Obsession: Paranormal Romance : Dragon Shifters, lion shifters, immortals and wolf shifters (Dragon Protectors Book 2)

by Laxmi Hariharan

  Or perhaps they’d been connected even before they’d met in person. They were meant to be together. She was the one he’d been searching for.

  13

  Eve

  On the psychic plane, the pale shadow of Eve’s dragon stirred. A ripple of energy burst through her, the hair on her forearms prickling with static.

  She felt something else, a touch of something fresh and new, something so innocent it brought tears to her eyes.

  It was complex yet joyful and so playful, like a child. Her sister was pregnant.

  She flung her arms around Hope. Her skin brushed Cain’s hand as she drew her close.

  Eve’s lips trembled. She wanted to tell Hope how much she loved her. Her throat closed. She opened her mouth, but nothing emerged. She rubbed her cheek against Hope’s hair. Happiness bubbled up inside.

  Hope tightened her arms around Eve.

  Eve bent her knees to bring herself level with Hope and peered into her eyes. “This child is going to be the first of its kind. A dragon shifter and an immortal. He or she is going to be among the most powerful of the species.”

  Hope’s lips trembled, widening into a smile. “Ah, there’s one other thing…” She joined her hands behind her back.

  Eve darted her gaze up over Hope’s head to meet Cain’s eyes. She didn’t know why, but it felt natural to share her excitement with him. The joy for Hope’s news was reflected in them.

  He stood with his feet wide apart, shoulders thrown back. His hands hung at his sides, but they were balled. The tendons on his neck stood out in relief. He was afraid for his sister’s safety. He wanted to leave and search for Serena.

  She understood his need to protect what was his. She was the same.

  She couldn’t take her attention of his face, couldn’t bring herself to break the chemistry that flared between them.

  Hope turned her head and pulled away from Eve, straight into the arms of the man who’d just walked in.

  “Aaron.” Hope melted into his side, hiding her face in his chest.

  He slid his arm around her waist, resting his chin on her head. “You tell them we’re having twins?”

  “Twins?” Eve found her knees weakened.

  She put out a hand to steady herself and came into contact with something hard. Cain. She knew it was him even before she fell against his chest.

  Her nose pressed into his T-shirt. A lick of the first rain on hot desert sands swirled around her.

  “Don’t hurt yourself, kitten.”

  The rough edge of his voice had her lips parting.

  His cat peered at her through those golden amber eyes.

  A flick of heat curled up her center.

  All he had to do was look at her and the attraction between them flared. She was going to have to try harder to disguise her reaction to him.

  She straightened and smoothened her hair. Composed her features into a calm façade she didn’t feel.

  Walking up to Hope and Aaron, she hugged them both. “Thank you for saving my life. Now it’s my turn to do what’s right for us, for you, for your children.”

  “Eve…” Hope pursed her lips. “I don’t like the sound of this.”

  “I’ll be fine.” Turning on her heel, she swaggered toward Cain. Aware that all eyes were on her, she leaned up and kissed his cheek. “Let me repay you by helping you rescue Serena.”

  She was being so casual about this. About being close to him, touching him, taking in that heated scent of his that wrenched at her every nerve ending, until she wanted to simply reach close and sink her teeth into his skin.

  By thanking him, she was trying to reduce what they had to a debt that she must pay back. Trying to normalize the simmering chemistry between them.

  She wondered if he could tell how turned on she was even then, that her throat was dry, her heart fluttering as she brushed past him.

  Cain’s big body stretched taut with strain. His features grew hard. A vein at his temple throbbed.

  Without giving him a chance to speak or move or touch her—if he did she wouldn’t be able to keep up this little game she was playing—she approached Leana.

  The other woman rose to her feet and held out her arms. The gesture was not that of an alpha but of a friend.

  “I’ll help Cain rescue his sister.” Eve went into the hug. “I’m doing it because of the alliance between the Council and the dragon shifters.”

  Placing her lips close to Eve’s ear, Leana whispered, “No, it’s because he’s your mate.”

  Eve swore. “You can’t say things like that.”

  Leana patted Eve’s shoulder in a gesture that was half maternal, half teasing. “When a man watches you the way Cain does, you don’t run. You face him. You face your feelings and everything that comes with it.”

  “I can’t take him for a mate.” Eve’s stomach twisted itself in knots. “You know it can’t be.”

  “Look around you.” Leana touched her cheek. “We’re all here and we shouldn’t be. We mated with those where it should not be possible. All you have to do is believe and bend fate to your destiny.”

  Her words struck a chord, yet Eve knew it was wishful thinking. “This isn’t about destiny, it’s about something that is physically impossible. No other shifter species has the strength to withstand the psychic impact of mating with a dragon.”

  “We didn’t know immortals could mate with dragons, not until Aaron and Hope mated.” Leana gripped her hand. “Sometimes you don’t know until you try.”

  “My father told me never to run away from a fight. I don’t intend to do so now.” She returned the pressure on Leana’s hand before letting go and stepping away.

  Straightening her back, she thrust out her chin. She was the leader of the dragon shifters. This man had taken care of her while she was helpless. She’d repay the debt by helping him find his sister. She owed him that much. “Where could the Elysians have taken Serena?” She turned to Hope.

  “Reports have come in that Zach, the leader of the Elysians, was overthrown by a rebel uprising led by his brother, Tibor.”

  Mikhail, Leana’s mate, drummed the table with his fingers. “Zach and his team have been thrown into prison, and Tibor has taken over Seychelles. We believe Serena is being held there.”

  “The same Tibor who Zach had dismissed for disobedience, who then went on to form a rebel alliance?” Logan tipped his chair back on its hind legs.

  “He hurt Eve and put her in a coma.” Cain’s voice rumbled across the room.

  The lick of anger in his tone was satisfying.

  He may not want her to come along, he may call her selfish and spoiled, yet he couldn’t stop himself from rushing to her defense.

  A tendril of warmth coiled in the pit of her stomach. He’d fight her enemies; he’d never let her face her battles alone.

  “Tibor managed to control my dragon.” Hope jammed her hands under her armpits. “The Elysians are getting stronger, they have to be stopped.”

  Eve bared her teeth. This had just become even more personal. “It’s settled, then. It’s a chance to show the Elysian rebels that they can’t screw around with dragons…or with the Council.” She tilted her head at Leana.

  “But you’ll be on your own.” Hope turned in the circle of Aaron’s arms, her back flush against his chest.

  “I have Cain.” Eve dared not look at the lion shifter as she spoke.

  Those tawny eyes bored into her. He was eating her up raw with the intensity of what he was feeling.

  Confusion radiated from his big body. It echoed the emotions balled in her chest.

  That’s when she realized. “I can’t fly.”

  14

  Cain

  His heart lurched. Hearing her say that she couldn’t fly, feeling all the fight go out of her, made his stomach roll. He sensed her pain as his own.

  She was a proud warrior, a leader of her clan. He didn’t like seeing her vulnerable.

  He leaned toward her. “We’ll take my boat.�
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  She moved her body away from him and lifted her shoulders to hide her neck.

  His lion wanted to go to her and comfort her.

  He wasn’t sure she’d appreciate it.

  Besides, he had to bide his time. He needed to lure her in, wait for her to come to him.

  He turned to Leana. “The rest of you should stay and protect the city. Make sure the Elysians don’t hurt anyone else.”

  He was going to rescue his sister and make sure no one had to face what he was going through now.

  “You are strong, Cain, but Tibor is ruthless. He is power-hungry and strong enough to break through a dragon shifter’s shield.” Hope’s gaze darted from Eve to Cain. “Hurry before they break her completely.”

  Fear coiled in his chest. “I must leave right away.” He raised his shoulders, his movements restless.

  “Come back safe.” Leana clasped her hands together in front of her. “The monsoon is upon us, and the seas will be rough.” Her lips twisted.

  Warmth suffused him. The mayor cared for him and his sister. She was worried about him. He was still getting used to that feeling.

  Cain raised his palm, faceup. “I stowed away on a boat that brought me from Namibia to Bombay. It’s made me an expert at weathering rough seas.” Letting his hand drop to his side, he strode to the door.

  Eve was right behind him.

  Walking out of the building, they crossed the courtyard.

  Cain headed for his room in silence. His skin tingled. He sensed the tension thrumming between them but he wasn’t going to be the first to break it.

  “So, are you going to be the tall, brooding presence who doesn’t speak to me at all during this trip? In which case, it’s going to make the journey very uncomfortable.”

  He lengthened his stride.

  She had to run to keep up with him.

  Drawing close, she grabbed his arm, her nails digging into his muscles. He came to a stop so suddenly she thudded into him. The feel of her skin against him sent a shiver of heat straight to his groin. He glanced down at her hand.

  She let go, holding her hands up. “So I’ve been acting like a bit of a princess.”

  He placed his hands on his hips, legs planted wide.

  She blew out a breath that raised the hair over her forehead. “You haven’t been particularly easy to be with, either. You’ve been overbearing, protective, dominant…”

  He narrowed his gaze. He wasn’t going to make this easy for her.

  The tendons of her throat trembled as she swallowed. “Okay, that was a pathetic apology. I haven’t had much practice.” She laughed. The sound came out weak.

  Something inside him flickered to life. Something simple and basic, something he’d forgotten even existed. His lion paced.

  The beast wanted him to go to her, to gather her close and soothe her.

  Cain clasped his arms behind his back.

  “It’s clear we are attracted to each other.” She looked down at her feet. “My dragon reacts to you when you are near.” Her teeth gnawed at her lower lip.

  The flesh glistened. He wanted to trace the shape of her mouth. He could still feel her lips on his. He knew she tasted of honey and cinnamon.

  He wanted more, much more. The thought sent a pulse of guilt racing through him. Serena was being held by a monster. She was being tortured and in pain even as he was fixated by this dragon shifter.

  He wasn’t going to let Eve take over his emotions. Wasn’t going to let his lion drive his reaction. “My sister needs me. She’s my priority. I’d give my life for her.”

  She gripped her hands together in front of her. “If I could fly, I’d take you there in half the time, but given that my dragon is not awake, we don’t have a choice but to put up with each other on this journey.” Her movements were jerky. “You need my psychic shield to deflect the Elysian’s mind control. I need to do this to repay my debt to you.”

  Cain scratched his jaw, forcing all expression from his face.

  She shifted her weight from one leg to the other. “We’ll keep this business.” She looked at a point beyond his shoulders. “A signal to the Elysians that the dragons and the Council are working together.”

  As if it would ever be just ‘business’ between them. Still, he could pretend.

  “You’re a powerful dragon shifter, but you also have a delicate ego. You’re too used to people agreeing to everything you say.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “If you come with me, you have to pull your weight.”

  “Partners.” She held out a hand.

  He hesitated. Should he take the risk of touching her again? Fact was, despite everything, he still found her intriguing. She was the very first woman who was able to stand up to him.

  If the two of them were to start butting heads, it could endanger his sister’s life. But she was also the best chance he had of saving Serena.

  His chest heaved on a long exhale. “Agreed.” He turned to brush past her. “I’ll meet you at the pier in half an hour.”

  Her shoulders slumped.

  That was a deliberate brush-off, and she’d caught it. He’d hurt her. His lion pushed against his skin, telling him he needn’t be this cruel.

  The man he was knew he needed to keep distance between them.

  15

  Eve

  Eve went to her room to find Lana waiting for her with a backpack filled with a change of clothes—two additional pairs of jeans, shirts, a jacket that she shrugged on, socks, and underwear.

  Touched by her consideration, Eve hugged the girl. She saw herself even more in the defiant tilt of the younger girl’s chin. She’d refused Eve’s help and insisted on hobbling out on her own.

  Tugging the backpack firmly over her shoulders, Eve headed for to the pier. There was only one boat anchored there. A sleek, powerful-looking cruiser.

  She had no doubt it was Cain’s.

  The craft radiated the same feeling of lethal, suppressed energy that she associated with the man.

  Walking across, she then hopped onto it, running her fingers over the smooth lines of the stern as she made her way to the front of the boat.

  Cain came out of the cockpit. He’d changed into cargo pants that hung low at the waist. A black T-shirt that had seen better days stretched across his chest, and a cap was pulled low, shadowing his eyes. “The cabin below has some storage space and two berths. We’ll take turns sleeping.” He glanced at her backpack.

  She took that as a sign to get herself settled in.

  Going to the cabin, she put away her bag. By the time she came up on the deck, the boat’s engine was throbbing.

  Returning to the cockpit, she took care to keep as much space between them as possible. She gripped the railing and looked to the horizon to where the sun was just beginning to set.

  The wind pulled at her hair, and the rays of the sun bounced off the water and into her eyes. Raising her head, she sniffed. She may not be able to fly, but her dragon senses so in tune with nature prickled. “Storm’s coming.”

  “You can sense it?” His voice was conversational. He was giving her the same consideration he would a teammate. As long as they kept their distance, perhaps she might just get through this mission.

  She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye.

  The muscles of his forearms flexed as he gripped the steering wheel.

  “Dragons are covered with scales and have a thick hide, but our skin is sensitive. We sense the changes in the atmosphere and adjust to it as we fly,” she said.

  “Can we outrace it?” Accelerating, he let the craft leap forward.

  Scooping her hair away from her face, Eve tied it back with a band she’d been carrying around her wrist. She sniffed the air, surveying her surroundings with half-closed eyes.

  Hints of moisture, salty sea, the vegetation they had left behind, the scent of the sun on desert sands… Him. She snapped her eyes open. “At the moment, its path is to blow away from us.” Eve squinted through the fast-fading li
ght. “If we’re lucky we might miss it.”

  His scent still lingered, teasing her.

  She wiped her hand over her face.

  “Why don’t you go down, get some rest.” He jerked his head over his shoulder. “Come get me in six hours?”

  He was sending her off. Perhaps he sensed the tension that still simmered and wanted her out of the path of temptation.

  They may have agreed to keep things strictly business, but the chemistry between them crackled.

  Swiveling on her heels, she made her way down. She ate a quick sandwich at the galley, making one for Cain.

  Back at the cockpit, she gave it to him along with a cup of coffee.

  He nodded his thanks, taking it from her.

  She turned to leave.

  “Serena was only three when we lost our pride.” His voice stopped her. “I was eleven then. I swore after that I’d always take care of her. I failed.”

  She gripped the railing and looked to the horizon where the sky was bleached white by the sun. She put up a hand to shade her eyes. “I was fifteen when the tsunamis of 2014 struck our island. My parents were full grown dragons who carried everyone to safety. My mother was hurt trying to save them. She died soon after.” She swallowed, following the trail of a gull who swooped down to catch a fish from the sea. “My father never recovered from her death. He held on until I turned eighteen. Once I came of age to take on the challenge of the alphas, he died. He didn’t live long enough to see me win.”

  Cain continued to steer the ship, but she sensed his gaze on her.

  “We lost many in that storm. Including my brothers, Rage and Neo.” Rage had been younger than her by nine months. He was the only male from her clan who she could be herself with, apart from her father. “Many dragons, humans, and wolf shifters died.”

  The breeze tugged at his cap. “When nature strikes, it knows no distinction between species.” Taking off his jacket, he stuffed it in his back pocket.