Cosmic Trifecta

by Anna Lewis

  Her parents had both been…dragon hunters. Maria’s eyes widened at the thought. Of course!

  The tent door was flung open in a sweeping gesture and Maria had enough time to glimpse a fleet of bikes and several men milling about, before someone stepped into the tent with her. It took Maria a moment to focus, for her eyes to get used to the light again. When her eyes fell on the man in the tent, her heart froze.

  It was the man from her apartment. He was smirking with an easy confidence as he sat on the edge of her bed without any concern for her space. Maria backed up.

  “Who the hell are you?” she managed to spit out, glaring at him as if she had power in this situation.

  He chuckled, seemingly finding it amusing. “Lucas. Nice to meet you.”

  Maria seethed. “Fine, Lucas. What do you want with me?” She might have been scared, but she wasn’t about to beat around the bush. Not when her life was in danger.

  Yet even as she asked the question, the dots were connecting with her head. The bikes that were parked outside, the tattoos and the heavy jacket that Lucas was now wearing, the unnatural sort of beauty.

  She swallowed hard. It couldn’t be a coincidence that she was meant to be searching for the Black Dragon MC. She shivered and wondered if she was looking into the eyes of her father’s killer right this second.

  Lucas shrugged. “Insurance. I think you know what I mean.”

  Maria did. Insurance that the dragon hunters wouldn’t raid them, wouldn’t come after them. Anger welled up inside her, competing with the terror that made her sick as she stared challengingly into Lucas’s eyes. “Are you the leader?”

  Lucas looked surprised. He chuckled in amusement, but Maria noticed that his eyes darkened considerably, a thunder cloud rolling over him. “Are you kidding? That would be Jake.” He smirked, “Unfortunately, he’s a bit busy at the moment, so I’ll be watching you today.”

  So not him. Not Lucas. Maria felt an odd sense of relief wash over her, a dizzying revelation that she was close to her father’s killer, but she hadn’t met him yet. Good. She took a deep breath. Lucas was staring at her with an amused expression.

  “We’ll be heading off soon. If you don’t want to go hungry, there’s breakfast in the pack beside you.”

  Maria frowned. “And what if I run?” It was a bold statement, challenging, but Maria felt as though she was flying high on the fear and adrenaline that had burnt its way into her skin.

  Lucas laughed and his eyes seemed to lighten. “You ever outrun a dragon, sweetheart?” He smirked and leaned in. Maria could smell the odd smoky scent that clung to him. He moved like a predator, like something who had power and knew it.

  Maria swallowed and stared him down. “No, but there’s a first time for everything.”

  She’d heard the stories, but the thought of Lucas turning into a dragon seemed insane. He was powerful, he moved like an animal and he was fast—too fast to be truly human. But she couldn’t believe that he’d spread his wings and lift into the air, shedding any trace of his humanity.

  Lucas smirked. “Hurry up with breakfast. You have ten minutes.” Then he walked out of the tent and Maria was left alone again with nothing but her thoughts.

  Insane. This was completely insane. She buried her head in her hands and took a deep breath. She had to figure this out, figure a way out of here. It wasn’t until her stomach rumbled with hunger that Maria moved.

  If they needed her alive, this food was probably safe. And she would need her wits about her if she was going to get out of this in one piece.

  * * *

  “I’m not getting on that.” Maria was staring at Lucas’s bike with wide eyes. It was insane. Climbing on the back of a bike for the first time ever, and having it driven by a dragon shifter who clearly didn’t like your family…insanity.

  Maria felt nerves in her stomach. She’d never even been on a bike and she was in no mood to start now, or to start like this.

  Lucas was looking at her impatiently as the other bikes revved to life. “Look, either you come with me willingly, or I throw you on the back of the bike with no helmet. Your choice, sweetheart.” He offered Maria the helmet and she could tell by the look in his eyes that he was serious.

  Maria swallowed hard and took the helmet reluctantly. “Fine.” She knew she sounded petulant, but her knees were shaking and she didn’t really care. She pulled the helmet over her head, wincing at the suffocating feel of it all. Then Lucas offered her a jacket and she took it without complaint. Her blouse wasn’t going to do anything against the wind, and she wasn’t convinced about Lucas’s driving skills.

  She shrugged the jacket on and zipped it up. It was too big for her, but she hoped that it would still offer some protection.

  Lucas was already sitting on the bike, helmet in place, jacket zipped up. “Come on. We don’t have all day.”

  Maria frowned at his sharp tone, remembering that she wasn’t among friends. She climbed onto the bike tentatively, settling herself into the seat. When the engine roared to life, Maria nearly slipped right off again with fright.

  It was impressive. A low rumbling sound that shook her to her very core and left her breathless. It was exciting, it was wild and it terrified her. It sounded like the roar of a dragon and for just a moment, Maria could believe that all of this was true.

  She grabbed onto Lucas’s jacket instinctively, hands clutching at the leather to stop herself from slipping off as the bike rumbled beneath her, low and powerful. Lucas was laughing, a deeply amused sound, and his shoulders shaking as Maria shot dark glares at his back.

  “Oh shit…you’re gonna love the ride.”

  She wasn’t sure if he was being serious or not, so she opted to keep her mouth shut, no matter how badly she wanted to fire off a retort. When Lucas revved the engine, Maria just held on tighter, feeling him shift beneath her grip, muscles tense beneath the leather.

  Despite her fear and loathing, a thrill shot through Maria, leaving her breathless.

  “Here we go.”

  Lucas tore out onto the road at what felt like a hundred miles per hour. The bike revved beneath them and Maria felt the power surge between her legs. It was like nothing she had ever experienced before.

  It felt like they were flying, rushing through the air with nothing keeping them tethered to the earth. Maria clung on tighter, all fear of mockery gone as they sped onto the highway. Maria could feel the wind through her pants, her hair streaming out behind her where it had spilled out from the helmet. She felt dizzy, giddy, and she clung on to Lucas tighter.

  She could feel the tension of his muscles as he controlled the bike, weaving it through traffic and making her heart race. She could barely breathe and she didn’t dare to move. The landscape rushed past in a dizzying blur and she swore that the road never seemed to move this quickly in a car. It was all consuming.

  And although the terror still pounded in her heart, Maria felt a new emotion overcoming her. Elation. This was incredible. This was amazing, and freeing in ways that Maria never thought she would be allowed to feel. This was nothing like the dank little hole and mysterious meetings that enshrouded the world of dragon hunters.

  This was nothing like boring days at the office, and dull days in front of the television—the most exciting things happening on a screen. This was nothing like the life she was running from, and nothing like the life she thought she wanted.

  This was something different. This was something new. It set Maria’s heart ablaze and she wanted to call out at the top of her lungs, wanted to let go of Lucas and lift her hands to catch the breeze. She stayed glued to the spot, though, clutching the leather of his jacket, breathing in the scent of smoke and cologne and freedom. The wind tasted incredible, felt amazing on her skin.

  It was as if all the dark clouds were being chased away, the panic, the worry, the fact that she wasn’t even here willingly. For an instant, none of that seemed to matter and Maria was left only with the majesty that was the open road, that was
a bike speeding down a clear highway, flagged only by dessert and bush.

  And suddenly, Maria couldn’t hate Lucas. The resentment and anger she felt at him for bringing her here seemed to melt away into nothing. He might have dragged her into this mess, but he didn’t start the war.

  She might want to be home, but if she was, she would never have experienced the joy and freedom of the wind through her hair, the beauty of this moment. And for that, regardless of what else she felt, she would always be grateful. This was something else entirely, and she could never have imagined it.

  Maria felt like her eyes had been opened and she was suddenly seeing more than the limited two sides she was seeing before. There was more.

  There was a third side. There was something different, something wild, something dangerous.

  And to Maria’s horror, she found that she loved it.

  * * *

  “What do you mean I can’t see him?” Maria found herself yelling, voice rising far higher than she had expected or meant for it to. She was tense, muscles tight through her arms.

  She’d been asking about talking to Jake since they’d set up camp and Lucas had been frustratingly cryptic and dismissive. The blur of the drive had softened her towards him, but right now, she wanted to strangle him.

  “Look, sweetheart…” he looked her up and down and Maria hated how he made her feel as if she wasn’t wearing any clothes at all. He sighed, “There’s no reason to stress. If you need something, ask me.”

  Maria glowered at him. “You can’t help me with this. I need to talk to Jake.” She paused, “Unless you are the one in charge of this?”

  He darkened at that, at what Maria now recognized as being a sore spot. “I don’t need to be in charge of the whole club to tell you to shut the fuck up.”

  “How dare you?” Maria felt indignation rush through her. She wasn’t used to being spoken to this way and it made her burn with indignation. He was charming and sexy and strong, but he swung widely between treating her with respect and treating her like she didn’t have a say in this.

  And while she didn’t have a say in this, it still drove her crazy.

  “I’ll do whatever I like.” Fire flashed between them and his eyes narrowed. Then Maria turned on her heels, ignoring the fear coursing through her, and stormed in the direction of the largest tent. She’d start there and keep going until she found Jake herself.

  Lucas’s hand caught her wrist and she gasped in frustration as he pulled her close. “Let go of me,” she snapped.

  “Then stop making my job so hard!” he snapped back. Maria turned sharply and found herself face to face with Lucas, only an inch or so away. If she moved, their lips would touch. She noticed the blue of his eyes, which never failed to take her breath away.

  Anger danced behind his gaze, and for eyes so blue they were certainly full of fire. For a moment, Maria thought he’d be the one to kiss her. The fire in his eyes was almost possessive, dark and deep and she felt herself getting lost in them, just for a moment.

  It wasn’t until she heard someone cough that she was broken out of the reverie. She jumped back, startled. Lucas let go of her quickly, “What?”

  He rounded on the man who stood beside them. He was smaller than Lucas, younger too, but amusement danced in his eyes. “Jake wants to see you…if you aren’t too busy.” He grinned.

  Lucas glowered, “Watch the princess then.” He shot her a dark look and turned to leave.

  The younger man was grinning openly now. “Both of you.”

  Lucas swore under his breath, and turned to him, “Really?”

  “Mhmm…his orders.”

  Lucas swore again and glanced at Maria. “Hurry up then. This is what you wanted, isn’t it?”

  Then he turned and strode away. Maria had to run to catch up. Anxiety twisted in her stomach. Yes, this was what she had wanted, but this was also terrifying. She felt sick and nervous and frightened. Anger bubbled beneath the surface. She was about to meet the man who had killed her father.

  There were no words to prepare her for that. Nothing she could do to ease the burning feeling in her heart. She just had to face this and move on. Face this, find out what she could, and move on.

  It was easier said than done. When they entered Jake’s tent, Lucas gave her no time to prepare, no time to settle her own fears. He marched right in and Maria followed behind. Jake leaned back in a camping chair, looking like he was surveying a battle field.

  There was a dark, mean look about him and when he looked up, Maria saw that a scar ran through one of his eyes. It gave him a lopsided look, matching the tattoos that flooded his skin, up his neck and down his arms. His heavy leather jacket seemed to reflect in the light, as if it was made out of scales.

  The thought made her stomach twist. He was good looking, even with the scars, but it was hard to look past the hostility in his eyes. When they entered, he smiled. The smile stretched slowly across his face.

  “Lucas. You made it.” His eyes flickered towards Maria. “And you brought our guest.”

  “Of course.” Lucas shifted his weight, folding his arms, “What do you need, Jake?” He was polite, although tension crackled between them.

  Maria didn’t give Jake a moment to reply. In fact, she surprised herself. “Are you the one in charge?”

  Jake raised an eyebrow, looking surprised. “You’re not surprised.”

  Anger raised its head, pushing down the terror. “No. Why would I be? I know who you are.”

  Maria glared at him, staring him down. Jake laughed and it was an ugly sound. He slowly rose to his feet, his size impressive as he glanced at Lucas. “I’m sure she’s given you plenty of trouble.” He grinned, a predatory smile.

  Maria clenched her hands into fists. “Cut the pleasantries. You didn’t call me hear for that.”

  Lucas glanced at Maria. “What are you doing?” he hissed under his breath, but Jake just chuckled.

  “No, no pleasantries.” He held all the cards and he knew it. It made Maria’s blood boil, low and deep beneath her skin.

  “You killed my father.” The words were out of Maria’s mouth before she could stop them.

  Maria heard Lucas’s intake of breath, but she didn’t stop. “But you’re a fool. They don’t care what happens to me. You’re not safe.” She spat.

  Jake’s eyes darkened and Maria could tell that she had awoken his anger, crossed the line. “Get her out of my sight.” His voice was a low rumble and even Lucas didn’t argue. He grabbed her hand and dragged her out of the tent.

  When they stepped outside, Maria couldn’t help herself. Angry and shaking, she burst into tears right there and then.

  Her father’s killer. And she hadn’t done a damn thing.

  * * *

  Lucas moved in, lifting Maria into his arms. He didn’t ask what was wrong, didn’t argue, and didn’t heed her protests. He just took her back to the tent and set her down. Maria couldn’t stop the tears from coming, couldn’t help the way her shoulders shook in great heaving sobs.

  She was just thankful that she had been able to wait until she had left Jake’s tent before it happened. She couldn’t even imagine the embarrassment at crying in front of him. Crying in front of Lucas was bad enough. Maria wiped her eyes and took a deep breath.

  When she looked up, Lucas was still there, sitting beside her. He offered her a bottle of water and Maria took it, taking a few deep sips. She had looked into Jake’s eyes and seen nothing. No remorse, nothing that hinted at regret for the pain he had caused. Her dad might have been a bit misguided, but he hadn’t been a bad man.

  Maria wiped her eyes again, and took another drink of water. Confusion swirled around her chest, emotions that she didn’t know how to name. Her fingers itched to find a phone and call the dragon hunters and make sure that everything went to hell for their stupid little motorcycle club.

  Then her eyes met Lucas’s and all of that fell away into nothing. The pain still thudded in her chest, but thoughtless reve
nge fled from her. Lucas hadn’t done it. At least, Maria didn’t think he’d had any part of it. His blue eyes were stormy, a million emotions fighting behind them. She could tell he was conflicted too, and she had the strangest suspicion that Jake had been keeping a lot from them, too.

  After the longest time, it was Lucas that broke the silence, “Was that true?”

  Maria sighed, a low, slow sigh, “My father was murdered by a dragon shifter, the leader of this club.” She cast him a long look, her voice cracking, “And he didn’t deny it, did he?”

  Lucas took a deep breath. “That’s why they’re after us?” Thunder was building behind his eyes and Maria felt herself feeling torn, drawn to the storm clouds and propelled away.

  “I think so.” She shot him a glare. “I’m not a dragon hunter. My parents were, and they’re trying to enlist me into their little club, but I want no part of it.” Maria narrowed her eyes. “Though I’m starting to see their point.” Her words were harsh and she wrapped her arms around herself.

  “Hey, we’re not all like Jake.” Lucas shot her an angry glare. “Don’t put us all in that box.”

  “Well you’re not doing much to stop him either, are you?” Maria’s voice was rising now. “And that’s just as bad!”

  “Shh! You want the whole camp to hear?!”

  “Maybe I do!” Maria’s voice raised again and even she could hear the hysterical edge to it.

  Lucas grabbed her, strong hands gentle, but firm, around her shoulders. “That would be a stupid move.”

  “I don’t care!” She struggled, trying to pull out his grip. He was close, less than a couple of inches away. She could feel his breath on her skin, smell the scent of him. And then, without warning, his lips were on hers and they were kissing.

  Suddenly, Maria stopped trying to pull away and Lucas pulled her even closer. She almost fell against him, leaning against his strong chest, feeling the muscles beneath his shirt. He kissed her like she’d never been kissed before. He was all passion. Demanding and full of desires, Maria couldn’t resist him.