Page 12 of Tempt the Dragon
She was a gorgeous woman, her natural hair coiled and styled to frame her face. Her eyes were translucent, her appearance far less domineering thanany of the others in this room. Mel wondered if she were a dragon or something totally different and possibly just as powerful. It occurred to her then that there may be a way that one Drakon instantly recognized another. Perhaps that was how Magnum had known to mention her eyes and maybe Aiken hadn’t told them anything at all. But seeing as she’d never learned how to be a Drakon, and by the timeshe’d met Aiken had deemed it too late to accept his efforts to teach her, she stood here now with no real clue.
“I’d like to get started with the hunt for Duncan. As I stated last night, straying from my original plan to track and retain the target has already cost me time. I’m not willing to stick around here until it costs me money too.” She’d spoken in a calm and easy tone so as to showthe woman, who was clearly in a role of authority here, a measure of respect. After all, it hadn’t been her intention to come here and disrespect anyone. She didn’t follow anything the Drakons did, but she also didn’t go around burning bridges she might someday need to cross.
“That’s a good idea.” Theo spoke before his mate this time. “You and Aiken will see what you can find today. Checkin routinely and we’ll meet back here later.”
“For dinner,” Shola added. “Bleu’s promised a festive meal even though the holidays have passed.”
Shola’s smile, mixed with her intriguing eyes, cast a very otherworldly feel to the room. Whereas to anyone just walking in they might assume it was just a gathering of humans. They’d be sorely mistaken.
Aiken’s hand touched her elbow in thenext second. “Yeah, we’ll get going now.”
Shola and Theo moved as Aiken hurried her out of the room. Mel was beyond ready to go and walked with him, but the moment they were far enough down the hallway, she eased out of his grasp.
“Your gang is intense.”
“Not my gang,” he said in a snappish tone. “My clan.”
Right. She nodded as they continued down the hall. He would be part ofa clan, a Drakon family that would fill that desire he had to connect and belong. “Still intense.”
“They can be.” He led them easily from one hallway, through another spacious foyer with an enormous chandelier and more paintings on the wall.
“But you like it here. You’re comfortable with them.” It wasn’t a question, because she already knew the answer. She knew the type of man Aiken wasand why he’d never be the man she could spend her future with.
“It’s my duty to be here. My calling as a Drakon.”
“And that’s it? You just do what somebody else called you to do?” That concept had always been foreign to her, especially since the ones who would’ve called her to do anything had died, and before then, they hadn’t bothered to teach her a damn thing about who she was supposedto be and why. So instead, she’d become the woman she wanted to be.
“We serve a purpose, Mel. A higher purpose than you would ever allow yourself to imagine.” His tone was still irritated, but she wasn’t sure if it was due to the current topic of conversation or the fact that Reese had been touching her a little while ago.
Part of her felt a hint of satisfaction that he’d been jealous,that was the part that had missed being near him. Another part—despite last night’s kiss that she still remembered vividly—was kinda annoyed that he’d thought jealousy was even an option after all they’d been through.
“Yeah, well, I’ve got a purpose too, and right now it’s to get my target back to headquarters to collect my fee.”
They were near the double glass doors where she’d enteredthis fortress last night when he stopped and grabbed her by the arms.
“Is that all you worry about now? Money? What happened to wanting to collect the bad guys and turn them over to some sort of justice?” Staring at her keenly had always been Aiken’s way of getting through to her. Luckily, she’d outgrown that instant pang of dread that came whenever she’d thought she disappointed him.
“That’s what I’ve always done, Aiken. You used to do it too.”
“Well, now I’m doing things differently.”
“Good for you. I’ve got bills to pay. So, if you don’t mind, I’d like to get to work and stop being entertained by your very colorful family.” She grabbed the narrow bar on the back of the door and pulled so it would open.
“You could’ve had a family too.”
His words were spokenquietly from behind, but she heard him loud and clear. She just chose to ignore him.
