Midnight's Kiss (27 page)

He pulled out of her and took her in his arms as he fell onto his back. She nestled against him, her eyes already closed.

Arran stayed awake long after she’d drifted off to sleep. He stared at the wall, his thoughts filled with Ronnie. He wasn’t sure what was between them, but it was powerful.

Did he even want to know what it was? Because once he went down that road, there was no turning back.

He thought of Camdyn and Saffron and their baby girl. He thought of Fallon and Larena and their desire for a child. He thought of all his friends who had found love through their years of battle.

Arran had never expected to find anyone who suited him as Ronnie did. The intensity of his need for her frightened him.

But the thought of not having her in his life left him feeling ill. If he had his way, Ronnie would never leave. They were connected, joined.

Bonded.

*   *   *

Ronnie smiled as she came awake to the feel of Arran’s hand on her breast, slowly rolling her nipple between his fingers. “What a way to be woken.”

“I should let you sleep.”

“I can sleep tomorrow,” she whispered, and wrapped her arms around his neck.

His lips had just touched hers when he suddenly leapt off the bed. Ronnie pushed up on her elbows to find Arran standing on the side of the bed, his legs bent and his gaze focused on the living area.

“Arran?”

He held up a hand to stop her. Several tense minutes passed before Arran turned and motioned her toward him. She eagerly went to him, only to have him shove her behind him as he hastily dressed in a pair of jeans discarded on a nearby chair.

“We have company,” he mouthed as he looked at her over his shoulder.

Ronnie’s eyes jerked to the doorway as her ears strained to hear anything. She was looking down at her gold dress and torn panties when a shirt hit her in the chest.

She hastily slid Arran’s tee over her head. A glance down showed that it barely covered her ass. But at least she wasn’t naked.

Arran moved so that his mouth was by her ear. “We need to leave.”

She frowned, hoping he understood she needed to know why.

“They’re coming in through the window,” he whispered. “We can no’ stay.”

In other words, he couldn’t stay and fight because of her. If only she’d known she was a Druid before, maybe she could do some kind of magic to help him. Did Druids even do that?

Another question to ask Saffron.

“Stay behind me,” Arran cautioned.

She still hadn’t heard anything when, all of a sudden, a light green Warrior filled the doorway. Ronnie gasped as Arran growled, his skin instantly turning white as his claws sprouted.

The Warrior smiled at Arran, showing his fangs. Arran simply growled louder before letting out a loud whistle. Ronnie stepped backwards and ran into a chair.

With a glance at the chair, she moved around it and backed herself in the corner, and then slowly slid down to her haunches. Her heart was hammering sickeningly, her blood like ice in her veins.

Who was this Warrior, and what was he doing there? Obviously he wasn’t a friend, which meant what exactly?

Ronnie bit back a scream as the Warrior attacked Arran. Or at least she thought he was attacking Arran. He only swiped his claws across Arran’s chest and tried to run past him.

To her.

Arran didn’t let him take one step before he wrapped his arms around the Warrior and pulled him to a stop. Arran let loose a loud roar and sank his claws in the Warrior.

The Warrior let out his own snarl and elbowed Arran in the face. He tried to repeat the move, but Arran ducked in time. Then, with his claws still sunk in the Warrior’s abdomen, Arran jerked his hand upward.

The bellow from the Warrior made Ronnie cover her ears. Arran continued to move his claws around. To a mortal, it would have been fatal, but to a Warrior, the damage was minimal since they healed so quickly.

Ronnie looked around the room for some kind of weapon, but there was nothing. Her only defense was Arran.

There was a loud crash as the Warrior propelled them backwards and slammed Arran into a small table. Wood splintered, and the lamp toppled to the floor.

The two continued to wrestle as the Warrior tried to dislodge Arran. Finally, he succeeded and turned to face Arran.

The light green Warrior had blood running down his chest while it covered Arran’s hands and arms and splattered his body. And by the looks of things, the fight was far from over.

Ronnie could only watch in fascination as the two attacked at the same time, their bodies slamming into each other. The sound of claws sinking into flesh was overshadowed by the growls.

It was hard to determine who was winning. Several times Arran got the upper hand, and then the Warrior would get in a good move.

Ronnie wondered if she could get to the living room so she could get Camdyn when a loud boom sounded from the entrance of the suite.

A moment later and Camdyn filled the doorway, his Warrior skin a deep brown the color of the soil. It took barely a moment for the light green Warrior to realize he was outnumbered.

Arran tried to hold him, but desperation made the Warrior have the advantage for a brief second. That second was all it took for him to get free of Arran and run toward the window.

Ronnie heard Arran’s shout and covered her face a millisecond before the Warrior crashed into the window and glass went flying.

“Ronnie? Are you hurt?” Arran asked, his hands gentle as they touched her.

She lowered her arms and looked at the window. “What happened?”

“I scared him,” Camdyn said, his tone dead serious.

Arran nodded. “Aye. He had no intentions of leaving until Camdyn arrived. Apparently, the bastard had no idea I wasna alone.”

Ronnie looked at Camdyn to find his Warrior form gone, as was Arran’s. Thankfully, all of Arran’s wounds were healed. She looked around the room and saw the destruction and the claw marks along the wall and even scouring the sheets on the bed they’d just been in.

“We need to go,” Arran said as he scooped her up in his arms. He looked at Camdyn. “He was after her.”

“Get Ronnie out of here. Saffron and I will gather your belongings and bring them,” Camdyn said as he followed Arran.

Arran set Ronnie in her room. “Can you be ready to leave in two minutes?”

She nodded numbly, and then turned to grab some clothes. As she dressed, she could hear Camdyn and Arran discussing something in mumbled tones, but she couldn’t make out what it was.

“We’re going back to the dig site,” Arran said when he returned to her room.

He’d put on a shirt and shoes as well as cleaned the blood from himself. She slid her feet into her boots and grabbed her purse.

“I’m ready.”

“I still think you should go to the castle,” Camdyn said.

Arran took Ronnie’s hand and walked her to the door. “We are, but first we need to see if there’s anything else in the chamber about the selmyr.”

She looked at him. “The what?”

“The monsters from the box.”

“Look, I’ve never been attacked like that, Arran. I don’t even know what he wants, but—”

“I do,” Arran interrupted her. “It’s the same man I saw at the fund-raiser that I saw earlier in the day. He felt your magic, Ronnie. That’s why he wants you. And if he’s coming for you, that means there’s someone out there searching for Druids.”

Camdyn sighed. “He’s no’ a Warrior we’ve seen, which means you were right, Arran. The evil isna gone.”

“And Druids are in danger again,” Arran said with a nod.

Ronnie rubbed her temple over her right eye. “You’re making my head hurt. Should I be afraid?”

“Aye,” they said in unison.

Ronnie rolled her eyes. “Great. I’m not ready to die.”

“I willna allow that to happen,” Arran promised.

Camdyn crossed his arms over his chest. “Then tell me why the dig site versus a castle no one stands a chance of getting to.”

Arran looked from Camdyn to Ronnie. “Because we willna be alone. Camdyn, call Fallon and the others. I want the site surrounded by Warriors by the time we arrive. Keep them hidden, though.”

“And Druids?” Camdyn asked.

“Nay. Whoever is after Ronnie will sense their magic. It’s better to keep it to just the Warriors.”

Camdyn’s lips twisted in a frown. “Now I have to tell my wife that.”

“Tell me what?” Saffron asked from the doorway.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Camdyn demanded as he went to her.

Saffron opened her mouth to answer when Ronnie saw her eyes go milky and begin to swirl. Camdyn cursed and caught Saffron before she fell as she tipped sideways.

A few moments later, Saffron blinked her eyes, once more the tawny hue Ronnie knew.

“What did you see?” Arran asked.

Saffron looked at Camdyn, her eyes sad, before she turned to Ronnie and Arran. “I saw Declan’s mansion.”

CHAPTER

TWENTY-EIGHT

Ronnie was still reeling from watching Saffron have a vision. She hadn’t had time to process what Saffron said when the sound of glass shattering made her duck and cover her head with both arms.

It was as if time slowed to a crawl. Ronnie turned her head to see Arran and Camdyn release their gods at the same instant. Arran’s roar was long and loud, his gaze intent on something behind her.

And Ronnie had a feeling she knew who it was.

The pale green Warrior.

Arran put his hand on her shoulder, his claws careful never to touch her, and gave her a slight shove to put her behind him. That shove sent her toppling over, but she didn’t take her eyes off him.

Camdyn and Arran stood like a wall between her and Saffron and the Warrior. Ronnie barely felt Saffron grab her hand she was so focused on Arran.

“We have to leave!” Saffron shouted.

Ronnie knew Arran could be killed, and even though the intruder was outnumbered, the fact he had returned didn’t bode well.

In the next instant, two more Warriors joined the pale green one.

Ronnie’s stomach fell to her feet like lead as the tables turned on Arran and Camdyn. But neither man seemed affected by the shifting odds.

Arran took a deep breath, his chest expanding while his gaze was riveted on the Warriors. His hands flexed, and his knees bent slightly.

Ronnie saw how Arran’s weight was evenly distributed so he could move in any direction in a split second. Camdyn’s stance was much the same.

Unlike the other three Warriors, who stood straight, amusement in their eyes. Even Ronnie, newly initiated into this world of magic, could tell these three Warriors weren’t battle-hardened.

That was the difference between Arran and Camdyn—who had battled for hundreds of years—and newly made Warriors. Still, Ronnie couldn’t help her fear that somehow Arran might be killed despite his prowess and superiority.

Saffron was still trying to get her out of the suite when the Warriors attacked Arran and Camdyn. Ronnie wasn’t surprised when Arran shifted to keep the fight as far from her as possible.

“Ronnie! Move!” Saffron yelled.

Ronnie ducked in time as a vase careened toward her. It jerked her out of her trance. She turned to Saffron and nodded.

They both got to their feet and pivoted to the door to find another Warrior. He smirked menacingly as he took a step toward them.

Before the Warrior had finished that step, he gasped, blood bubbling through his lips. Ronnie’s eyes widened as she saw a copper-colored hand punch through the Warrior from behind, to emerge holding a heart.

Ronnie watched the Warrior topple to the floor. Her gaze moved to the man who had saved them. By the dark copper of his skin, he was obviously a Warrior. However, he also had thick copper-colored horns protruding from his head near his temples and curling around to his forehead.

But whose side was he on?

“Charon, thank God,” Saffron said with a sigh.

Charon tossed aside the heart and stepped over the fallen Warrior to sever his head. He stood, his dark hair held back in a queue, and glanced inside the suite.

“Help them,” Ronnie urged him.

Charon took a step inside the suite. Arran happened to turn in their direction. He locked eyes with Charon and barked, “Get them out now!”

Charon didn’t need to be told twice. Saffron was already running toward the elevator when Charon took Ronnie’s arm and pulled her behind him.

Ronnie looked over her shoulder, the suite growing more distant with every step she took.

“He’ll be fine,” Charon told her as he looked in the elevator when the door opened, and then promptly shoved her inside.

Ronnie moved to the back while Charon stood before the doors like a sentry. He had tamped down his god, but that didn’t hide his threatening demeanor or the warning in his dark eyes.

“How did you know?” Saffron asked.

Charon didn’t even look at her as he said, “Camdyn asked that I stay near just in case. No’ long after his call, I got one from Arran.”

“Arran called you?” Saffron asked, disbelief written on her face.

Charon gave a single nod.

“We can’t leave them,” Ronnie said, uncaring—for the moment—why Saffron seemed so surprised that Arran had called this new Warrior. “They need help.”

Charon chuckled. “Nay, Druid, they do no’. They’ll be fine.”

The elevator dinged, and the door opened to the lobby of the hotel. Police were swarming inside while everyone else rushed out of the hotel. No one noticed the three of them as Charon ushered them out through a side door of the hotel and into an alley.

Ronnie walked on wooden legs. Outside she could hear the roars of the Warriors. Was it Arran? Had he gotten the upper hand? She stopped and looked up at the hotel.

“He’ll be all right,” Charon said tenderly. “Now that he knows you’re safe, he’ll be able to do what he must.”

Ronnie looked into Charon’s brown eyes. The kindness and intelligence gave her a measure of assurance she needed to go on without Arran. “And what is it that he needs to do exactly?”

“Kill the bastards,” he answered with a sly smile.

Ronnie nodded, perfectly in tune with Charon’s assessment. She turned to the sleek black Mercedes CLS two-door to find Charon had already moved the driver’s seat and was waiting for her to climb in.