by Katie Reus
Nyx laughed. “I’m fine doing that but will your clan be okay with me? I thought dragons were pretty secretive about well, everything.”
“They are but times are changing and besides, you’re my friend. You’re more than welcome here. And…I’m going to have to get naked. You can turn around or not but I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”
“Oh, right. Uh, is it weird that I want to watch you shift? I’ve never seen a dragon shift before. Is that okay?”
Grinning, Keelin nodded. “I think this is a new stage in our friendship.”
Chapter 19
Keelin glanced behind her as she knocked on Drake and Victoria’s door. They were living in what had once been a guesthouse but was now theirs—unless they decided to build something else. Keelin had dropped Nyx off at her home but was going to get her friend as soon as she rounded her brothers up. Since neither of them had answered their cell phones she was coming to see Drake first. He was by far the more understanding of the two.
She’d been back in the village about ten minutes and knew it was only a matter of time before her parents found out she was here. She wanted to talk to her brothers before that happened.
Victoria answered the door, her long black hair rumpled and Drake’s scent covering her.
A wide smile split her face and she practically lunged at Keelin. The taller female pulled her into a big hug. “I didn’t know you were coming!”
Laughing, she returned Victoria’s embrace. “It’s a last minute sort of thing.”
Stepping back, Victoria motioned for Keelin to follow. “Drake’s upstairs but I’ll get him. I’m assuming this is about the demigod?”
“Yeah. I’m—”
The front door that Victoria hadn’t completely closed swung open behind them and Conall stepped through. “Keelin, I just saw you head up the walk. Why didn’t you tell us you were coming?”
“I called you.”
“Ten minutes ago. I couldn’t get out of a meeting. Is everything okay?”
“Everything’s good but I need to talk to Mother. And, just so you guys know, there’s a demigod in my house. I’m going to get her once I’ve seen Mother.” Translation: once she’d seen that her mom wasn’t going to lose it that Keelin was friends with a demigod.
Both of them stared at her seemingly in shock as Drake reached the bottom stair, meeting them in the foyer.
“My favorite little sister,” he said warmly, pulling her into a hug that rivaled his mate’s.
She was his only sister but his words warmed her from the inside out. She hugged him back tightly, still amazed that he was living with them once again.
“You should have told us you were coming,” he admonished.
Victoria snorted. “Lack of communication on travel plans must run in the family.”
Keelin didn’t know what she meant but Drake just smiled at his mate as he stepped back from Keelin.
“Where’s Bran? Why are you alone?” he asked her suddenly, his gaze narrowing.
Keelin’s eyebrows raised. “Why would Bran be with me?”
Drake and Conall exchanged a look she couldn’t quite decipher before both focusing on her again. Their gray eyes, normally pale, were glowing silver as they watched her.
“He should be watching out for you,” Drake said, condemnation for Bran clear in his voice.
“Especially since you two will be mating,” Conall finished.
“Excuse me? Who the hell said I was mating him?” Keelin knew they had more important things to talk about but didn’t understand her brothers’ assumptions.
“We can scent him on you.” Conall’s expression was dark as he spoke.
“So what? Have you two mated every female you’ve slept with?” she demanded.
“I’ve only been with one female and yes, I’m mated to her.” Drake looked smug as he pulled Victoria closer against him. Victoria seemed to be fighting a smile.
“That’s not the point! I, gah, just forget about Bran. He doesn’t even know I’m here.” And she needed to talk to her mother about the demigod. When both her brothers stilled, a thread of panic slid up her spine. “What’s wrong?”
“You didn’t tell Bran you were coming?” Conall asked quietly.
“No. That’s what I wanted to tell you. Nyx is a demigod and she transported us here. I knew if I told Bran he’d want to come and I didn’t feel like dealing with the fallout from our parents. They still think I’m a child. If they have to come face-to-face with the male I’m sleeping with, I don’t think they’ll handle it well.”
“Nyx is the one Bo has a thing for, right?” Victoria asked.
Victoria hadn’t met Nyx but Keelin had told her about the female. And Victoria knew Bo since she’d lived in Biloxi for most of her life before mating with Drake. Keelin nodded. “Yes.”
Conall frowned as he pulled out his cell phone. “We’re going to go back to the demigod thing but give me a second.” He started making calls and barking out orders that if Bran arrived on their land without warning not to attack. It was clear he was talking to their security team. He also ordered them to spread the word to everyone in the village.
“Okay, Bran has no idea I’m here and he’s not going to follow me even if he did,” she said as soon as he hung up.
Both Drake and Conall snorted.
“I left him a note. He knows I won’t be gone long and that I’m safe.” He was going to be angry at her for sure, but it wouldn’t make any sense for him to fly here either via a plane or his dragon form. The trip would take too long. Besides, he didn’t know where she was. She’d been a little vague on the specifics.
They both made that obnoxious ‘I-know-better-than-you’ sound before Victoria nudged Drake. “Your parents will be here for dinner in about half an hour but we can call them now if you’d like,” she said to Keelin, changing the subject.
“That would be great, thanks. And I’ll get Nyx over here. She might have some more insight about the demigod.” At least Keelin hoped so. They needed all the help they could get.
* * *
Bran stared at the note in his hand before incinerating it. He hadn’t meant to destroy it but his dragon clawed at the surface, rage like he’d never known pumping through him.
His dragon side knew only one thing mattered right now. His future mate had left him. Of her own volition. And left a pathetic note.
She said she was coming back. He didn’t care. She could be in danger. Or hurt. And he wasn’t there to protect her.
Unacceptable.
His dragon swiped at him again, its claws jagged, his beast demanding to be released so he could track his little mate down as fast as possible.
On the edge of losing it completely, he pulled his cell phone out and called a male he was certain would be truthful with him.
Drake answered on the first ring. “Yeah?”
“Is she coming to see you?” Keelin hadn’t been gone long and her fucking note hadn’t told him where she was going but he had a pretty good idea.
“She’s here.” Before he could say that was impossible Drake continued. “Her friend Nyx.”
That was all the explanation Bran needed. If Nyx was truly a demigod then she’d be able to transport them to a different location quickly. “Don’t let her leave,” he growled, his voice more animal than man. He knew he shouldn’t be giving orders to the male but couldn’t stop himself.
“I don’t control my sister.” Drake’s words were straightforward, with no malice.
But they pushed Bran over the edge. He didn’t want to control Keelin either. But he hated that she’d left without him, had basically shut him out. She had to know that he’d have gone with her, would do anything for her. Without warning, Bran’s dragon took over. He dropped his phone and though he tried to control himself, to stop the change, it was too intense.
The room in Bo’s club was spacious but he was bigger. Ignoring the twinge of guilt, he burned a hole through the ceiling and burst into the darkening
sky, destroying part of the roof as he flew through it. Ordering his invisibility cloak in place he surged through the air, savoring the feel of the wind rushing over him.
His beast was free and had one goal.
Find his mate—and convince her never to leave him again.
Chapter 20
“Breathe,” Nyx murmured to Keelin. “And drink more wine.”
The light words from her friend made something in Keelin’s chest loosen. She took another sip of the light white wine Victoria had poured for them. Victoria, Drake and Conall had disappeared from the kitchen a few minutes ago so it was just the two of them sitting at the center island.
“Who keeps calling you?” Keelin asked when Nyx glanced at her phone screen for the tenth time and silenced the call. Right about now she wanted to talk about anything that didn’t involve her impending visit with her parents.
Nyx’s blue eyes turned angry, the blue like storm clouds. It was the first time Keelin had ever seen that expression on the female. It was a little scary. “No one.”
“Really? Come on, distract me,” she practically begged.
Nyx sighed and shot a glare at her now silent phone. “Bo.”
Keelin’s eyebrows raised. “You two seemed pretty, uh, friendly in the diner earlier.”
Nyx lifted her shoulders, the action jerky. When she did some of the copper pots and pans on the rack above them shook. Wincing, the female cursed. “Sorry, I’m just feeling weird now and I’m having trouble controlling my emotions.”
“If you don’t want to talk about it, it’s okay.” Even if Keelin was dying of curiosity and it would definitely distract her from her own worries.
Nyx bit her bottom lip and for a moment looked incredibly young. “No, I do. I’ve never really had girlfriends before until you and Ophelia. And Cynara. I don’t want to overshare.”
Keelin snorted. “I’m from a huge clan of dragons who don’t know how to keep secrets. Trust me, you can’t overshare with me. Or pretty much any shifter. There is no such thing as TMI.”
She half-smiled. “Okay but I feel stupid being mad at him. When we were looking at the videos for shots of the demigod, Bran also wanted to do a search for the missing dragons. There was an image of two of the females with Bo. They were all…being intimate.”
Her eyes widened. “Oh. You saw them all…” Keelin fluttered her hands wildly for a second then stopped. “How bad was it?”
“He was kissing one and groping the other,” Nyx said through gritted teeth and the pots started to tremble again. They stopped as Nyx took a steadying breath. “We’re not dating or anything, we’re just friends but, I don’t know, it made me really angry. Is that stupid?”
Keelin shook her head. “You can’t help the way you feel so it’s not stupid. Do you like him then?”
To her surprise, Nyx’s cheeks tinged pink as she nodded. “Yes, but after what I saw it’s just a reminder that he’s out of my league.”
“You’re a demigod.”
“Not like that, I mean sexually. He’s obviously had threesomes before. Probably done more than that considering his club.” Now her cheeks were full-on crimson.
“I don’t know Bo well enough to speak to that but I don’t think your lack of experience will matter to him. I haven’t had much experience but it didn’t matter with Bran.” And he’d clearly been pleased with everything they’d done in the bedroom. She had too.
“Try no experience,” Nyx muttered. “And he’s so obviously a player.”
Keelin wasn’t exactly surprised by the virgin revelation but still… “How old are you?”
Nyx paused but finally said, “Twenty-three.”
“Bo hasn’t been with anyone since you started working at the club.” Keelin wasn’t sure if that was common knowledge but even if it wasn’t, she figured Nyx should know. It might ease some of her anger at the male.
The female blinked. “Truly?”
“Truly.”
Nyx bit her bottom lip again, her expression growing thoughtful as Keelin scented her parents nearby. She hadn’t heard the front door open but her family could be stealth personified when they wanted.
She slid off her chair and smoothed her hands down her dress. She’d worn a leopard print faux wraparound dress with three-quarter sleeves. Her shoes were strappy five inch heels that laced around her ankles. The added height put her at all of five feet six inches.
Before she found time to panic the swinging door to the huge kitchen opened and in a blur of movement and exclamations she found herself being hugged by both her parents at the same time.
Statements and questions blurred together as they pretty much sandwiched her between them, embracing her fiercely. “We’re so glad you’re okay.” “You look wonderful.” “Are you eating enough?” “Why didn’t you tell us you were coming in?” “How long are you staying?” She’d barely digested the questions before her parents abruptly stopped and stepped back from her a fraction, both of them staring down at her in surprise.
It was subtle but she realized they were scenting the air. No doubt scenting Bran on her because the male was definitely in her skin. And she’d be lying if she said she didn’t like him there.
“Where’s the Devlin male?” her father finally asked, the question more of a demand. His eyes had gone supernova.
“Not here.” This was exactly why she hadn’t wanted to involve Bran. Her parents might have attacked first and asked questions later.
“Did he hurt you?” her mother asked quietly.
Keelin rolled her eyes. “I love you guys but we need to set things straight. My personal life is mine alone. Bran and I are seeing each other.” Because that sounded a lot better than ‘hooking up’. And who was she kidding? They were more than hooking up anyway. “I don’t know where we’re headed but I don’t need any interference. I’m a grown woman and I’m a dragon, the same as you. I appreciate your concern but I can take care of myself, and Bran is a good male.” Saying the words was such a relief, as if a huge boulder had been lifted off her chest in one swoop.
To her surprise, her dad’s expression became less foreboding and he gave a half-smile, as if pleased by what she’d said but her mom just frowned in typical Arya Petronilla fashion. Her mom was definitely a force of nature. Right now she wore dark cargo pants and a long-sleeved fitted T-shirt under a puffy vest and boots. The female had two modes; elegant or warrior. Tonight she was clearly in warrior mode. Keelin was surprised she didn’t have a sword or blades strapped to her body because her mother definitely favored carrying them.
“Where are Victoria and my brothers?” she asked when neither of them spoke.
“Conall is dealing with clan business, something to do with the ski lodge, and Drake and his mate are on their way. I believe they wanted to give us time to catch up.”
Unfortunately they would have to do that later. Time was too crucial now. Keelin half-turned and started to motion with her hand to Nyx so she could introduce them, but when she lifted her arm her mother let out a strange yelp of surprise.
Her mom grasped her wrist and eyed the bracelet Keelin had been wearing on and off for the last month.
“Where did you find this?” she asked, her gaze troubled as she met Keelin’s eyes.
“In one of our storage containers.” Over the years her clan had collected many valuable things; art, ancient books, priceless jewelry and so much more. The bracelet wasn’t particularly valuable compared to some of her other jewelry, but Keelin loved the intricate detail of the two dragons intertwined together. The eyes on both dragons were diamonds. Though it appeared platinum, it wasn’t, and she wasn’t sure what type of metal it was made of. “Is it yours?” Because she’d never seen her mother wear it.
“No, it was your grandmother’s.” A deeper frown tugged at her lips as she glanced at Keelin’s father.
He just looked thoughtful before he glanced at Nyx, who was still sitting quietly behind them. As if suddenly remembering the other female, Keelin’s mo
ther straightened and dropped Keelin’s wrist. “Why don’t you introduce us to your friend?”
Keelin turned to find Nyx sliding off her chair. She looked like an elementary school teacher with her dark jeans, feminine top, pearl necklace and ballerina flats.
“Mom, dad, this is Nyx. Nyx, this is Arya and Dragos Petronilla.”
After they exchanged polite greetings her father spoke first. “So you are the demigod?”
Nyx nodded, her expression almost apologetic. “Yes, but not a very good one I’m afraid.”
“I trust her completely,” Keelin said before either of her parents could respond. She might not have known the female very long but she felt as if she could truly trust Nyx. It was one of those bone-deep convictions and she wanted her friend to feel welcome and secure here. “While I would love to catch up, I believe it’s prudent for us to start discussing the demigod who apparently wants to kill me. And you too I suppose, since Victoria said he wants to eliminate every female in our line?” She said the last part as a question.
Her mother nodded. “Correct.”
“Have you ever seen the male?” she asked.
“I was a girl but yes, I remember who he was. He terrorized a village close to our clan’s at the time. He thought he had a right to any female he chose. My mother made it clear he did not.” That deadly edge she’d heard more than once in her long life was clear in her mom’s voice.
“I have a picture of someone we believe is the male.” She didn’t think it was necessary to go into detail about how Nyx had sensed the male and how they’d discovered who he was. Plus she didn’t want to explain that she’d gotten the picture from a half-demon. She grabbed her phone from the counter—and found herself incredibly depressed that Bran hadn’t even texted or called her since she’d left—and pulled up the picture.
As soon as she saw it, Arya nodded, her expression darkening. “This is the male. His name is Naram. Unfortunately,” she added, looking at Keelin’s father for a long moment before turning her grim expression on Keelin, “because of the bracelet you’re wearing, he is most definitely hunting you.”
