Chapter Seven
Kai strode up the trail, dragging a hand through his hair. What was it with Tessa? What was it with him?
He pulled up and leaned against a palm like a wounded soldier who couldn’t manage another step. Except he wasn’t wounded. He was burning with desire.
He’d been tortured by a mild hard-on all day — one that got so bad by dinner, he’d nearly moaned. Because somewhere between Tessa squeezing the tomatoes and slathering spices over the steak, his secret fantasies went from simmering to full bonfire, and his inner dragon had worked out an entire strategy for winning over Tessa.
Take woman. Bring her to my lair. Make her mine.
The creature purred like it was the world’s most perfect plan, but his human side recognized a few minor flaws.
Flaws? What flaws? his dragon demanded.
Kai sighed and closed his eyes. He’d managed to keep the beast locked in the deepest part of his conscious for most of the day, but now, the damn thing was jumping and screaming in his head. In his heart, too, not to mention in his jeans.
Must have my mate! Want to touch her. Kiss her. Make her feel good.
He closed his eyes and counted to ten.
Twenty.
Thirty.
All it really did, though, was make him grit his teeth and sweat, because that hard-on was a monster, and it was straining at his pants.
He clenched his fists and dug deeper for a miracle dose of self-control that would allow him to survive this urge. Every shifter fought with his animal side, but he couldn’t let the dragon win this one.
She is ours, it hissed.
He scraped at the bark of the palm tree, gouging it with fingernails that lengthened into claws as his dragon slowly gained the upper hand.
Then Tessa’s voice ghosted through his head. His fingernails turned into claws and his ears extended…
She’d turned white when she recalled Morgan’s attack. Kai glared at the points of his fingernails and forced his inner dragon back.
That bastard, Morgan… his dragon ranted.
Do you want to be like him? he shot back.
Slowly, painfully, the burning need receded.
He stood for a few minutes then shook his head, adjusted the fit of his pants, and walked on. Stiffly at first, then a little more smoothly. Silas would already be pissed off at him for being late.
He wound up the flagstone path to his house, the second highest on the estate. Silas had the choice spot at the top of the bluff, but Kai felt more at home in his particular spot. The view stretched down the coast toward Lahaina and across the channel to Molokai. If he stood all the way on the south edge of his veranda, he could even see the thatched roof of the guest bungalow peeking out from among the trees.
The thought put a bounce in his step, but when he reached the level of his veranda, he pulled up short. Silas was there, waiting. Practically steaming from the ears, too.
“What took you so long?” Silas hissed.
Kai swung his jaw left then right, letting it click audibly as he leveled his gaze at his cousin. “I only said goodnight.”
Silas’s nostrils flared, and his eyes glowed. “You’re far too interested in her.”
“She needs protection, and I want revenge on Morgan.”
“You sure that’s all you want?”
No, but he’d already started stretching the truth. Might as well bend it all the way while he was at it.
“I just want to stop that bastard. What if he attacks more women? What if humans discover what he really is? He could put all of us at risk.”
That argument, Silas couldn’t dismiss. Plus, Kai figured, it might refocus his cousin’s anger on someone else. Let Morgan be the bad guy. Hell, Morgan was the bad guy.
“Morgan might be a bigger problem than we thought,” Silas said, turning to study the night sky.
“What do you mean?”
“I still haven’t been able to contact Ella, so I started investigating Morgan’s business connections and movements over the past six months.”
“And?” Kai had never seen his cousin look so grim.
Silas glared at the horizon, and Kai felt a dark, ominous force creep over the tropical night.
“If they’re connected at all, I suspect Morgan is more than just a low-level operator for Drax.”
“Low level?” Kai snorted. “We both know how wide Morgan’s reach extends and how much he controls.”
Silas shook his head. “Still low level compared to Drax. Their movements parallel each other so often, I’m sure they’re involved. It’s all just conjecture, but the gaps in their schedules — the times no one can truly account for where they are — overlap. That, and Morgan has sent payments to a numbered account in the Caymans.”
“Which could go to anyone,” Kai pointed out.
“Could. I can’t follow the trail any farther than that. At the same time, though, Morgan seems to have been consolidating his own power. I don’t know what’s worse — Morgan working for Drax, or Morgan growing bold enough to break out on his own.”
Kai chewed on that for a little while. “Why Tessa, then? Why not any other human?”
Silas fixed him with a pointed look. “That’s what you’re supposed to be finding out.”
Kai glared back. Okay, he’d spent more time enjoying her company than investigating her background. But it was important to find out who Tessa was as a person, right?
“So, get to it, already,” Silas grunted, heading for the stairs. “Find out everything you can about her. I want this cleared up as soon as possible. I want her safe, but out of here. You understand that?”
Kai’s dragon almost bared his teeth, but he fought his animal side back.
“What about Morgan? He could attack another woman any time.”
Silas paused long enough to glare. “We’ll get Morgan. One way or another, I swear we will.”
I swear, too, Kai’s dragon rumbled.
Silas nodded his good-bye and left with one final, don’t-get-involved-with-that-human glare.
Kai took a deep breath to calm his dragon down and looked out over Pailolo Channel — the eight-mile stretch of water that separated Maui and Molokai. Well, he tried, but instinct kept pulling his gaze over to the roof peeking out among the trees by the beach. Was Tessa asleep? Was she worried? Was she lonely?
I’d love to fly on nights like these, she’d sighed so wistfully, it tugged on his heart.
He couldn’t imagine not being able to fly. To never feel the air under his wings or soar toward the sun. He couldn’t imagine being earthbound all the time.
Imagine flying with her, his dragon whispered.
He closed his eyes and leaned closer to the edge of his veranda. The drop from there was sheer, and it wasn’t protected by a rail. He was a dragon, after all, and he needed a place to take off and land.
Imagine taking off with her, his dragon murmured. We could guide her through the mountains. We could show her how we glide over the sea.
He breathed in deeply, picturing what fun it would be. How exhilarating to share his favorite pastime with someone like her.
We could teach her how to ride the updrafts over the sea cliffs of Molokai. How to flick her wings—
Kai’s eyes snapped open. Whoa. Wait. His dragon wasn’t talking about taking Tessa flying. It was talking about teaching her to fly on her own.
She’s human, he said.
We could claim her, his dragon whispered. Make her ours. Then she could be a dragon, too.
Are you nuts?
You know the old legends, his dragon hissed.
Of course, he knew the old legends. His father had lived long enough for him to learn dragon lore.
In the old days, plenty of dragons turned human mates, his dragon said.
That was in the old days, he pointed out. Not in the past hundred years.
Mating with a human was one thing, accomplished by a careful bite to the neck. But turning a human into a dragon meant puffing fire into that wound — a dangerous step his parents had never attempted.
But it could work. Wolves do it all the time. Bears, too, his dragon said.
Dragons are different. We need fire to turn our mates. Dad never risked turning Mom.
His parents had bonded for life, but his father never dared to turn his mother into a dragon. She’d been too timid to try, for one thing, and the risk was too great in his father’s mind.
Maybe he should have turned her, his dragon growled. Maybe then she would have survived.
Kai scratched his chest then caught himself. He’d been resisting his dragon all day. Now that the sun had set, he could let his dragon out and distract it with a good, long flight. That would settle his soul enough for him to think clearly. He could work everything out of his system and research Tessa’s family as soon as he returned.
Yes, his dragon hissed. Let’s fly.
He shed his clothes quickly and dropped them on a chair, then stood at the very edge of the veranda with his toes curled over the edge. He tipped his chin up to the stars and raised his arms wide.
Fly, his dragon hummed as his body heat surged.
His blood coursed faster, and his heartbeat went from steady thumps to a quicker, staccato pace.
Fly, he agreed, spreading his fingers, giving in at last.
It hurt — the ripping sensation in his shoulders that signaled the start of a shift, but there was a thrill to it, too. A high. A burst of adrenaline. His fingers stretched painfully, but as his wings extended — wider and wider until they spanned the full width of his ledge — that, too, gave him a rush. His toes stiffened as they turned into claws. His ears pulled back as his face elongated, and his skin turned tough and leathery.
He took a deep breath and exhaled, blasting a stream of fire into the night.
I am dragon, his second side roared. I am free.
He let loose another ten-foot blast, then launched himself upward and off the ledge. A moment later, he was gliding over Koa Point.
Every time he flew, Kai counted himself lucky — not just to be a dragon, but to be one of the last of the mighty Llewellyn clan, like Silas. They shifted into big, powerful dragons, unlike some distant cousins who could shift but not grow past human size.
Wow. You’re even bigger than an elephant, Hunter had said in awe the first time he’d witnessed Kai shift when they were both teens.
Kai had scowled at the time. Elephants were big, clunky things. Dragons were sleek. Powerful. Elegant, almost.
Fly, his dragon cried, relishing the rush of wind under his wings.
Normally, he buzzed the roof of Boone’s place on his way out to sea, just for the fun of hearing the wolf complain. But tonight, he angled north to sweep over the guest cottage. Not too low, because he didn’t want to startle Tessa. But not too high, so he could still sense her presence.
Just picture flying with her at our side, his dragon hummed.
He pushed the thought away — far away — and held perfectly still until he was far enough from the little cottage to beat his wings. Heading straight into the rippling line of silver water that was the moon’s reflection on the sea, he smiled.
The true road to heaven, just like his father had said. But instead of following the silver line out, he found himself making a long loop until he was headed straight back the way he’d come. Straight back to Tessa.
That’s the road to heaven, his dragon said. The road to our mate.
He wanted to protest, but the reflection did seem brighter as he skimmed the surface on this new heading. The single light in the cottage glowed, drawing him forward.
Home, a dreamy voice in his mind called. That is home.
It took everything he had not to pull up and land on Tessa’s doorstep as his dragon demanded.
Keep flying, he insisted. Keep flying, damn it.
Home, his dragon chanted, barely responding. That is home. She is home.
Kai cursed and pounded on the thin wall between his conscience and his dragon’s.
Keep flying! We can’t scare her!
It was all too easy for him to imagine his dragon landing with a burst of flames, crooning to Tessa to come out. Jesus, she’d run screaming for the hills.
Need Tessa, his dragon roared. Admit that she’s our mate!
She can’t be.
Admit it. Admit it, and I’ll leave the wooing to you.
Kai cursed, but what could he do?
All right! All right, already. Just keep flying.
And, whoosh! His dragon curled the lower edge of his wings and climbed, barely clearing the trees. In fact, his tail clipped a palm and shook the fronds furiously. But a minute later, he was shooting toward the moon and crying in glee.
She’s mine! Yippee!
If Kai had been in human form, he’d have dropped his head into his hands in defeat. But he wasn’t human. He was a dragon, heading for the mountains, screeching in joy.
He skimmed the lower slopes, then banked and made a loop over the Kahalawai peaks before shooting off through the lush valleys of West Maui. Just like he used to do as a kid, dodging rock formations like the Iao Needle at the last possible second just for the thrill of it.
Clearly, he’d kept his dragon leashed too long.
Maybe you’ve kept your heart leashed for too long, his dragon snapped back.
Obviously, the beast wasn’t about to cede control. The best Kai could do was quietly, subtly, detour to the northwest.
Let’s fly over Molokai, he tried. A nice, long flight.
His dragon’s ears twitched. We haven’t been there in a while.
We can fly along the cliffs, he said, making his voice soft. That would be fun.
Good idea, his dragon agreed. We can find the best spots to take Tessa someday.
Kai rolled his eyes, but heck. Whatever it took to wear his dragon out, he was willing to do.
Molokai, his dragon murmured, heading northwest. Maybe even farther. We can fly to Oahu and back in one night.
Kai made a face. Molokai was okay, but Oahu was a hundred-mile flight, and he needed time to investigate Tessa’s family before dawn, when Silas would demand a report.
On the other hand, a marathon flight would tire out his dragon and shut the creature up for a while.
Sure, he said. Oahu.
It was a beautiful night, he had to admit. The kind of night when the sky and the sea seemed to melt together, at least from his altitude, and the islands seemed to float in midair. It was relatively calm, too, except for the crosswinds blasting off the western end of Molokai. But after that, it was all smooth flying with the lights of Oahu guiding him on. The stars twinkled overhead, and his wings felt broader than ever. His body strong, his tail long and supple. And damn, did it feel good to let his dragon push the limits once in a while.
One loop of Diamond Head, he decided as the lights of Honolulu drew near. And then we head home.
His dragon nodded. Then we head home.
He swooped over the hill, banking in line with the crater’s curve, then shot back out over the sea. Molokai and Lanai were two dim lumps on the watery horizon. The trade winds had died down, making it an easy flight — until a vague sensation sounded an alarm in his mind.
He craned his long neck and spotted three dark shapes against the lights of Honolulu. He squinted, then roared.
Dragons!
He hesitated briefly. The state of Hawaii had its share of shifters, but he and Silas were the only two dragons residing in the islands. Who could those three intruders possibly be?
Dragons were highly territorial and rarely strayed far from home turf. When they did, it was mostly to wage war. Kai looked closer, wishing the moonlight would reveal more than the dull sheen of their leathery skin. One thing was clear: the dragons held their necks out, straining for maximum speed. If he maintained his easy, long-distance glide, they’d catch up in seconds. And if they’d only recently launched, they’d be far fresher.
Kai was still a good mile from land, over open ocean where he’d have space to fight. He waited a second longer then nose-dived with his wings folded tight against his sides. Just as quickly as he started the fall, he hit the brakes, spreading his wings wide to come up beneath the three strangers, catching them by surprise.
He puffed into the darkness — a single lick of fire that in dragon-speech demanded, Friend or foe?
He hoped for the former, but his money was on the latter, and when the three replied with long, incendiary blasts aimed at his wings, he had his answer.
Foe. Definitely foe, he decided, shooting back his own line of fire before wheeling away.
His mind spun as he roared into the night. Who are you? What do you want?
The snickering voice of the central dragon reached into his mind. Who we are is of no consequence. What we want is your treasure.
Treasure? Kai laughed, which came out as a bark in his dragon voice. Of all the dragons in the world to ambush, he and Silas were probably the least worthwhile targets. Their family had been robbed of everything. Between the two of them, Kai and Silas didn’t have anything any self-respecting dragon would call a treasure. Not a proper treasure, that is.
We want your treasure, the dragon on the right added. And we want her alive.
Kai was so caught off guard by the remark, he hesitated a moment too long. He flinched at the sound of another eruption of flame — dragon fire that caught him on the wingtip and seared his flesh.
He roared and spun away then turned back to attack the nearest of the three. Opening his jaws wide, he steeled his wings for the kickback and called forth his own burst of flame.
Three against one, he calculated, spinning to face the second dragon. Ninety miles away from home. Shit. This was not what he’d been planning for the night.