by Katie Reus
“You need to leave. It will be easier for me to fly with just Fiona,” said Ian. “The more people we get out of here, the better.”
“Please do this for me. I need to know you’re safe.” Fiona put a bit of desperation in her voice and she meant it. It didn’t make sense for all of them to go back down the mountain to the castle. “My brother already knows you mean something to me since I came here to rescue you. I don’t believe he’d kill me. He’ll be pissed that I brought in other people.” Who’d seriously messed up his castle. “So you need to get out of this Hell realm while you can and head straight to the Stavros estate. They’ll give you shelter.”
“I don’t want to waste any more time,” Ian snarled, surprising heat in his voice. “You need to go.”
Even though it was clear Ava wanted to argue, she nodded. “Fine. But if you’re not home in twenty-four hours I’m coming back for you.”
“Fair enough.” Fiona turned and looked over the top edge of the giant crater at the summit of the mountain.
According to Gray the gate would activate when someone jumped into it. Fiona believed him, especially since this place had been guarded. They were definitely where they needed to be.
“Maybe you guys should give me a little more room,” Ava said after giving Fiona a bear hug.
“We’re going to be fine. I’ll see you soon. Promise.” Fiona took a few steps back with Ian but could still easily see across the gaping mouth of the gate.
Ian moved with her, his hand at the small of her back in a protective gesture. One she liked way too much. Thankfully he’d brought a couple extra pairs of clothing, though he was down to his last set after shifting at the castle and shredding everything again.
“I’ll see you guys soon.” At that, Ava jumped.
A sucking sound was followed by a burst of color spreading across the crater as a kaleidoscope of blues, greens and reds swirled into a vortex, taking Ava to the human realm.
Seconds later the gate closed. “She’s safe now,” Fiona murmured, relief sliding through her veins.
Ian immediately pulled her into his arms and she didn’t fight him. Because she was freezing and because she wanted to feel his touch, she allowed the temporary hold. They needed to get out of there but for now she would be weak. Just for a moment.
“I didn’t mean what I said to my brother in that prison. About you being a way to escape,” she murmured against his chest.
He tightened his grip on her. “I know. I heard what you said and what you didn’t say. And…at first when you told me you didn’t love me, that you were mating with another male, that I wasn’t good enough, I lost my shit. But after I managed to think clearly I knew you’d lied to me. About not loving me, anyway.”
“Why didn’t you come after me?” she asked, not looking up at him. She was glad he hadn’t; her family would have made good on their promise and killed him before he’d ever gotten close to her.
His body tightened, but he didn’t let go of her. “I…came to your estate the same night you kicked me out of your life.”
Her head snapped up. “You did?” Her mother had told her he’d left town. And she hadn’t scented a lie either. She’d been in chains, unable to see for herself. By the time she’d gotten free, she hadn’t looked for him. She’d been too damn afraid to. Because she might have broken those chains, but she hadn’t been free. She was pretty certain the only reason her family had left her alone all these years was because she hadn’t chased after Ian. Well that, and she’d finally shown a spine and burned their home to the ground. She’d met Ava and they’d started working together. She’d given them no reason to bother her again.
“Yes. Your brothers told me you were in the process of mating. Your mating manifestation was visible from the house.” His voice was raspy, unsteady, cutting through her as harshly as the icy wind whipping around them.
She pulled back to look at him, grief fracturing through her. No matter what, she could have never mated with anyone else. “I never mated with anyone.” Obviously.
“I know that now. But I didn’t then. I assumed it was too late for us. That you were stuck in a loveless mating. That you’d sacrificed yourself. Then…your mother dropped off a copy of your marriage announcement from the local paper. So I left town. I didn’t want to risk seeing you with someone else.”
She blinked, thinking back to that time. She’d been a captive, but… “My oldest brother, Flannery, mated around that time. That must have been what you saw. And my family must have created a fake announcement using their contacts. I married no one,” she growled. Her heart twisted that Ian had thought she’d been with someone else, had actually mated and married another male. “I never could have been with anyone else.” Her words were a whisper but he heard them. “I’ve never been with anyone since you.” And she didn’t want to know if he had been. Of course he must have though. He’d thought she’d been mated and it had been so many damn years.
Ian crushed his mouth to hers unexpectedly, his kiss all-consuming as his tongue delved into her mouth, his big hand cupping the back of her head in a dominating, possessive grip. She barely had a chance to return his kiss before he pulled back, his breathing harsh and erratic.
His amber eyes were glowing. “I haven’t been with anyone since you either.”
She sucked in a breath as his words punched through her. That had been something she hadn’t even thought to hope for. To know that he had been just as faithful to her made tears spring to her eyes.
“And I’m not walking away again, Fiona. After we destroy this place and return to our realm, I want the chance to court you again. You don’t—”
“Okay. I want that too. More than anything.” She would mate with him right now if their mating manifestation wouldn’t give away their location. But that would be like a beacon to everyone in this realm. Not only that, mating was a huge step. They’d been apart for fifty years. Her dragon side might not care, but she wanted to get to know him again. “I need to be honest though. I don’t know if my family will find a way to hurt you if we mate and—”
“When,” Ian snarled.
She blinked. “What?”
“When we mate. Not if.” His words were as savage as his expression.
Warmth filled her as she clutched his shoulders tighter. “When.” The word stuck in her throat because she hadn’t dared to hope that it was possible. That they’d ever have a second chance. That she could actually have happiness with this wonderful male. She cleared her throat. “Once we mate they won’t come after you.” Of that she had no doubt. Because once they mated, if her family killed Ian, it would automatically kill Fiona too. “But they might try to hurt you in other ways. To come after your brothers, your sister. Anyone you care about. My clan can be vindictive. Since you don’t have the backing of a clan or a pack to strike back at my family… I have to tell you that. You need to think about this because—”
“There’s nothing to think about.” Again he was all snarls, something she found impossibly sexy. “My brothers are all strong. One’s mated to a demigod with a crazy mother, and the other is part of one of the strongest wolf packs. As soon as we’re out of here, we’re getting mated. I’ll court you after we’ve bonded. And I’ll keep doing it for the rest of our damn lives.”
She blinked.
“I decided I’m not waiting. We will mate as soon as we can.” His eyes shifted from dragon, to demon and back to human as he watched her, almost daring her to challenge him.
A rush of heat and want flooded her at his possessive tone. This was her male. Fiona went up on tiptoe, pressed her lips to his, savoring his taste and raw, masculine scent, unable to get enough. Somehow she pulled back, even as another rush of heat invaded her. The brief taste wasn’t enough, would never be enough. “As soon as we’re out of here, you’re mine forever.”
“Damn straight,” he growled.
If he understood the potential threat and was okay with it, she would be too. Because the truth was, she
couldn’t walk away from him again. There was simply no way.
“You ready to go look for the others?” Because they’d been up here long enough as it was. The most selfish part of her wished they could simply jump into the vortex and return to the human realm so she could claim Ian forever.
But she could never, ever do that to the people who had risked their lives to help a female they didn’t even know. She owed them. And Fiona would make damn sure every single one of them got out of here alive.
“Wear this,” Ian murmured, handing her a thick black cloak that was more like a hoodie from the human realm. But the material was different.
She held it up to her nose and inhaled before putting it on over her battered clothing. She wondered if he knew how cold she was right now or if he just wanted her to wear it to put his scent on her. Either way she was grateful for it. As soon as she tugged it over her head the warmth of the material helped get rid of some of the chill.
Now it was time to find the rest of their team and get home.
* * *
After stripping off the rest of his clothes and tucking them into his pack, Ian let the shift take over him until his dragon was in control. The only thing he could truly think about right now was the fact that Fiona had just agreed to become his mate.
He hadn’t expected that at all. If anything, he’d expected a lot more resistance. He’d been up to the challenge of convincing her that the risk from her family was worth it. Because he sure as fuck wasn’t afraid of them.
He hadn’t been afraid of them fifty years ago either. But she had been. They’d controlled her, kept her a virtual prisoner. If not literally, then mentally. And now that time had passed he understood her fear better. Unlike him, she’d been sheltered, controlled, manipulated. Her clan was all she’d ever known. To her they were terrifying and all powerful. And he had been alone. She’d been afraid for him.
Before Fiona could climb on him, he gently scooped her up with one of his paws and tucked her close to his chest. By holding her this way she wouldn’t get the brunt of the wind on his back as he flew down the mountain and into enemy territory. She’d seemed unnaturally chilled as he’d held her moments before. He wondered if it was because her dragon was sleeping, and it worried him.
As she curled into his paw, he lifted off the ground. A sense of rejuvenation and power invigorated him as he flapped his wings, climbing higher and higher. The fog surrounding them was thicker than he’d even imagined. He’d never been in a Hell realm like this before. One so damn cold.
Despite the name “Hell realm,” the realms weren’t hot. Not all of them anyway. The one he’d lived in for the last few decades before settling in Biloxi had been relatively mild as far as the weather. But it had been a brutal place to live in all other ways. Some days he missed it but now that he’d found Fiona again, he would live in the Arctic as long as she was with him.
As he breached above the fog, he immediately scanned for any potential aerial threats. From what Fiona’s brother had said, one of her other brothers was in this realm as well. Which made for two big threats. He had no doubt he could take them on, but he didn’t want Fiona to get caught in the crossfire. Literally or figuratively.
No, he wanted to find the others and get everyone out of here. Then they could come back and take this place down. They would need more shifters—probably the whole pack—to end what was going on here. And Ian wanted to find his new half-brother as well. But he wouldn’t risk Fiona in an effort to do that.
The pale green sky was a bit darker than it had been even an hour ago. It was always hard to judge time in a place like this. The various realms had similarities but many things were different, including the passage of time. The growing darkness could indicate that it was close to nighttime here or it could indicate something else.
He dipped down the mountain, careful to stay above the fog. He might have exceptional sight but no one could see through that soup or more than ten feet in front of them.
He was aware of the cold as he flew faster and faster but because of his dragon nature it barely affected him.
His camouflage was firmly in place as he flew back toward the castle and the fog dissipated. Plumes of thick, dark smoke filled the air. More than when they’d left. So Finn and his crew had clearly done some damage. And maybe Ian’s new half-brother. Who knew? And who really cared. The only thing that mattered was that this place was destroyed. They also needed to check if there were more captives, but for now they needed to find Finn and the others.
As he began to circle the castle and surrounding area, he automatically searched for any familiar faces. When a blast of dragon fire shot in his direction, a sharp burst of orange and red flames meant to kill, he automatically flew upward, keeping Fiona protected against his body. She might not be able to reach her dragon right now, but she should still be able to withstand dragon fire.
But if she couldn’t, just in case he gave her more of his essence to protect her.
Heat licked at his tail as he tried to avoid the onslaught of fire, but because of his natural ability to withstand another’s fire for a limited time, he was unharmed. Unfortunately he couldn’t see his attacker. And when another blast from above shot right at his face, something told him that his attackers—and there had to be more than one—could see him clearly despite his camouflage.
Which meant they had something in their possession made from dragon fire. It would likely be a blade or a piece of jewelry. Damn it. If someone possessed anything made from the rare fire, it gave them the ability to see any and all dragons, no matter if they were camouflaged.
A rage like he’d never known overtook him. Just because he couldn’t see his attackers didn’t mean he wouldn’t fight back. Hell, he was going to destroy them.
He embraced the darkness welling up inside him as he released a stream of blinding blue fire. A screech tore from his chest as he flew in a big circle, releasing the fire in every direction he turned.
An answering cry filled the air as he glimpsed a pale silver dragon under the darkening sky. It had to be one of her brothers. He’d seen Fiona in her dragon form before and she was a pale silver that glistened like the finest jewels.
A dragon plummeted toward the castle grounds below, one of his wings limp as he slammed against a wall. Stone rained down in all directions.
Another blast of fire shot at Ian. He rolled his body midair, diving in the same direction the dragon had fallen. He shot another stream of blistering hot blue fire at the fallen dragon. The fire engulfed the beast and the air was filled with horrifying screeches that raked over his senses. He hadn’t expected the rare blue fire, but he wasn’t going to question it.
He soared back toward the sky as stream after stream of orangey-red fire licked all around him. But none of it touched him.
He blasted out fire again in every direction but as far as he could tell he didn’t hit anything else. When the sky suddenly plunged into darkness, he made a split-second decision. He wanted to stay and fight, to find Finn and the others—but he needed to get Fiona to safety.
He’d lived in another Hell realm for a long time and the time changed from day to night there quickly, just like here. And at night terrifying things tended to come out. While he didn’t doubt his ability to take on any threat, right now wasn’t just about him.
It was about the woman he loved.
He’d already destroyed one big threat. Now it was time to find shelter for the two of them. Finn was a strong Alpha. He should be able to take care of himself and his wolves for a few hours.
Chapter 13
“We should be safe here.” Ian glanced around the small cave, looking for any crevices someone might be hiding in. But he doubted there was anyone inside.
He couldn’t scent anyone and the cave was only accessible from the air. He’d seen it at the top of one of the mountains as he and Fiona had been flying farther and farther away from the castle. He’d wanted to put as much mileage as possible between them and t
he threat before touching down.
“Did you see any creatures or animals on the mountain before we landed?” Fiona sat against a boulder, using it to prop herself up. She shivered, making him frown. She wasn’t injured so the poison must still be affecting her.
“No. I didn’t see anything while flying.” And that wasn’t normal in these realms. In the one he’d lived in so long, the creatures that had come out at night were something from a nightmare. Even for him. Things that looked like a cross between a hellhound and scorpion and walked around on sharp talons had been one of the tamer creatures in that realm.
Moving quickly he pulled his pants out of the bag and tugged them on. Fiona was still wearing his hoodie, and from the way she’d been shivering earlier he knew she needed it more than him. He sat next to her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her close. “I don’t know how long nightfall lasts here but we’ll rest for a bit.” At least there was only one way in and out of this cave. And even if someone was scouting from the sky, they wouldn’t be able to see him and Fiona.
“How are you feeling?” She snuggled tighter against him.
“I should be asking you that. What’s going on with you? Are you getting weaker?” Dammit, he should have sent her back with Ava.
“Not weaker. But I still can’t feel my dragon. Maybe this is what it feels like not to be a shifter. So I don’t know if I’m getting weaker or if this is just a side effect of whatever was done to me.”
Rage against whoever had hurt her filled his veins but he shoved that emotion back. Right now was about her. “I’ll get you to the exit as soon as we leave this cave, and then return to the castle for Finn and the others. I can find out more about what poisons they’ve been making.”
“I’m not leaving without you. So don’t ask it of me. I spent decades without you, Ian.” Her hand had been resting on his chest gently. Now she clenched her fingers into a ball against his heart as she met his gaze. “I can’t be separated from you again.”