Passion Ignited (38 page)

Bob had spent much of the night back at the
blown-up church. He’d started a routine of hanging with Kyle or
Eugene during the earlier hours of the night, and once they’d head
home, he’d taken off down Broad Street.

Oddly enough, he’d found out he could
do
stuff. He could run faster than people could even see,
bypassing blocks within seconds, and people hadn’t even realized
he’d passed them, let alone that he’d even been there.

So, here he was, slow-going it down Broad. The
sun would rise in less than thirty minutes, yet another thing he
just seemed to know. Just like he knew that he burned in the
sunlight. Right now the moon was still bright in the sky,
highlighting the street and the buildings, and the few random
people out and about, in its cool blue light. A group of women
laughing as they walked out of a building caught his attention. One
stayed behind, locking the door as the others strode down the
stairs. They were each beautiful, one with golden hair that shone
in the moonlight, one with black hair, and three with different
shades of brown. It was one of the brunettes that caught his
attention as they reached the sidewalk.

Sticking to the shadows, he watched them from
across the street. As they moved down the sidewalk, so did he. He
couldn’t take his eyes off the beautiful brunette who, as she
walked, smoothed the braids from her hair. His breathing quickened
as he watched her tease her hair and listened to her speak as the
women made their way down Broad Street. A low growl escaped him,
one he couldn’t hold back. The brunette froze then, her eyes
landing directly where he’d been walking; but he was fast, hiding
in the shadows where she couldn’t see him. Her eyes narrowed,
scanning the sidewalk directly in front of him, then continued
forward, only to look back a few more times.

Bob moved forward as well. He’d have to run
ahead if he had any chance of crossing the street without them
seeing him. Just as he was ready to race forward, the brunette
spoke, telling the others where a Chinese food place was, which
seemed to please the blonde woman to no end.

Why was he so captivated by the female? Never
before had he seen such beauty. At least, not that he remembered.
Rushing forward, he bypassed the cross-street and stuck to the
shadows as the group caught up. The view had been spectacular, his
brunette walking with an air of confidence, which seemed to make
his blood boil.

His internal alarm signaled the sun’s rise in
the sky. He needed to get back home before the sunlight cascaded
into the city and turned his skin all crispy. Clamping his jaw
tight, he growled in frustration and flashed away from the
women.

He knew even before he rounded the corner that
he had to see the female again. He’d make damn sure he
did.

****

“How are you?” Raider asked by Nitro’s
side.

“I’m good,” she answered. In truth, she was on
edge that he was out of bed. He wasn’t even fully healed yet, and
obviously sore. Though he’d demanded to get out of his room,
despite her attempts at convincing him otherwise. “How are
you?”

He gave her a look showing his own disbelief
of her answer. Of course he knew she wasn’t alright. Their
blood-bond was a two-way street, and while he knew that she was
happy beyond belief that he’d lived, the fact that she’d lost a
friend during the battle was still weighing down on her. Sadness
gripped her every time she thought about little Kaira. She hadn’t
wanted the little beastie to be caught up in the war with the
Dracs, and that casualty stung a lot harder than she’d ever
expected. She’d never wanted pets—well, except for her horses.
She’d always thought them needy, disgusting little time-sucking
buggers that she didn’t want anything to do with. At first, Kaira
had felt like a pet, but she’d grown to care for her somehow. To
never see her bright eyes stare up at her again, to never be able
to wonder what was going through her head as she stared at
everything in wonderment, to never see her scaled skin change
colors with her mood.

To never feel Kaira’s presence hidden within
the shadows wherever Nitro went.

She was brought out of her internal rambling
as Raider wrapped his arms around her. He’d brought her out amongst
the Guardians again, wanting to make sure her hunger was under
wraps. Thankfully, it was. Apparently being around others
frequently had a positive effect on her Drac appetite. While she
could still sense everyone in the room, and the fact that Draven’s
female’s pulse had kicked up a notch when she’d seen her, she could
honestly say that she didn’t feel like taking a bite out of any of
them.

Well, maybe just the warrior next to
her.

Raider turned to the others with a cocky grin.
“You’re all fine. She doesn’t want a bite of any of
you
.”

The Guardians grunted laughter as Nitro turned
toward him, her face flushed as her mouth dropped wide
open.

“I’ll be damned. Did anyone else think a Drac
could blush?”

Another round of laughter echoed around the
room at Blaze’s comment. Nitro shut her mouth in a grimace, but it
eventually morphed into a half smile. A little of her sadness faded
as she realized that something felt so right about this moment,
surrounded by Raider and Ash, and the Guardians. It felt like she
belonged.

It felt like home.

The only ones missing right now were Ferox,
Raine, and Garrick. From what she’d heard, the king and queen had
had a falling out, and Raine had left to live with her sisters. No
one had heard from Ferox since, despite multiple phone calls. As
for Garrick, he was still MIA, but she was determined to continue
searching for clues of his whereabouts.

She inched closer to Raider as he wrapped his
arms around her even tighter. When Draven returned from his coma
visit with Ethan, the Guardians settled into the chairs that were
around the dining room table. Raine was still staying with her
sisters, and Ferox had yet to return. While it was obvious that
there was concern for their leader, it was also apparent that
something was seriously wrong with him. Once everyone was seated,
they started throwing question after question at her: Did she feel
any different? How often did she need to eat? Was she still seeing
red? Did she think about maiming everyone around her as the other
Dracs did? The list went on and on, and Nitro found herself
answering every question honestly, or at least to the best of her
ability. It was still all new to her. Much of the pain and
hunger—the madness—she’d originally felt had started to fade,
making her feel somewhat normal again.

Gregory started toting in bowls and platters
of food, setting them on the table. A younger man followed behind
him, bringing in even more food and beverages, setting them
strategically around the table’s massive bouquet
centerpiece.

“I’d like everyone to meet my nephew, Chester.
He arrived earlier today,” the old man said.

The Guardians stood up, greeting the young man
and shaking his hand as they introduced themselves.

“You’re here to give your uncle a break from
all this, huh?” Raider asked jokingly as he gently patted the old
man on the shoulder.

“Yes, sir,” Chester replied as he shook
Raider’s free hand.

Gregory smiled. “You’ll have to keep him on
his toes.”

“I’m sure that’s not a problem,” Raider
replied. “Does he know—”

“Not yet,” Gregory said quickly. “I knew that
was the Guardians’ call, and not my own.”

Raider nodded in response, releasing Gregory
from his hold. He sat down next to Nitro, pulling his chair closer
to the table as the two servants excused themselves to grab even
more platters and bowls of food. The Guardians dug in, scooping
food out of bowls, grabbing rolls and butter, veggies, and meat,
and plopping them onto their plates. As they sat down, Raider put
his arm around her again.

Nitro’s eyes wandered around the room as each
of the Guardians launched into different discussions. Her eyes met
Ally’s from across the table, and locked on to the other female.
They silently stared at each other as the men spoke around
them.

The little blonde’s head cocked slightly to
the side. “You really are okay,” she said quietly. Her violet eyes
were still narrowed, but she smiled slightly. “Not sure how I know
that, but I do.”

Nitro nodded. “Yeah, I guess I really am.”
There was something different about Draven’s female, Nitro thought.
Like there was a kindred spirit hidden somewhere beneath the girl’s
perfect features.

Ally nodded in surprised acceptance and turned
back to Draven, her eyes only glancing back at Nitro in silent
curiosity. Over what, Nitro couldn’t guess.

She stopped eyeing the goddess and turned her
attention to the food that was piled all over the table.

A warm tingle of breath brushed over her ear
as Raider whispered, “Give it a try.”

“I don’t know if I can.”

“Do you feel hungry?” he asked. At her raised
brow, he added, “For food, I mean?”

She eyed the food again, still unsure. “It
doesn’t
sound
bad.”

“Just try,” he urged. “What will it
hurt?”

She reached out, grabbing a piece of roast off
of Raider’s plate. She slid it onto her tongue and started chewing.
The meat’s flavor overwhelmed her senses, making her mouth water
for more. She swallowed and reached out again. Next came the
carrots, then the red potatoes. She shoved more and more food down
her throat, not caring that the room had grown silent and everyone
was watching in astonishment. She just couldn’t get enough of it.
Raider stood and refilled the plate as Nitro grabbed the food as
quickly as she could, bypassing the use of silverware.

“Nitro, slow down. You don’t want to get
sick,” he said.

“Drink.” She took a break from chewing only
for the second it took her to make the demand.

His mouth quirked into a half-smile as he
quickly poured water into her glass and handed it to her. She
drained it in seconds.

“I think it’s safe to say she can eat food,”
Blaze commented from across the table.

“Guess so,” Ethan replied. “Until she makes
herself sick.”

“Where is she putting all of it?” Thrash
asked, more to himself than anyone else.

Nitro looked up then, realizing that everyone
was still staring at her, and none of them had touched any of their
own food. She rubbed her mouth with the back of her hand. “Sorry,”
she said around a bite of roast. “I didn’t realize how hungry I
was.”

“It’s alright, doll,” Raider said. “You don’t
have anything to apologize for.” He rubbed her back as he looked
over at her adoringly. She returned his smile until a rumble in her
stomach had her shooting up out of her chair, running from the
dining room. The others remained silent as she flashed to the
bathroom down the hall. She barely reached it before the food she’d
just inhaled heaved from her body. Curling over the toilet, sweat
beaded across her forehead as she kept throwing up.

Raider was next to her in a second, holding
back her hair and rubbing her back as she continued to
heave.

“Guess I can’t eat,” she mumbled
sickly.

“Maybe just not so much. How are you feeling
now?”

“Like I’m ready to puke again.”

“I’m sorry,” he said sincerely.

She sighed, not looking at her male. “Why
don’t you go back with the others? I don’t want you to see me like
this. Plus you shouldn’t be up anyway.”

“’
Kay, but let me know if you need
anything,” he said.

Nitro nodded. “I think I’ll go lay down for a
while.”

Raider backed out of the bathroom, leaving her
to catch her breath on her own. She stood shakily and rinsed out
her mouth before heading upstairs to her own room.

Chapter
Thirty-Eight

Nitro lay on her bed, pulling the covers over
her as she shook. She hadn’t felt so sick in centuries…probably
since she was human. Closing her eyes, she rested against her
pillow, hoping that rest would ease the cramping in her stomach.
Her bed wiggled and her eyes shot open. Kaira sat on her bed,
looking down at her face. She blinked slowly, then quickly, as she
stared at her. “Kaira.”

She didn’t even have time to sit up before her
beastie was on her. The little demon hugged her as tight as her
little pudgy arms would allow. Nitro laughed, and then stopped as
her stomach started to churn.

Mental note: No
laughing.

“Missed you,” Nitro said.

Kaira squealed with laughter and jumped up and
down on the bed.

“Whoa. Whoa, Kaira,” Nitro said, holding her
stomach tightly. The tiny beast stopped and looked at her
inquisitively. “Feeling sick.”

Kaira made an “O” with her mouth and nodded,
then gently tip-toed over to the other side of the bed. She lay
down against Nitro, curling her tail around herself.

She closed her eyes, letting her little
beastie fall asleep beside her. Kaira was okay. Everyone had made
it out alright. Now they just needed to find Garrick, then all
would be well again.