And rather than explain it, he wanted to show her.
He walked over to Bastien’s cage. He seemed to know something was different today, and he mewed slightly as Luc approached.
“Shh,” Luc said. “I’m going to make everything better for you, buddy.” He undid the cage and pulled Bastien out, loving the way the cat always snuggled in. He was really looking forward to being able to bring him home. The interesting little guy deserved a home like all the other cats, not to be cooped up in a cage.
Bastien stared up at Luc curiously, relaxing in his arms. Luc touched the lump on the cat’s leg. He wasn’t used to healing just one being or one area, but he was rusty, and it was a good place to start.
The only thing he couldn’t do was raise the dead.
He touched Bastien’s leg gently, and the cat jerked. He moved his hand over until he covered the lump completely, and then he closed his eyes and let soothing power wash through him. Felt warmth under his hand. Heard Bastien mew and then purr.
And then he felt clarity, as if a sort of darkness was gone, and he knew whatever was inside Bastien was no longer there.
Bastien hopped out of his hands and walked over the floor, shaking his leg behind him in a comical way. But there was no lump.
He mewed and jumped onto the bench, striding around like he owned the place, almost as if he were celebrating how good he felt.
He looked over at Luc and let out a long meow, like Bo did when he wanted attention. Luc grinned and sat down, and Bastien crept into his lap. “Want to come home with me now, buddy?”
The cat just pressed his face against him in answer, and Luc grinned. Then he looked at the rest of the pets in the cages along the wall. None were as sick as Bastien, but while he was here, he might as well help them, too.
Or maybe he was still nervous about going back and facing Hallie. What if she didn’t accept him?
He walked over to the wall and held out a hand toward the animals, taking a deep breath. “Don’t worry,” he told Bastien. “This will just take a second.”
Hallie couldn’t believe how beautiful the ring was that Luc had given her. How things had changed in just one day.
He’d taken off again, but it was so different after he’d told her he loved her the night before and held her as they slept.
This time, she knew he’d be back and he wasn’t just there for a moment. He was there to stay.
He’d said he’d hopefully explain everything today, and she was nervous but ready at the prospect. She got up, showered, and got ready all while keeping the ring on. It made her warm and happy, and she never wanted to take it off.
A part of her knew she should feel this was too good to be true. That it was some kind of obvious fantasy. But she also knew Luc was flesh and blood. She’d felt him inside her. He was as real as the air around her, and she couldn’t wait to see him again.
She was just changing into some comfy clothes, a gray hoodie and black yoga pants, when the doorbell rang. Her back was a little achy, and she grabbed meds before heading down to the door. She was sure it was Luc.
Of course he’d be back soon. Maybe he was even bringing breakfast. Maybe they could eat while he updated her on everything.
She opened the door and gasped when she saw who was standing there, shadowed by the bright sunlight.
She couldn’t make them out exactly, but none of them was Luc. None had his soothing presence. A prickle of trepidation moved up her back, and she tried to close the door again, but the man in front stopped it with his hand.
“Not so fast,” he quipped, stepping forward into the house as she stumbled back. She turned to make a run for it, but he caught her around the waist. “Guys?” he prompted, and the two men with him stepped forward, each catching her by the arm.
She looked desperately out the door to see if Luc was back by chance, but she didn’t see him.
“Calm down,” the lead man said, shutting the door behind him. “We have no interest in hurting you. We just need to know where the sapphire dragon is.”
The men holding her shoved her onto her couch and sat on either side of her, making sure she didn’t run.
Their leader sat gingerly in her usual chair, his posture arrogant, as if he were literally looking down on her, his legs crossed, hands resting on his knee. He had white-blond hair, shockingly light, and penetratingly green, almond-shaped eyes that tilted up at the sides. He could have been called handsome if there wasn’t a distasteful cruelty to his features.
“Tsk-tsk,” he said casually. “Unlike Sapphire, I rather like reading minds. And if you’re going to say mean things about me, I might just do something mean as well.”
“Who are you?” she asked, pulling free from the men who still had ahold of her arms.
“Let her go,” the blond man snapped, and his cronies obeyed. They were both tall and incredibly muscled, with dark-blond hair that reached their shoulders. But they looked nothing like the man across from her. He had an elegance, a thinly veiled power that sort of made you want to run.
He studied his nails. “Where is Sapphire?”
“I don’t know what you mean,” she said honestly.
His eyes dipped to her ring, and he grinned in amusement. “You mean he mated you and you don’t even know what he is? Oh, that’s rich.”
She didn’t know why he seemed amused, but she didn’t like it. “What do you mean mated?”
He nodded at her hand. “The ring, darling.”
“Don’t call me that,” she snapped. “And I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Blond dude cocked his head, a slight smile curving his lips meanly. “Isn’t that tragic.”
“Get out of my house,” she said. “Whatever this sapphire is, he’s not here. And what did you mean dragon?”
He looked at her sardonically. “What do you think I meant? I meant dragon. Fire-breathing, human-killing, powerful dragon. And I want him on my side.”
“Are you talking about Luc?” she asked, agape.
He folded his arms and leaned back. “Is that what he’s going by these days? I don’t understand these modern names. Lucien was one name he used, I suppose. But given his powers, I think most just knew him as Sapphire.”
She looked at her ring. “Like this?”
He nodded.
“So what are you? Emerald?” she asked.
His eyes glittered. “How did you know?” He stared at her, unnerving her. “But you can call me Aegis.” His eyelashes were long. He really could almost be called beautiful if it weren’t for his terrible personality.
“Tch. Almost a compliment, and then you had to go and insult me again,” Emerald said. “Final warning. If you do it again, you’ll see my powers. And unlike Sapphire, I’m not collared.”
“That thing around his neck…?”
“Restrains his power, yes. Though, he probably has them back now. We have a mole in the oracle’s place who said he was mated and would have his powers, so we came to see if we could get him on our side. Makes sense, right, given his nasty past?”
“I don’t want you to tell me anything about him,” she said, folding her arms. “He’s coming back to talk to me, and we’ll sort things out then.”
“Right,” Aegis said. “Because that’s the proper order of things. Mating a woman and locking her to you forever and then telling her you’re a ruthless monster. Makes sense.”
“He’s not a monster.”
“Murderer, then,” Aegis said.
She narrowed her eyes. She couldn’t imagine Luc killing anyone. He was so good. But then just a bit of doubt crept it. She remembered how angry he got in fights. How violent.
“Luc wouldn’t kill people,” she said with certainty. She’d seen him use self-control. Sure, he might get scary mad, but someone always deserved it. And he hadn’t gone too far. Much.
“You don’t look like you believe that,” Aegis said. “Anyway, what would be my reason for telling you? I wasn’t here to have anything to do w
ith you. I just thought he might want a chance to join our side simply because, with his past, he might be suited for it.”
“Which side is that?” she asked skeptically.
“The opposite side of all the do-gooder dragons who want to help humans. Humans are hopeless. We’re better off ruling them than trying to protect them.”
“Luc doesn’t think so,” she said.
“I don’t know,” Aegis countered. “Maybe I know more about him than you. Still, I’m surprised he would mate you without telling you such an important part of his past.”
“He can tell me what he wants, when he wants,” she said. “Now you need to get out.”
Aegis raised a blond eyebrow. “You don’t get to command me, human.”
“Luc isn’t going to side with you.”
“Maybe not. He’s been living with Zach, the onyx dragon, my nemesis. A total weakling now that he’s at the oracle’s beck and call. Dragons were never meant to follow orders.”
“Then who are you working for?” she asked. “Somehow I don’t think you’re doing this alone. You said you were on a side, too.”
His bright-green eyes turned fiery, and he stood. “I do what I want, when I want. I work where I do because they’re aligned with my interests, and if they’re ever not, then I’ll show them who is really in charge.” He walked slowly toward her and knelt, bringing them eye to eye. Even his skin was gorgeous. He grinned.
“But let me tell you something, sweetheart. I may be one of the bad guys, but I’ve never mowed down a bunch of humans like Sapphire did.” He cackled. “Not that I think he was wrong, but seriously. That was cold.” He threw his head back and laughed at some inside joke as he stood.
He motioned for his guys to follow him as he walked to the door. “We’ll be back when Luc is here,” he said, opening it.
“He’s here now,” a deep voice said, and she heard a crack as Aegis was punched in the face and went stumbling back.
14
When Aegis regained his feet, he was holding his face.
“Sapphire, what the fuck?” he asked.
Luc shook his hand as he stormed forward, shoving the cronies out of the way as he ran into the living room. His blue eyes were desperate, searching for Hallie.
“Luc!” she said, rushing over to him. After this unnerving encounter, she needed him. Just needed to feel his goodness, remind herself of who he really was.
He stepped back after a quick hug and handed her something that had been tucked under his arm.
It was Bastien, and he let out a meow as he came over to her and tucked himself into a ball against her chest.
“What? You aren’t supposed to…” She started babbling about the cat, but Luc put up a hand as he got between her and the guys standing by the door.
“Get out. If you come near my mate again, I’ll kill you.”
Aegis grinned his falsely charming grin again. “Right,” he said, sharing a meaningful look with Hallie. “Because that’s how you deal with things when you’re angry. Right?”
Luc went still. “You’re just trying to cause problems, and I want you out.” He pointed at the door, but she could swear he was feeling something other than anger now. It seemed uncomfortably like… guilt.
Aegis couldn’t have been telling the truth, could he? Given, it was a shock they were somehow dragons with incredible powers, and she needed to know more about that.
But Luc couldn’t be a ruthless killer, could he?
She couldn’t imagine it.
“Ask him,” Aegis said, staring. “Ask him if it’s true.”
She didn’t want to. She just wanted to cover her ears and keep everything the same. But the energy radiating from Luc wasn’t right. And he was avoiding her eyes now, still facing away.
“Is it true?” she asked, still holding Bastien. She walked forward toward the man who had come to mean everything to her. “It isn’t true, right?”
“What isn’t true?” he asked in a flat tone.
“That you’ve killed people,” she said. “Many people.”
His shoulders dropped, and he still wouldn’t face her. She grabbed him by his jacket with one hand and jerked him around.
As he faced her, she recognized a multitude of emotions on his face. Grief, disappointment, guilt. Nervousness. Anger when he glanced at Aegis.
“Oh, look at this. She’s going to reject you,” Aegis said. “Hilarious that you did all that, and now she’s going to turn on you when she hears the truth.” He folded his arms and nodded. “Well, when you feel betrayed and angry, you’re welcome to come join us. Heavens knows you’re welcome.”
“You did this on purpose,” Luc growled.
Aegis put up his hands. “I did no such thing. I simply came to recruit you, since I figured, unlike Zach, you actually had claws. Given what I’d heard about you.” He grinned, showing fang-like canines. “Anyway, I’ll leave you to your mate.” He reached in his pocket and pulled out a card, flicking it at them. It fluttered to the ground and neither of them reached for it. “Now you know where to find me.”
Luc frowned, scowling at the other man as he took his leave, exiting with his cronies through the door.
Hallie and Luc moved to the window to watch them leave, and then she plunked down on the couch, drained.
He sat on the other end. “I was going to tell you,” he said, rubbing his face with his hands. She set Bastien down so he could go find the other cats in the house, who all liked to hide in comfy places most of the time.
“Which would you have told me? That you were a powerful dragon, or that you mated me with your ring and it can’t be taken back?”
“I told you I wanted you forever,” he said.
“Or that you were a killer?” she choked out. “I didn’t want to believe it. I wouldn’t just from his lips. But looking at you when he said it, I knew. You did, didn’t you?”
He nodded slowly, and she felt her heart crack in two.
“You didn’t think I deserved to know that? To know who I was bonding myself to?”
“I did,” he said. “I just didn’t know how to tell you. There is so much.”
She folded her arms. “Start at the beginning.”
“I was born as a baby dragon—”
“Start with how you killed people!” she snapped, her heart racing.
He let out a long, frustrated breath, his body tense. “I didn’t want it to be this way. I knew you would hate me.”
“Then you should have told me and given me the chance,” she said. “You’ve been in control of this thing all along. Leading me on. Chasing me and making me feel wanted. Asking me if I would love you if you were a monster. I thought that meant some mythical being. Not a killer!”
“I told you I was one of the bad guys.”
“But you aren’t!” she said. “I’ve never seen that in you. I know you’re hard on yourself, but I never thought you were capable of something like that. It’s not okay.”
“Don’t you think I know that?” he asked. “I’ve been torturing myself over it for many years. It’s the reason I wanted to go back to oblivion.”
“That won’t bring them back,” she said warily. “If you’re this big, powerful creature, why did you need to kill humans? What could possibly make that right?”
She didn’t know if she was angrier that he’d hidden all of this from her or that he’d mated her without telling her exactly what it meant. “It’s one thing if you just happen to be something with powers. It’s another to hide something that makes you a criminal.”
He stood slowly, his hands on his legs. “So you want me to go?”
Her heart ached. Even through her anger, she wasn’t sure that was exactly what she wanted. But she was hurting, and it was hard to see through that.
It hurt her that Luc could hurt people.
It hurt her that he’d thought he didn’t need to tell her what he was capable of.
“I just… can’t believe you’re the man I thought you we
re if you could hurt people like that.”
“That was a lifetime ago,” he said. “I’m not the man, or dragon, I was then.”
“Then why did you do it?” she asked “What would justify it?”
He bit his lip. “It was stupid. I regret it every day.”
“What was it? Why did you do it?” She had to know. She wanted badly for there to be a good reason.
But he stared at her. “I don’t know what you want me to say.”
“Say there was a reason. Say Aegis was lying! Say I haven’t just been tricked into mating a murderer.”
He just stared at her, and it made her angrier. Why wasn’t he saying anything? Instead, he seemed lost in a haze. He folded his arms and turned away. “I thought you’d give me time to explain.”
“I thought you’d know you should explain first, mate later.”
“I thought you understood what the ring meant,” he said.
“I didn’t even know what you are! How could I understand anything?”
“Got it,” he said dully. “So you want me out.”
“For now,” she said. “I need to think about this. I need to calm down.” Pain shot through her. “I need to take more meds.”
He took a step toward her, eyes going lighter. “Then before I go, let me show you one other part of me.”
She was about to protest, but he closed the distance between them in a second, taking her in his arms. He spun her until her back was to the wall and took her lips in a deep kiss.
She tried to struggle, but he wasn’t budging. But slowly, she realized this kiss was different than the others. His hands held her face, stroking gently, and she could feel energy flooding through her, as if he were breathing it into her body.
Her whole body felt lit up by warmth, and she felt tingling along her back, unlike anything she’d ever felt before. A warm, floating feeling that made her want to giggle. Her fingers dug into his back as her body went weak from the energy flowing through her.
When he pulled back, still holding her up, she could sense a ball of energy centered on her back, where her injury had been.
Sapphire Dragon (Awakened Dragons Book 2) Page 10