“Don’t play dumb, Raithian!” Braxton roared back, not seeming to care that he had the Warlock in his face. “Stop sending Azazel to follow—!” His words cut off suddenly, and he turned around, the glow receding from his eyes. “Fuck! What an asshole!”
“What happened?” I reached for him again, grateful he was unharmed.
“He’s gone.” Brax let out a frustrated sigh, focusing on me. “He denied it and disappeared somewhere. I have no idea where he went or what this means.”
Utterly perplexed, I glanced at him. “What do you mean he denied sending the beast? If Raithian didn’t send him, then who?”
“I think Azazel might have been following me on his own.”
“What?!”
A heavy sigh sank Brax’s chest, and he looked beyond me to the mirror, his gaze focusing on himself while he processed the information.
“What happened when you faced Azazel earlier today? Were you able to feel him like you do the others? Did you connect to him?” My hands lifted to his cheeks once more, calling his attention back to me.
“I’ve tried to feel him in the past, but he’s not part of the tree. He’s fully disconnected from us, which I think is the reason he can’t see us when we are invisible.”
And bysee us,he meant the Dragons.
“But this time, something came through,” he continued. “It was only for a split second, but I think I was able to get through to him. I heard a heartbeat.”
“His heartbeat?” I asked, intrigue capturing my being.
“I don’t think so. It was much faster than anything I’ve ever heard, and Dragons’ hearts actually beat slower than ours. Whatever this was, it seemed important to him. Meaningful. It felt like he was fighting to communicate with me, but there were no images, no memories. He didn’t speak. He only sent me the sound of a heartbeat and left. Nothing else.”
A strange emotion sliced through my mate’s expression, telling me that whatever he felt in that moment, with Azazel, had rattled him. Dropping one hand to his chest, I gently caressed it to help him calm, and pulled him down to me, resting our foreheads together.
In that moment, a realization floored me.
Braxton had a connection to theSky Gods’race that no Soulris had ever experienced. Their “origin blood” ran through his veins, fueled his power, healed his soul, and the way he was looking at me right now said Azazel might no longer bethefour-headed beastto him… but one of his own.
And that scared me.
19
Leaning into me, Braxton slowly claimed my lips, his hands pulling me flush against him as they curled around my waist.
The kiss was deep, hard, and sensual all at once, inciting my need for him. My body instantly melted against his, and I wrapped my arms around his neck. Tilting his head, he deepened the kiss, his tongue sweeping against mine as though he needed me to ease the ache churning within him.
“Ahem! I’m about to beveryoffended that you two did not ask me to join.”
Braxton’s chuckles tickled my lips, and we turned around to see half of Harrison’s eye peeking into the room.
“Are you two descent? Because Asher is still traumatized from the other day.”
“You can come in,” I answered, fixing my dress as I stepped away from my mate. “What do you mean Asher is traumatized?”
“Nothing,” both Braxton and Harrison answered in unison, and I narrowed my eyes at them.
“You can come in!” Harrison shouted back, and Imogen entered, followed by Quinn, Harvey, Louis, Charlotte, Aaron, and Edward.
“Are you coming back to the party, darlings? Need I remind you this celebration is literally for the two of you?”
“Is that why you came to look for me with all six members of my guard?” Brax replied, arching an eyebrow at me.
“AndHarrison,” I added.
“Thank you for noticing I’m here, Princess.” He winked.
