Seductions (Alpha City Book 4) (12 page)

“What time is it?” Zoey asked. They all looked over at the clock on the wall. It was already seven at night. The dragon should be arriving soon.

“He’s coming!” London jumped up and pointed to the top of the screen. Picking up her phone she called Ryder and told him Jamal was coming. “Damn he’s fast.”

“Where’s he headed to?” Zoey asked.

“He’s headed straight for the guys.” London said. She continued to give Ryder the dragon’s location. This way they would be waiting for him. Surprising the dragon was going to be their greatest weapon at the moment.

“Tell them to get ready.” Zoey was wringing her fingers as she watched the screen. The other women in the room were also watching. Their mates were out there, too. Every man that could fight was needed.

“Here he comes!” London yelled into the phone.

They watched as the dragon dropped down from the sky puffing out flames and catching the lodge on fire. Her heart felt like stopping when she watched the King Clan’s meeting place go up in flames. She could feel the pull in her chest to go and help her mate. She knew he was in pain. His father built that lodge. It was a legacy for the King Clan and a place that everyone used.

“Fucker,” London muttered.

“Look, there are Bo and Cat’s people.” Nets flew out of the trees toward the dragon when it flew close to the ground. Catching his wings, the net forced Jamal to land. Flapping his wings and twisting his body, Jamal fought free, pushing the net to the ground. That’s when the gunfire rang out from different directions. They pulled out every gun they had and fired it at the dragon. Unfortunately, the bullets didn’t penetrate his hide. Jamal inhaled, then blasted a group that was shooting at him. Sage’s breath caught in her throat. Thankfully, the guys were ready for that, and a blast of water knocked the fire out. All that did was piss him off more. Jamal looked surprised but recovered quickly, jumping up into the air. One of the hoses got hung up around some rocks they were using. Her hand covered her mouth as she saw that one of his guards was trapped. Nolan ran and tried to pull the hose loose. He kept pulling but the damn thing was stuck under a rock, the water pressure was making it difficult to jerk free. Nolan had no choice but to use his claws and cut the hose, allowing his friend to escape. Water went everywhere. They had just lost their best weapon. Nolan was so preoccupied in getting the guard free he wasted valuable time.

“No, no…run, Nolan!” Zoey bounced up in her chair.

“Run, run, run faster.” Sage screamed at the screen. Jamal was diving fast from the sky, headed straight for Nolan. He was fast but the dragon was faster. Jamal’s mouth opened, ready to hit Nolan with a fire burst.

“No!” Everyone screamed out, knowing Nolan wouldn’t make to safety in time. Dropping out of the sky, another dragon landed on the ground in front of Nolan, covering him with its wings as Jamal blasted them with his fire.

She couldn’t help but jump up, waiting to see if Nolan was okay. Her heart was pounding so hard that she felt like she was going to faint. Jamal flew up into the sky, hovering above the trees while the dragon’s wings opened. Nolan stood up; they could tell he was equally stunned.

Jamal continued to hover, watching the second dragon. He was mad now and dove toward the other dragon. Gunfire went off and nets flew toward him again missing him. He was too fast. Dropping to the ground, Jamal tried to ram the dragon but this one was strong. Surprising Jamal the dragon opened its mouth and blasted him back. Jamal and the other dragon stood staring at each other. Whoever this dragon was didn’t like Jamal. Sage’s breath was caught in her throat, watching, waiting to see what was going to happen. Why wasn’t Jamal attacking the other dragon?

Finally, Jamal spread his wings and flew up in the air. Jamal continued to keep his eyes on the dragon until he turned and flew away, but the dragon on the ground still watched the skies. After a few long moments, the dragon turned, lowering its wings.

“I thought all the dragons were dead except Jamal. This has to be the sister from Catrina’s vision,” Zoey said. They were all glued to the screen waiting to see what would happen. That’s when Brody, Ryder, and Judd walked up behind Nolan.

“Look, she’s bowing to them. Please let this be the one who’s going to help us.” London was holding the Tree of Life in her hand as it glowed.

She looked down, feeling the vibration on her neck. The sister stone was also glowing a pretty blue color. Sage looked at her cousin, “I think you got your wish.”

“I think so, too,” London answered with a wink.

Sage and the others watched as someone ran up and handed Nolan a t-shirt and shorts. Still not knowing if the dragon was friend or foe, Nolan continued to watch the dragon. She could see how hesitant he was. The women back at the mine watched as the dragon shifted into a beautiful woman with long black hair. She was tall and curvy. In fact, she was beautiful.

“She’s beautiful,” Zoey muttered, echoing their thoughts.

“Yes she is and she appears to have Nolan’s watchful eye.” London answered. “You think she’s his mate and the member of the Order? Remember what Carina said? ‘She is here, look for her. She’s searching for us now with wings of gold.’”

“I think that there is a huge probability that this lady is Jamal’s sister and a member of the Order. The question is…what does she have? What gift did she get?” Sage asked, searching the screen for anything unusual. They all watched the screen when the men moved closer and faced the woman.

“I wish we could hear what is going on. I’m calling Ryder,” London stated. To be honest, she wanted to know about the dragon, too. Would she help them? Was she Jamal’s sister? If yes, she had to be a member of the Order, at least according to Bast and Carina.

“Oh no.” Sage and the others turned to see what was wrong. Me-Len was standing in front of the screen blocking their view.

“What’s wrong, Me-Len?” Sage’s voice was high as she stood up and walked over to stand by her side. She couldn’t speak as they watched London and Ryder’s house go up in flames. Jamal was hovering over their house, spraying flames down until every part was on fire. London sat down hard in her chair. She didn’t speak, sadness and anger flashed across her face. Their cabin was beautiful and London loved it. Ryder had even built her a hot house where she kept all kinds of special herbs and plants that London used with magic. Now it was burning. The dragon didn’t stay around, he just flew right out of the city.

Me-Len turned and hugged her. “We’ll rebuild it.”

London just nodded. Me-Len released her and walked out of the room. Sage could tell that she needed time to regroup. This was just one more thing that was grating on her nerves. She felt hopeless, as they all did.

The bushes and flower cameras picked up the image of Jamal, flying back to the compound. As London picked up her phone and called Ryder, Sage walked over and held her hand as she told her mate that Jamal had burned their house down. Ryder would want to kill him. Hell,
she
wanted to kill him. One day, he would die for everything he had done. She felt that in her heart.

“I’m sorry, London. I…” Sage tried to express her feelings, but she couldn’t get them out. It wasn’t just a house, it was their home. They had items in the house that were family heirlooms and couldn’t be replaced.

Sage couldn’t stand it any longer and hugged her cousin. She could feel the tears dropping onto her shirt. London didn’t speak at first, nothing she said would change anything. It was done.

Pulling away, London said, “We will rebuild it. Better this time. I’m going to make something that if he comes back and tries to burn it again, it won’t catch on fire. I’ll do that for all of Alpha City.” London’s voice was higher, gaining strength as she finally spoke. “Good thing I put all of our personal items in the storm shelter.”

Sage and Zoey looked at each other and then started laughing. The smile on London’s face was priceless.

“London, you beat all I’ve ever seen.” Zoey laughed then hugged her best friend.

“I think we should all do that until this is over. Pictures and anything that can’t be replaced,” Sage added.

London glanced down at her phone. “The guys are on the way back.”

Sage sat down in a chair and stared off into the distance. How much more could these people take? “Maybe it’s time to fight back. To end this once and for all. Kill Claudia, and her people and Jamal.” She jolted upright in her chair. “The nets that Bo and Cat’s people used, it did stop him for a minute. What if we made something bigger that can’t be broken so easily? Maybe it will give us enough time to kill him?”

Vivian leaned forward in her chair. “I’ve been watching all you girls and you have come up with some great ideas. I think if you get together, you will find a way to end this. All of you women together with the knowledge you have…well, you girls could take over the world.”

Sage, London, and Zoey turned back around and looked at each other.

“She’s right, you know. Together we can do anything,” Sage said, looking forward to brainstorming with all of the women, including Maggie and MJ. Not only was Maggie a vampire and now a panther, she was also on the team with MJ and the others who took the humans off the street. If they all got together and really thought about this, then maybe they could come up with something. Together.

N
olan sat
beside the lady dragon as they traveled to Brody’s house. None of them knew if they could completely trust her. She had asked if they could go somewhere private, and then she would give them all the information they needed. Nolan’s body was coiled so tight he was about to shift. He tried taking deep breaths, but her scent drifted around him. The woman was sparking every nerve ending in his body. Her spicy scent was subtle, but he could smell her and she had to know how much she was affecting him. He could scent his own arousal.

He couldn’t help it but his curious nature was getting to him. His main goal was to find out who this woman really was and what she wanted. He needed to focus, but all he wanted to do was rub himself all over her. Why was she affecting him so much? She had saved his life…was that the reason? Did he feel compelled to like her? Right now, he couldn’t even think and all he wanted to do was find out as much about her as he could.

“What’s your name?” Nolan asked.

The woman turned and stared at him, before answering in a silken voice, “My name is Skylar.” That was it, she didn’t offer any more information, just her first name.

“Why did you save me?”

The woman continued to stare at him. She had amber-colored eyes that were watching him like a hawk. Nolan couldn’t take his eyes off her. He had never seen anything more beautiful. Her long black hair moved across her face as the wind blew in from the window, obscuring her features. But he had already memorized her beauty. Every curve, every angle of her face was placed into memory.

“I felt compelled to and because you would have died if I hadn’t.”

“Compelled to?” Nolan whispered. “Why?”

“We’re here,” Brody said, driving through the gates to his house. The moon was still full and they had to be careful, but Ransom and Knox were watching to see if the dragon left the compound again.

Nolan had to get out of the vehicle. He couldn’t think around her. He needed to shift, but he needed to be near her, too.

“Welcome to my home, Skylar.” Brody smiled.

Skylar smiled back. “It’s very beautiful, Alpha. I’ve flown over it many times.”

“How is it that we never saw you or sensed you were near?” Ryder asked, concerned. Nobody trusted her fully yet. They needed more information.

“I’m a dragon shifter and our sight is far better than any animal on earth. I fly high above so I’m not detected. My intent is only to spread my wings and be one with my dragon. It’s not to interfere, but I have to, now. I…” Skylar stopped talking as London, Zoey, and Sage all came outside, each standing beside their mate but with a smile on their face. He loved these women and their kind natures, but he could tell that Skylar didn’t know what to do.

“Thank you,” London addressed her first.

“For what?”

“For saving my friend. He’s a pain in my side sometimes, but I love him dearly.” London bumped Nolan with her shoulder. He loved all his friends’ mates, but this was the first time they’d said it to him. “Plus, who would make me laugh if not Nolan?”

Everyone laughed. He watched as Skylar glanced over at him. Her expression went still; poker-faced. She wasn’t giving anything up and he didn’t like that. He wanted to know what she was thinking. In fact, he had to know what she was thinking.

“Come inside, please.” Sage took Brody’s hand and they all walked in the house. Nolan stayed further back, allowing Skylar to walk ahead. He needed a little distance from her—it was only a coincidence that he could watch all her curves as they moved up the steps into the house. Yes, he was a sick bastard, but he was still a man.

“Cat got your tongue?” Judd asked, smiling beside him. His friend was too intuitive.

“Shut up,” Nolan muttered, walking in the house. Judd just smiled and followed them inside.

Brody and Sage brought everyone to the kitchen. One of his guards had made sandwiches and soup earlier in the day, and it was waiting for them now. They sat down and waited for Skylar to talk.

“Jamal is your brother?” Ryder asked.

“Yes, he is…and he’s mad. I don’t know what happened and why he turned out like he has, but he does not care for anyone. He killed our father to become king. He would have killed me as well, but the guards were not loyal to him and warned me, giving my people and me enough time to leave. He pledges no allegiance to anyone.”

“Not even the witch?” Nolan asked.

Skylar glanced over at him and shook her head. “Not even the witch. He makes her believe that he is loyal, but once he has toyed with her enough, he will kill her.”

“I wish he would do it. Then we could kill him.” Nolan held nothing back, not even from Jamal’s sister. She had to know how they felt if there was going to be some trust.

The room became quiet, everyone looking at Skylar to see how she would respond to his words. “I understand how you feel. Nobody hates him more than me. He killed my father, who was a loving man and a great king, who believed in living in peace among the shifters and vampires. At no time did we harm any humans or believe in that. But my brother does not feel like that. He hates and enjoys giving others pain. Make no mistake, if he gets a chance he will try to kill me, too.”

“That’s not going to happen,” Nolan spit out. His friends all turned and stared at him—including Skylar, who looked equally shocked at his outburst. Why did he feel so loyal to the lady dragon? Every lion shifter protected women. It was in their genetics to protect the ones who would keep their race alive, but this was something different. She was different to him. He wanted her more than anyone he had ever had. His skin crawled as his lion clawed to come out. The urge to rub on her, to mark her, was all he could think about, but leaving her here alone with other unmated males wasn’t an option.

“My brother wants to rule without any competition. Especially from me. He killed all of the others loyal to him, thinking they were going to all rise against him. He’s very paranoid,” Skylar explained.

“Why does he fear you?” Sage asked.

“When it comes to the power of our dragons, our family line is unmatched, and my father’s blood runs through me as well. Nobody else would come close to hurting him…except me. Even his own guards turned against him. He killed the ones that tried to leave—those who he could find—and then killed those who stayed. In his sick mind, he knew they would leave him too, so he killed all of them, even the young ones. But like you, we just want to live our lives. We had jobs and lived in homes, but Jamal wanted us to kill the humans and shifters if they didn’t bow down to him. He loves chaos and madness.”

“You said you were compelled to help Nolan. What did you mean by that?” Judd asked looking back at his friend.

“A few weeks ago, I found a bow and arrows made of pure silver lying on the bed with me when I woke up. Cyr, the elder of my people, said that it was the Bow of Artemis and that the Order had been brought back. I knew the story of how the first Order sent my brother back to Hell, but they should have killed him. Now he is gaining in strength and will not stop until he destroys everyone. Even the witch he lies with will cease to exist once he gets what he wants. She wants to control the world. My brother wants to destroy it. Nothing means anything to him. He does not love or respect life, and this time he must die. That way he can never come back to hurt anyone again.” Sadness clouded her beautiful face and Nolan wanted to wash it all away. He couldn’t imagine the hell she had been through, but he still didn’t completely trust her.

“How have you been able to stay hidden?” Nolan asked.

“We stay far up in the mountains. You see, before my brother came back nobody could climb that high, and if they did we just moved. We are shifters, so we hid in small towns where nobody expected a race of dragon shifters to live. We kept to ourselves and lived the best way we could. We had money, so we made a life for ourselves on farms and ranches where we raised our food, only venturing into town to get supplies. That was to protect us from other shifters. They would know we were different, but might not know what kind of shifter we were. It’s been hard on us, but now it’s time to come forward and start living again. We are tired of hiding. My people are ready to fight and end this once and for all.

“Will you help us?” Zoey asked.

“Yes. My people are nearby, hidden in the mountains. There are only five of us left.” Skylar glanced around the room at their faces. Everyone was smiling. A muscle in her jaw twitched. “What?”

“A lot actually, but welcome to the Order.” Maggie answered. “We were only told that the sister of Jamal was hiding in the mountains, but we didn’t know which mountains, and we didn’t expect you to have company. We are glad you are here.”

“Thank you. My people will be worried about me. I need to go and get them. Is there some place we could stay?” Skylar asked.

“I have plenty of room at my home. Only my beta Fisher and I live in the house. It has ten bedrooms.” Nolan could feel the stares from his friends, but he kept his face blank. His outburst to give her a place to live was unusual for him.

“Are you sure? I would be happy to rent a house, or a couple of homes next door to each other.”

“No!” Nolan cleared his throat. “I have plenty of room.”

“Thank you for your generosity. We’re safe for now. My brother was stunned to see me. He won’t be back tonight for fear that I have help. He’s no match against us all. At least for now, but the next time he comes, he will have a plan. Jamal is a great strategic planner. Always outguessing his opponent,” Skylar explained, biting her lower lip. “That’s what makes him so dangerous.”

“I hope your right. He burned my house down tonight and the King Lodge. I pray he won’t destroy the whole city,” Ryder informed her.

“He will have more to worry about with us here to help you. We’ll help you keep your city safe. But I must go now, I don’t want them to worry about me.” Skylar stood up and Nolan did too. Great, now he had everyone’s attention. He tried to play it off, but it was no use. They were going to give him hell as soon as she left. He figured he’d earned it from all the teasing and ragging he gave his best friends.

“Do you know where I live?” Nolan asked.

“Yes. I know where all of you live.” Skylar pushed her chair back under the table. “Thank you for your hospitality.”

“Thank you Skylar, and we look forward to seeing you again,” Sage said in return.

Skylar bowed her head and walked beside Nolan to the door. “When we come to your home, we will be in vehicles.”

“Oh, I just thought you would fly.”

Skylar laughed, and hearing her sweet voice made his heart clench even more. “We are civilized, Nolan.”

“Forgive my ignorance. The only things I know about dragons are from books.” Nolan answered, staring down at her lips. Man, he had it bad!

“I will see you in a few hours. Thank you for the clothes.” Walking outside, Nolan following behind her, she shifted, dropping the clothes from her body. Stretching her wings out, Skylar stared at him for a couple of seconds then jumped up in the sky. She flapped her wings then flew so high that he couldn’t see her anymore. He noticed that there was a difference in her appearance, compared to Jamal. Skylar’s dragon looked feminine and she had a place on her underbelly that shined.

Nolan took a deep breath and walked back in the house. He knew he had to get it over with. They would jump at this opportunity to tease him and get him back for all he had said to them over the years. Walking inside, however, he discovered that everyone was staring at a laptop London had open. Nobody said anything to him, so he walked around to see what they were looking at. They all watched the video replay as Skylar dropped from the sky and wrapped her wings around him. The fire from Jamal blazed around them, bouncing off without any harm.

“She protected you. It happened so fast that I didn’t realize what she had done. When you just stood there talking to her, I knew she was nothing like her brother. She wasn’t a threat to us.” Brody glanced up at him. “I think the tide is about to change, and for once
we
will be the hunters.”

They all sat in silence, thinking of what the future would bring. He knew the moment her wings wrapped around him that his life was about to change for the better.

B
rody lay
beside Sage and pulled her closer to him, both fulfilled for the moment. He couldn’t get enough of his mate and tonight she was a wild one. He had scratches all over him and he loved it. She needed to know that the more she did it the more excited he got. Her bear wanted out. She needed to shift and run.

“What did you think about her?” Sage asked, lying on his chest.

“I didn’t get a bad vibe from her. I think we can trust her. Bast said that the Order had one dragon in it, and Carina said they were hiding in the mountains…and they have been hiding in the mountains. Everything that she predicted has come true. At the moment, we don’t have a choice but to believe. We need her help or Jamal is going to burn the whole city down,” Brody answered.

“London said that the sister stone and the Tree of Life would have let them know if she was bad and they didn’t. I believe she is Nolan’s mate.”

Brody leaned down and kissed the top of her head. He smiled, knowing that Nolan had his hands full with that one. “I know she is. He is going to see what it’s like to have a mate and to always worry about her. I think I’m going to enjoy this.”

“You are so bad.” Sage raked her nails down his chest.

“You like me bad.” Brody moved over and got out of bed. “Let’s go.”

“Where?”

“To run. My bear wants to meet his mate,” Brody said.

“What if I can’t shift?”

“You will. Now up.” Brody reached down and scooped his mate up out of bed and carried her outside, over his shoulder.

“Brody, what do I do?” Sage surveyed the area. She had her hands crossed over her breasts.

“Look at me.” God, he loved this woman and he couldn’t wait to see her shift. “Think about what my bear felt like running. Remember your hands running through my hair. Close your eyes.”