Dark Alpha's Temptation--A Reaper Novel

by Donna Grant

  Dubhan realized they needed to leave. And soon. But he couldn’t go without Kyra.

  He wouldn’t go without her.

  By now, Kyra was frowning. It was obvious that even she was beginning to believe Max. “It’s just a symbol.”

  “It’s so much more than that,” Max said. He stopped and looked at Kyra. “You really have stepped into something you shouldn’t have, darling.”

  “I need to be prepared, then.”

  Max sighed loudly and nodded. “Unfortunately, you’re right, but once I give you this knowledge, you’ll be hunted.”

  “You have the answers I seek,” Kyra said angrily. “I knew you did.”

  Max snorted loudly. Acid dripped from his voice as he spoke. “Do you really think I live like this, hidden away, never going out because I want to? Think again, darling.”

  “But anyone can find you if they want to.”

  “Not the ones I’m hiding from. Why do you think the doorway here is covered in hidden markings?”

  Now, Dubhan knew why he was in so much pain. Damn, he should’ve looked. He turned his head to glance at the doorway and found numerous symbols there, some of them running together. Or was that just the pain affecting his eyesight? Shite. He really didn’t know.

  But he was aware that he was losing strength and quickly. If he didn’t get out soon, he would collapse, and he wasn’t sure if the veil would stay up if he did.

  “What kind of symbols?” Kyra asked.

  Dubhan bent over, drawing in deep breaths of air to try and keep most of the pain manageable. He stared at the rug beneath his feet while he listened to them.

  “Everything,” Max said with a shrug.

  She gave him a pointed look. “Give me an example.”

  “I’ve made sure that Usaeil can’t find me, and if she can’t find me, then neither can her Trackers. I’ve also ensured that my soul can’t be taken by Reapers.”

  Dubhan was barely hanging on now, but even hearing that, he wanted to snort. The pain was excruciating as it radiated through his entire body, ringing like a bell.

  “Reapers?” Kyra asked softly.

  Max nodded. “Believe in them, Kyra. They’re real.”

  “How do you know?”

  “I’ve made it my business to know all sorts of things.”

  Dubhan raised his head and speared Max with a look of hatred. Max just thought he could keep away from Reapers. Dubhan wanted to drop the veil and prove that the symbols would do nothing to protect Max from Reapers or Death. Then Kyra spoke, reminding Dubhan what he was really there for.

  She swallowed. “What is the symbol I asked you about?”

  Max walked past her and took his seat, leaning forward so that his elbows rested on his knees. His face was turned toward the fire, bathing his skin in red-orange light. “A very long time ago, Druids from another realm came here. They were strong, but they couldn’t defeat the Dragon Kings.”

  Dubhan forced himself to listen at the mention of the Dragon Kings because this was information the Reapers, Death, and the Kings needed to know. But the pain was eating him from the inside out.

  “The Druids brought mortals without magic here, and the Kings made a place for them without realizing that there was an ulterior motive.”

  Kyra’s mouth fell open. “You’re joking.”

  “No,” Max said, still not looking at her. “The Druids waited until some of the mortals developed magic, and while that was happening, they went to the Fae and found allies among our kind. Light and Dark Fae were brought together, along with good and bad Druids of Earth. The three separate entities joined their magic together in an effort to take down the Dragon Kings. They call themselves the Others. And there are always those looking to join the ranks.”

  Kyra was quiet, simply staring at Max. Dubhan felt sick to his stomach because he had a suspicion about where the story was going.

  Lights sparked in Dubhan’s eyes. He knew he couldn’t last much longer. He was holding on by a thread that was slipping through his fingers.

  Max took a deep breath before he said, “Anyone with that symbol marked anywhere has declared themselves with the Others.” Max turned his head to Kyra. “And they will take down anyone who stands in their way.”

  Chapter Seven

  Kyra was shaken to her core. Even after she’d left Max’s, she couldn’t stop hearing his final words as she stood in the dilapidated building. She looked around, waiting for Dubhan to show himself. She wasn’t angry that he had followed her. She was irritated.

  She had no reason to be mad since he didn’t know her and had no cause to trust her. But as the minutes ticked by, and she didn’t see him, she began to worry. Maybe it hadn’t been him with her at Max’s.

  “Dubhan.”

  His name echoed through the abandoned halls, bouncing off doors before fading away. Still, he didn’t materialize. She turned and looked at the doorway to Maximillian’s. He’d said he put up wards to keep Reapers out. If that was true, Dubhan wouldn’t have been able to get through. Would he? She honestly didn’t know, because he seemed like the type who wouldn’t let anything stand in his way if he wanted something.

  She turned back around and jumped when she spotted Dubhan leaning against the door opposite her, looking ill. His breathing was ragged, and his face was pale. His eyes were closed as if it were a struggle to remain on his feet.

  “It was you with me,” she said.

  His red eyes briefly opened to meet hers. “I was worried . . . something might . . . happen to you.”

  The fact that he had difficulty talking told her just what that symbol had done to him. She walked to him and put her arm around his waist as she slung his arm over her shoulders. But he didn’t pull away from the door.

  “Let me help you,” she said when he resisted.

  “I can do this.”

  She rolled her eyes. “You’re about to fall on your face. Should I release you so you can?”

  “You’re sassy,” he muttered.

  That made her smile because Eva had often told her that. “I sure am. Now, come on. It’s not weakness to let someone take care of you.”

  With a loud sigh, he leaned his full weight on her. Kyra wasn’t prepared for it, and her knees nearly buckled. She managed to stay on her feet and teleport them back to her cottage right next to the sofa just in time for him to tip sideways. Kyra shifted so Dubhan fell on the cushions, but she ended up going down with him.

  It wasn’t until she slid off the edge of the couch that she realized he had passed out. She got to her knees and gently moved his heavy arm from around her shoulders. He was half on his side, half on his stomach. With barely a thought, she used magic to turn him onto his back so he rested more comfortably.

  Kyra then took that time to return to Belfast to warn Jesta and Tate. She studied the shop first for any signs of danger, but everything appeared normal. It wasn’t until she walked in and found the shop empty that she began to worry.

  She called out to the couple, but her query was met with silence. Kyra made her way around the counter to the back of the shop, but she found nothing out of place, and no sign of either Tate or Jesta. She turned and took a step, her foot sinking into something. When she looked down, she saw two piles of ash.

  Kyra jumped back, her heart pounding in fear and shock as she gazed at what was left of the couple. She glanced around to make sure no one else was in the shop before hurriedly teleporting to her cottage. Her hands shook uncontrollably as she put up more wards around her home, but she wasn’t sure that would keep the Others out.

  “What happened?”

  She whirled around at the sound of Dubhan’s voice. She was so glad he was here. She didn’t want to be alone. Not now.

  “Kyra,” he pressed as he sat up, a worried frown creasing his brow.

  “Tate and Jesta. They’re . . . dead.”

  Remorse came over his face. “I’m sorry.”

  “Is it because of the questions I asked? Did I do this to
them like Max said?”

  Dubhan rose to his feet and went to her. He was steadier now, but he still looked a bit green around the gills. “This isn’t your fault. It’s mine.”

  “I’m the one who talked to them.”

  He took her hands in his. “This is on me. It’s all on me. I never should’ve asked you about it.”

  She shook her head and moved closer to him, needing his warmth. Talking about the couple was too difficult right now. She needed to think of something else. “How were you able to go to Max’s if he used the symbol to keep out Reapers?”

  “It wasn’t easy,” he confessed. “It hurt like hell.”

  “I can tell. You look better now.”

  “I’d like to know how he found the Reaper symbol to keep us out. I’ve never heard of it before.”

  She enjoyed that they were still touching, and she wondered if he realized it. It wasn’t like she was going to release him. She had dreamed of him touching her for so long, she wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity to experience it for real. And he felt so very good.

  Her thoughts returned to the issue at hand. “There’s much Max knows that he isn’t telling.”

  “You can’t believe everything he says.”

  Kyra cocked her head to the side when she heard the note of anger in Dubhan’s voice. “You know Max?”

  “I did at one time.”

  She studied Dubhan. He’d said the words off-handedly, but it was obvious that he was trying to hide something. His anger was too palpable to be ignored. “What did he do?” Because Max had obviously done something.

  “It doesn’t matter. Just don’t trust everything he says as truth.”

  She tightened her fingers on Dubhan’s. “I know what kind of person Max is. He can be kind, but he looks out for himself first and foremost.”

  “You two were lovers.”

  She’d been prepared for this from the moment she realized that Dubhan had followed her. It had been a very long time since she’d talked about Max or even thought about him. “For a time. I was just starting out, moving between the Light and Dark, learning secrets, and trading them as well as items. We were only together a few months, but I saw who he really was during that time, and I didn’t like it. That’s when I ended things between us.”

  Dubhan held her gaze, looking deep into her eyes. Kyra wondered what he saw there, or maybe he was searching for something. She was an open book. There wasn’t anything in her life that she kept secret. If someone wanted to know something, all they had to do was ask.

  “Do you still care for him?” Dubhan asked.

  Kyra shrugged. “We ended things amicably, at least we did to my way of thinking. I hold no animosity toward him. But I wouldn’t consider Max a friend if that’s what you’re asking.”

  “Good to know.”

  “What did he do to you?”

  “Let’s just say I hold a great deal of animosity toward him.”

  “Oh.” Kyra hated that Max had hurt Dubhan, and she really wanted to know the cause of it.

  “It’s a story for another day.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “You have nothing to apologize for.”

  She gave him a weak smile. “I feel like I do, simply because of my association with Max.”

  “No,” Dubhan said in a soft voice, his crimson eyes looking into hers.

  His thumb rubbed the back of one of her hands. She liked the way it felt, and she relished having this connection with him.

  Suddenly, Dubhan released her hands and took a step back. “Have you heard of the Others before?”

  “No,” Kyra said with a shake of her head. She struggled to find something to do with her hands now that they no longer held Dubhan’s. “Have you?”

  He nodded. “Unfortunately. They’re nasty business.”

  “And they’re after the Dragon Kings?”

  “As a matter of fact, the Kings have been dealing with the Others for some time now. They’ll need to know this new information. Especially the part about there being more who wish to join them. Up to this point, we all assumed their numbers were limited.”

  Dubhan sharing the information meant that he was leaving. Sadness filled Kyra at the thought. She wondered if she’d see him again, but she couldn’t bring herself to pose the question for fear of what she might hear. “The Reapers need to know, as well.”

  “Yes,” he admitted a heartbeat later.

  Kyra wrapped her arms around herself, suddenly chilled. “You’ll have to tell them about me.”

  He gave a single nod.

  Kyra probably shouldn’t worry about the Others right now. Her concern should be on the Reapers and what her knowledge of them meant for her. “I understand.”

  “Do you?” Dubhan asked with a quirked brow.

  Instead of answering, she asked, “What about the person you’ve been looking for? Do you think they’re here?”

  Dubhan blew out a breath, his eyes moving over her shoulder to the window that looked out over the village from the mountain. “I’m beginning to think we’ll never find him.”

  “Who is it? Maybe I can help.”

  Dubhan’s crimson gaze slid back to her as he smiled. “You’ve already put your life in danger today. Why would you want to continue helping me?”

  “To be around you,” she answered honestly.

  He blinked, apparently unprepared for her answer. “Why?”

  “I like you.”

  “You don’t know me.”

  She smiled sadly as she glanced away. “I’ve always had a habit of following my gut or heart or whatever leads me down one road or another. I’ve had some amazing adventures, seen stunning things, and have been a part of wonderful groups. Everything I’ve done, every decision I made, has been done by listening to this,” she said and touched her chest. “I don’t question it. I simply let it happen.”

  “You’ve been hurt.”

  Kyra shrugged, her lips twisting. “Everyone has. It’s part of living. How can you expect to live, if you’re worried about someone betraying you or having your heart broken? Yes, I’ve been hurt. I’ve been wronged, and I’ve had my heart broken. But they’re experiences I don’t regret. Nor would I trade them for anything.”

  “You wouldn’t take away the pain?” Dubhan wore a small frown as if he couldn’t comprehend what she was saying.

  “No, because I learned something from it. I grew as a person, as well. Living is what I crave. I want to see the beauty in things, I want to experience as much as I can.”

  His lips softened as his expression smoothed. “That sounds nice.”

  “It is. You should try it.”

  “I will.”

  She smiled at him, her arms dropping to her sides. “That makes me happy to hear.”

  “Why me?” he asked.

  Her gaze ran over him. “First, you’re incredibly handsome. Watching you in battle . . . well, it was breathtaking. You are you. You don’t use a mortal’s interest in you to your advantage. In fact, you ignore them. No matter what you were in the past, you are something wonderful now.”

  “I was a Dark.”

  He said it as if it summed up everything. And she believed it did in a way, though she couldn’t say why exactly. Wouldn’t he always be a Dark? “You’re a Reaper now.”

  “Don’t make me out to be something I’m not. I did terrible things before.”

  She studied him for a moment, seeing him for who he really was—and still, she craved him with a hunger she knew would never be sated. “I know. Your past is right there in your red eyes and the silver in your hair.”

  “And . . . that doesn’t bother you?”

  In response, she walked to him, rose up on her toes, and pressed her mouth against his. For a heartbeat, he did nothing. Then his arms wrapped around her, and his head tilted to the side. His tongue slid along the seam of her lips, and she parted them for him. The first taste of his kiss was sublime, sending waves of pleasure through her until her body was
on fire. She wound her arms around his neck and gave in to the wildly erotic hunger that swept through both of them.

  He began to pull back. She gripped his face on either side of his head and said between kisses, “Don’t you dare stop.”

  His hold on her tightened as he deepened the kiss. Desire pulsed through her, centering at her sex that throbbed with need. Kyra used magic to remove their clothes. Without missing a beat, Dubhan had her against a wall.

  He went down on his knees and hooked one of her legs over his shoulder, then he pressed his lips against her sex. Kyra moaned as he licked and laved her clit. She threaded her fingers in his hair and gave in to the pleasure. The feel of his hands roaming over her hips, thighs, and butt lulled her while his tongue and mouth sent her spiraling into ecstasy.

  When he pushed a finger inside her, Kyra gasped. The pleasure doubled, putting her on the edge of an orgasm quicker than she had ever been before. And just as quickly, he slowed his tongue.

  She moaned in regret and rocked her hips, wanting more, but he didn’t give it to her. That’s when she realized that her body was his. Dubhan was the one in control of when she got her release. She didn’t know when she had become his in that way. For all she knew, it was when she’d watched him battle the Trackers, but it didn’t matter. She liked exactly where she was.

  He kept her teetering on the edge, bringing her close to climax and then backing off. It made her insane with need until she was whispering his name over and over.

  Then, finally, he pushed her over the edge.

  Chapter Eight

  The sound of her pleasure made him hard, aching to be inside her. Dubhan continued licking her until she sagged against the wall, the last of the orgasm leaving her weak and barely able to hold herself up.

  He moved her leg from his shoulder and stood. Then he lifted her so her legs wrapped around his waist. Their eyes met, clashed. Her glamour fell away to reveal her pale silver orbs and shoulder-length, wavy, black hair.

  Dubhan wasn’t even sure she knew it had happened, but he liked it nonetheless. Seeing the real Kyra, stripped of not only her clothes, but her magic as well, made his heart catch.