Fury of Seduction (Dragonfury Series #3) (49 page)

Dragons snarled overhead as Nightfury intercepted Razorback. The horrific shriek of claws raking scales exploded, echoing across the surface of the lake.

Caught by surprise, the water rat cursed.

Ivar wheeled and, pink eyes aglow, spun to avoid the deadly stream of Mac’s exhale. Too little, too late. The acid splattered across his red scales. The rogue leader roared and took flight. Mac let him go. The boys would chase the bastard down. He had bigger fish to fry.

And a female to protect.

Flying fast, Mac conjured a triton. He hurled it like a thunderbolt from fifty feet away. Magic spun and lengthened, propelling the weapon over the surface of the water. Jet-black eyes rimmed by blue widened, and shark-gray scales clicking, the rogue dove to avoid the deadly three-pronged weapon.

The second the fucker disappeared, he yelled, “Tania, run!”

She spun toward the embankment, obeying him without hesitation. The water rat surfaced and lunged, swiping at her. One razor-sharp claw caught the back of her T-shirt. Tania screamed. Blood welled on white cotton as the force of the blow threw her into the shallows. With an anguished roar, Mac splashed down and attacked. Battling to keep himself between the water rat and his female, he tore at the rogue’s smooth scales. Shifting right, the enemy slashed at him, grazing his shoulder with his claws. Mac retaliated, fought dirty, and kung fu’ed the motherfucker, pushing the rogue deeper into the lake. As his horned head connected, hammering the enemy’s rib cage, he checked Tania’s vital signs.

Energy-fuse flared, connecting him to her life force. Strong heartbeat. Fatigued and hurting but all right.

Time to get her the fuck out of Dodge.

“Forge!”

Dark-purple scales flashed overhead.
“Here.”

“Catch.”

Forge swooped in and circled overhead. Mac gave the command. Water washed in around Tania, then surged, shooting her skyward like the cork from a bottle of champagne. The water rat cursed. Mac elbowed him in the face, heard teeth rattle as he spun. Pond scum flew in a wide arc as he treated the enemy to the sharp blade of his tail. Warm dragon blood splattered over his cold scales as, eyes on Tania, Mac watched his mentor pick her out of thin air.

“Got her, but...”
Forge paused, as though checking something.

Mac dragged the water rat underwater, taking the fight to the bottom of the lake. Air bubbles swirled. Sandy debris at the bottom kicked up, screwing with his visibility. Grit washed over Mac’s scales. His tattoo shimmered, then glowed, illuminating the water around him. An instant later the murky conditions cleared, giving him an uninhibited view of the enemy...and the tribal ink on the bastard’s dragon skin. Similar to his own, but not quite the same, the marking glowed along the rogue’s back.

The water rat swam left.

Mac circled right, his gaze on the male’s tattoo as he assessed his strength. Jesus, the bastard was powerful. A hulking male with huge webbed paws and a jagged, sawtooth dorsal fin. But then, so was Mac. And the blade along his spine? Way more deadly. Proof of it crisscrossed the rogue’s forearms and claws, the myriad of slicing cuts telling the tale. The vicious SOB couldn’t grab him without suffering the consequences.

Which might include a severed limb if Mac timed it just right.

“Nice ink, asshole,” Mac said, taunting the enemy, searching for a weakness.

“It’s Hamersveld, whelp,” he growled, thick accent warping through water. Baring his fangs, the male hissed at him. Mac dodged as boiling water streamed past his shoulder. “And like sire, like son.”

Mac frowned. What the fuck was the male saying?

“Always knew I would produce strong sons. Your marking is proof enough of that, Nightfury. Only warrior males of my line wear it. My sire before me, and now...you.” Hamersveld’s dark eyes gleamed, piercing through the dark
depths. His bladed tail swished, increasing his swimming speed. “Too bad there can only be one.”

Shock flared through Mac. His father? Was the bastard really claiming—?

Hamersveld surged, closing the distance between them. The bastard sideswiped him. Sharp claws gouged his shoulder. With a snarl, Mac countered, kicking out with his hind paw. Fury made him strong. Aggression made him ruthless. The kick connected and...crack! One of the male’s horns snapped off and sank, heading for the bottom. As Hamersveld howled, the violent crack rippled, sending sound out in concentric waves. Mac turned and, showing no mercy, whacked him with his tail, cutting through scales to slice muscle. Hamersveld retreated. Whipping around, he swam after the bastard. No way would he let him—

“Mac!”

The urgency in Forge’s voice turned Mac’s attention.
“What?”

“Drag your arse out of there. Tania’s—”

“Motherfuck,”
he snarled, watching Hamersveld disappear into the shadows.

Frustration lit him up. And yet, even as his dragon half raged, Mac let his prey escape into the murky depths and, muscles straining, rocketed toward the surface. He didn’t need Forge to tell him. He already knew what his mentor meant. Could feel Tania’s vital signs weakening as her heartbeat took a downturn and she gasped in pain.

His female needed him. So fuck the water rat.

There would be time and more to kill the newest member of the Razorback organization. Another time. Another
place. Another battle. But for now, he must reach Tania...faster than fast. She needed an energy infuse to stabilize her life force—medicine, Dragonkind-style—and he was the only one who could give it to her.

Pain faded on a slow, peace-filled swirl. Tania sighed and settled deep, content to drift into relaxation as a soft current coaxed, pulling her along. Prickles of pleasure ghosted over her shoulders. A moment later the sensation curled inward, streamed down her spine, then circled beneath warm weight pressed to her lower back. It urged her to take. Drink deep and draw more, soothing sore muscles, the knot in her chest unraveling with every breath she took.

Hmm, so good. Strange, sure. Yet somehow lovely too.

Bliss rushed in her veins, keeping time with her heart. Someone murmured. The deep voice held her high, tethering her to the nourishing tide that washed through her. Tania purred. Oh yes...just what she needed. All that she wanted, a sweet burn that went on and on, easing the bruises, banishing the ache in her wrist, infusing her with awareness. And as she surfaced, buoyant with gentle need, her mind slipped from neutral into drive. Mental gears turned. With a hum, she nestled into the curve of a warm body. Strong arms tightened around her. A muscled thigh pressed between her own.

Her mouth curved.

Mac.

It had to be. No other man had ever made her feel so good. So completely comfortable in her own skin. So beautiful, loved, or accepted...just the way she was. No need to worry. Except...

That wasn’t quite right. She seemed to remember...

Struggling to clear the mental fog, Tania told her eyes to open. A no go. Her body refused to cooperate, sending all the wrong signals. With a grumble, she gave herself a mental kick. Her brain cranked over. She tried again. Her lids resisted, then rose. A fuzzy collection of, ah...trees, maybe?...met the attempt. She rubbed her eyes, trying to wipe away the visual haze. Her focus sharpened, becoming clearer by the second. The sticklike smudges morphed into trees. Leafless limbs waved at her as a huge, smooth-topped boulder floated by.

Tania frowned at it. No, that wasn’t right. The rock wasn’t
floating
, she was the one adrift. Warm water washed in, flowing in an unnatural circle around her. A whiskered cheek rubbed against hers. Clarity rushed to the forefront, flooding her with memory.

Dragons. The red one and others. Shrieking in battle. Fireballs flashing against the night sky. The horrific sound of claws ripping through scales. The hot splash of dragon blood on her skin. Mac deep in the lake with the shark dragon that wanted to kill her.

The recollection pounded through her. Tania flinched. Pain dinged her, shooting up her right arm.

“Shh,
mo chroí
. It’s all right.” One hand spread wide on the small of her back, Mac stroked over her hair with the other. The gentle caress grounded her in reality. Exhaling
a shaky breath, she clung to him, wrapping her good arm around his bare shoulder. He nuzzled the side of her throat, then lifted his head. Shimmering aquamarine eyes met hers. “You’re safe.”

She swallowed, working moisture back into her mouth. “Where...?”

“The river outside Black Diamond,” he said, holding her close, supporting her weight in the water. “The waterfall’s around the next bend.”

Oh, well, that made sense. Trees. Rocks. The beaver dam walling up the small inlet she spotted over Mac’s shoulder as they drifted by. All of it pointed to the great outdoors. Add that to the fact she was chest-deep in water, buoyant in Mac’s arms while pinpoint stars played peekaboo with wispy, faraway clouds? Yup. Definitely. Outside said it all. One thing, though...

Another wave of warmth washed in, swirling over her skin. She met Mac’s gaze and raised a brow. “Any reason I’m naked?”

“Other than the fact I prefer you that way?”

She rolled her eyes.

He grinned. A moment later his expression smoothed into serious lines. “I’m sorry, honey, I should’ve taken you inside, but I couldn’t wait. I needed to check you...to make sure you were okay. I couldn’t do that with your clothes on.”

“I’m not complaining.” An understatement if there ever was one. ’Cause, yup, the whole skin-on-skin thing with Mac? Umm, boy...it so worked for her. Along with almost everything about him. Awed by his strength and courage, Tania traced his mouth with her fingertips. God, he was beautiful, all that she wanted, more than she deserved. “Guess I’m okay then, huh?”

“A little banged up, but you’ll live.”

Her throat went tight. “Thanks to you.”

Big hands roamed over her back as he whispered her name. Tania tipped her chin up, craving his kiss. He gave it to her, burying his hand in her hair, holding her still, demanding entrance. With a hum, she opened, parting her lips, inviting him in, asking for more. Dipping into her mouth, he kept it light, delivering his taste one gentle stroke at a time. Pleasure and need collided in a heated swirl, and Tania purred, loving the feel of him. Minutes later—or maybe hours...Tania didn’t know—he retreated, relinquishing her mouth.

Muttering “no,” she protested his retreat.

He came back to nip her, then pulled away again. The river rush increased, twirling them in a circle as she pouted. His lips twitched a second before he turned his attention to her sore wrist. Tania tensed, expecting the throb of agony to return. But he was gentle, and the pain was so much less, as though her body had kicked into high gear, healing at an accelerated rate.

Cradling her hand in his, he asked her to move her fingers. As she obeyed, he glanced at her. “Does it still hurt?”

“A little, but not much anymore.”

“Good. The bone is knitting.” With a gentle touch, he examined her bruised thumb. “Fuck, I love energy-fuse. Another day and you’ll be good as new.”

Her breath caught.
Energy-fuse.
She knew about it from Myst. Her best friend had explained the bond she shared with Bastian. Rare. Powerful. A magical connection that enabled a Dragonkind male to feed his female healing energy—a fusion so strong it mated hearts and entwined souls. Hope whispered through her.

Oh God, please. Make it so. Let it be true.

Holding back tears, she whispered, “You fed me?”

“I’m still feeding you.” Raising his hand, he traced the ridge of her cheekbone with his fingertip. “Feel that current...the nourishing wash of sensation?”

Tania let her eyes drift closed. The rush intensified, thrumming through her veins. Her love for him surfaced, finding a permanent home inside her heart. “Yes.”

“All me.”

“It’s nice.” Opening her eyes, she met his gaze. “Is it like that when I feed you?”

“More intense. Not as gentle.”

“I like giving you what you need.”

His throat worked as he swallowed. “I love the way you taste...like honey and ocean breezes. Beautiful.”

Any other time, she would’ve enjoyed the compliment. Right now, though, his praise shamed her.
Beautiful.
Yeah, right. She hadn’t been so hot an hour ago when she’d lied, cheated, and stolen a crazy-expensive car. One that now lay in a twisted heap beside the lake where she’d nearly gotten everyone killed.

God, how messed up was that? All she’d wanted was to reach her sister. But in doing so, she’d risked them all. Herself. The Nightfury warriors. The man she loved.

Tears filled her eyes. With a sob, she covered her mouth with her hand. “Oh my God. I’m so sorry.”

“Tania, honey, it’s all right.”

“No, it isn’t. I’m an idiot.” She shook her head, her chest so tight she could hardly breathe. “I didn’t realize. I thought I would be okay...that they couldn’t track me, you know? Because of the energy thing and...” Her bottom lip trembled. The first tears fell, tipping over her bottom
lashes. Mac brushed each one away as she rasped, “Is everyone all right? The guys and—”