Drakon's Prey (Blood of the Drakon)

by N. J. Walters

  It was as though a part of him yearned for her, knew she was what had been missing in his life. And she wouldn’t believe him if he told her.

  He turned away from the camera screen and pulled up the news on another. He had research to do and business to attend to.

  Chapter Eight

  Her head hurt and her eyes were gritty. That’s what she got for crying herself to sleep. She was also surprisingly calm, her anger spent.

  She had no idea how long she’d slept, but she didn’t think it had been too long. It was hard to tell because there were no windows to tell her if it was day or night.

  She reached out and turned on the bedside lamp. It gave a soft glow to the room. She rubbed her hands over her face. God, she was a wreck. Her hair was coming down from her braid and she really needed to use the bathroom.

  Valeriya stood and padded across the room. She opened the first door. The baseboard lights came on low—it seemed to be a feature of the room—allowing her to tell she’d found the bathroom. She felt around for the light switch. It was easy enough to find and she flicked it on.

  The bathroom was gorgeous. There was a full tub and a separate shower. The tiles were earth toned, and big, white fluffy towels sat on a nearby shelf. Unfortunately, she didn’t have a change of clothes, and so she settled for splashing water on her face. She dug around the vanity drawers and found a comb and a toothbrush still in its package. She put both to use. When she was done, she felt fresher and her hair had been tamed.

  She stared at her reflection in the mirror, barely recognizing the woman staring back at her. There were shadows under her eyes, and she was pale. Not surprising considering everything.

  She gripped the edge of the vanity and took a deep breath. Okay, time to review the facts. She’d tried to escape, and she’d attacked Tarrant. And what had he done? He’d hugged her and carried her to bed.

  “Don’t make him seem better than he is.” He’d taken her from the cabin. And other than his name, she really didn’t know anything about him or who he was working for.

  She left the room, turning out the light behind her. Not knowing where to go, she sat on the side of the bed and rubbed her palms up and down her legs. What could she do? What should she do?

  Not much time had passed when there was a light knock on her door. That surprised her. She’d expected him to barge right in.

  Tarrant stood in the doorway, blocking out all the light from the hall. “How are you feeling?”

  She ignored the shivery sensation that radiated outward from her core to the tips of her fingers and toes. His mere presence was enough to stir her up. “I’m not sure how I should feel.” It was best to be totally honest. “I’m being held captive by a virtual stranger.”

  He made a sound of impatience. “I told you I’m not going to hurt you.”

  “No,” she corrected. “You told me you weren’t going to kill me. Yet,” she added.

  Tarrant stalked across the room and stood in front of her with his hands on his hips. Seated on the side of the bed, she had a perfect view of his arousal. And considering she was sitting on a bed, that probably wasn’t the wisest thing for her to be noticing.

  She jumped to her feet.

  “I’m not going to kill you. Not now. Not ever.”

  She felt the truth of his words, but that didn’t change everything. “I’m still a prisoner.”

  The sound that came out of his throat was almost a growl. “You’re not a prisoner.”

  “Then I’m free to go?” She doubted he’d just open the door and allow her to walk away. And honestly, she wasn’t truly sure she wanted to leave.

  He raked his fingers through his hair. “I can’t do that. It’s not safe for you out there.”

  “And you know this how?”

  Tarrant began to pace then suddenly stopped. “I need coffee if we’re going to talk.” He strode from the room and she followed him, curious to hear what he had to say.

  She sat on one of the kitchen stools and watched as he filled the coffeepot and set the kettle boiling without her having to ask.

  He kept his back turned to her and rested his palms on the countertop. Neither of them spoke until he’d poured himself a cup of coffee and prepared her a cup of tea. He placed the mug in front of her.

  “You had men watching you.”

  Of course, he’d known. She hadn’t been acquainted with him long, but Tarrant seemed to be the kind of man who was thorough when it came to such things. He appeared both competent and confident.

  “I did.” No point in denying it.

  He canted his head to one side. “Just how did you know? Because I was watching both you and them, and you knew they were there before you saw them.”

  Crap, what did she do now?

  He reached across the counter and cupped her face in his hands. “Tell me the truth.”

  “Why? You haven’t told me the truth about why you took me.” It was stupid to bargain, but she didn’t care. She needed some answers.

  “I know those men were sent by someone in the Knights of the Dragon. If you’re not with them, as you’ve claimed you’re not, then you were in danger.”

  “But you didn’t know I wasn’t with them,” she countered. “Not then.” Tarrant released her and took a sip of coffee. She missed his touch.

  “You hid from them. That was a good indication.”

  “You really were watching me all along.” It gave her the shivers. It was so easy for someone with skills to spy on someone else. She wondered if her sister had been doing the same thing for years without her knowledge.

  “Yes.” He set his mug down and came around the counter to stand beside her. “How did you know they were there?”

  She opened her mouth to lie but found she couldn’t do it. “You won’t believe me,” she said instead.

  “Try me.”

  He was standing too close. She could feel the heat from his body, smell his masculine scent. She fortified herself with a mouthful of tea.

  “I have a gift.”

  “A gift.” His tone was neutral, with no way for her to gauge what he was feeling.

  “Yes, a gift. My grandmother had it, too. I can sense danger.” Best to keep the explanation simple. “It’s instinct.”

  He turned her stool until she was facing him. “It’s more than instinct. You knew those men were outside the cabin.”

  She shrugged, unwilling to elaborate further. “All I know is that I can tell when someone means to harm me. I always know when there is danger around.” She braced for his questions about her talent, not quite sure how she’d respond. She’d already told him more than she’d ever shared with anyone outside of her grandparents.

  “And what do your instincts say about me?”

  Not what she’d been expecting him to ask. “Umm, I’m not sure what you mean.” She didn’t want to talk about her feelings for him.

  “Yes, you do.” He sat on the stool next to hers and cupped her chin in his hand. “Tell me.”

  She licked her lips and swallowed. This wasn’t smart, but she was no longer sure she had any other choice. “You’re a dangerous man,” she began.

  He nodded. “I am.”

  There was no point in denying what they both knew was true. She was about to push her luck. It was time to find out exactly where she stood with him. “You’re no stranger to violence.”

  He tightened his hand fractionally before relaxing it. “I’m not,” he agreed.

  This was it. “But for some reason, I don’t think you’ll hurt me. I shouldn’t believe it, since you kidnapped me.”

  “Rescued you from danger,” he countered.

  She almost smiled. “Guess it depends on your perspective.”

  He released her chin and stood. “I am deadly to my enemies.” He pinned her with a glare. “Don’t become an enemy, and you’ll have nothing to fear.”

  “See.” She pointed her finger at him. “I should be scared to death of you, running for my room or trying to knock
you out or something so I can escape.”

  “But you’re not.”

  She shrugged. “I’m still sitting here, aren’t I?”

  “So you are.” He ran his hand over her hair and down the side of her neck. Heat blossomed in her chest and radiated outward. “What else does your gift tell you?” His low murmur was sexy and made her toes curl.

  “You want me.” She really didn’t need anything extra to tell her that.

  “Hmm,” he whispered as he leaned down and kissed just behind her ear. “I do.”

  “I shouldn’t want you,” she reminded him.

  “Why not?” He left a string of kisses down the curve of her neck.

  Why not? She couldn’t come up with one single reason. “Umm, you’re my captor. Yeah, that’s the reason.”

  “Rescuer,” he countered.

  She knew that wasn’t the real reason he’d taken her. Maybe it was a factor, because she couldn’t detect any lies when he told her that, but neither was he telling her the entire truth.

  He nipped her jaw and then nuzzled his way to her lips. “I want you.”

  She wanted him, too. It didn’t make sense, but it didn’t have to.

  She pushed all her worries aside to deal with later and focused entirely on their kiss. The heat warmed her from the inside out. Her breasts felt heavy and full, and an ache grew between her legs. Maybe this was nothing more than an interrogation technique. If so, he was very good at it. She’d already spilled all her secrets. She really didn’t know that much at all about the Knights.

  She had no idea what was going to happen to her, if she’d ever have anything approximating a normal life again. So she might as well grab as much pleasure as she could get. She’d had sex before. Not often, but she wasn’t a virgin. But nothing had ever felt as right as having Tarrant kiss her.

  He pulled away and stared at her, his blue eyes icing over. “This won’t change anything,” he warned.

  She knew he was telling her the truth. Even if they had sex, he wouldn’t let her go. “I know.”

  Perhaps she had lost her mind, because all she wanted to do right now was make love with Tarrant. No, it would be having sex. There was no love between them. There couldn’t be. There was too much mistrust. Too many secrets.

  She still had no idea who exactly Tarrant was or his real reason for taking her. He’d either tell her or he wouldn’t. Nothing she could do or say would change that. He was too hard a man to soften with sex.

  He kissed her again, but this one was different. It was as though some internal switch had been flipped, as though her agreement had changed everything. If his earlier kisses had been hot, this one was devastating. He ate at her mouth and lips before thrusting his tongue inside and laying siege to her.

  All she could do was hold on to his broad shoulders and return the intense kiss. She wanted this man more than she’d ever wanted another. The heat and the power of him was thrilling. It was like being on a roller coaster. She hung on and enjoyed the ride.

  She was breathless when he finally pulled back. Her heart was galloping, and she was so warm she was starting to sweat.

  “Be sure,” he told her. His voice was lower than normal, almost guttural. His face looked like it had been hewn from stone.

  There really wasn’t any choice for her. Valeriya always went with her instincts. Right now, they were urging her to grab on to Tarrant and never let go. Against all common sense, she was going to do what she always did and listen to her gift, even if it wasn’t logical. “I’m sure.”

  He groaned and scooped her off the stool. He was so incredibly strong, but he was smart, too. She couldn’t resist him and she knew why. He reminded her of a knight of old. Not like the Knights of the Dragon, but a real knight, filled with honor and purpose.

  Maybe she was completely wrong about him. It was likely she was. He was probably sleeping with her for his own reasons, and none of them good.

  She didn’t care. She wanted to taste life.

  Tarrant carried her down the hallway and back into the room where she’d been when she’d awakened earlier. She buried the tiny hurt that he wasn’t taking her to his bedroom.

  He went down on the bed with her and rolled to one side so he wasn’t crushing her. Then he was kissing her again, and nothing else mattered. Reality would still be waiting when they were finished. But for now, it was just the two of them—a man and a woman who wanted each other.

  It was enough.

  Chapter Nine

  Tarrant knew this was not a good idea, but damned if he could stop himself. He didn’t want to stop. It didn’t matter that Valeriya’s sister was head of the Knights of the Dragon. And wasn’t that a kicker. No, all he wanted was to strip her naked and kiss every inch of her curvy body.

  His brothers would kick his ass if they found out he was sleeping with the enemy. Yet Valeriya didn’t seem like the enemy. She was an innocent victim in the war. Just as Father Simon had been. He shoved away thoughts of his friend. That way only led to anger and madness.

  Valeriya stroked her hands over his shoulders. “Is everything okay?”

  Everything was not okay. It would never be okay. Not as long as her sister and the Knights were allowed to live. He wondered how Valeriya would react if she knew he planned to kill Karina and her band of not-so-merry men.

  Best not to mention it.

  He had Valeriya warm and willing. The last thing he wanted to do was say or do something that would make her change her mind.

  Yet the honorable part of him refused to let him go any further. He inwardly cursed himself even as he spoke. “I have to destroy the Knights,” he told her.

  Her expression was sad but resigned. “I know.”

  He swore aloud and then kissed her. He hated seeing her so distressed, but there was nothing he could do about it. The Knights had brought the war to him, and he wasn’t about to back away and hide. Not this time.

  He’d almost taken her to his room, to his bed, but at the last second had brought her back to the guest room. She was getting under his skin enough as it was. Having her as the centerpiece in his room would only make him more possessive.

  If his thinking was clear, he’d walk away from her. His dragon roared inside him, not at all happy by that thought. The creature wanted to lock her away, not to hurt her, but to keep her safe.

  The time for walking away was past. They were together, and he had to have her.

  “Tarrant?” She pulled away and stared into his eyes. “Is something wrong?”

  The ambient lighting had come on in the room when they’d entered, but not the overhead one. He’d set it up that way before he’d gone up to the cabin to retrieve her. She would have a harder time distinguishing his features, but he had no such trouble. His preternatural vision allowed him to clearly see her heart-shaped face and straight nose.

  “No, nothing is wrong.” At this moment, everything was right. He captured the end of her braid and removed the elastic. He tossed it over his shoulder and began to unwind her thick braid. “I want to see your hair.” It was black and thick and shiny. He slid his fingers through the thick mass and massaged her scalp.

  She moaned. “That feels good.”

  “It will feel even better,” he promised.

  He slid his fingertips over the curve of her cheek and along her jaw. She tilted her face toward his touch. “So lovely.” He dropped kisses across her forehead and down the slope of her nose as he reached for the zipper of her hoodie.

  He unzipped the garment and held his breath, wondering if she would stop him now. Valeriya sat up, and he inwardly moaned. His cock was full and ached to be inside her.

  She peeled the hoodie off and tossed it onto the floor. Tarrant growled in approval and she stilled. He watched her throat ripple as she swallowed. “I wish I could see you better.”

  “Your eyes will adjust,” he promised her. If she could see him better, there was no way she’d miss the tattoo that covered the left side of his body from the neck do
wn. If she knew as much about drakons as she claimed, she’d know what he was the moment she saw it. Given his size and the fact he knew about the Knights, she’d have to suspect he was a drakon.

  And he didn’t want that. He had no idea how she would react. She might run screaming, a distinct possibility, or she might decide to try to use him in some way. Right now, he was nothing more than a man to her, and she wanted him. In spite of everything.

  He pushed himself into an upright position and reached for the hem of the long-sleeved top she wore. “May I?”

  She nodded.

  He slid his fingers under the band and found the smooth skin of her stomach. She was warm and soft. Delicate. He had to remember to be careful with her and go slow. If he hurt her, he’d never forgive himself.

  That was a far cry from how he’d felt yesterday when he’d contemplated killing her. But he hadn’t known her then. Now that he did, he knew he’d cut off his own hand before he harmed her. Best she never learned that or he was in trouble.

  Valeriya Azarov really could lead to his downfall. Tarrant suddenly understood his brother better, and how Darius could have allowed himself to be tamed by a human female.

  Her breath caught in her throat, bringing him back to the present. He pushed his hand upward and encountered nothing but bare flesh. She wasn’t wearing a bra. He cupped one full mound and gently squeezed.

  Valeriya gasped and licked her lips. “That feels wonderful.”

  His heart raced and the vein in his temple pulsed to the same beat as his erection. He had to see her. He yanked the top up and off her head before she could protest…and he lost the ability to speak.

  Her breasts were full and tipped with large nipples in a dark pink color. Her skin was pale and fine. She didn’t cover herself or try to hide. Of course, she didn’t know he could see as well as he could, and he wasn’t about to tell her.

  He swooped down and captured one puckered tip between his lips. She yelped and then moaned his name. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and guided her back down on the bed so she was lying flat on her back. He planted his hands on either side of her body and continued to suck her nipple.