beasts most humans thought them to be.

  Their dragon sires had been more basic in their needs, but their sons combined the instincts and strengths of a dragon along with the intellect and cunning of their human mothers. A deadly combination.

  Valeriya wasn’t exactly an offering from the Knights to tempt him to show himself. She had come alone. Or mostly alone. She may have hidden from the armed men searching for her, but that might have been nothing more than a ploy. Maybe they suspected Darius was still around or that he might come back.

  The thought of her being sent to seduce his brother made smoke billow from his nostrils. He got his dragon under control before he set fire to his home. He strode into the bedroom and threw himself down on his enormous bed. He closed his eyes, but that lasted all of five seconds.

  He sat up and reached for the tablet on the bedside table. He pulled up the first of the three books he’d downloaded. Valeriya had not only written them, she’d illustrated them as well.

  He scrolled to the first page and started to read. It was a story of acceptance and friendship, and the hero was the dragon. That surprised him. He’d expected some tale where the dragon was vanquished. When he was done with the first book about the friendly little dragon named Damian, he started the second. The illustrations really were beautiful and multilayered, something both the children and the person reading them the story would enjoy. Valeriya Azarov was not only beautiful, she was very talented.

  Chapter Three

  Valeriya was exhausted by the time she made it back to the motel. The nearby store had already closed its doors for the evening. She’d have to shop for supplies in the morning. There had been no sign of the two armed men on her drive, but they were nearby. She sensed them.

  With her grandparents gone, there was no one else in the world who knew about her talent. If her sister ever discovered what Valeriya could do, she had no doubt Karina would find some way to exploit it. Her sister would stop at nothing to get what she wanted. If that meant she had to pressure, maybe even hurt, family in the process, she would.

  Valeriya had lived her entire life waiting for her sister to decide she was a liability. That was one of the reasons she’d always lived her life the way she wanted. She didn’t expect to have a long one.

  They might be sisters, but they’d become more like strangers with each passing year. Karina was immersed in the world of the Knights, while Valeriya had stayed as far away from them as possible. Maybe that had been a mistake. Maybe if she’d made an effort with her sister when they were both younger, Karina wouldn’t be cold, so driven.

  Valeriya climbed out of the car and listened. There was nothing but quiet. Then a vehicle rumbled in the distance, and an owl gave a lonely hoot. A shiver raced down her spine. She grabbed her knapsack and headed to her room.

  She knew the second she stepped inside that someone had been there. The back of her neck tingled, a sure warning sign. There was nothing overtly out of place, but she caught the faintest hint of soap. And it wasn’t hers.

  Mostly likely it was one of the men who’d trailed her to the cabin. Either that or they had friends.

  Hands shaking, she shut the door and slid the bolt home. Not that it would keep them out if they decided they wanted in. There was a single chair sitting next to a small table. Valeriya dumped her pack on the bed and dragged the chair over and slid it under the handle. If anyone broke in, it would at least slow them down some.

  She slumped down on the end of the bed and buried her face in her hands. She was tired of always having to look over her shoulder, of being followed. Her older sister had been controlling her life since their parents died. Valeriya was sick of it.

  She wished she’d never heard of the Knights of the Dragon, wished her family had chosen another path. She rubbed her hands over her face and pushed off the bed. “Shower.”

  Ignoring the rumble of her stomach, she went into the tiny bathroom and turned on the shower. While the water was heating, she collected a pair of green flannel sleep pants and a long-sleeved white thermal top to change into when she was done.

  Steam billowed from the shower/tub combo. She quickly stripped and stepped into the tub. The spray pummeled her relentlessly. She knew the water was hot, but she couldn’t seem to get warm.

  Her reaction was a combination of fear and hunger. She knew that, but it didn’t ease her trembling or chase away the chill.

  When she was showered and dressed, she padded barefoot back into her room. The thin carpet on the floor did little to chase away the chill, so she donned a pair of fuzzy white socks. For good measure, she grabbed a hoodie from her bag and tugge
d it on as well.

  She wanted something hot, so she filled the small kettle. While she was waiting for it to boil, she dug her laptop out of her knapsack. She discovered two granola bars at the bottom of the bag and ripped one of them open. They weren’t much, but they’d take care of the worst of her hunger.

  Valeriya took a big bite and settled on the bed with the laptop perched on her thighs. “It’s time to do some looking.” She knew her sister probably had someone on staff who could hack into her computer, but Valeriya no longer cared. If Karina knew she was here, she knew it had to do with the Knights’ business.

  She typed a name into the search engine. “Darius Varkas.” She’d avoided doing this up until now, half afraid she’d find the man’s obituary. She had no idea why her sister was so interested in him, only that he was likely in grave danger.

  He might even be a drakon.

  Valeriya had never seen one and didn’t want to. The only way she’d ever see a drakon was if the Knights had captured one and her sister decided to show her. And Valeriya couldn’t bear the thought of seeing such a thing. It was an abomination, what the Knights did. She knew many of them drank drakon blood to prolong their lives and cure them of illnesses. She’d even heard whisperings it gave some humans extra powers.

  The kettle whistled, startling her. Valeriya set aside her computer and made a cup of tea. She ate the last of the granola bar and tossed the wrapper. “Stop procrastinating,” she ordered. She climbed back on the bed and set her mug of tea on the bedside table.

  Taking a deep breath, she pulled the laptop back onto her thighs. There were quite a few entries for Darius Varkas. He was a businessman, his headquarters in New York. Not surprising, then, that Karina came to the city. It certainly hadn’t been to visit Valeriya.

  She snagged her mug and took a sip of the hot tea, keeping her hands cupped around the mug to allow the heat to seep into her skin. Mr. Varkas was in mining. Earth drakon. She immediately shook off the thought. Lots of people were involved in mining. It didn’t mean they were drakons. Of course, they might be, or they might come in contact with one.