“If Riven did anything to cause this—”
“Oh thank heaven!” Maks exclaimed. “He’s conscious.”
I can’t move.
“It’s okay,” Maks replied. “Your body’s still repairing.”
It wasn’t Riven,
Lucan reported.
The wards around the compound are aging. The Djinn got underneath the lower edges.
Janos swore as Maks relayed the information. “I’ll gather our mages. This is unacceptable. I will not allow attacks in our people’s homes. Niko, contact the council and have Riven recalled. We’ll need him here. Let them know that the other clans need to check their wards. If this can happen here, it can happen at the other compounds. Ours isn’t the oldest.”
“On it,” Niko replied. He placed a hand on Lucan’s shoulder. “I’m glad you’re going to be okay, Wolf. You’re a pain in the ass, but I’m glad you’re my brother. Can’t lose you so soon.”
Ditto.
“He says ‘ditto’,” Maks relayed. Niko gave Lucan a gentle squeeze before Lucan heard him leave the room.
Meda?
Lucan prompted.
The Djinn took her.
“We’ll go after her,” Maks assured him.
“She’ll be fine,” Janos asserted, but Lucan wasn’t so sure. The Djinn would do anything to exterminate the Dragon race, even hold an innocent woman hostage. They’d use her as bait, knowing the Dragons would come after her. She could already be dead, and his people wouldn’t know it until it was too late.
No! She couldn’t be. Shredding sorrow and dread swamped him as he tasted the horror she’d lived four years ago when she’d thought him dead. What had he done… And now, she was exposed to this.
Fear for her filled him, twining with the frustration that he couldn’t yet move. The longer he laid here like a lump of clay, the more danger Meda was in. He needed to get to her. The thought of someone hurting her twisted in his gut. He’d rather die than have her subjected to who knew what.
By sheer will, he forced his eyes open and took the first deep breath he’d taken since before the attack.
How much longer?
he asked Maks, who stood over him, his hands enveloped with gold light and moving slowly six inches over Lucan’s neck and chest.
“Don’t know. I’ve never worked on a nearly decapitated patient.”
“Should I have Jonah come add his power?” Janos asked, speaking of his scion who was also Maks’ brother.
Maks shook his head. “He’s hours away. I think I’ll be done here before he could arrive.”
Janos gave a single sharp nod. Concern colored his gaze as he looked down at Lucan. He squeezed the shoulder Niko had earlier and Lucan wonder what damage was on the other side.
“Heal well, brother. We have a battle to wage, and we will win. Meda will come home safely.” Turning on his heel, Janos stalked from the room, intent on his mission.
Lucan closed his eyes and fought to remain calm as Maks continued his effort to aid Lucan’s natural regeneration. What no one was saying screamed loudly in Lucan’s mind, and that underlined the fear for Meda already assailing him. With the
trasporation
portal, the Djinn could have taken Meda anywhere. It was a big world to search for one Dragon mate, and they didn’t know all the Djinn dwellings. He prayed Riven would have some clue as to where she might have been taken.
* * * *
“Eat.”
Meda glanced at the opulent table set between her and Tawren. Though somewhat unfamiliar, the food didn’t appear unappetizing, but there wasn’t a prayer she’d eat any of it. Though her stomach growled, she wasn’t giving the Djinn the opportunity to drug or poison her.
Tawren scowled and his dark eyes took on a faint blue glow. “Fine,” he grated, then took a bite of his food that had been dished from the same bowls as hers. “Do you think I’d eat this if it was harmful to you?”
She remained silent. He’d killed Lucan and kidnapped her. Who knew what Djinn were immune to that would adversely affect humans? She wouldn’t share her thoughts. He’d only take satisfaction in her barely suppressed agony over Lucan’s demise. Poison aside, food held no allure. All she wanted to do was to crawl under the blankets and cry out the first waves of the grieving. She’d survived before, and she’d make it through again. But this time, she knew about the Dragons, and as soon as she found her way out of here, she’d join them and fight against this common enemy.
She shifted, adjusting the long skirt enveloping her legs to her ankles. Cold had forced her to relent and change into the dress he’d offered earlier. Besides the warmth it offered, she felt more protected with the thick layers covering her. Somehow, it also seemed to emanate heat and cut into the stinging ice that had filled her. Having the cold dissipate made way for an unsettling sensation in her belly. It seemed to coil around her channel, driving her to an unwelcome arousal.
Meda swallowed and kept her eyes from Tawren. Heaven help her if he saw the intensity in her gaze. She didn’t understand this. She didn’t want
him
. But suddenly, she felt like a cat in heat, willing to rub against anything to ease her desire—anything but him. That thought brought acid to her mouth. She might be sick if he touched her.
Thankfully, the sensation was coming and going like a hormonal hot flash. If she could get through this… In a few minutes, she’d be fine.
Tawren reached for her hand, and she recoiled. Her sleeves covered her to her fingers and she wondered how much more her skin would have crawled if he’d touched bare flesh. Her stomach heaved and she covered her mouth, covering her reaction with a sob.
He leapt to his feet, upsetting the table and sending the dishes clattering to the floor. “Am I so hideous?” he exclaimed.
She shook her head, unwilling to infuriate him and cause reprisal. Tawren was actually stunningly handsome, with dark aristocratic looks. Aside from his mercurial temper and the fact he’d killed her husband, he was charming and solicitous. He’d seen to her needs, even when she’d rebuffed him and refused his offerings.
He approached her, and she turned away in a panic. His arms went around her, pulling her back flush to his chest. Her stomach roiled as he splayed his hand over her belly to hold her against him. His erection jutted against her buttocks while he pressed his lips to her neck. His dark, earthy scent enveloped her. Though it wasn’t an unpleasant smell, his proximity raked across her body. Her body jerked as she fought to control the sickness exploding through her. She breathed through her teeth, struggling for air and choking on his essence.
Desperately, she yanked away from him. She stumbled away, putting the settee between them. “You just had my husband killed,” she exclaimed. “Don’t touch me! Don’t
ever
touch me, you monster!”
His chin lifted as he regarded her. She saw a flash of emotion cross his eyes, but it was gone too quickly for her to identify it. His jaw locked, whitening near his ears. “I see,” he grated. “You have feelings for him, though you’re not mated.”
“He’s my husband! What do you think?”
His nostrils flared. “He’s a Dragon,” he said derisively. “Your feelings will change.”
Turning sharply, he stormed for the door. He slammed it with shattering force, leaving her alone with the mess and her overwhelming sorrow.
Chapter Seven
It was the longest five hours of Lucan’s life. Every minute was spent worrying about Meda. And once his body regained its ability to move, the excruciating pain settled in. His systems had focused on repairing the life-threatening damage first. The burns, oozing wounds, broken bones and the regeneration of his severed wing had been left as secondary.
Finally, he was able to shift back to human form. He groaned as he doubled over. He needed blood. It gnawed at his gut as if he hadn’t eaten for years. The thought of feeding from anyone but Meda turned his stomach. He fought back the need, vowing to sustain himself with a bit of the emergency supply of bagged blood Janos kept on hand.
Straightening, he reached for his pants which had been tossed over a chair next to the infirmary’s bed.
“Lucan,” Maks gasped. His eyes were riveted on Lucan’s right arm. His brow furrowed and his gaze shifted upward to Lucan’s face. “Why aren’t you in pain?” he asked slowly.
“What I’ve just endured wasn’t enough?” Lucan replied flippantly.
Maks shook his head. “You should be…
aching
for Meda.”
“I am.” Maybe skirting the obvious would get him out of here without interrogation.
Not so. “Not like that. You know what the mating does. You’ve seen what happens when mates are parted before they’ve formally united.” He grabbed Lucan’s arm. “Did you think no one would notice? You’ve changed in front of her and had sex I don’t want to know how many times. Still not even a faint trace. This isn’t something that can be hidden.”
“I’m not giving her up again,” Lucan growled.
“And what? You can’t unite with her. If you tried, it would kill her. You can’t join with anyone but your chosen woman.”
Lucan yanked away. “She’s mine! And not you, not any council, no one is going to tell me otherwise. I am not giving her up again in favor of what the Dragons want!”
He stormed from the infirmary, ignoring Maks’ verbal and telepathic calls. He wasn’t going to argue the validity of his mating with Meda. He had more important things to attend. He had to find her, and he could think of only one way. The dreams that came with his blasted Dragon “gifts”.
Angrily, he headed for his personal quarters, disregarding anyone who tried to speak to him along the way. He stopped briefly in the compound’s main kitchen to get a bag of blood. He gulped it down then grabbed another, already feeling the power surge through his veins. After a third, he headed out into the main gallery. His gait held purpose, and he would not be deterred. Fully fueled, he sensed the vibration of his body absorbing its sustenance. Good. He’d need his strength if he hoped to dream. Despite a nagging ache in his middle, he’d regained top form.
He shifted then flew to the level housing his home. A moment later, he was inside. He clicked the lock firmly in place behind him then made sure the door to his courtyard was secure as well. The fence wouldn’t keep out nosy Dragons who flew, but no one would break into his personal dwelling space.
In the bedroom, he pulled out a soft, white T-shirt and slipped it on. He stripped out of his pants which had been spattered with blood during the battle and found a low-slung, faded pair of jeans. Comfortable, he settled into a curved lounge chair and closed his eyes.
He only hoped he could do this. He’d practiced since he’d been here, but never under such critical circumstances.
When Lucan had first come to the compound, Janos had taught him breathing techniques to sink him into a meditative state. Now, he brought his body to full relaxation, forcing himself to go slow. Rushing wouldn’t work. He had to take his time, even if his urgency begged otherwise.
Finally, it was just his breathing echoing through his head like a deep, resonant song. He reached out for Meda. His being searched the path to where she’d been taken. Land spread out before him. Mountains then flatlands. A wide ribbon of water with a riverboat drifting down it. All at once, he was pulled past a cave and into a second. His being was thrust along the passages, before it paused before a wall. In his mind’s eye, he saw how it opened then he was on the other side and descending into a gallery beneath the upper cavern.
Suddenly, he burst into a room containing two people. His heart lurched as he saw Meda held in the arms of the Djinn who’d stolen her. Anger rose inside him as he forced himself to watch, but his rage was too much and the vision evaporated. He lurched awake.
Panting, Lucan lay frozen as he brought himself under control.
The Djinn…
Fury burned through Lucan.
The Djinn had been wooing Meda, the woman he’d stolen from Lucan. The fury turned to rage. She was his!
He surged from the chair. At least, he knew where to find them. He recognized the place. He’d been there as a child. Hannibal Missouri, residing along the Mississippi river. The first cave had been the famous Tom Sawyer cave. The second with the secret door was the Cameron cave, a natural, untouched cavern.
The Djinn was in his sights, and he was dead.
He strode toward his courtyard. Outside, he paused beside the pool and shifted.
“Going somewhere?”
He turned to see Maks lounging against the wall. His scion hadn’t shifted, and he lifted a brow as he waited with arms crossed over his wide chest.
“You weren’t thinking of going somewhere without me, were you?” Maks asked.
“Don’t try to stop me,” Lucan growled.
“Don’t try to go without me,” his friend countered. “I tuned into your dreams—”
“That’s unethical.”
Maks shrugged. “You can thank me later, after we’ve saved Meda from that mate-stealing asshole. And before you ask, no, I didn’t tell Janos. I think we’ll need something more subtle than an army for infiltrating their lair.”
“And the Djinn will be more than happy to let them know if we fail,” Lucan concluded darkly. But they wouldn’t fail. Fate couldn’t be so cruel as to part him from Meda now that they’d finally been reunited.