A Dragon Speaks Her Name

A Nocturne Falls Universe Story

Kira Nyte

Dear Reader,

Nocturne Falls has become a magical place for so many people, myself included. Over and over I’ve heard from you that it’s a town you’d love to visit and even live in! I can tell you that writing the books is just as much fun for me.

With your enthusiasm for the series in mind—and your many requests for more books—the Nocturne Falls Universe was born. It’s a project near and dear to my heart, and one I am very excited about.

I hope these new, guest-authored books will entertain and delight you. And best of all, I hope they allow you to discover some great new authors! (And if you like this book, be sure to check out the rest of the Nocturne Falls Universe offerings.)

For more information about the Nocturne Falls Universe, visit http://kristenpainter.com/sugar-skull-books/

In the meantime, happy reading!

Kristen Painter

A Dragon Speaks Her Name

A Nocturne Falls Universe Story

Copyright © 2017 by Kira Nyte

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems—except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews—without permission in writing from the author.

This book is a work of fiction and was made possible by a special agreement with Sugar Skull Books, but hasn’t been reviewed or edited by Kristen Painter. All characters, events, scenes, plots and associated elements appearing in the original Nocturne Falls series remain the exclusive copyrighted and/or trademarked property of Kristen Painter, Sugar Skull Books and their affiliates or licensors.

Any similarity to real person, living or dead, is purely coincidental and not intended by the author or Sugar Skull Books.

Published in the United States of America.

Table of Contents

A DRAGON SPEAKS HER NAME

Welcome from Kristen Painter

Copyright

About the Book

Dedication

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

About the Author

A Dragon Speaks Her Name

Kaylae Drayce is convinced she’s crazy. She hears voices in her head and dreams of fiery apocalyptic wars. That’s nothing compared to the terror she feels when the only people she loves are taken from her and she’s forced to run for her life all the way to Nocturne Falls. The town promises her one of two things: Answers to her madness or a one-way ticket to an asylum.

Zareh Lutherone is shattered to discover the Firestorm dragons’ ancient enemy has found and murdered his Keeper. He is plotting his next move in preparation for another war when a beautiful stranger literally falls into his arms. He doesn’t know who she is, only that the dragon inside him demands he protect her at all costs. It doesn’t take long to understand why.

Faced with a daunting task of convincing Kaylae she isn’t crazy—she is his Keeper and lifemate—just got complicated. Their enemy is hot on their tail and will stop at nothing to get their hands on Kaylae in order to destroy the last of an ancient dragon race.

Website for Kira Nyte: www.kiranyte.com

Find Kira Nyte on Facebook: www.facebook.com/kiranyte

Contact Kira Nyte at mailto:kiranyteauthor@gmail.com

Shout out to Kristen for this amazing chance to take part in the Nocturne Falls world. A special thanks to Fiona Roarke for your support, and my family for cheering me on.

Chapter One

Summer remained a few weeks away, but one wouldn’t guess it with the chill consuming this Georgia town.

Kaylae Drayce tapped her fingers nervously against the steering wheel as she guided her compact Kia between the pedestrian-crowded sidewalks of the Halloween-themed town of Nocturne Falls. She hoped this would be her last stop. She needed time to think, time to recap the horrors that chased her from everything she knew and loved. Driving for over a week, sparing only a few hours here and there for naps in her car and the luxury of two cold showers at truck stops, her body resented the idea of discovering yet another leg to this never-ending escape.

She took in the streets and the quaint shops. There was definitely a black-and-orange color scheme going on, with splashes of green, blue, and hot pink. Tourists packed the sidewalks at this late morning hour, some dressed in an array of Halloween costumes, from witches to ghouls and everything in between. The stores had befitting names. The Hair Scare. Misty’s Boo-Tique. The architecture wasn’t lost on her. Some stores had a rickety presentation while others donned a magical appearance.

Despite the appeal, she wasn’t sure this was where she wanted to set up camp. Crowds were not her friend.

Neither is solitude.

“Almost got you killed,” she said under her breath. She cast a glance at the locked wooden box, no bigger than a fancy watch box, on her passenger seat. She had tucked it partially under her purse, out of plain view but visible enough to keep last week’s events vivid in her mind. That cursed box made her feel nothing but despair and anger.

The GPS on her new iPhone directed her down a few streets before guiding her into the parking lot of a standard-sized, one-story building. Nocturne Falls Credit Union. Kaylae dug the smallest envelope out of her purse and removed the single piece of paper it contained. So far, each stop along the way produced yet another cryptic letter and the next address to go to. No explanations. No hint as to where or what or who she was looking for. After comparing the numbers on the credit union’s main door and the address in her GPS, she tentatively cut the engine.

“I guess the trusty old saying is appropriate. Here goes nothing.”

Kaylae shoved the cursed box into her purse and climbed out of the car. She headed to the double glass doors, but paused. What was she supposed to ask for? The letter, like all those before it, had not indicated what she could expect at this destination. A bank was certainly unexpected. Her father had transferred $10,000 into her checking account the night of the attack. She’d been using that money to fund her escape. All of the family’s accounts were through Jasper National Bank.

Sucking in a deep breath and steeling herself against the very real prospect of looking the fool in front of who knew who, she pulled open the door and stepped into the modernly-furnished bank.

Her skin prickled as employees cast her guarded glances. Her senses hummed with the onslaught of unnatural energy flowing through the open space. Strange, pulsing energy. Closing her eyes for a brief moment, she calmed the swelling anxiety before it got the better of her. That’s all she needed—to have one of her signature meltdowns in this new town in front of strangers and really look the fool.

“…newbie in town…”

“…can’t figure her out…”

“…hope she isn’t planning to rob…”

“…those shoes are hideous. And those jeans…”

Kaylae choked, her eyes springing open. She visually sought out the woman who so rudely mentally analyzed her choice of attire. Strangers’ thoughts continued to play in her mind. Her heart rate increased in tempo as her anxiety mounted.

She glanced down at her battered New Balance sneakers out of self-conscious curiosity. Okay, so they had some holes in the mesh and mud stained the once-white soles. Her jeans weren’t bad, unless the unknown woman was commenting on the worn holes at the knees. Wasn’t that trendy, even if the holes were made through honest wear instead of in a factory?

“Not my choice either, have it known,” she whispered. Maybe the drive-thru would have been a better idea.

Sighing, Kaylae hunched her shoulders forward in hopes of making herself look smaller and approached the first available teller.

“How can I help you this morning?” the woman asked, her mouth pressed into a warm smile. Her brown eyes lowered over Kaylae’s ratty hoodie stained with spilt coffee before returning to her face. Her smile widened but the genuineness evaporated.

“I, um…” She struggled to come up with an answer until something her father had mentioned shortly before the attack struck her. “You have safety deposit boxes here, correct?”

The woman’s smile remained despite the skepticism that filled her expression. “Are you interested in purchasing one?”

“Actually, I’m interested in accessing one.” Kaylae dug into her purse and pulled out a small manila envelope that contained her false identification, from passport to driver’s license to credit card. My new life. She held out the passport and license. “Under Dane.”

The woman took the IDs and scrutinized them. “Do you have a box number or key?”

“No. I was told that the key is in safe keeping here.”

Not exactly the truth, but there was no key in the envelope and her father had never given her one. She hoped the teller had a spare. She had no idea how safety deposit boxes worked.

The woman’s smile waned and she placed the IDs on the counter. “Give me a moment, please.” Her fingers danced on the keyboard of her computer.

Kaylae took the IDs and dropped them back into the envelope.

“…don’t know what she expects to find here. Don’t think those IDs are authentic…”

Kaylae opened her mouth to rebut the unspoken accusation, but quickly snapped her lips shut. She didn’t need any more attention drawn to her than she already had.

The woman stopped running her fingers across the keyboard, placed her hands on the counter by her computer, and let out a short, “Huh,” as she looked at the monitor. A crease formed between her brows a moment before her gaze turned to Kaylae.

“Did you purchase a box?”

“I was told by my father to come here and that there was a safety deposit box under our family name. Should anything happen to him, that is.”

The woman’s expression softened for the first time. She gave a small nod. “Let me speak with my manager. If you’d like to take a seat, I’ll only be a moment.”

“Thank you.”

Kaylae helped herself to a cup of fresh coffee and a mini muffin from the tray left out for the convenience of customers. Perhaps she’d have a chance to get some real food, if this stop allowed her more than a few hours’ respite before she had to hit the road again. The secretive scavenger hunt had already led her halfway across the country in a miserable connect-the-dots fashion before sending her back to the east coast. To Nocturne Falls. Her back protested the thought of getting into the driver’s seat again. So did her rear. And her legs.

Oh, heck. She wanted one night, just one night, where she could stretch her legs out on a bed, flip through fuzzy channels, and maybe doze on a pillow instead of a rolled-up jacket.

She wanted time to call her father and hear his voice.

He’ll never answer the phone.

The last swallow of muffin stuck in her throat as it swelled with grief. She forced it down with a gulp of hot coffee, blaming the sudden moisture in her eyes on the burn from the drink.

After a week of aimless travel, she still had no idea what had become of her father. Her uncle caught her as she ran to her father’s aid. Her beloved uncle, immeasurable pain in his eyes, smacked the keys to the car in one of her hands, her purse in the other, and shoved her back out the door with nothing more than a hissed, “Go!”

Her car had been packed with belongings, including the strange box and a simple note instructing her to guard the box with her life. If it fell into the wrong hands, the consequences would be devastating.

“Ms. Dane?”

Kaylae sniffled, blinked away the tears, and turned to the teller. “Yes?”

“Follow me, please.”

Kaylae kept her head lowered as she followed the woman down a hallway and a flight of stairs to a simple room with a metal table and a few plain, cushioned chairs.

“I’ll be right back with the boxes. You may wait here.” The woman left the room, closing the door behind her.

Kaylae dropped her purse on the table and plopped into one of the chairs. She rubbed her face with the palms of her hands, her mind roiling in a vast sea of unknowns and questions. Twenty-eight years of her life uprooted and gone. Twenty-eight years of security and laughter and love…gone. She pulled out the envelope with her falsified documents and found the note that started her on this mysterious, terrifying journey.

Do not confide your real identity to anyone. Your lineage is in your name. Do not draw unwanted attention to yourself. Do not place any calls from your old phone. Dispose of it now. A new one is provided under your new identity. Whatever you do, my darling, do not return home. Your past is a memory now. Your future is at stake.

The handwriting was certainly her father’s. His haunting instructions twisted at her gut, making her regret the coffee and muffin. Deep down, she knew what had become of her father and uncle, but she couldn’t accept it. Not without proof.

Hope was the only thing that kept her going. Hope that she would be reunited with the only family she had. The family that understood her anxiety and her breakdowns. Family that did not judge her for her faults and loved her unconditionally.

If her father and uncle were gone, who would have her? A broken, most likely clinically mad woman who heard voices in her head and had nightmares about a coming apocalypse every single night?

The door to the small room opened and the teller entered, carrying two large metal boxes stacked one on top of the other. She placed them on the table side-by-side and laid a key on top of each box.

“When you are through, press the button on the end of the table. Someone will come down to return the boxes to the vault and escort you back to the lobby. Is there anything else I can get for you, Ms. Dane?”

Kaylae shook her head. “Thank you.”

The teller left, once again closing the door behind her. Kaylae immediately went to work. She unlocked the lid on the first box and slid it up. Her jaw dropped. The box was stuffed to the brim with bundles of what looked like hundred-dollar bills. She pulled one bundle out and ran her thumb over the edges, fanning the thick wad of cash.

“I really am nuts.”

She pulled out bundle after bundle until the box was empty. Nothing, not even a note.

Half expecting to find another stash of cash in the second box, she opened it without having to worry about disconnecting her jaw in disbelief.

The second box held no money, only several black velvet bags. She pulled out one bag and loosened the drawstring. Careful not to drop the contents, she spilled them into the palm of her hand. Gemstones, some polished, some raw, glistened in the room’s unnatural light, a rainbow of colors in an array of shapes and sizes. Stunned, she returned the gems to the bag and tightened the drawstring.

Beneath the pouches, she found a single letter-sized envelope. The words Beloved Daughter looped in graceful cursive across the front. Kaylae pressed her lips together. This time when the sting touched her eyes, she had nothing to blame but the onset of realization.

Her desire to open the envelope warred with an equal one to leave it sealed. Ignoring it for now, she pulled out the last item in the box: A small gold key resting in a glass container. She turned it over in her hand as she examined it.

Baffled, Kaylae sat back in the chair, her attention on the letter. “I really don’t want to read you. You’re going to ruin my life more than it already has been.”

Her father’s beautiful handwriting beckoned her until she snatched the envelope up and shoved it deep in her purse, followed by one thick bundle of hundreds and the gold key. Everything else, she put back in their respective boxes, locked up, and pressed the call button. She needed to get out of this room and the nightmare it hinted at.

A different woman answered the call. Kaylae waited impatiently while she returned the safety deposit boxes to wherever they’d come from.

“What’s the closest hotel?” Kaylae asked the woman as she followed her up the stairs to the lobby.

“There are a few bed-and-breakfasts that cater to certain clientele.” The woman flashed her a smile. “There’s Pinehurst Inn on the town’s outskirts, but I wouldn’t recommend it.”

“Do they have a restaurant?”

The woman shook her head. “You’ll have to come back into town for that. Mummy’s Diner is always a hit. New to Nocturne Falls, are you? I haven’t seen you around before.”

“Most likely just passing through.”

The woman eyed Kaylae in a way that made her feel like some unseen air around her mind had been invaded and scanned. She caught a peculiar glimmer of silver in the woman’s otherwise chocolate-colored eyes that disappeared as quickly as it came.

The woman’s brief mental summary floated along Kaylae’s thoughts, startling her. She had to be mistaken about what she’d heard.

You need some serious sleep, girl, she thought. You’re on the verge of delirium.

Kaylae ducked past the teller to the doors, making her escape as she hurriedly said, “Thanks for your help.”

She didn’t dare look back at the building until she was safely locked in her car, engine humming and the gearshift in reverse. Her hands shook and her thoughts rolled like rocks in a tumbler.

She was so distracted she almost didn’t see the pickup truck in time. She stamped down on the brake, barely stopping her car as the truck passed behind her. The driver honked but kept going. Kaylae took a deep breath, tried to steady her nerves, and backed out of the spot fender-bender free. At the first Stop sign, she located and programmed Pinehurst Inn into her phone’s GPS, and started toward the promise of a bed.

Her drive did not prove peaceful. The teller’s parting thoughts taunted her the entire trip to the hotel.

“A Keeper, are you? Where is your dragon?”

Kaylae had a feeling Nocturne Falls was either going to help her make sense of everything that had happened, or she would be checking herself into the closest insane asylum for a mental evaluation.

Chapter Two

The laidback atmosphere of Howler’s was the exact opposite of how Zareh Lutherone felt as he walked into the local bar. Tension rode along his back and his neck in a faint, relentless throb that dimmed his vision. Not even the joint’s owner could muster a grin from him today. Bridget Merrow flashed him a smile and waved from her position at the bar. Her auburn hair was barely tamed in a ponytail as she pulled a beer from the tap and dropped the mug on the counter at his approach.

“Zar, looks like you need it.”

“Thanks, cuteness.” He dug out his wallet and laid a ten on the bar top. “How’s that wolf of yours?”

“Working hard. You know, adjusting.” She winked one of her golden eyes, and tossed the bar rag she had balled up in her fist over her shoulder. “Still having trouble with some loose ends in Tennessee, but otherwise, he’s loving it here.”

“Sure he’s not loving who is here?”

Bridget laughed. “That’s a given.” She motioned to the room at the back of Howler’s where the pool tables were set up. “Alazar is about six games in and, if I’ve heard the whining correctly, a few hundred dollars lighter in the wallet. Better go save him before you lose your house.”

Zareh saluted her with his mug, took a sip, and headed to the debacle that was his friend’s lack of control over all things shiny. A quick observation of the playing field told Zareh why.

“One more round. Another hundred for that gold chain,” Alazar said. Zareh put up a hand, stopping the contender from agreeing. Alazar groaned. “Zar, I’ve got this.”

“That’s not what I’ve heard.” He took a deep drink of his beer and placed it on the shelf next to the pool sticks. “You’d bet your car for that chain if I didn’t come when I did.”

Zareh pulled a stick from the rack, rested the tip on the felted table, and rolled it back and forth. Straight, solid, and surely a winner.

“I wouldn’t go that far.”

Zareh lifted a brow. “Really? Need I remind you of the time…”

“Hey, hey.” Alazar tossed up his hands. “I was plastered.”

“You were foolish and I had the pleasure of listening to you complain about that loss for a month.” Zareh removed his wallet again and looked up at the shifter waiting for him to state his bet. The man’s eyes gleamed with the prospect of a new gain and a new win. “How much has he lost to you?”

“Three hundred.”

Zareh pulled out four crisp hundred-dollar bills and laid them on the edge of the table. The shifter’s lips curled up in a greedy smile.

“One game of eight-ball. The three he lost and the gold chain if I win. Otherwise, you’ll be four hundred dollars richer than you are now.”

“I like you.” The shifter unfastened the thick gold chain around his neck and placed it on top of the bills. He dug out the cash he’d won from Alazar and tucked it under the chain. “Let’s rack ’em and sack ’em.”

Zareh hadn’t come to Howler’s to win back Alazar’s pitiful losses, but it would be a great outlet to prepare him to face the full impact of the dreadful news that had driven him to the comfort of the bar. He racked the balls and rolled the cue ball across the felt to the shifter at the other end of the table.

“Good luck, my friend,” the shifter said, positioning the ball and taking his first shot. Zareh leaned on his stick as he watched three balls fall into pockets, two stripes, one solid. “Ah, stripes it is.”

Zareh cast Alazar a relaxed glance, one that didn’t match his friend’s apprehension as he watched the shifter set up for another successful shot. That was the difference between them. Zareh knew when to fret over things. This was nothing to fret over.

His discovery? That was something to fret over. No, it was panic-worthy.

His challenger groaned as his third shot missed the pocket by a hair. Zareh snickered, half tempted to offer the guy another go. Unfortunately, he really couldn’t waste time toying with him. He surveyed the set-up, picked his first hit, and played.

A few minutes later, he lined up the cue with the eight ball and pocketed his win.

“What just happened, man? How’d you do that?”

Zareh collected his winnings, handing the three hundreds and the chain to Alazar. His friend’s eyes widened in glee as he nuzzled the gold.

“I’m not at liberty to share my secrets. Otherwise, you might win next time.” Zareh held out his hand and the shifter shook, despite his dismal frown. “Sorry I arrived when I did, but that chain made my friend a very happy fire-breather.”

Alazar nodded. “Oh, yes, it did. Can’t wait to add it to my collection.”

“We’ll play again,” the shifter promised. He hung up his stick and disappeared into the front of Howler’s, shoulders slumped.

Zareh turned to his friend and snorted, a thin curl of smoke escaping his nostrils. “Al, you really need to get your hoarding obsession under control. I don’t like digging into my accounts to pay for your frivolous losses.”

His friend purred like a cat on a dryer.

He sounds like a big cat with a sore throat.

Zareh grabbed his beer and motioned to a booth situated away from the growing lunch crowd. Alazar settled on the bench seat across from him, took a deep breath of the gold, and tucked it into a pocket of his jacket. His goofy grin remained.

“The only thing in this world that can make you look and act like a child is gold.” Zareh chugged back the rest of his beer and slid the empty mug to the end of the table. “Emeralds would be better. They’re not as accessible. Might save you a few grand a year.”

“You need to get a hobby.”

“Shooting pool to win back your losses is my hobby.” Zareh tried to lighten his sullen mood with the familiar friendly argument, but not even the weak jabs could bring him out of his funk. “And not by choice.”

A server came by with a new mug of beer for Zareh. He shot Bridget a glance of thanks and earned a wink before she turned her attention to wolf-shifter Sam Kincaid—boyfriend extraordinaire, and a man with a story that could turn a listener on his or her head. He placed his order for a high-octane grease meal with a side of fries. He would be breathing plenty of fire in the near future. Might as well fuel up.

“I’ll take the cheeseburger, one-pounder with all the fixings, and a bourbon and soda,” Alazar chimed in, his childish demeanor finally dripping away. When the server left to place their orders, Alazar leaned his elbows on the table and hunched forward. “I know you’ve been itching to deliver some news. What’s going on?”

“You know Cade sent me to check up on Talius.” Cade Fenryn oversaw their dwindling Firestorm tatsu clan, or dragon clan. “Well, worst fears confirmed—Talius was attacked.”

“Don’t tell me…”

Zareh cupped his mug with both hands. A dangerous burn began to rise from deep in his chest. He took a swig of the cool drink to extinguish the flame created by his dragon.

“Trust me, Al. I really don’t want to tell anyone what I learned.” Or saw, for that matter. Speaking of the scene would make the nightmare real. “Talius and Herald are dead. The only evidence left behind was this.”

He reached into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out a twisted round medallion etched with a fire-laced sword.

“The Baroqueth slayers,” Alazar hissed. A flash of fire erupted in his amber eyes. A hint of deep red scales traced along his hairline before fading again.

Zareh had experienced the same fury, but his dragon had made a fierce showing before he regained control. It had left half of Talius’s house in ashes.

“Zar, I’m so sorry. I can’t imagine what you’re going through. I know you’ve missed him since we’ve been forced to separate from our Keepers.”

Zareh sighed. He found a slight comfort in a gulp of beer.

“The Baroqueth haven’t surfaced in over three decades. What do you suspect would bring them out of hiding now?”

Zareh shrugged. He’d been turning that question over in his mind since finding the medallion. “I’ve no idea.”

“What about your jewel?”

“I couldn’t locate it. I checked in both hiding spots and it was nowhere to be found.”

“You don’t suspect they found it, do you? That wouldn’t be good for you, or any of us.”

“No.”

That much, he was certain of. If the Baroqueth had his jewel, he’d have felt the draw of power from the jewel by now. It contained a drop of his blood, a binding between the powers of the jewel and loyalty to his Keeper. Talius’s death tore into him deeper than he cared to acknowledge. The last massive hunt for Keepers and their dragons brought devastating loss to their tatsu clan and nearly wiped out the Keepers. It had driven Cade and the leader of the Firestorm breed’s Keepers to agree to the drastic measure of splitting up dragons and Keepers in hopes of bringing less attention to themselves. The separation allowed the Keepers to hide among the humans and skirt attack from the Baroqueth.

The Keepers weren’t the only ones in hiding. The clan dispersed across the country. Zareh and Alazar moved from city to city until finally landing in Nocturne Falls a little over a year ago. Despite their taste for all things expensive, Zareh and Alazar decided on a small four-bedroom house on Crossbones Drive. It was not what the Baroqueth would expect, since it lacked the luster dragons usually went for. A plus with this house? Their neighbor was a gargoyle, and his fiancée a woman of fae descent with a knack for jewelry.

She became Alazar’s secret best friend. Secret, because the “best” was a one-way road on Alazar’s part. He didn’t care to butt heads with the gargoyle, and Zareh was pleased about that. He rather liked Nick and Willa.

“The jewel is still sleeping. My Keeper was murdered a little over a week ago. The Baroqueth wouldn’t wait that long to tap into the jewel’s powers and track me down if they had it.”

“Well, where do you think it is?”

“If I knew, I’d have the darn thing already.” Zareh quieted as the server delivered their meals. Zareh picked a fry up off his plate and chomped on the greasy deliciousness. His stomach grumbled. “If anything happened to Talius, we agreed on two places where the jewel would be, and it was in neither. Herald is dead, too, so he can’t tell me where it might be. I don’t know where else Talius would’ve hidden the jewel.”

“Did Herald have a kid?”

“Nope.” He picked up the massive cheesesteak sandwich and bit off a sizable piece. His dragon grumbled with delight. He hadn’t eaten a good meal since Cade asked him to follow up on Talius. This was downright sinful. With his mouth still partially full, he added, “Gotta find my jewel.”

“I’m sure Cade is looking. If that jewel falls into Baroqueth possession, we’re all screwed.”

“And I’m at the front of the line.”

“We need you. Losing you would be like losing the support beam keeping the eight of us standing. You’re second oldest, next to Cade.”

“Don’t remind me. I like to think that my age doesn’t matter in respect for my life. Besides”—he popped another fry into his mouth—“I’m not ready to die.”

“That’s reassuring. At least I won’t be tracking you to some bridge and begging you to rethink the jump. Do you have a plan to locate your jewel?”

Zareh had pondered that a few times over the last couple of days. The logical answer would be to enlist Willa. With her fae affinity for stones and jewels, surely she could aid his cause. Or he could beg a favor from one of the witches in Nocturne Falls. However, the more he talked about himself to others outside the clan, the greater the chance of the Baroqueth honing in on him and Alazar.

As it stood, their limited circle of friends in Nocturne Falls didn’t know the truth of their lineage. Sure, they knew he and Alazar were fire dragons, but the actual breed? No. That was a secret held close to their hearts. He and Al picked up random handyman jobs to keep themselves busy. Neither could dare to hold down a permanent position without questions arising about their background. They lived off their hoards and their personal inheritances. Firestorm dragons never suffered from monetary want.

Few dragons wanted for anything.

The gypsy life was wearing on Zareh. He missed The Hollow. He missed the freedom of their magical world, where he could soar into the sky and stretch his wings without fear of being seen by humans. Summer months in the human world brought storms to the mountains, and with those storms, the freedom to play with his fire without drawing unwanted attention from mortals.

He missed the calm of that old life before the war. He missed the promise of a possible future and younglings.

Alazar snapped his fingers in front of Zareh’s face. “Zar. Heel, boy.”

Zareh grunted. “Wrong animal.”

“Worked, didn’t it?”

“I’m lacking a wagging tail, a hanging tongue, and lots of fur.” He preferred his scales and armor over a cuddly puppy coat any day. He went back to devouring his meal. “I’ll talk to Nick. See if Willa can’t help in some way without letting word get out about us.”

“They know we’re dragons.”

Zareh turned narrowed eyes on Alazar. His friend stirred the ice in his bourbon with his pinky, his deep-brown dragon talon partially extended.

“The tatsu name is not known, nor will it be. With eight of us left, most paranormals think we’re a thing of fairytales and fire-pit stories. Let’s keep the spotlight away from us until we find the Baroqueth and deal with them appropriately.”

Until I retrieve my jewel and secure my clan’s safety.

Chapter Three

Kaylae shrieked, leaping onto the bed to avoid the mammoth roach that scurried across the carpet. Her stomach jolted in disgust and her arms took on an unfashionable bumpy look. She shuddered, her eyes glued to the mutant bug until it disappeared into the bathroom.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

At least she had already taken a shower in the less-than-desirable stall. One of the provided towels had acted as a mat on the stall floor. The other barely dried her hair, leaving her to pull on a fresh set of clothes over damp skin.

Not fun. Next time a place was not recommended, she’d heed the warning.

“This is not New York. You roaches shouldn’t be as big as sewer rats.”

She didn’t want to turn away from the bathroom in case her unwanted roomie decided to come back out and be friendly. Her car was looking better by the minute, bed be damned. If it meant she’d wake up with her eyelashes intact and not nibbled down to the quick, she’d sacrifice the bumpy mattress.

“Maybe I should check into one of those B-and-Bs in town. I have enough cash to enjoy one night in comfort.”

Kaylae shook her head and frowned. Talking to herself was not unusual, but she certainly had taken to self-discussions more since this nightmare started.

“And you’re talking to a roach. Sweet heavens.” She moved to the head of the bed and tested the rickety nightstand with one foot. “How many of your friends are here with you?”

Finding the questionable piece of furniture sturdy enough to hold her weight, she climbed up, shifting the lamp onto the mattress and trying not to kick the bedside phone onto the floor. Her purse was on the plain round table tucked in a little alcove beside the nightstand, but hell if she was putting her bare feet on that carpet after seeing that creature.

She had no intention of losing toenails to hungry roaches any more than she was willing to sacrifice her eyelashes.

With a little dexterity, she managed to get her purse off the table and return to the bed without a fall. Her duffel bag was easier to reach off the old dresser at the foot of the bed. Keeping an eye on the bathroom door, she ran a brush through her wet hair and tied it back in a ponytail. She had no makeup, not that she wore much even when she had the leisure to use it, but if she was going to explore this town, she was hoping to do so looking a little more presentable than she had at the bank.

Her stonewashed dark blue jeans and asymmetrical winged shirt would have to do. Maybe she could pick up a few outfits at one of the boutiques. The sense of dread that pulled at her mind since her escape from the bank refused to leave her. She was willing to take anything positive and distracting enough to buffer the impending blow.

Tugging on a pair of ankle booties and her jacket, she sighed and slid off the bed.

“I don’t expect to see you when I return,” she said loudly in the direction of the bathroom. “I enjoy sleeping alone.”

Snatching up her purse and tossing it on her shoulder, she headed out into the sunny afternoon.

Two guys sat on the hood of a run-down Chevy a few doors down from her room, looking more suspicious than friendly. The focused attention they pinned on her made her skin crawl as bad as spotting the roach had. Their thoughts were less than proper, bordering on mental assault. She shut them out best she could.

She pulled her keys from her purse and secured it between her arm and side. She didn’t know too much about defensive fighting, but she sure as the breath in her lungs would give any would-be attacker a beating before eating grass.

Note to self: Check into somewhere a little more appealing next time. Remote motels are not wise for single women.

An image of the Bates Motel from Psycho flashed in her mind and she groaned inwardly. Really? As if the roach wasn’t bad enough, she’d be showering with the curtain open now.

She dropped in behind the wheel and slammed the car door shut, engaging the locks. “You’re under too much stress. A drink might be a good idea.”

Kaylae couldn’t refrain from casting the delinquents a glance in her rearview mirror as she guided her car down the dirt drive and headed toward town. She decided to park on a side road—Jack O’ Lantern Lane. Cute—walk along the storefronts, and admire the festive décor, down to the streetlights with their cobweb brackets.

“Huh. Halloween all year ’round. Pretty cool.”

Kaylae sidestepped a large family coming out of a store. The youngest boys were dressed as pirates while the girl wore a poodle skirt and striped blouse. Kaylae paused as they passed, turning to watch them continue down the street, oblivious to their appearance. She had seen some of the tourists in costumes on her way in, but figured it was due to a special event of some kind.

“…want all the candy I can get…”

“…don’t want to go home. Halloween is so much fun!”

“…take this skirt off. I feel like such a moron…”

The fun-filled childish thoughts overcame the teenager’s dismal attitude as they brushed through her mind.

“Take it pretty serious here.”

One storefront drew her attention and she headed into Illusions. To her surprise, an admirably-sized crowd browsed the jewelry cases, employees lending aid and answering questions while showing pieces to curious shoppers.

Unfortunately, with the crowd came an onslaught of thoughts that made her dizzy. She rested a hand against the doorframe to get her bearings, forcing the plague of nonsensical chatter to silence in her mind. She wasn’t completely successful, but once the voices faded enough for her vision to refocus, she drank in the sights in the quaint shop.

Kaylae stepped up to a case that wasn’t surrounded and window-shopped the intricate pieces, from necklaces with unusual stones to bracelets of woven metals. She was not a jewelry fiend, but she did like her pick of unusual, and rare, gems.

“Welcome to Illusions. Are you looking for anything specific?”

A petite brown-haired young woman smiled from behind the counter. Kaylae smiled back and shook her head.

“I was just looking. Gorgeous items.”

The woman hitched a thumb toward a stunning blond on the other end of the counter in conversation with a stunning redhead. A girl no older than fourteen or so stood beside the redhead sipping a drink.

“Willa is a master jeweler. If there is something you would like and you don’t see it here, she can make it for you.”

“Impressive. I’ll definitely have to come back before I leave.”

She started to lower her gaze toward the case, but the teenager abruptly twisted and held her eyes with an unnerving stare. Kaylae tried to ignore the unease that slithered along her subconscious. For the second time today, she had the invasive feeling someone was prodding into her personal mental territory and she had no way of stopping it. For the second time today, a voice filtered through the babble of voices in her head with an observation that left her confused.

“I’ve never seen an aura like that.”

A few moments later, the redhead and Willa, the blonde, were looking at her just as intently. Willa’s curiosity softened with a smile. The redhead gave the girl’s shoulder a gentle pat. She waved to Willa and left with her charge.

Good-bye, sanity. It was nice knowing ya while you hung around for the last twenty-eight years.

The blonde moved closer. “Hi. I’m Willa.” Her smile widened. She was beautiful. A subtle degree of serenity accompanied that beauty, managing to put Kaylae at ease. “Do you have any questions that I may be able to answer?”

Kaylae shook her head. When the brown-haired clerk’s eyes lowered to Kaylae’s hand clutched around her purse straps, she realized she was strangling the fake leather in a death-grip. Slowly, she flexed her fingers to let blood rush back to the tips, and rubbed at the back of her neck. Her face felt warm with embarrassment. Maybe cruising the storefronts wasn’t the best idea.

“You have beautiful work. I’ll definitely be coming back toward the end of my stay.”

“I’ll look forward to it.”

“Um, I do have a quick question. Food. Where would you recommend?”

The petite employee brightened. “Mummy’s Diner is to die for.” She giggled. “That’s their tagline. ‘Our food is to die for!’ Great, isn’t it?”

Kaylae nodded, praying her grin didn’t give away her uncertainty. The town seemed like a place she would enjoy, if the circumstances were different. What she’d seen thus far appealed to her love of everything strange and unusual.

Today, she wasn’t feeling it.

“How about a place to get good food and have a drink?”

“Howler’s,” Willa offered. “It’s a few blocks away, but well worth the walk. Don’t let the dive bar atmosphere fool you. The food is incredible.”

“Thanks. I’ll check it out.”

After listening to a quick rundown of the directions, Kaylae left the shop and made a beeline to the sanctuary of the bar. It was midday, not peak time for drinking, so she hoped she wouldn’t have to deal with another crowd. By the time she reached the front door, her hands trembled from the effort of fighting the overwhelming invasion of thoughts from strangers on the sidewalks. She couldn’t enjoy the town. All of her energy went to seeing what was in front of her while her vision threatened to gray out. Her heart raced and her breaths were shallow as she pulled open the door and stepped inside.

She instantly regretted the decision not to call ahead for take-out. The place was packed with customers, more than she had imagined. Music played in the background. The clinking and clanking of glasses and dishes added another layer to the chaos. Savory and sweet aromas laced the air, making her stomach growl.

Girl, you’re gonna have to learn to control the voices before you starve.

There was a spot open at the bar. Concentrating on putting one foot in front of the other, she made it to the barstool and pulled her purse onto her lap. Her fingers resumed their stranglehold on the handles in a weak attempt to stop shaking.

One of the bartenders, a young man, came over and flashed her a white-tooth smile. His dark eyes glowed.

Kaylae blinked. No, that wasn’t possible.

“What can I getchya?” he asked.

Kaylae narrowed her eyes. The man’s irises continued to glow—actually glow—reflecting the lights over the bar like a cat in the night.

And earlier, you saw the bank teller’s eyes go silver. Girl, you need to sleep. Like, for a week.

“Beer. Please. Whatever you have on tap.” Kaylae cleared the lump from her throat. “And a menu?”

“Coming right up.”

“What a hottie.”

Kaylae snorted at the bartender’s thought, her attention tracing after the guy. Ugh. He was probably twenty-two or so and a total player. Besides, she wasn’t interested in relationships. Any man who got remotely close to her would turn tail screaming, “Crazy!” and leave her in more ruins than she already was.

Her love life was as dull as a rock. A few passing flings, nothing serious. Every time she tried to get close to a guy, her apocalyptic nightmares intensified and an unseen force repelled her from her romantic target. She could never understand why, and she gave up trying to figure it out a few years ago.

Holding tight to her dwindling sanity was her priority.

The bartender returned with her beer, a menu, and a charming smile. “I can make a few recommendations. What are you feeling?”

“Hungry.”

The kid laughed. “You’re pretty sweet.”

Kaylae flipped open the menu, her ears humming with the rush of chatter, both inside and outside her head. She chose to ignore the come-on, sharing a mere half-grin behind the rim of her beer mug.

“Let me have the chicken tender basket and a cup of your soup of the day.” She slid the menu back to the kid. “Thanks.”

“Name’s Ryan, if you need anything else.”

Left to simmer in the noise around her, she consoled her beer mug and tried to think. When she returned to the motel, she’d read the letter. She’d been putting it off. She wanted to find out what was in the mysterious locked wooden box, and a nagging feeling in her gut told her the letter would explain most of her unanswered questions.

She’d return to the motel after she stocked up on grub for the rest of the afternoon and evening. Maybe tomorrow her brain would be a little kinder to her and let her enjoy the town a bit more.

Warmth curled around her nape and made her skin tingle. She brushed the sensation off as over stimulated nerves and took another sip of her drink. A pretty woman with auburn hair, a keen eye, and a welcoming smile placed a cup of soup in front of her, as well as a package of crackers.

“Loaded baked potato is the soup today.”

Kaylae pinched her forehead between her thumb and forefinger, faintness washing over her. That sensation of warmth and tingles intensified.

“Hey, you okay?”

Kaylae cleared her throat and forced a nod. “Yes. Thanks for the soup.”

She dared to meet the woman’s stunning golden eyes and instantly wished she hadn’t. She was getting tired of people staring at her like she was a walking wonder.

Hanging out with her roach buddy was looking more appealing with every person whose path she crossed. At least the storm of nonsensical thoughts wouldn’t plague her. Roaches didn’t project thoughts.

She tasted the soup, approved of its full flavor, and went to town. She didn’t care that she slurped. Her stomach was grateful for something other than premade gas station sandwiches and vending machine-quality chow.

“…going to be bad if they’re back. Keepers need to go into deeper hiding…”

The single thought stood out from the sea of chatter. Specifically, the word “Keepers.” The spoon in her fingers clattered against the side of the bowl. She jerked her head up and scanned the dense crowd, trying to locate the source of that thought. An impossible feat.

Two men standing at the end of the bar caught her attention. She didn’t know why. Well, maybe she did. Their looks were definitely eye catching. The one with russet hair and a tanned complexion clapped the back of a customer perched on a stool, waved to the woman who had delivered Kaylae’s soup, and headed toward the front door.

His companion, a tall, muscly, brooding god of a man, leaned close to the woman and the customer. The female’s attention shifted to the customer, her eyes taking on a particularly happy glow.

Glow. Just like Ryan’s.

Ugh and ugh again.

These townsfolk really took Halloween to the extreme. Cosmetic contacts and all.

When she looked back at the brooding man, he stared back at her, the sharp slopes of his dark brows drawn together over a straight nose. His nostrils flared. The hollows of his cheeks, which already highlighted his rugged bone structure, darkened in shadows when his jaw set. Hair as black as midnight escaped to hang over his eyes, adding to a magical allure that drew Kaylae.

She snapped straight in her stool and took a hearty chug of cold beer. Heat rose into her cheeks. A woozy sensation came over her.

Eat, Kaylae. For dignity’s sake, get yourself together. Ogling is completely out of the question.

Picking up her spoon again, trying to steady her trembling hand enough not to splatter soup all over the bar, she turned her sole attention to eating her long-awaited meal.

From the corner of her eye, she caught the unrealistically devilish hunk of a man push away from the bar top, lift his hand in a small wave to the female, and fist-bump the man.

“One order of chicken tenders for the beauty at the bar.”

Kaylae’s head jerked up as Ryan placed a basket beside her cup of soup. The scent of fried chicken wafted up to her nose. Salivating was totally an option and she gave in to a small moan of delight.

“Wow. Thanks.”

“’Nother beer?”

“Yeah, sure. Why not?”

At least that way she’d have an excuse for any slips in madness that may occur. She finished her drink, handed the mug to Ryan, and dug into a piping hot tender.

The motion knocked her purse off her lap. She grappled to catch it before it hit the floor. The bite of chicken in her mouth burned her tongue and her eyes teared.

“Darn.” Fanning her mouth, she climbed off her stool and wedged her way out from between her stool and her neighbor’s to retrieve her rebel bag.

Dark-and-Broody bent down and grabbed it before she could wiggle out of the cramped space. A faint pulse of panic seized her. She swiped a hand out and snatched her purse straps. The tips of her fingers brushed his.

Fire exploded in her mind, stealing away any evidence of Howler’s. The muffled voices silenced beneath the crackling and rumbling of the scene unfolding in her head. Pain erupted in her chest. Her skin burned. Somewhere in the deafening, fire-raining war, she heard herself scream.

The explosion vanished, leaving a thick, smoky cover that encompassed her as she fell into darkness.

Chapter Four

“Geez, man. You’ve lost your touch with the ladies. What did you do to her?”

Zareh shouldered his way out the front door, Alazar on his tail, the unconscious woman cradled close to his chest. He had taken notice of her the moment she walked through the door. Tall, slender, with dark brown hair that reached midway down her back even in the ponytail and that held a sexy wave. Her skin was creamy and she wore little makeup, something Zareh considered a huge plus. An unseen ribbon of curiosity wound its way through his gut, wove up to his mind, and refused to release him from its bindings.

Despite an outward façade that reminded him of a timid creature in a new world, he sensed the woman was more than timid or shy. She appeared to battle something no one was privy to, a battle for her and her alone.

The dragon in him rose, ready to protect the stranger. Sure, he and all the Firestorm clan vowed to protect innocents, but the power behind this unwarranted desire to guard this particular woman hit him hard.

Maybe it was the devastating loss of his Keeper that increased this basic need. It was hammered into his DNA. Or maybe it was the distress she tried to suppress behind fake smiles and shaky hands.

All he knew was her well-being had become a priority for him. He was as baffled as to what had happened to her as Alazar.

Sam jogged out of the bar to join them on the sidewalk. “EMS is on the way.” When the wolf shifter reached two fingers toward the woman’s throat, Zareh growled, twisting to place his arm between Sam and the woman. Sam raised his hands in surrender. “Zar, checking for a pulse.”

“She’s got one.”

Sam gave a small nod. “Are you going to let the guys care for her when they get here? Do you know her?”

“Maybe and no.” Zareh tensed as his scales threatened to show in public. “You can call off your guys. She’s stable.”

“She’s unconscious. That’s not really stable.”

Zareh rolled his eyes. “Heart rate is normal and she’s breathing. She didn’t fall and didn’t bump her head on anything.” He restarted his trek down the sidewalk, ignoring the stares of curious tourists as he passed. “Can’t be much wrong with her.”

“It can be more than you think,” Sam insisted.

He stopped and turned on Sam and Alazar. “Would it make you happy if I brought her down to the clinic?”

“Yes,” the two said in unison. Then Sam added, “At the least. I’d feel more comfortable with EMS taking her.”

“EMS takes people to the hospital, not the clinic.”

“EMS takes certain people to the clinic. I’ll make sure that’s where she goes.”

Zareh weighed his options. Sam, a firefighter for the town, had enough pull with the EMS team to follow through on his promise. Zareh glanced down at the woman. What was it about her that drew him in and demanded his attention? He didn’t know her name, didn’t know her age, had no clue if she was here on vacation or if she had just moved to Nocturne Falls.

Already, he’d acted out of character. Mr. Calm and Collected moseying on down the sidewalk with an unconscious woman in his arms as if it happened every day. Werewolves and vampires were normal in Nocturne Falls, even to the humans who called it home. Witches and spells were accepted and sought after.

Even so, a man carrying a passed-out woman down the street after coming out of a dive bar would raise brows and probably have the sheriff on his back in no time.

Way not to draw attention to yourself.

He caught sight of the flashing lights of the ambulance as it approached Howler’s. Sam tilted his head in silent question. Alazar wagged a finger toward the vehicle. Zareh groaned.

“You’re right,” he said. “But…I go with her. To the clinic. After all, this is somehow my fault.”

“Too hot to handle,” Alazar teased. Zareh’s lips peeled back from his teeth in absolutely no approximation of a smile. Smoke curled from the corner of his mouth. Alazar snickered. “Go on. I’ll follow with your truck.”

Sam gave the EMS team a quick rundown of the events leading up to the woman’s current condition. The two men—shifters of some kind, from what Zareh could tell—buckled the woman onto the gurney after Zareh reluctantly deposited her on the uncomfortable-looking pad.

Sam jutted his chin toward the bench in the back of the vehicle after the team rolled the gurney into its designated spot. “Go ahead. I’ll fill Bridget in. She’ll want to know the outcome, since she was a customer in her place.”

“Thanks.”

Zareh climbed into the back of the ambulance and sat at the front of the bench. The paramedic staying in the back with him closed the rear doors and gave the all clear to the driver. The ambulance pulled smoothly into motion.

“Is she stable?” Zareh asked. He watched her heart rhythm on a portable monitor after the paramedic hooked her up to pads and leads.

“Vitals are stable. Heart rate normal.” The man grabbed some small packages from the overhead cabinet and laid them out on the blanket he had draped over the woman. “Respiratory rate normal.”

Zareh dug his fingers into his thighs when he caught the glint of a needle. The paramedic looked over at him from his position hunched above the woman’s left arm.

“If blood makes you queasy, look away. She needs IV access so I can run fluids in transit.”

“Blood doesn’t make me queasy. You’re about to stick that thing in her arm. I don’t like it.”

The paramedic ignored his complaint, palpated a vein, and started the IV. Zareh ground his teeth, swallowing down the burn in his throat, and glanced at the woman’s purse in his hand. While the paramedic set up a bag of fluid, Zareh nonchalantly rifled through the surface items in the purse. He shuffled through a few envelopes, found a driver’s license, and committed the name to memory.

“Do you know if she had anything to drink?”

“A beer.” That much he’d seen.

“Medications?”

Oh, he was winging this. “No.”

“Medical history?”

“Nope.”

Goddess forgive him for impersonating a boyfriend.

“Possibility she’s pregnant?”

Zareh stared at the paramedic as he waited for an answer. Why did that question rile him so much?

He growled. “Anything’s possible, right?”

The paramedic continued through a list of basic questions. Zareh bit out responses. He could only hope his answers didn’t put the woman in any danger.

They couldn’t have arrived at the clinic any sooner. Zareh followed the paramedics and the gurney through a rear entrance to a back room where paranormals were treated when hospitals were out of the question. A nurse waited for them. She helped transfer the woman to a stretcher like those he’d seen in emergency rooms.

Zareh moved to the corner of the room while a second nurse came in to help, followed by a doctor. He was addressed once in regards to his relationship to the patient.

“Fiancé.”

Oh, he’d burn in the hellfires of Hades for that one, but there was no way he would be forced to leave the woman his dragon strove to protect.

Even if it made absolutely no sense.

Roughly twenty minutes after they arrived, fluids running, blood taken for lab work, and a thorough assessment performed by a nurse and doctor, Zareh sat alone in the room with the woman.

Janet Dane, according to her license. Considering how much she had stashed in her oversized purse, he was glad he was able to find any sort of identification at all. Half tempted to thoroughly rifle through the rest of her purse to better make sense of his dragon’s insistence on staying with this woman, he placed the purse on the floor at Janet’s bedside and slouched in the chair. He had no right to go through her stuff.

He took the calm moment to observe the fine features he hadn’t had an opportunity to appreciate earlier. She was built like a dancer, tall and lithe and graceful. Her hair was definitely her own, not a wig to take part in Nocturne Falls’ Halloween hype. She had gentle facial features, from the slope of her dark brows and the upward tilt of her eyes to the full curve of lips and a nose that was not stubborn sharp. Her lashes were thick and, if he recalled, framed eyes the color of Arctic ice, a pure cool blue with darker rings of cobalt around the outer rim.

He pressed his lips together and curled his fingers into his palms to refrain from tracing the delicate cut of her cheekbone and jaw. A single silver stud decorated her earlobe. She wore no other jewelry. Most importantly, her left hand was bare of rings.

“Janet Dane.” The name did not sound right on his tongue. “There is something awfully familiar about you.”

Perhaps that was why his dragon’s protective nature erupted full-force. He simply couldn’t put his finger on what was familiar.

Janet gasped.

Zareh lifted his gaze to her face. Her eyes shot open.

“Where am I?” she whispered. Her expression turned from the calm of unconsciousness to a drawn, almost pained look. “Oh no. Oh, stop.”

Janet bolted upright and pressed her hands to her ears. She frantically kicked the covers away before her arms flailed like mad.

“Going crazy!”

“Hey there.” Zareh lunged toward the stretcher when Janet wiggled too close to the edge and almost tumbled off. He grabbed her arm. A startling shock of heat exploded through his body, an unexplained delight that should not have come from this woman.

To his absolute horror, Janet shrieked, violently shoving him away. “Don’t touch me! Don’t…don’t!”

When her wide eyes met his, he took a long step back. He had never seen fear so raw in his entire life.

And that was a very long life.

She mumbled incoherently as she slid off the stretcher to stand on unsteady feet.

“Wait, the IV—”

Janet cringed as the IV tore from her arm. A thin stream of blood crept down her arm, but it didn’t stop her from her muttering something about “voices” and “fire” and “apocalypse.”

“My purse. Oh no! Where’s—”

“Janet, calm down. It’s right here.”

Feeling befuddled—a feat hard to accomplish—Zareh lifted the purse into view. He intended to hand it over, but the woman latched onto one strap and yanked before he could. Zareh let go. Janet stumbled back. He vaulted over the bed and caught her before she smacked her head into the wall. The purse crashed to the ground, the contents spilling across the floor.

Zareh couldn’t believe how bad she shook. Her heart raced at a frightening speed, one that echoed in his ears until it felt like his eyes vibrated. Her breaths were nothing more than gasps in her state of hysteria. He’d make it a point to review every medication the doctor ordered for her and research adverse reactions.

After he calmed her down.

“Let go!” Janet snapped her arms free and dropped to her knees. Zareh crouched down beside her and set her purse upright. “Don’t touch it.”

His gaze dropped to an ornate box that had toppled out of the bag. He froze. Janet snatched it up, cast him a frightened look, and started to shove it into her purse. Zareh stopped her with a firm hold on her wrist. This time, he did not let her go despite her struggles.

Disbelief washed over him. She grabbed the box with her other hand and shifted her body away from him, very obviously trying to protect her possession. His gaze narrowed on her horrified expression. Her eyes were wide, wild, cast with shadows of panic and confusion and desperation. She looked like a woman on the verge of a complete mental breakdown.

Which would make sense if…

“What voices do you hear?” he asked. If that box was what he thought…If the impossible was sitting on the floor in front of him, trying to scramble away from him as he held fast to her wrist…

Janet’s eyes took on a shimmer as tears welled. She gave her arm another fierce tug, tucking the box close to her chest with her free hand. She whispered, “Please, let me go. I need to go.”

“I’m worried for you.” A complete truth. He released her wrist, lifting his hands in surrender. “You were mumbling about hearing voices.” He was tempted to give his assumption a test, but feared his hopes were soaring too high too fast, and he’d crash and burn with disappointment. The chances were pretty much impossible. “Are they true voices? Or are they thoughts?”

Janet’s body tensed. Her gaze stopped zooming all over the place and finally focused on him. Her eyes pulsed with the weight of her emotional turmoil. Her anxiety. Her chin quivered. Dear Goddess, Zareh wanted to take that fear and pain away. His dragon ached to see her in such distress.

But those eyes. It was her eyes that held so much familiarity.

Since his frightened doe wasn’t answering him about the voices, he tried a different angle. He needed to be certain. A hundred and fifty percent certain. Guessing could put him and his clan in danger. It could put this woman in danger.

“Do you know what’s in that box?” he asked, his voice low, soothing, unlike the warm curls of fire that churned deep in his gut. Janet gave a jerk of her head. No. “Did you find it somewhere?”

Janet pressed her lips together and looked away. Anguish twisted her features. She drew her knees tight to her chest, folding in on herself.

Zareh’s heart shattered. He reached forward and slipped the flat of his hand against her cheek. The shocks of heat sparked up his arm and filled him from head to toe. Everything so far was telling him his instinct was spot on.

Slowly, he turned her face toward him. Nudging the purse and its contents out of his way with his knee, he shifted a little closer to the woman.

“It’s important that I know the truth. Did you find the box?”

He barely heard her whisper, “No.”

“It was given to you?”

“Yes.”

“How long ago?”

Her eyes squeezed shut. Something shimmered down the side of her nose, cresting at the curve of her upper lip. He wiped the tear away without a second thought. The tension in her jaw resonated against the heel of his palm.

“How long ago?” he repeated, softer.

“Why? Why is it important to you? Do you know what’s in the box?” Janet sniffled, but didn’t look at him. “What does it matter?”

“It matters quite a bit, actually.” When Janet remained silent, he decided to take a shot. At any moment, some member of the facility would come through that closed door to check on the patient. He was surprised someone hadn’t already done so. The noise alone should have drawn concern. “Talius would want to make sure you were safe.”

Janet’s head snapped up so fast he worried she would give herself whiplash. New tears trekked down her cheeks. A fine crease formed across her forehead.

When she turned her shoulders a tad toward Zareh, he looked her over through new eyes.

Yes, she had Talius’s eyes. His hair color when he was younger. His nose and his mouth.

The fear was uncharacteristic of his late Keeper, but perhaps not entirely uncharacteristic of a female descendant who did not understand the significance of her gifts, or her life.

“He’s dead, isn’t he.” A quiet sob fled her lips. “They killed him.”

So she knew Talius had been attacked. He frowned.

“My father and my uncle must’ve anticipated an attack. My car was packed and ready for me to flee by the time I got there. I heard the struggle before my uncle shoved me out the door and urged me to leave.” Janet used the back of the hand holding the box to wipe her eyes. Either she wasn’t aware or didn’t care that the box scraped across the back of his hand. A faint hum of power caressed his skin vanquishing any residual doubt. “I was holding out hope that maybe, just maybe, they escaped.”

“Talius was your father?”

The corner of Janet’s mouth tugged south until she covered it with the back of her hand. She nodded.

“By blood?”

“Of course. Why?”

Why? Oh, sweet flight wind, she had no idea.

“My name is Zareh Lutherone.” He traced the delicate curve of her chin, hoping to garner a reaction. Maybe recognizing his name would ease her anxiety. That recognition never came. He prompted, “What’s your name?”

“Janet.”

Zareh groaned and pinned her with a “nice try” look. “Real name.”

“He said never to give it out.”

“I’m sure Talius would tell you otherwise if he knew I were the one asking.” To give the woman a nudge, he offered, “I’m aware that your surname is Drayce. Your lineage dates back thousands of years as one of the oldest families of the Firestorm tatsu clan.” He flicked his thumb away from her chin and tapped the box. “If I’m correct, that is a dragonstone from the dragon to whom you are Keeper.”

The color drained from her face, leaving her ashen. She lifted the box enough to look at it.

“He told you to guard it with your life. Whatever you do, do not let it fall into the hands of an enemy.” Zareh almost forgot about the twisted medallion he had found at Talius’s house. He lowered his hand from Janet’s face and dug it out, his own heart rate picking up. Concern and excitement warred inside him. “This belongs to the Baroqueth slayers. They’re dragon slayers in search of treasure hoards and the power they can siphon from a dragon’s heart. They are an ancient race of sorcerers from as early as the first dragon is known to exist.”

“You know, I thought I was crazy hearing all these voices.” Her voice quivered as she spoke. “But I think you might be crazy, too, actually talking about dragons.”

Zareh stared at her for a long moment before he smiled. Drayce. Talius did have a child. An extremely rare female of Keeper’s blood.

Now he understood the relentless pull to her, the inexplicable need to protect. He may not have recognized the woman, but his dragon sniffed her out for exactly who she was.

The promise of a future for his dragon’s bloodline.

Chapter Five

Kaylae didn’t know why she accepted Zareh’s offer to stay at his home after he heard where she was hunkered down. Apparently, the Pinehurst Inn was the slum of the slum. Nothing but trouble rented out the rooms. At first, she refused. Then she distinctly recalled the two men who hung outside the dilapidated building, and their abominable thoughts. If she were honest with herself, she did not want to go back there. Not even for her duffel bag.

“I wouldn’t let you go back there alone. And there is no argument in that,” Zareh said. His protective behavior was endearing, and not lost on her. He didn’t push about the box, or her real first name. “Until you feel you can trust me, I’ll call you Doe, since I don’t know your first name. Janet doesn’t do a thing for you.”

So, Doe she was.

When the nurse returned and discovered her substandard patient behavior of leaping from the bed and dislodging her IV, she earned herself another needle, the rest of the IV fluids, and a review of the results of her blood work.

Borderline anemic and definitely dehydrated.

The diagnosis came with her discharge paperwork and a stern reminder to eat proper food and drink liquids. Beer didn’t count.

“Be a good fiancé and make sure she’s drinking that water,” the nurse instructed Zareh. Fiancé?! That shocked Kaylae into a gape that got a questioning look from the nurse, but shoved some warmth into the void the last week had left in her spirit. She allowed Zareh, pretend fiancé extraordinaire, to escort her to the parking lot.

She was happy enough to be in the passenger seat of his lavish SUV as they pulled up to the ramshackle hotel. The sun had begun a steady decline over the horizon, and the scene outside the Pinehurst Inn was less than promising.

The group of two unpleasant men had grown to six, and they had moved closer to her room. They turned toward the SUV as Zareh pulled in close to the door to her room and popped the shifter into park.

“Don’t move,” he warned.

“You don’t have to worry about that.” She eyed the unsavory crowd. She sighed, forcing the men’s crude thoughts from her head as Zareh cut the engine and climbed out.

She couldn’t help but admire the confidence that filled Zareh’s steps. His frame was formidable. The impending dusk made him look bigger. He stared down the men as he rounded the front of the SUV to the passenger door, held it open for her, and extended a hand.

“What a gentleman,” she complimented.

Zareh’s hard gaze softened when he turned moss-green eyes on her. They were beautiful, rich, and unusual all at the same time. After her meltdown in the clinic, when he somehow managed to soothe her broken soul, his eyes did things to her she’d never experienced before. Well, not his actual eyes, but the way they displayed his thoughts and feelings so clearly. What touched her most deeply was the grief he seemed to suffer at the mention of her father’s demise.

He was quickly winning her over, and that would only spell danger and heartache for her in the end.

After all, who wanted a girlfriend who heard voices and thoughts and suffered anxiety attacks when they got to be too much?

For now, she would bask in the glory of his intense presence.

She placed her hand in his and allowed him to help her out of the vehicle before he closed the door and locked it up. He placed himself between the guys and her, draping an arm around her shoulder. His hold spoke of protection, but also possession. His fingers molded around her shoulder and he kept her close to his side.

His body was hard as rock beneath the supple leather jacket and the simple V-neck T-shirt. Even in her low heels, he towered over her, a full head taller.

“Looks like he got himself a good time.”

Kaylae jerked a glance toward the group of onlookers. Zareh paused and followed her gaze. A threatening air poured off him on a wave of unseen energy. The group’s laid-back attitude shifted and changed. A few headed away down the walkway and disappeared into a room. Another went to a rusted-out car, got in and took off, the taillights quickly disappearing.

That left just the original two from earlier.

One had the smarts to look away.

The other met Zareh’s gaze with a smug smile.

“Not many of you ritzy peeps come this way. ’Specially none looking for quality time.” The creep wagged his brows. “Right, sugah?”

Kaylae groaned and twisted her head away in embarrassment. Every inch of Zareh grew taut with tension. When her self-imposed bodyguard didn’t follow her to her door, she stepped a little closer than she had intended, reached up and turned his chin toward her.

His hand came around and landed on her lower back. She realized just how close they stood. With one hand resting against the hard contour of his chest and the other on his shoulder, the intimacy of their stance made her face flush. Still, she didn’t try to put distance between them. The heat he radiated warmed the underlying chill in her bones. The strength he surrounded her with gave her a sense of calm for the first time in many, many years.

It also made her belly go all crazy wings.

She made the terrible mistake of lowering her gaze to his lips. Oh, what lips. Kissable lips with a mean edge. Lips that spoke promises on soft breaths or threats on a rumble.

Lips that she had an overwhelming desire to taste.

When his hand drew her tight against him, the kissing dream shattered. For one, they were standing outside a questionable motel with a creepy guy watching them. Second, Zareh didn’t know her first name. The very idea made her feel scummy.

“I think we should get my stuff.”

Zareh didn’t make any attempt to move.

“So we can, you know, leave this place?”

Zareh blinked. He let out a long, controlled breath and nodded. “Let me have the key.”

Kaylae handed it over. Zareh kept her close while he opened the door and flipped on the lights. He gave the room a once-over and stepped aside.

“I’m going to stay right here while you get your belongings. I don’t trust that guy.”

“That makes two of us.” Kaylae slipped by Zareh. Mindful of her six-legged roomie, she gathered her belongings with one eye on the bathroom. “Room’s all yours, my little roach buddy.”

With everything stashed in her oversized duffel bag, she returned to Zareh’s side. He graced her with a humorous glance as he linked his arm around her waist. They dropped the room key off with the clerk and left.

They were back in his SUV when something dawned on her.

Kaylae pulled a knee up onto the seat and faced Zareh. He cast her a glance, but otherwise kept his eyes on the road.

“You asked me at the clinic about the voices.”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Keepers are naturally highly attuned to their surroundings. It’s a defense mechanism that strengthened over time. Keepers are able to hear thoughts, if they so choose.” Zareh shrugged. “It’s no surprise you can tune into the thoughts of those around you.”

Kaylae scrunched her face. “I can’t just tune in. There’s a broken dial somewhere, so I get flooded.”

Zareh slowed the SUV and looked at her. “What do you mean?”

“I have no control over the voices. I can’t shut them off. I can’t pick and choose Mary and Mike for mindful chatter.” Kaylae paused. “You know, I’d be halfway to Howler’s if someone told me they heard voices.”

“I can humor you, if that’s what you’d like.” He tapped his jacket. “But I have the key to my truck, so you won’t get far without me.”

“Fancy shmancy car.” Kaylae gasped. “Oh! My car!”

“Hey, relax. It’ll be fine in town. Are you hungry? You didn’t get to dig into your chicken before the incident earlier. We can stop for a bite before heading to the house. Doctor’s orders.” His brows furrowed. “Speaking of, what really happened back at the bar?”

“Nothing. Got dizzy from getting up too fast.” He didn’t need to know that his touch had launched a mental fireball that knocked her out. Her apocalyptic nightmare magnified by a hundred. It didn’t make sense, especially since each time after that first skin-to-skin contact, she felt nothing but warmth and desire and…safe when he touched her. Kaylae’s elevated mood took a dive. “I really ought to find one of the bed-and-breakfasts and room up for the night.”

“In Nocturne Falls, they’re called dead-and-breakfasts.” Zareh chuckled—Kaylae had to suppress a pleasant shiver at the deep, grumbly sound—and eased the SUV faster. “And how do you expect me to protect you when you’re not close by?”

“Dead-and-breakfasts, eh? This town is really into the Halloween gig. I mean, the vampire actors and the gargoyle fountain and the names of the stores. It’s pretty eccentric.”

“You say that like it’s hard for you to believe it’s real.”

“No. I find it pretty neat, actually. Whoever runs the town has the business down pat.”

“Vampires run the town.”

“Uh-huh. And dragons are real.”

Zareh shot her a brow-raised look before the corner of his mouth curled in one ridiculously handsome grin. “They are.”

Kaylae rolled her eyes and settled back in the seat. “So you seem to believe.” She waved a hand toward him. “Are you part of the dragon act?”

“No act.” Zareh turned onto Main Street. Kaylae was mildly surprised by the never-ending throngs of tourists still crowding the sidewalks as dinnertime approached. “As you are a Keeper, I am a dragon.”

“I have this feeling you’re trying to be nice to me so you can get into my purse.” She hugged her oversized bag close to her chest. “Not happening.”

“One feel. That’s all.” He pressed his hand flat over his heart. “Promise.”

Kaylae gaped at him. Zareh laughed—oh boy, that laugh made her belly flutter—and pulled into an empty parking spot along the sidewalk. He was still smiling when he rounded the SUV and did the gentleman performance again. His chivalrous actions did amazing things to warm her. She was finding it difficult to be skeptical of the man who sat with her at the clinic, didn’t question the existence of the voices she heard, and still insisted on taking her to dinner, even though she had not confided her real first name.

It took a special man to take that in stride.

Or a crazy one.

Like you’re one to pass judgment on crazy.

Amidst her world crashing down and the grief waiting to surface, this impossibly handsome stranger managed to make her smile and forget the pain she would soon have to face. He provided an unseen support to her shaky foundation, one she hadn’t had before Zareh crossed her path, not even with her father.

For now, she’d enjoy Zareh’s company and his eye-candy appeal.

“Think we can do take-out?” Kaylae asked as they approached the front doors of a place called The Poisoned Apple. It looked like a pub. She stared at the doors, apprehension making her drag her heels. She finally looked up to find Zareh scrutinizing her with something like concern etched into his expression. “I-I don’t know if I have the energy to deal with”—she scrunched her nose—“cross conversation.”

“Do you truly know nothing about who you are?”

Zareh pulled Kaylae to the side of the door. Kaylae frowned at the sudden hard-lined expression that touched his face.

“Isn’t all this dragon-Keeper talk just propaganda? I mean, look at the town we’re in.”

Zareh said something she couldn’t hear under his breath and rubbed a hand over his chin. “Yeah. Take-out it is. You will be coming back to my house. We have a lot to discuss.”

“Are you usually so bossy with women whose names you don’t know?”

“I’m bossy where you’re concerned.”

“Why?” She straightened her shoulders and crossed her arms over her chest. “I get that you knew my father, but why are you concerned about me?” A thought made her stiffen. “Oh, I see. You think I’ll be an easy one-night stand—”

“Whoa!” Zareh threw up his hands in surrender. Shock flashed through his eyes. “Absolutely not, Doe.”

He groaned, tugging a hand through his hair. Strands fell right back over his eyes, making her itch to do her own combing and tugging and whatever else a woman could do with hair that looked like pure black silk.

“Then why?”

Zareh glanced up at the sign over the pub’s doors. “Okay. Let’s get take-out and we’ll eat in the SUV. I’ll lower the back seat and we can have a picnic.”

“A trunk-nic.”

Zareh nodded. Kaylae couldn’t stay skeptical when those darn lips curled in such a heart-melting grin. He could make her believe in anything with his smile.

“We can’t talk in the open about the things I need to talk to you about. It’s too dangerous. Now that we know the Baroqueth are on the trails of the Keepers, and most likely tracking their movement to us, there is no room for error.”

Kaylae licked her lips, wondering how much of what Zareh told her he actually believed. She heard voices and thoughts and suffered panic attacks because of her lineage. Zareh was trying to convince her she was some Keeper and dragons might actually exist. She wanted to believe because it meant maybe she wasn’t crazy after all.

Zareh’s gaze dropped to her mouth. His eyes smoldered and somehow steamed up her head before he cleared his throat and pulled his glance away. “You think you can bear the voices for a few minutes while we order? I’ll do my best to help keep them at bay.”

Kaylae nodded, unsure how he could help. Earmuffs didn’t work. Neither did hands or ear buds. She had tried everything. “I’ve dealt with them all my life. A few more minutes won’t hurt.”

Truth be told, despite this rabbit hole called Nocturne Falls that she somehow stumbled down, she found renewed strength in Zareh’s presence. Strength, and a little something else she didn’t want to let go.

Chapter Six

Zareh set up their trunk-nic next to the town’s park, laying out their spread of food choices in their respective containers. He couldn’t keep his attention off Doe, how expressive her eyes were, how quickly her moods changed. It was obvious to him that her moments of happiness were borrowed before she reclaimed her reservation and wariness. A Keeper of her caliber would never try to turn in on herself, not if she knew her true potential and worth. It pained him that she thought herself crazy because Talius left her out of the Keeper loop.

Females were so rare. The Baroqueth had killed the few who existed in the Firestorm Keepers’ families. Finding a female of lineage was like finding Atlantis.

Every cell in his body, every instinct in his dragon, promised him that this woman was that female. A female of true Drayce lineage, which eased his conscience when he considered how badly he wanted to kiss her.

How badly he wanted to do more than just kiss her.

“Hop in, m’lady,” he said, layering on an Old-World accent. He spread his arm to the truck and bowed deeply at the waist. Doe laughed and climbed in, maneuvering around the food. Zareh’s timing couldn’t have been worse when he looked up to make sure she was settled. He got a lovely view of her denim-clad bottom just before she twisted onto her hip, her legs stretched out. He swallowed. Hard. “Good?”

Smoke and fire. He hoped she didn’t catch the onset of that deep husk behind his single-word question. His appetite quickly changed direction, and the craving was definitely not for the prime rib or the apple cobbler.

A dead-and-breakfast might be safer for the woman after all, judging by the uncanny heat that curled through his belly before it moved south.

Doe patted the empty space across from her. “I’m not going to eat all this by myself.”

Zareh crawled into the space, hitting the button on the trunk door to close them in. Despite the roomy interior, he opted to configure his larger frame so he was propped on an elbow and lying on his side.

“Are you sure this isn’t too uncomfortable for you?” Doe’s lips did an adorable little quirky motion. She looked him over. “I know you’re a big guy, but you look like you’re trying to squeeze into a cereal box.”

“It’s not that bad, and I’m quite comfortable.” This is torture, but I’ll endure. He handed a set of plasticware to Doe, trying to turn his thoughts away from the soft scent of her perfume in the enclosed space. He doubted anyone else would have noticed a woman’s scent over the sumptuous aromas of food, but his dragon sense refused to give him reprieve. “Dig in. I’ve been listening to your stomach scream the entire ride here.”

Her cheeks flushed. He wondered how much of that rose had to do with the change in his voice. This demure side of her was entirely endearing and unreasonably attractive. “Sorry.”

“You have nothing to be sorry about. Have you eaten much since leaving your father?”

She shook her head. “No.”

“Well, I’ll make sure that isn’t the case anymore.”

Doe poked her fork at the prime rib. “I think you’re making good on your promise already.”

She cut off a piece of meat and slipped it into her mouth. An expression of unfiltered delight crossed her face. A splattering of small shockwaves lit his body on fire, a far different fire than he was used to, and ignited all the warmth inside of him like an inferno. He could practically feel his eyes burn as he peeled his gaze away from the woman, her heavy-hooded eyes and moist lips, and cut into his own prime rib.

“Wow.” She moaned and made quick work of cutting another, bigger, piece to pop into her mouth. “Oh, wow.”

“Holds up to expectations?”

“Mm-hm.”

He dared to look at her again. Doe’s eyes had fallen shut. Thick lashes fanned over her cheeks. Zareh stayed his riled dragon and wiped a hand down his face.

If the pull to Doe was this strong now, he feared he’d need five-foot-thick steel doors between him and the woman once she woke his dragonstone from slumber. And when she bled into the jewel…Goddess help him.

He shed his jacket in an attempt to cool his inner body temperature, which said a lot considering his rare breed. His body temp was naturally a few degrees higher than that of humans.

“Are you hot in here? Why don’t we crack open the windows?” Doe asked. That delicate crease that marred the smooth skin above her brow deepened. Her full lips pressed into a worried frown. “A cracked window wouldn’t be a danger, would it?”

If only she knew exactly how hot he was, and for who. He was beginning to realize how dangerous being cooped in an SUV with a beautiful Keeper could be.

“I’m just getting comfortable.” Zareh offered her a smile and reached over his head to drape his jacket over the back of his seat. “And yes, it could be dangerous if our enemies tracked you here.”

“I don’t like the thought of that.” A subtle shiver jolted through her. A pseudo-shiver mimicking hers traced along his muscles. Even without the stone, their connection was intensifying by mere proximity.

I’m definitely in trouble when she opens that box.

“The only enemy I’ve ever had was myself.”

His heart twisted at her quiet confession. It was becoming shockingly clear how sheltered she had been. Talius hid her from the Firestorm clan well enough that no one except Herald knew he had sired a daughter. He made a mental note to contact Cade in the morning so he could research her birth records.

“May I ask what happened to your mother?” It may be a touchy subject, but it would give him a good idea of how long she had been with Talius, and whether her mother was still in the picture.

It would also bring his head back from wandering fantasies.

To his surprise, Doe snorted and shrugged. “She left when I was little. I have no idea what happened to her, where she is, nor do I care at this point. She left me, and all of her parental rights, to my father.”

“So, you were born with the Drayce surname?”

If that were the case, how she had stayed under the radar this long would be a huge concern. Cade had resources to monitor the Keepers and report any new danger. Talius siring a daughter would have been a huge danger—to Talius and his child. Zareh had yet to understand the circumstances around Talius’s death. Was it because the Baroqueth knew of Doe? Or was it because of the stone? Could have been both.

Doe helped herself to another oversized bite of prime rib and shook her head in delight as she chewed. Zareh was entirely taken with the color of her eyes and how, even in the dim light of the truck as the sun took its last breath before resigning to the night, they appeared to glow.

“No.” She took a drink of her soda and cleared her throat. “Actually, I was given my mother’s surname. I adopted my father’s surname when I turned eighteen, but it was not spelled the way it used to be. He told me that many years ago, he had to change the spelling for safety. Hence on my documents, it’s D-R-A-S-E. I’m aware that the true spelling is different.”

Doe did not give the true surname in the long stretch of silence that followed. Smart and beautiful.

At last, Zareh nodded. “Yes. D-R-A-Y-C-E. Means ‘dragon.’” He looked away as she scrutinized him. Probably trying to figure out if he was a stalker behind his kindness or if anything he’d said today held merit. Well, he was going to prove his claims by the end of their meal. She needed to know the truth, whether she wanted to or not. “As I said earlier before you tried to discredit me, your lineage dates back as far as some of the first dragons to exist. Your bloodline is one branch of Keeper. Over time, new factions of Keepers have been created to provide protection to the expanding Firestorm breed. Although we are small in comparison to many tatsu clans in the world, we are one of the oldest and most powerful.”

“You really believe in dragons?”

Zareh caught her questioning gaze. The war she waged inside her head played in her eyes. “Do you really believe you hear the thoughts of the people around you?”

“That’s low.”

Zareh shook his head. “No. It’s a perfectly reasonable comparison. I do not question your claim to hear voices because I know you do. I explained it was a defense mechanism that Keepers possess in order to detect ill intentions toward themselves and the dragons they keep.”

Doe lowered her fork, new bite of meat untouched. “Do you think you’re a dragon?”

“I don’t think, Doe. I know.”

“Ah.” The crease deepened further. Her teeth played with her lip, mist falling over her eyes as she pondered his revelation. He pushed up the sleeve of his shirt, preparing for the next challenge. She finally gave a long, drawn-out, disbelieving, “Okay.”

When she didn’t ask him to prove he was exactly what he claimed, it was his turn to feel confused. He watched silently as she ate and wondered what was going through her mind. Her gaze flitted from his legs to his torso, back to his legs, as if she were gauging possibilities.

“All you have to do is ask,” he finally said. That drew those pretty eyes up to him. He grinned. “Unless you suspect what I’m saying might actually be real and you don’t want to accept it.”

“I didn’t say that. I was just enjoying my meat for a few moments before you go and really screw with my head. And my beliefs. Oh, heck, my entire life.” She tossed the fork into the container, readjusted her position to sit cross-legged, and leaned her elbows on her knees. He caught his gaze before it dropped to the tantalizing dip in her shirt. “Like I haven’t had enough to deal with.”

“I promise you, the faster you learn and accept, the easier everything will be. The thoughts? I can help you control them. I can help you filter them to hear only those that are pertinent to your survival. They are easy to control when you are within range of your dragon.”

Out of instinct—okay, maybe a little desire—he reached over their food and rested his hand over hers. When she glanced down at their connection, he allowed his dragon an inch of freedom. Deep, burnt-red scales pressed through the skin along his forearm, covering him in a partial coat of armor.

Beneath his hand, Doe stiffened. Her eyes widened and those kissable lips separated on a soft gasp. Her pulse kicked up, but she did not pull away.

“You have never been trained or educated in the gifts of a Keeper. I do not, and would never, fault Talius for deciding to keep your lineage and powers a secret, even from you. After the last war waged by the Baroqueth thirty years ago, the Keepers were forced to disperse and go into hiding. It was a devastating time for our clan and our Keepers. It had been centuries since the last time we were forced to go to such extremes.” Zareh continued to monitor her reaction as he divulged more about himself and her own family. She appeared stunned, skeptical, but a little hopeful. “However, he should have mentored you in controlling the thoughts. I see how much their presence destroys your sense of self.”

Her eyes shimmered with tears before they lowered. Zareh pressed up off his elbow. He raised his hand from hers and eased her chin upward, catching her gaze again.

“You are not crazy, Doe. You have never been crazy. This is a gift, a very special one. You are special in more ways than you can begin to comprehend.”

The pull was too much to ignore, but the cramped quarters of the trunk space proved difficult to maneuver in any graceful manner. The last thing he wanted to do was scare his little Doe just when he saw her beginning to accept the impossible.

Bracing his free arm on the floor between open take-out boxes, he brought himself closer to the woman whose first name he had yet to discover. Her gaze lowered to his mouth. He traded his scales for his enhanced dragon senses. Her skin warmed and her heartbeat increased. A faint, almost unrecognizable tremor skated beneath her skin.

Then, she moistened those tempting lips of hers.

“I’m asking a lot of you as a stranger, but we are no strangers. Listen to your conscience as I listen to my dragon. One pulls the other, leads the other, follows the other. A sense of duty and loyalty. A sense of kinship that has crossed hundreds, thousands of years.” He slipped his hand to the back of her neck. She did not resist his gentle guidance closer. “Learn to trust me, Doe. See that I speak only truth to you. I vow to protect you. Talius would have nothing less than my vow to honor and protect you with my life, as he protected you with his.”

Her eyes fell shut. The warmth of her breath caressed his lips and made him ache and burn.

He parted his lips, hungry for a kiss, a taste.

And found himself on the brink of a tongue twister with her finger.

He pulled back enough to see the finger she had slipped between their mouths. Those breathtaking blue eyes watched him, a tumultuous storm brewing.

“I can’t allow you to kiss me.”

Zareh pressed his lips together and nodded. “I’ve overstepped my bounds.” He reluctantly lowered his hand from her neck and again placed the width of the trunk between them, his stomach knotting. He hoped he hadn’t destroyed the delicate balance of trust he was trying to build. “My apologies.”

“I’m a nameless face to you right now. Even if you’ve dubbed me Doe.” The corner of her mouth twisted in a regretful grin. “Not that I don’t want you to kiss me.”

“My intentions were of good mind, but poor timing.” He forced a chuckle and took up his fork and knife. The last thing he wanted to do was eat while he was going mad with the need to kiss Doe. Oh, who was he fooling? He was going mad with the need to do far more than kiss her. He wanted to show her how perfect they would be together.

“How well did you know my father?”

Zareh’s hunger disappeared at the question. Hunger for food and a kiss. In that single question, Doe reminded him there was an entire lifetime for her of information she would be discovering over the next few days.

“Talius became my Keeper when he was fifteen. He excelled at his skills and gifts, a true Keeper prodigy.” Zareh smiled and lifted his chin with pride. “Your lineage produces prodigies like a cloud produces rain. He was one of the youngest to come into his birthright. I’ve had wonderful Keepers throughout my life, but Talius was by far one of my favorites. We shared a lot of common beliefs and ideas and humor.”

He pulled himself from his memories of Talius riding his back on midnight flights and their occasional trips to the bars when they got a weekend away from The Hollow. They were trouble, but also a fierce team when together.

He focused on Doe. The woman’s expression softened and a small smile crossed her lush mouth.

“You really cared for him.”

He laughed and rubbed at the back of his neck. “Yeah. Don’t get me wrong, I cared for all of my Keepers. They were a part of me, as I was a part of them. The dragon-Keeper balance is delicate and sacred. It is hard for a dragon to survive without his Keeper. They are the very key to keeping us grounded and sane. Otherwise, dragons can go off the deep end.”

“Like breathing fire deep end?”

Zareh shrugged. “It’s not pretty.”

“Neither was my meltdown at the clinic.”

“Actually, it was pretty sexy, if you ask me.”

Doe’s eyes widened. “That was so not flattering.”

Zareh burst into laughter. A moment later, the sweet singsong sound of Doe’s laughter joined his. It was beautiful enough to snatch his breath.

“I suffer those often, you know,” Doe confided. He heard the truth in her admission despite her lingering smile. “I’ve told you, I’m crazy.”

“You’re crazy stubborn, crazy brave, and crazy beautiful, but not crazy.” He nudged a container with apple crisp closer to her. “Here. Try this. This will make you crazy delighted.”

Doe used a spoon to scoop up some of the dessert. Before she put it to her lips, she asked, “You are serious that you can help me with the voices? That they’re normal because of my lineage?”

“Yes, Doe. As serious as I was when I vowed to protect you. Never again will you have to worry.”

She gave his words thought, then took the bite of apple crisp into her mouth. Her eyes closed in blissful appreciation.

Oh, sweet Goddess, what he’d do to be an apple at that moment.

Chapter Seven

By the time they finished their meal, Zareh had given Kaylae renewed hope. Her spirits lifted higher than they had in a long, long time. Initially, she resisted his assurances and explanations. For one, who would have thought dragons were real? Second, who would have thought a dragon could be so hot, no pun intended?

Kaylae didn’t waste a single bite of her meal, and her belly was thanking her for finally feeding it something of worth. They didn’t discuss much more about her Keeper lineage or his dragon blood. She put her curiosity of his age aside to enjoy his company. They laughed over stories about her father, from the time Talius tried to woo a young lady over a dance that ended up with a broken toe on the lady’s part to Kaylae’s telling of her father’s miserable fail in the kitchen that ended in the fire department coming to her house.

Hearing of her father’s adventures from Zareh, and listening to the tone of adoration and appreciation in his voice when he spoke of Talius softened her towards him beyond what she deemed reasonable.

Zareh guided her on a walk through the large, manicured park in the heart of Nocturne Falls. He gave her a brief overview of the town, explaining everything from the history—which included a vampire founding family—to the ongoing festivities. She was taken by the ornate gargoyle fountain that drew tourists at the dusk hour to take pictures and toss coins.

Zareh leaned close, his lips brushing her ear. Tingling pleasure crept along her skin.

“Nocturne Falls is a huge tourist town. Most of the people here are human. Some are not.”

Kaylae looked up at him. He pinned her with a pointed, yet soft, look.

“I’m one of the tourists.”

He gave his head a little shake, one that left strands of hair falling over his eyes. She reached up and brushed them aside.

And froze.

How was it so easy to take such liberties without a second thought? It felt like the natural thing to do. With Zareh. Only Zareh. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be.” Zareh caught her hand as she retracted it. He curved her fingers over his and kissed her knuckles. “I’m not.” With a gentle tug, he curled her arm through his. “And you are not one of them. You’re not entirely human yourself.”

“Um, yes.”

“Um, no.” He winked at her. “You’re a little more than that. I guarantee you if you drank the bottled water that the humans drink, it would not have any effect on you.”

She paused. “What do you mean?”

He leaned back down to her and in a deep, sexy voice, whispered, “It’s water from one of the falls this town is named after. It’s magic water and it’s meant to keep the humans from realizing just how paranormal this town really is. Nocturne Falls is like a safe haven for paranormal beings to be who they truly are beneath the façade of an act for the tourists. So, this town is everything you think it is and you think you see.”

“Vampires, witches, and shifters, oh my.”

Zareh smiled.

Heavens, the dragon man had a killer, make-a-woman-swoon smile.

Kaylae couldn’t refrain. She pressed up on her toes and laid a soft, chaste kiss to the smiling god’s mouth. The moment her lips touched his, she lost touch with reality. He tasted sinful, like spice and sugar, something sensual and smoky.

Oh, geez. What am I doing?

“I-I’m so…” Kaylae started to lower to her heels, embarrassment washing over her. “Sorry.”

She let out a sharp breath. Weakness threatened to knock her knees out from under her. A tingling twist deep inside her belly urged her to kiss him again. Her mind rocked until his fingers brushed down the side of her face, drawing her gaze up to his.

“Are you sorry because you kissed me? Or for another reason?”

“You don’t know my name.” She waved toward the SUV. “And that’s the reason I stopped you earlier.”

“Ahh, the name.” He chuckled, his fingers trailing off her jaw and his arm lowering to his side. “Damn names always get in the way of a nice kiss, don’t they? However, I’m privy to your true surname.”

He had a point there.

“You really take things in stride, don’t you?”

He tightened their linked arms and led her toward the fountain. “No, actually. I don’t. My friend, Alazar, will be the first to tell you I usually have a barb in my wing.” He chuckled, and that gruff, rumbling sound tickled the inside of her belly in really sensual ways. “I take the fun out of his gambling antics because I save his scaly paws from losing his hoard.”

“Hoard? You really have hoards?” Images of huge mounds of gold and jewels passed through her mind. Visions of storybook lore. A flash memory of the bags of jewels she found in the safety deposit boxes made a split-second appearance. “What do dragons hoard? Fancy cars?”

“Alazar has a gold fetish. So, if you have any gold jewelry and you don’t want him sniffing after you like a dog after a bone, keep it hidden.”

Zareh gave a gentle tug, dropping his arm to her waist and moving her away from a group of laughing tourists who paid no heed to the people around them. She took the moment to inhale the scent of his cologne, a supple woodsy scent with the undertones of a bonfire. So comforting. She grinned, thoroughly enjoying the calm, soothing scents that continued to pull her away from the safe sanctions of distance and closer to the dangers of a dragon.

“And you? What do you hoard?” Kaylae asked. It took more strength to keep from resting her head against his shoulder than she cared to admit. “Cars and leather jackets and women?”

“No, no, and definitely not.”

Zareh dug into the pocket of his jeans and retrieved a silver coin. He handed it to her. She turned the strange, heavy coin over, admiring the unusual crest and markings on each side. The darken sky did little to dim the bright sheen of the silver coating.

She glanced up at him. “Coins?”

“Nah.” He drew her up to the edge of the fountain. “That’s for you to make a wish.”

“But it looks valuable. I’ve never seen anything like this.” She pressed her lips into a pout. “Don’t tell me it’s some magical coin.”

“Nope. No magic. Simply a token from my home.”

She turned the coin over again. Zareh’s home. She tried to imagine what a dragon’s home looked like. Was it a cave with piles of treasure? Dark and dank with little connection to the outside world? Somehow, that image did not fit with Zareh. Instead, she contemplated whether his home was some gilded castle in the sky.

“Okay.” She took a deep breath and flashed him a grin. “Here goes.”

She squeezed her eyes closed. A wish. Ah, yes. She knew what she wanted. She kissed the coin for luck, opened her eyes, and tossed it into the water. A calm fell over her, masking the last of her anxiety from the day. The thoughts from all the tourists dimmed beneath a heavy cape of quiet.

For the first time in a long time, she felt…normal.

“So.” Zareh eased her away from the fountain to face him. She grabbed the lapels of his jacket, stepping into him. Oh, how wonderful it was to have only her thoughts in her mind, even if those thoughts were quickly becoming everything Zareh. “What did you wish for?”

“Uh-uh.” She tapped his chest with a finger. “I can’t say. You know if I do, it won’t come true.”

Zareh’s eyes glinted, a faint curl of deep orange looping around the beautiful moss green before fading. “Will you tell me when it does come true?”

Kaylae tipped her head with a single-shoulder shrug. “We’ll have to see.”

Zareh lifted his chin, looking over her head. That sexy, stubborn grin widened. “And it hasn’t come true yet?”

“Aren’t you pushy.”

“Remember what I am. I tend to enjoy getting my way.”

Kaylae didn’t freeze up when he lifted his hands to her cheeks, cradling her head as he brought her face toward his. A soft moan escaped her throat the moment his lips touched hers. His kiss was far from chaste. She melted beneath the slow, gentle, sweeping kiss, leaning into the sturdy frame of his body.

She was in serious trouble with this guy. She wanted to dodge his charm and the lure of his promise to protect. She wanted to lunge away from his endearments and downplay the reaction her traitorous body had toward a near stranger.

Instead, she kissed him back with equal delight and enjoyment. She drank in the hints of sweetness from their dessert and the delicious smokiness she was becoming addicted to. His lips reflected him, firm and possessive, yet warm and tender. He called to something deep, dark, and unknown that roused from a lifetime of slumber inside her soul. An awakening beacon of light that pulsed to an unheard beat until Kaylae flattened her palm to his chest.

The beat.

Zareh’s heart.

Zareh groaned with the last of their kiss and eased away. Kaylae didn’t want to open her eyes, following him until she could follow him no more. She settled for the taste of him on her lips and the thoughts of him saturating her mind before returning to reality.

When she did open her eyes, Zareh’s were still closed. His face was close to hers, his nostrils flaring. She caught the distinct shift of his jaw as he pressed his lips together.

A faint wisp of gray-white smoke curled up from his nose.

Kaylae touched his cheek. Slowly, he opened his eyes to slits, unleashing the shocking yellow-orange flames that had taken over the moss green of his irises. Fire raged behind his eyelids, wild and wicked, before they closed again.

His fingertips curled against her temples. “One moment, Doe.”

His voice was rough and gravelly. A man and a dragon mixed as one.

“Can I do anything?” She wasn’t sure what was happening, but she didn’t like seeing him so distressed. “Tell me what I can do.”

He snorted, more smoke escaping his nostrils. His lips curled into a smile. He pulled her into his arms, his chest, and held her in a reassuring embrace.

“Little Doe, there is nothing you can do. Nor would I want you to do anything.” He pressed his lips to the top of her head. “I think you’re right about tonight. A dead-and-breakfast might be a safer choice of places to stay.”

Kaylae couldn’t help but bask in a newfound giddiness. Zareh had said the water was magical. She didn’t have any of the bottled water, but she wondered if Nocturne Falls itself was magical.

It was about time things started turning around for her. If any place could make her wish come true, she was beginning to think this quaint town that celebrated Halloween all year round was it.

* * *

Kaylae found herself enraptured by the dragon man as he drove them back through town. As much as she wanted to take in the shops and the activity around them, she couldn’t tear her attention from the back-to-brooding hunk behind the wheel. She had given up trying to make logical sense of the things he had told her, things he had shown her. There was no sense to make. In part, if she could make any sense of the fantastical discoveries, it would only confirm her insanity.

The thoughts and voices had returned before they left the fountain, but she was grateful for the few minutes of quiet that had allowed her to enjoy Zareh’s company. She didn’t question the whys behind the mental silence, even though she cursed the intruding voices when they came back.

Zareh pulled the SUV into the small parking lot of a pretty building a couple of blocks from the hustle and bustle of Main Street. He cut the engine and hopped out. Kaylae allowed him to open her door. She gladly took his hand and slid from the vehicle.

“I’ll get your bag once I’ve checked you in.” Zareh drew his knuckles along her cheek. The tender gesture did nothing to help her current, super hopeful condition. “You’ve had a tiresome day.”

“Understatement of the year.” Slinging her purse on her shoulder, she followed Zareh up the stone stairs to the double front doors of this dead-and-breakfast. She gave a little “huh,” a sound that earned her a glance from Zareh as he opened the door for her. She stepped into the welcoming lobby and looked around. “This is pretty nice.”

“It’s cozy.”

He lowered a hand to her back and guided her into an adjacent room. A short, elven-looking man stood up from behind a desk, pushing spectacles onto the bridge of his bulbous nose. Kaylae tried not to stare at the man’s tapered ears or the strange green-gold flecks that glowed in his eyes. Did his skin have a green tint?

Interesting.

“Good evening, good evening.” The man shuffled some papers off his blotter and cleared his throat. “Are ye looking for a room?”

“Actually, yes.” Zareh approached the desk, leaving Kaylae to drink in the room’s stunning design. Dark wooden beams, plants and small trees, free-flying birds. It was an elegant garden room without all the windows. The air held a pretty floral scent. “One room. I’ll be paying cash.”

Kaylae stepped up beside Zareh, opening her purse. “I can get this.”

Zareh rested a hand over hers and gave his head a small shake. “Don’t be silly.”

“I have a suite on the third floor. Would that do?”

Zareh said, “Perfect,” at the same time Kaylae said, “No.”

The poor elven fellow exchanged a confused look between them.

“I don’t need a big room. I’d be happy with a bed in a closet at this point,” Kaylae assured him with a smile. Zareh eyed her curiously when she looked up at him. “Let a family have the space.”

He relented. “All right. As m’lady requests. A regular room with a bed. Not in a closet.”

The man flipped open a book, ran a stubby finger down a column and nodded to himself. “Great.” He pulled a key from the desk drawer and handed it to Zareh. “It’s room twelve on the second floor.” The man winked. “A nice view of the courtyard from the balcony.”

“Sounds beautiful,” Kaylae said.

Zareh paid for the room—Kaylae was beginning to think the dragon hoarded hundred-dollar bills—and brought her up to her room. She dropped her purse on the bed and went straight to the balcony.

“I’ll be right back with your belongings. Did you need anything else, Doe?”

Hands on the wrought-iron handles of the balcony doors, Kaylae cast him a smile and shook her head. Zareh slipped out of the room, closing the door quietly behind him and leaving Kaylae to admire the view from her balcony. If the garden in the room downstairs stunned her, the courtyard stole her breath. Vines and plants and flowers galore. Small twinkling lights flickered among the greenery, enhancing the mystical allure of the night. At the far end of the courtyard was a large pond with a cascading waterfall and more twinkling lights.

It was a scene out of a fantasy novel.

The magic of Nocturne Falls was quickly sucking her in. She was seriously hoping she could rest here for more than a day. It sure seemed things would calm down now. The safety deposit boxes didn’t contain a new address, only a letter…

“Oh, crap.”

Kaylae spun away from the enchanting courtyard and rushed to the bed. She dug through the abyss of her purse and pulled out the crumpled envelope from the very bottom. The sweeping loops unique to her father’s elegant handwriting stared up at her, both ominous and adored.

How had I forgotten?

Easy. Zareh. He managed to give her the normalcy she so desperately needed. He washed away her worries with his smile. Lifted her spirits with his kindness.

Oh, and that kiss…

The lock on the door clicked. Her savior of the day shouldered into the room with her duffel, then kicked the door shut with his heel. Kaylae shoved the letter back in her purse. She looked up at Zareh, whose eyes rested on her purse for a lingering moment. Had he seen her stuff the letter inside?

“Where would you like me to put this?”

Kaylae motioned to the upholstered bench at the foot of the bed. “I’ll figure everything out in a little while.”

Zareh unloaded the duffel on the bench and nodded toward the balcony. “How’s the view?”

“Stunning.”

“Really? Huh.” He crossed the room and stepped onto the balcony. “Wow. Pretty impressive.”

“I told you.” Kaylae glanced at the envelope peeking out of her purse. Tension mounted in her shoulders. “I like how they do all those little lights. Really ups the magical feel of the town.”

“The fairy lights?” Zareh leaned over the railing to observe the grounds. “They’re all over town at night. I know we left the park before it got too dark. Tomorrow, though, I’ll walk you around after the sun sets so you can really see how beautiful this town is, day and night.”

Kaylae lowered herself onto the edge of the bed and folded her hands in her lap. “You said that the coin was from your home. Where do you live?”

“Here.” Zareh came back into the room and leaned a hip against the dresser across from Kaylae. “Alazar and I came here about a year ago. I purchased a house over on Crossbones Drive.” Zareh leaned forward, his eyes sparking with mystery. “You know, our neighbor is a gargoyle.”

“Like the fountain statue?” Kaylae lifted a hand to her mouth as she let out a feigned gasp. “Oh my.” Zareh’s mouth curled in a dark grin. “Does he know he lives next to a dragon?”

“I believe he does. Especially when we decide to light the fire pit in the backyard.”

Kaylae laughed. Zareh’s smile grew as he pushed off the dresser and closed the space between them.

Lowering himself to eye level, he took her hands in his and kissed the back of each. “We fled our home years ago after the war came to our doorstep and threatened to wipe out the dragons and their Keepers. Alazar and I haven’t been back since our clan leader decided it was best to spread out and become elusive.”

Kaylae’s lightheartedness fizzled as she watched the pain of his past seep into his expressive eyes.

“Keepers and dragons separated. It was the first time in centuries that we were forced to split from our Keepers. Many dragons lost their Keepers. Many Keepers lost their dragons. It has been a dark time for the Firestorm tatsu.”

“You’ve been on the run since?”

“Not really on the run. It’s more leisurely than that. We move about when we feel we might be discovered. We don’t want to bring the danger of the Baroqueth to innocents.”

“Do you think you’ll ever return to your home?” She gave his hands a reassuring squeeze. A sad smile touched his lips. His eyes took on a distant look and she guessed, “You miss your home.”

“Yes. I do.” Zareh sank deeper into his thoughtful state before he shook himself free of the memories. With a deep breath, he pressed up to her and gave her a small kiss on the mouth. “I’ll leave my cell number for you. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to call me at any time.”

“How far is your house from here?”

Zareh searched the room before finding what he was looking for. Kaylae twisted on the bed and followed him to the nightstand. He scribbled his number on the pad of provided paper.

“I’m about ten minutes away.” He jabbed his hands in the pockets of his jacket. “Do you drink coffee?”

Kaylae nodded. “High octane caffeine is a necessity in the morning.”

“Good. I’ll be back tomorrow with fuel. Relax and get some sleep.”

Zareh hesitated for a moment before heading to the door. Kaylae fiddled with her hands, tying her fingers in knots as she watched him leave. Having him around filled a void inside her, and he was taking that entire sumptuous filling and leaving her empty again.

He started to pull the door closed behind him.

“Kaylae.” She took a step toward him when he paused and looked back over his shoulder. One of his brows lifted, but his hand remained on the doorknob. “My name. It’s Kaylae.”

Sweet heaven on Earth, that man had a sinful grin. It made her toes curl. She almost asked him to stay before her realistic self knocked her conscience about a bit. She barely knew the guy for more than a day and already her hormones were raging wildfires.

Ugh.

Okay. So there was definitely a pull. And he wasn’t human, which meant maybe crazy hormones were okay so soon.

“Sweet dreams, little Doe.”

Once the door was closed, the breath she was holding rushed from her lungs, leaving her dizzy. She couldn’t get Zareh’s grin and his satisfied expression out of her head. How could someone be so handsome in that dark and brooding way and still make a woman feel like she was a goddess?

“Don’t know. Don’t care to analyze.” She pressed a hand to her forehead. “Analyzed. You’re in trouble.”

Turning back to the bed, she braced herself to have her fun afternoon and evening shattered. She couldn’t put off the letter anymore. Nor could she ignore the strange box and the glass-encased key. It was time for her to face her new reality, whether she liked it or not.

If Zareh was part of it, though, she could manage.

She closed the balcony doors and drew the gauzy curtains. Climbing into the center of the bed after she shucked her booties, she turned her purse upside down and poured the mess of contents over the bedspread. A week on the road left her little time to sort through what she needed and what she didn’t. Crumpled receipts, single-sheet letters, envelopes, gas cards, you name it were stockpiled in her purse. She was a junk hoarder at the moment, which would change once she got past this important phase.

The small key glinted through its glass container in the dim room light. She put it to the side, as well as the strange box. Her important documents with her false name and birth information were fished out of the pile and placed on the nightstand.

Kaylae sucked in a slow, deep breath and slipped the letter from beneath the mess of knick-knacks. She didn’t waste time staring at her father’s endearment. She had done that plenty since removing it from the safety deposit box.

She opened the envelope and pulled out two folded sheets of paper. Licking her dry lips, she unfolded them.

My Dearest Kaylae-

Rest assured that you have always been my greatest joy, my precious daughter. I have made no decision lightly, your well-being my guiding force. On occasion, you argued, but I hope you will understand why I’ve done the things I’ve done. Your safety was my priority. I would change nothing, not my choice to send you away nor my choice to give my life for you.

By this time, you have been on your own for a few days at the least. You have had no contact with me, and you will not have contact with me again, my darling. I would never send you away unless our threat had returned. Alas, we have all awaited this time knowing it was inevitable to escape the wrath of our enemies forever.

I have withheld information from you to protect you. I do hope you understand. Perhaps by the time you read this, I may have deemed it better for you to know who you really are. What you really are. If not, do not fault me. I realize I have most likely left you angry with no way for me, in my death, to fully explain why I made the decisions I did. I can only lead you to the one person who can.

I was born into a very special lineage, darling. And so were you. We are protectors, Keepers, of an ancient breed of creature. Most believe them to be folklore, but you will soon discover that lore has its footing in truth. Do not discount what I am about to tell you. Do not shun the possibilities.

Dragons exist, and we have been given both the privilege and the honor to be their companions. We protect our beast and he protects us. The relationship between dragon and Keeper is one that is sacred and cherished. It is one to respect, honor, and grow at all costs. We are their eyes and ears in the human realm. You have the gift of hearing the thoughts of those around you. You have always feared you were crazy, but rest assured, this is your gift. It is a gift I have chosen not to work with you to control, so as not to bring attention to you. You, darling, would have been a target because you are rare beyond Keeper blood. Beyond the Drayce name.

You are female, and for that alone you are a threat to the Firestorm clan’s enemy. Your demise will be their priority. Their wish to wipe out the dragon breed to harvest their power places you in greater danger than that faced by any male Keeper. Why? Oh, sweet Kaylae. I can hear you asking me that question as I write this. But first, I must address an important topic.

If you found this letter, your uncle and I are both gone. Had he survived an attack, he had sworn to take over as Keeper of our dragon and provide the protection you need. I have ensured that you are well equipped to be on your own. You will have no worry for money. My accounts have been transferred to you. What I have stored in the safety deposit boxes is only a small sum of what awaits you. You will need for naught.

In the box you found this letter, you probably saw the key and the pouches of gems. Guard both. The key will unlock the box left in your possession. That box contains a priceless jewel, one that can never fall into the hands of our enemy. It is a dragonstone, a jewel as old as the dragon for whom you are now Keeper. It is also a binding stone. It contains the dragon’s blood and a witch’s spell. The jewel will allow your dragon to know where you are at all times, and whether you are in danger. He can find you through the dragonstone and you can call to him when you have need.

Should this stone fall into the enemy’s hands, they can garner control over the dragon and lure him to his death.

The gems I have provided are ones I have collected since the day of your birth. It is customary for a Keeper who sires a daughter to build a dowry. I know, darling. It sounds ancient, but it is sacred, just as your life is sacred. I would never force you to do something you do not want, but you must understand that not only are you Keeper to the dragon, you are a potential lifemate.

As I close this letter, my beloved daughter, I leave you with these final points.

The dragon we keep, Zareh Lutherone, is not to be feared. He is fierce, loyal, and stands behind his word. He is one of the oldest Firestorm dragons. He will place you above all else as long as you respect the bond of dragon and Keeper. You will find peace in him, a peace you have sought for years. He will help you with your gift. I trust in him explicitly to provide to you that which I could not.

I withheld the fact of your birth from the dragon. He does not know I had a daughter. The decision to keep you a secret from him was due to the inevitable bond that will form once you take possession of the dragonstone. I did not want to place you in any more danger than you were by simply being alive.

Whatever you do, guard that stone.

I love you, Kaylae. I love you more than I could ever express. You have been my greatest joy, the beat of my heart, the reason I lived, and the reason I gladly gave my life. I would never choose a different path. Do not mourn my death, precious child. Know I live on in you. You have made me the happiest and proudest of fathers.

With all my heart,

Daddy

Kaylae stared at the name written by her father’s hand. Tears streamed down her face. Her jaw ached from clenching her teeth to keep back the sobs that built up in her throat. Her father confirmed everything Zareh had shared with her. Deep in her gut, she knew he hadn’t lied to her, but reading her father’s final letter, she could finally let the flimsy threads of doubt go free.

With those threads, the events of the last week shattered her frail reinforcements and she gave herself over to sobs of grief.

Chapter Eight

It was brutal leaving Kaylae alone in that room. It was sheer murder listening to her cry, knowing he could do nothing to comfort her, since he was supposed to have left. He didn’t want her to know he had hung around outside her door. He had to fist his hands deep into his pockets to keep from rushing in to comfort her.

She had tried to hide the letter in her purse, but hadn’t been fast enough. He recognized the familiar handwriting before she managed to shove the letter out of sight. He could only imagine what she had read. His heart ached to hold her.

He would be lying if he said he understood what she was going through. He didn’t, but he certainly was failing at being her dragon—oh heck, being a damn gentleman, at that—standing in the hallway like some stalker.

Suppressing the wild urge of his anxious dragon to break down the door, he left the dead-and-breakfast on stiff legs.

He arrived home to find Nick leaving his house, Alazar seeing him off from the door. Zareh parked the SUV and climbed out.

“Hey, Nick,” he greeted as he rounded the front of the vehicle. “Off fountain shift tonight?”

Nick and Zareh clapped shoulders in familiar greeting. “Yeah. I stopped by to find out what happened with that woman from Howler’s. Overheard Sheriff Merrow talking to his sister earlier when I stopped by to get dinner for Willa. Mentioned that you intervened.”

“She’s well. New to town and all.” Better to keep Kaylae under the radar if at all possible. “Willa home?”

“She’s working late on a commissioned piece for a tourist.”

“Wanna drink? I think we have a few beers in the fridge.”

Nick held up a hand in refusal and shook his head. “I’ll definitely take a rain check, though. Have a good one.”

Zareh twisted enough to watch the gargoyle cross the wide patch of landscaped yard between their homes. “Hey, Nick. I might need to talk to you later about something.”

Nick paused and looked back at him. “What’s going on?”

“I think there might be some danger following the woman. Perhaps you can keep an eye out for anything suspicious when you’re at the fountain. I don’t know what type of danger. Just a gut feeling.”

“You and your gut.” Nick snickered. “If you find out anything else, let me know.”

“Appreciated.” Zareh jogged up the steps to the front door, where Alazar waited with arms crossed and brows raised. “What?”

“What?” His friend snorted, giving the clock on the wall a pointed look. “You’ve been gone all day. Heard you were hanging with the mystery woman.”

“And if I was?”

“She tickling your fancy?”

Zareh growled, shedding his jacket. Alazar laughed.

“Seriously, Zar. You never hang with a female that long. Not even when you do the bump-and-grind. I have all the reason in the world to be curious.”

Zareh eyed his friend for a long moment. Alazar’s humor dimmed.

“You’re giving me the dragon eye. Why am I earning your dragon’s attention?” He threw up his hands. “I swear I didn’t lose any more money. And my car is still in the garage.”

Alazar would find out the truth about Kaylae soon enough. There was no foul in telling him now. It was an unspoken vow that all Firestorm dragons would protect any female Keepers, whether that Keeper was theirs or not.

“Talius had a daughter.”

“Okay. He had…” Alazar’s eyes went wide and his jaw went slack. “You’re kidding me. That woman is Talius’s daughter? She’s a friggin’ female Keeper? Does Cade know?”

Zareh smoothed a hand over his hair. “I doubt he’s aware. She didn’t know until tonight. Talius kept her lineage hidden from everyone, daughter included.”

“Ohhh crap.”

“Yeah. Something like that.” He had bigger, badder words for the immensity of the situation. He kept those words to himself.

“Where is she now? You left her somewhere? What kind of dragon are you?”

“Calm down, Al. She’s safe. I wouldn’t leave her without being certain of her safety. Until she accepts what is happening around her, I think it’s best that she not reside here.”

“You mean she’s safest away from you.” Alazar laughed again, punching Zareh in the shoulder. Zareh instinctively bared his teeth, but his friend kindly ignored him. “I can’t believe this! I heard stories about the effect female Keepers have on their dragons. It’s almost impossible to fight the pull.”

“Those situations were different. The Keeper knew she was a Keeper and understood the chemistry between her and the dragon. I’m running blind on this one, and I can’t press the topic.” Zareh went into the kitchen and helped himself to a beer. He felt almost physically revolted by the fact that he left Kaylae alone, and his dour mood intensified in light of Alazar’s excitement. Couldn’t his friend see he was suffering? “Anyhow, I’ll be spending the day with her tomorrow, so I trust that I won’t find you handing over keys at Howler’s?”

“Promise.” Alazar rubbed his hands together. “Oooh, I can’t wait to meet this woman.”

“You met her.”

“Unconscious doesn’t count.”

Zareh groaned. “You will. As for now, I’m heading in for some shut-eye.”

He left his overly excited friend in the kitchen and went to his bedroom. He already knew sleep would be difficult to find. His dragon was too riled and his body felt too alive to find any measure of calm. Even after a cooling shower, thoughts of Kaylae plagued him with the desperate need to be close, to protect. He settled on his bed and nursed his beer, staring at the wall as he fought every instinct to go back to Kaylae and watch over her for the night.

* * *

“I, uh, I was wondering if you might be able to fashion this into something I can hide but keep on my person at all times?”

Zareh jolted awake, not remembering falling asleep. For a bewildering moment, he couldn’t see where he was. Instead, he stared through a red-colored lens.

An old magic awoke inside him. The pull of his jewel reconnecting with his dragon. A deeper, more primitive magic connecting with him on a basic level. Protect. Cherish. Love.

A familiar face came into view, distorted by the smooth, rounded edges of the stone.

Only…it wasn’t the face he was expecting to see.

“Damn it!”

* * *

Kaylae waited in the morning for Zareh to show up. When he didn’t come by ten, she decided to make the trip to Illusions solo. An idea had come to mind during her restless night, one that included Willa and the strange box that remained tucked in her purse. She needed to get her car, too. After obtaining directions from the elf—delighted to discover the store was easily within walking distance—she headed out.

She was surprised to find the store busy at that early hour and debated coming back later. Willa spotted her and waved her in. Kaylae veered away from the crowd to a section of the store that wasn’t busy. Willa finished up with a customer and came over, tucking a chunk of blond hair behind a pointed ear.

Kaylae blinked. Pointed. Ear.

Girl, this is your new norm. Get used to it.

“Good morning. Nice to see you back,” Willa said cheerfully.

“Thanks. I was wondering if I could ask you to look at something for me.” Kaylae glanced around the store and frowned. “I was told to keep it guarded, but I’m hoping to fit it into something wearable.”

Willa nodded and motioned for Kaylae to follow her to a tall table in a sectioned-off area. The woman’s eyes glittered with controlled anticipation as Kaylae removed the box and key from her purse. Willa’s brows came together.

“It’s not the box, I promise. It’s what’s inside.” Kaylae fiddled with the little glass container until it popped open. She held her breath as she slipped the key into the lock on the box and turned. The lock released with a soft click. Slowly, she lifted the top, excited and anxious to see the contents. She’d been too upset last night to open it. When she beheld the magnificent stone for the first time, hot energy poured into her veins, momentarily stunning her. The stone was unlike anything she’d ever seen, with swirls of blood-red, black and silver. She gave her head a small shake and cleared her throat. “I, uh, I was wondering if you might be able to fashion this into something I can hide but keep on my person at all times?”

Willa’s eyes widened as she leaned over the box. “Where did you get this?” She looked up at Kaylae, curiosity and skepticism etched into her eyes. “How did you get this?”

“Family. I was told—”

“Oh my.”

Willa extended a single finger toward the stone, but jerked her hand away. Kaylae was briefly surprised by her own urge to snap the box closed and protect the stone. It was a natural instinct, one that woke in the stone’s presence.

You must protect him.

Willa shut the box for her. “Who does it belong to?”

“I’m sorry?” Kaylae’s brows furrowed. “It was my father’s.”

Willa cast a worried glance toward the bustling crowd. She turned her aqua eyes to Kaylae and leaned close, pushing the box against Kaylae’s hands. “Take it back to where you found it.”

“But I was hoping to—”

“You do not want that hanging around your neck. Whoever told you to keep it guarded knew the significance of that stone. I’d heed their warning.” Willa sighed. “I don’t mean to be rude, but that is a rare stone. I wouldn’t feel comfortable handling it.”

“Oh.” Kaylae frowned, glancing down at the closed box. “I was trying to make it easier to protect. Carrying around a box isn’t necessarily stealthy.”

“Neither is a necklace.” Willa tapped the small table. “It’s too large to hide within a metal casing without it looking suspicious. The box may be the safest place for it.”

Great. No small purses in my future.

Kaylae clicked her tongue and nodded, assessing the other woman. She wondered how much of her refusal to create something more manageable was due to her perceived assumption that Kaylae was completely human.

“The water doesn’t work on me,” Kaylae said, keeping her voice low. Willa stared at her without a change in her expression. “Zareh—”

“You know Zareh?”

“Yes. He…helped me yesterday.”

Realization dawned over the beautiful woman. “You were the one who fainted at Howler’s.”

Her cheeks warmed. “Huh. Word travels that fast about all tourists? I was dehydrated.”

“No. Only the tourists who are helped by friends or residents.” Willa tapped the top of the box. “Listen, to work with a stone of that caliber would be a dream for me, but I’m afraid it is also beyond my abilities. It is too priceless and best left as it is.”

Kaylae twisted the box around on the table. She contemplated the stone and Willa’s adverse reaction to it. Could it be possible that the stone was dangerous to her? There was no denying the power streaming out of the unique object. A power that continued to connect with an unseen force inside her mind. The pull she experienced with Zareh yesterday intensified ten-fold until she found herself battling a desperate urge to run from the store, find him, and curl up in his arms.

“You jerked away from it like it shocked you.” She lifted her gaze to Willa. “Why?”

Willa shook her head. “I’m afraid I can’t explain my reaction. Sometimes stones and gems have a strange…energy that I react to.”

So she wasn’t the only one feeling the energy.

Willa’s gaze lifted over her shoulder. Kaylae began to turn. An arm came around her, large hand covering the box. A wash of heat cocooned her, familiar scents of spice and smoke invading her nostrils.

“Zareh. Pleasure seeing you here,” Willa greeted.

Kaylae swallowed a lump that appeared in her throat. Her body went weak, not in a good way. Okay, maybe a little good. She’d hoped to do this without Zareh knowing. In part, she wanted to surprise him by wearing his jewel. Unfortunately, the rather disheveled and fierce-looking Zareh made her wish she had stayed at the dead-and-breakfast until he came with the promised coffee. His eyes hinted at the fire that lay within him, licks of dark red and orange rising through the green.

Zareh pinned her with that fierce look before a contradicting smile crossed his mouth. He took the box and shoved it in her purse.

“Morning, Willa. Shop’s busy today.”

Her face beamed. “It’s been a busy month.” She motioned to Kaylae, who shrank deeper into her own skin. It didn’t help that Zareh’s overpowering presence at her back turned every bone in her body to mush. “I’ve met your friend from Howler’s. We were discussing custom jewelry.”

“Oh?” If Willa noticed how brittle Zareh’s smile was, she didn’t let on. There was definitely no mistaking the tension that swelled between Kaylae and Zareh, though. Kaylae’s face burned as he asked, “Did you ladies come up with a design?”

“No,” Kaylae muttered. She snatched up the key and placed it back in the delicate glass box. “Thanks again, Willa. I appreciate your time.”

Kaylae turned to leave. Zareh placed a firm hand on her waist, stilling her. The look he shot her was a stern warning not to try to escape him. Yeah, problem was she didn’t want to escape, if that was a problem at all.

“I saw Nick last night,” he said to Willa. “Perhaps you two would like to come by the house when you’re off work? We can have some drinks and toss a few steaks on the grill.”

Kaylae’s shoulders sagged. Her day was taking a nosedive.

“He’ll be on fountain duty tonight, but maybe tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow it is. Good day.”

Zareh’s arm curled around Kaylae’s waist and he led her from the store. He didn’t say a word as he guided her to the SUV haphazardly parked a few yards away. Her car would have to wait. Again. She tried to ignore the stiffness in his hold and the rippling heat that poured off him.

His gentlemanly behavior didn’t disappear in light of this debacle. Kaylae climbed into the passenger seat after he held open the door and helped her up. She dared to meet his gaze. For a brief moment, she stared into the storm that churned within him, unable to determine what would happen now. She didn’t quite understand what she did wrong, but apparently it was significant.

Zareh’s gaze cut downward. He closed her door, went around to the driver’s side and hopped in behind the wheel.

Once they were on the road toward Main Street, he groaned. “You can’t be parading that jewel around, Kaylae. Thankfully, I know Willa and I trust that she will keep this a secret, but I can’t say that about everyone.”

“I was hoping to make it easier to protect by wearing it. My intentions were good,” Kaylae said. “I’m sorry. I won’t take it out again.”

“It’s best left in the box.”

Kaylae’s gut hung on his words, waiting for him to say something else. She sensed there was more to his suggestion than simply keeping the stone hidden. More to the storm raging in his eyes and stirring up the heat pulsing off his skin.

She glanced at the thermostat set at seventy. It sure felt closer to ninety.

“How did you know I was at Illusions?” Kaylae noticed how his fingers ringed the steering wheel, knuckles pale. His hair hung over his eyes. The shadow of day-old bristles lined his jaw, adding to the fierce edge that was both intimidating and utterly appealing. He looked like he’d just rolled out of bed, in a very delectable way. “Was it the stone?”

Zareh nodded.

“Have I earned the silent treatment from you?”

Zareh flexed his fingers. “No, Doe. You haven’t.”

Okay. He still called her by his self-determined endearment, but his stiff posture did little to reassure her. Neither did the trail of deep red scales that coasted down his muscled forearms before disappearing.

“Listen. I’m sorry. I thought I was doing something to make it easier to hide while keeping it on me at all times. Anyone can snatch my purse. Keeping it inside might be more of a liability than wearing it.”

“I’m not angry.” Zareh tipped his head one way, then the other, his neck cracking. Kaylae shivered. “Concerned is a better word.”

“Concerned that your enemies can sense the stone?”

“The Baroqueth are not my enemies alone. They are your enemies, too. They can’t sense the jewel unless they are in close proximity. However, their location is unknown to me and to the others in my clan. That alone is dangerous. All it takes is one careless move for them to find you.” Zareh let out a short breath, smoke and all. “I cannot let that happen.”

“Does this need to protect me have more to do with the lifemate possibility than me being a Keeper? Or just being me?”

She didn’t know what she wanted to hear. Being a potential lifemate to a dragon man like Zareh could be a dream come true. Or it could be a nightmare. She knew nothing about dragons, let alone the significance of being a lifemate to one.

Zareh veered the SUV to the side of the road, threw it into Park and turned to face her. His gaze pierced straight through to her soul.

Her heart fluttered in her chest, leaving her dizzy. Her attention dropped to his mouth, remembering his kiss and how delicious he had tasted the night before. She couldn’t explain the sudden rush of tingling heat that consumed her. Heck, she couldn’t explain much about her reactions to Zareh. Her father’s letter helped ease her concern about being played by the hunk of a man. Unfortunately, the reassurance in his written words seemed to give her hormones free reign to run wild.

“It’s true that you are my lifemate.”

Zareh didn’t say potential. No, he claimed that she was, in fact, his lifemate. It made her giddy and cautious at the same time. Giddy because, well, who wouldn’t want Zareh Lutherone as a lifemate? Cautious, because lifemate didn’t necessarily equal happiness. Although she was sure she’d find a way to be happy with this dragon.

“How can you be so certain?” Kaylae needed to understand that it wasn’t solely because she was a female of his Keeper’s lineage, that it was something more. “How do you know?”

“From the moment I saw you walk into Howler’s, I couldn’t understand the pull I felt. My dragon sensed who you were when I hadn’t the slightest idea. It’s possible that a female may not be a lifemate, but with you?” Zareh dropped a hand to Kaylae’s knee and gave it a gentle squeeze. “There’s no denying the connection. It goes beyond my duty to protect you as my Keeper.”

“Is the lifemate thing like an arranged marriage?”

Zareh lifted his hand, touching two fingers to her chest above her racing heart before continuing up to her face. He traced her brow, cheek, tapered over her jaw, then lowered his hand to the console.

“At one time, it was. There was seldom resistance on either party’s behalf because the lifemate bond was created by the gods between two highly compatible partners. The dragon needed a woman to continue his bloodline. The woman sought the security and protection the dragon provided. Seldom did the match prove loveless. Nowadays, its significance is understood between both parties, but the choice to pursue the lifemate bond is left to each party.”

The toiling emotions behind his explanation soothed her uncertainty. The idea of finding a destined mate and falling into a mating ritual might be natural for him, but not her. Ultimately, the decision would be hers whether or not she wanted to pursue and fulfill this lifemate position. She wasn’t sure she needed much of a nudge, but she wanted to get to know Zareh a little more before deciding how to proceed. For starters, she was dealing with a dragon who obviously was older than he looked. Much older.

Unfortunately, her curiosity focused on a less pleasant possibility. “Have you had lifemates before?”

Zareh shook his head. “No. When a Firestorm dragon is granted the gift of a lifemate, it is one for the duration of his life. The stone you carry is magic. Each Keeper bleeds into a reservoir. When a lifemate bleeds into the stone, she becomes more resilient to common human ailments.” Zareh cast her a short glance. “Her life expectancy increases as well.”

Kaylae let out a long breath. “Wow.”

“I told you yesterday you were not completely human.”

“Yeah. You did. I still have a lot to learn,” Kaylae said. The air in the SUV had grown dense and suffocating with serious talk. She needed a pick-me-up after her tearful night and rough morning. She decided a change in subject was called for. “You said you were going to bring coffee this morning. Since it’s almost eleven, I’d say you’re a little late.”

Zareh chuckled. “I overslept, something that seldom ever happens.”

“There’s something to be said about staying up late.”

The gorgeous dragon man’s heavy burden lifted enough for him to grin. The storm faded from his eyes and went in a direction that made her feel all warm and gooey inside. Ah, yeah. Definitely no nudging needed.

“And what is that, little Doe?”

“That first sip of coffee is pure heaven. Does amazing things to the mind and body.”

Oh, I really hit a mark now.

“You’re itching for that coffee, aren’t you?”

And other things, but coffee is the safest route at this moment.

She scrunched her nose. “Kinda.”

Damn her dragon man. He managed a mock bow sitting behind the wheel. “Whatever m’lady wishes.”

Chapter Nine

The more time they spent in the public eye, walking the streets of Nocturne Falls, the better. The more things Kaylae bought, the better. The hungrier his little Keeper was, the better.

That’s what he kept telling himself.

He was a damn glutton for punishment.

With four bags of merchandise dangling over one arm, a root beer float in one hand and his third coffee in the other, he knew he would be helpless if he so much as touched her. Anything that kept his hands to himself was safe.

The moment his dragonstone woke in her presence, the draw to Kaylae was as he feared, if not worse—all-consuming and bordering on maddening. He resorted to hiding his eyes with dark-lensed sunglasses, acutely aware of his dragon’s presence in them every time he looked at her.

That happened to be all the time. And the burn to kiss her was…well…

Calm down.

He cleared his throat and swallowed a lick of flame.

One positive to his jewel waking was his ability to suppress the voices and thoughts that plagued his sweet little Doe. She had reestablished the blood link in the jewel to her Keeper energy. That link would become stronger once she agreed to bleed into the jewel, as would the craving to make her his.

At the moment, he waited in Delaney Ellingham’s sweet shop, Delaney’s Delectables, his attention honed in on Kaylae’s overly appealing backside as she examined the offerings in the window display. He’d have to talk to her about wearing jeans that really pronounced how long her legs were and that enhanced the sinful flare of her hips. Oh, and that mock tunic piece? Yeah, didn’t do anything to hide her slender waist or the lithe stretch of her back.

And that hair of hers? Was she trying to kill him with those thick, dark waves that fell over her shoulders when she leaned over to read the label on one of the treat displays? Surely she had to sense how badly his fingers ached to run through those silky strands, tangle and tug until she looked up at him so he could kiss her crazy. Did she have any idea what she was doing to him in his self-contained hell?

“This is murderous,” he said under his breath. His gaze traveled to the dip of her shirt, where he got a nice glimpse of cleavage and lace. “Unfair to the umpteenth degree.”

Day two into discovering his late Keeper had sired Zareh’s lifemate, and his own dragon wanted to make him look like a big fool.

He stole a sip from Kaylae’s float. The cool drink did nothing to temper the fever burning beneath his skin. It didn’t help his cause when he licked his lips and tasted strawberries. Upon closer inspection, he saw the lip mark around the straw ripe with Kaylae’s lip-gloss, a potent flavor he recalled from last night’s kiss.

“This is horrendous.”

His body agreed whole-heartedly, and a little something more.

As he started to turn away from the bewitching woman, he caught sight of Delaney emerging from the back room, carrying a tray of what looked and smelled like freshly made fudge. Kaylae’s attention focused on the new treats. She sidled between two customers to get to the display case.

“If you would only come this way, little Doe, I’d give you all the treats you could ask for.”

A middle-aged woman paused beside him and quirked a brow. The stern lines in her face mentally slapped him with a dose of shame. He managed a smile while heat threatened to rise up his neck, and not because of anything his dragon was inspiring.

“Reciting lines to a play I’m auditioning for,” he explained.

“I would hope so.” The woman harrumphed and proceeded to the wall of pre-bagged specialty confections.

Zareh continued to grouse under his breath, shoulders hunched. If he could occupy his time looking at some of the baked goods, maybe he could get through this stop without his mind gutter-diving. He might have to call in reinforcement. Alazar’s company could definitely douse his desire.

He set a record by keeping his eyes off Kaylae for a whole two minutes and twenty-three seconds. In that time, he imagined a hundred different uses for triple fudge brownie bites, strawberries-and-cream cupcakes, and a multitude of other confections. All involving Kaylae and kisses and licks and—

“Zar.”

He took a brief moment to compose himself, her bags strategically placed in front of his hips, and faced his greatest desire.

Kaylae stepped up to him, a box of fudge in hand. Delaney waved from the counter. Zareh acknowledged her greeting with a strained smile and a nod.

“You’re going to have to give this a try. It’s some of the best fudge I’ve ever had.” Kaylae lifted the package to her nose and inhaled deeply. The lax expression of pure pleasure that crossed her face sucker-punched him. “Ahh. Here.”

She brought the package beneath his nose. He took a small breath, but all he could smell was the vanilla of her shampoo, the airy floral fragrance of her perfume, and the subtle sweetness of her skin. Maybe the sweetness was the fudge, but he’d already correlated it to Kaylae.

Impending fudge hoarder was in his future, he feared.

“Delaney has a knack for confections. Fudge?” Zareh leaned close to her ear. He’d grab any excuse to be as close as propriety in public allowed. “To die for.”

“That’s Mummy’s tagline, or so I’ve been told.”

“Their food. Not their fudge.” Zareh juggled the coffee cup to the hand holding the float and reached for the package of fudge. “I’ll hold that for you.”

Kaylae shook her head and poked his chest with a finger. “You’ve been a perfect gentleman all day. I can carry this, and my float.” She relieved him of the beverage and took a sip. He instantly tasted strawberries just watching her. “I’m going to suffer a severe sugar coma by the end of today. Where to next?”

Please don’t leave that up to me.

Zareh pushed open the door and held it for Kaylae. The late afternoon air filled his lungs, and for a moment, he was thankful for the reprieve. This lifemate deal—more specifically, keeping his hands off her—was hammering him down.

“I’d like to take you out. A formal date of sorts.” Formality. His saving grace at the moment. Kaylae paused to cast him a heartfelt glance. Her beautiful blue eyes glittered. He brushed aside a lock of hair that hung at the corner of her eye. “It’s the least I can do, since nothing about our kind is traditional.”

“Date.” She spoke the word on a whispered breath, pondering the implications, he supposed. “It’s been so long since I’ve been on a date.” The corner of her mouth twitched and she lowered her head. “Seems like forever, actually.”

“Your dateless forever will end tonight.” In one respect, it angered him that his little Doe hadn’t experienced the dates she deserved. In another, he was pretty relieved, despite the fact he had no claim on her past and his bubbling jealousy was sorely misplaced. “If you accept.”

“I’d be silly not to.” She glanced up and down the sidewalk. “I would like to stop back at that clothing boutique where I bought those shirts. If you don’t mind?”

“Not at all.”

“One stipulation.”

“Oh?”

Kaylae winked. Zareh almost crushed his coffee cup.

“You have to wait outside. You’re not allowed to see what I’m getting.”

“I can do that.”

“And when we’re done, I’ll need to get my car and bring it back to the bed—oops—dead-and-breakfast.”

Zareh fell in step beside her as they headed back toward one of the clothing boutiques that didn’t showcase costumes or wild and eccentric apparel. He thoroughly enjoyed Kaylae’s excitement. Something told him Talius’s daughter didn’t have many opportunities to enjoy the simpler things in life, such as spending an uncomplicated day shopping. The energy it took for him to suppress the outside world from intruding on her mind twisted his heart. Her claims of going crazy made perfect sense to him now, and he would be certain she never felt that way again.

As long as she accepted her duty as his Keeper, he would tackle the complexity of a Keeper’s mind powers first. He actually looked forward to teaching her how to control the outside thoughts that tried to overwhelm her and anticipated the pride she’d feel when she finally came into her own powers.

His cell phone buzzed in his jeans pocket. Kaylae shot his pants a glance as he dug the phone out and looked at the display. Alazar. He frowned.

“Go ahead,” she urged.

“Sorry.” If Alazar was interrupting his day with Kaylae to bail him out of another substantial loss, he would scale his friend and feather his crest. He connected the call and raised the phone to his ear. “Yeah.”

“Cade’s in town.”

Zareh stumbled at the news. Kaylae spun, pressed a hand to his shoulder, and gave him a concerned look. She mouthed, Is everything okay? He reluctantly nodded.

“What?” The last time Cade ventured out of The Hollow was shortly after the destructive war. He had assessed the damages to their clan and their Keepers, set up monetary funds for the Keepers and their families, and returned to protect their home. “Have you seen him?”

“Hello, Zareh.” The deep timbre of the Firestorm leader’s voice filtered over the line. Zareh stiffened. This wasn’t good. “Yes, Alazar is standing beside me, so I would hope he’s seen me.”

“You know, this guy is pretty hard to miss,” Alazar said.

Crap.

“We need to discuss the turn of events with Talius and Herald.” The pause that followed was filled with suspense. Did Cade know about Kaylae? Had Alazar mentioned Talius’s daughter before Zareh had a chance to contact Cade? “Sooner rather than later.”

“Has something developed?”

“Yes and no. But you may not be safe in Nocturne Falls for long. Do you have your jewel?”

Zareh glanced down at Kaylae. Her eyes were wide with unspoken questions. A faint crease in her forehead deepened the longer he stared at her. Tucking the phone between his ear and shoulder, he drew her into a one-arm embrace.

“Yes.”

“Good. Alazar didn’t think that was the case. Under the circumstances, I feared the Baroqueth located it. With their reemergence, all precautions must be taken to protect what is ours.” Cade cleared his throat, but the small action did little to disperse the gravelly undertone. Cade was ancient, more dragon than human most of the time. His voice was only one giveaway. “Would it be best for me to meet you?”

“No. I’ll be returning within the hour.” His fingers curled in the warm strands of Kaylae’s hair. The simple touch helped calm the intensifying apprehension he felt. “We can talk then.”

“I’ll be waiting.”

Zareh disconnected the call and turned his face up to the sky, for the moment unable to face the questions Kaylae would certainly ask. He knew the death of Talius was not the end of the Baroqueth’s persistent search. He’d had three decades of fragile peace. For that, he was grateful. It seemed that was coming to an end.

When he looked down into the face of his beautiful lifemate, a mixture of fierceness and worry struck. He would not let anyone harm her. Ever.

And if that meant he died to protect her, at least he could die knowing she would have a chance to truly live.

Chapter Ten

Zareh debated taking Kaylae back to his house so he could keep a closer eye on her. Until he spoke with Cade about the newest developments with the Baroqueth, he didn’t trust leaving her alone. He tossed the option out to her as they walked to her car. She was reluctant, saying she wanted time in her room at the dead-and-breakfast to get herself ready for their date. He decided to relinquish his watch over her for the next hour or so only after she promised to call immediately if anything happened.

He would not crowd her. Talius had sheltered her enough for a few lifetimes. He did not fault his Keeper for his overprotective treatment of his daughter, but seeing how the paternal bubble affected Kaylae, the last thing Zareh wanted to do was be another overbearing guardian. Besides, he enjoyed seeing her smile, the lightness in her steps, and the unhampered excitement he’d experienced spending the day at her side. She wore that carefree nature perfectly, and he wanted to see it on her more.

Zareh slipped into his house and found Cade and Alazar hunched over a chessboard in the living room. Cade’s bulky, muscular frame made the chessboard look like it belonged in a dollhouse, and Alazar look like a teenager. Their leader’s enormity was another reason he seldom left The Hollow. He drew too much attention with his towering height, coming in at a little over seven feet, and burly, almost Viking-like appearance. He easily made people scurry away in fear.

Cade stroked his deep red beard, the fire in his eyes in full-glow as he examined the chessboard. A gold pendant sat on the table beside the chessboard, a polished blue diamond beside it. Zareh’s brows rose.

“Please don’t tell me you’re betting against Cade.”

Alazar waved him quiet, picked up a piece and moved it across the board. Cade snickered, or more like rumbled, and took his move.

“Nice try, Alazar. Checkmate.”

Alazar smacked his hands on his knees. “I’m just warming up. One more—”

“No,” Zareh and Cade said at the same time. Cade took the gold pendant and pushed the diamond back toward Alazar.

“Next time, I’ll take it,” Cade said.

“There won’t be a next time, if I have any say.” Zareh snatched the diamond before Alazar could retrieve it.

“Hey!”

Zareh bared his teeth. “You’re out of control. You need an intervention. I’m going to find some kind of gambling addiction program for you. If you’re going to bet, do it on something you know you’ll win. Like fire breathing.”

Cade left the sofa and stretched his arms over his head, fingertips almost touching the ceiling. The man was a giant. Alazar, pout and all, put the chess pieces in their respective compartments beneath the board and pocketed his diamond after Zareh gave it back.

“Can I get you something to drink?” Zareh asked Cade. He folded his arms over his chest and eyed Alazar. “Do tell me you at least offered Cade a beverage before your attempt at more gold.”

“Actually, I did.” Alazar snorted and rolled his eyes. “He had two beers, a burger, and the rest of your steak from the other night.”

Cade patted his belly. “Alazar has always been a wonderful host. The food was delicious.”

“Makes up for his terrible gambling habits.”

“At least I can rely on you to bail me out when needed.” Alazar flashed Zareh a smile and gave his shoulder a light punch. “Great team, you and I.”

“Mm. Those scales need to be zeroed out.” He wanted so badly to soak up this light-hearted conversation, but the impending dread overcame the small dose of entertainment. Best to get it over and done with. Then he could get on with his night in Kaylae’s presence. “What have you heard, Cade?”

“I have it from a very reliable source that the Baroqueth traced the possibility of your location to Georgia. It won’t be long before they come to Nocturne Falls in search of you, especially knowing this town is a haven for paranormal beings beneath the guise of Halloween. You might want to consider leaving in the near future.” Cade’s fire-red gaze scoured the length of Zareh’s body. “Where’s your jewel?”

“In safe keeping.” Zareh pressed his lips together as an unnerving thought touched him. “Do you know how they traced me here? Or were they tracing someone else?”

Cade shrugged, his large shoulders shifting the air around him. “I only know what I’ve been told.” His eyes narrowed to scalding slits. “Why?”

“Are you aware of Talius siring any children?”

Cade’s scrutinizing gaze turned piercing. “What are you trying to tell me?”

Zareh sighed and ran a hand over his hair. “Talius sired a daughter he kept hidden under a false identity.”

There weren’t many things that could shock Cade. Heck, the old dragon had a few centuries on Zareh. He’d seen just about everything.

Apparently, this news was shock-worthy. The dragon leader’s eyes widened. A subtle ripple of scales rode up the muscles in his arms. His eyes flashed fire before his shoulders straightened and his chest puffed out.

“A female Keeper?” Lifemate?

Zareh caught the unasked inquiry behind Cade’s words. He nodded once.

“And where is she?”

“At one of the dead-and-breakfasts in town. I’ll be picking her up in a little while.” Zareh hitched a thumb toward the kitchen. “Mind if we take the conversation closer to the beers? I’m getting the feeling I might be needing one.”

As Zareh moved toward the kitchen, the huge bulk of ancient dragon at his back could have been the world coming down on his shoulders.

“Why is she alone?” Cade demanded in a growl. “You know how rare a female is.”

“This is all very new to her, Cade. Talius kept her heritage a secret from her. I’m trying to give her a little space while she adjusts to a life she doesn’t understand. Don’t worry.” Zareh pulled open the fridge and reached for a beer, then thought better of it. He didn’t want to go to his date with Kaylae a few drinks under before their night started. Besides, he didn’t care to mask his life’s situations with alcohol. He opted for a can of soda and snapped open the seal. “Nothing will happen to her.”

“That might explain how the Baroqueth traced you.”

“Through her?” He shrugged. “There’s a very good possibility.”

“How did she know where to find you?”

“She wasn’t searching for me. She didn’t know I existed until I saw her come into Howler’s.”

Funny how life works out.

Zareh filled Cade in on the events of the past day or so, including Kaylae’s lack of knowledge surrounding her Keeper lineage. He explained the new identity documents Talius had prepared for his daughter. Cade appeared as disturbed as Zareh felt when he mentioned his little Doe was never trained to control the barrage of outside thoughts.

“Talius did everything he thought he could to protect her, but at great disservice to her,” Cade said. Alazar just stared, all dreamy-eyed.

Zareh reached over the counter and snapped his fingers in front of his friend’s face. Alazar jerked and blinked several times.

“What?”

“You’re off on another planet.”

“I still can’t believe you have a potential lifemate. I’m jealous. I’d give my hoard to have my lifemate. Sorry, pal, but there are things that you just don’t give me that my lifemate can.”

“I have a great idea. Start looking for a woman instead of looking for gold. You have enough gold for several lifetimes.” Zareh took a hearty drink of soda. To Cade, he said, “If I were in Talius’s shoes, I would’ve done the same thing—keep all connection between me and my daughter as difficult to trace as possible. Schizophrenia is a better diagnosis than female Keeper. Not that she was diagnosed. Talius knew she really was hearing voices. But female Keeper? That places an automatic target on her back.”

“The lack of knowledge regarding her birthright could have placed her in unwitting danger. Had Talius told her what she was, if she were attacked before coming in contact with you, she would have understood why.” Cade tugged on his beard, the hard lines of his face set and creating deeper shadows in his cheeks. “This begs the question of how many other Keepers have children we aren’t aware of.”

“That it does.”

“Do you think there are other females?” The edge of hope in Alazar’s voice touched a sympathetic nerve in Zareh. They were practically brothers. Alazar understood the significance of a lifemate to their relationship. Despite Zareh’s loyalty to his friend, his priorities had taken a sharp turn the moment he met Kaylae and knew her for his own. Kaylae came first, just as any female Keeper would to her dragon. “I mean, maybe the Keepers discussed this among themselves. Siring females. Maybe they all agreed to keep them secret until the threat of the Baroqueth is eliminated.”

Cade nodded slowly, thoughtfully. “There is a possibility. The last time our dragon clan was on the brink of extinction, we did see an increase in female Keepers being sired. It’s a blend of the gods and nature’s powers to preserve our breed. But if the Baroqueth suspect Talius had a daughter, that would put all of the Keepers in imminent danger.” He turned his full attention on Zareh. “How old is Kaylae?”

“Twenty-eight.”

“Within two years after the war, Talius sired a daughter.” Cade dropped his hands on the countertop and growled. “I’ll have to make some calls. Some visits. I need to find out if there are any more females. It may be time we bring everyone back to The Hollow.”

Any other moment, Zareh would have been thrilled by the news. He missed his home tremendously. However, a mass exodus to their homeland was blatantly asking for a repeat of the war three decades ago.

“It might be in our best interest to assess the situation before making any moves. Let’s find out if there are other females and what their statuses are. Let’s try to find out how many Baroqueth have survived the last few decades and what forces we’ll be facing. We may be fine remaining spread out, but all Keepers and Firestorm clan dragons need to be made aware of the potential threat. I’ve lost my Keeper, but I’ve been rewarded with something of greater meaning. Other dragons may not be so lucky should their Keepers meet a brutal end, as Talius and Herald did.”

“You’re right, Zar.” Cade stood up. “Let me get to work. I’ll be in touch with you in the next few days. If I receive more leads about the Baroqueth slayers’ whereabouts, I’ll notify you. In the meantime, I’d suggest you bring your female here where you can better protect her.”

Zareh couldn’t agree more. “I’m planning on it.”

“Lovely.” Alazar sighed. “I’m going to have to deal with you two tongue-dancing and touching and doing all those lovebird things. Ugh.”

Zareh and Cade watched Alazar trudge out of the kitchen, shoulders slumped, and disappear down the hallway to his bedroom.

“Do you know if Kaylae’s mother maintains involvement in her life?” Cade asked.

“She doesn’t.”

Cade considered. “Time to do some detective work. If you need anything, call.”

Cade let himself out. Zareh rapped his fingers over the countertop, contemplating the impending danger. He could easily abandon Nocturne Falls, but after Kaylae’s week on the run, he doubted he’d be able to convince her to leave just yet. He would not leave without her. Besides, he rather liked this quaint little town. He and Alazar had friends and their side business, which kept them amused and occupied. Unless it was to return to The Hollow, he didn’t care to ponder the idea of leaving.

Chapter Eleven

The butterflies were relentless. Kaylae finished the final touches on her makeup, which wasn’t much, and looked herself over in the full-length mirror on the armoire door. Each minute closer to her date brought on a new flutter of those darn butterflies in her belly until she feared she’d be sick.

“This isn’t the first time you’re seeing him, girl.” She twisted to get a view of her backside. “And he’s seen you at your absolute worst.”

She was pleased with the dark blue halter dress and hoped Zareh would like it. Her heels were simple black pumps with a single ankle strap. Nothing too fancy, but nice. She had no jewelry aside from her earrings and a ring her father had given her. She kept her hair simple, partially pulled back with shorter strands brushing her cheeks.

Overall, she was a pretty simple woman.

A knock on her door alerted her to the time. She grabbed a delicate black cardigan off her bed and answered it.

Zareh’s appreciative smile warmed her cheeks, as did his gaze when he took her in slowly from head to toe. By the time he finished his perusal, a familiar lick of fire had crept around the green of his eyes, and his smile had dimmed.

Kaylae would be lying if her own once-over of the ridiculously gorgeous man in front of her didn’t leave her star-struck. Black pants and a charcoal-colored button-down shirt looked anything but simple on him.

Zareh cleared his throat. “Well, not exactly how I had envisioned my greeting for you.”

She frowned, glancing down at her dress. “Is it too much?”

“Oh, no, Doe. Not too much at all. It’s just that…” He gave another cough. “You look absolutely stunning.”

“Really?” She smiled up at him, doubt washing away when his smile returned more brilliantly than before. “I wasn’t sure where we were going.”

Zareh drew his arm from behind his back and held up a single red rose. Kaylae’s heart did a little double thump. She took the flower and brought the velvet petals to her nose, inhaling its sweet scent.

“Thank you.” She pressed up on her toes and placed a soft kiss to Zareh’s lips. “Its beautiful.”

“Nothing compared to you tonight.” He held out his arm. “Ready?”

“Of course.” Kaylae closed the door and hooked her arm through Zareh’s. “Show me the way.”

Kaylae couldn’t believe the turn her life had taken. At a point when she thought she was crawling around at the bottom of her life’s deepest, darkest pit, she stumbled into Zareh. Despite knowing the man for only a couple of days, she had never felt she knew someone better. He was perfection, a match that fit just right. For the last hour and a half, she’d pondered her time in his company, and realized his presence alone washed away the crippling effects of her anxiety. She sensed his emotions, his thoughts, his worries and his joys like an intimate lover might her partner of years.

Being around him calmed the voices.

Everything from the subtle spiced scent of his cologne to his gentle demeanor captivated her.

When he pulled up next to a restaurant called Guillermo’s with its pretty red awnings and sidewalk dining behind a cute iron gate, she couldn’t help but feel special. The topiaries on either side of the building twinkled with fairy lights similar to those in the courtyard at the dead-and-breakfast.

Enchanting. Everything about Nocturne Falls, about Zareh. Enchanting.

“I hope you like Italian,” Zareh said, helping her down from the SUV.

“Who doesn’t like Italian?”

Zareh laughed. “Good answer.”

With her rose in hand and Zareh’s arm about her waist, they headed toward their first official date. Each step eased her nerves as she sank into Zareh’s supportive hold. By the time they reached the restaurant’s door, she was all warm and tingly from being so close to him. Her lips ached for another kiss, as her fingers itched to discover just how muscly he was beneath that shirt.

Bad, bad Kaylae. Don’t be thinking like that. Not yet, at least.

“Welcome to Guillermo’s,” the hostess greeted with a bright white smile. Beneath her spill of wavy brown hair, Kaylae caught the hidden points of ears. “How many in your party?”

“I have a reservation under Luther,” Zareh said. Kaylae shot him a surprised glance, one he answered with a sexy smile and a wink. He leaned over, his lips brushing against her ear and sending warm chills to wreak havoc on her body. “Even I use an alias.”

She had to bite back the moan those whispered words and his gentle nip on her earlobe brought about.

“Ah, Mr. Luther. Follow me.”

A hand on her lower back, Zareh guided Kaylae through the restaurant in the hostess’s footsteps. At seven thirty, it was past the dinner rush and many of the tables were empty.

Kaylae glanced at her date when the hostess proceeded through a door, leading them onto a brick-laid patio. Zareh did his gloriously sexy grin thing, the one that made the world disappear and left Kaylae on the verge of making a swooning fool of herself. She averted disaster by a hair, turning her full attention to the courtyard dining space’s alluring ambiance. The soft dribble of water from a three-tier fountain at the center of the courtyard laid the groundwork for a soothing experience. Luscious ivy wove through a trellis overhead. Fairy lights blended like twinkling stars in the ivy, and along the perimeter of the patio. A soft melody played from unseen speakers, the essence of intimacy flowing through the notes.

Kaylae rested a hand over her chest, mesmerized by the beauty. She had slowed her steps to take in every little detail. A few other tables were occupied, but overall, the tables were situated so each offered some degree of privacy.

No one had ever treated her to something so romantic.

Zareh came around her when the hostess stopped beside a table near the back of the courtyard. He pulled out a chair facing the fountain and spread his hand in mute invitation for Kaylae to sit. She thanked him as he pushed her into the table and accepted the menu from the hostess.

Kaylae couldn’t wipe the smile from her face as the hostess left them. Nor did she want to. She laid her rose beside her place setting and drank in the view from across the way. Zareh arched one of his sloped brows and handed her a wine menu.

“You have this dreamy look about you, Doe.”

“I feel like I’m in a dream.”

Zareh tilted his head, his eyes narrowing. “This dream, sweetness, is your reality, should you wish it. Not just for today, but every day.”

Kaylae flipped open the wine list and went to task determining a good wine to hide the rose that surely deepened her cheeks. Zareh spoke the words she secretly wished to hear a man speak. He did all the right things, acted all the right ways. The sincerity behind his actions resonated in the depths of her mind, a fleeting connection between them that only grew stronger the more time they spent together.

Waiting for him to pick her up at the bed-and-breakfast had been agonizing. She never believed it could hurt to be away from someone, but it pained her to be separated from Zareh. To have him touch her, hand on her back, fingers against her face, was a gift. A drug she was hooked on.

That this dragon man went out of his way to woo her instead of taking it for granted they were lifemates…well, it damn near stole her heart.

Their server came by, introduced himself, and went over the specials. When he inquired about drinks and Zareh gave her an inquisitive eye, she let out a breathy laugh and shook her head.

“I’m going to trust your taste in wine is better than mine.” She handed the list back to Zareh. “Pick one you think I’ll like.”

He watched her for a long moment, a mixture of admiration and appreciation in his expression.

“All right then.” To the server, he said, “A bottle of your best elegant red. Something with a hint of cherries and chocolate, if possible.”

The server’s eyes lit and he left on his errand. Kaylae leaned an elbow on the table, resting her chin on the back of her hand.

“I don’t take you as a wine guy, but that was impressive. Elegant. Cherries and chocolate. Should I expect dessert in my glass?”

Zareh chuckled. “You can expect only the best in your glass and on your plate.”

“How about in my company?”

She was playing with fire and enjoying it. Flirting was not a natural quality of hers. Neither was confidence. Many of the qualities she found natural in Zareh’s presence had never been natural before.

“Now, now.” Zareh busied himself opening his menu, but peered at her over the top. The votive candle on the table lit his eyes at the same time it added a dark and seductive edge to the glow. Kaylae held back the urge to sigh. “I’m not egotistical. That’s for those young boys still trying to fit into their bulky skins.”

“And how old are you?” Now seemed a good time to broach the subject.

“Doesn’t that ‘don’t ask’ rule apply to men, too?”

“You know my age.”

“You’ve got me there.” Oh, when he moistened those lips, she could feel his tongue along her own lips. Bad, bad Kaylae. Wine might not be a good idea. “I’ll tell you only if you promise that you’ll compliment me on how young I look.”

“Not egotistical, huh?” Kaylae laughed and picked up her menu. “Deal.”

“I was born in thirteen ninety-two. Medieval times, and not the jousting horse show.” He did not look at her when he disclosed his birth year, sparing Kaylae the embarrassment of him witnessing her jaw drop. Apparently, he didn’t need to see it to sense it. “Doe, no need to be aghast.”

Kaylae shut her mouth, her teeth clinking together. She lowered unseeing eyes to the menu, trying to wrap her head around Zareh’s age. He was a dragon, she got that. Things worked differently when you had scales beneath all that nice, tanned, muscle-molded skin. She got that, too. But…over six-hundred years old?

“Yep.” It was a raspy sound and she immediately cleared her throat. Zareh snickered. Damn man. “You look pretty delectable for your age.”

And she just dropped the “D” word out loud. She needed to find a filter for her mouth. Fast.

She ducked behind her menu but it didn’t keep her skin from burning beneath Zareh’s humored perusal.

“Delectable isn’t a term used on me, but I think it fits you to a fault.”

Oh, sweet heaven. She was melting. A few more compliments like that and Zareh would need to mop her up off the floor, bottle her up, and cast some dragon spell to make her return to her bodily self.

“You never told me how you ended up in Nocturne Falls. I’m sure it wasn’t by happenstance.”

Maybe the change in topic meant he sensed she needed a reprieve from his persistent adoration. Not that she minded it. Just not while they were in public.

“After my uncle made me leave, I found a note on the steering wheel of the car. That note started a scavenger hunt of sorts. I punched in the address listed and when I arrived, a new address was in a new envelope. My first stop was at a family friend’s house. She gave me the envelope with my false documents, a new phone, and new credit card. Other documents are in there as well, birth certificate, passport, the basics.” Talking about her father and her uncle helped cool her libido. “When I showed up, the woman didn’t ask a single question. She handed me the envelope, wished me luck, and shooed me on my way.”

“So you were following addresses?”

Kaylae nodded. “Some led to distant friends. Some to abandoned properties. One was at an actual rest stop off I-95. Each note instructed me to leave immediately and continue moving. I hit half of the Midwestern states before looping back here and pulling into my last stop.”

“Where was that? I’m certain Talius wouldn’t have listed the Pinehurst Inn as your destination.”

Kaylae lowered the menu. “Actually, it was the credit union. That’s where I found the letter, in a safety deposit box.”

She forced herself to keep her father’s final written words from placing a damper on her date. She’d shed her tears last night. Now, she needed to move forward and find her rightful place in this crazy, fantastical world.

Zareh leaned on the table, drawing her attention to him. An overcast expression settled over his face. “I think he knew I was here.”

That shouldn’t have surprised her, but it did. It would explain why she ended up in this town out of all the cities and towns she could have landed in, lost, looking for a dragon she most likely would have dismissed as impossible.

“How? If you’ve had no contact since the war, how could he have known where you are?”

Zareh shrugged. “A few months ago, he woke the jewel. He was speaking to me in whispers, and I think he was trying to tell me about you without saying it outright. I didn’t think I projected my location to him that night, but perhaps I did, and that is how he knew I was here. Why he sent you here.” He fiddled with the silverware, straightening each fork, spoon, and knife until it was perfectly aligned. “It would have given him plenty of time to prepare for an attack. I wish I had the insight then to press him into making sense of his mumbling. More so, I should have visited, regardless of the dangers. I might have prevented his death.”

“What if you were there when the slayers came? What if they killed you, too?” The regret that filled Zareh’s eyes resonated in her heart. He grieved the loss of his Keeper as she grieved the loss of her father. Their grief was shared grief. “I’m going to be selfish this one time, but if I hadn’t met you when I did, I may have very well lost touch with reality and committed myself to an institution. I was that bad off. Losing my father, the only person aside from my uncle who understood and protected me, was a mentally fatal blow.”

Kaylae reached across the table, stilling his busy fingers with a simple touch. “I’m so grateful for you, Zareh. I truly am. You’ve been nothing but kind and understanding with me, more than a gentleman.” She tried a smile for him and earned a half-grin in return. “You’re my fire-breathing knight in shining scales.”

Two days. All it took was two days for her to pour herself out to him.

Two days and she was falling. Hard.

Thankfully, the server returned just then with their bottle of wine and some bread. The interruption helped disperse the heaviness that had taken up residence at their table. Zareh insisted she try the wine, and she was pleasantly surprised by the warm, smooth texture. When she gave the okay, the server topped off her glass before pouring Zareh’s.

They placed their orders. Zareh leaned back in his seat when she ordered the steak pizzaiola. When the server left, she lifted her brows.

“What? Should I have gotten a salad?” Kaylae asked.

“Absolutely not. I’m delighted you ordered something of substance.”

“Well, I’m a little hungry. Might as well eat, right?” She’d have to have a serious talk with him about that grin. He was going to melt her into a puddle by the end of the night. “Stop that.”

“What?”

She lifted her wine glass and tipped it toward him. “You know how dangerous your mouth is when you grin? Or smile? Or chuckle? Oh, that chuckle is ridiculously sinful. It shouldn’t be allowed to exist.”

Zareh lifted his glass to hers and clinked the rims. “Cheers to you, sweet little Doe.”

She gave him a deliberate melt-worthy grin of her own. “To you, for saving me from myself.”

When he put his lips on his glass, she did sigh.

Dinner was going to be a challenge as far as keeping her dignity intact. Problem was, she wasn’t sure she cared to.

They both seemed determined to leave the sadness of sharing their mutual loss behind. The date remained light, if keeping drool from pouring out of the side of her mouth could be considered light. The entrees were some of the best dishes Kaylae had ever tasted. Zareh shared a portion of his Osso Buco with her, feeding her little pieces like she was his queen. When she tried to return the favor, he wrapped his hand around hers and guided the fork to his mouth without taking his eyes off her. The intensity behind his gaze stole her breath.

Dessert was mouthwatering Tiramisu and cappuccinos.

Just when she thought it was over, the server returned with an enormous bouquet of red and pink roses. Sprigs of diamond-like jewels threaded cleverly through the bouquet glittered beneath the fairy lights and candlelight. Kaylae breathed in the sweetness of the roses, stunned into silence.

“I hope you like them,” Zareh said, touching one of the petals before his fingers rose to her bottom lip. Kaylae blinked away the tears from her eyes. Zareh’s generosity had far surpassed what she would expect from any man. “There’s a wonderful florist called Enchanted Garden, owned by a witch. Marigold was able to put something special together for me.”

“You’ve bewitched me, haven’t you?”

“If anyone is bewitched, it’s me.” He let out a sharp breath. “I’m completely and entirely enamored with you. I want to earn your trust and your loyalty. I want you to make the decision to be with me. I’ve already made the decision to be with you. This is beyond lifemates, Doe. This is so, so much more.”

Kaylae hid her smile in the lush roses, drinking in their scent as her brain drank in Zareh’s words. If she had been told yesterday that the Dark Brooder from Howler’s could express such softness and sincerity, she would have laughed. The voices most likely would have laughed, too. It would have been a laugh-fest.

She wasn’t going to lie. That dark and broody Zareh was hot. Like burn-the-clothing, singe-the-skin hot. But this Zareh? She may be a Keeper, but he was the definition of keeper.

Zareh abruptly pushed back his chair and stood up. He held out his hand to her. “Dance with me.”

Kaylae cast a slow glance around the courtyard. There were two couples still dining. It didn’t matter. Zareh’s smile gave her the confidence she needed. She stood, placed the flowers on her chair, dropped her hand in his and let him lead her to a small, unoccupied space beside their table. He drew her close, one hand on her lower back, the other holding hers. She fell in motion with his slow sway and soon nothing existed outside of the magical atmosphere, the slow romantic music, and Zareh.

“You asked me what I hoard,” he murmured against the top of her head before placing a kiss on her hair. “I started with diamonds. Any and all. I love polished and cut or raw. Over the centuries, I changed things up. Rare gems, metals, even artwork. I still like art, but more recently, I enjoy stones. All different kinds of stones. And before you ask, since I sense the question brewing, I still have my hoards. I left much in my homeland. The rest is spread out in different accounts across the globe.”

“I take it talking about your hoard is like divulging a deep, dark secret.”

“Similar. We don’t disclose the information outside of our clan.”

Kaylae settled against Zareh’s frame, soaking in the heat from his skin and the wicked hard planes of what lay beneath his clothes. “May I disclose something to you?”

“Anything, m’lady.”

“Your suppression of the voices hasn’t gone unnoticed.” She tipped her chin up to catch him looking down at her. “I know you’ve been helping me.”

“I plead the fifth.”

“Go ahead. Plead whatever you’d like, but this girl knows what’s up.”

Zareh’s arm tightened around her waist. “Are you certain?”

If she wasn’t before, she was now.

Chapter Twelve

By the end of the night, Zareh was lost. He surrendered to the notion that he was helpless in Kaylae’s presence, a slave to the woman who was his destined Keeper and his lifemate. He found himself mentally thanking the gods for this precious gift, for his little Doe. The world would be hers if he had any say. Romancing her came naturally. He wasn’t lying when he said he was enamored. He was completely and entirely taken.

Pulling up in front of the dead-and-breakfast, Zareh contemplated the proposal for her to stay at his house. He understood the workings of their relationship. Even though he had explained it to her, he wasn’t sure how fast things should go between them, or if she still had reservations.

He wasn’t sure how long he could keep himself from going nuts around her.

They went up to her room, sharing a hello with the elven creature as they walked by his desk. Their talk was light with laughter and fun banter. Kaylae’s eyes glowed, as did the rose in her cheeks. She was stunning in the fitted dark blue dress that flared at the hips and caressed the skin above her knees. With minimal makeup and her luxurious mane of hair, she was a picturesque sight, one that would plague him for years to come.

Kaylae dug out the room key from her purse. The impending ending to this special evening hung heavy between them.

“I really had a great time, Zareh. I can’t thank you enough for making me feel normal.” When the pools of blue lifted to him, he was swept away by the depth of emotion swirling in those eyes. So much emotion, contemplation, yearning. “It’s bittersweet, you know? I was anticipating tonight more than I’ve anticipated any date before, knowing that it would come to an end.”

Zareh stepped into her, pressing her back against the door. He traced the delicate angle of her jaw, caressed her cheek with his knuckles, then combed his aching fingers into the silky thick waves of her hair.

Tipping her head back, he murmured, “It doesn’t have to end.”

Then, he kissed her, holding nothing back. He kissed her with full sweeps of his tongue, silently speaking his need for her, his desires and hopes for them. His fingers curled in her hair, tilting her head back further. He angled his mouth and deepened their kisses, delighting in the soft moans that he drank from his lovely lifemate. Her arm looped around his neck, holding him tight. She pressed her smaller frame into him, the intimate motion setting him aflame. He barely registered the ripple of his scales along his spine or the faint hint of smoke that crept up his throat.

Kaylae wrapped a leg around his and he growled.

Tearing himself away from her had to be one of the worst tortures he’d known in all his centuries. The sexy glow in her face tested his degree of control over his own desires. Their panting breaths and racing hearts begged for them to continue on this very pleasant, dangerous trail.

Her hand molded against his cheek, those kiss-reddened lips lifting in a shaky grin. “You are magnificent when your dragon makes his appearance. Your eyes are on fire.” She gasped when he gave her hip a light squeeze. “Your kiss…your kiss is forbidden.”

Her hand dropped away from his face. She twisted slightly, enough to retrieve the key from the hand holding her roses, and unlock the door. Smoke and fire, if he followed her into that room, there was no telling what would happen.

“Kaylae.” His voice had taken on a gruff, gravelly tone that raised goose bumps on her arms. A spark of understanding bolted through her eyes. “Come home with me.”

She smiled and pushed the door open.

The sight of the ransacked room sliced through the heady desires, leaving him both cold with anger and burning with the need to protect. An icy rush of fear knocked into him. Its source: Kaylae. He cut in front of her, keeping a hand firmly planted on her arm to hold her in place as he surveyed the room. With his enhanced dragon senses in full swing, he looked and listened for any sign the threat remained.

Kaylae clung to the back of his shirt with her free hand, her fear brutally stark and unsettling in his mind.

“Nothing will happen to you, Doe. I swear it.”

He moved deeper into the room. The sparse items of clothing were strewn over the floor and bed. The dresser drawers had been pulled free and lay haphazardly on the floor. The comforter and bedding were piled at the foot of the bed.

His attention lingered on a strange clicking sound. He checked the bathroom and found it thief-free. There was no sign of another presence, but the essence of darkness stained the room. Dark magic. Sorcery.

A silent cuss snapped in his mind.

He followed the insistent clicking to the armoire. The door hung open on the safe mounted on a custom shelf beneath two hanging items of clothing that had been spared the temper tantrum of the invasion. The click was from the locking mechanism trying to reset.

Kaylae gasped, wedging herself between him and the safe. She pulled out the large envelope he recalled had contained her false documents. Her eyes widened, her lips parting as she stuck her hand inside, then turned the envelope over and shook it. Nothing fell out. The envelope was empty.

Zareh’s dragon roared.

Kaylae turned fearful eyes on him. They no longer sparkled with joy. They sparkled with tears.

Zareh pulled her into his arms and pressed her head into his chest. Faint tremors ignited along her muscles. He surrounded her with his warmth, soothing her with the scent of his dragon, and touching the edges of her mind with reassurance.

“They found me, didn’t they?” she murmured.

Damn the Baroqueth.

“I find it hard to believe anyone else would invade your room and turn it upside down like this.” Unfortunately, the events just opened up a massive can of spoiled meat. “I’m going to place a call to Sheriff Merrow and report this. I’ll have to make a few other phone calls before he arrives.” He groaned, running a hard hand over his head. A whole year of skating questions about their true identities was about to come to an end, but Kaylae’s safety came first. “I have a feeling we’ll be in for a long night.”

* * *

Hank Merrow, Nocturne Falls’ sheriff, wolf pack alpha, and no-nonsense enforcer of the law, arrived at the dead-and-breakfast with a deputy in tow. The elven manager looked a bit greener in the face and sweat-sheened along the brow.

Sheriff Merrow approached, his blue eyes hard and all business. Zareh kept Kaylae close, an arm around her shoulders as she nestled against his side.

“You’re the new lady in town,” the sheriff said to Kaylae, his hard-to-read expression making a silent assessment in a split moment. “I understand you had a rough day yesterday.”

“Little sleep. Less food and drink,” Kaylae answered.

Merrow nodded. “And you have no idea who might be after you?” This time, his questioning eyes started on Kaylae, but ended on Zareh. The sheriff’s piercing gaze struck through him, warning him not to skirt the question.

Knew this was coming.

“I think I might have an idea,” Zareh said. He cast a pointed look at the manager and Merrow’s deputy. “But I’m not willing to discuss it with anyone other than you.” He tapped his pocket where his phone rested. He lowered his voice. “My clan leader is on his way. He’ll be here shortly.”

The sheriff’s brow arched. He grunted. “Meet me at the station in fifteen minutes. Be warned, I’m going to put in a call to the Ellinghams. If there is any chance the people of Nocturne Falls are in danger, they will be notified.”

Zareh nodded. He had anticipated that, hence his call to Cade. The leaders could mediate this meeting. As it stood, Zareh was not at all happy about the fact his true dragon breed and Kaylae’s rare lineage were about to come to light. If he attempted to play mediator, he’d end up in a jail cell for bad attitude. Maybe assault by fire.

Who was he kidding? He’d destroy the station and half of this side of town if his dragon got pissed.

Kaylae’s life was at stake. He didn’t care who he offended trying to protect her.

Sheriff Merrow allowed Kaylae to gather her belongings before Zareh led her down to the SUV. A small sense of relief touched him when she assured him the key and dragonstone were safe in her purse. They made a quick stop at his house to drop her things off. Alazar was safe for the time being, but Zareh gave him a brief overview of what they’d walked into at the dead-and-breakfast.

“You sure you don’t want me to come to the station with you?” Alazar asked quietly, his attention focused on Kaylae, who waited in the foyer, arms hugging her stomach. Zareh shook his head. “Do you want to leave her here? I’ll watch her until you’re done.”

“No. She comes with me. You need to be diligent. Be wary. I don’t know how many are here, but they are here.” Zareh gave Alazar a clap on the shoulder. “Call me if anything happens, but don’t stick around if they attack. Get the hell out of here, you hear me? I’ll find you.”

Alazar frowned, but nodded. “We’ll get through this together. Like always.”

Zareh forced a small smile. “We will.”

Zareh led Kaylae into the station. Sheriff Merrow was waiting for them, along with Hugh and Julian Ellingham.

“My office,” Sheriff Merrow said, pointing the way to Zareh, Kaylae and the vampire brothers. “I’ll keep an ear out for your leader.”

Zareh gave Kaylae’s waist a gentle, reassuring squeeze. His sweet little Doe looked like a kid about to face parental judge and jury after doing something terrible. He hated that this had come down on them so quickly. Hated that it screwed up their date night. Hated that Kaylae was about to get walloped with a whole lot more information about the extent of the threat sniffing at their heels.

The sheriff’s office was a decent size, but with five of them packed in, it felt more like a closet, and not the walk-in kind. Julian pulled one of two chairs away from the desk and angled it toward Kaylae.

“Have a seat,” he offered with a rather refreshing smile. Hugh, on the other hand, scrutinized Zareh from behind a mask of indifference.

Sheriff Merrow joined them a moment later and took the seat behind his desk. “Have you met Hugh and Julian Ellingham, Zareh?”

“I’ve had the pleasure, yes.”

“Good.” The sheriff leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping the blotter on his desk. His gaze shifted to Kaylae and softened. “My sister told me you fainted at her bar and Zareh rescued you. Did you know each other before that incident?”

Kaylae turned to Zareh for direction. He gave a vague shake of his head.

“We’d never met,” she murmured. “I’m glad for his assistance. Nowadays people are reluctant to give a stranger a hand. He could have very well saved my life.”

Zareh refrained from smiling at his Doe’s sincerity.

“My father and Zareh knew each other for years, or so it’s my understanding. I was coming to look for him after my father’s passing.”

The sheriff’s hard demeanor softened further. “My condolences on your loss.”

Even Hugh appeared to hold an ounce of sympathy in light of Kaylae’s recent loss. “If you don’t mind my asking, what happened to your father?” he asked. His voice was smooth with an English accent.

“He was murdered,” Zareh answered, sparing Kaylae the heartbreak of speaking out loud the brutal truth amidst this chaotic night. “Last week.”

“And now we have someone ransacking her room?” Julian asked. He tapped a finger to his chin. “Sounds to me like she was the one who got away.”

“I don’t find this situation humorous at all,” Zareh bit out. There went civility, as he’d feared. Cade really needed to get his Viking tail here. Like, yesterday. “Her life is in danger.”

“I never implied this situation was humorous. Stating a fact, is all.”

“Do you know who is pursuing you, Ms. Dane?” Sheriff Merrow sidled into the interrogation as the tension ramped up. Zareh could feel Julian’s eyes burning into him and chose to ignore the challenge.

Again, Kaylae glanced to him for guidance, which earned him a curious and inquisitive look from Merrow.

Relief washed through him when he heard the front door to the station swing open. Heavy footsteps pounded toward the office. Everyone’s attention shifted toward Sheriff Merrow’s doorway as Cade appeared, swallowing the opening with his massive size.

Unfortunately, the sheriff was not impressed, nor was he intimidated.

“You must be Cade.” Sheriff Merrow motioned to an empty corner of the office. “Come in.”

Cade’s fiery eyes turned to Kaylae and lingered. A smile softened his hard edges before he resumed the role of ancient Firestorm leader.

“Cade Fenryn.” Cade shook hands with the sheriff and the two vampires. “Before you proceed with this, sheriff, we must discuss a few important details. This is for the safety of my dragons, and the safety of the residents of your town. I will not speak further on this topic unless it is agreed that what is discussed within these walls remains between us. Should any of our identities become common knowledge, the repercussions could be devastating.”

“I’m willing to agree to these terms. Our goal is not to bring harm but to find a solution to the problem that has arisen,” Hugh said. Julian and Sheriff Merrow nodded. “You have our word that the details of this meeting will remain confidential. If further discussion is required, we will reach new terms at that time.”

Cade crossed his arms over his chest. Zareh settled back in his chair, resting a hand over Kaylae’s. He put everything behind the look they shared to promise her things would be okay.

“It is my understanding that Zareh and Alazar are fire dragons. Part of the…what was it?” Julian thought for a moment, most likely for effect. Zareh couldn’t help but snort. The big bang was bearing down on them. “Ah, that’s right. The Glor clan. Ember shifters, correct?”

Cade cast Zareh a carefully constructed glance. Then he turned his attention on Julian, Hugh, and Sheriff Merrow.

Smoke rippled from the top of Cade’s head to the tips of his toes. In the brief moment he projected that ghostly cloak, he exposed exactly the breed of dragon he was in a flash of ruby-red scales with onyx tips, teeth more deadly than any vampire’s or wolf’s, and a tall crest befitting his leadership. Wings stretched out in a veil of smoke, the walls and ceiling causing the illusion to fizzle.

Kaylae grabbed Zareh’s wrist, blinking at the image Cade created of his real self without transforming.

A slew of foul words, words he wasn’t particularly against using himself, escaped the lips of the three members of Nocturne Falls’ elite.

“The Glor are distant cousins. Very distant cousins,” Cade said, dispersing the last of the smoky illusion. His smile was devilish, devious, and quite amusing. So were the looks on Julian’s and Sheriff Merrow’s faces. Hugh maintained his dignity, but the shock didn’t fully leave his eyes. “Oh no. We are definitely not Glor. We’re something far more unbelievable.”

Chapter Thirteen

“The Atlantis of dragons and sorcerers,” Julian said after Cade finished relating the details of their situation, in particular how rare Kaylae was and how she must be protected at all costs. Awe was evident in Julian’s voice and the spark in his eyes. Sheriff Merrow and Hugh appeared just as invested in Cade’s story.

“We never resided in this human realm prior to the war the Baroqueth brought down on The Hollow. I assure you, we are who I claim, and the danger of the Baroqueth is as real as you and I. I’m certain it won’t be difficult to accept this particular Atlantis when the Atlantis of paranormal creatures resides in the quaint little town of Nocturne Falls. Hmm?”

For the first time, Kaylae received a description of what a Baroqueth slayer might look like.

The dragonstone was never mentioned.

Sheriff Merrow jotted down the description. Hugh and Julian discussed potential scouting routines and promised the protection Cade sought for Kaylae.

At some point, Zareh must have retracted his hold over the voices in her head, allowing her to hear those belonging to the men in the room. Between spoken conversation and mental wisps of thoughts, she was exhausted before their session ended at an absurdly late hour.

However, she did get some key information from the Ellingham brothers regarding a witch who might be able to aid their cause. She also learned that, though they maintained their outward cool, both brothers and the sheriff held Cade in high regard. Apparently being the oldest member in the room, and having some impressive power, came with benefits. That regard carried over to Zareh and Kaylae.

Kaylae had never felt more important in her life, or more of a burden.

Now, at three in the morning, her eyes felt gritty and dry and her bones flimsy under non-existent muscle as Zareh carried her half-sleeping self into his house. She barely registered Alazar rushing toward them, rambling on about the meeting and asking what had happened. Zareh gave him the nutshell version, the rumble of his voice filling Kaylae with calm as it resonated through his chest.

“Cade will be coming shortly. He’s decided it’s best if he remains until we can locate the Baroqueth and put an end to their latest foray,” Zareh told Alazar.

“Good. We can use his brute strength. Do you need help?”

“No. Go to sleep. I’m going to settle her in.”

Kaylae nestled deeper into the cradle of his arms, her ear pressed to his chest. The strong thump of his heart eased her fears. Oh, she was a sucker for his voice, the strength in his hold, and the heat pulsing off him.

Whatever. She was a sucker for him.

Kaylae peeled her lids up as Zareh nudged open a door to a room at the back of the house. Familiar scents—subtle cologne, hints of fire pit smoke, and spice—wrapped her in the most decadent of blankets. She lifted her head from his chest and glanced around. It was a masculine room, smaller than she imagined for him, but rich and cozy. The king-sized bed swallowed most of the space, but dark wood furniture, a wall-mounted flat screen, and beautiful paintings hung with precision on the walls put every inch of space to use.

“Mm, somehow it fits you,” she said softly, giving a little twist of her body. Zareh eased her to her feet and held her waist until she was steady. “First things first.”

Kaylae leaned down and unbuckled the ankle straps of her pumps. She kicked off her shoes and moaned. Her feet ached. It had been at least a year since she wore anything other than flip-flops or sneakers.

Zareh scooped her back up and brought her to the bed, where he set her down on an incredibly plush comforter. For a long moment, he hovered over her, staring down at her without a word.

“I’m sorry tonight ended the way it did,” Zareh said. “You didn’t deserve that invasion, or the fear.”

“Who says it has to end?” The words left her lips on their own accord, but her body backed them up. She reached for him.

“Do not make the suggestion, Doe. You have no idea how badly I want you.”

Kaylae slipped her hands over his hard shoulders and locked them at the back of his neck. “Just a little taste. It’ll help me sleep better.”

* * *

A sliver of sunlight streamed through the pulled curtains, cutting across the foot of the bed. Kaylae stretched her arms over her head, her mouth consumed by a sleepy smile. Zareh, ever the perfect gentleman. They stayed awake until the sky started to lighten in the predawn hours, and in those few moments when she wanted everything from him, he refused. She probably wouldn’t have regretted it if they had sex, but his utter control was another hook in her heart.

Oh, boy, did she have a great night’s sleep.

Turning her head on the pillow, she found the space beside her empty. She reached over and patted the mattress. The sheets had cooled to room temperature, which meant Zareh had been up for a while.

“If this is going to be a permanent arrangement, dragon, we’re having a talk about morning bed etiquette.”

Kaylae climbed out of bed, grabbing up her discarded dress to hold against her while she picked out an outfit for the day—she had to search for her clothes, which Zareh must’ve put in his closet while she slept—and headed to the adjoining bathroom.

Clean, dressed, and semi-presentable for the day, she left the bedroom and followed the sound of quiet voices to the kitchen.

She came up short in the archway when she saw not only Zareh, Cade, and Alazar, but Willa with a big, muscled man.

Zareh set his mug on the counter and came straight to her, greeting her with a shameless kiss. Kaylae pressed her palms flat against the slope of his chest where his shirt was unbuttoned.

“Hello, Doe,” he whispered against her lips before leaning back.

“And to you, dragon.”

Yep, no regrets to be had.

When she found the clock over the oven, she swallowed. Maybe one regret.

“Two in the afternoon? Where did the day go? Why didn’t you wake me up?”

“Ah, we weren’t doing anything today,” Alazar said, his lips curling in a brighter-than-the-sun smile. He pressed off the counter where he was resting and pulled a mug from one of the cabinets. “Zar said you’re a coffee addict. Fresh pot brewing for you. How ’bout food? What do you want?”

“Al loves to cook. Humor him,” Zareh said before Kaylae knew she had a question brewing. “Like eggs benedict? He makes a killer plate.”

“Home fries to go with it? Or sliced fruit? Willa, you want something? I’m not feeding your stone man. Last time I did, he spit the burger out.”

Kaylae watched in amazement as Alazar pulled different ingredients from the fridge and cabinets without so much as stopping to see what he was grabbing. If that were her, she’d be reading every label alongside a recipe. She didn’t cook.

“Seriously? I spit it out because you made me laugh.”

Alazar rolled his eyes. “Whatever.”

“I’ll take one of those eggs benedict and I’ll bet you a gold coin that—”

“No,” Zareh, Cade, and Willa all snapped. Kaylae smacked a hand over her mouth, but a sharp chuckle managed to escape. Alazar went from bright-eyed anticipation to deflated boy in an apron.

The man flicked his pointer finger at Alazar and winked. “Next time, but I still want your cooking.”

Zareh brought Kaylae to the kitchen table where Willa and the man were seated. Alazar muttered under his breath as he spread his ingredients over the island. Willa straightened in the chair, her aqua eyes aglow and her fairy ears in plain view with her hair pulled back in a loose ponytail.

“Willa. Nick. This is Kaylae,” Zareh introduced.

Nick stood and leaned over the table, extending his hand. Kaylae accepted the shake, her hand dwarfed in his. “Nice to meet you.”

“Officially,” Willa agreed, stunning smile confirmation and all.

Kaylae took a seat in the chair Zareh pulled out for her to Cade’s right. She found an instantaneous comfort in the company of this particular group. Willa, beautiful and serene and magical, put her mind at ease. There was something about Nick’s hulking demeanor that said even when he smiled, his guard was never down.

Cade?

She would cut off her hand to stay on his good side. The guy was downright scary. He redefined ‘terror’ after his stunt with the smoke-and-mirrors dragon in Sheriff Merrow’s office.

“We’ve been told you’ve had a very eventful time since arriving in Nocturne Falls,” Nick said.

He took a sip of his coffee, glancing over her shoulder as he did. Zareh leaned against the back of her chair and lowered a cup of steaming coffee in front of her, light with milk and smelling of sugar. She took a small sip and sighed. Heaven.

Kaylae leaned her head against Zareh’s hip. “Perfect. Thanks.” Wrapping both hands around the hot mug, she shrugged. “Eventful is putting it lightly. I’ve been on my toes.”

“Zar’s been taking good care of you though?”

“Don’t mind Nick. Ex Army-Ranger, rare leviathan gargoyle class, fae queen’s fiancé. He high-shines his mighty protector badge.” Alazar’s lighthearted rambling drew everyone’s attention. The guy had every burner loaded with pots and pans. Kaylae couldn’t even begin to make sense of what he was preparing. He stopped his super-speed dicing, brows furrowed. “Oops. Sorry, Willa. Didn’t mean to say that.”

“I abdicated the throne to my youngest sister. I’m not queen anymore.”

That drew Kaylae’s attention back to Willa and Nick. Willa covered Nick’s hand with hers, eyes glittering with raw love. Kaylae’s heart double-thumped and wings brushed the insides of her belly. She hoped that one day, that was how she and Zareh looked at each other.

“Nocturne Falls is my home.” Willa turned back to Kaylae. “I love everything about it here. The Ellinghams helped me when I needed it most. I have my business and clientele. I have Nick. I’m happy. A throne and a crown couldn’t give me what I already had.”

“So, you’re a fairy?” Kaylae asked.

“Fae. Lapidus.” Willa laughed, an airy, musical sound, when Kaylae arched a brow. “Seems there are a lot of rarities in this room.”

Only a fool would’ve missed the underlying implication to Willa’s otherwise harmless comment.

“We’re all in good company,” Cade intercepted, leaning back in the chair. Kaylae silently thanked him for the interruption, although she cautiously eyed the legs of the chair beneath his immense size. The beast of a man needed a bigger chair. Heck, he needed a bigger table. For himself. “Al, how’s the food?”

“Like anything in life, patience makes perfect.” A burst of sizzles flooded the kitchen, followed by the aromatic scents of herbs and peppers. “You already ate.”

“My appetite is insatiable. And it’s ‘practice.’”

“A restaurateur’s dream customer. Patience fits the situation more accurately. I’ve had plenty of practice.”

Zareh finally settled in the chair beside Kaylae, his hand resting on her knee beneath the table. The simple touch warmed her insides and made her slosh coffee over the rim of her mug. He grabbed a napkin from the holder at the center of the table and dried her hand.

“Willa, I was going to pay you a visit today, but since you and Nick dropped by, I have a favor to ask.” Zareh crumpled up the napkin and pitched it at Alazar. The dragon ducked, scowled, and threw a slice of fresh-made bread at him. Kaylae wasn’t the only one gaping by the time the bread skidded across the table. Zareh had somehow turned it to toast. When he looked at her, the fire in his eyes banked and he smiled. “I’m looking—”

“Hold up. What the heck just happened there?” Nick asked, pointing to the toast. Cade picked it up, scrutinized it front and back, then took a big bite. Crumbs trickled over his beard.

“Good bread, Al,” Cade said, and took another chomp.

“Zar?” Nick pressed. “I’ve see the fire come out of your mouth, but that was…I don’t know.”

“Show off,” Kaylae said.

Zareh laughed. “A little trick, that’s all. As I was saying, I was hoping to commission a piece from you, Willa. To protect Doe.”

“Doe.” From Nick.

“My nickname,” Kaylae clarified. She felt terrible that Willa and Nick looked as confused as she had felt after waking up in the clinic and being hit with information that simply should not have been real. “Courtesy of your living, breathing toaster.”

Willa’s shoulders grew straight and stiff. Her lips pursed and her eyes clouded over for a brief moment. She shot Nick a lingering glance before her attention fell on Zareh.

A strange, heavy silence fell over the table, except for the crunch from Cade finishing up the piece of toast. Nick grew edgy, shifting in his chair. Kaylae tried to decipher the unspoken conversation going on between Zareh and Willa—damn jealousy wanted a piece of the action, too—until Cade cleared his throat.

“Zareh.” The leader spoke her lifemate’s name in a tone brimming with warning.

“She…knows,” Zareh murmured thoughtfully. To Cade, he added, “She saw the jewel.”

“What jewel?” Nick demanded. “Willa?”

Willa’s head shifted enough to turn those eyes on Kaylae. “Pandora said that her stepdaughter-to-be couldn’t make sense of a customer’s aura the first day you came by my store.” Her eyes narrowed and her head tilted, slender shoulders relaxing slightly. The close scrutiny made Kaylae itch in her skin. Something told her this wasn’t a good thing. “Then you brought the stone over to me. I recognized the energy from that stone only from stories I heard when I was younger, but thought perhaps I hadn’t slept well or I was hungry. It wasn’t possible, but it is.”

Kaylae kept quiet. There were no voices in her head, but her anxiety threatened to take hold, and she didn’t understand why. If Willa had put everything together, if she knew what Zareh was and what Kaylae was, wouldn’t Cade do some dragon magic to keep the truth from completely spilling?

Zareh said he trusted Willa.

“Cade, the danger is already here. We know how destructive the Baroqueth can be. We understand the threat more than anyone. After the interrogation, I realized the only people we’re keeping secrets from are our friends,” Zareh said, breaking the haunting silence. “The Baroqueth know where we are and they were the ones we were hiding from. At this point, keeping secrets can potentially place our friends in danger.”

“Oh, smoke and bones,” Alazar moaned. “I liked being incognito.”

“My friend, you’re far from incognito.”

“Zareh, you have a point.”

“Thanks, Cade,” Alazar grunted.

Cade brought the chair down to all four legs with a thump and leaned his elbows on the table. “Not you, Al. What he said. And if you two”—he cast Kaylae a side-glance—“three decide this is where you want to stay, then maybe it’s not best to keep secrets.”

“So, it’s true,” Willa concluded. “You’re Firestorm? And Kaylae? You’re a female Keeper?” Excitement began to bubble up in Willa’s expression. Nick’s brows furrowed deeper, his gaze bouncing from one dragon to the other, brushing over Kaylae in between. “The stone is yours, isn’t it Zareh?”

“Nick, don’t you dare let her get away. She’s as smart as she is beautiful. She’ll give you genius children,” Zareh said. Kaylae tried to ignore the sickening churn of her belly brought on by Zareh’s blatant appreciation of Willa, through no fault of the fae’s. She was beautiful. “Yes. It’s my jewel, but it belongs to my Keeper.”

Zareh scooted his chair closer to Kaylae and slipped his arm around her shoulders.

“No one will ever hold a light to your beauty in my eyes, sweetheart. Ever.”

He spoke directly to her mind, the deep, sensual tone of his voice soothing her belly. She wasn’t entirely sure he hadn’t lowered the magic that suppressed the voices so she could pick up on his thought until she realized his was the only thought she heard.

He could speak through telepathy?

Amazing.

“Okay, folks.” Alazar came to the table, plates stacked up his arms like a professional food runner. Zareh removed two and placed them in front of Willa and Nick. Alazar served the remaining dishes before plopping in the last seat and rubbing his hands together. “Time to break bread, reveal secrets, and eat amazing grub.”

* * *

The remainder of the day revolved around visits. Willa and Nick left with Willa’s promise to speak with a witch friend about a protection amulet. Nick offered his time and muscle should the need arise, as well as extra eyes at night on his fountain shift. Zareh was relieved by their promises of support. He’d made the right choice to divulge their secrets.

Sheriff Merrow came by shortly before sunset. With him, Hugh. Julian was apparently on vampire duty in town. The sheriff had some belongings Kaylae had left at the room. Hugh shared the brief discussion he had with a powerful witch named Alice. Apparently, she had cast the spell over the waters leading into Nocturne Falls that aided in keeping the humans from realizing the vampires and gargoyles and wolves spotted around town weren’t actors, but the real deal.

“She will be calling a meeting with the local coven,” Hugh explained. “The witches who reside in our town will be made aware of the danger. When the time arises, she intends to use a confinement spell to render the Baroqueth harmless.”

“You do realize we’re up against ancient sorcerers with ancient magic?” Zareh said. “A confinement spell may be nothing more than child’s play.”

“Do not doubt her powers. You may be surprised. And we will be happy not to have a death on Nocturne Falls’ doorstep. That is the last thing we want here.”

Okay, so cooking the Baroqueth extra crispy was out of the question—a slight disappointment to Zareh—unless they expedited their captives to The Hollow and handed out justice the Old World way.

In between visits, Zareh began to work with Kaylae on controlling the invasion of outside thoughts while guiding her to connect with him on a telepathic link. Her natural instinct made it easy for her to latch onto the link and, before he knew it, they were bantering back and forth without speaking a single word aloud. Unfortunately, as proud as he was of her achievements, the mere intimacy of their mind-speak taunted him. He caught himself eyeing the hallway to his room more times than appropriate in the company of Cade and Alazar.

“I need to get out of the house. How about we go to Howler’s for a few drinks and then walk Main Street and costume-watch?” Alazar asked.

Zareh withdrew his powers from Kaylae’s mind and shrugged. “Want to go out for a drink? Maybe some pool?”

“I don’t know how to play.”

“I’ll teach you.”

Alazar nodded vigorously. “The guy has yet to lose a game in, what? Sixty years?”

“Eighty-three.”

“Like I said. All right. Let’s get ready and get out of here.”

Cade stroked his beard. “I’d like to know how they tracked you so fast, dear. Talius cut all ties with you. Unless they placed a tracker on your car or bugged your phone, there’s no way they should have reached you that quickly. The timeline doesn’t make sense.”

“Nothing makes sense with the Baroqueth, except that they want us dead.” Zareh pulled Kaylae to her feet, kissed her forehead, and watched her disappear down the hall. “Thirty years of hiding from them is long enough. Let them come. Maybe we won’t have to hide anymore.”

“No, no.” Cade sighed, which ended up sounding more like a hiss. “Zar, if they tracked Kaylae and knew where she was at all times with a device of sorts, they would have snatched her before she hit town. If they followed her without a device, running on leads and scents, then it should have taken them longer to find her. I’m unsettled by this. The dragon senses something is amiss, but I can’t figure it out.”

“They tracked her somehow. They’re here. Now we have to keep her safe. Keep ourselves safe. It doesn’t matter how they found her. The truth is we’ll be facing them in the near future.”

Zareh didn’t like the prospect of an impending confrontation. He didn’t want to cause trouble in Nocturne Falls. He liked it here, wanted to stay here. He respected authority, appreciated the Ellinghams for who they were and what they represented.

“Were you successful in locating any other females?” Zareh asked.

The furrow in Cade’s brow deepened. “I’m still following some leads. I have a feeling more will pop up. Adds urgency to locating them.”

Kaylae returned to the living room, rosy cheeked, eyes bright, and looking good enough to eat. It was difficult not to look at her and think about how he’d watched her for hours before dawn. Entirely shameless and comfortable with him.

He wanted that again. And again.

“You two look like your hoards were taken away.” Kaylae linked her arm through Zareh’s and leaned her head against his shoulder. “Are we bringing this attitude with us? Or leaving it here?”

Cade stood, rolled his shoulders, and plastered a smile on his mouth. The corners of his eyes crinkled and Zareh could have sworn he saw sparks within the flames of his eyes. “As the lady wishes. No attitude. Only fun. And sunglasses.”

Chapter Fourteen

“Are you sure, maybe, they didn’t leave? It’s been over a week since they ransacked my room and we haven’t heard or seen a thing.”

The little seed of hope demanded to be voiced. Kaylae snuggled down beside Zareh, enjoying the natural heat that pulsed off his skin. Despite the annoying aspects of this waiting game with the Baroqueth, she was thankful for the uneventful stretch of time. Her mind needed the break, and, well, her body thoroughly enjoyed the pleasures of her lifemate. Every and all pleasures.

Zareh nipped that delightful spot below her ear, the place that sent a shiver down to her toes.

“It would be foolish to discount their lack of presence. They’re pretty good strategists. My thoughts? They’re lying in wait, surveying what we know, who we’ve involved, and hoping we finally drop our guards.” His arm tightened around her waist and he growled against her throat. Kaylae smiled at the sound, loving how sexy it was, and that it was because of her. “Trust me, little Doe. They wouldn’t discount us for lack of strategy. This is an old war brought about by an ancient rivalry. A fight between a dragon and a Keeper.”

“What? One refused to raise a tank of ale to the other?”

“Not quite. The sorcerer was a Keeper to the dragon leader before Cade. He believed it was his right to possess his dragon’s full power, but the dragon did not dare share it. There were two ways for the sorcerer-slash-Keeper to obtain the full potency of dragon power. One was the dragon’s willingness to share it. The second was the death of the dragon and stealing the power from his heart.”

Kaylae hadn’t realized she tensed until Zareh relinquished his hold on her waist and rubbed his hand up and down her arm. His touch instantly relaxed her.

“Don’t tell me the Keeper killed his dragon.”

Zareh sighed, his hot breath ruffling her hair. “Once he was successful in syphoning the power, the sorcerer Keeper and his family came together and decided it would be beneficial to kill all the dragons to obtain as much power as possible. The first war struck the Firestorm breed, nearly wiping us out.”

“But you’ve flourished since then.”

“Not quite flourished. We never grew to the size we were before that first war.”

Kaylae twisted around to face her dragon. Her heart did its usual double thump anytime she looked at him. Part of her still lived in a surreal world, disbelieving she actually landed a man as dark, broody, and handsome as Zareh. Having a dragon was a perk, too. Being part of this incredible, yet dangerous world was exhilarating and terrifying.

Right now, she was happy. After always struggling to fit in, struggling with what she thought was a mental condition, struggling to make sense of her life when her father had kept her shrouded in secrets, being herself and understanding her place in life was a breath of fresh air.

Zareh brushed her hair away from her eyes, tucking the thick waves behind her ear. “It seems that whenever our clan is on the verge of extinction, there’s an increase in female Keepers. That doesn’t mean every dragon will have a female, but it allows us a chance to produce heirs and increase our numbers again. Evolution at its finest. You were born within two years of our last war.”

“You think there are more female Keepers?”

“Cade’s been looking. He hasn’t located any others, but he doesn’t doubt they are out there. It’s a matter of peeling back the layers of lies behind false documents.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “Just like you. He located your original birth records. Absolutely no mention of the father, but a separate legal document linked Talius to you as a legal guardian, and that was how he gained full custody of you. That, and your mother gave up her parental rights.”

“Do you think she knew who and what my father was?”

Zareh shook his head. “No. Talius wouldn’t have disclosed that information to someone who had no connection to the Firestorm clan.”

So many questions had come up over the last week, but Zareh answered each and every one in stride. She finally confided in him her apocalyptic nightmares and the vision she’d had at Howler’s, and he gave her a frighteningly familiar recount of the fiery war thirty years ago. Her nightmares weren’t nightmares. They were flash visions, most likely from Zareh’s memory. He seemed pleased to fill her in on a life she had been protected from. Pleased and proud. Every now and again, his chest would puff out and Kaylae was often helpless to touch that really nice chest…if they were alone.

“And my lineage remains pure? How is that when my mother was an average woman? I would think these powers would have diluted.”

“No. The Keeper DNA is dominant. Another very basic evolutionary miracle. The Keeper gene is the foundation of your makeup. Your mother may have contributed some of your physical characteristics, but Talius’s genes created you for who you are.”

“No doctor visits and blood tests ever showed anomalies.” She pondered that for a moment while Zareh watched her, his strong fingers playing with her hair. “My DNA isn’t completely normal, but it would never show otherwise. Seems that the construction of my genetic makeup is hidden behind a façade.”

“It is. Another contribution from your mother. There’s a reason we’ve survived this long without being detected.”

“And a reason the Firestorm clan is considered the Atlantis of dragon clans.”

The corner of his mouth curled in a devilish grin. “Exactly.”

Kaylae tapped his lips. “Darn you. Bad dragon. That grin melts me.”

“I have other means of melting you.” Zareh rolled her onto her back, dipping his mouth to her neck for a kiss. “Want me to refresh your memory?”

“Mmm, you can refresh my memory anytime.”

* * *

Kaylae just finished tying up her hair in a ponytail and changing into a fresh set of clothes when Alazar knocked on the door. Zareh was still in the shower, steam filtering out through the cracked-open door.

“You’ve been in this room all morning. Please tell me I’m not going to be spending another day picturing all the dirty that’s going on in there. My poor virgin head can’t handle the images.” He knocked again. “Hey, Kay. I brought home some of those Vampire Bite donuts you like so much from Hallowed Bean, but you better come out before I eat them all.”

“That’s not nice.” She slipped the last button through the slit in her shirt and pulled open the door. Alazar popped his head into the room, glanced toward the bathroom door and rolled his eyes. Kaylae gave him a friendly shove back into the hallway and closed the door behind her. “Where are those donuts, you tease?”

“Locked up for ransom.”

“I don’t have gold, and if I did I wouldn’t barter it for a donut.”

Alazar smiled. He pinched her chin. “Zar’s teaching you well.” He dropped his arm around her shoulders and led her toward the kitchen. “He’d bite my wings if I took anything from you, so no. No gold.”

“What then?”

“Tell him to get a new bed. That squeaking is driving me crazy.”

Heat flushed over Kaylae’s face.

Alazar’s smile grew. He released her shoulders and pulled a bag with the Hallowed Bean’s label on the front from one of the cabinets. He dangled it in front of her face. She tried to snatch it, but he held it over his head, way out of reach.

“Brat,” she muttered, placing balled fists on her hips. She arched her brow. “See if I share any more of my fudge with you.”

“Convince him to buy a new bed.”

“I will, believe me. Now hand over the donuts.”

Alazar regarded her for a long moment, then gave her the bag. She pulled out one vanilla glazed chocolate donut round and took a bite. The raspberry jam oozed over her tongue and she moaned aloud.

“I love these things.”

“Yeah, I can tell. I was waiting for you to throw punches.”

She smiled a donut tooth-covered smile and popped the rest of the round in her mouth. She clapped his broad shoulder. “I’d never punch you.”

“Glad to hear it. At least I’m safe from someone.” Alazar slipped his hands into his jeans pockets. His good-natured mood dimmed a little. “Cade won’t be back until late tonight. What are your plans with Zareh?”

Kaylae held out the bag for him, but he shook his head. “I have to go down to the credit union. Willa asked that we stop by in about an hour or so. She said Pandora had a protection something or other for me.”

“I think I heard that she and Willa brainstormed. You’ll have to show me the finished product when you get back. I’m interested in seeing what those two devised.” Alazar’s eyes dimmed more and he nodded toward his bedroom. “I think I’m going to freshen up and head down to Howler’s to shoot up the pool tables. Why don’t you guys meet me there when you’re done? We can grab some grub.”

“Sounds like a plan. I like that place.”

Alazar laughed. “It’s pretty cool, huh?”

Kaylae took a seat at one of the counter stools and demolished half the bag of rounds before Zareh found her and saved her hips from glorious donut overload. He peeked inside the bag before casting her a raised brow and a smirky look.

“Do not tell me these are better than sex.”

Kaylae shook her head. “A close second.” She stuck a finger in her mouth and sucked the glaze off. “Mmm.”

“Bad Keeper.” He relieved her of the effort of cleaning off another finger when he licked the glaze from her pad. “That tastes much better coming off you. I’ll remember that for later.”

His soft-spoken promise made her look at those Vampire Bites in a whole new way. She liked them even more.

“So, you need to go to the credit union?”

“Yeah. I’m happy I had the foresight to keep the Janet Dane license in my wallet instead of that envelope.” She edged around Zareh and slung her purse over her shoulder. “Not sure how I would get access to the safety deposit boxes otherwise.”

“Oh, sweetness.” Zareh placed a hand on her lower back and guided her to the front door. “There are many ways to get what you want.”

Alazar joined them in the foyer and tsked. “Don’t be warping unsuspecting minds, now. That’s not very chivalrous of you.”

“I don’t do things like that.” Zareh flashed a smile, one surely meant to charm his way into getting what he wanted. Kaylae couldn’t imagine anyone denying him a request. “Now, where are you headed?”

“Out.”

“Uh-huh.” He stepped around Kaylae and made an up motion with his hands. “Arms out.”

Alazar shifted and let out an exasperated groan. “You’re seriously going to frisk me?”

“Hm.”

Kaylae took a step back and observed the comical pat-down. Alazar was a dose of entertainment with his commentary and inappropriate sounds in coordination with Zareh’s hand placement. She bit her finger to keep from laughing when Alazar performed one of the best overdramatic shivers she’d seen.

“Oooh, yeah. That was pretty good. You’re learning.”

Zareh snorted. She’d be damned if smoke didn’t curl up out of his nostrils, a sight that had become a secret turn-on for her. “I worry about you at times.” He straightened. “And not just about your gambling habits.”

“Keeps things entertaining, right?”

“That remains to be seen.” Zareh gave Alazar a last visual once-over.

“Anywhere else you want to check?”

Zareh snorted and shook his head, stepped back and slipped his hand around Kaylae’s. “I feel bad for the poor soul who wins the cash stashed in unsearchable areas.”

Alazar winked, smiled, and bounded out the front door. Once he was out of earshot, Kaylae smirked.

“He wants us to meet him at Howler’s when we’re done,” she said.

Zareh groaned. “He wants a security blanket. Should get him a big-boy pacifier while we’re out, too.” He gave her a gentle tug, bringing her closer to him. “Let’s go.”

Chapter Fifteen

The contents of the safety deposit boxes were a surprise, to say the least. Zareh had not expected to see that much cash stashed in the one box, nor did he expect to find Talius had collected a dowry for his daughter. As much as the gems and stones appealed to him—who was he to deny that both he and his dragon appreciated rare and expensive gems?—and accepted them for what they were meant to represent, he gave them back to his Doe, his gift to her.

Apparently, despite all of the romantic gestures he poured on her, his latest managed to surprise her into teary eyes.

What did gems and jewels mean to him when he and Doe would be sharing everything anyhow? He gladly offered what he owned to her, and he found her doing the same. The lifemate bond was intense, growing stronger with each day. He had no reason to take an offering when he was grateful for the flesh and blood gift of Kaylae Drayce.

Packing the contents of the boxes inside a quilted bag Kaylae had stashed in her purse, they allowed the empty boxes to be returned and left.

At Illusions, Willa took them to the back of the store, where she gifted Kaylae with a gold-threaded satchel not much bigger than a change purse.

“There is a small protection amulet sewn inside the bag, but the fabric itself is lined with magical beads and metals.”

“Wouldn’t the amulet alone suffice?” Zareh asked.

“Kaylae wanted a way to keep the stone close without keeping it encased in the box in her purse. When discussing it with Pandora, I explained that in addition to the protection amulet, we needed something to carry a very valuable item that would both conceal it and protect it from detection. Jewelry would have been too exposed.”

Willa shared the information that the coven leader, Alice, was preparing a confinement spell within a catalyst, but couldn’t say what the catalyst was. They were to expect the item as early as dusk.

Next, they made a quick stop by Delaney’s Delectables to stock up on Kaylae’s favorite fudge. What should have been a five-minute stop-and-go turned into the women chatting for twenty minutes, and Kaylae getting to taste test several delicacies.

Kaylae basked in every small pleasure and Zareh basked in each second of her pure joy.

“Let’s be touristy,” Kaylae suggested with an excited gleam in her eyes. She grabbed his hands and, giggling, started leading him toward the park at the center of town. “Let’s take goofy selfies in front of some of the coolest places.”

Zareh couldn’t help but smile at the otherwise absurd idea. They lived here. Why would they want to take pictures of themselves in front of places they visited a few times a week?

There was something contagious and adorable in Kaylae’s expression, and he found himself entertaining the idea of participating in some crazy touristy poses. Her awe and innocence captured his heart over and over, and right this moment was no different.

“Okay, m’lady. As you wish.”

The selfie stops started at an antique shop. The architecture deliberately resembled a rickety old building leaning to one side with a cracked foundation and ivy-constricted the bricks, which were painted to look old and worn. Kaylae hopped on his back and pretended to hold up the dangling shop sign, a look of worry etched in her wide eyes. Zareh followed her lead, pretending to cringe at the prospect of the sign falling, and snapped the picture on his cell phone.

Many stops involved similarly theatrical poses. They laughed as they reviewed each one before moving to the next.

At the Hallowed Bean, Kaylae got a Vampire Bite donut round, pressed it to his neck, and took a bite while he silently screamed. Unfortunately, the silliness of the picture was challenged when she licked the glaze and jam off his neck, leaving him in a storm of thoughts that had nothing to do with funny selfies.

“The fountain,” she breathed, her smile lighting up her face. She smacked a sugared kiss on his lips. “Come on.”

He found himself helpless not to follow her into anything and everything. He was undeniably besotted.

When they reached the fountain, they had to wait a few minutes for a space to open up between tourists.

“Pretend like you’re going to throw me into the water. I think that’ll be great!” Kaylae said. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kicked up her legs. He caught her in the cradle of his arms, then wagged his phone against her knee for her to take. “Hold on. Let me pull up the camera.”

Zareh glanced up at the stone gargoyle, sensing the creature’s amusement. Every few moments, he moved a little, enough to have people gasp and point and focus more intently, waiting for another movement.

“Ready?”

“Always, sweetness.”

He widened his stance and tipped her back, head toward the water. Kaylae shrieked, snapped the picture, then burst out laughing. Zareh pulled her back up and tightened his arms around her, ignoring the curious glances they received from onlookers. He couldn’t take his eyes off the beauty he held. Her carefree spirit glowed through her multi-hued blue eyes and the life that colored her cheeks.

Right now, all he cared about was the woman in his arms.

His woman.

“I love you, Kaylae,” Zareh confided. The strange rumble of his voice and the sudden breathlessness that hit him cut through all the fun and lightheartedness. This very moment, he spoke from the depths of his heart. When Kaylae’s smile faded and she turned wide, emotion-filled eyes on him, he couldn’t help but repeat it and make it real. “I love you.”

“You…do?”

He nodded. “I do.”

Kaylae pressed her hand to his cheek, staring into his eyes for a long moment before bringing her mouth to his. She kissed him soft and slow, pouring herself into the kiss, and he drank every unspoken implication up. He lowered her feet to the ground without interrupting their kiss and held her tight, tangling his fingers in her hair and slipping his hand around her waist.

“I could kiss you all day, little Doe. All day and all night. Forever and ever.”

Kaylae pressed up higher on her toes and deepened the kiss. “I’m a Keeper in more ways than one, huh?”

Zareh grinned against her mouth before ending their kiss. It was heading into dangerous territory, and in public. As it stood, they had way too many eyes on them.

“My sweetness, you are a keeper in every possible definition of the word.” He cleared his throat. “Think we should go save Alazar’s sorry tail from another devastating loss?”

Kaylae nodded. She handed him his phone and gave the quilted bag slung across her body a pat. “Can we stop at home real quick first?”

“I think that would be a great idea.”

Kaylae’s eyes narrowed. “Oh? Are we thinking of the same reasons for the stop?”

Zareh traced her bottom lip with his thumb. “I don’t know. Want to find out?”

The wicked woman winked. “This should be interesting.”

* * *

Okay, so Zareh’s reasons were far different from Kaylae’s, but he knew that before they left the fountain. The stop at his house to unload her small hoard in a wall safe in his room remained uneventful, and they wasted little time arriving at Howler’s in time to save Alazar from defeat.

“You don’t want that cash, bro. I promise you,” Zareh said to Alazar’s opponent, rounding the pool table and slipping the pool stick from his friend’s hand. He nudged the hundred-dollar bill on the side of the table and made a face. “He stashes his cash in one of two places. His boots or his underwear. And it’s always paper-to-skin.”

The small group of buddies with Alazar’s opponent exchanged rather appalled glances. Zareh sensed they were shifters, but couldn’t tell what kind. Nor did he really care, until Alazar’s opponent decided to give Kaylae an openly appreciative once-over.

Now that riled his dragon.

He pulled out his wallet and tossed a bunch of hundreds on the table.

“However, I’m willing to play you. Rack ’em up.”

The lithe, average-sized opponent stared at the cash, then looked at Zareh. His eyes widened slightly, a flicker of fear in their light-brown depths. Zareh felt the tips of his fangs forming along his teeth and clenched them down, willing his dragon to relax.

“Hey, man. I can’t match that,” the shifter said.

Zareh lowered the end of the pool stick to the floor. Well, maybe he smacked it down. The shifter took a step back.

“Rack ’em,” he snapped.

“Zar? What’s wrong?”

Kaylae’s timid voice filtered into his mind. Her nearness through their telepathic connection worked like a balm, relaxing his dragon, and himself. He pressed his lips together, but refused to look away from the shifter.

Alazar dropped a hand on his shoulder. “Hey, brother. Let’s put the stick away and grab something to eat, okay?” His friend leaned very close to his ear. “Watch yourself. You’re peeking out beneath the sleeves.”

Zareh glanced down at the cuff of his shirt. His scales weren’t visible, but his skin tingled, confirming Alazar’s words. Only the very tips would have been visible, but he didn’t need the speculation from this group of shifters.

The opponent rested his pool stick against the wall and held up his hands. “Hey, man. No harm meant. It was all in good fun, the game. I wouldn’t have taken his money.”

Kaylae sidled up beside Zareh, her hand slipping up his arm. Her touch, oh, how he needed her touch. It grounded him when he needed it the most.

Like now.

Zareh wrapped his arm around his Doe, making a blaring statement with his possessive embrace.

“Watch your eyes next time,” Zareh warned. The shifter swallowed hard, nodded, and herded his buddies into the main bar area. Zareh waited until he could no longer see the bunch before lowering his lips to the top of Kaylae’s head and letting out a long breath. “Sorry.”

“I should be flattered by your fierceness, but I know that wasn’t because of me,” Alazar said, gathering the pool sticks and placing them on the wall rack. “What happened, Zar?”

“It was the way he looked at Doe.”

Kaylae tipped her head up, a crease between her brows. “What?”

“I didn’t like the way he sized you up like a prime cut of meat.” By the shift in her expression, he feared he had overreacted. Maybe he had, but there was no going back now. He was on edge with the Baroqueth nearby. He wasn’t taking chances with her. “I’m sorry. I won’t let it happen again.”

“Huh.” Kaylae wedged an arm between them and pinched her forehead. “I didn’t take you as the jealous type. At least not to the point of fire in your eyes and trying to crack a pool stick on the floor. I didn’t even notice, Zar. I had no clue the guy paid an ounce of attention to me. And, quite honestly, I wouldn’t have cared.”

Zareh couldn’t explain the sickening churn in his gut. Something cool fell between them in those silent moments.

Alazar had the good mind to keep his mouth zipped as he racked the balls for the next players.

She let out a sharp breath and eased herself out of his encircling arm. “Um, I need to use the restroom.” The grin she gave him was strained. She didn’t look him in the eye. “I’ll be right back. Why don’t you grab a table, okay?”

“Doe—”

Kaylae raised a hand, silencing him. “I’ll be right back, Zar. I promise. Just…give me a few minutes, okay?”

“Of course.”

The fire in his veins couldn’t melt the shards of ice her hollow words left behind. He watched her move through the crowd and disappear down the hallway to the bathrooms before he rubbed a hand over his mouth. A slew of cusses fled his lips, drawing Alazar’s attention.

“Can I say something, Zar?”

Zareh shot his friend a cold glance, but Alazar didn’t recoil. Instead, he rolled his eyes and leaned a hip against the pool table.

“First, I didn’t have the cash in my boot or in my underwear.” Alazar crossed his arms over his chest when Zareh growled. “It was behind my belt, which I tightened until my gut hurt to keep it from sliding out while you patted me down. Second, she has lived her life in a bubble, right? She has been the focus of overprotection and secrets her whole life. I don’t think she’ll tolerate the jealously thing very well. Especially if that’s only a small taste of it. You can be jealous and handle it in a far more civilized way than going crazy-dragon on everyone. Big, bad, protective lifemate is one thing. Possessive, scary monster is definitely not a thing.”

Zareh felt the furrow in his brow. He tilted his head slightly and regarded this wise Alazar in a new light.

Slowly, he lowered his hand from his mouth and hooked his thumbs on his belt loops. “What exactly did you do with Al?”

“That’s so overdone.” Alazar chuckled. “I might be younger than you by, what, fifty or so years? It doesn’t make me a child. We’re great friends for a reason. You’re all uptight and boxer-bunched while I’m chillaxed. We balance each other out. Just because I act like I haven’t a care in the world doesn’t mean I don’t care.” He tapped a finger on his head. “You’d be surprised what this melon of mine has inside it.”

“I might have to take a melon baller to it and find out what else you’re hiding from me.”

“Let’s get our table before you really start spitting out some pitiful lines.”

Zareh glanced toward the bathrooms as he followed Alazar to an empty booth. He sat so as to get a perfect view of the hallway, waving to Bridget as she served a few customers at the bar. He pulled his phone from his pocket and dropped it on the table.

“Usual?” she called over to them.

Zareh gave her a thumb’s up. “And a sweet tea for my better half.”

“That is not me. I’ll take the norm,” Alazar answered over the din of the crowd. He dropped the neatly folded hundreds on the table in front of Zareh. “You almost left those back there, so this round is on you.”

A server swept by, placing a pile of menus at the end of the table. Zareh moved one to where he hoped Kaylae would sit, ignoring the last two. Damn, he hoped he hadn’t screwed things up bad. He’d make sure he controlled himself better next time. He definitely didn’t want to scare Kaylae. Geez, he loved her.

That didn’t mean she loved him in return.

His stomach revolted at the thought.

Maybe soda and bitters would be a better choice of beverage. Or a fire extinguisher.

“She’ll be fine once she shakes what happened back there. I know you didn’t mean it the way it looked, and she’ll realize that, too,” Alazar said. “And you looked baaad.”

Zareh sighed. “Great.” He glanced toward the bathrooms, then at the bar top. The sweet tea and his beer were ready. “Let me grab those so she doesn’t have to bring them around.”

Bridget brought Alazar’s drink over as he reached the crowded bar. “How’s your lady friend? You two seem to be pretty comfortable together.” She wagged her brows. “Is this a possible permanent match for one of the town’s eligible bachelors?”

Zareh put on his smile and chuckled. “You know it, Bridge.”

Bridget’s brows rose. She straightened, her smile turning devious. The gold of her eyes flashed. “Ahh, I see. No more ‘cuteness.’ Must be serious. Well, my dear friend, how ’bout I treat you in honor of your newfound happiness.” She smacked the bar top. “On me.” And walked away.

Zareh balanced the three drinks in his hands and returned to the table. Alazar had his phone, a big smile on his face.

“What?” he asked.

Alazar turned the phone around. Zareh stared at the picture of him and Kaylae at the fountain, caught up in their kiss after he told her he loved her. He hadn’t realized she snapped the picture.

He placed the glasses on the table, the corner of his mouth twitching. They looked so perfect together. So completely in love. Her blind aim caught the essence of their emotions in that moment perfectly.

Almost too perfectly.

Sliding into the booth, he shrugged and sipped his beer. Alazar lowered the phone to the table and rapped his finger on the tabletop.

“There’s something I wanted to talk to you about. Now’s as good a time as any, I guess,” Alazar said, lifting his bourbon to his lips. He gave the phone a side glance, then sipped his drink. Zareh brought the phone closer, drawn to the image. When Kaylae returned from the bathroom, he’d promise her he’d never lose his cool again. That image was what he wanted for them both, all the time. “Or, maybe not.”

“I’m listening.”

“I wanted to talk to you about our living situation…”

A small blur on the very edge of the screen caught his attention. He brought the phone closer to examine the inconsistency with the rest of the photo. The harder he tried to decipher what it was, the more elusive it became. He shifted back to him and Kaylae, noting every fine detail of the picture.

“You’re not listening to me. Again.”

Zareh blinked and looked up at Alazar. He turned the phone around. “Something’s not right with this picture. I don’t see how she was able to take it.”

Alazar stared at him for a long moment before taking the phone and looking it over. “I didn’t think she took it. I thought you had someone take it for you and send it to you. It came as a text message while you were at the bar.”

A swell of raw panic rose inside him. He snatched the phone back and went to the photos from earlier. He found the last one where he was pretending to toss her into the fountain, and picked through each and every figure in the background.

“Get Cade on the phone,” he demanded, his throat filling with heat. “Now.”

From the corner of his eye, he saw Alazar do as he was told. He enhanced the picture on the screen, zooming in and getting a better look at the tourists.

He cussed under his breath. His stomach twisted. His dragon coiled inside him, preparing to break free.

There, staring back at him, was the blurry figure of a single Baroqueth on the other side of the fountain. Dressed in a dark hooded cloak, the tattoos on his hands and the spark of silver in his eyes gave him away for who he truly was.

The phone vibrated once, notifying him of a new message.

Fingers stiff, he opened the text from an unknown number:

A perfect match. But is she worth it?

“Zareh, Cade’ll be here within the hour. He’s flying.”

Zareh looked up from the phone. The heavy thunder of his heart drowned out the noise from the bar. His skin tingled, his scales threatening to burst from his skin. A smoky essence filled his throat and his nostrils.

Another vibration, followed by two more.

“Zareh?”

He was trembling by the time he looked down.

A picture of him and Alazar glared up at him. Alazar had his phone, looking at the picture. Zareh had just returned from the bar.

We’re about to find out.

Dread rushed through him as he scrolled to the next picture.

His dragon roared.

He burst out of the booth and bolted for the bathroom.

“Kaylae!”

Chapter Sixteen

The last thing she remembered was standing in the bathroom, telling herself there was nothing to be mad about when a woman asked if she was okay. That woman reached for her shoulder as though to comfort her, and then…nothing.

Kaylae rubbed her forehead. A dull throb pulsed along her temples. It took a few more moments before she could muster the strength to peel open her eyelids. The moment she did, she wished she could shut them again.

An ache around her ribs brought her attention to a worn rope wrapped around her chest. She blinked a few times, attempting to clear the rest of the gray and haze before trying to twist free. The action got her next to nowhere.

With increasing awareness, she blinked and looked around, trying to assess the situation. It appeared she was tied to a tree in the middle of a dark forest. She sat on a large pile of dry branches and brush.

“Oh no.” As fear boiled up inside her, she tried to push up to her feet. The rope held her down. She reached around, trying to feel for the knot, but the rope was smooth as far as her fingers could reach. In a burst of desperation, she kicked at the sticks and used her hands to shove them away, trying to get as much out from under her as possible. The pile wasn’t high, but diminishing it might be enough for her to get her feet beneath her for leverage.

“Why would you do that, Keeper?”

Kaylae froze as a terrifyingly fluid, calm voice came from the night itself. A breeze lifted around her and she watched in horror as the sticks pulled back together, but this time covering her feet and legs. The breeze died down. She tried to kick the sticks away again. Her feet would not move. The branches and dried brush cemented her in place.

“Who are you?” Her voice shook. She jerked one way, then the other, trying to find the source of the voice in the darkness. “What do you want with me?”

Silly, really, since she already knew the answer to both questions.

The inquiry brought another breeze, and with it, a wispy black figure appeared to her left. The figure solidified. A long, hooded cloak flapped and fluttered as the figure practically glided to stand before her. A second figure appeared, then a third.

She gulped.

The first figure to appear lifted a hand, palm up, and danced the fingers of the other hand over it. A smoky blue image appeared. Kaylae tried to ignore it, but before she turned away, she saw Zareh in the midst of all the haze and strange magical colors.

Her heart ached at the sight of him, distraught and enraged. Blurry figures moved around him as he paced. There was no sound, but the image drove these jerks’ point home.

“You know who we are.” The magical images extinguished in a thin curl of blue smoke. “You know what we are after.”

“No.” If she could play the naïve idiot, maybe it would buy her time to figure this mess out. Or at least give her better prospects than sitting on a human-sized bird’s nest, praying a match didn’t land beside her. “I’m not sure I do.”

The hood of the figure in front of her lifted away from her kidnapper’s head before the man crouched on his haunches. Kaylae stared in mild disbelief. How could someone so evil be handsome? That wasn’t right.

Silver flecked in eyes that matched a midnight sky, hair and beard just as dark. The man had very rugged, yet attractive features. Black ink peeked out from under the collar of his shirt, sharp tips etched into one side of his neck in strange curls and angles.

Kaylae sensed an elegance in this man, this enemy. An elegance that, despite Zareh’s chivalric character, none of the dragons she’d met had seemed to master. If all Baroqueth were like this single man, they fit her idea of high society aristocrats of old while the dragons were the fierce, down-to-earth warriors.

“I can tell when you are lying, little girl,” the man taunted. The silver flared in his eyes, then dimmed. Kaylae bit her lip to keep from responding. “Shall we try to do this in a civil manner? At least until your dragon arrives?”

“He won’t come and he’s not a dragon.” Kaylae scowled. “Certainly not my dragon.” She shivered for effect. “I hate reptiles.”

The curl of the man’s lips sent a chill straight to her heart. She choked on her breath. When she tried to inhale past the invisible lump, she couldn’t. Ice slithered around her throat. Instinctively, she reached up and tried to pull away the tendrils constricting her neck, but clawed at nothing but her own skin. A raspy whimper escaped her lips, panic tearing at the seams of her mind.

“I’ll be sure to relay that message to him so that is the last thing he hears.” The man straightened and flicked his hand. The ice vanished from her throat and she gasped in a lungful of air. Bent over the rope, unable to move into a more comfortable position, she squeezed her eyes shut against the sting of tears and concentrated on replenishing her body with oxygen. “Be a good girl and I’ll bring back a present.”

“You won’t kill him. You won’t have a chance.” The words spilled out on a rush of air. When she looked up, the Baroqueth had paused. He turned enough to cast her a cold, devious smile.

“You’re right. I won’t kill him.” He pulled his hood over his head. “You will.”

* * *

Zareh couldn’t see past the sheen of fury-induced red and the dark fear that raged inside him. He couldn’t keep his dragon down. Scales rippled over his exposed skin. Every time it happened, he earned a curious look from the crowd of friends and acquaintances who had converged to help save Kaylae.

Alazar managed to keep him from loosing his human skin in Howler’s long enough for Bridget to get him into the storage room, out of sight of the humans. He battled the urge to shift into his dragon and track the Baroqueth who came in under his radar and kidnapped his woman. He nearly lost that battle more than a dozen times. The talon marks on the walls and smashed liquor bottles from his growth were the proof of that.

Bridget had called her brother. Sheriff Merrow and Nick arrived together and got him out through a private back door. Alazar spoke to him in their dragon tongue, trying to soothe the beast long enough to get Zareh thinking rationally.

This was not the time to lose control. They weren’t at The Hollow. They were in the human realm, in this quaint little town he had fallen in love with. A town he wanted to live in with Kaylae for years to come.

Oh, sweet Goddess. He needed to keep his head to save her.

The thought reignited his dragon’s fear and rage and he almost destroyed Sheriff Merrow’s cruiser.

He had no idea where they ended up other than near a forest, but as soon as Alazar coaxed his dragon free, he gave in to the urge to shift. Taking on his second form alleviated the stress of his internal battle and fed him new determination to hunt down and destroy the creatures that sought to destroy Kaylae.

He stretched the wide expanse of his leathery wings, the air of his motions swaying the nearby plants and rustling the leaves in the trees.

He wanted to hunt from the sky, but Alazar pulled him back in, urging him to regain his human form so they could go to the house and regroup.

Now, he paced his living room after tearing apart his bedroom, searching for anything that could lead him to Kaylae. It was what he didn’t find that gave him the clue. The Baroqueth medallion he had confiscated from Talius’s home was missing.

It was then he realized those retched slayers had been in his home. They knew where he lived, where he hid and protected his lifemate. How long had they known? Had they been watching them, waiting for the right moment to pounce?

How the hell did they get by him? By all of them?

The enormity of his own failure laid a brutal beating on his conscience.

They had never been tracking Kaylae. They’d tracked the medallion. He had led them to his lifemate.

The Baroqueth were on his tail before they ever knew about Kaylae. He was the reason for Kaylae’s abduction. He was the reason they had been found.

That damn medallion.

He should’ve let it burn with the house.

His heart twisted and tore with the agony of knowing his sweet little Doe was in trouble and he let her fall into their hands.

Cade dropped an arm around his shoulders even as he tried to move away, and held him firm. He steered Zareh away from the people gathered in the living room and kitchen and moved them down the hallway and into his bedroom.

When the door closed, Cade blocked it. Zareh huffed. Streams of smoke and licks of flame rolled over his tongue.

“This is not easy for any of us, Zar. I know it is hardest for you, but you need to control yourself,” Cade said, his tone sympathetic but stern. “Anything with the jewel?”

Zareh shook his head. “Nothing.”

“Then let’s hope that we overlooked her purse at Howler’s and it’s safe for the moment.”

“They wouldn’t leave it lying around. Not if they suspect she carried it with her.” Zareh combed rough fingers through his hair before folding his hands on top of his head with a growl. “I can’t even get a trace on them. I have nothing.”

“Their powers have increased over the last thirty years. They can mask their presence as well as we can hide ours. Survival.” Cade shook his head. “That Hugh guy out there? The vampire?”

“Yeah. What of him?”

“Said an Alice woman will be here shortly. The little fae, Willa, and her witch friend are certain the protection amulet will keep Kaylae safe until Alice can contain the Baroqueth.”

“That amulet won’t do anything if they’ve taken it from her.” Zareh groaned and dropped his arms. “If their powers have increased, I don’t want anyone else getting involved. The witches in this town don’t stand a chance against the Baroqueth and I will not have any deaths on my conscience.” He snarled. “No. We’ll take care of this. This is our battle, our war. These folks of Nocturne Falls have nothing to do with this. I brought those slayers here, I’ll get them out.”

The door clicked and opened. A petite, middle-aged woman poked her head in. “Sorry to interrupt, but I couldn’t help but overhear your concerns. May I speak on behalf of those in your home?” She slipped into the room without waiting for an invitation. Zareh exchanged a curious look with Cade, who shrugged.

“They are here because they choose to be here,” the woman said. “The residents of this town come together to protect their own, and you are one of us. Coming together in the face of evil is much better than going it alone.”

“I’m sorry. I haven’t met you,” Zareh said. Nothing about the woman stood out as paranormal or magical. She appeared genuinely friendly and harmless. It was only after he looked her in the eyes that he saw the depth of wisdom residing there. “You are?”

“Alice Bishop—”

The room suddenly disappeared. Zareh jerked at the shift in his vision, switching to his dragon’s eyes. His skin prickled as a faint caress of nighttime air coasted over him. Strange scents of forest—damp dirt, trees, moss—mixed with the potent scent of salt struck him mercilessly. Invisible hands grabbed hold of his arms, the arms back in his home, as something unseen bit into his chest.

A moment later, he caught a split-second image of Kaylae before he could see nothing but darkness.

She had the jewel. His precious little Doe had the jewel.

The salt came from her tears. The sensation around his chest, a rope.

“I don’t know where I am. They plan on having me kill you. I won’t. I would never, but you can’t come close to me. The magic is powerful.”

He tried to calm her fears, her anxiety through mental pushes of strength and warmth. He projected the image of her in his arms, protected and cherished. He would find her and save her, if it cost him his last breath.

“I’m sorry I got mad at you. It was stupid, because really? I can’t be mad at you. I love you, too. This is not the way I wanted to tell you, but if something happens, if we don’t survive this, at least I know you heard me say it.” A soft sob filled the silence. “I know you know my feelings for you are as strong as yours are for me.”

A moment later, Zareh blinked. The forest was gone and his bedroom back. Cade came into focus first. He looked around for his other guest.

Alice removed her hand from his shoulder and stepped back, a small grin playing on her mouth. “She’s by the falls.”

Cade’s eyes narrowed. “How do you know?”

“Never doubt a witch’s magic.” To Zareh, she said, “Now, let’s rescue your girlfriend.”

Chapter Seventeen

Kaylae couldn’t feel her feet by the time the three Baroqueth returned. She tried to wiggle her toes to keep the blood circulating, but had lost sensation a little while ago. The night air had taken on a dampness that left her skin chilled and shivers wracked her every few minutes. She caught sight of more than enough insects crawling on her to traumatize her for a lifetime. At one point, raccoons padded by, taking a moment to sniff at the pile of tinder until she hissed and scared them away. The bark from the tree scraped her back through her thin shirt with any slight movement, leaving her skin raw in a few places.

Raw skin and numb feet would be the least of her worries if she ended up dead anyhow.

“As promised,” the Baroqueth said, holding out a bottle of what looked like soda. The two others had yet to speak. She took the bottle, her mouth watering, and broke the seal. She paused with the bottle close to her lips when she saw the mischievous grin on the jerk’s face.

“You must be thirsty,” he said.

“No.”

She turned the bottle upside down, pouring the contents over the sticks. Only a little poured out before the bottle ripped from her fingers seemingly of its own accord, righted itself in midair, and pressed hard against her closed lips. The pressure from the bottle forced her head against the tree, the bark biting into her scalp. Invisible binds held her arms down, rendering her helpless to fight.

“You are thirsty. Now drink.”

Her lips parted against her will. Inside, she screamed against the assault as the sickly sweet liquid poured over her tongue. She tried to keep from swallowing and choked. In desperation, she swallowed a large gulp, then another before the bottle flung away and her arms were freed. She leaned forward, spitting out what was in her mouth, coughing up what she had choked on. She tried to stick her fingers down her throat to make herself throw up, but those damn invisible bindings whipped over her arms again.

The man grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him. She hated that his fingers were warm when she wished they were as icy as his heart.

“You have a choice, Kaylae Drayce. You will kill that dragon when he comes to rescue you or you will die from the poison you just drank. Know that your death will bring on his own, when instead you can live reptile-free for the price of his heart.”

Kaylae spit at the man.

Damn him for laughing. Damn him for mocking her.

Ugh, damn this entire night.

He shoved her head to the side and removed a cruel-looking dagger from somewhere beneath his cloak. She sneered.

“Don’t think about using it on yourself. You can’t.” He rested it on the wood beside her hip. “When he comes, which will be as soon as I give him your location, you know what to do.”

“That won’t be necessary.”

Kaylae’s head jerked toward the familiar gruff she’d come to know as Cade’s voice. The burly beast of a man stepped out from behind a clump of trees and bramble, thumbs hooked casually through his belt loops.

Kaylae’s joy soared, her heart rate skyrocketing. She tried her hardest to contain her relief. She was far from free and this was far from over.

“We already found you.” Sheriff Merrow appeared, no-nonsense at it’s most intimidating. “I will give you one chance to come with me willingly.”

The Baroqueth all laughed.

Then the leader shot his hand out. A bolt of bright blue light exploded from his palm.

Cade lunged in front of the sheriff, taking the power bolt. It threw him back several feet until he slammed into a tree and tumbled to the ground. The three Baroqueth began shooting the power bolts rapidly, aiming at Cade, but the dragon was back on his feet and…growing.

Kaylae’s jaw slackened as she watched Cade change before her eyes. This was so much more than the taste he’d shown them in Sheriff Merrow’s office. The beast he became was striking.

Terrifying.

But she had little time to gawk before she caught sight of another huge figure slithering close to the ground, weaving between the trees.

“Watch your fire, dragon. You don’t want to set her aflame, do you?” the leader asked. He dropped a hand to the pile she sat on. “Or do you?”

Orange and blue flames erupted around the perimeter of the pile. Kaylae shrieked, struggling against her restraints. The heat from the fire was far more intense than normal flames, instantly taking the chill away and making her wish for the night air. Sweat beaded along her brow.

Through the crackling and whoosh of flames, she heard the Baroqueth’s warning boom. “A life for a life. Give me a dragon and I will give you the Keeper.”

“I don’t negotiate. You know that,” Cade replied.

The flames roared.

She whimpered and looked up to see another dragon sweeping the area behind the Baroqueth with fire. Something barreled into one of the Baroqueth, an unseen force that knocked the guy off his feet. The second Baroqueth stumbled as though pushed by the same force.

“Kaylae, I’m right here, sweetness.”

The leader of the trio spun around as a third magnificent dragon emerged from the trees. Zareh in dragon form stole her breath despite her predicament. As he lifted his head and his long, thick neck snaked back to oversee the Baroqueth, Kaylae couldn’t help but laugh…and sob.

She was going to be okay.

A moment later, a small woman stepped out from behind Zareh.

The Baroqueth leader burst out laughing.

The flames around Kaylae leaped into the sky and formed a dome over her head, suffocating her in melting heat.

The ropes loosened, but her feet remained trapped in the pile of wood as the flames closed in around her.

Curling in on herself, Kaylae screamed as the first flame scorched her skin.

* * *

Zareh tried to reach through the flames, but couldn’t penetrate the fiery wall. The sorcerer had reinforced it with strong magic.

Chaos ensued all around as he battered down the raw panic rising through him. Alice, an ethereal glow about her, chanted at his back. Her eyes glowed white as power pulsed off her, power she drew from the witches positioned around the area to contain the Baroqueth.

Kaylae’s time was running out. He’d sliced through the ropes to free her, but she remained trapped.

When he heard her scream, he couldn’t wait any longer. He began clawing at the flames, his deadly talons hitting the equivalent of steel. Desperate, he slashed at the tree. Wood cracked and snapped until the tree toppled and crashed to the forest floor.

Flames consumed the open space, enclosing his lifemate.

“Kaylae! Kaylae, I’m going to save you. I promise you!”

A bright flash of gold light blinded him. He reared back a step, twisting his neck to shield himself from the light. When he turned back to the fire, the Baroqueth were gone.

Alice began another fervent chant, moving closer and closer to the fire. Zareh rocked in place, his hope of saving Kaylae resting entirely in the hands of this witch.

The flames receded until all that was left was charred wood.

And Kaylae, curled up in the center of the pyre, wet with sweat.

Zareh shifted back to his human form and dove onto the wood, frantically pulling Kaylae into his arms. Alice murmured something more as he tried to pry her feet free, and finally, they freed from the wood.

“Little Doe? Sweetness?” He cradled her, wiping the damp strands of hair from her pink face. The bare skin of her arms was patchy and red, her clothing singed. “Kaylae, talk to me.”

Cade tugged at his shoulder. “We have to get her home. No time to waste.”

“She’s been poisoned,” Alice said quietly. Only then did Zareh notice her hand on Kaylae’s knee. Grief ripped through him until he wanted to roar. Urgency overcame the petite witch. “Yes. We must get her home. This is sorcerer magic at work. I can heal her, but not for much longer.”

Zareh didn’t need to be told twice, but a car would take too long. He turned to Alice. “I’ll fly. Can you protect me from being seen by the humans?”

A faint furrow formed over the witch’s brow. “Yes, but I would need to be with you.”

“I’ll secure you and Kaylae on his back,” Cade said, holding his arms for Kaylae. Zareh handed his lifemate to his clan leader and transformed into his dragon. He lowered himself flush to the ground and waited for Cade to secure Alice and Kaylae on his back. “Ready.”

Zareh flapped his wings, the strength in each downward stroke upsetting the ground beneath him and the trees around him. A faint vibration resonated along his scales as he crested the canopy of the forest. Urgency sparked the moment he cleared all obstacles and sped toward his home.

“My sweet little Doe. I won’t lose you now.”

Chapter Eighteen

Every painstaking hour that passed held a well of hope, and a plunge of disappointment. Night turned to day. Day turned to night. Alice Bishop and a few other witches came and went, performing chants, administering herbal this and that. They worked to heal the burns on her arms. Although she showed some signs of improvement, Kaylae’s skin remained raw.

He hated how helpless he was to save his little Doe. He hated that he had failed to protect her. He had retrieved the dragonstone from her pocket and tucked the jewel in her hand, hoping the magic might help her heal.

The actions became a blur. Alazar and Cade tried to get Zareh out of his room to walk his property for some fresh air, but he refused to leave Kaylae’s side. Not while her prognosis was unknown. At times, her cheeks colored. Other times, she paled to the point of death, leading him into a panic. She broke into a sweat a half-dozen times, then cooled to a frightening degree.

With the last cooling, Zareh climbed into bed with her, pulled her against his body and provided the warmth she desperately needed.

He did not move after that point.

Though she didn’t respond, he spoke to her along their telepathic link, telling her all of his wishes for their future together. He painted his home in all of the glory he remembered, promising to bring her to The Hollow to see his hoard. He promised to teach her how to ride his back in dragon form, entertaining the idea of wearing a dragon saddle so she wouldn’t fall.

He didn’t remember falling asleep. In his dream, Kaylae murmured words he couldn’t understand, but the essence fed him an ever-flowing sense of calm and peace.

“Zar. Wake up.”

Zareh growled, the sound forming deep in his chest and reverberating through his entire body. His arm tightened around Kaylae.

Someone prodded his shoulder again. This time, he twisted his head and snapped at the finger, dragon fangs and all.

“Hey, behave.”

Slowly, he blinked away the sleep and turned his rotten mood on Alazar. “What do you want?”

“Don’t be a jerk to me. I’ve been watching over you watching over her for the last two days. You, Zar, need to eat. You’re no good to her if you let yourself waste away. I made you a monster steak and potatoes. It’s out in the kitchen. And if you try to argue with me, Cade said he’d come in here and drag you out by your crest. So I suggest you go on your own. I’ll stay here with Kay until you’re done.”

Zareh stared at his friend for a long stretch of time, trying to force him to back away without threatening the man. Alazar stood his ground like a true friend, tapping his foot on the floor and casting his watch pointed glances every few seconds.

“You two are really pissing me off.” Zareh sighed, turning away from Alazar. “Get the heck out of here.”

“Zar—”

Zareh swatted a taloned hand at Alazar. “Give me a damn minute, okay? Wait in the hallway for all I care, just…give me a minute.”

Ultimately, Alazar was right. He would be no good to his lifemate if he didn’t keep up his strength.

Alazar left, but Zareh sensed his friend hovering right outside the open door. Pressing up onto his elbow, he gazed down at Kaylae’s peaceful face. He traced her brows, her nose, the delicate bones of her cheeks, and finally her lips. Leaning down, he brushed his lips across hers, satisfied that her skin was warm and not cool.

“Little Doe, come back to me.” He kissed her, keeping his lips against hers for a long moment. “Please.”

Kaylae didn’t respond, as he secretly wished she would, so he climbed out of bed, tucked the blankets around her, and headed to the kitchen. He cast Alazar a perturbed glance on his way, then regretted his coldness a few moments later. His friend was only looking out for him, and for Kaylae. Zareh had to stop projecting his inner turmoil and guilt on his dragon family.

Cade was in the kitchen, gently tapping a beer bottle against the table between sips. His fiery eyes observed Zareh closely as he took his seat in front of the only plated meal. He ate in silence, avoiding Cade’s piercing gaze.

“What are you going to tell me?” Zareh asked, uncaring that his mouth was full.

“Stop blaming yourself.”

Zareh finally looked up. “Who said I’m blaming myself for this?”

“You.” Cade finished his beer and shoved the bottle away. “In no certain terms, but who needs terms if your actions speak louder?” He leaned over the table. “None of us could’ve been prepared to face what we did the other night. It has been thirty years, Zareh. Thirty years of them plotting and planning. Thirty years of them increasing their powers, their skills, to best us. We may not have the magic they possess, but that doesn’t leave us helpless. We have power. We have strength. We have diamond hides and a will to survive. And we will. We received a taste of what we’re going to face in the future. Now, we can prepare. We have allies we didn’t have before. Allies who are willing to help us preserve our breed.”

“If you are referring to the witches here, forget it.”

Cade arched a brow. “That is not your decision to make. That is their decision, and theirs alone. And they have decided to help.”

Zareh gritted his teeth. “I don’t want harm befalling anyone in this town.”

“Judging by what I witnessed over the last few days, I don’t think you have to worry about harm befalling them.” Cade rapped his fingers on the tabletop. “You found a great place here, Zar. The people are quite incredible. They band together in times of need. For that, you should be grateful.”

The anger he had gathered in the pit of his stomach started to fizzle. He lowered his gaze to his empty plate and nodded. “I am grateful. For everything.”

“Good. Now that we got a sample of the Baroqueth’s new powers, we’ll be ready for them the next time. And, last I saw, Kaylae isn’t dead. Stop mourning her like she is. I don’t think she’ll appreciate that when she wakes.”

Zareh didn’t say anything. He returned to his bed, relieving Alazar of his short watch. He settled himself around Kaylae and, soon after, fell asleep.

* * *

For a long while, the sea of gray nothingness carried her along a weightless course. She felt nothing but warmth. She heard nothing but the soft whispers of a familiar voice. As time slipped by, the gray grew more dense. Her surroundings became more substantial, as did the voice.

Zareh?

Before long, serenity gave way to small aches and pains. Memories began to flash before her, memories of a life she had lost and a life she had gained.

Her last rise from the gray nothingness brought with it a fierce burning pain along her arms.

She grimaced, a weak squeak pushing through the dryness of her throat.

That single sound drew her away from the gray and dropped her straight back into reality.

Her eyes shot open. She stared up at a shadowed picture for a long while before she realized it was moonlight seeping through open curtains.

Heaviness bore down on her chest. She twisted, but the slight movement brought back the burning sensation and she whimpered.

“Doe?”

Kaylae gasped, trying to ignore the pain, but found herself fighting to hold back a sob. Her body dipped to the right before leveling out.

“Kaylae? Sweetness? Can you hear me?”

She clenched her teeth and nodded. “My arms.” A short sob forced its way past her teeth. “They hurt.”

“Oh, sweetness. My lovely little Doe. I’ll take care of you.”

She nodded against the pillow, ignoring the shift in the mattress while she concentrated on trying to alleviate the pain in her arms.

A few minutes later, something cool and damp covered her skin from wrists to shoulders. As the pain slowly eased, she found the strength to open her eyes.

Her brooding dragon man hovered over her, dabbing something over the linens on her arms that was quickly absorbed.

“What is that?” she asked.

“A medicinal wash Alice Bishop gave me. Your burns are much better than they were the other night, but it will take time to heal.” His eyes glimmered with love and regret. He tried to smile. The corners of his mouth twitched, but fell flat. “I’m so sorry, Kaylae.”

She stretched her fingers until she reached his thigh. “Zareh, I don’t blame you. I could never blame you. You’ve protected me from the first day I landed in this town. You came to me, risked your life to save me from the Baroqueth. And you continue to care for me and protect me. You are my dragon and I love you. I love you for everything you have done, shown, and promise.”

Zareh placed the wooden bowl and brush on the nightstand. He leaned over and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Nothing will ever touch you again. I promise you, Kaylae. I will never let them harm you again.”

“I know you won’t.”

“I love you, little Doe.”

Kaylae smiled. Those words from his lips took the edge off the pain and filled her heart with life and love and promises of a future full of happiness. As long as Zareh was by her side, she would always be complete.

Chapter Nineteen

One month later

Pandora, the real estate queen of Nocturne Falls and highly recommended agent by Willa, straightened up in her chair. “It’s a go?”

Zareh turned his love-filled gaze to Kaylae for the final decision. Kaylae clasped his hand. Giddiness bubbled up inside of her and she nodded. Pandora’s mouth lifted into a huge smile and she rubbed her hands together.

“Great! Monday, we’ll start the process of applying for permits. You two will be busy picking out all of your cabinets and countertops and hardware over the next few weeks,” Pandora said.

The contractor sitting beside her rolled up the blueprints of their new home. He reached across the table and shook hands with Kaylae and Zareh. “I am looking forward to working with you. This is your home and I am honored to have been chosen to build it.”

“We’re looking forward to the experience,” Zareh replied.

After Zareh showed the contractor and Pandora to the front door, Kaylae gave in to her overwhelming excitement. By the time Zareh returned, she was overjoyed at the significance of this latest venture.

Commitment.

A solid foundation in a life that handed out obstacles like candy.

She crossed the small space of kitchen and jumped on Zareh. His arms wrapped around her and he spun her in a circle, soft, breathy laughter filling her ear.

“This is so exciting.” Kaylae found the floor with the tips of her toes and eased herself to her feet. Zareh didn’t release her from his embrace, and that was perfectly okay with her. “We’re building a house together.”

“It’s more than a house.” He leaned down and kissed the tip of her nose. “It is our future.” He straightened, his grin transforming into his signature devastating smile. “On that note, I have a surprise for you.”

Kaylae’s brows quirked. “Oh?”

“You don’t mind getting wet, do you?”

Confusion settled on top of her excitement. “Wet? Why?”

“Well…”

Zareh’s arms dropped and he gathered her hands in his. Without an explanation, he led her to the back door and pulled her onto the covered patio. The rain came down in pelting sheets. Lightning lit up the sky. The loud rolls of thunder shook the ground beneath her feet.

Kaylae tipped her head and shot Zareh a concerned glance. “Oh, no. We’re not dancing in the rain. Not this rain, at least. I don’t like needles, and acupuncture by storm is certainly not on my list of enjoyable adventures.”

Zareh laughed and shook his head. He released one of her hands and snatched up a satchel from the chair closest to him.

“Let’s go for a ride.” He pulled out a thick, leather-hooded coat from the bag before slinging the strap over her head. By the looks of it, the thing was about two sizes too big for her. “This was Talius’s riding coat.”

Kaylae’s humor faded. She slipped her other hand from Zareh’s gentle grip and took the item. It was heavy, extremely heavy. The leather was thicker than she first gauged, and was lined with soft, plush material. She lifted it to her nose and took a deep breath.

Memories flooded her, times when Talius held her as little girl, the comforting scents of warm bourbon and forest freshness surrounding her. Scents that belonged to her father. Beneath those layers, she detected the subtle hint of another familiar scent. Bonfire smoke.

Zareh.

Only when her lifemate brushed his thumb beneath her eye did she realize a tear had trickled down her cheek. She sniffled, cleared her throat, and worked a small smile onto her lips.

“Where to, my dragon?”

“That, m’lady, is a surprise.”

Kaylae pulled the heavy coat on and allowed Zareh to fasten the strange buttons and buckles across her chest. This wasn’t the first time they’d taken to the sky since her recovery. He was adamant about teaching her how to ride his dragon in case another wave of Baroqueth came searching for them and they needed to flee. The easiest escape was up.

Heck, she didn’t mind seeing Zareh in his full coat of hard-plated armor either. He was breathtaking as a man and stunning as a dragon.

“Let me see your scales.”

Zareh laid a soft kiss on her lips before he stepped into the rain. Despite seeing him transform numerous times, the sight never got old. His human form molded and stretched, puffing up and out. Colors blurred together in a living display of artful magic. His clothing melted into the shadows cast by the larger dragon form. Crescent scales of beautiful burnt red consumed his sun-kissed skin. His enormous leathery wings budded and sprang up, stretching to their full striking width before folding down along his back. His tail stretched and snaked until it curled around the side of his body. His neck lengthened, his head reshaping to the fantastical vision of a powerful beast of lore. The crest smoothed up and back in the same burnt red, blending into the onyx tips that shimmered beneath the slick fall of rain. Similar black tips followed the length of his body from majestic crest to the tip of his tail. This spiky spine had proven to be an obstacle to navigate on her first flying lesson, but once she figured how to seat herself between the spikes, the riding position became as natural as sitting at the kitchen counter.

In dragon form, Zareh’s size easily swallowed his modest four-bedroom home only a few dozen feet away.

Zareh grunted, a sound so earthy and deep that it resonated through her bones. Smoke curled up from wide, circular nostrils as he slinked around to face her. His eyes glowed through the storm-darkened afternoon, red-orange with only a hint of his base green. The vertical slits of his pupils widened.

“Are you ready, little Doe?”

She would always be ready, as long as Zareh was with her.

Bracing for the onslaught of pelting rain, she picked up the harness Zareh had fashioned for her to use until she was comfortable riding him freestyle. Although she had learned how to fit her feet into the wedges where his wings met his body, and she knew how to hold onto the leathery patches of skin beneath the scales at the base of his neck, she wasn’t taking chances with the rain slickening his hide.

And since she had no idea where they were going, she didn’t want to tire and have nothing to hold onto.

Zareh dipped his head close to the ground. Kaylae pulled the large hood over her head and braved the storm. She worked fast to fasten the harness around the base of his neck, tightening the loops around three of the spikes. The rain hit the riding coat hard, but the leather absorbed the impact. She kept most of her hands hidden in the oversized sleeves to protect them from the stinging rain, but the tips of her fingers suffered as she secured the last straps around Zareh’s front legs.

“Ready.”

Zareh lowered his oversized form to the wet ground. Kaylae delayed mounting for a brief moment, coming to stand before his elongated head. She cradled his chin, or where she imagined his chin would be, and raised his heavy snout to press a kiss to his scaly upper lip.

“You have no idea how beautiful you are, Zareh. A mythical beast but a beautiful one. I’m so lucky to have you.”

Zareh nuzzled the tip of his snout against the crook of her neck. Despite the gentle motion, he nearly toppled her onto her side. She laughed and finally climbed into position on his back.

Zareh shot skyward, his wings lifting them at breathtaking speed. Kaylae ducked her head, finding it easier to breath when she curled into the coat. The force of the rain bore down on her. The leather harness grew slick in her hands, and she had to readjust her footing several times before, at last, Zareh leveled out.

They soared at an impossible altitude. Kaylae was surprised it wasn’t more difficult to breath. Zareh’s body radiated heat, keeping her warm despite the chilly temperature. His dragon connected with her on an unseen plane inside her body, protecting her from the elements that would have had an adverse effect on a normal human. Bleeding into the dragonstone solidified that final connection, a connection that gave her the privilege of experiencing Zareh’s dragon.

It also intensified their need for each other more than she thought possible.

Kaylae was a Keeper. Riding dragons was natural for her kind. Their bodies were created to withstand the forces of nature to soar the open skies, their DNA embedded with the magical life blocks to allow them become one with the dragons they protected.

All of this she learned as Zareh educated her on who she truly was.

Riding was a timeless matter, and time was seldom kept. Kaylae enjoyed the freedom of the sky and the magic of the beast carrying her along.

They approached the tall, snow-covered peaks of a dense mountain range. Zareh never slowed, maneuvering through the deadly maze of jagged rock at a thrilling speed.

“Hold tight, sweetness, and do not fear.”

That was hard not to do when the wall of mountain rushed toward her and Zareh continued his suicidal speed. Her fingers gripped the harness until her nails bit into her palms.

“Uhh, that no fear thing? Yeah, not happening.”

“It’s a portal, love. Speed or magic are the only ways to gain entry.”

She saw the dark opening of a cave before squeezing her eyes shut and pressing herself against Zareh’s body. A strange echo rushed through her ears and the musty smell of cold, damp dirt filled her nose. Zareh’s wings cocooned over her for what seemed like a lifetime.

Suddenly, he slowed. His wings shot out, forcing Kaylae to open her eyes.

The sight before her instantly washed away all the fear that had settled in her gut.

The world shimmered with beauty. It was a land untouched by the technology and industry of her world. The lush green landscape was splattered with colors from flowers to trees to rivers and waterfalls. There were no castles. No mansions. No signs of housing.

Despite the beauty, there was an eerie silence. The whisper of abandonment.

Zareh glided over a breathtaking patch of forest. Sunlight glittered through the treetops, reflecting on a crystal blue lake at the base of a waterfall. Colorful blooms draped down the rocky mountainside.

He landed on an open patch of knee-high grass that swayed in the warm breeze. Kaylae dismounted, made quick work of unfastening the harness, and waited for her dragon to transform back into a man.

Zareh held out a hand. She placed her hand in his, her awe causing her movements to be sluggish at best.

“Where are we?”

“The Hollow.”

Kaylae spun her attention to him. He smiled, his eyes glowing green. “Your home.”

He nodded. “Yes.”

He gave her hand a gentle squeeze and led her toward a natural staircase created from the roots of the oversized trees and jutting rock. Ivy and wisteria—at least, that’s what it resembled, but she was certain it wasn’t human-world wisteria—arched over the staircase, and she found herself entranced by the serenity and majestic atmosphere.

“There’s nothing modern here. It’s…beautiful.”

Zareh paused at the top of the stairs and turned to her. He brushed the back of his knuckles over her cheek. “The Hollow is an ancient realm. We strive to preserve the natural beauty of it. This land has protected the Firestorm tatsu for thousands of years. We don’t look to change what it has provided us, simply cherish it.”

He pressed his hand against a smooth patch in the rocky wall. Kaylae caught the extension of his talons before they disappeared into the rock. A soft click, followed by the sound of stone grinding, preceded the opening of an unmarked door.

“Magic? You can do magic?” Kaylae’s jaw dropped. Zareh chuckled. “When were you going to tell me that little secret?”

“Now. And no, I can’t always perform magic. The human realm restrains our full powers. Here, it’s fair game.”

The moment he pulled her through the door, fire lit the previously dark space. Candles lined stone walls. A fireplace erupted in full flames. Kaylae drank in the enormous space. It was far from the blueprint of their new home, but it was perfect in every way. Zareh flicked his hand. Shafts of light from previously covered holes in the rock poured into the room. Although it appeared untouched for years, a thin layer of dust kicking up as they moved across the room, it was apparent this was a grand living space.

“This is my home. As you can see, I haven’t been here to keep up with it.”

“It’s huge.”

“I like space.”

Kaylae snorted. “I would never have guessed.”

Zareh chuckled. “That space doesn’t apply to you and me, though. I don’t like space between us.”

He pulled her close. Kaylae nestled into the side of his body.

“Neither do I.”

Zareh gave her the tour. By the end of it, she was left in a state of disbelief by how huge his mountain home was. Far more than the cave façade, Zareh had created a warm, homey place furnished and decorated with bits and pieces of his hoard.

“One more thing.” Zareh brought her down a narrow flight of stone stairs, through several magical doors, and into a stunning dream.

There, stacked before her in a room deeper than she could measure, taller than she could fathom, and wider than this home and their new home combined, she beheld the magnitude of his hoard. The orange flames from torches mounted on stone pillars reflected off the surface of gold and jewels of any and every kind. Goblets, jewelry, crowns, furniture, everything a person’s imagination could conceive, it had to have been in this room.

Kaylae pressed her hands to her mouth. “Oh. My.”

“Our hoard, my love.”

Kaylae blinked. It was all she could do as she stared upon the impossible. Her mind couldn’t wrap around the enormity of wealth only a few feet away. She was thankful when Zareh wrapped his arms around her waist from behind. His strength kept her from falling to her knees. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

“This isn’t the surprise,” he murmured.

“I’m not sure I want a surprise anymore. I don’t think anything can beat what I’ve seen so far.”

“Oh, I think something can.” He slowly turned her away from the glitter of jewels and brought her back to the main floor. Her legs were weak, her head floating in a dream. “I came here while you napped earlier. Alazar watched over you so I could set up something special.”

Zareh pulled out a chair at a dining table and motioned for her to sit. She did, grateful to get off her feet before they refused to hold her up any longer.

“Don’t move.”

“You don’t have to worry about that.”

Zareh disappeared. When he returned, he carried a tray with several plates of food and dessert.

Vampire Bites.

Kaylae laughed as he sat down and handed her a plate.

“You are the epitome of a romantic,” Kaylae said, happily digging into her food.

“Chivalry at its finest.”

Zareh shared stories about The Hollow as they ate, painting the world she had glimpsed in all of its greatness. She couldn’t wait to explore, a promise Zareh made as they cleared the last of their meals.

“We’ll spend the night here, if you’d like. I’ll bring you to the orchards tomorrow and introduce you to some of the native fruits,” Zareh said, placing a small, gold-lined plate with a Vampire Bite in front of her. “First, dessert.”

“Aren’t you going to have one?” Kaylae tore the donut round in half. A loud clang cut through the room. She glanced down at the plate.

Her eyes widened.

“I want to make it official.” Zareh reached over and lifted the ring from the plate. He twisted it around, brushing a few lingering crumbs from the band. The candlelight caught the cuts of the huge diamond in a show of fire. The diamond chips that encrusted the solitaire and the gold band shimmered. “Willa made the ring for me. The diamond was the first diamond I collected. It was the start of my hoard.”

Kaylae’s eyes stung as Zareh removed the donut from her left hand. Gosh, who wanted donuts anyhow?

“It’s only right that it rests on your finger. You signify the start of a new beginning. You are promise, but most of all, you are love. You are everything I want, everything I need, and I never want to be without you. Kaylae Drayce, will you do me the greatest honor and be my wife and lifemate?”

Kaylae nodded, unable to find her voice as her throat swelled. She nodded and nodded, blinking tears away only to have them fall down her cheeks. Zareh smiled and slipped the ring on her finger. He leaned over the table, cupped her face in his hands, and drew her in for a slow, tender kiss. She sobbed into the kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck and stumbling to get free of her chair. Zareh guided her onto his lap, pulling her close, holding her hard, and kissing her like he was starved.

When his mouth trailed down her neck, she gasped for the breath he had stolen with his powerful kiss.

“Remember I told you I’d tell you when my wish came true?” Kaylae asked. Zareh paused and looked up at her.

“Has it finally come true?”

“Yes.” She brushed aside the lock of hair that fell over his eye.

“Will you tell me what you wished?”

She smiled. “That the impossible could be possible, and that I would find happiness in the impossible.” She trailed her finger over his lips. “You. My wish was for you, I just didn’t know it.”

Zareh’s grin melted into a smile. “Me.” He sank a hand into her hair and hugged her. “Sweetness, you own my heart. You will always have me. We defied the impossible.”

“That we did.” She leaned back and tapped the tip of his nose. “I remember you saying something about my favorite donut rounds tasting better on me? Want to put that to the test?”

Zareh chuckled. “Little Doe, everything tastes better on you. And yes. I most certainly want to put that to the test.”

The End

About Kira Nyte

Born and raised a Jersey girl with easy access to NYC, I was never short on ideas for stories. I started writing when I was 11, and my passion for creating worlds exploded from that point on. Romance writing came later, since kissing gave you cooties at 11, but when it did, I embraced it. Since then, all of my heroes and heroines find their happily ever after, even if it takes a good fight, or ten, to get there.

I currently live in Central Florida with my husband, our four children, and two parakeets. I work part-time as a PCU nurse when I’m not writing or traveling between sports and other activities.

I love to hear from readers! Contact me at kiranyteauthor@gmail.com