Dragon with the Girl Tattoo by Julia Mills

Chapter Thirteen

Surprisingly, it took less than two hours to get everything, and everyone organized. It was agreed that Cole and Callum would watch the cabin, while the rest of the Guardsman and Big Cats split up into groups of two to scout the area for any trace of where the other Cambion were holed up.

Traipsing through the dark, following more false trails than good ones, Lennox grumbled, “I really hate tracking. I would much rather be watching a movie or all snug in my bed, dreaming of the angels.”

“Or lying next to one,” Pearce added, with a snicker. 

“Yeah,” Lennox sighed. “I’ve really made a mess of things, haven’t I?”

Slapping his hand to his chest and stumbling around as if he was drunk, Pearce raised his free hand to the sky and in an exaggerated voice teased, “Oh my Heavens, I think I’ve had a heart attack. Can Dragons have heart attacks? I don’t know, but I’m pretty sure I just had one. The great Lennox O’Lachtháin has admitted to making a mistake.”

Rolling his eyes and walking ahead of his Brethren, he grumbled, “Yeah, you’re real funny. You should take that show on the road… and leave it there.”

“Ha! That’s a good one.”

Jogging to catch up, Lenn tried to ignore Pearce as he whistled Here Comes the Bride but finally gave in when his not-so-best-friend-at-the-moment said, “Maybe you should tell Maddox that you know you made a mistake. I’m sure that’ll send the old Mad Dragon into orbit.”

“Again with the jokes. You wanna be a comedian in your next life?”

“Never thought about it.”

“Well, don’t,” Lennox deadpanned. “And as far as my latest fuck-up goes, ya’ know I feel like shit. I messed up royally. So bad that I wouldn’t blame Tessa if she never spoke to me again. I mean, I left her all alone, with people she didn’t know, after our first night together, without so much as a thank you.”

“Well, I’m not sure thank you would have been the right thing to say,” Pearce snickered, before quickly adding in a much more subdued tone, “But I see your point.” Clearing his throat, he looked away, Lennox was sure to hide a smile.

Going on despite the fun his Brethren was having at his expense, Lenn exhaled, “I’m not even sure where to begin. I’ve played it over and over in my head. I thought about saying, I’m sorry, I didn’t realize you were a Vampire. When I found out, I freaked - but that makes me sound like an even bigger jerk.”

Nodding his head like he was one of those bobblehead toys people put on the dashboards of their cars, Pearce sported a goofy grin and crossed his eyes. Refusing to rise to the bait, Lennox went on, “Then I thought about saying, I’m so sorry, I thought you were just a Panther, but now that I’ve had time to process it, I’m all good with everything that you are.”

Shaking his head while biting the insides of his cheeks, Pearce begged, “Please, for the love of the Heavens do not say that.” Stopping dead in his tracks, he stared at Lennox like he’d just grown an ear on the end of his nose. “What the hell is wrong with you? Take her in your arms, kiss her until she’s breathless and say I love you, Tessa. You are the best thing that’s ever happened to me.” Punching Lennox in the arm, he scoffed. “Don’t be a dope. Just tell her how you feel.”

“Are you sure I should start with I love you? I mean, we’ve only known each other for twenty-four hours total.”

“And you’ve screwed up enough for a lifetime. Just do what I say.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right.” Getting a scent of the same pheromones he’d smelled at the blast site, Lennox pushed aside all thoughts of Tessa. He’d figure out how he was going to apologize when their mission was over. In that moment, he had focus and follow the trail.

Five miles behind the cabin, they walked through a dense part of the forest. The scent of musk grew stronger with every step. Stopping at a large wrought iron fence surrounding a huge old brick mansion, Lenn pointed to the side and spoke directly into Pearce’s mind. “Hasn’t this place been abandoned for at least twenty years?”

“Sure has. What better place to hide your growing Family of Cambion?”

“But Max said he thought they’d be spread out. From the smell of things, this place has seen a lot of activity.”

“I don’t doubt what Max said,” Pearce agreed. “But I think we’ve found one of the main houses. Maybe it’s where they all start out before being sent to the satellite locations.”

“Whatcha say we get a better look?” Not waiting for an answer, Lennox climbed the fence in the darkest corner of the yard using a low hanging branch for cover.

“Right behind ya’,” Pearce chuckled.

Splitting up as soon as their feet touched the ground, it took the Guardsmen a little over an hour to be sure the house was empty and count at least thirty unique scents of Cambion. Going back over the fence where they came in, Pearce had just stepped down next to Lennox when he said, “So, you think everybody’s out hunting? Wanna stay and see who comes home?”

“We could, but I was thinking we already know this is where the largest concentration of them is staying. We should head back and report in. Then we can plan while the sun is up, get some sleep, and be ready to kick ass and blow stuff up as soon as the sun sets again.”

“It’s always about blowing stuff up with you, isn’t it?” Pearce chuckled.

“You know it.”

Jogging back towards the Lair in companionable silence, Lennox thought about Tessa, deciding he was going to take Pearce’s advice. There would come a time, after she’d forgiven him, when he’d be able to explain his past. It wasn’t and could not be an excuse for his behavior. When the time was right, and they were talking about the past, he would let her know about his parents.

Running through the back gates of the home of the Blue Thunder Clan, he stopped dead in his tracks as the scent of orchids and water lilies filled his senses. Looking at Pearce, who was staring at him like he had lost his mind, Lenn asked, “Do you smell that?”

“What?”

“Fresh flowers.” Slowly walking towards the Grand Hall, he followed the scent.

“There are fresh flowers everywhere. Of course, I smell them. What is wrong with you?”

Ignoring his friend, Lennox walked onto the wraparound porch, threw open the huge double doors and came to a dead stop when he saw Tessa, his Tessa in the arms of none other than Kayne. Vulcan roared, “Calm down. Look who it is. There’s nothing to be…”

But every word fell on deaf ears. Stopping right beside his Mate, Lennox glared at the Demi-God and snarled, “Get your hands off of her.”

Spinning around and stabbing him with a fiery glare of her own, Tessa leaned forward, poked him in the chest, and spat, “I have a name. It’s Tessa, in case you forgot. And you…” Doubling up her fist and hitting him in the middle of the chest, she continued, “…have no right to tell anyone to stop touching me.”

“But...”

“But nothing, Bucko. Back off, the adults are talking,” she scoffed, spinning back around so quickly her hair brushed his chin.

Not done talking to the woman who simultaneously set his heart ablaze and his anger to boiling, Lennox grabbed Tessa by the shoulders, turned her back around and challenged, “How dare you come into my Lair, let my Brethren put their hands on you, then tell me that I have no right? You are my…”

Slap!

Stopped midsentence as she slapped him across the face, Lennox stood completely dumbfounded as Tessa stepped out of his grasp and sped out the door. Standing with his hand on his cheek, completely shocked and sure he’d screwed up for the second time, he could only groan when Kayne sighed, “Way to go, Butthead. She was here to help us.”

Watching the Demi-God chase after Tessa, Lennox got the second blow in as many seconds when Pearce sighed, “Please tell me why I wasted my breath giving you advice. I might as well have just kept my mouth shut and let you fuck everything up all by your lonesome.”