Her gaze swiveled back to Aaron.
Immortal warrior? Ascendant?
Not only had she almost given away what she was, but she had also made contact with the Council of the City. Everything her leader had forbidden her.
“Besides," Cain flicked his gaze to Hope, a wicked glint in his eyes, "I think that you've found someone to take care of. You're going to have your hands full. Heed my words, bro, she's not as innocent as she seems."
"Hold on!" Who was this shifter? And why was he presuming any connection between her and the Guardian? "I'm still here, you know." She waved her hands in front of his face.
Cain just smirked, blinking slowly.
"You were never drunk, were you?" She realized in a flash of insight: "It was all an act to get a rise out of your friend."
"He damn well succeeded."
Her attention darted back to Aaron's face.
Those cobalt-blue eyes narrowed.
Why was he was so angry? "You're jealous? Because your friend touched me?" Hope looked back, only to see Cain—the traitor—had melted into the crowd.
That left her with one irate immortal who had the ability to twist her insides, with an emotion she didn't quite want to name.
When she turned back to Aaron, his eyes were clearer. Perhaps he was beginning to see just how illogical his actions were?
Swooping down, he brushed his lips across hers.
Okay. Perhaps not.
4
Aaron
Hope.
Her name was a ray of light that cut through the darkness he was floating in.
She turned on him, eyes flashing, asking why he was behaving in such an irrational manner.
Aaron had no answer to that, except that he was drawn to her in a way he had never been to any woman.
So he did what any hot-blooded male would. He kissed her.
For the first time since Zayn died, Aaron let himself feel. Her lips, so soft, so sweet, like nothing he'd tasted. Everything he'd been waiting for.
Her scent of vanilla and sunshine with something hot just underneath had licked at his senses. Aaron knew then, he was in serious trouble.
Still not touching any other part of her, he nipped at her lower lip.
Her mouth parted.
He slid his tongue inside.
That's when her emotions seemed to catch fire.
Her tongue tangled with his, seducing him, sending a throb of desire straight to his groin.
A groan shuddered through her, but he swallowed the sound.
Her tongue flicked out to touch his lips.
Desire pulled at him. He made no attempt to hide his arousal. He let his hardness thrust against his jeans until it brushed her hip.
Aaron was greedy for her. He wanted to drink her up. He wanted to love her. He had found her, and his life would never be the same again. He was sure about that.
He couldn't wait to tell Zayn about her.
The thought sent shock waves through him.
Zayn would never be able to kiss a woman, would never have this kind of connection with a female.
Aaron tore his lips from Hope's.
Her face reflected the same amazement.
Hope must have sensed it, too. Whatever was happening was not one-sided.
How could he allow himself to be pulled to her? To need her, when Zayn would never be able to love another?
For so long they had experienced everything together.
Was he trying to fill the gap Zayn had left in his life with Hope?
He wanted to draw her essence into him. To feel something other than the grief that had shrouded his every waking moment.
The thought made him feel guilty.
Did she sense the conflict in him, for her eyes widened?
The green in them lightened until they were almost colorless.
Gold sparks in her eyes mirrored the amber around her neck.
He'd never seen eyes like those before. Aaron had heard about it, though.
In the hermitage where he’d grown up, Brahma, the seer who'd been like a father to him, had narrated stories of dragon shifters who had eyes so vibrant they were like golden flecks of sunlight on water.
But, of course, that was just a story. Right?
Someone jostled him, and the illusion broke.
Her eyes darted to the side.
Aaron knew she was going to leave.
Why was he so drawn to her? All he knew was that he couldn't stop his senses from reaching out to her.
What was this tie that bound him to her?
Despite the confusion in his head, the thought of never seeing Hope again sent a piercing fear through him.
"Don't go."
5
Hope
She had to leave right away, before this chemistry became something that would overwhelm both of them.
The way he'd touched her…
Just a stroke, like she was something precious. Like she was…his.
Hope's dragon stretched with anticipation. Awareness shivered down her spine.
A curl of desire tugged her lower belly.
"Where did you come from, Hope?" He swirled his tongue around her name.
It was as if he'd reached out and touched a hidden, intimate part of her. One she hadn't even been aware existed.
"From Mauritania." Hope blinked.
She hadn't meant to reveal that, but the sexual haze he'd enveloped her in had unbalanced her.
There was no denying the sheer pull toward him, like she'd met a part of herself.
She wanted to lean in and sink her fingers into that dark pool of hair, press her lips to the base of his throat and lick his skin.
No! She reined in her thoughts. There was no future there, not for her. She should leave.
She met his gaze head-on.
The intensity of his presence washed over her, but she didn't blink. He was a strong alpha male, but she was a warrior as well.
She flicked her hair over her shoulder in an attempt to regain composure and cast around in her mind for something to say. Anything to break the simmering tension between them.
A psychic buzz brushed against the natural shield around her senses. It set off pinpricks of pain over her skin. She winced, shoulders hunching. "What the—?" Fear snaked an icy path down her spine.
An unknown force was trying to get through her defenses and penetrate her mind. If it did so, it would be able to control her dragon, making her a dangerous weapon.
Gritting her teeth, she pushed back the energy. Sweat ran down her forehead, stinging her eyes. Even as her muscles tensed, Aaron reached out on either side of her, pinning her to the bar, a look of protective possession on his face.
He was protecting her against this psychic threat?
The psychic buzz only grew in strength, multiplying, until it rammed her shield.
It pulsed with such strength that she knew the attacker must have felt her shield's resistance and was trying to smash through.
Before the unseen force could overpower her, Hope slammed down a second shield. The buzz dropped to a bearable hum. Her mind cleared.
She found Aaron struggling to breathe. Blood dripped from his nose. More crimson trickled from his ears.
"You're hurt!" Fear licked her nerve endings. The woman in her wanted to take care of his wounds, to ease his pain.
Aaron didn't seem to hear. "No shifter should be able to withstand such a strong psychic hit. Yet you are still conscious. How?" Those blue eyes grew cooler until they resembled ice chips on a frozen sea.