by B. C. Sirrom
*~*
It started as a glance. She’d been staring at the bottom of her glass, contemplating heading home when she looked up and saw him. Her eyes were instantly glued to the figure sauntering toward her table.
An aura of danger surrounded him as he crossed the room. His scent dominated the air and she inhaled without thinking. He smelled of power and desire, menace and a trace of sulfur. The sulfur was intriguing. Some of the most powerful Elders in the Clan had a tinge of sulfur to their scent. It was also an interesting contrast to the fresh college boy winsomeness of his face. The whole package spoke to her quite aggressively. If she didn’t know better, she would have suspected a set up by the Elders. There was a distinct lack of interest on both sides between herself and the available males of the Clan and the Elders had been making noises about searching out a match for her within another sect. He was certainly eye catching, but definitely not one of her kind. And that was fine with her. None of her kind seemed to want anything to do with her. Their loss.
Muscles flexed under his shirt with a casual strength and heat flushed through her body. Ava wasn’t entirely sure she liked that he could affect her so strongly after just barely more than a glimpse. Previously, only her Tutor had ever incited such a potent attraction. But not so quickly and of course, at the time she had been thirteen and suffering her first crush on someone she respected. Ava gave herself a mental shake. A small niggle of doubt that her compulsion to be out in public during her cycle might have been a mistake didn’t negate the fact that bad thoughts led to embarrassment and there was no way she was going to blush like a teenager in front of this man.
When he stopped at her table, she got the distinct impression he could see through her natural camouflage. At first sight, he appeared to be human, but she’d never heard of any normal human who could see through her shifter camouflage. A dimple peeked at the corner of his mouth as he smiled and the part of her that controlled reason and logic swooned. She managed to keep her face impassive, but she knew when his smile widened into a grin, she had failed to mask the heat in her eyes. He sat down without invitation and leaned in with a smirk. Her gaze was drawn to the strength of his bare forearms. There might have been a little drool, but Ava was pretty sure it hadn’t been obvious. A waitress set a longneck on the table by his elbow and she wondered how much of a regular here one would have to be to get that kind of service. She raised her eyebrows in a silent question. “I tip well when I’m in the area. Has its perks.” Ava finished her drink and forced her eyes away from him, catching the waitress’ attention for another. Wise or not, she had a feeling she’d need a bit of liquid courage to hold her own with this man and there was no way she had the willpower to walk away right now. A new glass was set in front of her in short time, her table companion seemingly content to sit in silence.
It was an obvious question, but Ava had still been oddly surprised by it when he broke the silence between them and asked, “What’s your name, pretty lady?” His voice was an intangible caress and she barely checked the shudder of arousal as it shot through her.
“Ava.” The pheromones triggered by her immediate lust filled the air. Looked like her body just made the decision for her. ‘Dammit.’
His eyes slid shut for a moment and then he quickly finished his beer and leaned closer. His voice took on a rough quality. “I’m Ben.” He signaled for another round without releasing her gaze.
They were in her room within minutes. It was the first time she had felt physically overwhelmed by a man and the hint of danger only added to her excitement.
“Let me see you, all of you… please.” Even though the command in his voice was obvious there was also a hint of pleading and she smirked at the thought of his startled response.
She released her hold on her human form and stood before him in all of her glory. His eyes flashed red before returning to their original green. “Tell me your real name.” His voice had gone low and rough as his eyes devoured her and she felt as if she had been allowed to open a Christmas gift early.
“Tywyll.” His hungry mouth swallowed anything else she might have thought to say.
Ava woke alone, the other side of the bed cold enough that he’d probably left as soon as she fell asleep. Disappointment was sharp and she almost forgot that she had missed check in with her Sentinel. A quick phone call set things right and Ava went home with a heavy weight on her heart. The night had surpassed anything she had ever imagined and while she hadn’t expected an instant declaration of undying love or eternal commitment, a cup of coffee before parting ways wasn’t too much to ask. Sentinel Dwys had understood why she had succumbed to a stranger’s embrace. The needs of a fertile female in their clan would not be denied. While she didn’t know what sort of creature Ben was, even the fact that he hadn’t been a dragon was accepted. However, a little less than nine months later, Sentinel Dwys delivered judgment dictated by the Clan Elders. She was no longer Tywyll Gobeithiol of the Ddraig Goch. Now only Ava Drake, cut off from her people because she chose to keep her half-blood child.
