“Give me a moment,” he said and quickly pulled some sweatpants on, wincing as he tucked his stiff member inside. Then he slid into bed and lay on his back, heart pounding. Tirah inched close and then stopped, as if suddenly aware of how volatile the situation was. Still, her stare as she lay on her side facing him and stirred the fire within, it was all he could do to keep his hands off her.
“I’m sorry,” she said softly, and by her haunted expression, he knew she wasn’t talking about tonight. He took a deep breath and was about to ask her about that night, when her eyes closed, and she fell asleep.
Moments later, she snuggled up against him, then sighed deeply.
Saber lay perfectly still, hard and throbbing for what he wouldn’t allow himself to have. While it might be a different kind of torture, contact with her eased the ache in his head to a dull throb, which was a relief. He thought back on each time she’d touched him and how the torment in his skull would disappear, or at least retreat. Why did he have this reaction to her?
He knew that true soul mates calmed their partner and balanced them. For dragonkind, a male wasn’t complete without his soul mate. He stared at Tirah. There was no way in Hades that she could be his. She was his enemy and being attracted to her didn’t change that. She’d killed Maya and sent his brother to a hell realm. He could never forgive her for that.
Then he thought about her words earlier. She didn’t seem to know what he was talking about. Though she had been drunk and not in her right mind.
Still, something told him things weren’t so black and white, and before he lost more to her, he needed to come up with a plan. Some way to interrogate her and find out what he needed to know, cause sure as shit, getting her drunk hadn’t done what he wanted.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Embarrassed
Though Tirah’s head throbbed mercilessly, a languid warmth and feeling of security pervaded her as she slowly woke up. Then her heart thumped hard and began to race as she grew aware of how she lay snuggled against a very warm body. A steel arm cradled her close. What the—? Her eyes opened and she stared at the light dusting of hair across Saber’s chest as it rose and fell in a steady rhythm.
She winced in embarrassment as memories of the night before suddenly flooded her. Horrified, heat licked through her body. Thank all the realms Saber was asleep and couldn’t see how bright red her face must be. What had I been thinking? With a silent groan, she attempted to inch away, wanting to put distance between them. The moment she moved, the arm holding her tightened. Tirah stilled and considered her options.
She needed to get out of here and on her way to meet Mihel. She was running out of time. Besides, it was clear Saber didn’t believe what she said about his brother.
Wow, the Ilyium sure had fucked up by attacking the Thorn sons. Mihel had told her that the dragon hunting her had found everyone from that night and had brutally killed them. Tirah should feel bad about that, but she didn’t. What they’d done had been horrible, vile, and as far as she was concerned, they deserved whatever it was Saber did to them. She only hoped he hadn’t been too swift in his punishment.
Then she remembered that she was not a guest, but rather a captive, and though surprised to be still alive, wondered what he’d do to her. Then she thought of Saber in all his glory while showering, and a wave of heat shot straight to her core. So, he was attracted to her as well. Except, really, she couldn’t count on that saving her life.
Ever so slowly, Tirah attempted to lift the arm around her. Saber mumbled and pulled her closer. Shit. She burned for him and it didn’t help that she wasn’t wearing any clothing. Her face flamed as she thought of where his finger had been the night before. Oh, holy mites. She’d been so close to finally experiencing sex, although that hadn’t been how she wanted her first time to go.
At first, she was grateful Saber didn’t want her. Yet the longer Tirah thought about it, she wondered why. Maybe she was completely wrong, and she was just a warm body. Maybe he wasn’t attracted to her at all. After all, she had heard how most of the Thorn sons were huge womanizers. What did she know? She was a virgin. Still, maybe she just wasn’t his type, she was a little large after all. Although, many other males had tried to get into her pants over the years. If she hadn’t been a trained fighter, she’d have lost her virginity long ago—and not willingly.
Tirah bit her lip and held still, staring at Saber. At least he wasn’t hard to look at. In fact, she’d love to do more than just look.
Are you an idiot? What are you thinking? He wants to kill you. She tried to remember what he’d been asking her the evening before. It was something about a spell, and Hades?
Right. His brother had been sucked into the pits of hell that night. Her anxiety spiked once again. I need to get out of here. Yet, at the thought of leaving Saber’s warm embrace, she hesitated. It felt so good, so right, and despite her intent to get away, she snuggled up closer and closed her eyes. Just for a few minutes.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Harsh Truth
Saber woke up to his body on fire and cock painfully hard. The realized his arm was around Tirah, and she was cuddled snugly in against his side. She felt nice, perfect. He wanted to swear. Get a grip already.
Careful not to wake her, he slipped from bed, and clenched his teeth against the desire to rejoin her. Instead he quickly left the room. He needed some distance, time to think. But once in the kitchen, all he could think about was Tirah. How she looked, how she felt next to him, and mostly, what had almost happened the night before.
Hellfire. She had no idea how close he’d come to losing control. And if that happened, surely she’d have ended up terrified of him. It had been ten years after all …
He brewed up a cup coffee, another Earth discovery, then cleaned up the remains of their supper. He picked up Tirah’s wine goblet and snorted. Tirah would definitely have a hangover after all she’d drank. Suddenly the desire to care for her, feed her, to see to her needs consumed him. Saber started to put a tray of stuff together. He was in the middle of cutting up more of the fruit she seemed to like, when he paused. What am I doing? I must be crazy.
Yet, if he was losing it, couldn’t he at least have some enjoyment before he was no longer himself? He looked at the huge amount of food, and put most of it back.
Then, even though he knew it wasn’t wise with how badly he wanted her, Saber went back into the bedroom. He set the jug of fruit juice, along with the plate of salty crisps and fruit on the bedside table.
Finally, he pulled a chair over and sat, unable to take his eyes from Tirah as she slept. Her lashes rested peacefully against her cheeks, and her lips begged him to taste them once again. She had shifted and he noticed that the black sheet was pulled up just enough to cover her nipples, yet showed the sweet curve of her bosom. The contrast of her creamy skin against the dark cover made him groan, and he remembered how she’d felt and tasted the evening before. She offered herself to you. You are such an idiot, the voice in his head taunted.
Saber grimaced as needles lanced his skull once again, and his cock throbbed with need. In all his years, he had never reacted this strongly to another female.
What was he going to do with her? It was obvious he wouldn’t be able to torture or kill her.
As he watched, Tirah shifted. Saber’s eyes were once more drawn to her hands. She hadn’t answered when he questioned her about them, and he couldn’t help but wonder what happened. He’d get it out of her eventually, and if whoever had done that to her was still alive, it wouldn’t be for long.
A low moan drew his eyes back to Tirah’s and he watched them open. He caught the flicker of horror and knew she must be remembering the evening before.
“How are you feeling?” he asked.
“Ah …” She swallowed deeply and red flushed her face.
“Here.” Saber handed her the glass of fruit juice, ignoring her obvious embarrassment. “Drink this, it will help.”
Averting her gaze, Tirah
sat up, holding the sheet against her, and accepted the drink. “Thanks.” She drank only a tiny bit, then paled and set it back on the table. “I can’t.”
Saber nodded, knowing exactly how she felt. “There’s some crisps for when you’re able to keep more down.”
Tirah lowered her head into her hands. “I’m never drinking that ale again.”
Saber chuckled. “It’s not so bad if you don’t drink that much, but it’s probably worse for you, since you’re Human.” He was fishing. He knew she wasn’t completely Human. Yet her ears weren’t pointed like the Elvren, and he didn’t catch the scent of Were, and she definitely wasn’t a Walker. They had a faint but distinct odor of blood, which was their main source of nourishment. But there were all kinds of supernatural beings out there, and some were experts at disguising their defining scent.
Bright-amber eyes peered up at him, and Saber wondered what she was thinking. Tirah shook her head and lay back down. “Nope, never again.”
“What can you tell me about the spell that was cast on my brother that night?” he asked.
Tirah looked up at him sharply, and her face broke into an intense frown. “That’s what you asked me last night, isn’t it?”
“It is.” Saber waited.
Tirah’s frown deepened in thought. “I felt the magic, it felt evil, sick, but I had just—” She stopped.
“You had just what?” Saber pressed.
Tirah took a deep breath. “My superior wanted me to do something. I refused. I was trying to get away. The ground was coming apart.”
Saber growled and stood up. He began to pace, then stopped. “You have no idea what spell was used.”
Tirah stared at him. “I’m sorry, what we did was so wrong, I wanted no part of it.” Understanding lit her eyes. “I’m sorry about your brother.”
Saber took a deep breath. There had to be something. He couldn’t accept that this was it. His head started to pound and fatigue set in, making it hard to think properly.
“I hadn’t realized what happened—that anyone had been sent to Hades or anywhere,” she said.
“Yeah, well, it happened.”
Tirah was silent, and Saber’s hope died as he realized she really had no clue. He’d been chasing her all these years, thinking she’d have the information he needed to get Adarias back, and she knew nothing about it.
Despair began to settle in as the torture in his skull intensified.
Tirah’s gaze sharpened on him. “What’s wrong?”
Surprised once again, he shrugged. “It’s nothing. I’m fine.”
Tirah frowned. “No, you’re not.”
She gave a loud sigh when he didn’t answer, then yawned. Saber nodded at the bed. “I’ll let you get some more sleep.”
“Fine, thank you, but—” She hesitated.
“But what?”
Tirah bit her lip, and Saber wanted to groan. “Well, if you aren’t going to kill me, then let me go. I have something I need to do.”
“What do you need to do?” he asked suspiciously.
“I just have to be somewhere,” she answered evasively.
Saber stared at her, then left before she could see how deeply her words hit him.
He checked on her often over the next couple of hours, between talking with his brother Zales and answering a demand from Cass as to what was happening.
“I’ve got it under control,” he told his friend.
Cass snorted. “Why don’t I believe you?”
Saber didn’t answer because in all reality, he had nothing under control. “Something is up with her and her squad. I think she might have been a pawn,” he said instead. Where that left him in regard to getting Adarias back, Saber had no idea, and if the madness in his mind was any indication, time was running out.
“She’s pretty, don’t let her fool you.” Cass growled.
Saber growled right back at him. She was more than just pretty, and despite her ten years of running and hiding, there was a goodness, an innocence to her that she’d managed to retain. Plus, he had always known when someone told a lie, and no matter how much he didn’t want to be wrong, he felt that Tirah spoke the truth. At least what she believed to be the truth.
“Have you read her mind?” Cass asked.
“She has strong shields.” Saber grimaced at the question.
“Well, some of the Ilyium do. Still, I’d have thought she wouldn’t,” Cass said musingly.
That put Saber’s defenses up. “Why?”
He could almost see Cass shrug. “She seems soft …”
Saber growled.
“You know how to find out for sure,” Cass suggested.
Saber took a deep breath and tried to hold onto his temper.
Cass snarled at him. “Just have sex with her already, get into her head, and learn the truth.” Then his friend was gone.
Cass’s words kept running through Saber’s mind as he checked on Tirah again. She still slept, though the covers had gotten tangled around her legs. I am not having sex with her just to read her mind. I’ll make her tell me what is going on another way. Plus, he was pretty sure she really didn’t know.
Saber wanted nothing more than to join her in bed and take what she had offered. Instead, he pulled the cover back over her and left the room. He stopped in one of the empty chambers. When he first made his lair hundreds of years ago, he’d been hopeful that one day he’d have Young to fill the place with laughter. That dream had long ago died as no mate emerged. Then as the years went on, more and more family and friends died as well.
Saber paced from one space to the next, stopping in the doorway of each room. Tirah had checked them all out as well, but the smell of honeysuckle was strongest in the library. Then he spotted the book she’d been reading on a small table beside an overstuffed chair. His favorite chair. Saber picked up the book and smiled, then set it back down. It felt good—right—having her in his home.
Finally, as the three suns began to set, and with his head clanging like a bad band, he made his way back into the bedroom to find Tirah sitting up. The jug of juice was empty.
“You’re awake,” he said and picked up the empty container. “I’ll get you some more.” The plate of crisps was empty as well. “Are you hungry?”
Without looking at him, she nodded and clutched the sheet closer.
“I’ll be right back.” He hurried back to the kitchen and grabbed the food he’d put away earlier. Then using his dragonfire, he heated it up. He set the plate on the tray, added more juice and water, and took it back to her.
Wary eyes met his as he handed her the tray. Then she took in the food and her eyes widened. “You really do know how to cook, don’t you?”
He didn’t answer, just sat down and watched with satisfaction as she eagerly dug in. “This is really good.”
“Why’d you do it?” he asked.
Tirah paused, the eating utensil halfway to her mouth. “Huh?” She blushed a bright red.
“Ten years ago, when you killed Maya.” He clarified his question.
Tirah gulped and stared down at her mostly empty plate. Then she set the tray on the bedside table. “I already told you.”
“Tell me again, and start from the beginning,” he said.
Her gaze quickly shifted from his to her lap. She twisted her hands together. “I was just out of training, and this was my first mission.” Tirah paused for a moment. “You have to understand, my mother—”
Fury swamped Saber at her words. “The only thing I understand is a sweet female, who was loved as a healer and had two Young and a mate at home, was lured into a trap and murdered. Then while half of your people lay dead, the rest fleeing for their lives, my brother was sucked into hell.”
The sight of Tirah flinching helped Saber rein in his temper.
“I’m so sorry. If I would have known what was going to happen, I’d have done everything in my power to stop it, or at least not be a part of it,” she whispered, and he immediately felt the desire to s
oothe her, tell her it was all going to be okay. Yet, was it? If he accepted what she said, then he’d never get his brother back, and that was a bitter pill to swallow.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Succulent Curves
Saber closed his eyes and fought the fracturing of his mind, as images from the past collided with the future. The screams of agony were deafening. Fire roared all through Tartaria and beyond, a scorching red-hot blaze set by him. It was a vision of the future to come, if he continued to lose his soul, his humanity.
When he opened his eyes, Tirah was staring at him in shock. “What’s happening to you?” she asked softly.
Saber shook his head, not ready to tell anyone, least of all his enemy. Because no matter how much he felt for her—wanted her—she remained an Ilyium druid. And long ago, he’d learned that they were the most manipulative creatures in all the realms.
“I really have no idea what happened to your brother. Maybe I can find out, if you’ll just let me go,” she said.
The idea of her leaving hit Saber with despair and overwhelming rage. Then he thought of Cass. He knew without a doubt his friend would find Tirah if he released her. “I’ll never let you go.”
“Why? I know you aren’t going to torture me. Do you still plan to kill me?”
Saber pursed his lips as he grappled with his out-of-control emotions.
“If you are going to kill me, just do it already. I’m tired of this.” Tirah stared at him, daring him. The sheet had dipped down, revealing more of her cleavage.
“I’m not going to kill you,” he finally managed to say between gritted teeth.
“Then let me go. I don’t know anything. But I promise I’ll try to find out about the spell that sent your brother to Hades.”
“I told you, I’m not letting you go.”
“Why? You don’t want me, so why keep me here?” she asked.
Saberthorn (A Paranormal/Fantasy Dragonshifter Romance): Dragonkind ~ 52 Realms Page 12