She kept a tight rein on her dragon’s body, but allowed it to cover her skin in gold, bullet and fireproof scales, and she pushed the door in so hard it flew open.
“Who the fuck is out there?” Peterson screamed. “I said if any of you tried to come in here, I’m going to blow—fuck!” Terror filled his eyes when he saw Sybil. His mouth opened again, but nothing came out.
“You scumbag!” Sybil pushed a chair that was in her way and it crashed against the wall, then splintered into pieces. He raised the shotgun at her and she laughed. “Go ahead. Try it and I’ll burn you to ash.”
Peterson pulled the trigger, sending the buckshot scattering toward her. She heard Aleksei’s cry behind her and she spread her arms to cover him in case he was behind. The buckshot bounced off her scales, and she barely felt them. Peterson screamed as she spit a fireball at his hand, making him drop the shotgun. “You’ll regret ever touching them.”
The commotion outside made her freeze. Footsteps thundering across the front porch, loud male voices calling Greg Peterson’s name.
“No!” Sybil felt an arm snake around her waist and pull her back. She saw the police burst in through the door as she was yanked away.
It was all too fast. One moment she was standing in the Peterson’s living room, and the next she was outside, the bright sun nearly blinding her.
“Don’t move,” Aleksei whispered in her ear. “And don’t make a sound. As long as we stay in contact, you’ll be Cloaked.”
Sybil froze, watching as the police officers burst through the back of the door. The two men looked around, confused looks on their faces. Despite being only six feet away, neither of them glanced their way. They looked at each other, shrugged, and then walked back into the house.
She let go of the breath she’d been holding, though her heart continued to hammer in her chest. Her knees felt weak as adrenaline began to seep out of her.
“It’s all right, lyubimaya,” Aleksei pressed his lips to her temple. “I’ll take care of you.”
She felt herself being lifted up into his arms and she closed her eyes. Aleksei began to shift, and he easily perched her onto his back. Gripping his fin, she pressed herself against his serpentine body, his scales cool to the touch, but oddly soothing. They flew high in the air and minutes later, they landed.
Sybil looked up. They were in front of her apartment building. She slipped off his back and got to her feet, and Aleksei’s dragon began its shift. It was still disorienting to see him fully dressed as he shrank back into human form.
“I can’t believe,” she said. “I …”
He stepped forward, the expression on his face full of wonder. A finger touched her cheek and brushed back her hair. “I’ve never seen you more beautiful.”
“You mean when I go crazy?” Was he insane? “I turned into a monster in there! I lost control and—”
“You are no monster,” he interrupted. “You were magnificent. Like an avenging angel.” His hand cupped her cheek. “How is it that you’ve seen the worst in the world, yet you remain good?”
“Good? I almost hurt someone!”
“Your control was astonishing,” he continued. “You were protecting that boy and his mother. And when you’re passionate about something, it’s like I could feel the fire in you and your dragon. It’s so blindingly beautiful and—”
She wasn’t sure what possessed her to kiss him; maybe it was the remaining adrenaline in her system or maybe the sight of that shotgun pointed at her. Or maybe it was his words and the look of pure adoration on his face. No one had ever called her any of those things or looked at her that way.
His hands came down to her waist and pulled her close to his warm, hard body. She moaned, and he took the opportunity to slip his tongue inside her mouth, tasting her as she did him. He was male and musk and desire all rolled into one.
When his palms slipped lower and lifted her up, she didn’t protest; in fact, she wrapped her legs around his waist, desperate to get as close to him as possible. When her core rubbed against the bulge between his legs, they both shuddered. Oh God, she wanted him bad. Wanted to see him naked and feel his skin. Would do anything to be alone with him right now.
Oh, crap.
It was broad daylight and they were in front of her apartment, rubbing against each other like cats in heat. Aleksei must have sensed her panic, and he pulled his lips away from her and let out a soft curse. He untangled her legs and placed her on the ground.
Despite her knees shaking, Sybil managed to stay upright, though she had to brace herself on him. Disappointment filled her, but she knew they shouldn’t be doing this out here. Her dragon on the other hand, urged her to take them somewhere private where they could finish what they’d started.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I … lost myself. It will not happen again.”
It was like someone dumped an entire bucket of cold water on her head. Then she remembered last night, how he had suddenly pulled away from her after their kiss. What the heck was his problem?
“I’ll try not to keep throwing myself at you,” she said in the chilliest voice she could muster. She had read him wrong. Again.
“Sybil.” When he reached for her, she evaded his grasp. “Don’t be this way.”
“Don’t be what?” Her temper was flaring again, this time, because of him. “This is the second time that you … you … you stopped and …” Oh no. “Is it because I’m a virgin? Is that why you don’t want me?”
Something flashed in his eyes, something she couldn’t name. He moved quickly, wrapping an arm around her waist and keeping her trapped. “Is this not evidence enough of my desire for you?” He pushed his erection against her, and she felt her core clench. “I did not know you were untouched.” He leaned down, his breath hot on her ear. “Though it does not matter either way, the idea of being your first and last has made my desire burn for you even more.”
“Then why—”
He turned her face to his and brushed his lips softly against her mouth. “Forgive me, I was distracted last night. There was something not right about that explosion.”
“What do you mean?”
“I had to run back and speak with someone in the Northern Isles,” he said. “A trusted advisor of sorts.”
“And what did you find out?”
“Nothing yet. But as for what happened moments ago … Sybil, you must know by now that you are much more than a romp in the sheets for me. I shall not—” His head snapped up.
“Aleksei?” She turned around. “What’s—”
“No!” Aleksei pushed her down on the ground. His arms wrapped around her to cushion the impact and covered her body with his. She looked up and saw a streak of orange whiz by overhead. What the heck was going on?
Aleksei rolled them over. “We are Cloaked and they can’t see us.”
“They?” she asked. “Who are you talking about?”
“The Knights.”
“They’re here?”
“Yes,” he whispered. “And they have The Wand.”
That was the orange streak that passed over them. It nearly hit them, which meant … she shuddered. If Aleksei had been a second slower … Her dragon hissed in anger. It wanted to kill them. No, she told it. We don’t know how to defend ourself against it.
He brought her up to her feet. “Let’s go.” He slipped an arm around her waist and dragged her to the side, pushing her up against one of the columns that supported the roof of the driveway. They stood still, waiting.
Five men walked toward them, all wearing similar wine-colored robes. One of them held something long, like a staff. It was made of a dark-colored wood and had an orange jewel on the tip. Sybil shivered. Aleksei didn’t have to tell her what that was.
“Where are they?” one of them asked.
“They must have run away,” another answered.
“You fools!” the third one yelled. He was the one holding the wand. “Dragons can turn invisible!”
“But not her!”
> “The other one was with her. We know the others can turn invisible. Did no one bring the heat goggles?” The others looked at each other. “Idiots! You’re all incompetent idiots. First you accidentally detonated the bomb too soon, and now this!”
The first man held his hands up. “Hey, I’m not trained in setting off bombs. Jake said it was easy, that all I had to do was plant the thing at most three cars away and once she got in her car, press the button. But it just went off.”
“It would have been a poetic death,” the third man cackled. “Her dragon taken away, the bitch left vulnerable, and then being burned to death.”
His words made Sybil’s blood freeze in her veins. They were talking about her. Aleksei’s body tensed, but he didn’t move.
“Janus, what do we do now? Lord Harken will be displeased we failed in destroying the unmated female.”
“He will be, for sure, but it is what it is,” Janus replied. He slipped The Wand back into his robe. “We will report back to Lord Harken and see what he wants us to do.” The five men looked around one last time, then walked toward the road. There was a roar of an engine, then silence. They waited for a few seconds, then Aleksei stepped away from her.
“I will destroy them all,” he said in a low, menacing voice. “They dare try to kill my mate? They will not live to see—”
“Aleksei!” Truth be told, she was scared—of that murderous look in his eyes. She could feel the fury of the dragon inside him, like a tightly-contained storm inside a bottle, ready to burst. It pained her to see him like this. “Please. Calm down. I’m here.” She touched his chin and tipped it down to meet her eyes. “I’m safe. Here. With you.”
“Sybil, if something happened …” He cleared his throat. “I must ensure your safety.”
She didn’t know what to say to reassure him. She had heard it with her own ears. The Knights were targeting her. They knew where she lived and about her dragon’s capabilities. “Maybe they’ll give up.”
“They won’t,” he said firmly. “We must speak with your father. We will head to the castle at once. Perhaps you should contact one of your brothers.”
Sybil didn’t have the strength to fight. “Fine. I’ll call Kate.” Kate would be at The Agency headquarters and would have a more even head about this whole thing. She could only imagine how Matthew, Jason or Luke would react if they found out what happened.
Chapter Nine
“I’m going to fucking end them all.” Hank Lennox’s eyes burned with the heat of the fire that his dragon kept inside him.
“My thoughts exactly,” Aleksei said, though he didn’t quite put it in such crude words. He was a prince, after all. His dragon, on the other hand … well, if it could talk, it would probably make everyone in the room blush.
“First, we need to keep you safe,” Hank said to Sybil. “You’re going to stay here from now on.”
Sybil was seated on the sofa in Hank’s private study, next to her mother. Riva had an arm around her daughter, barely able to keep from breaking down when she heard what happened. “Dad!” she protested. “I’m not going to be a prisoner here.”
“Dad’s right,” Luke Lennox added, crossing his arms over his chest. “You need to stay where we can keep an eye on you.”
“I’m an adult, I can take care of myself.” She stamped a foot on the plush carpeting for emphasis.
“Well, you sure aren’t acting like one,” Jason Lennox shot back. “Jesus, Sybil! We almost lost you. Twice, apparently.”
“You’re all overreacting,” she said.
Aleksei shook his head mentally. His mate was a stubborn one.
“Overreacting?” Matthew echoed. “You almost died and they’re still trying to kill you! We’re not overreacting.”
“Darling,” Riva’s voice was soothing and calm. “Would it be so bad? You can stay in your old room, and we can hang out. Meg would be thrilled to have you.”
“That’s exactly it!” Sybil shot to her feet. “I’m a sitting duck now. What if they try to attack the castle? What about Mom?” She looked at Hank, then turned to her brother. “Or Catherine and the baby? What about Meg and Christopher and the rest of the staff?”
“We’ll hire guards,” Hank said. “Twenty-four hour protection. And I’ll be here too.”
“You’re all being ridiculous.”
The Lennoxes continued to argue amongst themselves, and Aleksei could do nothing else but watch them. He could see both sides, of course—he wanted to protect Sybil, but at the same time, everyone around them would be vulnerable. Anyone around her could be in danger, now that they knew The Knights wanted her dead.
Aleksei had time to think of all of this. Indeed, last night, after the explosion, he had called home, to one of the most trusted members of the Dragon Guard and the smartest scholar he knew. Gideon had been gathering intelligence about the Wand and The Knights ever since the attack on the Ice Dragons.
No one knew what it looked like exactly or how it worked, but Gideon had found an ancient etching of the Wand. He sent it to Aleksei and it was definitely the weapon he saw today.
Gideon had even more alarming news: according to their sources, The Knights looked like they were gathering, not just in one place, but in pockets. The Middle East. Europe. The British Isles. And yes, even America. The vacuum left by the death of The Chief had definitely been filled and they were getting ready to strike. Perhaps it was this Lord Harken the men today had spoken of. He’d already sent the name to Gideon in hopes of finding more information.
The din in the room was getting louder. His mate’s face was red and he feared that all four Blackstone Dragons would make an appearance. And so, he held up his hand. “Excuse me!” All eyes turned to him. He cleared his throat. “I may have a solution.”
“You do?” Sybil asked.
“Yes.” All right, it wasn’t a solution, but he knew it was the only way. “I will protect Sybil. In the Northern Isles.”
“Excuse me?” Sybil’s voice increased in pitch. “I’m not going anywhere with you!”
“She stays here,” Luke groused. “Where her family can protect her.”
“How will that help?” Matthew asked.
“We don’t even know where that is!” Jason protested. “If we’re sending her away, then she should go to Lykos.”
Aleksei would never agree to that; he wouldn’t trust wolves to guard his mate after all. He was about to object when Riva spoke up.
“I think it’s a great idea.”
Now all eyes turned to the lone human female. Even Aleksei was flabbergasted.
“Darling,” Hank began, but she waved a hand at him.
“No one knows where the Northern Isles are located exactly, correct?” Riva said.
How she figured that out, Aleksei didn’t know. “No, madame. The islands are protected by magic and its exact location is not on any map.”
“Not even The Knights?”
“No, madame. Only its inhabitants know and we are all sworn to secrecy. For our own protection.”
“Then it’s perfect.” As the men began to protest, she stood up and put her hands on her hips. “Which one of you would not lay their lives down for their mates?” Silence greeted her. “Then you all agree where Sybil would be the safest.” She turned to Aleksei. “Your Highness, I trust that you will take care of my only daughter?”
Aleksei had only felt scared a handful of times in his life. But, looking into the serious depths of Riva Lennox’s brown eyes, he suddenly had an inkling of what real fear was like. Even his own dragon was stunned into silence. “With my life. I swear to you, madame, there will be no place safer.”
She looked smugly at her husband and sons. “Then it’s settled. Come on, darling,” she tugged at Sybil, who was still standing there with her mouth open. “Let’s go pack.”
And just like that, Prince Aleksei of the Northern Isles had found the greatest ally of his life in the form of a tiny human woman. He just hoped he could keep Riva Lennox as an ally
, as he surely wouldn’t want her for an enemy.
Chapter Ten
“You don’t seriously think this is a good idea, do you, Mom?” Sybil was staring down at her mother, who was kneeling by the closet.
“There! I found your overnighter.” Riva held up the bag in triumph then looked back at the closet. “I’ll ask Christopher to bring in my suitcases as well. What’s the weather like in the Northern Isles, do you think? Should you be bringing sweaters or shorts?”
Sybil groaned, then threw herself on the double bed. Her room at Blackstone Castle hadn’t changed much from when she left before going off to college, and the staff and her mom had kept it clean and neat all these years. Sybil mostly used it to store her off-season clothes and her knickknacks from growing up. A poster from the first concert she ever attended still hung on the wall.
“They probably don’t have guidebooks for the Northern Isles, do they?” Riva asked nonchalantly.
Sybil looked up from where she lay down. “I doubt secret islands that have magical protection do, Mom.”
Riva frowned, dropped the sweater she was looking at, and then walked over to her daughter. “Darling, what’s the matter?” She dragged Sybil upright. “This is like that time you didn’t want to go on that camping trip with Kate and Amelia.”
“I think this is a little bit different than that,” she said sarcastically. “I can’t believe you’re agreeing to this. Have you gone mad, Mom? Why would you want me to leave?”
“I don’t want you to leave, sweetie,” Riva said. “I want you to be safe. When you told me what happened, I was beside myself.” Her breath hitched. “I don’t want anything bad to happen to you.” She took a deep calming breath.
“I know, Mom.” She hugged Riva. “I just can’t believe you’re okay with me going with Aleksei.”
“Darling, he’s your mate. He’d sooner die than let you get hurt. Now, tell me: what’s really the matter?”
Her mother’s words rang in her ear. “I don’t … I just didn’t think it would be this way, you know? Aleksei is just so … he’s too much.”
The Blackstone She-Dragon: Blackstone Mountain Book 8 Page 11
