“It’s one of the reasons I want to help your Council.” She tucked her shirttail into her pants. “Leana believes in all species living together. She wants all to benefit from the city’s economic progress.”
The muscles of his jaw flexed. The skin over his knuckles was stretched tight from where he gripped the wheel.
“Our values are the same. We know that only when species collaborate can we evolve together.” She shifted her weight from one leg to the other. “There are not many who would not use the natural mistrust of species against each other for their personal gains.”
The tendons of his neck were taut, and his cheekbones stood out in relief. “It’s also why I accepted when Leana offered me and Serena a home. Besides, I thought it would be safe with the Council in charge.” He slammed his palm on the wheel.
The anger vibrated off him, his frustration so palpable she wanted to reach out and touch him.
“The Elysians are the most lethal threat the Council has faced. How can one defend yourself against an enemy you can’t see? No one could have predicted they would have come for her.” She knew she was trying to pacify him and wasn’t sure why. But he was hurting, and that bothered her. Enough for her to want to soothe him.
She gripped her elbows at her sides. She reminded herself that this trip was going to be strictly professional.
Cain didn’t seem to notice her internal struggle.
“Why Serena of all the shifters?” His jaw hardened. “Why did they come after her?”
“Perhaps they knew she was one of the few lion shifters in the city? Hope mentioned that Tibor had been searching out shifters of different species to break them down and study their shields. They must have known where she lived, who she hung out with.” She leaned forward, shading her eyes from the sun. The heat seemed to radiate off the water around them, and perspiration beaded her upper lip.
“We’ve long suspected there was an infiltrator within the city. This only confirms it.” He rubbed his neck.
“We’ll find Serena.” She didn’t have to reassure him. Their relationship was limited to being professional on this mission. Still, she could give him hope, couldn’t she? That much was allowed, even expected between teammates.
He jerked his head in a short nod. “Get some rest.” His voice was gruff. “We need you fully recovered for when we confront the Elysians.”
She made her way down to the tiny stateroom.
Her strength was returning at an accelerating pace, but there were moments when her muscles still twanged, reminding her she’d been unconscious and drifting in a coma until not long ago. Crawling into the lower berth, she shut her eyes, listening to the throbbing of the engines.
She woke up to darkness.
The boat pitched with enough force for her to hit her head against the upper bunk.
16
Cain
Cain swore as he battled to keep control of the cruiser.
They were only twenty-four hours into the journey, halfway to Seychelles.
One moment everything had been quiet, the next the storm had come raging out of nowhere.
He’d smelled the electricity in the air a second before lightning lit up the horizon, then thunder had crashed and the skies had opened up. The raindrops pelted him, each one the size of a small pebble. They hit his bare arms, his neck and face, sending arrows of pain zinging through his nerve endings.
He pushed the hair out of his eyes and leaned forward. Ahead of him were sheets of water, and beyond that darkness. He could barely see the outline of the steering wheel in front of him.
A touch on his shoulder had him turning.
Eve’s eyes flared, the violet sparks lighting up her face.
For a second, he forgot that they were in the middle of the sea and caught in a storm. He was riveted by the flecks of blue that floated in her vertical irises. It was as if an inner fire was beginning to spark, lighting her up from the inside out.
She wore a lifejacket and held another one in her hands. Around her waist was a utility belt. Seeing him glance at it, she raised her shoulders before letting them drop. “Medical supplies, just in case...”
She didn’t complete the sentence, but he knew she was right to prepare for the worst. He’d have done the same.
She closed the gap between them to place the jacket over his shoulders. Sliding around, she stood in front of him and buckled him up.
A big wave lifted the boat just then, causing it to tilt back. She collided with his chest, her arms finding his waist and gripping it.
Water poured over them with a force that had him gasping.
The foam swirled over her head, covering him, burning his eyes. He couldn’t see a thing.
Then the boat glided down what seemed like forever but must have been less than ten seconds. With a noise that sounded like another crack of thunder, the vessel hit the sea. More water poured over them.
The boat heaved as it was hurled off the top of a wave and into the trough, dropping so fast that he had to keep his teeth clenched shut so as not to bite his tongue.
Over the screaming winds, he felt the vibrations ripping through the floor.
The smell of ozone and electricity in the air had the hair on his forearms standing on end. His senses screamed they were in danger just before something slammed him in the back.
Red and white pain stabbed through him. He couldn’t prevent the groan that boiled up from his throat.
He grabbed her shoulders to steady himself, relieved when the agony receded to a dull ache.
“The boat is breaking apart.” Eve slid out from his hold.
Balancing herself on the swaying deck, she stretched her upper body over the railing so she hung halfway over the side. The wind plastered her clothes to her skin. The waves lashed her.
It was as if she was daring the elements.
He took a step toward her, worried that she was going to lose her balance and tip over.
The boat pitched again. He grabbed on to the steering wheel to keep himself from losing his balance.
When he straightened, she was still in the same place.
Her body rose and fell, adjusting with the movement of the sea. It was as if she were in rhythm with the ebb and flow of the waves. Of course, her dragon was used to riding air currents, so getting in tune with nature was innate to her.
He sensed her body still as she focused inward.
The air around her thinned, going transparent, and violet sparks shimmered, coming into focus then fading away. She’d tried to shift and failed.
The boat shuddered. It reared up the next wave, water slapping over the bow.
The wind screamed through the cruiser, slapping him back against the side of the cockpit.
He swung around to find her standing straight, legs braced against the impact. The water gushed over her, stretching her hair back behind her, and still she didn’t move.
A loud scream rent the air as the waves ripped through the hull. Like a living, angry creature, it forced its way through the planks of wood which burst from the seams and went flying.
The boat was breaking in half.
Letting go of the wheel, he made his way to where she stood. When he hauled her close, her body was still, unyielding.
He cupped her chin and turned her face toward him.
Her skin was flushed, splotches of red streaking her cheekbones. Her muscles quivered, as if her body was drawing in energy, getting ready to unleash it.
His heart pounded, and fear laced his blood. He hadn’t seen her come back to life to die again, not like this.
Another flash of lightning lit the sea, turning the surf into shattered diamonds. It brought out the ruby-red highlights in her hair, turned her face into a that of a dangerous creature.
“I can’t shift, doesn’t mean I can’t swim.” Her chin thrust out in challenge. “You’re not afraid of the water, are you, cat?” Her eyes slit vertical and blazed with gold and shattered-violet flames.
His dragoness took his br
eath away.
He tightened his grip on her. He yanked her close so she was molded to him, her figure all but plastered to his side. Pulse pounding at his temples, he swore. “Does nothing scare you, woman?”
The wind whipped her hair across her face, and she flung it out of her eyes.
You.
Had she said that out loud or had she whispered it to him in his mind?
She tipped back her head, breasts brushing against his chest. Curving her body over his, she flicked her tongue across his lips.
It reminded him of when she’d clung to his arm and drawn strength from him and asked him to stay with her. He’d promised her then he wouldn’t leave her.
She’d been unconscious then. She was alive and vital now.
She was a burning flame that would only grow more vibrant with age. He wanted to grow old with her.
Fucking hell. Where had that thought come from?
“Shall we?” Her lips pulled back.
Before he could reply, she took a step forward, and another, yanking him along, eyes glinting, mouth wide in a smile that was almost a snarl.
Running to the edge, she jumped, taking him with her.
17
Eve
Eve hit the water and went right through the churning mass. The shock of the cold made her ears pop. The sound of the storm above muted. All she could hear was the blood pumping in her ears.
Bubbles shimmered across her vision.
Her sight adjusted to the darkness, her dragon’s night vision kicking in.
She turned to see Cain swimming in her direction.
She scissored her legs and lifted her face. Lightning flashed above. Eve found her bearings and swam toward it.
Cain was right next to her. They broke the surface of the water almost at the same time.
He gestured to where he clearly thought they would find the closest land mass and began swimming out.
She followed him.
With a sucking sound, the remainder of the boat sank. It sent a swell gushing over her. Kicking out, she pushed herself forward through the wave.
They swam steadily for the next hour. Around her the temperature dropped but it didn’t affect her. She realized then that her dragon had grown stronger, enough for the energy to swirl through and heat her blood.
An hour of steady swimming had only tired her out a little.
Perhaps it was the rush of adrenaline that had fed her dragon. More likely it was the fact that she had been in close proximity to Cain. Her dragon had drawn energy from him, had used it to strengthen itself. How could that be? They weren’t connected on the psychic plane, were they?
She peered at him from the corners of her eyes.
His massive shoulders flexed, and his biceps bulged as his arms cut through the water. His thighs slapped back the waves, propelling him forward.
The rain still fell, but the storm had moved on. Instead of the pounding water, it was more a steady mist of rain that floated over them.
His eyes locked with hers. “Tired?”
She shook her head, not trusting herself to speak. Something had changed between them, she wasn’t sure what.
Of course a shared experience like they’d just had, where they’d seen death so close and survived, would make them close.
But it was more than that. The trust she’d always had in him had shifted into something else—a deep want. A need to be closer to him. To get to know him.
She’d been too busy resenting that her dragon was not awake and that she hadn’t been able to fly. She’d turned away from him and the feelings he evoked in her.
It had been scary because of what he made her face in herself. That she needed someone else.
For so long she’d been independent, even reveled in the fact that there was no man who could match her dominance. Then he’d come along, and it had been a rude awakening. Cain was right that he’d hurt her ego. She’d drawn back to being what she knew best. An aloof woman whose feelings had been buried deep inside. She’d never trusted anyone else with who she was. Had been arrogant that she’d never need to share herself, for no one could equal her.
He’d crept into her head without her realizing it. His lion had sensed her dragon. The man he was had seen past the fire of her beast to the woman she was.
Both man and beast resonated with her. The thought sent a pulse of longing through her. It wasn’t just sexual...it was something more. Something that made her want to savor the feeling without giving it a name for as long as she could.
Turning on her back, Eve floated, letting her body rise and fall with the waves. Her eyelids fluttered shut.
For the first time since she’d woken up from the coma, her muscles relaxed.
There in the middle of the sea, with the rain a steady patter on the waves, Eve felt free like she’d never been before. She was not in Mauritania nor in Bombay. She was not even a dragon right then.
She was just a woman who was attracted to, and yet conflicted about, this man who brought out that innate feminine part of her she’d forgotten even existed.
The rain stopped, and then there was only the water lapping against her skin.
She opened her eyes to the faint lightening of the sky in the distance. It was almost dawn.
“Look.” Cain pointed to the birds flying through the early morning sky.
“Land,” she breathed.
A burst of energy had her pulling away from him. Drawing on the adrenaline rush, Eve swam toward where she could see the outline of trees in the distance. She knew Cain was right behind.
Turning to him, she bared her teeth. “Last one to reach land takes on the work of setting up camp.” She plowed through the water, exhilarated at the prospect of a race.
She’d always been competitive with her siblings. The only one who could keep up with her had been Rage.
He’d been a powerful swimmer and had helped save many of the humans and shifters. He’d been on that last trip with her mother when the two had decided to swim out to save a wolf shifter mother and her pup. They’d managed to get the family to safety, but both had been caught in the killer wave which had come out of nowhere and dragged them back to sea.
That incident had changed her life. It had shown her that even dragon shifters, who lived longer than humans and most shifters, were not invincible.
It was why she’d taken the threat of the Elysians so seriously and had wanted to collaborate with the Council. The dragon shifters were the strongest of the species but even they needed allies to survive.
The thoughts ran through her head in that strange rhythmic way it often had of doing when she was physically occupied.
As her muscles burned with the effort of keeping ahead of the lion shifter, she didn’t dare stop to look behind to see if he’d caught up.
She wanted to be the first to reach shore, not because she wanted to be ahead of him, but because she wanted to excel. It wasn’t an ego thing. Just that she liked a challenge. There was a strange thrill in competing with herself.
Each time she won the battle against her own personal demons it gave her a thrill of achievement.
Only, she never stood still long enough to enjoy her success. She was always searching for the next dare.
When she’d been growing up, it was about being good enough at everything she did for her father to be proud of her. When he’d decided to step down, she’d taken on the task of seeing off challenges from other male dragon alphas with great relish.
After becoming alpha, it was about taking care of her family, her sisters, her clan…all of which had always kept her busy. Kept her going, always looking ahead. Always seeking.
She’d been searching for something to fill that emptiness inside her and she hadn’t even been aware of it.
Not until she’d woken up from that coma and seen a man whose gentleness had been different from anything she’d encountered so far.
She’d always thought she’d just settle for someone to bond with. Someone she’d
have to mate with to make dragonlings to further their blood line.
Meeting Cain had made her realize she wanted more. She could have more with him.
Except she’d be risking his life if she acted on her attraction to him. Cain was a dominant lion shifter, strong and virile. Not even a powerful lion shifter could withstand the psychic impact of mating with a dragon.
She had no doubt if she acted on her impulses they would sleep together. He’d already shown he cared for her. Neither of them would be able to walk away from the encounter unscathed. She was kidding herself if she thought things could stay casual between them.
She put on a burst of speed, her lungs burning with the effort, her muscles tiring in earnest…then her feet touched the sandy shore.
Chest heaving, she scrambled to her feet.
Dragging her body through the shallow waves, she threw herself down on the sand, on her back.
With her breath coming out in short bursts, the water streamed from her hair, dripping to her shoulders and down her back.
She gazed at the horizon, and the first fingers of sunlight stretched out across the sky. The view was blocked out as Cain’s face came into view. He dropped to his knees next to her.
The T-shirt clung to his massive shoulders, outlining the planes of his chest that swept down to a torso so flat it seemed concave. Rivulets of water poured down his neck, his chest, splashing onto the sand around him.
He placed his hands on his hips, his gaze narrowing on her face.
She held up her fist. “We made it.” Her lips widened into a smile.
His expression softened. “We did.” He raised his hand to fist-bump her. “Eve, I…” His eyelids fluttered, his big body shuddered, then he fell facedown on the sand next to her.
18
Cain
Pain thudded through his head. His limbs tingled. Sparks of red bounced behind his closed eyelids.
When he tried to move, his body felt heavy. He pushed his hands against the ground to sit up. A touch between his shoulder blades held him chest down.
Obsession_Paranormal Romance _Dragon Shifters, lion shifters, immortals and wolf shifters Page 7