Taste of Darkness

by Katie Reus

  He wanted to know too, but he’d figured nature would take care of itself and they’d figure things out. He might not have ever been with a woman but the Internet was very informative and he knew what he wanted to do to Victoria, how much pleasure he could bring her. If he didn’t get it right the first time, he would keep trying until he did. And not stop.

  “Not specifically, but dragons bite each other when they seal their bond. And…” He glanced at his sister then back, his expression dark when he looked back at Drake and Victoria. “When dragons mate, it’s for life.”

  Drake frowned, unsure why this was a bad thing. It was his understanding that shifters and vampires were the same. Unlike some humans who left each other, wolf shifters mated for life so it made sense that dragons did the same. “Why is this concerning?”

  “If one mate dies, so does the other.” Conall flicked a glance between the two of them.

  Victoria’s fingers tightened in his again, but she didn’t respond.

  Luckily Conall continued. “It’s why our kind are so protective of our secrets and why clans tend to live together. There’s strength in numbers and mates are intensely protective. And possessive. No matter what happens with you and Drake we hope you will keep our secrets,” he said, directing the last part to Victoria.

  The statement made something dark inside Drake twist, but Victoria simply nodded, seemingly nonplussed.

  “No matter what happens?” he growled.

  Conall’s gaze swung back to his, his expression carefully neutral. “I simply meant if she wasn’t…willing to go through with the mate bond. It’s a big risk to take for both parties knowing that if one dies, so does the other.”

  If something happened to Victoria, Drake wouldn’t want to live anyway. He might not have much experience in this world, but he knew that much. Hell would be nothing compared to a world without Victoria in it. When he looked at her, he couldn’t get a read on her expression. She smiled at him, but it didn’t reach her eyes. Maybe she didn’t feel the same. The sharpest sense of pain slid through his chest. He’d assumed…

  Turning back to his brother, he let Victoria’s hand go. It was too hard to touch her. An acidic scent rolled off her and when he looked at her, her emerald green eyes flashed with hurt. More guilt speared him, but he didn’t reach for her again. He couldn’t touch her and think straight.

  “There’s more.” Keelin’s soft voice interrupted his thoughts. “We have about two hundred and fifty members in our clan and you are what is considered royalty for our people.”

  Drake frowned, not sure he understood. “How so?”

  “Our father is the clan leader and while he’s in Protective Hibernation I’ve taken over as leader. But the honor is yours,” Conall said. “And as soon as you’re ready I will relinquish all the responsibilities to you.”

  That tightness began to overwhelm him again, the need to shift and fly a desperate hum inside him. Royalty? “I don’t want it.”

  Conall’s eyebrows crashed together. “But it’s your right as the oldest.”

  He clenched his jaw tight. He barely knew anything about this world, he certainly couldn’t take on the responsibility of a dragon clan he knew nothing about. “No.” The word came out more savage than he’d intended.

  Keelin delicately cleared her throat. “If you decide not to take over that’s okay but everyone wants to see you again. We would also like you to live with us for as long you’d like. Preferably permanently.”

  A home to live in? Forever? His throat tightened and he risked a glance at Victoria. She smiled softly, clearly pleased for him. He should be happy too. Part of him was. He had a family who wanted him, but he still had so many questions. Like how had he ended up in Hell? Because someone had to have sacrificed him. And what if Victoria didn’t want to live with his clan? He didn’t even know where they were located. He still wanted her as his mate, but couldn’t read her emotions right now.

  Rubbing the back of his neck, he shelved some of his questions. It was after midnight, and after being in the SUV all day he was edgy. Not to mention he hadn’t gotten to finish what he’d started with Victoria in the hot tub and he had a feeling they wouldn’t be finishing tonight. There was more to the mate bond than he’d imagined.

  “Where are you two staying?” Victoria asked when Drake didn’t respond to his sister.

  “Um, we haven’t…we’re…” Keelin stumbled over her words.

  “Staying with us. There are two extra rooms here.” Victoria looked at him questioningly so he just nodded. His instinct told him to trust Conall and Keelin and so far his gut hadn’t let him down.

  “We’re parked nearby so we’ll just get our vehicle and things,” Conall said.

  “Were you just planning to keep following us?” Drake asked suddenly.

  Conall nodded. “We’re not letting you out of our sight again. Not literally of course, but someone had to have sacrificed you to Hell.” His brother’s jaw tightened, his eyes going pure silver. “And that’s not going to happen again. We’re going to find who did it and destroy them.”

  Savage, true words.

  The conviction in his brother’s voice caused the strangest sensation in Drake’s chest. He wanted to reach out and drag his brother into a hug but wasn’t sure if he should. So he remained where he was. Throat tight, he nodded because he didn’t trust his voice. He wanted vengeance too, he just had no idea how to find it. Not until more of his memories returned.

  As his brother and sister stood, he and Victoria followed suit, walking them to the front of the house where they disappeared down the driveway. Getting so many answers tonight had been unexpected.

  Right now the only thing he cared about was knowing where he stood with Victoria. He knew he should have more concerns, but she was it for him. If she didn’t want to mate with him after hearing all of that, he needed to know now.

  Chapter Twelve

  Victoria sat on the end of the king-sized bed in the master bedroom while Drake retrieved her things from the other room. He’d been insistent on moving her bags into his room and she’d needed a few moments alone so she was taking advantage of the silence.

  She was glad Drake hadn’t minded her asking his siblings to stay with them. He’d seemed extremely pleased she’d be sharing a room with him, but the way he’d dropped her hand so abruptly during the conversation about mating had her reeling. He’d seemed almost angry with her earlier and she wasn’t sure why.

  When he stepped into the room with her bag and toiletry case, she jumped up. Then she felt foolish for being so nervous. “Thank you for getting those.”

  He just grunted and placed them next to an oversized distressed-style dresser before shutting the door. Instead of looking at her, he started pacing in front of the door like a caged beast. She’d never seen him like this and wasn’t sure what to make of it.

  It wouldn’t be long until his siblings were back and she wanted to talk. “Drake.”

  He stopped, pivoting toward her, his jaw clenched tight. “Do you want to mate with me?”

  Her eyes widened, her heart rate increasing. “Right now?”

  “I just mean ever. Do you want to be my mate?”

  And here it was. The conversation she wasn’t ready to have, especially after what his brother had revealed about mates being so bonded that they literally couldn’t live without one another. She was naturally strong as a shifter, but she was infinitely weaker than Drake. It was simple biology. She would be a weak link for him. A huge weak link for a male who’d never gotten the chance to experience life. Chances were much higher that she would die first, and it would be a death sentence for him. But she couldn’t lie. He’d scent it if she did. “I do.”

  Instant relief flooded his face. He shoved his hands through his dark hair, the shaky action showing off the muscles of his arms as they flexed. She tried not to notice how sexy it was, but couldn’t help it. “But? And don’t lie. You pulled back out there. I felt it.” His voice shook with ange
r and it registered that she’d hurt his feelings when she hadn’t meant to.

  She took a step in his direction, wanting to touch him, knowing they both needed it right now. The need to comfort him was high and not because she was a healer. He didn’t move away from her, but he also didn’t step forward so she stopped, feeling as if a giant chasm yawned between them when it was really only a few feet. “I wasn’t pulling back. Drake, there’s so much you haven’t done yet. So much you haven’t seen or experienced.”

  “What does that have to do with mating?” he demanded, his expression fierce.

  “Everything. What if you’re settling for me because I’m all you’ve known in the short time you’ve been out of Hell?”

  His head jerked up like she’d slapped him. “Just because I was in Hell doesn’t mean I’m stupid. I might not understand a lot of things, but my dragon claimed you before I’d ever seen you. I scented you in that cemetery, I was crazed to get to you before I’d seen your face. Once I got to know you… I don’t need any other fucking experience with women if that’s what you mean. Why would I when I have you? You’re mine.”

  Those two words warmed her from the inside out, but she still couldn’t believe it. Just couldn’t. He wasn’t thinking clearly, and he was just being stubborn. She needed him to stop and consider the consequences of what he was saying. “What if we mate and I’m killed? I’m weaker than you and whoever put you in Hell might be out there. What if they want to get to you through me?” Her voice shook as she thought about all the years he’d lost already. If his life was cut short because of her…

  His expression softening, Drake crossed the few feet between them, cupping the side of her face in his big hand as his other hand settled on her hip. His eyes blazed bright silver as he stared down at her. “I love you, Victoria. That is the one truth I know.” He said it with total conviction and the words slammed into her heart with enough intensity she felt it to her core.

  Her eyes burned with tears, spilling hot over her cheeks. She didn’t bother wiping them away, instead reaching for him, her hands settling on his chest. “You can’t,” she whispered.

  He didn’t pull away. “Why are you fighting this?” His voice was low, rumbling and confused.

  She didn’t blame him for being confused. Too many emotions swirled inside her, out of control and she couldn’t get a handle on herself. Her inner wolf was clawing at her, telling her to shut the hell up and just jump this male, take what was hers. “I’m afraid.”

  His frown deepened as he swiped her stray tears away with his thumb. “Of what?”

  “Losing you.” After everything he’d been through, she felt like a freaking coward right then, but fear could be an overwhelming, tricky bitch. She was drowning in it. Her only real family had abandoned her as a cub and she’d come to learn that you chose your family but still…the thought of losing Drake was too much.

  His expression softened even more with understanding. “I could be taken from you anyway. Luckily I’m hard to kill.”

  Throat tight, she forced her vocal cords to work. “I love you so much it scares me, Drake. I just don’t ever want you to regret me. To settle.” Because that was the real crux of the matter. The mating thing was the icing on the cake of her fears, feeding them and fucking with her head. Making her balk at taking the next step in their relationship. Because after that big step, there was no going back.

  “I know you don’t like being treated like a child by your pack and I don’t like being treated as if I don’t know my own mind. You’re mine, Victoria. If you don’t want to mate with me, I will accept it.” His silver gaze said he’d still fight for the right to be with her.

  That was all she needed to know. “I want to.”

  Triumph and relief glittered in his eyes as he crushed his mouth to hers. No more sweet, gentle kisses, but a dominant taking from the possessive male she’d come to love more than she ever imagined possible.

  Fear still lurked in the back of her mind, lingering and clawing for purchase but she shoved it back, savoring the kiss of this male. This male who was an absolute miracle in her life. After fifteen hundred years in Hell he shouldn’t be so sane, so loving. But he was.

  His tongue teased against hers, wickedly demanding as his hand slid up under her sweater, his palm spanning her back and pulling her flush against him. She arched into him, only stopping when he stilled.

  Lifting his head back, he cocked it to the side. He let out a growl of frustration, his dragon flickering in his eyes. “They’re back.”

  Damn. She’d been so lost in his taste she hadn’t heard anything else. And, yep, they were glowing again. She glanced at the open windows over her shoulder. One wall was all windows and a sliding glass ceiling-to-floor length door. Sheer buttercream colored curtains were pushed back and something told her they wouldn’t do much to block the light Drake was putting off.

  Not that it mattered anyway. Looking back at him, she said, “When we take the next step, I’d like to be alone.” Because she really didn’t want his brother and sister listening to her and Drake.

  He nodded. “You’ll still stay with me tonight.” A demand.

  When he rolled his hips, rubbing his erection against her lower abdomen, her eyes grew heavy-lidded for a moment. “We should go greet them and show them to their rooms.” But now she wished she’d never invited them to stay. She wanted to finish what she’d started with Drake. Her body ached for his, for the release she knew he could give her.

  He growled in response, but followed her when she stepped out of his embrace and headed for the door.

  Even though she was disappointed they’d been interrupted, part of her was a little relieved. She wanted him more than anything and knew she wanted to mate with him, but she still needed to wrap her mind around the fact that they’d soon be linked. Her relief had nothing to do with the fact that she was still waiting for the other shoe to drop, she told herself.

  Nothing at all.

  * * *

  High in the night sky above the cabin Dragos had settled down at for the evening, he scanned the surrounding area looking for the dragons who should be arriving any moment. Of course they’d likely camouflage themselves until the last minute.

  He didn’t care for the Veles clan, but they’d had a long-standing distaste of the Petronilla dragons. When he’d anonymously called their clan leader and told him that the supposedly deceased Dragos was indeed alive and where to find him, he’d been certain the dragon would send someone immediately. Now he wanted to know what was taking so long for them to move into action.

  Dragos had been putting off that blinding mating light earlier. Stupid to do it outside. The royal male might not have known what happened during mating though. It wasn’t something explained to children and he’d been dropped into Hell long before he reached his maturity so he wouldn’t have known about it.

  Luckily he could work the male’s mating hunger to his advantage. If Dragos mated with that wolf shifter and she was killed, her pack would come after the Veles clan. Which meant the Marius vampire coven would back the Alpha’s new mate Lyra in attacking the Veles’s.

  Dragons were strong but if the full force of a shifter pack and vampire coven descended on the Veles clan, the clan would take a serious hit. Possibly even be obliterated. That would be a definite if the shifters and vamps worked in tandem with the Petronilla clan. Some of those Marius vampires could fly, giving them an almost equal advantage with dragons.

  The vamps and shifters would have to find the Veles clan first, but he would help them. Anonymously of course. The Veles clan had prime territory he wouldn’t mind taking over. But that would be a bonus. He just wanted Dragos dead.

  Dragos’s parents deserved the male’s death. When they came out of their Protective Hibernation, it would be the sweetest thing to see the agony on their faces that they’d lost their son again. If he could kill Keelin before they woke up, it would be even better.

  She was weaker than Conall, an easier ta
rget, especially since she was so trusting. Her kindness would give him an advantage. She’d been in Protective Hibernation so long he hadn’t been able to strike at her. If he’d known where she’d gone to ground he would have tried, but dragons were exceptionally secretive about their Hibernation. For good reason. The year since she’d been out her brother had kept a close eye on her.

  An SUV pulled into the driveway, parking next to Drake’s. When Conall and Keelin exited, his ire grew. He’d thought they’d left for good. If they were staying in the cabin this could create a problem. He wanted them both dead, but he wanted to be the one to kill them, especially Conall. Obnoxious bastard. Unfortunately the male had proved tricky to destroy so far.

  He needed to act quickly though. If their parents woke from Protective Hibernation soon he’d lose his chance. They were so damn overprotective. Too much so.

  Something from the woods caught his eye. A flash of movement. Fast. Too fast to be human. Probably a wolf or bear or whatever the hell was in this forest, but he wanted to get a closer look.

  Swooping down, he kept his camouflage on as he descended. As he glided, a wild rush of air directly above him told him the Veles dragon—or dragons—had arrived. Looked as if his job here was done. He hoped the Veles dragons finished off Drake, but if not, he’d do it himself.

  Veering left, he went lower, but turned away from the cabin. He didn’t need to see the destruction. No matter who won, he’d hear about it later.

  * * *

  Victoria put the champagne back in the refrigerator and closed the door. Though she was exhausted, she was nervous about sleeping in the same bed with Drake. Which was stupid. She had nothing to be nervous about. Other than the fact that she didn’t know if she trusted her control where he was concerned.

  The kitchen and huge living room were connected, with exposed wood beams across the high ceilings making the space seem even larger. As she stepped into the living room, Keelin appeared at the bottom of the stairs, her long hair damp.