Supernatural Enforcement Bureau, Book 1, The Dragon and The Vampire: Book 1 (15 page)

If anyone could keep her safe, keep her out of the clutches of the Witches, she knew it would be Ronan. Her mate would move hell on earth to keep her safe, just as she would for him. As she realized this, her throat closed, a large lump forming to almost cut off her breathing. She had found her true mate and they would work together to ensure they had the future they deserved...together.

Starr straightened her back, missing the last few sentences as her mind wandered, but fell in beside Ronan as they made their way out of the room and down to the parking garage.

Sam jumped into the driver’s seat of one of the many, large, black SUV’s, Ronan holding the rear door for her to get in first, with him climbing in after her. Her breathing stuttered for a moment, as the dangerous looking Vampire from the briefing opened the front passenger door, then slid his large frame into the seat. His head turned and their eyes met, she knew hers were wide as she stared at his, before he inclined his head and swiveled around to stare out the front windshield.

Starr turned to Ronan, as his hand found one of hers and giving it a small squeeze. “Starr, this is Creed. He’s the leader of one of our elite squads. It’s his job to keep you safe today, so please, try ‘n stay close to him and his men.”

Creed turned. “Hello,” was all he said before once again turning away.

Starr stuttered her reply. “Hi,” before raising an eyebrow towards her mate.

“He’s the best.” Ronan said, and Starr didn’t doubt it for a minute. Being in the enclosed space of the vehicle had her heart hammering in her chest at being so close to Creed. He was dangerous and every pore in her body was telling her to run. Her hand tightened on Ronan’s, her mate’s touch calming her in a way she had never before experienced.

As she sat back for the journey she let her mind wander to the previous night. Her sleep interrupted several times with strange dreams. Some were funny, some were scary and some were just plain strange, one was a mix of all three!

A small giggle escaped her before she even realized it, Ronan looking down with a questioning look. She managed to stop the laughter as she whispered to him, “Sorry, had a lot of weird dreams last night and one just came back to me.”

Ronan raised an eyebrow, as if telling her to continue. “Well, one was really weird, I was running and being chased by a Vamp. We were in what I thought was a forest but soon realized it was a jungle, after I saw a lion running in the distance. I was scared shitless when I saw it, more so than by the Vamp that was chasing me. I wanted to transform but there were too many trees ‘n stuff around, so I couldn’t. Anyway, I kept running and I broke free and there was a watering hole in front of me, but there was also a bar area set up to the side, and this is where it goes kinda weird, it’s what made me laugh. So, at the watering hole is a Zebra drinking it’s fill, but at the bar there’s two giraffes sipping cocktails through straws. They turned, looked at me, ‘n said “Want a lift?” so I ...”

Starr stopped as Ronan and Sam’s laughter filled the vehicle, Sam hitting his hand on the steering wheel at the same time. Her face flushed and she punched Ronan in the side, before she joined in, laughter spilling from her mouth.

The relief the laughter brought her was immense, but it didn’t pass her notice that Creed hadn’t joined in. Finally, all three of them got some semblance of control, Ronan speaking first.

“Giraffes? Cocktails? Where the heck does your mind get stuff like that?”

Starr blushed again. “How the hell do I know! It was a dream! I don’t have control over what I freaking dream, and that was the bit just before the Vamp shot out of the trees and stopped dead, then he started laughing–kinda like you two just did, so I took off running and left him far behind, though I could still hear him laughing.”

Ronan’s face was still sporting a huge smile, laughter in his eyes. “Heck, that was some dream,
grá mo chroí.”

His voice softened at the end, his face moving down to place a chaste kiss on her lips, the moment broken by Sam’s voice. “Hey! No canoodling back there! Ya hear, this is a dangerous mission we’re going on so keep all that for afterward. Hell, I’m hoping to have some of that myself later! I’ve got a date with that new Wolf that just joined us. You know the one? She’s one of Serge’s trackers but she was up all night working so he told her to stay home today. So, guys, you know what that means, don’t ya?”

Starr had no idea what he was talking about. “Nope, what?”

Sam’s dirty chuckle had her smiling too. “Means she’s gonna be nice ‘n rested for my triumphant return!”

Starr burst out laughing, a little breathless as she replied, “In your dreams, Sam, in your dreams.”

As the laughter died down Starr moved closer into Ronan’s large body, his arm snaking around her shoulders to hold her close. Her head lolled on his shoulder for the rest of the journey and there was no more laughter, the car filled with various emotions.

She was pensive and a little scared. She could feel Ronan’s apprehension mixed with excitement, Sam’s exuberance as he thought on his upcoming date, and then there was Creed. She found she couldn’t read anything from him at all. Starr hoped he was as good as Ronan said, at the same time as wishing that his services wouldn’t be required. She still wasn’t sure about this dark, dangerous, Vampire and the thought of her safety being in his hands had her trembling slightly.

In any other circumstance, she would be running in the opposite direction to this Vampire, not staying close as Ronan had ordered.

Chapter 15

Ronan held Starr close, her eyelids drooping, until she fell over into sleep. The journey was going to take a while so he kept her cradled in his arms and let her rest. If her dreams were anything to go by, then she’d had a restless night, even if she never actually woke up. He smiled as he thought on her dreams, wondering what it would be like to have such totally weird things running through your head as you slept.

He was like most Vampires, dreams not the usual occurrence as they rested. It was so long since he had one that it was a far distant memory and he couldn’t even remember what the dream had been about. He decided he was going to question Starr, on her night visions, and dream vicariously through his mate. Ronan wondered what she would come up with this evening, as he watched her eyelids, no sign of her eyes moving beneath them. At least she seemed to be having a proper rest at the moment, but he knew he would need to wake her soon.

Sam looked in the rear-view mirror, their eyes meeting. “Not long now,” his friend said quietly, obviously aware Starr was asleep.

“Okay, pull over and we’ll decide what we do from here.” Ronan gently shook Starr awake, as Sam pulled to the side of the road.

“
Hey, we’re nearly there.” Ronan spoke quietly, not wanting to startle his mate.

Starr looked up sleepily, a small smile playing on her mouth. “Okay, what’s the plan?” she asked as she sat up and stretched, before pulling a bottle of water out of her backpack and taking a sip.

Ronan undid his seat-belt, opening the door and getting out, holding his hand out to her. “We’re just gonna discuss that, come on.”

Starr took his hand and followed him, noting the other vehicles stopped behind them and everyone making their way forward. As soon as everyone was there Ronan took charge. “Serge, you’ve been here, so what’s the best way to approach this and how far out are we?”

The stocky Wolf moved forward. “Right, there’s Drake, Nikos and I that were here last night. Our Wolf noses know where we’re going, so I say we split into three teams and head in from three different directions. We can then, hopefully, stop anyone from escaping and capture as many as possible. We’re about twenty minutes on foot, though I’m not sure how quickly Starr moves, so it may take her longer.”

Ronan heard Starr’s snort as he looked to Drake, then found Nikos standing at the back. He was relatively new to the bureau, but Serge had given the man glowing reports. Nikos was much larger than the other two Wolves, well over six foot, with a broad, muscular body. His eyes were the most intelligent Ronan had seen in a long time and he put that fact to the side, thinking Nikos may be marked for much more than being a tracker. He nodded at him and got a smile in return, warm and friendly, as he moved forwards.

Ronan nodded at the three Wolves. “Okay, first, Starr’s speed, I’ve seen her move and I think she’ll leave you Wolves standing, so don’t worry about that. However, I don’t think Jake will be able to keep up, so we need to go at his speed. The rest of the teams take note and we’ll time things for when we all arrive. How do we know everyone is in place before we move in?”

Serge let out a short, sharp, high-pitched whistle, which was duplicated by Drake and Nikos. Ronan nodded before continuing, “Now, Sam, you go with Nikos and take one of Creed’s guards with you. Creed, pick two more to go with Drake, the rest of us are going with Serge and that includes you, Jake.” Ronan pointed to the tall, thin Witch, standing to the side. “Team up guys and let’s get going.”

Creed pointed to one man, then Nikos, then two more and then towards Drake, not a word spoken as the men formed up. The Wolves led as the three groups took off in different directions. Starr keeping pace at Ronan’s side, hard concentration on her face.

“
Stay close,” he whispered and she nodded, a slight frown on her face. She was obviously still not used to others looking out for her.

They kept a steady pace for about fifteen minutes cross country, then into a large body of trees. Their pace slowing to ensure nobody’s feet got tangled in the broken branches and tree roots littering the ground. Starr was the most sure-footed out of all of them, even Creed, who stayed very close to her back. Jake tripped a couple of times and it was only the strong hold of one of the elite guards that stopped him tumbling to the ground. He was also the only one who seemed out of breath and twice Serge turned, pressing a finger to his lips in a shushing motion. About ten minutes later Serge put his arm up, fist closed, and they all came to a stop.

Serge’s head swirled around, his voice barely a whisper. “Quiet from now folks. If you come here, you can see the building just through the trees. It looks like an abandoned warehouse of some sort but I can still scent the Vamp and dark magic.”

Everyone moved forward silently, except Jake who nearly fell, tripping over a tree root, once again being saved by the strong arm of one of Creed’s men. The area just outside the treeline had an old building that was pretty large, but seemed to be only just staying upright. The roof sagged so badly that most of them wondered how it hadn’t already caved in. There were only a few windows, all of which were broken. A large double doorway was next to what had been a rolling door, that too was broken, hanging off to the side precariously, a hard push would probably bring it crashing down.

Starr stood at Ronan’s side, her body taut and her face a mask of concentration. He could almost taste the tension rolling off her as she watched with keen eyes. He placed a hand gently on her shoulder and she jerked in surprise, turning to give him a questioning look. He guessed she wasn’t going to like what he said next.

“
Starr, I would really appreciate if you stayed back...” He was right, she interrupted him almost immediately.

“
Don’t start this again! I’ve run from these freaks for years and I’m not gonna stand back while you take them down. Listen, okay, I get it, you’re worried, so I’ll stay near the back but I’m not staying here in the trees. When you all move, so do I.”  Starr’s face was just as hard as her voice, her violet eyes sparking in the sunlight, as if they were going to burst into flames.

Ronan sighed, turning to Creed who only nodded his head. Creed understood his mission brief–keep Starr safe at all costs. Ronan was spared any further argument as Serge butted in and as he turned to look at him, he saw he was getting naked, Starr’s eyes going wide as more and more of the Wolf’s body came into view.

Serge was in the process of getting his combat boots off, standing up to unbuckle his pants. “I’m saving you some money, boss, going Wolf now so it’ll save the clothes. Drake and Nikos will do the same, as soon as I give them the sign they’ll change and move in.”

Ronan heard the sharp intake of breath from Starr, as Serge removed his remaining clothes, standing naked with absolutely no hint of self-consciousness. It was common place for them, Wolves either undressed or ripped their clothes for a transformation, but it was obvious Starr was a little shocked. He turned and caught sight of her face before she turned around so that her back was facing them, he saw the blush on her cheeks; however, he was sure her breathing had picked up a little too.

Ronan’s head snapped around as Serge let out a sharp, short, whistle. The Wolf didn’t wait on the responses from the other two before he started his transformation. The familiar sounds of bones crunching, breaking, rearranging themselves sounded loud in his ears as Serge continued changing in front of them. Starr moved closer, now watching intently as fur covered the almost changed figure in front of them.

“
Oh my God,” she whispered, her eyes wide and fascination clear on her face.

“
What?” Ronan asked, surely she had seen a Wolf change before?

“
Doesn’t that hurt? Jeez, it looks as if it hurts.” Starr didn’t seem able to drag her eyes from Serge as he continued to alter before them.

Ronan leaned down so his mouth was at her ear, whispering softly, “According to some, they say just the first few times, others say hundreds and still more say there is always an element of pain. I guess it’s different for each Wolf. Serge is pretty old though, so I’m sure it can’t be that bad, after all, he changes whenever he gets the chance and usually costs me a new set of combat gear in the process.”

Starr was nodding as she watched the last few seconds of Serge’s change, her mouth open in a small ‘o’ as his very large Wolf now stood before them. “He’s magnificent,” she whispered and the Wolf took a step towards them, nudging her with his massive snout.

Starr’s hand stroked the fur just behind the ears and was rewarded with the beast quivering beneath her touch. She stared into
its eyes, Ronan knew she would see both a wild animal and intelligence gazing back at her. Creed’s voice interrupted the moment and Starr turned quickly. It was the first time the imposing Vampire had spoken in her presence.

Creed’s voice was a barely restrained whisper, his eyes boring into Ronan’s. “Can we break up the Wolf appreciation society and get this show on the road?”

Ronan nodded his head, shaking his body loose from any tension, as they prepared to go into a situation that, more than likely, would have him in a fight situation. He felt the fittest and strongest he had in a long time. In fact, he was feeling the best he ever had, different in some way. He processed that in less than a second, realizing he felt better ever since the bonding. Must be having a mate that was the culprit. He almost chuckled, only managing to stop himself at the last moment as he put in place an inscrutable look on his features...his game face.

He turned to Jake, the young Witch standing a ways back. “I think you should get in touch with Esther and tell her we’ve found where they’re hiding out. You might need some help if their Witch is around.”

Jake’s body language spoke volumes. He was scared, his voice betraying that fear. “I’ll do it now, if you want to wait?”

Ronan heard the deep sigh coming from Creed and threw him a warning glare, before replying to the young man, “No, we need to go, the other teams will have heard Serge’s whistle and already be moving in. You stay here, do what ya gotta do, then join us.”

Jake stood up a little taller, as if fighting his fear back. “Okay, I’ll only be a minute or two.”

Ronan gave him a nod before turning around. “Okay, let’s go.”

Serge took off first, his massive beast loping quickly over the ground towards the building. Ronan overtook him in seconds, using his speed to reach the double doors next to the broken rolling ones. His stride didn’t falter as he crashed through the wood, demolishing them as he flew onwards, the massive Wolf hot on his heels.

*****

Starr took off after Ronan, trying to catch up to him as he sped away from her. She was fast and sure-footed and knew she would catch him well before he entered the building. That’s what she thought, but that’s not what happened.

Just as her speed picked up a hand locked onto her shoulder in a vice like grip. The strength in that one hand was enough to pull her to a full stop. She spun around, fury in her eyes, her mouth open and ready to give the owner of the offending hand a piece of her mind...mostly swear words. However, she came face to face with Creed and his men flanked him, their eyes cold, hard and with absolutely no feeling in them whatsoever.

Creed held her firmly as she struggled to get free, his face completely indecipherable. She wasn’t sure of his intentions and she almost changed there and then. One of his eyebrows raised and she wondered what was running through that head of his.

The imposing Vampire whispered down at her, “My mission brief is not the same as Ronan or Serge’s, my only order is to keep you safe...at all costs. So, Dragon, you stay here, with my men and me here, I know nothing or no-one can get to you.”

Starr was flabbergasted, this hadn’t been the plan, no way. She had agreed to ‘stay back’ not ‘stay out’! She almost growled up into that dark face. “No, let me go Vampire, now.”

Creed’s look barely changed, apart from an imperceptible movement in his jaw. “No, you stay here. I apologize if I didn’t make myself clear...you don’t have a say in the matter.”

Starr tried to shake off his hand but it was useless. She was strong but he was stronger, much stronger. The noises now erupting from the building had her heart rate rocketing. To her sensitive ears there were several fights going on, growls, snarls, she was sure she even heard the sound of teeth ripping through flesh.

Above it all she heard her mate, shouting to God knew who, to give up and they would be treated fairly. His voice rising and then being cut off. Her heart literally stopped as her mind raced trying to figure out why his words had stopped. Her eyes flashed to Creed’s who only stood, immobile, holding her in place.

Starr did the only thing open to her, “Move or be destroyed,” she spat out, a second before she transformed, her Dragon taking over the area, knocking Creed and his men flying backwards. She was elated to see the shock on the faces of the Vampires as they gained their footing and back-pedaled quickly to avoid the razor sharp claws on her feet.

*****

Jake watched as everyone took off, apart from Starr, Creed and his men. He knew that Creed was supposed to keep Starr safe and he guessed the dangerous Vampire would carry out his duties to the letter as he saw him clamp a hand onto Starr’s shoulder.