“Sophia. But I'm afraid there are two pieces of news you need to hear first.”
Sophia waited in silence.
“First things first: I had one of ours investigate. Your apartment has been burned down to the ground.”
The picture-perfect serenity was gone as Sophia jerked in her chair, dozens of emotions running rampant on her face – shock, dismay, and rage, among others. As this was his first time hearing it, Robbie couldn't contain his own incredulity as he stared at Dylan.
“How long?”
“Last night. Jack found nothing to clean up when he got there.”
Well, isn't that just fucked up?
A somber Dylan offered Sophia his apologies.
Jerkily, she nodded her head, eyes focused on Dylan the whole time.
“What's the second news?”
Dylan remained silent for a few seconds before speaking. “Do you know what kind of shifter Robbie is, Sophia?”
Sophia frowned. “Reptile something. And I don't see the relevance of me knowing.”
“It is very relevant if you hear my explanation.”
Robbie watched her quietly as Dylan continued by stating that reptiles – particularly ancient ones – were far and few between in the world of shifters, hence they were considered important in terms of hierarchy.
He watched as Sophia took it all in – until Dylan explained that reptile shifters mated differently from the rest. They did it by their choosing most of the time, but there were rare instances that accidents happened and the choice was removed from them – a process that involved the shifter's mate giving the shifter his or her blood.
Sophia jerked again, and this time, the shock on her face was more palpable.
Then she turned her gaze to Robbie, who still hadn't removed his gaze from her.
“But,” she protested, “I've never heard of that before. Shifters mate by having sex – then the shifter would choose the mate by taking the blood of their chosen.”
Robbie smirked. “Oh, we reptiles also have sex. Lots of it. But it looks like we went to the blood sharing first. Perhaps we can get to the sex part later?”
Sophia flushed, then glared at him.
Dylan cleared his throat. “It's a well-kept secret. We do not intend to share the information with just anyone, you see, for fear of any enemy trying to mate with them just by giving them blood. You can see how vulnerable it would make our kind.”
Sophia looked like she did see, but was refusing to accept it. Still maintaining her calm, she asked, “And what if I refuse to be his mate?”
Robbie straightened to reply exactly what he thought of her opinion. But Dylan gave him a subtle shake of his head.
Fine.
“Sophia, as it stands, you're homeless because vampires attacked you. Am I right?”
“...yes.”
“Is one of the leaders involved?”
Something flickered in her expression before disappearing.
“Not John,” she said firmly.
Ah. So that was her boss.
Dylan's expression turned morose, understanding what she wasn't saying perfectly. “Then you're in trouble.”
“More so since you're mated to one of the most important shifters in the world,” Robbie added under his breath.
The look Sophia gave him wasn't pleasant. “You certainly have a high opinion of yourself.”
“You certainly can't accept the truth,” he shot back, for the heck of it.
Dylan sighed deeply.
“Sophia.”
“Yes, Dylan?”
“I have spoken with the others and I regret to say you can't stay here.”
Another bomb that Robbie wasn't expecting. He growled automatically.
“Quit doing that,” Sophia hissed. “Dylan, I understand. I apologize for intruding.”
“I wasn't present in this meeting,” Robbie said. “I am one of the leaders.”
“And you're directly involved,” Dylan said, his look telling Robbie to shut up and listen. The beast inside Robbie roared at the put-down, but he reigned it in and did as asked. There was a certain order of things, and wolf was head.
His beast obeyed and calmed down for the moment.
Satisfied, Dylan turned to Sophia again. “Sophia, we will not abandon you. I have a proposition.”
Sophia eyed them warily, not missing the silent exchange. “Shoot.”
“We will offer you our protection and our services, and not ask you to give out your secrets with John, so long as it doesn't directly harm our kind. In return, you will not show your face to them in the meantime until we clean up this mess – and you will stay with Robbie in his secret home and give this a chance.”
Silence.
“We'll probably end up killing each other,” Sophia said.
Robbie's mouth twitched. “Or have lots of sex.”
Dylan coughed.
More silence.
Finally, Sophia held out her hand, which Dylan took. A red spark formed.
“Binding,” Dylan murmured.
“You sure about this, Gray?” Robbie asked, eyes on her.
“Absolutely,” she said firmly. Honey eyes met his gaze, and something inside him stirred in reaction at her boldness. He tamped it down and gave her a neutral look instead.
“Good.”
“Good. No sex.” She stood up after and excused herself. The declaration made Robbie's mouth twitch again, before he followed her to the door.
“Sweetheart, you haven't even asked where I live.”
“I don't care,” she said as she swung the door while he was still inside.
“Good. Ireland it is, then.”
He had the satisfaction of seeing her shocked look before the door closed completely. When he turned back to Dylan, he saw that the head was looking at him oddly.
“What?”
“You are in so much trouble,” was Dylan's only declaration before he stood up to leave, too.
Robbie stared at the ceiling as things added up, mainly:
He had a mate who didn't like him.
Who was involved with vampires.
Who was being hunted by said vampires.
Who was definitely going to be massacred once the truth blew up regarding their connection.
Who was a witch.
To top it off – he wasn't sure he liked her that much, either.
Yep. So much trouble.
He couldn't fucking wait.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Ireland was different.
It still had a city (lots of them, in fact), and perhaps the same amount of humans and supernatural creatures as New York did – but the air seemed different somehow. She could sense some witch magic in the air, a tingle as ancient as time itself, and she wondered if covens existed in a place like this, where the people seemed less in a hurry and friendlier, somehow. There were some covens in New York, but most of them have been driven away by the strong presence of shifters and vampires – and since she'd been dealing with vampires for as long as she could remember, any secret association they may have had wasn't for her to discover.
They rode a passenger plane and were given seat assignments in different rows, and the simple arrangement made Sophia so grateful for the time alone to gather her thoughts and emotions in place. She'd been riding on exhaustion the whole time, with multiple other emotions threatening to break her down – and she didn't want to break down. She couldn't. It was a matter of sanity more than anything, and she needed to hold on to that, even if she couldn't hold on to everything else.
Not her house.
Not her life.
To gather her bearings, Sophia slept. Then she ate peanuts and a serving of the plane's meal – a ham baguette and some Irish scones and jam – and slept again. She woke up at the sound of the pilot announcing their descent to Dublin in a few minutes, and she felt refreshed.
You can do it. No biggie.
The key was to always keep calm.
As the plane approache
d, she took a peek at the back row on the other side, keeping it casual as she looked at the man who was perhaps the reason of all this – that is, saving her life and turning it upside down at the same time. Robbie was wearing a leather jacket and dark jeans, and his closed eyes made her study his profile longer. He was peaceful when he slept – a contrast of dark lashes, sharp nose and a sensuous mouth, with a chin that was just as proud as hers. His skin wasn't pale, but tanned a light, golden tone. She went back to the sensuous mouth, wondering if it was as soft as it looked…
Green eyes opened suddenly, piercing hers with an intense gaze.
With a start, Sophia whipped her head back in place, refusing to peek again.
Another thing to note: getting along with her so-called mate, and biding the time until she was free.
The landing was smooth, and soon they were in Dublin, mingling with the crowd. This was where she noted the differences and similarities with New York, and she stared on in fascination as they rode in the taxi and she got to look at the famous places nearby. They stopped at a pub in the heart of the city named Cromwell, and entered the place to find only the bartender inside. It was still closed, but Robbie had a key.
The bartender looked up at their entrance, and her dark-brown eyes lit up with warmth at the sight.
“Robbie! You're back!”
The Irish accent was deep and sweet, and Sophia watched as the bartender hugged Robbie, who hugged her back just as tightly. There was a very sweet kiss placed on her forehead, and Sophia startled at the streak of jealousy that landed in her heart. The sensation had her making a sound, turning the attention of the huggers towards her.
Damn mating hormones.
To cover up for her blunder, she smiled at the other woman.
“Hello. This bar's nice.”
The woman's eyes twinkled as she removed her hands from Robbie's body and nodded her head. “Glad to know you think so, considering it's mine.”
Oh.
Before Sophia could respond, Robbie spoke.
“Good to see you, Jen. We need to go now so we can make dinner at my place. Care to join?”
“Nah, have some plans with the kids. Rain check?”
“Of course.”
Jen looked at Robbie's knapsack, then Sophia's tote. “That all you have?”
Considering all her belongings had burned, yes. She said so as politely as possible, to mask her frustration every time she recalled the betrayal. Tears threatened her eyes, and she ruthlessly held them back.
With no further ado, Robbie led them to the back of the pub. His hand covered her elbow briefly, a light touch.
“We'll get you new clothes soon,” he murmured.
The sincerity in his voice made her look up in surprise, and green eyes were all she could see.
“Thank you,” she replied, voice steady. A deep breath, and she was more composed.
A quick look made her realize the back of the pub was a tiny alley with enclosed walls. Puzzled, she turned back to Robbie.
Robbie indicated at a spot. “We stand there.”
Hesitantly, she followed.
His body was suddenly against hers, and she almost dropped her bag.
“What?”
“Shhh. Wait a few seconds.”
“...”
“Don't let go.”
She obeyed, trying to ignore the heat of him, or the hardness of muscles that pressed against her softness. She scented a light spicy aftershave, and his own male scent. Her nose twitched, and her stomach clenched.
Eff you, hormones.
Then something warmer than his body enveloped her, and a glow filled her vision. The glow grew steadily brighter until it became a beam, and she had to close her eyes at the harshness of the light. The warmth enveloping her turned to a sudden blast of chill, and her body shook. His hands held her tighter, enveloping her with his presence as he kept her steady.
Then the sensations were gone, and only his warmth remained.
Sophia stayed in that position for a few seconds as his scent filled her nose and made her head spin. Then she abruptly pulled away and opened her eyes and mouth to ask him what the hell that was about.
The question stopped and disappeared like a puff of smoke down her throat as she took in her surroundings.
Mountains. Mountains of epic proportions, opening up to a sky full of clouds and the afternoon sun. Cliffs here and there, slanting down to the sea where waves crashed unforgivably and loudly, foaming and rolling back to sea to restart their momentum. A beautiful ocean of blue waters, the sun reflecting it with tiny, glinting jewels. Fields of green dotted with wildflowers, rolling up to hills, boulders, down to plains, and up to a castle at the very top.
The castle was gray stone, and absolutely breathtaking in its sheer size. She turned to stare at Robbie, mouth open out of her own accord as she tried to get her bearings.
His expectant, knowing look had her shutting her mouth.
“Looks okay,” she blurted out.
The chuckle that came out of him was low and so amused, she couldn't help but smile, too. She covered it up with a grimace, even while hundreds of questions ran through her mind.
He answered one of the first right off without her having to ask.
“Cromwell is the only spot in Ireland where there's a portal to take you to this secret land. It can only be accessed by our imprints. Yours too, since you’re my mate now.”
“So this place...doesn't exist on the map?”
Robbie's eyes glinted. “Oh, it does. It exists as a mountain full of rough terrain and wild plains, where no one ever goes. The castle has been charmed to be visible only to those we wish to see it.”
“So you and...Jen?”
“Among others. She's an albatross shifter. One of the most graceful there is.”
Of course she was. That sinuous body was made for grace and flight more than anything else.
“So this is your home?”
“Temporarily.”
The tone was short, as if it was the end of that discussion. There was a history there he was closing off, and she was very, very curious to find out what. But she let it go for now and stared at her surroundings again, her mind already flying at the things she wanted to do. She wanted to sit at a boulder and practice her magic while she viewed the flowers in lazy pleasure. She wanted to climb those mountains and check out their mystery – a cave, a waterfall, whatever beautiful sanctuary waited inside for her to explore. She wanted to stand by the cliff and watch the waves crash below, feeling the adrenaline rush through her veins and smelling the salt through her pores.
She wanted to know what kind of shifter he was.
The last thought was so sudden that it doused her giddy mood. She bit her lip as the mantra repeated in her head. She shouldn't ask, she shouldn't ask, she shouldn't ask.
“What kind of reptile are you?”
Damn. It.
As expected, Robbie smirked, turning his full amused attention on her.
“Pretty curious, huh?” he drawled.
Sophia shrugged her shoulders. “Not really. I just wanted to see how ugly you are.”
Silence.
Then the laugh came, as unexpected as the magic that brought them there. It slid from his stomach and rumbled through his throat, higher than his chuckle and rendering her knees weak as arousal shot through her core.
His green eyes darkened, and she knew, she absolutely knew, that he could smell her.
“Why don't you ride me and find out?” was the low rasp that came from his mouth.
Her mouth went dry and her core throbbed, even as her mind warred with her. Her mind won, and she found herself moving forward and…
Slap.
Her hand connected to his cheek. And then she was backing away in shock as she realized what she'd done.
His eyes narrowed.
Her chin lifted.
A growl formed in his throat, then lowered into silence as he visibly reined his emotions in.
&
nbsp; “Sweetheart, you do that again and I'm going to give you the most sensuous kiss of your life. And you'll be moaning and begging for more.”
She knew the words were to goad her, insincere and deliberately erotic, but she couldn't help the betrayal of her senses as the image of that mouth on hers came into her brain, kissing her hard. Then slow, then hard again. It wouldn't be just his mouth, but his hands on hers as well, because that was just the kind of person he was – an Alpha who took and took, who wouldn't stop until he was satisfied. Then the image was gone and reality crashed as his next words came.
“I meant ride my shifter form, Sophia. So we can go home.”
His shifter form?
Even before she could respond, he was suddenly taking off his leather jacket, then his shirt. He stuffed them in his backpack, along with his shoes, and she found herself staring at a gorgeous sight of broad shoulders and a stomach rippling with lean abs. He had the body of a warrior, a fighter who was fast and strong. He was tanned all over and glorious.
So unfair. The jerk was sexy as hell and she was going to burn in hell for her thoughts.
He tossed the backpack at hers, and startled, she dropped her tote as she caught it square in the chest.
Then his hands were unbuttoning his pants and unzipping.
“What are you doing?” she hissed, taking a step backward.
The pants came down, and she was treated to the sight of thick, hard thighs and a thick, hard–
Oh, my.
She squeezed her eyes shut.
“Stop that!” she screeched, dropping the knapsack. “You're an idiot.”
“You wanted to see my other form, didn't you?”
“Yes, but–”
“Then let me show you.”
Realization halted all the screaming happening inside her head at his words. The transformation took no more than a few seconds, because when she hesitantly opened her eyes again, there was no human in sight anymore.
Oh, my God.
Oh, my God!
In its place was a creature she never knew existed in real life.
She'd been expecting him to be a huge ass alligator, or perhaps a komodo dragon twice or thrice its normal size – or bigger, almost giant-sized and unable to transform in the city without detection. But Sophia was struck speechless at the sight of what lay in front of her.
Dragon: The Clan Legacy Series Page 6