by Aliyah Burke
Lana stepped back and turned in Lian’s arms. Dracen couldn’t find any words. Luc’s presence at her back brought her silent support. The look Lian bestowed upon Lana nearly broke her heart, it was so full of love. In that moment, she saw him as he was when Lana had been alive. Glyphs moved along his skin, alive and pulsing.
Lian threaded his hands in Lana’s hair, murmured to her in Chinese, then kissed her. Deeply. Passionately.
Their bodies glowed and moments later, they were gone. Dracen gulped and stumbled forward, her momentum would have carried her to the ground if not for Luc snaking an arm around her, keeping her on her feet.
Around her, she witnessed the pain in the others’ faces. The tears they shed. As they stood there, the ground dotted with a myriad of colors as flowers sprang up from thick green grass.
Dracen looked at Calida who shook her head. It was from Lana, not her. Dracen closed her eyes and tried to control her breathing. She hurt. So much.
As one they broke away, paired off with their mates to grieve in private. She allowed Luc to support much of her weight, for her limbs felt heavier than ever.
He closed the door to their room behind him, turned so her back was to the wood, and cupped her cheek with both hands. She stared at him, his face no longer covered by wounds and blood but healed and healthy. In his gaze there were flecks of silver, intermixing with the dark green she’d fallen for that first night. The stripes had gone.
“I’m so sorry, Dray.” He brought his head closer and rested against her. Nothing else was said, he stood like that for a moment, and she closed her eyes once more, willing the tears away.
He kissed each eyelid and lifted her into his arms. She allowed him to take her where he would, and at the slight bounce when he placed her on the bed, she merely turned into the nearest pillow and tried to find some strength. Luc joined her and took the place of her pillow.
“I don’t know what to do now,” she said after a while of silence.
“Who says you have to figure it all out now?”
“They’re counting on it. We have to be prepared.”
“I’m pretty sure right now you’re allowed to rest and grieve.”
It was what she loved about Luc. One of the many things. He never sounded judgmental, just matter of fact. And he was right, she did need to grieve.
So she did.
* * * *
Cheza cautiously moved the heavy slab concealing her hideaway to the side. To her strength it was akin to flicking aside a gnat, but still she moved with caution. Once a sliver had been exposed, she slipped through, having shrunk her body to be invisible to the naked eye. Lifting to the air, she levitated while she scented.
The metallic tang of blood could be tasted as she sent her power out to search for what she sought. Death and destruction came to her as well. She continued to rise up in the air until she could see the endless lands she coveted.
They had been defeated. She’d fled the battlefield while her fellow creatures had lain dead and dying. She had no qualms about doing so—they would have abandoned her had they thought ahead and made plans as she’d done. Once the arrival of the hope of the world had arrived, the tide had visibly shifted.
It hadn’t mattered how many mindless drones they’d sent ahead to help battle, the Guardians had cut them down. Once They had entered the battle for a short time, she’d wondered if they wouldn’t actually succeed. Then the hope had arrived.
Cheza lowered herself back to the ground and slipped back inside the volcano she was making her home. The remote locale was perfect for what she needed. Transforming to her massive size once the rock had again sealed her inside, she made her way down the long winding path toward the molten lava heating the base.
Lying on a bed made of grasses, leaves and dead animals lay her baby. Hara had gotten her pregnant, and the moment she’d learned about this, she’d changed her plans. She’d begun working on her contingency plan. Her strength combined with Hara’s, her offspring at her side, they would be stronger than ever.
The Guardians will eventually let down their guard, believing themselves safe. When they do, I and my son will take over. We will be victorious where the others were not. There will be no infighting. We will be united.
She hissed as pleasure raced through her. Her baby lifted his serpentine head and bared rows of razor-sharp fangs in her direction, his hiss unfriendly. She reached out and didn’t complain when he sank those same teeth into her and drank her blood.
Yes, eat. Feed. Grow. Hate.
While the rest of the world continued on above them, they would lay low here. Her son would grow and soon, they would take back what was rightfully theirs. The world.
Epilogue
Dracen lowered her katana and stared at her opponent whom she’d just planted her foot into the chest of, sending him flying backward. Luc stopped his backward progress, feet spread and one hand on the mat, using his fingers to help balance him. His eyes twinkled.
“Not nice, babe.”
She flicked her tongue along her lips. “This is a fight. No room for niceness. You want niceness, go for ice cream with some of the kids.” A quirk of her lips. “Then again, that’s not always nice either.”
He tilted his head to the side as a cocky smile lifted his mouth. Before she knew what had happened, a coil of gray mist had curved around her ankle, yanking her off her feet. With a roll and a swift maneuver, she managed to remain upright.
“And that is nice?” she countered, rushing him with one sword, now two.
“It’s me learning more about this power we share.” He met her attack with one of his own. The air filled with the sounds of metal upon metal as they battled for the upper hand. Neither of them pulled punches and Dracen dropped low, sweeping her leg out and taking his from beneath him.
She was on him before he could recover. Swords along his neck in an X, she held his gaze. “You’re good, but I’m still better.”
“Not for long,” he said without heat.
She recalled her weapons so the blades were gone and it was just her on top of Luc.
“This,” he grunted, “is much better. Can we spend the rest of the day this way?”
“You on your back?”
“Or you on yours,” he suggested, rolling them over and kissing her.
She closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around him. “I think that’s something we can manage to make happen.”
He ran the back of his hand down her face. “How are you doing?”
She didn’t even pretend to misunderstand. “I miss him. Every day. I keep waiting for the pain to lessen but it doesn’t.”
Luc brushed his lips over hers. “If I could take away the pain, you know I would.”
“I know. I don’t want to lose it. Part of me wonders if I will forget him if the pain goes away.”
“You’ll never forget him, baby.”
She got free of his arms and stood. “Come on, I have something for you.”
Luc jumped up. “My prize for the rest of the day.”
She laughed, loving how he made the bad seem not so horrible. “Something like that.”
He slipped his hand into hers and walked with her to the stairs. Together they ascended and she led him to the room next to the office. She swung open the door and waited for him to pass her.
“What are we looking—?” He stepped in. “Are you serious?”
“Surprise.”
“Wow.” He wheeled back to face her, the grin on his face allaying the rest of her fears. “You know I’m going to insist on being married now.”
“That’s it? That’s what you have to say?”
“You knocked me speechless, babe. You’re pregnant with my babies?”
She frowned and stepped closer to him. “Babies?”
He laughed. “You’re playing a joke, right? There are two cribs in here.”
She peered past him. “I just had one in here.”
“I thought Altair had done the work. The craftsman
ship is exquisite.” He slipped an arm around her as they approached the cribs.
Dracen searched with her power but couldn’t find any indication that something was out of place or wrong. She positioned herself between the items and, freeing herself from Luc’s touch, placed a hand on each rail. Behind her, Luc’s hard body touched her and his hands covered hers.
Unlike when they’d first discovered they were mates and the diamond mist had exploded out, this time it rolled out from beneath her hands. His breath was warm on her ear as they watched it cover the cribs then vanish. Etched into the headboard of each was a dragon holding a moon. As they continued staring, color entered and the dragons turned silver with a diamond dusting while the moon was on fire.
“We’re having twins,” he muttered. “I’m going to go out on a limb and say our dragon knows and this is a gift from him to you. Well, to both of us.” He turned her so they faced one another. Sinking a hand in her hair, Luc backed her to the wall. “I love you, Dray.”
“I love you, Luc. Are you ready for this?”
“I’m ready for anything so long as you’re in it with me.”
“Right here,” she uttered, drawing his mouth to hers.
As their passion ratcheted up, she realized that her fate had been sealed that first night, even if she hadn’t realized it until she’d seen him standing outside that one night beneath the moon of fire. He was her everything, and she would make it with him at her side.
Also available from Totally Bound Publishing:
Unbreakable Bonds
Aliyah Burke and Taige Crenshaw
Excerpt
Chapter One
The shot had torn through flesh and bone, making each movement—from breathing to continuing his forward motion—a painful chore. The man stumbled occasionally, yet pressed on. Baying dogs gained on him as his steps slowed. Sticky blood ran down his bare arm and mingled with the rain that cascaded around him. Wet branches reached out and ripped at his exposed upper body. Any and all air was ingested desperately as he ran farther into the forest.
He couldn’t be caught. He didn’t want to die without knowing who had killed her. He had to find a way to survive.
His Calliope.
Her sweet brown face appeared before him—plump lips, a somewhat flat nose and eyes the color of a mug brimming full of rich hot chocolate.
Calliope.
Tears mixed with rain as he ran on. A gun barked seconds before he collapsed as a bullet ripped through the back of his thigh. His fingers dug into the fertile soil as he struggled to regain his footing.
“There is nowhere for you to run, Levi. We will find you.” The deep, drawling voice rose above the storm, carrying through the trees.
Blood loss, combined with pure exhaustion brought on by his days of being held and beaten, overwhelmed him. Levi Jefferson Davis Madison sank ungraciously back to the forest floor, knowing he wouldn’t be able to continue. “I’m so sorry, Calliope. I tried, my love. I tried.” The tortured words were full of sorrow and pain.
Despite the cold his body had experienced for the past week, Levi felt a warmth flow over him like a feather blanket. A heat he hadn’t felt since before the day he’d lost his love.
A whisper came through the dark to reach his ears. Levi, you are a man whose love is pure. In a world divided by color, you never faltered. Despite everything put to you, you stayed true to your heart and never turned your back on your soul mate. For that, I tell you this… Rest now. Fear not, for you shall be returned to the arms of your love. Trust your heart, for it will not lead you astray.
Levi couldn’t explain it, but the words calmed his breaking heart. With a sigh that was more of a gurgle of blood, the man closed his eyes, ready to accept his death. He knew he would one day be reunited with the love who had died in his arms. The ones who had killed her were the same men who chased him.
One day couldn’t come too soon.
Lightning lit the sky as he turned tired eyes up and watched the night shadows become men whose faces were full of hate. Two watched him, one with green and one with blue, as they told him they were the ones who’d killed the love of his life.
The thunder rolled.
* * * *
Ta-Mara LeBreaux sniffled and smiled to herself behind the counter of the used bookstore she worked in, Roberta’s Reads. She closed the book and fondly ran her hand over the front cover.
What better way to pass the stormy afternoon than by reading about real men and real love? This was one of her favorite books. A story of the Old South, where despite the laws, one man had stood up for his beliefs and openly admitted his love for a freed slave. And although they hadn’t been able to get married, he’d claimed he was married in the eyes of God to her.
Levi Jefferson Davis Madison, raised in the Deep South, had fallen in love with a woman known as Calliope Jones.
She sniffed again. How wonderful it would be to have a man like him—tall, handsome, dangerously alpha and yet totally in love with his woman, willing to stand up to the bigots and take whatever crap they dished out.
“The only thing that sucks about this is that I don’t know if he dies or not.”
Age had yellowed the pages and the final bit was missing. The only thing resembling a title was faded script on the front that read Unbreakable Bonds. She had asked her friend, Reginald ‘Reggie’ Carpenter—the store’s owner—about the book and had even gone to the library and checked online to see if she could figure out more about this mysterious story. Nothing came up. And she couldn’t find an author name anywhere on it either.
Reginald had given her the book for helping him out in the store. She carried it with her always and reread it when she had any free time like now, on this dark stormy afternoon in Louisiana. Not many people were out, so after cleaning a bit, she had hunkered down and begun to read.
The book wasn’t very thick, but the words resonated with the passion Levi and Calliope had for one another. “I wish I knew the ending of this.” Her imaginative mind had created lots of different endings for the story. Of course, she substituted herself in place of Calliope, but at least Levi found his love.
A loud rumble of thunder echoed through the small brick building but it wasn’t until the lights flickered that she looked away from the object in her hands. The hum of the lights, which normally filled her with familiarity, seemed odd and unsettling. Almost like they were still trying to catch up from the power surge.
“What I need is to turn on some more music,” she muttered to herself as she placed the book down on the now clean desk. “My imagination is beginning to make me think I’m crazy.”
She headed down the middle of the store, her eyes traveling over the numerous shelves packed with books. This place made her feel at home. Rounding the final shelf, she turned toward the entrance of the back room.
Numerous boxes of books were stored there—extra copies, books for donating to literacy programs and more. Nimbly avoiding them, Ta-Mara finally reached the CD player. She dragged a finger over the stack of CDs before she made her selection and pulled a disc free from its case. “John Legend is always good to listen to.”
Content all was set, she headed out of the stockroom to return to the front of the store. Ta-Mara frowned as the smell of dirt and rain hit her nose. Okay, I get it. No more wild daydreams. She shook her head to rid herself of the crazy trip her mind was taking.
Two steps then she stopped as the entire place went pitch black. Lightning flashed and in its eerie glow, Ta-Mara found herself face-to-face with a man—a man with blood and water streaking his face. A man who lurched toward her and reached out as if to grab her.
An inhuman scream left her before she crumpled to the floor.
* * * *
Ta-Mara stirred. She moaned as she rubbed her head. Damn that hurts. The lights were still out in the store, so she got up slowly.
“Hello?” she asked the dark.
Was someone there? She would swear she had seen a man, but on the off
chance he remained, did she really want him to know where in the store she was?
Oh, get a grip, Ta-Mara. You imagined it. That’s all.
There was a soft groan in the darkness. A whimper of fear slipped out as she realized she wasn’t alone in the store.
“Hello? Is someone there?” She reached behind her to the shelf where they kept hardbacks and she grabbed a thick one. Ta-Mara gripped it before her and said with more bravado than she felt, “Answer me. I’m armed and…and I know karate.”
Okay, I thought about taking karate. Now I wish I had.
No answer. Not even another groan.
Gritting her teeth, Ta-Mara positioned her body to head back to the storage area and the fuse box. “I can do this,” she whispered to herself. The situation would have been laughable if not for the pounding of her heart and her sweaty palms.
Normally of solid character, panicking was so unlike her—and she didn’t like it. Moving carefully, Ta-Mara made her way through the blackness to where she knew the box was.
Sliding her feet along the carpet to make sure she didn’t trip, Ta-Mara hesitated as she brought up a mental image of the back room. What, if anything, sat on the floor between her and the wall supporting the fuse box?
Crack! Another lightning flash was followed immediately by more rumbling thunder.
She was ready to jump out of her skin, as tight as her body was wound. Ta-Mara felt the hum of electricity before the lights actually came back on. They flickered a bit but with a final surge, a sigh escaped her as the glow of florescent bulbs flooded the back room.
Closing her eyes in relief, Ta-Mara heard the sexy voice of John Legend fill the air and she turned around to see if anyone was behind her. Her hands remained curled around the heavy book and she was ready, just in case. She put the CD player on batteries so it wouldn’t skip again with the inclement weather.