Taste of Darkness

by Katie Reus

  “It’s platinum,” he blurted. Maybe she thought it was silver.

  “It’s beautiful,” she whispered, pulling out the necklace by the delicate chain. Two platinum wings with fine green emeralds placed along the feathers glinted under the rising moonlight and stars. And they weren’t angel wings, the style much more similar to dragon wings. Which made him wonder at the human designer who’d made them.

  When Victoria’s gaze met his, a sheen of wetness greeted him, making his throat tighten until she threw her arms around his neck and buried her face against it. “Thank you. It’s perfect.”

  “You’re perfect,” he murmured.

  Giving him a watery laugh, she turned around. “I’m glad you think so. Will you put this on me?”

  The delicate chain and clasp was awkward in his hands, but he managed to get it on.

  Her face was lit with raw joy as she tucked it under her green sweater and said, “So nothing happens to it while we’re sledding.” Then she grabbed his hand and tugged him toward where the others were talking and laughing.

  His gift was another symbol for how badly he wanted to claim her. The desire to mark her was a living, growing thing in him and one he wasn’t sure he could control any longer.

  * * *

  Conall waited at the foot of the hill for Drake and Victoria to slide down on their toboggans. When he’d received a text from his aunt that Drake was out sledding he hadn’t believed it. Mainly because he hadn’t thought his brother would let Victoria outside.

  Not that Victoria seemed like the type of female to let any male walk all over her. Which was good. Dragons were notoriously overprotective and a strong female mate was a necessity. Even if they hadn’t technically mated yet, it was coming soon. Drake’s scent was all over her and vice versa, but mated shifters put off a distinctive scent, letting other supernaturals know they were taken.

  “Are you joining us?” Victoria asked as they reached the bottom of the hill. Drake put his feet out to slow them down, his arms wrapped protectively around the wolf shifter even when they were doing something as simple as sledding.

  “No, but I need to speak to Drake about a visitor he has.” Conall’s gaze flicked over to Rhea and Gabriel racing each other down the slope, the fierce female grabbing the male’s rein to disrupt his balance and slow him down so she could win. He started to smile then caught himself as he focused on Victoria and Drake.

  He didn’t need to think about the sexy female in any capacity. A small part of him wished there had been a clear sexual relationship between Rhea and Gabriel. It would have put her directly in the off limits category. But his inner dragon clawed at that thought, not wanting anyone to touch the strong female. No one but him.

  “Victoria can hear anything you have to say.”

  Conall nodded and motioned back toward the bottom of the hill which led to the road where his SUV waited. As they reached the curb, far enough away from everyone that they wouldn’t overhear, he shoved his hands in his pockets and leaned against the passenger side. “A female from another clan is here to see you.” His gaze snapped to Victoria when she started growling low in her throat.

  She blinked and flushed red, as if realizing what she was doing. “Sorry, I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

  Drake just looked smug, pulling her close. “Growl all you want. The sound is…appealing.”

  She flushed even darker, then nudged Drake before focusing on Conall. “Please continue. No more growling, I promise.”

  “I should have started with, a childhood friend is here to see you,” he said to his brother. “One of our clan members mated a member of the Devlin clan’s royalty and when she heard you were back, insisted on coming right away. They weren’t supposed to be here for another two days, but came early. I’d planned to speak to you about it tomorrow.” There, he sounded almost normal talking about his former betrothed, even if her early arrival annoyed him.

  “Why are you talking strange?” Drake asked.

  And Victoria was frowning at him too. “Do you not like this female?” she asked softly, all caring and concern that made him want to squirm under her intense gaze.

  “Fia is a lovely female.”

  Victoria snorted. “Come on. What’s wrong?”

  How did they see right through him? “She is my former betrothed.”

  “You were engaged to this female?” Victoria asked while Drake simply watched him with an unreadable expression.

  Conall nodded.

  “Oh.” Victoria just bit her bottom lip then looked at Drake, as if waiting for him to say something.

  His brother frowned. “We were all friends?”

  Conall nodded. The three of them had been close, learning to fly and cause mischief together. All the clan’s children had been close.

  Drake grunted. “I don’t remember her and I don’t care to meet some female who hurt my brother.”

  It took a lot to surprise Conall and in that moment, something inside his chest cracked. He’d missed Drake more than he’d allowed himself to admit. His brother was the one who’d taught him how to sled, how to fly figure eights and how to sneak treats from Aunt Alma’s kitchen without getting caught. When he’d disappeared, or died as they’d all assumed, it had ripped out a chunk of Conall’s heart. He’d tried to hide his mourning so as not to upset his mother even more, but he’d never gotten over his brother’s disappearance. “It’s not like that.”

  “Hmm,” Victoria murmured, as if she didn’t believe him.

  “It’s not.” Why did she make him feel like a child explaining himself? “Things ended but she’s still a kind female.” That was what had made things so hard. “We were promised to each other since we were young. After you…disappeared, our parents made an alliance in an effort to keep the clan strong. As we grew older, I developed feelings for her. She did not return them. Things ended and our families are still cordial. It is not an epic story.”

  Drake was quiet so long Conall wondered if he’d ever speak. Finally his brother shook his head, as if he’d made a decision. “I’m enjoying this time with my mate. Tomorrow I’ll make a decision whether to see her.”

  “Drake—”

  His brother’s expression was set. “We will sit down and discuss everything about her current clan. Before any outsiders meet my mate, I will know everything about them.”

  Conall held back a smile and nodded. That sounded like the brother he’d known as a child. The male wanted to look at every angle of any situation. It was a smart, tactical move as well, and showed natural leadership. Something he appreciated. Especially if Drake decided to take over ruling the clan. “I will meet them at the gate and tell them.”

  “I’ll go with you,” Rhea said, appearing as if from nowhere, the stealth of the female beyond impressive. No one ever surprised him.

  Her subtle vanilla and jasmine scent teased him. Not that he should be noticing her scent at all. But when she was around, he lost focus, everything else fading into the background. “That’s not necessary.”

  “If another clan of dragons wants to be in Victoria and Drake’s presence, I’m meeting them.” There was no room for discussion in her firm voice.

  Which was, to quote the younger generation, fucking hot. That damn humming sensation in his chest was back as he looked into her amber eyes. Instead of responding, he simply nodded at her and headed to the driver’s side of the SUV. She climbed into the passenger side.

  When he pulled away from the curb, he asked, “How much did you overhear?”

  “All of it. So you were betrothed, huh?”

  He found it interesting that she used the same word, not engaged, like Victoria had. “Yes. How old are you?”

  She laughed, the throaty sound rolling over him, wrapping him up in her innate earthiness. “That’s a jump in conversation.”

  “You used the term betrothed.” Which told him she was from a different generation.

  “Oh, right. I’m almost a hundred and fifty. And… I was b
etrothed a long time ago too. I imagine it’s hard to meet up with an ex.”

  He frowned at the thought of her betrothed to someone else. “What happened?” Because he couldn’t imagine any male leaving this vibrant, strong female. She would have been the one who’d left, he had no doubt.

  “He died.” There was an extreme amount of buried agony in those two words, even if her tone was flat.

  Shit. “I’m sorry.” Ineffectual words, but what else was there to say?

  She just nodded and they fell into a comfortable silence as he drove through their quiet village to the main entrance gate. He hadn’t thought he’d want anyone to accompany him to see Fia for the first time in hundreds of years, but he was glad to have Rhea beside him.

  Having this female with him soothed something inside him he didn’t understand. Even if it was as if Rhea was encased in ice. Her facial expressions, even her scent, was damn hard to read. And didn’t that make him want to get to know her even more. Thoughts of her writhing beneath him, or riding him, as they both found release vividly played in his mind. Something in his consciousness told him there would be a lot more than sex between them.

  He buried the thought deep.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Bran stood in front of the SUV, leaning casually against the vehicle as Conall Petronilla and an unknown female with blades strapped across her chest exited the main gate. He was certain the female had left her jacket unzipped intentionally. After a quick inhale of scents, he realized she was a wolf shifter. Interesting. Back in black ops he’d worked with his fair share of all species, and wolves were fucking brutal. They tended to kill and ask questions later.

  Out of respect for the other clan leader, Bran pushed up from the vehicle and nodded at Conall, who was a similar height to him. He closed the distance between them. “Thank you for meeting me here. I know we’re early and I apologize.”

  Conall’s stony expression never changed. It wasn’t hostile, but it wasn’t warm and friendly either. “Entrance is denied tonight. Drake’s mate is still resting and his full priority is her.”

  “Understood. We’ll find lodging and wait for you to contact us. Again, I apologize for the intrusion.” He wasn’t going to do the ‘I told you so’ thing to his brother but hell, how had Gavin and Fia not seen this coming.

  “I’ve already contacted the ski lodge and they have a cabin reserved for you. I didn’t know how large your party was so if you need more lodging, let the concierge know and they’ll accommodate you.”

  It took a lot to surprise Bran, but the show of respect—when his clan didn’t deserve it for their rude behavior of showing up so damn early—was impressive. “Thank you.”

  “Wow, dragons are so civil.” The female spoke for the first time, drawing both their attention to her. She glanced at Conall and shrugged, amusement clear on her face. “Wolves tend to attack people who show up on their doorstep and maybe ask questions later.”

  “What pack are you from?” Bran asked even though he was certain he knew. This clearly wasn’t Dragos’s mate, but she must be part of that female’s pack. The information Keelin Petronilla had given Fia was scarce.

  “Stavros.”

  He nodded. Just as he’d thought. The rumor was that Dragos had been living with the Stavros pack. He’d heard of Finn Stavros and the male was powerful. Even more so now that he was mated to a blood-born vamp. “I’m Bran Devlin.”

  “Rhea.” No last name and no attempt to make polite talk or shake his hand. Just an icy glare that said if he made one wrong move, those blades were coming out.

  Conall let out a low warning growl, drawing Bran’s attention back to the male who hadn’t moved a muscle. Just stood there with his eyes glowing pure silver. And it had everything to do with the curly-haired female. Interesting.

  Bran took a step back, not out of fear, but to show the other male he respected his not-so-subtle claim. “You have my cell number.”

  Conall nodded and motioned for Rhea to move in behind him. She raised an eyebrow, as if to laugh that anyone wanted to protect her, but she moved for the gate first. As they started to open the gate—and Conall knew there were any number of warriors stationed in the air as backup—the passenger door to the SUV flew open.

  Bran cringed and reined in a curse.

  Fia and Gavin got out, Fia’s expression confused, her ivory skin glowing in the pale moonlight. “What’s happening? Why aren’t you opening the gates for us?” she asked Conall, who kept that stony mask in place.

  Bran let loose the anger he usually kept in check, his fire burning the back of his throat as he shot his brother a dark look. Gavin gave him an apologetic look, but didn’t say anything to correct his mate. Per usual.

  “Fia,” he snapped. “Get back in the vehicle.”

  “Is this about our history, Conall?” she asked the other leader, completely ignoring Bran, her voice bewildered.

  To everyone’s surprise, the wolf shifter female stepped forward. “This has nothing to do with you. Drake doesn’t want to see anyone but his mate right now. Something I’m certain you can understand as a mated female.” Her voice was kind, but firm.

  “I do understand. We were just so close as children, like siblings, and when he re-emerged into the world I felt it too. I didn’t realize it was him until Keelin confirmed it and…” Her voice was watery and she seemed close to tears. Real tears too because that was one thing Bran respected about Fia. She didn’t cry for show.

  “Drake doesn’t remember you, Fia. He doesn’t remember most of his former life. Tonight is not a good time, but I’ll be in contact with your clan leader tomorrow.” Conall’s voice was just a fraction softer than when he’d spoken to Bran. But not by much. Whatever his feelings had been for Fia at one time, it seemed clear they were over.

  “Get in the SUV,” Bran ordered, an edge to his voice. He didn’t give her any of the softness Rhea or Conall had.

  Eyes wide, she did just that, Gavin close behind her, but not before throwing Bran a hard look.

  “Being clan leader sucks sometimes,” Conall said, the informal speech surprising Bran as he stepped back to the gate, keeping his body protectively in front of the female.

  A grin tugged at Bran’s lips, but he locked it down. “Yeah it does,” he muttered. And to think some dragons actually wanted all the responsibility of a clan, he thought, shaking his head as he walked back to the SUV.

  * * *

  “That was very sweet what you did,” Victoria said almost absently, her back to Drake as she eyed the interior of the refrigerator. The guest house was now empty except for Gabriel and Rhea who were upstairs.

  Drake knew his brother had ordered guards around the house too, which was fine with Drake. But he didn’t want anyone else inside. Not when he craved privacy with Victoria.

  “What was sweet?” His gaze trailed to the formfitting jeans hugging her backside. They’d returned to the house not long ago and he was having a hard time concentrating on anything other than thoughts of getting her naked. After sledding or tobogganing or whatever it was called, with her cradled in front of him as he held her close, he wanted no more barriers between them. He wanted skin to skin.

  Craved it on the deepest level.

  But he worried it might be too soon. She seemed like her old self, but she’d only bounced back earlier this evening from the poisoning.

  “The way you subtly stood up for your brother. Gah, I’m so hungry.” She shut the refrigerator door with a growl and headed for the pantry, practically stomping in her bare feet.

  “It wasn’t sweet. We’re not letting unknowns into this territory until I know more about them.” He was not a sweet male. Something she needed to understand. He should explain to her exactly how violent he could be, the things he’d done in Hell, but he didn’t want to. Not yet. Right now all he was concerned with was keeping her safe. Because no one was getting near his soon-to-be mate. As he eyed the sway of her hips, hungry possessiveness swept up inside him, threatening to
suck him under.

  Frowning at the strange energy humming off her, he followed her into the oversized pantry. He was amazed by all the food lining the shelves for a second before his focus was on Victoria again.

  Hands on her hips she eyed the shelves, scanning the various foodstuffs. When she moved right past a box of chocolate bars, he realized she wasn’t even looking because his female never ignored chocolate. “Victoria, what’s wrong?” When she turned to look at him, her eyebrows were drawn tight together and she wrapped her arms around herself. He didn’t like the way she seemed to be closing him out. “Tell me.” A soft demand.

  Her arms immediately dropped and her gaze landed on his lips. When she licked her own, moistening them, his cock hardened even more, to an almost painful point. Aaaand, he started glowing.

  The interior of the pantry lit up in an electric pale gold glow, highlighting Victoria’s flushed cheeks and soft skin. Her crisp mountain scent intensified, filling the enclosed space until all he could think about was tasting her. All of her. The desire pounding in his veins was an erratic beat, making him insane with need.

  Ever since he’d heard that conversation between Vega and Victoria about some male having his face between his female’s legs, he wanted to experience the same thing. To bring Victoria the ultimate pleasure with no fucking interruptions.

  Because if anyone dared come in here right now, he’d burn them to a crisp.

  “Take off your sweater.” He’d meant to form it as a question but it came out as a subtle demand. He needed to see her again. All of her. What they’d started in that hot tub had lit something inside him and that fire was never going out. It was an incendiary thing.

  Her wolf flickered in her gaze as she reached for the hem of her sweater. Slowly. Not because she was nervous, he quickly realized. She was teasing him.

  His cock pushed insistently against his pants, hard and aching.

  Way too slowly she tugged the sweater over her head to reveal a scrap of black lace barely covering her full breasts, her light pink nipples tight buds that begged for his tongue to lavish over. But not yet. He needed to see all of her.