Niquel watched Emma from across the street. She was seated in front of a coffee shop, waiting for him. He couldn’t keep himself from calling her last night just to hear her voice. And he almost hit his head on his desk when he asked her to meet up with him. As expected, she was about ten minutes early from their agreed-upon time. Typical Emma.
He crossed the street. Emma was busy with her phone, scrolling through something with her brows furrowed in concentration. Just watching her triggered his beast awake. It wanted to feel her again, the mark on her neck keeping him in check.
His senses let him know that there were women checking him out, but he didn’t pay them any attention. The supernatural beings knew who he was and unlike the humans, they kept their distance and minded their own business. Might as well – Niquel had no interest in any other women but
Niquel stood beside her, holding her shoulders to support her. She looked like her knees would give away any second. “Emma, what’s wrong? What happened?”“Gladdy…” she cried, turning to face him with a worried face.Niquel had seen a multitude of emotions in her beautiful green eyes – happiness, concern, love, rage, disgust, lust even, and emptiness, but never had he seen fear. She had always been a strong woman, even when she talked about her horrid past, her eyes were tainted with sorrow, grief, and anger, that fear seemed to be alien to her. Something was very, very wrong here, and the one word she said awoke his dragon.“Let’s go,” he told her, grabbing her wrist and dragging her along as they rounded the corner to where he parked his car. Sparks shot through him from the sensation of her touch, but now wasn’t the time. The
Aidan was in Henry’s office. His feet were on the table as he leaned back on the chair, eyes to the ceiling and deep in thought. His mate was the first to reject a date with him and it didn’t settle well with his ego.He deduced it had something to do with his approach. Chances of keeping her within his reach might’ve just diminished because of a brash move. They barely knew each other. And he already let her know that he knew about her child. It would’ve rung alarm bells in her mind.“I miss mate,” said Arke. “Go to mate.”“It’s a Saturday, Arke.” He sighed and craned his neck to the side. “We can’t just show up in her front door.”“I want to see mate.”
Aidan held the two tighter then dashed out into the hall, hoping that she was somewhere else in the city. He arrived down the stairs, just as the gas tank exploded, causing a loud explosion and adding more to the fire.He had to get the two out of the building. The soundwaves rang in his ears that he didn’t notice the man who had just gotten to the second floor.“Get out!” Aidan shouted as he neared him. He stopped when he realized the man was no human but his enemy, the death of whom would bring forth an eternity of triumph to his kind.“You…” he growled, but before he could act on his impulses, fire blazed through the top of the stairs, reminding him of the current situation. “Get the fuck out of my way!”Aidan walked past him, woman and baby in his care, then felt the man follow him out of the building. Once they were out
Aidan, dressed in a casual black denim jean and low-cut shirt, and Hunter, wearing the same getup of black denim jeans and baby blue collared shirt, strolled into the building with powerful strides with their heads high, oozing confidence like they owned the place. The Alpha gave the lobby a sweeping glance. Men and women dressed in formal business suits, their appearances neat and professional, scurried on to their destinations – a meeting, to their desks, an errand; the janitor maneuvering a floor scrubber the only anomaly on the floor.Aidan hated the faint smell of arousal but reveled in the adoration of the humans around him who were secretly casting glances towards him and Hunter. As usual, his Beta was sizing up who his next target was behind his aviator glasses, an amused smile on his face.They walked to the center of the entire floor, where a circular glass table was, behind it three personnel, all
A growl left his throat, and revolving small orbs of greenish fire danced in the fingertips of his left hand.“Alpha!” Hunter yelled. “This isn’t the place.”“Backing out?” Niquel taunted, raising his chin. “Run away with your tail between your legs, dog.”“How about you show me your wings so I could rip them off your back,” Aidan answered back. “What? Worried the humans will find out?”Fwoosh!Niquel thrusted his arm forward and shot blue flames at Aidan who dodged to the right. Then with a sweep of his left arm, the flames arched and returned to his hand before it could hit the glass.“Missed.”“On purpose.”Aidan had to get close to inflict damage upon the dragon. Just
Gladdy giggled as Emma blew raspberries on her chubby feet and legs. She had just cleaned her bottom, powdered her up, and changed her diaper. “You’re so cute…” she laughed, blowing on the soles of her feet. “Who’s my lil cutie? My sweet, sweet Gladdy!”She put on Gladdy’s small pink socks, then wrapped her in a soft white blanket. Sitting by the edge of the bed, she nursed Gladdy as she rocked back and forth slowly to get her to sleep.The master bedroom itself was bigger than their apartment, set on the third tier of the penthouse suite. The glass walls showcased the entirety of the room while giving them a vantage point of the city, which was a captivating sight to behold; like a carpet of stars, only created by man. Soft lighting overhead gave the room a tranquil ambience, and as Gladdy fell asleep, a tear slid down her cheek.Count
“Oh … yes … yes …” Samantha moaned beneath him, the bed rocking. Her face was a sweaty mess. Hair stuck to her cheeks, mascara ran down her cheeks, and red lipstick smeared around her lips and down her chin. Long slim legs were spread wide, and held back by both her arms, each locking themselves around the knees, tied with ropes – for him, just the way he liked it.The marks would show tomorrow. She knew, and she wanted it. After he showed her what he intended to do to her for their first session, and he saw desire light up in her eyes, he knew he had chosen right. Samantha was everything he expected from her, and now, she kept moaning beneath him like a bitch in heat as she blinked away the tears from the intense pleasure that he gave her.“Fuck me, Sir. Fuck me, please …” She pleaded between pants as Aidan kept hitting the right spot. Pinning her down wit
When dawn was breaking, Aidan sat by the edge of the bed, staring out into the sky. The sheets were a mess, the pillows thrown somewhere in the room, and the blankets were ruffled up on the floor, but he made no move to fix it. He didn’t feel like sleeping. Arke was alright with it.Smoke trailed up one end of the joint between his fingers, embers lighting a bright yellow as he took a long drag from the other end. From the glassy reflection staring back at him, the stinging red handprint on his right cheek was visible.Samantha had slapped him, and she slapped him hard – something that women seldom did to him. He had a good time; he didn’t mind it. Besides, the split-second sting was nothing compared to a real injury.Tonight, however, was different. It bothered him. Not the slap, or the fact that Arke was delighted when she did and slowed down his healing so the print stayed longer.
From the panel on the side, Niquel swiped over a card. The door opened with a mechanical whirr, signaling the captive that he had a visitor. There was but one chair in the room, and the cameras on all four corners were off. A tattoo of a dragon breathing fire from its open mouth decorated the captive’s entire upper half, leaving only patches of skin uninked. He huffed, mocking the visitor.“I suppose I must be honored to be graced by the presence of the Dragon King,” he greeted.Niquel draped his jacket over the only chair in the room after placing it nearer the man, who breathed heavily through his nose. “You should be,” he replied. “I’m on a tight schedule.”Scorch marks lined the floor from where the man was tied. No wonder they had a difficult time getting him to talk. His ton
The thick titanium infused doors opened before Niquel. Lights immediately turned on, illuminating an empty passage between the outside world and the highly guarded prison and torture facility. Cameras situated on the corners followed his every move – he paid them no heed, resisting the urge to burn them. He had never been fond of being watched of. For days, Niquel had been waiting for results, only to be disappointed every time the reports said the same thing – the captive continued to act mute. He ambled through the passage alone, his jacket creasing from his tight grip. Stains were unavoidable, hence why he preferred to have others extract information for him. The thought of what he was being forced to do irritated him more. He had to meet his wife and child tonight, and he was on a tight schedule as it was – at most, he had only an hour to make the captive talk.
“You said you wouldn’t hurt me,” she whispered as she curled her fingers against her chest. “That was Hunter, mate.” He reached out to touch her face, but she irked away from him in disgust. “Haven’t you learned your lesson yet?” “Please don’t touch me.” Her voice cracked, and more tears fell. “Listen to her,” Hunter pleaded. Haisek ignored him. He held her arm and she screamed. “Why are you still crying!” he demanded, annoyed to the fullest. He caught her arms again and pinned them down and placed his weight on her thighs, so she’d stop struggling. “Stop … please …” “Stop crying!” he shouted. Why wouldn’t she calm down. He wouldn’t take advantage of her and intentionally physically harm his mate without a justifiable reason. An act of weakness was beneath him. But it was
He could keep a serious relationship, couldn’t he? He used to sleep with numerous girls and took none of them seriously, but he could be loyal and caring and sensitive ... to his mate.“What’s wrong with me?” he questioned. He treated her like one of his past times, letting his ego answer for him. For fuck’s sake, he wanted her to stay with him and do things with her – whatever she wanted because all he could think of were of a sexual manner.“What was that!” Haisek roared. He emerged from the dark corners of his mind and showed himself, teeth bared. “Go after her.”Hunter tried to raise his wall. “I just gave her what she wanted,” he said weakly.“This isn’t what she wants.”“Well, shit, Haisek … I d
Just as he surmised, they arrived a quarter before ten. Hunter expected her to be in bed by then. He had to sleep alone in his own bed since the previous night because she decided to sleep on the couch, and he couldn’t have that. So he gave her a separate room. Unfortunately, the closest one available was on the opposite end of his. And unsurprisingly, as he tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep, his wolf whispered a risky idea in his head. Late into the night, he secretly went into her room and kissed her goodnight. Only then was he able to rest in his own room. “Well, here’s to another night of sulking,” he muttered as they walked in. “What are you gonna do?” Aidan had a scowl on his face. Even his mate had been distancing herself from him, obviously unhappy about their situation. It didn’t help that his work was keeping him preoc
“She hang up on me,” said Hunter with a look of disbelief. “Of all my years … no one had ever done this to me!” He sent the rogue flying towards the ceiling. Another came for him right after, and he quickly reached out to break his windpipe, bringing him down on his knees. It was far from enough to calm him down at this moment. His fists went down on the rogue’s face as he shouted, “Why. Are. Humans. So. Fucking. High. Maintenance!” A hand stopped him from landing another punch on the rogue’s broken nose. He looked back and saw that it was Aidan, whose eyes were gleaming a deep dark red. The Alpha was simmering in anger, but he was being more patient than him by giving the girls some space, which was an unlikely trait. Was he actually guilty about the whole thing? They were in danger for fuck’s sake! If they left the mansion, they’d be stepping out of the barrier which had been keeping them alive for a week
Vanessa peeked from the door. “Hey,” she whispered, just in case the baby was asleep. Emma was folding the laundry, which she recognized as those that Niquel bought for her and for Gladdy. It was already past noon, but she was still wearing her pajamas, and the bed was a mess. She looked up from the cute pink onesie she was folding and offered a tired smile. Dark circles lined under her eyes and her lips were chappy from dehydration. Gladdy was on the floor, playing in her own pseudo jail of a playground. The child was already crawling, the giant teddy bears looking down on her. It was a wonder Emma hadn’t tried to escape until now. So far, there were no attempts at her life and Gladdy’s for a week, but the stress of being in this new environment where she wasn’t allowed anywhere near the door was beginning to physically show on her friend. A
Her thick lashes curled against her blushing skin as she sucked in a breath. Aidan dipped his head, warm breaths fanning her neck. She had the most intoxicating scent Aidan had ever encountered. It set her apart from all other women he had been with, and he had no intention of letting the Dragon King have his way with her. It was far too late to renege on his claim – he would make her his for good just as he must. Even if his pride wasn’t in complete agreement, his ego couldn’t take letting the overgrown lizard have what belonged to them since birth. A growl rumbled from his chest. Arke was please with her docile stillness. Surely the bond was doing wonders on her body simply from being this close to him. “Emma,” he murmured as his lips descended on her tender skin. Tingly sparks crept under his skin, fueling images in his mind that would serve to excite her. She gasped and grabbed his arms. His gums itched
He was a werewolf. They were given one mate for life and that was it. There had to be a reason why the Moon Goddess mated them together and he’d rather lose his rank than lose her then. Besides, he made a promise that he’d cherish his mate forever when he found her. Goddess, if his sister was still around, she’d be screaming his ear off because he actually thought about rejecting his mate.“Have a seat,” he said, motioning for her to sit opposite him.Emma glanced at Niquel before turning her back on him. “Leave,” she said quietly.See how that feels. What she did to him earlier was something only three women in his life were capable of, including her. Aidan met the dragon’s burning gaze. Such a shame that he had to be told the same – they were even.“Please … just go, Niq.”