Ancient Protector

by Katie Reus

  She wasn’t sure what tonight had been about and if that had been just a random vampire, but that little tingling in the back of her neck told her more was to come.

  Soon.

  Chapter 16

  “Hey, guys.” Kartini strode into the living room and eyed Star, Aurora and Lola. “What are you up to?” She’d just gotten off her patrol shift and looked incredible as always. The female simply didn’t have bad hair days. With an Egyptian father and German mother—both musicians—she looked like both her parents, who Star adored. Her dark brown hair had natural caramel highlights, and her amber eyes were striking against her pale brown skin.

  “Trying to convince Star to tell us what happened on her date.” Aurora’s grin was infectious as she glanced back at Star. “But she’s being a little tease.”

  “You guys are ridiculous. And also kind of sad, if my nonexistent love life is all you want to talk about.” It had only been a couple hours ago since she’d seen Lachlan, but it felt as if an eternity had passed.

  “Well, considering I was locked up for a year, I need all the excitement I can get.” Aurora lifted an eyebrow in challenge.

  Star’s mouth dropped open at her sister’s words.

  “Wow, Aurora. Pulling out the big guns, huh?” Kartini dropped onto the couch next to Aurora, then motioned for her to sit in front of her. “Come on, let me braid your hair. Otherwise it’ll get all tangled when you go to bed.”

  “I’m not twelve,” she grumbled even as she sat on the floor in front of Kartini.

  “We kissed,” Star blurted because yeah, Aurora had been locked up for a year. Even if her sister was using dark humor right now, damn, Star could tell her this little bit about Lachlan and her.

  Three pairs of eyes pinned her in place—even Kartini, who was working her magic on Aurora’s hair with efficiency.

  “And? Was it hot?” Lola asked from where she had her legs thrown over the side of an overstuffed chair.

  “That’s one way of putting it.”

  “What’s that mean?” Lola asked.

  “It was…weird.”

  Aurora winced. “Uh oh.”

  “Was he all slobbery?” Kartini asked. “Ugh, that’s the worst.”

  “No! I mean, weird but good. Really good. But weird because I sort of lit on fire. And my skin started glowing purple.” Again with the staring, which was why she hadn’t wanted to tell them.

  “Sounds like your other half likes him,” Lola murmured, a grin on her face.

  “I guess.” But there was no guessing. Her beast was so intrigued by the dragon and it was frustrating.

  Lola lifted an eyebrow.

  “Fine. I know. I’ve never dealt with this kind of lack of control before. You guys know that.” Even when she performed in front of thousands, she was able to control her fire. It was hard, but she did it. “My other half wants to come out and strut around in front of him.”

  “So?” Aurora asked, grinning.

  Star stared at her. “Seriously?”

  “I’m just saying, maybe telling him what you are isn’t the worst thing in the world.”

  Now they all looked at Aurora.

  Her sister shrugged as Kartini looped Aurora’s braids around her head and pinned them into a crown. “I’m tired of hiding what I am. And maybe I’m not going to do it anymore. And maybe you shouldn’t either. Maybe…screw it. Maybe we can come out too.”

  Low-grade panic hummed through Star at her sister’s words. She’d practically raised Aurora after their parents had been killed. Her sister was a grown woman, had been through hell, and could make her own decisions. Still…the thought of Aurora revealing what she was, making herself a target to even more people, brought on a wave of fear. It wasn’t common knowledge that they were sisters, but enough people knew at this point so if Aurora came out, Star was out too. “Maybe,” she managed to rasp out, hoping her sister would reconsider.

  “Or maybe you can quit stalling and tell us about the rest of that kiss,” Lola added.

  Star said a silent thank-you for the break because she didn’t want to think about Aurora making herself even more of a target. And she really didn’t want to talk about coming out. “It was…nice. More than nice. Hot and intense, and I was pretty damn close to letting him rip my clothes off in an alleyway.” Which was not her style. Not even close. She hadn’t slept with a male in…ahem, ever. Oh, she’d tried to more than once, though not in the last few years. But all males she’d tried with left her feeling cold. For a while she’d wondered if she’d preferred the opposite sex, but nope. She still found males attractive, she just couldn’t find one she wanted to take that next step with. Until Lachlan.

  “Oh, outdoor sex, my fave!” Kartini patted Aurora’s head, indicating she was done, then motioned for Lola to come over.

  “Sex anywhere is your fave.” Lola sat in front of her. “Oh, make it double braids please. And do that fishtail thing.”

  “So why didn’t you get busy with him, then?” Aurora asked.

  “Well, I started glowing and we were interrupted by a human. Not to mention we were outside!”

  “Shoulda let the human watch.” Kartini made a tsking sound.

  “You’re such a perv!” She decided not to tell them she’d run away from Lachlan. What kind of Alpha ran away from a kiss? Ugh. She was so lame.

  “Very, very true. So what are you gonna do about the dragon?” Kartini continued as she worked her magic on Lola’s hair.

  “I don’t know.” And that was the truth. She had no idea what to do about the big male. Her two sides were at odds about him. Well…that wasn’t exactly true. All of her wanted him. But Star had to factor in far too many other things, which were holding her back. Because it didn’t seem as if Lachlan wanted casual from her.

  Axel strode into the room at that moment, a bottle of wine in hand as well as a glass. Star started to stand, figuring it was time for her to start her security shift, but he waved her back down. “Sit. I can’t sleep. I’m still revved up from earlier. I’m gonna take your shift. You need some downtime anyway.”

  “You sure?” She felt bad and wondered if skipping her shift made her a bad leader.

  He kissed the top of her head. “For the love of all that’s holy, yes. You need a break. Especially since I’m sure you’re gonna go to bed sexually frustrated after that smoking-hot kiss and no follow-through.”

  “Oh my God, you saw that?”

  “Hey! You ordered me to tail you guys.”

  Shaking her head, she poured herself a glass. “You didn’t have to watch.”

  “And you didn’t have to run away from him.” Axel tossed that bomb into the room before practically racing out.

  Star threw a small throw pillow at him but he’d already escaped.

  “You ran away from him?” Aurora demanded, reaching for the bottle and pouring some into her now empty glass.

  “Axel was hit on the head on the way home. That silly lion doesn’t know what he’s saying. I think he might even be drunk.” She snagged the bottle back from her sister and stood. “And I’m going to go get some sleep.”

  “No! Let me do your hair first.”

  But Star was done. “Sorry, ladies. I’m out. Maybe you can convince Axel to do his hair later,” she said, laughing lightly, knowing the lion would never let Kartini touch his precious mane.

  But Axel wasn’t wrong about the sexual frustration. Unfortunately, the bad thing about shifters was that they could sense when you had a shift in pheromones. So if she kept talking about Lachlan—obsess was more like it—she was going to get even more worked up. Translation, turned on.

  And she so did not need that right now.

  * * *

  Star opened her eyes and knew immediately where she was. Not in the literal sense, but she was in a weird dream state again. She sure as hell wasn’t awake but this didn’t feel like a random dream.

  It felt like a memory locked inside her. They always did. Something she was starting to unders
tand each time she ended up in one of them.

  “You’re awake?” The male voice spoke to her quietly, though she felt the voice more in her head than heard it aloud. The language wasn’t one she should know either, but she did. Hell, Star couldn’t pinpoint the language, but she understood everything.

  “Hmm.” She shifted and realized she was lying on his warm, bare chest. In the distance she saw sunlight peeking in from the opening of the cave. Instead of looking up at him—because it was impossible to think when she did—she made a noncommittal sound, though clearly she was up now since she was responding.

  He pinched her backside. “Teasing female.”

  “Frustrating male.” And he was. Always pushing her for more, wanting everything. Demanding it right before giving her all sorts of wicked pleasure. They’d done things she hadn’t realized people even did—he put his mouth on her sex until she was writhing with the pleasure of it, until she scarcely knew her name. He also put his mouth…in another place. One she never would have imagined people did. But it seemed that there were no limits with him.

  “Mate with me.” A soft, familiar demand.

  She stiffened slightly in his arms, the thoughts of this dream woman mixing with her own so that her mind felt even more fuzzy. “We’ve had this conversation.” It wasn’t her voice, but it felt like she was the one speaking.

  “Aye, we have. And we’re having it again. You need to make a decision.”

  “I’ll never fit into your world.” She was a human and he was other. So much more. Her villagers looked at his kind with awe and terror, and for some reason he’d chosen her. But he would grow tired of her, that much she knew. How could he not? Star felt the raw pain of the woman’s thoughts echoing through her and tried to order her eyes to open. She didn’t want to be here, didn’t want to be seeing this. Didn’t want to be with him.

  Liar, her mind whispered.

  “You will if you’ll just give me a chance. Give us a chance. You must trust me.”

  She swallowed hard, wanting to say yes so badly that she trembled with it. She’d already given him her body, and if her family found out, they’d toss her out on her backside. Label her a whore.

  “I never took you for a coward,” he murmured.

  She still wouldn’t look at him. If she did, she’d cave.

  He pinched her again, this time lighter. “All right, then.” Now his voice was cajoling. “I still love you even if you’re a coward.”

  “I’m not a coward! I see the world differently. Clearer than you, you stubborn beast.” Why couldn’t he see that if he mated to her, it would ruin him? She was just a human and he would take over for his people soon enough. She was physically weak compared to him and his kind. But especially him. She didn’t think he would ever hurt her, but she’d seen females in her village make the mistake of thinking that. Then after marriage their husbands showed their true selves. Though with him…he didn’t need to hide anything. He was the strongest male she knew. When it came down to it, there was simply no way his own people would accept her, especially when he became their leader.

  “If you trust me, mate me. You’ll learn all my secrets. You’ll understand why we’ll work. Because there will never be another for me.” The next words he said she couldn’t understand, but she understood the soft tone and meaning nonetheless.

  “There will never be another for me either,” she whispered into the dark, cool cavern. This was a truth she couldn’t hide from him. How could there be anyone after him?

  “Then we’re agreed on that. And that’s all that matters.” His big body shifted suddenly, his hand sliding up her body to cup her bare breast.

  She shivered at the feel of his rough palm sliding over her smooth skin and—woke up.

  Breathing hard, Star stared up at the ceiling of her room, trying to remember all the details of the dream even as they fragmented apart, little splinters dissolving into the ether. It was so real. So familiar. And the dreams were getting more intense each time. What the hell did it mean?

  A deep-seated sense of loss for that woman settled in her bones. Frustrated, she sat up and punched her pillow. Then punched it again before flopping back down. It was going to be a long night.

  Chapter 17

  Star stumbled downstairs, grumpier than ever. She hadn’t slept well and she’d had another stupid dream so now she was all sexually frustrated and out of sorts. When she found the dragon Reaper in the kitchen with Aurora and Lola, she frowned. She hadn’t expected him to still be here. “Any news from Lachlan?” Ugh, she couldn’t even manage a polite greeting this morning.

  The big male shook his head. “No good news. He scoured the city with his clanmates but they haven’t found anyone from Oscar’s clan. He couldn’t pick up any scent trails, and his brother is a skilled tracker.”

  Her frustration mounting, she headed for the coffee pot. “We appreciate you staying here, but why don’t you go home? I’m sure your mate misses you.”

  He lifted a shoulder. “I know she does. I miss her too. But I promised I would stay put until Lachlan arrived here. I will not break my word.”

  Her frown deepened as she added sugar to the magic elixir that made her day better. Maybe she would write a song about her one true love, coffee. She inwardly snorted at the ridiculous sleep-deprived thought as she took her first sip.

  “You know he’s only a couple blocks over from here,” Reaper murmured mildly when she didn’t respond. “If you let him know you want me out of here and he agrees, I’ll leave.”

  She paused, her mug halfway to her mouth. “Lachlan’s only a couple blocks away?”

  “Yep. He texted me all of five minutes ago saying they’d just returned, and gave me the non-news.”

  “What’s the address?” And how did she not know he was staying so close?

  He quickly rattled it off.

  She looked at Aurora and Lola, who were silently eating pancakes that either Aurora or Reaper had definitely made—because Lola couldn’t cook for shit. “I’ll be back.”

  Aurora simply picked up her coffee and took a sip but Lola grinned. Today her rainbow-colored hair was still in the two long braids from last night and she had on a faded green T-shirt with the text, I wear this periodically over a picture of the periodic table. “Should we prepare for more fireworks?”

  Regretting what she’d told them last night about the glowing and flames, she simply glared at Lola before striding from the room. The others were either out on their patrol shift or still sleeping upstairs but she was an early bird.

  The sun was breaking over everything, birds singing, squirrels chirping as she strode down the long walkway toward the gate. She waved once at Harlow, who was sitting on the wall, eating an orange. “You good?”

  “Yeah. We’ve got this.” Harlow pointed to a nearby tree where Kartini, in eagle-owl form, was blending in well.

  Lachlan’s place turned out to be a three-story mansion similar to the one her people were staying in. Built in a different era and with a different paint color on the outside, it was still huge and big enough to fit a bunch of dragons.

  She found the gate locked so she simply climbed over it. As she reached the front porch, she started to pull back the brass knocker on the dark blue door, but it swung open and she found a shirtless Lachlan staring at her.

  Her gaze fell to his chest and she stared for a long moment. She’d seen him naked before but not quite so close and… Damn it. She snapped her gaze to his face.

  His dark hair was damp and slicked back as if he’d just had a shower, and his expression was definitely one of surprise. And hunger. “Star.” The way he rolled the R in her name sent a shiver of delight through her, but she fought it off.

  What the hell? Her body just flared to life around him and it was maddening. She was here for a reason. “Don’t you ‘Star’ me. Why haven’t you contacted me?”

  “Reaper said he wasn’t leaving your house.” He frowned at her. “Did he leave?” He came to attention then
, all sexy and angry. Okay, he just seemed angry—she’d added the sexy part because, come on.

  “He didn’t leave. But I’m not dealing with some middleman. And you don’t give me orders. You are not my Alpha.”

  “I could be your Alpha in the bedroom.”

  She blinked, staring at him for a long moment while her body heated and went haywire with a barrage of sexual images flooding her brain until someone cleared their throat.

  “I dinnae want to get in the middle of whatever this is, but I think this is the last of the bags.” The shifter she knew as Cody, Lachlan’s younger brother, according to Lola’s research, stopped at the end of the stairs. He dropped a green duffel bag on top of the stack of other similarly colored duffel bags in the foyer.

  “You’re going home?” Why did that thought fill her with disappointment? She should want the big dragon gone. But…after that kiss, she found she was more than ready for another taste. A slow one.

  Jump him now before he leaves, her beast whispered. Grrr. She ordered herself to shut up, then felt a little crazy.

  “Nay, lass. We were headed over to your place.”

  Her eyes widened. “Wait…my place? With bags? Why?” The answer seemed clear but apparently she was going to ask questions with obvious answers now. “And why didn’t you ask me first?”

  “We couldnae find any trace of Oscar last night but I didnae like what happened in the cemetery. And according to the sentries I have scouting his territory back home, they haven’t seen him in twenty-four hours. So my clanmates and I will be guarding you.”

  “We don’t need guarding.” The words were automatic. She was so used to her crew being a unit and working together without any outsiders, and she bristled at his heavy-handedness.

  “Fine, then you will humor me and we will be your bodyguards.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “Because we’re mostly females? Because we’re all pretty damn capable of defending ourselves.”

  “Oh, I ken you are capable, and your gender has nothing to do with it. Nonetheless, I will keep you safe.”