the French Quarter. But, this one sat quietly and nibbled on the famous pastries her friends pushed at her.
Charlie’s harsh exhale brought Kai’s gaze back to this friend. Charlie’s behavior was strange; he had always had Kai’s back and was the calm one when they were in a situation. Kai’s temper was always full of the explosive force of the fire inside of him. Since they were kids, Kai was the leader and Charlie was the voice of reason. However, with the arrival of their mates, it appeared that they had flipped personalities.
“I’m not leaving Natalie.”
“He’s sending someone to watch them while we’re with him.” Kai coaxed, “They’ll meet us down from the Melrose.”
Charlie glared at Kai, “You seriously want me to leave my mate’s safety up to someone else? After today?”
Kai grimaced. “I don’t like it either Charlie, but I need the information from Dar and Malkum and I want you there. How else am I supposed to protect Alvena?”
Charlie started to say something, but stopped and looked at Nat. Taking in deep breaths he nodded his head.
“Yes. We need the information. With the way your mate is acting, I don’t think they will be leaving the hotel tonight anyway.” Charlie swung his gaze back to the table. “They’re leaving.”
Kai reached for his friend, but Charlie was already only a few paces behind the women as they left the Cafe du Monde.
*
Kai walked into the building where Dar and Malkum were interrogating his mate’s attackers. With each step closer to the men who had tried to take Alvena away from him, his dragon was closer to the surface. Her defeated posture as she trudged into her hotel was burned onto the back of his eyes. He wanted to kill these men for doing that to her. Normally, Kai could be calm and rational, but as he had traveled here, each moment of the attack was etched in the forefront of his mind. The fear on Alvena’s face and the shock as she sat on the ground without trying to get up, it all ate at him and took away his humanity. His dragon was in charge.
Charlie was a few steps behind him, but as they laid eyes on the men cuffed to three folding metal chairs, a growl came from both of them.
“About time you two showed up.” Malkum called from the shadows. “What took y’all so long? You’ve already missed all of the fun.”
As he looked closer, Kai could see that the men were passed out cold. One of them looked already dead. Didn’t matter, they would all be soon enough. Food for the gators in the bayou. Even with an animal residing inside of him, Kai respected life, but these men lost the right to live when they had touched his mate.
“Report.” Kai gritted out as his eyes finally found Malkum towards the back wall behind the slime in the chairs.
“Kai, they were after the girls.” Malkum said bluntly.
“Fuck!” Charlie cursed and slammed a fist into the wall. Kai wasn’t far behind him.
“What the fuck?” Kai cursed and looked Malkum in the face.
He felt like he had been punched in his stomach. He couldn’t catch his breath. Knowing it and hearing it confirmed by Malkum, were two totally different things. Kai fought to stay on his feet, his knees weak from the news. He immediately turned, ready to head back to his mate and take her to safety.
He and Charlie had finally found their mates. They were supposed to be working to get the lasses’ trust and tell them about the Dásreach, working to get them to agree to be theirs. Not trying to keep them safe.
“They were originally hired to kill Alvena back in Ohio.” Dar said as he walked through a doorway to Kai’s left.
Before Kai knew what he was doing, he was partially shifted and had Dar penned to the wall. His hand wrapped around Dar’s throat, the tips of his claws piercing his brother’s neck. Of all of the Thirteen, Dar was the closet to him in size. Kai had him a few inches off of the ground and looked straight into his eyes.
“What. Did. You. Say?” The
Charlie’s harsh exhale brought Kai’s gaze back to this friend. Charlie’s behavior was strange; he had always had Kai’s back and was the calm one when they were in a situation. Kai’s temper was always full of the explosive force of the fire inside of him. Since they were kids, Kai was the leader and Charlie was the voice of reason. However, with the arrival of their mates, it appeared that they had flipped personalities.
“I’m not leaving Natalie.”
“He’s sending someone to watch them while we’re with him.” Kai coaxed, “They’ll meet us down from the Melrose.”
Charlie glared at Kai, “You seriously want me to leave my mate’s safety up to someone else? After today?”
Kai grimaced. “I don’t like it either Charlie, but I need the information from Dar and Malkum and I want you there. How else am I supposed to protect Alvena?”
Charlie started to say something, but stopped and looked at Nat. Taking in deep breaths he nodded his head.
“Yes. We need the information. With the way your mate is acting, I don’t think they will be leaving the hotel tonight anyway.” Charlie swung his gaze back to the table. “They’re leaving.”
Kai reached for his friend, but Charlie was already only a few paces behind the women as they left the Cafe du Monde.
*
Kai walked into the building where Dar and Malkum were interrogating his mate’s attackers. With each step closer to the men who had tried to take Alvena away from him, his dragon was closer to the surface. Her defeated posture as she trudged into her hotel was burned onto the back of his eyes. He wanted to kill these men for doing that to her. Normally, Kai could be calm and rational, but as he had traveled here, each moment of the attack was etched in the forefront of his mind. The fear on Alvena’s face and the shock as she sat on the ground without trying to get up, it all ate at him and took away his humanity. His dragon was in charge.
Charlie was a few steps behind him, but as they laid eyes on the men cuffed to three folding metal chairs, a growl came from both of them.
“About time you two showed up.” Malkum called from the shadows. “What took y’all so long? You’ve already missed all of the fun.”
As he looked closer, Kai could see that the men were passed out cold. One of them looked already dead. Didn’t matter, they would all be soon enough. Food for the gators in the bayou. Even with an animal residing inside of him, Kai respected life, but these men lost the right to live when they had touched his mate.
“Report.” Kai gritted out as his eyes finally found Malkum towards the back wall behind the slime in the chairs.
“Kai, they were after the girls.” Malkum said bluntly.
“Fuck!” Charlie cursed and slammed a fist into the wall. Kai wasn’t far behind him.
“What the fuck?” Kai cursed and looked Malkum in the face.
He felt like he had been punched in his stomach. He couldn’t catch his breath. Knowing it and hearing it confirmed by Malkum, were two totally different things. Kai fought to stay on his feet, his knees weak from the news. He immediately turned, ready to head back to his mate and take her to safety.
He and Charlie had finally found their mates. They were supposed to be working to get the lasses’ trust and tell them about the Dásreach, working to get them to agree to be theirs. Not trying to keep them safe.
“They were originally hired to kill Alvena back in Ohio.” Dar said as he walked through a doorway to Kai’s left.
Before Kai knew what he was doing, he was partially shifted and had Dar penned to the wall. His hand wrapped around Dar’s throat, the tips of his claws piercing his brother’s neck. Of all of the Thirteen, Dar was the closet to him in size. Kai had him a few inches off of the ground and looked straight into his eyes.
“What. Did. You. Say?” The
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