Chapter Eleven

Cortney followed Draven up the winding staircase. She felt like a princess climbing the tower with her Prince Charming. There was a lot about Draven that intimidated the hell out of her, but he was charming, she’d give him that. And sexy. Very sexy. With the sun setting over the lake, and the pale light filtering through the trees, the view from the turret took her breath away.

“It’s so pretty from up here.”

Draven smiled. “I’m glad you like it. Sometimes, when I don’t want to deal with anyone, I come up here to have my coffee in the morning.”

“Do you often have to hide for your morning coffee?” she asked. She wasn’t a morning person—at all. Having people stop in each morning would drive her nuts.

“Sometimes. I’m the head of the Odyssey, so if there’s a problem, they come to me. It’s not too bad most of the time.”

For the first time, she noticed the tension in him and wondered if his position was hard on him. He’d looked like he took it all in stride when they’d been with his people, but having all the responsibility on his shoulders had to be trying, especially when he had to deal with things like what happened with Kirk earlier that day.

He gazed over the lake and took a deep breath. “I’m going to have to take my shorts off before I shift,” he said before he turned to her again.

Did he expect her to turn away? It wasn’t like she hadn’t seen him naked already. Although the constant sexual energy still pulsed between them, it wasn’t as intense as it had been. Besides, he had put a stop to his phoenix when it had pushed for the claim. If he doubted his control over the phoenix, she didn’t.

When she didn’t turn away, he raised an eyebrow.

“Did you need me to turn my head? You didn’t give me the impression of someone who was shy,” she teased.

He shook his head and grinned as he hooked his thumbs in the waistband, holding her gaze. “I’m not shy. Had I known you wanted to see me naked again, I wouldn’t have bothered with the shorts at all,” he said as he shoved them down and off.

She couldn’t keep from admiring his body. The man was well built—all over. She licked her lips. Draven moaned, drawing her attention.

“I’m trying to be good and keep my distance, but if you keep looking at me like that, I can’t make any promises.”

“But I want to see you shift.”

He closed the distance between them, brought his hands up to her cheeks, and gave her the most tender kiss she’d ever received. “I won’t be gone long.”

He stepped away again and spread his arms out to his sides. Pale yellow flames burst from his skin, growing brighter and stronger with each breath he took. It was a little hard to see through the brightness surrounding him, but fiery feathers transformed his arms into massive wings. His body morphed into that of the phoenix. Cortney had never seen anything more stunning.

Draven tilted his head to the side, watching her reach out. A soft burst of energy zipped through her fingers as she caressed the fiery feathers. She knew from seeing pictures in magazines and having watched a documentary or two that the phoenix was a massive bird. But seeing Draven shifted stole her breath. He wasn’t just big. He was majestic. Powerful. He looked like the king of his domain, and in his Odyssey, he was.

He stretched his wings out, spanning well over ten feet before hopping onto the edge of the turret. He turned his head and looked at her again, then flew high into the air.

Higher and higher he climbed before he took a sharp left and came plunging toward her. He swooped close, then flew high into the sky once more.

A flash of blue out of the corner of her eye caught her attention. One minute, Draven was playing in the air on his own, the next, another phoenix, a little smaller, but no less powerful, flew into the air with him. He chased Draven for a second, but then with a piercing screech, Draven spun and started chasing the other.

Cortney couldn’t help but laugh. She’d never seen anything like it. Energy sizzled in the air, making her hair stand up with the static it created. How wonderful would it be to soar high up in the sky and see the world from above? When she’d been a kid, she’d jumped off the porch railing so she could fly like a bird. She’d also broken her arm and spent the rest of the summer in a cast. She grinned at the memory. Maybe a part of her knew all along that a phoenix was destined to be her mate.

She kept watching until the two were nothing more than a speck of light in the distance before heading back in. With everything that had gone on, she hadn’t had a tour of the castle and had no clue where anything was. She grabbed her phone, put her favorite playlist on and headed back downstairs. She wouldn’t snoop, but if she was going to be living there for the next month, she should at least know where the kitchen and living areas were.

The kitchen was massive. Not that she expected anything less for a home that big, but still. She could just imagine a dozen women working in there, preparing meals for the entire Odyssey. Kids running around, and their squeals of laughter as mothers shooed them out of the room. The space had an old world feel, yet boasted many modern-day amenities. A couple of wood burning ovens lined one wall, but then stainless-steel appliances were tucked into another area. If she could cook, she was sure the room would impress her. She snorted at the thought of her trying to prepare a meal for so many people. Yeah, so not happening.

Cortney made her way down a short hallway and peeked into what looked like a study. She wouldn’t go in there. Not unless Draven invited her. Beyond that, she found a great room. Several leather couches created a seating area around a fireplace. Frames and photographs covered the mantle. Some were black and white, while others looked like they had been taken yesterday.

An older man and woman smiled at her from one of the pictures, and she didn’t have to guess as to who they were. Draven was the spitting image of his father, right down to the crooked smile. All except for the dark hair. That, he got from his mother. She hadn’t met either of them. If this was their Odyssey, they would have been present. Especially if their son had brought home his mate. At least, she would have thought so.

One of her favorite songs came on, and she raised the volume, swaying to the sensual sound as she continued her exploration. Cortney didn’t hear Draven come in until he was right behind her. She whipped around, only to have him catch her in his arms. He brought his hands to her hips.

“Don’t stop,” he urged as he led their slow dance. Lifting her hands to his shoulders, she moved along with him, chest to chest, their gazes locked on one another.

When the song ended, a loud, upbeat song blared from her phone, breaking the magic. His gaze dropped to her lips, but then he pulled away to sit on one end of a leather sofa, leaving her reeling from the loss. He leaned back and crossed his ankle over his knee.

“I hope you don’t mind. I thought I’d look around a little.”

“Not at all. If things go my way, this is going to be your home. Explore all you want.”

His words should have had her back peddling, or at least freaking out a little, but they didn’t. Maybe she was getting used to the idea, or maybe the shock had worn off.

“Thank you for letting me see you shift. You’re quite beautiful.”

Draven grunted and ran his fingers through his hair. “I’m rugged and manly. And sexy. Not beautiful,” he said, but his eyes twinkled, and the corners of his lips tipped up in a smile.

She nodded gravely. “Right, yes, you’re all those things. But you’re beautiful too.”

His cheeks turned a light shade of pink at the compliment. “Thank you.”

“So, who was that flying with you?” she asked as she came to sit with him.

“That was Kirk. He was trying to suck up for putting me through all that today.” Draven grinned as he gave her a sidelong look. “Little does he know that I should be thanking him. Had he not gotten himself killed, I never would have seen you and that stunning aura of yours.”

“What did he do, anyway? He was unresponsive when they brought him in. We didn’t get a chance to look at him too closely because his heart gave out before they could examine him.”

“He was trying to save a kitten of all things,” Draven said with a smile. “He’s an irresponsible kid, but he’s got a heart of gold. From what he told me, a little girl was crying because her cat was on top of an electric pole and couldn’t get down. So instead of waiting for the proper help, he climbed the pole and rescued the kitten. Unfortunately, when he reached for it, the cat went scrambling down, and Kirk hit one of the wires. Got himself electrocuted.”

“Wow. How heroic. Stupid as fuck, but heroic, too,” she said. “So, does he remember it? Does it hurt?”

Draven shrugged. “He remembered the kitten and the little girl, and of course, the jolt of electricity, but after that, things went black until he came back. As for the pain, yeah, when we get hurt, we still feel it. And if we come back, as he did, the pain is still there. Kind of like it’s in stasis and waiting for us. Fortunately, we heal fast, and the pain goes away quickly.”

“What do you mean, if?” Weren’t they always reborn from the ashes as the legend said?

“When we die, we can choose to come back or to stay on the astral plane. The only time we truly die and have no choice in the matter is when our bodies sustain too much damage and it’s beyond the phoenix’s ability to restore it.”

“Do many phoenixes choose to stay in the astral plane? I mean, if you can come back and be with your loved ones, wouldn’t you want to do that?” If she had a choice, she’d choose to be with her family.

The intensity of his stare had her squirming in her seat. He opened his mouth to respond, then hesitated again. “It’s not so simple. Our kind live long, yes, but it’s not always easy. In the last few decades, humans have been more tolerant, but since the beginning of time, there have been those who haven’t wanted us around. Some hunt for sport, others are driven by hatred. None of them value the life of a phoenix. When a mate dies the true death, the one left behind often chooses to follow.”

She scooted closer to him and placed her hand on top of his where he was gripping his thigh. “Is that what happened to your parents?”

He swallowed hard and nodded. “My father was gunned down, and my mother never recovered.”

“I’m sorry.”

He shook his head and flipped his hand, entwining their fingers. “It was a long time ago.”

“Maybe so, but that doesn’t make it right.”

“No, it doesn’t.” He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles. “I think that’s enough heavy talk for now. I bet you’re exhausted. How about we get some sleep, and I’ll show you the rest of the castle tomorrow.”