by Rinelle Grey
“I’ll never know, will I? You stopped me before I had a chance to find out.” He stared into her eyes. He didn’t want her sympathy. He wanted his family back.
“What good do you think killing him would have done? What would it have achieved beyond satisfying your thirst for Trima blood? He wasn’t even here on Ultrima’s orders.”
What did she know of a thirst for blood? Humans were entirely too cold blooded about their wars. She had no idea.
He pulled his arm away from her and strode away, down the nearest corridor.
Unfortunately, the one he picked just happened to be the one that led to his family’s living quarters. Coincidence? Probably not. How many times had he walked this very corridor, either alone, laughing with one of his brothers or sisters, or with a beautiful dragon on his arm?
Never again. Never again would his people inhabit these caves. Even if he found another dragon to mate with, his clan would never rise to the heights it had been.
He didn’t stand a chance against the Trima clan. Not without his family beside him.
His footsteps carried him unerringly to his own personal chamber and he stared around the cave. All empty. All evidence of the Rian clan removed.
Why? Why would Trima clan have done that? Why bother to remove everything? It was normal to take the treasure, the spoils of war, but surely the smaller, more worthless items should have remained. Surely he had not been asleep long enough for the furs he had slept on and the bowl he had eaten out of to have rotted away.
Taurian heard footsteps in the hallway outside. Of course Karla had followed him. “Stay away,” he growled. “I don’t want to talk to anyone. Least of all, you.”
That halted her. The footsteps stopped, but they didn’t retreat. Taurian couldn’t help looking up, needing to know if she hurt as much as he did. Would it send her away, or did she have more determination than that?
The expression on her face was one of stunned pain. She stared at him, frozen, for several long moments. Then her eyes burned with fire. “You’re not the only one stuck in this mess, you know,” she said flatly. “I didn’t ask for any of this either. Your people tricked me into waking you, tricked me into that Mesmer bond, and got my whole family mixed up in this. I’m a part of it as much as you are, and I have to live with what happens here, just as you do. And now you have the gall to tell me to go away?”
The light in her eyes stirred his blood. But it wasn’t enough. How could he hope for any kind of happiness when his world was in ruins? “Well, it’s over now. There’s no need for you to stay. The Mesmer ritual is complete. Edtrima made it clear that Ultrima is not searching for us now. And now that you’re not connected to me in any way, he won’t care about you. Go home, and stay out of dragon business.”
Karla folded her arms and glared at him. “If you’ll just fly me down from this cliff, I will.”
Good. That was what he wanted. For her to go away and leave him to his pain. Alone.
Forever.
Taurian strode forwards and grabbed her elbow, intending to march her back towards the entrance cave so that he could remove her from his home, but as soon as he touched her, her scent filled his nostrils and the feel of her soft skin under his hands tempted him.
She was the only person he knew in this world, the only one he could rely on. The only one preventing him from being completely and utterly alone. More than that, she was the only one he wanted. More than his family, more than his clan, more than life itself.
Karla stared up at him, her expression frosty.
It was too late. He’d already ruined it. She hated him. And rightly so.
But then her expression softened, like ice melting. She reached up a hand to touch his cheek. “I know you’re hurting,” she said softly. “I know how painful it is, and how much you want to lash out at everyone around you. That’s a normal part of grief. It fades with time, though it never truly goes away.”
She had the heart of a dragon. Even more so than he did. She was gracious and understanding when he had been petty and childish. She was far more than he deserved, but he wasn’t going to let her go. He needed her right now.
Taurian caught her hand, and held it against his cheek. Her warmth seeped into him, relieving some of the despair he felt. He should mate with her, that would make him feel whole again, remind him that he was alive, and that while he had life, there was hope.
Bending his head to hers, he sought her lips, nibbling first at her forehead, then her cheek. For a moment, her body stayed stiff, then she melted against him with a sigh. She wouldn’t object to the mating. She wanted this too.
He kissed her lips, savouring their softness, dipped his tongue into her mouth, tasting that unique taste that was all her. Her family couldn’t interrupt them this time, they were all at the bottom of the cliff. They might be frantic with worry, but his need was greater. He could lose himself in her closeness for a few hours. That would silence the pain, for a while at least.
When he was with her, he felt whole. Powerful. Alive.
Karla slid one arm around his neck, and the other around his waist, pulling him firmly against her. She wanted this as much as he did, and that thought eased a little more of his pain.
They both needed each other right now, they could think about the future later.
The future.
Taurian froze.
He couldn’t do it. They couldn’t mate again.
“Is something wrong?” Karla pulled back and searched his face.
He couldn’t bed her again. Ever. The thought caused an ache in his heart almost big enough to compete with the loss of his family. It made him want her even more. The temptation to just do it warred with the warnings in his head. She was one of the most impressive women he’d ever met, human or dragon. She would be a worthy mate.
He wanted her.
But he didn’t know her heart. The Mesmer magic she had encountered in the last few days could mess with anyone’s head, especially a human’s. And she had no idea that she would be trapped if they slept together again. He couldn’t do that to her for a second time.
“You really meant it, didn’t you? You want me to leave? Fine then.” Karla jerked back.
Taurian caught her hands before she went too far. “No. It’s not like that,” he said quickly. “I want to, more than anything. But you don’t understand, we can’t.”
“What on earth are you talking about?” Karla demanded. “Look, if you’re over this, that’s fine. Just stop talking in riddles, and stop making out with me if you don’t mean it.”
Taurian winced. He was explaining things badly. Hurting her again when that was the last thing he wanted to do.
“If we sleep together for a third time, we’re mated. For life.”
He’d always thought he’d be far older before he mated for life. Thirty or forty at least. Yet, right now, he was very tempted. The thought of spending his life with Karla, getting to bed her whenever the urge came over him, was stronger than he had ever thought possible.
Only he couldn’t be sure he meant it. How much of this feeling was because he was alone? Because he craved anything that would make the fear of being alone go away?
Karla’s eyes widened. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, it’s like the Mesmer bond, but permanent. Dragons mate for life, and while it’s fine to experiment a bit first, if you sleep with someone three times, a permanent bond is formed.”
“And that means… what? That we could never be apart? That we’d feel that awful itch if we didn’t… what? Sleep together every hour or something?” Her face was flushed with a mixture of fascination and horror.
Taurian’s blood heated at the thought. He wouldn’t object to that. “The mating bond is not quite as restrictive as the Mesmer bond,” he explained. “It’s less obvious or clear. We can be apart for some time, and sleep together when we feel like it. But we would draw power from each other, and lose any interest in mating with another. And if one of us died, the
other would too.”
Karla swallowed. “That’s pretty serious.”
Taurian nodded slowly. He stared into her eyes, trying to gauge her reaction. He almost hoped she would demand to sleep with him anyway. He knew it was crazy. Knew he shouldn’t. But the pull to throw caution to the wind and do it anyway was strong.
Karla was the one who pulled back, breaking the contact between them. “We should go back and find the others,” she said. Her voice shook. “They’ll be wondering where we are, and are probably worried about the other dragon.”
Her intentions were clear. She had no interest in mating with him.
He should be glad. He should be thanking her for preventing him from making a big mistake. He most definitely shouldn’t be feeling this huge empty sensation of despair.
“I shall take you back to your family,” he said stiffly. “You should be safe from Ultrima once you return to your home with your lifemate.”
He could at least take solace in the fact that she would be safe. That counted for something.
“Bruce isn’t my lifemate. No one is. And I’m not going anywhere until we find your family,” Karla said firmly.
Taurian looked up, not daring to hope. She smiled at him, and the ache in his heart eased a little. But not enough. “They’re all dead. There is no point in searching further.”
Karla put her hands on her hips and stared at him. “Then who was it who sent me to you?”
Taurian shrugged. He wasn’t going to get his hopes up again. “It must have been someone from the Trima clan, trying to lure me out so that they could kill me too. I should never have hoped they would still be here. Trima clan knew where they were, and as soon as we were all in the Mesmer sleep, they must have killed all of them.”
“Are you sure of that? Sure enough to just give up the search?”
“Look around you,” Taurian waved a hand. “They’re all gone.”
Karla did look around, but her determined expression didn’t waver. “As is all trace that they ever existed. If Ultrima had wiped them out, surely there would be signs?”
As he had thought earlier. A flicker of hope flared in Taurian’s heart, then was extinguished. “Rian clan would have died rather than abandon their home.”
“Even without their princes?”
Taurian paused, considering. “Perhaps not,” he said slowly. “If they had no chance to wake us, they may have fled. They would have had no hope against the Trima clan without us. If they attacked without waiting the required recovery period…”
It was possible. Ever since the lightning dragons had split off from Rian clan after Ultrima’s suit had been rejected, they had ignored many of the established protocols. Like not demanding to mate with a dragon destined to be queen.
“If they were tricked, they could have chosen to flee rather than stay and fight a losing battle.”
“Exactly,” Karla said. “That would be the sensible thing to do. That way they would be around to wake you when the chance arose.”
“Which it finally did, I guess. But why did they do it now? If they waited for so long because the Trima clan waited in ambush at our Mesmer chambers, and they clearly still did, why did they risk it now?”
“Because your chamber was about to be destroyed,” Karla said. “The whole area was scheduled to be mined within the next few weeks.”
It was all starting to make sense.
“So how do we find them?” Taurian asked. “If they left here, they could be anywhere.”
“We don’t. They already know where we are. They know where my home is. If Ultrima truly is staying away from us as that other dragon said he was, then hopefully they will come to us.”
Would it work? Taurian hardly dared to get his hopes up. But everything Karla said made sense.
There was just one problem.
“That means you are still tied up in this mess when you don’t want to be. Although, I suppose you don’t need to stay. My clan will come for me regardless of whether you stay with me or not. You should return to your home across the sea, where you will be safe.”
Safe from Ultrima, or safe from him? Taurian wasn’t quite sure. The urge to mate with her had retreated. A little. But he couldn’t guarantee he could keep away from her.
He wasn’t sure he wanted to.
“I’m not going anywhere,” Karla said firmly. “This is too big an adventure for me to just opt out now. I’m staying until I see you safe with your family.”
“Then you’ll go home?”
Karla hesitated, her eyes staring into his. Taurian held his breath, not even sure what he wanted her to say.
“I don’t know,” she admitted.
Chapter 37
“Karla and Lisa should have the beds,” Bruce offered. “I’m happy to sleep on the floor.”
Karla didn’t really care where she slept. She was just relieved Ultrima had stopped chasing them and they were back at her father’s house, and she could sleep. For a week. The fact that there weren’t enough beds for everyone seemed like such a minor problem after all they’d been through.
It was only that morning that she’d arrived home to discover Bruce here, and since then, she’d rescued him from a dragon, healed Taurian, watched him fight another dragon, and found out Taurian’s clan was gone.
Surely finding room for them all to sleep could be accomplished quickly and without fuss.
“As shall I,” Taurian said quickly. “Dragons don’t sleep on beds anyway. A blanket is perfectly adequate.”
Karla tried not to look at Taurian. Maybe this wasn’t so simple. She didn’t want to even think about where he would be sleeping. Or whether he’d be naked or not. As exhausted as she was, her body heated as soon as that thought surfaced. She tried to suppress the desire, and failed miserably.
After his revelation earlier that day that if they slept together a third time, they’d be permanently mated, she knew she needed to keep her distance. Mating with him was a far bigger commitment than she was prepared to give right now. She’d known him for less than a week for goodness sake.
The attraction between them didn’t seem to be related to that at all. And it refused to be silenced. She couldn’t guarantee she could say no in the heat of the moment. Better that they slept as far away from each other as possible.
Lisa looked at both men, a half grin on her face. “Well, I’m not going to argue, I’m more than happy to sleep in a bed.”
Since there were only two beds, hers and her father’s, that would leave all three men on the floor. Then again, her father’s bed was a double. It occurred to Karla there was an advantage in not sleeping alone in the bedroom. Far less likely that Taurian would decide to visit her. “If you want to sleep in my room, Dad, Lisa and I can share your bed,” she suggested. “Then Taurian or Bruce can have the lounge.”
She should have known that would only complicate things further. Oh, her father was happy enough to sleep in her bed, it was the two younger men who were the problem.
“Bruce can have the couch,” Taurian said immediately. “As I already said, dragons are used to sleeping on the floor.”
Bruce folded his arms, a gesture that for him, was almost antagonistic. “I’ve slept on the floor more than once as well,” he said quickly. “I think, as a prince, Taurian should be the one sleeping on the sofa.”
Taurian looked down his nose at Bruce. “Being a prince doesn’t mean I’m soft, if that’s what you’re implying.”
“Stop. Both of you,” Karla demanded. She looked at them both. Apparently she was going to have to make a decision herself if she wanted to sleep any time soon. “Since Taurian’s the reason we’re all here, he can sleep on the floor and Bruce can have the couch.”
Taurian looked like he wasn’t sure whether he was pleased or annoyed at her reasoning. Eventually, he inclined his head with at least a show of graciousness.
Bruce hid a grin. He, at least, seemed happy with the decision. Karla suspected he hadn’t been looking forward t
o sleeping on the floor, no matter what he said.
To Karla’s relief, once that was sorted, everyone began to get ready for bed. She brought her suitcase out of her room and offered a change of clothes to Lisa who accepted them gratefully.
As the two of them changed in her father’s room, Lisa said,” I kind of expected you’d be sleeping with Taurian. Or was it too awkward with Bruce around?”
Karla paused with her foot half way into her pyjama shorts and stared at her. Lisa’s face was openly curious and Karla couldn’t detect any sign of malice. It was on the tip of her tongue to deny any feelings for Taurian, but then she paused. She finished dressing while she considered the situation. Lisa’s admiration for the dragon prince was obvious. And no matter how much distance Karla knew she should keep, she didn’t think she could handle watching Lisa flirt with him.
“Taurian and I only met a few days ago,” she said. “Given the situation right now, I think it’s better if we wait until all this is settled before we get involved in anything long term.”
“I’d just settle for jumping him,” Lisa said. “Then again, you’ve already done that, haven’t you?”
Karla bit back an angry retort and forced herself to take a deep breath. It wasn’t surprising that Lisa was curious. After Karla thought about it, she didn’t even really resent it. But that didn’t mean she had any idea how to answer her questions. Even the truth didn’t make much sense.
“Look, it’s complicated,” she said. “Taurian needed me to sleep with him so he could recover his strength after the healing. Neither of us are really sure how we feel about each other yet, so we’re not rushing into anything.”
Lisa’s eyebrows shot up. “Needed to sleep together? That’s the best excuse I’ve ever heard.”
“It’s not an excuse,” Karla shot back, a little too defensively. She shouldn’t have said anything. She should have known the truth would just sound like an excuse. Sometimes, she found it hard to believe it herself. She took a deep breath and tried to explain a little more clearly. “The magic that helped Taurian heal so quickly requires close physical contact and a sharing of energy.” She was probably explaining it all wrong, she only half understood what had happened, even though she’d been part of it. Twice now.
