Midnight's Captive(127)

With his hand upon the door, Aiden pushed it open and silently walked inside. His knees went weak when he finally laid eyes on Britt. She was slumped over, her head pillowed on her arm with her wealth of blond hair pulled back into a ponytail with several pencils sticking out near the holder.

Aiden hadn’t realized just how tightly wound he’d been until he laid eyes on her again. Only then did the viselike clamps around his heart loosen.

He barely spared the pages of scribble on the table a glance as he smoothed a lock of hair away from her face. Unable to hold back, he ran the backs of his fingers down the silken skin of her cheek to her jaw.

Her eyes fluttered open. When her gaze caught sight of him, she slowly sat up. “You’re alive.”

“I am.”

“Are you injured?”

“Nothing that can no’ be healed,” he said, and took a step closer to her. “Can you ever forgive me for dragging you into this world of mine?”

She raised a blond brow, a small smile playing about her lips. “As dangerous as it’s been, I’d be more pissed had you not.”

“My life is … complicated.”

“Everyone’s life is complicated. Are you going to try for another excuse, or are you finally going to kiss me?”

Aiden laughed as he moved between her legs as she sat on the stool. “My God, woman. You’re a handful.”

“But you like it.”

“Oh, aye. I like it verra much,” he whispered before he kissed her long and slow.

He was just deepening the kiss when she pulled back. “Wait,” Britt said breathlessly, her lips already swollen.

“Doona tease me,” he said before he nipped at her earlobe.

Her hands flattened on his chest before she gave a little push. “I’ve found something, Aiden. Something that could turn the tide of this war you’re fighting.”

All thoughts of kissing and laying her out on the table to strip her bare vanished. “Show me.”



Con stood in the rain outside the mountain as he stared at the mansion that had been his home for centuries. It had felt so good to take to the skies and battle evil once more. But the battle was over. It was time to resume his role.

“Are you regretting it?” Rhys asked as he walked up, buttoning his jeans.

There were always clothes inside the mountain in case a King needed them.

“Nay. If we had no’, they would’ve fallen, Wallace’s evil would reign, and the selmyr would’ve slaughtered all the Druids. We’d have had to fight them anyway. Better to help the side of good in times like this.”

Guy strode up and shoved his long wet hair out of his face. “Most of the Kings have returned to their sleep. A few others have decided to remain awake.”

“Who?” Con asked.

“Ryder, Kiril, and Darius.”

Con nodded. “They’ve all slept for many centuries. Who is getting them caught up on world events and technology for the last decade?”

“We drew straws,” Guy said with a sly grin. “Hal and Laith lost.”

For the first time in days, Con found himself grinning. He spotted Tristan still in dragon form flying through the skies. “How is Tristan?”

“He did good.” Rhys frowned and shoved his hands in the front pockets of his jeans. “Too good. We all assumed he was battle-hardened, and he proved it today.”

“Do we tell the Warriors?” Guy asked.

Con hesitated for just a moment. “No’ yet.”

“No’ sure that’s a good move,” Rhys stated.

“It’s my decision. Who put Tristan on patrol?”

Guy shrugged. “Tristan put himself. Said he wasna ready to come out of the sky.”

Constantine’s gaze lowered back to his mansion. “I doona know how long the Warriors and Druids will stay. They’re welcome here from now on. Make sure everyone knows.”

“They’re going to have questions,” Rhys said.

“Just as we would. I’ll handle them,” Con said, and started for the house.

He wasn’t surprised when Rhys and Guy walked into the mansion with him. He’d given them an out, but as usual, they took their responsibility as Kings seriously.

As soon as Con was inside, every eye in the foyer turned to him. Fallon approached him first.

“Thank you,” the leader of the Warriors said.

Con let his gaze roam slowly among their new allies. “Our home is yours. All of you are welcome to stay for a meal, warm shower, a change of clothes, and all the whisky you could want.”

“I’m no’ passing that up,” Quinn said with a grin.

Con looked over Fallon’s torn and bloodied shirt before he shifted his gaze to Larena standing in nothing but a blanket wrapped around her. “There have been rooms assigned to each of you and fresh clothes waiting.”