I remembered what Haki had told us. How Xumi had done twisted things to Talakai.
He hadn’t been here long this time, but how long would it take to screw with someone’s head?
I had a bad feeling that I was going to find out.
4
Talakai
I was a Dragon in big trouble.
It had been obvious from the moment I’d opened my eyes and seen Matt. Because until then, I’d basically come to terms with losing this battle.
But now it had new stakes.
Why did I care about the Dire? He’d confessed he’d mated Anna. For real, not just in dreams. I’d known there was something between them, so I had no idea why it mattered so much. Despite my interest in Anna, I wasn’t enraged by the concept. I groped for the right descriptive word. Frustrated? And when he’d said the four of us were connected—pulling the sharding Bellati in as well—it hit me hard. Like a revelation.
Because it had been.
Dragons rarely formed permanent bonds, and the closest I’d experienced was what I’d shared with Haki. Yet when he found Kala, I’d felt only a passing kind of regret. We would no longer drop entangled as beasts from the sky, or humans on the ground, but it wasn’t the end of my world.
Anna was different.
I’d known it from the first moment I’d seen her. Wanted her, in a visceral kind of way. And the way she demolished the walls I’d spent a lifetime building—that was a fated kind of thing. Not something I could ignore.
Was I upset that Matt had joined with her—or that I hadn’t? But the way I was now, why would she want me? Even if I could get out of here, Xumi had left an indelible mark on my soul.
Despite Matt’s inherent optimism, I didn’t think escape was likely. And that presented all kinds of issues. Because he was strong, but he wasn’t strong enough for this. I knew it. Just like I knew Xumi would kill him when he couldn’t give her what she wanted.
The thought of what she would do to him set fire to something I’d best try to dowse. Or I could make it all much, much worse.
Footsteps at the door—Xumi entered. Her short, rapid steps reflected both anger and frustration.
Neither were promising signs. The two caretakers vaporized, skittering away like mice.
She ignored me and marched straight up to Matt. She’d hung him so his eyes were level with hers.
He regarded her with his steady green gaze, and said, “You must be the scaly whore responsible for this mess.”
I winced, but Xumi simply reached out and grabbed him by the jaw. As her talons emerged, they caused blood to drip down his neck.
To give him credit, Matt didn’t even flinch. I, however, suddenly had a dilemma. One which I squelched as best as I could.
“I will be responsible for so much more where you are concerned, my furry annoyance,” she hissed. “You’ll pay for screwing up my perfectly good plan. Cost me valuable time. Money. And the life of my son. He chased after your little bitch, and the traitorous Bellati killed him.”
My heart froze.Oh, no.Xumi was the least maternal female I’d met. The fact her son’s death was last on her list wasn’t a slipup. But I had good reason to believe she took such things as a personal affront, considering she’d lost one due to me.
Xumi snarled into his face. “Tell me why I shouldn’t slice you open and watch you bleed.”
Threats and a few drops of blood didn’t seem to bother Matt. He raised a brow, and said, “Because I’m damned good-looking.”
At least he was decipherable for once. And his buoyant tone seemed to stymie Xumi. It had to be all bluff, but it was a sharding good effort.
She leaned closer, digging her talons into his jaw, sending blood cascading along them. “You arrogant bastard. You think a mere Dire can satisfy me?”
His lips twitched into a smile, no mean feat with those talons embedded in his skin. “Lady, ain’t met a woman I couldn’t satisfy. Question is, can you do it for me?”
Sharding hell, Matt.My entire body tensed. I’d never experienced anything like this. Even when Haki was threatened on our missions together, I hadn’t reacted. But Matt—the Dire had no idea. He wasn’t playing with fire. He was toying with an inferno.
