Taste of Darkness (7 page)

He sighed. “Fine. I will meet other females if it makes you happy but I only want to kiss you. I only want to be with you. I just need time to be worthy for you.”

Her heart squeezed. “Drake, that’s ridiculous. You’re—”

The door flew open. Finn stood in the doorframe, her Alpha’s ice blue eyes pure wolf. “We think we’ve had a dragon sighting over the mansion. I want everyone to stay locked down in the mansion. Drake, you need to come with me.”

Chapter Five

Drake stood protectively close to Victoria on the roof. Of course the stubborn female hadn’t listened to her Alpha and had instead insisted on coming with them. To Drake’s annoyance Finn hadn’t ordered her to remain in her room after that initial command.

Drake had quickly come to learn the dynamics of the pack and even though Victoria wasn’t a warrior or very alpha in nature, at least not in the physical sense, she did what she wanted. He was pretty certain it was because she was a healer and seemed to have a different standing altogether among the pack. Everyone adored and respected her. He just wished Finn would have made her stay put. Because there was no way Drake was trying to order the female to do anything, even if he did want her safe. He didn’t want to push her away.

Keeping his gaze on the night sky, he scanned for any dragon sightings. “Who saw the dragon?”

“Rhea saw
something
,” Finn corrected. “She isn’t sure what it was but when she mentioned you flying, Solon told her you were already in for the night so she alerted me.”

“What was the ‘something’ she spotted?” He didn’t look at Finn, not wanting to miss a potential attack, though he wasn’t sure anything was out there.

“A shimmer of light then a brief flash of something that looked a lot like fire.” Finn’s voice was grim. “Could have been something from the Air Force base, but…”

“We would have heard a jet,” Lyra finished when her mate trailed off.

Wordlessly Drake started stripping. If there was another dragon nearby he wanted to know about it. It was almost too much to hope that there were more of his kind. Maybe even family. But if he had family, why hadn’t they come for him? Why had they let him suffer in Hell for fifteen hundred years?

Next to him Victoria let out a soft sound and he turned to find her watching him with wide eyes. That crisp mountain spring scent of hers was intensified tenfold as she stared at his chest. Her gaze snapped to his and he started to ask her if everything was okay, but it took two seconds for his brain to compute that she liked what she saw. That was hunger in her green eyes.

For him.

He swallowed hard. Now that she’d let down whatever wall she’d previously erected between them, his reality had shifted and he felt like he was catching up to this new, better world where he could have a future with Victoria. “I don’t know what’s up there. Keep your blade out. It will protect you,” he said softly. Drake didn’t remember the particulars, but the blade he’d made her was powerful and could kill anything. It had something to do with being forged in dragon fire. There was more to it, but the knowledge was buried deep in his earliest memories. He hated that he couldn’t get to that memory and so many others. But he would. He was determined to.

“You just take care of yourself.” Her words were barely a whisper and her eyes glinted with worry, making him feel too many emotions. His chest squeezed tight at the knowledge that she was actually concerned for him.

Drake nodded once then finished stripping after turning away from everyone. He couldn’t be around Victoria without being physically affected and he didn’t want anyone to see that.

Racing to the end of the flat area of the roof, he jumped into the air, calling on his inner beast and letting the change flow through him instantaneously. At the same time he used his camouflage to conceal his body. Every time he shifted he felt stronger, more in control. As if nothing could stop him. Even in Hell it had been like that.

It was very difficult to kill a dragon. He was certain he must have more weaknesses but if so he hadn’t discovered them yet. When he’d been shot in New Orleans he’d been weak but he’d also just come from Hell, the transition to this new plane already weakening him. He was pretty sure if someone had decided to cut off his head he would have died. Inhaling the salt-tinged air, he ascended higher, savoring the way the air rushed over his body and wings.

The higher he flew, it became clear that he wasn’t alone in the air. He could faintly hear the flap of wings that weren’t his own. But he couldn’t see anything tangible. If there were more dragons in the world, and he had to assume there were because he’d come from somewhere, they must have the same camouflage ability as him.

On a burst of speed he pushed himself and darted even higher before letting himself descend in a slow freefall, using his wings to slow his descent. He wanted to pinpoint the sound of the wings he’d heard without his own getting in the way.

As he sloped downward, he slammed into a hard body, the impact jarring him and making his camouflage disappear as he flapped his wings and rolled out of the way of whatever he’d hit. He was beyond stunned there was something in the sky with him, even if he’d come up here looking for it.

Moments later a brilliant cobalt dragon with white-gold wings appeared before him, flapping its wings and watching Drake through glittering blue eyes the same shade as its body. Drake wasn’t sure how he knew, but the dragon was male.

The sharpest sense of wonder flowed through him even as it battled with his protective instincts. Fire tingled at the back of his throat, but he reined it in, waiting to see what the other beast did. He’d known, or hoped, that others like him existed but seeing a dragon in the flesh stunned him bone deep.

The other dragon didn’t make any offensive gestures, just flapped his wings, watching. Possibly waiting. Maybe for backup.

Battle instincts borne out of living fifteen hundred years in Hell settled into his bones. He knew absolutely nothing about this male other than he was a dragon. He had to assume the male wasn’t friendly. Drake suddenly swerved away, heading for the ocean. He couldn’t stay there staring at this dragon like an idiot and put Victoria and the Stavros pack in danger. A sharp sense of relief punched through him when the animal followed. Maybe he wasn’t a danger, but only time would tell.

Flying as if hell hounds were after him, he raced toward the ocean, dipping and flying around the other dragon at a speed humans couldn’t see with the naked eye. It was exhilarating and freeing.

Once they were out over the open water, he slowed, the other animal doing the same. He didn’t know anything about this animal and while he was so curious about his own kind he ached with the questions burning inside him, he didn’t want this beast anywhere near Victoria. Or his friends. Half the Stavros pack might fear him but he didn’t care. They were wolf shifters and had taken him in when they could have left him to die. Or tried to kill him anyway.

Turning his head upward, he let out a long stream of fire, the brilliant orange flames lighting up the sky like the fourth of July. A phrase he’d learned from Victoria.

The other dragon screeched and did the same, shooting flames toward the water instead of the sky.

Drake stopped flapping and dove toward the water, sending himself into a freefall before quickly snapping his wings out over the water as he made his way back to land. When he looked over his shoulder he saw the other dragon heading in the opposite direction, the blue of his body appearing almost liquid as he moved.

At least he wasn’t following Drake. That was all he cared about. Even more than his burning desire to know about where he came from, he needed to keep those he cared about safe.

Not taking a chance, he kept a tight camouflage on himself and looped up and down the coastline and over the city, keeping as close as possible to the mansion for the next couple hours as he ascertained any other threats. Once he was certain the other dragon hadn’t decided to double back, he eventually returned to the mansion, surprised that Finn, Lyra, Gabriel and Victoria were still there.

Maybe he shouldn’t have been though. They would want to ensure the safety of their pack. An unknown supernatural being in Finn’s territory was not good.

They moved back as he landed and quickly shifted to his human form. Crouched on all fours, he hadn’t pushed up to his feet before Victoria crouched in front of him, her delicate fingers cupping one side of his face.

“Are you okay? Did that dragon hurt you?”

Blinking, he shook his head, loving the feel of her touching him. “You saw him?” he rasped out.

She nodded, then flicked a quick glance at Gabriel before she looked back at Drake. Something had passed between her and the Guardian. Drake was sure of it.

“What is it?” he demanded as he stood, taking a step back from Victoria. Hurt flickered in her gaze but he ignored it as he readied himself for what was to come. He looked at Finn. “Do you wish me to leave?”

The Alpha blinked, as if Drake had truly surprised him. “No. Why would I?”

Unsure if the Alpha was being truthful, he looked at Gabriel who also seemed surprised, then at Victoria who just looked sad. “Do you want to leave now?” she asked, her voice seeming small.

His chest ached at the painful thread buried in her words. Seeing her in pain made him want to gather her in his arms but he had to resist if he was going to be kicked out. He didn’t care that Finn had said he wasn’t going to. Perhaps he was trying to shield him from embarrassment in front of the others. He looked back at Finn. “It is likely I brought this unknown dragon to your doorstep. I don’t know his intentions but he didn’t seem aggressive. If you wish me to leave… I will.” Though the thought pierced him soul deep, he couldn’t stay if he was unwanted or if he put the others at risk. He refused to meet Victoria’s gaze.

Finn rolled his eyes. “You’re not leaving. Unless you want to of course.” Drake shook his head and Victoria let out a relieved sigh, which he felt straight to his core. Without looking at her, he bent to retrieve his clothes. As he dressed, Finn continued. “I’m guessing you don’t, but I have to ask. Do you know that dragon?”

“No. It was male. That’s all I’m sure of. And he didn’t attack me, but that means nothing. He could be getting reinforcements. My instinct says otherwise. I don’t think the male was an enemy.”

Finn was silent for a long moment as he watched him. “Victoria could see you and the other dragon when the rest of us couldn’t.”

Now it was Drake’s turn to be confused. His gaze snapped to hers. Still clutching the blade at her side, she watched him almost nervously. He didn’t like to see that look in her eyes. He wanted the hunger from before back. “You saw me when I was camouflaged?”

She nodded. “Yes. When you flew high and started that freefall thing, a blue and white dragon appeared out of nowhere. No one else could see you or him but me until you two collided. Then everyone saw.”

“Have you done something to Victoria?” Finn asked quietly.

Offended by the question, Drake instantly bared his teeth, knowing it was a dominating gesture to make to an Alpha, but all his primal instincts flared to the surface. “I would never hurt her,” he growled.

Gabriel and Lyra instantly took a step forward, blades and claws unsheathed in the blink of an eye.

Finn’s lips pulled into a hard line as he took a step forward and waved them both back. His claws remained sheathed and he seemed more exasperated by Drake’s display than anything. “I know that. Everyone in this fucking mansion knows that. I mean… I don’t know.
Fuck.
I don’t know anything about dragons. I just wanted to know if you’d given her the ability to see you.”

The flicker of another memory shoved at him, stronger than anything else had so far. It was the blade. Something about it. But he didn’t want to tell the others and he wasn’t sure why. “Not intentionally.” Which wasn’t a lie.

As he turned to look at Victoria he was aware of Gabriel sheathing his weapons and Lyra wrapping an arm around Finn’s waist. But he didn’t care about any of them right now. He just cared about Victoria.

“Are you angry at me?” he asked, hating the audience, but he never wanted there to be any misunderstandings between him and Victoria.

The other three quickly made themselves scarce, moving to the other side of the roof. They would still be able to hear, but Drake liked having the illusion of privacy with her.

“Of course not but if you wanted to go with that dragon—”

“I will not go anywhere without you,” he barked, the words coming out harsher than he’d intended. “Unless
you
wish me to.” And it would kill him if she sent him away. It would be like losing his other half.

Her expression immediately softening, she gently laid the blade he’d made her on the ground before straightening and stepping closer to him. She reached out as if she wanted to touch him, but hesitated. Which flayed him. He wanted her hands all over him. “I don’t want you to leave, but now you know there are others like you out there. And I’ll help you find them.”

He nodded, pulling her into his arms, all his tension leaving him when she willingly wrapped her arms around his waist and laid her head on his shoulder. “Thank you.” The truth was, he wanted to know more about dragons, but not if it cost him Victoria.

He would give up everything for her.