With a sigh, she started wiping herself off. Her body was slick with sweat, and she flushed as she realized that she hadn’t showered in almost four days. She must smell something terrible! Why hadn’t Isaac said anything? It couldn’t be pleasant to have been kissing some stinky, unwashed body.
She shivered again as her nipples tightened tenderly when she passed the cloth over them. Making up her mind, she turned on the shower; she washed quickly, then toweled off and stepped back into the room wearing the robe.
Isaac frowned at her as she sat down on the end of the bed. “Did you have to do that?”
Rune arched a brow. “Do what?”
“Shower. Now you smell like soap and chemicals.” He wrinkled his nose. “You should try more natural cleaning products. And unscented. Everything they put in those things are chemicals and… Well, I guess I shouldn’t be saying anything. It’s not like you should change your hygiene habits because I don’t like the smell of commercial soaps.”
He smirked at her and held out his arms. Rune flushed, but more than eagerly crawled up the bed to settle beside him. Heat swirled in her and, impossibly, her clit throbbed, wanting attention despite how tender it was already. He had only had a couple of mouthfuls of her blood, if that. That wasn’t enough to get her pregnant, right?
She frowned as he stroked her hair, nuzzling into the side of her neck. They should talk about her vision…
“I don’t know why you didn’t tell me to shower first,” she mumbled, not wanting to change this closeness she felt at the moment. “I stunk so bad…”
“I like your natural smell.” Isaac grinned toothily at her. “I guess your pheromones must be tailor-made for my nostrils. Although, I suppose a quick rinse couldn’t have hurt…”
Rune slapped his arm playfully as she rolled her eyes. “Are you for real? I don’t know how to take you.”
“Carefully,” he quipped at once. “Although if you were on top, maybe not so carefully.”
His tone was easy and casual, but she could sense the tension coming off him like stink from a skunk. He, too, was wearing a hotel robe and she slid her hand under it, running her fingers over his smooth, cool chest. His muscles were sculpted like marble. If it wasn’t for that scene she had seen as he drank from her, she would have been tearing off these robes and riding him like a horse.
Well, she had never been much for horseback anyway.
“The vision I had,” she started hesitantly, knowing it was going to ruin the moment.
Isaac tensed physically and turned his head away. “It’s given me the answers I need.”
“Not necessarily. It wasn’t clear. And I haven’t had that sort of vision often. Just the once before, like I said. When I saw my boyfriend’s future.”
Isaac hummed, still not looking at her. “And did it come true?”
“Well… I don’t know,” she admitted. “I lost contact with him shortly after we graduated from High School. I couldn’t tell you how his life went… other than I wasn’t in it.”
“So, you don’t know how accurate these things are?”
Rune reluctantly shook her head. She wished she knew what to say that would comfort him, give him hope. After all, she was certain that his destiny was one he could choose. More so than others, his choices would shape the future. If he thought that there wasn’t a chance, though, then he wouldn’t take the actions to change his fate.
“Don’t worry about it,” Isaac said, tugging her a little closer. He ran his hand over her hip and smiled brilliantly at her. “What say you to a little more distraction? We can figure out the future later.”
Rune warred for only half a second before she gave in and leaned to kiss him—
And at that moment, the door burst open. Wood splintered and the smell of smoke rose through the air. Rune jumped, screaming. Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped when she saw Dane standing in the doorway. Isaac’s arms tightened around her for a brief second before he shoved her, rolling her off the bed to the other side.
Dane roared, a wordless bellow of hate and anger. When Rune rolled up to peek over the edge of the bed, the two men had collided with each other. Fists flew and grunts of anger and pain filled the room. Rune pressed both her hands over her mouth, stopping another scream.
Her heart pounded wildly as Dane drove his fists into Isaac’s chest and stomach. Isaac hissed, bent double, but whirled away from Dane’s follow-up attack so quickly, he was a blur of motion. His arm locked around Dane’s throat and he yanked him backward. A burst of flame shot up to the ceiling, scorching it black. Dane elbowed Isaac in the chest, then gripped him around the neck and shoulders to flip him over his back. He hit the bed, hard enough that the frame creaked.
“Stop it,” Rune cried as Isaac twisted away, striking hard at Dane’s face.
Neither of them listened as they continued to fight each other. She leapt to her feet, her robe askew. Hatred roiled off Dane, and Isaac’s teeth were barred, fangs dripping with venom. He darted in, biting at Dane’s throat while claws grew from Dane’s fingers and he slashed at Isaac’s back.
“Stop!” Rune shouted again. She rushed around the bed as Isaac threw Dane back. He hit the wall and started forward.
Rune didn’t allow herself to stop to think. If she did that, then she’d have been too afraid. Instead, she threw herself between the two men, screaming once more for them to stop. Both hissed, both reached for her. Their arms wrapped around her at the same time and they swung her out of the way, then grabbed each other by the throat and flung themselves both backward, hitting the wall. The picture over the bed fell down with a crash.
Both of them seemed to realize what they were doing, though, and paused, staring at each other in shock, long enough for Rune to wedge herself between them again. Both their bodies pressed tightly against hers, the sweet smell of Isaac combining with the musky, smoky scent of Dane. Both their hands wrapped around her, as though preparing to fling her out of the way again.
“What are you doing?” both of them shouted in unison.
Rune flashed a desperate, pleading look at Isaac, then pressed both hands to Dane’s chest. “I can explain.”
***
Explain?
Dane’s eyes burned with fire as he lifted his lip in a snarl over Rune’s head. The fierce protectiveness that glowed in his eyes told Isaac all he needed to know. This wasn’t Dane coming after him for his vendetta, which he did every once in a while. This was far more intimate. This was Dane coming after him to rescue Rune… to rescue someone he cared deeply about.
The familiar scent that had lingered around Rune, that had made him wonder, clicked in his brain. Isaac mentally cursed himself as he released her. Of course. It had been Dane’s scent. And if he hadn’t been so focused on finding out what Gregory wanted…
“Isaac hired me,” Rune said breathlessly. “He wanted to know—”
“Why weren’t you answering your phone?”
Rune winced. “I forgot it in a gas station bathroom. You know how I am—”
Isaac didn’t wait around to see if Dane would buy the line or not. Since the dragon had his arms wrapped so securely around Rune’s waist, he was more interested in protecting her than capturing Isaac. A searing pain like fire flashed through him, and Isaac opened his mouth. Whether to tell Dane that he was sorry, whether to tell him that one day Dane would die by his hand, even Isaac didn’t know. But the dragon started to snarl, smoke curling from his nostrils. And Isaac knew he had limited time.
Leaving Rune and the hope she had so briefly brought him, he flung himself over the bed. He crashed through the window, ignoring the sting of glass shards scraping along his face and arms and sticking into his skin.
Behind him was a roar of fury, and Isaac hit the ground running. One of his legs jarred painfully, a snap reverberating through his hip and up his spine. He ignored it; he’d had to deal with plenty of broken bones in the past, and he never let them stop him. The adrenaline would carry him for now.
&nb
sp; Another roar, and when he twisted back, he saw Dane hanging out the window, with Rune’s arms around his chest. Another shot of searing pain. Isaac raced for a woman who was half-standing in her car, eyes wide as his robe flapped open. He grabbed her, shoved her aside as he took her keys, and hopped into the car. He glanced in the back quickly to ensure there were no kids, then started the engine.
He was off before the woman even started to scream.
As he drove, he slammed his hand against the wheel, cursing each time his palm stung with pain. What an idiot he had been! He should have known. Should have recognized Dane’s scent. The dragon was always coming after him, always invoking that accident years ago as his reason for trying to kill Isaac. If it wasn’t for him, he wouldn’t be forced into Gregory’s service, just to earn some peace from constantly looking over his shoulder.
If Dane had taken two seconds to stop and listen about how James was hurt… James didn’t remember, he’d been knocked unconscious. Yes, Isaac knew it was his fault, but he hadn’t done it on purpose. He hadn’t even realized that James was so badly injured when he bit him, when he took those mouthfuls of blood he needed so desperately to survive… But Dane didn’t care.
Fury rose up in him as he thought again of Rune’s vision. Gregory laughing triumphantly, having gained his victory. Isaac knew he was going to help him—what other choice did he have?
But this was Dane’s fault; it was his bull-headedness that pressed Isaac into Gregory’s iron grip. And Isaac would never forgive him for that.
***
If it wasn’t for Rune’s arms wrapped securely around his chest, holding him back, Dane would have leapt from the window, flown after Isaac and burned him and his stolen car to a crisp. But Rune was latched on, screaming so frantically he couldn’t understand her. Dane stopped attempting to free himself from her and instead turned, a snarl on his lips. It died quickly as he took in the sight of her. Wearing nothing but a robe which gaped open, letting him see the delicate scrapes on her breasts, the two small wounds in her neck.
Fury flared more hotly as his fires burned and crackled, but he forced that aside. He’d save this rage for when he faced Isaac again. Right now, Rune needed him. From the scent of the room, he knew well what had happened, and reached to wrap his arms around her.
She flinched and so did he. Of course. She wouldn’t want to be touched right now. Helplessness shoved aside his anger and he stared at her, not knowing what to say.
“Isaac hired me,” she blurted out. “He wanted to know if there was a different possible future for him. Nothing was working, so I thought…” Her cheeks went red and her gaze turned pleading. She reached for him this time, laying her hands flat against his chest. “We never said we were going to be exclusive.”
It took a moment for Dane to realize what she was saying. That his worst fears weren’t true. Isaac had not forced himself on her; she had been a willing partner in this exchange. And at first, all he could feel was relief. Relief that she had not been raped. That she hadn’t had to experience that sort of humiliation and pain.
Then came the anger. She had been with his enemy willingly. Willingly! Here he had been worried sick about her, fearing the worst… and she hadn’t even thought about him long enough to reply to his texts?
“Why the hell didn’t you call me?” he roared. “Do you have any idea how frightened I was? I thought he kidnapped you to use against me!”
Rune’s eyes widened. She dropped her hands and Dane regretted his shouting, wanting her touch. But at the same time, he was glad she stepped back. He didn’t want her to touch him right now. Not after she had done this! Was it all a setup? Had she been working with Isaac from the start?
“I’m sorry that you were worried,” Rune stammered. “And I’m sorry that I didn’t call. I lost my phone, and I don’t have your number memorized.”
“You could have sent me a message through the dating agency.”
Her cheeks colored as she opened and closed her mouth.
Dane snarled, his fires growing hotter. “You didn’t even think about that, did you?”
She hung her head. “No. I’m sorry. But what were you doing, tracking me down and breaking down the door like that? How did you even know I was here?”
“I didn’t know you were here! I thought I was going to find one of his lackeys, someone who could tell me where to find you.” Dane’s hands clenched into fists. There were people’s voices in the hallway and a few of them peeked into the room but he ignored them all. He didn’t care what they were going to say. Right now, he needed to know what in God’s name was going on here. “I thought he was going to hold you ransom against me. I thought—"
“Why would he do that?”
Dane drew up short. Did she really not know? He searched her face, hoping that he would not see lies in her eyes. Relief was once more strong as he saw nothing but confusion in her face. But, as before, the relief did not last long. How could she be so ignorant as to what was going on in the world around her?
“Isaac Fisher is a dangerous criminal,” he seethed. “He’s responsible for more public destruction than anybody else. Haven’t you heard of all the bombs and—"
“That wasn’t him.”
So she did know. His jaw clenched tight and his fires roared even higher. “It wasn’t?”
“No. He was trying to stop the bomber. He wants out of that life, that’s why he came to me. He wanted to know if he had a future where he didn’t have to be causing all that destruction. It’s not his fault, he was raised to be like that. He’s a victim and deserves—”
“HE DESERVES NOTHING!”
Rune cowered back from him. His flames rose even higher seeing her fear, but he couldn’t get himself to calm. He wanted to. His hands trembled in fists and his chest ached so sharply with betrayal for a moment he wondered if it was emotional at all, or if there was something physically wrong with him. It was the same pain he’d felt when he sat beside James’ bed in the hospital, not knowing if he was going to live or die. The same pain he felt when he’d learned his parents were dead. The same pain he’d felt day after day, wondering how he was going to ever manage to take care of his three brothers, to keep them from being split up.
An empty, aching betrayal and loneliness that left him gasping for breath. The only way to stop feeling that was to feed his rage. And so he did, regardless of what words were coming out of his mouth and how they might hurt Rune.
“I can’t believe you would be so stupid,” he spat. “So naïve as to believe that. You trusted the word of that murderer?”
“I’m not that naïve,” Rune spat back. Her own hands clenched into fists. “I didn’t just take his word for it. But I could sense his desperation. His pain. He doesn’t want to be that sort of person. And if I could help him find a way to choose another path—"
“He doesn’t want another path. He doesn’t care about anybody but himself.”
“That’s not true.”
Dane laughed mockingly. “And did the universe tell you that or your clit? Did you decide that he was an innocent little lamb before or after you let him fuck you?”
Rune gasped sharply. She took another step back. Dane instantly regretted his words, but he was too angry still to take them back. His fires roared even hotter and a prickling over his skin told him that his scales were attempted to push through. If he jumped out the window, would he still be able to catch Isaac?
“What happened to you not being ready? What happened to—”
“Dane, please. Not now.” She tugged the robe over her frame and glanced at the doorway. There were several people there now. One of them was a man who looked like he was on the edge of rushing in to defend Rune’s honor or some such thing. “We can talk later. Right now I should get dressed.”
She leaned down and started collecting her clothing. Her cheeks were red and eyes wet. For a moment, Dane felt bad. He wished he could take back what he had said. But then she gave him another look, one that clearly tol
d him she had no fucking clue just how badly she had screwed up. How badly she had hurt him.
For someone who claimed that she could get vibrations from the universe telling her what she needed to do, that wasn’t something he could forgive.
“Get dressed,” he snapped. “And meet me down in the lobby. I need to clear up this mess with the hotel staff.”
He stomped over the broken door. The people who had gathered to watch backed away from him, looking weary, and he growled under his breath. One of the women slipped into the room, and he heard a soft voice asking Rune if she was okay. Dane sped up, not wanting to hear her answer, and rushed down the stairs. By the time he reached the lobby he had calmed himself enough not to terrify the hotel staff and advised them to call the police for this whole mess.
Dealing with the cops was never pleasant for Dane. He had a reputation among them, and it wasn’t a good one. They treated him little better than a vigilante. In this case, however, he knew he’d be dealing with them sooner or later, and it was better to get it over and done with at once.
But once he had slumped into one of the armchairs and had nothing left to do but think, all that anger and betrayal came back at him. Rune had been cutting them off at the same place in their intimacy for three months. She always said she wasn’t ready, and he had been willing to be patient with her. And now, he found her right after having sex with Isaac Fisher? Because he had spun some bullshit about wanting answers about his future?
What is so enticing about that stinking vampire? And, Dane thought, what is so repulsive about me?
As he sat there, images came to his mind. Of Rune dressed to the nines. Her hanging on his arm as they went to the opera, to fancy restaurants, to clubs and art exhibits. How he always brought her a present and was always sure to give her a little something extra on those times when she had to take a taxi home. For three months, he’d been throwing money at her. At the time it was because he wanted to because he liked the way her eyes lit up whenever he gave her something new or took her somewhere she had never been before.
Now, though, those smiles, her laughter, it all took on a different meaning. Had she been playing him all this time? Stringing him along for the fancy parties, the presents, the money? Was that what was so enticing about him? Had she been with him from the start because she saw an easy target?
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