Fury of Shadows: Dragonfury Series: SCOTLAND #2 Page 8

  “So, it’s like this—my eyes may be damaged, but I perceive energy on an infinitesimal scale. ’Tis a talent of mine, one I’ve cultivated over centuries,” he said, making it sound normal. More questions popped into her head. She opened her mouth to ask. Wallaig waved his hand, stopping her mid-volley. “Everything—alive or dead, person, place or thing—possesses an energy signature, one unique unto itself. I may not know what you look like, Elise, but I can read your energy. You’ve a lovely shape, a beautiful violet tinge to your aura.”

  Interesting and odd. Titling her head, she met Wallaig’s gaze. He looked right at her, as though he really could see her. Her focus ping-ponged, landing on each man, cataloging their differences, before she turned back to Cyprus.

  He raised a brow. “Clearer now?”

  Yes and no. She pursed her lips. Perhaps a little, but…

  “You realize you’re all full of…” She paused, struggling to find the right word. Finally, she settled on, “Weirdness.”

  Levin and Kruger laughed.

  Wallaig rolled his damaged eyes.

  Cyprus grinned. “And what’s your weirdness, lass?”

  “Books,” she said, happiness sparking to life. Books, books…God, how she loved books. “Rare ones.”

  Cyprus’s focus sharpened on her. “You collect them?”

  “I curate and repair them.”

  “Interesting,” Wallaig said, speculation on his face. “What do you do for a living, Elise?”

  “I’m a book conservator at the National Museum of Scotland.” She frowned, her joy tarnished by the thought of her job. “At least, I used to be.”

  Murmuring in sympathy, Cyprus wrapped his arms around her. “Take heart, talmina. I have something better than a museum for you.”

  Elise glanced up at him, her expression skeptical. “Better than a museum?”

  “A hundred times better.”

  A thrill shot through her. “What is it?”

  “I’ll show you when we get home.” A devilish gleam in his eyes, he kissed the tip of her nose and let her go. “Now, finish your meal. It’s almost time tae go.”

  Go? To a place better than a museum?

  Picking up her knife, Elise dug in, slicing off a piece of steak, wondering at the possibilities. Something better than a museum. Oh, boy. Count her in. Label her eager, and as she daydreamed about rare book collections and dragon lairs, Elise realized something odd. Something important. Something just the tiniest bit crazy. She wasn’t afraid of what Cyprus planned. Or the lethal-looking dragon guys sitting across the table. Somehow, it all made sense. She fit here, belonged next to Cyprus, was comfortable surrounded by his pack.

  What that said about her, Elise didn’t know, but chose to ignore the revelation. For now. Later would be soon enough to figure things out and decide what to do: accept her fate or find a way to stay safe, despite the threat, and leave Dragonkind—along with Cyprus—behind.

  Thirteen

  Wings spread wide, Cyprus rocketed between two cliffs. White jets whistled from the tip of his bladed tail. Snow kicked in his wake, whirling between the rise and fall of mountain peaks. Perched on his shoulders, a death grip on the spikes behind his horns, Elise whooped in enjoyment. Concerned for her comfort, he rechecked the harness. All good. Naught for him to worry about. The magical tethers he controlled were doing their job, strapping her in, ensuring her wellbeing, protecting her from taking a tumble. His fire dragon saw to the rest, shielding her from the wind chill, keeping her warm and snug atop his back.

  Glancing over his shoulder, he smiled, showing fang. She grinned in return and—

  He faked left and flew right, banking around another corner.

  Delight in her eyes, she angled her shoulders and leaned into the turn. With a chuckle, he flipped up and over, jetting between two jagged peaks. Elise stayed with him, following each shift as though she’d been born to fly. His heard thumped hard. Goddess, she was beautiful—adventurous and fun, as brave as she was intelligent. A perfect combination that filled his heart so full he wanted to give her more of a ride, but a delay in reaching Cairngorm wouldn’t be wise.

  Night had fallen, and along with it, the potential for danger.

  Grizgunn wouldn’t waste any time. He and his pack would be out hunting, in search of the high-energy female that got away. The strength of Elise’s bio-energy ensured it. She was a heady lure. One his enemies wouldn’t be able to ignore…or resist tracking. The fact he’d wounded Grizgunn’s pride by taking Elise fueled the fire, creating the perfect storm. Revenge and desire: a lethal combination in a male as unbalanced as Grizgunn.

  Cyprus could smell the challenge in the air. The acrid scent of another warrior lost to a killing rage. So…

  No question. The bastard would come.

  The only thing left to do now was predict when and where Grizgunn would strike.

  Clenching his teeth, Cyprus increased his wing speed. He needed to reach his mountain lair. The sooner he secured Elise inside—behind the magical shield that prevented detection from the outside world—the better. He needed to plot his next move and decide how best to deal with the enemy pack in his territory. Grizgunn required killing, but…his eyes narrowed…how to do it without revealing the reason behind the bastard’s obsession with the Scottish pack.

  Cyprus frowned. A myriad of options spiraled though his mind, whipping his thoughts into a chaotic jumble. He shook his head. His scales clicked and…shite. Mayhap he was going about it wrong. Mayhap covering up the past—his mistake along with his sire’s treachery—wasn’t the best thing to do. Mayhap, he should tell his warriors the truth. Reveal all. Tell them everything. Lay what happened the night his sire died at his pack’s feet and let the chips fall where they may.

  Unease snaked through him.

  Telling the truth might well cost him leadership of the Scottish pack. The warriors under his command valued honor, upheld justice and the dictates of Dragonkind. What he’d done landed on the wrong side of the law. Males had been stripped of status and exiled from their homes—even executed—for lesser crimes, but…

  Wallaig already knew.

  The cunning male hadn’t said anything, but he knew. Cyprus sensed the weight of his censure, and yet felt Wallaig’s approval too. An odd contradiction. One that didn’t make him confident about the outcome of unburdening his heart and baring his soul. The inherent vulnerability rubbed him the wrong way, but…such was life. Which meant he must decide—continue to carry the burden alone or trust his brothers-in-arms to have his back when he came clean and confessed his sin.

  A dilemma. A dangerous one worth considering, but not right now.

  He couldn’t think with Elise in the open. Couldn’t get past the territorial beast raging inside him. His female sidelined logic, pushing him beyond reason into the primal need to protect.

  Urgency whipping at his tail, Cyprus flew around the last bend. Cairngorm rose like a horned monster in front of him. Inhospitable. Unruly. Unpredictable. All teeth and no compassion—a safe haven from the human world, the place he came back to time and again. A home he hoped to share with Elise, if he could convince her to stay.

  Scanning the craggy face of the mountain, Cyprus spotted the landing zone. He zeroed in and spread his wings, slowing his flight. An updraft lifted his bulk. He floated above the ledge a moment, seesawing in the wind before his back paws touched down. His claws scraped across granite. His forepaws thumped down. Elise gasped as he reached up, grabbed hold, and lifted her off his back.

  As her feet met the ground, he shifted, moving from dragon to human form, and conjured his clothes.

  “Oh my God, that was awesome!” With an exuberant hop, she grabbed hold of his shirt front. Blue eyes shining with excitement, she grinned at him. “Can we go again?”

  He laughed. “Aye, but not tonight.”

  Her smile dimmed. “It’s not safe?”

  “Not yet, but donnae worry, talmina.” Wrapping his arms around her, he pressed a kiss to he
r temple. “Grizgunn won’t find you here.”

  “You’re sure?”

  “Aye,” he murmured, hugging her tighter. “The lair is surrounded by a protection spell. Only pack members may enter.”

  “Oh, okay.” Exhaling, she relaxed against him and looked around, examining the rocky ledge. Wide enough to launch three dragons at a time, the outcropping served as a perfect LZ, and one of many entrances and exits into and out of his mountain home. “So, what now?”

  “I give you a tour…” Turning toward the doorway cloaked by magic, he grabbed her hand and glanced over his shoulder. Red scales flashing in the gloom, Wallaig lined up his approach. Behind him, Levin and Kruger leveled out, planning to land on either side of the big male. His mouth curved. Time to get out of the way and inside the lair, before his warriors turned them into bowling pins. “And show you you’re surprise.”

  Elise bounced on her toes. “My surprise first, please.”

  “Impatient lass.”

  “You probably should get used to that,” she said, following him across the landing. “I don’t have any.”

  “What—patience?”

  Lacing her fingers with his, she shrugged. “The first flaw of many, I’m afraid.”

  Cyprus snorted. “Not much of one.”

  “You’re biased.”

  “Absolutely.”

  She rolled her eyes.

  Cyprus leaned down and pressed a kiss to her lips. A quick brush of his mouth over hers, the delicious taste of her just enough to appease his dragon half and keep his baser instincts in check. A good thing too. He wanted her so much he struggled to maintain his composure. A new state of being for him. He never lost control, in or out of bed. Females came and went, a pleasurable pursuit he forgot about the second he left his bedmate of the moment behind. Elise was different. His reaction to her didn’t play by the rules. He craved her with a passion that surpassed natural boundaries. Now, all he could think about was her.

  He needed to strip her bare…again. This time, though, it wouldn’t be to heal her. He’d take what he wanted: love her so long and hard she sobbed his name as she came.

  Unable to resist, he kissed her again. Deeper. Harder. Giving her his tongue before raising his head. As she sputtered in surprise, he banged on the door, requesting entrance into the lair. The beast in control of the spell acquiesced, cracking the portal open without complaint.

  “Come, lass.” With a gentle tug, he drew her with him, stepped over the threshold, and into the subterranean tunnel. “Your surprise awaits.”

  Warm air rushed in to surround him as he turned into the first tunnel.

  The scrape of dragon claws on stone sounded behind him.

  Cyprus didn’t wait for his warriors to catch up. He had things to do and a gorgeous female to seduce…to love and hold and cherish. Hopefully, the gift he planned to give her would do the trick. Or at least, nudge Elise in the right direction, toward hot lust and the beginnings of trust. The kind that would allow him his way and land her in the middle his bed.

  Manipulative? A wee bit dishonest?

  No doubt, but desperate times called for underhanded measures. It might not be honorable, but Cyprus didn’t care. With his dragon half in thrall, he couldn’t wait to lay her down. She was the blood in his veins and the beat of his heart, the entire reason he existed now. And like it or nay, a male did whatever it took to win his mate. Fair means or foul, the method didn’t matter just as long as she accepted his claim, and he got what he needed in the end.

  Fourteen

  One step behind Cyprus, Elise entered the tunnel…then wished she hadn’t. Her hand trembled in his as she wrapped her other one around his forearm. Hard muscles flexed against her palm. She took a breath, trying not to panic, and pressed closer. Holy crap, she couldn’t see a thing, the blackness so thick it reminded her of the bottomless well.

  Deep. Dark. Deadly.

  Her imagination worked on her, making her picture awful things. Flexing her fingers, she clung to Cyprus, relying on him to keep her safe and sure footed in the dark.

  The ground dipped beneath her feet. She started to shake.

  Squeezing her hand, Cyprus murmured a reassurance.

  The sound of his voice helped her stay on task. Bend knee. Lift foot. Step forward. The instructions ran like tickertape inside her mind as she shadowed his movements and prayed for light. Silly. Completely ridiculous. Nothing would hurt her as long as she stuck with Cyprus, but…God. She hated the dark. A juvenile fear, one sparked as a child when her father refused to change the bulb in her burnt out nightlight. Her first night without it hadn’t been fun, and as much as she tried to reason with herself, unease still dogged her at night. Add in the memory of Grizgunn’s attack and—

  “Elise?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Relax, baby. No need tae worry. I can see in the dark.”

  “Lovely,” she said, straining for polite. She didn’t make it. An edge crept into her voice, replacing civility with snark. “I’m so happy for you.”

  He snorted in amusement. “Trouble in a pretty wee package, aren’t you, lass? I seem tae remember calling you that earlier this evening.”

  “You can call me whatever you like, as long as you turn the lights on.”

  “There aren’t any lights in this section of tunnel, but soon we’ll be—ah, here we go.”

  A glow bloomed ahead, growing brighter by the second.

  Elise forced herself to breathe. In. Out. Fill her lungs. Release the air. Step through an archway behind Cyprus and…there, all better. Lots of light. Enough to get a sense of the underground tunnel and see where she stood. Or rather, walked beside him. He led. She followed, wide-eyed now, her head on a swivel, cataloging everything about the place Cyprus called home.

  Smooth, well-worn stone floors. High vaulted ceilings supported by granite half-columns embedded in curved walls. Following the chisel marks, she glanced up and…wow. Hundreds of round lanterns, big and small, glowing softly, bobbing like jellyfish against the arched roof. Elise frowned at the strange lamp colony. Weird. She couldn’t see any electrical cables or connections. She examined the globes more closely and…nope. Not a single power outlet in sight.

  Looking ahead, she watched the light-filled orbs sway, then nudged Cyprus with her elbow. “Does the lair run on magic?”

  “This one does, aye.”

  This one? Did that mean…

  “You have another lair?”

  “One in the city, in the center of Aberdeen, beneath the pub we own.” Cyprus turned down another corridor. Wider than the last, the tunnel stretched out before them, then branched in two different directions. “But I’ve always preferred the mountain lair.”

  “And the other warriors?”

  “Most sleep here. Rannock spends his days in the city. You’ve yet tae meet him, but he runs the whiskey distillery behind the pub,” he said. “Tydrin—my blood brother—splits his times between here and there. Ivy prefers the city. She enjoys walking to the market and visiting the shops during daylight hours.”

  She glanced at him in surprise. “You have a brother?”

  “Two, actually. Tydrin is the youngest. Vyroth is my twin.”

  Her mouth curved. A twin…how cool for Cyprus. As the only child in a dysfunctional household, she imagined how much fun that would’ve been for him. God knew she’d longed for a sister to play with growing up. “Identical?”

  “Aye,” he murmured, looking troubled for a moment. “Although, one of his eyes is bright blue.”

  “What color is the other one?”

  “Pale purple—like mine.”

  “Cool,” she said, squeezing his hand, no longer bothered by all the weird dragon information. The more she learned, the more intrigued she became by Cyprus and his family. “And who is Ivy?”

  “Tydrin’s mate. You’ll meet her later. He promised tae fly her out before dawn.”

  Another woman inside a dragon pack. Thank God. Elise had a feeling she would n
eed a compatriot—a female friend who understood Dragonkind. “Has she been with Tydrin long?”

  Cyprus shook his head. “A few months. Tydrin mated her after rescuing her from a FBI manhunt.”

  “She’s a criminal?”

  “A fugitive from the United States, until she cleared her name.”

  Wow. Seriously? Sounded like an interesting story. She started to ask, but got sidetracked as Cyprus walked beneath an open arch. He stopped just inside a huge room. Except…her eyes narrowed on the architecture…it wasn’t a room at all. The domed structure looked like a cave. Hewn from black granite, the color palette should’ve felt oppressive. Somehow, the dark walls managed to convey warmth instead.

  The sparkling veins of crystals helped, cutting through black stone, acting like pale paint on an ebony canvas. More light globes hovered near the ceiling, brightening the space, casting long shadows across the floor. Her gaze swung toward a kitchen with Birchwood cabinets and marble countertops. The butcher-block island with backless stools screamed comfortable, homey, lived in: a place where cookies got baked and secrets came to be discovered.

  Dragging her attention to the other side of the cavern, Elise tried not to laugh. What she’d expected, she didn’t know, but…jeepers. Dragon guys sure lived a lot like human guys. The bachelor pad vibe was a dead giveaway. No frills or throw pillows. No fuzzy blankets. Zero extra comforts. Just long leather couches, low-lying end tables, and a bunch of colorful bean bag chairs. Lips twitching, she scanned the room again and…drat it all. Not a single book in sight.

  “The great room, Elise. The pack spends a lot of time in here.”

  “This isn’t my surprise, is it?”

  He grinned at her hopeful tone. “Nay, but we must pass through here to get to it. Follow me, talmina.”

  Without waiting for a reply, he drew her forward—crossing the weathered stone floor, detouring around a grand piano, sidestepping a yoga mat—to reach a wide entry way on the other side of the cave. He jogged up the steps. She kept pace, boot soles beating a predictable rhythm, before stepping into a vestibule. Another archway. She caught a glimpse of the room across the foyer