by Lynda Aicher
Dedication
To Jennifer Malone, Paula Gill, and Susan Liwanag, whose excellent critiques and constant support have pushed me forward. To my editor, Bethany Morgan, for giving me a chance. And to my husband, Chris, for his unconditional love and full-hearted support of my dreams.
Prologue
The flames burned hot, scorching, searing. Caressing the bars. Hissing enchantments, taunts, lures. Circling the cage. Entrapping the occupant.
Captive. Prisoner. Hostage.
Kept in slumber for over a thousand years. Held in restriction for the good of the world. Retained in secret to all but a few.
The few who remember. The few who wait in silence. The few who know the time will end.
One day, the beast will awaken. One day, the bars will weaken, the hold will crumble and the beast will be free.
Some wait in expectation. Some wait in dread.
For on that day, the veil will lift and the world will change. On that day, the Apocalypse will occur. On that day the beast will rise, and the battle will unfold.
But for now, he sleeps. For now the world remains in blissful oblivion. For now the balance holds.
Soon, too soon, that will change.
Soon, too soon, the beast will stir.
Chapter One
The icy wind gusted across the barren plain. Harsh. Brutal. Punishing in its attack. Mercy was given to nothing and no one in its path. It whipped around the few clusters of trees that stood empty and isolated amidst the rolling hills and snow covered fields.
Nothing. Absolutely nothing existed out there.
Or so it appeared.
Airiana Draco shook her head in disgust and hunched her shoulders against another affront of the menacing elements. Who in their right mind would choose to establish a community in the desolate plains of North Dakota? Especially when they had the choice of anywhere on earth?
“Idiots, that’s who,” she mumbled to herself and bit off a curse as the wind changed course to pummel her face and chest with the force of a solid left-jab. She stumbled back a step before she got her footing and forced her weight into the assault. “Why in the hell did I ever volunteer for this job?”
Because she wanted to prove herself. Or so her family thought.
A dangerous reconnaissance mission that brought her to the enemies’ proverbial front door. Deep into their territory, she was on her own and likely dead if captured. But it was the opportunity she’d sought. The one she needed to quell her treacherous thoughts.
Settling, she opened herself to the energy as it rippled over her skin in a gentle caress, calming her agitation and centering her mind. Refocused, Airiana reached out across the open space. There, no more than fifty feet away, she felt it hum with ancient power. Strong. Solid.
Impenetrable.
The wall that was invisible to the naked eye. The barrier that kept out everyone who didn’t belong. Who wasn’t one of them.
The Energen.
Her lip curled in habitual aversion. The enemy. The race of beings she’d been raised to hate. To loath. To defeat.
Two hundred years of incessant hounding hammered into every fiber of her being. Brainwashed since birth to hate, without question. Or simply raised to believe in the Shifter way, if she listened to her mother.
She snorted and smirked at the thought. Yeah, believe that death, war and destruction were the right way. The way to achieve all that they wanted regardless of who was hurt—the Shifters would prevail.
It was propaganda Airiana found hard to believe. That, for some unknown reason, she resisted.
“Damn.” She pushed at the wisps of hair that had escaped the tight ponytail and now stroked across her cheek and over her eyes. She paced, again, the nervous agitation returning. The frozen ground beneath her boots was worn bare by her repeated passes.
The dragon circled, stretched, then settled, apparently annoyed with her restless state. She rubbed at the mark etched into the back of her hand and the dragon arched its back in contentment. A light blue dragon. Everyone in her race was born with a dragon mark on their hand. A sign of the Shifter. A mark of belonging. A statement of power.
The tattoo appeared to all as a two-dimensional, unchanging image on the back of the hand. But it was actually as much a part of them as the hand it resided on. The marks were deceptively stagnant, but had minds of their own.
To her, the mark of the dragon was a living, breathing creature that moved and communicated with her over the energy. Like her, it listened and responded to the energy, both within her and around them. It was her friend, her anchor—a sort of energy barometer that lived beneath her skin.
The marks were, in fact, an internal presence that guided every being of the energy races, Shifter and Energen alike.
Energy. The power that ruled the world. Silent, invisible, intangible. But, unquestionably the most devastating force on earth.
Which is why the two sides had battled over it since life began. Long before the humans even realized what it was, Energens and Shifters had struggled to gain control of the energy.
To own it all, with the ultimate goal to control them all. Or, at least, that was the goal of the Shifters. Her family. Her world.
It made no sense that she questioned that belief. But the doubt itched through her and nagged at her relentlessly. For years she’d tried to repress the questions, to push aside and ignore her insistent uncertainty in the Shifter’s mission. She kept her reservations, kept her shame, a secret until it isolated her from everyone and left her alone in a world filled with hatred and single-mind intent.
But the energy whispered to her of rightness. Of balance.
Of peace.
Nagged at her until she had to know why. Pushed her until she fought to get this mission, the one that would bring her closer to the enemy. Closer to answers for questions she didn’t completely understand.
“Damn it,” she huffed in frustration, a cloud of vapor appearing in front of her face before it disintegrated and mingled into nothing. She rubbed a hand over her aching forehead in an attempt to dispel the pressure that throbbed behind it. Why was she worrying about it? If her family caught even an inkling of her doubt, of her questions, they would kill her. Immediately.
Without hesitation.
And death was not on her agenda.
The energy behind her folded and rippled. Airiana sucked in a breath and turned sharply in defense. Her muscles tense, prepared, ready for battle.
But, it was already too late. The icy cold metal slipped around her neck and snapped into place before she could react. Before she could use the energy and teleport to safety.
Her heart raced on waves of adrenalin and suppressed fear as she stared into the deep blue eyes of the tall, blond and menacing man that stood before her.
Her enemy.
Her death.
Chapter Two
The intruder huffed out short gulps of breath and yanked uselessly on the energy collar he’d just snapped around her neck. Loukianos Aeros smirked at the futility of her actions even as he unconsciously admired the creature he had captured.
Creature—because she was obviously a Shifter spy and they were all members of the lowest life form.
However, his gloating was cut short when she spun and took off sprinting over the snow-covered ground. Her arms pumped furiously and the silky black ponytail swayed in rhythm with her quick steps, bobbing behind her like a plumped-up horse tail. His gaze traveled up her long legs that led to a firm, round ass, which was nicely displayed in excellent fitting jeans. Definitely not the body of a horse.
Hell, it’d been so long since he’d had a woman that even a lowly Shifter got him excited. The deep rumbled laugh
broke from his chest and echoed the derision he felt. Pathetic. But, that didn’t stop him from watching her a little longer. Running away was about as fruitless an effort as trying to pull off the energy collar. However, he gave her points for effort.
When he’d first spotted her hiding at the edge of the woods just outside the walls of the compound, Louk realized the universe had handed him the opportunity he’d been longing for. Finally, a chance to find out what really happened to his older brother, Damian. A brother he’d never known. Damian was accused of aiding the Shifters and killing their oldest brother in a bloody battle. Being born eight hundred years after the incident left Louk with a mix of broken stories and whispered condemnations.
Now, right before him, was his chance to question a source who would know the other side. Who could give him answers when no one else would. She was the enemy, a member of the Shifter slime that had destroyed his family.
And he would use the opportunity presented. Use her.
Tiring of the game of evasion, Louk used the energy and dissipated out. He solidified about five feet in front of her path, his legs braced and arms spread in preparation. She hit him in the chest at a full run, and he grunted at the impact even as his arms clamped tightly around his prize. He stumbled back a few steps, but held tight to the wiggling form firmly trapped against his chest.
“Let. Me. Go.” She bit out, full of righteous indignation and fight.
He laughed. Hell, it had been a long time since he’d had that much fun. “Yeah, not happening, sweet cheeks.” Unable to resist, he slid a hand down and squeezed the delicious little ass he’d admired moments ago.
A small sound of offense left her mouth, right before a hard, booted toe connected with his shin.
He grunted in response, all thoughts of fun draining from his mind. Louk tightened his hold and brought his boot around to trap her legs between his own. His height and weight gave him the advantage, but she didn’t give in easily. It was a full minute of continued squirming, pushing and swearing before the feisty woman finally stilled.
The heavy sound of gasping breaths punctuated the sudden silence, the small skirmish tasking them both. Her breath pushed hot and moist against the exposed skin of his neck. The sensation stroked over the sensitive area like a lover’s kiss and sent small shivers of desire racing down his spine.
And in that moment, the raven soared. The mark on the back of his hand took off in a flight of pure joy, high on an ecstasy of promise.
Louk sucked in a sharp breath, incredulous. She was a Shifter, his sworn enemy.
Abruptly, he shoved the woman away, swinging her arms around until he grasped her wrists tightly together before her.
“Who are you?” he demanded.
Her arched, black brows came down low and menacing over her chocolate colored eyes. Her face was a striking blend of Asian and Caucasian features. Slightly narrower eyes surrounded by long black lashes, high cheekbones that centered her round face and balanced the broad mouth and sculpted lips. Lips that were currently pulled tight and hard into a thin line of annoyance. Her rounded little chin came up in a move of defiance as she tugged on the grip he had around her slim wrists.
“Like I’d tell you,” she sneered between deep gulps of air.
“Oh, you’ll tell me.” He let a slow smile curl over his lips. “Eventually.”
“Fuck you.”
“Is that an invitation?” He drew her closer, pulled on her arms until her chest was crushed to his once again. He lowered his face into hers, forcing her to arch back to keep her distance. Her breasts pressed invitingly up at him, offered like a gift under her tight, leather jacket and he slowly drew his gaze up over the display to meet her eyes. “Because I can accommodate that.”
It only took one small movement to bring his hips into intimate contact with the juncture of her thighs. Her position left her vulnerable and open, and he made damn sure she knew that.
Her eyes widened. Her breath hitched, and her pretty little mouth opened in surprise. Her lips were red and moist, and he suddenly wanted nothing more than to kiss them. The energy flowed between them, igniting a desire that threatened to scorch his nerve endings. It burned hot, insistent, immediate, and he felt his body responding as it pulsed to life against its resting spot at her thighs.
She froze in her struggles to escape, her eyes widening even more. She felt his desire. And the energy spoke to him; it vibrated through his mind whispering her need. Her sudden hunger, the raw desire.
And a confusion that matched his own.
Over the air he felt the approach of other members of the enclave Guard. The energy around them began to expand, and Louk suddenly knew he wasn’t ready to turn her over. This was the opportunity he had waited for, one that could allow him to learn about his brother. But even more than that, this woman called to him in a way that was stronger than his desire to please his enclave. His family. And he needed to understand why.
In that second, he made his decision. One that could cost him everything.
With the choice made, he teleported out, his captive in tow. His life permanently changed. Forever.
Chapter Three
Her body prickled, tingled, then solidified. Airiana immediately began to fight against the man holding her hostage. She would not submit. She was raised better than that.
It was her own dumb fault that she was in the situation to begin with and she would get herself out. Hopefully before her family found out.
“Would you stop it?” the angry stranger demanded as he brought his arm around her back and held her in a vise grip to his hard chest. His deep blue eyes were ablaze with emotion. What exactly, she didn’t want to contemplate.
Before she could respond, he stepped back and waved a hand around in a circle over his head. Damn. She could feel the energy field going up as he cast the circle around them. Now, she was truly trapped.
“There,” he said shoving her away from him, dropping the hold on her wrists. He set his hands on his hips and looked down at the ground for a brief second, his lips compressed into a tight line. When he lifted his head, his face was blank and emotionless, giving no hint to what was going on inside his head. “You can’t escape and you know it, so stop fighting. Give me the answers I want and maybe I won’t kill you.”
Her fists tightened and clenched. It galled her that he was right and he knew it. Once a circle was cast, the only energy that could enter or exit was defined by the one who created the circle. And since people were made of energy that meant she was trapped until he decided she could leave.
That, coupled with the energy collar around her neck that prevented her from accessing her own energy or using the energy around her, left her completely screwed.
How in the hell had she let herself get captured? She forced herself to relax and absently rubbed her hands over the spot where he’d held her wrists as she took a second to get her bearings. By the looks of it, they were in an abandoned farm silo. The circular structure was at least four stories tall and capped with a cone shaped roof. The metal walls were rusted around the rivets and sported holes in some places around the top. Traces of grain were scattered across the floor and mingled with mouse droppings that left a stale, barn odor to the space.
“Obviously, you’re a Shifter spy. What were you looking for outside our compound?” The question rang sharp and angry through the metal tower.
Airiana gave him her best sneer. “Like I’d tell you.”
He looked her up and down, then started to move in a slow, taunting pace, following the perimeter of the building. His boots clumped against the cement floor, his hands still tightly clenched against his narrow hips.
He was stalking her. Trying to intimidate her. It wouldn’t work.
She stood in the middle and moved in time with him, keeping her body facing his. He would not catch her unprepared again. She used the opportunity to size him up. It was time she found his weakness and used it.
His blond hair was windblown and tousled
in a careless but completely male way that left longer pieces draped across his forehead and the ends curled up in a manner that begged for a female to tame them. As if he was tamable.
His height at an easy six and a half feet was probably intimidating to humans, but was the norm for his race and didn’t cause her concern. At six feet herself, she knew she could stand her own against him in a fight or anything thing else he attempted.
He had a hard, chiseled face that showed hints of laughter in the small creases she’d seen up close and personal at the corner of his eyes. She licked her lips at the memory of how close he’d been. At how nice his lean, hard body had felt pressed against hers. The black jeans he wore had done nothing to hide his desire as he’d rubbed it between her thighs. Just the thought of it had her nipples tightening in traitorous arousal. Damn him.
The wind gusted and howled against the building, causing the metal to shake and rattle in a valiant attempt to stay upright. The sound thundered around them and gave her the feeling of being trapped inside a tin can.
Airiana shoved her hands in her coat pockets, but kept her knees loose and body prepared as he continued to circle around her. Waiting. Playing. Taunting.
“It would be in your best interest to cooperate,” he said once the wind quieted down.
“It would be in your best interest to let me go,” she tossed right back.
“Why?” He arched a brow in question. “It’s clear that I have the advantage.”
“Do you? I wouldn’t be so sure about that.”
His mouth turned up at the corner in a confident smirk. “I’m very sure of that.”
Her hand was out of her pocket, a throwing star exiting her fingers and whizzing across the space before he’d finished his sentence. He roared when he failed to duck fast enough, and the sharp device clipped his ear, effectively wiping the damn smirk off his face.
“First rule of engagement—always make sure your opponent is disarmed before you set them free.” She couldn’t resist adding in the jibe even as she spun, crouched and let loose with another star.
