Deception_Paranormal Romance_Dragon Shifters and Immortals

by Laxmi Hariharan

  “I brought you here.” A new voice cut through the intimacy of the moment.

  15

  Rage

  A woman swaggered into the room. Her hair flowed down her back, and her legs were encased in thigh-high boots, her lips twisted in a scowl. “Took you long enough to show up, little brother.”

  He hadn’t seen Eve for so long, but there was no mistaking the leader she had become. Dominance thrummed off her skin.

  His dragon bristled. The beast recognized the inherent challenge that came from another being as powerful as him. This was his sister, he reminded himself. She meant no threat to him or his mate. His dragon grumbled but subsided.

  Eve stalked toward them and dropped into the chair next to the bed.

  Pandora tried to pull away, but he snagged her hand in his. Her nails dug into his palm. He ignored the pinpricks of pain. He wanted to make it very clear to everyone that Pandora was his.

  Eve’s gaze landed on their joined hands. Her eyes narrowed, but she didn’t comment.

  His heart hammered. “That’s some greeting after all these years, sis.” The ball of emotion in his throat grew bigger, and his eyeballs throbbed.

  He was back home. The place he’d only had hazy memories of. A place he’d never expected to see again.

  His dragon surged. His beast wanted to claim this woman whose hand he held as his mate. He clamped down the shield around his animal.

  Sweat broke out on his forehead with the effort.

  He tightened his fingers on Pandora’s.

  This time she didn’t try to pull away. Placing her other hand on his, she enclosed his hand between her smaller ones. Reassurance bled out of her, into his skin, calming him. His dragon subsided.

  “Evie.” His voice was soft.

  Eve’s jaw thrust out. “Where were you all this time?” A nerve throbbed to life at her temple. Her gaze never wavered.

  She was as dominant as alpha as him, something that had always got her into trouble with boys. “You grew up fine.” He couldn’t stop his lips widening in a smile.

  “You didn’t.” Her gaze raked over him. She smirked.

  It was so Eve. That defiant tilt to her head, the don’t-care spark in her eyes. It was as if he had never been away.

  “Mum and Dad…” He let the question hang in the air.

  She shook her head. “Mother died in the tsunami.” She scrubbed her hand over her face. “Dad waited until I came of age. The day he died was the day I was challenged for my role of alpha.” Her lips pursed.

  He waited for the grief to wash over him but found he was too numb to react. He’d wanted to come home, and now that he was there, it felt too difficult to process everything all at once.

  “Neo was lost in the tsunami with you.” She touched her throat.

  His chest hurt. His little brother, the most playful of all of them, dead? It seemed wrong that Rage was still alive and had found his way home. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there to have your back. It can’t have been easy for you to lead the clan all on your own.”

  Eve’s face crumpled. In one go, that alpha female persona melted away. She was just Eve, his sister, older by nine months.

  Rushing to him, she slid onto the bed and threw her arms around him. “Ragnor, I missed you.”

  His eyes met Pandora’s over Eve’s hair. He saw the question in them, saw her lips tremble in a smile. “Don’t even go there,” he mouthed the words.

  She peered at him from under her eyelashes.

  She was not going to let it go that easily. Of course she’d want to know the origin of his name. She was strong, persistent…she isn’t as innocent as she seems.

  Pandora angled her body so her face was in profile. It prevented him from reading the expression on her face.

  Eve sat back in her chair, seemingly unaware of the simmering tension between them. “I thought you were dead.” She huffed, flinging her arm over the back of her chair.

  “You and me both.” He reached out and gripped Eve’s arm. “My dragon has been in stasis all these years. It’s why I couldn’t find my way home.”

  He still held on to Pandora with his other hand. He wasn’t going to let go of that, not for as long as he could.

  Eve, of course, noticed it. Her gaze alighted on Pandora’s face. “You’re Elysian.” A pulse beat at her temple. “Your kind have tried to break down dragons. You’ve been trying to harm our allies in the Council of Bombay, too.” Sliding out of Rage’s hold, she raised her head. “How do I know you are not an infiltrator?”

  His shoulders tensed, and a ripple of anger sparked across his nerves. How dare she speak to his mate that way. Mate? He shook his head to clear it. His dragon was clouding his mind, that was the only explanation for these thoughts.

  “You don’t.” Pandora tugged her hand from his hold.

  He let go that time.

  She tossed her braid over her shoulder so it coiled down her back. “You’ll just have to believe me when I say that I am here only because this is the safest place for Rage.”

  Eve went still. She folded one ankle over the other knee. “You’re a calm one. You managed to pilot the boat and keep him alive until I found you.”

  He sensed a grudging respect in her voice.

  Dora’s gaze stayed steady. She gave no indication of being intimidated by the other woman’s dominance.

  “I go with the hand I am dealt.” Pandora’s voice was soft, but there was an underlying thread of confidence running through it. No, this woman had proven she could hold her own, and not just in a physical fight.

  Eve swung her boot-clad ankle in lazy circles. “Hadn’t figured you for a gambler.”

  “I always hedge my bets.” Pandora sat back in her chair and folded her hands in her lap. “Besides, your brother was worth the risk.”

  Rage looked from Eve to Pandora.

  She may have said it just to make a point with Eve, but he very much wanted to believe her. A spiral of warmth loosened inside him.

  She’d been through a lot, had brought him this far—she wasn’t going to let anyone put her down.

  Eve stiffened. Uncrossing her legs, she placed her feet flat on the floor and leaned forward. Tension leaped off her coiled muscles.

  Rage's shoulders tensed. He realized with a shock that he’d fight his own sister for this woman.

  He’d wanted to find his home. Now that he was there, he realized that his home was where she was. His throat closed. The band around his chest tightened.

  “You were lucky I was out that far on my own. I don’t tend to fly that way much nowadays.” Eve’s voice was mild.

  Something passed between her and Pandora.

  Woman to woman, they’d reached an understanding. He didn’t even want to guess what that meant for him.

  His sister and his mate—there was that word again; he pushed it out of his head—had called a truce. That was enough.

  “You could have told me before you decided to take off this time, kitten.” A man leaned against the doorframe.

  Eve’s nostrils flared a second before her features broke into a smile that completely transformed her face. “Cain!” Laughter bubbled up her throat.

  In two strides, Eve ran across and flung herself at the giant who had come through the door. Catching her around her waist, he swung her up and proceeded to kiss her thoroughly before letting her slide down, making sure that every part of her body touched his own. In great detail.

  That familiar mass of anger inside Rage swirled and raised its head. The red bled into his veins. “Who’re you, and what are you doing with my sister?”

  16

  Pandora

  The gruff voice emerging from Rage had her gaze shooting to his face. She recognized the protective edge to it.

  She’d felt the dominance lurking underneath the surface, but there was also a tenderness to Rage that resonated with her.

  Eve turned in the circle of the other man’s arms. Stretching up behind her, she twined one arm over and
around his neck. When she ran her nails through his hair, the man purred.

  Pandora’s eyes widened. The big man was putty in her arms.

  Cain bent closer to give the dragon leader more access to his neck. “If you’re getting all protective about seeing your sister with another man, it’s unnecessary.”

  Her guts twisted with an emotion Pandora recognized as jealousy.

  She didn’t begrudge the alpha the relationship with Cain, but she wanted what they had. That kind of love and affection—the lust, too.

  Her gaze flew to Rage.

  He was watching her.

  Her cheeks flushed. Every nerve cell in her body prickled. She rose to her feet and broke the gaze. She needed to get away from this room and put space between them.

  “How long were you two planning on leading me on and letting me make a fool of myself?” Rage growled. His shoulders relaxed.

  Eve laughed. “Meet Cain, my—”

  “Mate.” All of them turned to Pandora, and she flushed.

  It was not like her to draw attention to herself. Her bond with Rage was growing stronger. His personality was impacting her. It’s what was making her act so out of character.

  “You haven’t told me your name.” Eve’s voice cut through Pandora’s chaotic thoughts.

  “Pandora,” Rage answered before she could.

  The hint of possession in his voice should have made her feel protected. But along with finding her voice, Pandora found that she didn’t take kindly to being answered for.

  “I can speak for myself.” Her chin firmed. Silver-green clashed with amber.

  His nostrils flared.

  Her skin prickled under the dominance of his gaze. But she wasn’t giving in.

  “Pandora,” Rage canted his head, “stays for as long as she wants.”

  Eve brushed her cheek against Cain’s upper arm. “That an order, little brother?” Her boot-clad toe tapped against the floor.

  Rage thrust out his chin. “You’re the alpha. I never wanted to be the leader of the dragons. It was always you who would have led the clan. But when it comes to Dora, you have no choice in the matter.”

  Eve’s gaze narrowed. She folded her arms over Cain’s that was around her waist.

  “You saved my brother’s life and brought him home.” She jerked her chin toward Rage. “I trust him.” Her gaze locked with Pandora’s. “You can stay for as long as he wants you to.” Eve leaned her back against Cain’s chest. Her head came to the level of his heart. “Besides, the Guardians from the Council of Bombay will be in attendance for my bonding ceremony tomorrow.” She trailed her fingers over Cain’s muscular forearm. “You can debrief us on the Elysians and their plans. It will help us come up with a strategy to defeat them.”

  “You are going to have a bonding ceremony?” Rage’s features softened, his lips widening in a smile.

  Eve dropped her head so her hair fell over her face, hiding her eyes.

  Cain rested his chin on Eve’s head. “As the alpha of the dragons, Eve’s mating is something the entire clan wants to celebrate.”

  Pandora watched with interest, as in that moment, all the alpha’s discomfort came to the fore.

  “You must attend.” Eve reached up to rub her palm against Cain’s beard. “Both of you.”

  The shifter leaned into her touch.

  Pandora’s mouth went dry. The couple were very tactile. They didn’t have to hide how much they enjoyed each other on the physical level. Would she ever be able to do that with Rage?

  Dropping a kiss to Eve’s head, Cain then stepped toward the door. “Why don’t I show you to your room, Pandora, so you can get some sleep?”

  Skirting around the bed, Pandora followed Cain to the door.

  “I’ll see you at Eve’s bonding ceremony?” Rage’s voice stopped her.

  Was there a hint of uncertainty in it? She peeked over her shoulder. Saw his eyebrows lower in a frown.

  The white of the sheets was stark against the burnished brown of his skin. His shoulders were rigid.

  He was with his family, and safe. It was time for her to go. She had to walk away before the Elysians found out and used the fledgling bond to get to him. She hesitated and clenched then unclenched her fingers at her sides.

  “Dora?” He prompted. The nervousness in his tone pulled at her to respond.

  She couldn’t leave, not yet. There could be no harm in staying just until the bonding ceremony, was there? She’d leave after that.

  “Perhaps.” She bit the inside of her cheek. “If you are fully recovered by then.”

  His features lightened. “I’m recovered now.” He threw off the covers so they pooled around his waist. He made to rise then stopped. He didn’t have any clothes on. “Let me just get hold of a fresh set of clothes and I’m with you.”

  She darted her gaze to his bare chest.

  She flushed. “I’m not a shifter.” She raised her chin. “I don’t bounce back that fast. I need my rest.” She jerked her head at Eve. “Besides, the alpha wants to catch up with you.”

  Rage followed her gaze. “She does?” His eyes narrowed.

  Even dominant dragon shifters were wary of older sisters.

  Eve’s eyes gleamed. “At least one of you is thinking rationally.” Her lips pursed.

  “Right.” Rage sank back against the bedclothes. His spine was rigid.

  Pandora took that as her cue to follow Cain out of the room. She felt Rage’s stare burning into her back.

  Her chest grew heavy.

  She so wanted to be with him. But that part of her, which was bonded to Rage, knew it was best to start putting distance between them.

  17

  Rage

  Rage hadn’t lied, he really was feeling so much better.

  There was a knock on the door, and a woman flounced in. She was petite, her blonde hair cut to hug her perfectly shaped scalp. Her high cheekbones ended in a heart-shaped chin. Dressed in slim jeans, a shirt tucked into the waistband that outlined her curves, she was breathtaking and so familiar.

  The woman carried clothes folded up in her arms, a pair of boots on top of the pile. She crossed the floor and placed the clothes on the empty chair next to the bed.

  “Rage.” She smiled, revealing dimples in her chin.

  “Indi.” His voice came out husky, surprising him.

  Her chin trembled, and she flung herself at him.

  He caught her tiny body and tucked her head under his chin. His dragon stirred as a surge of protectiveness overwhelmed him. His little sister had been only five when he’d last seen her. “You’re…ah…all grown up, brat.” His stomach churned as he thought of all the time he’d spent apart from his family. What else had he missed?

  She giggled against his chest. “You’re just the same. Big and brawny and so good to hug.” She threw her head back and laughed. Her steel-gray eyes shone with intelligence. “Brought you Caleb’s clothes so you can get out of here and meet the others.”

  “Caleb?” His eyebrows drew down. He felt his dragon snarl at the thought of another man with his little sister.

  “Just a friend.” She thumped him on his shoulder. “I am not going to take a mate, so you don’t have to worry about me that way.” Making a sound that was half growl, half chuckle, she clambered off the bed. “Once you’re done being alpha, Eve, can you release our brother so I can show him off to the clan? The women are salivating at the thought of a strong, handsome dragon shifter in our midst, who is also single.”

  Eve snorted and leaned back in the chair.

  Indira frowned. “Or isn’t he?” She folded her arms. “Okay, what did I miss?” Her head swiveled from Eve to Rage. She tapped her foot on the floor.

  It was just beginning to sink in that he’d found his way home. Finding his sisters all grown up and inquisitive, and with personalities to reckon with, was beginning to feel a bit too overwhelming for him.

  “You always asked too many questions, Indi.” He raked his fingers through his hai
r. “That hasn’t changed.”

  His eyes met Eve’s over Indi’s head, and he silently pleaded with her for help. She smirked at him. No help coming from her on that one.

  Indi made no move to leave.

  Rage’s cheeks flushed. What the hell was wrong with him?

  “Oh my, not only are you back but you’re in love.” Indira clapped.

  “Don’t you have somewhere you have to be, darling Indi?” Eve’s voice had an edge to it.

  Rage winced.

  But it didn’t faze Indira. “I am leaving—for now.” She stabbed a finger at Rage. “But I’ll be back.”

  “I know you will,” he muttered.

  Indira swirled on her heels and bounced to the door.

  The tension seeped out of his shoulders. “And I haven’t even seen Hope yet.” His tone was wry. “When did all of you become such formidable women?” He blew out a breath.

  Eve made a clucking sound with her tongue. It was so like how his mother had admonished them as kids that it made his heart lurch. “You remind me of her, Evie.”

  Eve looked away. “It’s good to see you, bro.” She gripped her fingers together in her lap.

  He recognized the gesture from when they were kids. Eve was all grown up, but somewhere inside lurked the sister who’d once been his best friend. “It’s good to be home.” He held out his fist.

  Eve bumped it.

  It was their very own secret sign. Among all the siblings, he had been closest to Eve. She’d been the only one who could compete with him in speed, the only one who could defeat him when they’d sparred. “So, you are alpha? Not that there was any doubt about it.”

  She tugged down the sleeves of her shirt. “After father’s death.” She hooked an ankle over the other knee. “I fought off all my challengers to claim the title. I had to.” She raised her shoulders then let them drop. “If I hadn’t, I would have killed myself.”

  He leaned back against the mattress. “And now?”

  “I have Cain. He’s all I need.” Her words held a conviction that had the hair on his forearms rising.