by Katie Reus
Drake’s eyes flicked to silver, as if a switch had been flipped. “Thank you.”
As a feeling of warmth spread through her at those two simple words, a horn blasted behind them, making her jump in her seat. As she pressed on the gas, she decided to just say what she needed to say. “So what are you going to do? About your alleged siblings?”
“I don’t know. I want to go see the vampire in Tennessee.”
“But you now have two dragons who could probably answer all your questions.” She understood he was feeling betrayed and probably a whole host of other emotions, but Victoria was good at reading people and the agony she’d seen on those dragon’s faces had been real.
He shrugged, the action stiff. “They could lie. I want to speak to an impartial being.”
Drake had that tone of voice that told her arguing would be pointless. And the truth was, she didn’t want to argue with him. Not about this. His life, his decision; she just wanted to support him. “Okay. I’m going with you. When do you want to leave?” She didn’t care how soon. The pack would learn to live without her. They finally had a lead on dragons—other than the ones right in their city—and she wanted to jump on it.
His answer was immediate. “As soon as possible.”
“Today?”
He nodded. “How long do you think it will take us to reach the place?”
She’d looked up the coordinates on her phone when they’d stopped at a café downtown to grab more coffee and it wasn’t too bad of a drive. “It’s eleven now and it’ll likely take us an hour to pack and say goodbye to everyone.” Meaning convince her Alpha and Gabriel to let them do this without an entourage. Drake wouldn’t want that and she didn’t either. It was time to spread her wings a bit more. “So if we leave around noon and factoring in gas stops, I’d say we can make it by ten, ten thirty.”
Which would give them a lot more alone time. Something she was craving, especially since she knew he wanted her as much as she wanted him. It would also give them enough time to catch some Zs before hunting down the vampire early in the morning. If this vamp was blood-born he was naturally powerful so going early would make more sense. They wanted to catch him when he couldn’t go outside. Of course it was possible he could, but day walkers were incredibly rare.
“You’re sure you don’t mind?” His voice was hesitant, his posture stiff.
She didn’t like it. “Drake, this thing between us, it’s not casual.” Obviously. She still couldn’t put into words exactly how she felt. Not out loud anyway. She was terrified that if she did, she’d lose him. After being abandoned by her aunt and uncle when she was ten, she didn’t like to take anything for granted, least of all this thing with Drake. “Would you let me go off by myself?”
“No. But you have a pack, a family.” Again with the hesitancy.
“We’re family.” The words were out faster than she had a chance to analyze them. But they were true. Considering the way her own blood relatives had deserted her, she figured she got to choose her family.
Still stiff, he nodded once, his eyes brightening to that supernova as he turned to look out the window again. It was clear he’d withdrawn into that shell he’d encased himself in when they’d first met all those months ago. Under other circumstances it might have annoyed or even worried her, but she understood that it was his coping mechanism.
As they pulled up to the mansion, she rolled her shoulders once. Time to get her game face on and make it clear to both her Alpha and Gabriel that she didn’t need a babysitter to help Drake out. And whether they liked it or not, she was going.
* * *
High in the air above the Stavros shifter pack’s rolling estate, he watched as Dragos and the wolf shifter female got into an SUV. They’d been out all morning and he’d been watching.
Watching and waiting.
They’d returned about an hour ago and were leaving again. It was too risky to try attacking the male now. He needed to get Dragos when he was vulnerable and away from this new pack. What the fuck was a wolf pack doing taking in a dragon anyway?
He couldn’t risk taking on the wrath of that pack either. Not when the Alpha was mated to a blood-born vampire with powerful ties to her old coven. Rumor had it that her former coven and new pack had formed an alliance. He also knew that shifters and vamps had recently signed so-called peace treaties.
But pieces of paper could easily be discarded. Unlike mate ties.
No, he had to bide his time unless he wanted his clan to go to war with shifters and vamps. Which he definitely did not. He’d kept his secret for almost fifteen hundred years and he wasn’t going to fuck things up now.
Sacrificing Drake as a young dragon had been easy enough. He’d just had to use the stupid male’s weak, trusting nature against him. Unfortunately Drake was intelligent and might figure out he’d been behind the betrayal.
It didn’t matter that the witch who’d helped him was now dead, Drake might eventually put the pieces together. That witch had spelled Drake with temporary memory loss right before they’d killed him, but that had been a long time ago. He had to make sure his past deeds never came back to haunt him. Which meant he’d have to find a scapegoat.
As the SUV left the estate an hour later, he followed, watching as it made its way to the highway and headed north. He wasn’t sure why Drake wasn’t flying. He’d seen the male fly since he’d escaped Hell so clearly the male could. Driving seemed like a waste of time.
High in the atmosphere, he started to drop down to gain more speed when a flash of silver caught his eye below. It was only for a moment but he knew that Conall and Keelin must be below, following their brother. They would be camouflaged too, but occasionally it slipped during long flights.
Knowing that they were tailing Drake too wasn’t a surprise, but he forced himself to let his dragon take more control as he flew. He couldn’t risk letting his camouflage drop for even a moment. They could not be allowed to see him.
In a fight he wasn’t certain he could take them both on. Keelin wasn’t a warrior but Conall was and if they thought anyone wanted to hurt their long-lost brother, especially him, they’d attack. He had no good reason to be here now.
Yes, he had to be very careful if he wanted to live.
* * *
Finn rubbed a hand over the back of his neck as he sat on the end of a weight lifting bench. For the most part the pack used their private gym to spar with each other and let out aggression but they had some modern workout equipment. Lyra stood next to him, arms crossed over her chest as they listened to his packmates’ concerns about Victoria leaving. Meaning he got to listen to a fucking bitchfest that he’d ‘let’ her go.
As if anyone let that female do anything.
“I like Drake a lot, but I don’t know if it was wise to let her go.” Ophelia, one of his older packmates—and their doctor—was coming from a maternal place more than anything.
“Last time I checked, Finn is Alpha and Victoria is a grown-ass woman.” Lyra’s voice was dry and non-threatening, but it made Ophelia straighten in indignation.
“I am aware of that,” the petite doctor bit out.
“Are you?” Lyra asked.
Grinning, Finn leaned back and let his mate take control. He’d been going back and forth with his pack for the last twenty minutes about the situation. The pack wasn’t a democracy and for the most part, no one ever questioned his decisions. But when it came to Victoria, it seemed everyone had a damn opinion. He and his inner wolf understood his pack wasn’t questioning his dominance which was why he’d let the bitching commence. Even if it was making him insane. He had better shit to do right now. Namely, he could be naked and buried balls deep in his mate’s tight body.
“Of course I am! I’m not questioning Finn, just—”
“No, are you aware that Victoria is a woman? All grown up and capable of making her own decisions. I’ve seen the way you guys treat her.” Lyra looked around at the group of ten packmates, letting her gaze fall on Gabr
iel last. “She puts up with it because she loves you. And it’s just a guess, but I think she feels grateful you all took her in when she was so young and that’s why she doesn’t push back too hard. It’s not fair to use that gratitude against her. Even if you’re not doing it intentionally.”
Everyone grew silent, even Ophelia. Finally the doctor broke the silence. “Shit.”
Finn didn’t think he’d ever heard her curse and bit back a smile as he stood. When he did, everyone murmured goodbyes and started dispersing.
Except Rhea and Gabriel. He raised his eyebrows at them. Rhea cleared her throat almost nervously, the action out of character for the female. “I know that Victoria is grown up but that doesn’t negate the fact that two unknown dragons are definitely tailing Drake and Victoria to Tennessee.”
Finn didn’t know if they were for certain, but there was a damn good chance of it. They weren’t letting their brother out of their sight. Which was why he’d already set a plan into motion. But Rhea didn’t know that yet.
Rhea continued. “I think it might be prudent to send a small group of warriors after them.”
He nearly snorted at her too-polite tone. “Why don’t you ask Gabriel what he thinks about that?” Finn asked, throwing an arm around Lyra’s shoulders and pulling her close. His mate tucked right into him where she belonged and his body sighed in contentment.
Gabriel gave Rhea an obnoxious smile when she turned to him. “Finn’s already ordered us to follow. Me and you. We head out in ten.”
She punched him in the arm. “Why didn’t you tell me, jackass?”
Gabriel just shrugged. “It’s fun to see you get riled up.”
Rolling her eyes she turned back to Finn and Lyra. “Victoria know we’re coming?”
“No, but she won’t be surprised. Keep your distance if you can. If not…Lyra’s right. Treat her like the adult shifter she is.” His mate’s words had hit too close to home. He’d never even thought that Victoria put up with their overprotectiveness because she felt grateful. He didn’t like that thought at all. She was an integral part of their pack and they all respected the hell out of her.
Now he worried they’d started to do the same thing to Vega. Of course Vega was a teenager and still needed protecting. And hell, he was never going to stop protecting his daughter. But maybe he could loosen up a bit.
As Gabriel and Rhea left, Gabriel paused in the doorway and flipped the small lock into place, grinning as he shut the door behind him.
“I thought they’d never leave,” Lyra muttered before jumping him. Literally. Wrapping her legs around his waist, she tackled him to the ground as her mouth devoured his.
Finn quickly flipped her onto her back and rolled his hips against hers. She’d been back in his life for four months after years of being separated and he couldn’t get enough of her.
Didn’t think that would ever be possible. And he would never waste an opportunity to show her that.
Chapter Ten
“This is it,” Victoria said, seemingly proud of herself as they pulled up to a two-story cabin outside of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, in the heart of the Smoky Mountains.
“Only took us how many tries?” Drake couldn’t keep the teasing note out of his voice. They’d gone up the wrong mountain at one point and had to backtrack despite having a GPS in the SUV. He’d told her it was the wrong mountain, but she’d been so insistent. Not like being stuck in the vehicle with her was a hardship though.
“Being a know-it-all is not an attractive quality.” She stuck her nose in the air before jumping from the vehicle.
Smiling, he followed suit and got out, inhaling the crisp air. The scent of the mountains reminded him so much of Victoria that he started to get another fucking hard-on. Which was ridiculous. Unless he wanted to be perpetually hard around her, which he sort of was anyway, he needed to get himself under control. He ordered his dick down, something he’d been struggling with most of the day. They’d only stopped a couple times for gas and grabbed food to go so it’d been just him and Victoria alone all day.
Which was normally perfect. There was nowhere else he wanted to be than with her.
Except he couldn’t act on his damn desires. The only thing that would help, other than masturbation, was taking to the air and expelling all this pent up energy. Then he’d be able to take control once again.
“I hope the forecast is right and it snows,” he said as he reached the back doors and opened them.
“Really?”
“Yeah. I like it when it snows.” Even if he hadn’t seen it since he’d escaped Hell. Something rammed at his memory bank with more insistency than his previous hazy memories. Maybe something important.
“What is it?” Victoria placed her hand over his when he stood motionless in front of the doors.
He turned to look at her, placing his other hand over hers, drinking in her strength. When everything felt out of control, she was the only thing that made him feel grounded. “I have this memory. It’s of me when I was young, about ten, with another boy who was just a little older. Dark red hair, green eyes. We were playing in the snow. It was thick. Layers and layers and we took turns playing a stupid, dangerous game.” He hated that his mind was a jumbled mess, but he was positive this was real.
Victoria just watched him, patiently, not pushing. Something he loved about her. He wanted to tell her he did love her. The carving on the blade he’d given her should have made it clear but he wanted to say the words. Needed her to know. But not yet. Not until he was worthy. She deserved a male who she could be proud of. Not one with a screwed up mind and no way to support them. Maybe once he knew more about where he came from or more about his kind, it would make a difference. And he needed to tell her exactly what type of male he’d been in Hell. The things he’d done. He didn’t want to, but she needed to know who he was if she was ever to accept all of him. The thought of telling her everything, however, was too much.
He cleared his throat which had gone strangely tight. “One of us would stand in the snow and the other would fly above and make circles around the other with our fire. It was definitely stupid.”
“Why?”
“Young dragons aren’t as in control of themselves as adults and our natural shields aren’t as strong until we’re older.” Apparently he knew that too. He made a mental note of it. “I guess we thought we were indestructible.”
“It’s a good memory though, right? You’re smiling.”
He nodded. It was very good. That much he was certain of. He and the boy had been friends. Best friends. There was something else there though. Something he couldn’t pinpoint. It played at the edges of his mind, jumping out of reach when he tried too hard to grab onto it.
“Was it with your brother?”
He chose not to comment on the fact that they weren’t totally sure Conall—Finn had told him and Victoria his siblings’ names—was indeed his brother. “No. I don’t think so. The boy’s eyes were a bright green and his dragon coloring was different than mine. Dragons in the same clan have similar coloring. Not exactly the same, but enough that you know what clan they belong to.” He was certain of it.
“You’re remembering even more.” Victoria beamed at him, her smile stealing his breath to such an extent he almost dipped his head and captured her mouth.
His gaze landed on her soft, kissable lips, devoid of any lipstick. She never wore it, just a gloss that made her lips shiny and taunted him. His control around her was slipping too much. Stepping back, he let his hand fall from the door. Maybe touching her wasn’t the best idea. “We should get all our stuff inside.” He’d wanted to go see the blood-born vamp tonight but she’d been insistent they wait until morning, so wait they would. She was right. They needed rest and to be on their game when they went to speak to the vampire.
A small frown played across her mouth but she nodded. “Okay.” When she opened the doors, he reached in and grabbed their bags. Like usual she protested that she could carry her own stuff, bu
t, like usual, he ignored her.
Just as the woman from the rental agency had told them, a key was waiting under the mat. Not prime security, but who the hell was going to break into this lone cabin halfway up a mountain?
Once inside, they found three bedrooms upstairs, all with huge bathrooms. The place had a rustic feel to it, but everything inside was top quality and all the appliances were new. Finn had said he’d take care of getting them a place and while Drake didn’t know much about cost, he could tell that renting this place wouldn’t be cheap. And he hated depending on someone else for shelter.
“How much is it to rent this place?” he asked as they reached the big bedroom at the end of the upstairs hallway. The master bedroom, Victoria had told him it was called.
“I don’t know.” She stepped inside and glanced around. “You take this one. It’s got a king-sized bed.” He started to protest but she pivoted and hurried from the room, not meeting his gaze as she passed him. “I need to run. My wolf is getting edgy. I’ll be back in half an hour. Put my bags wherever.” Her words came out like rapid gunfire as she practically sprinted from the room.
Drake started to go after her, but stopped at her scent. There was something heightened about it, something that made his dragon claw at the surface and if he went after her, they’d end up naked. In some ways not going after her was harder than anything he’d endured in Hell.
* * *
Still in wolf form, Victoria loped up to the front door of the cabin, gravel from the driveway crunching under her paws. Snow was definitely in the air. The man who’d been working at the last gas station they’d stopped at, at the foot of the mountain, had told them they might get a few inches of snow tonight and that it would mostly melt by noon tomorrow. Apparently it had been an odd winter.
Not that she cared about the damn weather. After being in that SUV with dark and delicious Drake she was going out of her freaking mind with lust. That wasn’t like her. Even these past few months when she’d been hiding her feelings for him, she’d never had a problem with keeping all her emotions locked down.