Finding the Dragon (Dásreach Council Book 1) (18 page)

“Do these tattoos have a special meaning to you and the other guys?” Al asked.

“Aye.” He breathed.

“Why did you choose the dragon?”

“You could say he chose me.” Kai responded.

“What about this small symbol here that looks like feathers sticking up?”

“It means Leader.” She continued to move her finger.

“And this one, the two arrows crossed?”

“Friendship.”

“And the, I don’t know, bumps with a wave?”

“Weather. It’s rain clouds for storms and lightning and a cyclone for wind.”

Weather?

Al rubbed her fingers back and forth over the three smaller symbols that had been incorporated into the larger design. Leader. Friendship. Weather. What did those three words mean to Kai?

You could say that those are the three words that describe my life.
Al thought.
But, in my case it’s led by others, few friendships, and a stormy life.

She looked up at Kai, “That might be what the symbols mean, but what do they mean to you, Kai?”

He reached up and placed one large hand on each side of her face. He held her still and gazed deep into her eyes.

“Right now Alvena, I don’t know what my own name is. All I know is that I want to kiss you more than I want to breathe.” His thumbs rubbed back and forth across her cheekbones, before one dipped down to her lips. He traced her mouth, his eyes never leaving her face.

“May I kiss you Alvena?”

Al’s brain was mush, every nerve ending was aflame. On fire with the want for Kai to do just what he said he wanted to do. She wanted him to kiss her so much that her body quaked and her heart hurt.

“Alvena, I feel you quivering. Do you want it as much as I do? Please say aye. I need to know what your kisses taste like.”

All she could do was nod her head.

A smile spread across his face. She expected him to dive right in and take the kiss from her, but instead he explored her face with his fingers and eyes.

“You are so beautiful, lass.” Kai said right before he lightly brushed his lips against her forehead, her eyelids, her nose. Al felt full of sensation, her systems on overload. Kai leaned away again so he could look her in the eyes. He searched them until he seemed to find what he was looking for and leaned forward to place his lips against her own. A chaste kiss, then another, and another. Al was shaking with the need for this man to take what he needed, what he wanted. She wanted to taste him as much as he seemed to want to taste her. When he came in for another brush of lips, she had had enough of waiting for him to make his move. She darted out her tongue and swiped it along the seam of his lips before he had moved out of her range. A groan vibrated from Kai’s chest. His fingertips pressed into her jawline. They both seemed to stop breathing, then on an exhale, Kai finally dived in. His tongue plunging between her lips as she gasped. His taste masculine, it burst over her tongue as it glided against his. Taken over by passion, the kiss seemed to last forever, and just when Kai’s hand began to drift down her arm heading for other places. Malkum came through the door from the hallway.

“There you are Kai, sorry to bother you, but Dar needs to speak with you.”

Al’s breathing was fast and harsh. Kai stood for a moment, his forehead resting against hers.

“Kai, it’s important.”

“I heard you Malkum. Just give me a moment and I’ll be there.” Kai said from his position. Malkum left the room as quietly as he had entered.

Kai sighed.

“Alvena, I’d better go see what news Dar has, get your sleep and we’ll sit down together, all of us, and discuss what we have found out about the attacks in the morning. Is that okay with you lass?” Kai asked.

Al nodded. She didn’t think she was capable of much else. Once Kai had left the room, she stood completely still for about five seconds, then she practically ran to the bedroom where she was supposed to sleep. She got into the bed and pulled the covers up to her chin. She snuggled down and proceeded to lay awake, reliving that kiss. Wondering what it meant. Hopefully the morning would bring answers, because she knew that the night wasn’t going to bring sleep.

Chapter 12

Kai stood outside the office door. His body was raging. His insides were on fire, his skin too tight, and his dragon guardian was making his displeasure known. He could still feel Alvena pressed against him, her taste was still on his lips. If Malkum hadn’t interrupted them, he didn’t know how far he would have gone. He knew how far he wanted to go, but was pretty sure that Alvena would regret it once she heard everything tomorrow. He knew that his mate needed to have all of the information, so that she could make her own decision. It just might kill him, but it would always be her choice.

Taking a final deep breath, he shook out his limbs, relaxing his muscles and entered the office. Malkum sat on the edge of the desk and handed Kai the cordless phone.

“Dar.”

“Kai.”

“Please tell me you have something.”

“It’s not good news, but we did get one this time that actually knew something.”

“And…” Kai said impatiently.

“We have some answers, but not nearly enough. From the information that these men have, it appears that a Dásreach hired them.”

“Shite. Do you have a name?”

“No. Only one of the men had ever met the man who hired them and he is currently out of contact. The others receive their instructions by phone. We have the man’s phone and will wait to see if he receives another call. Maybe we can trace the call." Dar answered.

“But, what makes you think a Dásreach is behind this?” Kai asked.

“Because the hired men have a list of Dásreach tattoo shops across the U.S. They have been staking them out and reporting any women who show interest in certain tattoos. The Dásreach Warrior Marks.”

“Are you sure it’s Dásreach Warrior Marks? There could be some other reason for the tattoo shops…”

Dar interrupted, “They described the tattoos, the animals and the small symbols, and how they were in special binders at all of the shops. They don’t know what it means, just that if a woman showed interest in those types of tattoos they were to take care of the woman.”

“What do you mean take care of the woman?”

“They’ve killed them, Kai.”

“Fuck!” Kai cursed. “Those could have been Dásreach mates.”

“Yes. And, their most recent orders have been to take out your mate and her friends.”

“But they hadn’t been to the tattoo shop when they were first attacked.”

“I know. The man couldn’t tell me why that was. He just knew that they had received orders to take them out at all costs. I double checked, Kai, he gave me names and locations of women they had already taken care of. The facts checked out. A few of them had even received tattoos from the shops before they were killed, so they were easier to connect to the Dásreach. I don’t know what the game is Kai, but this is serious. Women have already died and from the sounds of it, like you guessed, they may have been Dásreach mates.”

“Do you have numbers? Do you know how many of them have been killed?” Kai demanded.

“The man that we interrogated gave us 20 names, but he had only been with the group for a year and said that some of the men he worked with had been with the group for much longer.”

Kai paced the office, the cordless in his hand and curses coming out of his mouth.
Shite! The Thirteen
.

“Dar, how many of these women were possible mates for the Thirteen?”
Oh, Great Spirit. Please. Please don’t let it be that my brothers have lost their mates before they have even found them.

“I’ve been able to verify that five of the women on the list we were given had asked about one of the Thirteen’s tattoos. Three of them went on to get other tattoos and the other two had appointments to come back in for a consultation. Kai, we’ve never heard of these women. Why have we never heard of these women?” Kai could hear the frustration and anger in Dar’s voice.

“Dar, I don’t know, but you need to continue to dig. We need more answers and we need them yesterday. I can’t believe we’ve not known about this … this… traitor. Why would a Dásreach want to do this to another of his people? To take someone’s mate away from them has to be the worst act of disloyalty to everything that each Dásreach makes an oath to uphold.” Kai felt his dragon guardian rising to the top of his skin. He wanted Kai to shift and take out the enemy. Unfortunately, the enemy was in hiding as of yet and they didn’t know who he was.

“I’m looking into possible banished and rogue Dásreach, those that would have a grudge against our men. As soon as I have something I will let you know.”

“Don’t take too long, Dar. We have to stop this. Women are dying because of our race. It is up to us to stop it.” Kai ordered.

“I’m on it.” Dar replied. “I need to get back to my computer and resources at the house. We’re going to have to decide who to send out to check in personally with these shops, I know we can get more information in person. I’ve already talked to Malkum about sending someone.” Dar was quiet for a moment. “Damn it, Kai, who do we trust?”

Kai thought a minute, “Our brothers, the Council, and those Dásreach that we work with and know. When it comes to our mates, that’s the only option.”

“Agreed.” Dar sighed and the line clicked and went dead.

Kai stood for a few minutes, the cordless clenched in his fist.

“Malkum, you’ve already discussed all of this with Dar, right?” Kai asked, knowing that the two Enforcers would have already talked tactics.

“Oui.” Malkum answered coldly.

“Where do we go from here?” Kai mumbled to himself. Malkum stood quietly knowing that his leader needed to analyze and digest what he had just learned. “The women are in danger as long as they are not mated to us.”

Their mates wouldn’t be able to really protect themselves until they completed the mating ceremony and made their own oaths. Once the oaths were completed, the women would be able to shift. Normal humans would be no match for a mate who could shift. He stopped in the middle of pacing, which he hadn’t even realized he had been doing. He looked at Malkum.

“I refuse to lose her.” Malkum nodded at Kai’s words.

“Tomorrow morning, you, Charlie, and I will tell the lasses everything. They have got to understand and agree to be our mates. It’s the only way for them to be truly safe.” Kai said.

“Agreed.” Malkum answered.

Kai walked to the desk and put the cordless on its base. He then picked up his mobile which he had left in the office earlier. He dialed Charlie. He knew Nat was Charlie’s mate and Rogue had to be Malkum’s mate, just like Alvena was his. He had watched the other two men react to the sight, touch, and smell of these women just as he had lived through the same feelings and reactions. They were their mates.

“Kai.” Charlie answered.

“Come in from patrol. We need to plan – you, Malkum, and I. We talk to the lasses in the morning.” Kai responded.

“About time, but what’s the rush?”

“Possible mates are being killed and our mates have been added to the kill list.”

*

Kai found himself lying in a small guest room, his feet hanging off the end of the bed, wondering why he wasn’t in his own bed with Alvena. He would be 100 times more comfortable and definitely happier with his soft, warm lass in his arms. Their kiss from earlier seeped into his thoughts and his shaft hardened at the thought of how Alvena had stuck out her tongue and traced his mouth. He loved it when she took charge.
Moan.
She had been wearing one of his shirts which fell mid-thigh on her.
Damn.
He loved her legs. They were long and smooth, the color of cream with a touch of cinnamon like her scent. Her scent...
Damn it
. He’d never sleep now. He shifted in the bed, trying to relieve the tension that had grown in his groin from his own wayward thoughts.

He forced his thoughts away from the pleasure he knew he would find in Alvena’s arms and thought of the plans him and his brothers had discussed. It was laughable. They had been searching for their mates for 9 years and none of them had any ideas of how to tell the women about the Dásreach and the fact that they were part of the next council, let alone the fact that the three women were their destined mates. It was a lot for the women to take in all at once, especially when you add the stress of the attacks and the fact that someone wanted them dead.

Charlie had argued against telling them all of the facts in regards to the attacks. He had a legitimate worry that the lasses wouldn’t take the fact that they were targeted due to them being destined mates well. What with their earlier escape, it was a real fear that they would run fast and hard to get away from the Dásreach and the men that connected them to the race of shapeshifters. With a mate like Charlie’s, he didn’t blame the man. Nat was definitely a woman who could take care of herself. She had also shown an aversion for the supernatural, which brought Kai to his fear – what if Alvena couldn’t accept the supernatural aspects of their race. His da had told him it was a close call with his mum; she had almost refused his da. She had immediately believed him when he explained that he was a shapeshifter, but she had believed him to be evil as well. Raised in a highly superstitious Norwegian family, his mum had a hard time accepting his da as anything more than a monster. Luckily his da had found his mum when they were both still quite young and had been able to take his time to convince her. With the dangers out there, Kai did not have the luxury of time. Not to mention that he and his brothers had only until the summer solstice a year from this upcoming summer; basically, a year and a half, a very short time for all thirteen of them to find their mates.