by Kira Nyte
Taryn shook his head. “No, angel. That’s where you’re wrong. That’s where your mother was wrong.” He lowered his head and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. She tasted her essence on his lips, a flavor that had been forced on her in the past, but now sealed something promising between her and the dragon. “Are you content? Satiated?”
“You’ve exhausted me.”
He chuckled. “Well, I’m not sorry about that.” He brushed the tips of their noses together. “You, Gabriella, come first for me. In everything, and especially in bed. If you’re not happy, if you’re not satisfied, I haven’t done my job. Yes”—he nuzzled her cheek—“I will claim you. I’ll claim your body as mine. But today is about you, and only you.”
The sincerity in his voice, in his words, left Gabby speechless as he feathered kissed along her jaw. It wrenched at her heart in a way that made her realize just how much life was hidden inside her.
Selfless. Taryn showed his selflessness more than once, but this went beyond anything she’d experienced.
Men always took what they wanted. Always expected something in return, or expected something with no thought of thanks.
She blamed the tremble of her chin on her weakened state. The sting in her eyes on the cool air that drifted between them. The thickness of her voice when she spoke on the residual pulse of her orgasm.
“You shattered me,” she whispered, threading her fingers through his hair.
Taryn tipped his head up and caught her eyes. His thumb brushed beneath her eye, leaving a trail of wetness in its path. “No, my dear. I gave you a taste of what you should expect in bed. A taste of what you deserve. You deserve to be doted on, and I’m more than happy to dote.” That wicked grin returned. “Trust me, this morning was nothing more than a crack. Your shattering has yet to come.”
Chapter Twenty-One
“Welcome back to the land of the living.” Gabe raised his beer bottle in salute as Taryn joined him, Syn, and Cade in the library. Taryn only smiled and took a seat, sipping his coffee. Gabe eyed him suspiciously. “Awfully chipper, aren’t you.”
“Don’t go there, Gabriel. It’s none of your business,” Taryn warned with a rumbling edge.
“Aw, come on, bro. Syn caved.”
Syn wagged a finger “Actually, you all speculated. I never confirmed a damn thing.”
Taryn looked at Cade. The man must have reined in his dragon. He appeared a little smaller than usual, although no less fierce. “Sorry my chairs aren’t one-size-fits-all, Cade.”
“I can adjust.”
“Literally,” Gabe interjected before taking a swig of beer. “Anyhow, what’s the plan? Are we going back home or hanging out longer? I think I might have pinned down the location of some of the older residents from The Hollow. If I’m hot, I don’t want to lose the lead.”
“Unfortunately, with the Baroqueth searching for Taryn and Syn, I think it’s best if you abandon that lead until the activity dies down. No reason to bring danger on your tail. If they’ve survived this long without us intervening, let’s leave them be until we can be certain we won’t be leading trouble to their doorsteps.” Cade tapped his heel on the floor as he rapped his fingers on the chair arm. “I’ve been working to figure out how many Baroqueth we would be facing. Seems that even before the attack last month, there wasn’t an impressive number, and a good many were killed or injured then.”
“If you ask me, seems they’ve gotten careless or weak in their old age,” Gabe said with a shrug.
“I’m not so sure.” Syn rested his ankle on his knee. “When I went to Alazar’s aid in Georgia, that group was pretty strong.”
“Maybe it was luck?”
Cade’s eyes narrowed as he stroked his beard. “That was one town with a strong connection to magic. The thrum of power is just as alive and well in the arteries of this old city. I wonder how much of New Orleans’ power the Baroqueth can tap into? Perhaps they aren’t as strong as we first suspected, and are falling back on their ways of stealing magic that doesn’t belong to them. Perhaps they are able to utilize the natural powers of the earth and the towns and cities to strengthen their spells.”
“I know this demon…” Taryn cleared his throat when he received three sets of hard glowers. He smiled. “Just kidding. I stay away from the demons. They’re a wishy-washy bunch.”
“Good to hear,” Syn said. The furrow in his brow made Taryn wonder if his sanity was under scrutiny. “I’m returning to The Hollow with Briella tonight. After being tracked yesterday, I’m not willing to risk her safety, business be damned. Thankfully, she agrees.”
“She’s willing to put her next exhibit on hold?”
“Yes. Until things settle down here or until we’ve wiped every damn Baroqueth from the face of existence.” Syn glanced at Cade. “I’m aiming for the latter.”
“I’m going to hazard a guess that the dragons before my time fought toward the same goal.” Cade grew silent. “As far as I’m aware, in the history of the Baroqueth and Firestorm feud, never has a female been involved in the disputes.”
Gabe snorted. “Why would that matter?”
“Typically, male sorcerers hold stronger abilities than females. The Baroqueth have been predominantly male for as long as I can recall.”
“Do you think this has any significance?” Syn asked Cade.
The leader released a long breath and shrugged.
“I’m not sure. All I can say is it’s a different tactical strategy than we’ve seen before. And the woman apparently holds more power than most of the men we’ve come up against lately. That makes me wonder about her origins. Who she really is.” Cade cut a hard glance between Syn and Taryn. “Have the Baroqueth taken a female leader? Or is there a transition happening, and that’s why they’ve become so focused on hunting us? It seems that they are targeting those of use who have found lifemates. Why?”
“That’s pretty self-explanatory, Cade,” Gabe said. “They want our powers, like they’ve always wanted them, and they’ll use the women to lure us in. Anyone who knows a Firestorm knows how quickly we’ll sacrifice ourselves for our lifemates.”
“Huh. From the mouth of the man who refuses to settle down,” Taryn teased.
Cade cast both men a glare, none too amused. “We all have been around long enough to know nothing is that simple, especially when it comes to the Baroqueth.”
“Or, maybe it has become that simple—”
The zap of electricity that prickled up Taryn’s spine cut him off mid-sentence. The room wavered for a split second, like a wave of heat had passed through.
Gabe looked around. “What the hell?”
Taryn stiffened.
Only one thing could have caused that amount of magic to disperse like that. The patter of footsteps dashing overhead confirmed his suspicions as he shot to his feet.
“Fuck,” he spat, dropping his mug of coffee to splatter on the table as he ran out of the library.
“Taryn!” Amelia rushed down the stairs, worry creasing her brow.
“I know, the wards were tripped,” he said, catching her by the shoulders before she came off the last step. Gabriella and Briella paused halfway down the stairs. “Stay out of sight.” He lifted his gaze to his angel. “All of you. Back upstairs and don’t you dare come down until we say it’s okay.”
Old fear filled Gabriella’s face as she blanched.
“I won’t let anything happen to you, do you understand me?”
She nodded once, but the fear remained in her eyes. He didn’t look away until Briella turned her to hurry back up the stairs.
“Things are about to get interesting.” Gabe cracked his knuckles and his neck. He exhaled a plume of light gray smoke from his nostrils. “Let ’em come.”
Cade stepped around Gabe and motioned to the stairs. “You and Syn have to stay with the women, in case you need to get them to safety. Daylight or not, survival is the priority.”
“There goes my pretty house,” Taryn groaned. Had the situation
been less unnerving, he might have found it funny. Truth be told, if transforming into his dragon destroyed his house, but saved Gabriella and the other women, he’d demolish his building time and time again. To Cade, he said, “Your presence here will raise suspicions. I have some of Amelia’s magic to protect me. You three don’t.”
Cade scowled. “And I don’t have a lifemate who’ll be devastated if I die. Should that happen, Zareh will take over. But let me be clear—I don’t plan on dying anytime soon.” He pointed to the stairs. “The women come first, Taryn. You know that. Go.”
Taryn swallowed down his displeasure when the doorbell rang. Cade tipped his head in such a way that implied his lethal threat without saying a word.
The guest didn’t wait more than a few seconds before banging on the door. “Taryn! I know you’re in there! Open the damn door! I demand to speak with my daughter!”
Cade snickered, his face darkening with mischief. “Our friend Janice. Maybe now you’d like to go upstairs?”
Taryn spread his arm to the door and bowed. “She’s all yours, my friend.”
Syn was already begrudgingly ascending the stairs when Taryn started after him. It wasn’t in any of their natures to walk away from danger. They didn’t cower, and this made Taryn feel like a coward. But Cade was right. In protecting their women, they protected their future.
Taryn looked up toward the living space at the head of the stairs. All three women stood around the sofa setup, watching Syn and Taryn approach.
“My mother tripped the wards?” Gabriella asked. That adorable crease that furrowed the space between her brows made his fingers itch to smooth it away. Maybe even kiss it, and then some. All that would have to wait.
“Seems that way.”
Below, Cade opened the door. Taryn was far enough up the stairs that she wouldn’t be able to see him. He stopped to listen. Syn positioned himself at the top of the stairs, an arm out to prevent the women from coming too close.
“Where is she? I know she’s here.” Janice shouted, “Gabby! Get over here this instant!”
“She’s not here, Janice. And if I’m not mistaken, she’s old enough to make her own decisions as to where she resides, and with whom. She is an adult, isn’t that correct?” Cade asked, his tone sharp with the lethal growl he’d mastered. “I didn’t invite you in.”
“This isn’t your house to make that decision.”
“Who’s with you?”
“What the fuck do you mean? Does it look like anyone’s with me? Or have all those centuries finally started wearing on your eyesight?”
Taryn’s hands fisted. He snapped his head around when Briella hissed Gabriella’s name. Syn caught Gabriella by the waist, issued a stern shake of his head, and motioned her back toward the sofa.
“Stay back, angel. She wouldn’t have tripped the wards alone. She didn’t before. So either someone is with her or something else triggered the wards, and we need to figure it out.”
“But she’s out of control.”
Taryn snorted. “She’s always been out of control.”
“One of mine owns this house, which makes it my business to protect it when he’s not present. You know very well how serious I am about protecting my own.”
“Oh, and I don’t fall into that category? I’m from The Hollow, too. I’m part of your world.”
Cade’s angry rumble resonated beneath Taryn’s skin. Janice didn’t know when to quit. She never had, but it seemed she’d lost all sense of logic over the last few decades.
“When someone in The Hollow harms their own offspring to benefit themselves, they would be punished severely for such misbehavior. The laws in this world are no different. Don’t tempt me to mete out your punishment, woman. Now, I suggest you take your leave, as you can very well see that Taryn is not home and your daughter is nowhere in the vicinity.” When he spoke next, his voice took a deeper edge. “And should you insist on trespassing, I’ll ask those officers sitting half a block away to kindly escort you off this property.”
Taryn could almost picture the fury twisting Janice’s face like a worn rag. If he hadn’t witnessed the horrors she’d forced upon Gabriella, he might have found it funny.
Right now, he felt a serious lack of satisfaction. He had a few more words for the demonspawn. Oh, forget that. Not words. Threats. Actions.
“You know what? How ’bout I go get them and tell them you’ve kidnapped my daughter? That your own is consorting with her and she’s wanted in a murder investigation? Hmm? Want me to do that? That girl is mine! She’s mine! Do you hear me? My daughter! And I want her to come here—”
“Enough.”
The implacable command and promised threat behind that single word resonated throughout the house.
Gabriella whimpered. Taryn could feel how much her fretting was starting to take a toll on the progress they’d made. Janice was a trigger, one he now realized held more power over his darling lifemate than he could allow.
He tilted his head to see Gabriella curled up on the sofa, hugging her knees to her chest. “Gabriella. Breathe, love.”
Her eyes were wide as they cut to him. He offered her a small smile before turning away.
“…want to fuck with me. I don’t care what you are, Cade. You’re not in your world anymore. Here, you are powerless. Did you think I didn’t know that? Think I’m stupid? I know. I’ve been told by your own. You know, those poor souls too devoted to you dragons and that damn world, until it comes to a woman in bed. Then all you men become a bunch of fools.”
“Are you through? Because you’re wasting your time and breath ranting. It’s meaningless babble. I’m well aware of you, Janice. Who you are, how you are and, sadly, what you are. I’ll be sure to let Taryn know you stopped by.”
“Don’t you close this door.”
“Watch me.”
Taryn smiled in satisfaction when the door slammed shut, rattling the lamps and light fixtures. He climbed the rest of the stairs and exchanged seats with Amelia, who had been attempting to calm Gabriella. He draped his arm around her shoulders and touched a single finger to her chin.
“Look at me,” he murmured, earning himself her fear-filled stare. The tortured soul reared in her eyes and tore a piece of him apart. “Are you listening?”
“Yes,” she whispered.
He grinned at her verbal response over a simple nod. He kissed her forehead. “I have one reason to be thankful Janice is alive. One. And that is all. And if I can find that one reason enough not to end her sad existence for what she put you through, I hope you can find it in you to do the same.”
“No reason is good enough.”
“That’s where you’re wrong, angel.” He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “She gave me you.”
Gabriella sucked in a shuddering breath and settled her forehead against his shoulder. He stroked her hair, allowing her the time to compose herself. Amelia pressed her hand to his back before she silently returned to her room beyond the upstairs kitchen. Syn and Briella went downstairs.
Taryn hooked one arm under Gabriella’s legs and slid her onto his lap. She straightened up, but her arms went around his neck, her fingers tangling in the ends of his hair.
“And you’re okay with that? Okay with me? With everything that is wrong”—she pointed to her head—“in here?”
Taryn narrowed his eyes. “Now, Gabriella, what have we said about the degradation? There’s nothing wrong with you. Nothing. Anywhere. All of the things you’ve faced and survived have made you strong and created the person you are now.”
“How is it you calm me? How do you make the bad just…melt away?”
“Aww, angel.” He laughed quietly, cupping the side of her face. “Because that’s my specialty. Just wait until I put some effort into it.”
Gabriella smiled at last as she placed her hand over his. “I’ll prepare myself.”
“It’s so much better when you’re not prepared.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Why do I get
the feeling we’re discussing something other than your calming specialty?”
“Well.” He thumbed her bottom lip. “I think a couple of things go hand in hand, don’t you? Didn’t I make you melt earlier?”
Her cheeks pinkened and her pupils dilated. He lifted a brow knowingly.
“I thought so. But before I’m tempted to do so again, perhaps we should go downstairs and see what damage my guests are doing?”
Damn, was her reluctance sexily adorable. He probably should tell her how much of a turn-on it was to see her lick her lips or flare her nostrils.
“That might be a safe idea.”
Taryn took her by the waist and popped her onto her feet, loving the tiny squeal and excited glitter that washed away her fear. The dig of her fingers into his shoulders was a nice little addition, but he would keep that to himself. He stood up in front of her and spun her around, her laughter as refreshing as the sunrise over The Hollow.
He slid an arm around her waist and guided her down the stairs. “I’m going to put out a call to another friend and see if she wouldn’t mind making a few clothing purchases for you before we leave tonight. I’m pretty sure Cade was able to return a couple of seamstresses and bakers to The Hollow, but I’m not sure how settled they’ve become. It’s a slow process.”
“Why did you all stay away for so long?”
“The land needed to heal without the threat of another attack. As long as we were there, we drew our enemies there, which could have permanent effects on our wor—”
“Taryn!” Amelia screamed from behind them at the same moment Cade burst into the living room, his body filling out and scales cascading over his skin.
“Upstairs!” Cade shouted.
Adrenaline surged. Taryn grabbed Gabriella. His dragon stretched from within. He swelled, filling the stairway.
An explosion rocked the house.
Wood and stone and glass shot inward, the force so great it knocked Taryn into Gabriella. She stumbled and fell as Amelia grabbed for her hand and was knocked to the floor by another explosion.