“Easy-peasy.” Alex popped herpwith tangible relish. “I know just who to call.”
“How do you know it will work?”
“Oh, Idon’tthink it will work.” Her sister swiveled toward her screens as the office began to fill up again, the allotted hour for lunch finally passed. “But I do think it will teach your dragon a good lesson about respecting your autonomy, and you might even learn something about yourself in the process.” She shrugged, gilded shoulders moving in a graceful wave. “Hey, you may even like him! Worst case scenario, I know your date will be fine if he gets attacked by a jealous dragon.”
Hele blinked.
She knew Vael was deadly. It was impossible to miss the way he moved in either form — like he was in perfect command of his body. He was roped with muscle and a tantalizing array of battle scars, not to mention the tattoos that swirled up and down both arms, marking him as one of the Wing. She’d seen him train with his comrades, so she knew he could fight with ruthless efficiency, but it was still impossible to imagine.
He had never been anything other than painfully gentle with her. In fact, he’d never even raised his voice around her until that afternoon. She struggled to imagine him attacking anyone, let alone because ofher.
Still, curiosity made her ask, “Why would he be fine? Dragons are the strongest beings in the world.”
Alex shot her a wink. “You’re right, but elves are damn hard to kill.”
ChapterTen
“If you’re lookingfor my sister, she’s not here.”
Vael scowled at the side of Alexandra’s head. She was pretty, with dainty horns and dark purple skin that shimmered with gold, but she was also notoriously vicious. Calling on her was his last resort.
Artem’s little sister casually shifted her purse to her other shoulder as she moved to wave her palm in front of the scanner by the octagonal glass door. The wind whipped off of the lake in sharp, biting gusts. If they didn’t have dragon feet — a sort of semi-talon designed for gripping and take-off — they would have both been swept clean off of her perch by the force of it.
Raising his right wing high to shield his face from the worst of the wind, he growled, “You smell like Hele. Iknowyou’ve been with her recently. Where is she, Alex?”
I am getting damn tired of asking that question.It felt like he’d done nothing but chase after his mate for the past twenty-four hours. He was so pastover it,he had officially landed infucking doneterritory.
Alex rolled her shoulders in an exaggerated shrug and Vael felt a vein in his temple begin to throb. Sweet as pie, she answered, “Hopefully having the time of her life right now.”
Vael, already painfully tense, felt his hackles go up. “What doesthatmean?”
Alex stepped through the open door and into her apartment’s anteroom. She didn’t even spare him a glance as she shrugged off her purse and hung it on a hook. “Itmeans,big bad dragon, that my sister is currently on a date with averyattractive elf and thereforenot available.”
His mind blanked. Rebooted. Blanked again.
Hele is on a date with another man.
Of course, she warned him that she might seek a mate elsewhere, but he hadn’t actuallybelievedher. Vael’s mind raced as he tried to think of who she might know, who she might go out with—
“Did you say anelf?”he snarled, storming into the anteroom with his tail rattling.
Alex wiggled her glittering fingers in the air. “Sure did!”
No.
His heart began to pound. Cold sweat dewed on the back of his neck. A tremor vibrated the delicate membrane of his wings. The echo of old terror made his stomach roll with nausea.
An elf.His breath shortened.She’s alone with an elf.
He heard the whimpers of the dying and felt the awful dark closing in around him — one hour, then two, then a night, a day, and another, until a dark purple hand lifted the rubble to pull him free.
My Hele.
A dark sort of panic snaked around his throat andpulled.
His growl shook the frames on the walls. “She’s with anelf?Elves are dangerous! What in the gods' names were you thinking?”
Alex whirled around, eyes flashing, and snapped her teeth an inch from his nose. Only his intensive training and experience kept him from snapping back.“Sheis dangerous, too! That is what you and my parents don’t get! Hele can do whatever she pleases! If she wants to go out with an elf, then she will go out with an elf!”
