A Dragon Speaks Her Name: A Nocturne Falls Universe story

by Kira Nyte

  Unfortunately, her curiosity focused on a less pleasant possibility. “Have you had lifemates before?”

  Zareh shook his head. “No. When a Firestorm dragon is granted the gift of a lifemate, it is one for the duration of his life. The stone you carry is magic. Each Keeper bleeds into a reservoir. When a lifemate bleeds into the stone, she becomes more resilient to common human ailments.” Zareh cast her a short glance. “Her life expectancy increases as well.”

  Kaylae let out a long breath. “Wow.”

  “I told you yesterday you were not completely human.”

  “Yeah. You did. I still have a lot to learn,” Kaylae said. The air in the SUV had grown dense and suffocating with serious talk. She needed a pick-me-up after her tearful night and rough morning. She decided a change in subject was called for. “You said you were going to bring coffee this morning. Since it’s almost eleven, I’d say you’re a little late.”

  Zareh chuckled. “I overslept, something that seldom ever happens.”

  “There’s something to be said about staying up late.”

  The gorgeous dragon man’s heavy burden lifted enough for him to grin. The storm faded from his eyes and went in a direction that made her feel all warm and gooey inside. Ah, yeah. Definitely no nudging needed.

  “And what is that, little Doe?”

  “That first sip of coffee is pure heaven. Does amazing things to the mind and body.”

  Oh, I really hit a mark now.

  “You’re itching for that coffee, aren’t you?”

  And other things, but coffee is the safest route at this moment.

  She scrunched her nose. “Kinda.”

  Damn her dragon man. He managed a mock bow sitting behind the wheel. “Whatever m’lady wishes.”

  Chapter Nine

  The more time they spent in the public eye, walking the streets of Nocturne Falls, the better. The more things Kaylae bought, the better. The hungrier his little Keeper was, the better.

  That’s what he kept telling himself.

  He was a damn glutton for punishment.

  With four bags of merchandise dangling over one arm, a root beer float in one hand and his third coffee in the other, he knew he would be helpless if he so much as touched her. Anything that kept his hands to himself was safe.

  The moment his dragonstone woke in her presence, the draw to Kaylae was as he feared, if not worse—all-consuming and bordering on maddening. He resorted to hiding his eyes with dark-lensed sunglasses, acutely aware of his dragon’s presence in them every time he looked at her.

  That happened to be all the time. And the burn to kiss her was…well…

  Calm down.

  He cleared his throat and swallowed a lick of flame.

  One positive to his jewel waking was his ability to suppress the voices and thoughts that plagued his sweet little Doe. She had reestablished the blood link in the jewel to her Keeper energy. That link would become stronger once she agreed to bleed into the jewel, as would the craving to make her his.

  At the moment, he waited in Delaney Ellingham’s sweet shop, Delaney’s Delectables, his attention honed in on Kaylae’s overly appealing backside as she examined the offerings in the window display. He’d have to talk to her about wearing jeans that really pronounced how long her legs were and that enhanced the sinful flare of her hips. Oh, and that mock tunic piece? Yeah, didn’t do anything to hide her slender waist or the lithe stretch of her back.

  And that hair of hers? Was she trying to kill him with those thick, dark waves that fell over her shoulders when she leaned over to read the label on one of the treat displays? Surely she had to sense how badly his fingers ached to run through those silky strands, tangle and tug until she looked up at him so he could kiss her crazy. Did she have any idea what she was doing to him in his self-contained hell?

  “This is murderous,” he said under his breath. His gaze traveled to the dip of her shirt, where he got a nice glimpse of cleavage and lace. “Unfair to the umpteenth degree.”

  Day two into discovering his late Keeper had sired Zareh’s lifemate, and his own dragon wanted to make him look like a big fool.

  He stole a sip from Kaylae’s float. The cool drink did nothing to temper the fever burning beneath his skin. It didn’t help his cause when he licked his lips and tasted strawberries. Upon closer inspection, he saw the lip mark around the straw ripe with Kaylae’s lip-gloss, a potent flavor he recalled from last night’s kiss.

  “This is horrendous.”

  His body agreed whole-heartedly, and a little something more.

  As he started to turn away from the bewitching woman, he caught sight of Delaney emerging from the back room, carrying a tray of what looked and smelled like freshly made fudge. Kaylae’s attention focused on the new treats. She sidled between two customers to get to the display case.

  “If you would only come this way, little Doe, I’d give you all the treats you could ask for.”

  A middle-aged woman paused beside him and quirked a brow. The stern lines in her face mentally slapped him with a dose of shame. He managed a smile while heat threatened to rise up his neck, and not because of anything his dragon was inspiring.

  “Reciting lines to a play I’m auditioning for,” he explained.

  “I would hope so.” The woman harrumphed and proceeded to the wall of pre-bagged specialty confections.

  Zareh continued to grouse under his breath, shoulders hunched. If he could occupy his time looking at some of the baked goods, maybe he could get through this stop without his mind gutter-diving. He might have to call in reinforcement. Alazar’s company could definitely douse his desire.

  He set a record by keeping his eyes off Kaylae for a whole two minutes and twenty-three seconds. In that time, he imagined a hundred different uses for triple fudge brownie bites, strawberries-and-cream cupcakes, and a multitude of other confections. All involving Kaylae and kisses and licks and—

  “Zar.”

  He took a brief moment to compose himself, her bags strategically placed in front of his hips, and faced his greatest desire.

  Kaylae stepped up to him, a box of fudge in hand. Delaney waved from the counter. Zareh acknowledged her greeting with a strained smile and a nod.

  “You’re going to have to give this a try. It’s some of the best fudge I’ve ever had.” Kaylae lifted the package to her nose and inhaled deeply. The lax expression of pure pleasure that crossed her face sucker-punched him. “Ahh. Here.”

  She brought the package beneath his nose. He took a small breath, but all he could smell was the vanilla of her shampoo, the airy floral fragrance of her perfume, and the subtle sweetness of her skin. Maybe the sweetness was the fudge, but he’d already correlated it to Kaylae.

  Impending fudge hoarder was in his future, he feared.

  “Delaney has a knack for confections. Fudge?” Zareh leaned close to her ear. He’d grab any excuse to be as close as propriety in public allowed. “To die for.”

  “That’s Mummy’s tagline, or so I’ve been told.”

  “Their food. Not their fudge.” Zareh juggled the coffee cup to the hand holding the float and reached for the package of fudge. “I’ll hold that for you.”

  Kaylae shook her head and poked his chest with a finger. “You’ve been a perfect gentleman all day. I can carry this, and my float.” She relieved him of the beverage and took a sip. He instantly tasted strawberries just watching her. “I’m going to suffer a severe sugar coma by the end of today. Where to next?”

  Please don’t leave that up to me.

  Zareh pushed open the door and held it for Kaylae. The late afternoon air filled his lungs, and for a moment, he was thankful for the reprieve. This lifemate deal—more specifically, keeping his hands off her—was hammering him down.

  “I’d like to take you out. A formal date of sorts.” Formality. His saving grace at the moment. Kaylae paused to cast him a heartfelt glance. Her beautiful blue eyes glittered. He brushed aside a lock of hair that hung at the cor
ner of her eye. “It’s the least I can do, since nothing about our kind is traditional.”

  “Date.” She spoke the word on a whispered breath, pondering the implications, he supposed. “It’s been so long since I’ve been on a date.” The corner of her mouth twitched and she lowered her head. “Seems like forever, actually.”

  “Your dateless forever will end tonight.” In one respect, it angered him that his little Doe hadn’t experienced the dates she deserved. In another, he was pretty relieved, despite the fact he had no claim on her past and his bubbling jealousy was sorely misplaced. “If you accept.”

  “I’d be silly not to.” She glanced up and down the sidewalk. “I would like to stop back at that clothing boutique where I bought those shirts. If you don’t mind?”

  “Not at all.”

  “One stipulation.”

  “Oh?”

  Kaylae winked. Zareh almost crushed his coffee cup.

  “You have to wait outside. You’re not allowed to see what I’m getting.”

  “I can do that.”

  “And when we’re done, I’ll need to get my car and bring it back to the bed—oops—dead-and-breakfast.”

  Zareh fell in step beside her as they headed back toward one of the clothing boutiques that didn’t showcase costumes or wild and eccentric apparel. He thoroughly enjoyed Kaylae’s excitement. Something told him Talius’s daughter didn’t have many opportunities to enjoy the simpler things in life, such as spending an uncomplicated day shopping. The energy it took for him to suppress the outside world from intruding on her mind twisted his heart. Her claims of going crazy made perfect sense to him now, and he would be certain she never felt that way again.

  As long as she accepted her duty as his Keeper, he would tackle the complexity of a Keeper’s mind powers first. He actually looked forward to teaching her how to control the outside thoughts that tried to overwhelm her and anticipated the pride she’d feel when she finally came into her own powers.

  His cell phone buzzed in his jeans pocket. Kaylae shot his pants a glance as he dug the phone out and looked at the display. Alazar. He frowned.

  “Go ahead,” she urged.

  “Sorry.” If Alazar was interrupting his day with Kaylae to bail him out of another substantial loss, he would scale his friend and feather his crest. He connected the call and raised the phone to his ear. “Yeah.”

  “Cade’s in town.”

  Zareh stumbled at the news. Kaylae spun, pressed a hand to his shoulder, and gave him a concerned look. She mouthed, Is everything okay? He reluctantly nodded.

  “What?” The last time Cade ventured out of The Hollow was shortly after the destructive war. He had assessed the damages to their clan and their Keepers, set up monetary funds for the Keepers and their families, and returned to protect their home. “Have you seen him?”

  “Hello, Zareh.” The deep timbre of the Firestorm leader’s voice filtered over the line. Zareh stiffened. This wasn’t good. “Yes, Alazar is standing beside me, so I would hope he’s seen me.”

  “You know, this guy is pretty hard to miss,” Alazar said.

  Crap.

  “We need to discuss the turn of events with Talius and Herald.” The pause that followed was filled with suspense. Did Cade know about Kaylae? Had Alazar mentioned Talius’s daughter before Zareh had a chance to contact Cade? “Sooner rather than later.”

  “Has something developed?”

  “Yes and no. But you may not be safe in Nocturne Falls for long. Do you have your jewel?”

  Zareh glanced down at Kaylae. Her eyes were wide with unspoken questions. A faint crease in her forehead deepened the longer he stared at her. Tucking the phone between his ear and shoulder, he drew her into a one-arm embrace.

  “Yes.”

  “Good. Alazar didn’t think that was the case. Under the circumstances, I feared the Baroqueth located it. With their reemergence, all precautions must be taken to protect what is ours.” Cade cleared his throat, but the small action did little to disperse the gravelly undertone. Cade was ancient, more dragon than human most of the time. His voice was only one giveaway. “Would it be best for me to meet you?”

  “No. I’ll be returning within the hour.” His fingers curled in the warm strands of Kaylae’s hair. The simple touch helped calm the intensifying apprehension he felt. “We can talk then.”

  “I’ll be waiting.”

  Zareh disconnected the call and turned his face up to the sky, for the moment unable to face the questions Kaylae would certainly ask. He knew the death of Talius was not the end of the Baroqueth’s persistent search. He’d had three decades of fragile peace. For that, he was grateful. It seemed that was coming to an end.

  When he looked down into the face of his beautiful lifemate, a mixture of fierceness and worry struck. He would not let anyone harm her. Ever.

  And if that meant he died to protect her, at least he could die knowing she would have a chance to truly live.

  Chapter Ten

  Zareh debated taking Kaylae back to his house so he could keep a closer eye on her. Until he spoke with Cade about the newest developments with the Baroqueth, he didn’t trust leaving her alone. He tossed the option out to her as they walked to her car. She was reluctant, saying she wanted time in her room at the dead-and-breakfast to get herself ready for their date. He decided to relinquish his watch over her for the next hour or so only after she promised to call immediately if anything happened.

  He would not crowd her. Talius had sheltered her enough for a few lifetimes. He did not fault his Keeper for his overprotective treatment of his daughter, but seeing how the paternal bubble affected Kaylae, the last thing Zareh wanted to do was be another overbearing guardian. Besides, he enjoyed seeing her smile, the lightness in her steps, and the unhampered excitement he’d experienced spending the day at her side. She wore that carefree nature perfectly, and he wanted to see it on her more.

  Zareh slipped into his house and found Cade and Alazar hunched over a chessboard in the living room. Cade’s bulky, muscular frame made the chessboard look like it belonged in a dollhouse, and Alazar look like a teenager. Their leader’s enormity was another reason he seldom left The Hollow. He drew too much attention with his towering height, coming in at a little over seven feet, and burly, almost Viking-like appearance. He easily made people scurry away in fear.

  Cade stroked his deep red beard, the fire in his eyes in full-glow as he examined the chessboard. A gold pendant sat on the table beside the chessboard, a polished blue diamond beside it. Zareh’s brows rose.

  “Please don’t tell me you’re betting against Cade.”

  Alazar waved him quiet, picked up a piece and moved it across the board. Cade snickered, or more like rumbled, and took his move.

  “Nice try, Alazar. Checkmate.”

  Alazar smacked his hands on his knees. “I’m just warming up. One more—”

  “No,” Zareh and Cade said at the same time. Cade took the gold pendant and pushed the diamond back toward Alazar.

  “Next time, I’ll take it,” Cade said.

  “There won’t be a next time, if I have any say.” Zareh snatched the diamond before Alazar could retrieve it.

  “Hey!”

  Zareh bared his teeth. “You’re out of control. You need an intervention. I’m going to find some kind of gambling addiction program for you. If you’re going to bet, do it on something you know you’ll win. Like fire breathing.”

  Cade left the sofa and stretched his arms over his head, fingertips almost touching the ceiling. The man was a giant. Alazar, pout and all, put the chess pieces in their respective compartments beneath the board and pocketed his diamond after Zareh gave it back.

  “Can I get you something to drink?” Zareh asked Cade. He folded his arms over his chest and eyed Alazar. “Do tell me you at least offered Cade a beverage before your attempt at more gold.”

  “Actually, I did.” Alazar snorted and rolled his eyes. “He had two beers, a burger, and the rest of your
steak from the other night.”

  Cade patted his belly. “Alazar has always been a wonderful host. The food was delicious.”

  “Makes up for his terrible gambling habits.”

  “At least I can rely on you to bail me out when needed.” Alazar flashed Zareh a smile and gave his shoulder a light punch. “Great team, you and I.”

  “Mm. Those scales need to be zeroed out.” He wanted so badly to soak up this light-hearted conversation, but the impending dread overcame the small dose of entertainment. Best to get it over and done with. Then he could get on with his night in Kaylae’s presence. “What have you heard, Cade?”

  “I have it from a very reliable source that the Baroqueth traced the possibility of your location to Georgia. It won’t be long before they come to Nocturne Falls in search of you, especially knowing this town is a haven for paranormal beings beneath the guise of Halloween. You might want to consider leaving in the near future.” Cade’s fire-red gaze scoured the length of Zareh’s body. “Where’s your jewel?”

  “In safe keeping.” Zareh pressed his lips together as an unnerving thought touched him. “Do you know how they traced me here? Or were they tracing someone else?”

  Cade shrugged, his large shoulders shifting the air around him. “I only know what I’ve been told.” His eyes narrowed to scalding slits. “Why?”

  “Are you aware of Talius siring any children?”

  Cade’s scrutinizing gaze turned piercing. “What are you trying to tell me?”

  Zareh sighed and ran a hand over his hair. “Talius sired a daughter he kept hidden under a false identity.”

  There weren’t many things that could shock Cade. Heck, the old dragon had a few centuries on Zareh. He’d seen just about everything.