by Kira Nyte
“Elaborate on why you think of yourself as a street rat first.”
Ariah gasped, the cup slipping through her hands. Alazar caught it and placed it on the table. His fingers brushed over the back of her hand as she stared at him in disbelief.
There was no logical way he could have heard…
“We’re beyond logic. And, yes, I can hear your thoughts. Just as you can hear mine, if you wish.”
He leaned closer, the lightheartedness that cloaked him growing heavy and warm. Ariah tried to swallow, but found the motion impossible. Her heart kicked up a few beats, drumming mercilessly against her sternum.
“Right, Ariah?”
He drew his knuckles along her jaw. It was a whisper of a touch, but enough to melt her mind and leave her gasping. Never in her life had she felt such a pull, a call, as she did to this stranger. His presence embraced her, erasing the hustle and bustle, the clinking and clanging of the world around them. His thumb brushed over her lower lip. His nostrils flared.
Ariah stared into the warmth of his gaze and beheld the impossible. Fine threads of yellow-orange snaked through the warm amber of his irises. Tendrils of flames that evolved from an unknown source. Some thickened until fire licked along his pupils. The soothing scent of bonfire intensified and a faint curl of light gray escaped his nostrils.
“Oh. My.”
No. This was absolutely absurd. There was no way her uncle had been telling her the truth.
“You are…beautiful, Ariah.” Alazar’s quiet compliment squeezed her lungs tight. She was falling uncontrollably for a man she’d known no more than ten minutes.
Alazar groaned and sat back, rubbing a hand over his face. Ariah sank into her seat, trying to shake the delightful tension that wrapped her up in a dream. She could barely focus on anything other than the lingering scents imprinted in her nostrils and the silent pull that led her to stare at Alazar.
The fire had vanished from his eyes. Other than a faint stroke of pink that highlighted his cheeks, he appeared as laid back and relaxed as he had when she first returned to the table.
A far cry from her own predicament.
“Back to the rat thing. You have no tail, no fur, so I declare you are not a rat,” Alazar said, flicking a hand up and down from her head to her feet.
Ariah couldn’t help but laugh. It broke the strange rigidness between them, a feat she was utterly grateful for. His smile was as heartbreaking as it was genuine, and worked a small miracle on the anxiety the last twenty-four hours dropped on her shoulders.
“However, you could use a few dozen donuts. I was afraid I’d break you when I helped you to your seat.”
Yeah, okay. I get you think I’m too skinny. Not my fault.
Something dark flashed in his eyes. Ariah groaned.
“And you heard that, too.”
“It’s kind of hard to ignore when you project something straight at me.” Alazar held out his hand. Ariah stared at his strong fingers beckoning her to accept the small, secure gesture. “Are you happy, Ariah?”
“Entirely,” she said, flashing him a wide, exaggerated smile.
“Ahh, sarcasm, is it?”
Ariah toned down her smile until it became a natural reaction to the man waiting patiently for her hand while responding with a lightness she found refreshing. After another stretch of silence, Ariah tentatively rested her fingers over his. The comparison was drastic, her pale, slender hand against his tanned, work-roughened one. He closed his fingers around hers and stroked her knuckles with his thumb. The subtle caress continued to soothe her, melting her anxiety and worry until she felt…free.
For the first time in years, she felt free.
“Maybe I was being sarcastic.” Oh, man. Did her voice really need to get all thick and husky right now? Heat tickled her face. “Or maybe not.”
“I’m aware of your sarcasm, Ace.”
Ariah tilted her head, narrowing her eyes on the handsome man. “Ace?”
Alazar winked. “Yes. Ace.”
“Ah. Just put me on a card and play me for a win, huh?”
The humor vanished from Alazar’s face. His eyes widened and he straightened up on the edge of the chair. “Oh, heck no! That’s certainly not what I meant. Aces are usually coveted in card games. I meant it as an endearment. A coveted woman.”
“You’re digging a hole.” Ariah laughed and shook her head as Alazar’s expression of horror intensified. “I’m kidding.” She gave his hand a squeeze. “Calm down.”
“Now that’s not advice Alazar receives. He’s usually the one dishing it out.”
Ariah glanced up at her uncle as he side-stepped them to reach his chair. His gaze dropped to their entwined hands and a faint grin touched his lips. Ariah began to pull away, but Alazar’s fingers tightened. He brought her knuckles to his lips and pressed a gentle kiss to the back of her hand. The motion unleashed hundreds of butterflies inside her belly and left her momentarily lightheaded.
She honestly believed he could see straight through her hard-shelled ruse to the vulnerable softness she protected deep down inside.
“Yes, Ace. I can.”
Ariah blinked. Alazar lowered their hands to the table and sat back in his chair. She received his thought in a direct fashion that did not jive with how she usually heard thoughts. It was more like he spoke to her, telepathically.
His deliberate, short nod confirmed her suspicions.
Holy crap, I’ve been dumped in a fairytale.
“I’ll warn you that chivalry has not died with him, despite what he claims. Right, old pal?” Uncle Mark punched Alazar’s shoulder. Alazar snickered, tossing a glance toward her uncle.
“Pleading the Fifth.” Alazar shifted in his chair until he was seated properly, able to see both Ariah and her uncle. “What are your plans for the day?” He turned his attention to Ariah. “Have you seen Nocturne Falls yet?”
Ariah shook her head.
“Well, if you’d do me the honor and allow me the opportunity, I’d be more than happy to show you the gems this town possesses.” Alazar’s grin quirked in a devious manner. “Of course, that is if Mark approves.”
Mark cast a lingering glance between Alazar and Ariah. Part of her wanted to jump at the offer to spend time with the sexy man. Part of her felt some reserve about walking around a strange town with someone she didn’t know. One thing was for sure. Spending time in Alazar’s company would keep her mind off her father.
“I’ll return her to your home by dinner time,” Alazar added, facing Mark squarely. “A few hours to get to know the woman you’ve hidden from me isn’t too much to ask, is it?”
“We’ve all been hiding, Al. For good reason.”
“Um, why do I sense a not-so-good meaning behind that cryptic statement?” Ariah asked.
“Because it’s not so good,” Alazar confirmed. “But I’ll protect you.”
“Honey?” Mark shrugged. “I’ll leave it up to you. You will be safe with him. That’s a promise I can place my life on.”
Ariah sighed. Alazar slipped his hand from hers, gave it a gentle pat, and stood up. “I’m going to grab a coffee and some Bites to go. I’ll let you two discuss your plans. Don’t feel you must take me up on my offer, Ariah. I’ll understand completely if you choose not to.”
“Thank you.” Ariah couldn’t help but appreciate Alazar’s gracious understanding. She watched him cross the coffee shop and settle in at the back of the line before turning to her uncle. “Who is he?”
“Who? Or what?”
Ariah moved to Alazar’s open chair and leaned close to her uncle. “Both.”
Mark brushed a wave of hair that had fallen over her cheek. “He’s my dragon.”
“Really. You still think dragons exist.”
“I don’t think, honey. I know.” Mark’s lips curled into a thoughtful grin. “As I know you are his lifemate.”
Ariah nearly choked. Her jaw dropped. “Excuse. Me?”
“Yes, my darling niece. He’s your lif
emate. Your dragon soulmate. And one day, when I’m gone, you will be his Keeper.”
“Oh, geez, this fairytale keeps getting better.”
“It’s not a fairytale. Perhaps to the rest of the world, but not to us. This is our reality.” Mark traced her cheek as she tried to process the information. Hearing it from her uncle was hard to digest, even if she thought she saw fire and smoke and smelled the scents her uncle described to her in Alazar. “But with the reality comes danger. We have enemies. Bad enemies. Enemies your father may have seen last night. If they located the jewel and tried to get hold of it, and your father stopped them.”
She’d entertain this silliness for a few minutes. “Who are these bad guys? What would happen if they got hold of the jewel?”
“Here isn’t the best place to talk about this, honey.”
“So, it’s not true.”
“To the contrary. It’s very true. A truth you must take caution with.” Mark’s gaze shifted to a point over her shoulder. She glanced back to find Alazar texting on his phone as he waited in line. “He is one of eight left in the universe. Eight. There were close to two dozen before the attack that almost wiped out our kinds. He is a rare breed, even rarer now. So rare that the legends paint them as myths.”
She lowered her voice to a harsh whisper. “And you trust him?”
Mark nodded. “I trust him with my life because I know he’ll sacrifice himself to save me. And he’ll do the same for you.”
“You’re worrying me.”
“You have nothing to be worried about.” Mark rested a hand over hers. “Why don’t you spend the afternoon with him? Get to know him. He’s a character, that’s for sure, but his heart is big.”
“Uncle Mark, you’re encouraging me to go off with a stranger. What if he tries to…do something?”
“Do you want to go with him?”
Ariah opened her mouth to state her denial, but the word caught in her throat. Truth be told, she did want to go with Alazar, as crazy as it sounded.
Mark nodded. “Ahh, you’re trying to talk yourself out of it. Understandable.” He leaned back and retrieved his wallet from his pants, flipped it open, and pulled out four crisp hundred-dollar bills. “Here. To put your mind at ease, although I doubt he’ll let you use it.”
“I can’t believe you’re pawning me off on this guy.” Ariah folded up the bills and tucked them into the pocket of her jeans. “Seriously.”
“Tell me you don’t want to go and I’ll send him off.”
“This is crazy,” she muttered. “I don’t understand it.”
“By tonight, sweetheart, you’ll understand everything.”
Chapter Seven
Confusion, caution, and skepticism permeated the air immediately surrounding Ariah. He got it, he did. He was a stranger claiming to be something read about in fantasy novels, without directly saying it. Mark, on the other hand, gave her the nutshell rundown while Alazar waited for his coffee and confections.
When he returned to the table, Ariah stood up, grabbed his wrist, and dragged him from the coffee shop. Alazar barely had a moment to throw a questioning glance back at Mark before patrons of the Hallowed Bean obscured him from sight. His Keeper certainly appeared amused by his niece’s forward action. Alazar had to wonder what he was about to face at the hands of the small woman who was too thin for her frame and wallowed in murky thoughts.
He liked her fire. Really, really liked her fire.
Ariah started pulling him down the sidewalk, abruptly turned, and pulled him the opposite direction, earning curious glances from those admiring the shop windows along Main Street. She brought him back to Black Cat Boulevard, pulled him around the corner of the building, and spun on him, poking a finger at his shoulder.
“I want the truth. I want to know what the heck is going on. My uncle, a man who is grounded in reality, has lost it. What is this joke?”
Ariah’s attention moved around them, keeping an eye on the pedestrians passing by. Her voice was low, but the punch of demand behind each word swelled Alazar with a sense of pride. His lifemate was not a pushover. That was a relief.
“And what do you have to do with it?” she demanded.
“Well, first, it’s not a joke. Second, Mark is still grounded. His Armani shoes have stakes for heels that get pretty deep in the dirt. Third, I think he already disclosed what I have to do with it.” Alazar held up the bag of Vampire Bites. “Snack?”
Ariah’s scowl was endearing. It made her cute nose scrunch and the gold in her eyes flash. Oh, those eyes. He could easily lose himself in her eyes for days.
She shook a finger at him, her sloped brows lifting. “You’re smooth.”
“Like butter.”
Ariah’s next comment was lost on silent lips. She stared at him, her eyes widening. Alazar smiled and shrugged.
“Ace, I’ve got a comeback for everything.”
He caught the twitch at the corner of her mouth.
“Don’t laugh, girl. Don’t do it. Find out what the heck is going on first.”
Alazar took a sip of his coffee, keeping his attention locked on the spitfire before him as he fought the urge to break out in laughter from her thoughts. Each passing second, he found himself drowning deeper in her wild spirit. She had the same fierceness in her eyes as Mark, the same arch to her cheekbones, the same defiant thrust of her chin when determination took the reins.
As a lull in foot traffic followed a group of tourists, Alazar opened himself to his unfurling dragon. Ariah’s beautiful face changed as he stared through his dragon’s eyes. Although she still remained gorgeous, he detected the heat rising beneath her skin. The outline of her body turned to hazy strokes of blacks and grays. When she moved, a ghost of herself trailed behind, the smudged colors like a slow-motion film.
Her gasp struck his ears like spears.
He pulled the dragon back, his vision returning to normal as he beheld his wide-eyed lifemate. She slapped a hand over her gaping mouth.
Alazar took another sip of coffee, adjusted the bag of donut rounds in the crook of his arm to retrieve one, and held it out to her. “Here, Ace. Nothing a little sugar can’t cure.”
She didn’t move.
She didn’t blink.
Alazar waved the donut in front of her eyes. Nope. No reaction.
“Don’t make me resort to archaic means of resuscitation.”
Alazar dropped the donut round back in the bag and placed it and his coffee on the brick shelf protruding from the building beside them. He dusted his hands together before gently pulling—or rather, peeling—Ariah’s hands from her mouth. He fought to tamp down the rush of desire that erupted inside him at the simple contact. The same desire singed the inside of his body and fed his dragon an elixir he’d never tasted as he cupped Ariah’s face between his hands, tipped her chin up, and pressed his lips to hers.
A faint sound preceded the hitch in her breath.
Alazar swallowed down the urge to test her acceptance with a sweep of his tongue. The hunger burned at his throat, but he pulled back and smiled when Ariah blinked several times. Her cheeks darkened to rose, a beautiful hue that complimented her sweeping bone structure. She touched her lips with the tips of her fingers.
“You…kissed me.”
“And you woke up. Just like in those fairytales you keep mentioning.” He wanted to kiss her again. Really kiss her. He cleared his throat. Unfortunately, when he tried to catch her eyes, he got stuck staring at her lips. “Still believe it’s a fairytale? Or do I need to completely transform?”
He’d lost all appetite for anything that wasn’t part of Ariah. It was nothing more than a measly brushing of their lips, but the doors that opened inside him begged to differ. He finally convinced his brain to stop pining after those succulent lips and focus on more proper objects, like her eyes.
He couldn’t resist adding, “That would require me to get nekid. In the woods.”
Oh, goddess, help him. Even his funny prodded the hunger. Ugh.
Ariah lifted her chin, the quirk of her lips easing his concern that the woman would bolt. No. Not his Ace. She was stronger than that.
“Nekid, eh?” She let out the sweetest sound, a breath of relief with a musical connotation. A laugh that cinched the beating organ in his chest. “Naked in the woods is not my thing.”
Alazar couldn’t help himself. He cupped the back of her head and drew her close to press a light kiss to her forehead. He was vaguely surprised, and quite elated, when Ariah’s hands gripped the edges of his jacket and held fast. She leaned into his short kiss, accepting his forward motion with the hint of a grin.
“Neither is it mine, Ace. For the record, when we shift, our clothes melt into our scales and our skin. No surprises. This guy won’t flash you unless you ask. Promise.” He allowed his fingers the freedom to sink into the silky strands of her hair that the knitted cap didn’t cover. “So, what do you say? I’ll show you around this crazy Halloween town and bring you back to Mark’s house in one piece before dark.”
“What about shooting pool?”
“Ahh.” Alazar leaned back, curled his hand around the top of her jaw, and lifted her head. “Think you can take me on?”
“Nope, but I’ll try for good fun.”
“Want to place a bet now?”
Ariah’s eyes narrowed. “Bet?”
Alazar chuckled. “Good fun, that’s all.”
“You know, my father has a terrible gambling habit. I’m not fond of gamblers.” She stepped back, dropping her hands from his jacket. “It’s a thorn in my life.”
Alazar raised his hands in surrender. “It’s nothing monetary, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
He gave a one-shoulder shrug and pursed his lips. He’d have to keep her feelings in mind going forward. He loved a good game and a challenging gamble—but not for the reasons everyone thought.
She stared up at him, her expression laced with skepticism. “I’m glad, because I have no money.”
The lightness that consumed him drained away as he got a glimpse of the true despair that surrounded his woman. “You’re here with Mark. And myself. You’ll never have to worry about money again.”
