Dangerous Lovers (221 page)

“What were you looking for, Nixie?” I asked moving away from Stone.

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Stone

In the morning, the only thing I could think of was how her slim legs had wrapped around mine, and how she’d called out my name. My real name. Something I never thought I’d hear again. I wanted to kiss her somewhere entirely different this morning yet I didn’t want to push her too far, too soon.

Then she had to say my name again this morning. All thoughts of leaving the room fled as I watched her perfect lips form each letter. I hadn’t even noticed someone getting close to the door. I guess I should have been happy that it was Nixie and not someone else.

The girls talked while I tried to calm my body down. All it could seem to think was that Audrey was close, so very close. I excused myself to the bathroom where I noticed my hair was still disheveled from Audrey’s fingers. I tried to get any image of her out my head for two seconds so that I could control my body. I heard Nixie’s laugh and I decided I could handle going back out there knowing there was someone else.

When I came out, Nixie held some of the clothes York had provided. Looking at Nixie, I wondered what she would do. With her father’s death on York’s head, I wondered if she would be able to stay with us. Watching at how she interacted with Audrey, I hoped for that precious woman’s sake, Nixie would consider it.

“Oh, Guppy, you are beautiful in that dress, I could never take it away!” Nixie announced.

She was right. Audrey’s lightly tanned skin was glowing more than ever, and her eyes shined brightly. Her hair was still slightly untamed, but I knew now that was just how it was. I thought briefly what it would be like to see her as a shining, scaled dragon. I shut down the image almost immediately. She may never have that and it felt almost like a betrayal even thinking about her in a form she may never achieve. I was okay with her never transforming. I would always be okay with whatever she might be as long as she was with me. I told her the truth last night; I loved her. Right then, it felt like it was finally sinking in for me.

“What do you think, Stone?” Nixie asked giving me with a slightly murderous look and I realized that she probably had asked me a few times.

“I think it looks perfect on her.” I answered, my eyes never leaving Audrey’s, even when she looked down and a light blush coated her cheeks. I remembered that blush and suddenly all my hard work to forget those moments from last night vanished.

“Yeah, well duh clam-head! What I meant was what do you think about her training in it? It will totally ruin the dress and we can’t have that. I have been dying to see what you look like as a dragon! I was doing some snooping around and found out what your Dad is…” Nixie trailed off.

I moved toward Audrey. She looked so sad without trying to show the emotion, it wasn’t working. She tried to take in a hesitant breath but I knew that it was hurting her deep down. She wanted too much to be able to feel that other side of her, the part that was missing, the part that I could never heal. I understood Nixie’s decision. I couldn’t disagree with her reasoning knowing that if it was my mother or father who was killed by someone in this clan, I wouldn’t be able to stay. I didn’t think that Audrey would be able to see it that way. I ran my fingers on the edge of her hairline.

“You will never be less than perfect for me,” I whispered, kissing her forehead.

“How can you say that…I am not perfect?”

“Perfectly imperfect.” I paused and wrapped my arms around her, binding her in an unbreakable hug. “Perfect for me in every way.”

“Sorry to break this lovely moment you two are having but your father is probably wondering where you are, Audrey, and I wouldn’t want you to get in trouble with him.” She gave Audrey a pointed look, in which Audrey nodded. She grabbed the clothes that Nixie was holding and moved to the bathroom to change.

“Have you given it anymore thought? About staying?” I asked the green-haired siren. Her coral eyes flashed in annoyance.

“You make it sound like such a simple decision. If it were an easy one to make, I could give you an answer. You think you are the only one who cares about her? I know that if I leave I would potentially hurt her, that I would probably hurt her. This isn’t only about her Stone. She needs to start standing on her own two feet and learning that the tough decisions need to be made. Do you think it is easy for me being in the same place as the person who killed my father? To find out that he is actually related to the one person I could truly call my best friend? So think long and hard the next time you decide to ask me
that
question.” With a happy-go-lucky smile plastered on her face, Nixie turned back to the bathroom door. Her eyes completely void of any anger.

“Come on, my little guppy!” Nixie pretty much skipped over to Audrey and hooked her arm around her friend. I followed behind, watching the two girls interact.

While Nixie had been on the team for as long as I could remember, I had never grown close to her. I was never close with anyone on the team. My father made it clear that the only paranormals I should spend time with were my own. I lived by those rules for a very long time and old habits die hard.

I wondered about some of the things Nixie said, but I also knew that I would probably not get the answers from her. Audrey led us to the room I recognized from the outside. The doors were the only ones that were arched and had small details. It was the dome room. The ceiling was made of glass, and the middle of the room was lit up by the sunlight.

It really was a spectacular sight to see, but my eyes weren’t looking at the crystal, clear dome, they focused on the two men in the middle of the room. York waited patiently as Drake yelled at him. When I saw York’s tail wrap around Drake’s arm, and his hand touch Drake lightly, I knew immediately what I was seeing. Gargoyles weren’t intimate creatures by nature, but the people they did touch in such a possessive way showed how much York cared for Drake. Drake and York stood close to each other, closer than friends, the way Drake’s eyes softened on York.

I looked at Audrey hoping she wouldn’t notice them. I knew she wasn’t ready for this kind of revelation. Not right now. Not so soon after her finding the courage to admit how she truly felt about her mother. She didn’t make any comment or noise that indicated that she understood the significance of their light touches.

“Drake, we will talk about this…but later.” York gave a pointed look in our direction, and I could see that Drake hadn’t even realized that we walked in. When he turned to us, he looked back at York with an almost pleading look. York nodded and headed toward Nixie and I. Audrey had separated herself from Nixie, and was standing as if waiting to see what her father wanted.

“Could you two come with me, please? Drake requested that we allow him time with his daughter.”

I looked at York with a murderous glare, I would not leave Audrey.

“I promise he won’t harm her,” he whispered to me as he started to walk past.

I looked up at her, and while she looked slightly nervous, wringing her hands together, she nodded, as if accepting that I had to leave. In that moment, I was so damn proud of her, she was being incredibly brave.

Nixie huffed, but followed York out of the room and I followed suit.

“York.” I wasn’t sure what I wanted to say, but I found myself demanding that he listen. We had got a couple of doorways away from where Drake and Audrey were, but he motioned me a little farther.

“Look, I understand why you would feel nervous leaving her alone with him, but things have changed,” York whispered sharply.

“What are you talking about?” I demanded gritting my teeth. York’s eyes widened.

“You don’t know?” He sounded more like he was talking to himself at that point.

“Know what?”

“When Drake couldn’t save his lover, Audrey’s mother, all those years ago, he went a little mad with grief. The dragon took over more than the man that day, and he never quite reverted back to the Drake I knew from years and years ago. Losing Coy, Audrey’s mother, in child-birth, after they had been together for almost ten years, the grief was too much. His dragon had always been a bit overbearing, and that day Drake lost a little more of his personality. He became obsessed with keeping his tiny little jewel safe from anything or anyone. He had deemed Audrey his possession, not just his daughter and branded her.” York grew quiet, but the blood was rushing to my ears. All she had wanted was a friend, and when she finally had that as well, he took it away because she was nothing but a gem to him. I saw red.

“Wait…Stone you don’t understand!” York was behind me. I didn’t know how he got behind me. Apparently I had moved.

Drake had scarred his daughter, forced her into a life of solitude, even before she was taken by Cain. Nothing could stop me from bursting through those doors. I had never attempted the form of a Minotaur, but I was the best shape-shifter in the Braden clan and my mate would be avenged. My body began to reshape into the deadly beast’s form. Drake was talking to Audrey, but I didn’t see anything but him. I charged.

“Stone, no!” York yelled at me, or maybe it was Audrey, I was too far gone to know who was who.

I hit Drake, who wasn’t paying attention to me, and he flew backwards. I snarled. Drake got to his feet, his teeth growing a dangerous size. I moved to charge him again, when he roared loudly. His form began to change, thicken, stretch and new appendages grew.

“Fuck, Stone move!” York screamed, speeding toward us. But the dragon had already taken form.

Drake stood before me as a giant monster I couldn’t hope to beat in this form. I knew that shifters couldn’t transform into the elder races, but anger was still rushing through my system. I still wanted to fight.

Drake roared again setting his sights on me.

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Audrey

Seeing my father transform and go after Stone made something in me snap. I don’t know what it was. I just broke free.

My body began to burn, forcing something. I didn’t understand. I was terrified for me, for Stone, and for what was about to happen. My skin felt too tight, like my bones were growing too large. The pain was unbearable, but when my eyes fell on Stone again, the thought of losing him hurt more. My body shook, then exploded.

One second I was too far away, the next I was in front of my father, in front of Stone shielding him. When I tried to get words out, only growls came. I tried to scream, but it echoed around the room like a roar.

My father stepped back as if in shock, his long talons clicking on the beautiful stone floor. I tried to scream again, and again all that came out was a deafening roar. When I tried to move back, my body wasn’t moving normally. I hadn’t realized before that my arms were touching the ground. Moments before all I was concerned about was protecting Stone. Now looking down, I realized what had shocked my father.

I looked down and saw deep purple-maroon scales, shiny, new and beautiful, covering legs about 6 feet long. I tested one, it moved when I tried to move my arm. Connected to those were claws like my father’s. I turned my neck some more looking at the curve of my spine, which continued onto a long, delicate tail. My father’s tail had spikes, I had none. But I had a tail.

A presence started to fill my mind, a piece of me that I thought could never exist. She had been what controlled our body at first. She had acted on instinct. I felt a cool hand touch my leg. I turned to see Stone staring at me in awe. I tried not to bite my lip as I would normally do because I knew I would only hurt myself.

“Audrey,” Stone whispered, coming around to my front.

I asked the ever-growing presence if she would allow us to lay down, she didn’t really want to. After eyeing my father for a moment, she moved our legs. Stone moved close and I moved my long neck to bring my enormous head to meet him. I made small noises trying to get his attention, but he kept smoothing his hand over my scales. It felt like heaven, even though his form was small compared to mine, having his hand on me had a calming effect. A deep rumble built in my throat.

“You’re gorgeous,” he whispered. I wanted to smile but my body began to shake. My vision blurred. I thought I heard a screaming warning, but the multi-colored world around me was turning black.

• • •

The first thing I noticed was a hand holding mine. A tight callus grip that brought memories of those hands moving on my body. I smiled, but it quickly faded as I rememebered my dream of being a dragon. My heart cried out mourning the loss of something I never had.

“Audrey, if you can hear me, please wake up.”

Gabriel’s voice was so close. Maybe my time with him was a dream too.

“I know you are scared. But it was real Audrey. It was real.” Awe filled his voice.

I opened my eyes and looked at him. My throat clogged with tears, and my eyes burned with the buildup.

“I transformed?” The words were broken and quiet.

“Yes. You are the most stunning dragon I have ever seen.” His eyes were light and I could see the yellow flecks, he was happy.