A massive sigh forced its way out of her chest as she plunged her forehead into her hands. Don’t cry. Don’t do it. Save your strength; you’ll need it.
But damn, she wanted to let out a wail that would make a banshee tremble.
A sudden gust of cold air yanked her out of her misery, blowing her hair back and blasting its way through her clothing. Drawing her head up she started, leaping almost instantly to her feet.
The strange man who stood before her had seemingly appeared out of nowhere. Tall, with dark brown hair, he was very handsome, though perhaps a little older than Aegis. He wore a long wool coat with a high collar, a crimson scarf tucked in at his neck. His eyes were a bright shade of hazel, his cheekbones pronounced but thoroughly masculine. On his face was a friendly smile, as though he already knew her.
Where the hell had he come from?
“Hello, Ashlyn,” he said, keeping his distance for the moment. A shiver ran up her spine at hearing her name spoken by a stranger’s voice.
“Who are you?” she asked, looking around to see if any of the blocked entrances had been interfered with, but there was no evidence that the intruder had forced his way in.
A swift breeze carried a familiar scent to Ashlyn’s nose. The man smelled…good. A little too good, in fact. The aroma that wafted about her head was sensual, alluring, distracting, even. It was a Dragon shifter’s scent, but some element proved more intoxicating than she was used to. Almost as though she were being drugged via a powerful chemical injected directly into her bloodstream. Don’t be ridiculous, she told herself. No one can drug a person with their scent.
Or could they? Aegis’s scent had done strange and incredible things to her on more than one occasion. But Aegis was special…
“My name is Mardoc,” the man said, pulling her out of her attempts at rational thought. His voice glided smoothly through the air to meet her ears, its timbre soothing and reassuring. Endorphins released through her body, forcing a strange sort of euphoria to coat her insides.
Okay, what the hell was happening? A minute earlier all she’d wanted was to see her lover again, and now this stranger was tearing that feeling away from her like he’d anaesthetized her brain.
No, no. This couldn’t be happening; she was in love with someone else. Ashlyn was anything but fickle; there was no way in hell that another man should be able to waltz into her life and take hold of her like this.
“I’m sorry if I startled you,” Mardoc added when she failed to reply. “I came to find you, you see. After the Guild meeting this morning…”
“You’re…in the Guild?” she asked, realizing that Aegis had never really told her that much about its members. She’d met Lumen, of course, but she didn’t really know the others by name. But of course this man was a Guild member. How else would he know who she was?
The man hesitated for a moment before nodding. “As I was saying, the Guild had a chat this morning, about the Relic and about your destiny, Ashlyn. Lumen…and Aegis…both sent me to find you.” He looked at her intently, as though trying to size up her reaction.
She should have wanted to cry out, of course. To shout, “No, that can’t be right! Aegis would never have sent another man for me. He loves me, I know it.” But the strange control Mardoc had over her was exerting an all too powerful influence over her mind and heart. She tried to fight it off, willing, begging her mind to take hold, to recall the depth of her feelings for her lover.
But Aegis was quickly fading into her thoughts’ background, turning into some faint, irrelevant memory. This handsome man, Mardoc, had become a source of bliss, a perfect entity, filling her with the most agonizing desire. The strange, beautiful shifter who stood before her with the wonderful scent and intense eyes.
He was…mesmerizing.
“Why did they send you…are you…?” Her head was spinning with confusion as she blurted out the words. “Are we supposed to…?”
Another nod. “Yes, I’m your intended mate. Though I must admit that I was surprised to hear it. I came here to meet you; I thought we should get to know each other if we’re going to spend our lives together.” He looked about at the ruins, as though what he’d just said was a casual statement about the weather. Ashlyn hung on his every word, wondering why she’d never heard of such a creature before.
“How did you know where to find me?” she asked, her desire to clear her head fading into the distance like a rolling mist. This…whatever this was…was so much more pleasant than frustration and sadness.
Mardoc paused again before replying. “There are some shifters with gifts, as you may know. The gift of Sight is what led me to you. A friend of mine guided me in your direction.”
“I see.” Ashlyn grabbed the back of the bench to brace herself, steadying her body, even if she couldn’t do so for her mind.
“This is awkward, I realize.” Mardoc levelled a piercing gaze her way. “You’ve grown somewhat attached to Aegis, I understand.”
His words were received with a weak nod. “Yes. But he told me that he can’t be with me. I didn’t want to believe it at first, but I suppose it’s true. We just weren’t meant to be.” The words came out in a monotone, her very voice altered by the external force that was taking her over. With each second that passed, her resolve vanished. The Relic, Aegis, everything that had ever mattered had turned to fine dust, threatening to be whisked away by the first gust of wind that came by.
“Yes, he’s right. We wouldn’t want to lose the third Relic, and if you and he were mates, it would be lost forever, given who you are.”
Ashlyn tried once again to focus, some last vestige of her mind fighting, railing against Mardoc’s strangely beguiling nature. Something didn’t make sense. Hell, none of this made sense. “I don’t understand why you’re here,” she said. “You said you wanted to meet me. Now we’ve met. Why don’t we speak again at a later date…” She swayed, her balance thrown off by the jumble of conflicting thoughts in her mind.
“I thought I’d made it clear,” he replied, his tone suddenly sharp, even menacing. “I’m here to claim you. You and I are destined to be together, and I wish for you to come with me.”
Ashlyn swallowed hard. The words should have been a weapon’s slice, a violation of her mind and heart, and yet they seemed…right.
Yes, it’s true of course; I’m supposed to be Mardoc’s mate. He’s here for me, and I should just do whatever he says. He knows best.
Mardoc pulled his eyes away for a moment to scan the sky, and Ashlyn nearly collapsed. The moment their eye contact ceased her mind cleared temporarily, memories of Aegis flooding back. His scent, his touch, his voice.
Oh God, what’s happening to me? She shook her head. This man was toying with her mind, controlling her. Convincing her of realities that didn’t exist. It was the only possible explanation.
No. Everything about this is wrong.
She fought to keep her senses intact, to reject whatever magic was working its way over her mind. She was supposed to be in charge of her destiny, not this stranger. Not the Dragon shifters who’d sent him to find her. Not even Aegis could dictate what she was to do with her life. She was her own master, damn it. “Well, I don’t want to be claimed. I came here today to find the Relic so that Aegis and I could be together. I thought…”
The man let out a less than kind laugh and fixed her in his gaze once again. Resolve deserted her like a traitor as soon as her eyes met his, confirming her worst fears. Once again, she was trapped.
“Oh, but you’ll never find the Relic. Not until you’ve bonded with me,” he said, a tantalizing grin curling his lips. “I realize that it won’t happen immediately—not until you trust me—but you must see that you and I are a good match.” He moved towards her like a beast stalking its prey, his scent wrapping about her like a tightening noose. His voice was as intoxicating as those incredible eyes of his. “I can see that you feel for me already, Ashlyn. I can smell it on you, even.” It was true, and she wanted to curse her
body for it. This man exuded a dangerous sexuality that was forcing everything inside her to react in a betrayal to the man she loved.
Stop it, she commanded silently, pulling her eyes away from him. Stop doing this to me, you bastard.
It should have been easy to fight off whatever spell he was casting. Yet the more she fought, the more he pulled her in. “Don’t think about Aegis,” he said, his voice a violent hypnotic force. “Aegis never cared about you. He used you for his own pleasure, and now he’s discarded you. I am your true mate. I’ll treat you as you deserve to be treated.”
With those words Ashlyn’s mind turned on itself again. Yes, it was true; after all Aegis had given this man his blessing to come find her. He’d given up on their relationship in favour of his fucking duty. He’d discarded her, and now a handsome, charming Dragon shifter stood before her, ready to take her away to a new life.
Maybe this was better. Mardoc was beautiful after all, and sexy, and…
Resist, said a familiar voice from somewhere deep inside her. Don’t succumb to his charms. He’s manipulating you, bewitching you with his talents. He’s a wily one, and he knows how to get what he wants.
“Ashlyn,” Mardoc breathed, interrupting her inner turmoil with another cast of his devastating spell. His voice was so gentle, so caring. Why on earth would she want to resist such a good man? “I’m not here to threaten or hurt you, or to rush you. I’m here to help you.”
Resist.
Confusion buzzed inside her mind, throwing her off balance again. “What do you want me to do?” she asked, a feeling of nausea rattling her insides as the last of her resolve abandoned her. The ruins of the church seemed to close in around her, and suddenly all she wanted was for Mardoc to take her far away. He was her protector now. He’d see to it that she was safe and happy.
“Come with me,” he said. “I’ll take you to my home, and we can get to know one another there. You will, of course, be free to decide what you’d like to do. Just give our relationship a little time, for the good of the Dragons’ Guild. If you wish to find your way back to Aegis after all is said and done, I won’t stop you.”
Aegis, she thought. The name had lost all its meaning. Why would she want Aegis, when he’d given her up so easily? Why should she care about him? “I don’t understand; if Aegis is so important to me, why isn’t he here now?” she asked, her tone as innocent as a child’s. “Why didn’t he come with you to talk to me? He obviously doesn’t care at all.”
Mardoc issued her a smug smile, the grin of a deeply satisfied man. “Come now, Aegis is a Kindred, and as such he’s deeply concerned with doing what’s right. He knows his duty. He’s a noble character, and a good man. The last thing he wants is to sabotage the other Dragon shifters through a selfish act. However fond he may be of you, he recognized that you and I would be a better fit.”
He was with me last night, thought Ashlyn. But Mardoc is right, he used me. He never cared.
“Ashlyn, come with me. My home is secluded, and I’ll give you time and space if it’s what you need. But I would appreciate it if you would do me the honour of getting to know me. I don’t bite. Usually, anyway.” With that, he shot her what appeared to be a genuinely warm smile.
Yes. Maybe it would be good to get away, at least until the confusion subsided a little. Mardoc seemed kind and his voice…it was so soothing. A comfort, numbing the pain that her lover had inflicted with his indifference.
“All right,” she said, craving more of whatever drug the shifter had to offer. “I’ll go with you, of course. I can’t very well go to my flat; the Forsaken know where it is. And I can’t go back to Lumen’s—he might be there. Do you live in London?”
“No, my place is quite far north. Are you comfortable riding my Dragon?”
“Yes,” she said, her voice still drawling in an almost robotic submission. “I’m very comfortable with you, Mardoc.”
“Then let’s go,” he said. His eyes were still focused on hers, unblinking and full of mesmerizing intensity. “This will be very good for us both. I promise.”
“I believe you.” Ashlyn took a final glance around the church’s hollow interior, trying to recall why she’d even come. There was something she’d wanted to find…well, it couldn’t have been that important. The important thing now was to leave this place with her newly found mate. This was her purpose, her destiny. Mardoc was her future.
After a second the courtyard filled with the scent of embers, but the lingering scent of the shifter stayed with her, pulling her in, enticing her closer. A massive yellow-orange Dragon now stood at the centre of the skeletal building, pressing his head to the ground.
“Hop on,” a deep bellow echoed inside Ashlyn’s head.
“Wait—your Dragon can talk to me?” she asked as she stretched a leg over the back of his neck.
“Of course. You didn’t know? Dragon shifters can speak to the minds of those with whom they’re intimately connected. I take it Aegis never told you.”
“I had no idea,” Ashlyn said, recalling a distant memory. She’d once thought she’d heard Aegis’s Dragon’s voice, but she supposed now that she’d imagined it. Why hadn’t he told her about this? What else had he hidden from her?
“Well,” said Mardoc, “I suppose it is further proof that you and he weren’t meant to be together.”
“I suppose it is,” Ashlyn replied in the colourless drawl that had taken over her vocal cords, her thoughts a dissipating mist of faraway memories. “We were never meant to be.”
Gone Girl
Aegis’s Dragon landed in St. Dunstan’s courtyard with a hard thud, transforming almost immediately into his human form to spin around, his eyes peeled for any sign of Ashlyn.
He inhaled deep as he made his way towards the benches. Traces of her scent floated through the air, hanging on the particles. Sweet reminders of the previous night’s sensual pleasures.
“Okay, Ashlyn, you were here. But where the hell are you now?” he muttered, pivoting to look for clues.
Three more quick sniffs, and then the realization hit like a dozen arrows piercing his chest: she hadn’t been alone. Someone else—male, a Dragon shifter—had also been here. It wasn’t one of his colleagues; the Guild members had all been at the Heath for the meeting.
“Damn it, why did you have to come here without me?” His voice emerged in anguished croaks, his neck craning to look up into the sky. Surely the man who led the coven of Forsaken wouldn’t be so bold as to dip into London’s downtown core in broad daylight and steal away a woman so valuable to the Guild.
But of course the bastard had done exactly that. It had been his plan all along; his hybrid minions had failed in their efforts, so he’d finished the job himself.
Fuck.
Aegis threw himself down onto the bench, fingers wrapping tight around the edge of his seat before drawing them upwards, shards of splintered wood tearing off in his fists. Goddamn it. He’d pictured an army of Forsaken coming for her, not the man himself.
He tried to picture the possible scenarios, to focus his mind on how it might have all gone down.
Not long ago, Ashlyn had stood in this place. A stranger had appeared before her. But she’d come to find the Relic to bring herself closer to her lover, not to fall into the clutches of some threatening shifter. What the hell must the fucker have done to persuade her to leave with him?
Some shifters were adept at a sort of intense mind control, able to create a veil of influence over their victims. A powerful shifter could convince even one of his own kind to trust his questionable motives. Ashlyn’s Dragon, still hidden away inside her, would be unable to warn her sufficiently against such threats. She was susceptible to malicious manipulation.
Meanwhile, Aegis’s Dragon seethed, infuriated inside him. If the bastard had hurt her, he’d have a world—no, an entire universe of pain coming his way. He glanced around for signs of a struggle, but aside from the bench that he’d just vandalized, the place looked fine.
None of this made sense, though. If Ashlyn had taken off willingly, then she’d given up on the Relic. But more importantly, she’d given up on him.
Aegis’s Dragon let out an enraged roar from somewhere deep inside him, frustrated beyond words and desperate for his rightful mate. He wanted to burst out and to tear down the church’s remaining walls with his curved talons. To see this place crumble to dust for what it had done to him.
No, Dragon, he muttered. Wait just a minute. There’s something here, something important among the stones that make up these walls.
As the thought wound its way through his mind, he rose to his feet and strolled the perimeter of the ruin, eyes scanning the unadorned stone walls. Of course! If he was Ashlyn’s Seeker, he would be able to spot the Relic. At the very least he could retrieve it and return it to the Guild to store with the others. In all his agitation, he’d all but forgotten his one duty.
He slipped along, eyes searching intently. The rectangular blocks of stone were largely solid grey, occasionally obscured by lines of trailing ivy. But he knew what he needed to find: the symbol he’d seen on the back of Ashlyn’s neck. The flame.
After a few minutes he saw it. In the corner of one of the rectangular slabs above one of the arched, glassless gothic windows, a rounded crack formed a quarter-circle. Tucked into the ninety degree angle of the rectangle’s lower right corner was the symbol of Fire.
Aegis looked about for something—anything—that he could use to help him reach it, but all he could do was scale the wall like some clumsy superhero. Stretching one leg up, he climbed up onto the window’s slanted stone sill and reached his arm up to grab the piece. His fingers managed to just barely wrap around its edges, pulling it away from the wall. He turned the stone towards his face, studying the engraved flame before looking up to see if anything else was tucked up there; a piece of paper that might contain the verse for the fourth Relic, a tube like the one Ashlyn had brought with her from the United States, anything at all.
Dragon's Lover [Part Three] Page 2