by Donna Grant
Con nodded his head once. “Go save your mate.”
Rhys was vaguely aware that Con walked away, but his attention was on Lily. He purposefully hadn’t told her the full extent of his plan so Dennis couldn’t force it out of her.
“Hang on, Lily,” Rhys whispered.
* * *
“You’ll be able to see everything from here,” Darius told Kyle as they led him into a vacant room on the third floor of the manor.
Kyle looked at them, a touch of fear in his eyes. “You want me to stay here? By myself?”
“We’ll be about,” Kellan assured him. “Dennis will never know you’re here.”
Kyle glanced out the window. “I’m not sure about any of this.”
“Just stay here and you’ll be fine,” Darius said and shut the door behind him as he walked out. He paused in the hallway and looked at Kellan. “Should we lock it?”
Kellan started to shake his head, then frowned. “Kyle loves his sister, but he’s friends with Dennis. Once he sees the man Dennis really is, he might want to go down and protect Lily.”
“We can no’ have him in the way. So, we lock it.”
Kellan put a hand on his arm to stop him. He whispered, “He’ll hear it and no’ trust us. I’ll stay behind and watch him. If he tries to leave, I’ll stop him.”
Darius looked at the door, thinking of the mortal within. He was young and foolish, and easily swayed. “I’ll stay.”
Kellan was at his heels as he walked away. “Why?”
“Why no’?” Darius asked over his shoulder.
“You’ve just woken.”
“And you have a mate.” Darius halted at the top of the stairs and Kellan came even with him. “Go to her.”
Kellan blew out a breath. “Darius, you’ve only just woken—”
“I didna go back to sleep after we helped the Warriors. I remained in my cave. I’m back, Kellan, and I’m fine.”
“Are you?” Kellan asked, his eyes intense.
Darius held Kellan’s gaze. “I’m going to pretend you didna ask that. Get to your position. I’m going to hide here and see if Kyle remains in the room.”
Several tense seconds passed before Kellan descended the stairs. Darius looked at his hands and slowly fisted them.
He wasn’t all right. And he feared he never would be.
* * *
This was Lily’s second trip past the hedgerow, and she was as taken aback by the glory of Dreagan as she had been the first time. If Dreagan was beautiful around the distillery, behind the hedges it was a heaven.
“What are you doing?” Dennis grumbled as he pulled her along.
Lily was looking at the sheep and cattle. She glanced at the manor, finding the dark gray structure intriguing and magnificent. But it was nothing compared to what lay around her.
The mountain behind the manor rose tall and sturdy, the craggy slopes sporting bright green grass between the rocks. On either side of the mountain were smaller slopes leading into a valley. Lily couldn’t see onto the other side, but the valley she was in made her feel as if she were home.
There was a large pasture alongside the manor that was open, the grass thick. That’s where she was, and Lily wanted to see more. Dennis was pulling her toward the sheep pens. They were empty now, the sheep dotting the hillsides. They passed a building that was obviously a work shed where they sheared the sheep.
Lily tried to see inside, imagining Rhys working there. It brought a smile to her face to think of him bending over and trimming the wool from the animals.
“What are you smiling about?” Dennis demanded.
Lily looked at him and made a face. “I was thinking about sheep.”
He rolled his eyes and yanked her after him. Lily glanced around in hopes that she would see Rhys. She knew he was out there, as were the others. But where were they? What were they waiting for?
Dennis took her around the sheep pens and up a steep incline of one of the rolling hills. He stopped, his breathing heavy, as he looked around.
“Lost?” she asked hopefully.
He threw her a dark look. “No.”
“You don’t even know where you’re going, do you?”
Dennis chuckled and spread his free arm wide. “Look around you, sweetheart. There are sixty thousand acres before us.”
“You aren’t seriously going to walk all of it?”
“Do I look that dumb?”
She had to bite the inside of her mouth not to answer.
“Of course not,” Dennis said and made a sound at the back of his throat.
The longer Lily stood with him, the more anxious she became. It was almost as if he were waiting on someone, which surely couldn’t be right.
“I saw you with him.”
Lily slid her gaze to Dennis. She didn’t have to ask who he was talking about. The night in Edinburgh was branded in her memories.
“I don’t remember you ever being so … sensual with me,” Dennis said with a sneer. “You certainly never let me hold you against a window naked so I could pound inside you.”
Lily swallowed, but she didn’t look away. “You were never man enough to make me want to do that.”
“And he is?”
“He’s a thousand times more of a man than you’ll ever hope to be.” As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she felt free. As if the chains around her suddenly fell away, chains she hadn’t even known held her back.
“You may change your mind about your precious Rhys once you know who he really is.”
Dennis said it so calmly, so coolly that her stomach dropped to her feet like lead. He knew what Rhys was.
Indifferent to her inner musings, Dennis continued. “I also saw him kissing you at the river. You best be careful, Lily. It’s not a good idea to fall for anyone from Dreagan. It could get you killed.”
“Because you’re going to kill them?” she asked, pretending she didn’t have a clue what he was talking about. Her best bet was to play the innocent and let him think he was shocking her. “You said if I helped that you would leave them alone.”
“I did say that, didn’t I?” he asked with a smirk. “You should know you can’t trust me.”
“I’ve known it for a while.”
“And yet you continue to do it. That should tell you that you have awful instincts.”
She jerked her arm from his grasp and turned away. “You do love to hear yourself talk.”
“I’m right, and you know it. You just don’t want to admit it.”
“As pretty as this view is, I need to get back to the store.” She turned to leave, only to have him step in front of her. His menacing look made her draw up short. Her blood pounded in her ears.
Then she remembered where she was and who was watching over her. No matter what, she knew Rhys wouldn’t let anything happen to her. She pushed the fear aside, holding onto an image of Rhys in her mind.
“You’re not going anywhere.”
Lily took a deep breath and crossed her arms over her chest. “What are you after, Dennis?”
“Something important. Something that’ll change the world.”
“You said I didn’t know what Rhys is. Tell me then.”
Dennis chuckled as he watched her, considering her words. “All right, though you won’t believe me.”
“Try me,” she dared.
“They’re dragons.”
Lily’s arms dropped weakly to her sides. So Dennis did know. The secret Rhys and the other Dragon Kings had kept for countless centuries was being spread. What did that mean for those at Dreagan?
It must’ve been Ulrik who’d told Dennis so he would know who he was going up against. But how much did Dennis know? He couldn’t possibly grasp that Rhys was immortal. “Dragons?” she asked skeptically.
“Dragons. Those here at Dreagan have been able to shift from human to dragon for eons. I’m helping to remove them from Earth.”
“You’re not afraid of fighting a dragon?”
Dennis�
��s smile grew. “They won’t be stupid enough to show themselves in dragon form in front of you.”
“That’s why you brought me?”
“That and in case your lover thought to free Kyle. As long as I have you, Rhys won’t attack. They’ll let me do exactly what I want to do.”
“You’re a fool.” Lily started to say more, but gaped when she spotted a man walking toward them. She recognized the walk, the confidence and bearing of Rhys. That, along with the long strands of his dark brown hair hanging loose about his shoulders.
She wanted to run to him and throw her arms around him, to feel the strength and power of his muscles beneath her hands. Her flagging courage was boosted at seeing him. If only he knew what he did to her, how her body craved his touch and how she yearned to feel his skin next to hers.
Love. It’s what she felt for him. She recognized the warm, calming emotion instantly for what it was. She smiled and relaxed. Everything was going to be all right now that Rhys was there.
Dennis turned to see where she was looking. “It’s about to begin.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
Rhys didn’t need to look up to the clouds to know his brethren were there, circling and watching. Every one of them knew that Lily was his, but the full weight of what could happen to her hung heavily on his shoulders.
The concern in Lily’s eyes as he drew near gave him an idea that things were going badly. The plan was important. That’s what Rhys kept telling himself, but as he approached Dennis, he was having a hard time remembering that when all he wanted to do was kill the bastard.
“Lily,” Rhys said as he stopped before them. It was damned difficult to keep his distance from her and not pull her against him or let his caring shine through his gaze. “Visitors are no’ allowed on this side of the hedgerow.”
“I—” she started, but Dennis interrupted her.
“I won’t be here too long.” Dennis looked Rhys up and down. “Your pretense is good, I’ll give you that.”
Rhys cocked his head. “My pretense?”
“Of being human. We both know you’re a dragon.”
Rhys looked at Lily to see her furrowed brow. He slid his gaze back to Dennis and let his chest expand with a breath. He had anticipated this, so he wasn’t surprised by the declaration. “A dragon. Interesting.”
“I also know you won’t chance shifting in front of Lily. You don’t want your new lover to see you in your true form.”
“You know an awful lot,” Rhys said tightly, glaring at Dennis. “Since you’ve told Lily the truth, what do I care if she sees?”
“Because I have her, and if things went as I hope, you brought Kyle here.”
That made Rhys hesitate, uncertainty tightening a band around his chest. Why would Dennis want Kyle here? He quickly sent a warning through his mind to the other Kings. “What does Kyle have to do with this?”
“Kyle’s watching, isn’t he?” Dennis laughed. “So predictable, just as my boss said you would be. You want Kyle to see me act the monster. As long as he’s watching, you’ll never shift.”
“My, my,” Rhys said with a tsk. “You’ve certainly outthought us.”
Dennis gloated with a half-smile. “I’ve been told that you’ll go to great lengths to protect humans. If you don’t want to see Lily dead, you’ll take me to the weapon.”
“What weapon?”
Dennis’s face blotched red with fury. “The weapon I came to find!”
“You assume an awful lot.”
“I knew one of you would come for her.” Dennis smirked. “You’ll be the one to lead me to the weapon, or I hurt her.”
No longer did Rhys pretend he didn’t care for Lily. He clenched his teeth and vowed, “If you harm one hair on her head, I’ll rip you to shreds.”
“Just show me the weapon.”
Rhys glared at him for several moments. It irked him that Lily was put into such a position, but if anyone was strong enough to endure it, she was. Even with this new development, his plan was taking shape.
Dennis wrapped his fingers around Lily’s arm and squeezed, causing her to gasp with pain. Rhys bit back a growl, his hands fisting as he imagined wrapping them around Dennis’s skinny neck. He was going to draw out the time it took him to bring Dennis to the cottage, but Rhys didn’t think he would be able to hold back his rage and not kill Dennis if he hurt Lily again.
It was only Lily’s slight nod of her head, indicating that she was all right that allowed him to breathe easier. Slightly. He was still going to enjoy killing Dennis.
Rhys finally pointed to the right. “It’s that way.”
“Lead the way,” Dennis ordered.
He walked past Lily and grazed her fingers with his. Rhys didn’t like her being in danger, but as long as Dennis needed her as leverage, she was safe. He would feel infinitely better if she were with the rest of the mates, however.
With another glance at Lily, Rhys led them to the cottage that had been prepared for the trap. Dennis thought he had everything in order, but he was too cocky and too sure of Ulrik’s intel.
“Why didn’t your boss come himself?” Rhys asked.
Dennis made a noise of annoyance. “He’s the leader. He doesn’t do the dirty work. That’s what I’m for. And I’m good at it.”
“So you’ve been working for him for a while?”
“Since I was twelve.”
Rhys helped Lily down a set of rocks that served as steps. He looked at Dennis and glowered. “You’re nothing more than a pawn.”
“We all have our talents.”
Rhys deftly navigated the rocks to move ahead of Lily and guide her.
“Lily was another mission,” Dennis said.
Rhys struggled to keep his anger in check. “You’ve had this planned that long?”
“No, mate,” Dennis said with a laugh. “I was asked to pick a girl from an aristocratic family and see if I could make her fall in love with me. By the by, Lily, you were way too easy.”
Rhys glanced at her to see her jaw clenched and hatred shining in her eyes.
“I told your father you were a bet,” Dennis continued. “I knew for sure he would tell you, but neither of your parents did. He assured me that you would see me for what I really was. Too bad he was wrong.”
Lily jerked her head to him. “My sisters hated you.”
Dennis shrugged. “Yep. Either way, I not only got you to fall in love with me, but you moved in with me against your family’s wishes.”
“Did you no’ want her family’s money?” Rhys asked before Lily could say anything else. Her black eyes skated to him, and Rhys wished like hell he could fly her far away. Perhaps back to the hotel in Edinburgh where he could make love to her for days, only allowing her to get up from the bed to eat and for them to soak in the large tub together.
“I have plenty of money. I didn’t need hers then, and certainly not now,” Dennis said.
Lily halted and faced him. “And the beatings? The scars you’ve given me?”
Dennis’s smile was pure evil. “I’ve always had a need to hurt things. I like it, in fact. It’s not my fault you were too stupid to leave.”
Lily launched herself at Dennis. Rhys deftly grabbed Lily around the waist and pulled her back. He turned her away from Dennis and held her tightly against him. “Just a little longer,” he whispered in her ear.
She sighed loudly. “Only for you.”
He knew what it was costing her to be near Dennis, and it killed him to put her through it. But he was going to make it up to her when all of it was finished. He was going to show her only happiness and pleasure and laughter.
“Quite protective, aren’t you?” Dennis asked Rhys as he came to stand beside them. “Lead on, Dragon.”
Reluctantly, Rhys released Lily, but kept ahold of her hand. He had to touch her somehow, and even that little bit was enough to calm the storm within him.
“What is this weapon?” Lily asked into the silence that followed.
Dennis
kicked a loose rock as they reached the bottom of the hill. “It’s none of your concern.”
“He doesna know,” Rhys stated as he proceeded up the next rise.
“I know,” Dennis declared arrogantly. “It’s a weapon to be used against the Dragon Kings.”
Rhys felt Lily’s startled gaze on him. He ignored it and asked, “Did your boss tell you what the weapon looked like?”
“I’ll know it when I see it.”
Since Rhys himself had no idea what the weapon was, he was glad that Dennis didn’t either. The fact the weapon had been kept secret from the rest of the Kings for so long was amazing. The question was: how did Ulrik discover it?
Rhys was on his way down the second rise when Dennis said, “Where are we going?”
“To that building,” Rhys said, pointing to the structure set atop a hillock in the distance.
Dennis snorted contemptuously. “The great Dragon Kings hiding a weapon powerful enough to kill them in a cottage? How ridiculous.”
“Perhaps.” Rhys didn’t bother to say more.
Dennis, however, wasn’t finished. “Why Earth? Why choose our planet to invade?”
Rhys might have been furious with the humans for their slaughter of the dragons, but his species wasn’t completely innocent in the war. Now, however, he found himself hating one particular human with such enormity that, for a moment, he forgot the mission, forgot Lily, forgot everything but the life that was taken from him.
His steps slowed, and he readied to turn and happily rip Dennis’s throat out.
Then a soft hand slid into his. A silky, gentle voice whispered his name. Rhys turned his head and looked down into Lily’s beautiful face. He lost himself in her endless midnight eyes. A strand of her jet-black hair touched his arm before the wind lifted it higher, allowing the lock to caress his cheek.
Rhys brought himself back under control and lengthened his strides. “We were here first.”
“Piss off,” Dennis scoffed. “I know the history of humans. The only thing here before us were dinosaurs.”
“Believe what you will.”
“I do, I just don’t appreciate being lied to.”
Rhys glanced at Dennis over his shoulder. “Did it ever occur to you that I’m no’ the one lying?”