Smoldering Hunger (22 page)

“So. She’s your mate.”

That took Darius aback. “I’ve already had my mate. And lost her before the mating ceremony.”

“Are you sure?”

Darius had known Con would try this tactic. “Am I sure I’ve already had my mate? Aye.”

“You’re going to great lengths to protect Sophie. Makes me wonder if she isna your mate,” Con argued.

“I’m concerned Ulrik will try to harm another innocent.” But that wasn’t all, and he knew it. Con was asking if Sophie might be his mate when he himself had had that same thought a fleeting time or two.

Con’s gaze shifted through the window to where Ulrik sat behind the curtain. “What’s your plan?”

“He thinks Sophie is coming.”

Con cut him a look. “He has her watched. He knows she’s no’.”

“It doesna matter.”

“You should’ve let her come.”

Darius gave Con a dark glare. “He’ll have been expecting her to be used as bait.”

“You’re saying we can no’ outwit him?”

“I’m saying he’s way ahead of us. He’s been planning this a verra long time, as is evident in every move he makes. Even when we try to change the game, he manages to stay ahead.”

Con stared at Ulrik for a long time in silence. “We must win this war. And sometimes innocents must be sacrificed for the others to win.”

Darius was flabbergasted. “You can no’ be serious. You want to willingly put Sophie in his trap? A woman who helped us when we needed it?”

“She isna the first innocent, and she willna be the last.” Con glanced at him once more. “Go to Dreagan.”

“Nay.”

Con’s head slowly turned to him. “I thought you said she wasna your mate. Why are you fighting so hard for her?”

“I’m no’.” Darius shook his head as he laughed. “We made a vow, remember? That same promise sent our dragons away and had us hiding for centuries. You now want to disregard that?”

“No’ at all.”

Darius seriously considered punching him. “You’re testing my patience.”

“I wanted to see your reaction. I agree with your assessment of the situation. Find out what you can from Ulrik and report back. I’ll keep an eye on Sophie in the meantime,” he said and then turned on his heel and walked away.

Darius frowned after him. Would the night get any weirder? At this point he was having a difficult time determining which way was up.

But there was one thing he did know, and that was that Ulrik needed to be stopped.

CHAPTER
TWENTY-SIX

Darius walked into the dimly lit restaurant. Within moments, he was taken to the back where sheer curtains divided the table from the main dining area.

The curtain was pulled to one side by the maître d’. Ulrik stood, meeting his gaze. Darius noted Ulrik didn’t seem surprised to find him there.

Darius pulled out his chair and eyed Ulrik in his black suit and light gold dress shirt that made his eyes stand out. A black tie that looked to have some kind of small gold design on it finished it off.

His hair was pulled back in a queue, and those gold eyes were directed squarely at him.

“Darius,” he said in his smooth voice as he resumed his seat. “How … unsurprising.”

Darius grabbed the bottle of red wine from the bucket and poured himself a glass. “Let’s dispense with all the threats and declarations. Why no’ just tell me why you willna leave Dr. Martin alone?”

“Because you’ve no’ left her alone.”

He sat back, his wineglass in hand as he observed Ulrik. “Do you really expect me to believe that you’d have left her alone if I’d departed the city?”

“Of course no’.”

“She’s a healer, Ulrik. All she did was help Thorn and Lexi.”

Ulrik’s smile was slow. “You’ve always been choosy about your females. The doctor is a good choice. Brilliant, beautiful, and stalwart.”

“Your point?”

“She’s important to you.”

Darius was going to have to tread carefully. “I’m here because I’m the one in Edinburgh.”

At this Ulrik made a sound. “So is Con. He could’ve come in your place. But instead it’s you.”

“Con is dealing with something else. You two have already had your discussion.”

“So have you and I. Why repeat it?”

Darius set down his untouched wine on the table. “You want to come after me, then do it. Stop using others.”

“Tell me, Darius. Did you enjoy telling Rhi that it was over between her and—”

“Stop,” he said over Ulrik. “You’re no’ going to rile me.”

Ulrik’s smile widened. “I already have.”

How satisfying it would be if Darius shifted and torched the entire restaurant, reminding Ulrik that he was still trapped in his human form.

That might’ve happened hundreds of years ago, but not now. Especially with the video leaked of them. Darius had no choice but to remain as a human and deal with Ulrik without causing a scene.

Difficult considering Darius wanted to cause a very big scene.

“Nothing to say?” Ulrik taunted with a grin.

Darius rested on arm on the table. “I think you’re too afraid to go after us yourself. You’ve been too long without your magic and power. You doona remember what it’s like to have that, so you put your energy into hurting the humans. Still holding that grudge, I see.”

“And you’re no’?” Ulrik grunted, all pretense of a smile gone. “Can you honestly tell me you doona look at them and wonder what our lives would be like if I’d wiped them from existence?”

“I doona deny it, but it makes little difference. We made a vow, Ulrik. A promise that as Dragon Kings we doona break.”

“Con has made many promises. Trust me when I say he’s broken most of them.”

As close as Con and Ulrik had been, Ulrik would’ve been privy to much of what Con did. But he could be saying that in an attempt to turn Darius from Con and the others. “Nice try.”

Ulrik raised a black brow. “There’s one thing I’ve no’ done during all of this, old friend, and that’s lie.”

Darius spent a few moments thinking through everything that had happened up until that moment. “Did you bring Lily back to life?”

“Are you going to go through everything you think I’ve done and ask me to give you an answer?”

“You’ve never answered anyone about that. I’m asking now.”

“Lily was dead. Then she wasna.”

“That’s your answer?” Darius asked in confusion.

Ulrik shrugged slightly. “That’s all you’re going to get.”

He was the only one who could bring someone back from the dead, which meant it was him. But why couldn’t he just admit it? “And Darcy?”

“It had to be done,” Ulrik said, his gold eyes going even colder than before.

Another admission, without actually saying the words. Ulrik wasn’t lying. Shite.

“If I’m no’ lying, then who is?” Ulrik asked.

“You’re trying to undermine Con.”

“He’s doing that without my help.” Ulrik rose and buttoned his suit jacket. “Whether you know it or no’, you’ve showed your hand where Sophie is concerned. You care for her. Greatly.”

Darius got to his feet and glared at Ulrik. “I’m the one in the city. It’s up to me to protect her.”

“And apparently share her bed.”

“We all have needs.”

Ulrik slid a hand in his pants pocket and walked around the table. He paused when he was even with Darius. “I’ll have Sophie as mine. One way or another.”

“I’ll kill you myself if you lay a hand on her.”

“Ask yourself why Con was so intent on me challenging him when he first became King of Kings. It’s because he knows I can take him. And if I can take him, I can do the same to you.”

“With only half your magic?” Darius asked with a sneer.

But Ulrik merely grinned before he walked away.

Darius wanted to chase after him and put an end to Ulrik that night. Con might be pissed, but he’d get over it.

He closed his eyes and brought his rage under control. Con wouldn’t just be pissed. He might very well lock Darius up for eternity for going after Ulrik.

The one thing Con had demanded was that Ulrik was his—and his alone.

Though Darius didn’t have to make Ulrik’s life easy.

He rushed out of the restaurant, but there was no Ulrik. The bastard had disappeared again. “How is he doing that?” Darius asked himself.

“
Con,
” he said through their link. As soon as he felt Con allow him inside his head, Darius said, “
My meeting with Ulrik is finished. He vanished again.
”

“
There must be a Dark nearby to take him
,” Con said. “
What happened?
”

Darius began his walk back to Sophie’s flat. “
Ulrik vows he hasna lied to us.
”

“
And?
”

“
I tried to tell him to come after us himself instead of using the mortals. I attempted to goad him by saying he was weak, which is why he didna go after us.
”

“
Did it work?
” Con asked.

Darius sighed. “
No’ as I’d hoped. Especially when I mentioned our vow to protect the humans. He told me that you’ve broken many promises.
”

“
In other words, his killing of the mortals is justified in his mind.
”

“
Essentially.
”

“
No one has bothered Sophie. Ulrik’s men are still here, and they doona look like they’ll be leaving anytime soon.
”

“
I’ll be there soon.
”

Darius cut the connection. It didn’t go unnoticed by him that Con hadn’t admitted or denied that he’d broken promises. In fact, Con had glossed right over that.

By the time Darius reached Sophie’s building, he couldn’t wait to hold her. He got in once more without being seen by Ulrik’s men.

Darius leaned back against the wall on the far side of the living area. He watched her move about the flat. The black dress was gone, replaced with sweats and an oversized blue plaid button down.

She suddenly looked up and smiled, happy to see him. Sophie set aside the towel in her hands. “How did it go?”

“As expected. He gave me nothing I could use.”

She bit her bottom lip. “Did you dissuade him from me?”

“The opposite, unfortunately.”

“Hmm,” she said with a nod and an absent look in her eyes as her gaze lowered. Then she looked back at him. “Why did you come into my life?”

Darius didn’t move an inch. She’d been thinking, and that was worrisome. “Lily was sick.”

“And she was being pursued by bad men, which is why Thorn couldn’t take her to the hospital.”

“That wasna a lie.”

“I know. Was it Ulrik after her?” When he didn’t immediately answer, she continued. “You’ve already told me who you are. I’m in this,” she motioned her hands in a circle, “whatever this is. I didn’t ask questions that night. I’m asking now.”

Darius watched Sophie. She had no idea how stunning she looked standing in the light with her shoulders back, her chin raised, and defiance in her gaze. In that instant, Darius could well imagine her as one of the Celtic warriors of old.

He wasn’t entirely certain that she believed him about who he was, but she hadn’t run away from him or told him he was daft. Nor did he believe she continued to welcome him because he was keeping her safe from Ulrik.

Her emotions were genuine. She wanted him there as much as he wanted to be there. Darius was consumed with wanting Sophie. His body was attuned to hers in a way he hadn’t known was even possible.

“Are you ready for this?” he asked.

She swallowed, nodding. “I need to know. For myself. For you.”

Darius didn’t go to her, though every fiber of his being demanded he feel her warmth against him. Instead, he kept his distance to not crowd her.

“Some of the myths and legends repeated are derived from truth.”

“Which ones are truth?”

“Derived,” he corrected her. Then he took a deep breath. “The Fae.”

Sophie walked to the sofa and curled up facing him. She sat quietly, waiting for him to continue.

“The Fae are no’ the dainty winged creatures pushed on the public. They look just like you or me, except they are so beautiful they doona look real. There are two classes of Fae—the Light and the Dark.”

Sophie said, “I gather the Light are good, and the Dark evil.”

“Aye. You might’ve seen some Dark in the city the night it burned and the weeks leading up to it.”

“The ones with red eyes,” she said in astonishment.

Darius gave a nod. “With silver in their black hair. The more silver, the more evil they’ve done.”

“What evil? I saw people flock to them.”

“Humans are drawn to them. They can no’ help themselves. The Dark will have sex with them, pleasuring the mortals beyond belief. But it’s done to mask what the Dark are really after.”

Sophie shuddered. “Which is?”

“Souls. Every time they have sex with a human, they drain their souls.”

“Dear God,” she mumbled.

Darius hooked his thumbs in his belt loops. “The Light are just as beautiful. They have black hair and silver eyes as a general rule. However, all Fae can use glamour to change their appearance.”

“Oh, that’s great,” Sophie said sarcastically.

“Once you know what to look for, you can spot a Fae whether they use glamour or no’. The Light remain that way because when they do have sex with a mortal, it’s just the once.”

Sophie’s lips twisted. “Have they always been here? Like you?”

“The Fae arrived thousands of years ago. They have their own realm that’s been mostly destroyed by their constant civil wars. We fought them. The Fae Wars occurred without any humans knowing of it.”

“That must’ve been a long time ago,” Sophie said with a slight grin.

Darius smiled. “Oh, aye. A verra long time ago.”

“Didn’t you push them out?”

“The Light eventually sided with us, and we made the Dark sign a treaty that kept them out of Scotland. They were never supposed to call this realm home, and yet they have. They did it quietly under our noses in Ireland.”

Sophie’s mouth parted. “Ireland?”

Darius threw up his hands. “We trusted them to keep their word. They didna, and it’s come back on us. We’re now in a war with them. The attack on Edinburgh was one of many across the U.K. The Dark were trying to keep us thinned out so they could get to us.”