by Liliana Hart
We collapsed on the bed, covered in fluids and blood, each amazed at what we’d just experienced. Sex was an untidy business. Good sex was just downright messy. I was sure we couldn’t have improved from the night before. But I was wrong.
“Will it always be like this?” I gasped out.
He turned so we lay on our sides, facing each other. Still intimately joined. His skin was slicked with sweat and his heart pounded against my chest.
“The archives of old say that every time is like something you can never imagine. I think they might be right.”
He traced the outline of my tattoo with his fingers, and I tightened my leg around his hip. I felt him grow hard and my eyes opened wide in surprise.
“Already?” I asked.
He rolled me beneath him in one swift move and kissed me deeply, his tongue thrusting in and out of my mouth as his cock mirrored the motion.
“You make me insatiable,” he whispered against my ear. “I’ve never wanted anyone the way that I want you. Being inside you is like breathing.”
Tears pricked my eyes and I held him closer. “Please. I want more.”
He rose up and moved my legs from around his hips and propped them over his shoulders. The angle was deep, and he leaned forward until my knees were up close to my mouth. I screamed as his cock touched the deepest part of me. All I could do was feel as he pounded into me harder and harder with every thrust.
“Look at me, Rena,” he demanded. “I want to see your eyes when you come.”
I felt his dragon and mine, twined together in their own erotic dance, and our beasts surged as his hips moved faster. Guttural moans filled the air, and I wasn’t sure who they belonged to. His magic filled my body, and I watched in awe as his dragon took charge of our mating. He pistoned in and out of me with impossible speed.
“I’m coming,” I screamed. Something clutched deep in my belly and spread outward through my whole body. I convulsed around him, and I couldn’t tell where one orgasm began and another ended. It was just one long wave of pleasure.
Our eyes held through each contraction of ecstasy, and I felt him swell impossibly large, stretching me to the point of pain. He kissed me hard as he emptied himself inside of me.
Julian collapsed on top of me, and we both panted for air in deep, gasping gulps. My knees were still up close to my mouth and my muscles were becoming very aware of how uncomfortable this particular position really was when hormones weren’t there to muddy the waters. I barely had the strength to lift my hand and poke him in the side to move.
Julian shifted off of me onto his back, and I relaxed my legs with a sigh of relief. He pulled me into the crook of his arms and gave me a gentle kiss on the forehead. For the first time in my life I felt thoroughly cherished. I fell asleep tucked safely in his arms.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Something woke me—not a vision or a dream, but a kind of knowing. I stretched carefully, and Julian’s arms tightened around me. I looked up and saw he was staring at one of the destroyed bookshelves.
“Can they be replaced?” I asked. “Your hoard was like nothing I’ve ever seen before.”
Magic tingled along my skin. Broken pieces of pottery and torn pages of books began to reassemble themselves. Shredded canvas knitted itself back together and shards of glass fit together like puzzle pieces. The remnants of his destruction swirled above us, and the room slowly put itself back together.
I laughed in sheer awe of his power. “You amaze me. I’ve never been very good at physical magic.”
“You’re better now that we’ve bonded. You’ll have to start practicing. You never know when it will be useful.” He traced circles over my back absentmindedly, his thoughts somewhere else.
“Tell me what’s wrong.” I leaned up on my arm so I could look down at him. His gaze was shuttered and he’d rebuilt his shields. He evaded my question.
“Did you know that this room was part of the original caverns my father hid his clan in after the Banishment? None of the other Archos were ever able to hunt him or his people. He protected them well until he stole away with my mother.”
“What happened to them when he went away?”
“They became reckless. The need to hunt and survive without a leader drew them out of hiding. Many of them were slaughtered by the other clans. Others abandoned the clan completely and went out on their own. But this cavern stayed hidden. And when I’d aged and my time with the Faeries was through, Eunice brought me back here. My clan adopted her.”
“That was a nice thing to do,” I said. Drakán weren’t known for their hospitable natures, especially with those who were different. With Eunice being the daughter of Thelos, one of their most hated enemies, it was very un-Drakán-like for them to even considering welcoming her to the fold.
“I’ve told you before that loyalty is very important to me. Eunice raised me, and it was her Fae grandfather who showed me how to rule. If Eunice had tried to raise me with her Drakán father, then I would have been killed long ago.”
“What happened when you were old enough to return to your clan?” I couldn’t stop touching him. I had to have constant contact with his skin, and I could tell by the way he kept running his hands from the base of my neck all the way to my thighs and back up again that he felt the same.
“Xana had held things together as best as she could. We desperately needed numbers. And we needed more warriors. Times were much harder then than they are now, and human food was harder to find. They weren’t as populous as they are now.
“I gathered everyone who was left and we expanded on this underground room, digging tunnels and building rooms. All of Belgium has caverns and secret passageways beneath it—the underground city where we once lived. I made everyone swear the blood oath, and I was immediately able to get a better grasp on their abilities, so I knew how to make them stronger. I culled out the strongest of the clan and trained them for battle. And when we weren’t training, I gave orders for everyone to find strong-willed humans to mate with. It took more than two hundred years to build the clan back up to where we could defend ourselves if we were attacked.”
“But you did it,” I said. “You were meant to lead, Julian. I was wrong before to call you a tyrant. These people need you. All of the clans need you.”
“Yes,” he agreed. “The Drakán should be mine to rule, as they should have been my father’s before me. And it is you who should be at my side as queen. If we don’t take action soon, then our numbers will die out completely.”
It took me a moment before I understood what he was really saying, and when I did, I held his cheeks between my hands and looked directly into his eyes. I wasn’t going to let him avoid this confrontation by closing himself off.
“Am I understanding this correctly? You want to ignore the Prophecy and declare yourself as King of the Drakán?”
“Not exactly. I would like to form a temporary coalition of all the clans to flush out the Destroyer. I would declare myself king and swear an oath to step down when the Promised Child was born.”
This had the potential for disaster written all over it. Namely, it would be a cold day in hell before the other Archos deferred to Julian for anything. Alasdair had rather see our entire race destroyed than give power to anyone other than himself.
“I guess I’ll be the voice of reason and ask how you think you can accomplish something like that. This very discussion is the reason we were banished in the first place.”
He was quiet for a long time before he spoke again. “We are true lifemates.”
“I know that.”
A seed of fear planted itself within me. I shook my head in denial and pushed away from him. For the first time since we’d mated I couldn’t bear to touch him. My blood ran cold as I realized what he planned—what he’d probably planned all along. I’d played very nicely into his hands. I was a fool.
I pulled the sheets around me so I was completely covered, but Julian lounged against the shredded mattress and sheets
in naked splendor.
“Hear me out, Rena. You and I have already united two of the clans by our mating. You are the daughter of an Archos. And I am more powerful than your father. It makes sense that I should lead both clans.”
“Gods, what have I done?” I scrambled off the bed, trying to put as much distance between us as possible, but he grabbed the sheet and tugged me back. I let it go and went in search for my clothes. They were scattered across the floor, and I pulled them on hurriedly, my hands shaking so badly I could barely get the buttons through the holes on my blouse.
“You planned to take my father’s clan all along,” I accused. “As soon as you saw the mating fire and realized who I was and that I had no knowledge of the mating fire. Was the story of the mating fire in the archives Dimitris stole from my family? Because there’s no mention of it in our new archives. I played right into your hands, didn’t I?” I laughed bitterly at my stupidity.
“It’s not like that.”
“How do I even know this lifemate bullshit is real? Did you strike a deal with the gods so they would bind us together?”
I’d heard stories that those who were powerful enough and had something in particular that the gods wanted could offer a trade for their help. I was willing to bet that Julian had several things the gods would be interested in.
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
“My clan will not follow you, Julian. They’ve spent millennia hating you.”
He moved to the edge of the bed and sat along the side facing me. “Yes, but they’ll follow you. Your father won’t have a choice but to step down.”
“He’ll challenge me to a duel. Have you noticed the scars on my back? He fashioned a whip of liquid metal and sustained it with his dragon’s fire. My skin didn’t regenerate as it should have and I almost died. I wished I’d died. He did it because I’d displeased him in some way. I can’t even remember why. Can you imagine what he’ll do to me for trying to take his clan?”
Julian got out of bed and towered over me. It was obvious that my anger aroused him. Even with the fresh pain of his betrayal in my heart, I still wanted to wrap myself around him.
“You’re stronger than Alasdair now. He can’t win. You’ve been looking for the opportunity to pay him back for what he’s done to you since you came into your Enforcer powers. You carry scars only because he fears your psychic power over him. He doesn’t understand you, and he knows that there is something different about you—something not wholly Drakán—and it terrifies him. He holds no affection for you, but he keeps you close because he has no choice without breaking our laws. He knows you have not reached your full potential, and he’s hoping that if your magic comes out of its dormancy that you’ll share it with him. It’s the reason he hasn’t defied the Council and has kept you alive. I’ve seen inside his soul.”
I shook my head in denial. Other than my ability to manipulate minds, there was nothing that special about me. That fact had never been more glaringly obvious than right now. I had no talent for magic, and I couldn’t even hold my dragon form when it mattered.
“You can feel the truth in my words, Rena. I cannot lie to my lifemate. Alasdair would have killed you if it wouldn’t have meant his own death. Now is your chance for revenge.”
The words whispered past his lips, and the temptation in them almost brought me to my knees. He knew how to entice me in more ways than just lust. My dragon was bloodthirsty, and I longed for revenge against my father for the torment he’d caused me over the years. My dragon was also covetous. She wanted to show her dominance over Alasdair and take the clan that belonged to him for her own.
“You’re wrong if you think my people will follow me. I’m the Enforcer. I’ve been an outcast among my people for centuries. They fear me and what I might do to them, even though I’ve defied Alasdair by helping many of them. I’ll never have their complete trust or loyalty.”
“Fear is oftentimes a great motivator. Especially for the Drakán. You undervalue your own worth, Rena. You fear your powers just as Alasdair does, and your people suffer for it. But when you learn to embrace them our race will follow you. For your wrath will be the things nightmares are made of.”
My human nature warred badly with my dragon. My heart was broken. Where was the man who’d whispered words of affection while he’d been buried deep inside me? Where was the man who’d promised to protect me with his life? I was beginning to think that man had never really existed.
“You could have been honest with me from the beginning, Julian. How did you keep from laughing at my naivety? You must think I’m an idiot to have felt sorry for you. To think that—” My voice choked on a sob.
“To think what, Rena?”
I was going to say that I thought he might actually care for me. It was pathetic to think that someone could actually love me after all these years. I don’t know why I’d ever considered the possibility.
“Nothing.” I hunted up my shoes and sat down to put them on. I had to escape to my own room for a while. Remove every trace of Julian from my body so I could get a grasp on my thoughts.
“Think wisely before you make any rash decisions,” he cautioned. “This plan is a sound one, and it is what’s best for our people. You’ll see that once you think things through.”
He came toward me, crowding me with his size and nakedness, but I held my ground. I’d be damned before I let him think he intimidated me.
“I don’t want you to leave the chateau. It isn’t safe outside these walls. My sources tell me that all of the clans have reported missing members, and they are not as well populated as this one. It would take very little to convince the other clans that we could lead them in a battle against the Destroyer and help find their missing people. Think of the power we would hold. Until the Promised Child is discovered the clans are ours for the taking.”
Power was seductive to any dragon, and I was no exception. Julian’s eyes gleamed with triumph, and he knew he had me.
“Or forcing the issue now could cause a full-scale war among the clans. The gods could decide to destroy us all.”
“We’ll just have to take the chance.”
My life had changed drastically in just a few short days. I remembered Calista’s description of the Destroyer.
He is a great pretender. His power is one to be feared, but he is seduction reincarnate, and all will follow him into battle without knowing the truth.
The description fit Julian perfectly, and I cursed myself for ignoring my original instincts and being blinded by lust. I looked into the clear blue of his eyes and wondered not for the first time who I’d just tied my life force to.
Something else he’d said bothered me, and I finally remembered what it was. “You said your spies reported that there are Drakán missing from all the clans. Who’s missing from mine?” I asked.
“Your father has disappeared.”
“That’s not possible.”
“He was taken from your home in the middle of the night. He vanished into thin air along with his hoard. Your brother witnessed the entire incident.”
Fire simmered just under my skin, but it didn’t escalate. I didn’t know how I felt. I couldn’t say I was sad to hear of Alasdair’s disappearance because that would be a lie. But I knew his absence would leave the clan in turmoil. Because Erik had no power to call his own, the role of Archos would fall to me until someone challenged me for the position since I was Alasdair’s only other child. Shit was going to hit the fan.
“Fine,” I said, as if there were only business between us. “I will order my clan to follow you in my father’s stead.” Getting them to obey me would be the tricky part. “How are you going to find the Destroyer?”
“With all of the clans gathered, we should be able to find the one responsible if he’s among us. He would not be able to hide his power from Eunice. She is impervious to Drakán magic even though her own Drakán power is quite impressive. Between now and the gathering, I will teach you as much as possible about
your abilities. You will need to know how to fight by using more than just your mental abilities.”
I finally moved away from him and walked to the metal door that led out of the cavern and back up into the chateau—ready to escape from the bowels of the city.
“I need to make some phone calls,” I said. “Where are we going to unite the clans?”
“I own most of Switzerland. It’ll give us the privacy we need to train.”
“That’s handy. You’ve thought of everything, haven’t you?”
“If I wasn’t smart enough to plan ahead I’d be dead many times over by now.”
I pushed my hand through the metal of the door and moved to follow with my body, but I thought of one more thing—an important thing.
“I want you to stay away from me once the clans are united. I need time to think. And I need time to observe how you deal with my clan. You’re very good at clouding my judgment.”
“Staying away from you will make what I have in mind quite—challenging.”
“That’s the point,” I said as bitterness and anger clouded my voice. He’d used me and taken advantage of the human nature I’d wanted to embrace. I guess in hindsight he’d taught me an important lesson. I wasn’t human. I was Drakán. I could learn to harden my heart as well as anyone.
“Rena,” he said softly, taking a step toward me. Something that looked like pity lined his face, and I took a step back out of his grasp.
“Just stay away, Julian. I wouldn’t want your grand plans to be ruined because you were distracted by sex. It’s been more than one great leader’s downfall.”
“That’s very true,” he said. “But of course there’s always our dreams.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
I avoided Julian for three days—mind and body—before I finally had no choice but to listen to his instructions about the gathering clans. He’d been on conference calls and short trips for the last seventy-two hours to line things up for his takeover, so it hadn’t been that hard to stay out of his way.
