Dragon with the Girl Tattoo by Julia Mills
Chapter Seven
Waking to the sounds of voices in the kitchen below, Lennox quietly slipped out of bed, and into his jeans. Deciding Tessa looked too peaceful to disturb, he kissed her cheek, pulled the comforter over her bare shoulder and crept into the hall.
Making his way down the stairs, grinning from ear-to-ear, ready to tell the world he’d found his Mate and marked her as his own, he’d barely stepped off the bottom step when Kayne called out, “Get your ass in here and tell us all about it, Loverboy.”
Shaking his head, Lenn walked into the kitchen, grabbed a mug and began filling it withcoffee as both the Demi-God and his roommate threw questions out like they were bullets flying from a machine gun.
“Details are the least you can do for kicking me out of my home for the night,” Pearce teased.
“And I get to know because I hooked you up with Babs and,” Kayne got up and walked forward, poking Lenn in his bare shoulder. “You went to The Sundowner without me.”
Taking a drink of coffee, he looked over the rim of his favorite mug and winked. Slowly lowering the cup, he shrugged, “Now, does a gentleman ever kiss and tell?”
“Since when are you a gentleman?” Pearce scoffed.
Before he could answer Kayne laughed out loud, “From the way you raced through the Lair last night, almost immediately followed by the sounds I heard coming from this house, there was a helluva lot more than kissing going on up in here.”
Trying to look shocked, but failing miserably because he couldn’t stop grinning, Lenn sat at the table and sighed, “All I can tell you is that she’s a Black Panther Shifter, her name is Tessa, and she’s absolutely perfect.”
Rolling his eyes, Kayne snorted, “Oh my Goddess, the boy is already in love.” Bumping elbows with Pearce, he added, “Isn’t he cute? He thinks she’s perfect. Ya’ just gotta love when Cupid shoots one of our own in the ass.”
“Actually, it is kinda sweet,” Pearce nodded, the fresh scent of honesty filling the room. “Lenn is one of the few men I know who wants a Mate. The rest of you scoundrels seem to think you can outrun Fate.”
“Scoundrels? Who? Me?” Pointing at his own chest with his free hand, Kayne’s eyes got big as he shook his head. “Surely you jest.” Chuckling when he couldn’t act innocent for longer than a second-and-a-half, he added, “I’m not tryin’ to outrun it, I’m just not looking for love.”
“Well, I was, and I found it.” Taking another sip of coffee, Lenn added with a smile he could feel all the way to the tip of his toes. “And I’m happier than a Dragon in a gold mine.”
“Good for you, my friend.” Nodding before he patted the Mad Bomber on the shoulder, Pearce added, “And while I’d like to bask in the glow of your newfound mating bliss with you, I instead have to tell you that Rian has called us all to the Grande Hall. Something about dead humans and a killer only we can handle.”
“But…”
“But nothing, Loverboy,” Kayne interrupted. “Get up those stairs and into a shirt and some boots. Duty calls.”
“Yeah, well duty sucks.”
“And absence makes the heart grow fonder.” Raising an eyebrow, the Demi-God winked, “Leave your sexy little kitten a note. She’ll understand.”
“Whatever,” Lenn grumped, finishing his coffee in one gulp before setting his mug in the sink and jogging up the stairs.
Slipping into his room, he was surprised to see that Tessa hadn’t moved. Figuring it was all the better she was sound asleep since he had to leave for a bit, Lenn grabbed a clean T-shirt and his boots and turned to gaze at the first woman to capture his heart.
Eyes landing on his mark, he couldn’t resist kissing her one last time. Running his nose along the beautiful column of her neck, Lenn’s eyes slid shut as he inhaled her intoxicating scent. Stopping as the faint scent of copper hit the back of his throat, his eyes flew open as he took a second, deeper breath.
Relaxing as the scent of orchids and water lilies made him smile, he murmured, “Be back, Mo maité. Beats Mo chroí ach amháin ar do shon.”
One more quick kiss and he was out of the room, down the stairs and out the door. Laughing at himself for being a sappy old Dragon, Lennox jogged to the Grande Hall, slipped through the front door and into a seat just as Rian, the Leader of the Blue Thunder Dragons, entered the room and began.
“So, there has been a serious increase in the number of human deaths both here and in America.”
“And you think it’s the same killer?” Maddox asked.
As one of the oldest Guardsman in their Clan and known as the Mad Dragon, Maddox hardly ever attended a meeting and never spoke unless forced. Some said it was because he was one of the elite Enforcers, but Lenn was sure it was because he’d seen it all and was pretty much half-crazy.
“Or because he’s learned that everyone has two ears and one mouth and should use them accordingly,” Vulcan grumbled.
“Aren’t you and his Dragon King the same age?”
“Aye.”
“And you never learned the two ear – one mouth lesson?”
“One day, Lad, I will kick your ass and leave you lay.”
Tuning back into the meeting, Lenn was just in time to see Rian look up from the open folder in his hand and slowly nod. “Or killers.” Shoving a stack of photos down the long oak table, he continued, “Each of you take a set. Those are crime scene photos from here and Miami. I’m waiting for more to come in from Scotland Yard as well as New York, L.A., and Dallas.” Pausing, he asked, “See anything suspicious?”
“What the…? Have these people been mummified?” Kayne words flew from his lips as he looked up from the photos with fury burning in his eyes.
“And the auspicious son of Lugh gets it in one,” Max announced, walking in through the huge double doors at the front of the Grande Hall. “Sorry, I’m late,” he nodded towards Rian.
“No problem, Max,” the Leader graciously acknowledged before turning back to the whole room. “I’m sure you all know Maximillian Prentice, King of the Big Cats and a valuable ally to the Dragon Guard.
“Thank you, mi amigo,” the King accepted. Gesturing to the tall, elegant woman with long dark hair and eyes the color of delicately aged whiskey and the muscular, brooding man on her other side, he introduced, “You all remember my sister, Sophia and Juan Carlos, yes?”
The King’s South American accent painted his word right along with his suave demeanor. Stopping next to the Dragon Leader, Max smiled to the Guardsmen around the table. “It is good to see you all. I only wish the circumstances were better.”
Motioning with one hand as he put the other behind his back, the King continued, “I hope you don’t mind me crashing the party, but I became involved a little over three months ago after a call from my dear friend, Jake Espinosa in Miami. He knows of our special abilities and thought I might be able to help. His superiors are shoving these murders under the rug and falsifying reports because they have no idea who, or more precisely what, could’ve done this to a human in less than twenty-four hours.”
“And you do?” Lennox asked, looking up from the grisly photos in his hand. “Know of something that can make a completely healthy human look like King Tut’s mummy in less than a day?”
“I believe I do.”
“Max, my friend, you are one scary King.”
Nodding with one eyebrow arched and a frown on his face, Max wryly chuckled, “You might say I have been around long enough to see more than my share of the atrocities in this great big world.” Eyes falling to the pictures scattered on the table, he slowly nodded, “But those stories are for another time. With regards to what you see in the photos Rian gave you, it wasn’t long after I arrived in Miami that the fourth murder in as many weeks occurred. Jake and I were able to get to the scene before the human police and all their forensic people arrived.”
Beginning to pace, something Lenn had never seen Max do no matter how bad the situation, he took a deep breath, stopped, turned and stared out the window across the room. “There was no doubt in my mind that it is a Family of Cambion.”
Jumping to his feet, Maddox challenged, “You’ve lost your ever-loving mind.” Throwing his hands in the air, the Mad Dragon stalked towards Max and Rian. “We haven’t seen an Incubus or a Succubus since the lads and I were still wet behind the ears and tearing across the countryside, much less one of their offspring.”
Stopping short of standing between the two men, the Mad Dragon frantically shook his head, “And they only ever travel in pairs. There’s no way there can be an organized group of them, much less a Family.” Pointing at Max, he accused, “You have to be wrong.”
Laying his hand on Maddox’s shoulder, the King slowly shook his head, “There is no mistake.” Motioning towards his sister and Beta, he continued, “Ask Sophia and Juan Carlos. I have shown them the evidence and they have visited the site of the twelfth murder to date in South Florida.” Leveling his gaze, his voice turned deep and mournful. “I am sorry, my friend, but what I’m saying is the truth.”
“Son of a bitch,” Maddox growled under his breath as his chin dropped to his chest. “How is this possible? Why now?”
Looking at his sister before he continued, it was obvious from the buzz in the air they were communicating telepathically. It was then confirmed when Max said aloud, “Yes, I will tell them. Thank you, Muñeca”
Looking up he advised, “As Sophia reminds me, here is why I believe there is a Family of at least forty or fifty.” Accepting the folder Juan Carlos handed him, the King opened it and took out a stack of papers. Handing the documents to the Dragon Leader, he explained, “Jake checked Interpol and found many cases both in the United States and internationally with the same MO, all occurring within the last year. The documents I have given Rian detail all we have been able to locate and verifyand again, there are more coming in from all over the world.”
“I’m guessing you have a theory as to why we’re seeing these abominations again after so many years?” Kayne asked through gritted teeth, his rage scenting the room with the aroma of hot peppers and burnt garlic.
“I believe they were dormant, in a hibernation of sorts, buried underground in all parts of the world after that fateful day when we all lost so many of our friends and family.”
Lennox knew Max’s grandfather had led the raiding party in South America and although alive, Antonio had abdicated his leadership of their Pride to his son in order to become a Hunter after all he’d experienced fighting the soul-sucking leeches, in what many in the Supernatural World called the Bloody War.
Looking around the table, the King stopped when his eyes landed on Lennox. “It is my further belief, and that of Sophia and Juan Carlos, that either by intent or accident, they have been unearthed. After so many decades underground, these fiends are hungry and searching for their place in this bright new world of ours.”
Sadly, Max’s sarcasm wasn’t lost on the Mad Bomber, after all he’d lost during the Bloody War. What was puzzling, was the way the Panther King continued to look at him with such a knowing expression.
“Okay let’s say you’re right. From the stories we’ve heard, those bastards look and act human. They’re damn near undetectable and evil as hell. I mean come on, the last time anyone had to deal with this shit was in…” Rory, Rian’s youngest brother, stopped midsentence, immediately looking at Lenn and shaking his head, “Aww, dammit, Bro, I’m so sorry.”
Holding up his hand despite the pain beating at his heart, Lenn shook his head, “Don’t worry about it. It was a long time ago and there are those who don’t know the story.”
“Why don’t you tell it?” Rian urged from his place at the head of the table.
Looking down at the picture of what he imagined had once been a beautiful young woman, rage simmered just under the surface. How had the life been suckedfrom her so quickly? She’d gone from vibrant to looking like a hundred-year-old corpse in a matter of minutes, and someone had to pay.
Letting out the breath he hadn’t known he was holding, Lenn slowly began to tell the story of the day he became an orphan…
“You all know the stories about my mom, Lorna, the Warrior Dragoness.”
Looking up when his words were met with silence, he was shocked to see every eye on him. Attempting to smile through the pain that never seemed to fade, he nodded, “Yeah, well, she was better with a sword than most Guardsmen and twice as quick. My grandfather, old Lorac, never had sons, so he trained his daughters in the art of battle, and my mom was the best of the best. Sharp and cunning, she and my dad made the perfect team. Together, they were damned near unstoppable.”
Taking a deep breath when his voice started to crack, he let his words flow as he exhaled. “Stories of the humans disappearing from the nearby village reached our Lair about a week before one of the other females found a body that looked just like these pictures.”
Pointing to the horrific crime scene photos, he nodded. “Of course, she came right to my dad. In less than an hour, he, along with my uncle and the rest of their Force were out on horseback to check it out. It was my mom who immediately recognized the woman as the daughter of a nearby farmer. Even in her mummified state, mom knew it was the friend she’d been teaching to use a sword and fire a gun.
“Sounds like Lorna,” Kayne smiled sadly. “She was the best. Never met a stranger and was always ready to help.”
“Yeah, that was her alright,” Lenn nodded. “And she was fightin’ mad when she got home. I remember she demanded they go hunt the thing that did that to her friend that very night, but dad said they couldn’t go until he talked to the Elders. It took less than a day for them to get the approval from Ronan.” Nodding to Rian in recognition of his father who had been the Blue Thunder Clan Leader before him, Lennox could feel the pride and support flowing from all his Brethren.
“What they found was much worse than anyone ever imagined. I used to stay up late at night and sit at the top of the stairs in the dark listening to them talk about the mass graves. There were so many bones, they finally had to count the skulls just to get the total death count.”
“It took several months of following clues and trails, but they finally got a lead. A Tracker from a nearby Lion Pride had located a group of Shifters and Vamps being led by an Incubus and his Succubus Mate. They had three children, all Cambion. From the Lion’s information, the Incubus and Succubus lured the humans in, had sex with them to get what they needed then let their children take their life forces while the Vamps drained their blood. The Shifters were their Enforcers, just the hired muscle.”
“I sat on the porch, watching as all the Guardsmen from three Dragon Clans gathered to help bring the rag-tag group of murderers down. And that’s where I sat, ate and slept for the next three days.”
Clearing his throat, he tried to stop the memories from drowning him in misery and grief. Looking over Rory’s shoulder, Lenn stared out the window at the same mountain he’d been watching when his father’s Brethren came over the ridge on horseback.
Visions of that day replayed like an old movie in his mind as he spoke, his voice like a whisper in the dark. “Ronan, along with Alexander MacLendon, Angus’ brother – the Leader of the Golden Fire Clan at the time, led the Guardsman through the mountain pass and straight to our house. I’ll never forget finally seeing the horses they pulled along, one carrying the body of my father, the other my mother.”
“I listened in silence, unable to take my eyes off the bodies wrapped in dark blue cloth with their swords and shields on their backs, in death just as they had been in life. The two great Dragon Leaders explained how valiantly my parents had fought, ridding the world of some of the fiercest, most deadly enemies our kind had ever known. In the end, they had gone to the Heavens in an explosion of my dad’s design.”
Chuckling, the echo sounding so lost and alone in the silence around him, Lenn had to keep going, had to get it all out. “They died like they lived, fighting for what they believed in. I didn’t and still don’t blame them or regret their actions. They are now, and will forever be, my heroes. They are the reason I do what I do and believe in the mission of the Dragon Guard.”
Anger, like a hot poker from the blacksmith’s pyre, shot through his veins. Jumping to his feet, Lennox bellowed, “But now the sons of bitches are back! And they need to be taken down. Once and fucking for all this time, this blight of death must be eradicated!”
“Hell yeah!” Came the war cry from every Shifter in the room.
It took several minutes for Rian to once again get control of the meeting, but when he did, they spent the next two hours discussing a plan to exterminate the parasites on their own soil and in the States. Finally able to return to his Mate, Lenn jogged across the Courtyard and through the center of the Lair. Anxious to hold Tessa in his arms, knowing one look into her eyes…one touch of her lips would drive back the demons of the past that he’d forced into the light, every step came faster than the one before.
Opening the door to his home, kicking it shut with the heel of his boot, he took the stairs three at a time and raced into his room. Stopping short when he saw Tessa in the exact same position as he’d left her, Vulcan’s ominous growl had Lenn jumping onto the bed and pulling her into his arms.
The beat of her heart was sluggish, her skin cold to the touch, and no matter how many times he yelled her name, Tessa gave absolutely no response. Wrapping her naked body in the comforter from his bed, Lenn held his Mate close to his chest begging, “Hold on baby. Please, hold on. I’ll be damned if I’m letting you die on me. Not after just finding you.”
Bolting out the door, ignoring Kayne and Pearce’s yelled inquiries as he almost ran over them, the Guardsman burst through the doors of the Clinic bellowing, “Help me! My Mate is dying!”