by Katie Reus
Poison. She stared at the male in horror as he slipped an arm around her shoulders and leaned his head close to hers, holding on to her as if they were friends simply talking.
No! She screamed in her head, tried to struggle against him as she called on her energy. The spark of life tingled against her fingertips, but…nothing. She could barely move. He’d lifted her off the ground so her feet weren’t dragging.
Oh God, Reaper! She tried to turn her head to see if she could find him, but this treacherous male continued hauling her through the crowd of people. Then another male was there, helping him guide her away. But she didn’t recognize him.
Everyone was so focused on King they barely glanced at them.
She refused to be taken, refused to let this bastard kidnap her. She struggled to fight him, raging at her energy to work, but the poison was winding its way through her body. It moved out to all her nerve endings, sharp bites of pain carving a path through her body.
Dragon poison. It had to be.
She struggled to keep her eyes open, felt tears rolling down her cheeks as she opened her mouth in another silent cry of agony. Where were her friends? Where was Reaper?
Then she felt another prick against her neck and blackness dragged her under.
Chapter 26
Reaper scanned the faces of all the humans who were now dispersing. Finally. He scented Greer but he could not see her. Had she stripped and then gone into camouflage mode? No, he did not think so. Her scent, so sweet and wild, like summer rain, lingered in the air, taunting him.
Damn it. He should not have sent her those abrupt texts. They had been “bossy,” as she liked to say. But…he did not want her here. He wanted her back in the mansion, safe. Safe being a relative word. But she did not need to be around angry humans who might decide to turn violent.
He rolled his shoulders once as a group of male humans hurried past, giving him a sideways look. Fear and curiosity rolled off them and it took all his self-control not to snarl at them. Right now he needed to find Greer, not bare his teeth at humans. At least the humans had listened to King and were all going back to their respective homes. They’d all started to leave, fanning out in different directions, some seeming appeased, others simply afraid.
Five minutes later, the street was clear of humans and Greer was nowhere to be found. She had not answered any of his phone calls.
And he had called twenty-five times.
His dragon clawed at him, tugging at his barely there restraint, demanding he take to the skies and search for her.
King spoke with his wolves on the sidewalk, but Cynara and the others were talking in a circle near the high-gated entrance of the cemetery.
He approached them, not caring that he was interrupting their conversation. “Have you seen Greer?”
Ian answered him. “She came with us but stopped to talk to some human females. It looked as if she convinced them to head out.” Frowning, Ian glanced around, as did the others. Reaper had recently figured out that they came from the same clan. It was strange to have family with him now, family he actually liked.
But nothing mattered at the moment. Reaper’s agitation spiked, his claws pricking against his fingertips.
“She could have gone back to the mansion,” Cynara said as she pulled out her cell phone. “Though I don’t know why she would have.” The hybrid made a call—to Greer, he assumed.
“I might have texted her and told her to leave,” Reaper admitted.
Cynara snort-laughed. “She didn’t answer for me… Did you phrase your text as an order?”
He lifted a shoulder. “My text might have been abrupt.” Translation, yes.
“Well, then I guarantee she didn’t listen to your dumb ass,” Cynara said, rolling her eyes. “You don’t order a dragon female to do anything.” She looked around, concern growing in her expression. “She didn’t answer my call but have you tried calling her?”
“Yes.” And he felt like he was stalking her but he did not care.
King and his wolves approached then. “We’ve confirmed from every human that someone is spreading rumors that we are killing them,” the Alpha said.
“It is obviously Brennus and his clan.” Reaper knew he sounded exasperated and did not care. The only thing that mattered was finding Greer. “But I have a different problem. I cannot find Greer.”
King straightened. “What do you mean?”
“She was here. I saw her—” His phone rang then, and relief punched through him when Greer’s name appeared on-screen. These stupid phones were good for something, it seemed.
He swiped his finger across the screen. Prima had shown him how the camera function worked. So the night at the club before everything had gone crazy, he had snapped a secret picture of Greer when she hadn’t been looking. She was laughing at something Cynara had said. Her hair was down around her shoulders, her eyes sparkling with laughter. He wished she was here with him now. “Greer. I apologize for what I said before—”
“You aren’t sorry enough.” A familiar male voice came across the line. “But you’re going to be.”
Ice filled Reaper’s veins. “Damari? Why are you calling me on Greer’s phone?” Even as he spoke, understanding sliced through him. There was only one reason for Damari to be calling from her phone, to be talking to him like this.
And now Damari would die.
“I have your healer. I thought you two had mated. But as soon as I poisoned her, I realized you hadn’t. You’re pathetic,” the male spat. “Couldn’t even get your mate to bond to you and now you never will. I’m going to kill your healer. Come get her. Maybe you can save her. Or maybe I’ll let you watch while I cut her head off.” He laughed maniacally right before the phone went dead.
He stared at the phone in his hand, paralyzed for the first time in his entire existence.
Kill Greer? No.
His phone buzzed and a picture of Greer flashed on-screen. Her arms and legs were bound and she was strung up from a tree branch. Her eyes were closed, her head lolled back, her copper-colored hair falling all around her. There was a weird tint to the picture, making everything look almost red.
Nausea rose inside him as he started to squeeze his hands around the phone. It started to crack before Cynara took it from him. It buzzed again, this time with an address. Before he could snatch it back, she clicked on it and a map pulled up. He read the words on the screen, recognized the area. It wasn’t far from here. Which made sense; she hadn’t been gone long.
His phone buzzed again so he grabbed it back from Cynara and read the next message.
Come alone and fight me for her. Five minutes. Tick tock.
Reaper tossed the phone to Cynara as he backed away from everyone.
“Dude, this is a trap!” Cynara said as he moved farther away until he was in the middle of the street.
Of course it was a trap. He didn’t care. He let the shift come over him, let his dragon take control.
“We’re going with you,” Cynara snapped at his dragon even as King said, “You’re not going alone.”
He snarled at all of them, shoving out a burst of flames into the air. He didn’t care if they came or not. He would save Greer and kill Damari.
Slowly. Painfully.
And he wouldn’t wait for anyone. Ignoring them, he turned away, his wing slamming into a tree and big trash can, knocking them both over as he took to the night skies.
Find mate.
Stop threat.
Kill Damari.
Reaper’s beast had almost completely taken control at this point, his rage wild and bright, fire bursting from his mouth as he flew, unable to stop himself.
He could not believe Damari had betrayed him. Had taken Greer. It made no sense. They had fought together, had been allies.
Treetops and homes flew by underneath him at a rapid rate as the wide-open cemetery came into view. Gravestones and statues covered the rolling hill, but so did huge oak trees, giving needed cover to anyone that desir
ed it.
He had studied the topography and maps of the city over the last few days and now he was grateful for the foresight.
As he swooped downward, his wings skimming treetops, he spotted an unnatural red glow emanating from a cluster of trees. What the hell was it?
Oh, gods. It was Greer. Suspended from a tree in some sort of red, glowing cocoon. He had to get her out.
Right as he arrowed toward her, a red ball of fire flew past him, nearly hitting his left wing.
He rolled over midair before spiraling downward.
Another ball of red flames shot at him, lighting up the night.
He opened his jaw and released a raging stream of fire, unable to see the threat. His flames lit up the cemetery and he saw Damari surge up from the trees. Two dragons he didn’t recognize sat guarding Greer. They didn’t move even as Damari flew at him.
He tucked his wings in tight and started free-falling as Damari shot up at him. When they would have collided, Reaper let his wings unfurl, stopping his fall and unleashing a burst of fire.
He sliced through the softer scales of Damari’s underbelly.
Damari snarled, and being the ancient he was, he veered midflight and arrowed straight for Reaper, blasting him with fire.
It rolled over his scales and body as he returned fire.
He would not be defeated. Reaper flew through the flames, straight at Damari.
They collided midair, their talons tearing each other to shreds.
Damari’s dragon screeched as Reaper clutched onto the beast with his claws, digging into his scales and tearing wildly.
Ignoring the rush of pain as Damari bit into his neck, he blasted fire in the traitor’s eyes and face.
Damari released his hold as they spiraled downward toward the trees.
Right before they would have crash-landed, Reaper released the other dragon from his grip. He flapped his wings hard, ignoring the agony streaking through him as he glided over the trees and swooped back toward his enemy. Toward the male who was about to die.
Damari was flying directly for him as well, his right wing injured.
Reaper let all his rage build inside him, the need to protect Greer an overwhelming force he had only experienced once—when he’d seen that dragon over Jackson Square about to attack Greer. He breathed out fire, the flames a bright, brilliant blue, so bright they decimated the trees and everything in between.
Damari rolled away, crashing down into the trees and out of sight.
Reaper didn’t stop, but continued shooting fire through the foliage. It burned away, ash carrying on the wind as he dove straight at Damari, who was trying to run from him.
This male would never outrun him. Reaper would hunt him to the ends of the earth. And beyond. He would follow him straight into Hell and destroy him.
Damari turned, his claws digging up earth and gravestones as he tried to get away.
Reaper descended onto his back, breathing that same brilliant blue fire as he sank his jaw into the male’s neck and tore through bone and cartilage.
With a stream of rage, he ripped his head off. Blood and fire erupted everywhere. But he wasn’t done. He continued burning, burning, burning until nothing remained. No bones, just ash, carrying away on the wind.
Chapter 27
Greer was aware of Reaper battling with that bastard Damari up in the sky. Damari was a fool if he believed he could take Reaper on. And the male thought he could. She knew because he had told her so before he’d stabbed her again, this time with a witch’s nasty concoction.
Freaking witches.
So now she was wrapped up in a cocoon of fiery, dark magic. Too bad for Damari—her healer’s energy would tear through this.
Eventually.
But he’d been a fool to think this concoction was strong enough for her. He clearly knew nothing of healers or their energy. He should have tranqued her a hundred times more than this dosage if he’d wished her to remain unconscious. Of course she had to deal with the two big dragons on either side of her, guarding her.
That was simply semantics. Because she was going to get out of this alive. And she was going to mate with Reaper as well. She refused to die like this, to die right after she’d met her mate. Right after the entire world had been destroyed and reshaped. No, she wanted to be around for at least another thousand years with Reaper by her side. She wanted to have dragonlings and see what this new world would bring. She. Would. Not. Die.
Her rage fueled her energy, tingles spreading up her fingers, her arms, and throughout her entire body as her own magic worked, pushing back against the darkness trying to take over.
Through the red haze she could see war raging in the sky but couldn’t actually hear anything. It was like this cocoon was insulated.
The dragons were watching the battle as well, their bodies tense. They weren’t paying attention to her at all. Fools.
She needed to get out, to help Reaper. She pushed out with her power, her own energy a soft green glow, eating away at the interior of the cocoon, inch by inch, destroying the insidious darkness.
Out of the corner of her eye, she thought she saw shadows moving. It could be help or it could be nothing—or more enemies. She ignored the shadows peeling away from the trees. Right now she was going to depend on herself. And Reaper.
Her energy created a force field around her body, shoving against the strange, witchy magic somehow keeping her suspended and separate from the world.
Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath, focusing hard before she shoved outward, sending her power streaming from her fingertips.
The cocoon exploded, remnants of it turning to sharp, jagged glass, raining down all around her.
The dragons screeched as the glass punched into their thick scales. Without thought, she held her hands out on either side, blasting both of them with her healer’s power.
They barrel rolled, knocking down trees and gravestones. Then they stopped moving.
Holy shit. She’d never done anything like that in her entire life.
No time to dwell on it, however. She had a mate to find. She refused to accept that Reaper might not have survived. Couldn’t even let her mind go there.
Fire erupted from the trees at least a hundred yards in front of her. Instead of shifting, she ran straight for it, calling on her supernatural speed to empower her.
She heard movement behind her, and glanced over her shoulder.
She wasn’t exactly surprised to see Cynara, Bo, and the others killing those two dragons.
Good.
As she raced into the cluster of trees, she jerked to a halt, nearly crashing into Reaper.
Who was alive. “Reaper!” she shouted, her joy limitless. Ash floated on the air around him as he moved toward her.
He shifted to human, the flow so seamless it was one of the most incredible things she had ever seen. She’d been a fool to ever think she could walk away from him, to even question if they should complete the mating. He belonged to her.
He cupped her face, pulling her to him. “You’re okay,” he said, breathing out the words.
She needed to tell him everything she knew. “The other two dragons are dead. He poisoned me with dragon venom at first, then used some sort of witchy magic to keep me contained. I think he was just working with those two dragons and Brennus. He was the one who spread all those rumors about you and Prima. He told me that he hated you—it’s why he was in league with Brennus even though he didn’t agree with everything he was doing. He didn’t tell me why, but it sounded personal. And he told me Brennus would be going after King. Brennus’s extended clan is taking over cities around the world and New Orleans is his. His clan has been killing the ancients.”
In response, Reaper simply crushed his mouth to hers, desperate and hungry to taste all of her.
Maybe she should care that he was naked and bloodied and dead dragons were scattered throughout this cemetery but all she cared about was kissing him back. Bright purple flames spread out
everywhere, including the entire cemetery, licking high into the treetops as she wrapped her entire body around him. She wanted to jump him right now, to take him right on the grassy earth. Somehow she pulled her head back, and knew her eyes were as bright as his. “We are going to mate,” she said.
He simply growled in response, their flames licking up even higher.
There were things to take care of, dragon bodies to burn, and other shit to figure out—like if King and the others were okay—but all she cared about was mating with him. Feeling him sink deep inside her as he officially claimed her for his own.
She kissed Reaper back with a hunger she felt bone-deep. She wanted to imprint herself on this male so the world knew he was hers. That he was taken and would always be taken.
“Guys,” a familiar voice interrupted them. Greer ignored it. “Guys!”
Reaper and Greer both growled, turning to look at the interloper.
Cynara held up her hands. “I am so sorry to interrupt. Like, so sorry. But you guys are creating quite the show. And we have two dead bodies to take care of.”
Reaper looked back at Greer, his dragon bright in his eyes. “We could leave right now.”
Oh how she wanted to. Desperately. “Damari has more clanmates,” she forced out instead. And they could be a threat to all of them. He hadn’t implied they were but…who knew.
“And King is battling Brennus,” Cynara said.
Greer snapped her gaze back to her friend. “Right now?”
“Brennus attacked King as we followed after Reaper. We chose to come help you.”
Oh, hell. Greer looked at Reaper. They couldn’t just leave now. They had to help.
Chapter 28
Brennus would have sneered if he’d been in human form. King was alone with his wolves as Reaper flew away in a fruitless effort to save his mate.
Everything had come down to this. This was his due. King, a fucking wolf, thought he could rule this city? Thought he had the stones to take on other supernaturals?