Much as elation coursed through her, dread followed sharply on its heels. She glanced at Dagan, her biggest obstacle, and held his gaze. “That leaves onlyme.”
The twitch was back in his jaw. “We might be going into a place that could just be a cover-up and drop us straight intoHell.”
Did he enjoy scaring her? But at the thought of her mother being held in such a place, she straightened her backbone and met her mate’s frustrated gaze dead-on. “Dagan, I’ve done this enough times while searching for my mother, playing bait. Besides, you know if trouble comes, Icantake care ofmyself.”
He shoved away from the door crossed the short distance to her, hand fisted as if trying to keep from dragging her off and locking her up. He slowed. Expression flat, eyes hardening. “On one conditiononly.”
He agreed? Shocked, she nodded. “Anything.”
“When we get the information we need, you will remain behind and let me handle therest.”
Remain behind? Ugh, she didn’t care for his terms one bit, but he’d agreed, and that was all that mattered. She’d find a way around his codicil when the timecame.
“Call the demon back and arrange this for tomorrow night,” hesaid.
She nodded. Much as she wanted to march out there now, she didn’t want to risk antagonizing him further and have him change his mind. Besides, knowing Dagan, he’d probably want to stake out everythingfirst.
As Shae left the kitchen, the other warriors rose. Týr’s voice drifted to her. “Ely’s ready for her duties, Arc. She fights with more power and skill than we expected. Hell, she dropped me on my ass a couple of times. Don’t you think she’s ready to go out on patrol withus?”
“She’s still ruled by emotions. And that can be deadly forher—”
The door shut on the rest of Michael’s response. She stood there for a second, inhaling deeply. The door openedagain.
“Shae?”
She turned to find Dagan behind her. The words burst out, “Did you honestly think I was the psychickiller?”
“Not even for a minute, but it’s my job to check out everything, no matter what.” He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. And the churning inside her eased. “I’m going out on patrol. I’ll see you in the morning. You need me for anything, I don’t care how small, even if your abilities take hold, callme.”
At his grim demeanor, she sighed. “You’re still upset that I want to dothis?”
“How can I not be? Shae, you are my mate, I just found you. Now, you’re planning to go out there,alone—”
“I’ll be fine.” She caressed his chest, trying to win him over. “Besides, I’ll have my big, bad warriorclose.”
His expression didn’t change. “I’ll be invisibleandwithyou.”
Invisible?Well, she didn’t know about thatability.
Not liking this distance between them and needing the comfort of his touch, she grasped a handful of his shirt and pulled him down—God, she loved that he was taller than her—and put her lips on his. A groan escaped him, he deepened the kiss. His tongue licked inside her mouth, his arm banding around her waist, every inch of his hard, delicious body aligned with hers. The tips of his fangs grazed her lips—a perilous kiss—one she relished. Desire coiled low in her stomach. Moaning, she ran her tongue over hisextendedincisors.
He jerked back as ifburned.
“Dagan?”
Breathing hard, lips tight, he paced a few feet away from her. Her heart sank, realizing she hadn’t imagined it. “You made love to me last night, you kissed me, but not in the way you first did outside the club in Romania,” she whispered. “Even outside the churchtoday.”
He scrubbed a hand over his shadowed jaw and pivoted to her. His gaze burned fiercely, his fangs still visible, revealing just how close to the edge he was. “Yes, I was careful with you. I’m always careful with you. You knowthis.”
Right. Struggling to stop the widening pit inside her, she countered, “Then I guess I’ll have to expect less than I thought I’d get in a committedrelationship.”
He growled. “I give youeverything—”
“But one!” she cried. “Even though Nik promised he’d be close to stop you if things went wrong, you refused. But then you haveher, right? You don’t really needme.”
He stiffened. “That’s a low blow, Shae, and you know it. I have to go. We’ll talk when I getback.”
Emptiness seeped through her. She cast her gaze down the long corridor, knowing he wouldn’t change his mind. “Do you know where Echois?”
