Authors: Jaden Sinclair
“Let’s find our host,” Allen remarked, getting Drake’s full attention.
Drake followed his father out into the grounds. Trees were lit with hanging lights. Pits held roasting meat, tables lined with food and many bins with ice cold drinks sat around in spots all over. Shifters a many stood around talking, eating, and drinking. They laughed, joked, teased, and flirted. Drake could feel the relaxed manner in which they celebrated the night.
As he walked behind his father, Drake ran his hand through the long locks of dark black hair from his eyes. He kept it long on top, parted and feathered back, somewhat shorter around his neck to irate his father.
Allen liked all things in order, including one’s appearance. But Drake liked his hair long, free blowing in the wind.
He stopped when the soft breeze of the night blew the most subtle, 9
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sweetest scent he ever did smell right up his nose. It went through his body, tantalizing each cell, each nerve ending and pooled together right between his legs. His cock thickened, hardened, and became so painfully hard he almost moaned aloud in pain.
He could feel the animal inside wakening. Hunger gripped him, wrapped a powerful fist into his soul and squeezed. He couldn’t hold back the low vibrating growl from slipping from his lips, or stop the red haze from glazing over his eyes when he looked out for the one that carried the scent.
Many different girls stood around talking, smiling, laughing. They all seemed to be having a good time. With another deep breath, another sharp intake of the scent and Drake was instantly in tune with the pain of the one that called out to his soul.
She was hurting. He could feel it, sense it. Pain and loneliness hung onto her scent, overpowering the sweetness of her naturalness.
Closing his eyes again, he reached out to her.
He doesn’t love her. He doesn’t care. She’s only a tool for him to
use.
Drake pulled back, sucking in as much air into his lungs as he could.
Her sorrow was something he wasn’t use to feeling. Most of the girls he knew didn’t hurt like the one he was picking up on now. Sure, they were bored and looked for things to not only entertain themselves with, but they also knew how to get attention from the ones they wanted. He felt the feelings of the girl—her loneliness—nothing more.
Closing his eyes again, Drake took a deep breath, trying to pinpoint where she was. The urge to go to her, to see her face was just too damn powerful to ignore. He had to find her. See for himself the kind of pain that she was in, and fix it if he could.
Drake opened his eyes just as the scent grew stronger. It was like a gust of wind blowing right by him. And with that wind, opening his eyes he saw the vision of his life.
A vision to live for. That was what she was. Her arms hugging her slender frame, she walked right past him, head down, long hair blowing around her. The long cream dress she wore wrapped around her body like fine silk. He saw the outline of slender legs, could see the narrow hips and small waist. Breasts that pressed against the material, stretched by the way she hugged herself. Just the simple sight of her had his blood boiling, cock throbbing, and the animal need to take and claim. Drake wanted her and it wasn’t for just a single night.
Instead of catching up with his father, he turned and followed her.
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He felt her pain—as intense as his own.
Taking two glasses of wine from a tray, Drake followed her to the other side of the grounds. For a few seconds his heart began to pound in his chest with the thought that she was going to head so far away from the party that he might get to be completely alone with her. But no such luck. She stopped at a table that held snack food. Still hugging herself, she looked down at the food, touching nothing.
Drake went up behind her, raised his arm over her hand, and lowered the glass down right in front of her face. “Sometimes a drink helps ease the pain.” She jumped, swung around and huge blue eyes stared at him. Quickly she looked around. “Expecting someone else?”
“Oh, um, I…” It seemed that she couldn’t get a word out.
Drake nodded, dangling the glass in front of her again. “Have a drink. Might help you form the words.”
He saw her hand shake as she took the glass from him. He took a drink and just about held his breath until he saw her take a tender sip.
Her lips touched the rim of the glass and the tip of her tongue touched her lips. The action he felt to the tip of his cock.
He cleared his throat. “I’m Drake.” Again, she looked around, and he did also. “Something wrong?”
“My father doesn’t want me to socialize alone,” she answered. The sweetness of her voice slid over his senses like fine silk. Drake wanted to wrap himself up in her voice and never walk away. “I suppose I have my reputation to think of.”
“I doubt your reputation could be tarnished at a party like this,” he snickered taking another drink. “The whole damn place is lit up like the fourth of July.”
She smelled like the air after a rainstorm. Fresh, clean, sweet. Drake found it very hard to drink his wine and act like everything was normal.
Inside he was raging to conquer, to take. She was his, now he just had to figure out the best way to handle the take. Right now, it was a struggle to not pull her into his arms, mark her and just walk away.
“Why are you staring at me like that?” she asked, her blue eyes widening, body tensing.
God. Her scent is going to drive me nuts
. “How am I staring at you?” He tried to keep his voice even, innocent sounding even. Must’ve failed because she shivered, put the glass down, and rubbed her bare arms.
Drake couldn’t help but watch that movement. The cream of her skin had his mouth watering. Even the tips of his fingers itched to touch 11
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her, to feel the softness of her skin.
Drake knew women. He’d had his fair share of experience in his lifetime, but there was something about this woman that drew him in and threatened to never let go. He wanted her, but not just for a night in his bed. No, Drake wanted to hold her each night. To love, shelter and care for her. Hell, he wanted her to have his children!
“I have to go.” Before he would convince her to stay, she turned and ran away-literally.
Drake stood still watching her go.
“If you have your sights on that one, forget it.” A young man came up to him, beers in his hand instead of the fine wine. “No one is to get near Natasha Millard.”
Drake turned his head sharply at the young man. Looking at him closely he saw that he wasn’t as young as he sounded. A golden shifter.
That was what they were called for the golden locks on top of their head.
Not many were around, but one stood in front of him now.
He was the same height as Drake, the same built, only where Drake was darker, this one was golden. Hence, the golden shifter.
He smiled at Drake, extended a beer to him before offering his hand.
“Jason Laswell.”
Drake took the beer then the hand. “Drake Draeger.”
“Ah, so your father is here also for the secret Cabinet meeting.”
Jason nodded, taking a drink from the bottle. “So am I.”
“How do you feel about the subject at hand?”
He had to ask the question. Lately all of the shifters were split when it came to the Gathering. Half wanted to keep things the way they were and half wanted change. Drake leaned more to the change, but after seeing something he wanted he was once again torn.
“The change is needed,” Jason said. “If things keep going the way they are then we’re never going to have females at the damn Gatherings.”
Drake agreed. “So what’d you mean no one gets near her?”
James Laswell’s blue eyes lit up. “You’re interested in a very unattainable prize, my friend.” He shook his head, taking another drink.
“He keeps her away most of the time, guarded when here.” He shrugged.
“No one gets near her unless Philip Millard wants you to.”
“Thought he was all about keeping the old ways.”
James snickered this time. “He is, as long as it has nothing to do with his daughter. Rumor has it he’s setting up a mating for her—one that benefits him, not her.”
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Drake turned his attention back towards the large house where Natasha Millard had run. He could still smell her. Still pick up her scent and follow it.
But he didn’t follow it. At least not yet.
The meeting was about to start and Drake had to be there. As first born, heir to his father it was his duty to stand by his father’s side. The thought at first bored him. He didn’t want to be in this kind of meeting, but knowing now that the father of his desire would be there ranting about keeping things the same intrigued him. Drake wanted to see the man for himself and hear what he had to say.
Following James to the house, Drake kept his mouth shut, eyes, and ears open. His father waited for him with his usual scowl in place.
“Where’ve you been?” Allen demanded.
“Gathering information,” Drake answered, walking past him into the room.
The room they were all led to was a large ballroom of sorts. Tables, chairs, food, and drink were all lined up for them. Cards had also been placed along the large circle table, where all the families sat. Drake took his seat, looking around at all the different families. Half he didn’t know, others he heard of. Laswell, whom he’d just met, Vanderburgs, he’d heard of, and Jenaro had been mentioned a few times in the past. How those three families stood about the change, he wondered.
“Thank you all for coming to this meeting,” Philip Millard stormed into the room like a man of power. Drake watched his movements, never taking his eyes off the man. “The business at hand is the change to not only the Cabinet but to the Gathering itself.”
Drake linked his fingers together, over his belly, slumped back in the chair and stretched his legs out crossing them at the ankles. He ignored the irate expression his father cast him. He knew he was acting like a punk, and he was doing it on purpose. Pushing people was what he did best, and it was what he was going to do.
“Now it has come to my attention that half of you all want a change to both, especially the Gathering,” Philip went on. “Now I ask you all, why mess with something that works?” He smiled at them all.
Drake glanced around the room. Some were mumbling to themselves, others nodded at the statement. Okay, time to stir things up then.
“If things work so well, then why is there a lack in how many females show up at the Gathering?” Drake spoke loud enough for everyone to hear. “Including your own daughter.”
He had him!
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Philip Millard turned his full attention to Drake. “Young Draeger.
I’m sure your father has explained how things work at these meetings.”
“He has a legitimate question, Millard,” Allen added, coming to Drake’s aid. “Why is it that if change isn’t needed, why is there a decline in the females?”
“And his daughter,” Drake stood up, facing the man. “You really can’t expect us to keep you on the board, and keep the old ways going, if you don’t follow the rules.”
“The boy has a point!” someone yelled, and others agreed.
Drake caught James Laswell’s eye for a second. The man smiled his approval and nodded towards Drake.
“My daughter is currently spoken for, not that it’s any of yours or anyone’s business for that matter,” Millard added, gritting his teeth.
“That’s funny.” Drake shrugged. “I didn’t pick up another scent on her when I spoke to her earlier.” He crossed his arms over his chest, narrowing his own dark eyes on the man.
Millard’s face turned red. Others stood up, speaking at once about the change and how everyone needed to follow the rules. Arguments began, but Drake was immune to it all. Instead, he had a silent face off with Millard.
The meeting was getting fast out of control. Millard came up to Drake, standing nose to nose with him. “Stay away from my daughter, Draeger,” he warned with a low rumble to his voice. “I’m warning you now.”
“Be careful, Millard,” Drake growled back. “I take threats as personal as I do challenges.”
Millard snarled and Drake lost his control. He showed his own teeth, let lose the pent up frustration. A deep, loud growl left his lips and he pushed Millard away. The older man went flying backwards, landing on one of the large tables with food. All the talk stopped in the room, all watched the scene.
Drake changed some. He didn’t let his animal completely out, but enough that his hands and face changed. What caused this kind of rage to erupt inside him he couldn’t say. But what he could answer for was the fact that he didn’t like this man telling him to stay away from
his
woman. That was what Natasha Millard was as far as Drake was concerned. She was his!
Millard came up to his face, snarling and changing. A pure animal fight was about to happen. But it didn’t. Someone shot a gun and Allen came up in front of Drake, backhanding him so hard that it seemed to 14
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knock the haze right out of him.
Drake cleared his head and pushed his father away. He was ready to kill and didn’t give a fuck who it was. But he also had enough common since to walk away, which is what he did.
He turned from the group and stormed right out of the room, slamming the door behind him. As fast as his long legs would carry him he went back outside, but he didn’t join the party. Instead, he walked around the house, following the scent that he was deeply falling in love with.
He found a tree he could climb, and he pulled his ass up it. He followed her sweetness all the way to the top. Her room it seemed was on the top. Drake positioned himself just right. He was able to see into her room, watch her pace the floor hugging herself like she did when he first saw her.
She was everything he never thought he would want or need. Soft, delicate, beautiful. There was nothing to keep him from her, not if her father was passionate about keeping the old ways going.