Releasing the Dragon (Brides of the Kindred) Read online

  “I’ll get you some water,” Sorin said at once.

  “No!” For some reason, Kayla didn’t want to let go of his hand—didn’t want to let go of either Kindred’s hand. “No, don’t leave me.” She shook her head. “I don’t…don’t think it’s water I’m thirsty for.”

  “Then what is it, small one?” Bron rumbled, looking worried.

  “I…I…don’t know if I can tell you.” Kayla bit her lip as her thirst intensified and a burst of pure lust ran through her body, setting her on fire.

  “Guys,” she gasped, looking at both of them. “I…I need help…”

  “We’re here, leelah,” Sorin said earnestly.

  “Anything you need, small one, we’ll give it to you,” Bron vowed.

  Anything? Kayla wanted to ask. Because she was beginning to have an idea of what she needed and it wasn’t good…not good at all.

  Oh God, what was happening to her and where would it end?

  * * * * *

  Lizabeth Paige sighed and took off her reading glasses to rub her eyes. The readers were a pain in the butt but at forty-five, they were a necessity. Especially since in her line of work she did a lot of reading.

  Known as one of the sharpest legal minds on Earth, Lizabeth had been specially recruited by Commander Sylvan, the head of the Kindred High Council, to prosecute the Yonnite Mistresses who owned BleakHall, an interstellar Triple Max penitentiary where several innocent Kindred warriors had died after being imprisoned by the Yonnites.

  Lizabeth had already had a good foundation in Kindred law after helping the alien warriors win several cases in the World Court. She had championed the landmark decision that stated that a Kindred warrior could not be prosecuted for hurting or killing someone who threatened his mate. The Kindred protective instincts were simply too strong for them to hold back—when they went into Rage, they were forced to attack anyone who harmed the female they loved.

  The case had been brought in the first place by a would-be rapist who had tried to sexually assault a girl who was mated to a Beast Kindred. The Beast Kindred had ripped the man’s genitals off and literally shoved them down his throat. The man had survived but had sued for grievous bodily harm and assault and battery.

  Lizabeth had won that case. The World Court had ruled in favor of the Kindred and she had been representing them ever since. But in this case, she needed to know more than just Earth or Kindred law—she needed to know Yonnite law as well—which was turning out to be a tricky proposition.

  “Here you are, Counselor Paige.” Stands Alone, her legal assistant who also happened to be a Twin Kindred, placed a steaming mug of coffee in front of her. Lizabeth knew without even tasting it first that it would be perfect—two creams and two sugars—just the way she liked it. It was an indulgence, especially considering that she wasn’t as thin as she had been once. But in this case, she felt she deserved it.

  “Thank you, Lone, but you didn’t have to do that,” she objected. “Just because you’re assisting me on this case doesn’t make you my servant.”

  “I’m honored to serve you.” He had a soft, deep voice and serious, pale gray eyes like a Light Twin, though his hair was dark—as black as a raven’s wing—like a Dark Twin.

  Lizabeth supposed her assistant’s physical dichotomy had been caused by the fact that his twin brother had died at birth. Lone was one of those sad, rare cases of a Twin Kindred with no twin and, as often happened in such cases, he had taken on some characteristics of both.

  He was easy on the eyes too, Lizabeth mused, as she thanked him again and took a sip of her coffee which was—as expected—just right. But of course, that was a silly and unprofessional thought. Lone was at least twelve or thirteen years younger than her and besides, Twin Kindred who lost their twin almost never called a mate. They were almost always unable to bond a female to them alone and most professed not to have any sexual feelings at all. How could you want to join with a female when half of you was missing? That seemed to be the prevailing attitude, as far as Lizabeth could tell from her research.

  Because she had researched it. Purely out of professional interest, she assured herself. It wasn’t like she wanted anything other than their current relationship of mentor and assistant with Lone. He was much too young for her and anyway, she’d decided to swear off men after her divorce which had been a bitter affair.

  “How is your research going?” Lone asked, breaking into her musings.

  “To be honest, not as well as I’d hoped.” Lizabeth took another sip of coffee and sighed. “Yonnite law is convoluted to say the least. And these documents…” She lifted a piece of stiff parchment and let it fall to her desk. “They’re so dense with double meanings and mentions of Yonnite culture it’s ridiculous. I’m beginning to think I’d have better luck understanding if I went there and learned from one of their own law professors rather than trying to learn it second hand like this.”

  “But if you went to Yonnie Six, I couldn’t go with you,” Lone pointed out. “Unless you want me to pose as your slave?” He gave her a shy grin and suddenly dropped to his knees in front of her. “Please, Mistress,” he begged softly, “Use me however you want. Only let me serve you…coffee all day long,” he ended with a warm, rumbling laugh.

  Lizabeth laughed along with him at the ridiculous little farce but she couldn’t help noticing how broad his shoulders were or how the light from the green-shaded lamp she was using caught his gray eyes and turned them nearly silver. It made her think of a dream she’d had of him once, when they first started working together—a dream she couldn’t quite remember except that his eyes had looked like that—almost silver and so full of meaning…

  You really need to get back to those Yonnite documents and stop daydreaming about your assistant, whispered a stern little voice in her head. You’re not going to get anything done at this rate except make yourself uncomfortable for no reason.

  Lizabeth had to agree with the little voice. It was far better to keep the relationship between herself and her assistant professional. Still, she couldn’t keep herself from reaching out to ruffle his short, dark hair. Lone didn’t seem to mind such affectionate gestures and try as she might, Lizabeth couldn’t seem to help making them. Her hands wanted to touch him even when her brain told her not to.

  “Don’t be silly,” she said to him, as she slid her fingers through the silky black strands of his hair. “Get up now and stop acting the fool, Lone.”

  A shiver ran through his big frame.

  “Is it foolish to want to serve you…Mistress?” he asked and his voice had dipped down until it was almost a growl. “Is it wrong to want to give myself to you and please you, any way I can?”

  Lizabeth felt her heart thump hard against her ribs. Somehow her traitorous hand had crept down and she found she was now cupping her assistant’s cheek, scratchy with stubble. Lone was looking up at her, though even kneeling he didn’t have to look far. The pupils of his eyes had dilated to a deep, drowning black leaving only a thin ring of pure silver around their outside edges.

  “Is it wrong, Mistress?” he murmured again.

  “Lone,” she said unsteadily. “Don’t…don’t you think you’ve taken this little charade far enough? I know you’re only teasing but—”

  Suddenly she smelled something strange. Something sweet. Like chocolate or caramel. She looked up at the ceiling of the Mother Ship’s law-library and frowned at the vents. Was it coming from there? And why did it make her feel so strange?

  “Lone,” she said unsteadily as she put down her coffee cup. “Do you smell that? What is it?”

  The Twin Kindred frowned and lifted his head, sniffing the air.

  “As a matter of fact, I do. I have no idea what it could be though.”

  “It makes me feel…dizzy.” Lizabeth stood up and took a wobbling step away from the table where she had been sitting, meaning to go into another part of the ship and get some fresh air.

  But the room spun around her and she stumbled and