by Katie Reus
The stranger nodded.
“And you saved my daughter from the vampires?”
He nodded again.
Finn had more questions, but the fact that this male had saved Vega meant Finn owed him everything and would have to trust him. The male had even helped destroy vamps and demons in a battle he had no business joining. Something told him that had more to do with the way the male was possessively watching Victoria than anything, but he still owed this male. “Words aren’t enough, but thank you. I am in your debt. How do we close the gate?”
The male looked at Vega. “We need her blood to do it.”
Chapter Sixteen
“Hell no,” Lyra snapped out with more energy than she actually felt. She would need Finn’s blood soon or a couple days to rest in order to completely heal. Claudius’s sword had pierced her heart—something that would have killed most vamps—but Victoria had started her healing process almost immediately. Combined with her strong bloodline, she was pretty sure that was the only reason she was still alive right now. Weak or not, no one was using her daughter for anything anymore. Even if it meant closing a hell gate. She tightened her arm around Vega’s waist, pulling her closer.
“Just a little bit of blood. I didn’t mean… I would never sacrifice anyone.” The dark-haired male looked almost offended, but he was a stranger so it was hard to tell.
“Let’s do it,” Vega said next to her, sounding as exhausted as Lyra felt.
Lyra glanced at Finn first. He’d been sneaking glances at Vega as if in awe and when Lyra met his gaze she could tell he wanted to say no. Unfortunately they couldn’t make that decision for her. Not if she was willing. She looked at their daughter. She was so damn strong standing there it made Lyra want to cry. Her daughter never should have had to go through any of this. “You’re sure?” she asked.
Vega nodded. “Absolutely.”
“How do we close it with her blood?” Finn finally asked.
The male paused for a moment, then spoke. “A short ritual chant while her blood is rubbed along the seam of the gate. Since that vampire used her blood to open it, we have to use hers to close it. And it has to be fresh.”
“You know how to do the ritual chant?” Lyra asked.
He nodded, looking extremely uncomfortable as he glanced around at everyone. As if he was finally aware of the rest of the pack.
“Let’s go then.” Lyra wanted this over with. The sooner it was done, the sooner she could get Vega the hell away from New Orleans and this mess. Everything else, including her worries about her future with Finn, could take a backseat. She just wanted Vega safe.
Finn pointed at the dragon. “You’re coming with us. I think I’ve got some extra clothes that might fit. Barely.” When the male didn’t argue, Finn looked at Gabriel. “Take Victoria and Lyra back to—”
The dragon shifter made that rumbling sound once again and looked at Victoria in a purely possessive manner that had everyone going still. Holy crap. Whatever was going on with him, he clearly wasn’t letting the pretty shifter out of his sight. He didn’t seem threatening and had gone out of his way to protect her, but still. His behavior was unnerving.
Victoria just stared at him with curiosity so she clearly wasn’t scared. And Gabriel looked pissed, but he wasn’t putting off possessive vibes toward Victoria. More like, big brother/little sister protection.
Lyra cleared her throat. They didn’t have time for this situation to explode so she tried to quickly defuse it. “I’m not going anywhere with Gabriel and neither is Victoria. You can ride with us if you want. Is that okay?” she asked the female.
Victoria gave the dragon shifter a confused look before she nodded at Lyra. “Okay.”
The male made a grunt of satisfaction, but Lyra ignored him. “Thank you for healing me, Victoria. I…I owe you everything.” Lyra stumbled over her words, feeling so inadequate with the thank you.
The shifter’s entire face tinged pink as if she was embarrassed, putting some color back into her cheeks, as she shook her head. “No, you don’t.”
Yes, she did, and Lyra hoped to show her thanks later. She didn’t think there was a recipe for home-baked cookies that said ‘thanks for saving my life from my crazy brother’. She couldn’t cook anyway, but she was going to do something for Victoria. Right now, however, she realized that Victoria didn’t like being the center of attention. Or she assumed that’s why she seemed to be embarrassed.
Lyra started to respond when Finn let out a frustrated growl, interrupting them. She knew he didn’t want her going with them, but she didn’t care. She wasn’t leaving her daughter’s side again. And the truth was, she didn’t want to leave Finn again either. She had no idea what the future held for them and she wanted to be with him for as long as possible.
“Fine, we’re all riding together. What’s your name, anyway?” Finn asked the male.
The dragon shifter looked like that proverbial deer caught in headlights for a moment. As if he didn’t know the answer.
“His name’s Drake,” Vega said quietly.
Lyra knew when her daughter was lying and even though she wasn’t putting off an acidic scent—either that or the freaking sulfur had simply coated everything—she knew Vega wasn’t being truthful. She just wasn’t sure why.
But the big male nodded in confirmation. “Drake.”
“Gabriel, ride in the SUV with the team behind us,” Finn ordered.
His Guardian looked as if he might argue, but nodded. He shot Drake a death glare. “I don’t know what your deal is, but if you touch her, I’ll fucking gut you.” It was clear the ‘her’ referred to Victoria.
Drake’s gray eyes flashed silver for a moment before returning to their muted color. “I would die before I hurt her or let anyone else.” He gave Gabriel a condescending look that made it clear he viewed the Guardian as a non-threat before turning to Finn. “I would appreciate some clothes.”
And that was that. Finn nodded and everyone moved into action.
Lyra kept her arm around Vega and headed out with the others. She knew Spiro and her former coven members would make sure the area was clear of humans but she didn’t even care about that. When another, smaller rumble shook the earth, they all tensed and moved faster.
* * *
Finn kept a tight grip on Vega and Lyra’s hands as they stood in the basement of Claudius’s mansion. Drake was reciting a chant in a language Finn didn’t recognize—which just added even more questions about who the hell this guy was—while Gabriel spread Vega’s blood over the opening. He’d hated watching her cut her palm open, but Drake had been right that they only needed a little blood.
The more Drake chanted, the faster the crescent shaped opening slid closed. Angry cries from whatever creatures were behind the gate and additional smoke spilled out, but Drake increased his mantra until it closed. Though everything was silent, the black circle still hovered in the air. “Everyone stand back,” Drake said, his body shuddering in exhaustion.
No one moved until Finn looked at his packmates and the two vampires who’d joined them, and nodded. “Move back.”
As they did, Drake opened his mouth and let out a scorching stream of fire, encircling the black circular gate. A loud whooshing sound filled the air and in the blink of an eye, the gate was gone.
Silence descended on the basement/dungeon as everyone looked at each other. Drake turned and glanced first at Victoria, as if to make sure she was still there, then focused on Finn. “You should probably fill this area in and make sure it’s not easily accessible.”
He was already ahead of the guy, but nodded. Finn wasn’t impressed by many people, but this shifter’s ability to close the gate, as well as his fire-breathing, was incredible. “I will, thanks. Why were you in hell?”
Something dark passed over Drake’s features, but he didn’t answer. Okay, Finn would try a different tactic. “Do you know what year it is?”
He shook his head stiffly.
When Finn told him, the
male’s eyes widened slightly, but again he didn’t respond. In the SUV on the way over, Finn had watched as he eyed the interior in an almost awed reverence. As if it was the first time he’d seen a vehicle. There was a lot Finn wanted to discuss with the male, but he also knew he shouldn’t be doing it in front of everyone. If the guy had been in hell so long he didn’t know what year it was, there was a big story there. Considering he was a dragon, Finn could imagine how he’d ended up below. Probably sacrificed because of his rare blood. His actions in the past few hours, however, had shown him to be an honorable male despite the cruel treatment he’d received from whoever had sent him to hell. “Until you figure out where you want to go or what you want to do, you’re welcome to stay with my pack indefinitely.”
The male eyed him warily. “In exchange for what?”
“Nothing. You saved my daughter. She’s considered royalty on both my and her mother’s side.” Not that it mattered to Finn, but he hoped these were terms the male understood. Without knowing his history though, he was just guessing. “We owe you a huge debt that can never be repaid and offering you shelter will bring both of us honor.” He would have offered to let the male stay anyway, but something told him Drake—or whatever his real name was—wouldn’t take charity.
Drake relaxed a fraction, his hungry gaze straying to Victoria. She gave him a shy smile. “I live with the pack too.”
That seemed to settle it because the dragon shifter nodded.
Finn caught his eye again. “We still have a lot to discuss.”
There was no surprise in his expression. “I know.”
Now that that was settled, he wrapped his arms around both Lyra and Vega, pulling them close as he faced his packmates and the two other vampires. It made him feel whole, somehow, having both females close against him. His daughter was an unexpected gift, and one he intended to cherish. “Seventeen years ago I made the biggest mistake of my life out of fear. Because of it, I lost something precious. That will never happen again. Those who stand here now declared loyalty to me before I killed my uncle and I hope I can count on that loyalty again when I take Lyra as my mate.”
Both females stiffened against him, but he didn’t look at either of them. For him, there was no question about what he wanted. Lyra at his side, and his daughter along with her. He needed his pack to understand how deeply he loved Lyra and he wanted them to know before they headed back to Biloxi. Because as soon as he made his intentions clear, word would spread to the rest of the pack like wildfire.
“You’re the strongest among all of us.” His gaze trailed over the male and female warriors bloodied and dirty before him. “If you have a problem with Lyra or my daughter, leave now and I’ll let you go with no questions asked. But if anyone attempts to harm my mate or daughter in the future, you know what the penalty is.” He didn’t need to spell it out or make threats. They all knew and had seen him execute traitors before. And if someone came after his family, he’d make them sorry they were ever born.
No one moved except Gabriel. He went down on one knee, the act of subservience so out of character it stunned Finn. He bowed his head once to Lyra. “If you give Finn your loyalty, you’ll have mine until death.”
Like dominos, everyone in the room followed suit except the two vampires and Drake who quietly hung back. When Finn at last looked down at Lyra she had tears in her eyes. They turned his heart over. “Finn…” Trailing off, she swiped them away before meeting Gabriel’s gaze. “No matter what, Finn will always have my loyalty.”
He wanted more than that, he wanted her love. Years ago she’d claimed his heart. He wasn’t sure if she realized that. Soon enough she would. But Finn understood that was a discussion for when they were in private and when his daughter and Lyra weren’t so weak they were barely standing up. Right now he wanted both of them back at the mansion, safe under his roof. And once Lyra was rested, he was going to win her heart once and for all.
Chapter Seventeen
Three days later
Lyra strode from Finn’s bathroom, feeling refreshed after a long, hot shower. Not bothering with the lights in his room, she opened the drapes and let the moonlight illuminate everything.
The moon always soothed her, but right now she was edgy and only one thing would ease it. After everything Finn had said in that dungeon about making her his mate, he still hadn’t broached the subject of it again. And it was starting to piss her off.
Of course she’d been pretty much laid up in bed healing and taking his blood for two days straight, but that didn’t matter. While the feeding had inevitably turned her on, it had been more about sustenance. He’d stayed with her and held her after she’d fed each time, making her feel cherished. But, he hadn’t been very talkative about the future.
Sighing, she opened the armoire that housed a massive flat screen television and turned it on. Ever since they’d returned to Biloxi she’d been keeping an eye on the news even though she knew Finn had left a few packmates in New Orleans to keep a pulse on the city and to completely fill in the basement where the hell gate had been. The various local stations and weather experts around the world had been fascinated by the earthquake and aftershocks in New Orleans. As she watched the screen, the door opened and Finn walked in looking good enough to eat.
Wearing cargo pants and a plain T-shirt that stretched across his perfectly muscular chest, he crossed his arms, drawing her gaze to his biceps. Her hunger instantly flared to life, her nipples straining against the thin fabric of her robe as heat rushed between her legs. After what they’d shared in New Orleans, it was like her body had flared back to life after a decades-long coma and it would not be appeased with anything but Finn.
Damn him and his sexiness.
For the past three days since they’d returned they hadn’t done anything physical beyond kissing and her feeding from him. That didn’t count. Not for how wired she was. Kissing was like throwing accelerant on a fire pit, then not lighting the match.
Somehow she smiled instead of jumping him. But only because she wasn’t sure of his reception. Deep down she was worried he regretted making such a bold statement in front of so many packmates a few days ago. Hell, who knew what was going on in that frustrating male mind of his. “Hey. Looks like the news might have lost interest in the earthquake.” She motioned to the screen where a perky reporter was talking about a breaking political scandal.
Finn just grunted a non-answer and stepped into the room, shutting the door behind him. She turned off the television and tossed the remote onto the bench at the end of his bed. With his gaze on her, he locked the door. For some reason, the clicking sounded almost ominous. His ice blue eyes swept down her entire body from head to toe as he took on a predatory stance she recognized.
Everything inside her tensed. She knew that look well, craved it.
“Vega’s out shopping with Victoria. They’re going to see a movie too,” he said, breaking the expanding silence between them.
“I know. She texted me.” Since they’d returned to Biloxi, Vega had been so busy it made Lyra’s head spin.
After feeding from Lyra’s wrist a couple times, she’d had had so much energy and was barely sleeping. They’d also had to remove a tracking chip that Claudius had embedded in her upper shoulder. Vega had told them Claudius had mentioned something about tagging her—which had enraged Finn. Finding the chip had been easy enough, but Lyra wanted to kill Claudius all over again for that alone.
Lyra wanted to force her daughter to stay close to her, to tell her to take it easy, but she was a teenager and meeting her father’s pack for the first time. Vega had a right to be excited and Lyra didn’t want to steal any of her daughter’s joy. Plus, she didn’t seem to be focusing on all the horror she’d endured. Lyra was worried it would come back to haunt Vega later, but she also knew that kids bounced back from traumatic events a hell of a lot faster than adults. “She said you gave them bodyguards?”
Finn grinned at that, stepping closer, his earthy scent invad
ing her senses as he practically circled her. Like he was a predator and she was his prey. Butterflies danced in her stomach. “Drake and Gabriel are with them so that should be interesting.”
“You trust him?” She didn’t need to specify she meant the unique dragon shifter.
Finn nodded, taking another step closer. Her heart drummed out of control. “I trust my gut and he seems almost reverent of all females. I know he’d die before he let anything happen to either Victoria or Vega.”
“Yeah, he’s insanely protective.” The physical desire she felt for Finn was so strong it made her dizzy but she forced it back. She wanted him to want her because he loved her, not just because he wanted sex. “I like him.” It was clear that what Drake felt for Victoria was very different for his feelings for Vega, but Lyra could see how protective he was of her daughter. Maybe it was because they’d been in that prison cell together. Over the past couple days she’d watched with interest as he growled at anyone he thought got too close to either female. Lyra could tell it was driving Vega a little crazy, but it was fine with Lyra. She couldn’t protect her daughter 24/7 and while she might have to accept that fact, it was a hell of a lot easier to live with when a powerful shifter had decided to look out for Vega.
“I’m still trying to figure out where the hell he came from and what his lineage is,” Finn muttered. “And he’s not much help.”
Lyra wasn’t surprised about that. She didn’t respond; she couldn’t find her voice as Finn slowly peeled his T-shirt off. The way he did it was almost like a challenge. And if he was challenging her to jump him, she had no problem with that. The moonlight illuminated the cut lines and striations of his impossibly beautiful chest and abdomen. Her mouth watered as she imagined licking and kissing a path down all that expanse of skin.
“I found out something interesting today,” he said as he reached out and tugged on the tie of her robe.
How was he thinking, much less talking right now? She pushed out a long breath as he slid his finger down her chest, opening the folds of the robe. It fell open in the middle, revealing her bare mound, but still covering her breasts. Cool air hit her skin, doing nothing to bank the heat burning between them.
