by Anya Nowlan
You came here to flip Joshua the bird and to get away from your mother. Show them how you don’t need them. So do as you decided and have some fun now, she commanded herself sternly, feeling some of the conviction fall from her words with each passing moment.
It hadn’t been an easy decision to make. While Alicia Evans was one of the scariest people Isobel knew, she was also her mother, and disappointing her made Isobel’s blood run cold. It had always been like that. Alicia was a distant, cold woman, and she ran her whole family the same way.
The only thing that mattered was appearances and Isobel’s family danced to that tune, from her Army Major father, to Isobel herself. Getting away from her was like taking a breath of fresh air for the very first time. At the same time, though, it also made Isobel sort of numb, because it meant she’d have to return to face Alicia’s wrath at one point or another.
Suffice it to say, she’d been ignoring Alicia’s phone calls and intended to keep doing so.
“Fuck it,” she decided, uttering it out loud and downing her drink. “Let’s do this.”
“That’s the spirit,” Allie cheered, mimicking the gulp and both of them then setting their glasses down on a nearby table.
Isobel took Allie’s hand and they practically ran to the dance floor. It was completely packed, but they found a spot in the middle, overseen by the narrow and mostly empty balconies above them. Lights were flickering and pulsing in dizzying arrays, making Isobel’s head spin – or maybe that was the drink she’d had – but she didn’t care.
Throwing her hands up, she let out what she could only call a battle cry, and let the music take her. Within the first few beats, she was grinning and dancing with Allie, both of them swaying their bodies like they didn’t have a care in the world.
Like Isobel’s life hadn’t crumbled around her ankles a few days ago. Like they hadn’t fled the damn country to avoid having to deal with disgruntled wedding guests, hysterical parents and endless questions. Like Isobel’s heart hadn’t been if not broken then severely bruised.
It didn’t matter how many times she had told herself that it just didn’t matter. It did, betrayal always hurt. She’d kept turning the other cheek every time she caught a whiff of something that Joshua was cooking up, another chick he was banging on the side, another secretary who blushed a little too red when she saw him. It had all caught up with her and not soon enough, in Isobel’s opinion.
I should have told him to fuck off before we ever got to the ring.
“That’s how it goes,” her mother had always told her. “Powerful men have big needs and we should not stand in their way. If you want a happy house and a happy home, then you will learn your place and love him for all that he is.”
The lying, cheating, manwhoring bastard that he is, Isobel corrected in her mind, her eyes fluttering open.
She’d drifted away into the dark recesses of her thoughts, but the music was still banging, her body was still moving and the night was still young. The decision to make the best of it came easily enough.
After a few more drinks and a whole lot more dancing, Isobel was starting to feel like her old self again. When the track changed, the beat falling lower, she raised her hands to her hair and undid the strict bun that had been her style of choice for more than a year now, letting her long auburn hair tumble over her shoulders.
Joshua had preferred her looking tidy and put together. She preferred her hair wild. They’d compromised and she’d worn it exactly how he wanted her to.
None of that shit anymore, she announced to herself, falling into the rhythm of the music.
She bit her lip and smiled as she felt her body and mind sync just right, at that precipice where the world seems to fall away and the only thing left is the way the beat consumes you. Suddenly, she felt a force behind her, like someone was watching her. Isobel’s eyes shot open and as she looked up, her gaze was locked with the stormiest, most mesmerizing grey-silver eyes she had ever seen.
The man stood on the balcony of the club, the only person there. He had a tumbler in his hand, looking like a whiskey glass, and the way he looked at her made a fire roar through her.
Isobel frowned, looking away for a moment.
Christ, he’s hot.
And he was. She briefly considered whether she thought that because she’d had one too many drinks, but looking back at him, she had to argue with herself on that. No, that man was properly hot. Smoking, even. Like it almost looked like steam was rising around him, which Isobel was more than ready to blame on the alcohol in her bloodstream.
He was tall and striking. He was dressed in black like the staff, but his clothes were clearly of higher quality. The fit of his shirt, the way it hugged his broad shoulders and the tight tuck of his stomach, made him look positively mouth-watering. Like if she licked him, he’d taste like something smoky and delicious.
He smirked then, raising his glass to her, and Isobel could feel her cheeks burning up with a blush.
What are you blushing about? He was checking you out first!
Regardless, her cheeks were red and she could feel the embarrassment seep through her.
“Do you want to go get some water?” Allie yelled into her ear as Isobel was pondering her escape plan.
“Like you wouldn’t believe,” she said, and followed her friend off the dance floor.
She didn’t dare sneak another glance at her mystery man. Isobel was sort of afraid that she might not manage to walk another step if she did, those mesmerizing greys were just too much to fight.
She should have known that with her luck, the night couldn’t end with a high note right then and there.
Aeon
Aeon frowned to himself.
Weird, he thought, swirling the mouthful of whiskey around before swallowing it.
He’d chosen to stake out Maison Dragon that night to make sure everything was running as it should. As he was now unceremoniously kicked from his house and home by his younger brothers, he had to find something to do. The first and only thing on the list was to go through the family businesses and ensure they were being run properly.
So far, it had been the task of his brothers, with Aeon only going through the paperwork every now and then. With nothing better to do, he could go to each in person and get a feel for it. So far, he wasn’t entirely sure if he enjoyed it.
Maison Dragon was large, crowded, and insanely lucrative. The combination of the location and the very strict exclusivity the manager had set on it ensured that it was popular and packed all year round. That was all well and good for Aeon, but being in a sea of swaying, drunken people wasn’t exactly his understanding of a good time.
Or at least it hadn’t been, until he’d caught sight of that absolutely breathtaking little thing on the dance floor. Those curves and that smile of hers had made his dragon snarl and take note, his skin bristling with power at the mere sight of her. As if being near her was enough for him to somehow be… more.
As he said, it was weird.
Briefly, he considered putting her out of his mind, but he decided against it.
It’s my club. I’m supposed to walk around and get to know it, he rationalized with himself, a big part of him all too well-aware that he was actually going to see if he could find the beauty he’d shared a moment with again.
He stalked down from the VIP balcony, kept private for only him for that night, and allowed the security guard to undo the red velvet rope from the bottom of the stairs before he moved on. He shoved the glass into the man’s hands wordlessly, stepping into the ebb and flow of the human masses.
Even in his human form, Aeon had always felt the undercurrent of time all around him. It wasn’t much, definitely not like it was when he was shifted, but his body seemed to be more in tune with what was going around him than those of others. While people around him struggled to find a spot to step on or a path through the throng, Aeon moved forward effortlessly, as if the seas parted before him and then closed up right behind him a
gain.
His eyes flickered around the room as he walked from one to another, looking for the wild mane of auburn hair he’d so admired before. It kept catching the light as she danced and swirled around her in patterns that seemed to surprise Aeon.
Not much could do that to him.
He was almost about to give up when he heard a voice that made him stutter to a stop.
“I said, I’m not interested.”
Aeon’s head whipped to the side, his gaze flicking golden for the briefest moment, before those intense grey eyes of his returned in full force.
Her.
He wasn’t sure how he knew it, but he did. It was her, the woman he had seen before. And by the sound of her voice, she was not having fun anymore.
Striding through the crowd, Aeon chose to push a couple of people out of his way this time instead of going for the easier, smoother option of following the flow. This time, he was in a hurry.
“Hey, watch it,” someone yelped, but when he glared at them, the guy quieted immediately.
Aeon wondered if his dragon had made an appearance again or if his own barely contained irritation was enough to incite the silence. Either case, he didn’t really care.
“Oh come on, we’re going to have a little fun,” a masculine voice said and Aeon didn’t know why, but he was absolutely certain that its owner was the cause of her distress.
When he caught sight of her again, she was pinned against the rock wall of the room, a big, beefy guy leaning over her, grinning a lecherous smile. Aeon’s eyes narrowed. She was obviously uncomfortable and when she made to make an escape, ducking under the guy’s arm, he grabbed her and shoved her back against the wall.
That was enough. That was all Aeon could take.
He rushed to the guy and his dragon practically roared within him, bringing a growl to Aeon’s lips. With one smooth, effortless jerk, he’d grabbed the man by the collar, turned him around and grabbed him by the neck. Aeon took one step and walked the man against the wall and with his clothes getting stuck on the stone and mortar slightly, Aeon lifted him up by the neck.
She watched with an equal mix of horror and awe in her eyes. Unfortunately Aeon couldn’t dedicate all of his attention on her yet.
“I think you owe the lady an apology,” Aeon pressed out between gritted teeth, his fingers coiling against the man’s flesh, crushing his windpipe slowly.
He was grabbing at Aeon’s arm with both hands, but there wasn’t any strength to it. Not only had Aeon caught the guy unaware but the shock of being shoved up like a ragdoll was enough to make any man tongue-tied. Well, that, and there was the small problem of running out of air, too.
“Um, I don’t think he can speak,” she offered, Aeon’s eyes flitting to her, still narrowed slightly.
He considered it for a second and then his expression cleared.
“Right,” he said, almost sheepishly, as he let go of the guy and he crumpled to a heap at Aeon’s feet.
He was coughing and sputtering, clutching his neck. Two security guards had rushed over, but kept a respectful distance when they recognized who it was causing the disturbance. A couple of people were muttering among themselves, their voices shocked and hushed, but Aeon paid them no heed. No, he had something much more interesting to look at.
She was a vision, she really was. Plump lips, even plumper hips, soft curves and the face of a devilish angel, he could have kept staring at her forever. And it wouldn’t have been enough time, which was saying something, coming from a time dragon.
“Jesus fuck, man, what’s wrong with you!?” the guy spluttered, looking up at Aeon while still clutching his neck protectively.
Aeon turned his attention to him, bristling at the interruption. She’d been looking at him with those big doe eyes of hers and he was just about to ask her name and here this guy was, getting in his damnable way.
“I said, you need to apologize to the lady. Do it.”
His last words did not allow for any disagreement or argument. The man hiked himself up, Maison Dragon’s security stepping closer immediately.
“Sorry, or whatever,” he huffed.
Aeon snarled and he could swear that despite doing his best, a little bit of smoke wafted out of his nostrils, curling in wisps on either side of his head.
“I mean, I’m sorry, okay? I didn’t mean any harm,” the guy corrected himself.
“Does that satisfy you?” Aeon asked, looking at the woman.
She looked entirely uncomfortable and like she would have rather been anywhere else other than in the middle of the stupid conflict. He couldn’t blame her. The drunken club bum was getting on his nerves too.
“Sure,” she said with a faint nod. “Apology accepted.”
“Excellent,” Aeon noted, offering her a small smile. “Get him out of here. He’s banned for life.”
“Sir,” one of the security guards nodded, moving to grab the pest by one arm while the other guard took hold of his remaining arm.
In a shower of protests and shouts, the trio made their way away from Aeon and his pretty little target and the crowd slowly dispersed, the action concluded. But she was still standing there, looking at him, and he couldn’t tear his eyes from her either. Had he been a self-conscious man, he may have felt a little… awkward.
But Aeon Prevoir didn’t really know the meaning of the word.
He took a step closer to her, looming over her. She didn’t shy away from him.
“Aeon,” he said.
“I’m sorry, what?” she asked, quirking a brow at him.
He grinned.
“My name is Aeon. I hope that guy didn’t ruin your evening.”
“Oh! Sorry. That’s… well, maybe it isn’t that way here, but that’s one odd name. I’m Isobel.”
She reached her hand to him and he took it, still wearing that appreciative smile.
Isobel.
Her name felt just right. Like it was perfect for her.
But when their hands touched, skin on skin, Aeon had to suck in a breath. Suddenly, the flow of the universe that he could sense so clearly seemed to stutter and skip and he saw everything so much clearer. It was only a split second and it was gone the moment she let go of his hand, wearing a surprised expression on her face.
What the hell was that? And did she feel it too?
Aeon had to clear his voice. He didn’t do surprises. While a time dragon could only control a very small sliver of time around him, it was enough to ensure that they were rarely ever surprised. Yet this day kept bringing one blow after another and Aeon hadn’t seen most of them coming.
It was worrying and odd and he knew it had everything to do with her. Isobel.
“Thanks for the… whatever that was. The growly Alpha hands-off thing. Super hot. I think I need to go find my friend now,” Isobel stammered, getting redder in the cheeks with every word she spoke.
It was adorable.
When she turned to leave him, Aeon snapped back into the moment – and it may have been the first time ever that he was out of the moment to begin with.
“Wait!”
“Yes?” she asked, turning to face him a little too quickly, like she hadn’t really wanted to leave to begin with.
Good. One step at a time.
He didn’t know who she was or why she seemed to fuck with his mind and his senses, but he wanted to find out. And for that to happen, he couldn’t exactly allow her to wander off. Something inside him told him that if he let her go that easy, it’d be the dumbest thing he ever did. The mistake of a lifetime.
“Let me help,” he offered, stepping up to her. “You shouldn’t be alone here when we don’t know if that guy’s been escorted out yet.”
That, of course, was a lie. Aeon had no doubt that the man had been kicked to the curb and told in no uncertain language to never show his face around there again. He was willing to use a small white lie if it meant that he could stay in her presence though.
“Okay,” Isobel said, her expression
clearing. “Let’s do that then.”
Aeon almost wanted to skip when she said that and they started their hunt.
Time dragons don’t skip.
Isobel
“She wouldn’t just abandon me,” Isobel said, frowning as she held her phone up towards the ceiling in hope of finding better reception. “She has the only key to our villa. God dammit Allie, where are you!”
“I’m sure she’s fine,” Aeon offered, fixing both of them drinks in the back office.
Calling it a back office was not doing it justice, though. It was a proper suite, with a kitchen, a big bathroom and a lavish living room and bedroom. All of the rooms sported the same hard and edgy look of the club, with whites, blacks and silver greys being used for the color scheme. All Isobel could think of was that it was very him, in a way.
“I guess,” Isobel sighed, flopping down on one of the massive black leather couches that took up a whole wall in the living room.
“Here,” Aeon said, offering her a glass of water as he held one filled with whiskey for himself.
She had to smile at that. Mystery man with the whiskey, here in the flesh. And the glass of water she’d run off to get to in order to her away from his piercing gaze. Now she had both in the same room and she had nowhere to run, and she didn’t particularly feel the urge to, either.
“What is it?” Aeon asked, mimicking her smile, though his brow creased gently.
It made him look even more devastatingly sexy than he did otherwise and it wasn’t fair, to be quite frank.
“Oh, nothing. I was just thinking how weirdly things work out sometimes,” Isobel offered, taking a gulp of the water.
Her feet were killing her. She hadn’t been aware of it before she’d sat down, but now it felt like the balls of her feet were on fire. Tossing one more worried look at her cell phone, she sunk back into the plush cushions of the couch.
“Are you sure I’m not imposing? I swear she has to be somewhere and I can’t go home before I find her,” Isobel asked, feeling the tension in the air grow a bit too thick and heady as he took a seat next to her on the couch.
