by Kari Thomas
Slade stiffened. He didn’t like the sound of that. What possible reason would there be for Reed to seal his history files? “Nothing? As in no records of previous employment, past schools, etc?”
“Nothing. And trust me, I dug deep. I have people who can ferret out the most secured secret on anyone, and they couldn’t find a thing on the man.” Leo shifted in his seat, and Slade could feel the subtle anger drift off him. “And then there’s the fact that a single man went out of his way to adopt a five-year-old child. That’s bothered me from the beginning. Summer’s grandmother, Rawnie, said she felt ‘compelled’ to let Reed take Summer under his care. That word has haunted me for years now.”
Slade’s heart jumped. Compelled? Hell, that connotation wasn’t good. “Have you ever seen any indication of Reed using magic?” The thought settled like a heavy lump in his gut. Was it even possible, after all these years of knowing Reed, he wasn’t what he pretended to be? How could he have been fooled like that? Was magic the cause? Hellfire, this situation was getting worse with every question and revelation.
Leo shook his head. “Despite the fact he’s been a strict, over-protective presence in Summer’s life, he wasn’t around a lot. His job keeps him busy, and after I came to live with them, he was absent even more. At first I thought it was because he figured I was the perfect protection for Summer, even though he didn’t like me.”
“Do you think he suspected you weren’t just a cat?” Slade frowned. How the hell that had escaped his notice before was still getting under his skin. He knew it was because he’d been so distracted with Summer, but damn it, that shouldn’t have made him less observant!
“In order to suspect me, he would have to know and believe in the existence of the supernatural.” A small growl rumbled from Leo’s throat. “And I don’t like that implication. If he knows…”
“Then there’s every possibility he knew what Summer is from the beginning.”
A simmering fire built deep within Slade. Just how much danger did Reed present to Summer? How much did the man really know?
The possible answers scared the hell out of him. If Reed knew about the shifters then he probably knew about Summer’s secret. Was that the reason he’d adopted her? Had he planned to eventually use her healing skills for his own purposes? Slade swallowed down the rage threatening to erupt; he couldn’t let it get out of control. Too much was at stake now.
He needed to check Reed out more thoroughly. Something Leo had said echoed in his head. “What did you mean about his scent being strange?”
“It’s not entirely human. But I can’t tell you what. It’s as though it’s masked. That’s the only word I can describe it as.” Leo narrowed his eyes. “I knew you were a dragon shapeshifter the minute I smelled you. I wasn’t entirely sure, but your scent was strong enough to shout shifter.” He frowned. “Most shifters have unique scents according to what species they are, but the Shamara Dragon Clan doesn’t. Is that the reason you’ve been able to blend in so well with the human world?”
“Yeah,” Slade answered. “We were the only dragon clan in existence that could efficiently mask our scents and appear human. Our Ruler, Ruliard, came from a powerful magical ancestry, and he spelled the entire clan before we left the island.”
The phone rang. Angry at the intrusion, Slade grabbed it and answered brusquely, “What?”
On the other end, Reed muttered a curse. “Don’t give me that tone. I’m still your boss. How soon can you get here? We’ve just had another homicide. Same as the others.”
Slade bit back his own curse words. He didn’t need this right now, but if there was any chance they could catch who was targeting the dragon shifters as well as the human victims, then he needed to take care of it now. It might even lead him to whomever the magic user stalking Summer was. He’d deal with Reed later if it came out he was somehow involved with any of this.
After he hung up, he explained the situation to Leo. “The perp started attacking members of our clan before he set his sights on Summer, but there has to be a connection. We thought it was Chen when we discovered him, but my gut instinct tells me the dragon is telling the truth in why he was seeking her out.”
“I’d like to go with you,” Leo told him. “About four nights back I followed the scent of the stalker back to an alley in town. I saw two men there exchange some kind of package. It looked like vials of some sort of liquid. I would have attacked then, but I realized it wasn’t the same scent I’d followed from the house. Whatever or whoever I had originally followed was gone, and the two men were left there to settle a deal. They mentioned something about another meeting but no details.”
Slade nodded his head. “Let’s go. Summer will be perfectly safe here, and I’ll tell Aleta on the way out.”
Never in a million years would he have thought he would be willingly working with a cat shifter he didn’t fully like and was jealous of.
Damn it. Summer had turned his entire life upside down in so short a time; he’d never seen it coming.
He suddenly grinned. Come Hell or Heaven, he was glad she was in his life now, and he intended to keep her. No matter who tried to stand in his way. He’d kill for her.
He would willingly die for her.
* * * *
Reed had told Slade the location of where the crime scene had been discovered. It was in an isolated alley on the outskirts of town. The police and coroner had already come and gone, and all that was left was the yellow tape marking the area to keep anyone out. He and Leo thoroughly searched the area, both using their preternatural senses to find any clues. The police had conducted a complete clean up and nothing obvious was left behind, but Slade knew he could find something. He had to.
“Same scent,” Leo muttered as he circled the outline on the ground where the body had been. “That same unrecognizable scent. Damn!”
Slade could smell it too. His gut clenched. The scent was vaguely familiar. Was it because the victim had been one of his clan members, or because his mind was trying to figure out where he knew that scent? Hell, he’d never been this confused before, and it was getting to him. What the hell was going on? He’d always been able to deduce the smallest clue, find the smallest detail. Now he couldn’t even think straight.
He shook his head trying to clear the odd cobwebs. He looked at Leo and saw him do the same. Something wasn’t right. The hair on his nape stood, and his senses came alert. His dragon slowly rumbled awake. Slowly? Damn, now he knew something was wrong.
“Leo, we need…” He never got the chance to finish his sentence. The black blob of power came barreling out of nowhere and hit them both at the same time. They went down in a tumble of legs and arms, hitting the concrete hard. When they scrambled to their feet, both men stared in shock at what stood in front of them.
Four creatures from Hell. Huge, black bodies of solid mass, each over seven feet tall. Wide, gaping mouths filled with rows and rows of long, lethally sharp teeth. Otherworldly eyes that burned with a preternatural fire. Bulky limbs that could easily crush a man. Clawed hands that would have put even the deadliest slasher to shame.
Slade glanced at Leo. They both nodded their heads. This was going to be a fight to the death.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Slade calculated their odds. Two against one for each of them. The alley was too small for him to change into his dragon, but Leo would have adequate space to shift to his cat. Neither of them had weapons, so it was going to have to be sheer physical strength if they hoped to get out of this.
He studied the creatures. Hellfire, getting out this alive might not even be an option.
That angered him. Deep within the fiery depths of his soul, rage built to a boiling point. His dragon rumbled, trying to force the change. He fought it down, building on his fury to the point it felt like every nerve in his body was on fire.
With understanding glances, he and Leo slowly separated, moving further apart. The creatures watched, as if waiting for some kind of signal before a
ttacking.
“Come on, assholes,” Slade taunted. “Let’s get this over with. I have better things to do.”
“Maybe they’re waiting to see if we’ll change,” Leo murmured low.
Slade nodded. It was obvious the creatures had been waiting for them to show up. Whoever was behind this had it all planned out. His magic was strong enough to control otherworldly creatures, but Slade didn’t care. He growled under his breath. Whoever this enemy was, he didn’t have long to live. Slade would track him down and relish the kill.
He opened his mouth to taunt the creatures again but didn’t get the chance. As one huge mass, they surged forward and attacked. Slade and Leo met the charge, fists swinging with preternatural speed and accuracy. The impact of bodies slamming into each other shook the ground beneath their feet.
One beast swung a massive clawed hand at Slade’s head, and he managed to duck in time. As he was regaining his balance, the other beast swung at him and caught him in the shoulder with its lethal claws. Excruciating pain shot through his upper body, nearly taking him to his knees. Blood gushed. Slade cursed and started hitting harder, faster, but his left arm was already handicapped with the huge gash in his shoulder. He felt himself weakening from the blood loss and the agonizing pain. Deep inside him, his dragon roared in anguish. Slade ducked another intended hit and managed to land a powerful slug directly in the eye of one of the creatures. He heard a sickening, popping sound and then saw the eye fall out. With a roar the beast stumbled backward and Slade turned his attention to the other one. He lunged upward, kicking both feet into the creature’s stomach area. The strength behind the move pushed the beast backward several feet.
Breathing hard and trying to ignore the debilitating pain from his injury, Slade rushed forward and delivered another lunging kick. His preternatural power was strong enough to send the beast crashing into the alley wall.
Gasping for breath, Slade glanced at his shoulder. Four deep claw gashes furrowed from the top of his shoulder and across the shoulder blade. He was losing a lot of blood and getting weaker by the minute. He took the moment to look for Leo. The cat-man was bloody from head to toes, but he didn’t know how much of it was his or the two beasts he was fighting. Leo was stumbling, his attack slowing down just as Slade’s was. The blood loss was serious, but Slade had the bad feeling the creatures’ claws weren’t only lethal; they were poisonous. He could feel the insidious flow of something racing through his veins. Something deadly.
He cursed, fury raging deep, and waded back into the battle. As one force, the two beasts converged on him, claws slashing, muscled arms throwing punches. Slade knew he was losing the fight. Another blow, this time slashing across his stomach, took him down. As he hit the ground, his last coherent thought was for Summer.
He’d failed to protect her.
* * * *
It took every ounce of courage she had to force herself into the bedroom where the Shamara Clan ruler lay dying. Summer paused at the doorway, looking inside, and inhaled a deep breath. She slowly exhaled and mentally counted to ten. It didn’t help. She still felt shaky. Maybe this was a bad idea. Maybe she should have waited for Slade to return. Despite his aggravating, authoritative attitude, she still needed him there by her side.
“Come in, child.” Ruliard spoke softly, slowly levering himself up to sit back against the many pillows on the bed.
Summer chewed on her bottom lip. How crazy had this been to think she could do this? Oh, stop being such a coward. You’ve come this far, she mentally berated. Hadn’t she already accepted the drastic changes in her life, realizing this had been her destiny all along? If she was going to embrace this new life, then now was the time. She slowly walked into the room.
Ruliard patted a spot on the bed next to him. His smile was kind and gentle. “Despite the rumors, I really don’t bite.”
His voice and smile instantly settled her nerves. She studied his face. He was rumored to be well over 200 years old, but if the strange disease attacking him hadn’t hit, his features would have barely showed his age. He was handsome with classic features, stark white hair, and tanned skin. He was most likely at least six feet or more when he was stood.
The tanned skin was now paler and grayish, his high cheekbones sunken, his dark eyes less bright than before. Earlier she had looked in on his son, Ansel, and found him looking a little better than Ruliard. Apparently whatever disease had struck the father and son, Ansel’s youth had enabled him to fight it off better. That’s when she had decided it was best to try and heal Ruliard first.
If I can.
“How do you feel?” She asked and carefully sat down on the bed where he’d indicated.
“Glad to be alive another day.”
She blushed. “I’m sorry.” What could she say? I tried to heal you and I failed?
Ruliard reached out and touched her hand. “I didn’t mean it that way,” he said gently. “I meant when you get as old as I am, it’s an honor to be allowed to see a new day.”
“You’re not that old,” she told him. I wonder how old Slade really is. Darn, couldn’t she stop thinking about him for one minute?
Ruliard caught her gaze with his. “Old enough to remember the birth of your parents and their parents, and even their parents before.”
“You knew them…all?” Her heart stuttered. Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea to bring up the past right now.
“I did,” Ruliard answered. He patted her hand. “You come from a family of extremely gifted Healers, child. There were none in the world like them.”
She closed her eyes, tears threatening. “I can’t remember my parents; just vague pictures and memories in my mind. And I wasn’t with my grandmother very long.” Over the years she’d tried to keep the fading memories strong but hadn’t been successful. It left an aching hole in her heart and soul she knew would never be filled.
“It was a horribly tragic thing that happened to the Fabrizio Clan, Summer,” Ruliard said, his tone low and gentle, “But you have to know that if there had been any way I could have prevented it, I would have. I would have risked my own life to protect your family. They weren’t just our Healers; they were our Bond-Clan. They were like family. We protected each other.”
“But it happened,” she told him, pulling her hand away. “How could a rogue band of Air Dragons get under your radar? Shouldn’t you have known they were there?”
“I failed your Clan.” His eyes darkened with the memory. “My concerns were centered on getting everyone off the island to a safer place to live. Because of that, the rogues entered our territory and struck without our knowing.”
Her grandmother had explained that, almost in the same words. As a child she hadn’t understood the logic behind it. Relocating an entire dragon clan, along with the many families of Healers, had been a tremendous load on Ruliard’s shoulders.
Something settled deep inside her; a strange feeling of acceptance and peace. All her life, she had blamed the Shamara Clan for the massacre of her people. Now she realized she’d been wrong.
All those years wasted, living with a hatred and resentment she could have let go of. She blinked back the tears. “I’m sorry.”
“You have nothing to be sorry for, dear child.” He lightly grasped her chin and raised her head. “You are here now, home where you belong. That’s all that matters.”
Was she? Was this home now? Could she forgive and forget the past, and live here for the rest of her life? Was she willing to give up her career? Her work with children meant a lot to her.
“I can’t stay here,” she told him. “I have a career. I have children who need me.”
Ruliard smiled. “Most of our clan members work outside the compound. They have careers, jobs, and even family lives. We’re not a prison, Summer.”
“I just don’t know…” The thought of living here was a little unnerving. It would take time to get used to being around people who could shift into a dragon at will. Then there was Reed. She’d lived with hi
m most of her life. What would he think about this? He can’t know. It would be too dangerous.
Then, of course, there was the fact she’d be near Slade…all the time.
Her heart raced, invisible caresses of sensual heat moved over her skin. All it took was just one thought of him. She quickly pushed the wayward thoughts of the too-sexy man out of her mind. “If others live outside the compound, then I can too. Reed would prefer it, anyway.”
“No, Summer.” Ruliard shook his head but his voice remained gentle. “The outside world is no longer safe for you. You can keep your career, but as for living with Reed, it’s out of the question now. You will have to accept your home is here. Where we can always protect you.”
She frowned at him. “I can’t spend my life with bodyguards around me. And I won’t be coerced into living where I don’t want to.”
Ruliard stared at her for a long while. “Would it be so hard living here? We would cherish you, protect you, and you would have anything you wanted. You could come and go, just like your normal life. With the exception…that you would have bodyguards. Would that be so hard to adjust to?”
Yes! And…no. She had to admit she actually felt comfortable at the compound, after she’d gotten over her shock, that is. It was a beautiful place, serene, and secure. She’d spent her entire life in hiding. Here, she wouldn’t have to.
She sighed. “I will have to think about it.” For now, there were priorities. “First, we have to get you and Ansel well again. I tried once before but something blocked my healing.” Probably my own fears and doubts. She took another deep breath and then slowly released it. “I’m ready to try again.”
Ruliard smiled at her, and her heart lifted. It stunned her to realize she could easily become attached to this enigmatic man.
She stood up. “I’m going to place my hands on your stomach area. That’s where I noticed the poison had settled. Lie still and try to breathe normally.”
She closed her eyes, centered her calm, and then placed her hands on his stomach. Instantly the healing power that lay forever deep inside her rose to the surface, strong and warm. She felt the warmth spread from her hands and straight into his body like a flowing lava path.