Dark Ice (9 page)

“This is a sacred hall. Lately it’s becoming a drop-in center for every man and their dog.” Tithe stepped toward Dane and Darius and crossed his arms across his chest. “Why do you fight in my hall?” he asked, with a hint of steel to his voice.

“Your men started it.” Dane gestured toward the men on the ground before looking Tithe in the face. “You know what I’m here for.”

Dane knew beyond a doubt that Tithe would know why he was here. His power and leadership were legendary. And even though he was technically the enemy, Dane harbored a great deal of respect for the man.

“I do know why you are here. But it’s up to the woman.” Tithe gestured to Lea standing just behind him. Her confusion was evident.

Rin stepped in front of her, his hand firm on the hilt of his sword, a sneer of disgust the only emotion he betrayed before he shielded himself, making his face stoic.

Anger coursed through Dane and he fought for control not to turn into a bear, rip through all those standing in his way and take Lea back to his den. It was what the animal in him demanded he do. But his human half tried to force logic into the situation. Both sides of his nature fought for supremacy. Neither won, but he couldn’t control the growl that escaped his lips as he took a step toward Rin, ready to do battle if need be.

“Rin protected the human on my orders. He saved her when you were unable to do so.” Tithe moved closer but stayed out of arms reach. Whether being cautious or respectful, Dane didn’t know. “You spill Rin’s blood, then you spill mine.”

Darius stepped forward and stopped by Dane’s side. Dane knew together they would be almost unstoppable. But he hadn’t come here for bloodshed. He came here for Lea. She stood there, behind and slightly to the left of the venator. He could feel her fear and uncertainty. She caught his gaze and her golden brown eyes widen, but she lifted her chin almost defiantly. He felt her heartbeat pounding intensely and he wanted nothing more than to calm and soothe her.

With great difficulty he tore his gaze from Lea and glanced at Rin. Dane knew he was a good man, similar to the venator Tynan. Both had a respect for the enemy and the rules. And Dane, almost grudgingly, respected them both. Rin had kept Lea safe when Dane was unable to be there. The idea bought bile to his throat, but without his assistance, Lea could have been dead by now.

Dane extended his hand toward Rin. “Thank you. I am indebted to you.”

Rin hesitated for a fraction of a second and finally removed his protective hand from Lea’s shoulder. Dane saw the indecision cross his almost emotionless features. Rin’s handshake was strong and short before he released Dane’s hand. He bowed his head and stepped sideways. Dane noticed his hand never left the hilt of his sword. Not that he could blame him. Centuries of bloodshed and violence made a man rely not only on his instincts but also on procedure and rules.

Lea now stood directly in front of him. Her beauty astounded him. She was exactly the same as in their dreams. But somehow more electrifying. Looking at her, Dane fought to control his breathing. It felt as if the air had been sucked from his lungs.

An unknown emotion hit him hard. Uncertainty seeped into his stomach. What if she didn’t want him? He’d always been certain about his place in the world. About what he was and all that he could handle. Now, in the space of a few short hours he’d been bombarded with unsettling sensations. Today he’d learnt fear, shame and uncertainty. They were all hard lessons to learn. Especially when they all pertained to the thing he yearned for most in the world.

And she was standing in front of him. Her eyes showed his uncertainty reflected back at him. Her fear had lessened; he felt it ebb away from her to be replaced by the familiarity and bond they forged in their dreams.

“Will you come with me?” Dane asked and he was relieved to hear the assuredness in his voice.

Her hand went up to feel for the pendant at her chest which was no longer there. She dropped her hand when she realized it was still missing, the habit obviously too strong to break. Dane thought of the beautiful necklace lying on the pristine white snow back at his den.

Lea stepped forward, close enough that Dane could now feel heat radiating from her. He clenched his teeth and forced himself to remain in control. He extended a hand to her, palm up, in a sign of friendship. His heart pounded ferociously, nervous energy cascading through him.

She glanced from his hand to his face and trembling, she reached out. Dane felt a jolt of electricity the instant her small hand was engulfed by his. A small smile touched her lips.

Dane swallowed. It seemed like he was about to be bombarded with yet another foreign emotion, and it was the scariest of all. Hope.

~* * *~

Lea’s hand was engulfed in Dane’s, massive grip. The strength of it gave her pause. The moment his fingers closed around hers, the tension seemed to leave him and he relaxed his hold a fraction..

“Come,” his deep voice vibrated through the hall. “I’ll take you home.”

She nodded, and his hand gripped her tightly as he led her toward the door, their footfalls echoing through the silence. Lea paused on the flagstone edging leading up to the steps of the massive front door. Dane stopped immediately, confusion creasing his brow.

“Just a minute.”

He released her hand instantly and she turned back toward the hall. Rin stood in the same spot and she walked toward him. His hand still gripped the sword at his side and he released it as Lea came to face him.

“Thank you for looking after me.” She leaned toward him and kissed his cheek gently. A barely audible growl emanated from Dane, which she chose to ignore.

Rin nodded curtly, but a small smile twitched at his lips. Lea returned his smile, hoping it conveyed all her gratitude.

Lea turned back toward Dane and her breath quickened as her chest squeezed tight. His large frame was silhouetted from the light above the door, sending him into shadows. He was massive, powerful and the aura that radiated from him sent cool molten lava through her veins. How could she be drawn to him and almost afraid of him at the same time?

The walk back to him felt like an eternity. She knew all the men in the hall were watching her. But the only gaze that bore into her was the deep black one that she knew in her dreams.

She reached his side and was dwarfed by him and yet somehow elated. He smiled down at her, slight trepidation evident in his face. In an instant, his gaze shot up above her, to her left and she felt something fly over her head.

Dane raised a hand and caught a set of keys.

“Thanks, Cousin,” Dane said to Darius.

Lea spun around and she saw the other man nod toward Dane. He caught her gaze and she baulked at his translucent blue eyes. He winked and she had to stop herself from stepping back into Dane. He had a similar aura of dangerous power as his cousin and hesitation flittered through her mind and she wondered once again what she was getting herself into.

“Come,” he almost whispered to her and she couldn’t help the shiver that racked through her body.

The night air chilled her skin, in stark contrast to the warmth of Dane’s hand against the small of her back. He led her toward a car. The car was warm and plush and Lea snuggled against the leather seat as Dane closed her door. He slid behind the wheel with some effort, his size giving him trouble. He seemed too big for something like a modern sports car. Too animalistic to be doing something so civilized as driving. He looked out of place, like he belonged in the wide open space. Somewhere his presence wasn’t so overwhelming.

Lea looked at his profile and swallowed. It was one thing to have a realistic dream and quite another to be actually physically sitting next to Dane.

“Do you know where I live?” Lea asked.

“Yes,” he replied.

“How?”

“There are a lot of things I know.”

“I’m sure you do,” Lea replied.

He turned and looked at her, trying to gauge her meaning. Heat suffused her face as he continued to gaze at her. Finally he smiled and the heat twisted in her belly. She was quite sure this man knew many things. If he was a man. In her dreams he was both a man and a beast. But this was reality. This man was real, he was driving a real car and taking her home.

Rin had said Dane assisted them the night of the club massacre. Was this the man who rescued her? Was the man real and the rest a dream? She looked across at him again. He certainly seemed real. But then again, Rin also said Dane was a polar bear.

Lea shut her eyes, the second guessing and over analysis taking its toll.

“Are you alright?”

Dane’s voice pulsated through her, it was a deep baritone that was almost physical. Every time he spoke, heat raced through her, followed by a flood of emotions. For a woman who spent her life living in her mind and psychoanalyzing everything, it made her very uncomfortable.

“Yes. No,” she replied, rubbing her eyes. “It’s been a very long and strange day.”

“Yes, it has.”

The car slowed and pulled alongside the curb in front of Lea’s house. Dane switched off the car, but made no movement to get out.

“You’re home.”

“Yep,” Lea replied, suddenly awkward. “Are you coming inside?”

“That is up to you.”

Lea saw the intensity of his face and knew it really was up to her. Real or not, Dane had plagued her dreams and her waking thoughts to the point of obsession. He had travelled, god knew how far, fought his way into the hall tonight to rescue her. And he would leave right now if she asked him to.

Lea reached out a trembling hand, just as she had done in her dreams, and touched his face. Her dreams felt real, but nothing compared to this. Her fingers burned with the heat of his skin as she caressed his stubbled cheek. It intensified the ripple of lust that ran from her fingers down her arm and through her entire body.

“I want you to come in, Dane,” she said, the roughness of her voice surprising her.

Dane’s eyes widened for an instant before he nodded. Reluctantly, Lea removed her fingers from his face and turned toward the car door. She started as Dane reached out and gripped her arm, gentle yet firmly, she could feel the restrained power through his tense fingers. She turned back to him, confused.

“Are you certain?” The pain in his voice made her wince. He must have mistaken her expression, because he released her immediately. “Our dreams are one thing, but this is another,” he rasped out.

“You would come all the way from wherever you were to rescue me and then gladly leave?”

“Not gladly, no. But I will see no harm come to you.” He shook his head in agitation, reminding Lea of the animal in him.

She swallowed. He was right, dreams and reality were very different. But he was here now and seemed very real. As were the feelings he was conjuring inside her. She was sick of living her life by the right and logical thing to do.

“I am sure no harm will come to me while you are with me. Please come inside with me.”

Pain crossed Dane’s face before he nodded and Lea exhaled a breath she didn’t know she was holding. Dreams and reality were merging and a slight thrill of trepidation caught Lea off guard. Sitting next to her, Dane was more potent and fierce than she could have imagined. But the thought of him leaving was even more terrifying.

Chapter Nine

The street light reflected against the cut-glass door panels as Lea stepped up onto the porch. The scent of flowers filled the still night air and made her light headed as she took a deep steadying breath.

“I don’t have my keys,” she said as she glanced at the door. “Damn, I can’t believe it. I must have left my bag at the hall. We left so quickly it didn’t even cross my mind. Great, there goes my wallet, phone, keys.”

“Okay, give me a moment.” Dane stepped off the porch and disappeared into the darkness of the garden leading toward the side of the house. He made hardly a sound for a man his size. Lea waited for a bang or the sound of breaking glass to show that Dane had broken in. She heard nothing. A moment later the front door clicked open to reveal Dane.

“How did you get in?” she asked.

“I have my ways,” Dane replied, stepping aside to allow Lea to enter.

Lea brushed past him and the bolt of adrenaline that shot through her took her by surprise. The door shut and Lea heard the deadbolt lock. Memories of this afternoon’s confrontation with Sebastian surfaced at the feeling of being closed in, leaving her tired and confused.

“Why did Sebastian come after me this afternoon?” Hopefully now she would get some answers. She walked into the living room and switched on the light before turning toward Dane.

“Because of me,” Dane crossed his arms across his broad chest and leaned against the door frame. Lea felt an almost physical barrier rise around him as his voice became curt.

“He said I had your scent all over me.”

Dane nodded.

Lea fought the urge to cross her arms in a protective gesture, knowing she had nothing to fear from Dane, but vulnerability had a strong grip on her.

“Why? Is it because of the dreams?” Her ire was starting to build. She didn’t understand what was happening and now was the time for answers. His only response was to nod and put up his barriers. She’d had enough experience with her patients being defensive. She wouldn’t stand for it now. Not with the man who had turned her world upside down and made her feel out of control.