Dragon Hunter Book Two: A Dragon Shifter Serial (Dragon Hunter Chronicles 2) by Carina Wilder Page B
Authors: Carina Wilder
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I.”
Neko came close to smiling at the thought before reminding herself again where she was, and why. This wasn’t a pleasure outing, after all.
And it wasn’t the first reference he’d made to the idea of their budding partnership, of course; he’d told her in no uncertain terms that they would eventually be together. That they would be lovers, even. Though at the moment such a thing seemed beyond impossible. They were from different species, with different sets of rules dictating their behaviour, their very lives. She hunted Lapsed and shifters alike. He was her prey, not her friend.
Though once again she felt drawn to him, as she had the first time they’d met. Visions danced through her mind of a life as his lover, his partner in crime. Of giving in, telling him again that she wanted him. Because the truth was that she craved him even now, even as she was being led into the mouth of danger. She wanted his hands on her. And to touch him back, to feel the hardness of his chest under her fingertips.
Again she banished the thoughts, stiffening, an inner battle waging as she tried to mask everything that was going on inside her. The situation was too volatile; she was at the mercy of the Dragons and had to remain on her guard—particularly now that her weapons were gone.
----
M inach led the way down the hall, which turned out not to be so dark as it had seemed at first. Light generated in a cool glow from the walls’ glistening dampness, green moss growing luminescent over the stone walls. The occasional iron lantern hung on chains suspended from the highest point of the arch overhead, flickering flames adding to the glow surrounding them.
Neko walked behind the two shifters, her eyes fixed on Minach’s back. He was as tall as Lumen, though perhaps a little thinner. Also incredibly handsome, of course. But he had very little of Lumen’s kindness about his features; his was a face that suggested a little anger, even. As though someone or something had hurt him in the past and he’d never quite forgiven them—or anyone—for it.
“What news from London, Lumen?” he asked, his voice rough as they walked down the long hallway, the walls revealing a series of presumably locked doors embedded in their thick stone encasements.
“A Controller is on the move,” said Lumen. “He’s been enlisting the Lapsed to take me down, and I suspect that he’s behind Conlon’s death last week, as well. Neko here killed one of his zombified minions a couple of days back—defending me. Of course, that was before she was hired to murder me.”
“Ah,” said Minach, turning his head to look back at Neko. “So begins every fairy tale romance.”
Neko scowled. Minach was the last person to whom she’d admit her developing feelings. “ Romance? Hardly. This is more of a Stockholm Syndrome scenario than Snow White.”
“The plot thickens. Did my brother here kidnap you, then?”
“ Brother? You two are siblings?”she asked, too distracted by the notion to answer the question.
“Only in title,” said Lumen. “The Dragons form an extended family of sorts; we prefer to think of it that way, as it keeps us from wanting to kill each other. Not to mention that there are likely some blood ties in our distant past. That’s one of many reasons that we don’t find our mates within the Dragon Guild.”
“I see,” replied Neko, recalling what she knew of the legends of the Kindred, of their strange mating rituals and their legendary bonds that ran deeper than the Atlantic Ocean. “Anyhow, no, your brother here didn’t exactly kidnap me. Unless you call breaking and entering, then forcing me to stay in my house and sleeping with me in my bed kidnapping. I call it something different entirely.” Thrilling. Sensual. Arousing.
Infuriatingly delicious.
It hadn’t exactly been unpleasant, after the initial shock of his presence in her kitchen, at least. A sudden flash went through her mind: the memory of his face
Neko came close to smiling at the thought before reminding herself again where she was, and why. This wasn’t a pleasure outing, after all.
And it wasn’t the first reference he’d made to the idea of their budding partnership, of course; he’d told her in no uncertain terms that they would eventually be together. That they would be lovers, even. Though at the moment such a thing seemed beyond impossible. They were from different species, with different sets of rules dictating their behaviour, their very lives. She hunted Lapsed and shifters alike. He was her prey, not her friend.
Though once again she felt drawn to him, as she had the first time they’d met. Visions danced through her mind of a life as his lover, his partner in crime. Of giving in, telling him again that she wanted him. Because the truth was that she craved him even now, even as she was being led into the mouth of danger. She wanted his hands on her. And to touch him back, to feel the hardness of his chest under her fingertips.
Again she banished the thoughts, stiffening, an inner battle waging as she tried to mask everything that was going on inside her. The situation was too volatile; she was at the mercy of the Dragons and had to remain on her guard—particularly now that her weapons were gone.
----
M inach led the way down the hall, which turned out not to be so dark as it had seemed at first. Light generated in a cool glow from the walls’ glistening dampness, green moss growing luminescent over the stone walls. The occasional iron lantern hung on chains suspended from the highest point of the arch overhead, flickering flames adding to the glow surrounding them.
Neko walked behind the two shifters, her eyes fixed on Minach’s back. He was as tall as Lumen, though perhaps a little thinner. Also incredibly handsome, of course. But he had very little of Lumen’s kindness about his features; his was a face that suggested a little anger, even. As though someone or something had hurt him in the past and he’d never quite forgiven them—or anyone—for it.
“What news from London, Lumen?” he asked, his voice rough as they walked down the long hallway, the walls revealing a series of presumably locked doors embedded in their thick stone encasements.
“A Controller is on the move,” said Lumen. “He’s been enlisting the Lapsed to take me down, and I suspect that he’s behind Conlon’s death last week, as well. Neko here killed one of his zombified minions a couple of days back—defending me. Of course, that was before she was hired to murder me.”
“Ah,” said Minach, turning his head to look back at Neko. “So begins every fairy tale romance.”
Neko scowled. Minach was the last person to whom she’d admit her developing feelings. “ Romance? Hardly. This is more of a Stockholm Syndrome scenario than Snow White.”
“The plot thickens. Did my brother here kidnap you, then?”
“ Brother? You two are siblings?”she asked, too distracted by the notion to answer the question.
“Only in title,” said Lumen. “The Dragons form an extended family of sorts; we prefer to think of it that way, as it keeps us from wanting to kill each other. Not to mention that there are likely some blood ties in our distant past. That’s one of many reasons that we don’t find our mates within the Dragon Guild.”
“I see,” replied Neko, recalling what she knew of the legends of the Kindred, of their strange mating rituals and their legendary bonds that ran deeper than the Atlantic Ocean. “Anyhow, no, your brother here didn’t exactly kidnap me. Unless you call breaking and entering, then forcing me to stay in my house and sleeping with me in my bed kidnapping. I call it something different entirely.” Thrilling. Sensual. Arousing.
Infuriatingly delicious.
It hadn’t exactly been unpleasant, after the initial shock of his presence in her kitchen, at least. A sudden flash went through her mind: the memory of his face
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