Nadia had only been gone for a couple of weeks, but that was long enough for other shifters to notice, and soon the Bellers would figure out what had happened if they hadn't already. They'd been sniffing around Currence, getting closer to the portal and knowing who ran it. Though in hindsight, it could have been Nadia who had protected them with her death. Damn it, he should have been there to protect her. He wouldn't make the same mistake with Bailey. They wouldn't get to her. Even as a mouse, his inner lion roared in his head at the very thought of Tony putting hands on Bailey.
Currence was built primarily as a sister city to Estes Park, Colorado. There was a man from there named William Currence and he mined up in Dante's peaks. He helped the Khimairans pull crystals from deep inside the Rockies. Of course, the Bellers drove him crazy, and he eventually died in an asylum. Dante named the city after the man, even though Khimairans had already rooted on the grounds, having a connected human city helped his race integrate into society more freely. It felt like many light years ago, but it had barely been a hundred years since.
Bailey was his first sign of true hope since he gave up on it. He had to make sure Bailey stuck around, just long enough to convince her Khimairans weren't the bad guys and she could trust him. Everything he cared about—humans, his humanity, his race—rode on her accepting the bond between them. On her accepting she was his mate and the rightful portal heir. He wouldn't let her go, not now that he found her. He was kidding himself if even thought he might be able to.
Dante scurried past the front counter, running his little feet as quick as possible so she wouldn't spot him. Humans tended to fear mice and rats. Well, most rodents in general, but the small form kept him less noticeable and able to move around as long as she didn’t catch him in the process. He could feel her presence and sense her movements, but he kept moving forward despite the urge to stop and find her. If he stopped, she’d surely notice him. He slipped behind a shelving unit and waited a few brief seconds listening to see where she might be. When he didn’t hear anything, he set across the shop heading for the dark hall.
He needed to retrieve the papers between him and Nadia for the shop. He scrunched his little body into the trap door crack and called the change back. Down side, his clothes were laying along the sidewalk outside the shop. At least he had spares below.
His body elongated on the first step and Dante ducked from hitting his head on the floorboards above him. When his body fully rehumanized, he took his time, carefully watching his step not making any noises. He didn't want to alarm her in any way.
The last stair shifted under his weight and let out a small creak.
Dante froze.
His ears twitched as he listened for any indication he might have alarmed her. After several heartbeats, he moved toward the back wall, toward the portal. The darkness in the basement area of The Talisman enveloped everything. He used his animal eyes to watch where he walked. He loved having night vision, one of the best perks to being a shifter. His lion form slinked beneath his skin, eager to get back to the wide-open spaces and trees of the Rockies. He ran his hands through his thick head of hair, a calming gesture for his beast, as if petting him. Not yet. He couldn't shift into his lion form until he was free of the shop. Then he'd let the lion out and run the distance to his home. Gaining control of his human side would be the harder part as every time he shifted into the lion, the beast kept a little more control and the longer he stayed lion, the more his mind reached for the primal side. Dante hadn't told his people about it yet, though he suspected some of those closer to him knew he'd been in lion form much longer than he should. He could control it. He had to.
The portal on the wall glowed blue as he neared. He pulled on the spare jeans by the wall.
A wave of magic rushed into him before he could dress further. An uncomfortable pressure pulsing through him, bouncing off every magical object like an echo he could feel. His hairs stood on end. His lion stilled inside him. His heart slowed as if in answer to the magic, an acknowledgement of sorts. The magic hadn’t sought him out, it was going for her.
She'd accepted it.
Her aunt’s magic belonged to Bailey. With each new guardian came the magic of all the guardians before them. It was entirely possible Bailey would be very powerful as a guardian given both her mother and aunt’s magic would be inside her.
The portal turned a bright yellow, as if answering the echo and pulsed back toward the inside of the store. He'd seen this when Nadia had taken over for her sister, though it hadn't been this bright. The pulse lit up the entire basement, and he scrunched his eyes against it, putting an arm up to shield his vision.
Nadia had to come to the portal and claimed it physically by touching one of the outer ring glyphs and placing both palms in the center of the portal circle. Dante had watched Nadia’s eyes widen when the magic went into her, the smile gracing her face had been pure acceptance. Somehow, he didn’t think it would be easy for Bailey. She knew nothing of their people, of magic, or of her own abilities and responsibility. He couldn’t imagine how she might react.
The yellow glow pulsed again, strong, calling to Bailey. There was one thing he knew for certain, if she didn't answer by touching the portal they would be stuck in this store magically.
No one in or out...the portal would go dark and even his alpha magic wouldn't get him through.
Dante had no idea what ill effects it would have on Bailey, but he wasn't interested in finding out. It was imperative he get her to accept who she was, even if he had to drag her sexy ass down here kicking and screaming. For the good of his people, he'd have to spill his secret sooner than he wanted.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Seconds after the dragon came to life, Bailey’s eyes rolled to the back of her head and she could see a large circle pulsing, calling her name. It was located in a dark place...it had zodiac symbols, glyphs glowing around it. Her skin cooled to near freezing as wave after wave rushed into her, beckoning her. She came to on her knees. She had to go to the glyphs. She didn't know why, but something inside her had answered whatever had called her name. It felt as if it might be in The Talisman. Was there a basement? She stood and headed down the back hallway, not really thinking of the why or if she shouldn’t, more just following her gut instinct... Her little dragon perched on her shoulder digging tiny claws into her skin, but she couldn't accept everything at once, she chose to ignore the fact she'd brought an inanimate object to life.
A piece of the floor in the hall moved.
Bailey stilled and moved against the far wall.
It took a moment for her to register the piece moving was a trap door.
Dante's eyes glowed gold as they found her. His shirtless form emerged from the basement. She took in the sight of lean, strong muscles contracting as he moved to stand in front of her. A brand of a circle with a wavy line coming out like an old glyph of the Leo zodiac sign was seared over his heart. Her gaze devoured the golden happy trail leading down his stomach and disappearing into the top of his jeans. Bailey closed her jaw. Flames licked up her cheeks as she found his hooded, intense stare. He came for her, one slow step at a time, captivating her in his liquid smooth movements. Seemingly cemented in place, she couldn't think to move one way or the other. Was there a back door? Why was he here? And why did he have to be half naked, throwing her concentration off. "How did you—"
"I have a lot to explain, but right now I need you to see something. Did you feel the magic call to you?" He glanced at the little dragon on her shoulder.
She stepped back. How would he know that? Too curious to stop, she wanted to know where all of this would lead. "Yes." She kept her voice matter of fact, trying desperately to drain any emotion or feeling from her words.
"You need to come down into the basement with me." He motioned for her to follow.
Bailey took a tentative step forward. Another wave hit her and the pressure was so strong she thought she might actually run involuntarily into the basement with him. Dante disappe
ared inside the square opening. A yellow light shone around him. Her body encouraged her to follow. She took the descending stairs one at a time and her eyes widened as she beheld the yellow light emanating from a huge circle on the back wall. Strange glyphs, like old zodiac symbols were etched into the wall with deep glowing marks. Just like what she saw in her head upstairs. Her hand reached out instinctively for them.
"You hail from a very distinct bloodline, Bailey. One that connects to magic. You are a guardian. Your aunt's magic has been passed on to you as your mother’s was passed on to your aunt. Your family was chosen by the gods to be portal keepers, to help keep us safe."
She spun around to take Dante in, jerked from the pull at the information of two dead family members. How did he know? He stood tall before her, in front of the stairs, confidence oozed off him as if he was someone far more important than she originally thought. What was his other job exactly? Bailey put her hands on her hips, only to keep from balling her fists in anger. He had been keeping secrets about her, about her aunt. "And what do you know of my mother?"
"She was a brave portal guardian."
"And where does this portal lead? How did you know her? Why didn't you come out and tell me what you knew from the beginning?" Betrayal tore through her, just as everyone else had let her down, Dante followed suit. How could she have expected any less? Truth was, a small part of her had hoped he wouldn’t let her down too.
Dante's jaw clenched. His chest muscles contracted as if he held something in or wanted to move but kept himself back. "The portal leads to my home, to a place where Khimairans find peace and solitude, a place they can be themselves. A place where our enemies can’t find us. Your mother helped, your family has always helped for only one of your female bloodlines can control the portal magic. It connects three portals total, this one here in Currence, which is the main portal, another in the Wyoming area, and another in Montana. If this one fails to work, everyone is trapped."
Her body shook with rage. What was he saying? "My mother was not Khimairan. She would never have been a skinner." Her words hissed between clenched teeth.
Dante's eyes darkened, his face contorting in contained anger. He didn't have the right to be angry at her words. He couldn't have knowledge of her family like that, not unless...
"You're one of them." Rage seared through her like a hot knife. She grunted in disgust. How could she be attracted to one of them? Her stomach rolled over. The little dragon on her shoulder must have pulled on some of her anger, or maybe she pushed it into the little figurine, because it breathed a heavy breath of smoke toward Dante. He didn’t seem to care, though. Didn’t even acknowledge it.
"We are not what you seem to think we are." His hands went wide as if showing he had no quarrel with her. But she had some with him.
"You killed her. Was it you who killed my aunt too? How did you do it? Do you have the police and coroner in your pocket here—"
"Slow down. It isn't like that."
"It isn't like what? You have been dodging since I met you, about my aunt, even this shop, only giving out info you think is needed. Liar. Coward." Spittle flew from her mouth as she spoke, her anger so fierce she wanted to lash out at him, to punch him in the face so hard he would never forget her.
"My people and I had nothing to do with your mother's death, though I do blame myself for your aunt. Nadia was a dear friend, one who needed me and I..." He ran his hands through his hair, but kept his gaze locked with hers. "I wasn't there when they came for her."
Bailey wanted to scream. But refrained. "Who? Who the hell came for her, Dante? Because none of this is making sense to me. You aren't making sense to me." Why was she still speaking with him? She should go, leave now, never look back or else face her anger. The rage pooled inside her from the death of her family, from her father's words, from these beasts who were not people, just animals out for themselves. She shouldn't be listening to anything he said.
Yet she didn't move. Her mind told her to go, but inside, somewhere she didn't look, a little voice told her to stay, to find out what really happened. She knew her dad was a lousy person, a drunken fool, and she'd left at her first available opportunity. If he was good hearted, so trustworthy, she wouldn't have left him to die alone of liver failure. It was possible he hadn't told her everything. Her gut burned, the pulsing waves from the portal at her back hounded her. The man in front of her was an animal she couldn't stand and yet the sight of him, lean...tall...human-looking made her heart clench and her body yearn. Overwhelmed, Bailey shook her head. "No. Just no. To all of it. To you. To the portal." She tried to pull on the necklace but the chain didn't break. "I don't want any of this!" She stomped her foot down for emphasis.
"I know. I wish I could have let you come to terms with this slowly." Dante took a barefoot step forward, tentative as if trying to persuade a wild animal to calm. But she wasn't wild. She was mad and didn't want whatever this place, this shop, or her heritage was. She felt trapped by him, by the store, and by this bastard town.
"There are women and innocent children who do need you, Bailey. Even if you hate my race, even if you hate me, would you have them suffer?" He sounded almost hurt but came closer as he spoke softly to her. His voice held a soothing low tone, soft almost like a caress or lover’s whisper.
Bailey bid her time, biting her tongue, watching as he moved further away from the stairs. Once she had a clear shot, she bolted for the trap door. She slid right past him and took the stairs two at a time, refusing to look back. She slammed the door down and kept going. Her heart pounded harder and harder in her ears. The pulse from whatever magic was below pressured her, wanting her to return. She couldn’t, no she wouldn’t help the people who killed her family innocent or not. How could she? How would she even know if what he said was true? What if she opened the thing down stairs and a bunch of his beasty people came out tearing the poor town humans to shreds. How could she trust anything he said?
She would get in her truck and drive. Drive until she could look in the rear-view mirror and see darkness. Drive until she was so far away he couldn't catch up. The little dragon dug claws into her shoulder, she'd forgotten the creature was there, but she let him stay as she ran for the front door.
"Bailey, please!" Dante’s strong, deep baritone voice wasn't far behind her.
Bailey grabbed the handle and turned but the door didn't move. She flipped the lock and tried again.
Nothing.
A dark figure caught the corner of her eye, and when Bailey looked through the window a strange form slammed a fist into the glass. It didn’t break but Bailey felt the vibrations. The person’s hand pressed against the glass. She needed help. She needed the person's attention. Bailey ran to the window and looked out the pane.
His face.
Those snake like eyes...so familiar.
Horns...a split tongue slithering between thinned lips. Red snake eyes. The pupils dilated to slits. His skin had peeled, as if shedding. Bailey fell backward to get away, not watching where she put her foot, she tripped over herself and crab crawled along the floor until her back hit something solid. The little dragon had fluttered off her in the commotion and settled on the counter next to the other figurines. In slow motion, her gaze moved behind her. Bare feet... Pants... She looked up. Dante reached down for her, gently pulling her into him. His warm body calming the shaking of hers.
"That is who killed your family."
CHAPTER EIGHT
The lion inside roared as Dante pulled Bailey to him. Her little pet dragon, had slapped its wings to land on the counter. Bailey was far stronger than he anticipated. The need to protect his mate from the abomination at the window warred with the need to change and kill. Bailey's face had turned white. Her green eyes were wide with fear as confusion engraved in her pretty features and glossed over. She had been strong. Dante was proud of her for facing as much as she had. Too much in such a short time.
And it wasn't over yet.
She shook nearly unc
ontrollably in his arms and he pressed her tighter to him, wanting with everything he had to take the fear away, to erase the whiplash of shock she was going through from her memory. But she needed his protection more in this moment. Changing into a beast now would only push her further away. He wouldn’t change unless he was forced to and the only saving grace was they were stuck in here while the Bellers at the window were stuck outside The Talisman. It was a blessing in disguise that she hadn’t touched the portal yet.
Tony's slick grin spread across his face as his palm slid through the glass. Dante’s body clenched, his inner beast waiting to be freed. How the hell was the Beller getting through? Even Dante's alpha magic couldn't stop the portal enchantment from trapping Bailey and him inside the shop. There should be no other way in or out until the portal was claimed. Bailey had yet to claim her birthright. Yet the Beller had nearly emerged completely from the other side of the glass. How much Khimairan blood had been spilled to give him such power? How much dark ritual magic? Two other goons slipped through the glass after Tony, both looking more human than him. If he didn't look too closely at their dog like faces.
His lion hissed, wanting to break free and roar, attack, protect what belonged to him as Tony walked into the shop. The dark ritual magic and copper scent of blood oozing off Tony felt wrong, dark, twisted. He smelled of sulfur, something rotting inside the man. Or was he beast now.? The Bellers claimed Khimairans had no right to live on this plane, on Earth. But Khimairans weren't the monsters here. The Bellers couldn't even see what their wrongdoing was doing to them as humans, if they could even call themselves human anymore. After the sight of Tony, Dante wasn't sure. His two goons came up beside him. Dante was outnumbered.
Bellers got a high on Khimairan blood, it tainted them, turned them, and then as any junky would, they sought more and more. Tony wasn’t any different, he just had power behind him from inside the sadistic safety of Bellerophon.
Untamed: A Zodiac Shifters Paranormal Romance: Leo (Dark Khimairans Book 1) Page 4
