Dragon Fever: A Dark Kings Novella (12 page)

But it explained why he knew so much about the Dragon Kings. It explained how he’d gotten the information and drawn Asher to such detail.

Oh God. She was going to be sick.

Something was placed in her hand, and then Asher’s voice ordered, “Drink, Rae. Drink now.”

She lifted the glass to her lips and took a big swallow. Then promptly coughed as the whisky burned down her throat before spreading its warmth when it hit her stomach.

Her eyes watered from the coughing, or at least that’s what she told herself. All her life she’d made it her mission to expose the wrong kinds of people, but she’d been used and duped as she swore she’d never let happen again.

It felt horrible, and the anger that bubbled within her was powerful. What an utter fool she must look like in Asher’s eyes. All that time being so confident that she had been able to be both places without him knowing it was her.

“Finish it,” he urged and pushed the glass to her mouth once more.

This time she took a much smaller sip. She then put the back of her hand over her mouth and squeezed her eyes shut. All it had taken was Ulrik’s words and the video to convince her to look into the Dragon Kings––that is, after her initial freaked out reaction to knowing there was another species on the earth.

Then she turned everything she had on exposing them.

Now she learned there were Druids and Fae as well. Dark Fae who killed by sex. She coughed, gagging a little as she realized she had chosen a side, just as Asher said.

The sofa dipped as he sat beside her. “Look at me.”

She inhaled deeply, dropping her arm as she opened her eyes while turning her head to him. A lock of black hair had fallen over his forehead ever since he ran his hand through his hair. In his green gaze she saw concern.

How could he care for her after what she had been about to do? Then she recalled his words. Everything she’d learned about Asher in the days following him, talking to him, and even making love to him, pointed to him being a good man.

It had killed her to admit it before, but now that she heard his story and knew who Sam was, she was glad of it.

“How long have you known?” she asked.

He twisted his lips. “Today. I noticed your thumb ring as well as someone I kept seeing at the WWC with the same ring, just on a different hand.”

She twisted the ring. “What happens now?”

He tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. “That depends on you. Ulrik normally waits until a King has shown interest in a woman before he tries to either turn her against the King or kill her in some way.”

“Now it makes sense,” she said, shaking her head wryly.

He frowned. “What does?”

“Sam asked me if I would fall for you. I told him that wouldn’t be a problem since I didn’t feel desire.”

“At all?” Asher asked, his frown deepening.

“Never. Until you.”

The frown was replaced with a grin. But that lasted only a second before worry contorted his features. “Are you still going to write your piece?”

“I don’t think you should be hiding. I think eventually it’s all going to come out. But I won’t be the one to tell the world.” She didn’t know when she’d come to that conclusion. Perhaps it was during his story. It might have been when he forced her to think of him and the other Dragon Kings and what they wanted.

“Then I can help you. Have you spoken to Ulrik since you’ve been in Paris?”

She gave a shake of her head, comforted when Asher’s hand covered hers on her leg. “He told me he was going to be at Dreagan. I’ve never not written a story, so he fully expects me to gather as much information on you as I can and then write my article to be released a week or two later.”

“If we doona have to worry about you answering to him, that helps. However, I wouldna put it past Ulrik to have you watched.”

“Why?”

“To make sure you doona fall for me.”

She couldn’t hold his gaze. She looked at their hands atop her lap and thought of what she wanted. Without a doubt, she wanted Asher.

That thought brought her up short.

Did she really want him in her life? She couldn’t believe that she did. Because of her lack of passion, she had never understood relationships or wanting her space invaded by someone else. Now she got it.

“How do I untangle myself from Sam…I mean Ulrik?”

He squeezed her hand. “You’re going to have to trust me, lass.”

Her gaze swung back to him. “I trusted Sam or Ulrik or whoever he is. My judgment is skewed right now.”

“No it isna. Ulrik gave you information you needed in order to agree to write the piece and have something else besides the video exposing us.”

“Anyone could write an article. Why did he choose me?”

“Because your name is synonymous with the truth. Having you linked to it would make it valid and hard for us to disclaim as fake like we do the video.”

She blew out a breath. “I hate how this makes me feel.”

“That makes two of us.”

She ran her thumb of his hand. “You could’ve walked away and never spoken to me again. I wouldn’t have gotten anything more from you.”

“I could’ve, but I didna want to.”

“Why?”

There was a pause before he said, “You’re special. To me.”

Her heart missed a beat. Last night had been extraordinary for her, but she assumed it was one sided. Could he feel the same? She grinned at him and felt her stomach quiver in anticipation when he returned her smile.

“I doona think you got much from me before tonight, did you?”

She laughed as she shook her head. “I tried. I kept telling myself to steer the conversation that way, but for some reason I couldn’t.”

“Good.”

When he leaned back and drew her against his chest, she readily went. It felt nice to be in his arms and know that he would watch over her. Not because of a vow he made to all humans, but because he had told her he would.

“What if Ulrik is having me watched?” she asked.

“The only way you’ll be completely safe from him is to write the article.”

“But I don’t want to now.”

Asher’s chest expanded as he took a breath. “He’ll no’ accept that you’ve changed your mind.”

She recalled how he’d gotten into her hotel room in London with the door bolted. “No. That he won’t.”

“His connections are far and deep. You wouldna ever be able to hide from him.”

“My options are running out quickly.”

He rested his chin atop her head. “There is a place where he wouldna be able to hurt you.”

“Where? Dreagan?” she asked jokingly.

“Aye.”

She leaned back to look at him and saw the seriousness in his expression. “You’re not kidding.”

“Nay, I’m no’.”

A thread of exhilaration rushed through her at the thought of exploring Dreagan, seeing how Asher lived, and possibly glimpsing the Silvers. Then she imagined seeing him in his dragon form.

Suddenly, it was the only thing she wanted.

“I can keep you safe,” Asher offered.

“Out of obligation from your vow when we humans first came?”

He grasped the back of her head and kissed her savagely. She could taste and feel his hunger. Passion roared to life within her as she eagerly returned his kiss. She groaned in frustration when he ended it. Her eyes blinked as she focused on his face.

“Did that feel like obligation?” he asked, his voice rough with desire.

She shook her head, unable to talk.

“I want you with me.”

She kicked off her shoes and pulled up her dress so she could straddle his hips. “Show me.”

His gradual smile was so sexy it made her moan. He grasped a handful of her hair and held her head in place as he kissed her slowly, seductively. Between kisses he pledged, “I’ll make you burn again.”

The fever for him, for everything he was, consumed her as his hand cupped her sex through her panties.

Chapter Thirteen

The next morning, Asher met Ms. Engel in the lobby. As they got into the car, he said, “Excellent work on discovering who Rachel really is.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“I need you to keep an eye on her for me.”

Ms. Engel gave a nod of her dark hair. “Consider it done.”

“There could be some people after her.”

Her head snapped to him. “That kind of trouble?”

“Unfortunately. I must keep to my schedule.”

“Yes,” she said slowly, her gaze lowering to the floorboard as her mind began to work. “There is a group that can be trusted. But they aren’t cheap.”

He didn’t want to call in outsiders, but if another Dragon King arrived, it would alert Ulrik, and that was something he wanted to avoid. Enough innocents had already died.

Not to mention, Dreagan didn’t need any more attention.

“I’ve worked with them numerous times,” Ms. Engel said. “They’ll keep their mouths shut about anything they might…see.”

She all but confirmed that she knew they were dragons. Just how, though? It was something he would have to ask Con. But that was for later. Right now, there were more pressing matters.

“I doona have a choice.” Asher looked out the tinted window and sighed. After a moment, he turned his head to Ms. Engel. “Call them. I want to know who she talks to, who looks at her, and where she goes.”

Immediately, she pulled out her phone and hit a single number before lifting it to her ear while she flipped the case to her tablet and opened an e-mail. Typing, she said, “I have a Code White. Yes. Right away. I’m sending the specifics as we speak.” She hit the send button on the e-mail and hung up the phone. Her gaze shifted to Asher. “It’s done. They’ll be at the hotel within fifteen minutes. If anything happens, they’ll contact me.”

“Make sure they know that if a man with long black hair and gold eyes is seen that he is mine.”

“Of course.”

They arrived at the exhibition centre. Asher exited the car and made his way inside. He covertly searched for any sign that Ulrik was there. As much as he wanted to believe that Ulrik was in Scotland, Ulrik wasn’t one to leave things to fate. He would want to check on Rachel’s progress. Which meant the bastard was there.

There was a push against his mind as he sat down for his next meeting. He recognized Con’s voice and opened the link. “
Aye
?”

“
Ryder told me about Rachel Marek. Is everything under control?
”

“
For the moment.
”

There was a sigh loud enough to come through the mental link. “
You told her.
”

It wasn’t a question. “
Aye. She believed the load of shite Ulrik gave her, and she was still going to write the article. She needed the truth.
”

“
Perhaps. But now you’ve only put her life in jeopardy because Ulrik will learn what you’ve done. Especially when she doesna write the article.
”

“
Aye.
”

There was a lengthy pause before Constantine stated in a hard voice, “
You’re bringing her to Dreagan.
”

“
I’ll no’ leave her for Ulrik to kill, which we both know he will. Either he’ll kill her or threaten her enough so she writes the article, then he kills her. That willna happen.
”

“
So you’ve fallen for her?
”

“
She was lied to, and her life is in danger. I’m doing what needs to be done.
”

Con then said, “
There are places she could go. The Isle of Skye for one. The Druids would watch her. Better yet, send her to MacLeod Castle. The Warriors and Druids will protect her.
”

Those were viable options, but Asher wanted no part in them. “
This is our mess. We’ll do the protecting.
”

“
Are none of you concerned with how many are finding mates? No’ even before the spell we cast on ourselves no’ to have such feelings for the mortals we didna have so many mates.
”

“
Maybe this is our curse for going all those centuries without such feelings. It does concern me, because the more mates we have, the more we have to protect, and the more Ulrik can hurt us. But none of that changes the fact Rachel will be returning with me.
”

“
And you believe she’s no longer working with Ulrik? You trust that she has turned her back on that?”

“
Aye.”

“
Then bring her home.
”

The link was disconnected, and Asher returned to focusing on the meeting.

* * * *

Rachel stretched beneath the covers and smiled. Sunlight filtered through the curtains and filled the room. Asher’s room. She had spent another wonderful night with him.

She rolled over to his pillow and found a deep purple calla lily upon it with a note. Rachel picked up the note, noticing the elegantly neat script.

No more hiding. Join me today.

Yours,

A

She tucked the note to her chest and held the flower. After reading the note a few more times, she rose and dressed to return to her room.

Asher was right. She was done hiding. The confessions and revelations last night had wiped away any need for that. Excitement pumped through her at being her real self with him. It was the side of her she hadn’t known was even there, but he made it shine.

She quite liked this new her. It was certainly going to make it difficult for her to continue her work in the manner that she had. If she could continue.

Once inside her room, she checked every space and turned on the water for the shower. Sam, or rather Ulrik, wasn’t going to be happy about her change of heart. She also agreed with Asher that Ulrik might come after her.

There were still ways to expose the truth of others to the world. Except now, she would dig even deeper than before. Nothing she learned about Asher or Dreagan would’ve given her the story she heard last night.

She stepped into the shower and wondered what might’ve happened had he not told her and she wrote the story. What those words––while true––could’ve destroyed?