by Rayna Tyler
Logan was a big guy who worked out a lot, and I knew from experience how hard he could hit. Paul wasn’t prepared for Logan’s fast moves and ended up falling backward and toppling over the corner of the bed, then landing on the floor. I knew Paul wasn’t getting up any time soon, and so did Logan.
“You should have checked us for weapons too.” Logan smirked, then pulled out the small knife he had hidden inside his jacket.
Doyle had a bad temper and didn’t like being outsmarted. Judging by the red spreading along his throat and cheeks, Logan’s comment hadn’t helped. “Take care of him,” he snapped at Gordon, then turned to grab his sword.
I was closer and snatched it first, then spun to keep it out of his reach. I was never a fan of the longer blades and would have thrown it in a corner if I didn’t think Doyle or one of the other males would go after it.
Logan was fighting with Gordon, his small knife no match for the other male’s larger blade. “Logan, heads up,” I called, then tossed the sword in his direction. As soon as I released the blade, Doyle slammed me into the wall. He wrapped his hands around my throat and squeezed.
Normally, most people would react to being choked by clawing at the hands cutting off their air supply. I’d been trained to think differently, to retaliate by going after a sensitive area that would ensure my release.
I grabbed a handful of Doyle’s hair and yanked. At the same time, I worked my other hand between us, grabbing his male parts and twisting as hard as I could.
Doyle snarled and wrenched away from me. “You bitch. I’m going to kill you for that.”
I would have made a sarcastic comment, but I was too busy rubbing my sore throat and gasping in air.
A few seconds later, Gordon hit the ground and wouldn’t be getting back up, not with Logan’s small knife sticking out of his chest.
Now that Doyle’s males were incapacitated and it didn’t look like anyone else was coming to help him, he must have realized fighting Logan and me was futile. He picked up a chair and used it to smash through the wooden shutter and the windowpane behind it. He dove through the opening, muttering a curse when he landed, then disappearing into the darkness.
We’d gone through too much, and I wasn’t about to let him get away. I turned to go after Doyle, and hadn’t noticed that Paul had regained consciousness until I saw him swiping at me with his sword.
“Cara, look out!” Logan yelled as he shoved me out of the way.
It was a good thing I had my arm raised; otherwise, I would have hit my head when I collided with the wall. I turned to find Logan clutching his chest. When he’d pushed me aside, he hadn’t moved fast enough to keep the blade from slicing through his sleeve and cutting across his forearm and part of his shoulder.
“This one’s for Gordon.” Paul swiped at Logan, the room filling with the sound of metal clashing.
The longer the males fought, the more blood soaked the patch on the fabric surrounding Logan’s injury. His defensive moves weakened with each swing of Paul’s sword. I didn’t enjoy taking a life, but at this rate, if I didn’t do something, Paul would overpower Logan.
Moving slowly so Paul wouldn’t notice, I retrieved the dagger I’d gotten from Des from inside my boot. I couldn’t afford to miss and patiently waited for an opening. Paul backed Logan into a corner, and when he raised his sword to deliver a damaging blow, I threw the dagger.
The blade pierced Paul’s back between his shoulders. He shrieked and dropped his sword, trying desperately to dislodge it. With an upward stroke, Logan drove his blade into Paul’s midsection, finishing what I had started.
“Draeck, Logan. What were you thinking?” I helped him around Paul’s body and urged him to take a seat on the edge of the bed.
Logan grabbed the end of a blanket and pressed it against the wound to stop the bleeding. “I was thinking about what Zaedon was going to do to me if I broke my promise and let something bad happen to you.” He winced when he tried to laugh.
“Yeah, he…” I didn’t get a chance to finish. The door opened behind me, and I spun around, expecting to see more of Doyle’s males.
***
Zaedon
Finding Cara standing next to a dead human male’s body, poised to attack, was not what I expected when I heard the loud thud and rushed to open the door at the end of the corridor. I was not surprised by the room’s condition. Chairs were tossed on their sides, the only pane shattered, leaving a gaping hole. The wooden shutter was cracked and splintered in several places.
“Zaedon.” She straightened, her dark eyes sparkling with relief and happiness. “You missed all the fun.” She stepped over the body and into my welcoming arms.
“It would seem you are correct.” I grinned, then pulled her closer, needing to feel her warm body against mine. I sniffed her neck, letting her scent calm me.
“I hate to interrupt your reunion, but someone needs to go after Doyle, and I’d really like to get out of here and find a medical kit before I bleed to death.” Logan’s annoyed voice was laced with humor.
I had been too busy easing my worry over Cara, I had not noticed Logan or that he’d been injured. He had a blanket pressed to his shoulder and his face had lost some of its color.
As much as I wanted to continue holding her, it wasn’t safe to linger, not with so many mercs occupying the bar. I released Cara and moved to help her with Logan.
Sloane appeared in the doorway, wrinkling her nose at the males on the floor. “Looks like you guys have been busy.”
“Where’s Garyck?” Cara asked. “Wasn’t he supposed to be with you guys?”
“Oh, he’s helping the others clean up the bar. If you know what I mean.” Sloane hitched her thumb over her shoulder, wiggled her brows, then noticed Logan and frowned. “What happened to you?”
“Logan tried to play hero and jumped in front of a blade that was meant for me.” Cara held out her hand for Logan to give her the bloodied blanket, then tossed it on the bed.
“What?” The dread I had experienced earlier was not unwarranted.
“Don’t give me one of your smug looks, and the words ‘I told you so’ better not leave your lips,” Cara warned.
I was certain Cara and I would be having a more in-depth discussion about what happened later. Logan, however, had risked his life to keep my ketiorra safe and earned a lifetime of respect. “Logan, I am glad you are a male of your word, and very grateful for your sacrifice.”
“I’d say anytime, but this draecking hurts, so if we could…” He tipped his head toward the open doorway.
“Of course.” I draped his arm over my shoulder and helped him into the corridor.
When we entered the bar, Celeste was sitting on the long counter, swinging her legs and balancing a half-filled mug on her lap. The female who had told me where to find Cara was standing behind the bar filling several more mugs with ale.
Cara glanced at the empty tables and chairs. “What did you do with all the bodies?”
“No bodies.” Celeste took a sip of her drink. “Laria and Jardun went after the two mercs that escaped. The rest are in the back. Vaden, the bar’s owner, is letting Khyron use one of his storage rooms until he can get some soldiers here to take them back to the palace for questioning.”
Though I did not fully understand the reference, Celeste and her friends had been referring to Khyron’s home as a palace ever since the first night they stayed there.
The female smiled at me, then Cara. “I am glad you are all right and that he found you in time.”
“Found me?” Cara gazed at me curiously.
“The female caught me searching rooms and pointed me in the correct direction,” I said.
The female pursed her lips. “I prefer to be called Cianna rather than female.”
“Of course.” I grinned at the spirited female and bowed my head. “Cianna.”
She smiled her approval, then pushed the filled mugs across the counter. “Please help yourselves.”
“Thanks
.” Sloane took one of the glasses and joined Celeste at the bar.
Cara pulled out a chair for Logan. “Cianna, do you have a medical kit?”
“Why?” Her amber gaze went to Logan, and she gasped. “Oh yes.” She reached underneath the bar, then hurried around the counter, carrying a small container.
“Cianna, what are you doing?” A ketaurran male with the same reddish-brown scales and similar features walked into the room, with Khyron, Raytan, and Garyck following behind him.
“The male is hurt, and I am seeing to his injuries.” Cianna clutched the kit to her chest.
“I am certain his friends will take care of him,” Vaden said.
Cianna slapped one hand on her hip, her tail swishing rapidly. “You will stop being an overbearing sibling and let me help him, or I will pull off your scales like I did when we were younglings.”
Vaden did not appear to be a male who intimidated easily, yet he placed his hand protectively over his chest.
Cianna turned her back on her brother, then knelt in front of Logan and placed the kit on the floor.
“Come on, Vaden.” Khyron clapped him on the shoulder. “Why don’t you join us for a drink and let Cianna take care of Logan?”
Vaden continued to frown at his sister, but walked over to the bar and stood next to Raytan. Garyck picked up a mug and moved to stand on the opposite side not far from Sloane.
“I guess we don’t need to worry about Logan anymore.” Cara held out her hand and pulled me toward the bar.
I glanced over my shoulder, amused to see Logan watching Cianna with great interest. “It appears not.”
After several swallows of the bitter ale Cianna had poured for us, the door leading to the walkway outside opened. Laria entered first, with Jardun following close behind her.
“So, did you find them?” Celeste asked Laria.
“No.” Laria walked over to the counter and picked up two mugs, then handed one to Jardun. “We stopped looking after we found Doyle.”
“Seriously, you found him?” Cara was about to take a drink and lowered her mug.
“Then where is he?” Sloane sounded skeptical.
“In a walkway behind a building not far from here.” Jardun spoke directly to Khyron. “Someone slit his throat.”
Though cutting the evil male’s throat had been something I had wanted to do myself, the news was unsettling. With Doyle gone, Cara and her family would be safe, but without the information we hoped the male would provide, we were no closer to discovering the identity of those who had poisoned Khyron and were still trying to take his life.
“Maybe it was the ketaurran male I saw in Doyle’s room when we first arrived,” Cara said.
“What male?” I asked. “Other than the human males guarding the building, I did not see anyone leave after you arrived.”
“Us either,” Celeste said.
“Do you think he’s still in the building?” Laria glanced at the hallway behind us.
“No, Garyck and I checked all the rooms on the upper level.” Sloane set her empty mug on the counter.
“Then he must have gone out the back before Sloane disarmed the guard,” I said.
“Maybe he’s the one responsible for killing Doyle. I could have sworn he had a laser blaster tucked under his jacket. He told Doyle they could finish their business in the morning, but didn’t mention any details.” Cara tapped her nails on the bar. “He also seemed really interested in Logan. I thought for sure the two of them knew each other.”
“There was something familiar about him,” Logan said. “But I don’t remember ever meeting him.”
The right half of Logan’s chest was bare, and Cianna applied a sealant over the cleaned wound.
Raytan turned to Khyron. “It sounds like finding the male might provide us with the answers we are searching for.”
“I agree,” Khyron said. “It is something we can discuss in the morning. For now, I think we should return to the solarveyor before Vurell decides we have been gone too long and comes looking for us.”
Khyron helped Celeste off the bar, then turned to Vaden. “I do not believe it is safe for Cianna and you to stay here and think you should consider spending the next few days in my dwelling. It will also give my males time to remove the bodies and repair any damage we caused.”
It was a well-known fact that any suggestion made by the drezdarr was not a request but a polite order that required compliance. It was evident by Vaden’s concerned expression that he did not want to leave his home and was contemplating the ramifications of refusing.
Cianna, on the other hand, seemed excited by the invitation. I wondered how much of her enthusiastic smile had to do with staying in the drezdarr’s home or being able to see more of Logan.
“Vaden,” Cianna insisted.
Vaden released the heavy sigh of a male who knew he was not going to win. “Thank you, Khyron. My sister and I would be honored to stay at your dwelling.”
Chapter Sixteen
Zaedon
It had been several days since our team had gone after Doyle. Our efforts to find the ketaurran male who Cara had seen in Doyle’s room had failed. If he was still in Aztrashar, which was doubtful, he had found a good place to hide.
My nights were spent pleasing my ketiorra, the early mornings spent with her wrapped in my arms. Today was the first time since I had claimed her that I woke from a sleepy haze to find the spot next to me empty.
I braced my upper body on my elbows to get a better look around the room, hoping I would find her close by. When I did not see her, I grumbled and reached for the blanket covering my lower half. I had one foot off the bed when Cara appeared in the doorway leading into the gathering room.
The quarters I shared with the other vryndarr were similar to the one Cara had previously shared with her friends. Individual sleeping rooms positioned around a main area filled with several loungers, and connected with a hallway that led to other parts of the building.
“Bad mood?” Cara asked as she leaned against the doorframe.
Her feet were bare, the only thing covering her body her pants and my oversized vest. She had not bothered to tame her curls, their wild state both cute and enticing.
I continued to sit up, dropping my other leg over the edge of the bed. “I did not enjoy waking up to find you missing.” I did not care that I sounded like a spoiled young one. I had waited a long time to find my ketiorra, and now that I had her, I was selfish about the time I got to spend with her.
“I had a couple of things I needed to take care of and didn’t want to wake you.” She padded toward me.
I got to my feet and reached for her hips, my shaft hardening at the prospect of dragging her back into bed and having her pressed against my naked body. “What was this important task?”
She slipped her hands over my shoulders. “I convinced Khyron to let us spend the next two days alone.”
“Truly?” Her response was not what I expected. “I am curious how you persuaded the drezdarr to permit such a request.”
“Oh, I didn’t have to do any convincing. I asked Celeste for a favor, and she took care of the rest.”
“The drezdarrina can be very persuasive.” I chuckled, lowering my hands to Cara’s backside.
“Yeah, though I think it has more to do with Khyron not being able to tell her no.”
“And the favor you mentioned?” Khyron might not be able to resist Celeste’s charm, but he was also shrewd and would expect something in return for his generosity.
“Well, I kind of volunteered us for a mission.” Cara bit her lower lip.
All thoughts of enticing her back into bed vanished. I tensed, expecting the worst. “What kind of mission?”
“How does taking another trip to Golyndier sound? Since we haven’t had any luck finding the ketaurran who was involved with Doyle, I thought it might be worth talking to Des and seeing if he knows anything.” She entwined her fingers in the hair at my nape. “I promise I’ll even take you a
long this time.”
“That is very generous of you.” Our relationship had gotten a lot stronger since our last visit to the small town. We trusted one another, and I knew she would never purposely leave me behind.
“I thought so.”
“What was the other thing you needed to take care of, vrincorra?” I asked.
“First of all, I’m not a blossom with thorns.” She narrowed her gaze and squirmed, trying to get away.
I tightened my grip, refusing to let her go. “Of course you are not.” I brushed kisses along the skin at the base of her neck. “Would there happen to be a second of all?”
“Um, yes.” She moaned.
“Which is?” I worked my way to her earlobe, then grazed it with my teeth.
“A surprise, but you’ll only get it if you get back in bed.”
I was an intelligent male and knew that any surprise involving my ketiorra and a bed could not be bad. I released her immediately, my eagerness making her giggle. I hopped onto the bed with my back propped against the wall, my legs stretched out in front of me. “I am ready.”
“I can see that.” She grinned wickedly, then began removing her pants. She wiggled more than necessary, bending over to give me a view of her partially covered backside as she slowly slid the fabric down her legs.
My erection had gotten harder, my anticipation of watching her remove the top in the same manner great. When she turned to leave the room, I groaned. “Cara, wait. Where are you going?” Being playful was one thing, torturing a male past his point of endurance was another.
“Not far.” She crouched in the doorway and reached for whatever she had sitting on the floor on the opposite side of the wall. When she returned to her feet, she held a small sealed container.
She sauntered back to the bed, crawled in next to me, then straddled my lap. “Did you know that Khyron has a huge kitchen area and several females who cook for him?”
