by Celia Kyle
3
“Ivoth?” Elle’s mouth dropped open, eyes scanning the brand new hole in the entryway—a hole Ivoth had created with fire from his mouth. She wasn’t quite sure why it was such a surprise to her, but it was. That and the fact that he was nude. That was a pretty big surprise as well.
Completely. Utterly. Nude. And she wasn’t going to stare. Davenports didn’t stare. But Ivoth… Elle’s body grew hot for an entirely different reason. Her mind wasn’t focused on her father or brother—or the fact that they were fighting to kick her out of her apartment. And by fighting, she meant physically. Charlie had taken out the Daven Bio employees, but her family members remained standing. Dammit.
She wondered what kind of damage Charlie caused downstairs this time.
And how much it’d cost to fix.
“You…” His green-eyed gaze skated over her, encompassing her from head to toe before finally stopping when he reached her forearm. The forearm clutched by William. Clutched so tightly it’d turned red.
Confusion quickly bled to anger, the transformation in his features occurring in an instant, but that wasn’t the only change. Green scales rippled into sight, replacing his tanned skin with flecks of jade. His wings twitched, a movement so small she wondered if she’d only imagined the jerk. Ivoth was renowned for his control.
A control that’d snapped and somehow he ended up in her apartment.
With a hole… he’d made with his mouth… and nude.
Even with scales covering the hard ridges of his muscles, she wanted him. Of course, it was stupid to want him. She knew that. He was a Preor intent on finding his mate and having little dragon babies, and blah, blah, blah…
But there was no Knowing between them. She wasn’t his and he wasn’t hers. At night though, when the lights were out, she could crave him all she wanted and not feel like an idiot.
“You will release her,” he snarled and curled his lip back, exposing an elongating fang. “Now.”
Elle internally winced. William didn’t take demands well.
“Who do you think you are?” William blustered, his grip tightening while he snapped his spine straight and drew his shoulders back. “I want you out of here. Immediately.”
Her father jerked on her arm, yanked her closer, and that wince was real. A jolt of pain raced up her arm, the joint throbbing with his fierce pull.
“Release her.” Ivoth took another step closer, heat preceding him in a gentle wave that smelled of smoke and male—Preor. How screwed up was she? She was drooling over a male while in the middle of a fight with William. Her only defense was that Ivoth was naked.
All that bared flesh and scales…
And those wings. Her fingertips tingled as she imagined running her hands along the edges. She knew that stroking him there would drive him wild—a Preor’s flight lines were sensitive. She didn’t care if her fantasies were pointless, they were hers. They kept her warm at night when she was truly and utterly alone.
“If you do not release her this moment—” More smoke escaped his nose, a flicker of flames teasing his lips. “I shall—”
“Ivoth! Cease!” The booming voice was one Elle recognized as well.
Another male came forward, and that was when she realized there was more than one Preor inside her home. More than one Preor who’d come through the hole Ivoth made with his mouth.
She hadn’t quite gotten over that part yet.
Ivoth’s quint, males she’d met when she’d begun working with the Preor, formed a fan behind Ivoth while Jarek strode forward. He easily stood above the other warriors, his massive size and innate strength explaining exactly why he’d been War Master.
Now he was simply… Elle tipped her head slightly, a show of respect for the male who’d accomplished so much. “Esteemed Warrior Jarek, welcome.”
William’s hold tightened further, and she wondered if he’d stop before he broke her bones. Probably not.
“I want you and your men out of here. This is private property,” William barked, and the two Preors simply stared at William Davenport, President of Daven Bio, as if he were nothing more than a tiny pet.
That was when she became the center of Ivoth and Jarek’s focus. Except when Jarek shifted his gaze to Ivoth, Ivoth continued to stare at her with those eyes… Eyes that seemed to embody sensual heat—a sexual promise that she wondered if he could keep.
Elle shoved the thoughts aside. Now wasn’t the time, and her apartment wasn’t the place. Though it wasn’t her apartment any longer, was it?
Huh.
“Ivoth,” Jarek barked out the warrior’s name once again. “Explain why—”
“Officer Elle was in need of…” He frowned, eyes narrowed, and tilted his head to the side. “Assistance?”
“I—” William squeezed so hard she was sure she heard bone scrape against bone.
“Daven Bio staff can assist Miss Davenport with her relocation.” William added his charming smile to the end of his statement. A smile she hated more than anything. It was fake, oily. It made her feel dirty when he turned it on her.
“Relocation?” Ivoth raised his eyebrows, revealing more of those entrancing green eyes. “You have agreed to join Delaney joi Zadri on Penelope?”
Was it her imagination or did he seem… happy about the idea?
“She is most certainly not doing anything related to that-that-that…” William blustered, his face reddening by the second. “Person.”
Very, very wrong thing to say. Even though Elle hadn’t worked with the race long, she knew they cherished females, no matter the species—in general and even more so when the female was mated to a Preor.
Delaney joi Zadri—previously Delaney Cole—was very much loved by the warriors in the third fleet. Since Elle worked for Delaney, assisting her in getting a handle on running Cole Pharma as well as digging through records to establish the financial status of the company, that cherishing extended to Elle.
Which was why the quint that’d once formed a loose fan behind Ivoth now formed a circle around Elle, William, and Ben.
Each warrior looked ready to tear her father into small pieces.
A ruffling of her hair, the tremble of a tiny body, reminded her why violence wasn’t the answer at the moment. Not when Charlie was so uneasy. Too many strangers in his territory and not even one had paid proper tribute.
Ivoth lifted a hand, extended a finger, and pointed at William. “You will be silent.” Elle didn’t think it was the finger so much as the midnight, razor sharp nail that decorated the tip that had her father snapping his mouth closed. “You will release Officer Elle.” That finger remained in place, the entry’s light glinting off the sharpened tip. William glared but finally released Elle with a rough shove, sending her stumbling, and she immediately found herself… plastered against a hard, naked body.
With wings.
Green wings, but not Esteemed Warrior Jarek green. They were slightly different—darker until they were nearly black, except the tips held a subtle hint of brightness.
Ivoth.
His arm tightened around her waist and she pretended not to notice that the man—male—holding her was naked. Really pretended. Because getting aroused by a naked man while he was defending her from her own family wasn’t done. At least, she didn’t think so.
“Now, you will leave.” His words vibrated through her, dancing over her nerves, sinking past muscles and veins until they sank into her bones.
“You can’t force me to leave. This is my—”
“Silence!” The word ended in a long hiss, Jarek’s tone sharpened with an edge that sent a jolt of fear down her spine, fear that was quickly brushed away by a single caress from Ivoth. Because he sensed her anxiety? Or because he wanted to touch her? She’d go with the latter and add the idea to her fantasies.
When she gave Jarek her full focus, it was to find his attention entirely on her forearm—her rapidly purpling forearm. Jarek’s large hands—hands more familiar with battle than care—
gently cradled her arm and lifted it closer to his face.
That was followed by… by a sound she’d only ever heard a Preor make for one of their own. A dragon’s trill—the feral side of them doing what they could to calm and soothe another.
“I’m fine, really.” Elle withdrew her arm from Jarek’s touch and fought to hide the pain that came with movement.
Ivoth grunted. “Syh does not like liars.”
Elle wasn’t going to address his statement. Instead, she eased away from him, putting space between her and the males—and men—in the space. Charlie was being good—well, good for Charlie—but she sensed his growing agitation with the crowd.
“I’m fine. My father and his men…” She wanted to sneer the word, curl her lip, and bare a fang like Preors could. But she couldn’t—so she didn’t. “Were just leaving.”
“You are leaving.” William did sneer, lip and all. “Immediately.”
“Excellent. Argan, Radoo, Brukr, and Triem will bring your belongings.” Ivoth took a step forward, his arms outstretched. “This will please Delaney joi Zadri.”
But the way he said the words… it sounded like it might please him a little too. Or was that all in her mind?
Her mind. She wasn’t sure why she bothered even asking the question. Ivoth was looking for his mate—a mate that was not Elle. Otherwise they would have experienced the Knowing already.
Which they didn’t.
“I didn’t say I was moving to Pen—”
“You cannot remain here.” Ivoth frowned and turned to glance at the hole in her wall. “It is no longer secure.”
“You’re the reason it’s not secure.” Elle pointed at Ivoth, not sure where the sudden burst of gumption came from. “And I’m not going anywhere.” She glared at William. “This is my home. At least until I make alternate arrangements.”
“What you don’t take with you now will be destroyed. You are aware of the effects of being difficult. I’m releasing a cleanse flare on it the moment we step in the elevator.” They’d gone from cleaning bots to a cleanse flare—a single device that would literally scorch and destroy everything in her apartment as if nothing had ever occupied the space. “Whether you’re in here or not.”
Obviously, the we he mentioned didn’t include her, and she paused, mind absorbing his words. That William would end her life… He wouldn’t, would he? Elle pressed a hand to her chest, the space where her heart used to rest and was now nothing but an empty hole.
“Father…” Ben murmured and stepped forward, interjecting himself in their argument, something she hadn’t seen him do in she wasn’t sure how long. Years? “A cleanse flare will kill—”
William didn’t say a word to her brother. He simply sliced his hand through the air, the gesture silencing Ben in an instant. William stared at her, eyes so like her own and filled with… hate.
The hole in her chest widened, threatening to swallow her whole. A physical ache overtook her body, the pain stretching deep into her soul. Charlie nuzzled her neck, tiny teeth scratching her skin in his own attempt to comfort her.
There was another source of soothing as well, a heat that suffused her skin, a warmth that chased away the chill to settle in her bones. Then a large, thick arm wrapped around her waist, settling low on her back. His scent teased her nose, the spicy combination of cinnamon and flames. He didn’t stop his attempt to ease her pain with a simple touch. He went further. A single green wing curled around her, the massive expanse of bone and thin skin acting as a protective barrier between her and the rest of the room. It also was a statement to everyone.
Elle was under Ivoth’s protection.
For the moment. She had to remember that it was for the moment. He was simply acting as any other Preor male would. A female was in need, and he was there to offer aid.
He’d given her the same assistance ever since she began working for Cole Pharma and Delaney joi Zadri Cole three months ago. There was no reason to read into his actions. If Ivoth wasn’t there, any other member of his quintet would have done the same. Even Jarek would have stepped forward, though he probably would have killed William by now. For a Preor, Ivoth was showing immense restraint. Especially since William basically threatened to murder his own daughter.
“You have thirty Earth seconds to depart.” Ivoth’s words created a pleasurable vibration that traveled through her from head to toe. Added to that, more smoke escaped him, proof of his dragon’s rage.
Wait, the smoke wasn’t just from Ivoth. It came from every single warrior. The drifting clouds of gray soon crowded the area, while hints of orange and red sliced through the haze.
Their threat was clear—leave or face them all.
William was too big of an idiot—or too conceited—to care. He reached into his suit jacket, hand finding the inner pocket, and withdrew a cleanse flare. “You have fifteen.”
The small metal disc didn’t look like much—a tiny bit of tech that was an inch in diameter and an eighth of an inch thick. It was little but packed a big punch.
Elle had designed it that way, hadn’t she? She wasn’t the only designer, just the one who’d conceived the idea while Daven Bio staff did the rest. A way to purge and clean away any remaining pollution and sludge that might hide on Earth. Her mother had suffered enough due to pollution. Elle never wanted another to experience the same fate. Its natural programming targeted specific elements.
Then her father got ahold of the specs and turned it into a weapon.
One he wanted to use on her home—on her.
He would, too. It was there in his eyes, in the cold flecks of gray steel that turned to ice as she stared. He had a solid core of dedication and bone-deep need for retribution.
Elle had betrayed the family and the company, and now he wanted her punished. It was why the Daven Bio employees had the wispy treilium nets. He wasn’t just taking her belongings, he also wanted to take the only thing in the world that she loved—Charlie.
He tightened his grip on the cleanse flare and that familiar click told her it’d been activated. “Now you have ten.”
Growls surrounded her, the Preor males not reacting well to her father’s threat, and Elle wanted to call his bluff. She wanted to see if he’d really allow the device to act as it’d been designed and destroy everything—her.
But not at the risk of a handful of innocent males. They didn’t have a stake in the situation and weren’t part of the power-struggle between her and William.
“Ivoth.” She turned in his arms and gently pushed on his chest. “Let’s go.”
He gave her a single, sharp jerk of his head. “No. He will—”
Elle’s next touch wasn’t one meant to nudge him away, but to soothe him. “It’s not worth it.” William—what was left of her family—wasn’t worth the heartache. William Davenport had made his thoughts clear. He’d rather kill his own daughter—rid the world of her forever—than have Elle work for the “enemy.” Her throat tightened, and she wondered how long she’d be able to keep it together before she finally shattered. Charlie chittered and nudged her chin with his forehead. Another attempt to calm her and remind her she was still loved. “I have everything that matters.”
Ivoth stared at her, green eyes narrowed, gaze skating over her face. A sense of doubt… disbelief drifted through her mind, and she fought to keep her emotions in check. If he saw her pain, he’d… do something. Something violent, more than likely.
She’d had enough violence for the day. She simply wanted a little peace. A small slice of the world where she could fall apart in private—a furred head nudged her jaw-line—or mostly private.
“These are your belongings.” Ivoth pointed at a stack of boxes.
“That can be replaced. Delaney pays me well.” She forced her lips to form a smile no matter how fake it was. She couldn’t let Ivoth—anyone—see her heart breaking. “This is a great excuse to go shopping.”
He slowly shook his head. “I do not believe you.”
She didn�
�t believe herself either, and her next words came out as no more than a harsh whisper. “He’s going to release that cleanse flare whether we’re here or not, Ivoth. These things aren’t worth more than a life.”
Nothing was worth his life. That thought came and went before she could stop herself, and she was thankful they weren’t mates. Because then he would have realized the depths of her feelings. Her stupid, misplaced, idiotic feelings.
“They—”
Elle let herself stroke his warm skin, one last caress before she put space between them once more. “I want to leave.”
Ivoth fell silent for a moment, his stare laser focused and intent. He gazed at her for what felt like hours, but it couldn’t have been more than a second, before he spoke once again.
“Then we shall leave,” he murmured to her and then raised his voice so the others could hear him. “To Preor Tower.”
“To Preor Tower!” the group echoed, and then they were in motion. Ivoth swept her into his arms and spun, striding back through the hole he’d created. She peered over his shoulder and counted each male that exited the building, making sure the full quintet and Jarek were present.
William might—or might not—release that cleanse flare at any moment, and she didn’t want the Preors dying for her.
She didn’t want anyone dying for her—not again.
4
Elle was as stubborn as a molem. He believed humans called them mules, though the Preor molem had long fangs and pointed horns. Yes, stubborn as a molem, but as beautiful and delicate as the alia. Alia… A smile teased his lips, memories of flying over the great fields outside Wrison with his young sister in his arms. He would skim the long stalks of faosiy, sending the fluttery alia into the skies to dance and tease her fingertips.
Yes, Elle was like the delicate alia—like an Earth butterfly, if he recalled correctly. She appeared as if she would shatter at any moment, easily crushed beneath the heavy weight of pain. Her own sire had threatened… He shook his head, unable to believe what he’d witnessed not long ago. Had he not been present, he would not have believed a sire could be capable of such a thing. The Preor cherished females and mourned their loss—deeply.