by Lia Davis
“That’s why I told Elle to bring Gwen over for dinner tonight. We need to show her she can trust us. Trust that we aren’t the monster Gary is.” Seth smirked once, certainty ringing in his words.
Markus shook his head at the nickname Seth had given Garrick after their banishment. “Very well. I’ll go tell the nymphs that we’ll be having guests.”
****
Garrick paced the open space of his living quarters inside the command center of Imperial Order—the organization he’d created to bring down the Sons of War and the gods. He grew more impatient with each day and minute that passed. The idiot Imperial in charge of capturing Gwen and bringing her to him had failed, again.
Now the bitch had packed up and left town. To make matters worse, she’d burned down the house she’d lived in—successfully preventing him from using a locator spell. “Damn it!”
“He was weak.”
Garrick jerked his gaze to the female lounging on his sofa. Ashlynn, or Ash as she liked to be called, was one of the few female descendants he had working for him and one of his best hunters. That didn’t surprise him, considering she was related to Artemis, goddess of the hunt.
“Apparently,” he growled. “That female is a second generation, like you, and will be very useful to me when her powers are unlocked.”
Not only would her power of persuasion be beneficial, so would her ability to make men lust after her like crazed animals. That kind of power was just what he needed to start another war between mankind and the gods.
This time the descendants would prevail and Garrick would rule both worlds.
Ash prowled like a cat toward him. A sensual smile curved her full lips and she ran a finger down his chest to the top of his jeans before leaning close. “I’ll find the female for you.”
Before he’d told her no, that he wanted her close to base. Now, he was out of options. “Very well, Ash. You can go.” Looping an arm around her waist, he jerked her forward so her breasts pressed against him. It was too bad their clothes were in the way. “Be warned, love. Do not betray me.”
She took his bottom lip between her teeth and sucked before releasing it then stepped out of his embrace. “Why would I do that?”
Garrick growled low as he watched her sway out of his quarters. Why, indeed?
All females betrayed their lovers sooner or later.
Chapter Five
Gwen fidgeted with the hem of her blouse while she waited with Elle in the stone entry of her new neighbors’ home—the five men lived in a large castle-like mansion on a high cliff over the Atlantic Ocean. The mansion towered over her, dominating the landscape as she emerged from the car moments ago, but being this close to it gave her chills and made her stomach roll into knots. Scanning the stone facing around her, she spied a gargoyle perched in one of the corners a few feet to the right of the large wood double door. After staring at the thing, she wondered if it was real or just a statue.
The gray stone exterior reminded her of something out of a horror movie, or at least a paranormal thriller. Perfect place to dump the bodies.
Elle covered her hand, drawing Gwen’s attention to her best friend. “It’ll be fine. You can trust them.”
“How do you know?”
“I know.” Elle tapped her temple and winked. “Now, stop worrying.”
Gwen knew she could trust Elle’s judgment—she could sense darkness in people and see the creatures that humans believed to be fables.
The door opened to an elderly looking man in a tuxedo. Yet, the man didn’t seem like he was fully human. She wasn’t sure what he was, but his magical signature flowed around him in slow iridescent waves. His aura was warm, soft, and welcoming. It was nothing like she’d ever sensed before. Gwen leaned into Elle and said through her teeth, “They have a butler.”
Smiling, Elle whispered, “Shut it and smile.”
A giggle threatened to bubble out. Oh, great. Here comes the hysterics, and in front of strangers. Anxiety always rose when she met new people.
The butler gave them a short bow. “Good evening.”
Gwen nodded, but didn’t pay too much attention as she entered the foyer. The house was even bigger on the inside. Massive staircases were on either side of her, and straight ahead was a large great room. The room was decorated in Grecian art and accented by red and gold drapes that reached from ceiling to floor.
Elle looped her arm with Gwen’s and together they walked into the great room where five men sprawled in various activities. The two she recognized, Seth and Ty, sat on the sofa playing a video game. Two more perched on barstools next to a mini-bar on the far end of the room. With his hands stuffed in his pockets, the fifth man peered out a window away from the others.
Studying the man at the window, Gwen felt a strange pull toward him that she’d never experienced before. The feeling was more of a knowing. There was something familiar about him—which was ridiculous, because she’d never met him before. As if sensing her intense stare, he turned. Gwen took a step back at the intensity in his gaze—his eyes were so dark, they looked black.
When he walked toward her, her heart sped up and a wave of hot desire rushed through her. Without realizing it, she crossed the room until they met in the middle. She blinked as he raised his hand and ran his knuckles down her cheek.
“Impossible.” He whispered, but it didn’t quite register.
Breaking eye contact, he took her hand and spoke with a smooth, but husky voice. “I’m Markus.”
“Hi.” Wow. Was that all she had? A gorgeous man touched her and suddenly she regressed to fifteen, crushing on the quarterback? You’re pathetic.
Gathering what composure she had left, she tugged her hand out of his and stepped away. She needed to clear her head. “This is a beautiful house.”
“Thank you.”
His husky, sensual reply heated her skin, making it feel tight and highly sensitive to how close his body was to hers. Sidestepping him, she put a few more feet between them and glanced at Elle. Annoyance rose up at the sight of her sitting next to Seth and watching him playing a stupid game.
Seriously? Wasn’t she supposed to have Gwen’s back?
Frustrated, she turned, only to find Markus several inches from her. Startled, she lost her balance and had to reach out and grab his biceps to steady herself. That was it. “What’s your problem?”
The corner of his lips twitched. “I don’t have a problem.”
“Do you always crowd people?”
The twitch in his mouth turned into a grin. “No. Only you.”
“Lucky me…” She stopped talking because his black eyes shimmered with flecks of blue, then his pupils lengthened until they looked like a cat’s. Her pulse hammered under her skin and her breaths came in short gasps.
No. Those were not cat eyes.
“Dragon,” she managed to whisper right before she bolted for the door.
But Markus was suddenly there, blocking her escape. Shaking all over and fighting to get her lungs to work right, she retreated hastily only stopping when Elle cupped her face. “Gwen. Breathe. In…out.”
Gwen focused on her best friend and obeyed.
Without breaking eye contact, Elle spoke to Markus. “I thought we were going to break the news to her calmly.”
“It’s done now. She doesn’t fear me. She fears the image her mind created of the monster that killed her parents.” Markus spoke from somewhere to her right.
Gwen pulled away from Elle and looked at the others standing around. Sure, stare at the crazy lady. “Are they all…dragons?”
Elle nodded. “But they won’t hurt us.”
Gwen shook her head and fled.
****
Markus gave Gwen a ten-minute head start. He could sense her, and she hadn’t gone too far. Walking around the house, he found her sitting on one of the stone benches in the rose garden. Her head was tilted toward the night sky. Her creamy skin seemed to glow under the moonlight, and the sudden, irrational urge to cares
s her filled him.
What in Hades was wrong with him?
No matter how beautiful Gwen was or how perfectly she would fit tucked into his side and in his bed, but he couldn’t have her. Descendants were off limits. Zeus created that law the day he banned the Sons of War from the Heavens.
“Elle says you’re not evil, that she doesn’t sense a darkness in any of you. I trust her instincts.” Gwen glanced over at him.
“We may not be up for saint of the year or anything, but we are not to be feared—at least not by you.” Markus took a step forward and, when she didn’t make a move to run, he continued until he stopped near her.
Edging sideways on the bench, she gestured for him to sit. “I’m sorry for freaking out.”
“It’s understandable.”
She fell silent and he wondered what she was thinking and how much he should tell her. Aphrodite did tell him to guard Gwen. Did that mean he should tell her anything?
Did it matter? A rebellion brewed after all.
“Have you heard of the Sons of War?”
“I heard my father mention them once or twice. He said they were immortal warriors forged by the teeth of Ares’s dragon…” When she stopped speaking, he glanced at her from the corner of his eye. She’d shifted to study him. “Legend says they betrayed Zeus and were sentenced to death.”
Markus shrugged again. “Ares, our father, convinced Zeus that a more suitable punishment would be for us to live on Earth. It was Zeus who put us in charge of watching over the descendants and keep them from starting another war with the gods.”
Gwen raised her brows. “And Zeus believed that the god of war wanted to stop a war?”
Markus smiled. “Ares, along with the other gods, likes the way things are. Besides, if the veil between the worlds fell, life as we know it would change. I don’t have to tell you what a catastrophe that would be.”
“No, I guess not.” She fell silent again.
The faint roar of the ocean filled the silence as he watched her stare into the rose garden, illuminated by tiny multi-colored lights that ran around the edge of the flowerbeds. Her features were so much like Aphrodite, beautiful and divine. Unlike her goddess grandmother though, Gwen held him completely captive.
After what seemed like minutes, she turned back to him and they looked into each other’s eyes for several moments before she broke the contact. With his perfect night vision he saw the blush in her cheeks.
That was better.
He stood and offered his hand. “Come, walk with me.”
Hesitantly, she placed her hand in his and let him pull her to her feet. Linking their fingers, he headed down the path that weaved around the gardens. When she didn’t pull away, his dragon calmed. Although a bittersweet longing rose within him, because he wanted her, yet couldn’t—no, shouldn’t—have her.
After a few feet, she said, “The gardens are beautiful.”
“Aphrodite said an estate as big as ours deserved a garden. Ares thinks she overdid it.”
“Are they a couple?”
A laugh escaped before he could contain it. “No. Lovers? Maybe, but they aren’t husband and wife, if that’s what you’re asking.”
“I don’t know. There are so many versions of their stories.” She started to add something else, but stopped.
Silence filled the air as they continued their pace through the gardens. Her scent mingled with the smell of roses, a bouquet of sensuality and desire. The mission Aphrodite wanted him to go on didn’t seem so bad. In fact it was nice talking with her, watching her beautiful features changes with each emotion as she spoke. “I have to confess that I’m not a very patient person. I’m only being so now because I find you intriguing.”
Coming to a halt, she faced him, narrowing her eyes. “Why did you reveal yourself to me? Was it to prove to me that, no matter where I go, I can’t escape the monster that torched my father while I was helpless to stop it?”
The sharp scent of her annoyance grew stronger every second he gazed into her sky blue eyes without responding. What he’d said was true. Patience wasn’t his best ally. Yet with Gwen, he could look at her all night, and listen to her talk for a lifetime.
“Well?” she clipped out when he didn’t speak.
“Your grandmother asked me to protect you.”
She shook her head. “I don’t believe you. Why would she do that?”
“Because she is forbidden to have direct contact with you.”
Confusion darkened her gaze and she shook her head again. “Why? I’m her granddaughter. If she cared so much, she’d protect me, but she didn’t.”
When he stepped closer, her heart rate increased, but somehow he didn’t think it was from fear. “I never lie. It is pointless for any of my brothers to lie. We cannot lie to one another. It’s part of the curse that bans us from the Heavens.”
Her eyes began to tear up. Damn, he’d fall to his knees and offer her anything if she started crying. It was his only weakness. It was one reason why Aphrodite came to him to watch over Gwen, that he was sure of.
“She let him die,” she said on a sob.
A solitary tear fell. Reaching out, he cupped her face, and wiped the tear from her cheek with his thumb. Then he slowly lowered his head to brush his lips against hers. Gwen inhaled deeply, but didn’t pull away. He closed the small gap between them and snaked an arm around her waist to draw her body flush against his while he deepened the kiss.
Her palms flattened on his chest, but she opened for him when he ran his tongue over her lips. Gods, she tasted like the Heavens. Sweet, like berries with a hint of mint. A growl rose from deep in his throat, and he moved his mouth with hers as their tongues brushed together in a sensual dance.
He slid his hands down her back and cupped her ass and lifted her feet off the ground. Instantly, she wrapped her legs around him and ground her core against his hard as hell cock that strained painfully into the zipper of his jeans.
The clearing of a throat broke the lust haze. Gwen wiggled out of his hold and he eased her down to her feet before he cast the intruder a glare.
Seth grinned. “Alfred says, ‘Dinner is severed.’” Then the dragon walked back to the house, laughing.
Bastard.
Gwen went to follow him, but Markus stopped her with a hand on her arm. He leaned in, and brushed his lips to her ear in a whisper. “We will continue this conversation later.”
Chapter Six
Gwen sat at the small kitchen table looking out the opened window. The salty, slightly crisp, ocean breeze blew inside, kissing her cheeks. The quiet roar of the waves in the distance was like a soothing and peaceful melody.
Her thoughts kept wandering to the kiss she’d shared with Markus the night before and heat that rushed through every part of her body. One part of her wanted the man that sent her into a lust-crazed mess. The other part screamed for her to run from the dragon.
He was a dragon, a predator at the highest point on the food chain.
Elle sat down across from her at the table with a wide grin. “Are you going to share?”
“Nope”
“Fine, keep your dirty little secrets.” Elle took a sip of her coffee then asked, “What’s on the agenda today?”
“Markus is coming over to help me decipher my father’s research notes.”
“Do you think you’ll find anything?”
Gwen shrugged. “I don’t know. I hope so. I have so many unanswered questions surrounding Mom and Dad’s deaths.”
Elle reached over and covered her hand. “We’ll find those answers, too. I really believe the dragons can help. And they could show us more about the world we truly belong in.”
Gwen hoped so, too. She and Elle had never really fit in with the humans. Most just ignored them, but there were some who could sense they were different. Those people treated them like freaks. Gods forbid anyone be a little different.
The doorbell rang, stirring the butterflies in her belly and making her heart dance. Go
od gods. What was wrong with her?
The man was a dragon.
When she didn’t move toward the door, Elle laughed and stood. “I’ll get it.”
“You do that.” Gwen said back with a smile.
A few moments later, she heard the soft, deep rumble of Markus’s voice drift in from the foyer right before he stepped into the kitchen. When she looked up at him, her breath caught. Damn, he looked too good to be a man-eating dragon.
Okay, so he wasn’t a man-eating dragon. That she knew of, anyway.
She motioned for him to sit. “Would you like some coffee?”
Shaking his head, he took the offered seat. Their large kitchen suddenly shrank and became smaller. Averting her gaze, she looked out the window. “It’s beautiful here.”
“Yes.”
His gaze on her felt like a physical touch and it made her antsy. Standing, she took her cup to the sink, rinsed it, and turned to face him. She gasped at the sight of him standing about a foot away. Gwen took a breath to calm her racing heart and to try to tamp down the desire building in her abdomen. “Should we go up to the office?”
“You have an office?”
“It’s more like a studio-office. The third floor is a large open space and Elle is using half as her studio and I’m using the other half as an office.” She stepped around him, careful not to touch. It wasn’t that she was afraid of him, not after the kiss he laid on her last night. It was hard to fear a creature that made her hot in all the right ways.
Once upstairs, Gwen tried to put space between her and Markus. His presence was just too overwhelming, too much man. She inhaled deeply, and then wished she hadn’t. His rich, spicy scent filled her senses.
Damn, she was in trouble.
Dragon. Oh fucking hell. Dragon or not, he was still a man. Besides if he really wanted to hurt her, he wouldn’t have kissed her last night.
Looking around, she tried to recall where she’d put the box. Then she remembered and whirled around and came face-to-face with Markus’s chest. When she stumbled back a step, he gripped her elbow to help steady her. Her skin heated at his touch, and she eased out of his grasp and sidestepped him. “The box is over here.”
