Page 4 of The Wars of Monsters

I scrunched my face, surprised by his comment. “Good different or bad different?”

He paused, silent for a moment before answering. “You’ve always smelled like coconut and steel, but now…” He hummed in approval, and I rolled my eyes as I grinned.

“And now?” I prompted.

“Now you smell liketoastedcoconut and steel.”

I spun to face him. “Oh great, so I smell like my insides have been roasted,” I mean, it made sense, part of me was a dragon after all.

He chuckled, pressing his forehead to mine. “Let’s go with—”

“If you say ‘charred’ I might have to hit you.”

“How about…sweetened?” he suggested.

I winced. “Yeah, that isn’t any better. Now you’re making me sound like a dessert.”

His answering laughter made my heart warm. “Sweetheart, you’ve always been more than dessert. I’d say you’re all seven courses.” He became thoughtful before adding, “Minus the slimy toadstools.” His lips twisted to the side, and he gave me that lopsided smile that always made me melt.

My breathing became shallow, and heat ignited in his eyes. He pressed closer to me, and I ran my hands up his wide chest, enjoying the way his muscles twitched at my touch. Water beaded on his horns and dripped from his hair, and my breath caught as his violet gaze dropped to my lips and then lowered to where the water trailed between my breasts. He dipped his head, a predatory glint in his eyes, but something moved in my peripheral, jerking my attention to the side. We turned in unison, and my brows shot high as I gasped.

My vampire stood a few steps away, fully clothed and covered in blood. Strands of sodden black hair shaded his eyes, and bloody footprints trailed behind him. His weapons were gone, but otherwise, he looked as if he’d stepped into the washroom straight from the battlefield.

Asher’s brows slammed down. “Garan?”

Locke tilted his head toward the door, though his black eyes remained fixed on me. “He made it. The remaining gargoyles are in the hall.”

Asher blew out a long breath and nodded. “Good to see you’re in one piece, brother.”

“Wait, theremaininggargoyles?” I asked, my heart beginning to race, partially because of the shock and relief of seeing my vampire, and partially because my head couldn’t wrap around the idea of more casualties unless I heard him say it.

“Many were lost,” Locke replied, his face devoid of emotion though I knew the vampire well enough now to see through his mask.

My shoulders fell as I absorbed the bleak news, letting the knowledge settle on top of everything else that had already happened with the shifters.

Asher scrubbed a wet hand over his face. “Fuck.”

I stared at Locke, wondering what he’d just seen. He stood silent for a moment, but then as if something snapped inside of him, he moved briskly forward, stepping into the spray and grabbing me like I was the only one who could pull him from the darkness. The water streamed down his face, clinging to his eyelashes, and dribbling down his chin, and he pulled me hard against him, his touch demanding, wild, and desperate as his hands slid over my body.

“You’re an asshole, you know that?” I said, a wobble in my voice. I told myself I’d be angry with him when he returned, but now all I felt was relief.

“I know,” he rasped, and it was the way he said it. The way his voice cracked, the deep sound filled with regret as if he hated himself, that had me reaching up and digging my fingers into his black hair.

His arms tightened around me, the wet leather of his coat brushing against my skin as he pressed his forehead against mine and closed his eyes.

“But I couldn’t handle the thought of you being taken from me again,” he whispered.

My lips trembled. I knew he was talking about Warrick capturing me, and a coldness seeped through me, goosebumps pricking on my skin as I remembered waking as the ancient vampire’s prisoner. I had no intention of letting that monster get his hands on me again. I nodded. “I understand, but next time you still have to let us help.”

Locke’s throat bobbed as he swallowed, and I slowly began pulling off his coat. Asher helped slide the leather from the vampire’s shoulders, and he tossed it to the side. When I removed Locke’s shirt, he grimaced, and my face paled at the deep scratch marks raked into his arm.

“You’re hurt,” I choked out.

“It’s nothing,” Locke growled quickly, and my gaze flicked from the wound to his eyes.Nothing?A puff of smoke escaped my mouth as I gaped at him in frustration. The males insisted on being hyper-protective toward me but had no regard for their own safety.

“Easy, my beautiful mate,” Locke said smoothly, the corners of his lips curving upward, and hunger shining in his onyx eyes. It was as if seeing the fire in me helped to bring back the Locke I knew. The arrogant but savagely protective male with a cold exterior.My beautiful mate.My possessive inner dragon preened in satisfaction at hearing those words on his lips.Mine.Desire pooled between my thighs, and I licked my lips. “You’ve never called me your mate before,” I pointed out, and Locke’s grin grew wider like he knew just how much hearing those words had affected me.

Asher gave the vampire a shit-eating grin. “’Bout time you admitted it out loud, brother.”