Raven black hair, silky and full, swept off his head in waves to his shoulders. He wore a tight navy-blue button-down and dark jeans that showed off the slim lines of his body. Slim and delicate. The kind of beauty Dax could admire but never put his hands on. When the man abruptly stood, like he was going to greet someone, he revealed legs that looked long despite his short stature. Apparently, the person walking his way was not who he was there to meet because disappointment shadowed his almost hawk-like features as he sat back down. He glanced down at his phone and scowled, which didn’t detract from the beauty of his harsh features. Harsh, yet beguiling. He had a thin face, long, regal nose and lush lips.
“Dax? Still there?”
Dax cleared his throat and managed to tear his gaze away from the man who’d caught his interest. “Yes, still here. I should get off the phone and do my damn job. When did you and Ivor want to hit this club?”
“You’re off Friday, right? I’ll text the address, and you can meet us there around nine.”
“I’ll be there.”
He said goodbye and slipped his new phone back into his pocket. He’d been right about the bay water destroying his last one.
The client still sat lording it over his table, and Dax’s shoulders slumped as he realized he still had four more days with this asshole.
But no matter how much he willed himself not to, his gaze kept going back to the black-haired vision who had obviously been stood up. There was an aura of strength to the man despite his delicate height and build, and for just a moment, Dax let himself wish that he wasn’t seven foot three and built like a goddamn tank. That he didn’t have his ogre strength.
What would it be like to be able to go up to this man and introduce himself? To get to know him? To touch without fear of hurting him?
He’d never know.
The man abruptly yelped, startling everyone at the tables around him. But he was at the last table by the alley and partially in the shadows, so Dax realized the others probably didn’t see what he did.
A long, thick snake had wrapped around the man’s waist. It yanked him out of the chair and backwards into the alley.
Dax didn’t hesitate because he recognized the kind of snake that had snatched him. He raced toward the alley, turning the corner to find exactly what he expected to see.
A chimera.
Two heads, lion and goat, with the lion’s body and a snake for a tail. Three heads when one counted the snake, which was currently wrapped around the man Dax had been watching. He ran toward them, watching with complete horror as the snake latched onto the man’s arm and sank its fangs through his shirt and skin. The man cried out, eyes wild with utter shock and terror.
Dax leaped, ripped the snake away from him, and he fell to the ground. The chimera turned its snarling heads toward Dax. The snake whipped toward him, and he grabbed it and squeezed. He knew chimeras, knew that though the teeth in the lion’s head were sharp, it was the snake venom he had to worry about. He kept his grip on the snake strong, using his other hand to fight off the lion’s snapping jaw.
With time not on his side, he risked letting go of the snake to grab the more fragile goat head. He lifted the creature up over his head and heaved it at the brick wall. It slammed against the rough surface and slid to the ground but quickly regained its feet.
The snake head hissed and whipped back and forth as the chimera began circling him.
Dax growled. He didn’t have time to fuck around with this thing. The human had venom racing through his body and needed treatment. Dax rushed the chimera and ducked to grab two of its legs, avoiding the razor-sharp teeth. With a yell, he swung it around and smashed it into the wall, then spun around to smash it yet again.
It went limp, and he dropped it, only taking enough time to make sure it was unconscious. Out or dead, he didn’t care which. When it didn’t move, he rushed back to the human, ignoring the people gathering at the mouth of the alley, drawn by the noise. The cleanup wizards would use a spell to blur their memories.
He dropped to the ground, leaning over the man, who was gasping and staring into the night sky. His blue eyes suddenly locked onto Dax, and he seemed to hold his breath. He reached up to gently touch Dax’s cheek.
“Oh,” he whispered. “Who are you?”
There was some kind of wonder in that glazed-over gaze, and it was Dax’s turn to hold his breath as they stared at each other. In that moment, it felt like something momentous was happening. A warm rush of hope filled his chest. The way this man stared at him—was he seeing the real Dax?
Dax let the breath out when the man’s eyes closed and his body slumped. He had passed out.
Dax jumped to his feet, pulled out his phone, and called Xavier.
“I need a cleanup crew at the restaurant.” He rattled off the address. “I just killed a chimera who attacked a human.”
“Was he bitten?” Xavier asked.
“Yes.”
“You need to get him here fast. I’ll call Alaric.”
“You’ll have to send someone here to take over.” Dax didn’t give a shit if he did or not. The client didn’t need a bodyguard, just a prop, and this man needed care right away. That thought took over everything. Dax lifted the man’s slight form carefully into his arms and hurried toward his car. He didn’t bother to tell the client he was leaving. His only goal in that moment was to reach Alaric before the chimera’s venom left this man a vegetable for life.
