“Help you?” Adalyn echoed. She scowled, suspicious. “With what?”
Delilah turned around fully, her gleaming green eyes roaming up and down Adalyn’s body. “I have a mission that I could use your help with, and quite an important one, for that matter.”
“A mission?” Adalyn pursed her lips. That actually sounded a little exciting, though the word ‘excitement’ usually went hand in hand with ‘danger’ and ‘trouble’. “What kind of mission?”
Delilah simply winked. “Come with me and I’ll fill you in.”
* * *
The sound of a cell phone ringtone blaring woke Christian from one of the best wet dreams he’d ever had in his life. In it, he was rolling in a pile of delicate pink rose petals with a buxom redhead with a gorgeous face, and the finest ass he’d ever seen in his life. She was sliding her naked body on top of his, framing his face in her hands as she leaned down to kiss him, her wet pussy pressing against his aching cock…
Ring, ring, ring!
“Alright, alright!” He groaned, reaching blindly for the phone that was simultaneously ringing and buzzing on his night stand. He didn’t even bother checking it before he hit the call button and brought it to his ear. “Hello?”
“Well, I’m glad to hear you’re still alive.”
Delilah Black’s smoky voice burst from the speaker, and he opened his eyes, a mixture of dread and annoyance clearing some of the sleepy fog from his brain. “What the hell are you calling me at seven in the morning for?”
“It’s actually eight, and I’m calling you because I’ve got a mission for you. One that could get you your wings back.”
He sat up straight as he heard that, clutching the phone to his ear now even though every fiber of his being told him not to get his hopes too far up. “You say that every time you send me out on a mission,” he snapped. “And it hasn’t happened yet.”
“Yes, well, my superiors still don’t think you’re fully reformed yet,” she drawled. “But this mission is actually important enough that you’ve got a good chance of regaining your freedom if you can pull it off without any hitches.”
“Huh.” He had to admit that did sound pretty good… and also like a lot of responsibility, which he didn’t like. But he didn’t like not having his dragon form even more, so he knew he was just going to have to suck it up. “Alright. What’s the deal?”
“Come to the office and I’ll brief you.”
She disconnected the line, and Christian set the phone back on the nightstand with a frown. As he sat there, pondering the possibility that he might just be able to fly again soon, he couldn’t help think that there was something important he was forgetting. Something that happened last night…
Glancing to the right side of the bed, he saw an imprint of a body in the sheets. His frown deepened, and he lowered his nose to the sheets to sniff. A sweet, feminine scent greeted his nostrils, and he inhaled greedily as a memory finally surfaced.
He’d had a woman in his bed last night. And not just any woman, but the dragon shifter female he’d just been dreaming about.
Holy shit. Where was she right now? He jumped out of bed, then immediately regretted it as his head throbbed in response. Was she out in his kitchen making food, and had she overheard his conversation? Did she know that he was a dragon shifter too now? With her sensitive hearing she would have been able to overhear the entire conversation between him and Delilah. Yet, his shifter sense didn’t detect her anywhere in his apartment.
Shit, shit, shit, he thought, fumbling for the robe on the hook by his door. He hastily tied the belt around his waist, then left his bedroom to look for her.
Maybe she’s in the kitchen making breakfast.
But she wasn’t in the kitchen, and there was no sign that she’d ever been there. Neither was she in his living room. He searched the apartment, not really sure why he was bothering as it was clear she was gone – he didn’t hear or smell her anywhere. In fact, if not for the fact that her scent still lingered against his sheets, and in his skin and hair, he would doubt that she’d ever existed at all.
Except that she had. She’d been here, in his bed, and they’d had some of the best sex he’d ever had.
Oh come on, a voice argued in the back of his mind. It was drunken sex. That doesn’t count.
He frowned. Why was he even obsessing over this woman, anyway? He’d picked her up in a bar, they’d had their fun, and clearly she’d decided she had more important things to do than lounge around in his bed and go for round two. Sure, part of him was a little disappointed that he wasn’t going to get the chance to experience her body without the haze of alcohol clouding his senses, but in all honesty it was probably better that she was gone. The Order was bound to come looking for her eventually, since all dragons who were brought down by the spell were marked with a kind of magical signature that drew the Order straight to them, like a tracking device, and he didn’t want to be anywhere near when that happened.
Yeah, really, the fact that she’d disappeared without so much as a note was the best thing that could have happened.
So then why did he feel so melancholy about the whole thing?
Stop being such a whiny little bitch, he thought to himself. You don’t have time to stand around. You need to get to Delilah’s office before she changes her mind and assigns the mission to someone else.
His mind properly refocused now, he took a quick shower, dressed, then grabbed a bagel from the fShaw and headed out the door with it. He might have a history of being a fuck up, but it was time for him to turn his life around. Starting now.
Chapter Four
After hastily throwing on her clothing from last night – and vowing to go shopping for some more outfits as soon as she had the chance – Adalyn hurriedly followed Delilah out the door and down to the street, where her black Mercedes was waiting for them. They drove through the streets, heading toward what Adalyn assumed was downtown, and parked outside a large, rectangular grey building with the Order’s logo – a shield with the four main races emblazoned on it – stamped across the building.
Adalyn was led past the front desk, where uniformed Protectors, as the members of the Order were called, dealt with various complaints and reports from supernaturals. They went down a corridor and through a door that led into a large, sprawling office space scattered with work stations that were manned by various Protectors in civilian clothes who were either on the phones, typing up reports, or talking amongst themselves and comparing notes. The place smelled of coffee, stale sweat, and the burnt sugar smell of magic that was common to places where supernaturals frequented.
“Come right his way,” Delilah said briskly, dropping the smoky seductress act as soon as they were inside. She was completely professional now, her eyes flat and cool as she nodded to some of her colleagues as they passed through the maze of desks. She led Adalyn into an office with frosted panes of glass for walls, the words ‘Captain’s Office’ emblazoned across the door, and to Adalyn’s surprise, went to sit herself behind the large mahogany desk that sat dead center in the room.
“Umm, wait a second. You’re the Captain?”
Delilah arched a brow. “Of this particular precinct, yes. You have a problem with that?”
“No,” Adalyn said slowly, glancing at the various certificates and commendations that were framed and hanging on the walls. Sure enough, they all read Captain Delilah Black on them. “I just wasn’t expecting it.”
“Suspects tend to get thrown off balance by my demeanor.” Delilah winked again, then gestured to the two visitors chairs set out in front of the desk. “Please, have a seat.”
Adalyn slowly lowered herself into one of the blue and gold chairs – which despite their square shape were surprisingly comfortable – then eyed Delilah with a certain amount of apprehension, as she turned toward her computer and started tapping away at the keyboard with her long, red-painted fingernails. She expected a briefing, but, instead, the woman stared intently at the screen and muttered under he
r breath.
“So, when is the other person you called going to get here?”
Delilah blinked, looking up from the screen at her. “Hmm?”
“You called someone else on the phone while we were driving, and told them to come and meet you here at the office,” Adalyn said, crossing her arms beneath her chest impatiently. “It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that he’s going to be put on the same mission as me.”
Delilah’s lips curved, and she turned in her chair to give Adalyn her full attention. “Yes, in fact, he is coming here to work with you. I realize that, as someone who’s never worked with the Order before – at least according to your file – that you wouldn’t be comfortable on a mission of such importance by yourself. So I called in another person, a freelancer who we use from time to time, for help.”
“Oh really?” The ball of anxiety that had been lurking in Adalyn’s chest began to ease at the idea that she would have someone to guide her along every step of the way of whatever this mission was. “Who is it?”
“A dragon shifter, like you,” Delilah told her. “This mission specifically requires a dragon shifter, which is why I am putting you on it despite your lack of credentials. It is a highly sensitive matter and I can’t afford to put another race on it.”
“I see.” Adalyn’s interest was piqued despite herself, and she leaned forward. “What kind of mission is this, exactly?”
“I think I’d rather wait for your partner to arrive before I get into the details.”
Nodding, Adalyn sat back in her chair to wait, pondering what this partner of hers would be like. She had to admit she was relieved that there would be a dragon shifter working with her who could actually shift – her dragon powers were extremely limited in human form, as were all dragons, and she wasn’t sure how she was supposed to embark on any kind of dangerous mission without a way to defend herself. Sure, she had some basic fighting skills, but she was much more skilled at self-defense when in her dragon form, and had never even considered having to fight as a human. Why would she, when in ten seconds flat she could turn herself into a twenty-foot long fire-breathing monster with magic-resistant scales for armor?
A knock on the door drew her from her thoughts, and her hands tightened on the arms of her chair as anticipation coursed through her.
“Come in,” Delilah called, and Adalyn’s jaw dropped as the door swung open and a tall, muscular man with wavy dark hair and blue eyes sauntered through. Those eyes widened as they took her in, and she knew he recognized her just as well as she recognized him.
It was Christian. The man she’d had drunken sex with. The human man.
* * *
Christian shouldn’t have been surprised, but he was. Sitting right here in Delilah’s office was the gorgeous dragon shifter who’d tumbled around in his bed with him last night. She was dressed in the same clothes as the night before – black denim and leather jacket – with her fiery red hair tumbling around her gorgeous face, and her green eyes, burning with shock and fury.
Though he fully understood the first one, he wasn’t entirely certain as to why she was experiencing the last.
“Well hello, sweetheart,” he drawled, closing the door behind him as he sauntered into the room. “You miss me so much that you had to come track me down at work?”
“Excuse me?” The redhead rose from her chair, her expression filled with outrage. “You… I… you can’t be serious!”
Delilah sat back in her chair, interest flaring in her green eyes, and briefly putting a damper on Christian’s mood. The last thing he needed was this woman meddling with his sex life. “You two know each other?”
“Yes!” Adalyn exploded, turning toward Delilah. “I met him in a bar last night. I went in to use their phone, and there he was. I thought he was a human?”
“Did you really?” Christian asked, a little annoyed despite himself. “Do you have a problem with dragon shifters, darling? Because in case you haven’t noticed, you are a dragon shifter yourself.”
“I know that,” Adalyn snapped, throwing her hands up in the air. “And of course I don’t have a problem with dragons. It’s just that I thought you were human.”
“Fortunately, I am not.” He allowed the magic that was shielding his true identity to slip, and watched with some satisfaction as Adalyn’s face went slack. Clearly she sensed it now. “I am a dragon shifter, the same as you. I just happen to have a special ability to hide it.”
“You… you bastard!”
Her hand flew through the air, but before it could connect with his cheek he caught it, then pressed his nose to her palm and inhaled. “Mmm. Didn’t know you liked to play rough. You smell just as good as you did last night, by the way.”
A flush spread across her lovely cheekbones, and she snatched her hand back, but not before he noticed some of the tension leave her body, and he grinned. He was getting to her, and they both knew it. “You’re ridiculous,” she snapped. “And on top of it, you’re a liar. Why would you hide your nature from me when you knew that I was a dragon shifter, just like you?”
“Because he doesn’t want you to find out that he’s been a naughty boy.”
They both spun around to look at Delilah, who was looking up at them with her fingers steepled, her expression similar to that of a cat who’d just cleaned out a bowl full of cream. “What exactly does that mean?” Adalyn asked as dread pooled in Christian’s gut.
“I really don’t think this is necessary – “ he began.
“Oh, but I think it’s only fair that Adalyn has a good idea what she’s dealing with,” Delilah insisted. Her smile widened. “You see, Adalyn, Christian here is the very reason that we had to invoke a spell over the city, preventing unauthorized dragons from shifting and flying into our airspace. He’s currently doing community service for me, as he’s the dragon who set the top of the Empire State Building on fire.”
Adalyn’s jaw dropped. “Are you serious?” she gaped, looking at Christian as though he were an alien.
Christian held up his hands. “Hey, listen, I don’t even remember doing any of that,” he said. “And as far as I’m concerned you guys still haven’t proven it conclusively.”
Delilah snorted. “We found you passed out at the bottom of the building, stark naked, your blood alcohol level at 1.3. I think the judge who ruled on your case was examining the facts with both eyes wide open.”
“Wow.” Adalyn shook her head as she stared at him. “That’s got to be the craziest thing I’ve ever heard in my life.”
Christian grinned at what he thought was a compliment. “Yeah, well nobody ever accused me of being boring, sweetheart.”
Adalyn arched a brow. “Well maybe you should try it sometime, sweetheart. It might do you some good.”
Christian scowled, an unfamiliar emotion filling his chest – intrigue. This woman genuinely interested him, sparked something inside of him that he hadn’t felt in many years. The realization surprised him so much that he simply followed Adalyn’s lead as she sat back down in her chair, too stunned to say anything. How on earth had he gotten to the point where this stranger – admittedly a hot stranger, but still – had wormed under his skin far enough to actually affect him? And so damn quickly?
“So,” Delilah said, clasping her hands over the desk and smiling at them both. “Are you two ready to hear the details of this mission?”
“Wait, are you serious?” Adalyn complained. “You actually expect me to work with a guy so irresponsible that he lit a national landmark on fire? On a mission that’s as important as you say it is?”
Delilah scowled. “Despite Christian’s… issues… he is actually quite good at R&R, which is exactly what this mission entails. And seeing as how you have no experience at all, I think you should be lucky to have someone who does, regardless of his personal issues.”
Adalyn snorted. “I could already have figured out that he was good at R&R,” she said. “All of the glasses in his cabinet were filled with li
ttle pina colada umbrellas.” Her eyes danced with amusement, despite her ire, and Christian perked up a little. Could it be that she didn’t actually hate him as much as he thought?
Delilah’s dark eyebrows winged up so high they disappeared beneath her bangs. “You slept with him?” she asked, incredulous.
“Like I said, I met him at a bar last night,” Adalyn said, somewhat defensively. “We had a few drinks, and I was upset and lonely. Things kind of took their natural course.”
I’ll say it did, Christian thought, his eyes roaming unconsciously over the redheaded vixen next to him. Her arms were crossed beneath her large breasts, which only served to make them look even more round and delicious beneath her jacket, and he suddenly had the urge to peel it off and slide his hands beneath her shirt to see if they still felt and tasted as good as his fuzzy brain remembered.
If only Delilah weren’t in the room.
“Well I can’t say there’s any accounting for good taste,” Delilah said lightly, and Christian scowled at her.
“Can you just get on with the briefing?” he snapped, waving a hand impatiently.
“Impatient, are we?” Delilah asked, but she opened a drawer and pulled out a file stamped with the Order’s emblem, then slid it across the desk toward them. “In any case, R&R refers to Reconnaissance and Rescue, Miss Shaw. Admittedly, this mission includes more of the second than the first, but both skills are needed due to the sensitivity of the target.”
“The target?” Christian asked, as he opened the file and pulled out a picture of a baby with purple shifter eyes. “This is a freaking dragon shifter cub.”
Delilah cleared her throat. “I believe the proper term is package,” she said, tapping at the file again. “And you are to pick him up and deliver him to the Firestone clan.”
“Hang on. Are you serious?” Frowning, Christian glanced through the file. Sure enough, that’s exactly what the mission entailed. They had to travel to the Moonstone clan in Cincinnati, Ohio, and pick up Mason Moonstone, the baby dragon shifter depicted in the photo who, apparently, was the son of the late Moonstone clan Alpha, Drako.
Burn, Baby, Burn Page 3