by Susan Hayes
“Can’t you tell me how she’s doing? Please, she’s my friend.”
The medic started to shake her head, then sighed. “I can’t tell you much, but she’s holding on. We should know more soon.”
“She has to be alright.” Hanna’s voice quavered as she looked up at him, and he felt her worry like a physical blow. It was the first time he’d sensed her emotions, and it faded a second later, but he knew what he’d felt. Their bond was strong and getting stronger.
“She will be. Pyrosian medicine is far more advanced than human. She’ll be fine,” he said, hoping like hell the Gods weren’t going to make him a liar. If her friend didn’t make it, Hanna would carry the grief and guilt for the rest of her life.
There was still plenty to concern them all, but the Humanity First movement wasn’t one on the list. Not anymore.
Most of the true believers had died defending their base, leaving just the petty thugs and guns for hire alive. The mercenary types had given up the first chance they could and were on their way to police headquarters to be charged and processed. Chris, the chocolate smuggling cell guard, had survived. Jet had seen him being placed into a vehicle, hands cuffed, shoulders slumped in defeat. Kyle had survived, too. He’d been caught trying to sneak away after the fighting ended.
Keth and Eva, the mated pair who ran the embassy, were busy speaking with reporters, telling them a well-crafted version of events that would ensure that public opinion turned against the Humanity First group. Keth had stopped by for a few minutes to make sure both he and Hanna were alright, and Jet had taken the opportunity to convey a few key pieces of information, including the way John and the others had treated their human captives. The fact that Vykor confirmed that John had been the one to shoot Lily only added more weight to the argument that the Firsters were less concerned about human rights and more about fomenting fear through whatever means necessary, including murder.
“If we can’t get more information, then we should go see Megan.” Hanna brightened at the mention of her friend’s name. “I still haven’t heard how she wound up a dragon, or how they found us, and I’m certain she thinks this is all her fault and needs to apologize.”
“Her and Karos, both.” There’d been no time to speak during the frantic rush to get Lily seen to, but he’d seen the look in his friend’s eyes. Karos was convinced he was to blame for everything.
They held hands for the short walk to the others, but the moment Hanna saw Megan she let go of him to hug her friend. He let her go, but he didn’t like watching her walk away. They belonged together, and once he got her back to the embassy, he was going to prove it to her.
She hugged Megan hard and hung onto her as they both babbled happily. Megan kept trying to apologize, and it was hard not to laugh as she struggled to speak past her newly developed fangs. Fangs. Megan had fangs because she was a dragon. It was going to take some time to wrap her head around that.
Hanna put a stop to Megan’s apologies with another hug. “You didn’t fail me. You came back for us. As a dragon! How did that happen?” Hanna glanced over at the large, red-haired male standing with Jet. “Or can I guess?”
“You’re one to talk.” Megan grinned and pointed to Hanna’s eyes. “You and the diplomat, huh?”
Hanna nodded, slightly embarrassed to admit it. “I know he’s too young for me, but when we touched there was a spark. The spark. It made it impossible to think clearly, and I thought if we gave in, he’d have his fire powers and we could use that to escape.” She sighed. “Not that it worked out that way.”
Megan gave her a knowing look. “You’re making excuses. Stop it. Believe me, I did it too, but if the Scorching is anything like the fucking rux, you didn’t have a choice.” She lowered her voice. “It’s like some kind of sexual insanity.”
“You, too?”
Megan grinned. “Uh huh. Karos says it’s going to go on for another day or so, too. I get moments of clarity, but then my brain turns to mush again.”
“Same. But are you happy? Will you stay with him?”
She knew the answer the moment her friend looked at the Romaki male. There was more than lust in Megan’s expression, there was happiness, and a deep satisfaction that suited the other woman.
“He’s my mate. Destiny, divine meddling, fate, however you want to put it, he’s the one for me.” Megan tapped her temple. “And my dragon thinks so, too.”
“It’s really like that? You have another voice in your head?”
“Yep, and she’s loud. Bossy, too. Can’t imagine where she gets that from.”
Hanna couldn’t help it, she laughed and hugged Megan again. “I’m sure I don’t know.”
She had so many questions, but before she could ask any of them Megan asked one of her own. “What happened to Lily?”
“John shot her.” Vykor had told them that much.
Megan growled, and there was more than a little of her dragon present in the sound. “I still can’t believe her asshole half-brother was behind all this. I thought he was back in prison.”
“We all did. He tried to make us think Lily was working with him, too. I don’t know what he thought that would accomplish. The only one who might know is Lily, and she’s in no condition to talk right now.”
“She’s going to be alright though, isn’t she? I mean, the Pyrosians can fix her up?”
“They’re doing their best.”
“If Vykor hadn’t already killed her bastard of a brother, I’d happily tear his head off right now. How did he die, anyway? No one’s said anything.”
“Incinerated him, I think, but I’m not sure. We were too slow getting out of our cells to help. By the time we got to them, Lily had been shot and Vykor had gone full Smaug.”
Megan’s brows rose to her dark hairline. “Did you just make a Hobbit reference? When did you start watching fantasy movies?”
“Have you seen the guys they cast to play the dwarves in those films? They gave me an appreciation for men with beards.” She glanced at Jet and blushed as a fresh surge of lust rolled through her. As far as she was concerned, Jet put every actor and model she’d ever seen to shame. Suddenly the distance between them felt enormous, and she took a half-step toward him. She needed to be closer, to touch him, feel his arms wrapped around...
Megan snickered. “Yeah, I can see that.”
Before she could say anything else, there was a happy shout from the ambulance area, and Cupcake the hellhound started barking madly.
“Who brought a dog?” Megan asked.
“She’s with Lily. It’s a long story.” Yet another tale she didn’t know the details of, because she’d been distracted by Jet instead of trying to communicate with Lily somehow. She should have done more. Tried harder to escape. If she had, then maybe Lily wouldn’t have gotten hurt.
“Well, sounds like she’s going to be okay. Do you think we should check on her?”
Hanna shook her head. “They sent us packing the last time we tried, but they did say they’d give us news when they had it. Hopefully someone comes by soon to let us know how she’s doing.”
They didn’t have to wait long. Vykor joined them within a few minutes, and he carried Lily in his arms.
Hanna hadn’t spent much time with the young Romaki male, but it was evident that he’d changed more than his clothes since they’d parted company. He carried himself more confidently and smiled at everyone. He was dressed in a dark blue outfit that looked nothing like the suit he’d worn yesterday. It was loose and made from a fabric she didn’t recognize. It took her several seconds for it to dawn on her that Vykor must have used magic to create new clothes. Handy trick.
Lily was dressed in something similar, though the colour was a vibrant violet that matched her eyes, which were shining with unabashed delight as she spotted everyone and started waving. “I’m okay.”
Relief filled her as she and Megan ran to see Lily, the three of them hugging and catching each other up on what they’d experienced. It amused her
that Vykor held Lily the entire time, refusing her occasional requests to put her down.
Megan kept apologizing and Lily repeatedly assured them that she had no part in her brother’s schemes. There was laughter, reassurances, and explanations, though not nearly enough to answer all her questions. So much had happened, and now, everything had changed.
Jet and Karos rejoined them, and when Jet draped an arm across her shoulders, she leaned into his embrace, craving the comfort of his touch. His fingers moved over her in slow, seductive circles, and she knew he was as affected by the Scorching as she was. Karos had his arms around Megan, and it was soon apparent that a longer reunion would have to wait until they were clear of the lust-inducing madness they’d all been infected with.
She wanted more time with her friends, but she couldn’t hold onto her relief that they were alright, nor her frustration at how brief their time together was. Her thoughts were like soap bubbles drifting past. If she tried to focus on one for too long, it burst and was gone. Megan said it was the same for her, but she didn’t seem to mind. In fact, Megan was almost glowing with contentment, and Lily was radiantly happy. Whatever they were going through, neither of them had a moment’s doubt about their destined mates. So, why am I still not sure? Jet was amazing. Smart. Warm-hearted. Handsome as hell, and on top of all that, he’d turned out to be a generous and talented lover.
You know what the problem is. A cruel voice whispered from the back of her mind. Jet was still young enough he should want children, a family of his own. That was the whole purpose for which the Star-Crossed Dating Agency had been created - to pair young Pyrosian males with human women so they rebuilt their population. He couldn’t have that with her. After suffering the agonizing pain of endometriosis for more than a decade she’d opted for a hysterectomy. She’d been over forty and had known for years she didn’t want children. She didn’t regret her choice, but Jet might. Destined mates or not, he needed to know. Once he did, he’d likely change his mind about wanting forever with her.
Jet’s lips brushed her ear and she lost her train of thought.
“I need you, tani. Soon.”
His words made her shiver while her pussy clenched and flooded with arousal. She gave him a tiny nod, then raised her voice so the others could hear her. “We should—“ Jet’s hand cupped her ass and she broke off with a blush.
“I need to go with Vykor,” Lily agreed, almost whispering the words.
“Karos and I should go, too,” Megan said.
“But we’re coming back. Right?” Lily asked worriedly.
“Of course.” The words came automatically, but Hanna wasn’t sure it was entirely true. They’d all be back together again, but things had changed so much she wasn’t sure the three of them would ever be the same.
They said their goodbyes, and Hanna watched in amazement as Vykor, Karos, and Megan shifted to their dragon forms. Lily rode on Vykor’s back, swaddled in so many warm clothes and blankets she was barely visible.
She watched the sky until they vanished from sight, then turned in Jet’s arms so she could see his face. “Let’s go.”
He kissed her gently, reining in the desire she could see blazing in his eyes. “Finally. I get to take you home.”
It was all he could do not to take her in the back of the town car on the way back to the embassy. When she went to buckle in, he’d pulled her into his lap instead, unwilling to let her sit so far away. His need for her was making him crazy, and once he got her behind locked doors, he wasn’t going to let her out of his sight for days.
Maybe by then his mind would clear enough he could think about other things, like the fact his friends had found their mates and the Humanity First movement had been crushed. He wanted to rejoice in those facts, but he couldn’t focus on anything except Hanna.
Since the moment of the Spark, she’d become the center of his orbit. He loved the way she tasted, the soft warmth of her touch, the sound of her laughter, the soft moan she made just before she came. Flames, he loved everything about her. She was everything he didn’t know was missing from his life.
He ran his hands through her hair, using it to hold her close as he kissed her again and again.
There was a throng of news vans, cameramen, and reporters surrounding the embassy. Protected by the tinted windows that kept them hidden from view, neither of them said anything as their driver eased them through the crowd and past the gate. He was grateful to Keth, who would be handling the media for the next few days. The embassy had adopted the Pyrosian military’s stance that no staff member was to report to work while under the influence of the Scorching. He only had one focus for the next few days, and she was nestled in his lap, staring out the window in bemused silence. Her emotions were strong enough for him to feel but too tangled for him to make sense of.
“What is it, tani?”
“I was thinking I should get a statement out to the press, but all my staff have flown away. I knew things would change, but it hadn’t occurred to me that they already have.”
“Our staff will help with everything. They’ve already reached out to your office in Toronto to update them on your status. They can let your family know you’re alright, too. Later, we’ll worry about statements and the media. We escaped. Everyone’s alive and well. It’s time to celebrate.”
Hanna gave him a knowing look, her lush lips turned up into a smile. “You just want to get me naked again.”
“That’s where you’re wrong, my beautiful mate. Until now, circumstances haven’t allowed us the luxury of getting properly naked. I intend to correct this tragic state of affairs as soon as possible.”
“First naked. Then into a hot shower.”
The thought of sharing a shower with her had him hard in seconds and he had to fight the urge to groan aloud. “Whatever my mate wishes.”
She shivered and kissed him, her hands fisted in his shirt as she pulled him close. “Until this Scorching passes, all I wish for is time alone with you.”
That was a wish he would happily fulfill.
Chapter Eight
Hanna couldn’t remember a time she’d indulged in so much decadence. Over the last few days she’d surrendered completely to the Scorching. She’d given in to desires so primal she blushed every time she thought about what they’d done to and with each other. She was still concerned about their age difference, but she couldn’t deny that having a younger lover certainly had some advantages. In fact, the last few days had been so good, she was starting to think things might actually work out between them.
This morning they’d both woken to find their minds were finally clearing, and their desire for each other, while still strong, wasn’t overpowering. The mating fever was fading, which meant it was time to face reality.
They hadn’t talked about the future much since being freed. Instead, they’d talked about other things, their childhoods, family, their homes. She told him about the countries she’d visited and the people she’d met, first with her parents, and later on her own as she started the Haven Network. He was fascinated by her stories of the mining operations her father had taken her to see, and she was just as interested in his tales of distant planets, alien species, and life in the Pyrosian court.
Whatever her future with Jet might be, she was more determined than ever to visit Pyros. Once she’d seen it for herself, she believed it could be a safe haven for so many refugees. Jet believed it, too. She’d sensed it when they’d talked. Their bond was stronger now. She could feel his presence even when he wasn’t in the room, and if she focused, she could catch glimmers of his emotions, and he could sense hers, as well. If they weren’t meant to be together, surely their bond wouldn’t be so strong?
She held out a hand and snapped her fingers, summoning a flame that engulfed her hand. She watched it burn for a moment, then willed it away again. The flame. Her eyes. The link between them. It all led her to the same conclusion.
The two of them could have a life together.
She finished dressing, thankful someone had the foresight to retrieve her luggage from the wrecked limousine and bring it to the embassy. Not that she’d needed much in the way of clothing the last few days. They hadn’t left Jet’s quarters once, and limited their communications to voice only when they spoke to the other couples. She had talked often to Megan and Lily, though never for long.
The only time she’d worn clothes was while a couple of Pyrosian techs had visited to set her up with a cognitive augmentation package. She’d dozed for a few hours, and when she woke, her head was full of new facts and languages. It was amazing, just like everything else in Jet’s world.
She looked around Jet’s bedroom one last time. It was comfortable but not opulent, with an understated elegance that matched the man who lived here. Cream-coloured walls, thick rugs over polished wood floors, and furnishings that could have come from any high-end store. The familiar comforts were combined with advanced technologies. View screens that mimicked windows with ever-changing views, a fleet of service droids and robots that did everything from sweep the floor to deliver their meals. They were belowground, but the air was fresh, the lighting so natural it was hard to remember the fact.
“You’re stalling,” she scolded herself. She hadn’t told him the details of her infertility, yet, and the more she started to believe they had a chance of being happy, the more she dreaded telling him. Every scenario that played through her mind ended with anger, disappointment, and heartache.
Still, she couldn’t put it off any longer. She’d just have to do something she never imagined doing: have faith in a higher power. She closed her eyes, ignored how foolish she felt, and whispered, “Jet believes this is all part of your plan. I’m not sure I believe in you…but I do trust him. So, if you’re out there, I could use a hand with this next part. And uh, if this mating was your doing? Thank you.”
She opened her eyes and went looking for her mate. Jet had gone to his private office to catch up on work while she showered and got herself together. His office was off the main living area, and the moment she opened the bedroom door she heard his voice. He was speaking in Pyrosian, and he sounded pissed.