Tempting the Dryad

by Rebecca Rivard

  “No. It was late, remember—and a Wednesday, a work night. Not too many people out.”

  “What about Jani? No one saw her, either?”

  “The waitress thinks she might have seen her leave with a man—maybe one of the Greek sea fada—but she wasn’t sure. She’s new—doesn’t know your sister. But after that, no.”

  “Could they have been using a glamour?” A glamour could be used to change a person’s looks.

  Because it was damn strange that no one had seen either Tiago or Marjani after they’d left the club. The cats in his clan outnumbered the wolves and other animals two to one, and while they weren’t truly nocturnal like cats in the wild, they were often up late into the night.

  “It’s possible,” the lieutenant replied. “But they’d have to have a fae cast it, and a glamour doesn’t come cheap. I don’t know where four clan-less fada would get the cash.”

  “Unless they traded it for something the fae want, like a war between the local fada. And even better, this war would involve the sun fae, too.”

  “The Virginia night fae.” Zuri lifted a single black brow. “You think this might have something to do with Jace’s niece?”

  “Hell if I know. But it’s damn suspicious.” The Virginia night fae were the closest fae clan other than the Rising Sun fae. But unlike Cleia’s fun-loving, sociable clan, night fae were nasty, energy-sucking creatures that even other fae avoided.

  Worse, the Virginia prince’s son and heir, Tyrus, had it out for Merry Jones, the mixed-blood who was both Jace’s niece and Valeria and Rui do Mar’s adopted daughter—and Tyrus’s half-sister. She’d be dead right now if her grandfather the prince hadn’t personally seen to her protection.

  “What about Shania?” Adric asked. “Did she see anything?”

  “No one’s seen her since yesterday morning. I tried to track her through her crystal, but it’s gone dead. Either she’s blocking us—or it’s been destroyed like Marjani’s.”

  The hairs on his nape raised. This was all connected, he was sure of it. “I want her found ASAP.”

  “I’ve got several men looking for her.”

  “Hunter,” he said between clenched teeth. He exchanged a look with Zuri.

  Five years ago, he’d had to execute Hunter after he’d stolen Merry Jones for Tyrus. Fortunately, the Rock Run fada had gotten the girl back before Hunter could pass her to the night fae.

  At the time, Adric had suspected that Hunter had been turned by his cousin Corban, who was every bit as sly as his father Leron had been. Corban believed that as Leron’s eldest son, he should’ve been the next alpha, but after losing to Adric in a challenge after his father’s death, he’d accepted a position as a high-ranking sentry.

  Shania had been Hunter’s lover, but she’d seemed to accept that he deserved what he’d got. The man had turned traitor; Adric couldn’t let him live. But executing Hunter had been one of the hardest things Adric had ever done. He’d grown up with the man and considered him a friend.

  Zuri nodded grimly. “I always suspected she was in on it with him. The woman’s got a dark side beneath that party-girl face.”

  “Find her,” Adric snapped. “I want that woman—yesterday.”

  “I’m on it,” Zuri said, and left.

  Adric allowed himself one long, vicious snarl before returning to Marjani. He’d snatched some sleep during the night, and he wasn’t going to be able to rest until they’d found Shania, so he sent Suha to sleep in his bedroom and took up his vigil at his sister’s bed again.

  * * *

  When Marjani finally woke for good, it was afternoon. She sat bolt upright and looked wildly around.

  “Hey, hey.” Adric straightened from where he was sprawled in a chair. “Take it easy. Everything’s cool.”

  She blinked and slumped back onto the pillow. “You look like hell, Ric.”

  Normally, he’d retort that if anyone looked bad, it was her—she had dark shadows under her eyes and her skin was tinged an unhealthy yellow—but instead he just took her hand.

  “How are you, kitten?”

  “Better.”

  “Good.” He squeezed her fingers. “Here—I have a quartz for you.”

  While she’d been asleep, he’d gone through a stash of quartz that he kept for situations like these. Now he held out the one he’d selected, a beautiful conglomeration of several amethyst crystals shading from smoky gray to a clear purple. Something about it had said Marjani to him.

  “Thanks.” As her fingers closed around it, she expelled a small breath. Then her lips curved in an infinitesimal smile. “It’s perfect, Ric. I don’t think I’ll need to search for another.”

  She handed his own quartz back to him. As it settled onto his chest, the energy relinked with his, giving him a much-needed boost.

  He handed her a leather cord. The less he touched her new quartz, the better; the tiny crystals needed to attune themselves to her energy. She wrapped the cord several times around the gray-and-purple chunk, secured it with a square knot and hung it around her neck.

  “That’s better.” She wrapped her fingers around the amethyst and gave him another slight smile, which seemed to be all she could manage right now.

  “Ah,” Suha said from the doorway. “You’re up. And hungry, I’ll bet.”

  Marjani moved a shoulder. “I’d like another shower first.”

  “Anything you want, babe.”

  “I’ll get lunch,” Adric said, and left them to it.

  Luc arrived with a duffle bag of Marjani’s clothes that Adric had asked him to pick up. Adric wasn’t letting his sister out of his sight until she was completely healed, and maybe not even then. He left Luc to guard the women while he picked up a large order of jerk chicken and several side dishes from their favorite Caribbean restaurant, comfort food from their childhood with a Jamaican mother.

  Marjani was at the kitchen table with Luc and Suha when Adric returned with the food. She watched, expressionless, as he set a plate before her. But once she picked up her fork, she didn’t stop eating until she’d cleaned the plate. She listened with that same expressionless face when Adric told her she was going to be rooming with him for the foreseeable future and then agreed without argument.

  Adric’s heart sank. What had they done to his kick-ass, take-no-prisoners sister?

  Suha laid a hand on his arm and mouthed, “Give her time.”

  Zuri called to say that Shania was still missing. Marjani stared down at the table but he could tell she was listening.

  When Adric cut the connection, she asked, “You think Shania was helping those men?”

  Adric expelled a breath. “Look, I know she’s your friend—”

  “No,” Marjani returned flatly. “She’s not.”

  He came alert. “Why do you say that?”

  “Because I remember now that I gave her my drink to hold while I was dancing. I think she put the drug in it. But even if she didn’t, she was there when they took me out the back door. I don’t remember much, but she didn’t do a thing to help me. She just stood by and watched while they shoved me into a car.”

  Adric’s jaw tightened. “I see.”

  “Can you tell us what kind of car?” Luc asked.

  Marjani shook her head. “I’m sorry, I was too out of it. It was dark, that’s all I remember—black, or maybe dark blue. I’m not even sure it was a car—it could’ve been a small SUV.”

  “Any unusual scent?” said Luc.

  “No.” Marjani jumped to her feet. “I’m telling you, I don’t remember. I was drugged and they had their hands all over me. And they’d smashed my quartz, so I felt like hell. So no, I wasn’t paying attention to the damn car.”

  Luc was instantly on his feet as well. “No worries, baby. Here, why don’t you lie down?”

  Marjani deflated. “No,” she said listlessly. “I’m not tired. I think I’ll just sit in the living room.”

  “Can I come with you?”

  She looked at Luc and then shr
ugged. “Sure. Why not?”

  With Marjani out of the way, Suha pulled Adric into his bedroom and closed the door. “You have to be patient,” she hissed. “Her body’s healing, but it’s going to take a while before she feels safe again.”

  “You think I don’t know that? But this is my sister. When I became alpha, I promised she’d never be hurt again.”

  “Oh, Ric.” Suha clasped him in her arms. “You can’t keep a promise like that.”

  He heaved a breath and for a few seconds, let her comfort him. Then he gently set her aside. “Don’t worry. I’ll give her whatever time she needs.”

  “You’re a good brother, Ric.” Suha touched his cheek. “And the best alpha our clan has had in a long time. So don’t be too hard on yourself, okay? Things happen. You’re just one man. You can’t be everywhere, protecting everyone.”

  “You think I don’t know that?” he returned. “But this is my fucking sister.”

  “I know, Ric. I know. But she’ll get better. I promise.”

  He jerked his head in acknowledgment and opened the door. “I’ll take you home now. You must be tired. If anything changes, I’ll let you know.”

  Suha hesitated and then gave in. “All right. I am tired. I feel like I could sleep for twelve hours straight.”

  * * *

  Later that afternoon, Adric crouched in his cougar form on Rock Run territory. He’d had to get outside—do something—before he exploded. So he’d left Marjani with Luc, and starting at the shabby rowhouse near the Patapsco River, had done some tracking of his own. Searching for something—anything—that would lead him to Jorge or Shania or even the Greek sea fada.

  But he found nothing that they didn’t already know. Jorge and the sea fada had taken to the water, and Shania had disappeared without a trace. So he got his motorcycle and expanded his search north. As anxious as he was to find Shania, Jorge was the more urgent problem right now, and Adric would bet good money the man was somewhere on or near Rock Run territory. It was the man’s home ground, and a smart fada could change his scent so as to escape detection.

  Jorge probably had a hidey-hole that no one else knew about, like the one Adric had maintained when his uncle was alpha.

  Adric left his bike in a state park a few miles from Rock Run, walked into the trees and shifted to his cougar. In a few miles he was at Rock Run’s border. He paused. For any fada to cross onto another clan’s territory without permission was a punishable offense, but if you were an alpha, it just might get you killed. Not that he’d ever let that stop him before; he and his soldiers had been slipping on and off Rock Run’s land for years. He had no doubt that Dion and his people did the same in Baltimore.

  This part of Rock Run was heavily forested. He darted into the trees, keeping out of sight of the Susquehanna River and the sentries who patrolled there.

  About a half mile in, he found a ledge overlooking the river and leapt onto it. He was at the forest’s edge. To the east were Rock Run’s vineyards, and beyond that another, smaller stand of trees which concealed Rock Run Creek and the underground caverns that made up the river clan’s base.

  It was nearly dusk. He scooted back on the ledge so that he was in the shadows and fixed his gaze on the river. Something told him Jorge was out there somewhere, but he had no way to track him. Damn the river fada anyway, and their ability to change into water animals. Still, they didn’t spend all their time underwater.

  He stared out at the fast-moving river and considered his next move.

  A raindrop splattered on his nose. Great. It was starting to rain now. His cat rumbled unhappily. Suddenly, the scent of a young female teased at his nostrils. He forgot about the weather to rise partway up, nose twitching.

  It was her. He was sure of it. Coming toward him on the path that ran along the river. He forgot about Jorge as his heart sped up.

  The young woman was in sight now. And he was right, it was her: the youngest do Rio and the only female, Rosana.

  He kept files on all the key Rock Run fada, but he had her file memorized: Rosana do Rio, just twenty-one years old, which was barely mature by fada standards, since shifters matured later than humans. Black hair, blue eyes. Well-liked, but a bit of a smart-aleck. Closely protected by her brothers and everyone else in the clan.

  Too damn closely protected. Adric hadn’t seen her since Cleia and Dion’s mating ball five years ago—and he’d tried.

  Back then she’d been all long legs and promise, with a cloud of black hair and big blue eyes in a heart-shaped face. Now she was coming into her womanhood, still slender but with curves he literally ached to touch.

  And the long-sleeved black T-shirt and short white shorts showed them off to perfection. His gaze moved down her body, fixing on those long legs. She was wearing black leather sandals with straps that wound around the lower part of her calves. His mind swam with salacious images of her in those leather sandals and nothing else.

  She halted fifteen feet away and looked straight at him. He stilled. She shouldn’t be able to see him in the shadows, and the wind was blowing in the wrong direction for her to scent him.

  “There’s a sentry twenty yards up the river,” she said calmly. “If I call out, you’re dead.”

  Adric considered that for about two seconds. Then he gathered his muscles and leapt off the ledge, landing so close to her that the air he displaced caused her hair to lift from her shoulders, then settle back down.

  She didn’t even twitch an eyelid.

  Impressed—and more intrigued than ever—he shifted to man, standing before her naked, his only adornment the quartz around his neck.

  He crossed his arms over his bare chest and met those rich blue eyes. “Go ahead. Call them.”

  She drew a slow breath. Beneath the shirt, her breasts shifted. His gaze flicked down. Damn, she had nice tits.

  He jerked his gaze back up, prepared to clap a hand over her mouth or run like hell. But she let out the breath. Her eyes flickered and he watched as her gaze traveled down his body, catching on his cock, already half-hard.

  His cock twitched and grew, enjoying the attention. She stared at it for a long moment, and he found himself grinning.

  She scowled at him. “You’re Lord Adric. The Baltimore alpha.”

  “And you’re Rosana do Rio.”

  “How did you know?”

  He shrugged. She didn’t need to know he’d never forgotten her, not since that first glimpse at the mating ball. She’d fascinated him—her face, her body, the graceful way she’d danced—but most of all, her innocence. It was a powerful aphrodisiac to a man who’d been brought up in a warring clan and forced to fight for everything—food, respect, and on the darkest days, his very life.

  His hand went to his quartz, playing with it. Almost without his volition, it started to glow. He had an unusual Gift for an earth fada. He was so in tune with his quartz and so powerful personally, honed as he’d been in the crucible of a vicious civil war, that he could use his quartz to hypnotize.

  Most earth fada had a slight ability to hypnotize, but his Gift allowed him to hypnotize practically anyone—and in a few short seconds.

  Now he toyed with the quartz. Tempted. Because by the gods, he wanted this river female. He could hypnotize her, take her somewhere off Rock Run territory and enjoy her—for hours. He wouldn’t harm her. He’d even make sure she enjoyed it in return.

  And the best part was he could fix it so she wouldn’t remember who or how it happened.

  Rosana was looking at the quartz, her soft red mouth slightly open. Temptation seethed in him, so powerful his hand trembled.

  She stretched out a hand. “Can I touch it?”

  With an effort, he closed his fingers over the quartz. The energy warmed his palm, then receded. “No.”

  She blinked. “I’m sorry. I should know better. Merry told me that no one can touch an earth fada’s quartz except a close relative—and even then you need to be careful.”

  “Or a lover,” Adric said. />
  Her fine black brows drew together.

  “A lover can touch it,” he clarified. “If you ask first.”

  “Oh.” He watched, fascinated, as her soft lips pursed.

  “I’d let you touch it,” he murmured. “If you asked me nicely.”

  She gulped and then took a step back, a faint flush on her cheeks. “Why are you here, anyway?”

  Belatedly, he remembered Marjani and dropped the quartz. It was his turn to redden, but his was due more to guilt than embarrassment. “I’m looking for the man who hurt my sister.”

  “I heard what happened.” She moved closer again, touched his arm. “I’m so sorry. Is she going to be all right?”

  Lord, he liked having her hand on him. He ached to bend down and taste her pretty lips. She was just a few inches shorter than him; the two of them would fit together perfectly. Her breasts against his bare chest, his cock nestled in the curve of her belly…

  And because he wanted it so badly, his reply was a growl. “Yes.”

  She removed her hand, but her smile was sincere. “I’m glad. Tell her we were asking about her, all right?”

  He nodded. “Thank you,” he said, more gently this time.

  Rosana cocked her head like a blue-eyed robin. “Is that why you’re here? To find Jorge and the others? Because my brother has everyone out looking for them, too. If they’re here, we’ll find them.”

  “If you say so.”

  “But you need to be doing something, don’t you?”

  He thought of Marjani and briefly closed his eyes. “Yeah.”

  When he opened them, Rosana was still standing temptingly close. He gazed down at her, knowing he should shift back to his cougar and leave. He had no business with the sister of the Rock Run alpha.

  Hell, after what had happened, Dion would think Adric was deliberately messing with his sister. Add that to his being on Rock Run territory without permission and the other alpha would be justified in beating him within an inch of his life.

  But he wanted a touch. Just a touch.

  A single wavy black lock had fallen over her eye. He reached out and rubbed it between his thumb and index finger. It was so soft, like a cat’s underbelly. He moved closer and speared his fingers into the silky mass, sliding his other arm around her waist.