Chapter Four

 

“What are you doing in here looking all sad and lonely?” Asked Janice, the leader of the Honey Badger Clan and owner of the shifter bar, The Sundowner.

“Nothing.” Hayes picked at the label on his beer bottle.

“You dragons don’t usually travel alone.” She wiped the water off the bar between them. “Must be something serious for you to be out on your own.”

Shaking his head, he once again sighed, “Nothing.”

“Leave him be, Mom,” Shauna, Janice’s oldest daughter teased. “Looks like woman trouble to me.” She winked, “Need a tattoo. It seemed to help Lennox.”

“How about the lack-of-a-woman trouble?” The Guardsman groaned. “I even…Oh, never mind.” He took a sip of his beer then quickly added, “And...ummmm, no tattoo for me. The one the Universe gave me is quite enough.”

Tossing a lime at him as she made a drink for another customer, Shauna raised an eyebrow as she asked, “Okay, just asking. But you can’t leave us hanging. What did you do? Come on, give it up.”

Ignoring the younger honey badgers pleas, Hayes took another swig of beer, then nearly choked to death when Janice piped up with, “Please Lord, tell me you didn’t go see Gerri.”

“How did you…” the Guardsman sputtered, wiping the beer from his chin.

“Because I know men,” the bar owner sighed. Both women leaned their elbows on the bar as Janice went on, “What is it with you guys? You know you’ve got a mate out there somewhere, why can’t you lot be patient? Sooner or later your paths will cross.”

Shaking his head, Hayes stared at the beer in his bottle, unable to come up with an answer and finally grumbled, “Hell, I don’t know. I guess I’m just tired of waiting. I’m impatient. I want a mate, someone to share my life with.”

The words were barely out of his mouth when the door to the bar opened wide, ushering in the tantalizing scent of fresh flowers and gorgeous woman. Turning on his stool, Hayes was mesmerized by the tall, curvy brunette, with hazel eyes and a smile that lit up the room.

Sliding off his stool, totally deaf to Janice and Shauna’s chuckles, the Guardsman met the lioness before she could take her seat. Holding out his hand, he asked, “Would you like to dance?”

Looking at her companion, who was smiling knowingly and nodding, the woman lifted her eyes to his and breathed, “Sure.”

Not waiting for her to have any second thoughts, Hayes swept the lovely lioness onto the dance floor, wrapped his arm around her waist and held her close as the old jukebox crooned a slow, romantic ballad. Electricity danced up his arms and down his spine as his heart stuttered in his chest, before finding a steady rhythm, in sync with hers.

Inhaling deeply, both man and dragon bathed in the scent of the only woman who had ever touched them in such a life-altering, reaffirming way. Giving in to temptation, he laid a tender kiss to the soft skin just behind her ear, trailing down her neck, smiling as she sighed, and laid her head to the side, allowing him to further explore.

Dancing her back to the darkest corner beside the backdoor, Hayes continued to taunt and torment them both, kissing and tasting, needing to make absolutely sure she was covered in his scent. Finally, reaching her lips, he paused, looked at her lovely face flushed with excitement, her heavily-lidded eyes and lips opened just slightly as she panted with anticipation and smiled proudly, knowing he was the reason.

Needing to kiss her perfectly pink lips more than he needed his next breath, Hayes gently laid his lips on hers. From one heartbeat to the next the Guardsman was swept away on a cloud of lust and desire. Teasing the seam of her lips with the tip of his tongue, he was a goner when she readily opened, moaning low in her throat as his tongue slid alongside hers.

Her nails dug into his shoulders as he deepened their kiss. His hands traveled her body like his Harley rumbling over a familiar back road, memorizing every seductive curve and erotic dip. Hayes and the lioness fit together like two pieces of the same puzzle, once lost, now found.

His fingers massaged the full globes of her ass, pulling her closer, working his hard cock against her soft, warm center. Needing more, Hayes lifted her feet from the floor, forcing her to wrap her legs around his waist as she met him thrust for thrust. Holding her against the wall with his body, the dragon slid his hands under her cream silk blouse, shivering at the sensation of his fingertips touching her flesh.

Tearing his lips from hers, he grinned as she moaned at the loss but needed to ask, “What’s your name, dom leómhan beag?”

Her answer was drowned out by the sound of growls and snarls as the huge, wooden double doors slammed off the walls where they were thrown open. Letting the lioness’ feet slide to the floor, Hayes spun around, covering her body with his as he took in the dire situation unfolding before him.

Counting five partially-transformed male jaguars, the scent of aggression and malice burnt the Guardsman’s nose. Claws elongated and fangs bared, the lead cat stepped forward, demanding, “Where is she? Where is that little bitch? I’ll gut her where she stands.”

“Stay where you are,” Hayes whispered to the woman who’d stolen his heart with just one glance. “Let me take care of this.”

Not waiting for her answer, he stepped forward, challenging, “You have no right to be here. Leave before there’s trouble.”

Taking an aggressive step forward, the tall lean jaguar growled, “Shut the fuck up, lizard and tell me where she is.” He inhaled deeply. “Her stench is everywhere.”

Meeting the cat’s gaze, Hayes leveled his stare and in a low, threatening tone, more dragon than man, ordered, “Stand down. The Sundowner is neutral territory.”

Grabbing the closest chair and throwing it against the far wall, splintered woods flying through the air, the jaguar snarled, “Who the fuck are you to tell me what to do?”

“He is dragon and we sit at the top of the food chain, Furball,” Kayne grumbled menacingly as he, Wiley, Declan and Noah appeared behind the jaguars.

Whirling around, the lead cat looked to his compatriots before snarling, “This is not over by a longshot, lizards.” He spat the word like it offended his palette. “We will find that bitch. She will pay for what she’s done.”

Not moving until the back of the jaguars disappeared into the darkness, Hayes turned to make sure his lioness was alright, only to find the space behind him empty. Spinning one way and then the other, he realized that not only was the object of his affection alarmingly absent but also was the woman who’d been with her.

Stalking to the bar, he demanded, “Did you see where she went?” Slamming his hands on the hard, wooden surface and growling at the bar owner, Hayes spat, “Where is she?” Feeling his rage at the loss of the lioness to the depths of his soul.

“Whoa, there young’un,” Kayne advised, his hand on Hayes’ shoulder. “Janice didn’t do anything. Who are you looking for?”

“The woman I was dancing with,” the blue and gold dragon grumbled, taking another look around the bar, before leaning back and wiping his hand down his face. “She was here and then those fucking jaguars burst in and now…”

Where the hell did she go? Did she really think I would let those fucking bastards lay a finger on her?

“Who was she? We’ll just go track her down,” Wiley suggested.

Turning on his brethren, Hayes retorted, “I don’t know her name. Don’t know where she’s from. I didn’t get that far.” Angry with himself but taking it out on his friends, getting more furious as they snickered, he ranted on, “All I know is that she’s a lioness and… she’s my mate.” He stalked towards the still open bar doors. “Now, leave me the hell alone.”

*****

“Why are we even here? It’s a dispute between the lions and the jaguars, two groups of friggin’ cats, what do they need us for?” Hayes grumbled, looking around the huge conference room he and Kayne had been shown into by a tall, older lion.

“I would think you of all people would want to be in the Pride Lands,” Kayne smiled. “Since your luck has been tits-up where finding your mate is concerned.” The demi-god took a sip of coffee. “And since it was the jaguars who cut your first night with her short, this is a perfect way to find out who to blame and get a little payback.”

“Yeah, well, apparently, she doesn’t want to be found. This is my fifth trip to this wretched place and the first time I’ve been let through the gates. Talk about knowing where I stand.” He shook his head. “Besides, I feel underdressed. That vase,” he pointed to the beautiful blue and white piece of art on the credenza, “Is fourteenth century Ming Dynasty.”

Looking shocked at Hayes’ knowledge of art, the demi-god immediately smirked, “How the hell did you know that?”

“The benefits of a liberal arts degree from Oxford,” the blue and gold dragon chuckled. “Not something my father would’ve condoned, but my mom always wanted me to have an education. So, I did it in honor of her memory.”

“That doesn’t surprise me,” Kayne nodded. “Merida was such an amazing teacher.”

“Yeah, she really was.” Hayes looked away, unwilling to let his brethren see how much his parents’ deaths still haunted him then quickly changed the subject.

“So, what do you know about this Queen? I’ve obviously never met her, but I hear she’s a real pain in the ass.”

“Savannah?” The demi-god shook his head. “Naw, she’s good people. I knew her parents before my time in Hell and then met her after I got back.” He took another drink of coffee, before going on. “She’s not had it easy. I mean none of us have, but she’s had it tougher than most. Her parents died when she was just barely eighteen. Poisoned at a party, right here in this very mansion.” He pointed at a huge portrait of the former King and Queen. “To the best of my knowledge, they never found the culprit, and as the oldest of five or maybe six sisters, I can’t remember, Savannah not only became mom and dad to those little girls, but also took the crown a week after the death of her parents.”

Opening his mouth to respond but stopping when the door at the far side of the room opened, Hayes plastered on a smile as the same tall, thin, older man who had shown them in walked in and held the door silently. The sound of heels tapping against the marble floors echoed in Hayes’ ears as the scent of fresh flowers filled the room.

Stepping forward as the lioness from The Sundowner, the woman he knew was his mate, stepped across the threshold and stopped dead in her tracks. Begging with her eyes for him not to blurt out what he was thinking, Hayes simply nodded.

Grinning from ear-to-ear as the lioness literally squirmed where she stood and the tall, thin man who finally announced himself as Jacques, began the introductions, Hayes snidely snickered directly into the Queen’s mind, “Well, well, well, what’s the matter, mo milis, dragon got your tongue?”