Keira called what little magic she could muster and cloaked herself with it. She tiptoed to the door and paused. Typically, this was when Cyril knocked on her door and waylaid any alone time she had planned. She’d been testing her magic for months and was confident she masked her presence.

Her memory loss left her frustrated and insecure, two emotions she despised. Keira knew she was capable of so much more, but without knowing exactly what she could do, and how, she didn’t take many risks.

Assured Cyril wasn’t standing outside her room, Keira pulled the door and popped her head into the hotel’s hallway. A sigh of relief escaped her throat before she floated down the corridor at a snail’s pace, careful she didn’t alert the male in the next room. Sweat broke across her forehead while she waited for the elevator.

The loud ding echoed, and the double doors slid open, spitting out a happy couple. Keira ducked inside and hastily mashed the button while praying Cyril didn’t open his door.

Her heart thumped a drumbeat until she reached the street level. She hurried from the luxurious hotel and onto the sidewalk, heading for the coffee shop down the road. They’d visited Edinburgh several times over the past year, and Keira loved the pastry shop’s chocolate croissants and coffee.

The streets were empty, except for the few tired souls rushing to work at the early hour. The sun barely peeked over the horizon, leaving the sky a bevy of orange, yellow and pink.

The barista greeted her when she entered and took Keira’s order. A smidge of guilt hit Keira over the stolen money in her pocket, as well as, the subterfuge she’d used to escape Cyril, but there was only so much a female could take and then she needed space. She planned on heading back to her room after a stroll to clear her head.

Ever since meeting Angus the day before she had been a mess. Her mind replayed the events, dissecting every minute detail. She couldn’t determine if the male was evil or not. He was sexy as sin and burned her with his touch in the best possible way, but hell if she could see the evil Cyril mentioned.

Her hormones were too busy panting and hijacking her brain over the dragon shifter, which had her questioning how he hid the presence of his beast at the pub.

Grabbing the cup and paper bag, Keira thanked the clerk and left. She pulled off a piece of the warm croissant and savored the sweet flavor as it melted in her mouth. A few bites later and the entire pastry was gone. She was addicted to the warm buttery goodness filled with rich dark chocolate.

She walked along and noted the city was a different place in the predawn hours. The chilly morning air had her yearning to jump in the nearest ocean or loch. Keira recalled passing a loch during one of their drives. If she knew its exact location, she would call a cab and go for a swim.

No, too dangerous, she amended. Humans were unaware of supernaturals. If exposed, it was a great risk to all, from what Cyril explained about this realm.

Suddenly, a thick band wrapped around Keira’s middle and another around her mouth. She began to burn from the contact, but before she could process that thought, her feet left the ground, and her latte flew from her hand. Her body was in motion, and her world blurred as asphalt gave way to the carpeted floor of a vehicle. A roaring engine and squealing tires echoed loudly as she was propelled against a hard body before a metal door behind her.

“‘Tis okay, lass. You’re safe,” assured a familiar deep voice to her ear.

“Yeah right,” she replied the second his palm lifted from her mouth.

“I mean you no harm. I regret capturing you like this. ‘Twas the only way to get you away from Cyril,” Angus explained.

His arms released her middle, and she scrambled off his lap and noted he sat uncomfortably close to her. A quick scan of her surroundings told Keira they were in a large SUV.

Her gaze settled on Angus and her hormones took front seat for a few seconds, drooling at the sight before her. A mental slap to the brain got her in gear and a scowl descended in the next instant.

“You didn’t mean me harm? How can you say that? All you’ve done is harm me for centuries. You took everything from me.” The rage she experienced after waking resurfaced and blasted through her body. Her kidnapper was the one responsible for her predicament.

Balling a fist, she reached back and let it fly. “Ouch!” she cried out when her fist connected with a chest of concrete.

Shaking the appendage, Keira cursed her stupidity. Rational thoughts were impossible, especially, with the male so close. His masculine musk teased her senses and woke her sea dragon, making matters worse. Truth was, he posed a real threat to her safety, and she didn’t need to anger the male or provoke him.

“Are you ok?” he asked and cradled her hand in his palm. Heat sparked on contact, soothing the pain while at the same time her libido decided to throw a party.

The slight flare of his nostrils set off a case of the fidgets. Swallowing, Keira shifted in her seat, crossing and uncrossing her legs as the heat in her face and neck surpassed the flame between their hands.

Keira quickly stifled her arousal by changing the topic, “What do you want with me?”

The lift at the corner of Angus’s mouth made him more attractive, if that was possible. How cruel fate was to trap her with the one male that woke her entire body, yet placed him as enemy number one. Needing space, she scooted closer to the window and snatched her hand from his. Visions of planting her fist in the middle of his tempting lips skipped through her addled brain, and lifted the haze of lust that trapped her.

“I told you. I’m taking you home,” Angus replied as he relaxed his position. The posture was deceiving. He lounged with an ankle crossed over his knee and his arm casually thrown over the back of the seat, but she’d bet the stolen money in her pocket that he could stop a charging army in the blink of an eye.

“Where’s home?” Was it too much to hope he was taking her back to Khoth? Keira may not remember her realm, but she longed to go back and see her family.

“Same as you, Khoth. Although, I did make a home here on earth with the Vampire King and his Dark Warriors,” Angus shared, surprising her. “Och, I’ve been trapped here on Earth since going through the portal in search of you.”

A snort from the front seat reminded her they weren’t alone. Not only did the attractive male pose a threat, but Angus’s friend did, as well. Angus was larger, and she sensed he held more power than the male driving, but they could both squash her with their pinky fingers.

“Sire, no offense, but from what Legette told me, you needed a check up from the neck up at that time in your life. The way you describe it, you conducted a methodical search for your beloved, when, in reality, it was a scene of mindless destruction,” the blond-haired male divulged.

Upon hearing the honorific, Keira determined Angus held an important position, which didn’t bode well for her. It meant he had followers who would do his bidding.

“Lorne, shut the fuck up,” Angus growled then turned back to her. “No, it wasna my finest moment, but I thought you had been taken from me,” he said in a softer tone, and it took a second for Keira to realize that Angus was addressing her.

“So you’re taking me to your home with this Vampire King? And then what? Why hold me prisoner?”

Angus raked fingers through his short black hair and released a heavy sigh. “Nay. I’m no’ taking you to Zeum. ‘Tis time we return to Khoth, Turquoise. We havena been home for over a thousand years, and our people need us. I should’ve returned before now, but I couldna leave withoot you.”

Angus called her Turquoise. Keira assumed he was referring to her eye color, and, oddly enough, she enjoyed the nickname. She’d heard endearments like baby or love or darling many times over, and it made her want to scratch out a male’s eyes. The lack of originality was a turn-off for her. Angus’s comment connected with something deep inside, a fact she hated and loved.

* * *

“I’m not your anything, and I’m not going anywhere with you,” Keira declared.

The doubt and resentment was clear in her sultry voice, and such a welcome relief. Angus couldn’t stop the full-blown smile that crossed his face when he heard her defiance. Keira bunched up her fists and leaned forward with a scowl on her face.

“What the hell is so funny? Those aren’t flowery words. I stand by what I say, and I’m not going anywhere with you. Take me back to Cyril,” she demanded.

Angus’s mind went blank, and his vision blurred when that male’s name left her lips. The fact that she asked to be taken back to him lit a fuse that was ready to blow.

“Sire, she doesn’t know who that bastard really is,” Lorne interrupted, suffocating his boiling rage, and the reminder stopped the impending explosion.

“Aye, you’re right,” Angus replied and closed his eyes, breathing deeply. The act brought her ocean breeze to his senses. His eyes opened and met her intense turquoise gaze. It captivated him as it had a millennium ago.

“I can see you doona remember anything from your previous life—”

“Stop right there,” Keira blurted, holding her palm up. “I don’t want to hear it. Cyril has told me enough. What I want to know is why this male calls you Sire.”

Angus rubbed his chin and contemplated what to tell her while wrangling with his dragon. Hearing Cyril’s name on her lips set off a bomb every time. Showing her his ruthless beast would be counterproductive.

Before Angus could respond, Lorne interjected. “No disrespect, Keira, but Cyril is a fucking douche-dick and a massive liar who wouldn’t know the truth if it was branded on his asshole. Your allegiance is in the wrong place.”

“What do you mean?” Keira asked and slumped against the seat.

“What do you remember of Khoth?” Angus asked Keira, curious how much of her memory Cyril stole.

Thinking of Khoth, Angus’s blood heated as he thought of the descriptions of his home realm’s current state. By Lorne’s account, the lush green land he left was now a barren desert, and it struck a blow to his soul.

As king of the Cuelebre, Angus was physically and mentally connected to Khoth. When it flourished, so did he. And when it withered and died, he felt that, as well. It was the main reason Cyril was destroying the land. He knew if he killed its vitality, Angus would perish along with it. Angus understood that returning to Khoth would not restore all his power he once held. He would have to reclaim the land and his strength.

“I don’t remember it at all,” Keira admitted with downcast eyes.

It had been an eternity since Angus had the urge to comfort another and he didn’t hesitate to clasp Keira’s shoulder. He wanted to wrap her in his arms and was surprised when reason outweighed the desire to feel her body against his again. He gave her shoulder a squeeze then removed his hand.

“Cyril created Buggane to devour the natural resources of Khoth. The moment I went through the portal, our realm began dying. Tis no’ the lush paradise it once was,” Angus informed her and watched intently for her reaction.

She showed no sign of having heard him, other than a tightening of her mouth. “Why would he do that? And, why are you telling me this? I’m in the middle of this duel between the two of you, and I want no part of it. It’s exhausting,” Keira admitted.

Angus regretted placing her in the middle of anything. Every instinct clamored for him to drag her back to Khoth, and put her in his hoard where she would be safe with his precious gems.

“I doona know why Cyril would want to destroy his home and all living things of Khoth. We were close friends once. That is, until you chose me.”

“I chose you?” she asked incredulously. “I highly doubt that.”

Angus ran his forefinger over her high cheekbone and watched the blood rush to the surface. The heat between them was palpable. “Aye, you did. We met soon after I took the throne and it was love at first sight for me. You, however, took a bit longer,” he admitted with a grin.

Keira rolled her eyes and chuckled as pink stained her cheeks. “What throne do you sit on? The throne of delusion?” she countered, but mirth sparked behind her gorgeous orbs.

Angus threw back his head and laughed. “You always had a way of keeping me grounded.”

“You mean calling out your balarky,” she retorted with a smile.

“That, too. You never allowed me to develop a big head…except when it suited,” he murmured with a heated stare.

Turning her head, she swallowed hard and shifted in her seat. “So is this throne of yours real or imaginary?”

Angus relaxed into the leather seat. Conversing was far better than having her ready to jump from the moving car. “I am king of all Cuelebre, and you are my queen.”

She choked on a cough and swiveled her head in his direction. “What? Now I know you are delusional. I am no one’s queen. And what are Cuelebre? Are they sea dragons?”

Angus would have pursued the topic of her being his queen but heard the longing when she asked about sea dragons.

“Nay. Cuelebre are the land dragons that inhabit Khoth, and I am their leader. We live in peace with most creatures on Khoth. And, you come from the Stoorworm. Your father Cygnus is their king, making you a princess. I’m surprised Cyril hasn’t told you all of this. Maybe he doesna want your memories returning,” he suggested and felt the vehicle turn off the highway onto a gravelly road.

“Sire, we need fuel. Would you like anything to eat?” Lorne asked as he pulled the SUV to a stop.

“Nay, but thank you, Lorne. Would you like anything, Turquoise?” Before the last word left his mouth, the rear door opened and Keira jumped out, and ran across the parking lot.

“Shite,” Angus barked and was in motion behind her in the next breath.

The sound of a slamming door and Lorne’s heavy footsteps echoed behind him. “Damn, she can run fast,” the Máahes huffed.

“She’s magnificent,” Angus acknowledged as he caught up with her.

The predator in him wanted to slack off and allow her some headway. The chase was intoxicating but now was not the time. They needed to leave the country before Cyril caught up with them.

Wrapping his fingers around her shoulder, he pulled. It knocked her off balance, and she stumbled, nearly falling. Angus didn’t hesitate to scoop her in his arms.

“Get gas and drinks and be fast aboot it,” Angus ordered Lorne as he carried Keira back to the vehicle.

“Put me down. Now!” Keira shouted and pounded her fists against Angus’s chest. She was far weaker than she should have been and Angus guessed her sea dragon needed water.

“Remember what happened the last time you hit me,” he warned. “I’d hate to see you hurt yourself again.” He lifted her hand and placed a kiss on the back of it.

She closed her eyes and tried to hide her shudder. “Please, just let me go. Haven’t you taken enough from me? Besides, I know the portal doesn’t work, so we aren’t going back to Khoth.”

Angus’s molars gnashed together, and he breathed deeply, close to losing his shit again. Another lie she’d been told. The smell of ocean breeze, unique to Keira, calmed him enough to respond.

“Did you miss the part where Cyril never tells the truth? The portal works. Lorne and another of my Máahes came through several months ago. And, the only thing I have ever taken from you was your heart, but you gave it freely. I swear it.”

Keira stilled in his arms, and his dragon tried to break free. It wanted at her as much as Angus did. The need for his dragon to breathe a rune of protection around Keira rode him like a bad habit.

Curious, he asked, “How did you get away from Cyril? We willna make it far if he can sense you,” Angus mumbled, wishing he’d thought far enough ahead to have the Rowan sisters create a cloaking spell for her, as well.

“I didn’t intend to run away from Cyril. Not really. He’s taken good care of me, and I have no one else. I didn’t know if my magic would work until I tried. I was shocked when it did,” she admitted.

Angus knew Keira better than she realized. She may be shocked by her magic, but she was planning something. She was brilliant, with a sharp intellect, and would try to break free again if given the opportunity.

Angus was taking no chances. He would be glued to her side until they returned home. He had no idea how to reverse her amnesia and had research to do. There was a clue somewhere, and he would find it.

Cyril hadn’t completely hidden his tracks if Mack found the tablet and broke Keira’s sleep spell. It was only a matter of time before he found the key to unlocking her memories and then he could win her heart again.

But for now, Angus was happy. He had his beloved in his arms, and they were going home. Nothing else mattered.