A Mate to Protect (Dragons of Mount Aterna Book 3)

by Riley Storm

Why is it that no matter what he does toward me, it makes me feel safe and secure, and not uneasy and afraid? How can he do that?

  “What was it?” she asked, deciding to be bold, to push ahead while they were having this heart to heart.

  “What was what?”

  “What drove you to the drink,” she said quietly. “I can see you Kal. You aren’t addicted to it. You drink because of something. What happened?”

  Kal looked away. For the first time Anne felt like she’d overstepped with him. That she had pushed too far, too fast, and now he was mad at her.

  “Sorry,” she said automatically. “I shouldn’t have asked, it’s not my place. Now isn’t the time, I know that. Don’t worry about it. Pretend I said nothing at all.”

  She turned to go. Maybe the bar needed some wiping down or something. Anything that would provide a distraction to her, and give him some time to regroup.

  “Wait.” Kal grabbed her arm, stopping her twist.

  He didn’t grip hard. If she tried, she could still pull away. This wasn’t him forcing her to stay. It was Kal asking her to stick around and listen. Because he was going to talk.

  She relaxed, watching him, seeing the emotions play through his eyes while he formulated his thoughts. Anne let him take his time. She was in no rush, and everyone was settled into their drinks for the moment, none of them needing her services.

  There was time for her to be there for Kal.

  “It will be tough for you to understand,” he began. “There’s a lot I can’t tell you, including crucial details, but, I’ll do my best.”

  Anne nodded uneasily. What was she getting herself into? Why did it sound like he suddenly had a mound of secrets he had to withhold? Was Kal ex-military or government agent or something? That would certainly add up, would explain all the muscles too…

  “About a month ago, I was in charge of some men,” he said. “It’s a position I’d held for quite some time, and that I’d worked really hard to achieve. It was a place I was content to be for the rest of my life, work-wise. I was proud of it, and treated it seriously.”

  Translation: It meant a hell of a lot to him.

  “Something went wrong,” Kal said quietly. “We were tasked to do our job, and, well, to be blunt, we didn’t. We failed.”

  “I’m sorry,” she said quietly.

  Kal shrugged. “Circumstances had become such that, for years, even before I was in any sort of command position, the entire organization had been slacking. We didn’t fear anything going wrong.”

  Anne frowned, trying to follow along with the vague details, while also trying to figure out just what it was that he did. Or had done, she supposed, since it was obviously in the past.

  “So when something did go wrong, those of us on duty at the time, we bore the brunt of it,” he said, growing quiet, his words barely a whisper by the end. “Shit flows downhill. Ever heard that expression?”

  She nodded, thoroughly focused on him now. This was the first glimpse she’d had into his personal life. It still wasn’t much, but it was a sign. He was letting her in. That meant she was gaining his trust, and Anne was determined to respect that.

  “Well, I was downhill,” he said quietly. “I expected to get reamed out, chewed out, yelled at, however you want to phrase it. I even was prepared to be demoted, having to earn a promotion again at some point, after demonstrating that I wasn’t a failure, and that it wasn’t anyone’s fault. Or it was everyone’s fault,” he said with a shrug. “Either-or.”

  Anne nodded, still not entirely following. Screwing up was bad, but to end up like she’d seen him? Kal had been in a dark place, and it had only been getting worse the more often he came in.

  “But they didn’t do that,” he said, exhaling slowly, fighting to keep his voice even. “Instead, they threw us out. My entire team. Just thrown out in disgrace, publicly humiliated, and barred from ever doing that job again.”

  “You got fired?”

  He snorted. “It wasn’t that sort of job. I…I can’t really go into more detail, but getting fired is, well, it’s not as serious. This was disgraceful, embarrassing, and completely and totally overboard. They made an example out of us when they didn’t have to.”

  Anne reached out, resting her hand on his fist, trying to get him to relax. He’d been clenching so hard that his knuckles were turning white, and she didn’t want him to lose control.

  She still didn’t really understand what had happened to him, but it was clear it had hurt him, and hurt him badly. The pain was practically radiating off him.

  “I’m sorry that happened to you Kal,” she said gently, wanting to reach out and gather him up into a hug, but not trusting herself if she did. That would break a line they hadn’t crossed yet, even though they’d kissed.

  But he’s in so much pain. I could help!

  Neither of them spoke for what felt like an eternity, but was in all reality likely only a minute or two. A slight tremor ran down his arm and Anne had to fight from throwing herself at him, wrapping her arms around his bulk and just squeezing, letting him know that it wasn’t the end of the world. That he could recover and come back stronger. She could see that in him!

  “I haven’t talked to anyone about it,” he said quietly. “This…this was the first. Thank you, Anne. That felt really, not bad.”

  She laughed quietly over his word choice, completely understanding how he felt.

  “If you ever want to tell me more, in more detail, I’ll listen Kal. I can do that for you.” She met his eyes, letting him see her sincerity, her desire to help him, however he needed.

  He stiffened abruptly under her hand.

  Anne frowned as his face took on another, darker look, his eyes focused on the front door.

  “What is it?” she asked, turning to see two figures shrouded in black enter the bar.

  “Trouble.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Kal

  “Trouble for who?” Anne asked as he eased around her. “I don’t recognize them.”

  “I don’t know yet,” he said, his eyes wide, senses alert in case the pair weren’t alone. “But I’m going to find out.”

  He slipped out from the bar and cut off the two newcomers before they took a seat.

  “What are you doing here?” he asked, looking back and forth at the pair. “Sache, Vlad. How did you find me?”

  “It doesn’t matter,” Vlad said quietly, facing him squarely.

  Kal got his first good look at the other members of his former team.

  “You look like crap,” he said, speaking again before either had a chance.

  That was an understatement though. Sache’s usual meticulous beard was unruly and scraggly, and his eyes had huge bags under them, like he hadn’t been sleeping. Vlad at first glance seemed to be in better shape, but his hair was left too long, and he was wearing clothing in which the fashion conscious shifter would never normally be caught dead.

  Something was very, very wrong.

  “We need to talk,” Vlad told him, looking around warily.

  “Come have a seat,” Kal said, shuffling them to one of the open tables in the corner, away from everyone else. Whatever it was they had to say, he doubted it would be good for prying ears.

  As soon as they were seated, Kal leaned over the table, eyeing them both in turn. “Where’s Gunnar?” he growled.

  Vlad and Sache glanced at one another uneasily.

  “We were hoping you could tell us,” Vlad said, taking the lead. “We haven’t seen him in several days.”

  “He isn’t answering his phone either,” Sache added.

  “I know.” Kal cursed silently, wondering if he could trust these two.

  Were they genuine, or just trying to fish for more information? He simply didn’t know. Maybe he could trust them, maybe they were working for Viko too.

  If they are, then they know everything I know. No harm in throwing some information out there and seeing how they react.

  “I went to Atrox
to see him,” Kal said. “His room was open, and someone had clearly ransacked it.”

  “A fight?” Vlad asked, eyes opening wide.

  “No. If something happened to him, it didn’t happen there,” Kal said, shaking his head. “More like they were searching for something.”

  “Like what?” Sache said, shaking his head.

  “I don’t know,” Kal growled, judging their reactions to be genuine. “I don’t know if they got it either. But Viko sent some new friends to bash me over the head and bring me in for questioning.”

  Vlad and Sache shifted uneasily.

  “What? Did he do the same to you?”

  Vlad nodded. “Yeah. Got Sache first. Then me. Now you.”

  Kal thought furiously. “So he’s going after the three of us. We obviously know something he needs…but what?”

  Sache shrugged. “Don’t know, frankly, don’t care. We got letters in the mail at the clan house two days ago telling us to watch our backs. Anonymous, no idea who sent them.”

  “I got one too,” Kal growled.

  His had only been delivered yesterday though. To the bar. Not to his clan house. Now that was interesting. But not relevant for the moment as far as he could tell.

  “Something is going on,” Vlad said, looking back and forth between him and Sache.

  “Viko is up to something,” Kal agreed. “I just don’t know what. What could the four of us know, that he would want to get rid of us for?”

  Sache shook his head. “I don’t know. We asked ourselves that question too. But the answer is nothing. For a month now, we’ve done nothing. Nobody will trust us, not after what happened.”

  Kal winced. He understood, that was what he’d expected. It was why he’d come into town. By not sticking around the rest of his clan, he’d avoided that sort of treatment coming his way. He could only imagine how much it must have hurt.

  “Maybe it’s just a coincidence,” he mused.

  “What do you mean?” Vlad asked, leaning over the table.

  “What if this was just a coincidence. That Viko is planning something, and the incident at the Gate just so happened to provide him with the people to pin it on. Us. He throws us out of the Guard, waits a few weeks for suspicion to die down, then he pins whatever it is he’s planning on us. We’re the perfect patsies.”

  Vlad’s eyes flashed angrily. “That would be just like him, that slimy prick.”

  “Still don’t know what he’s up to,” Sache pointed out. “And I don’t particularly feel like dying.”

  “Same,” Kal agreed. “Which is why we need to find out what’s going on as fast as possible.”

  Neither Sache nor Vlad responded enthusiastically to that declaration. Kal frowned, looking at them both.

  Vlad was the first to speak. “We’re leaving town, Kal. For good.”

  Kal’s eyebrows shot up, wrinkling his forehead. “For good?” he echoed.

  “Yeah. We’re gonna head east, away from here,” Vlad said.

  “Maybe even all the way back to Europe,” Sache added, looking at Vlad tightly.

  “Maybe,” Vlad agreed, though he didn’t seem convinced.

  All the way back to Europe. Kal leaned back in his chair, careful not to overstress the wood, digesting that news.

  “A fresh start,” he said, understanding at last what the appeal of leaving was for the pair of them.

  “Yeah,” Vlad said, shrugging his thick shoulders. “We didn’t do anything wrong, but here, the people won’t let us forget it. I’m sick of it, Kal. You should come with us.”

  Kal glanced back at the bar where Anne was pouring another round.

  “I can’t,” he said heavily. Just a few days ago his answer might have been different, but now, now he had something holding him here. If Kal didn’t see things through with Anne to whatever their conclusion was, he knew it would haunt him for the rest of his life.

  “We understand,” Sache said, following his gaze.

  “I wish you the best of luck though,” he said, standing up and extending his hand. “I really do. But I have to stay here.”

  Vlad nodded, giving him a firm handshake. “Of course Kal. Watch your back though, okay? Once Viko finds out that we’re gone, he’s going to focus everything on you.”

  Kal nodded. “I can handle him. You two get going. Get out of town and as far away as you can before he notices.”

  They exchanged goodbyes, and then the other dragons left. Kal watched them go.

  Two days, he thought to himself. It would take two days before Viko found out they were gone, and shit hit the fan.

  Two days for him to bring this all crashing down.

  Plenty of time to take care of that, and some other business too.

  Kal turned his eyes back to the bar and the lone figure behind it.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Anne

  “Whew,” she said, flicking the switch that killed the ‘Open’ sign out front.

  Rocky’s was now officially closed for the night.

  “You okay?” Kal asked lightly from where he was busy stacking chairs on the tables that had already been wiped down.

  “Absolutely,” she said, a bounce to her step. “That ended up being busier than I expected, despite the smaller space. I don’t understand why everyone wanted to come here tonight, but I’m not complaining!”

  Kal looked over at her and grinned, his features lighting up when he looked at her, like they did every time. Anne had noticed that. Over the course of the night, every time they made eye contact he’d beamed at her.

  She enjoyed seeing him so happy, and the mood had become infectious to the point her cheeks were likely going to be sore in the morning from smiling so much. Not that Anne cared, there were far worse things to suffer.

  “Could have been just one of those nights,” Kal said with a shrug. “No idea, I expected it to be dead as well, but here we are.”

  “Yes indeed,” she said, moving past him toward the bar. “Here we are.”

  Her hips had a bit of extra sway to them as she went by. Not exaggerated, but a bit of flow to them. Anne caught herself halfway to the bar, wondering what the heck she was doing.

  Just hours ago you decided you needed to focus on other things. Now you’re shaking your ass for him? Make up your mind! Have some discipline.

  It was hard. There was just some sort of magnetism about him that she was drawn toward, like an invisible force trying to bring them together. The harder she resisted, the more painful it was. When she gave in, it became just oh so delicious that she wanted more.

  “I guess having security on hand helped,” Kal said, finishing putting the last chair up and making his way back to the bar. He stopped on the far side from her, placing both palms down as he leaned over it.

  Anne had been busy wiping down the bartop for the last time, but now she paused, looking over at him. The way he was positioned had the added effect of causing his shirt to pull tight across his shoulders and chest, to the point she could make out the rise and curve of most of his muscles.

  A bout of insecurity struck her as she did everything but drool over his figure. Why would someone like him, who drew attention from every woman that walked by, be interested in her, of all people?

  Anne had been cute enough in her youth. Good legs, perky boobs even though they weren’t that big. But she hadn’t been like that in fifteen years. A child and twenty-four months of constant stress and life upheaval had left her drained and feeling like she looked far older than she was.

  So why was Mr. Macho so intent on flirting with her?

  She almost opened her mouth to ask him, but he beat her to the punch by speaking first.

  “Anything else I can help out with?” he said, his voice low.

  It was an offer if she’d ever heard one. The problem was, Anne didn’t know if she was ready to take him up on it. That was very bold, very blatant, and not her style at all. She bit her lip.

  “Um.”

  Kal straightened sl
ightly, pulling back. He was still directly across from her, no more than a couple of feet away, but that extra distance helped Anne relax just enough.

  “You could put these glasses away,” she said, nodding to the drying empty pint glasses on the counter next to her. They had to be dried off and stacked up behind the bar.

  “You got it,” Kal said, smacking the top of the bar and coming around while she resumed wiping.

  Anne knew she was a little too bent over. Her butt sticking out just a bit more than it needed to. So she wasn’t surprised when Kal’s hand gently brushed against it when he pushed past her.

  What did shock her, was the thrill of excitement that shot up between her legs and stayed there before the tingle of warm arousal reached her brain.

  That was it. One brush of the back of his knuckles and she was already losing her control.

  She didn’t want to think about what would happen if he grabbed her rear. Or put his hands on both her hips. If he did that, she would place her hands on his chest. Then maybe he would kiss her, or lift her up from the floor and place her on the bar.

  Blood rushed between her legs, amplifying the pleasant tingle as it spread up into her core. The idea of Kal taking her, right there, on the bar, it was so hot. She wanted to do that, to let him have her, to give herself over to his power, his being. The pull was growing stronger by the second as she watched him work out of the corner of his eye.

  “Wash that spot any longer and you’re going to start wearing a hole in the bar,” Kal teased.

  Oh crap! Was he watching me stare? Oh god, that’s so embarrassing!

  “Thanks,” she said, moving her efforts.

  Unfortunately—or maybe fortunately—she had to move closer to Kal to keep washing the dirty sections. Closer to those big hands, and the thick biceps. Closer to his broad shoulders and scruff-covered jaw. Nearer to those thick lips that seared so hot when they were touched to hers.

  Anne hadn’t been able to get that kiss out of her mind since the moment it happened, and now was no different. Her body was burning with the memory, her skin on fire. She wanted more, no, she craved more.

  “Kal,” she said, leaving the wet rag and looking up at him.