The Warrior King (Inferno Rising) by Owen, Abigail (reading a book txt) 📕

Meira off his lap. If he touched her again, he’d be lost.

Quietly she climbed off and stepped back.

“If you truly believe in the fates, then you should have faith that things will work out as they should,” she said, her husky voice scraping over raw nerves.

Even Samael had difficulty putting that much faith in the universe. He knew deep in the marrow of his bones that he was right, even though circumstance had laid waste to plenty of mates who’d made the wrong choice. Perhaps that was what scared him most.

However, if he was anything, he was a fighter. Now that he’d found her, had allowed himself to admit what she was to him, no way was he letting her go without trying.

“You’re right.” Samael lifted his head, and she stepped back again, eyes wide. No doubt she was seeing his dragon. “But sometimes the fates need a little help.”

Meira stilled. “What do you mean by that?”

Samael did smile then. “I mean I’m just going to have to prove it to you.”

Her lips clamped tight, and an emotion flashed in her eyes that looked painfully like fear. At the same time, though, her eyes remained more white than blue, and his enhanced hearing picked up the increased flutter of her heartbeat.

She wanted this…even if she didn’t want to want it.

Good. That was something. A start.

Meira’s eyes narrowed suddenly, and he could see her sister Skylar in the expression. Stubbornness was apparently a trait all the Amon women shared. “Let’s concentrate on all the other problems that need our focus.”

His mate might be the most mild-mannered of the four sisters, but damned if she might not be the toughest nut to crack. If anxiousness wasn’t clawing at his insides at the thought of losing her now that he’d found her, Samael might have enjoyed the challenge she’d set in front of him. “I’m an excellent multitasker.”

That earned him a glare this side of adorable.

A knock at the door to the suite where they’d put them interrupted anything she might’ve responded with.

Shooting him a look that clearly said this conversation is over, Meira went to the door and opened it to find Rune standing there, expression his usual brand of dark. “Kasia Astarot would like a word.”

Meira blinked and glanced over her shoulder to Samael then back. “She’s here?”

Rune shook his head. “No. She’s teleconferenced in.”

“How did she find me?”

Rune watched Samael closely, expression dripping in suspicion, eyes narrowed but not yet ablaze. “I’d love to know that myself.”

Chapter Ten

“Kasia?” Meira called out to her sister even as they hurried down the narrow corridor after Rune.

She followed him into a room not unlike one she’d seen in Ben Nevis, though more rudimentary, with wires snaking out the door. It sported a solid wall of screens and monitors with a long console filled with various computers underneath. Older ones, and an odd mix—a Genesis midtower, a Compaq Elite, even a Medion all-in-one. Top of the line, ten years ago. Hopefully they’d at least upgraded their operating systems and software. The room was also crowded—Rune, Tyrek, and one more. A man with Mediterranean coloring and striking blue eyes. A blue dragon shifter. Rune had mentioned his men.

She paused and glanced to Samael. He stepped up beside her, legs planted wide, arms crossed, expression as dark as his eyes. “We weren’t expecting an audience.”

She had to bite back a laugh as the other man exchanged a look with Rune then backed up slightly. Not giving ground per se, more like a token show of acknowledgment that Samael would rip his arms off and beat him with them if he so much as glanced at her wrong.

The urge to laugh disappeared under the realization that cozy warmth wrapped around her because of it. All that talk of mates. Not to mention that kiss.

Hell’s bells.

“This is Aidan Paytah,” Rune said. “He was part of the Huracán team of enforcers until he found his mate, Sera. You’ll meet her in a bit.”

Meira glanced at Samael, but he was still in intimidation mode and not emoting.

“Why are they with you?” she asked.

“Because before they mated, Sera had three different brands interlaced on her neck.”

That pulled Samael out of his glower. “Holy shit.”

“Indeed.” The glance Rune flicked him seemed significant, though Meira wasn’t sure how.

“I can see that that’s unusual,” Samael said slowly, not taking his gaze from the blue dragon shifter. “But why would it require him to go rogue and join you here?”

Meira dropped her own gaze to the man’s hand. Sure enough, on the back of his hand between his forefinger and thumb, where Ladon’s mark should have shown, was only a patch of blank skin.

“Because.” Aidan spoke up for the first time, calm and resolute. “One of the marks on her neck belonged to Pytheios, and the Alliance was not going to allow me to be part of the process. They wanted to find the High King his mate, be the ones to save his life.”

“Fuck.” Samael spat the word, but he also eased up. She had no idea what tipped her off to that fact—the set of his shoulders, perhaps, because his emotions remained steady—but she knew he’d accepted that answer.

“Why is he here, though?” Meira leaned closer to Samael to ask.

“Good question,” he said. “Why are you here?”

“I have a family to hide. But any king who stands against Pytheios is all right with me.” Aidan held up his hand. “With or without the mark.”

Meira glanced up at Samael, who gave a small shrug. She had no doubts they were of the same opinion. Regardless of what sent Aidan rogue, which sounded legitimate at first glance, here stood a man of honor.

Besides. He could do nothing to Kasia and Brand through a screen.

“You may stay,” Samael said.

Aidan’s lips tipped sideways. “Thanks.”

Rune hit a button, and the wall came to life.

“Kasia?” Meira called.

“I—ear—ira—” Kasia’s voice cut up. Meanwhile the screen stayed black.

Rune grimaced, leaning over to fiddle. “This happens sometimes. We’re