Renegade (Shadow Realms): An Urban Fantasy Dragon Shifter Romance

by Amber Ella Monroe

  “Yeah, well, I didn’t exactly go for pleasure when I have what I want right here,” Vicq commented.

  Elaina pushed herself off the sofa where she was seated next to Mark and met Vicq in the center of the room. He pressed his rough, callused hand against her cheek and then kissed her. His warm mouth covered her lips with vibrant, electrifying heat. No other man had ever made Elaina feel so caught up in the moment that she literally forgot everything around her.

  A chorus of groans fluttered through the room. Someone even cleared his or her throat.

  “You two really need to get a room,” Eli said. “Not this one.”

  Elaina pressed her hands against Vicq’s chest and parted from him. “You changed clothes. Why?”

  “I ran into some…issues,” he said.

  She grabbed hold of his forearm. “What happened? You’re okay, right?”

  “Yeah, I’m fine. I met another Dresdan on the run from Russo,” Vicq replied.

  “Really?” Logan exclaimed from the opposite corner of the room. “Do tell.”

  “Nothing groundbreaking,” Vicq said. “He and I happened to be lurking in the same area. We didn’t kill each other…obviously.”

  “Who is he?” Melrose asked.

  “He goes by the name of Philippe.”

  “I think I’ve heard the name before,” Mark said, uncrossing his legs and leaning forward on the sofa.

  “Then word passes around more than we realize. We’re not the only coven growing in size. Neither are we the only coven living outside of Russo’s order. We all knew that, though. What this proves is that it’ll only become easier for Russo to find non-conformers. I have reason to believe that he’s ordered his Soldiers to track down outside covens as their prime mission now.”

  Melrose sighed. “I know you’re not going to suggest that we move again.”

  “We’re okay for now, but I’ll start scouting out another location soon.”

  “Soon? As in after you deal with helping Elaina reconnect with the very same people who might get us caught?” Logan asked.

  Vicq turned swiftly and crossed the room in a flash. Only a few inches separated him and Logan. Elaina could hear fangs splitting through gum lines. Tension in the room became as thick as the snow cover outside.

  “Are you chastising me?” Vicq asked Logan.

  Morbid silence clouded the room.

  “Vicq, it’s okay,” Elaina said.

  “No, it’s not okay,” Vicq said. “Well, Logan…any other grievances against me?”

  “No…”

  “Good. Never question my authority, and never question my loyalty to Elaina.”

  “Understood,” Logan said.

  The raging red color in Vicq’s eyes faded, and he stepped aside. Logan’s gaze fell to the ground as he fled past the others to escape the room.

  Melrose cleared her throat. “Well, we’re glad you’re back safe in the sanctuary, Vicq. If you need us later, let us know.”

  When they were gone, Elaina closed the door behind them and joined Vicq next to the hearth.

  Elaina placed her hand on his back. “That was a little uncomfortable, wasn’t it?”

  He turned around, and she immediately noticed the remorseful look on his face. “Elaina, my emotions…”

  “Your emotions what, Vicq?”

  “They’re heightened. After a Dresdan feeds on a human, our emotions are multiplied.”

  “Oh,” she breathed.

  “It’s like a drug-induced high.”

  “I sense it now,” she said as she slid her hand across his chest and then stroked gently at his neck where his veins were pumping wildly with adrenaline.

  “If a Dresdan’s craving for human blood becomes too relentless, we tend to overfeed…and overkill,” he said.

  “This is why rogues feed constantly, isn’t it? Not only is it to stay alive, but it’s also for the temporary high.”

  He nodded. “The only difference is, rogues don’t always leave their victims alive. Blood kills send them on the high, and it also brings them one step closer to becoming Dresdan and not just a mere rogue vampire.”

  “I see.”

  “An experienced Dresdan knows how to keep his cravings in check, even if it means feeding on his own kind.

  “So what you’ve proven to me tonight is that Dresdan are strongest after consuming human blood, but any amount of blood from another vampire will satisfy them and keep them alive,” Elaina said.

  “You always were a fast learner.”

  “I have a good teacher. Thanks for the lesson.”

  “Sooner or later, you won’t need my lessons. You ask the right questions. You follow the most important leads. And with my blood, you’ll ascend rapidly.” He stroked her cheek. “I can already see it. You’re stronger than you know.”

  “Then why was it you who fed tonight instead of me?” she asked.

  He frowned. “Am I wrong to want to protect you? To keep you safe and away from harm?”

  “I won’t stand around on the sidelines,” she said. “You knew this—”

  “—from the moment I met you,” he said.

  “Good.” She smiled. “No sense in trying to change me then, right?”

  “I’d never change anything about you.”

  “You’ll go to meet my dad like we agreed on, but next time I’ll be right at your side.”

  He kissed her lips softly. “I won’t argue with you.”

  “So…” She slid her fingers against the back of his neck and pulled his lips firmly to hers. Her mouth lingered on his for a while before they parted again. “I don’t think I’ve ever had you while you were on a blood-induced high.”

  “There’s a first time for everything.”

  “Too bad you changed clothes when you got home,” Elaina said, pulling the ends of his shirt from his pants and sliding her palms up underneath against his chest.

  “Yeah, well, maybe I shouldn’t have, knowing how hungry you get,” he teased. “Do you know what the next best thing to being on a blood-induced high is?”

  He nipped her throat, and she gasped and let her weight fall against him.

  “No, what?” she whispered.

  “Feeding on someone who is,” he replied.

  “Hmmm, would that someone be you?”

  Elaina parted from him and pulled his shirt over his head and then threw it aside. She loved taking charge, and loved it even more when he acquiesced. Once she was finished removing all of this clothes, she paused for a moment to admire him. She often wondered how she’d gotten so lucky as to have someone like Vicq. Over the past couple of months, they’d spent a lot of time together, focusing on each other. Borrowed time. But every minute of private time with Vicq meant the world to her. His body had become well conditioned as a result of Elaina satisfying every hunger pang. He’d done the same for her.

  He was mouthwateringly delectable. A masculine work of art. Every time her hands came in contact with his hard, flat muscles, they seemed to tell a story. Just like a snapshot or painting of a moment in time. Her eyes dropped to the dark trail of hair that disappeared into his boxer shorts.

  As if reading her thoughts, Vicq hooked a thumb into the waistband and said, “You forgot these.”

  After pushing them down his legs, he closed the short distance between them.

  “What are you waiting for?” he asked, bending slightly to brush his lips against the right side of her neck. “Lose the clothes. All of them. And then get on the conference table so we can make some executive decisions.”

  Heat burned her face, but she couldn’t help but grin. “Your blood-induced high also makes you bossy…and ballsy.” She pushed the one-piece jumpsuit down her body. It was snug and tight against her skin, and she wriggled her hips to tease him as she worked it down.

  By the time Elaina was done with her show for Vicq, she was already swollen and wet. He shifted toward her, swiftly closing the distance between them. She gasped when they were touching. Skin to skin.
Her breaths mingled with his pants as they eyed each other like main courses. He dipped his head to tease her nipples, sucking them between his lips again and again until she was writhing against him.

  “Enough,” she rasped.

  Elaina reached upward and dragged her fingers up through his hair. Her fingertips tingled with each stroke against his scalp. She led his head downward just enough so that she could connect her lips to his jugular. As if on command, his dick stretched and tightened. The vein on his throat pulsed against her lips…her tongue. When her fangs finally plunged past his skin to take just what she needed, her body vibrated from head to toe with ecstasy. With each siphon, she got a glimpse of his most recent memories. He fed them to her in snippets, but by now she was seasoned enough to know that he held some of them back purposely. Was he trying to spare her his most violent conquests that night, or did he not realize that he was holding back?

  She stopped feeding and glanced up at him. “More.”

  Vicq grasped her behind the knees and set her atop the conference room table. He parted her thighs and then pulled her aching center toward him. He made a heady, thick sound of pleasure the moment his cock head split the plump folds of her pussy. While balancing her on the edge of the table, he pushed into her. There was no momentary pause to allow her time to accommodate his heavy cock. His thrusts were hard and unrelenting from the onset. His eyes never left hers as he studied every little expression on her face. He ground his body against her clit, sending her into a climax. Her orgasm only seemed to excite him more. He pumped into her like a piston, tipping something deep and carnal in her. She gripped his back and screamed as one release folded into another. At the moment of his release, his fangs thrust downward, and he groaned out in pleasure. He buried his face against her shoulder but resisted the urge to bite her.

  As Vicq panted against her, she rubbed his back to soothe the scratches she’d put there. It didn’t take them long to heal. After kissing her sweetly on the lips, he fell back into the chair closest to him.

  “You rock my world, Elaina,” he breathed.

  She smiled and glided her palm against his cheeks. “Do I?”

  “From the very first moment we met…”

  There was a soft knock at the door. “Elaina? Vicq?” It was Leila calling out for them.

  Elaina brought her hands to her lips, hoping that she’d move on to another room, at least until she and Vicq had all their clothes on again.

  When the door creaked open, Elaina realized that Leila had other ideas.

  Elaina searched for something to cover herself with, but before she could react, Vicq used his heightened strength to shift them to the bedroom.

  They burst out in laughter once inside the master suite they shared.

  “Fast thinking,” Elaina said between kissing. “She’ll know what we did. Our clothes are still there.”

  “Oh…right…our clothes.” He parted from her to grab a robe, slipping it on. “I’ll get them. Be right back.”

  “Hurry. I’ll be in the bath waiting for you. And then I’ll help put you to sleep, ” she teased, licking her lips. “You have a long day ahead tomorrow.”

  “Mmmm. I like that plan,” he said, just before leaving her alone in the room.

  Chapter 9

  Vicq moved forward across the empty parking lot, shielding his eyes from the bright sun rays. The post office was abandoned, all right. There wasn’t a soul or the presence of an undead person in sight. The sun certainly felt hot as hell as it worked to burn just the surface of his skin. And it wasn’t even summer. It didn’t matter what season it was—one could never escape the sun. His vampire abilities activated, working quickly to heal the skin as soon as the burns began to set in. If he hadn’t fed on humans as much as he had last night, this could have been worse. The trench coat he wore aided him some.

  He checked the street signs again. Anahurst and Fletcher. He was in the right place, but there wasn’t anyone around. Had he been set up? Or worse, had Elaina’s father set her up?

  He moved toward the building and paused to notice how someone had cut through the thick metal chains on the door. Apparently, the chains hadn’t been successful in keeping out the trespassers. In the past, Vicq had always found the homeless living in abandoned buildings like these.

  After pulling the door open, he stepped inside, crossing the threshold ever so slowly. And just as he’d thought, the building was completely abandoned except for a few wayward pieces of furniture—desks and some chairs. And homeless people. There weren’t that many—maybe a dozen or so huddled in different corners of the room. Some held tightly to garbage bags stuffed with their belongings. There were even a few rickety shopping carts filled with odds and ends, probably items found in dumpsters or landfills. Peanut shells covered the floor, and with each step, his boots crushed over them. The residents inside were eating the peanuts.

  No one paid Vicq any attention as he moved forward into the dusty, dark space of the abandoned building. The air was damp and putrid. The place needed a good airing out.

  He looked up just in time to see a flash of red near the adjacent corner of the room. His eyes adjusted to the dull light and a male figure appeared. The vision was there momentarily and then it was gone. He tried to move as naturally as possible to the area, but when he reached it, the person wasn’t there. He turned down a hallway and followed his intuition. There was something there at the end of the corridor.

  The sound of a click rebounded in the space, but before Vicq could react, a bullet ruptured his thigh. He bit down on his tongue from the shock of it and nearly fell to his knees from the pain.

  A man with a red t-shirt appeared in front of him. Vicq swooned, sweeping his gaze back and forth as he tried to focus on the images around him. He soon realized that there was not just one man, but rather a group of men.

  “What did you shoot me with?” He couldn’t move. His limbs were seizing up.

  “That’s for me to know and you to never find out,” the man in the red shirt replied. “Who sent you?”

  “I’m here to see Glory,” Vicq rasped, his lungs burning with each breath he took.

  “I’ve got your Glory.”

  The man swung something long, thick, and shiny like metal at him. One hit to the head and Vicq was out.

  Chapter 10

  Vicq struggled to breathe, but something or someone was holding him back. His face was wet, his clothes were drenched. It felt like he was drowning. He peeled his eyes open only to have a bucket of ice-cold water thrown in his face.

  “You awake now?” someone asked. “We ain’t got all day. Wake your ass up.”

  The voice was familiar. It was the man in the red shirt.

  Vicq gasped and pulled against the thick chains binding him to a chair.

  “Oh no you don’t,” the man in the red shirt protested.

  Had he been set up? Better him than Elaina. He was glad he’d come in her place.

  “Man, are your eyes red? You need to get that shit checked out ASAP,” the man taunted, leaning against a table and cracking open a few peanuts shells and popping the nuts into his mouth.

  Vicq growled. “Let me go.”

  “The sun has really got you weak. Why would you want to go outside again?” He grinned.

  The thing that Vicq hated worse than being held was being taunted. Plus, he didn’t have time for chitchat. He needed to get a message to Elaina’s father and head back before the sun grew stronger and he grew weaker.

  Vicq wasn’t on the main level anymore. He could tell from the absence of windows and the drastic drop in room temperature that they were at a lower elevation. Maybe the basement level.

  “I’m going to drain you dry,” Vicq warned.

  The man smiled, showing pearly whites. “I don’t taste very good.”

  When the chains shifted and loosened around his chest, the man’s eyes widened, and for a moment, Vicq thought he detected fear.

  “If you break these chains, there will be
hell to pay. These cost me a pretty penny,” the man said, grabbing a handful of peanuts from a bucket nearby on the table.

  “I don’t give a fuck about your chains or your pretty pennies,” Vicq replied, struggling against his bindings until, eventually, one of the chains split. “Unlock me before I break them all.”

  “Oh, shit!” the man exclaimed. “Guys! Get out here. Our vamp is awake and he ain’t no rogue.”

  Three men came barreling into the room with guns. Two younger men and one older man. Vicq recognized one of the younger men instantly as the guy who’d handed Elaina her father’s note back at the dock.

  “You need to shoot him again. Those chains aren’t gonna hold him,” one of the younger men suggested.

  “If you’re going to kill me, just do it now.” Vicq held up his palm. “I’m not a good sport when it comes to being held in chains. Been there. Done that. Trust me.”

  “I don’t trust you.” Then the older man asked, “Why are you here?”

  Vicq raised his gaze and studied him for a moment, hoping to find some resemblance or something about him that reminded him of Elaina. He couldn’t. This man’s blond hair, blue eyes, and fair skin were opposite of Elaina’s. He was tall, and so was Elaina, but had most of Elaina’s genes come from her mother then?

  Was this Elaina’s father? Were these men who they appeared to be? Should he talk or keep his mouth shut?

  “Obviously, this is a setup,” Vicq said.

  “This is no setup, vamp.” This statement came from the guy that had handed the letter to Elaina down at the dock. “I saw you last night with the girl. I figured there would be trouble. So, we came prepared. Sure enough, you’re here…but Elaina is not.”

  “Where is my daughter?” the older man demanded.

  “She’s safe. She got your message, but she can’t meet you here.”

  “Why not?”

  “She’s…” Vicq bit his lower lip, processing a million ways in which to tell Elaina’s “father” that she was now a vampire. It wasn’t his message to deliver. Not under these circumstances. He just had to get the man to trust him enough to meet Elaina under the cover of night.