Dark Alpha's Temptation--A Reaper Novel

by Donna Grant

  Unease rippled through Dubhan. “What do you mean she’s invincible?”

  “Invincible,” Mike said, a bite to his tone. “What don’t you understand about the word? It means she can’t be killed.”

  Dubhan felt Kyra’s gaze on him. She was thinking the same thing as he was—Usaeil’s body had disappeared after Rhi killed her. All this time, Dubhan had assumed that Death had taken the queen but now. . . .

  “I know that look on your faces.” Mike swallowed hard and shook his head. “Something bad has happened.”

  “We need to read the book,” Kyra told Dubhan.

  While he agreed, a part of him didn’t want to know what was between the pages of the story. He had a suspicion that whatever he learned would set everyone back on their heels.

  Mike yanked the book from Kyra’s hand. “Not until I’m finished.”

  Kyra held up her hands briefly. “I wouldn’t dream of taking that from you before you were done.”

  “Good.” Mike then flipped through the pages and found where he’d marked his spot.

  Dubhan narrowed his gaze on the mortal. “Mike, did you record everything when you were in the bookshop?”

  “No,” the mortal said after a moment. “I shut off my phone when I left the store. Why?”

  “Did the girl at the bookstore say anything to you that you didn’t quite understand? As if in another language maybe?” Dubhan probed.

  “Now that you mention it, yes,” Mike said as he looked up from the book. “Why?”

  Kyra flashed a big smile. “No reason.”

  They fell quiet as Mike went back to reading, the food—and them—forgotten. Dubhan wanted to speak to Kyra, but out of earshot of the human, yet he didn’t want to get too far away either. Dubhan jerked his head toward the door. Kyra nodded, and they rose quietly before making their way into the hallway.

  “The Druid spelled him,” Kyra said, her words laced with anger.

  Dubhan waved away her words. “It’s an inconvenience, yes, but no more than that.”

  “Depends on what else she did. For all we know, as soon as he finishes the book, he’s going to join the Others.”

  “He’s human. Why would they want him? He has no magic.”

  Kyra rolled her eyes. “You’re the one with all the Dragon King knowledge, I can’t believe you wouldn’t piece together what the humans would do if they knew of the Kings now.”

  “Shite.” Dubhan squeezed the bridge of his nose.

  A moment later, Cael appeared. His face was lined with apprehension. “We have a problem.”

  “Just one?” Dubhan asked with a small laugh.

  Cael didn’t so much as crack a smile. Dubhan then took a closer look at the new god. Cael wasn’t just concerned, tension gripped his body, and anger filled his dark purple gaze.

  “Has something happened?” Kyra asked. “It isn’t Erith, is it?”

  Cael gave a single shake of his head. “She and the other Reapers are fine. It’s what we’ve learned from Mike.”

  Dubhan waited, knowing that whatever words fell from Cael’s lips would turn the tide of the entire situation. He wanted it to be in their favor, but it never was. Whatever Cael knew—and was about to share—was going to work against them. The question was, how much?

  Cael drew in a deep breath before slowly releasing it. “We would’ve told all of you sooner had but one of you asked.”

  “Asked what?” Dubhan pressed.

  “About Usaeil.”

  Kyra reached for Dubhan’s hand, sliding her palm against his so their fingers interlaced.

  “Death didn’t take Usaeil’s body,” Cael announced. “We don’t know where Usaeil is. Or who has her.”

  Chapter Twenty-one

  It felt as if everything were spinning out of control. Kyra waited for Cael to laugh and say that he was jesting, but he didn’t seem the sort to joke—especially when it came to something so serious.

  “Why didn’t you or Death say anything?” Dubhan demanded.

  Cael stared at him for a long time before he said, “Do you think she tells you every problem she’s juggling?”

  “I think what Dubhan meant to say was that this news is important, and while he understands that Death in no way owes anyone an explanation, Usaeil’s body disappearing is something everyone should know,” Kyra said.

  Dubhan held Cael’s stony glare with one of his own. “Including the Dragon Kings.”

  “What Erith decides to tell Con and the Kings is her business,” Cael replied.

  Dubhan snorted. “You know exactly what Death will and won’t share with everyone.”

  Cael shrugged one shoulder in response.

  Kyra tightened her fingers around Dubhan’s hand. His irritation wasn’t getting them anywhere. “It doesn’t do anyone any good for us to bicker among ourselves. This is a problem for sure, but one that can be worked out. Somehow,” she finished, wondering why she couldn’t seem to keep her mouth shut.

  “Always the voice of reason,” Dubhan said as he turned his head to her.

  She looked at him, and to her surprise, his lips were turned up in a smile. She leaned forward and lifted her face, pressing her lips against his. Only then did she remember that Cael was there.

  Kyra glanced in his direction to find Cael looking at her. He gave her a quick smile and a bow of his head as if to say that he approved. She wasn’t sure what he approved of—her kissing Dubhan, or the fact that they were together.

  Heck, for all she knew, it was both. Or something else entirely. It didn’t matter. What she liked was that Cael appeared to accept her, which was all she needed.

  “Kyra’s right,” Cael said. “Erith and I should’ve told all of you the moment we discovered that Usaeil was missing.”

  Dubhan looked at him and blew out a breath. “And I should trust that you and Death are handling everything as it should be.”

  “This is nice and all, but I’m confused,” Kyra said. “From everything I’ve heard from other Fae, they saw Rhi plunge her sword into Usaeil. The queen is dead.”

  Cael quirked a brow. “Not according to what Mike said in there.”

  “There’s something in the book,” Dubhan said.

  The three of them looked at each other. Cael veiled himself at the same time she and Dubhan walked back into the flat, but Mike was nowhere to be found.

  “I knew it,” Dubhan bit out.

  Kyra released his hand and searched the tiny flat, hoping that Mike might be in the toilet or maybe hiding in the closet, but he was well and truly gone.

  Cael appeared near the door. “There’s something in that book the Others don’t want us to know.”

  “I was sure the book was meant for us,” Kyra said.

  Dubhan stood with his hands clenched. “I think they wanted us to see it. I think they wanted us to figure out exactly what we did. We never should have left Mike alone.”

  “It wouldn’t have mattered. He was going to leave with the book one way or another,” Cael said.

  Kyra happened to agree with the god/Reaper. She wasn’t exactly sure what he was, but she knew he was powerful, in charge, and Death’s lover.

  “A Druid couldn’t do this. Not up on the fifth floor,” Dubhan pointed out.

  Kyra walked to the window and looked out to the street below. “He got away somehow. There are no stairs here, but that doesn’t mean magic was used.”

  She turned back around to see Cael moving his hand in a big circle before him as if he were wiping off a glass wall or something. As she watched, she actually saw his magic as trails of purple moving through the air behind his hand before they faded.

  Then he halted his hand and closed his eyes. A moment later, shots of purple exploded out horizontally in all directions. There was nowhere for her to go, so she remained still and let the magic touch her.

  The moment the power shot out, Cael’s eyes opened, and he turned toward the table where they had left Mike reading. The food was just as it had been. Cael didn’
t touch any of it as he moved around Mike’s chair.

  “He was taken from this spot,” Cael stated.

  Kyra glanced at Dubhan, who merely shrugged his shoulders as if to say her guess was as good as his. Kyra was beginning to realize that Cael was quite new to this whole god thing, but whatever powers he had, they were impressive and extensive.

  His purple eyes lifted and met hers. “Magic was used. Fae magic.”

  “Fek,” Dubhan mumbled and turned away angrily.

  Kyra couldn’t pull her gaze away from Cael. “Why are you looking at me?”

  “Because I get a sense of you here.”

  She jerked back, unsure if she’d heard him correctly. “I’m not a part of helping the Others. Not only did you see me in the hall, but you also know the Others are after me.”

  “Are they?” he asked.

  Dubhan whirled around, his face set in hard lines as his red eyes glared daggers at Cael. “The Others were at her cottage. I heard them.”

  “But they didn’t attack,” Cael pointed out. “Both of you thought that was curious.”

  Kyra couldn’t refute that. She glanced at Dubhan before she repeated, “I’m not helping the Others. You don’t have to believe me, but I know the truth.”

  Dubhan came to stand beside her. He then took her hand in his and looked at Cael. “She’s with us.”

  “I never said she wasn’t,” Cael replied. “I merely pointed out a fact.”

  Kyra didn’t want to admit that he was right, but damn if Cael wasn’t. She sighed and faced Dubhan. “I want you to know that I am with you. I have nothing to do with the Others, but I can see how it might look otherwise. I found you when no other Fae has been able to do that. I offered to help when most rational people wouldn’t have. I came up with the idea that we should talk to Mike and read the book. And the most damning part is that Cael senses me in the magic.”

  “It’s not you,” Cael explained. “I sense a part of you. That’s different.”

  A muscle ticked in Dubhan’s jaw as he stared into her eyes. “I believe you. I know you. It sounds insane, but it’s like I’ve always known you.”

  “Did either of you hear me?” Cael asked.

  Kyra wanted to answer Cael, but her attention was on Dubhan. “I felt the same way the first time I saw you. It’s why I tried to find you, and why I followed you when I finally did. Once I set eyes on you, I could think of nothing but getting close to you.”

  “Like our souls had found each other once more.”

  She grinned, nodding. “Yes.”

  There was a long, drawn-out sigh from Cael.

  Dubhan finally turned his head to the god. “I’ve never sensed anyone’s magic like you just did. How do you know it isn’t Kyra?”

  “For one because, like she said, she was with us. I suppose she could have a twin, but I believe that what I felt of her would’ve been stronger.”

  Kyra looked between the two men. “I still don’t understand what that means.”

  “Family,” Cael said. “It means that I felt just enough of you to know that it’s someone who’s part of your bloodline. Someone in your family was here.”

  As if she hadn’t been shocked enough the past few days to last a lifetime. Kyra had no response. What could she say?

  “How do we find out who it is?” Dubhan asked.

  Cael twisted his lips. “Only I can. I’ll know it when I feel that person’s magic. Dubhan, don’t leave Kyra’s side for a second. Forget Mike. He’s out of our reach now anyway.”

  “What about the book?” Kyra asked. “There has to be another copy somewhere. We could look for that.”

  Cael nodded. “Be careful where you go.”

  “What are you doing?” Dubhan asked.

  “I’m going to pay a visit to Kyra’s family.”

  Her lips parted to mention her aunt, but she didn’t get any words out before Cale disappeared.

  “It’s going to be okay,” Dubhan said.

  She looked up at him. “Is it? My family is involved with the Others.”

  He gave her a wry look. “So is mine.”

  “I’m sorry. You’re right. I was feeling sorry for myself, but I shouldn’t. We shouldn’t,” she corrected. “Neither of us is responsible for what our family does. We make our own choices, and those are the ones we’re responsible for.”

  “Will you still feel the same way when Cael returns and tells you which of your family members took Mike?”

  “I hope I do, but if I don’t, remind me.”

  Dubhan flashed her a smile. “I will, but only if you do the same for me.”

  “Promise,” she said. “Now, let’s turn our minds to something we can do. Like finding another copy of that book.”

  He chuckled. “You really do have to occupy your mind all the time.”

  Dubhan used his magic to produce a computer where they looked up the title of the book to find another edition. It pulled up immediately, but they couldn’t seem to find an available copy anywhere. There were no new ones printed, and all the used copies had been purchased.

  “It’s not coincidence,” Dubhan said.

  Kyra sighed loudly. “No, it isn’t. Someone doesn’t want us to read that book.”

  “I suspect because there is something in there that could help us.”

  “Then why put it in the book?”

  Dubhan shook his head as he snorted. “Hell if I know.”

  “That would be the one thing I’d be sure to omit.”

  “It would make sense.” Dubhan rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “What if Usaeil didn’t write the book?”

  Kyra considered that for a moment. “Why wouldn’t she? It is about her. She’s even on the cover.”

  “What if someone else did? Say a Druid who heard the stories. What if they took one of the photos of Usaeil when she was posing as an actress and manipulated it enough to create the cover?”

  “I suppose any and all of that is possible.”

  “Then wouldn’t it stand to reason that the books were a way to pass down the information to other Druid members of the Others? Or even those who might wish to join?”

  Kyra had to admit, it seemed plausible. “If Usaeil had written the book, she wouldn’t have been able to keep it to herself.”

  “Not with her being on the cover. She paraded as an actress,” he exclaimed. “She loved attention. She wouldn’t have passed up the opportunity to tell everyone about this.”

  “We may never find another copy of the book. Even if we found the author, I’m not sure what good it would do.”

  Dubhan shook his head slowly. “It wouldn’t.”

  “What do we do, then? Because I can’t stand around waiting for something to happen.”

  He pulled her into his arms. She blinked, and they were back in her cottage. He said nothing as he held her.

  “Not that I don’t like this, but what are we doing?” she asked.

  “We can’t find Xaneth. We lost Mike. There isn’t a copy of the book available for sale. And the Others are after us. I say we get naked so I can lick you from head to toe.”

  She shivered and looked up at him. “Hmmm. That sounds very appealing.”

  “You still have your clothes on.”

  “I do.”

  He glanced at the ceiling in frustration. “You have an idea.”

  “There is someone who might either know how to get a copy of the book or might know the secret in it.”

  Dubhan’s lips flattened in a line. “Maximillian.”

  “Max,” Kyra replied with a nod.

  Chapter Twenty-two

  The one place Dubhan never wanted to see again was the one place he had to visit.

  “Are you sure about this?” Kyra asked for the third time.

  Dubhan wasn’t sure at all, but it wasn’t as if he had a choice. “I’ll be fine.”

  “You passed out before. I’m not even sure how you managed to stay with me the entire time.”

  He shrugged, thinking of
the symbol Max had used to keep Reapers out. Dubhan had still been able to get into Max’s place, but it hadn’t been easy—or fun. In fact, the pain that bombarded him had made it difficult to concentrate on everything that had been said.

  “Max knew you were there,” Kyra said.

  Dubhan looked into her silver eyes. He didn’t want to discuss her ex-lover or the man who had helped his family betray him. Dubhan would rather take his time having sex with Kyra.

  “You aren’t going alone,” he stated.

  Kyra rolled her eyes. “I don’t expect to. I have a simpler plan. I’ll just remove the symbol on the outside of the doorway.”

  “I don’t know which one it is.”

  She shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. I’ll remove them all.”

  “Then you leave Max open to his enemies.”

  “He made them, not me.”

  Dubhan eyed her for a long moment. “You’ll essentially be sentencing him to death, you know that, right?”

  “I know.”

  Her words might be strong, but he heard the hesitation in her voice. “Even if it were possible for you to remove the symbols, I wouldn’t let you. You’d never forgive yourself for doing that to Max. You aren’t that callous, which is what makes you such a good person.”

  “There has to be a way to remove the symbols. I’ve heard whispers about it being done.”

  “Only the one who put up the symbols can remove them.”

  She waved away his words. “I know. I’ve heard that my entire life, but things happen. Fae die, which means that someone has to be able to erase the markings if they want.”

  She had a point, but he’d really hoped that she wouldn’t think of it. “Kyra, please. Don’t do this.”

  “Why not?”

  “I went with you before. I can do it again.”

  She shot him a dry look. “Do you really think Max is going to believe I had someone with me and not reinforce those symbols?”

  Dammit. Dubhan looked away, his options were running out quickly.

  “I can do this,” Kyra insisted. “I can remove the symbol, and I’ll be fine with whatever the outcome is for Max because this is for you, for me, and for all Fae.”