Damascus Arison could feel all 321 horsepower between his legs as he raced his Kawasaki Ninja H2 R down the highway. The night was as dark as his matte black bike. The only illumination came from the light that sat in the center of his motorcycle. The rain was heavy as it fell. The drops hit the front of his visor, but Damascus did not care.
His heart had been shattered into a million pieces after he had left his grandmother's bedside in the hospital. She had taken her last breath while he was present. Damascus held her hand as the weight of it fell into his palm as her eye lids had closed with her last breath.
Ada Arison had raised Damascus at the age of fourteen years old after his father's "accident". Ada had been his father's mother, but she had not been in his life much before she came and took him away after his father's funeral.
Adrian Arison had been a cruel man in life and Damascus had always assumed that Ada had kept her distance same as his mother who had fled from his father before Damascus had any time to get to know her. The last memory that Damascus had of his mother was her distraught face as she kissed him one final time before picking up her suitcase and leaving their family home.
Adrian refused to speak her name after that day and always referred to her as the "traitor" if ever she was mentioned in his presence. Damascus, however, knew the true reason that she had left. He may have only been four years old, but her screams in the night had haunted him late into his adulthood.
Adrian had been the second hand to the Dragon King and Damascus had assumed the same role after Prince Gabriel Eros, his son, took the throne. Damascus never blamed his mother for leaving. He knew that for her to survive she needed to run as far away as she could. Damascus of course was unsure if she had made it. The one time that he dared to ask his father, Adrian had grown angry and took his anger out on Damascus's backside with the leather belt that Adrian always wore.
Damascus quickly wiped at the rain that was gathering on his visor to see the road more clearly, but it was a futile effort. Rain and motorcycle helmets were not a good combination.
Damascus thought of his grandmother once more. In the hospital she had cupped his cheek as he sat in the straight-backed chair. A single tear had fallen down his cheek which she quickly wiped away with her thumb. "Do not fear, D. I am going to the sky. You will find me there anytime you look up at the stars. I will be the one burning the brightest," Ada had whispered with a sweet smile on her lips. Her lids had already begun to half close and Damascus could feel that their time together on this Earth was coming to an end.
Before Damascus could react, a dark shadow emerged out of the trees and crossed the highway. Damascus had tried to slow down too quickly for the speed that he was going and the 321-horsepower beast beneath him began a deadly wobble. The death wobble so they called it. Damascus attempted to keep control but in the end the machine did what it wanted and flew. Ejecting its rider in the process.
Damascus slide on the concrete. He could feel the cement tear at his arms and legs and down the right side of his body. He came to a crashing halt close to his bike along the side of the dark highway. The light from his bike was the only light around. Damascus felt as though his entire body was on fire. As if he was caught in the flames from a dragon's lungs and there was no escape.
The rain that fell did nothing to extinguish them either. Damascus closed his eyes and let the feeling overwhelm his sense. That was until he felt that he was no longer alone. Damascus slowly opened his eyes, and his vision was filled with the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes. Light shown from behind her and cast what looked to be gold wings coming from her back.
Damascus had never heard of a golden dragon before. He wondered if the woman who looked like an angel was in fact one. One that had come to take him to his grandmother.
"Are you alright?" she asked. Her voice was beautiful as well. The sweetest song to one’s ears. What was that he detected though? Worry? Why would an angel be worried? She was there to finally take away his pain.
"I am calling for help now," the woman said. Help? Damascus's brows pinched together. She was not an angel. She must be someone who had seen him crash his bike. Embarrassment instantly filled Damascus. This beautiful woman had witnessed him being an idiot. An idiot who rode his bike in the middle of a rainstorm with nothing on besides the short sleeve black shirt and jeans he had worn to the hospital.
In another instant, more were gathered around Damascus, but no strangers. Those from the dragon kingdom. King Gabriel must have sent others after he had left the hospital. Gabriel had been there as well to offer his support.
Unlike Adrian, Damascus's closest friend was in fact the King. They played together as children. It had all but been decided that Damascus would take over as second. Gabriel's father had seen to it.
"It is alright we will take care of him," Ebony, one of the warriors that Damascus had trained himself, said to the woman who was still kneeling over Damascus's body.
"He needs a hospital," the woman argued. She sounded defensive. Ebony tried her best to shrug the woman off. Ebony hated when she was argued with.
"We will take him to our hospital. It is not far from here. Thank you for stopping and checking on our friend," this came from Jax, another warrior that was close to Damascus.
Before Damascus could say anything to the woman, he was picked up by Ebony, Jax and two others. Damascus's wounds had him grunting in protest at the hurried movements as they picked him up and put him in the back of one of the black SUV's that most of them drove.
Damascus eyes closed as the back door was shut and the sounds of the rain hit the top of the SUV. Each of the warriors filed into the vehicle and took off down the highway in the opposite direction that Damascus had been headed in.
"You seem to be moving a bit slow today. Are your injuries still bothering you?" Gabriel, King of the Dragons, asked Damascus. They had gotten back to their routine training a few days prior. Damascus's injuries had taken some time to heal, and Gabriel did not want to hear any arguments from Damascus about giving his body proper time to heal. "I am only slower because you have forced me to become a bed potato for the last four weeks," Damascus said under his breath. Damascus had not been the best patient for those that Gabriel had sent to make sure that he complied with Gabriel's command to rest. "You would not have healed otherwise. We both know how you like to overdo it," Gabriel retorted. Damascus only made a noise in response which caused a smile to spread across his friend's face. Gabriel and Damascus had a different relationship with each other than most kings and seconds. They bickered as if they were brothers but would go to the ends of the Earth for one another in a heartbe
The SUV pulled up to a large building with concrete stairs down the front of it. A red carpet had been laid out for the guests that were said to attend. Damascus took a deep breath before exiting the SUV. He walked around to the other side of the vehicle and opened Gabriel's door after surveying their surroundings. Gabriel stepped out and patted Damascus on the shoulder. "Relax," Gabriel said under his breath with a smile. Both knew it was a joke to think that Damascus could ever relax. Especially in an environment outside of the Kingdom with too many unknown variables. Gabriel walked ahead and made his way up the stairs. Others were arriving at the same time as well and camera flashes were going off on their side of the stairs. The photographer and journalist were held back by a string of black ropes, that did not stop them from calling out Gabriel's name and trying to ask him questions as he ascended the stairs. Most of the human world only knew Gabriel as a millionaire and polit
Amara Hayes stood at her office window and looked out at the city below. Her thoughts were far off, which seemed to be a more normal occurrence as of late. She could not get the motorcyclist out of her mind. Had he survived the crash? The oddity around the people who had shown up swiftly taken him away. His injuries had been so extensive she was unsure how one could survive if not taken to a hospital straight away. One of the men had said they were taking him to their hospital, but the nearest one had been in the opposite direction that the SUV had taken off. She prayed that the man had gotten the care that he needed. Amara could not stop the other thoughts that continued to creep in. The man had been devilishly handsome. Even with his injuries she could tell that he took great care of his physique. She wondered not for the first time what was wrong with her? The man had been injured and yet here she was thinking about his body. Not that she could see his face clearly through his h
It was her. His angel who had been flying through his thoughts the weeks since his accident. The woman was none other than the human marketing manager that the King was thinking of bringing into the Dragon Kingdom. How was that possible? The highway he had been driving on his motorcycle had been in the Kingdom. Had a woman slipped through their defensives? Why?All these questions began to circulate through his mind. He could not help but feel a pull towards her as well. She had all but saved his life that night by stopping. The image of her had brought him back when all he had wanted was to let go and join his grandmother. Her image had given him a reason to live. Although he could not tell her that. He could tell through her aura that she was pure. She was not tainted as he was by his past. The questioned still lingered of what she had been doing on that highway. However, now was not the time to ask those questions. Instead, he stood there and stared at her like a jackass. Or an i
Amara tried to compose herself so that she could finish thanking the donors before she allowed the others to the mic for the remainder of the evening. The host and hostess were to make a speech as well as the charities that the guests were donating to. Amara had caught Damascus's eye in the crowd. She wasn’t sure how but she could feel the pull and when their eyes had locked she found that she had the most indecent thoughts running through her mind. She could feel the heat rising not only on her cheeks but somewhere lower as well. She quickly cleared her throat and finished her speech. She passed the microphone to the host and hostess and quickly left the stage. She hastened her steps to the area that was behind the curtain and once more took calming breaths. She knew when she was no longer alone. Her eyes moved around the darkened area that she was standing in. At first, she saw nothing. Then a movement caught her eye in the shadows. Just like his dark demeanor, Damascus stood a f
"Why are you continuing this?" Damascus asked Gabriel as they filed into the SUV once more. "What do you mean?" Gabriel asked. He tried his best to imitate his most innocent expression, however, Damascus could see right through it. Gabriel knew what he meant dammit. "Why are you bringing in a human to the kingdom? There is no way that she will be able to continue her firm outside of the kingdom limits. You have always made a point of secrecy," Damascus said. As much as craved to be near her, he knew that their worlds could never meet. After seeing Amara at the banquet the night before, his dreams had been filled with a certain blonde with water blue eyes. It was a dangerous game that Gabriel was playing. For the kingdom as well as for Damascus. He had amazing self-control, however, each time that he was around her, he could feel a crack in his armor against her. The thought scared the hell out of him. "I believe that she is the right person for the job. However, if you are whole h
Damascus pulled his new bike next to Amara. He had tried to keep his distance and watch her from afar but when he had seen the man chasing her down the street he had cut off and came down the alley. The man was lucky that all he had done was rev at him and give a good lunge. Everything in Damascus's body told him to dump the bike and grab the man and beat him into the ground for thinking that he could chase a defenseless woman. Amara no less. Damascus's chest rose and fell rapidly. He looked at Amara through his visor. She said nothing but just stared at him in return. A nearby car honked and startled her from the trance she had been in. "What the hell?" she asked. Damascus was trying to control the urge to still run after the man. He threw up his visor and his bright eyes showed in the darkness around them. His bike was still running. He hadn’t completely talked himself out of taking off after him. "What do you think you are doing?" Amara tried again to get a response from him. W
"Where have you been?" Gabriel asked Damascus as he stormed through the front palace doors. Gabriel had just finished up a few last-minute tasks in his office and was headed towards his own set of rooms when he heard heavy footfalls through the foyer. To his surprise it was Damascus. Walking with his head down. Deep in thought. The sight was unsettling to Gabriel. He knew that when Damascus was deep in thought it usually meant that he was battling within himself. But from what? Gabriel did not know. Damascus only grunted in answer. Gabriel raised an eyebrow and fell into step with his friend. Damascus was certainly going through something. "Please tell me that you have at least behaved yourself?" Gabriel asked. "I did not injure anyone during my outing if that is what you are asking," Damascus said, "Although it would have been warranted," Damascus added under his breath. Gabriel laid a hand on his friend's shoulder, which caused Damascus to stop walking and finally look up at his f
Amara looked down at her shaking hands. It made her sick to think that the Alpha of the Crescent Moon pack wanted her so badly that he had sent men to attack their vehicle. "The baby is alright," Sona said quietly to calm Amara's emotions. Amara let out a shaky breath as she watched Damascus shift back into his human form. Damascus stood in front of her in all his glory and it was just the thing to help her forget about the attack. Without thinking Amara ran to Damascus and threw her arms around his neck. She pulled his head down to hers and was demanding in her kiss. Damascus did not say anything but grabbed her waist and pulled her even closer to him. His reaction clearly pressed into her stomach. She let out a sigh that turned into a moan. Before she knew what was happening, Damascus pulled her into the tree line of the forest behind the training field. Damascus made short work of the pants that Amara had on and in only a few seconds he was pressing his length to her entrance. A
Amara was surprised to find the same pilot and stewardess awaiting them at the air strip. The stewardess held out a blanket for Damascus as he shifted back into his human form. Much the same as when they had departed the US. Damacus muttered thanks as he covered himself and grabbed Amara's hand as he guided her up the steps of the small personal jet. The stewardess and pilots made a short order of getting the plane ready for take-off as Damascus grabbed a second set of clothes from a drawer in the back of the plane. He changed quickly and took his seat next to Amara. "Do you think they will be waiting when we land too?" Amara asked. She was still shaking after their near capture at the castle. Damascus noticed her uneasiness and pulled her close. He made small circular motions with his fingertips on the top part of her arm. The motion helped to calm Amara as she sank closer to Damacus. It didn't take long until they were once again in the air but this time within the confines of th
There was another knock on the door. Damascus threw it open quickly and took the bag that the butler offered. Damascus thanked the man before closing the door and locking it behind him. Damascus opened both phones and searched through them to make sure that nothing had been put on the phones that might listen into their conversations. When Damascus seemed pleased, he dialed Gabriel's number. "Hello?" Gabriel said cautiously as he answered his phone. "Gabriel, It's Damascus. I am on a new cell. King Christian is aware that Amara is a gold wolf. We need a flight out of here as soon as possible," Damascus said. He left no room for disagreement, although Gabriel agreed they needed to get home. It was too much of a risk to have sent them away in the first place. They would counter any attacks that the wolves sent their way. "Let me call the airstrip. Plan to leave in two hours. I am with Leslie at her parent’s cottage right now. But call me if anything changes. And D, I mean anything,"
Damascus walked back into the room. Amara was sitting up in the bed and looked at his with a questioning look. "Is everything alright?" she asked. "Yes. I just had to call Gabriel and check in," Damascus said. Suddenly Amara's eyes went wide. "I am the worse friend in the world. I haven't even checked in with Leslie," Amara suddenly jumped from the bed and walked over to Damascus. "Is there a phone I could use to call her?" Amara asked. Since her cell phone was lying on the ground somewhere back home, she wasn’t able to text Leslie. She had been so caught up in the events since they had arrived at the Dragonhold Kingdom. "I have already asked the butler to see if the driver can go pick us up a couple of new phones during our stay so that we do not have to use King's Christian's personal phone. To be honest I don't trust having personal conversations over other phones," Damascus explained. See saw the confusion in Amara's eyes and explained further, "They could have some kind of re
"Why would you help us take the throne back?" Henry asked. "It is your rightful place. Your child was stolen from you, my guess, in an attempt to do just that. Remove you both from the throne," Gabriel said. "Even if that were true, we have already relinquished the throne and a new King and Queen have taken over," Willa responded instead. "Do either of you know the condition of the Eternal Kingdom?" Gabriel asked. He assumed that they had been keeping tabs on the Kingdom, but then again, they were far enough outside of it that they might not. "It was made clear that we were no longer welcomed by my cousin and his wife," Henry answered."Cousin? Why did I not know that?" Gabriel asked himself more than Henry. "Distant cousin, but yes, Alexander Bardin is in fact a cousin of mine," Henry said. "But they have yet to produce an heir," Gabriel said. He was still unsure of how they were able to take possession of the throne and keep it for as long as they have without having a child o
Leslie and Gabriel filed into a large SUV. There was already a driver and passenger in the vehicle which left the backseat for the two of them. Gabiel had told her that there was a good chance they had found her parents and wasted no time getting everything ready for them to leave. Leslie wondered why the King was going. It seemed like something that he could just send her and the team to go rather than risk him being away from the Kingdom for too long. "I feel really good about this," Gabriel said as he looked out the window. Leslie hadn’t realized that she was staring at him again. Leslie wondered if he had felt her eyes on him. "That makes one of us," Leslie said under her breath."Faith, Leslie. Faith," it was the first time she had heard her name on his lips, and it did something to her insides. They had spent a number of hours together the last few days and in that time she decided that she actually like the King. He was charming and funny. He always had a joke to spare. Lesl
King Christian had allowed Amara and Damascus the day to themselves, but he requested a meeting the following day. He had some questions, and he wanted answers. Amara and Damascus stood in his office. Each chose to stay rather than be seated in the chairs across from his desk. "First off I wanted to start by saying congratulations to the mum to be," King Christian said to Amara. She smiled a tight smile and nodded her head once. She wondered if the King was going to toss them out of the Kingdom after finding out the truth. That was if he had found out the truth. "Second of all, there has been another attempt at a breach on our territory line. The wolves seem very persistent in their goal of getting to you Miss Amara," King Christian was turned in her direction. He had yet to acknowledge Damascus other than when they had first walked in. "So, I am giving you the same opportunity that I have given to your mate. I want to know why they are so desperate to get to you. There must be a r
"What have you thought of our Kingdom so far?" Gabriel asked Leslie. "It is nice. All the people seem nice as well. Apart from their King picking out my lunch," Leslie said. She had more of a teasing tone so Gabriel knew that she wasn't actually upset about it. "He sounds like a real jerk if you ask me," Gabriel responded. Leslie chuckled. "Ill make sure to let him know," Leslie said. For some reason she found it easy enough to talk to him. Even though he was a King of a city full of Dragons. "Do you think Amara and Damascus made it to the UK alright?" Leslie asked. Gabriel wondered why Amara hadn’t checked in with Leslie yet. He didn’t think it was because of her news. "Damascus called me earlier. They made it safe and sound," Gabriel said, hoping it helped Leslie. She creased her brow that Damascus had reached out to Gabriel, but Amara had gone silent on Leslie. Was Amara mad at her for pushing her to go to the UK. Leslie hoped not. She itched to take out her phone and text her
"How would they have known where we were going?" Amara asked anxiously. Damascus had just told her about the wolves at the territory line. "Unfortunately, flight plans cannot be encrypted," Damascus explained. It was the only way that he had been able to explain that the pack was able to narrow down on where he and Amara had been headed. He knew the pilot and stewardess wouldn’t have said anything, but flight planes were easier to get a hold of if one knew where to go. "So, we are in the same situation as home. Why did we leave again?" Amara asked, her sarcasm was a coping mechanism, and she tried not to let it slip but she was worried about them being so far from the Divine Kingdom. She wasn’t sure about King Christian and how far he would be willing to help protect them. "It is still distance from the entire pack. The Alpha probably reached out to a pack here in the UK to scout it out," Damascus at least hoped that was the case. He had half a mind to just set the Crescent Moon pa