Stolen Secret

by Emily Kimelman Gilvey

  He shifted his focus to me. “Please,” he said, his voice low and gentle. It wiped the smug smile right off my face.

  “Don’t go getting all genuine on me.” He flashed that arrogant grin. “That’s better.”

  Arrogant, asshat Dragon I could handle. Pushy, trying to get me to be his queen Dragon, I recognized. Saving my friends and then saying please all sweet and seductive, I wasn’t prepared for. Especially after Emmanuel’s revelation that he did do something to my memories of this man.

  Dragon held his hand out to me, and I took it. “Thank you for saving my friends,” I said.

  He nodded, giving me a small tug forward. “Let me show you a place to sleep. You must still be tired. It is early yet; you only rested a few hours.”

  We left the vampires in their dark lair and stepped back out into the courtyard. “You made this?” I asked. “It’s your chi, right?”

  “Yes, I created this home.” He glanced down at me. “But I can change it to suit you. If you want your friends to live with us, I can make a permanent space for them.”

  “You really want me to live here with you? For like, ever?”

  He cocked his head at me. “Yes.”

  “You know I’m working on a quest, right? I’m trying to end zombies. And I’m actually really close now.”

  “Yes, I understand that is what brought you to my world. But once you’ve succeeded, why not come live here with me?”

  I huffed a laugh as we started up a spiral staircase. Windows in the tower let in pale yellow sunlight. “You sound pretty sure I’ll succeed.”

  Dragon stopped, turning to me and blocking my path. “You doubt yourself?”

  Well now, that’s blunt. “Uh, yeah.” I shrugged, looking down at my feet. “Doesn’t everyone sometimes?”

  “Dragon’s do not doubt themselves.”

  “Shocker.”

  He tugged at our joined hands, getting me onto the same step as him, then tilted my chin up. “As my queen, you will never have to doubt yourself again.” His voice came out low, like he was serious. And didn’t that sound nice, to never doubt myself again?

  “Being someone else’s queen isn’t going to take away my fears.”

  He frowned. “Yes, it will. The bonding will give your chi my strength. You will be invincible. Dependent on no one but yourself.”

  “And you.”

  He sighed. “No, we will be equals.”

  “What about Emmanuel? I love him.”

  Dragon sneered and dropped his hand from my chin. “You will be subservient to him. He won’t allow you to be his equal.”

  “That’s not true.”

  Dragon raised one brow. “What happened to his last wife?”

  “She lied to him and joined forces with Seventh. She made mistakes. Her mistakes are not his.”

  “You cannot have us both,” Dragon declared.

  I sighed, weary of this conversation. “You said something about a bedroom.”

  He grinned that devilish, sexy grin. “Yes.”

  “Don’t look at me like that,” I warned. He waved for me to start up the steps again. I turned and began to climb. “And stop staring at my ass.”

  “Never,” he said quietly. I couldn’t help but laugh.

  At the top of the tower, a room fit for a queen awaited. Windows arched, letting in light and exposing the brilliant blue sky. The bed, made of Dragon chi, sparkled—the fur blankets tossed across it, the perfect juxtaposition to the hard frame.

  “I will leave you alone,” Dragon offered. “So you may sleep on your thoughts.”

  “Thanks.”

  He bowed before disappearing back down the stairs.

  Sleeping on my thoughts… yeah. That’s what I was going to do.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Emmanuel’s tongue lathed my throat. “Dear Lord, I’ve missed you,” I said on a moan. His hands moved up my sides, pushing my shirt away.

  I raised my arms, and he pulled it over my head. My hands came down on either side of his face, holding him still for a moment so that I could look at him.

  Dragon’s fingers brushed down my spine, a wave of pleasure following in their wake. His lips kissed my shoulder. Emmanuel’s mouth captured mine, his hands squeezing my thighs.

  I straddled him. Dragon knelt behind us, his bare chest meeting my naked back as he wrapped his arms around me so that his hands could find my breasts. He pulled my earlobe between his teeth.

  I groaned into Emmanuel’s mouth, my entire body on fire, energy pouring into me from every angle.

  This is what I needed.

  Fabric ripped, and Dragon pulled my torn skirt free from my waist. Emmanuel still wore a shirt, and I worked at the buttons with dumb fingers. I could barely think, let alone take action.

  Emmanuel chuckled as he pulled away, leaning back into the couch. His lips wet and swollen, eyes burning with desire, he slowly unbuttoned his shirt, holding my gaze the entire time.

  My head tipped back, landing on Dragon’s shoulder as I watched him. Is it possible for me to combust? Just straight-up explode from the hotness of this moment?

  Dragon’s hand drifted down my torso, over my belly, and then dove into my panties. Emmanuel’s eyes dropped to where Dragon’s fingers explored me.

  I arched into Dragon’s hand. Emmanuel slipped his shirt over his shoulders and then returned his hands to my thighs, spreading them just a little more.

  Dragon’s fingers moved faster, building a fire inside me. Emmanuel leaned forward and captured my nipple, letting his essence flow into me. It dove down between my legs, and my eyes fluttered closed as I groaned.

  Dragon eased away from me, and I whimpered, my eyes opening. He laughed against my shoulder. “We want to make you suffer, Darling, the way you make us suffer.”

  “How’s that?” I asked, my voice breathless.

  “Yes,” Emmanuel agreed, his mouth on my breast. “You must feel what we feel.”

  “The frustration,” Dragon said.

  “The need,” Emmanuel added.

  “I feel frustrated and needy,” I promised. They both laughed, the sound vibrating through me, hitting me right in the core so that I moaned again.

  Dragon lifted me, and Emmanuel stood.

  My feet touched the ground, but Dragon did not let go of my waist. I might have fallen if he had—my knees were weak.

  “Time to wake up,” Dragon said. His breath sent waves of desire through me. “Wake up.”

  I blinked. Aw crap. Dragon sat next to me on the bed, his eyes narrowed. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

  “You smell of desire,” he said, his voice rough.

  “Gross, dude.”

  “Dude?”

  I opened my eyes to see him grinning at me, his dimples popping. And shocker, the guy wasn’t wearing a shirt. It would probably just get ripped off when he spread those fancy-ass wings of his.

  Pushing myself up onto my elbows, I yawned. Light still filtered in through the arched windows, the sky outside a dusky blue. “It’s not night yet; why’d you wake me?”

  “It almost is, and you were whimpering in your sleep. I got jealous.”

  I barked a laugh. “Don’t be, you were there.”

  He raised one brow. “Was I now?”

  “Yeah, I guess it wasn’t you. Just a dream this time.”

  “Please, tell me more.” He leaned toward me, putting a hand on either side of my hips but not touching me.

  “It was you,” I said. His lips twitched into a smile, “and Emmanuel.” That pulled his mouth into a frown. “Delicious.” I smacked my lips.

  “You want us both?”

  “Yeah, I’d say that about sums it up.”

  He looked down, his eyes unfocused. “How is that possible?” A succubus wants what a succubus wants. “Lay with me.” He raised his eyes to meet mine. “Be my queen, taste the power. And if you still want him after, I will fight him for you.”

  “Nope.”

  He jerked as if I’d
slapped him. “I offer to risk my life, and you dismiss me so easily?”

  “I don’t want either of you to die.” I pushed him back, throwing off the covers and climbing out of the bed, naked. I’d showered before sleeping and didn’t pack any pj’s. Dragon’s eyes followed me as I went to the chair where I’d tossed my dirty clothing. I had clean undies and a fresh shirt in my pack. “You don’t have a laundry machine, do you?” I asked, turning to him.

  The fire in his eyes took my breath. Oh. Gulp.

  He stood up, his hands fisting, as if he needed to squeeze them to stop himself from grabbing me. Don’t hold back on my account, buddy. Wait, no. I’m not sleeping with him outside my dreams. That would be cheating on Emmanuel. Oh, the guy who wiped Dragon from my mind…

  Damn.

  Dragon’s influence slinked across the room, curling at my feet and then spinning around my ankles, igniting passion. My hunger roared to life, forcing me to drop the clothing and cross the room to him in long, ground-eating strides.

  I wrapped my arms around Dragon’s neck, digging my fingers into the short hair at the base of his skull and pressing my naked chest against his as I dragged his face down to mine. His hands cupped my naked backside, lifting me so that our mouths met in the middle.

  The castle shook, stars exploded behind my eyes, and my hunger raged. It flickered over his skin, trying to burn him. Dragon may be made of the strongest stuff on earth, but I was made of the hottest.

  He turned, lowering us both to the bed. Our kiss deepened.

  I wriggled against him, desperate for release. For his power to be mine. Running my hands down his back, I hit his waistband and pushed at his pants. They disappeared. Fancy trick, that.

  His mouth left mine, and I gasped for breath as he moved down my body—his naked center getting further away from mine. Wrong direction.

  In my dream, he teased me; why should reality be any different? Our powers circled the room, intertwining, coming together and then splitting apart, teasing as much as our bodies.

  My hunger pulled at him, trying to find satisfaction. I wouldn’t get what I needed until he was inside me. “Take me,” I pleaded. “Now.”

  His laugh rumbled against my stomach. “Your wish is my command.” Dragon kissed his way back up my body, his stubble sending electric pulses of desire rushing over me. He fit himself between my thighs. I wrapped my legs around him. Dragon stopped moving, his hands cradling my head.

  I met his eyes. So gorgeous.

  His lips, plump from our kisses, broke into a smile.

  I whimpered. “Now.”

  His smile turned predatory. “Yes, now,” he agreed, plunging deep. My eyes closed, and I melted. The hungry flames of my nature met the hard strength of his, and we fit like two halves of a whole.

  With Emmanuel, our shared desire powered our union. With Dragon, our influences delighted in each other—our opposite natures made better for the other’s touch.

  The dreams rushed back to me. The hunger he’d ignited in me finally quenching. Power, unlike anything I’d felt, quivered over me. My chi took on the strength of his—my power transforming, not just strengthening but actually changing. The blueish-green, glittering hardness of Dragon’s influence entered the red diamond of mine, and together they burned. They burned. They burned.

  I’ll never be the same.

  I climbed off the bed, my legs unsteady. Laughing, I reached out to grab at the bed. My vision swam for a second before settling on Dragon, still splayed across the blankets, his head resting on a forearm, his eyes following me. I cleared my throat. “I didn’t mean to do that,” I said, straightening, trying to recover some dignity. Not gonna happen.

  He raised one brow. “Really? You seemed to have a lot of your own ideas.”

  “Yeah.” I shrugged. “I don’t always have great control over my hunger.”

  He sat up in a smooth motion, his abdominal muscles bunching, the tattoo on his stomach creasing. “Do you still hunger, my queen?”

  Huh? I didn’t. I cocked my head, meeting his eyes. Did he just say my queen?

  “Wait.” I backed up a step. “You can’t feed me.”

  “Now that we are bonded, I can. Anything in my realm can feed you. In this world, you require no other.”

  “But we didn’t bond.” Even as I said the words, I knew they weren’t true. “You tricked me.” It came out a whisper.

  His brow furrowed. “I did no such thing.”

  “Yes.” That came out louder. “You did. You put yourself and Emmanuel in my dream, got me all… and then you just stood there all…” An amused smile twisted his lips. “Why are you smiling!”

  “You felt the call. As you said.” He waved a hand down his body. “I just stood there.”

  I snorted. He grinned. “You didn’t just stand there. You…”

  “Touched you. Worshiped you. Made you mine and gave myself to you.”

  “That’s one way of putting it.” I kept backing up. My bare feet didn’t make any noise against the smooth scales of the floor. Where was my clothing? I needed all the clothing… so I didn’t crawl back into bed with him. “That’s more romantic than I would put it. But… yeah, okay.” I turned, scanning the floor. It seemed to thrum against my bare feet, energy humming between it and me. My clothing lay in a pile next to my pack where I’d dropped it before launching myself at him. My hunger made me do it.

  I arrowed for the clothing, swiping it off the floor. As I stood, my eyes caught on the window—pastel blues, pinks, and peaches played against the canvas of swirling clouds outside. The sun was setting.

  I stood there and breathed. Energy seeped into me from the world—from every living thing in this realm. Ripples of power radiated out of me in turn, like the disturbance in a pool of water when a rock was dropped into its depths.

  I am stone. I am water. I am everything… and nothing.

  My chi called to me, and I realized with a shock of awe that the power of creation was mine.

  Dragon crossed to me, covering my hands with his. “You no longer need these,” he said. “You can create your own clothing.”

  “I can?” Yes, I can.

  “And you may know my name.” He said it like he really wanted me to know it, like he wanted me to know him.

  “It won’t tame you?”

  He shook his head. “Now that we are bonded, you may call me Slater.”

  “Slater?”

  He nodded.

  “We’re really bonded.” It wasn’t a question. I was the queen to his Captain Obvious.

  “Yes, my queen.”

  “But… I love Emmanuel.”

  “It will fade.”

  I narrowed my eyes at him. “You don’t actually know me. You know that?”

  His lips thinned. “I know you very well, my queen. But if you are insistent that you still love Emmanuel, even after tasting the power we make together, then I shall fight him for you.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Why is everything so damn dramatic with you two? I swear.” I pulled back from him. “You both want eternal commitments, are willing to kill each other over me. So dumb.”

  “Dumb?” His voice came out a low thrum. I met his gaze. It burned with anger now.

  “Yeah.” I straightened. “Dumb. Why is it all or nothing?”

  “You wish to pass through the valley of pixies, to climb the Mountain of No Return. You came to my world. All I’ve done is offered you help.”

  “And strings, lots and lots of strings.” He cocked his head. “You’ve never heard that expression?”

  “No.”

  I took a fortifying breath and wet my lips before meeting his gaze again. “I am mine.”

  “Yes.”

  “Okay, good.” I nodded. Glad we got that out of the way. I turned my back to him, laying my pile of clothing on the bed to sort through it.

  “And you are mine,” he said. I sighed. “As I am yours.”

  I yanked on my pants with a growl and shrugged into my dirty shirt. �
�Megan!” I yelled.

  Dragon—or Slater… yeah, I guess I should call him by his name not his species—wrapped power around himself. It melded into a pair of black leather pants and boots. Still no shirt.

  I sniffed, smelling the dirt and sweat in my clothing. “How do you do that?” I asked, jutting my chin at his pants.

  He gave me that cocky grin again. “You need more girl talk?”

  “Yes. And I’d like to know how to make pants.”

  He walked toward me. I forced myself to stand still, not retreat or run up and rub myself against him. Argh, this guy was impossible! The red diamond center of me did not share my angst. It throbbed with strength and power, reaching out to his chi as he neared. “All you have to do,” Dragon said, laying his open palm on my belly, “is create it. You can create anything you want now—buildings, weapons, armor.” I chewed on my lower lip, looking up at him. “You may as well take this clothing off first,” he suggested all suggestively.

  “You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”

  He dropped to his knees. Slater rested his cheek against my shirt and wrapped his arms around my waist. Sighing, he breathed me in.

  My hands played across his shoulders, tracing the strength in them, sliding over the smooth skin and hard muscle. My heart pounded, each beat insisting that I loved him. Joy and gratitude welled in my chest, throbbing through me. His own emotions pulsing into me.

  It felt so good. To be loved. And to love…

  But we didn’t know each other. Our powers did though—they’d bonded even if my head couldn’t get around it. Even if my heart still yearned for Emmanuel.

  Steps on the staircase preceded a knock on the door. “It’s Megan; you called me?”

  “Yes,” Slater answered, turning his face to kiss my stomach through my shirt before rising. “Darling requires more girl talk.”

  The door opened. Slater cupped my face and leaned down, kissing me so that my toes curled, my diamond red center melted all over again, and his heart beat with mine.

  Megan cleared her throat, and Slater pulled away. He ran a thumb over my lips before turning, bowing to Megan, then leaving us alone.