ready to pounce the moment she began to doubt again.
He had to find who was harming his sotiei , and soon. It was unacceptable that she suffered in any way.
“What did that mean?”
Dragos smiled, his fangs fully elongated. “I told the voice to go to hell.”
“Oh.” She looked down at something in her hand. It was her cell phone. He wasn’t about to ask how a woman who lived in the woods kept her electronics charged. Therein lay madness. “I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I just got a text from Dominic Davis. He says your Renfield is at the mayor’s office and he’s frightened.”
Shit. Now what? “Dominic or Eddy?” Dominic was the town treasurer, and a good friend. If Eddy had gone looking for him and been afraid, Dominic would take care of him. The man might look like an awkward dandy, but he was far more powerful than anyone gave him credit for. He just chose to hide it under a layer of geekiness.
He was hiding, and Dragos was more than happy to help him. If people knew what Dominic truly was, they would make the poor man’s life a living hell.
Dragos could relate. He’d hidden his light for so long he wasn’t certain it was there anymore. The vampiric beast that lived within him often tried to override his common sense.
“Eddy. Says he’s got, and I quote, ‘a muncher on his tail,’ but he wouldn’t tell Dom more than that.”
“Text him that I’m on my way.” He cupped her cheek. “I’m sorry, my dear. Ash and Greer will guard you until I can return.”
“Damn skippy.” Greer sounded far too cheerful.
Ash merely nodded his agreement.
“We need to talk about your family, Dragos.” Mina sighed. “But your Renfield needs you. Go. We’ll be safe enough here.”
“We?”
She blinked, startled. “I meant... What I mean is...”
Dragos growled. The voice was sneaky—he’d give it that. He hadn’t even felt it stir, and he’d been watching for it. “Who are you?”
“ Leave us alone. ”
His beast roared to the surface. He took hold of Mina’s arms and stared into the dark depths of her eyes. “ Mina is mine. ” He threw every bit of power he had at the voice, tossing it out of her head.
Mina screamed, the trees in the Throne swaying violently. “Stop it, make it stop, make it stop! ”
Dragos stopped pushing, and Mina collapsed in his arms. Dragos bit back a curse as he picked her up and placed her on her throne. “Call Selena.”
Ash put his hand on Dragos’s shoulder. Dragos fought the urge to rip it off, literally.
Ash must have heard the low growl Dragos couldn’t contain. “Go. Take care of your Renfield.” Ash’s expression was fierce, his tone grim. “I swear to you, no further harm will come to our queen within the Throne.”
Greer nodded, cracking his knuckles. “You can leave here. She can’t. Find out what’s going on from the outside while we work from within.”
He gritted his teeth and closed his eyes. Leaving Mina now was like ripping out his soul. The pain was that deep, that far-reaching.
But...
Damn it all to hell. Eddy was afraid, so afraid he’d left the safety of the mansion to try and find him at his office. If Eddy had known where the Throne was, he had no doubt the Renfield would have been pacing outside the sacred circle, waiting for Dragos to save him.
“Go.” Mina’s words were wracked with pain. “You kicked the voice out for now. I’ll be fine, I promise.”
Dragos bent and took her mouth like a ravaging conqueror—the anger and anguish at leaving her side warring with his need to check on his Renfield. “Stay put.”
She saluted him with a weak grin. “Aye aye.”
“I mean it. Even if you feel like you can leave the Throne, wait for me. If the voice comes back, it could send you into a panic attack, and neither Greer nor Ashton could return you to here fast enough to keep it from being overwhelming.”
Ash pushed at Dragos again. “Go. We’ll take care of her.”
“Dude, get out of here
He had to find who was harming his sotiei , and soon. It was unacceptable that she suffered in any way.
“What did that mean?”
Dragos smiled, his fangs fully elongated. “I told the voice to go to hell.”
“Oh.” She looked down at something in her hand. It was her cell phone. He wasn’t about to ask how a woman who lived in the woods kept her electronics charged. Therein lay madness. “I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I just got a text from Dominic Davis. He says your Renfield is at the mayor’s office and he’s frightened.”
Shit. Now what? “Dominic or Eddy?” Dominic was the town treasurer, and a good friend. If Eddy had gone looking for him and been afraid, Dominic would take care of him. The man might look like an awkward dandy, but he was far more powerful than anyone gave him credit for. He just chose to hide it under a layer of geekiness.
He was hiding, and Dragos was more than happy to help him. If people knew what Dominic truly was, they would make the poor man’s life a living hell.
Dragos could relate. He’d hidden his light for so long he wasn’t certain it was there anymore. The vampiric beast that lived within him often tried to override his common sense.
“Eddy. Says he’s got, and I quote, ‘a muncher on his tail,’ but he wouldn’t tell Dom more than that.”
“Text him that I’m on my way.” He cupped her cheek. “I’m sorry, my dear. Ash and Greer will guard you until I can return.”
“Damn skippy.” Greer sounded far too cheerful.
Ash merely nodded his agreement.
“We need to talk about your family, Dragos.” Mina sighed. “But your Renfield needs you. Go. We’ll be safe enough here.”
“We?”
She blinked, startled. “I meant... What I mean is...”
Dragos growled. The voice was sneaky—he’d give it that. He hadn’t even felt it stir, and he’d been watching for it. “Who are you?”
“ Leave us alone. ”
His beast roared to the surface. He took hold of Mina’s arms and stared into the dark depths of her eyes. “ Mina is mine. ” He threw every bit of power he had at the voice, tossing it out of her head.
Mina screamed, the trees in the Throne swaying violently. “Stop it, make it stop, make it stop! ”
Dragos stopped pushing, and Mina collapsed in his arms. Dragos bit back a curse as he picked her up and placed her on her throne. “Call Selena.”
Ash put his hand on Dragos’s shoulder. Dragos fought the urge to rip it off, literally.
Ash must have heard the low growl Dragos couldn’t contain. “Go. Take care of your Renfield.” Ash’s expression was fierce, his tone grim. “I swear to you, no further harm will come to our queen within the Throne.”
Greer nodded, cracking his knuckles. “You can leave here. She can’t. Find out what’s going on from the outside while we work from within.”
He gritted his teeth and closed his eyes. Leaving Mina now was like ripping out his soul. The pain was that deep, that far-reaching.
But...
Damn it all to hell. Eddy was afraid, so afraid he’d left the safety of the mansion to try and find him at his office. If Eddy had known where the Throne was, he had no doubt the Renfield would have been pacing outside the sacred circle, waiting for Dragos to save him.
“Go.” Mina’s words were wracked with pain. “You kicked the voice out for now. I’ll be fine, I promise.”
Dragos bent and took her mouth like a ravaging conqueror—the anger and anguish at leaving her side warring with his need to check on his Renfield. “Stay put.”
She saluted him with a weak grin. “Aye aye.”
“I mean it. Even if you feel like you can leave the Throne, wait for me. If the voice comes back, it could send you into a panic attack, and neither Greer nor Ashton could return you to here fast enough to keep it from being overwhelming.”
Ash pushed at Dragos again. “Go. We’ll take care of her.”
“Dude, get out of here
Similar Books
