Page 43 of Bryce

“I wonder if those people had something to do with the sorcerers.” Cari shrugged. “It seems like a big coincidence, is all. I know there were multiple people staying in the mansion, some of whom took care of Tommy while he was there. I saw many of them that night. This wasn’t a family. I always assumed it was a cult of some sort, or a secret society.”

She blushed, chuckling. “It sounds silly.”

“Not so silly,” Isla reasoned. She was still dirty from our romp in the woods. We all were. But she was alive and so was I and I knew she loved me. No one had ever looked more magnificent.

“True,” I agreed. “The Order of Gwydion is rather secret, too.”

“Maybe my mother would know about it,” Martina suggested. She’d managed to get herself under control, but still clung to Gate. I had the impression she’d remain close to him for a while after his close call.

“Forest is scanning and emailing the documents you found right now,” Smoke explained. “Give her a bit of time to go over everything, perhaps. You could use some rest, I’m sure. And a shower.”

“Is that a hint?” Logan laughed, then added, “Not that I care, mind you. I would kill for a shower now.”

“I don’t think it will come to that.” Pierce clapped him on the shoulder as he passed.

I caught his eye. “Anything from the other team?”

“Nothing yet.” His smile vanished. “Now that you’ve returned, and we know your location was deserted, I can only imagine the group had moved to the second location.”

I knew what this meant without asking.

Any rest I was fortunate enough to get would be short-lived, for we’d be hunting again if the other team didn’t return soon.

“Come on.” Isla slipped her hand into mine, tugging a bit. “We should clean up and rest. Get ourselves ready to move out again.”

“You think I’m going to agree to your going with us?” I asked as she led me down the passage, toward her chambers.

“Do you think you have a say in the matter?” she asked, tipping her head to the side. “Even if you did, do you believe I would listen to what you had to say?”

“Whatever happened to women listening to their men?”

“I’ve lived long enough to see that unfortunate tendency fall by the wayside, and so have you, for that matter.” She made a good point.

I wasn’t as old as she by several hundred years, but I had seen my share of history.

We were in each other’s arms the moment the door closed, sweat and grime be damned. I’d waited too long for this. We both had. And there were now months we had to make up for, with little time in which to do it before moving out to find Dallas and the others.

“I want no one but you,” I whispered in her ear as layer after layer of clothing came off. “Always. By my side.”

“Always,” she replied with a kiss on my stubble-covered cheek. “Always.”

“My life.” I traced the curve of her jaw with my fingertips, breathless in the presence of her perfect beauty. “It was wrong of me to hold anything back from you. There’s so much of myself I’ve never been able to share. Now, with you, I can’t wait to share everything. I hope you don’t mind.”

“Mind?” She pressed herself against me, skin to skin. “I can hardly wait.”

We had been together this way before. Brief, beautiful moments I would always treasure.

I stroked her back—long, smooth strokes from the base of her skull to base of her spine.

Her skin was so smooth. Her scent enveloped me, made the lion in me roar to life every time it hit my nose.

“You’ll never have to be without me, again Isla. Not ever.” I kissed her lips—so sweet, so soft and full—and let myself sink into the kiss as her arms tightened around my neck and she pulled me closer.

She clung to me so tight, I could barely breathe. Her dragon’s strength showed in her embrace. But I wouldn’t have pushed her away for anything in the world. How could I not respond to her? The lion inside me roared to life, demanding satisfaction.

The hand that had been stroking her back moved down to stroke the curve of her full, round backside.

She groaned and strained against me, sliding her leg up and down mine.

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