Kim Knox - Emergence

I recapped my lipstick. The makeup hid the tiredness in my skin, but I met my dark gaze and there it still lurked. That and disappointment. I moved away from the mirror. I had to repack my clothes, make certain I had everything allowed, everything they’d let me take into my new life. A brief smile curved my mouth. Of course Kaden wasn’t on that list.

I glanced at him, the shadows falling over him as he stood in the wide doorway. The heat of my gryphon pushed through my flesh, her almost-whisper urging me to close the distance between us, to find the bliss we’d shared through the night. “And this is it?”

His jaw tightened, and he lifted his chin. “You don’t understand the intricacies of our master’s court.”

I obeyed my gryphon, I couldn’t help myself. I’d meant to say nothing, wrap up the hurt and shove it down as I’d pushed down the pain of leaving my home and my father. But my gryphon wouldn’t let me. Sometimes sharing a consciousness with a mythical beast stank. “Then tell me why you’ve been acting like a complete shit since I woke up.”

“Jaime…”

The soft growl of my name eased under my skin and, damn him, my flesh ached. “You’re supposed to instruct me. You lay in wait, take my gryphon’s virginity.” I snorted. That sounded crazy even to my own ears. But he had. And he’d wanted it, gloried in it. “Held me.” I pressed my lips together, suppressing the sudden surge of emotion that threatened to break my voice. None of it made sense. He was my farewell fuck. I should’ve brought the karkadanns to my suite. It would have been less painful to fight for my life than this. I drew in a deep breath. “And now-” I willed strength into my voice, “-now you’re an insane mix of hot looks and acting as if I’m something you’d scrape off your shoe.”

“You can’t understand-”

I glared at him, regret twisting into pain. “Yes, I can! I am not stupid.”

Kaden’s mouth thinned, and a new spark of anger burned in his eyes, but a bitterness lurked under it. “I said you can’t speak out of turn.”

The fire of need and the wild heat of my mythoi burned under my skin. I yanked at his belt, pulling him hard against me. “Then make me.”

Kaden grabbed my hand, his fingers tight, the simple touch of his skin against mine electric. He tilted his head, and his shadow surged over me, the arch of immense wings dimming the soft bathroom lights. I sucked in a quick breath, my heart beating hard. “This is dangerous for both of us.” His low whisper speared me, and I wanted nothing more than to find his mouth and shove him up against the wall. Fast. My lips were only inches from his, his breath hot against my skin. If I just leaned that little bit closer… “I cannot allow it.”

I stared up at him, his face darkened by the lack of light. Too much like the previous night, holding too much of the mix of his powerful mythoi and desire that made him irresistible. His scent, spiced, warm, slid into my lungs, and the familiar fire of need flickered through my flesh. I knew it was dangerous. My gryphon knew it was insanity. Neither of us cared. We wanted Kaden Rhodes. “What can’t you allow?”

His fingers caught in my hair. “This.” And his mouth covered mine.

I didn’t resist. My mouth opened under his, and I met the clash of his teeth, his tongue. He tasted hot, familiar, a hint of coffee blending with the strawberries, and I deepened the kiss, grabbing at the front of his jacket. Kaden groaned and pushed me back against the smooth sliver of the door frame.

I hit it with a low moan. His hands snaked down my body to grip my backside and press me hard against the length of his erection. “I thought I was a mistake.”

“You were. You are.”

“Then why…?”

“Because in a few hours we’ll have nothing. And it’s killing me.”

He took my mouth again, melting deep, hot kisses that made my heart thud and liquid heat surge through my flesh. I hooked my leg around his, and the change in angle, the press of him against my pubic bone, danced bright sparks behind my eyes. I didn’t want to think about his words, about the unexpected pain lurking in his voice. But he confused me. “Why now?”

His fingers raked down my thigh, found the hem of my skirt and pushed it up. The rough pressure of his fingertips against my bare skin forced a low groan, and under his touch-I arched into him-the calloused pads of his mythoi incited delicious shivers. “I thought I could be the envoy. Practical. Level headed. But I couldn’t.” His lips found my throat, his breath ragged and hot. “Damn it, this is too dangerous for you.”

“That’s my decision.”

Kaden lifted me, sliding his fingers over to grip my backside, my skirt bunched at my hips. “I should remember who I am.”

The sharp edges of talons raked up over my belly, taking my silk top with them, and I shrugged free of the fabric before his mythoi became…over enthusiastic…and tore it. The top dropped to the carpet in a puddle of dark silk. “Don’t.” I looped my arms around his neck, holding his molten gold gaze. “Let’s enjoy the lust while we can.”

“Lust.”

His mythoi’s rasping tongue followed the length of my spine, and I couldn’t help the groan that escaped me. His shadow was impossible. Even after I knew what he could do, the incredible, tactile sensation still shocked me. “Kaden… What is he?”

“What he is doesn’t matter.”

I traced a finger under his lip, feeling the warmth and smoothness of his recently shaved skin. Light gilded him, and his beauty made my heart pound. That he wanted me seemed incredible. Power streamed off him and the strength of it was almost intoxicating. “I want both of you.”

A wicked smile cut his mouth, and he nipped at my teasing finger. “You have us.”

But his next kiss stung, a sharp burn across my lips, and he jerked back. The beginning of a perception film shimmered between us, and heavy disappointment dropped sourness in my gut. Kaden eased his hands free of my skin, and I slid down until my bare feet sank into the carpet.

He stepped back. The film strengthened, forming a curved band of opaque light at his eye level. Kaden straightened his tie and smoothed down his hair. I waved at his mouth, and he rubbed quick fingers over his lips, removing the stain of lipstick. His shadow shrank back until his mythoi formed a dark glaze around his body. His chin lifted. “ Rhodes.”

“Take your time, Rhodes.” The voice of a young man rang sharply from the device. The gryphon in me recognised an undercurrent of power…and from his tone, some youngster who thought he could lord it over Kaden. A dragon, perhaps? “What? Were you asleep? Drunk? You haven’t lost her, have you? You’re asked to do-”

“Can I confirm the arrival of the fleet car, Lord Theron?” Kaden’s smooth and deferential voice eased over the rattlings of the boy on the film. “Lord Sinon has stressed the importance of Jaime Dalton’s punctuality.”

For a blissful few seconds there was silence. I pushed my skirt back into place and bent to pick up my top. I could imagine the impotent fury gripping Theron.

“Scheduled arrival time, twenty minutes.”

“And how can I help you, Lord Theron?”

“Don’t you remember the schedule?” The sneer cut again through the young boy’s voice. “Twenty minutes means the car is early. The North American Dragon Lord Teuthras is disputing our claim to the nain energy source. Lord Sinon wants her tested and out with the rest of the gryphons already scouring the bay. Think you can remember all that?”

“Understood. Thank you, Lord Theron.”

Kaden’s face appeared neutral, pleasantly accepting, a mask that I could see through, but one with which the boy couldn’t argue. With a growl, Theron cut the connection, and the film flickered and vanished.

Kaden scrubbed a hand over his face. “Shit.”

“We’ve run out of time?”

A low laugh escaped him. “Yes, we have.” He moved towards me and his hands cupped my face, his thumb stroking under the line of my lip. His gaze focused on my mouth, and I burned for him to kiss me again, to spend the last twenty minutes we had finding ecstasy. I sighed at the first brush of his warm lips over mine, but then he was stepping back and his shoulders lifted. “You need to pack.”

I licked at my lip, tasting him, and my breath hitched. Pain tightened in my chest. “Yes. Packing.”

I moved on automatic, yanking my case from one of the cupboards and flopping it onto the sheet-rumpled bed. My official summons with the First Dragon’s seal gleaming in gold leaf over the heavy paper stated I could bring only one case to my new life. He would feed and clothe me. So…my case held trinkets, memories of my life. I stroked the black cube that held all my photographs, the vids of my life with my father.

“Here.” Kaden dumped a pile of clothes on the bed beside the case, breaking into my thoughts. “I think I have everything. Though there are papers on the table.”

Habit made me fold clothes before I packed them in and around my possessions. Kaden helped, though I did snatch my underwear from his teasing fingers. He lifted an eyebrow as I stuffed the panties into a side pocket.

“What, I can’t play with these?”

He’d found a bra, one of the desperately dull and practical ones, not the lacy fluff I would’ve preferred him to lift up to the morning light. I groaned and tried to grab it back. Kaden stretched his arm up, dangling the bra just above my reach.

“Not funny.”

His grin was wicked and it caught my breath, spiked my pulse…but then it faded. He dropped the bra into the case. I wanted to run, hide. This was not what we’d agreed. We did sex. End of story. And I couldn’t risk more, however much I wanted to. The attitude of the young dragon, Theron, showed the danger I’d place Kaden in. And I would not allow anything to happen to him because of me.

His hand cupped my jaw, and my fingers trembled as they stroked over his skin. I held his amber gaze, sinking into its warmth, the promise there. Damn him. Dealing with his mask of anger had been easier.

“What is this, Kaden?” I’d said the words out loud, when I hadn’t wanted to. I didn’t want to delve deeper into the emotions churning my gut. I’d accepted lust. Lust was safe. Lust faded with time, with separation. I could live with it. I wanted to live with it. Not…this.

“It’s not what I expected.” His soft words tightened my throat. “You’re not…” He bit back on saying anything more. “And I should stop right there, shouldn’t I?”

I gripped his hand and pulled it away from my cheek. Squeezing his fingers, I gave him a short smile. It felt strained and drove a sharp pain into my chest. Not admitting there could be anything more was the best way forward. The only sane and safe thing to do. “Yes, we both should.”

He eased his fingers free from mine and looked to the case. “Is that everything?”

“My makeup.” I grabbed the bag, catching my reflection. No lipstick remained on my lips, but they looked reddened, swollen. A wry smile twitched, and I turned back to the case. Tossing the bag on top of the folded clothes, I then pulled the lid down and snapped the locks. Yes, not admitting that our…this…was spiralling out of control was the right thing to do. My fingers curled away from the locks and dug nails into the soft flesh of my palms. I had to go on telling myself that.

Kaden took the handle and lifted the case without effort.

I murmured my thanks, belatedly yanking my jacket from the wardrobe. Oh, and my boots, zipping up the smooth leather with shaking fingers. I winced. My brain suddenly couldn’t focus. My assignment to the First Dragon, his owning of me, had become all too real. That was what had my mind blown. Not Kaden. Not him at all.

Still stamping into my boots, I made my way into the sitting room. White sheets littered the middle of the table, and I shuffled them together, the summons glittering on the top. I traced the emblem, the gold leaf cool to the touch. Closing my eyes, I began to fold them over and over before shoving the mass of thick paper into my jacket pocket. “Ready to go.”

Kaden waved me to the door. “We should go straight up.”

I nodded, and a leaden weight sank into my stomach. I took one last glance around the room, the luxury, the clean-lined beauty, and saw Kaden imprinted on its every surface. A slow sigh escaped me. My fling was a monumental mistake, just as Kaden had said. And now I had to make small talk with the man I wanted to strip naked.

“Did you have a room here?”

“When I found out that you were here, I requisitioned one, yes.”

I looked at him. “Explains the suit.”