Liam’s nursery lay adjacent to their suite and included his bedroom, a bath, and a playroom with a small kitchenette set in one corner so that snacks could be made quickly and easily for the growing boy, and everything was decorated in bright, happy colors. Other bedrooms in the wing were available for Liam’s caretakers whenever they were on duty watching him.
The left wing held the guest rooms, while downstairs there was a large library with an office nook for Pia, a massive, state-of-the-art office for Dragos, a formal receiving room, the more private, informal sunroom that led to the back patio area, the kitchen and breakfast dining area, and a dining room that seemed, at least to her, to be half the size of a football field.
The lower level held a giant recreation room with TVs, a pool table, and a wet bar that any New York restaurant would be proud to own. Also included below were an extensive wine cellar and a long-term larder, and security specialists had installed a panic room known only to Dragos, Pia, the sentinels, and Pia’s bodyguards.
Sometimes Pia felt like she needed a GPS just to get around the place. Still, she reminded herself, the house was in no way as huge or complex as Cuelebre Tower in New York, and despite the construction, in some ways it already felt more intimate. She could see glimpses of the beautiful home it was becoming, filled with her favorite colors and hand-picked pieces of furniture, and she loved the personal spaces they had created for themselves and for Liam.
When she entered Liam’s bedroom, he didn’t even stir as she kissed his forehead lightly and eased him into his crib. As always when he slept, he had turned into a little furnace, and she was grateful to get some fresh air against her skin after she put him down.
She turned on his baby monitor and went into their suite to shower and change into a knee-length, lime green and yellow summer dress, along with flat sandals. Her new haircut and pretty outfit made her happy, and she hummed underneath her breath as she stroked on some eye shadow and lip gloss.
A knock sounded on the suite door. When she called out an invitation, Eva opened the door and sauntered in. The other woman’s dark brown skin and bold features were accentuated by a saucy red, bustier-style top and jeans, and while she was armed—she always went armed—she looked as relaxed as Pia had ever seen her.
“Just wanted to know what was up for the rest of the day,” Eva said. “You want to go out again?”
She shook her head. “Nope, we’re going to stay in toni—”
As she spoke, another low boom like thunder rolled through the air.
A lightning bolt of pain struck her in the head. Her vision whited out. Dimly, she felt the container of lip gloss slide from lax fingers as she staggered and fell in an ungainly sprawl. More pain flared as she struck her knee against the corner of a nearby dresser.
Almost immediately, her vision cleared and the pain in her head eased, leaving behind a sense of dread so strong, it came in a wave of nausea.
Swearing, Eva dropped to her knees beside Pia and gathered her up in strong arms. “What the righteous fuck—Pia, talk to me. What’s the matter?”
After the wave of dread came panic.
Pia had experienced that kind of panic before. It was the kind you felt when you were staring at the end of your life.
And she knew. She knew.
Shoving Eva away, she scrambled to her feet. “Something’s wrong.” Her voice shook. It was something bad. Killing bad. “Something happened to Dragos. Watch Liam. Don’t leave him.”
Almost as quickly, Eva sprang upright too. As she switched to bodyguard mode, her expression changed and became deadly.
She made the mistake of taking hold of Pia’s arm. “Stay here until we can find out what happened. You can’t go running into an unknown situation. It could be dangerous.”
The panic rode Pia harder than any devil could have, and she rounded on Eva with a wild animal’s ferocity. “Oh, can’t I? You fucking watch me. Stay here and guard my son.”
Eva’s eyes widened. Her grip loosened, and she fell back a step.
Pia had nothing more to say. She had used up her words, all but one. The wild animal that had taken over her body whirled and sprinted down the hall. She flew down the stairs, burst out of the house and raced down the path to the construction site. She had never run so fast in her life.
As fast as she ran, it wasn’t fast enough to stop what had happened to her mate, and the only word she had left inside of her was his name.
Dragos.
Chapter Two
Bursting out of the tree line, she reached the construction site bordering the lake.
The scene looked strange and wrong. It took her a few heartbeats to realize why.
The dimensions of the clearing had changed. A section of bedrock had collapsed, and at the pile of rubble at the base of a bluff, people swirled in a melee of urgency, the yellow of their hard hats bobbing through a growing haze of dust.
Others stared, their expressions aghast. She grabbed the nearest worker by the front of his shirt. “Where is he?”
He didn’t ask whom she meant. Wordlessly, he pointed at the rubble.
Letting go of him, she raced toward the group who were digging frantically at the pile of rubble and shifting the heavier rocks. Leaping over obstacles, she landed beside the man shouting directions at the rest of the crew. He caught sight of her and fell silent, abruptly, and the expression in his gaze carried the same weight of horror as everyone else on the scene.
“Tell me he’s not here,” she said between her teeth.
Snatching off his hard hat, he shoved it onto her head. “He’s here, along with the shift foreman and another man.”
She had already known it, but still, the stark words struck her like a punch to the stomach. Blindly, she turned toward the rubble and started to dig like the others, bare-handed in case a vulnerable body lay close underneath the surface.
He had to be okay. He had to. Even in his human form, he was unbelievably strong.
Last year, when they had been in a car wreck—before they had really mated—he had pushed out with his Power to keep the car from crushing them. He could bend metal with his bare hands. He…
He had always said he’d seen the car wreck coming, and he’d been able to brace himself. What if he hadn’t seen this coming?
She only became aware she was sobbing under her breath when strong, dark hands came down on her shoulders.
“Hugh’s watching Liam,” Eva said in her ear. “I couldn’t leave you to come out here on your own.”
She glanced over her shoulder, took in Eva’s sober, compassionate expression and her snarl died in her throat. Blinking rapidly, she nodded.
Eva glanced down at Pia’s hands, which were scraped and bleeding. “I’ll find you some gloves.”
Not bothering to answer, Pia turned back to the rubble and started digging again.
“I found Jake!” a man shouted, to her left.
Instantly the focus of attention shifted, and several men converged together to quickly dig out the unmoving man. At some point EMTs had arrived. Pia saw uniformed paramedics racing to the spot carrying a stretcher and medical bags.
As they lifted the man’s limp body onto the stretcher, she looked away. Maybe she should care that they had found someone alive, but she didn’t. Maybe she could care later. All she cared about right now was that they hadn’t found Dragos yet.
He couldn’t be dead. Just the thought of it made her world stop, and she had to struggle to breathe.
Come on, she said telepathically. Where are you? Come on!
The pile of rubble exploded.
Dragos’s mountainous dragon form appeared in front of her, his iridescent bronze hide dulled in a coating of dust. The sheer size of his body knocked aside rocks, equipment and men alike.
Something hit her in the chest, and she tumbled backward. Ignoring the hail of debris that fell on her, she climbed to her feet, joy and relief bringing tears to her eyes.