by Jackie May
“Well, we can’t do anything while Nora and Oliver are both still out.” That’s Terrance.
I enter the room with a yawn and look at most of my men sitting around the dining table sharing a home-cooked meal. It’s unbelievably domestic and plucks at my heartstrings. Terrance sits at the head of the table with Parker to his right and Rook on his left. I don’t think that’s coincidence. I’ve noticed the guys have fallen into certain roles. If we were a pack, Parker would be Terrance’s second and Rook his third. Illren would be our enforcer. Trolls must rank themselves similarly to wolves, or maybe that’s all clan structure. I’ll have to ask Terrance about it sometime.
Nick, Ren, Charlie, Illren, and even Wulf and Enzo are all lined up on either side of the massive table. The only people missing are Oliver and me. “How’s Oliver?” I ask, entering the room and taking a seat beside Ren. He gives me a side hug, and I kiss his cheek. “You okay?” I ask, because he looked distraught the last time I saw him.
He sucks in a deep breath and kisses my temple. “Better, now that you’re awake. I can’t handle both of you being unconscious.”
Without being asked, the guys fill me a bowl of chili and a plate of cornbread. I inhale deeply and my mouth starts to salivate. “Mmm, this smells good. I’m starving.”
“You should be,” Rook mutters. “You’ve been out for about twenty hours.”
I drop my spoon, and it clatters against the side of my bowl. “Twenty hours? A whole day?”
My eyes look to Nick for confirmation. He nods. I blink a few times. Twenty hours. “That’s a new record.”
“You were stuck in the imprint for nearly twenty minutes,” Nick says. “And I’m sure it was violent. You said yourself those are the worst ones.”
I sigh. “You’re right. I guess it’s not that big a surprise.” I think back on the vision I had of Christov’s death and shudder.
A new thought occurs to me, and I sit straight up in my chair, my entire body going rigid. “It’s been twenty hours, and Oliver’s still out?”
A heavy silence fills the room. When the guys all send each other weighted glances, I bolt from the table and dash into Oliver’s room. I stumble to a stop at the side of Oliver’s bed and cover a gasp. He’s so pale! His skin is almost translucent, and his face is gaunt. His eyes and cheeks are sunken in like he’s been unconscious for weeks and not days. His hair is still soaked with sweat. “Ollie,” I croak.
My eyes fill with tears. I rake his hair back, and his forehead is still burning. But when I grab his hand, it’s so ice cold that I shiver. My tears spill onto the bed as I lean over my best friend.
The men all shuffle into the room. I find Enzo in the crowd. “Is he going to die?”
Enzo’s gaze slides to Oliver, and he swallows hard. “I can’t say, Miss Nora.” He moves to the side of the bed and he presses the back of his hand to Oliver’s forehead. “I have been rejuvenating his body as best I can, but the magic is breaking it down so fast.”
A sob escapes me.
Strong arms come around me, and Rook’s woodsy scent fills my head. I whirl around and bury my face in his chest. The men let me cry for a minute before Rook forces me to sit in the chair beside Oliver’s bed. Terrance brings my bowl of chili to me. My stomach churns, and I shake my head. “I can’t eat right now.”
For once, Terrance doesn’t give me a hard look, but he still thrusts the food out to me. “You need to eat,” he says. “You don’t look much better than Oliver right now.”
I know he’s right, so I give up my argument and take the bowl from him. The food that smelled so wonderful before has no taste going down. I can’t think of anything but Oliver and how close to death he looks right now.
All the guys find various spots around the room. With all of them in here it’s a pretty tight squeeze, but no one seems to want to leave. Enzo climbs onto the bed beside Oliver, and, sitting with his legs crossed, holds out his hands over Oliver’s chest. I want to ask what he’s doing, but I also don’t want to bother him.
“Nora,” Nick says hesitantly, breaking the deafening silence in the room. “I know now is a horrible time to have to think about work, but I need to know what you saw back on the island.”
It’s hard to focus with Oliver lying so helpless beside me, but I pull my thoughts together for Nick. Christov was his family. “There were three of them, but Christov killed one of them,” I murmur, gently holding Oliver’s pale, freezing fragile hand. “They wore ski masks. I couldn’t identify them by face, but I would recognize voices, and I got names—a woman named Galina, a man named Sabin, and a second man named Terlack. That’s the one Christov killed.”
“I know of them,” Illren murmurs. “Fey mercenaries.”
Nick cuts Illren a sharp look. “You know where to find them?”
Illren shakes his head. “But I know who might.”
“Good. You can come with me to pick them up. We’ll bring Parker with us.”
Illren nods, accepting the assignment though he has no ties to the FUA.
Enzo slumps forward, eyes drooping and shoulders sagging. He’s broken into a sweat. I stand up, setting my hardly eaten bowl of chili aside to help Enzo. He seems to be in a trance, so I lay him back on the bed beside Oliver, making sure to keep Oliver’s hand in his. I’m assuming he has to be making physical contact for his magic to work since that’s what I’ve always seen him do.
“Did you see anything else, Nora?” Nick asks when I sit back in my chair. “Something that might tell us what their plan is or why they went after him?” He’s gritting his teeth, barely controlling his anger. I almost feel bad for Galina and Sabin once Nick gets hold of them.
“Money,” I say, with a sigh. “They spoke of a bounty—two million dollars. But they weren’t supposed to kill him. The bounty said he was wanted alive. They tried to capture him in his human form. They shot him with liquid gold.”
A fierce snarl rips through the room, and then the energy around Nick stirs as he shifts into his partial form. Smoke puffs from his nose, and his eyes blaze with fury. “Those sadistic bastards! Gold is our biggest weakness—like silver to a shifter. It burns through our systems, rendering our magic useless. It’s cruel. Torture.”
I cross the room to Nick and place my hand on his cheek, trying to bring him down from his rage. “He fought back,” I promise. Nick covers my hand with his and closes his eyes. He takes several deep breaths before opening them again and meets my steady gaze.
“They must not have hit him with enough of the gold, because he managed to shift and fight them back. He blasted one of them with his ice and nearly killed the second man in a physical fight. But with the third one helping and the lake frozen over so he couldn’t escape, it was just too much.”
I gulp, not wanting to admit the next part, but Nick can tell I’m holding back. “Just tell me,” he says through gritted teeth, a growl still in his voice.
I sigh. “They were angry that he was killed. They argued about it. They were afraid they wouldn’t get paid now, and that they might have to go after you. They needed a live dragon. Instead, they took as much of his blood and scales as they could, hoping that the client would accept it and they could at least collect a partial bounty considering they lost their comrade.”
Nick growls again. His eyes are still the vertical slits of his dragon. “I’m going to kill them. I’m going to rip their heads off and feed them to the redcaps. I’m going to—”
“Nick,” I say softly, placing my hand on his arm. “We need them alive. We need to figure out who set the bounty before more try to collect on it. With Christov gone, you’re the only dragon left on this continent. Two million dollars might just make someone brave enough to come after you.”
Nick’s eyes flash again, and he starts physically radiating fear. It’s a trick he can do in his partially shifted form. I have to breathe through it in order not to panic. “I’d like to see them try,” he growls.
“Well, I wouldn’t.” I gently squeeze his
forearm to gain his attention. “I know you want blood, but you’ll have to settle for justice. Go bring them in, and we’ll interrogate them. Then we’ll send them to the supernatural prison for the rest of their miserable lives.” When his eyes narrow, I add, “Or we’ll kill them and feed them to a bunch of sadistic faeries.”
He seems much more pleased with that option and flicks his gaze to Illren. “You ready?”
Illren gives him a frightening smile. “Always.”
“Be careful,” I say.
Both men look insulted by the warning.
“There are two of them, they’re pissed, and they need a dragon. They’ll capture you if they can,” I say stubbornly when Nick frowns. I shoot Illren a warning look. “Watch his back.”
Illren nods. “With my life, Mistress.”
I feel mildly better. “You be careful, too. Remember, he’s not the only one with a price on his head.”
Illren scoffs as if he thinks he’s indestructible. Before I can argue with him, Parker steps up and places a hand on my shoulder. I’ll look after both of them,” he promises. “With three of us, they’ll be outnumbered, and remember that Nick is a dragon. A fire-breathing monster with impenetrable armor and the strength of fifty men. He’s not exactly helpless.”
I sigh and let Parker pull me against his chest. “Sorry. I know. But I still worry.”
Parker kisses my forehead. “We’ll be safe.”
His lips on my skin do wonders for calming my nerves. “You’d better. I can’t handle more than one of you being hurt at a time. Oliver is bad enough. I won’t survive much more.”
Parker brings my face back to his and claims my lips in a soft kiss. “He’ll pull through this, Nora. And we’ll be back soon.”
He follows Nick and Illren out of the room. I watch them go until Rook pulls me back into his arms. I lay my head on his chest and let him hold me. “Everything will be okay. We’ll figure this mess out.”
His arms rove over my back, soothing my frayed nerves enough to relax my tight muscles. I let out a long sigh, and my eyelids droop.
A second pair of hands grips my shoulders and starts massaging them. “You’re exhausted,” Charlie murmurs. “Why don’t you go with Rook and lie down. Let him help you relax and get some rest.”
Warmth spreads through my body at the thought of relaxing with Rook. It sounds heavenly, and something ignites inside me, but my thoughts quickly turn back to Oliver. I pull my face out of Rook’s chest and glance at my sorcerer. Charlie follows my gaze. “Don’t worry about Oliver. Terrance, Ren, and I can look after him for a while.” He turns to face me and cups my cheek, then he surprises me by pressing his lips to mine. The kiss is delicate. It’s soft and sincere and melts me just a little. When he pulls back, he smiles tenderly at me. “Go,” he murmurs, stroking my cheek with his thumb. “Let Rook take care of you.”
Rook takes my hand as if following Charlie’s orders and gently pulls me from the room. We head wordlessly toward his bedroom. I keep thinking I should be nervous—I haven’t been in Rook’s room since we moved him in—but I’m shockingly calm. Rook loves me. He’ll look after me.
His room isn’t much different from all the others here in the den. A large king bed takes up most of the space, with night tables on either side and a dresser across the room with a TV mounted on the wall above it. Rook has filled the room with several plants and has placed a wooden rocking chair in the corner of the room beside one of the bedside tables. A worn paperback lies on the table with a bookmark sticking out of the top.
Rook moves behind me as I take in the sight of his personal space, and he starts running his hands up and down my arms. Goose bumps spring up on my arms, and I suck in a sharp breath when his cool lips make contact with my neck. I roll my head to the side, giving him better access. “Come to bed with me, Nora,” he murmurs, his lips tickling my sensitive skin.
I’m not sure if he means to sleep, or something else. Either option elicits strong desire.
Rook pulls his lips away from me long enough to lift my shirt over my head, and then his mouth is on me again, scorching hot kisses down my throat. I know I should be wary, that normally I would be panicking right now, but my body is on fire. I want this. I’m coming alive with every press of his lips to my skin.
My hands slip beneath the hem of his shirt, finding hot skin and hard muscles. A low rumble comes from deep within Rook, and he rips his shirt off. He scoops me into his arms and moves us to the bed. He lays me down and takes his place beside me. I roll into him, and he claims my lips in a fierce kiss. His hands roam all over my skin.
I shiver, and a moan escapes me. Rook takes advantage and plunges his tongue into my mouth. I ignite. My body thrums with anticipation. I bury my hands in Rook’s hair, pulling him flush against me. His hands fall down my back, and he makes quick work of my bra. Then, next thing I know, his mouth is trailing kisses down my throat and to the swell of my breasts. “Are you okay?” he murmurs, hovering just above where I want him.
I am okay. I’m more than okay. In fact, I’m shocked at how okay I am. “I’m good, I promise.”
That’s all the permission Rook needs. He starts peppering me with kisses again, and my chest heaves as I struggle for breath. My heart hammers, but it’s not with anxiety or fear. It’s excitement. It’s arousal. “I think Charlie worked his magic on us,” I gasp out.
Rook pulls back and looks down at me through hooded eyes. “Do you want me to stop?”
I bite my lip. I definitely don’t want him to stop, but there’s something I want even more than his kisses right now. “I want you to claim me,” I say, my heart skipping nervous beats.
He stiffens, and his eyes start to glow faintly as his wolf surfaces. “Nora…” It comes out almost as a cautionary growl.
The warning steels my resolve. “I want this,” I promise. “I want to be with you, but I want to belong to you wholly and completely before I do.”
With a low rumble deep in his chest, Rook attacks my mouth with ferocity. I know his wolf is in control, but I’m not scared. His wolf would never hurt me. He lifts himself up and climbs on top of me. As he lowers himself down, pressing his bare chest against my own and settling his hips over mine, my adrenaline spikes, but I’m able to work through it. This is Rook. He loves me, and I love him. He won’t hurt me.
“Are you okay?” he asks, voice deep and full of dominance that only his wolf possesses.
“I’m good, Rook. Claim me. I don’t know how it works, but I want you to do it. Right now. I want to complete the bond.”
Rook growls again, a deep rumbly noise that vibrates his chest and sets me on fire. “Mine,” he says roughly. “Mate.”
“Yes, Rook. I am your mate. Claim me.”
Without warning, Rook sinks his teeth into my shoulder at the base of my neck. His teeth pierce my skin. I let out a startled cry, but it only stings for a second, and then the tingle of magic spreads across my whole body, rushing though me. I can feel it settling within me, embedding into my very soul as if Rook’s and my soul are becoming one with each other.
Need like I’ve never known pulses through me, urging me to complete the bond. Instinct takes over, and I roll Rook onto his back. I let loose a growl of my own and I climb on top of him, straddling his waist. His eyes are feverish, glowing with the strength of his alpha wolf. I’m not sure how I know to do it, but I bite down on his shoulder as hard as I can. I pierce his skin and magic explodes through us again, solidifying the bond between us, merging our energies and fusing our souls together permanently. “Mine,” I snarl, my possessive siren making her presence known.
Rook makes a noise in response. I shiver from the raw desire in it, and then his mouth is on mine, claiming it with ferocity. We attack each other with unbridled passion.
“I need you, Nora,” Rook whispers.
“So take me.”
Rooks stops kissing me to search my eyes. I stare back with a steady gaze. “Make love to me, Rook.”
Roo
k sucks in a deep breath through his nose and nods slowly as he lets it out. “You stop me if you need to.”
I nod. “I will.”
“You promise?”
I crack a smile. My wolf is so desperate to claim my body, but his main concern is still me. I have no doubt that he’s the right man for this job. “I promise, Rook. Just go slow, okay? Be gentle with me.”
Rook doesn’t respond with words. He lifts me off him and lays me back on the bed. He takes his time exploring and worshiping my body, making me feel as though I’m a precious miracle he’s been given. I’ve never felt safer or more loved than I do in his arms. And when he finally joins us together, making us one both physically and spiritually, I feel changed. It’s as if he shatters my past, breaking the binds that have kept me living in fear my entire life. His love brings me new life, and I know I’ll never fear intimacy again. Not from him. Not from any of my men. I am wholly a new woman.
When we’re finally both sated, we settle in his bed, me lying against his beautifully naked body, wrapped in his strong arms. He holds me tightly against him, content to simply revel in the afterglow with me.
Rook and I lie in bed together for a long time—neither of us sleeping, both just relaxing and enjoying the feel of one another. “How does it work?” I ask when I’m finally ready to break the silence. “When Marie bit me, it nearly killed me. Why was tonight different?”
Rook absently runs his fingers up and down my back. “I wasn’t in wolf form,” he says. “It’s only the wolf saliva that is poisonous. In our human form, without the poison overpowering it, the shifter magic is able to do its job.”
I run my fingers over his washboard abs. Even relaxed, his body is firm. “And what, exactly, does it do? I swear I can feel your heart beating in sync with mine.”
“That’s because it is. The magic fused our souls together. It created a bond only breakable by death. We may be two separate people, but now we are also one.”
I take a moment to process this. We share a soul. It’s almost impossible to wrap my mind around, and yet, I can feel exactly what he means.
