by A. C. Arthur
“I don’t want you worrying about me when you’re out there working,” Rosilda had said. Her voice was almost a whisper, but it still held that edge of authority. “You stay focused on what you need to do, because it’s important. It’s what you were born to do.”
She hadn’t known how to react to that. Rosilda had always acted as if she possessed little information about who and what Mel really was and thus couldn’t give any answers to Mel’s many questions when she was a young girl. After a while she’d simply stopped asking, stopped wondering.
“You’re the most important thing in this world to me. I don’t want you to ever forget that.” There’d been a burning need to tell her this, to speak the words that she felt she didn’t say often enough. “I’m gonna do this, and then I’ll come back and take care of you. I won’t travel around hunting anymore, I’ll just stay there in Miami and care for you.” It’s what she owed this woman who’d given her so much.
“No. No. We won’t talk about after. I only want you to focus on what must be done right now. That nice man, Mr. Bleu, he explained it all to me because I knew if I asked you wouldn’t want to tell it to me straight. But I know what’s at stake here, Mel, and if I could I’d be there with you to offer any of the power I have to stop this plot.”
She hadn’t bothered cursing Bleu for going behind her back and calling Rosilda to dump all this vampire drama on her at a time like this. “Ravyn’s a half witch and she seems pretty knowledgeable about what’s going on. She prepared the potion that’s going to put a stop to all of this. I just have to deliver it.”
“Then you do that. You do your part to stop this.”
They’d talked a few more minutes until Rosilda said the pain medication they were giving her was making her tired. Mel held the phone in her hands for a long while after that, thinking about her life and how the majority of the memorable parts had included Rosilda.
A number of her good memories also included Aiken. As she lay in bed next to him now, those thoughts overruled all else. The way they’d been able to reconnect immediately upon her arrival in Burgess. Frankly, it seemed their original connection had never been broken. How was that possible? It’d been eighty years since she’d last seen him. Even to Drakon who sometimes lived thousands of years, eighty was a long time to be apart from someone they were not only in love with, but also selected to be with for eternity. Yet, they’d done it and for all intents and purposes they’d both survived.
But that was before she’d accepted her Drakon half completely. How would the beasts that had just been connected react to being separated again?
She’d told Rosilda she was coming back to Miami after this trip to the Congo and staying there. She had no intention of reneging on that promise, but now wondered how it would affect her relationship with Aiken? His place was obviously here with the Legion and hers was with her mother. He would understand that, wouldn’t he? What was she going to do if he didn’t?
Was she really prepared to live another eighty years without him? The answer to those questions never came because a bigger problem surfaced to claim her thoughts. How was she, the newest Drakon on the block, going to save the realms?
Chapter Fifteen
Brazzaville
Republic of Congo
In an effort to cause the least amount of disturbance to the humans living in the Republic of Congo, Bleu planned for Aiken and Mel to land in a place called Brazzaville and spend the remaining portion of that evening in a hotel. In the morning they were scheduled for a boat tour of one of the national parks. It was there they would enter the portion of the virgin rain forest reportedly not navigable and follow the directions Shola had saved in the communicator’s navigation system.
They both had one now and Mel grappled with the feeling of being wholly accepted into the Legion clan and knowing that it was only temporary.
“We’ve got time to tour the city a little before nightfall and then we can find some dinner.” Aiken had been uncharacteristically quiet on the jet ride over and the ride from the airport. She hadn’t really been in the mood to talk either. Her mind was so full of thoughts, she hadn’t brought it up. But she’d definitely noticed something was different about him.
“That’s fine.” She started to agree as they walked into the lobby of the hotel, but then shook her head. “Actually, why don’t we just stay in. Have dinner here at the hotel, enjoy the view of the Congo River, sort of enjoy the calm before the storm.”
Because something told her tomorrow was going to bring the storm in more ways than one. Refusing to think about completing this job and having to leave Aiken again, she was determined to have one last great night with him.
“If that’s what you’d prefer, it works for me.” He carried his duffel bag on one shoulder and hers in his hand as they boarded the elevator.
She stared at the roped veins in his toned biceps and shoulders in the black polo shirt he was wearing. His jeans weren’t too tight or too loose but fit his ass and legs perfectly. Being careful to give him his space, she stood with a slight distance between them, but was still close enough that the scent of his cologne wafted through her nostrils, waking the beast that had been lying dormant since last night’s turmoil. It knew what she was thinking, what she was planning to do when this was all said and done, and it was pouting, she surmised, but there was nothing she could do to change the circumstances.
When they made it to the room, he put their bags down near the bed while she walked past the sleeping area and headed straight to the patio doors. Pulling them open, she inhaled deeply, closing her eyes to the fading sunlight. The view was nothing like waterfront hotels in Miami, but there was something earthier and more simplistic here. The color of the leaves seemed a bit more muted, the river water, not a sparkling blue, but a deeper green that flowed downstream, to where she didn’t know. Uncertainty had been a steady running concept for her these past twelve or so hours—she didn’t know how this mission was going to turn out, didn’t know how she was going to handle leaving when the time came, and didn’t know what to expect from Aiken at either point.
“I just checked in with Bleu. Theo had a meeting with Detective Posner and the Captain of the Enforcers about the allegations he made toward us. Posner’s not happy. They tracked Ziva to the Twilight club late last night so we’re waiting to see if she has any updates from Enes. Other than that, we’re set to go tomorrow morning.”
She hadn’t turned to face him while he talked but waited to see if he’d come closer to perhaps touch her or inquire if something was wrong with her. Would she tell him the truth if he asked?
“Did you hear me?”
“I did.” Sucking in another breath, she bit back the disappointment and faced him. “Are we going to have backup? If you and I are going to head directly to the burial ground, it makes sense to have somebody watching our backs.” If he wanted to discuss the mission, she could do that.
He nodded. “Yeah. They’ll be here in the morning. Bleu will stay here at the hotel after we head out. Isla will stay at her post in Burgess, monitoring everything via the communicators. And the others will be here for backup. A few of them will probably take to the sky, while the others stay on the ground at a safe distance.”
“Did Ravyn give another report on the Schenek witches? What are they known for? Any tricks we should be on the lookout for, other than the spell that’s guarding the site?”
“Nah, I haven’t seen any reports like that.” Then he did walk closer to her. “You can check your communicator for updated information.” He reached for her arm holding it and then turning so he could see the communicator she’d wrapped around her wrist. “If you just press this button here it’ll take you to your inbox. Inside there you’ll see reports listed by date or importance. You’ll know important ones because they’ll also produce a flashing light on the communicator after it vibrates to let you know it was received.”
She looked down at her arm but was really focusing more on the warmth of his touch, the tendrils of anticipation it sent soaring immediately up her arm and to spread throughout her body.
“I got it. Like a tablet on my arm.”
“Yeah,” he said and then looked up at her.
When their gazes locked, their beasts reached out, the pushing against her skin she’d sort of gotten used to, encouraged her to move forward. She knew his beast was reacting in the same way because his hand tightened on her wrist and his body grew rigid as he tried to restrain the beast’s urging. That was a new one, Aiken had never restrained his beast in any way.
“Are you okay?” She couldn’t hold the question back any longer. Besides, she was tired of waiting for him to say something about whatever it was that bothered him.
“I’m good.” He dropped her arm and stepped back. “I’m gonna take a quick shower and change out of these clothes. Then we can walk down to the restaurant.”
“Walk? Isn’t there a restaurant inside the hotel? And didn’t we decide we were staying in?”
“Yeah, but I just remembered Bleu saying that wasn’t a good one. He suggested we go to this other place to eat. It’s not too far. He said the walk would clear our minds and get us ready for tomorrow. Whatever that’s supposed to mean.” He shrugged before grabbing his bag and heading into the bathroom.
No invitation for her to join and no deeper explanation about what was bothering him.
Alone now, she sat on the bed, dropping her head into her hands and groaning. How had it come to this? Why hadn’t she just grabbed Duncan that night when she’d seen him in that townhouse? If she had, she would’ve never seen Aiken again and this, the flurry of emotion rippling through her right now, wouldn’t be threatening to tear her apart because she knew she’d have to once again push it aside.
Resigning herself to accept the cards she’d been dealt in this life was like her mantra and she pulled out her phone to make the call. She needed to hear Rosilda’s voice one more time before she messed things up again. A quick smile spread across her face when she heard Rosilda’s voice. There was pride etched in every word as she spoke of Mel following her destiny, doing what her parents would have wanted her to do. And there was still anger in Mel because her parents hadn’t done a damn thing to assist in her achieving this destiny. Because of that and so many other obstacles she’d faced, now fulfilling her destiny would be bittersweet because she’d ultimately lose Aiken in the end.
* * *
“You told Bleu pasta was my favorite dish, didn’t you? That’s why he sent us to this restaurant.” The smile on her face right now meant everything. It was that simple and that heart wrenching at the same time.
“I may have mentioned it.” Because he’d wanted tonight to be one of the best times they’d ever had together. The feeling that something was shifting inside him hadn’t abated since early last evening when they’d been flying together. It was still there like a sharp thorn sticking at the base of his back. He couldn’t figure out what it was and last night had decided it was best to clear it out of his mind. That was the best way to prepare for him, keeping his mind free and clear of all issues or distractions. The beast had more room to work when the man wasn’t loaded down with stress. So tonight had to be about having a nice dinner with a beautiful woman, and that was it.
“Do you like it?” She’d just wiped her mouth with a napkin after chewing another forkful. How did her lips still manage to stay coated with the frosty lipstick she’d been wearing and why did he want to kiss those lips so desperately?
“It’s delicious.” She moaned and even though he knew she was referring to the pasta, his beast felt it and wanted more. “I don’t even know what’s in it, but the sauce is divine. And there are pieces of meat that kinda remind me of sausage, but who knows and who cares, it tastes great.”
“Good. I’m glad you’re enjoying the meal.” And he was, all he’d ever wanted was to see her happy. Tonight, considering why they were here in this place at this time, she looked as if she were enjoying herself.
She also looked hot as hell in the denim miniskirt and purple halter top she wore. Her hair was different tonight, held back from her face with a thin silver band and left to fall in smaller, tighter curls than he was used to seeing on her. It was a soft and sexy style. He grabbed his glass and took a long swallow of the beer he’d ordered.
“Are you enjoying yours? You don’t seem to be eating a lot?” Because his throat was clogged with lust and his beast was ready to push this table aside and pull her on top of him.
As far as reasonable answers went, that probably wasn’t what he should say. “It’s good. Just not real hungry.”
She nodded as she chewed another forkful. “You never eat the night before going out on a hunt. I could scarf down two of those steak subs you used to love, chips and two sodas and you’d sit there barely touching your first sandwich.”
So there were things about him she remembered, as well. “I don’t need food for strength.” That was totally true. Sex, on the other hand, always worked fine.
“Well, I just like to eat.” She smiled as she pulled apart the bread that had been served with her entrée. “Do you remember that night we went out looking for some shape-shifter that had gone rogue from his tribe? We drove all the way up to the D.C. area and had those really good crab cakes.”
He grinned. “You ate yours and mine that night.”
She chuckled as she chewed. “I have no shame.”
“You also stripped for me that night. We didn’t find the jaguar shifter the first night, but being out tracking him, prepared to do whatever we needed to do to bring him in, had our adrenaline pumping.” And when a Drakon was hyped up on adrenaline, the choices for release of all that energy were either shift and fly, or fuck.
Her movements slowed, and the glass she was lifting to her lips to drink from remained in her hand, condensation rolling down its side. She stared at him, her eyelids looking heavier than they had just seconds before as she peered over the rim of the glass. “I remember.”
Sitting back in his chair he let his hands fall to his lap. “I specifically recall you removing that sheer white top you were wearing.” Her lips were dry with the thought and she licked them. “You always wore the sexiest outfits to hunt in. I used to wonder what in the world you could be thinking, like how did you really expect to fight in skintight jeans, a bra and that gauzy-looking shirt.”
She took a slow sip, letting her tongue touch the rim of the glass because she knew he was staring. “Nothing ever fell out did it?”
He swallowed hard, wishing he had her glass full of cold juice, or even another beer, anything to quench this thirst that had come over him so quickly.
“Not by mistake.” The words felt chalky against his throat. “But when you took that shirt off and I could see the creamy swells of your breasts begging to be free of that bra, I wanted to put my mouth on you.”
The little vixen tilted her head as she set the glass on the table, tracing her fingertip around its rim. “Oh really. I don’t recall if you told me that’s what you wanted to do that night, or if you just...did it.”
Like an aftershock from an earthquake, his beast’s arousal had his body shaking. From the outside nobody would see, but he felt it in every limb, every muscle, every cell of his being. “Oh, I definitely did it. All night long my mouth was on you. Every part of you.”
“Are you sure? Was it on this part?” The same fingertip that had been moving enticingly along the rim of her glass moved to the straps that held her halter top in place.
He was going to choke if she untied that top while they were sitting at this table. She’d wanted to sit on the terrace, to see and hear the river running alongside the restaurant and he’d obliged. There was another table behind her, with four people eating. The remaining tables on the terrace were empty.
> “Yeah, I do recall having my mouth on your neck.” He watched with bated breath as the finger moved lower, tracing the outline of the purple top as it moved down to cup her right breast.
“And where else did you have your mouth? Was it here?” That finger eased over the mound of her breast settling at the center where it circled until a taut nipple poked through the fabric.
His dick jumped and he slid a hand higher up on his thigh, just inches away from grabbing it. Meeting her gaze, he asked, “You sure you wanna do this here?”
Her lips spread into a slow, sexy grin. “You started it.”
He nodded. “Touché. And I’ll finish it.”
She leaned closer to the table, moving her other hand until they were both cupping her full breasts now. “Promises. Promises.”
“Oh, so you think I’m making promises I won’t keep.”
“Why don’t you show me if you’re ready to keep them?” Common sense told him they were in a restaurant with other patrons, most likely humans. Now was neither the time nor the place to play sexual games with her. But that warning was too little too late.
He was scooted pretty close to the table, but from the way she leaned over, he was certain she could see down to his lap. He eased the zipper down on his pants before reaching his hand inside, finding the slit in his boxers, and freed his raging dick. Her gaze had lowered, and she watched his movements under hooded eyes, the tip of her tongue so sassy and pink, sneaking out to touch her lower lip.
“You want it?” It was both a taunt and an offer.
“Yes,” she whispered.
“Come get it.”
His heart hammered in his chest the moment she dropped her hands from her breasts and pushed back from the table. Damn, he loved her. For her tenacity, her quick wit, generous heart and her complete uninhibited sexual nature.
She walked around the table, coming toward him and leaning over as if she planned to whisper something in his ear. Her hand dropped to his thigh first, then eased over until she wrapped her fingers around his thick length.
