Taste of Darkness

by Katie Reus

  “That’s normal though, right? My pack didn’t even know dragons were real until you. So doesn’t it make sense there’s not much on them?” She hadn’t looked at the files Drake had been dissecting, but he planned to have her read them too. Victoria was sharp and he wanted her insight.

  His frown deepened. “Maybe. But most of this is just notes compiled from conversations or texts between Keelin and Fia or others in the clans.”

  Now Victoria’s eyes widened. “Wait, like a dossier?”

  He paused, trying to remember the definition, then nodded. “Yes. It’s my understanding from Conall that most clans have something like this. They keep records of even innocuous things.”

  “Like freaking spies or something,” Victoria murmured, her eyebrows drawn together.

  “Exactly like that. And the clan leader was missing for a couple decades. There are no notes about where he was or what he was doing until a year ago.”

  “When the former leader and his mate died, right?”

  Drake nodded. “Yes, his parents. That’s why Bran Devlin came back, but there’s no information on where he was before then.”

  Victoria shrugged. “Ask him.”

  That seemed too simple and it would require seeing the male in person. Of course that didn’t mean he had to invite the Devlin clan members into the village. He could go see them offsite and away from Victoria. Except she wouldn’t like that. Not his sweet and fierce female. She would completely balk at him going to meet them without her. “Maybe I will. There’s something else…” He picked up the file for Gavin Devlin and flipped it open as Conall walked in.

  His brother was dressed sharply this morning in what Drake guessed was a custom made suit, white shirt and silver tie. From what he was coming to learn about this world and the wealth of his clan, the material of his clothing looked expensive.

  “Morning.” Conall smiled warmly at Victoria.

  The sight eased something in Drake’s chest. He’d been worried about his siblings and their reception of Victoria but so far they seemed to all like each other. Victoria was hard not to adore though.

  His brother continued. “I know it’s early but clan members have started arriving. They would like to meet you, but I understand if you’re busy or still not ready.”

  Drake looked at Victoria who just shrugged. “I’m fine with it if you are.”

  “Have I ever met Gavin Devlin?” he asked abruptly. He wasn’t sure how he felt about meeting others just yet.

  Conall stiffened at the name, no doubt because it was Fia’s mate. “No. You’re the same age and our land bordered each other but you never interacted. Our parents were too strict for that.”

  “Why?” Victoria asked.

  “Our mother was very overprotective. So was Gavin and Bran’s. Female dragons can be temperamental.”

  Victoria snorted, the sound making Drake smile. “All females can be. So where are you going all fancy?” she asked Conall teasingly and Drake knew she was trying to alleviate the tension in his brother.

  The tenseness in his brother’s shoulders eased, Drake’s healer’s magic working. “Just a meeting regarding land. We’re looking to purchase more and the owner wants an in-person discussion.” He glanced back at Drake. “I can cancel though.”

  “No.” Drake’s answer was immediate. He didn’t want his family changing their schedules or lives for him. He liked that no one was smothering him. It was making adjusting to his new clan easier. Even if he didn’t know if he’d stay. He hadn’t broached the subject with Victoria yet because he wasn’t sure what her answer would be. He’d live with her pack forever if it was what she wanted. “And we’ll see my clan members now. But not in here.” He didn’t want to move the files and he didn’t want anyone to know what he and Victoria were doing. Not when he wasn’t sure who he could trust. It didn’t matter that his brother had told him he’d checked out everyone in their clan, Drake wanted to personally meet everyone and get a feel for them. Maybe meeting his clan members would trigger something in his memory, like when he’d met his two cousins.

  “There are half a dozen waiting in the sitting room in the front of the house.”

  “Is that the room with the uncomfortable furniture?” he asked.

  Conall let out a sharp bark of laughter, the sound taking Drake by surprise. His brother nodded. “That’s the one.”

  “Give us ten minutes. And…when you’re back would you mind meeting with me in your office?” Drake asked.

  “I’ll contact you as soon as I return.” Conall ducked out of the library, thankfully not questioning what Drake wanted to discuss. Victoria placed a ribbon bookmark in the pages of the book she was reading and stood, rounding her desk as she came to lean against Drake’s. Her scent intensified the closer she came, making his brain short-circuit for a moment.

  Drake opened his mouth to speak but all thoughts disappeared as she inched down the desk until she was directly in front of him, placing both her feet on his chair on either side of his thighs. With her legs spread like this, images of last night flickered through his mind like snapshots. Not that he’d actually stopped thinking about her taste and how she’d come against his mouth.

  “You sure about meeting with everyone?”

  He nodded, grabbing her hips and earning a yelp of surprise as he pulled her to straddle him. “Are you trying to get me hard before we go meet everyone?” he murmured, brushing his lips against hers as the room lit up in a soft, golden glow. The oversized windows of the room had the drapes pulled back so if anyone was flying nearby they’d see it.

  “No. I’ve just gone too long without touching you this morning.” She slid her fingers into his hair and leaned close, moistening her lips.

  “I agree,” he murmured, even though they’d been together the past couple hours in the same room. After going hundreds of years at a time without touch, and even when he did touch, it had been mostly in violence, the feel of her soft hands on him pushed back the darkness inside him. Clearing his throat before she would have kissed him, he said, “I need to tell you something.” No! his dragon side shouted at him. She doesn’t need to know everything. But she did. Deep down Drake knew that. And he had to trust her to accept him.

  She paused, her eyebrows knitting together, probably at his grim tone. “Okay.”

  He was probably making a mistake, but she deserved to know about his darker side. If she was truly to be his mate, she needed to know everything about him. Even if his deepest fear was that she’d reject him when she learned the truth. Reaching out, he loosely gripped her neck, rubbing his thumb along her jawline as she watched him with a mix of lust and curiosity.

  “In Hell I used to fight. A lot. After hundreds of years alone and in my dragon form I was going insane.” Some nights when he stared at the ceiling in his room, he wondered if he’d just completely been consumed by the darkness and all this was a fantasy. If it was, Victoria was the best damn thing he could have ever imagined.

  “When I returned from isolation into the land of the damned I started engaging in brutal, bloodthirsty fights. Not because I was forced to, but because I wanted to. I liked hurting other beings, craved it, fucking relished in it.” He had, the blood and violence making him feel alive in the worst way possible. “For so long I felt like I was wasting away into this dark abyss of nothingness and all my rage and anger came spilling out with a brutal vengeance.” When his gaze fell to his hand, a hand that had once been stained with endless blood, touching Victoria’s gentle neck, he dropped it, letting it fall to his side.

  Victoria cupped his face, her hands gentle as she held him. “I don’t even know if there were any innocents in Hell, but did you ever hurt any intentionally?”

  He shook his head. The males he’d fought had been demons or other beings cursed to Hell for violent crimes in their previous life. Usually vamps. Fucking hedonistic bastards.

  “My sweet Drake,” she whispered, leaning forward to brush her lips over his. Teasing her tongue again
st the seam of his lips, he gave her entrance, meeting her tongue with his tentatively, not understanding why she was being so kind.

  His hands settled on her hips, barely holding her out of fear she’d bolt. When she started peppering kisses along his jaw, heading to his ear, his hold on her hips tightened.

  “Victoria.” He stressed her name, making her pull back.

  “What?” The word came out breathless.

  “Don’t you have something to say?” Like he disgusted her? He’d just admitted to not only taking part in violence, but enjoying it. She was a healer, the exact opposite of him. What if she feared him now? Panic slid down his spine at the thought, like a blaze of needles slamming into him all at once.

  She paused, her wolf flickering in her gaze. “If I find who put you in Hell, I’m going to destroy them.” The savage edge from his healer punched through his chest. “You were an innocent child sacrificed because of… I don’t know why yet, but I will discover why. You had no one and you did the best you could. I hate what happened to you but I could never judge you for any decisions you made. Not knowing who you are now. And you’re definitely not the same male you were then. Did you think I would?” Her eyebrows drew together, just the woman looking at him now.

  He nodded, not trusting his voice. He’d feared just that. Had tried to prepare himself for her revulsion. The very small civilized part of him wanted to tell her that she shouldn’t want him, should run from him, but his primal side won out. If she accepted him, that was it.

  “Oh, Drake. You are mine. Every single part of you.” The words were a soft whisper as she wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her face against his neck as she held him.

  Mine. He understood what that meant. She was his too. For someone who’d never had anything close to resembling love in his life for far too long, her words undid him. He returned her embrace, holding her tight to him, her touch grounding him, telling him that he might just have a real future with her. One with dreams and a mate who loved him despite everything he’d done.

  * * *

  Victoria stood in the foyer with Drake, saying goodbye to the last group of dragon shifters who’d stopped by. Her arm was wrapped loosely around his waist as they smiled, her face hurting from all the talking and smiling they’d done for the past eight hours. Jeez, had it really been that long? And she’d been the only one smiling. Drake tried, but it came off as more of a baring of teeth.

  “No more visitors,” Drake growled, his body tense.

  It was close to five that evening and she found herself agreeing, even though everyone had been incredibly welcoming. She didn’t want to smile at any more strangers, didn’t want to make small talk. Plus she was starving. “Agreed. Think we can raid Conall’s fridge?” she asked, turning in his arms.

  Nodding, he bent to nuzzle her neck, sending a shiver down her spine. “I didn’t like those males looking at you,” he murmured against her ear.

  A laugh escaped. “I’m pretty sure I wasn’t the only one being checked out.” Most of the shifters had just been curious but Drake had been on the receiving end of more than a few appreciative female looks. Not that she blamed the females. He was stunningly masculine. And all hers.

  He just grunted and nipped at her earlobe, his teeth pressing down as his hand slid to her butt.

  Maybe she wasn’t hungry after all. “Forget food, let’s—”

  The front door swung open and Keelin stopped, her face turning red. “Sorry, I uh…” Two males were behind her, making Drake’s glow dim immediately as a growl built in his throat.

  He definitely didn’t like sharing any part of Victoria with others.

  Victoria smiled at Keelin. “We were about to head back to the guest house.” A tiny lie. Victoria still wanted to look over some of those notes and especially that book Conall had let her borrow. “But we’ve got time to visit.” Even if she really didn’t want to.

  Keelin looked at Drake and must have seen the exact opposite expression on his face because she winced. Before she turned to the two males, however, she pasted on a smile and motioned them in. “We won’t keep you two long, I know you’re exhausted. Nevin and Cody wanted to meet Victoria.”

  Victoria smiled at the familiar names. Drake had mentioned he’d met two of his cousins when he’d dropped by Conall’s.

  Victoria listened as Keelin explained how the males were related through which sibling of their parents. It seemed as if Drake’s mother had two sisters but from the way Keelin spoke, only one was alive. Alma. Victoria was going to ask Keelin about that later.

  Cody was on their father’s side and Nevin on their mother’s. Victoria was pretty certain Drake had memorized everyone’s names and faces today, and she was trying to do the same. Even though she didn’t know what the future held for her and Drake, she knew that his clan was going to be a part of their lives and she wanted to make an effort to get to know everyone.

  “You’re really a wolf shifter,” the male named Cody said after introductions and brief small talk. He watched her curiously, something about his tone making her hackles rise. She couldn’t decide if that was condescension that laced his words.

  She raised her eyebrows at his obvious statement. Family or not, she had no problem standing up for herself. “And you’re a dragon.” How was she supposed to respond to that?

  Drake stiffened beside her and she was certain she scented fire burning in his throat. She resisted the urge to smile at his overprotectiveness and instead squeezed him so he wouldn’t do something he’d regret. Like setting a relative on fire.

  The other male, Nevin, smiled apologetically and looked back and forth between the two of them once, his gaze landing on Drake. “We’re both pleased to meet your mate,” he said to Drake before looking at Victoria. “I hope you enjoy the time you’re here.” Something about his words were odd, but she just smiled back.

  “Thank you.”

  Drake didn’t respond and wasn’t even trying to smile now. Crap, she had a feeling he was at his breaking point of pretending to be civilized.

  “It’s just a shame your parents aren’t awake yet,” Cody continued, his voice sincere.

  “Yes it is. But I have a feeling they’ll be waking soon.” Keelin sounded strained by that thought and Victoria guessed it was because of her relationship with her mother.

  Since she’d never had one she couldn’t relate, but she could sympathize. Being smothered was beyond annoying.

  Before Victoria could say anything Drake tightened his grip on her. “I apologize for my rudeness, but my mate is still recovering from her poisoning.” Three lies. One, he wasn’t sorry. Two, they weren’t technically mated and three, she wasn’t recovering. She was more than fine.

  But Victoria wasn’t about to correct him. Not when she wanted Drake alone time.

  “So we will be heading back to our place, but please feel free to visit later this week.” Drake’s words were so polite and civil but the growly edge to his voice definitely wasn’t. Oh yeah, he was at the end of his rope.

  To give the males credit, they simply nodded and left, with Keelin shutting the door behind them. “I’m so sorry about the last minute drop in. I know you guys want some down time. Aunt Alma probably left food in Conall’s fridge if you want to hit it up before heading back to the guest house.”

  Perfect. Victoria smiled. “We will, thanks.” She should probably invite the female to stay and eat dinner with them, but selfish girl that she was, she held her tongue.

  Keelin nodded and cleared her throat almost nervously. “So, have you decided about seeing Fia and the others?”

  It had only been a day but Victoria guessed Keelin was asking because she was friends with the female.

  “What is your personal opinion of the Devlin clan?” Drake asked.

  Keelin seemed surprised by the question. She looked past Drake for a moment and Victoria realized why.

  “Conall’s out,” she said quietly.

  Keelin’s gray eyes flashed with gu
ilt. “I feel weird saying anything, but personally I really like those I’ve met from their clan. Gavin loves Fia and dotes on her in a way Conall never would have. And I know you’re not asking that outright, but I’m telling you anyway. They never would have worked long-term. Fia is beautiful and a little fragile—I’m not talking physically—and she needs a certain type of mate. It’s not right or wrong, we’re all different. Conall might not realize it but he needs a strong mate, not someone needy.

  “So if you’re inadvertently asking what I think about Conall’s ex, that’s my personal opinion. They’re both better off without each other and personal stuff aside, the Devlin clan will make a strong ally. Considering what happened with the Veles clan, I think we need one now. I also think we need more interpersonal communication between our clans and other supernatural beings period. We’ve been living in shadows for too long.”

  Victoria’s eyes widened and shot a glance at Drake. That was the most she’d heard Keelin say at one time since they’d met. Her stance on coming out to other supernaturals was also interesting and one Victoria agreed with. The more they all supported each other, the better it would be for everyone. Because one day humans were going to discover their existence. It was just a matter of time.

  “Would you mind looking at some files Victoria and I have been reviewing on the Devlin clan? I want to set up a meet with them tomorrow and I’d like your opinion on those you know. I’d also like you to go to the meet with us.”

  For a fraction of a second, Keelin’s eyes widened, but she nodded, clearly pleased Drake had asked her. If Victoria had to guess, the female’s parents had not only sheltered her, but smothered her. They probably wouldn’t have ever asked her to attend something like this.

  “I’ll help any way I can,” Keelin said.

  “I’ll grab us some food.” Victoria leaned up and kissed Drake.

  Keelin started to protest that she’d do it but Victoria cut her off. She wanted the female to spend time with her brother and it was obvious Keelin was knowledgeable on clan dynamics. Right now they needed more information. Because the Veles clan wasn’t going to forget what had happened, even though they’d been the ones to attack. And Victoria wanted every single ally they could get.