Smoldering Hunger_Part 4

by Donna Grant

  “Do you think they’re still after us? What’s going to keep them from getting into your flat?”

  Claire had to be practical at that moment. Sophie squeezed the keys to the SUV in her hand. Darius had held them not that long ago. How pathetic that she thought she could feel the warmth of his hand on the metal.

  “Sophie?”

  “We must get inside.”

  “Whose car is this?” Claire asked.

  Sophie looked out her window, checking the area around the Mercedes. “Darius’s.”

  She opened the door and got out, slamming the SUV’s door behind her as she hurried to her building. With a click from the key fob, Sophie locked the doors as Claire followed her inside.

  Even as Sophie entered her flat, she knew she wasn’t safe. Because sitting in a chair at her dining table was none other than Con.

  Sophie noticed he’d changed clothes. There was no blood or torn sweater as before. He stared at her curiously while Claire gaped in astonishment. Sophie could understand why, since Con was a gorgeous specimen of a man.

  “Hello, Dr. Martin,” he said in a smooth voice as if she hadn’t seen him surrounded by dragons taller than most of the buildings in Edinburgh.

  Sophie closed the door behind her. “I don’t suppose I should ask how you got here?”

  “It’s of no consequence,” he replied.

  Claire raised blond brows as she looked between the two of them. “Umm. What the hell is going on? This isn’t Darius, Sophie. And tell me how you’re meeting all these magnificent men.”

  Con stood and bestowed a smile to Claire. “You’ve had quite the ordeal. Perhaps you’d like to rest?”

  “Rest?” Claire looked him up and down before shooting him a level look. “I think that’s a fabulous idea.”

  Sophie had a hard time containing her grin when Claire removed her coat and tossed it at Con as she walked to the couch and sat down. She made sure to face them, her gaze locked on Con.

  The long-suffering sigh Con expelled was enough to make Sophie smile, no longer trying to hide it. Then it faded as she realized why Con was there. An image of a massive purple dragon filled her mind.

  His scales had been metallic. The color so vivid and deep that she had to touch him.

  “Is Darius all right?”

  “Yes.” Con laid Claire’s coat on the back of the chair. “He’s fine.”

  Sophie sank into a chair, happy to know that he wasn’t hurt. “Good. That’s very good.” It was the jingle of the keys in her hand that prompted her to set them on the table and scoot them toward Con. “These are for Darius.”

  “We’ll get the SUV soon enough,” Con said without so much as looking at the keys. “How much does Claire know?”

  “Claire is right here,” Claire said acerbically from the couch. “Ask me yourself.”

  Con looked as if he were being summoned by a thousand screaming infants as he turned his head to Claire. “How much do you know?”

  Without missing a beat Claire said, “I know quite a lot actually. How much do you know? Should I test you?”

  “Claire,” Sophie admonished, though it was hard not to smile.

  Claire signed dramatically. “As I told Sophie, I don’t remember anything after the man stepped in front of me on the sidewalk on my way here. I don’t know what they did, because the next thing I remember is waking up half naked with Sophie. You want to fill in the gaps?”

  “No,” Con stated and turned back to Sophie. “And you?”

  Sophie remained silent. Con knew she’d seen Darius and the others. She wasn’t afraid, if that’s what he’d come to learn. Instead of telling him all of that and causing Claire to ask more questions, Sophie returned Con’s stare.

  “Oh, for the love of Pete,” Claire said as she slapped her hands on the couch and stood. She stormed past them, saying, “I’m going to take a nice long bath to help thaw out since no one will tell me what the flip is going on. It’s okay. I don’t need to know why my clothes were removed or why I feel as if I’ve been lying on a block of ice.”

  The bathroom door slammed shut behind her. A moment later the water turned on. Sophie understood how Claire felt. She had been in nearly that same position not that long ago.

  “Sophie,” Con called.

  She focused back on his face. “Claire won’t stop until she has answers.”

  “I can give her some so she willna ask again.”

  “Will they be the truth?”

  Con raised a single blond brow, which was answer enough.

  Sophie cleared her throat. “Leave Claire to me. As for your other question, you know I saw Darius.”

  “As well as Kiril and Rhys.”

  She nodded. “I did. I’m not afraid, if that’s what you’re wondering. Darius told me all about the Dragon Kings and why Ulrik is doing what he’s doing.”

  Con took the chair next to her and sat. “Since you were no’ surprised to see the Dark, he must’ve told you of them as well.”

  “Someone is going to get hurt if this keeps up.”

  “You’ve no idea how true that is.” Con looked away and placed his hands on his thighs. As if he’d come to a decision, Con met her gaze and stared at her a long moment. “Darius wasna supposed to shift. I ordered him no’ to.”

  Sophie didn’t need to have it spelled out for her. Con was telling her that Darius shifted to help her. He’d disobeyed Con. For her.

  “Do you love him?” Con asked.

  “I do,” she answered without hesitation.

  Con inhaled deeply. “I assumed as much by the way you looked at him earlier. Since you know all about us, you know how important it is that no one know our secret.”

  She recalled the video Darius showed her. “It’s not so secret anymore.”

  “You’re speaking of the video. Did you believe it when you saw it?”

  “Had I seen it before Darius told me who he was, no.”

  Con grinned. “Most doona.”

  “And the ones who do?”

  His smile dropped. “That’s a problem we’re dealing with that doesna involve you. I doona need to tell you that Claire can no’ know any of this.”

  “I know,” she said, glancing at the bathroom door. “I understand.”

  Sophie wondered why Con didn’t ask her if she was coming to Dreagan. Perhaps he thought she was. The problem with that was that Sophie wasn’t sure what to do. She wanted Darius, but she wasn’t ready to give up her career.

  Then she recalled how with just a look Darius could have her aching for his touch. And his voice. His voice was a seduction all its own.

  “I think we’re finished,” Con said as he rose and walked around the table.

  Sophie followed him with her eyes as he stopped at her door. He looked back at her and said, “Think carefully, Sophie.”

  The door shut behind him as she wondered how the hell he could’ve known what she was considering.

  Chapter Forty-three

  Darius paused on the street and raised his face to the sky, blinking through the snow. He longed to shift and let his wings catch an air current that would take him high above the clouds. He wanted to lose himself in the freedom of it, to help diminish the ache in his chest.

  But he couldn’t shift. Just like he couldn’t have Sophie.

  He took a deep breath and walked into Sophie’s building. He reached her door and knocked. It was thrown open almost immediately. She flew into his arms as soon as she saw him. He closed his eyes, loving the feel of her against him.

  “I was so worried,” she said against his neck.

  Darius pulled away and tugged her inside the flat before he shut the door. “No Dark followed you?”

  “I didn’t see any.”

  He touched her face. “I’m so sorry that happened.”

  “None of this was your fault. I should’ve listened to you when you said you shouldn’t leave me at the café.”

  “That’s no’ on you. I should’ve waited until Con and the
others arrived.”

  The bathroom door opened and Claire walked out with a towel wrapped around her. She rolled her eyes as she walked to Sophie’s bedroom. “I think I might throw up if I have to keep listening to you two.”

  Darius frowned down at Sophie who shrugged.

  “I forgot,” she whispered.

  A few minutes later music blared from the bedroom. Sophie smiled and led him to the sofa. She curled up in a corner and tugged him down beside her.

  “Claire is still trying to figure out what happened. By the way, Con was here a few minutes ago.”

  “Was he?” Bastard. Darius was going to find out what Con wanted with her.

  She laced her fingers with his. “I think he wanted to make sure I didn’t say anything to Claire about all of you.”

  “It’s always more than that with Con.”

  Sophie glanced away, telling him that Con had grilled her on her feelings. Darius wished they’d managed to capture Ulrik. Then he might feel better about Sophie’s safety once he left. All it did, however, was spur Darius to find Ulrik that much quicker.

  “I know I saw the video, but seeing you in person was breathtaking. I had no idea how big you were,” she said, awe in her voice.

  He grinned at her words. He’d been worried that she’d be scared of him, but he should’ve known Sophie was made of sterner stuff.

  “I wasn’t expecting your scales to be warm.”

  He loved the sound of her voice as she whispered his name. Her moans of pleasure were so damn sexy. Darius got hard just thinking of her body and the way she felt in his arms.

  “I want to see you as a dragon again,” she said.

  Darius lifted her hand to his lips and kissed the back of her hand. “We’re watched too closely now. None of us should’ve shifted tonight, but I saw the Dark touching you, and I shifted before I realized it.”

  “Thank you for saving me and Claire.”

  Darius couldn’t look into her beautiful olive eyes. It hurt too much.

  “You’re leaving.”

  He closed his eyes at her words. After a moment he looked at her and nodded.

  “So Ulrik is finished with me?” she asked, the smile gone as she leaned away from him.

  “Con assures me that Ulrik willna bother you again.”

  “But you can’t guarantee that.”

  “Nay.”

  She pulled her hand from his. “So you’ll leave with Ulrik’s word that he won’t bother me?”

  “You have a life and a career, Sophie.”

  “I thought we had something special.” Her gaze was full of hurt and a large dose of anger.

  This was the part Darius had been dreading. “We do.”

  “Then why throw it away?”

  “Because what you do is special. No’ everyone has your skill,” he argued.

  She blew out a harsh breath. “That’s nothing but bullshit. You’re afraid. I thought I’d be the one making excuses, not you.”

  “I’m immortal!” he bellowed and jumped to his feet. He raked a hand through his hair. “I live on Dreagan, Sophie. Do you want to give up your life and friends to go with me? Do you want to give up your goals as a doctor? Do you really want to face the Dark and Ulrik every day? Because that’s what it’ll mean if we stay together.”

  She simply stared at him, her arms crossed over her chest. Darius touched a lock of her red hair before he walked from the flat.

  Every inch of him ached. Not from the battle with the Dark. He didn’t feel those wounds. No, he hurt from walking away from the woman he loved.

  Even as his heart demanded he return to her, his mind knew he was making the best decision. Sophie wasn’t ready to give up her career. He’d seen it on her face. Why put either of them through more time together only to make the break that much worse?

  It was better this way.

  If it wasn’t for the war, Darius would walk into his mountain and sleep once more. That time would come soon enough. Until then, he would have to get through each day as best he could.

  He reached the sidewalk and strode past the SUV, his thoughts turning to Ulrik. There’d been no sign of Ulrik since he’d disappeared when they tried to take him. All Darius could hope for was that Ulrik turned his attention away from Sophie. Without Darius and the other Kings in Edinburgh, that chance was much better.

  The lie he told Sophie was for her benefit, but they would keep watch over her. It wouldn’t be Darius though. He didn’t trust himself to remain in the city.

  By the time he returned to Dreagan, he was a mess. He couldn’t talk to anyone and went directly to his mountain—though he didn’t go inside. He climbed to the top and stared in the direction of Edinburgh, wondering what Sophie was doing.

  Darius remained there for several hours ignoring the snow that piled around him. Then he turned to retrace his steps down the mountain. With Dreagan watched by MI5, everything had to be done as a mortal would. It was infuriating.

  Halfway down the mountain Darius saw Rhys sitting on a rock. Rhys stared at his hand that was held palm up catching snow. Darius paused for a heartbeat before he continued to Rhys.

  “Can you see her from the top?” Rhys asked.

  Darius hooked his thumb in the belt loop of his jeans. “You know I can no’.”

  “But you feel closer to her.”

  Darius looked at the ground. Words stuck in his throat as he thought of Sophie. How had something that began so simple ended so complicated?

  “You’ll never get her out of your blood,” Rhys said as he looked at Darius. “You’ll still taste her on your lips years from now. That hunger you have, that’ll only intensify.”

  Darius clenched his jaw. He didn’t need Rhys to tell him anything. He felt it already.

  Rhys slowly closed his fingers around the small mound of snow in his palm. “That ache will begin to crush you from the inside out.”

  “Is that how you felt with Lily?”

  “Aye, but I didna wait so long to take her. As soon as I made love to her, I knew there was no turning back.” Rhys opened his fingers and tilted his hand so that the snow fell to the ground.

  Darius eyed him, wondering what he was getting at.

  Rhys stood, his aqua ringed dark blue eyes pinning him. “If you want to know what it’ll be like, you need to talk to Rhi.”

  “Stop,” Darius said and held up a hand. “I doona need to hear this.”

  “I think you do.”

  Darius shook his head and let his hands fall to his sides. “I lost something once, long ago. I know the sting of it.”

  “You think you do,” Rhys argued. “You’re just getting a taste. Wait, my friend. The pain hasna begun yet.”

  Rhys turned and walked away without another word. For several minutes, Darius remained where he was.

  He knew exactly how bleak his future looked. Odd that he had closed everyone off for a tragedy thousands of years ago. That time in his life had been what he thought was the worst that could happen.

  How very wrong he had been.

  * * *

  Sophie stared out the window with a cup of coffee in her hand. She hadn’t been able to sleep no matter how badly her eyes hurt. Because every time she closed them she saw a purple dragon.

  She saw Darius.

  “I could refill that cup a third time, but it’d be a waste if you aren’t going to drink it,” Claire said from behind her.

  Sophie looked at her friend through the reflection of the window. Claire had slept like a baby the entire night. At least Claire would remember nothing and be able to go on. Sophie didn’t have that privilege.

  “I know,” Sophie said. “I thought I wanted it, but I don’t.”

  “When was the last time you ate?”

  Sophie thought back and shrugged. “Sometime yesterday, I think.”

  “You need to eat.”

  “I can’t.” The mere thought of food made her want to be sick.

  Claire came to stand beside her. “You could call
Darius.”

  If only Claire knew how many times Sophie had begun to call him. “No.”

  “Hmm,” Claire said as she looked down at the street. “The Mercedes is still here. Neither Con nor Darius took it.”

  Sophie shrugged. She didn’t care about the SUV.

  “I wonder who’ll come for it.”

  Sophie was trying hard not to snap at Claire and tell her friend she didn’t give a bloody damn about it. Darius had ended things, and she couldn’t wrap her head around it. The tears were coming, but Sophie was still in shock.

  Claire turned her face to her and smiled. “What do you think about Dreagan whisky?”

  She looked at Claire with a frown. “Whisky? I don’t like whisky.”

  “Yeah, I’ve tried a few, but never really liked the taste either. I hear Dreagan is the best there is. You know it’s made here in Scotland.”

  Sophie shrugged. Of course she knew that. Darius had told her it was his home. “Yeah.”

  “I think their logo is really cool.”

  “That’s nice.” Sophie’s last nerve was wearing raw. She wanted to be alone, but she didn’t have the heart to tell Claire that. She also didn’t want to tell Claire anything about Darius, because to repeat any of it right now might break her.

  “Oh,” Claire said as she came to stand beside her, licking the spoon she had taken from stirring her coffee. “I called a friend at the police station. That Mercedes you don’t care about is registered to Dreagan Industries.”

  There was something about all of this that Sophie should be concerned about, but all she could think about was going to Dreagan. She could return the SUV.

  If she went, then that meant she was leaving her career behind, leaving her friends behind.

  “Go,” Claire urged.

  Sophie looked at her. “What?”

  “Go to Darius. You’ve found what I’ve looked for my entire life.”

  She looked helplessly around her flat. “Claire, it means giving up my life.”

  “Is he the kind of man that makes you long to be with him?”

  “Yes.”

  “Is he the kind of man who makes you feel complete, who makes you feel as if you’re better when you’re together?”