Deep down, where he hadn’t been able to find himself, he started to mend. He could feel it happen.
The world floated by outside him, and he couldn’t care less. He became energy in that moment—free and healthy. No worries, no pain. No anger, either.
Soon, an alertness wound through him. The world returned. He was aware of the woman on his lap and the scent of roses. Her taut thighs clasping his. Smooth hands, fingers wide, sending warmth through his entire body. When he came back into himself, he did it with one word. “Nessa.” His eyelids opened.
She leaned back, her eyes dark pools of pure violet light.
He breathed.
As he watched, her eyes morphed back to the violet blue he already knew well. She blinked several times, as if coming back into herself.
“Are you all right?” he whispered.
She barely nodded. “Aye. That was . . . unique.”
His hands felt just right on her hips. “For you, too?”
“Yes. I’ve never experienced anything like that.” A cute frown drew down her eyebrows. “I’ve been out of it before, but never a part of somebody else’s essence, you know? I always figured that kind of connection only happened between family.”
“Or mates.” He said the word she was obviously trying to avoid.
She looked down at her hands on his chest. “We’re not mates.”
No, and he’d never given one inch of credibility to fate or destiny, even though many of his people did. “No, we’re not.” The fabric beneath his hands was high-end and silky, and the hips beneath it firm and narrow.
A small smile played on her mouth. “Did you feel your muscles return to health?”
He rolled his shoulders. “I did. It was weird. I could sense them strengthening and getting healthy, but it was different from whatever went on deeper. I guess my messing with physics and turning into a dragon was a very bad idea.”
Her smile lit her face. “You violated physical laws. That was a very bad idea.”
His chest was wider—almost as wide as before he’d gotten sick. His legs felt strong again. A rumble came up from his chest that was all bear. “I feel like myself again.” Like the alpha of the grizzly nation.
“Your physical strength has returned,” she said thoughtfully.
Did that seem to worry her? He tilted his head to the side. “I won’t hurt you, Ness.”
“I won’t hurt you, either.” She dropped her hands and looked to the side.
“Wait.” He flexed his fingers and fought the strong need to pull her closer to his now very awake groin. “Thank you.”
She smiled and shimmied her hips to dismount. “You’re welcome.”
He bit back a groan. She had to stop wiggling on him. “I thought about what you said yesterday, and I think you should go meet my brother.”
“The dragon,” she said, irritation swirling in her eyes.
“Yes.”
Her other shoe dropped from her wriggling. “Because I’m superficial and need a lot of money.”
“No.” Bear frowned. “You deserve luxury and safety.”
She sighed. “You don’t understand. If I want luxury, I can make my own money. And I can definitely keep myself safe. Get a clue, Bear.” She grasped his hands and set them to the side before sliding off him to stand. “However, we agree that our mating is definitely off the table, so to speak. So let’s finish the rest of our agreement, and we’ll go our separate ways.”
He opened his mouth to say something, anything, when the door blew open with a fiery blast. “Nessa!” he yelled, leaping for her.
Chapter 10
The explosion blew Nessa over the marble coffee table. She landed hard, the air whooshing from her lungs. Training kicked in and she rolled, coming up in a crouch.
She gained her equilibrium in time to see Bear bound over the back of the settee straight at three men in black with ski masks covering their faces. He plowed into two of them, propelling them sideways into the doorframe. Wood cracked and splintered. Sheetrock blew out. One guy dropped to the ground and the other pulled up a green gun and fired.
The shot went wide, toward Nessa. She yelped and leaped to the right. Then she set her stance and focused on the third guy, concentrating on his energy. Human. He was tight and tall—definitely in fighting shape. But she could take a human. Several, probably.
He lifted an odd, narrow, long gun.
She paused, panic rippling through her.
He fired. Several yellow-tipped darts shot out. She yelled and jumped out of the way, dropping hard to the floor. The darts flew over her head and embedded themselves in the drapes behind her. There was only one reason to use darts in a firefight with a witch. The damn things had to be full of Apollo.
A body flew over her to crash on the dining room table. She gaped. The human bounced to the floor and then expelled air before going limp. Smoke billowed in the room, and a small fire from the explosion licked up the wallpaper by the entryway.
Don’t think. Act. On her hands and knees, she lunged for the dart shooter’s legs, taking him down in a tangle. He chopped at the side of her neck, and she saw stars. Pain rippled down her entire arm and through her rib cage. The guy fumbled for his gun again, his eyes cold behind the mask.
Panicking, she kicked the gun out of his hand, and it went spiraling across the lush carpet. She punched him in the throat before following up with a jab to the nose. Blood sprayed, and she tried to duck, but it arced across her blouse. Bollocks.
With a fierce roar, the human tossed her off him. Her shoulder hit the coffee table, and pain flared through her torso.
Another body flew over her head, this one smashing into the window and dropping to the carpet with a bone-breaking crunch. Bear was throwing bodies everywhere.
She looked up.
He stalked toward her, fury sizzling off him and choking the atmosphere. Through the light smoke, he looked like a destructive god.
“No.” She shoved to her feet. “This asshole is mine.” Her feet scrunched into the carpet as she advanced on the human.
He looked from her to Bear, obviously thinking Bear was the bigger threat.
Bear crossed his arms, blocking the exit, his gaze beyond pissed. “Hurry up, then.” He paused. “You might want to give him a message for George.”
“He doesn’t work for George,” Nessa said, jumping up and kicking the human beneath the chin. His head snapped back, and he dropped to his knees. He did not get right back up.
How disappointing.
“Not for George?” Bear asked.
“No.” She moved in and yanked off the guy’s ski mask. He swayed in place. About thirty, black hair, blue eyes, very thick jaw. Nessa punched him in his smashed nose again.
He howled and grabbed his nose.
She sighed and looked at Bear. “He’s just not giving a good fight.”
Bear nodded soberly. “Your kick probably gave him a concussion. How do you know he doesn’t work for George?”
Nessa jerked her head toward the dart gun several feet away from her. “Apollo darts.”
Bear straightened and lost his lazy amusement. His eyes darkened to a violent hue. “Apollo? This is a kill squad?”
“A crappy human one.” She grabbed the guy’s hair and jerked back his head. Blood flowed freely down his face and over his mouth. “Who hired you?”
He sputtered and spit blood.
She swallowed down bile. “I donna’ want to kill you, but I will. Tell me who.”
Bear growled, letting the rumble sound just like a real bear.
The human trembled. “Frank J hired us.”
“Who is Frank J?” Bear muttered, gingerly touching a cut in his lip.
“He’s a bartender at Slam downtown,” the human said. He coughed, and more blood came up.
Nessa backed away from the mess. “Did he say why?”
“Nope. Just offered us a grand each.” The guy wiped off his mouth, spreading blood over his chin even while his nose co
ntinued to spurt. “It’s just darts. Frank said they’d only knock you out and give you a hellacious hangover. Something about a boyfriend you cheated on.”
For Pete’s sake. Nessa moved around him and gingerly picked up the dart gun.
The guy started chuckling with an odd wheezing sound.
She paused. “What?”
“We’re not alone, lady.”
Her eyes widened. A bizarre buzzing sound came from outside, and she slowly turned her head toward the window. Panic shook her. Her muscles bunched and she turned to run for Bear, her head down. “Run,” she yelled.
He was already in motion, grabbing her and rushing for the exit. They reached the double door just as the window shattered and something landed on the coffee table to bounce loudly with resonating tings. A grenade?
Bear wrapped his arms around her waist and propelled them both into the hallway. The grenade blew, and the atmosphere changed, electrifying with energy that threw them both high into the air. They flew several yards. Bear twisted at the last moment, reversing their positions and landing on his back with Nessa on top of him.
She landed hard, the air knocked out of her. Pain detonated in her head when her forehead hit his chin. Red and white sparked behind her eyes, and she whimpered, the sound muffled against his shirt.
Human shouts of fear sounded from behind closed doors.
Then she was up and the walls were flying by, smoke chasing them and fire crackling in their wake. Bear had a tight hold around her waist and was all but carrying her, his speed amazing. A light fixture dropped from the ceiling, and he sidestepped it, not losing momentum.
She regained her faculties and pushed his ribs. “I can run.”
“Okay.” He set her on her feet without missing a stride. “Elevators are probably safer than the stairs.”
True. The attack force would cover the stairs. “They might have taken the control room to access the elevators,” she gasped, hunching over to avoid falling debris.
He stopped and punched the down button at the elevator bank. “We’ll have to risk it.”
She set her hands on her knees, bending over, trying to pant in air. Her face hurt, her ribs ached, and now her lungs burned. “The first wave was just a decoy,” she coughed.
“Yes.” He pushed the button several more times. “Human ones.”
“These might be human, too.” Trained with explosives. Where was the elevator? At the far end of the hallway, the stairwell door burst wide.
The elevator door slid open, and Bear yanked her inside, repeatedly pushing the lobby button and the close-door button.
Three men came into view, running toward them, all dressed in black gear. Two had dart guns. The one in front fired rapidly. Bear whirled and put his body between the darts and Nessa just as the door closed.
“Fuck,” he muttered, looking over his shoulder at his back. He turned around. “Can you take these out without touching the poison?”
She gulped over a lump in her throat. Her hands shook as she reached quickly for him.
“Wait.” He stepped away. The elevator started to descend. “Don’t panic. Apollo doesn’t hurt me, and the darts are just a nuisance. They’ll kill you. So make sure you can take them out without harming yourself. I need you at full speed.”
“You don’t feel anything?” she asked.
“Just the prick of the dart. PK and Apollo only harm witches and humans. The poison won’t affect me.”
Yeah, but he was part dragon. But he seemed fine. She eyed the five darts sticking out of his back. “The flight and shaft are safe for me.” Even the barrel was probably fine for her to touch. “I just need to avoid the point.”
“The flight and shaft? Lady, you know your darts.”
She gingerly reached for the first shaft and yanked out the dart with one smooth motion. “We know all about darts, with Apollo on the loose.” Tossing the first one aside, she pulled out the remaining darts, keeping just one. The flight was a hard plastic, with the shaft and barrel made of steel. Bear turned around just as Nessa lifted it to her nose and sniffed. A very mild smell of spiced oranges and sulfur burned her nose. She threw the dart on the floor with the others. “It’s Apollo.”
“How does a mineral have a smell?” Bear asked, looking up at the numbers atop the door. Soot covered his cheekbone, and a cut above his left eye bled down his rugged face.
“It doesn’t. The chemical agents they use to melt it down and keep it in liquid form have a distinct smell.” She followed his gaze, her ears still ringing. They were almost at the fourth floor. “The front and back entrances will be covered, Bear.” Her mind spun, and she tried to think of a way they could get out of the hotel without getting killed.
“I know.” He pushed the button for the third floor.
She shook her head and then winced at the sparks of pain slamming into her temples. “The stairwell will still be covered.”
“Yeah. I’m thinking a different exit.” The door opened and he stepped out, his hand holding her back. He lifted his head and scented the air, his shoulders going down. “We’re clear for now.” Grabbing her hand, he pulled her out of the elevator and down the hallway. “How do you feel about jumping?”
She stumbled, following him to the very end of the hallway and a wide window looking out onto the street. “Jumping?” she croaked.
He leaned his head against the window and pointed down. “There’s an awning over the valet station.”
She gulped and looked down. The awning was high-end and tight. But Bear was a bear . . . and he was almost at full physical strength and size. “Not sure it’ll hold us both.”
“Doesn’t have to hold us.” Bear turned to the side. “Cover your face so I can break the window.”
Panic, hot and desperate, rushed through her and burned her lungs. She turned and crouched down.
Glass shattered.
“Got it all,” Bear said, roughly grabbing her arms. “Let’s go.” Without waiting for an answer, he jumped through the window.
Cold air slammed into Nessa a second before she opened her mouth and screamed. They fell and hit the awning. Her ribs protested, and her head ached. The awning creaked and stretched, finally splitting.
Bear held her close, did an odd somersault in the air, and landed on his feet with Nessa in his arms.
She blinked and looked up at him. Stunned.
Without pausing, he set her down, grabbed her hand, and clasped several key chains from the valet box. “Run. Now.” He launched himself into motion, and she had to pump her bare feet furiously just to keep up. They barreled down into a garage, Bear dropping keys as they went.
They passed a brand-new Ferrari.
Bear halted, looked around, and pressed a button on the only key fob left in his hand—the one for his truck. Lights blinked from the back of the garage. “Let’s go. We have to get out of here.”
She couldn’t think.
Men yelling orders from the street caught her attention and she hurried behind Bear, running for the truck.
The air gathered and stilled in warning.
Bear stopped cold, and she collided into his back, bouncing to the ground. Her butt hit first, and agony raced up her spine. The truck exploded with a flash of fire. Bear dropped and turned, flattening her with his body. Metal flew over their heads, and a flaming tire rolled by to fall against a pillar.
“Fuck,” Bear muttered, shoving himself up and taking her with him. Men ran down the sloped entrance right at them.
“The Ferrari,” Nessa blurted, heading toward it.
Bear grabbed her arm and yanked her in the other direction. “No. Can’t hot-wire it. SUV.” He hustled toward an older SUV and punched through the driver’s-side window to unlock the door. Blood dripped from his hand.
The men ran closer, the one in front firing a dart gun.
Something pierced her shoulder. Bear lifted and threw her across the seat. She bounced and grabbed the dashboard to hold herself in place. He slammed the door a
nd ripped wires from below the dash. The engine ignited.
He yanked the car into reverse and hit the gas pedal, speeding backwards to smash into several men. Bodies went flying.
Nessa swallowed down bile. Her temples hurt. Her brain felt heavy. Where were they? Why did everything ache?
The SUV spun around and Bear punched the gas. They careened out of the garage, the back end thumping over a speed bump.
Wind poured through the broken window.
Nessa tried to focus on Bear. He hunched over the steering wheel and zipped around honking cars and yelling pedestrians. Within minutes, they were on their way out of the city.
Her head lolled. Fire lit her blood, and she gasped in pain as she could almost feel her brain swell against her skull.
He glanced her way, not losing speed. “You okay?”
Her mouth went dry until she couldn’t speak. The day fuzzed and turned gray.
“Nessa?” His voice came from very far away, as if it were in a tunnel. Then, “Shit. You got hit.” He leaned over and pulled something out of her skin.
She cried out at the pinch.
They’d gotten her, and her veins hurt. Her head, on the other hand, had taken a beating with the last grenade. It wasn’t her first concussion—not by a long shot. She’d forgotten how bad it could hurt.
The world went black, and she passed out.
Chapter 11
Bear smoothed back the damp hair on Nessa’s head and then replaced the cool cloth on her forehead. A slight fire crackled in his fireplace, and a peaceful silence took hold of the small cabin. He’d gotten her back to his cabin two hours ago, and she still hadn’t regained consciousness. “Are you sure she’ll be okay?” he snapped into the phone at his sister.
“Yes. We already know that Apollo darts don’t harm her like they do most witches. It’s the fire-making properties, which she doesn’t have, that cause most of the internal damage,” Simone said thoughtfully. “If she was hit with only one dart, she’ll be fine and just needs to sleep it off.”
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