He must have caught her scent. He knew she was not human, that she was a shifter.
Stepping back enough that he was out of her reach, Cain raised his hands. "Sorry, bro." He grinned at the other man.
Huh? He was backing off?
Cain clapped the Guardian on his shoulder.
Right, so they knew each other.
"Good to see you looking more like yourself, Aaron."
Aaron. So, that was his name. Both the dragon and the woman inside her jumped at that small intimate piece of knowledge.
The Guardian grunted. His muscles vibrated with tension, reminding Hope her palm was still flat against his chest. His very male, ripped chest.
She let her palm stay there a second longer before letting it drop to her side.
"What are you doing here? Did the Council send you to keep an eye on me?" Aaron thrust his jaw forward.
"Why would they do that, hmm?" Cain grinned, transforming him into a charismatic male.
No female stood a chance against that smile.
Good thing she wasn't attracted to him.
Her head was too full of the Guardian whose intense gaze was focused on her face.
Cain widened his stance, lips twisting in a smirk. "You are more than capable of defending yourself, immortal warrior and Ascendant that you are."
Her gaze swiveled back to Aaron.
Immortal warrior? Ascendant? So, not only had she almost given away what she was, but she had also made contact with the Council of the City. Everything her leader had forbidden her.
Besides," Cain's eyes flicked to Hope, a wicked glint in them, "I think that you've found someone to take care of. You're going to have your hands full. Heed my words, bro, she's not as innocent as she seems."
"Hold on!" Who was this shifter? And why was he presuming any connection between her and the Guardian? "I'm still here, you know." She waved her hands in front of his face.
Cain just smirked, blinking slowly.
"You were never drunk, were you?" She realized in a flash of insight, "it was all an act to get a rise out of your friend."
"He damn well succeeded."
Aaron's voice had her eyes darting back to his face.
Those cobalt-blue eyes narrowed, making her wonder what was making him so angry. And so, possessive.
"You're jealous? Because your friend touched me?" Hope looked back, only to see Cain—the traitor—had melted into the crowd. That left her with one irate immortal who made her insides twist with an emotion she didn't quite want to name.
When she turned back to Aaron, it was to find his eyes were clearer. Perhaps he was beginning to see just how illogical his actions were.
Swooping down, he brushed his lips across hers.
Okay. Perhaps not.
4
Aaron
Hope.
Her name was like a ray of light that cut through the darkness he was floating in.
She turned on him, eyes flashing, asking why he was behaving in such an irrational manner.
Aaron had no answer to that, except that he was drawn to her in a way he had never been to any woman before.
So, he did what any hot-blooded male would. He kissed her.
For the first time since Zayn died, Aaron let himself feel. Her lips, so soft, so sweet, like nothing he'd tasted before. Like everything he'd been waiting for.
Her scent of vanilla and sunshine with something hot just underneath had licked at his senses. Aaron knew then, he was in serious trouble.
Still not touching any other part of her, he nipped at her lower lip. When her mouth parted, he slid his tongue inside.
That's when she caught fire.
Her tongue tangled with his, seducing him, sending a throb of desire straight to his groin.
A groan shuddered through her, but he swallowed the sound.
When her tongue flicked out to touch his lips, desire pulled at him. He made no attempt to hide his arousal. He let his hardness thrust against his jeans until it brushed her hip.
Aaron was greedy for her. He wanted to drink her up. He wanted to love her. He had found her, and his life would never be the same again. He was sure about that.
He couldn't wait to tell Zayn about her.
The thought sent shock waves through him.
Zayn would never be able to kiss a woman, would never feel this kind of connection with a female.
Aaron tore his lips from Hope's.
Her face reflected the same amazement he felt. Hope must have sensed it too. Whatever was happening was not one sided.
How could he allow himself to feel this strange pull to her, this need to be with her, when Zayn would never feel what it would be like to love another.
For so long they had experienced everything together.
Was he trying to fill the gap Zayn left in his life with Hope?
The thought made him feel guilty that he wanted to draw her essence into him. That he wanted to feel something other than the grief that had shrouded his every waking moment.
Did she sense the conflict in him, for her eyes widened.
The green in them lightened until they were almost colorless.
That's when he saw the tell-tale burnished gold sparks in her eyes. They reflected the flecks of the amber she wore around her neck.
He'd never seen eyes like those before. Aaron had heard about it though.
In the hermitage where he’d grown up, Brahma, the seer who'd been like a father to him, had narrated stories of dragon shifters who had eyes so vibrant they were like golden flecks of sunlight on water.
But, of course, that was just a story. Right?
Someone jostled him, and the illusion broke.
Her eyes darted to the side.
Aaron knew she was going to leave.
He didn’t understand why he was so drawn to her. What this tie was that bound him to her?
All he knew was that he couldn't stop his senses from reaching out to her.
Despite the confusion in his head, the thought of never seeing Hope again sent a keening fear through him.
He couldn’t let her walk away from him. "Don't go."
5
Hope
She had to leave right away, before this chemistry became something that would overwhelm both of them.
The way he's touched her.
Just a stroke, like she was something precious. Like she was… his.
Hope felt her dragon stretch with anticipation. Awareness shivered down her spine.
A curl of desire tugged her lower belly.
"Where did you come from, Hope?" He swirled his tongue around her name.
It was as if he'd reached out and touched a hidden, intimate part of her. One she hadn't even been aware existed.
"From Mauritania." Hope blinked.
She hadn't meant to reveal that, but the sexual haze he'd enveloped her in had unbalanced her.
There was no denying the sheer pull toward him, like she'd met a part of herself.
She wanted to lean in and sink her fingers into that dark pool of hair, touch her lips to the base of his throat and lick his skin.
No! She pulled back her thoughts. There was no future there, not for her. She should leave.
She met his gaze head on.
The intensity of his presence washed over her, but she didn't blink. He was a strong alpha male, but she was a warrior as well.
She flicked her hair over her shoulder in an attempt to regain composure and cast around in her mind for something to say. Anything to break the simmering tension between them.
A psychic buzz brushed against the natural shield around her senses. It set off pinpricks of pain over her skin. She winced, shoulders hunching against the psychic impact. "What the—?" Fear snaked an icy path down her spine.
An unknown force was trying to get through her defenses and penetrate her mind. If it did so, it would be able to control her dragon, making her a dangerous weapon.
Gritting her teeth, she pushed back a
gainst the energy. Sweat ran down her forehead, stinging her eyes. Even as her muscles tensed, Aaron reached out on either side of her, pinning her to the bar, a look of protective possession on his face.
He was protecting her against this psychic threat?
The psychic buzz only grew in strength, multiplying, until it pushed against her shield. It pulsed with such strength that she knew the attacker must have felt the resistance of her shield and was trying to smash through.
Before the unseen force could overpower her, Hope slammed down a second shield, and the sound of the buzz dropped to a bearable hum. Her mind cleared.
She found Aaron struggling to breathe. A trickle of blood dripped from his nose, and more crimson trickled from his ears.
"You're hurt!" She couldn't stop the fear that licked her nerve endings. The woman in her wanted to take care of his wounds, to make sure he wasn't hurt.
Aaron didn't seem to hear her. "No shifter should be able to withstand such a strong psychic hit. Yet, you are still conscious. How?" Those blue eyes grew cooler until they resembled ice chips on a frozen sea.
Her heart began to hammer against her rib cage. He was astute enough to realize she was no ordinary shifter.
Yeah, he'd make a hell of an opponent in a fight.
Screams broke out from behind them, saving her the need to reply.
Aaron swore before grabbing Hope by the shoulder.
She knew he was going to throw her to the floor and cover her body with his. He'd protect her against whatever threat was out there.
A part of her wanted him to. She wanted to feel the hard muscled length of his body against her skin.
Hope wrenched her mind away from those dangerous thoughts. Twisting in a move that took him by surprise, she slid out of his grasp and faced the rest of the room.
The scene was one of utter chaos.
The humans were out cold on the floor. Some of the shifters and vampires had their hands over their ears to block out the psychic noise. Others were motionless on the ground.
Behind her, Aaron's body was a wall of strength. She felt the tension radiating from his coiled muscles. "What the hell is happening?"
A sick feeling twisted her gut. There was only one force capable of getting through the strong shields of shifters and vampires. Only one other species whose psychic force could penetrate her dragon's primary shields.
But it wasn't possible. The Elysians couldn't have reached Bombay. Could they?
The psychic buzz ratcheted up a notch, colliding against her senses. It was strong enough to knock the breath out of her. Despite her second layer of shields, Hope's ears thrummed with the force.
Aaron growled aloud, and the pain in his voice cut through her thoughts.
Heart beating fast, Hope turned to find Aaron holding his head.
Not even an immortal was resistant to the psychic impact of the Elysians trying to get through her shields.
On the other side of the room, a woman dropped to the ground, screaming with pain.
Her boyfriend sank to his knees next to her. He reached to help her, only to double over and grip his head.
Across from them, two girls held onto each other, tears rolling down their cheeks as they sobbed.
Behind them, another psychic blast crashed through the place. She saw Cain holding onto the door. His big body jerked, and he leaned against the frame for support.
The psychic lash whipped through the space, ramming through her and into the back of the bar.
The bottles rattled.
There was a second of silence.
Then the glass shattered, the sound booming around the space. Shreds of glass whistled through the air, pouring over Hope, flying past her to rain over a couple on the ground who were unconscious.
A larger shard sliced through her arm, but she didn’t notice.
As if hunting for its next victim, the psychic whiplash was already cutting through her senses, rippling through her second layer of shields.
Finding a weak point, the force smashed against the hairline crack, again, and again.
Hope had to act fast before her shield broke.
There was only one way to put an end to this.
Without waiting for Aaron to recover, Hope ran across the floor, jumping over writhing bodies, taking care not to hurt any of them.
She had to get to the source of the attacks and stop it before more were hurt.
6
Aaron
A metallic smell laced with bitter almonds hit Aaron right before the next psychic blast crashed over him.
Pain sliced through him as the force of it burned right through his shields, heading toward the network he shared with the other immortal Ascendants, the same psychic web Brahma had used to bring all the Ascendants together. The Ascendants used the network as a telepathic channel in emergencies.
Was this attack designed to gain access to it?
Before the unknown force could pour into the web, Aaron clamped down another shield. He had to contain the psychic force before it hurt the other Ascendants.
Managing to drown out most of the psychic interference, he staggered in the direction Hope had run.
He was barely on his feet while Hope had withstood the onslaught.
He was sure that whatever was out there was a potent power. It was stronger than her, could hurt her, and she had ran straight toward it.
Fear rolled down his spine, pushing him forward. Stepping over prone bodies and those still writhing in pain, he reached the door.
Cain scrambled to rise. His face was pale, blood streaming from his nose and ears.
Aaron held out a hand, pulling Cain to his feet. Leaving the shifter to follow, Aaron lurched across the threshold and came to a halt, with Cain just behind him.
The scene before him captured his attention.
Skies heavy with rain clouds filled the horizon. A wave crashed onto the shore that ran alongside the road. The scent of salt was heavy in the air with the incoming tide.
Hope stood with her back to him. She looked tiny, much smaller than the man who faced her.
The stranger stood with his back to the waves, feet planted wide apart, hands on his hips.
That man had to be the source of the psychic onslaught.
Even at this distance, Aaron could sense the tension in the stranger’s muscles.
The man leaned forward, his eyes fixed on Hope. He was going to attack her.
Aaron made to move toward her, when a guttural cry from Hope stopped him.
She raised her hands, and the air around her swirled. Flashes of green and violet flames burst from her. They shivered up her chest, twining around her arms. Another stream of golden fire snaked around her waist and down her legs. The tips of her hair sparked green and gold. Her clothes caught fire. The flames zoomed around her, before flaring up.
He heard the sound of massive wings flapping.
Where Hope once stood was the most magnificent specimen of a dragon.
Large patterned colors were threaded through the scales on the wings, so large they crossed twenty feet each. Her wingspan was wide enough to block out the man.
Solid enough to act as a barrier to any psychic force that may be emanating from him.
The dragon raised her long neck. She hissed like a volcano erupting. Tongues of fire flowed from her—violet and red and blue. The fire was the most beautiful sight he'd ever seen. And the deadliest.
The stranger swiveled to look at Aaron before the flames struck him.
The air around him shimmered and turned silver. He became translucent enough for Aaron to see through him.
What was that?
The man vanished.
"What the hell?" Aaron swore. "A teleporter with telekinetic energies, able to bring down an entire crowd of mixed species? What is he?"
Beside him, Cain breathed. "I've never seen anything like it."
The dragoness turned her neck to look at Aaron. The grace in that movement had him inhaling in appreciat
ion.
Her wings were outstretched, the muscles rippling in anticipation of takeoff.
He couldn't let her leave. Not like this. He couldn't have found hope only to lose her.
Aaron raised his hand to call out to her, to tell her to come back, to stay.
Her eyes locked onto his.
They were the same emerald-green with gold flecks that he'd seen in her human form. She was waiting to see what he'd do next.
That's when he knew. He couldn't ask her to stay.
Hope was the epitome of freedom. Of life. Of everything he'd once valued in Zayn. He had to let her go.
"Fly," Aaron whispered, but she heard it.
With a sigh like that of leaves rustling in a hurricane, her wings beat the air. Wind and dust swept up from the street danced over him.
The scent of vanilla and sunshine was laced with burning embers as she raised her head to the sky. With a harsh cry, she took off.
It should have been impossible for someone of her size to take off in a vertical ascent, yet she'd done it.
Beating the air with those gorgeous wings, she kept flying, until she was level with the clouds. The sun caught the scarlet and blue on her wings, and for a second it was as if they were on fire.
She dipped her wings, and her shadow fell over Aaron. It felt like a caress.
Flapping her wings, the dragoness propelled herself forward, away from him.
As the sight of her receded, Aaron turned, walking back into the bar.
Catching up with him, Cain asked, "You let her go?"
"You saw what she is. A dragon shifter. Not like I could have stopped her even if I wanted to."
"A dragon shifter." Cain huffed. "I heard they existed, but it’s the first time I’ve seen one in this city. And that teleporter…"
"A very dangerous one." Aaron ran his fingers through his hair, his mind racing, the buzz of the alcohol gone. "While the mayor actively encourages shifters, humans, and vampires to live together in the city, the reality is that the species still don't get along. Alex's bar is the one place where all hang out together."
"A perfect target to hit and spread discontent among all species in one go." Cain tipped his head in agreement.
Inception Page 2
