by Jane Godman
He was out of his seat and at her side in one explosive movement. “Don’t ever say that.” Dropping to his knees, he wrapped his arms around her waist. “Don’t even think it. When you came into my life, you changed everything. You made the world right. If only there was a way—”
She rested her cheek against the top of his head. “A way we could have forever?”
“If there was, would you take it?”
When she lifted her head to look at him, her eyes had filled with tears. “I would do anything.”
At that moment, there was a knock on the door. Muttering a curse about bad timing, Torque went to answer it. Since the security team wouldn’t allow just anyone to approach his room, he knew it had to be one of his friends. Sure enough, it was Sarange and Karina.
“Khan asked me to remind you about the sound check,” Sarange said as she kissed Torque on the cheek.
“Was he as polite as that?” Torque asked.
She laughed. “He may have used the words ‘sorry, unpunctual, dragon ass’ somewhere in the original message.”
She placed Karina on the floor. The baby had just learned to walk, but faced with a new environment, she reverted to a devastatingly fast crawl. As Sarange darted after her, removing objects from her grasp, Torque turned to Hollie.
“Let’s continue our conversation at another time.”
She nodded. “I meant it. Anything.”
What he saw in her eyes was the future he wanted. There was no more pain and darkness, only love and light. He wanted to see that every day, to have the assurance that it would never go away. He wanted Hollie in his heart and in his arms. He didn’t want to watch her grow old while he stayed young, or to wake one day and find that she was a dear, sweet memory. Forever. It had to be within their grasp.
“I’ll find a way.”
Chapter 15
One of the consequences of the bus fire had been that everything the band had with them was lost. Clothing, cell phones, electronic devices, bank cards...everything had to be replaced. Rick had gotten organized and most things had been speedily replaced, but it meant Hollie only had a few outfits. And she didn’t like any of them.
“I’m really not a combat gear sort of girl,” she explained to Sarange as they drank mint tea in her hotel suite and took turns to extricate Karina from trouble. Although the baby had a pile of toys, she was ignoring them. The silken fastenings from the drapes had been chewed and cast aside, elegant cushions had been flung to the four corners of the room and a glossy magazine had been carefully shredded.
“Ew.” Sarange wrinkled her dainty nose. “Rick is great, but would I trust him to buy my clothes? I’d rather send Khan, and that’s saying something. Why don’t we go shopping now?”
Hollie was torn. The prospect of buying some new clothes was appealing, but the shadowy image of the Incinerator rose before her eyes. “I don’t know.”
“I always have security with me when I go out,” Sarange said. “And I wear a disguise. This won’t be any different. It just means you need to do the same.”
Hollie succumbed. “Let’s do it.”
Organizing security and getting Karina ready took some time. Just as they were about to leave, Sarange covered her mouth with one hand. “Give me a minute.” She dashed toward the bathroom.
Hollie squatted next to Karina’s stroller. “I guess Mommy isn’t feeling too great.”
Karina grinned and punched the toys that hung in front of her. Clearly, she hadn’t noticed her mother’s distress. When Sarange returned, she looked pale, but composed.
“Are you okay?” Hollie asked. “Could it have been something you ate?”
“Morning sickness.” Sarange grinned. “I was the same with Karina.”
“Oh, my goodness.” Hollie jumped up and hugged her. “Congratulations.”
“You are the only one who knows,” Sarange warned. “Apart from Khan, of course. We’re going to tell the other guys at a special meal after the final concert.”
“I won’t say a word,” Hollie promised. “Do you want to stay here and rest instead of going shopping?”
“Are you kidding? I’ll be fine now. Let’s hit those stores.”
Three hours later, Hollie was starting to wonder if pregnancy hormones had given Sarange a burst of energy. Her own head was spinning and her feet were aching after they had dashed in and out of a dozen stores in the high-class mall. The upside was that she had managed to purchase some new clothes during the whirlwind tour. Now, as they flopped into a booth in a coffee shop, she let out a long sigh of relief. “Do you always shop like it’s a competition to reach the finish line?”
Sarange, who had her long, dark hair tucked up inside a hat, lifted her shades to give Hollie a pitying look and kept her voice low. “I’m a werewolf. Everything I do is a competition to reach the finish line.” She grinned. “Plus, I don’t get out much.”
After they ordered drinks, Sarange took Karina, who had just woken up, to the restroom for a diaper change. While she was gone, Hollie glanced around, her eyes seeking out the security guards who had remained at a discreet distance from them during the retail expedition. She was reassured to see the two burly figures standing close to the door.
Her attention was caught by another man. He was close to the serving counter, talking on his cell, with his back to Hollie. Dressed in a dark suit, he was tall and slim with light brown hair. There was nothing unusual about his appearance. Except she knew him. She’d have recognized him anywhere. As he turned and she got a clearer view of his profile, her heart gave a curious, uncomfortable thud. What was Dalton Hilger doing in this coffee shop?
Abandoning her packages, Hollie was on her feet and moving toward him without thinking. This couldn’t be a coincidence. The only reason for Dalton to be in Dallas was as part of the Incinerator inquiry. The coffee shop was crowded and her progress was hindered as she made her way around busy tables. By the time she got close, Dalton had slipped his cell into the inside pocket of his jacket and was on the move.
She called out his name, but he was out the door and mingling with the crowds in the mall before she could reach him.
“You want me to go after him?” One of Rick’s security guys was at her side in an instant.
Hollie shook her head. Feeling dejected and confused, she returned to the table, where Sarange was waiting with a look of surprise. She could call Dalton, but if she told him she’d seen him, she’d be giving away her location. If she questioned him about the Incinerator case and any connection to Dallas, would he even talk to her about what was going on? She no longer knew what her status was regarding the investigation. The truth was that she had cut all ties to Dalton and the FBI. They were no longer a part of her life, but she hadn’t told anyone about it yet. On balance, it was probably just as well he’d gone before she could speak to him. Having a big, life-changing conversation thrust upon her unexpectedly wasn’t the way to go.
“Someone you know?” Sarange asked as Hollie slid back into her seat.
“Just a mistake.” She smiled. “Now, where are those drinks we ordered?”
* * *
When Torque returned to the hotel and found Hollie was still out with Sarange, he decided now was as good a time as any to talk to Ged. They headed for the bar.
“Is this a conversation that requires the good cognac?” It was a tradition within the band. The more serious the subject, the better the brandy needed to be.
“Yeah. Go for it.”
The room was almost empty, but they took their drinks to a quiet corner where there was no chance of being overheard.
“This is about Hollie.” Ged opened the brandy bottle and sloshed the aromatic liquid into their glasses.
“Of course it is.” Torque sipped his drink. “How can this have happened to us? How could a dragon-shifter and a human have been fated to become mates?”
“It’s an unusual, but not an unknown, situation in the shifter world. Over time werewolves, were-bears, were-tigers and others have all taken humans as their life partners. Of course, the mortal must become a convert. He, or she, must be willing to take the bite of their partner and transform into a shifter themselves.” Ged studied Torque over the top of his glass. “It’s never an easy decision.”
“I can’t imagine how anyone asks that question of their partner,” Torque said. “Where do you start when it comes to giving up being human?”
“Once the step has been taken, there’s no going back. But I guess it’s a lot like proposing marriage. You both give up your old lives and begin a new one. In the case of a human taking the bite of a shifter, it’s just more dramatic.” Ged’s gaze was searching. “Is this leading somewhere?”
Torque shrugged. “Can it? I suppose that’s my question. You know what my problem is. Dragon blood must remain pure. I’ve never heard of a human taking a dragon bite.”
Ged tented his fingers beneath his chin, his expression thoughtful. Torque wanted to hold his breath. What if the answer was a simple negative?
No, you can never claim Hollie as your permanent mate. Prepare to spend the rest of forever in hell.
His heart had soared when Hollie said she would do anything to be with him. But what if there wasn’t anything she could do? Dragons were unique among shifters. He had been raised to believe in the proud purity of the dragon bloodline. The simplicity with which other shifters could convert a mortal was not for them. Now he longed for that ease. Asking Hollie to become a shifter wouldn’t be something he took lightly, but he would love to have that choice.
Just when he thought Ged was never going to speak again, his friend nodded slowly. “Have you heard of the dragon mark?”
Torque was about to shake his head, when he paused. There was something, way down deep in the mists of his memory. “Forged in fire?” His hand shook as he dashed off the rest of his drink and reached for the bottle. “That’s it? That’s the best you can do?”
Ged held out his hands, palms upward. “That’s all I’ve got.”
“The dragon mark was a way of ensuring fealty to a clan leader.” Torque frowned as he dredged up the ancient ritual from the recesses of his mind. “It was never about mating.”
“That’s true, but I heard a story, many centuries ago, in China. It was the tale of a dragon prince who fell in love with a human. His father, the king, refused to hear of his marriage to a mortal unless she could be converted. The only way was to use the ancient rite of fealty. She took the dragon mark and became his dragon bride.”
Torque sat up a little straighter. “You saw it for yourself?”
Ged shook his head. “No. I only heard about the story.”
“So if I want to be with Hollie forever, I have to ask her to step into a pit of fire with me while I sink my dragon fangs into her neck? All based on a story you heard a few hundred years ago?”
“That sounds like an accurate summary.” Ged tilted his glass toward him.
“Damn it all to hell, Ged. How do I introduce this into a conversation?”
“That is a question that will require a second bottle.”
Torque was in a mildly alcoholic haze when his cell buzzed with a message from Hollie letting him know she was back in their room. The brandy hadn’t numbed the shock of what Ged had told him, but their conversation had given him some thinking time.
The dragon mark had always been more the stuff of legend than reality. He’d never known anyone who wore it, never heard of a human who had taken that step. To blindly walk into a fire for love? All based on a story that Ged had once been told? He couldn’t ask that of Hollie. She had said she would do anything, but she hadn’t known the reality of what “anything” might mean.
When he reached their suite, he found her unpacking a number of bags. Although she smiled when she saw him, he could tell there was something on her mind. As he drew her into his arms, she sniffed the air.
“My goodness. I’m surprised your dragon fire didn’t set light to all that alcohol,” she teased.
“Ms. Fire Safety.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “What’s troubling you?”
“I saw Dalton Hilger today.”
“Your ex? The FBI guy?”
She nodded. “He was in the coffee shop Sarange and I went to. He didn’t see me, but I know it was him.” Her eyes grew more troubled. “He must be in town because of the Incinerator.”
“That’s not necessarily a bad thing. It could mean they’re getting close.”
“I tried telling myself that.” Her expression became even more gloomy. “But what if it turns out Teine is the Incinerator? Human cops won’t be able to arrest her. That means Dalton is in danger.”
“But you can’t call him and warn him because you’ll give away your location,” Torque said, following her thought processes.
“Exactly, although I could live with telling him everything if I thought it would end this nightmare. It’s more about not wanting to draw the FBI’s attention to you and your friends.” She sighed, resting her cheek against his chest. “Anyway, Dalton would think I was crazy if I tried to tell him all of this mayhem was caused by a woman with supernatural powers.”
Sensing her need for reassurance, Torque held her close. It was always this way when her two worlds were in conflict. He knew she had made a commitment to him and this new life, but sometimes she was torn. The scientist in her was strong. Hollie hadn’t been raised in the ways of magic and legend. and even after a dragon flight, it was hard for her to accept them.
After a few minutes, she raised her head. Lifting a hand to stroke his cheek, she smiled. “You know how to make me feel better. I love you so much, Torque.”
Emotions stormed through him, setting his blood alight. Even though he had always known Hollie loved him, it was the first time she’d said those words out loud. Hearing them from her lips made his world feel right. No matter what else happened, he would always treasure this moment. Before he could push past the lump in his throat to respond, Hollie was speaking again.
“When we talked earlier about finding a way to have forever...that would mean everything to me.” Her eyes were shining with unshed tears.
He loved Hollie more than life. She was his mate. She loved him in return. Ged had told him of a way they could be together... Torque almost lost it and told her about the dragon mark. Almost.
“I love you, too. More than words can say.” He kissed her forehead. “And I’ll keep on searching for a way to find forever.”
* * *
“I miss the Monster.” Dev was lying stretched out on a sofa in the bus, eating potato chips and drinking soda.
Hollie looked up from her new laptop. “This bus is almost identical.”
He gave a theatrical sigh. “It doesn’t have the ambience.”
“You mean it doesn’t have the same memories and beer stains,” Torque said.
They had left Dallas immediately after the performance, traveling overnight. The mood was curiously subdued, but Hollie wondered if that could have something to do with Khan’s absence. The larger-than-life lead singer was driving Sarange and Karina in their own car.
“Rock ’n’ roll and baby sick? I don’t think so.” That had been Sarange’s official explanation. Privately, she’d told Hollie that her morning sickness was getting worse. “All-day sickness, more like.”
The closer they got to Denver, the more restless Torque was becoming. Hollie knew the reason, of course. Beast had one sell-out performance on the following night, but that wasn’t the explanation for his nerves. No, his roller-coaster mood was all about the approaching reunion with Alban and Deigh. Ged had arranged VIP passes for Torque’s guests and they would be staying in the same luxury hotel as the band. Hollie had emailed Alban with the arrangements and they would be
arriving in Denver on the following day. All Torque had to do was charm Deigh into revealing more about her sister without raising any false hopes that he was in love with her. No pressure.
Hollie was worried, as well. The high drama of the encounter on the snowy mountaintop was fresh in her mind. While she trusted Torque to protect her from Deigh, she didn’t want to feel all that malevolence up close once again. She had enough to think about without Deigh’s ice-dagger stares and swooning glances in Torque’s direction.
She had left Dallas on a sigh of relief, feeling she could breathe again when she saw the city’s bright lights receding in the distance. There had been no Incinerator attacks there. Could that be because the arsonist knew the FBI were on his tail? Or, if Teine was the arsonist, had Deigh told her sister about their visit to her chilly lair? Whatever the reason, Hollie was glad there had been no fire-related drama recently.
In addition to his unease about meeting Deigh again, Hollie sensed a deeper trouble going on inside Torque. She knew it was linked to her. It was evident in the way he watched her. As though she was a dear memory that would soon be gone. It scared her, but when she tried to talk to him about it, he became evasive. Now, unable to focus on the screen in front of her, she wandered into the kitchen in search of coffee.
Ged was there and he poured her a cup, pointing to cream and sugar. Hollie shook her head. “Strong and black is what I need.”
He was watching her face with something that looked a lot like sympathy. “He told you about the dragon mark, then?”
She paused in the act of blowing on her coffee. She had always known this man was not what he appeared to be. The hold he had over the members of the band was stronger than just that of their manager. Once she knew they were shifters, Torque had talked about the part Ged played in rescuing them. Now it seemed he might also have another role. That of confidant.
“Hmm.” It was as noncommittal as she could get. She wanted to encourage Ged to keep speaking without admitting she had no idea what he was talking about.