"I promise to collect." Caleb grinned, showing bloodied teeth.
Grabbing Aaron's hand, he yanked.
Aaron overbalanced and fell.
With a whoop, Caleb threw himself at him. He landed on Aaron with such force that all the breath was knocked out of him.
"Yield!" Caleb had him in a headlock, his weight pressing down on Aaron's chest.
Aaron saw red at the edge of his vision. Sweat ran down his forehead, his pulse raced. "Never." Hooking a leg around Caleb's, he seized the other man's shirt and tugged.
The cloth ripped and came apart in his hands, prompting a chortle from Caleb.
Aaron growled and clutched the wolf shifter's hair.
"This is what they mean by boys never growing up?" The familiar female voice had Aaron freezing.
The next second, Caleb flung himself on his back next to Aaron on the sand.
His chest rising and falling, Aaron took in one shuddering breath after another.
Hope took a step forward. "You're bleeding." She gripped her fingers together in front of her.
Her lower lip trembled.
"What's wrong?" Aaron sprang to his feet.
"There's been another kidnapping. This time a human female."
32
Hope
Aaron followed Hope into the large assembly room where he'd first met her.
On the far end, the moonlight glittered off the teeth of the dragon skull.
He walked up to the stage.
The dragon's hollowed-out eyes seemed to stalk him.
A brush of energy tingled up his spine, pushing his hair to stand on end. He took his place next to Caleb.
He closed his eyes and reached out with his senses toward the dragon skull…a silver flame crept toward him on the psychic plane.
It twirled itself around him, brushing against his psychic eye. All you have to do is trust yourself.
What should I do? He asked the presence on the psychic plane.
Woo her, son. Don't let her go…
He opened his eyes.
Hope was staring at him, her eyebrows furrowed.
She'd tied her hair into a braid, so it didn't get in the way.
He wanted to run his fingers through it so those thick auburn strands would flow unrestrained around her shoulders again. He wanted to bury his face in those fragrant waves, to slide his arm around her waist and pull her close.
He knew how she felt when her curves were molded to him.
Just thinking about it sent a dense pulse of longing throbbing through his veins. Her scent curled around him, zooming straight to his already-hard groin.
He knew then that it didn't matter that Hope had decided to declare her intention to mate with a fellow dragon shifter.
He couldn't just let her walk away.
He held her gaze, not bothering to hide his feelings. Not bothering to cover the raw need, the sheer intensity of what he was feeling for her right then.
Hope must have sensed his thoughts, yet her features gave away nothing. She stood next to him, legs spread slightly apart with her hands folded over her chest.
To his right, Caleb glowered, wiping the blood off his face with his sleeve.
Eve walked onto the dais. "I called you here because one of us has been taken again." She leaned back on her heels. "This time it's an eighteen-year-old human. Freya stepped out with her boyfriend onto the beach for a walk during the celebration, when a telekinetic male appeared and took her."
Aaron heard a slight hesitation in her voice and latched on to it. "Why her?"
"Very good, immortal." Eve inclined her head. "Freya's the only one among humans to have a natural shield that defends her psychic mind from being manipulated by the Elysians."
Caleb growled. "No one except the dragon siblings and your core group are aware of this."
"Only one answer." Aaron placed his hands on his hips. "There's a traitor in your inner circle, alpha. One who's leaking this information to the Elysians."
Next to him, Hope drew in a sharp breath.
Just then, there was a knock on the psychic web that Aaron shared with the other Ascendants.
Tuning in, Aaron received the images that had come through from Mikhail.
"A telekinetic has been spotted on the outskirts of Bombay," Aaron said after reading the images. "The Council is waiting for more information. But they think they are close to finding out the unofficial hideout of the Elysians. We know that Zach is on our side.” He glanced from Eve to Hope. “It has to be the Elysian rebels who kidnapped Freya. She may well be there."
"And you know this how?" Hope asked, then replied to her own question. "Of course, the psychic web you share with the other Ascendants."
Not only, brave but astute, too. Aaron clamped down on the sense of pride that surged through him.
Hope was not his; she never had been.
Yet he could only avoid her as much as he could stop breathing. Try as he might, there was no way he could not be affected by her presence, not as long as he was alive.
"When were you going to tell us about your link to the other Ascendants?" Eve pursed her lips. "This makes you and the council very formidable enemies."
"Or very strong partners," Aaron said, voice steady. "You are entitled to your secrets, alpha, and so are we. What's important is that an innocent woman's life is at stake. We must put aside our differences and work together to save her."
Silence.
"How do we know this is not a trap?" Eve raised a hand to her temple and rubbed it. "That the Elysians have kidnapped Freya and revealed their location at the same time, too… It seems to be too much of a coincidence."
"Perhaps it is a trap," Hope reasoned. "But it's the only lead we have."
"I'll do my best to find her." Aaron clasped his arms behind his back.
"So will I.” Hope addressed her words at Eve.
"I don't need you with me. I can do this on my own." Aaron's voice came out harsh.
Hope flinched, angling her body away from his.
For a second, he was sorry to have hurt her. But damn, he couldn't forget how she had decided to choose another man over him.
He clamped down on his emotions. "It's my hometown. I’m capable of searching your missing human on my own."
"We made a deal to partner on this mission, and I intend to keep it. Besides, how do I know if I can trust you?" She jabbed a finger at him. "Perhaps you are the infiltrator here."
Aaron's muscles bunched as he folded his arms over his chest. He flared his nostrils. "You are right to trust no one until we find the kidnapped woman. As you command, your sister and I will leave together."
Next to him, Hope stayed silent.
With a short nod at Eve, she stalked out.
Aaron gripped Caleb's arm in farewell. "Thank you for your help. Its best you stay here and guard what's yours."
Tilting his head at Eve, Aaron followed Hope.
It struck him then that he had been given the perfect opportunity to spend time alone with her. But could he convince her that her dragon was right about him all along?
Part IV
33
Hope