by Donna Grant
“You ran from the city and just happened to find your way here?” Balladyn asked in a voice so soft and cold that Lexi couldn’t hold back a shiver.
She slid her gaze to him. “If you didn’t hear it in my accent, I’m not from here. No, I didn’t take a car from the city. They were piled up all through the streets. I left on foot. I stayed off the roads in an attempt to keep away from you.” She swallowed, keeping an image of Thorn fighting the Dark as if he had been born to it in her mind.
If he could be strong against dozens attacking him, then she would be strong against the ones she faced now. Because any other choice would be a catastrophe.
Thorn.
Just saying his name gave her strength. Lexi returned her gaze to the king. “I’ve been on the move since last night. I got caught in the weather. I was completely lost when a man found me and brought me here.”
Balladyn’s red eyes narrowed. He leaned close and inhaled deeply.
Was it her imagination or had he just flinched, surprise flickering in his eyes?
“Then?” the king asked.
Lexi gripped the blanket tighter in an effort not to scoot away from the both of them. “I heard screams. I walked out and saw that maniac,” she said with a jerk of her chin to Gorul, “and his friends killing people. But I didn’t get away in time. They saw me and brought me in here.”
The king took her hand that was clasped on the outside of the blanket and ran his thumb across her fingers. “Your hands are cold.”
“I was caught in the rain. It’s freaking cold here.”
The king smiled. “You’re naked beneath.”
“Not entirely.” She did still have on her bra and panties.
“I’m Taraeth, king of these maniacs,” he said with a smile and cold, cold red eyes. He leaned his head to the side and motioned to the group of people. “Do you see those over there?”
Lexi nodded.
“Those humans are crying because of the slaughter my men wrought. Yet, they haven’t run. Look at them, my dear.”
“No.”
Taraeth grabbed her chin and forced her face around to look at the group. She glanced at the ones moaning, their hands running over their bodies as they waited for the Dark to take them.
Lexi’s gaze clashed with brown ones from earlier. The other two women she had spotted who weren’t acting like the others were near her. All three were half hidden by the mass of people trying to get to the Dark. How long would they remain that way?
“That’s how you should be acting toward us,” Taraeth whispered in her ear. “You should have dropped that blanket and begged me to take you. Why haven’t you?”
How had she not seen the anger in his eyes? Lexi’s hand began to shake in his hold. She slowly turned her head to look at him. “I don’t know.”
Taraeth kept ahold of her hand and took a step back. “I’ve seen this once before. It was a mate of a Dragon King who was immune to us. She didn’t want me to touch her, but I still made her climax. With Kellan watching as I did.”
The fear she had felt from falling and the Dark tracking her were nothing compared to standing before Taraeth and listening to what he obviously had planned for her.
“Who is your Dragon King?” Taraeth asked.
Lexi shook her head. She was so scared that it took her two tries to say, “I d-don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Lying is going to make things so much worse, my dear,” he said with a smile and death in his eyes. “I can bring you unimaginable pleasure while I’m slowly killing you. Or I can bring you pain. It matters not to me. Make it easy on yourself and give me a name. I want to know which of the arrogant Kings I’ll have the enjoyment of hurting by killing you.”
Lexi glanced at Balladyn to find him watching her intently. Before she could say anything, she doubled over. It wasn’t from pain. It was from desire so intense and strong that she couldn’t breathe.
Her sex pulsed, throbbing with need. The wool blanket scraped across her breasts as she tried to turn away. Her nipples hardened against her bra from the contact.
Lexi held back the moan as long as she could before she fell to her knees. Taraeth kept ahold of her hand, his thumb still stroking her.
“That need I just forced on you comes from being near us,” Taraeth said. He laughed. “How long do you think you can go on like that before you try to give yourself relief?”
That thought had already crossed Lexi’s mind. She glared up at him. “What a coward you are to violate me in such a way when there are hundreds of others who want you.”
“Ah,” Taraeth whispered as he sent more need pumping through her. “But that’s what makes you so appealing. Soon, you’ll be begging me to give you release. You’ll forget everything and everyone but me.”
He dropped her hand and turned away. Lexi wrapped her arms around her middle and groaned again. The desire was overwhelming. She pictured Thorn in her head and kept him there.
“Bring her, Balladyn,” Taraeth said as he started to turn away. He paused and looked at the group of humans. “Another surprise. Bring the traitor, Shara, as well.” Taraeth stopped beside Gorul and said, “Kill the rest.”
A moan left Lexi when Balladyn lifted her in his arms. She was supposed to have been safe on Dreagan. What happened?
“Fighting it will only make it worse, woman,” Balladyn murmured.
Fighting? She had no choice, because Lexi wasn’t going to die like Christina had.
Thorn!
CHAPTER
THIRTY-SIX
Thorn removed his clothes and stood on top of the warehouse surveying all his enhanced eyesight could see—and it wasn’t a pretty picture.
The once beautiful ancient city had taken a battering from the Dark. After the building Lexi had been in was destroyed, the Dark moved to other areas of the city and began to ravage it.
The rain was coming faster, hitting his skin like pellets. Wind whipped around him, as if urging him to shift and take to the sky. He glanced about for humans. How many times had they taken precautions so that the mortals wouldn’t see them?
How many times had they not been able to shift because the humans were too close?
Now, not one of the mortals was paying attention. Con was already flying over the city. Thorn could see a hint of gold scales through the clouds.
Thorn could finally focus on the task at hand like he had before he saw Lexi the first time. It was a relief that she was completely out of danger at Dreagan. Finally, she was well and truly safe.
He jumped and shifted at the same time. His wings unfurled and caught the wind. It took him straight up to the clouds.
“Ready?” Con asked.
Thorn circled the warehouse to make sure no one had seen him. “Been ready.”
The two of them stayed in the clouds until they found a group of Dark. He and Con came at them from opposite sides. Thorn went first, blasting them with magic and pushing the Dark right toward Con.
Thorn dipped his wing to turn and flew off when Con came in and released dragon fire on the Fae. When they were done, no Dark was left alive.
With their victory, they moved on to the next section. It proved more difficult since there were numerous humans mixed in with the Dark.
Thorn tucked his wings and dove straight down from the clouds. Since he was unable to spread his wings fully between the buildings, he managed to spread them enough to halt his descent and even him out. He grabbed a Dark in each hand, crushing them.
Con dove down behind him, catching three Dark in his mouth and using his teeth to tear them to shreds before tossing them away.
Again and again they found their prey and unleashed hell.
Their attacks were enough to get the Dark to begin fleeing, but then there were the combined attacks of Rhi, Guy and Darius, as well as Fallon, Larena, Phelan, and Aisley.
Thorn flew back up to the clouds, content with their attack and the outcome. Con spotted another group that they were headed toward wh
en Kellan’s voice shouted in their heads.
“Dark attack at Dreagan!”
Thorn roared and dipped his wing as he quickly turned and headed toward Dreagan. How had the Dark gotten in? There were precautions in place.
Then he remembered—the distillery.
Thorn roared again in fury—and fear. He flew swiftly, his heart sick that Lexi might be hurt. Or worse—captured.
It was as if the Dark knew where she was going to be every time he thought she was safe.
* * *
Rhi remained on the same street as Phelan and Aisley. She stayed closer to the Druid, because the Dark would like nothing better than to get their hands on her.
Though she kept an eye on Phelan as well. If the Dark ever discovered he was a Fae prince … she didn’t even want to think about what would become of him.
She swung her sword around her, bending backward to get the two attacking behind her. Rhi straightened and kicked out her leg, her heel sinking into the Dark’s throat.
Rhi.
She looked around for Con. There was urgency in his voice that she hadn’t heard before. She glanced up when she felt a gust of wind go over her.
Then he was standing in the middle of the street naked. A Dark ran up to him. Con grabbed him around the throat and squeezed. The Dark clawed at Con, but it did no good. The King of Kings had a hold of him, slowly squeezing the life from the Fae with black eyes full of fury.
Con’s head swung to her. “Dark are attacking Dreagan. Thorn has gone. All of this,” he said as he tossed aside the dead Dark and motioned to the city, “was set up to divert our attention from Dreagan.”
Dreagan. Under attack. By Dark. It couldn’t be possible. But all she had to do was look into Con’s eyes and see the lethal rage rolling off him to know it wasn’t a joke.
She teleported out before she thought to ask Con why he assumed she would help. But she didn’t go to Dreagan. Instead, Rhi found Fallon and appeared next to the Warrior as he stood using his claws to tear through the Dark.
“I need you to get Malcolm to Dreagan immediately.”
Fallon’s black Warrior eyes looked at her. His black claws dripped with blood, and his gold torc looked stark against the black skin of his god. “What?”
“The Dark are attacking Dreagan. This was a setup.”
She didn’t say any more as she teleported to Dreagan.
* * *
Kellan dove toward the shop, rolling and shifting into human form. He landed on one knee with his hands upon the ground. His head lifted when he saw Taraeth and Balladyn in the shop talking to a woman.
He listened to their conversation as he made his way into the building. The fact Taraeth hadn’t posted anyone near the doors told Kellan that the king of the Dark didn’t care if the Dragon Kings came in or not.
Then Kellan heard the humans. No wonder the Dark weren’t worried. No Dragon King could go in there with humans watching.
He saw Arian and motioned for him to go around front. Then Kellan snuck into the shop. Broken glass sliced into his feet, but he paid it no attention.
“Taraeth and Balladyn are here,” Kellan told the other Kings. Everyone needed to be prepared.
“Bring her,” Taraeth told Balladyn.
After he ordered one of the Dark to kill everyone, Taraeth stopped and turned around.
“And bring the traitor, Shara.”
Kellan waited until the Dark with Shara was even with the door to the hallway where he hid before he rushed them. Shara was taken down with them, but she sent a blast of magic toward Taraeth as she did. Kellan snapped the Dark’s neck who had a hold of Shara and jumped up.
Arian crashed through the front glass doors and went after the Dark standing there. Kellan motioned for Cassie and Jane to get the humans out, but the mortals wouldn’t leave. The girls began to drag them out of the shop one by one.
Kellan took the blasts of magic aimed for Cassie and Jane. His leg gave out, sending him down to one knee. Kellan got back up with a grimace and braced himself for the Dark who came at him.
Then they were in hand-to-hand combat. It wouldn’t have been a fair fight had Kellan been at full strength, but the Dark magic was taking a toll.
There was a loud roar that Kellan recognized as Thorn. The next instant, Thorn stalked into the shop naked and furious and grabbed the first Dark he saw, ripping his heart out without so much as a glance.
Thorn was looking around the shop as if searching for someone.
Kellan elbowed the Dark he was fighting in the throat and snapped his neck. The rest of the Dark vanished from the store in the next second.
Thorn stood in the middle of the shop shaking his head. “Nay. Lexi was safe here.”
Arian’s chest heaved, anger contorting his face. His champagne-colored eyes blazed with unadulterated fury. “I tried to reach them, but they teleported out before I could.”
There was murder in Thorn’s dark eyes. “They attacked the cities to take us away from Dreagan.”
“Aye,” Kellan said. “But why just the distillery? I thought they’d go after the weapon again.”
“More Dark coming your way!” Dmitri shouted.
Kellan, Thorn, and Arian ran out of the shop and shifted into dragons. Kellan remained near Shara while Thorn and Arian flew to the skies and took their assault from above.
Rhi stood in the middle of the parking lot with her sword raised, ready as Dark ran at her. A moment later and Fallon deposited Malcolm in the middle of the fray before teleporting away again.
“No’ fair to start the action without me,” Malcolm said. His skin turned maroon as he released his god and raised a hand to the sky as lightning forked from his fingers, sending bolts in every direction.
The sound covered the roars of the dragons, and the display would keep any humans from venturing out into the storm.
Kellan turned and beheaded a Dark with his wing who had been going after Malcolm. The rain continued to come in a downpour.
Thorn roared and dove right at the group of oncoming Dark. He flattened dozens of them before others began to hurl magic at him.
He was trying to fly back up to the sky when a huge bubble of magic hit him, instantly shifting him back into his human form.
Kellan took out the Dark responsible. Another flood of Dark Fae came at them, swarming the parking lot like ants.
“Kellan!” Rhi shouted from his left.
She was pointing to the ground where Thorn lay unmoving after hitting the ground hard. After what had happened with Rhys where dragon magic was mixed with Dark that nearly killed him, Kellan refused to take any chances. He stood over Thorn so no Dark could get to him.
Rhi was doing major damage to the Dark with her sword and quick movements while Shara used her Fae magic. Roars from Arian sounded around them as he continued to swoop down from the sky raining dragon fire on them. There were sudden shouts and war cries as more Warriors arrived.
“Another attack at the north border!” Roman said.
* * *
Lexi was meditating on Thorn. He was the only thing keeping her from begging someone to ease the desire building just as Taraeth had promised she would.
Someone said her name. She ignored it. She couldn’t lose concentration. A hand connected with her face sharply, sending pain radiating through her.
“Are you sure?” asked a male voice.
Lexi moaned at the need clawing at her. She would not give in. She would not give in.
“I’m sure,” Taraeth said.
Balladyn said, “She could’ve been speaking the truth. If she was a mate, she would’ve known to wait for the Kings to rescue her.”
Lexi lifted her head and opened her eyes. She was in an office or library. It was obviously a place of someone with money, based on the furnishings and the opulence of the room itself along with all the books.
“Why bring her to me?”
Lexi focused on the man who spoke. He had black hair kept long and gold eyes. And he was stri
kingly handsome.
“A present,” Taraeth said. He motioned to Lexi. “I already have her prepared for you. She’ll remain in that state for several days no matter how many times you take her.”
Lexi lifted her chin and looked back at the men staring at her. She glowered at them. “Cowards. You’re all cowards.”
CHAPTER
THIRTY-SEVEN
Thorn jerked awake and jumped to his feet. He blinked, recognizing he was deep in the mountain behind the manor. His head swiveled to the left where he heard a noise and spotted Kellan.
“What a clusterfuck of a night,” Kellan murmured from his spot on a rock.
“Where is Lexi?”
Kellan rose from the seat wearing nothing but jeans. “How do you feel? We didna find any injuries, but I wanted to make sure you were no’ hit with dragon magic.”
Thorn shook his head. “I’m fine. Where is Lexi?”
“It’s been a hell of a night.” Kellan ran a hand down his face. “Con and Darius are still in Edinburgh trying to contain the city. They’ve pushed the Dark back and should be here soon. As should the others around the U.K.”
Thorn fisted his hands at his sides. “Where. Is. Lexi?”
Kellan glanced away, and it was all the confirmation Thorn needed to know why his gut was tied in knots. A breath rushed from him in a puff.
“Dreagan was supposed to be safe. She was supposed to be safe,” Thorn said more to himself than Kellan.
Kellan walked to him and put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed. “I didna know she was here. None of us did.”
“Tell me everything.” A mixture of ire and anxiety settled like a stone in his stomach.
Kellan dropped his hand. “I wasna there. A few of the mates were. Get dressed. They’re waiting to talk to you.”
Thorn didn’t move for long seconds after Kellan walked away. Then he stormed out of the cavern to the stash of jeans. He jammed his legs in them and fastened them as he strode barefoot and shirtless down the corridor that led to the manor.
As he reached the door from the mountain into the manor, Thorn could hear voices coming from within. He opened the door and stepped inside the manor.