“You remember me, don't you?” he crooned, leaning so close his breath fanned over me.
A maniacal grin stretched across his face while a rumbling sound emanated from his chest.
A purr.
Dragons didn't purr for just anybody. It worked on mates, which meant this attempt to calm me down was ridiculous. Except, my body reacted instinctively, muscles relaxing, tension leaching from me as wetness gathered between my legs.
“You might think you don’t remember me, but your body sure does, little human.”
One of his hands circled the nape of my neck, tangling in thehair there, keeping me in place while he lowered his lips to mine, searing a bruising kiss against my lips.
I should have slapped him, pushed him away, refused the kiss, but my traitorous body reacted differently, leaning in closer, molding my form to his. For a brief moment, I was lost to insanity as the taste of him set my body ablaze—dark and smoky, rich and sweet.
Thankfully, reality flooded back in. Crashing back to my senses, I raised my hand to the Alpha’s cheek, raking my nails down his face. They were longer than usual, after days without a good filing, so they left a nasty scratch. The dragon growled into my mouth, letting me go. I lurched back, a frantic gasp escaping my chest.
Spinning away, my eyes landed on the open bathroom door. Without a second thought, I darted toward it. It was a dead end, of course, but it was better than being in the same room as the feral dragons who were far too interested in me. The Alpha was surprised enough by my reaction that he didn’t make it to the door before I slammed it shut, engaging the lock. With my back to the door to keep it closed, I shook my head, dropping my face into my hands. Sure, if he wanted to, he’d just tear down the damn thing, but I was really hoping the idea of damaging property was enough to keep him from ripping the wood off its hinges.
After running my hands through my hair, I tried to breathe, attempting to rein in my confused, horrifically overwhelmed brain.
What had just happened?
Five minutes ago, I was sitting with Griffin in his bedroom, drinking fine whiskey and reminiscing about the good old days. Now, I was locked in a bathroom, hiding from two feral Alphas, one of whom had just shoved his tongue down my throat after beating the shit out of my best friend.
Alpha Orsen? Was that what Griff had called him before the attack? What sort of horde was this if the Alphas attacked theirown members and forced themselves on a woman who’d only come onto their territory to help a sick kid?
Looking down at my body, bile rose in my throat at the bloody handprints on my thighs and hips where Orsen had touched me. I stood and grabbed a towel, desperately trying to wipe off the mess with a sob.Griffin’s blood.And I was on the wrong end of all this. I helped people. I healed them. All this violence was?—
I couldn’t keep my hands from shaking as I scrubbed frantically at the fabric until the skin underneath began to burn. Even as the red faded from my clothes, I could see it, all the crimson that had covered me after the attack, the scars I’d had to face every day after.
I wasn’t safe. I wasneversafe. No matter where I went, some dragon could do this to me. Again. I’d made a mistake in coming here, a terrible mistake. Despite everything inside me that ached to help the innocent dragons in need, it was clear that Jenkins was right.
I didn’t belong.
Orsen
Nix and I both stared at the door.
The haze of red that had been my vision was starting to ebb, but the tightness in my chest wasn’t going anywhere.
“I’mnot fucking insane, right?” I said, unable to pry my eyes away from where she had just been standing. Part of me was giving some serious consideration to ripping the damn door off its hinges and dragging her out so I could get to her again, see her,claimher.
“You’re not. It is definitely her,” Nix confirmed. “Calm the fuck down, man. You’re acting feral.”
Emmeline’s face was etched into my memory, scarred into my very being. There was no way in hell I wouldeverforget that subtle peach scent, how it was so distinctly hers.
“Where the fuck has she been all these years? Did she justchooseto leave us? We all assumed the worst had happened for her not to come home that day, but… she just ran off?”
“She’s fucking terrified, Orsen. There was zero love or recognition on her face. She has no idea what’s going on. You can’t just fucking maul her!” The smell of burned peaches was clogging my throat, drowning me. Our mate’s fear wasphysically painful. No dragon should ever have to smell that. It was so strong, quickly flooding the entire house.
But it was ridiculous. That was our Emmeline.MyEmmeline.
“She’s my fucking mate, Nix!” I growled, turning to him, finally tearing my focus away from the bathroom door. “You saw the way she reacted to me.”
Nix rolled his eyes, giving me that disbelieving expression he could shove up his ass. “Yes, we can all invoke a reaction in her, Orsen—but that doesn’t mean weshould, especially if we don’t know what’s going on. We need to know the facts first.”
“Oh, like, where the hell she’s been for six years?” I asked, raising my brows, my tone biting.
Nix nodded reluctantly, his stare drifting toward the door again as his brows rose. “That would be a good start. And maybeyoucan apologize for being such a Neanderthal?”
