Dracones Boxset Books 1-5

by Sheri-Lynn Marean

  Thaniel swallowed deeply. “This woman—” It wasn’t a question, and yet it was.

  “Yeah, Sami believes she was his soul mate.” Tierney didn’t say anymore but now he understood the despair he’d seen in Sami’s eyes earlier. He had a sinking feeling he knew the answer, but still had to ask. “The pits, what was in them?”

  Tierney gazed at him sadly and he could see she didn’t want to tell him, but finally she spoke. “They were filled with bodies.”

  Thaniel felt his stomach drop.

  “That doesn’t mean that Real—” she started to say, but then stopped and sighed. “Come on, let’s get you to your room.” She walked out of the mudroom and he followed her. “This is the kitchen,” she said, and pointed out the large double fridge. “Help yourself to anything you want.”

  As they walked through the room and over to another door, Thaniel eyed the sparkling appliances and couldn’t imagine ever touching them.

  “And this is the great room,” Tierney said in the next room that appeared big enough to hold a hundred people. She motioned to the various couches and chairs and Thaniel couldn’t help but stare at the monster TV hanging on one of the walls. He’d never seen a TV so big. He took in the pool table before looking at the giant rock fireplace with a really old-looking sword mounted above it.

  Numerous tall windows showed the darkness of night. With a shudder, he turned away as Tierney led him to a long hallway. They passed an open door on the right and Thaniel saw a beautiful office beyond. A door on the left was closed. From the third door on the left, Jax stepped out and started toward them.

  “Hey, I brought your clothes in,” he told Thaniel, indicating with his thumb the room he’d just vacated.

  Thaniel followed Tierney into the room and his feet sank into the soft, creamy carpeting. His eyes widened as he took in the large room. This was his room? He had a hard time taking in anything; it was so overwhelming. Though the irony of the leopard-print bedding was not lost on him.

  “You can choose another room, if you don’t like this one,” Tierney said beside him and he blinked.

  How could anyone not like this? The room was bigger than the apartment he’d lived in with his mom. Don’t go there.

  Tierney led him over to the bathroom. “There’s a shower and separate spa tub, if you like to soak.”

  Thaniel walked in behind her and gazed around in amazement. He’d thought the bathroom in the apartment had been big, but he’d been wrong. “This is … I’ve never seen a bathroom like this.” He felt a prickle behind his eyes and shoved at the feeling. It had been a very long day. First they rescue him, feed him, buy him clothes, then bring him into their home. He didn’t know what to do with all that. “Thank you,” he whispered, unable to say any more.

  “You’re welcome,” Tierney said as they went back into the bedroom.

  Thaniel walked over to the bed and trailed his fingers over the soft cover.

  “Are you going to be okay?” Tierney asked.

  Thaniel blinked but couldn’t say a word. He was too choked up. Instead, he just nodded without meeting her gaze.

  “All right, well, I’m going to go take a shower. You can rest, or go out and watch TV in the great room, play video games … whatever you want to do. Just make yourself at home here, okay?” she said, and smiled at him.

  Thaniel could only nod again, feeling like he’d stepped into a dream.

  “I’ll be back down in a bit,” Tierney said and Thaniel’s heart was in his throat as he watched her walk out the door. He half expected her to close and lock it behind her, but she didn’t. Instead she left it wide open.

  Scared to trust all that had happened, Thaniel eyed the perfectly made up bed. It looked clean, soft, and heavenly, yet he knew there was no way he would dare to lay his filthy self down in it. Oh, he knew he’d showered, but the feeling that he was disgusting––filthy––was more than skin deep. Besides, if he were to lie down on it, he knew without a doubt he’d love it, and he couldn’t let himself become too absorbed in his friends’ lives here. Who knew how long it would last. No, better not to get too used to everything.

  Feeling overwhelmed, he stared for a moment at the clothing Jax had left out on the bed. He picked up another of the brand new hoodies. This one was a soft, navy-blue.

  Turning, he scanned the room then walked over to the high-backed chair in the corner and slid it out of the way. Then, clutching the hoodie to his chest, he sat down on the floor with his back to the wall, where he could see anyone who entered the room. Then he contemplated his new friends. He wanted to trust them so badly, but it was hard to give up years of being cautious. So many times in the past he’d thought he could trust someone and they proved him wrong. He couldn’t let it happen again.

  Chapter Twelve

  Snitch

  TIERNEY LET THE HEAT of the shower soak into her bones. She couldn’t but go over all that had happened that day. It had been intense and scary, and her soul was weeping.

  Sami had strengthened his mental shields once they got home and tried to tell her and Jax that he was all right, but they knew it was a lie. He was spiraling down into depression, and she had no idea how to stop it or help him. She shuddered as she thought of the pits filled with burning bodies, glad that Thaniel hadn’t been around to see it. As it was, she knew the sight was one she’d not soon forget.

  The evening’s happenings, combined with the horror of finding Thaniel locked down in that basement, was enough to make her want to scream and cry at all the gods above.

  Thaniel had been a heartbreaking surprise—a surprise that had immediately burrowed deep into her heart, and it would not be letting go anytime soon. The Were-leopard seemed to touch her in a way that totally knocked her off balance. There was such a lost feeling inside of him—it made her want to hold him close, protect him and never let go—love him and keep the fear at bay.

  Tears leaked from her eyes. As an empath, she’d always been able to feel the strongest emotions of others—pain and guilt being two of the worst since they usually ran soul deep––screaming at her. It tore her apart being unable to help.

  There was still a phantom tingle in her fingers from when she accidentally touched Thaniel’s neck while trying to take his collar off. Unlike her dad, she wasn’t normally a touch telepath. Yet this morning she’d been inundated with a series of brutal memories from Thaniel’s past. She hadn’t meant to see them, and there was no way she could have prevented it. Unfortunately, however, she’d also transmitted those memories to Jax and Sami.

  Tierney thought about all she’d seen—what Thaniel had been through, and knew was only the tip of the iceberg. The anger she felt made her want to rip his parents’ heads off. Not even the fact that she knew his mother was dead made any bit of difference. That someone could do such things to her child!

  Gods, she was happy that she’d been able to connect with Thaniel after he shifted, because who knows what kind of damage he’d have done as a leopard. She knew they would have eventually subdued him, but shuddered to think of how badly that could have gone, and it would have shredded the tiny bit of trust they had built with him.

  Tierney wearily leaned her head against the slick tile and let the water mingle with her tears as it streamed over her. She wished she could go to Jax for comfort, but though he was getting closer to understanding they were soul mates, it hadn’t quite happened yet.

  And, as much as Tierney loved, yearned for, and ached for Jax, it was clear Thaniel had somehow claimed a small piece of her heart as well that day. With a sigh, she pushed away from the wall, turned off the water and pondered all the different emotions running through her.

  Worry for her friends, along with sadness and guilt at not finding her dad, Toren or Thaniel’s friend was a constant that she couldn’t seem to escape from.

  Wrapped in a towel, she shivered from the cold in her soul as she walked into her room. After dressing in some warm cotton pajamas, she applied some leave-in conditioner to her ha
ir and then dragged her brush through it. Next, she shoved her feet into a pair of fuzzy bear slippers and made her way out of her suite and across the hall to Sami’s door.

  Tierney opened her senses and listened. It was quiet. No sound of fingers on the keyboard, which was where she and Jax had last left Sami—staring at his monitors. After the horror they had witnessed, he refused to talk to either of them. She knew he believed that the woman from his dream-vision was his soul mate, and couldn’t imagine how he must be feeling.

  The sadness wafting from the room made her suck in a breath and she opened the door. “Sami,” she whispered. When she didn’t get a reaction, she walked in and scanned the sitting area to his wall of computers. His computer chair sat empty. She looked over at the bed and found him lying under the covers. “Sami?” she whispered again. Still no reaction.

  Without a sound, she walked over and eased up onto the bed. Sami didn’t move and though he was sound asleep, the soul-deep agony was still there, pulsing with a vicious life of its own. Tierney's heart wept for her friend as she smoothed his blond hair back from his face. “Sleep, sweetie. I wish I could take some of the pain from you,” she murmured. Then leaning down, she gave him a light kiss on the cheek, and pulled the covers higher over him before heading back downstairs.

  It had been an hour since she left Thaniel and the urge to go check on him wouldn’t leave her alone. She’d have been thrilled to find him out watching TV with Jax, but wasn’t surprised at all when she didn’t.

  In fact, as she hit the bottom step into the great room, Jax yawned and climbed to his feet, pressing the button on the remote. “You going to check on Thaniel?” he asked her as he dropped the remote onto the couch.

  Tierney nodded. “Yeah, you heading to bed?”

  “Yeah, it was a … long day,” he said, and without meeting her gaze, slipped past her and up the stairs to his room.

  Tierney wanted to scream as she watched him. She knew he was battling his own demons, but wished that he’d let her in. Damn, stubborn man! Then she turned toward the hallway to go to Thaniel. She had originally thought of offering Thaniel one of the suites on the upper level, just past hers, but after a telepathic conversation with Jax, they decided the massive suites might be a little overwhelming for him. Then, after seeing the Were-leopard’s reaction to the large room she did give him, she believed they had made the right choice. Still, she hated having him so far away. Oh gods, I’m sounding like a new mother!

  As much as she ached to help Thaniel, to take away his fear, his worries—everything, she knew it was going to take time. She paused in the doorway to his room and searched around, her heart jumped. He isn’t here! Then she wanted to cry when she found him curled up with his back in a corner, clutching one of the new hoodies they bought him, sound asleep.

  Tierney didn’t want to wake or scare him, but she ached to see him sitting where he wouldn’t be taken by surprise. After being left alone for so long with nothing to do but sleep, she was a little surprised to see him sleeping. Though on reflection, it had probably been a very long time since he felt safe enough to really sleep without worry that someone was going to hurt him, and besides, he’d been through a lot that day.

  Although his sitting in the corner implied that he still didn’t know if he could trust them, his subconscious must’ve known otherwise. A point which was proven correct when she walked into the room and his breathing didn’t even change.

  Tierney headed over to the bed, pulled the duvet off and slowly walked over to him—careful not to make a sound. Then she covered him up and gave a sad smile when he sighed and burrowed deeper under the warmth of the cover. How could people be so cruel?

  More tears leaked from her eyes as she silently left the room and headed up to her own bed, feeling lonelier than ever.

  ***

  THE WERE-CAT LEANED NONCHALANTLY up against the wall of the dark alley, trying really hard to appear relaxed. He waited as the big, scary male who paid him to do certain unsavory things approached. It wasn’t the male’s looks that were scary. In fact, he was very handsome with shoulder-length blond hair and pale-blue eyes. No, it was the arctic chill in those eyes that always sent fear skittering through the Were-cat.

  The scent of fresh blood filled his nostrils, making him twitch. “You’re late,” he blurted, then wanted to smack himself. Way to kick the tiger, idiot, what the hell were you thinking? Spotting the couple flecks of blood on the male’s dark suit, he nervously patted his slicked back black-and-white plumage of perfectly sculpted hair, as he pushed away from the wall.

  At the imperviously raised eyebrow of his scary boss, he swallowed deeply and tried to back track. What did it matter to him, who his boss might have killed? “I mean, I just didn’t know if you were going to show is all.”

  Still Boss-man didn’t say a word and not for the first time, the Were-cat wondered about this immaculately dressed male. Did he even know he’d gotten blood on him? He knew Boss-man was the head of a large, powerful clan, although he’d never said why he wanted tabs kept on the two that he did.

  “Ah, sorry, I ah, just thought you’d like to know he’s no longer with the Were-wolves,” the Were-cat said and licked his lips anxiously. Damn. Dealing with this guy always made him jittery and crave a drink. “What happened?” Boss-man asked, a flicker of anger in his eyes.

  The Were-cat shrugged. “He left with some people.” He tried not to show how worried he was that he’d lost his quarry. He only hoped Boss-man left it at that and didn’t take it out on him. Thankfully, Boss-man didn’t.

  “Where is he now?”

  The Were-cat shrugged.

  “Did you not follow them?” Boss-man asked the question with barely concealed annoyance.

  “Ah, I tried, but I lost them,” he said, shrinking back at the fury on the other man’s face.

  “You lost him.” Boss-man repeated, then paused and the Were-cat tried not to squirm or move away under the man’s frigid cold blue stare. “I suggest you get looking. Let me know when you find him.” The order was given with the understanding that he wouldn’t fail.

  The Were-cat swallowed deeply and nodded. “Ah, yes, of course I will—”

  “What about the other? Any sign of him lurking around?” Boss-man asked, interrupting him.

  The Were-cat swallowed and shook his head, knowing any indication that he was lying would get his throat ripped out. “No, no sign of your—the other one, no sign of him in the city at all.”

  “Good,” Boss-man said with bite, then turning on his polished heels, he walked away, easily sidestepping the puddles.

  The Were-cat let out a breath and watched the other male for a moment before turning away himself. He’d never have lied if he wasn’t even more scared of his own clan leader. What was more, he actually felt loyalty to the guy, something he damn sure didn’t feel to Boss-man. Shit, but he needed a drink!

  Chapter Thirteen

  Dead Were

  THANIEL WAS HELPING clean up breakfast dishes the next day when Kyrian telepathically called Tierney and asked them all to come outside.

  “There is a dead Were-wolf on the property,” the Okami leader explained and led them behind the old barn. As they got closer, Thaniel stiffened in panic when he caught the Were-wolf scent. Then he smelled death. He followed the others up to the body, pulse racing as he gazed down at the dead Were.

  “That’s—” Mark began.

  “Daven.” Thaniel cut him off. Daven was one of Thaniel’s many torturers. A sadistic perv right up there with Raymund. Thaniel swallowed hard as anger coursed through him. While he was fiercely glad that Daven was now dead, a part of him wished he’d been the one to deliver the killing blow.

  At the direction of his thoughts, Thaniel pulled back, horrified as everyone around him talked. A few minutes later, he followed Tierney and Jax back to the house, suddenly worried over his volatile feelings. Maybe he really was becoming a monster.

  “Thaniel, are you all right?” Tierney asked,
interrupting his self-deprecating thoughts.

  Thaniel slowly met her eyes. “Daven, he—” Suddenly ashamed, he lowered his gaze, breaking contact. Just the thought that Tierney or Jax might think badly of him made him feel sick.

  “Thaniel,” she said. “It’s all right. You don’t need to explain. We understand,” she whispered, and he wondered if that could be true.

  “Am I bad if I’m happy he’s gone?” he asked, talking about Daven.

  “Hell no,” Jax stated, stunning him with his vehemence.

  “No, sweetie, I think anyone would feel that way about someone who did what they did to you,” Tierney said, and both her and Jax’s understanding made him blink.

  Feeling overwhelmed with emotion, he took a deep breath. He wanted to believe them but it was not easy. “I’m going to stay outside for a bit,” he said, needing some time, space to clear his head, to think.

  “Well, we’re here for you, okay?” Tierney said, and he had to blink again.

  Turning away, he could feel their eyes on his back as he walked over to the picnic table. What is wrong with me? Why do I feel like this?

  He sat down, watching the wolves but not really watching as they moved around the property. Even though they didn’t smell like the Were-wolves, he was still leery anytime one got too close, but as if aware, they kept their distance. Maybe they were. All these different people he’d met, with so many different abilities—who knew what they were able to do.

  He thought about everything that had happened in the past twenty-four hours. Like the fact that he’d finally given up on life, only to be rescued. Then his new friends taking him in. Having never experienced anything like it, their understanding and kindness completely baffled him.

  He remembered watching a movie with a couple of the younger kids in the first foster home he’d been put in. It had been a tale of a girl who lived with horrible step-sisters and their mother. They had been awful to the girl, but then she found a man, a prince who didn’t care who she was. He just loved her. Thaniel had only been eight at the time, but the story had touched him deeply. He longed for someone to sweep in and carry him away. Someone who’d love him and not care who he was. Then an older boy had walked into the room and ruined it all by taunting the kids. “It’s just a fairy tale, not real life,” he had told them before switching the channel.