by Brenda Trim
He made her hotter than dragon fire, and Cambree knew she would never be the same after this. She feared no male would ever come close to making her feel the way Lorne did.
Suddenly, Lorne pulled away with a curse then leaned his forehead against hers. They stood in the dressing area, panting and trying to catch their breath.
“That was incredible,” Cambree sputtered as she tried to regain her composure. “I think you cured my fear of this place. Now, I’ll have a different problem every time I come here.”
“Wear that outfit on your date, and you’re sure to drive this Damien crazy,” Lorne said through gritted teeth and released his hold.
Cambree’s heart immediately dropped to her feet. She hung her head and quickly rushed back into the changing room. How could Lorne do that? It seemed for several blissful minutes that he returned her affection, and then his first words were to send her into another male’s arms.
She was such an idiot.
* * *
Chapter 8
What the fuck were you thinking? Lorne scolded as he paced a circle in his living room. Kissing Cambree was a colossal mistake.
And, he hated that it was the best kiss of his life. The feel of her supple mouth had blood zipping through his veins, and straight to his cock. Hell, just thinking about it now made him painfully hard. Again. He relieved himself so many times his wrist hurt, but the ornery little bastard wasn’t satisfied because it wanted a full taste of the alluring female.
Not going to happen, he scolded his shaft. Sharp pain shot through his groin as if his cock was letting him know different. It would’ve been more pleasant if she’d taken a baseball bat to his skull over the agony he suffered the past few hours.
After she ran back to the dressing room, Cambree changed then purchased the red dress. She rushed from the store without saying another word, despite his attempts to talk with her. He had failed her again.
Lorne had one goal, and that was to prove he could keep her safe, but what did he do instead? Took advantage of her vulnerability. He was a selfish bastard for claiming her special moment. Was he insane, kissing her? Cambree wasn’t interested in him. Her eyes were set on this Damien jackwagon.
Cambree had mumbled a thank you before shutting the apartment door. Lorne was left standing in the hallway of her building, wishing he’d done things differently. He couldn’t do anything right where the female was concerned, and now she hated him more than ever.
It was better this way he reminded himself for the hundredth time. They would never work. Too much bad had happened between them.
First, Lorne didn’t do his job and protect Cambree when she needed him most. That resulted in her abduction and near rape. Lorne could see the contempt in Cambree’s eyes when she fired him, not that he blamed her. And now, he’d stolen her first kiss without so much as her consent. Granted, she didn’t push him away or tell him to stop, but that didn’t justify his actions.
Unfortunately, Cambree was like an avalanche. Lorne didn’t know what was happening until it bowled him over. He hadn’t noticed the real Cambree until he took her shopping. Now, he couldn’t stop thinking about her beautiful eyes or the way she felt in his arms. Her kiss was a mere sample, and he craved so much more.
Forcing his thoughts in a different direction was impossible. Every cell in his body wanted to find Cambree and claim her in every way. Needing a distraction, Lorne slipped on his boots then headed out of the house. Maybe fresh air would do him some good. The floral scent from the meadow filled his nostrils. It reminded him of Cambree’s sultry scent and drove him mad. He rushed back inside his home and snatched his backpack from the counter then quickly shed his clothing.
He stuffed his garments inside the bag then sent a mental command for the roof to open. Allowing his dragon to emerge, Lorne trumpeted to the lavender-colored sky. He picked up the backpack with his teeth, and flew through the opening then took to the skies. It felt good to beat his wings, and he pushed his giant body into a punishing flight until he couldn’t go any further.
Landing in an alley behind a club, he shifted back to human form and dressed. He sensed the energy signature of several Máahes in the establishment and decided to go in for a drink.
Stalking from the shadows, Lorne paused when he caught several familiar scents. Among them was Cambree’s distinct flowery fragrance. Gritting his teeth, he grasped the latch to the door and nearly broke it in his haste to escape her siren’s call.
“Yo, Lorne,” Finn called out the second he entered the dark nightclub.
Lorne glanced around and spotted the knight in the back corner. He quickly made his way toward the male. “What the fuck are you doing here? Why aren’t you with Cambree?” he barked.
“Would you fucking relax? Damn, you need to get laid. I would never leave Cambree unprotected. Tonight’s my night off because guess who else needs to get a piece?” Finn replied and pointed at his face. “Don’t worry, she’s in good hands. Caleb is with her,” he added then lifted his glass of Dragon Piss.
Immediately, Lorne was worried. Did Caleb know how Cambree tended to get in over her head, and not ask for help at the first sign of trouble? Lorne watched her for several minutes while she danced with the last prole. Lorne was furious that she allowed Noah’s hands to wander despite how obvious it was that she hated it and wanted it to stop. She never said a word and didn’t call out for Finn’s help. Would Caleb see that? Probably not.
“Man, you really do need to get laid. You look like you’re ready to rip someone’s head off,” Finn divulged and took a sip of his drink.
“There’s just so much going on right now. This Buggane bullshit is getting out of hand,” Lorne stated, deflecting attention from the real issue. There was no reason to be pissed Caleb was with her. He was a competent knight and more than capable of protecting Cambree.
Ordering a drink of his own, Lorne sighed when he spotted Delilah. She waved, and immediately headed his way.
“Looks like your problem is solved,” Finn mumbled with a chuckle. “I’m going to ask that fire demon at the end of the bar if she wants a ride on the Finn Express,” he added and clapped Lorne on the shoulder.
“Gods, you need help,” Lorne groaned. Finn walked backward several steps and flipped Lorne off before turning to the sexy female across the bar.
“Hey, baby,” Delilah murmured as she wrapped her arms around his waist, snuggling against him. “Where you been? I tried calling you.”
He stopped her hands from roaming up his chest. “You know I can’t always answer. I explained to you the last time that you need to move on. I can’t give you what you want.”
He’d been with the female twice then abruptly ended things. Cambree refused to take him seriously, so he’d given a neural command to reject all incoming calls from everyone except Cambree.
“You gave me exactly what I need. Let’s do it again. I want you now,” Delilah whispered into his ear and nibbled on his lobe. His dragon snarled in his head. This female’s insistence was grating on Lorne’s last nerve.
Was it because of his recent attraction to Cambree? No, that wasn’t it, he thought. Delilah was a one and done female from the start. She was a climber and wanted to use his position to increase her social status. Lorne had no respect for females like that.
And, she isn’t Cambree his mind taunted.
Lorne looked around the bar, wondering if the Gods were having a laugh at his expense. His mind churned over the kiss he shared with Cambree. He couldn’t get into the hot female hanging on his arm or enjoy his favorite club. All Lorne could think about was the sexy dragon with dark hair and eyes flecked of gold
Sexy? Since when did he think of her that way?
Since she had her tongue halfway down your throat, his subconscious scolded.
Lorne snapped to attention when he felt Delilah’s hand trail between his legs. “It’s not happening, Delilah. I’m not the male for you,” Lorne replied and pried her claws from his flesh.
&nbs
p; “You’ll regret this, Lorne. No one dumps me,” the female threatened.
“I already do,” Lorne muttered as he headed away from the shrieking female.
Lorne said a prayer that Delilah didn’t make a bigger scene as he walked toward his fellow Maáhes.
“Did you piss off another one?” Blaine asked as Lorne approached the bar.
He shook his head at the knight. “No. She did that to herself by not listening to me. I made it clear we were through. I can’t help it she’s fucking deaf.”
“You just need to know how to talk to females. Should I go console her?” Blaine asked as he watched Delilah.
Lorne shuddered and twisted his face in a grimace. “Sure, if you want a climber on your hands. But, why would you want to?”
“I heard that. I can’t stand those types,” Blaine blurted. “They never leave you alone. I have this one female that still brings food to the castle, and I haven’t talked to her in over three years.”
“And, she can’t even cook,” Finn grumbled. “Worst food I’ve ever put in my mouth.”
“Females do more than cook, jackwagon,” Alora snapped.
Alora was a recent addition to the Máahes. She was the only female to graduate from self-defense classes and stay on to train with the rest of them. She wasn’t quite ready for battle, but Lorne knew when the time came, she’d crush her enemies’ balls without breaking a sweat. She was a total badass.
“Oh, we know that, don’t we Lorne?” Finn replied. “Cambree can’t even boil water,” he added with a snicker.
The smile that graced Lorne’s face was the first one of the night as he recalled the first night he guarded Cambree. She called for delivery and informed Lorne if he wanted to eat he’d better place his food order.
“I don’t think she’s ever used her stove, but she’s the best damn accountant you’ll ever meet. Anyway, not that hanging with you wankers isn’t fun,” Lorne announced.
“Hey, bite your tongue,” Alora blurted then blew him a kiss.
“Oh yeah, I forgot. Wankers and wankerette,” he teased and chugged the rest of his drink. “I’m outta here,” Lorne muttered and quickly took his leave, ignoring the insults from his fellow Maáhes.
His mind wouldn’t rest until he saw Cambree. Lorne stepped outside and lifted his head, sniffing the air for her scent. It was faint, but there. He followed it to the east for a half mile before it changed directions on him.
Glancing around, Lorne noticed he was on the popular street known as Restaurant Row, which made sense. Damien most likely took her out to dinner. Taking advantage of the restaurants’ large picture windows, he scanned the occupants as he passed.
He spotted Legette, Angus’s first in command, and his mate, Natasha, in a seafood restaurant and stopped to watch them for a minute. The couple was still madly in love after many decades together, and Lorne wondered what it might be like to have that kind of a relationship. Typically, he enjoyed seeing their display of affection, but tonight he found it difficult to watch the heated looks and passionate kisses. It reminded him too much of Cambree.
He wondered how Legette and Natasha managed to keep the passion burning, especially since Natasha wasn’t Tuya. The female wanted a dragonette more than anything, but sadly, wasn’t chosen by the Gods. Many females dreamed of becoming Tuya, and mating with a Cuelebre dragon, but only a few carried the mark. It tore Legette to pieces, knowing he couldn’t give that to the female he loved. Clearly, it didn’t diminish the male’s devotion.
Shaking his head, Lorne continued his search for Cambree. He followed her distinct floral scent down another street but then it suddenly disappeared, and the air prickled with something foreign, yet oddly familiar. Lorne swore it was magic, but there was no identifiable signature. It was frustrating as hell that he couldn’t pinpoint the source, and he questioned if it belonged to Unseelie.
He pulled out his communicator and tapped an app that tracked magical signatures. After the attack on the market, their shaman worked with their technology department to create a warning system. An alert would sound if any enchantment, specifically Dark magic, reached levels higher than minor spells. As expected, there was nothing of concern showing on the app. It had to be the Unseelie ash that remained in the air. Again, he acknowledged their realm needed a good rainstorm to clear the atmosphere.
Pushing those thoughts aside, Lorne was left more confused than before. What the fuck was going on? Surely, Cambree wasn’t kidnapped again. The hint of Caleb was there, as well, but it also vanished. Lorne’s heart raced as panic set in. Her scent shouldn’t just disappear in the middle of the street. His highly-sensitive nose should have led him right to her.
Without thought, Lorne rushed to the closest restaurant and pushed through the door. A young female greeted him and asked if he needed a table for one. He flashed her his Máahes mark and shook his head as he scanned the room.
He saw couples eating dinner, but no Cambree. Now, he was getting pissed. Lorne stalked from the establishment and went to the next restaurant. The second he entered the room, his skin prickled. It was an odd sensation, and he felt an overwhelming urge to leave. His mind insisted he was wasting his time looking there.
It took considerable effort, but he ignored the compulsion. He walked through the dining area and saw it was a similar scene as the previous restaurant. Couples enjoying a meal together. Neither Caleb nor Cambree were anywhere to be seen, but something about this place didn’t sit well with Lorne.
He maneuvered between tables, deciding to check the restrooms. Empty urinals lined the wall of the male’s restroom. Taking a chance, Lorne stuck his head in the female’s bathroom and called out Cambree’s name. When no one answered, Lorne turned around and left the building.
Turning a circle in the street, he wondered if Cambree and Caleb shifted and took flight from that spot. That didn’t make any sense, he amended. Cambree might be a dragon, but no way the shy female would strip and shift in the middle of a busy street.
Lorne continued his trek and checked every alley as he went, but didn’t catch Cam or Caleb’s scent again. It was as if they vanished into thin air. Wanting to make sure he wasn’t overreacting, Lorne went to her apartment building and asked the guard, Jeffrey, if she was home. Frustration rode him when the male replied she’d gone out a couple of hours before.
Lorne’s gut was in turmoil. Cambree was in trouble. He knew he should leave and make his way home, but his feet wouldn’t move.
“I’m going to wait here for her. I didn’t know I was on the schedule tonight until my boss called me,” he lied to Jeffrey.
“You’re welcome to wait, but I think she was going on a date so she might be a while. I sure hope this is the one for her. She’s a sweet female, and deserves a good male,” the guard divulged.
“Yes, she does,” Lorne agreed. He just didn’t think it was this Damien character. Next time he was going to demand she tell him where she was going. This worrying shit was for the fucking birds.
* * *
Chapter 9
“The entire clan needs to be eliminated,” Raphael barked, his voice reverberating through the cavernous room, and Ayil’s chest. Surreptitiously, he rubbed the ache behind his pectoral muscles.
What a fucking shit show, Ayil thought. The ten powerful archangels sitting before him led Heaven, and they were out of touch with reality. They sat at their large table discussing every decision to the smallest detail but hadn’t been out of the hall in decades.
Raphael wasn’t as calm and serene as he appeared on the outside. His green eyes blazed with anger, and his irritation was evident in the tone of his voice. Ayil stifled the urge to punch the angel in the face. After his little stunt with Illianna, Ayil was surprised he hadn’t ended up in the Underworld for killing the archangel. The only thing that saved Raphael was the fact that he gave back Illianna’s wings.
The fucker should never have taken his sister’s wings in the first place. She’d suffered a century of torment and
paid the price for what she was asking. Raphael was the only one that could give her what she requested. As the angel of physical and emotional healing, it was his domain to heal Illianna’s mate. Now, Raphael was testing Ayil’s patience again with his ‘kill them all’ attitude. How was an angel responsible for making things better such a bitter, unforgiving asshole?
He wanted to pluck every feather from his perfect white wings. Raphael was talking about murdering innocent Phoenixes based on the actions of their corrupt leaders. It was preposterous.
“Careful, brother. You sound like one of Cam’s AORs,” Michael intoned then shot Ayil a warning glare.
Fuck. He must’ve been projecting his thoughts. Or perhaps it was the growl echoing from his throat that was giving him away, he thought wryly.
“What did you see during your surveillance? Is the entire clan, or at least a majority involved with the demons?” Michael asked.
If Michael was asking for evidence, Ayil was prepared to present his case. In this instance, there was more than enough proof to weigh in favor of the Phoenixes. The tightness in Ayil’s chest eased somewhat. As a Warrior Angel, Ayil was no stranger to fighting or the loss that resulted, but he hated seeing innocents suffer or pay for decisions they didn’t make.
Nothing was decided yet, he deduced. The sad fact was that the incident posed a threat to humans and supernaturals alike. The needs of many had to outweigh that of a few. Ayil prayed the most powerful among the archangels was as clever with his decision as his demeanor suggested.
Araton shifted his stance and met Ayil’s gaze. Ayil noticed the way his brother clenched his fists behind his back and nodded in encouragement. He was the most diplomatic when dealing with their leaders.
“We watched them for several days and noted that it was a small percentage of the population that entered into this agreement. The clan chief was the one responsible and first to accept possession, but he’s dead. A group of them burst into flames to try and escape our binds. We were forced to add our Light to avoid them being reborn with the demons,” Araton explained.
