Page 58 of Dance for the Dragon
Hawke dropped his hand from his shoulder and took a step back, eyeing him warily.
Kohl opened his eyes. “I won’t allow them to hurt her. She is mine.”
Pacing away, Hawke covered his face with his hands. His voice was muffled behind them. “Aww, man. Please don’t tell me you fed from her.”
Kohl saw no reason to hide it anymore. “I did.”
“Fuuuuuck, Kohl.”
“I know.” There was no excuse for it. He’d explicitly gone against the Master’s direct order, adding to his list of crimes. “Jaz and a few others followed me the second night I saw her. He got a hold of her and bit her before I could get her back.” He rubbed the back of his neck, trying to disperse the heat building there as he recounted what happened that night. “He fucking bit her. Claimed her. I couldn’t allow it.”
“Well, that explains how he found her again.”
Kohl hissed, his fangs aching to tear into vampire flesh. “That’s not how. I overrode his claim.” He turned to go find Devon, and again, Hawke stopped him.
“You’re sure you drank from her?”
What game was he playing? Kohl didn’t have time for this shit. “I’m fucking positive, Hawke. She’s mine.”
Hawke gave him a strange look. “Then why didn’t you know she was here?”
Kohl stilled as that truth slammed into him like an avalanche. He was right. He should’ve known she was here. He carried her blood. It should call to him like a fucking siren when they were this close and she was in trouble. Why hadn’t he known she was here the moment he left his room? Or even before. “I’ve never claimed a female before.” He paced back and forth in the narrow space, restless. “I felt her blood immediately after. Not so much a few hours later.” And barely at all when he’d gone back to warn her. “Maybe it’s just another thing that’s fucked up about me.”
“How do dragons claim their mates?”
His stomach rolled. “They burn them.” Lifting his chin, he caught Hawke’s look of disbelief.
“Holy fuck.”
“Not all of her. Just…like a brand. Like cattle. Dragons breathe in the ash of…the burn…and it embeds into the dragon and becomes a part of it. Something like that. Or, so my mother told me before she died.”
“Well, why hasn’t your beast stuck his name on her?”
Kohl pulled up short. “You’re not fucking serious.”
Hawke shrugged. “I’m just saying.”
“She’s only been around the dragon once. The night Jaz tried to take her. I started shifting as soon as I sensed they were there. I couldn’t stop it.” He thought of blowing fire on that perfect skin. “Besides, I don’t think I could stomach doing that to her.”
“Well, that’s your choice. But I’m just thinking, if your beast—as you like to call it—laid claim to Devon…well, that sure as hell would make things interesting around here, wouldn’t it?”
Kohl didn’t have time to solve riddles. “I’m going after her, Hawke.” His friend grabbed his arm and he shook it off. Baring his fangs, he hissed at him. “You can’t fucking stop me. So, stop trying.”
Hawke held both hands palms out in front of him. “I get it. You do what you have to do. But you need to know. She’s not in good shape. I wasn’t involved. She was like this when she was brought in.”
He must’ve said something, made some sound, for Hawke backed farther away.
“One more thing I think you need to know. Because I have the distinct feeling only one of you is going to survive this night—either you or the Master. I wanted to tell you before now, but I didn’t have the chance.”
“What?” The word was barely understandable.
“It was Jaz. It was all Jaz. He’s the one who recognized Devon the other night at the club. He’s the one who mind fucked some humans into shooting up the place. He’s the one who’s been after her. And the Master knew about it the entire time. Though it did throw him off guard when Parasupe actually showed up here.” Hawke grinned.
* * *
Over the commotion of the vampires, a moan of pain came to Kohl’s ears. It was so faint it was barely there, but Kohl knew instantly who it was. And it came from the throne room. With a last flash of his fangs, he bolted back down the passageway and barreled straight through the circle of hissing, hungry vampires, knocking them out of the way in his urgency to get to Devon.
In their trance of bloodlust, they sprang back up behind him and resumed their spots.
