A Dragon's Seduction (8 page)

Brayden’s eyes darkened to a stormy gray and he sobered. “Seriously, I need to know you’re safe. Promise me you’ll stay here within the confines of the castle.”

Callie blew a loud sigh between her lips. “I promise.”

“Good. Now I’ve got to go, but I’ll be back as soon as I can.” He kissed her once more then jogged out of the room. His beautiful body, sleek and taut, bounced up and down without an ounce of extra jiggle, and Callie had to steel herself from jumping his bones again.

Then it occurred to her.

“Brayden, wait!” Callie ran to the top of the stairs and looked down. “What else were you going to tell me?”

“Later,” Brayden yelled, grabbing his duffle bag from the closet at the bottom of the stairs. “We’ll talk later. I promise.” He slipped into an olive green tee shirt, slung the black bag over his shoulder and ran out the door.

The stone doors slammed shut behind him leaving Callie suddenly feeling very alone in the spacious castle.

With nothing better to do, she decided to explore.

An hour later, after discovering several lovely antiques in various rooms, a secret passage from the kitchen to the basement, and a library full of books, Callie realized her heart just wasn’t in it.

She went back to the parlor and stared out the window.

To wait.

One hour stretched into two. Then three.

Worry gnawed at her like a rat with cheese. What if Brayden got hurt?  What if the fire was a trap? What if Cyrus was waiting for him? What if Grigori bound him with a dark spell? What if he needed her?

She paced the room while tiny seeds of fear took root in her mind and tormented her thoughts until she couldn’t stand it a moment longer.

She had to go to him. He might need her.

She ran down the hall to the front door. Just as she opened it understanding dawned on her as to
why
she felt such an urgent need to go to him.

 For the love of Magik! She was falling in love with him.

Stunned by the realization, Callie sagged against the gray stone. How could it be? How could she love a man she barely knew? She didn’t have an answer, but she knew just as sure as she knew her name she loved Brayden with every ounce of her being. And she knew beyond a shadow of doubt he was her true mate.

Hysterical laughter bubbled in her throat. What would the Grand Wizard think about his plan to separate their kind now? A sorceress in love with a dragon. Ridiculous indeed!

Go to him!
the voice inside urged.

Callie immediately pulled herself together and concentrated. It would take every bit of her Magik and then some to take her to him. She closed her eyes and succumbed to the power, letting it flow through her veins.

* * *

 Brayden gripped the hose and blasted a steady stream of water through the broken window of the abandoned warehouse. The fire, though now contained, burned from the interior. He and the other two firefighters had been working for hours to get it under control. Since no lives were in danger, Brayden decided to put the fire out the old-fashioned way. A hose, a hydrant and water. Give or take some foam here and there.

Yep. Old Chief McIntire would be thrilled, Brayden thought with a grin. By the book again. Just the way the chief liked it. Just so long as the chief didn’t get used to it. Following the rules never had been the dragonshifter’s strong suit.

Which was why it shouldn’t have been a surprise to him he was attracted to Callie. Being with a sorceress had to rate way on up there in the breaking-the-rules department.

Brayden grinned to himself, then frowned as a familiar odor drifted to his nostrils. He’d noticed the acrid stench of the black dragon as soon as they’d arrived on the scene, although there had been no sign of the beast anywhere.

Yep. This fire was the handiwork of Cyrus.

Brayden aimed the hose toward another window just as another scent reached his nostrils. A familiar scent of magnolias and something quite delicious but indescribable.

What was
she
doing here?

Brayden turned to Jack. “I’ll be right back.”

“Where are you going, dude?”

“Around back. I’ve got to check on something.” Brayden hooked the hose on a top rung, leaped off the ladder and jogged around the side of the building.

He spotted her on the sidewalk near some shrubs. “I thought I told you to stay put.” Edginess laced his words but his heart picked up speed at the sight of her.

“I was worried about you,” Callie said stepping out from behind a bush. A strand of her dark hair lifted softly in the night breeze and fell forward across her cheek. “I thought you might need help.”

Worried? About me?
Brayden’s heart skipped a couple of beats. No one had ever worried about him before. It was a feeling like no other. Exuberant. Exhilarating. To know someone actually cared what happened to him. The feeling took him by surprise. “I would be better if I knew you were safe at home.”
Home?
Good grief! He sounded like they were a couple.

“Was it Cyrus?” Callie asked, apparently not picking up on his slip of the tongue.

“Yes.”

“And Grigori?”

“I’m not sure. I haven’t seen either one of them, but if I were a betting man, my money would be on them both.”

A smoldering shingle flew off the roof and sizzled through the air past Callie’s head. Brayden jerked her out of its path. Her body slammed into his and he could feel all of her soft curves pressing against him. His arms instinctively pulled her closer. She tilted her head back with a startled look.

Her innocence incited his protective instinct, overpowering any other feeling. Except one.

Hunger growled low in his throat. The need to touch her overwhelmed him and he bent his head to stake a claim on her lips. His tongue slid over her teeth until it found hers. With a satisfied groan, he deepened the kiss, tasting the minty flavor of her mouth, savoring in the sweetness of her kiss until, reluctantly, he released her. “I’ve got to put out the fire.”

He just wasn’t sure which fire needed extinguishing the most. The one in the building or the one in him.

* * *

The fire out, Brayden hosed the soot and ash from his body and clothes. Within minutes he and the other firefighters cleared the equipment and were ready to roll.

“Can you ride back with me or do you have to go on the engine?”

“How did you get here?” Brayden pulled off his boots and shoved his feet into a pair of Nikes. He’d been so surprised to see her he hadn’t bothered to wonder how she managed to get to him. Until now.

“With a little Magik.” Callie’s eyes twinkled in the sliver of moonlight. “I transported myself to my car then drove here.”

Brayden scowled. He didn’t like the fact she had gone anywhere near Grigori’s World of Magik. Anything could have happened to her. A sudden pain gripped his heart at the thought.

“I’ll ride with you to the fire station to pick up my car.” No way was he letting Callie go anywhere by herself while Cyrus remained on the loose.

Brayden slapped the side of the fire engine with two sharp raps. “I’ll catch up with you guys later.” So much for going by the book. Might as well give Old Chief McIntire a new reason to be pissed.

As the fire truck rolled away Brayden slid his arm around Callie’s waist and walked her to the car in the parking lot behind the warehouse.

Callie fished the key from her pocket and mashed the
unlock
button on her alarm. A shadow moved in front of the streetlamp blocking the light. Darkness swallowed the car and Callie’s hand stilled. The sudden erratic pounding in her chest reached Brayden’s ears. Sensing a threat his inner dragon awoke with a different kind of rage. And it wanted out.

“How’s my favorite sister?” The raspy voice issued out of the shadows and skirted over Brayden like sandpaper. He stiffened his spine, all instincts on high alert. His hand tightened around Callie’s waist drawing her closer.

“Grigori!” Callie’s strangled cry reverberated through the parking lot.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

“It’s been a long time, sis.” Grigori stepped into the light. His dark hair brushed the collar of his light blue button-down shirt and iniquity flickered in his bright blue eyes.

Callie flinched. “Y-yes, it has.”

“We were just leaving.” Brayden shifted, positioning himself between Callie and her brother. A muscle twitched in his jaw. Callie could feel him battling to keep the dragon inside.

 “So soon? I thought we’d have a little family reunion.” Grigori took a step closer. Hatred rolled off him in waves.

Callie sucked in a sharp breath.
Not in this lifetime, brother dear.
“Some other ti–”

A high-pierced shriek sliced through the sultry night sky followed by the unmistakable sound of flapping wings. Callie’s head jerked up.

Cyrus swooped, circling overhead like a vulture over a fresh kill. Fire flared from his nostrils and mouth, singeing the trees and shrubbery nearby. He plunged toward them before rising up and soaring toward the clouds. He circled once and turned back.

Brayden muttered a vile oath then whispered in her ear. “When I shift, I want you to get on my dragon and hold on tight.”

Callie swallowed hard and shook her head. Did he have amnesia? “You forget. Your dragon and me? Not the best of friends.”

“Trust me, Callie.” Brayden’s hazel eyes locked with hers in a hypnotic gaze imploring her to believe him. “Trust me,” he whispered once more then released the grip he had around her waist.

His body jerked violently as if he were having a seizure. Talons jutted from his fingers and with a roar his body morphed into a beautiful winged warrior with silvery-blue scales that glittered like diamonds in the moonlight.

The Water dragon swung to face Grigori and snarled.

“What the–” Grigori’s eyes widened. He retreated backwards into the shadows and dissolved into red mist.

Terror took Callie hostage and rooted her in place. Her knees shook so hard she was sure the dragon on the ground and the one in the sky could hear them knocking together like marbles. Nausea bubbled in her stomach and cold chills pricked her skin.

 The Water dragon turned to her, pawing the ground. Orange eyes pierced hers and a shiver slithered over her spine. 

Callie swallowed hard. “Brayden?”

The dragon snorted, flicking its forked tail. With slow, deliberate steps it moved toward her.

Callie felt the scream rising in her throat. She bit the inside of her mouth to keep it from escaping as another wave of nausea washed over her.

The dragon hissed and sniffed the air, his flaring nostrils only inches from her face. So close she could feel its breath on her cheek.

Callie kept her body still, knowing any sudden movements could cause the dragon to attack.

Use your Magik!
her mind shouted.
Defeat him then get the hell out of here.

Callie slowly eased her hands up. The dragon snarled, baring a mouth full of razors. It reared back its head and breathed a bolt of lightning.

This time Callie couldn’t hold back the scream. It tore from her lungs and pierced the air as lightning streaked over her head, the bolt so close she could feel her scalp tingle.

Earsplitting screeches resonated above. Startled, Callie looked up to see Cyrus tumbling backwards in the sky writhing in pain. Within seconds outraged shrieks along with flapping wings closed in on her. A sound akin to a thousand bats flying from their cave.

Oh Lord! It’s coming back!

The dragon on the ground hissed again. Callie chanced a look at it. Orange eyes watched her cautiously. Then something flickered in them.

Recognition?

Callie stared at the dragon. “Brayden? Can you hear me?”

The dragon flicked its tail then promptly dropped to its belly and lowered its back. Orange eyes stared into hers expectantly.

*Trust me.*

The words seemed to come out of nowhere and plant themselves in her thoughts.