Passion Ignites (37 page)

Lexi was shocked when Thorn turned around with Gorul. He leaned close to the Dark's ear and said, “She's going to do it.”

Lexi didn't hesitate in taking the blade Darius held out for her. All she kept seeing was Christina's lifeless eyes, her cold, naked body laying so awkwardly on the wet cobblestones. Lexi took the few steps separating them and plunged the dagger into Gorul's heart.

“You won't be hurting anyone ever again,” she said before twisting the blade.

His face went gray as shock and surprise filled his red eyes. He struggled to draw in a breath before his eyes rolled back in his head, and he slumped in Thorn's arms.

Lexi stared down at the Dark Fae who had taken something precious from the world in Christina. Now Lexi could call her parents and tell them the bastard had gotten his due.

She inhaled and looked around the room. The Kings each gave her a nod of approval before they walked from the room. When she tried to hand the dagger back to Darius, he gave a shake of his head with a little smile.

Con was the last to leave the cavern. He bent and hefted Gorul's body over his shoulder before he too departed.

“Thank you,” she told Thorn.

“I promised he would be dealt with.”

“And I knew you would keep that promise. You could've killed him, and then shown me the body.”

Thorn's gaze was penetrating. “I knew you needed to do this.”

She eyed Thorn, wondering why he looked as if he might be sick at any moment.

“I spoke to Ulrik,” she said to break the silence.

Thorn's look grew even grimmer. “None of us can shift or fly now. I doona know how long it'll last either. Did Ulrik hurt you in any way?”

“No, though I don't know what his plans were. There was another man. He kept to the shadows, but he frightened me more than Ulrik. Then there was Kyle.”

Thorn ran a hand down his face. “You got free of him on your own. You're a survivor.”

“They kept telling me you would never find me.”

“Nothing was going to keep me from you.”

If only he knew how her knees shook. She didn't know if this was the end of her time with Thorn, and it made her heart break to think that it was.

Thorn swallowed and slowly walked to her. “I'm not good at this.”

“At what?”

Why did she have to be so damn beautiful? She had been through hell and back, and she stood there as if she could take on the Dark all by herself.

He was in awe of her.

She made him weak and strong, vulnerable and fierce all at the same time.

“This,” he said and motioned between the two of them. “I've never been here before.”

Her gray eyes held his, waiting for him to continue.

“I thought what I was feeling would go away. Then I kissed you. I'm drowning, Lexi, and I don't know what to do.”

Her lips lifted in a soft smile. She reached out for his hand, and said, “Then we'll drown together.”

Thorn hadn't realized how much he feared that she would want to get far away from him until she spoke. He yanked her against him, kissing her deeply.

He pulled back, but cupped her face with his hands. “You know every secret I have. I want you in my life now and forever, Lexi Crawford. I want you as my mate.”

Her smile was radiant as she gazed up at him. “I've been yours from the very beginning. I'll always be yours.”

“I love you.”

“And I, my Dragon King, love you.”

They were laughing through their kisses as they took their clothes off. Then Thorn lifted her so that her legs wrapped around his waist.

He turned them so her back was to the wall. She slowly slid down his cock, a sigh escaping her lips. Her nails dug into his back as he began to rock his hips.

Even as his life was turned upside down, there was one calm in the storm—Lexi. She was his, and he was hers.

For now and always.

 

EPILOGUE

Three days later …

Another couple wanting the mating ceremony. Con hadn't been surprised after seeing the smiles Thorn and Lexi wore when they finally returned to the manor. And with the Kings' enemies closing in, none of the couples wanted to wait any longer.

Con shut all four black velvet boxes. Then he rose and put on his suit jacket. He adjusted the gold dragon-head cuff links and grabbed the boxes.

His first stop was Iona's room. She opened the door with a smile. Her blond hair was piled at the back of her head with long strands falling about her face.

Her black dress was lace at the bodice with a high neck and long lace sleeves. The back dipped into a V to her waist where the dress then fell in several layers of black tulle.

“This is from me welcoming you into our family,” Con said and handed her a box.

Iona took the box and opened it, her mouth falling open. She picked up the necklace where a large black pearl hung with a diamond atop it. “It's gorgeous. Thank you.”

Con bowed his head and smiled. “I'll see you below.”

He closed the door behind him and walked down the corridor to Darcy's room. Con rapped his knuckles on the door. As soon as he heard Darcy bid him enter, he opened the door.

Darcy turned from the mirror and held out her hands. “Do you think Warrick will like it?”

Con smiled as he looked at the strapless jade dress that came to mid-thigh at the front but dropped down to her ankles in the back. Around Darcy's waist were crystals that matched her strappy stilettos. “I doona think Warrick will care what you wear. He's going to be thinking of getting you out of it.”

Darcy looked down at herself. “I hope so. Is it time?”

“Almost. I came to give you this,” he said and handed her the box.

She took it, a frown marring her brow as she opened it. “Oh, my,” she murmured.

Con watched as she touched the five jade beads attached to the gold bracelet. She looked up at him in such surprise that he smiled.

“Let me,” he said and put it on her right wrist.

“Thank you. It's perfect.”

Con winked at her and backed out of the room to go to the third mate—Grace.

Grace had come onto Dreagan to get past her writer's block and finish her book. In the end, she found the love of Arian, who couldn't live without her.

Con knocked on her door.

“Come in,” Grace's muffled voice came through the door.

He opened the door and found her rushing about the room. There were a pair of silver stilettos waiting to be put on while Grace rushed about the room barefoot.

She wore a turquoise beaded gown that looked as if it came right out of the 1920s. The sleeveless, long-waisted dress flattered her thin frame and short blond hair. The front dipped low, showing ample cleavage while the bottom hem was scalloped.

“Grace,” Con said to get her attention.

“Give me a sec. I can't find the headband I bought. Ah, ha!” she cried as she found it and hurried to the mirror.

She placed the band across her forehead, the turquoise matching the dress to perfection. Her gaze met Con's in the mirror before she turned to face him.

“I'm here to give you this,” he said and held out the box.

Grace eyed it before she hesitantly took it. “I heard you do this for all the mates.”

“And yet you thought I wouldna with you?”

“It did cross my mind.”

Con stood there while she opened the box and merely stared without saying a word or giving any emotion away on her face.

He was normally good at picking out the right pieces for the mates, but he must have gotten it wrong this time.

“I would ask that you wear it now, but after the ceremony, you can pick out whatever you'd like.”

She lifted her dark blue eyes to him. “Why would I want to do that?”

“You doona like it.”

“I love it,” she said.

That's when he saw how her eyes were filled with tears.

“It's perfect.” Grace sniffed as she took the anklet and sat to put it on.

After it was clasped on her right ankle, she ran her hands over the rose gold links to the heart in pure turquoise.

Grace looked up at him, smiling widely. “Thank you.”

“My pleasure. I'll see you downstairs shortly,” he said before he left.

Con paused outside of the room of his last visit. He hadn't wanted to like Lexi, but he hadn't been able to help it from the first time they met. She had spunk and spirit—all the mates did—but there was something about Lexi that he recognized immediately.

Perhaps it was because she reminded him of someone from his past.

Con knocked. A few seconds later Lexi opened the door, her brow knotted in a frown. “What's the matter?” he asked worriedly.

Surely he hadn't been wrong about her. She couldn't back out now. Thorn would be devastated.

She rolled her eyes and walked away. “I should've chosen a more traditional dress. He's going to hate it.”

Con walked into the room and closed the door behind him. Then he took Lexi by the shoulders and turned her so that she faced the floor-length mirror.

They looked at her dress together. The claret velvet skimmed her body enticingly on the bodice. The neckline had scalloped edging that dipped to her breasts. The sleeves were long and narrow with black lace inserts from her shoulders down to upper thighs.

The dress was belted with black leather. Adding to the look was a six-inch drop of leather studded with silver above her right leg before the gown fell open in a slit to show the lining of black in the flowing skirts.

Her hair was pulled over one shoulder, and she had on black velvet booties.

“I think you look like you. In other words, you look perfect. There is no right or wrong way to dress for this. Each mate chooses the gown that best fits them.”

Her shoulders sagged in relief as she briefly closed her eyes. “I love the dress, but as soon as I saw Iona, I began to question my choice.”

“Doona,” Con urged. “Thorn is going to love it.”

Lexi smiled at him through the mirror. “I needed to hear all of that. Thank you.”

“My pleasure.” He stepped to the side and held out the black velvet box.

She accepted it with curiosity. Her gasp was loud when she opened the lid then covered her mouth with her hand. Tears misted her eyes when she looked up at him.

“It's my duty to give a gift. I hope you like them.”

“I've always loved garnets,” she said as she took one of the earrings out and put it in.

The curving French wire made it appear as if the five-carat multifaceted rectangle garnet was floating beneath her ear.

Once she had both in, he nodded. “The others are waiting for us below. Shall we go?”

Lexi set aside the velvet box and took his arm. They walked down the stairs and out the back entrance of the manor into the mountain.

Con paused to leave Lexi with the other three. “Count to twenty, then follow me,” he told them.

He walked deeper into the mountain and spotted Laith, Warrick, Arian, and Thorn standing together as they waited for the mating ceremony to begin and their women to walk into the cavern.

He exhaled a long breath as the Kings took their places and Iona came into view first. Laith went to meet her and bring her to the front. Warrick followed suit with Darcy, and Arian did the same with Grace.

When Lexi appeared, Thorn simply stood there looking at her.

“Thorn,” Con said, when the King didn't go to get her.

“I'm just taking the moment in,” Thorn said with a smile, never moving his gaze from Lexi.

Her smile was wide when Thorn finally approached and whistled in approval. Con winked at her when Lexi gave him a thumbs-up.

In a few moments, there would be four more humans mated to his Kings.

Did that make them stronger—or weaker? Only time would tell. But for the moment, Con approved of each mortal binding themselves to his Kings.

*   *   *

Daire left Dreagan and teleported to Edinburgh. There he found Cael standing outside a pub looking through the window at a Dark who had targeted two humans.

“Well?” Cael asked.

Daire shrugged and looked at the mortals on the street. “Rhi is just as we thought. I've been tracking her for weeks, and she's unpredictable to be sure. She goes from Dreagan to Balladyn to Ulrik with no rhyme or reason.”

“What of her meeting with Usaeil?”

Daire leaned back against the window and crossed his arms over his chest. “Rhi is a wild card. Usaeil made a mistake that others have yet to see. Rhi, however, knows it. I'm still unsure of what Rhi's plans are regarding the queen.”

“Where is Rhi now?”

“At Dreagan. The battle with the Dark left her wounded.”

Cael's head snapped to him. “Should we be worried?”

“Con healed her, but she's still not woken.”

“I want you there when she does. We need every detail.”

Daire pushed away from the glass. “And if she doesn't wake?”

“We'll deal with that when the time comes. We have our orders. The others will be here shortly. We'll begin to exact justice on the Dark, starting in Edinburgh. I need you to remain with Rhi. She is—”

Daire nodded and interrupted him to say, “Important. I know. Balladyn could win her over.”

Cael drew in a deep breath and slowly released it. “We've been too long away from this realm. We've turned into legend. The Fae are about to learn they must answer for their crimes. Including Balladyn.”

“I think we should wait before dealing with him,” Daire cautioned. “You don't know what it might do to Rhi.”

Cael cut his silver eyes to Daire. “You may be right.”

“She knows I'm following her.”

“I would expect nothing less from Rhiannon.”

*   *   *

V used the thick fog as cover and landed atop the mountain. It felt good to let the wind slide over his wings, to take the current up high and then dive through the clouds.