A yawn pushed its way through my words. “No, I was, but I heard you tell Mack there’s a bug.”
Blake seemed relieved, and I’d wished I had stayed awake longer. Darn it. Perfect time to eavesdrop and I conked out!
“Yeah, well, by the scent I caught by the tree, I’m pretty sure we have another one.”
“You mean there are more of those things? It was a humongous!”
“Wait, you saw it?”
“Well, no, but I could make out its silhouette. That was scary enough for me.”
Blake seemed to consider my words for a moment. “Your eyes are better than mine.”
I stared at him. “What do you mean?”
“I can’t see a dragon once it’s in camo.”
“Then how did you fight today?” I asked.
“All sense of smell and sound.”
“Oh. I think I can smell pretty good too. I caught the bug’s scent. It smelled like a musty cellar with mildew and rotten food in it.”
“That’s a pretty good summation. What do I smell like to you?”
I smiled. “Better than that.”
Blake grinned and leaned in toward me. My pulse became rampant. He brushed his face against my neck, his lips trailing along slowly, leaving a fire behind.
“You’re like Hawaiian flower, sweet and fresh,” he whispered, kissing my collarbone, sending goose bumps crawling across my skin, “and like a coconut cream pie.”
I couldn’t help myself and ruined the moment by saying, “I smell like a pie?”
Blake sat back and grinned. “What? It’s the best I’ve got. I’m no poet.”
“So you’re telling me all those dragons wanted to get at me because I smell like a pastry?”
At the mention of dragons wanting me, Blake’s expression sobered.
“Sam.” His tone hushed my giggling. “I’m not worried about dragons, I can handle them and so can Mack. Besides, once they know you’re my damsel, they’ll leave you alone. But a bug is a whole other problem. They’re ruthless and strong. It’s one of the few things Kory and I agree on. Bugs have to be destroyed and fast.”
“Do you know how to kill it?” I asked, trying to swallow back the fear rising in my throat, while liking he referred to me as his damsel. Was that the same as saying I was his girlfriend in the Dragon Fae world?
Blake sighed and nodded. “Tonbo promised me that the one Kory and I killed was the last one. But apparently, that’s not the case. I don’t know, maybe Tonbo just doesn’t know. I need to talk to him, find out who this one might have been.”
“What do you mean, might have been?” I asked.
“Tonbo knew them before they became monsters. He created them. They were to be super soldiers in WWII. The Nazis forced Tonbo to use the serum before it was ready. He knew the risks but the lives of his family were at stake, so he injected ten of the strongest, fastest, most cunning soldiers the Germans had with it. Well, needless to say, it backfired. The dragons were not only huge, but they were completely out of control. They didn’t like to be told what to do or to work as a team for that matter. They began a killing spree among the Nazis, and even killed a few of each other, which wasn’t a bad thing. Tonbo barely escaped and rushed home to Czech to save his family, but he was too late. One of the bugs beat him and slaughtered his wife and kids. Tonbo went into hiding, desperate to perfect the serum. He wanted to make himself a super soldier to avenge his family’s deaths. To right his wrong.”
I could only stare. It sounded like a sci-fi movie gone wrong. I couldn’t believe this could all be real.
“By the time Kory and I heard the rumors of Tonbo’s monsters, all but one had been killed by Tonbo’s dragons. We were young and joked we would slaughter the last bugger.” He chuckled. “Guess we fancied ourselves Ender and Bean. Kory being Bean, of course. I suppose that’s where the nickname bug came from, come to think of it. Anyways, we became obsessed with killing it.”
“Did you? Kill it, I mean?”
“Yeah. Just as we turned fifteen, almost like a birthday present, word spread that the bug was found hiding in Montana. We gathered a team, and we destroyed it. Lost a few other dragons in the process though.” Blake paused. “After the kill, Kory got crazy cocky, saying we were invincible and that the world should basically bow down to us. I just saw dead dragons at my feet. I don’t want that responsibility, Sam. I still don’t. But I will join with Kory to kill this thing.”
I reached over and took his hand in mine. How could I have ever doubted him? To think that this morning I had been trying to run away from him, scared to death of his touch. Now, I wanted nothing more than to be near him.
Blake stared at our fingers and then to my surprise, frowned. “I need to talk to Tonbo.”
My heart squeezed painfully. I understood why he had to go, but I didn’t want him to. “Okay. Going back to California then, to the island?”
Blake pressed my hand against his lips. “Yes, but I want you to come with me this time.”
It took some convincing for my parents to be okay with it, but my dad must have seen the wisdom in letting me get away, because he finally said to my mom, “Lydia, Samantha needs some fun. It will be good for her. Besides, Mack’s going with them and they will be staying with Blake’s brother’s family. I think Samantha will enjoy it.”
He hadn’t said what we’d all been thinking—California would be far from whoever was abducting teenage girls here. Earlier today, while we’d been out flying, and fighting dragons, another girl had gone missing in Cortez, Colorado. That was only an hour away. And poor Cally is still missing. I hated that I knew that neither girl probably had a chance of being found. The bug got them, and if I’m not careful, I’m next.
I threw my clothes into a small suitcase. There was something bothering me about the bug, though. Why didn’t it take me instead of the other girl? It had the perfect opportunity. Blake and Mack were off fighting other dragons, who just happened to have showed up at the same time. Coincidence? Blake had alluded earlier to the fact that bugs don’t work well with others. They liked to fly alone, so to speak. A tap on the window interrupted my thoughts.
I would have been startled if Blake hadn’t told me that he and Mack would be keeping watch tonight. Good thing he at least knows how to be invisible. I’d hate to think what my dad would do if he discovered him in my room right now.
I went to the window and unlocked it. It immediately slid open, and I felt the warmth of his skin brushing against my arm.
“Coast clear?” he whispered.
“Yes, everyone’s gone to bed. And my door’s locked. You should be fine.”
Blake appeared before me, wearing a black T-shirt and jeans, his hair hanging in wet curls on his neck. Looks like he went home and showered. I was glad for the time alone I’d had before he’d showed up. I had jumped in the shower too, quickly shaving my legs and washing my hair. I’d left my short mane wet and spent the rest of the time debating on what to wear or whether to put makeup on or not. Part of me wanted to get dressed up for when Blake got here; the other part was exhausted and needed sleep. If I were honest, I wasn’t entirely sure what his intentions were when he had told me he’d come to my room later. I knew logically he wanted to protect me, but my room? At night? My nerves were a jumbled mess for the past hour, wondering what would happen now that there was no Mack to interrupt.
I had finally settled on a pair of flannel pants and a white T-shirt, with no makeup. Tomorrow’s a big day, and I’m not as strong a flyer as Blake or Mack. Today showed me that. I need some sleep if I’m going to keep up getting to the island. But seeing Blake in front of me, I wished I’d put on at least some mascara. I felt plain and underdressed compared to him.
He closed the distance between us, reaching out to brush my hair away from my face, tucking what he could behind my ears. His fingers lingered, his thumbs gently pushing my chin up to face him. My stomach felt like I was free falling as a rush of heat flooded my body. I’d wanted to kiss him fo
r so long.
In that split second, he wasn’t the self-assured Blake I’d grown accustomed to. I saw the hesitation, the uncertainty in his eyes. He was the little boy who rescued me, who watched over me, protected me, grown to love me, and had thought he’d lost me forever this morning. He’s wanted this longer than I have. I wanted to savor this tender moment forever, freeze time if it were possible.
My heart ached for him. Instinctively, I cupped his face with my hands. It must have been the prompting he needed. He pulled me closer, his hands moving around to the base of my neck. The electric pull between us was palpable; I needed to be in his arms, almost as badly as I needed air, or my wings craved flying.
His mouth landed on mine, his lips warm. He didn’t push hard, not rushing. He caressed me gently with his lips, working my mouth open, tickling every nerve in my body with his tender kiss. I gasped and he pulled back, his eyes darting back and forth between mine. Was he worried I didn’t like it?
My head was swimming, my legs felt numb. I’d never felt like this before. I more than liked it. I inhaled deeply, trying to regain my bearings.
He must have liked my response, because he grinned and the assertive Blake I knew took over. This time when his lips landed on mine, there was force behind them. I staggered but he held me upright, one arm leaving my neck and wrapping firmly around my waistline. I returned his affection, kissing him harder than I’d ever kissed before, only semi-aware that my fingers were tangled in his hair, tugging at his roots. I felt frantic to get more of him. This is crazy!
His lips traveled across my jawline, down my throat, across my collarbone, and back up behind my ear. It was like he knew every button to push; I became mush in his arms. I was positive I’d have fallen to the ground if he hadn’t been holding me upright. When his lips found mine again, I felt the itch in my back, realizing for the first time that the damsel in me was about to come out. I couldn’t pay attention to that; Blake’s incessant kissing captivated all my senses at once.
I’d always wondered why kissing was such a big deal. With Jeremy, I’d found it sort of messy, sometimes bordering on gross if he just ate something, but this was nothing like that. I’d never felt so alive and dizzy at the same time; I couldn’t get enough of his mouth. I wanted to taste everything in it. When my tongue left my mouth and gingerly entered his, I shocked myself. His hands clutched at the back of my T-shirt, crushing my body into his, as his tongue met mine. No trace of old Pepsi, definitely not like Jeremy. Only the lingering tastes of mint, wet and warm. I’m going to pass out if I don’t get some air in.
He stopped abruptly, breathing hard as he stared back at me.
“Wow! That was better then I’d ever hoped for,” he said, grinning.
There was my little boy again. I flushed, embarrassed for some reason. “Really?”
“I’ve been fantasizing about kissing you since I was ten, so yeah, this is better.” He planted a few pecks on my lips. I giggled and he scooped me up in his arms, giving me a tight bear hug. His mouth found my neck and bit me playfully.
“I thought you said we aren’t vampires!” I squealed in a whisper. In all our passionate kisses, I forgot we did not want to wake my family.
He chuckled and set me back down. “Just one last nibble. You really need to get some rest, Sam.”
“Oh, easier said than done, with you in here,” I said, my heart still galloping. I tugged my shirt down, discovering it had hiked up a bit during our kissing.
“Why? Do I tempt you?” He raised one eyebrow.
I slapped his arm. “Stop it,” I growled. “You know you do.”
He grabbed both my wrists and next thing I knew, his arms had trapped me, his mouth on mine. I supposed I should have felt some measure of panic. I mean, there was no way I was getting away from him unless he let me, but he didn’t force his kisses. They were gentle and inviting. And I trust him.
Then Blake moved me to my bed, setting me down, his lips still pressing against my mouth. I was about to protest, worried we might go too far, when I realized his body wasn’t following mine. We’d stopped kissing, and he remained standing on the floor next to the bed. He ran his hands through his hair and left them resting on the top of his head.
“I need to focus on other things. You’re totally distracting me.” He let his hands drop, and his hair fell in a mess of curls.
“Oh, don’t act like this is my fault,” I protested.
“It is your fault. No dragon can resist coconut cream pie. You know that.”
“You’re such a dork. You know that, right?”
He flopped down next to me and pressed his finger to my lips. “No more kissing for you tonight. You’ve had enough.”
“You think you’re intoxicating me, huh?”
“You tell me.” He leaned in and kissed my throat, working his way to my mouth.
My own breathing embarrassed me. Darn him!
He withdrew his mouth. “Guess that answers that.” He scooted off my bed.
“Wait, where are you going?”
“I have to keep watch,” he stated, peering around my room. “Don’t you have a chair or something?”
“Oh, come on; just sit on the bed next to me.” I hopped up, pulled the covers down, and climbed back in, covering myself up. “See, I’ll be a good girl and go to sleep.” I patted the top of the covers next to me.
He considered me for a moment and then sat at the foot of the bed. “This is probably better. Won’t do to be making out if the bug comes.”
“Or my dad,” I mumbled.
“Yeah and there’s that. Not sure who I’m more scared of.”
“Ha! Like my dad intimidates you.”
“If he doesn’t let me see you then yes, I am terrified!”
Chapter 28
“Is she awake?” a male voice asked in a hushed tone.
I tried to place who it was, wanting to say, ‘yes,’ but my lips wouldn’t move and my eyelids felt like they’d been dipped in lead.
“I don’t know,” Blake murmured.
I became aware of his hand brushing my hair back. The warm thing I was laying on wasn’t my pillow, but Blake’s thigh.
He carefully removed me from his lap, my head landing on my cold pillow. Okay, enough of this. I had to know what was going on. I forced my eyes open. Blake climbed off my bed, and Mack stood at the foot of it.
“Good morning, sunshine.” Mack beamed.
“Hey, Mack.” I sounded so groggy. I cleared my throat.
“Well, I guess it’s not technically morning yet,” Mack continued.
“What time is it?” I asked, my gaze fixated on Blake stretching out. Last thing I remembered, we were talking, with him insisting on staying at the bottom of my bed, acting like I had the flu. I must’ve fallen asleep, and he decided to sit by me after all.
“Three o’clock,” Blake answered, yawning. He glanced around the floor. Spotting his shoes, he stooped down to put them on.
“Are you leaving?” I asked.
“Yep, Mack’s turn for watch.”
“Oh.” I heard my own disappointment and hoped Mack wouldn’t take it personally. I wished Blake would return to my bed so I could lay my head on his lap again and he could play with my hair. Just my luck he waited until I was asleep to snuggle.
Blake finished with his shoes and walked over to me. I sat up as he leaned down to me. To my surprise, his lips met mine for a soft, quick kiss. Guess he doesn’t mind PDA. I wrapped my arms around his neck and hugged him, then he straightened up and gave me a crooked grin.
“Like you said, we aren’t vampires. I have to get a few hours of shuteye before our big day. You’re in good hands with Mack, so go back to sleep, okay?”
“Okay,” I agreed, surprised to see Blake pull his T-shirt off. His pecks and abs were enough to make me swoon. How’s a girl to sleep with that in the room? I wanted to shout. What’s he playing at?
I realized why, though, when he morphed into a dragon, holding his shirt in his hand. S
uppose we can’t rip through all of our clothes, all the time. I only had a second to admire his magnificent wings span, the iridescent blues and greens reminding me of his eyes, and then he was gone. Since the window lay open, probably from Mack coming in, the warm, woodsy scent was gone within seconds. Guess he wasn’t kidding about getting some sleep.
Being preoccupied with Blake’s departure, I’d sort of forgot about my new visitor. I glanced at Mack.
“Hey you.” I grinned. “I feel like such a baby, with you two having to watch over me.”
Mack plopped down at the end of my bed. “Sammy, it’s not babying. That bug wants you. This is no different than police protection for someone a serial killer’s after.”
“Thanks, Mack. I feel a whole lot better.” I leaned against my headrest.
“Oh. Guess that didn’t sound so good, did it? Sorry.” He raised an eyebrow at me. “So… you and Blake, huh?”
“Yeah, sorry about the kissing.” I felt embarrassed, though I wasn’t sure why. Mack and I had been telling one another about our love lives since puberty. Though we never locked lips in front of each another.
“No worries, I’m happy you two finally hooked up. I’m telling you, that boy has been whipped for years. I thought he’d end up blowing it all and move here when you started dating Jeremy to tell you the truth. He got pretty jealous.”
“Really?” I asked, realizing Mack knew so many things I did not. I think it’s time Mack and I have a heart to heart.
“Yep. Blake couldn’t stand the guy. Jeremy’s shallow, but he’s harmless. I told Blake that, but when you disappeared, he went unglued. He sort of helped the cops dig into Jeremy’s life, turned everything inside out. We had to make sure it wasn’t him. Sorry it ruined your thing with Jeremy. Although, he tried to get back with you anyway.”
“Yeah, well, that is definitely over now. Last time we spoke, he basically wished Blake good luck with handling my craziness.”
Mack looked appalled. “What a wiener.”
“I know, right?” I muttered. “Hey Mack, mind if I ask how you became a dragon? I mean, we’ve known each other forever. I had no idea.”
Hidden Monster (The Monsters Among Us Book 1) Page 17
