“Another attack at the north border!” Roman said.
* * *
Lexi was meditating on Thorn. He was the only thing keeping her from begging someone to ease the desire building just as Taraeth had promised she would.
Someone said her name. She ignored it. She couldn’t lose concentration. A hand connected with her face sharply, sending pain radiating through her.
“Are you sure?” asked a male voice.
Lexi moaned at the need clawing at her. She would not give in. She would not give in.
“I’m sure,” Taraeth said.
Balladyn said, “She could’ve been speaking the truth. If she was a mate, she would’ve known to wait for the Kings to rescue her.”
Lexi lifted her head and opened her eyes. She was in an office or library. It was obviously a place of someone with money, based on the furnishings and the opulence of the room itself along with all the books.
“Why bring her to me?”
Lexi focused on the man who spoke. He had black hair kept long and gold eyes. And he was strikingly handsome.
“A present,” Taraeth said. He motioned to Lexi. “I already have her prepared for you. She’ll remain in that state for several days no matter how many times you take her.”
Lexi lifted her chin and looked back at the men staring at her. She glowered at them. “Cowards. You’re all cowards.”
CHAPTER
THIRTY-SEVEN
Thorn jerked awake and jumped to his feet. He blinked, recognizing he was deep in the mountain behind the manor. His head swiveled to the left where he heard a noise and spotted Kellan.
“What a clusterfuck of a night,” Kellan murmured from his spot on a rock.
“Where is Lexi?”
Kellan rose from the seat wearing nothing but jeans. “How do you feel? We didna find any injuries, but I wanted to make sure you were no’ hit with dragon magic.”
Thorn shook his head. “I’m fine. Where is Lexi?”
“It’s been a hell of a night.” Kellan ran a hand down his face. “Con and Darius are still in Edinburgh trying to contain the city. They’ve pushed the Dark back and should be here soon. As should the others around the U.K.”
Thorn fisted his hands at his sides. “Where. Is. Lexi?”
Kellan glanced away, and it was all the confirmation Thorn needed to know why his gut was tied in knots. A breath rushed from him in a puff.
“Dreagan was supposed to be safe. She was supposed to be safe,” Thorn said more to himself than Kellan.
Kellan walked to him and put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed. “I didna know she was here. None of us did.”
“Tell me everything.” A mixture of ire and anxiety settled like a stone in his stomach.
Kellan dropped his hand. “I wasna there. A few of the mates were. Get dressed. They’re waiting to talk to you.”
Thorn didn’t move for long seconds after Kellan walked away. Then he stormed out of the cavern to the stash of jeans. He jammed his legs in them and fastened them as he strode barefoot and shirtless down the corridor that led to the manor.
As he reached the door from the mountain into the manor, Thorn could hear voices coming from within. He opened the door and stepped inside the manor.
He followed the voices to the front room. As soon as they saw him, the conversation stopped. Thorn was hanging on by a thread. If Lexi was dead, he knew he wouldn’t be able to handle it. Why was it everyone he gave his protection to died viciously?
He had known to stay away from Lexi, to let Darius protect her. And yet he had stepped in. For what? To get close to her and have her ripped from his arms?
Shara rose from a chair by the fireplace. Her face was smudged with dirt and her shirt and pants had burn holes in them from the blasts of magic. Her silver gaze met his. “She’s strong, Thorn.”
Those words hit him in the chest like a wrecking ball. He briefly closed his eyes and took in a steadying breath. “What happened?”
“We didn’t know who she was,” Cassie said fretfully.
Jane was holding her hand palm up in her lap so that the lacerations on it didn’t touch anything. “It all happened so fast.”
Kellan leaned a hand against the mantel. “Just tell him.”
“We knew Dark were on the border,” Shara said. “We were trying to get the last tour out so we could close up and get to the manor. The rain kept the tourists in the shop long after we should’ve closed.”
Cassie rubbed her hands up and down her arms. “I saw the Dark coming. I shouted a warning of danger, but all it did was stop everyone in their tracks. They wouldn’t move. They were like deer staring into headlights.”
Jane nodded her head, looking down at her lap.
“They busted in. Cassie tried to get out without them seeing her to alert someone, but they came in the back as well. We huddled with the tourists in the hopes that they wouldn’t recognize us,” Shara explained. “They began to kill humans when a Dark walked in with Lexi.”
Cassie licked her lips. “The Dark recognized her. He said he had killed her friend.”
Thorn clenched his teeth. The bastard Lexi had been looking for accidentally found her. What were the odds?
“They wanted to know which one of you she was mated to.” Shara’s smile was sad. “She made up a story about following you and Darius and overhearing you talk of the Dark.”
Thorn closed his eyes as he dropped his chin to his chest. “She had to deal with them alone.”
“She held her own,” Cassie said. “It was impressive. I don’t think I could have.”
Kellan blew out a breath. “When did Taraeth get here?”
“While the Dark questioned her,” Shara said.
Thorn lifted his head and looked at the Fae. “Did he know she lied?”
“He suspected. She was convincing though.” Shara tossed back a drink of whisky and took a deep breath. “She tried to tell them that she ran from the city after seeing all the Dark and cut across country.”
Kellan’s lips twisted. “Let me guess, Taraeth didna believe it was a coincidence she ended up on Dreagan.”
Shara slowly shook her head. “More than anything, it was the fact she didn’t throw herself at him.” Shara’s silver eyes slid to Thorn. “He … he forced desire on her.”
Thorn let out a growl. He turned and swiped everything off the table near him, but it did nothing to ease the turmoil within him.
“He didn’t have his way with her,” Shara hurried to say. “He had Balladyn bring her.”
Kellan said, “That’s when I came in and stopped them from taking Shara.”
Taking one mate was bad enough, but if the Dark had gotten their hands on two of them?
Thorn frowned as he glanced from Shara to Cassie to Jane. “Did he no’ realize Cassie and Jane were immune to the Dark as well?”
Kellan shrugged and they looked to the women for an answer.
“They didn’t pay us much attention,” Shara said.
Cassie nodded in agreement. “They were focused on Lexi.”
Thorn turned his head to Kellan. “They could’ve walked out of here with four mates. Why did they no’ search the group of humans for the mates?”
“A verra good question,” Kellan stated. “It doesna make sense.”
“Nothing about any of this has. They’ve been walking the streets of the cities for days. They kill at will, with everything building up to this night. Then they attack here, but doona try to take one of us or more mates.”
Shara crossed her arms over her stomach. “Lexi was a surprise for them. They didn’t come for her.”
“So why did they come?” Kellan asked.
Thorn slashed a hand through the air. “We’ll figure that out soon enough. I have to find Lexi.”
“I’m not sure you should try,” Shara said in a soft voice.
Thorn pinned her with a look. “Would you expect Kiril no’ to look for you? Would Kellan let the Dark have Denae again?”