Bailey clearly had the wrong idea about Khimairans, though, and Tony wasn’t one of them. He led a big faction of the Beller group in Colorado for Bellerophon. They’d run into each other a time or two. His snake eyes always a little more reptile than the last time he had seen the man. Dante wanted to believe the humans who followed Bellerophon were good, that they could change their minds if given a chance, but every time he turned around, his hope of helping them dashed. The last time he actually set eyes on Tony, the man had threatened to kill him even as he ran through the forest. Even then, Dante’s beast wanted to lay chase to the enemy, to tear him into pieces. But he’d refrained. Even if Tony practiced dark magic and drank the blood of Khimairans to be able to half shift and gain strength, Dante couldn’t kill a human unless he had to. He wanted peace with them, not war. He didn’t fear Tony, but he was cautious of what the human might actually do.
Yet his heart ached, his zodiac symbol still burned for her even as the hate rolled off her words. She’d been led astray, and her feelings were a strength for her. He could see the passion in her eyes, not for revenge, but for truth. She would seek it if he could show her the way. This strong, intelligent female with her fierce temper was winning him over even as she irritated him. Telling Bailey who he was a Khimairan in this moment wouldn't bring her to his side. When he was sure he had control of the beast raging behind his human form, he asked, "Have you ever met one?"
"I don't need to meet one to know about them, to understand they are like wild animals." Bailey crossed her arms, still shooting daggers at him, which he should have been more upset about. Truthfully, he found her anger cute, even if it was misdirected. He had time to show her the way.
"And yet here you stand in the one place that houses the most Khimairans." Dante wanted to show her his wild side, his beast wanted to take her hot, wild, and wicked on all fours.
This father of hers had placed his own judgements, which were not correct, upon her, as he knew firsthand a Khimairan had not killed her mother. But how could he tell her a faction of humans who sought to capture Khimairans and use them for their own demented tests had harmed her family. People who syphoned Khimairan power through blood rituals, draining Dante’s people. They suffered until they were bled dry and turned to dust.
Bleeding a shifter out was no easy task either. They had to use a special celestial blade created when the first Khimaira had existed in the sky, for even as immortals on Earth, there needed to be a balance. The steel from the spear tip used to kill Khimaira and wood from Bellerophon's spear made the handle of a blade.
The gods had given Khimairans two of the three blades and let Bellerophon have one to even the odds so to speak, though his race had every intention of taking the primal blade out of the enemy hands.
To tell Bailey all of this would only push her away. He could see from the set of her jaw and the cold glare in her eyes, he would need more than words to change her mind. He would make more progress if she thought he was human for now.
"No one spoke to you about her death?" Perhaps if he avoided her direct questions he could move the conversation forward instead of having to face them straight on. Not that he minded head on, but for her sake—or maybe her sanity’s sake—it was best to push through instead of give direct.
Her glance darted away and then back. "I don't keep a regular home. I like being on the road. The road doesn’t disappoint me. I have a PO box, and I don't read much news and such. I don't even use my phone to get online. My aunt was my last remaining relative that I know of. A letter from a lawyer came in the mail saying she'd left the shop to me along with her death certificate."
"How does the death certificate say she died?" He already knew what it said as the coroner was a Khimairan as well, and they'd discussed at length a way to keep the Beller attack under wraps. Humans would panic if they knew how far their own race would take the Khimairan powers. Besides, no family member should ever have to see what was done to someone they loved, even Dante wouldn’t look at the body. He’d been too attached to the human. Anger resurfaced. He was pretty sure Tony had something to do with Nadia’s death directly as he ran most of Colorado’s Bellers. And if he didn’t directly, he at least ordered it. And one day soon, Dante intended to give as good as he got.
"Presumed cardiac arrest. Which is likely a catchall phrase given that it's the most used when a coroner doesn't know the cause of death. Do you know how many death certificates have these kinds of errors because the actual cause of death was not determined? Seriously, unless someone disputes the cause of death and wants to be tied up in court and such for years, it's their go to catch all. Look it up sometime."
Dante tried to keep his shock from showing on his face. She was smart. Her brain only endeared her even more to him and his beast. "Were you a coroner at your previous job?"
"No, I just look random crap up from time to time. I'm a tutor, and I like to learn so I can provide a more overall experience to the kids out on the farms. Though I studied in education. I thought I’d be a teacher once, but realized quickly I didn’t like staying in one place."
"And here you are, running your aunt’s shop instead." Dante crossed his arms. How would he get her to work with the portal if she hated Khimairans and didn’t want to stay in Currence? The more he spoke to her, the clearer it became that she didn't even know what she was capable of.
"I won't be running the shop. I'm selling it."
Dante stepped forward. His eyes nearly bulged from his head. She could not sell The Talisman. "Selling?" The hell she was.
"As you said, this is like the skinner capitol. I have no desire to live or work in a place housing so many creatures I despise. I don't think I've seen one yet, though I haven't really been looking." Bailey hefted a box from the wall onto the counter.
Dante fixated on the lean muscles in her arms. A yearning settled in his nethers. What would those arms feel like wrapped securely around him?
Bailey pulled her ponytail tight. "My dad said I could always tell a Khimairan by their eyes. They will change into a beast's eyes eventually, even if their body doesn't. As long as I don't see animal eyes on someone I think is human, were good until I can get the hell out of here."
Dante set his gaze firmly on hers. His eyes wouldn't change like that. His alpha magic controlled his human appearance. When he'd fallen with the others from the stars what seemed like forever ago, he was blessed to rule his new people as head of the Khimaira. Once he was bound to Bailey, there would be nowhere she could go to out run him and his humanity would stay firmly intact, his beast side moving back into a recess until called upon. His beast purred at the thought of bonding with her, taking her over and over again, claiming her with his bite and the ritual words of his people. He shook the image from his mind, trying to concentrate on something else, desperately needing to not focus on how her breasts swelled when she breathed or those fucking lips...
Now was the best time to keep the subject off how her aunt died, so he ran with it for both their sakes. "You can't sell the shop." He could let her believe what she wanted, but in the end, this shop wouldn’t leave his possession and even though she didn’t know it yet, she wouldn’t either. The zodiac glyph on his chest warmed as he thought about her being his.
Bailey stopped removing dragon figurines from the box. "And why not?" If she was selling, why was she unpacking?
"I own part of it." Which was the truth...the back part.
CHAPTER FIVE
Bailey wanted to throw the purple dragon knickknack resting in her hand at the wall. Right above the bastard's head. But she held onto the figurine instead with tight knuckles. The grooves of the little wings dug into her skin. "Why didn't you say you owned it too?" She hadn't really looked at the shop information in all the documents, figuring she'd sort it out later. She didn't recall seeing anyone else's name on it, though. "I should just take a hike and let you deal with all this crap. Then I don't have to be stuck here. You already handled her burial." She didn’t know
if she was pissed at him because he owned part of the shop and didn’t tell her, or if he’d buried her aunt without her, or if it was how he just stood there looking sexy as emotions raged beneath her hopefully calm exterior. She wished she could be neutral about all of it, but he brought something out of her. Yes, she had some issues, but normally people didn’t get under her skin so easily.
Dante's eyebrow rose. "My name isn't on the paperwork. I'm an investment partner. We have an internal agreement. And you weren't showing up to handle arrangements for her."
Bailey huffed, even if he had a point, she wouldn't admit it to him. "Okay, so I sell the shop to you and get on with my life." Bailey's heart thundered in her ears as she said the words. She wanted to walk around the counter and right out the door, but her feet remained rooted in place. She didn't know why.
Dante walked slowly to the counter, his boots making a thud noise every time he stepped down. Her gaze met the gold flecks in his eyes. They nearly shimmered. She couldn't remember ever thinking someone's eyes were pretty, but she could drown in them if he kept staring at her as if he could devour her. As if he wanted to devour her. A flicker of something primal flashed behind his gaze and was gone in a heartbeat. Heat flared in her body when his hand came down over the top of hers. His warmth encased the back of her hand holding the figurine as if he knew she was at odds with everything including herself and, for a moment—a brief weak moment—she wanted him to lean over and kiss her.
Why did she let him touch her?
Zips of desire rode waves to her core. His pupils dilated. Bailey licked her lips and pulled her hand away from him. This man was dangerous to be around. He made her feel things she didn't want to feel. She wanted out of town. Back to the wide-open spaces and farm kids. Away from the attractive male invading her space.
Dante grinned and leaned into the front counter. Bailey's back met the cool surface of the wall shelves. Her mind tried to make her body retreat from the potential danger Dante posed to her inner woman. He would let her down. They all did eventually. She shouldn’t even start to like him. She’d be leaving before he ever got a chance to know her and somehow the thought actually hurt.
"I have no intention of running the store. That's why Nadia ran it, other than her phenomenal skills with people. I don't have time to do this shop and my other business." His eyes brightened to an almost glow. "But I'm sure we could work something out."
Bailey wasn't sure what he meant exactly, but she'd take it if whatever he wanted got her the hell out of Currence, Colorado. "What do you propose?"
Dante grabbed a dragon from the counter and proceeded to inspect the little figurine. "You run the shop until I can get someone else to do it. Then if you are dead set on going, I'll buy you out and you can be on your merry little way." He set the dragon carefully back down.
Something in his words had Bailey's hair standing at the nape of her neck. A predatory glint hit his eyes as he stared her down. Bailey rose her chin. She didn't know what kind of game he intended to play with her, but the offer was good for what she wanted. Money and out of town. She could take care of herself. He didn't seem like a sleaze, even if his heated gaze gave her pause before answering.
"Sounds like a solid deal, but I'm gonna be blunt with you. Not only does my tutor position come first, but you have two weeks to get someone in here or I really will sell it out from under you to someone else. If your name isn't on the title, I don't have to wait for you just because you had a backwoods agreement with my aunt. I'm not a bad person, and I'm not a pushover either. I still want proof you owned the place with her as well. Get me the documents by tomorrow evening, or our deal is off." Bailey stepped away from the wall. She meant every word. She wasn't weak and no one had pushed her around since she’d left her father's home. She wouldn’t give Dante a way to have something over her either. She wanted him to see she meant business and wouldn’t back down.
"Deal." Dante put his hand out. Bailey eyed him as they shook on it. His grip was strong, calloused, but gentle. He slowly slid his hand from hers and gooseflesh ran up her arm. She resisted the shiver that followed. Her body protested his release of hers.
Dante turned and headed out of the shop into the fading sun. His brown hair reflected the light, shimmering in the last rays of the day. Night would descend within moments. Bailey's hand actually itched to run her fingers through his thick mane. When the door shut behind him and he stepped beyond her vision, Bailey let out a long slow breath. How could he be so intense? She seemed to respond to everything about him, from his eyes to his ridiculously wild hair. This kind of crap shouldn't be something she noticed. She never had before. Guys weren't sex gods...well, Dante might be, given her body's reaction.
Bailey looked around at the shop. She would have to unpack and actually figure out how to run a store for the next two weeks. She slid the half empty box down the counter. The glint of the necklace caught her attention. Her aunt wanted her to wear it and to trust Dante. After her first reaction to the pendant, Bailey wasn't sure she should put it on. What if it did something worse to her? She pulled at the chain and the necklace hung heavy with the yellow pendant still sparkling even with the darkness of night invading the shop. What if Aunt Nadia had given it to her so she could find something for her? Or what if a Khimairan really did kill her and this pendant would show her who it was. Her aunt didn't just leave the piece for her for no reason.
Taking the necklace with her, Bailey slipped to the front door and turned the lock. She eyed the streets outside, leery of the town, of the people, and the beasts residing here. Settled that no one would bother her, Bailey moved back to the counter. She slowly reached for the pendant. At least if she passed out from the magic this time, no one would walk in on her. She could use this as an experiment. If the pendant didn't do anything, she might try putting it on. If she passed out again, maybe she could find a specialist in magic spells to help her figure out why her aunt left the damn thing for her.
Bailey's fingertips brushed the cool pendant.
Nothing happened. She gripped the stone in her palm.
Nothing. No heat, no lights.
Comforted by the lack of reaction to her body, Bailey undid the clasp and slipped the piece around her neck. Her world tilted, warmth spread out from her chest, rushing like water cascading over her skin, clear to her toes and fingertips. Her mouth went dry and her stomach dropped as if falling.
Not again!
Bailey fought the sensation, struggling to keep the dragon figurine on the counter in view. She concentrated on the purple wings while taking slow breaths, urging her stomach to settle. Her vision cleared within moments and just as she was about to celebrate her triumph over the magic, the little dragon came to life.
CHAPTER SIX
Dante had to let Bailey believe he was human. He rubbed his chest where the invoked Leo zodiac symbol branded him. It ached the further he moved away from her, no doubt a side effect of them not completing the bond yet. No matter how much his inner beast wanted to claim her now, to not let her have a chance to get away, he couldn't just bind her to him without her knowing his true being. As the Khimairan leader, what would that say about him? He'd control himself instead. He could wait for her to come around. They had plenty of time for mating, not so much for claiming the portal magic of her family bloodline though.
He lurked in the near silence of the evening, just standing against the building watching people head back home from dinners and shopping. The air was cool, brushing along any exposed skin and ruffling his hair every few seconds. He let her feel as if he had moved on, wanted her to believe she had safety.
She did, just not from him.
Once most of the people had moved off the sidewalks heading into buildings or parking lots, Dante called on the change. He imagined himself small pulling himself tighter and tighter into a tiny ball of a mouse. His clothes slipped off around him as he shrunk to the much smaller form. His lion protested, but he couldn’t slip into a lion in the middle of t
own, even his beast understood that for the moment. Perhaps knowing a mate waited for him also helped tame his inner lion.
Once he mated completely with Bailey, he would only be able to shift into a single creature, the animal he attuned to most in his soul. He already knew the lion would be his final creature, but he'd thought for so long it would end in him going primal not finding his mate. All Khimairans could shift into any animal, until they mated, and while it would be a loss to not be able to shift into any creature after having the option for so long, the trade off to not be hunted and killed by his people was worth it. Lately he hadn’t shifted into much other than his lion anyway. Dante didn’t actually recall when he started favoring the lion more and more, but it had been happening for some time now. Frankly, he was surprised he’d suppressed turning primal for as long as he had.
His whiskers twitched as he paused, checking the area. The night had turned silent with little activity on the streets. Dante scurried through the crack at the base of the stone wall. The streets had been eerily quiet, but he chalked it up to him being paranoid about the portal not working right. Despite there being three portals throughout the Rockies, Currence being the main one, there was a second in the middle of the mountain range and another in the northern portion. If the main one failed, they all failed because of the strong interwoven magic connecting them to the portal in Currence. Without the portal guardian, many would be trapped in the magical enclaves of the Rocky Mountains. This would be a death sentence to any who had not found a mate. They would no longer be able to move freely between their magical sanctuaries and the human cities. Mates could be another Khimairan from another area of the Rockies or a human.
Untamed: A Zodiac Shifters Paranormal Romance: Leo (Dark Khimairans Book 1) Page 3