by Nicole Hall
Oren laughed and pulled his shirt over his head. “Better?”
Dru pursed her lips and leaned sideways to see the full length of a dragon wrapped around his arm. The little bit showing had been the edge of a spiked tail. She’d thought it was black, but the scales shined a dark, iridescent blue in the sunlight. It lay curled up with its head resting on Oren’s shoulder. The tattoo was so life-like she could have sworn the dragon smirked at her.
Dru smiled and ran a finger down its snout, then hesitated. Oren’s warm skin made her want to keep going, but touching his tattoo was one thing. She’d be sending an entirely different message if she touched all those glorious muscles.
“Keep going.” Oren’s husky voice brought her eyes up to his face. His gaze reflected the same hot need she felt. Goosebumps sprang up all over, and her pulse thundered in her ears.
“This isn’t part of the deal.”
“Consider it a bonus.” He tossed his shirt toward the table, and Dru relished the play of strength under her fingers. How far would he let her go?
She watched his eyes flare as she drew her hand down his chest and over the ridges of his abs.
Just before she reached the waistband of his jeans, he covered her hand with his. Her magic woke at his touch, uncurling and stretching inside her in a bid to get closer. The slight buzz she’d felt before turned into a rush of electricity that caused her to gasp.
“Are you sure you want to go here, kalia?”
Dru licked suddenly dry lips and he followed the movement. “I’m not sure of anything. This could be a disaster, but that’s never stopped me before. You should know I’m promised to Ljos, so this can only be a temporary thing. I take my responsibility to the dryads seriously.”
He lifted her hand and kissed the inside of her wrist. “I can deal with temporary. Are you expecting a visitor?”
Dru tilted her head at his strange question, but a second later the doorbell chimed inside the house. She raised a brow at him. “Show off.”
He grinned and released her as she turned to walk back up the path. Her pace picked up when she realized who it probably was. She wasn’t expecting a visitor, but Nick had been on his way when he’d been delayed.
Oren followed her through the house, and almost bumped into her when she stopped suddenly next to the dining table. The blue streak contrasted starkly against the dark wood. Dru shook her head as the doorbell went off again. At this rate, she’d never get the table cleaned before Samantha got home.
4
OREN
Oren’s first glimpse of Nick was with his arms around Dru, who’d been driving him insane with her wandering hands not two minutes before. If he’d had his way, they’d have ignored the doorbell and spent the afternoon naked in her garden.
He pulled his shirt back on as Dru threw herself at the guy on the stoop. Not an ideal ending to their interlude, but her squeal of delight made the interruption a little more bearable. Oren liked women in general, but especially ones who went weren’t afraid to express their joy. Years of Tamra’s petty grievances had worn him down, but getting to know Maddie, then Keely, had reminded him what real happiness looked like.
Dru had a similar attitude, and he’d bet her scent would reflect that in a way that Tamra’s, and even Lexi’s, hadn’t. Not that he’d checked yet. He’d always been careful, like all of them, not to use the ability indiscriminately. Some scents, especially those of a mate, were like a drug, inducing pleasure to the exclusion of anything else.
When he’d left to report to Keris, she’d given him a warning along with some useful information about dryads and their sacred tree. Be wary with your abilities. You’ll want all your senses fully functional. As usual, the warning only provided a vague offer of help, but he’d learned to listen to her anyway.
None of that stopped him from wanting to rip her friend’s arms away from her and maybe toss him into traffic. Oren joined Dru and Nick outside, closing the door with a soft click. Dru stepped back from the embrace and nearly bumped into him. He wanted to wrap his arms around her and pull her back against him fully, to lay a claim in front of Nick, but that wasn’t fair to Dru. Instead, he settled for crossing his arms and glaring at the other man.
Dru didn’t seem to notice. She smacked Nick on the arm. “Where the hell have you been? You were supposed to be here weeks ago.”
He winced and rubbed the spot she’d hit him. “Violent, much? I missed you too, but next time maybe just stick to the hug.”
Oren snorted quietly. The guy wasn’t as big as him, but he looked like solid muscle. Dark hair, dark eyes, penchant for black leather if the jacket draped over his backpack was any indication. No magic that he could sense, but he’d been wrong about that more of late. He relaxed a bit when he realized Nick looked at Dru the same way Oren had looked at Tamra—before she’d revealed herself to be a hateful bitch. Like a sister, not a lover.
Dru glanced over her shoulder at him, and the spark between them from a fleeting look reassured him that Nick was no competition. She smiled, and Oren felt his lips tip up in response.
“Nick, this is Oren Ashir.” She turned away, and Oren tried harder to keep his face neutral. “Oren, this is my best friend, Nick Ward.”
“I’m not sure I’m still worthy of that title, but it’s nice to meet you.” Nick’s eyes flicked over Oren, and he held out his hand.
Oren shook it and respected that the other man didn’t try to break his hand like so many others did in a doomed effort to intimidate him. “Likewise.”
Dru bounced to her toes and back. “Are you ready to finally see the place I’ve told you about?”
“Actually, I was hoping to take you out for a bite to eat. I haven’t had New York pizza in too long.”
“No way. You’re not paying. It’s my treat as a welcome home.”
Nick looked his way with a smile that Oren didn’t entirely believe. “You in for pizza?”
“Yeah, pizza sounds good.” Oren wanted to get a better feel for Nick before he left Dru alone. Besides, he loved pizza, and he fully intended to introduce it to Aecantha when this mess was over.
“I saw a place a few blocks away. Let’s walk.” Nick slung his backpack over his shoulder and led the way.
Oren dropped back a step to observe, and Dru poked him in the side. She leaned in and lowered her voice. “Don’t get all macho on me before we’ve even started.”
“I’ll be nice.”
She raised a brow at him and skipped to catch up with Nick, which left Oren the choice to walk behind them or take up the entire sidewalk. People streamed past, forcing Dru to weave back and forth to keep up the conversation.
“You know, I’ve lived in this area for a while. I could have recommended a good pizza place.”
Nick glanced back at her as she dodged around a woman carrying a tiny bejeweled dog. “Is this place bad?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ve never eaten there. We either order in from our favorites or take a cab to the ones too far away. This place is in the no-man’s land between the two.”
“Well I’m glad I could introduce something new to a seasoned veteran such as yourself.”
Oren cocked his head. There was something strange about the way Nick spoke.
Dru stepped off the curb, and a surge of magic from the alley in front of them spiked Oren’s adrenaline. Nick had already made it to the far sidewalk, but Dru lined up with the opening to the street perfectly. He sprinted the few steps between them and scooped her up as he ran. A second later, hot wind rushed past his back along with a silent car.
Dru clung to his shoulders and watched the car screech onto the street before speeding away. “What the actual hell?”
“Are you all right?” Oren knew he’d picked her up well before the car had reached them, but he wasn’t sure about the magic.
Dru’s wide eyes focused on his face. “I’m fine, thanks to you. Nice reflexes.”
“What’s with you and almost getting flattened by cars?�
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Nick frowned. “This has happened before?”
Dru pushed against his chest until he let her down. “Yeah. Some idiot nearly knocked me into traffic the other day. I guess I need to pay more attention.”
Oren knew she thought someone had pushed her on purpose. Hell, she’d accused him of it, so why not share it with her best friend?
The woman needed someone to watch out for her.
She glared down the alley. “Why didn’t we hear it?”
Nick’s jaw ticked. “It was a Prius. Their engines are pretty much silent.”
“Awesome. There has to be a joke in there about almost dying from a damn Prius. C’mon. I’m suddenly starving for pizza.” In true Dru fashion, she immediately set off again, confident they’d follow.
Nick let her get a small lead, then spoke under his breath to Oren. “We need to talk. After pizza.”
Oren nodded, and Nick bounded ahead to join Dru again. There was more to Dru’s best friend than he’d told her. Looked like they were both keeping secrets from each other. Normally, Oren would try to refocus Dru on finding her sister, but the timing of Nick showing up within days of two attempts on Dru’s life seemed suspicious.
More interestingly, when he and Dru had been in danger, a second flash of magic had come from Nick’s direction, but not from Nick. Since they’d made it out of the way of the car, Oren assumed the magic hadn’t been meant to hinder them, but he’d watch Nick carefully until they had a chance to talk.
Dru declared the pizza place mediocre, but she still ate three pieces. Oren supposed that the ability to grow things—create life, essentially—required a high amount of calories. Nick and Dru entertained him with stories from their past, and if nothing else, Oren approved of Nick’s effect on her. She’d relaxed more than he’d ever seen her, not that they’d spent a great deal of time together.
The walk back to the row house was thankfully uneventful, and Oren wondered when Nick would make his move. He clearly wanted to talk without Dru overhearing, and though Oren would love to pick up where he and Dru had left off in the back garden, he planned to let Nick maneuver him into a conversation instead.
Dru reached the front door first and frowned at Nick when he stopped Oren from joining her. “What are you doing?”
Nick surprised him by mostly sticking to the truth. “I need to have a conversation with your boy here. Manly things. You wouldn’t understand.”
Dru scoffed. “Right. Since I’m not a teenager staying out past curfew, I don’t need you to give him the third degree.”
Nick made a buzzing noise. “Nope. Sorry, but you’re wrong. As the next best thing to family, I’m required to give him the third degree.”
She rolled her eyes. “I’m pretty sure you just crashed our first date, but sure, do your worst.” To Oren she softened and said, “I’m sorry about him, but now that he’s here, I need to clear some stuff out of my room anyway. I’ll call you tonight.”
Oren didn’t know what possessed him, but he needed to get his hands on her one more time. Her brow quirked as he strode up the steps, but she didn’t back away. He threaded his fingers through her hair as he’d been wanting to do all afternoon and brushed a kiss across her cheek.
Her hands came to rest at his waist, and she drew in a soft breath. For a moment, Oren forgot they had an audience. He leaned back and met her eyes, heat to heat.
“We’ll finish this later. Stay away from traffic or any fast-moving pedestrians.”
Nick snorted out a laugh, but Dru ignored him, smirking at Oren. “I make no promises.” She patted his chest, then threw in an eyebrow waggle before going into the house.
Oren took a second to calm his racing heart before turning to face Nick. He was playing with fire, and he knew it. Dru had stipulated in their deal that only she could take him through the portal, so he needed to find her sister and get on with his mission. But Dru made him want to dawdle.
He’d already taken his sweet time to pursue Tamra, waiting until Keris had information and official permission for him. Seth wouldn’t have waited. Aiden either. Hell, even Lexi would have taken off immediately. Keris assured him—corroborated by Dru—that the dryads would hold Tamra for a while. He had leeway to find Brianne, but what would happen if he balked at essentially delivering Dru to her mother in exchange for Tamra?
Nick waited at the bottom of the steps, watching Oren struggle with his thoughts. The man offered another avenue for information, but he hated that Dru would inevitably be hurt by the secrets her errant best friend was keeping.
Oren stood at the top of the stairs and crossed his arms, feeling very much like a sentinel. “Are you a threat to Dru?”
Nick grimaced and gestured to the tiny courtyard adjacent to the stairs. “Nice posturing, but why not come down here and talk? I’m not going to invade the house. I live here now too.”
Oren glared then gave up his high ground. Nick had a point, but he wondered if Samantha knew about the magic attached to Nick. “You didn’t answer my question.”
“Because it’s a stupid question. I’d never hurt Dru. What about you? What are your intentions?”
Oren wanted to shut him down, but he couldn’t fault the other man for trying to look after her. “We have a business arrangement, of sorts, and a mutual attraction which is entirely our concern and no one else’s.”
Nick narrowed his eyes, but didn’t press the matter. “Dru is an adult with a stubborn mind of her own, so I’m going to offer one bit of warning and then leave you two to figure it out. Her life is complicated. She says she’s not looking for a relationship because she thinks she doesn’t have the freedom to commit to another person, but she’s scared to let anyone close. Hollis becomes a threat to the people she cares about. On top of that, if she lets her emotions get involved, she might not be able to make tough choices when she needs to. Anyway, be careful that you don’t make promises you can’t keep.”
Oren didn’t like the assumption that his association with Dru would cause her problems. “She doesn’t seem afraid of her relationship with you.”
Nick smiled sadly. “She loves me, but I’m not a threat to her future.”
Did he love her back? Oren hadn’t sensed any chemistry between them, but maybe he’d been wrong. “Are you hoping to change her mind about that?”
“No. My heart belongs to someone else. Dru’s like a sister to me.”
Oren thought of Tamra and all their years together. Not long ago, he’d have said the same thing about her. The distinction made him wary of Nick’s claims even as he sympathized.
“Dru and I aren’t planning a future together. It’s not something either of us wants at the moment.” The words filled Oren with distaste. He hadn’t lied, but it wasn’t entirely the truth either. Nick gave him a dubious look, and Oren took the chance to change to subject.
“Enough about Dru and me. Let’s talk about the magic that you don’t have but are able to wield.”
Annoyance flashed across Nick’s face. “I wouldn’t call it wielding so much as involuntarily holding.” He watched the cars pass in the busy street for a moment, then lowered his voice. “Hollis sent me here almost ten years ago as Dru’s bodyguard.”
Oren hadn’t expected a connection to Hollis, but in hindsight, it made sense. “How? You’re not a dryad.”
“Hollis likes to collect people to do her dirty work.”
“How much did she offer you to manipulate her daughter?”
Nick shook his head. “It’s not like that. I made a bargain—a stupid one—and she took advantage. I don’t have a lot of choice in my orders.”
“What are you?”
“An unlucky human who should have died a long time ago.”
Oren nodded. “A human without power. How are you supposed to protect Dru from magical threats?”
“A curse of sorts. Hollis makes me drink this stuff that infuses me with dryad magic, and if Dru is in danger, the magic activates to protect her. I have rudimentary control ov
er it, but mostly it forms a shield around her. In return, the magic stops me from aging.”
Understanding dawned on Oren. Hollis had used the magic from the waters of the sacred tree—a pool that supposedly surrounded Ljos. That was one of the pieces of information Keris had shared with him. The clan had gotten involved with the dryads for access to the waters, which were supposed to carry the magic of life.
“Dru doesn’t know.”
“I was under strict instructions not to tell her why I was there.”
Oren wanted to hurt him for fooling Dru, making her believe in a relationship based on a lie. As much as Oren planned to use her, he’d at least been upfront about his intentions. Dru understood what she was getting from him. She despised being played by Hollis, and the source of Nick’s presence in her life, no matter how much he’d grown to care for her, would be a betrayal to her. Oren knew what that felt like.
“You need to tell her.”
“Oh really? Does she know you’re not human?”
Oren smirked. “Yes, because I told her the truth.”
Nick’s jaw ticked, then he glanced away and let out a slow breath. “Look, we don’t have time for this pissing contest. I think one of Hollis’ enemies—and she has many—figured out her connection to Dru.”
“If you think she’s in danger, why aren’t you protecting her now?”
“Why are you?”
Oren weighed the hazard of telling him the truth when he had a direct line to Hollis. He didn’t owe Nick anything, and Dru deserved a hell of a lot better than that. “If Hollis is this powerful and wants to protect Dru, why not take her back to Vethr?”
Nick started shaking his head before Oren had finished talking. “You can’t take her back. Hollis only wants her alive to breed her and keep the magic flowing.”
Oren’s brows drew together. “What do you mean ‘breed her’?”
Nick sighed. “Dru is betrothed to a dryad from a rival family. Hollis wants to solve several problems at once. Join the seats of power, continue the line, and maintain control over the vessel.”