by Olivia Ash
“I see where this is going,” Drew says, shaking his head. He grins, a wicked little smile crossing his face as he watches me. “You want to go on another daring rescue attempt.”
“Look,” I say quietly. “I understand if you three want to stay behind.”
“Like hell,” Jace says, slowing until he’s matching my pace. “You’re not going into the enemy’s—”
“Captain Buzzkill, reporting for duty,” Tucker says from the other side of me, giving the dojo master a mock-salute.
Jace frowns, glaring daggers at the weapons expert. “Tucker, I swear to the gods that I will—”
“Guys, stop, seriously.” I shake my head in annoyance. “Jace, we need a place to keep Irena safe while we figure out what they injected her with. What this crazy bio-weapon is.” My heart skips a beat as I remember the scariest part of what he said. “She apparently doesn’t have much time left.”
“That could be a lie,” Drew points out. “Something to make you rush.”
“Or it could be the truth.” I shrug. “The point is we have no idea, and I won’t gamble with Irena’s life.”
“Fair enough,” the fire dragon admits.
Jace sighs. “You want me to find a dragon facility willing to treat and heal a human Spectre?”
“I could ask Drew if you would prefer not to,” I say, a devilish little smirk on my face, knowing full well how many buttons of his I’m pushing with that little statement.
Jace gives me an expression that can only translate into are you freaking serious right now, woman?
I chuckle. Checkmate.
“I’ll see what I can do,” Jace finally admits with a begrudging shrug.
Well, at least it’s something.
Jace is going to try to stop me from leaving. He’ll likely dangle this as an excuse to delay the mission, but it’s not as though we have a ton of time. I glance back at Drew, who subtly nods, as if he and I are thinking the same thoughts.
Hell, maybe we are.
I’m up against someone dangerous, wickedly smart, and fond of theatrics. With enough time to think of a plan, I can use all of this to my advantage—somehow.
I’m good at this. It’s what I do. And once I save Irena, I am going to boil the Vaer alive for taking her. They started this—they made this personal—and I’m going to finish it.
Even if I have to face off with Boss Kinsley herself.
Chapter Eight
Back at the dojo, in the dead of night, I recline in one of the command center’s chairs and sigh.
I’m not here because I have anything to steal. I just needed to think, and sneaking around—being places where I shouldn’t be—has a funny way of clearing my head.
I scan the dark room, my eyes hesitating over the three monitors that were left on for some reason. Usually Jace turns them all off, but these three display their login screens.
It might be indicative of some kind of trap or monitoring device, but I’m not sure how he would rig something like that. Someone probably just had to rush out and forgot to turn it off. No big deal.
Coming here was risky—I used two of my precious few remaining voids to do it—but I don’t really care. I’ll be out of them soon, anyway, and since only the Spectres know how to manufacture them, I will probably never be able to restock.
Even though it sucks to admit it, I probably need to learn how to live without my Spectre tech.
Bummer.
The manila folder with my name on it—Jace’s file on me—sits open on the desk, completely empty, nothing but a taunting reminder of how much Jace keeps secret from me.
He knows more about my power than he wants me to realize, and he seems to have the perfect way of dangling it in front of me while simultaneously not giving me anything to go on.
It’s frustrating, to say the least.
“Enjoying your brooding?” a familiar voice asks from the shadows.
Drew.
In seconds, I’m on my feet with my gun in my hand, scanning the empty room, flabbergasted that anyone could get past me.
But the room is still empty.
There’s no one here. No silhouettes. No shadows.
Nothing.
Strange. The voice didn’t sound like it came through a speaker. It sounded like he was right here, standing out in the open. But he’s clearly not.
Quiet as a breath, I steal down the few steps separating the higher platform from the rest of the computers and desks, scanning every aisle for something—or someone—I might have missed before.
It’s clear.
I finally walk down the last aisle, gun raised as I survey the empty stretch of chairs and monitors.
Baffled, I look back at the room, trying to figure out what the hell I missed.
Behind me, the wall shifts, and the grating noise of stone rumbling catches my attention.
In the heat of the moment, my body reacts before I fully process what’s happening. Before the wall even opens completely, I spin around, my gun raised to where I suspect Drew’s forehead will be.
My aim is perfect.
He leans against the doorframe of a secret panel in the wall, arms crossed, one leg propped on the heel of his boot as he watches me with a sexy little smirk.
The mechanical sliding door finally opens all the way, revealing a dark corridor beyond the command center.
For a moment, we just stand there in silence, watching each other as I train my gun on his forehead.
“You’re cute when you’re on the hunt,” he says with a dark chuckle. “I like the way your brows furrow.”
With a short sigh, I lower my gun. He knows I won’t use it on him, so there’s just no fun in pretending. “You shouldn’t sneak up on people.”
He lifts one eyebrow incredulously. “Says the girl who broke into a top-secret command center.”
I shrug.
“Come with me,” he says nodding into the dark hallway beyond the secret door. “I want to show you something interesting.”
For a moment, I set one hand on my hip, examining the secret door. “Do you know how handy this would have been? I had to come in through the window.”
“The window?” He laughs. “You’re nimble enough to scale the castle walls?”
I smile, not bothering to mask my triumph. “What, that’s not how you spend your Saturdays?”
He chuckles.
I nod to the secret door. “Why didn’t you tell me about this?”
“Why didn’t you tell me about your late-night break-ins?” He tilts his head slightly, studying my face. “It goes both ways, Rory. I’m sure there’s some fun intel in here I’d like to have.”
“You’re trying to make me like you, remember?” I chuckle. “You’re supposed to do me favors, not the other way around.”
“Nah. You already like me.” He grins, that wicked smile snaring me, and closes the gap between us. The moment he nears, my treasonous body burns for him, aching as my eyes dart across the thick biceps straining against his sleeves.
I force myself to drag my gaze away from his hard body, rolling my eyes teasingly as I try to mask the fact that he is absolutely right.
“So, are you coming?” Drew’s eyes slowly wander my body, not bothering to hide his playful hunger anymore. “Or do you prefer to be carried off caveman-style?”
I laugh and walk into the secret hallway. “Idiot.”
“I would hate to take that title from Tucker.” Drew grins and follows me, quickly tapping a few keys on a pad shrouded in the darkness.
He doesn’t notice, but I watch him like a hawk and note the code he just typed. That might come in handy later—especially if it means I don’t have to climb through the damn window any more.
“Don’t tell Jace about this,” Drew says. “He doesn’t realize I know about these passages, and I would like to keep it that way for as long as possible.”
I smirk. “No promises.”
He chuckles. Moments later, the door begins to slide shut, and I wonde
r if there’s some kind of sensor, some kind of alert that would notify Jace that someone was using the secret door to the command center.
If there is, I figure Drew also knows how to disable it.
And just like that, I’m left wondering about their feud. Why they hate each other. Why they each seem to possess more knowledge, power, and skill than they let on—and why they won’t divulge anything to me about each other.
Sure, it’s the law of the dojo—but it’s pretty obvious Drew doesn’t care about the rules.
With a soft click, a flashlight beam cuts through the shadowy corridor. I can see Drew’s vague silhouette as he looks back at me, nodding to the left. “Let’s go.”
For roughly ten minutes, we dart through the dark tunnels and stairwells that connect the various rooms in Jace’s dojo.
It concerns me that both Tucker and Drew were able to gain access to the secret passages—Jace’s security apparently needs some upgrades.
Even though Tucker and Drew are the best of the best, capable of being where they shouldn’t be and doing what they shouldn’t do, the dojo is too important. It can’t have any weaknesses.
Before long, Drew pauses at a small alcove and clicks off his flashlight. The grunts and moans of people fighting filters in from somewhere nearby, muffled and a bit distant. Thin beams of light cut through the pitch-black tunnel from small slits in the wall, and Drew gestures for me to join him.
Cautiously, I peek through one of the slits to find a massive training floor filled with Fairfax soldiers. Their black and yellow uniforms give the scene an almost chaotic feel as they duel each other, two on two, across the massive floor. Now and then, soldiers will grab weapons from a massive floor-to-ceiling armory on the right side of the room, opposite the tall double doors that no doubt lead to the room’s one exit.
Bodies soar through the air as the fighters throw each other, propelled by their enhanced shifter strength. Men and women alike grunt with effort and pain as they take hits or fall to the hard tile that covers the entirety of the massive room.
And there, observing it all, is Jace.
He stands on a circular platform in the middle of the arena, hands behind his back as he slowly paces, surveying the various matches around him.
“O’Brien, watch those elbows,” he snaps.
“Sir!” a soldier answers, affirming he heard.
“Ellis, stop holding back!” Jace says, shifting his gaze to a woman in the crowd.
“Sir!” she responds. With just that little encouragement, she tackles her opponent to the ground, instantly pinning him in an arm bar.
“What is this?” I softly ask Drew. “Why are they down here instead of in the courtyard?”
I assumed that’s where they practiced, and I never cared enough to follow up on that assumption.
Until now.
Because this… this is something else entirely.
I’m a little jealous. This would be a great place to train.
And, yet again, Jace told me nothing about it.
Drew walks up behind me, pressing his chest against my back as he leans his palms against the wall on either side of me. He leans forward, his mouth almost by my ear, and I try to ignore the heat that burns through me at his touch. At how close he is. At how he teases me, as if he knows full well what his body does to mine.
“Jace is the Grand Master of this dojo,” Drew says quietly, his breath tickling my neck and shooting tendrils of hot desire through me. “He’s not just some diplomatic figurehead, though I suspect you figured that out already.”
I nod.
“What you may not realize is that he’s a deadly master of martial arts and dragon fighting. Flight. Stealth. Murder. He’s a highly respected killer, one of the best in the world, and any of those soldiers on the mat would gladly die without a second thought if he gave the command. They would do it for honor. For justice. For him.”
Jace’s eyes dart toward our hiding place, and for a moment, I think we’ve been caught. However, he begins to scan the wall, as if he knows we’re here but not where we’re hiding.
“And there it is. The mate-bond.” Drew sighs. “Don’t worry. He can’t see us. From what I’ve read of this connection you guys share, he just feels you. If you sleep with him, though, the mate-bond is finalized. It’ll only get stronger.”
“That’s just freaky,” I admit.
“Can’t argue there,” Drew mutters. “I never would have sent you here if I had known his dragon claimed you.”
“Why?” I look over my shoulder, snaring him with my gaze, daring him to tell me the truth.
This is about the most information I’ve ever gotten out of Drew at one time, and I’m going to milk it for all it’s worth.
For a moment, Drew doesn’t answer, and I wonder if he’s done talking. He simply watches me, his eyes darting across my face. I wait, giving him the time he needs, letting him think it over as he debates what to tell me.
With a deep and weary sigh, he leans his forehead against mine. I turn instinctively, facing him, and his hard body presses against my chest as he holds me close. His skin is hot and smooth, igniting a blast of longing within me, and it takes every last ounce of my willpower not to weave my fingers through his sexy hair. I want to press myself against him, feel him, explore him.
But I refrain.
He sets one hand on the back of my neck, his strong fingers holding the base of my head as his nose brushes tenderly against mine. It ignites more desire, more embers of passion, and I’m painfully close to giving in to him.
“Originally,” he says, his voice strained, “I sent you here to train. Jace is an ass, but he does what’s right. He would have protected you even if you two didn’t share the mate-bond. He honors the law, but he’s been known to bend the rules—and he would have, for you, given what you are. No one rivals the sheer skill and numbers of this dojo, though they try to keep their full might a secret. Everyone knows they’re a force to be reckoned with, and it was the safest place for you to be while the world hunted you. So, I sent you here to master your magic. To hone your skill so that I could use it for my own means.”
His shoulders droop slightly in shame, and I resist the impulse to comfort him. It’s important that he tell me everything, and I can’t interrupt him—not even with a simple touch.
“I figured that, with time, you would come to trust me,” he admits. “That you would leave on your own accord and come to me. But once—” he sighs, trying to push through, clearly not used to sharing his thoughts or vulnerabilities. “Once I grew fond of you, things changed. I came here so I could be near you. I couldn’t stay away any longer. That was never once part of the plan.”
With that, he pulls just far enough away to look at me. As his dark eyes snare me, our noses almost touching, our lips painfully close, I find myself at a loss for words.
“You would be safe here, probably forever,” Drew admits. “If that’s what you want.”
I don’t answer. I don’t need to.
He knows me better than that.
“But you’re not some damsel.” Gently, he presses me against the wall, his solid body too strong to fight even if I wanted to. He’s nothing but muscle on a six-foot-four frame, and his dark eyes watch me hungrily.
As my back presses against the cold stone wall, I try to ignore the heat that pools between my thighs. I try to ignore the way I want him to lift me up by the waist so I can wrap my legs around him. I try to ignore the almost uncontrollable urge to kiss him deeply, to give in to the desire I feel for him on such a carnal level.
I ignore it all because, with Drew, I would never be in control. If I indulged him, if I let him in like I have Tucker, I would never control what he does. Says. Knows. Not ever.
Giving in to Drew would mean utter surrender—not just once or twice in bed, but every day. He trusts me more than Jace does, but he’s still a possessive dragon.
The thought alone sends chills through me, but not enough to completely quel
l the fire I feel for him.
“You’re not some trophy,” he says, his voice dark and deep as he leans over me, pressing his hard pecs against my chest. “You’re not something to win and conquer.”
With that, something stirs within me—something distinctly other.
The magic.
It flutters to life beneath his touch, burning for him as much as I do.
It wants him with a feral hunger that’s hard for me to control.
It wants what you want, and vice versa, Jace told me. You fuel each other.
Drew presses his lips against my neck, his warm touch sparking a flurry of need that shoots through me with each kiss along my skin.
Out of instinct, I almost tell him to stop. It’s too much. Too hot. Too heavy. Too fast.
But I want it. I want it all.
He hesitates, and a hot breath rolls over my neck. “Per dragon law, I’m not supposed to touch another dragon’s mate. Even if you’re not fully bonded yet.”
Drew runs his nose over my jaw, and I can’t help it—my eyes flutter closed at the sheer ecstasy of his touch. His lips press against my cheek once before he pauses yet again, teasing me so masterfully that I feel delightfully pinned.
“Personally, I don’t care much for dragon law,” he admits with a dark chuckle. “I care about you. What you want. The way I see it, there are no laws with the dragon vessel—you can make your own way in this world. And whatever path you choose, I’m prepared.”
That cuts through my lusty fog, and I open my eyes. We watch each other for a tense moment, his hands in my thick hair as he presses me against the wall.
“Prepared for what?” I finally ask, my voice a bit softer than I would like.
In true Drew fashion, he doesn’t answer. Instead, he runs a hand over my cheek and tenderly tucks a lock of hair behind my ear. His thick fingers hold my chin, and without so much as a breath of warning, he kisses me fiercely.
His lips taste amazing.
A piercing alarm from the dojo floor interrupts us. I flinch, my hand flying for my gun on instinct, ready to defend myself should the need arise.