Jealousy was a living, writhing thing inside her, the taste of hate acrid on her tongue.
She wanted to walk right up to the still-entwined couple and snatch her from Aaron's arms.
More worryingly, her dragon should have reacted to seeing another woman all over her mate. But there was nothing, not even a whiff of a reaction from her animal.
Worry twisted her gut. Her dragon was very upset with her.
Digging her nails into her palms, Hope spun back on her heels. Eyes forward, don't look back, she admonished herself to keep going.
When she reached the small terminal, she found a woman waiting.
Her dark hair curled around her face and fell to mid-waist; golden-brown eyes twinkled up at her. She was…stunning.
She sauntered over, hips swaying. "Hope?" Her voice was melodious, her grip warm.
"And you are?"
"Serena." Her lips curved up in a smile that reached her eyes,
The animal in Hope sized her up and recognized the beast in the other. "You're a lion shifter."
Serena drew herself to her full five feet four inches and placed a hand over one curved hip. "Welcome, dragoness." She inclined her head, acknowledging the hunter in Hope. "I see you met darling Charmaine already." She nodded toward the other female clinging to Aaron.
"Darling Charmaine was very…energetic in her welcome." Hope bit down on all the other adjectives that were on the tip of her tongue.
Serena threw that mass of hair back and laughed. The sun caught the glints of gold and brown in her eyes. "Don't mind Charm. She can be quite…needy."
"Is that what they're calling it these days?" Hope smirked.
She knew that woman was still holding on to Aaron. The immortal had made no move to disentangle himself.
Fine, so he was getting back at her for what she had done, for having pledged herself to another man and for having kissed someone else.
If only it didn't hurt so much.
Rubbing a hand over her heart where it throbbed like she'd taken a physical blow, she followed Serena to a truck.
The other couple veered off in the opposite direction. "Ah, so they're not coming with us?"
"Charm brought Aaron's truck, so he'll drive them both back. You'll see them this evening at the naming ceremony to welcome our mayor's new daughter."
"Naming ceremony? You sure I’m invited? It sounds…private."
"Leana, our mayor, is nothing if not political. She knows she needs every opportunity to bring the species together. Her marriage and this naming ceremony is a means to invite the citizens to celebrate with her." Selena glanced at Hope before turning her attention back on the road. "Leana believes by sharing her joys and sorrows she forms a better connection with the citizens. During occasions like this species forget about differences and come together."
"Your mayor is wise." Hope propped her feet on the dash, very much comfortable with this woman she'd just met. "But it seems wrong to attend a celebration when I should be out searching for Freya."
"You have to eat, don't you?" Serena countered. "So, have dinner, meet the rest of the Guardians, and get debriefed on the plan for how we are going to approach the Elysians."
"You sure you're not a politician?"
She quickly realized this operation was no longer in her control. She was in the Council's territory as their guest. She'd have to fall in with their plans.
"You sound like my brother." Serena laughed. "Besides, Aaron will be there and so will Charm, and every other eligible woman out to get his eye."
"Hmm." Hope knew when she'd been outwitted.
Serena chuckled. "Why don't you ask the question you are dying to?"
"Am I?'
"Yep." Serena grinned. "The answer is no. I've never slept with Aaron. He's too much like a brother. And no, I don't think Charm slept with him either, but not for lack of trying on her part. Aaron is selective."
Relief coursed through Hope’s veins. She hoped it didn’t show on her face. "Selective?" If she said anything more, she'd be likely giving away too much.
Serena saved her from saying anything more. "Charm has a thing for him. He's one of those who hasn't given in to her charms…pardon the bad pun." She chuckled, not seeming the least apologetic. "It makes Aaron irresistible to her, especially since word reached us that he's coming back with a dragon shifter in tow. The same dragon shifter who saved us from the Elysian attack on the bar."
"So she came to check me out for herself and stake her claim." Hope completed Serena's sentence. "Not that Aaron seemed resistant to the idea."
"Perhaps he's just playing it to get your attention."
"Perhaps…"
"Don't give much away, do you?" Serena glanced at her.
"Not if I can help it." Hope leaned back in her seat, enjoying the feel of the warm breeze on her face. "But I do like you, Serena. I could use a friend."
Golden-brown eyes gleamed as Serena canted her head. It reminded Hope of the lion shifter she'd met at Alex's bar.
"You are Cain's sister?" Hope guessed as the pieces fell into place.
"Guilty." Serena shook back her hair. "The family resemblance is both a blessing and a curse."
"A curse? From where I am, it seems you have nothing to worry about, except a lot of attention."
"Wait until those men see the family resemblance to Cain. The thought of an alpha lion shifter going after them for noticing his sister is enough to put most of them off."
"Well, then, when a man wants you enough to face up to Cain, you'll know you are onto something." Hope held out her hand through the open window, letting her palm ride the warm sea air.
"Perhaps." Serena sounded doubtful. "Guess it's like Aaron deciding he was going to face your dragon fire to come after you, huh?"
Hope shot Serena a glance, wondering if she'd guessed at the connection between her and Aaron already. No. More likely she'd sensed something of the tension between them.
"You going to tell me what happened?"
"It's complicated." Hope turned her head toward the breeze.
"It always is when it concerns a macho immortal warrior who's met his match, with a strong dragon shifter, no less."
"There are other reasons why this can’t work." Hope played with the pendant around her neck. "Just me being who I am and he being who he is…" She couldn't bring herself to complete the sentence and share the real reason why.
Her dragon stayed quiet, not pushing her to tell the truth either.
Dragon 1. Woman 3.
At this rate, she was going to end up taming her dragon.
Besides, her animal was still not responding to her. Her dragon was angry with the woman at having pushed away her mate. She was fearful and hurt and having a good sulk.
Hope wished she, too, could curl up in a corner of her bed, crawl under the covers and sleep until all this was over.
If her dragon stayed like this, she was going to end up a nice, boring female who accepted the rules of her clan, married to a dragon shifter, and had little dragonlings running around.
It should have made her feel proud and happy and all grown up. All it did was send a rush of such horrible despair through her. Tears pricked the back of her eyes, and Hope had to blink them away.