IK3 (15 page)

finish your dream?”

For the first time, Chloe became aware of a large, white horse grazing some

distance behind him and then the impact of what he said sunk in. She felt as

though she’d swallowed hot lumps of coal. “How did—”

“Because I created it.” He smiled again, holding out his hand, and then

suddenly went still. Both dogs alerted, scenting the air, hackles rising, while

the horse raised its head, ears pricked forward. Chloe heard a rustling sound

and spun around. Dear Lord, she hoped it wasn’t more of his friends.

Gavin was walking toward her, a scowl on his face. Chloe didn’t think she’d

ever been so glad to see anyone in her life. She didn’t even care how angry

he was or how he had found her, only that he was here.

Chloe turned back to explain to the man that she wasn’t alone, only there

was no one there.

Seeing her face turn chalky, Gavin leapt the additional yards to her side,

grabbing her arm, and resisting the strange, protective urge to enfold her in

his embrace. “Are you going to swoon again?”

Some color came back into her face as she managed to glare at him. “I do

not swoon! I—you—that is, I—was just surprised, that’s all.”

He would wager she was and not by him. It wasn’t every day that the God of

the Wild Hunt let mortals see him. Had Cernunnos’ intention been to rape

Chloe or was there some other elemental link that had drawn the god to

her? Gavin hadn’t seen him in centuries, but from what Smith told him,

apparently the fire god, Tanio, had appeared to the veterinarian. Avalon

must be pulling out all the stops if the old gods were returning—which

probably meant that Balor was becoming more powerful.

Still, at this point, it would be better if Chloe not remember what had just

taken place. Mesmerizing her didn’t work, but he could plant the idea that

everything had been a dream and she had only just awakened.

“What are you doing out here?” Gavin asked.

“How did you find me?” Chloe countered.

He sighed. Of course she wouldn’t answer a simple question straight-

forwardly. “You were not that difficult to track, Miss Whitney.” She looked

somewhat affronted, but he could hardly relent and he certainly could not

tell her the erotic dream had helped him zero in on her location. “I have no

idea who else might be following you.”

She frowned. “Why would anyone be following me?”

Gavin stepped closer and immediately regretted it as her spicy fragrance

drifted over him. The sense of fear she’d felt moments earlier had opened

her pores and he could also smell the richness of her warm blood gushing

through her veins. Coupled with the dream he’d managed to latch onto,

Gavin’s groin tightened as his fangs began elongating. He clenched his jaw.

“You were told to stay inside Smith’s mansion.”

“I’m a reporter. It’s my job to find out what’s going on.”

“There’s a killer loose, Miss Whitney. It is the police department’s job—and

mine—to find out why that is occurring. We do not need—or want—your

help.”

Chloe drew herself up to her full five feet and placed her hands on her hips.

“Are you saying that because I’m a girl? This is the twenty-first century.

There are even police-women in America, in case you didn’t know.”

Gavin almost smiled at her indignation. He had always liked women with

fiery tempers and Chloe was practically sputtering. He resisted the urge to

goad her further since he was already fighting his baser instinct to have just

a tiny taste. “I do not think you understand the danger you may be in, Miss

Whitney.” Including from himself.

Hesitating slightly, she asked, “What kind of danger?”

“Am I correct in inferring you came out here to search for the dragon?”

Chloe looked mulish and for a moment, he didn’t think she was going to

answer, but then she nodded.

“Have you considered the dragon may be looking for you?”

Her eyes widened in surprise and her mouth dropped open. Gavin tried not

to focus on how those parted soft lips made him want thrust his tongue

inside and kiss her senseless. Resolutely, he closed his mind off to that

thought.

“Why would the dragon be looking for me? Assuming there is a dragon.”

“Captain Johnson’s resistance aside, I think we can all assume the dragon

exists. Are you familiar with any of the Arthurian legends?”

“Huh? Sure. Who isn’t? What do the Knights of the Round Table have to do

with what’s going on now?”

He wished he could tell her how very much some of the knights were

involved, but admitting who he was wasn’t an option. “Not the knights

precisely. Do you remember reading about Vortigern trying to build a castle

that kept falling down?”

Chloe’s brow furrowed. “Yeah, vaguely. Something about Merlin telling him

two dragons were fighting beneath the surface each night.”

“I’m impressed.” When Chloe gave him a suspicious look, he smiled at her.

“Really. Most people forget—or don’t care—about how it all started, but to

those of us with Celtic blood, it does.”

“Am I in for story-telling time?”

“In a way. Bear with me. Vortigern tried building his castle in Wales. The red

dragon—symbolized by a red lion these days—was the pendragon—the Great

Protector—of the land. Vortigern invited his father-in-law, King Hengist of

the North and his brother, Horsa, to join him. They brought their talisman, a

white dragon named Sigurd.” Gavin scanned Chloe’s face to check for the

glazed look that took over so many humans when history was being told, but

she was giving him rapt attention, which he found disquieting. Clearing his

throat, he went on. “What was supposed to represent unity between the

nations turned out to be a deadly fight for Britain’s independence.” Gavin

paused. “The fight seems to have recommenced.”

“But why? Didn’t all that stuff happen like a thousand years ago?”

Longer than that, Gavin wanted to say, but he had to be careful. “The items

that Mr. Smith is searching are ancient Celtic relics that hold power.”

Chloe’s eyes rounded. “You believe that? I mean, I can see where they

might be worth a lot if they’re that old—”

“Adam Baylor would not be searching for them if they were worth only

money.”

“Are you talking about the guy who you said laundered money and funded

terrorism and drug cartels?”

“Precisely. He is a very dangerous man and he craves ultimate power. I

suspect he is behind these recent murders.”

“Why?”

“Diversion. If the police and the media are focused on these killings and

tying up Smith’s time and money for defense, Adam Baylor has a big lead on

finding the next relic himself.”

“I guess that makes sense—in a way. But how do you figure I am in danger?

I don’t know anything about any of this.”

“You are somewhat nosy, Miss Whitney. Your friend, Jake, has already paid

the price for that.”

Chloe quieted, her face somber. “Okay, say I accept your theory, but why

would a dragon be chasing me and not the other media who hang around?”

“Because you wear the Pendragon tattoo.”

She stared at him. “How do you know I have a tattoo?” Her eyes narrowed.

“It’s not exactly in a visible place.”

Gavin grinned. “No, it is not.”

“Then—?”

For a moment he considered not answering just to see if he could evoke her

temper again, but he was having too much trouble controlling his own

lecherous thoughts this evening which was disturbing in itself. The Templars

had taught him restraint. Holding up his hand to stave off her next remark,

he replied. “A button was undone on your shirt the night you swooned.”

“Oh.” She frowned. “But so what? It’s a cute little dragon. I did it on a dare

one night when I’d had too much to drink. It hardly makes me part of some

kind of dragon cult, or whatever.”

“Sigurd would only detect the link. He would not make the differentiation.”

Gavin glanced up at the pre-dawn sky, wondering if Cernunnos had finished

the hunt. Sigurd was his enemy too, since the god used to rule the Celts.

He glanced at Chloe, wondering if his mind-link had been successful. She

hadn’t mentioned Cernunnos or the hounds, but maybe she just didn’t want

him to think she saw them. The woman was an enigma.

“We should be getting back before Smith starts to worry. I didn’t have a

chance to talk to him before I left. My car’s parked down the road a bit. We

can send for yours.”

“I can drive.”

“Miss Whitney, have you not listened to what I’ve said? The dragon could

very well be seeking you and he may also be close. I am not about to let you

drive back alone.”

“So now you’re going to play the knight-in-shining-armor?”

Gavin grimaced. She’d mentioned that before. It had been a long time since

he’d tried to be gallant. He wasn’t Lancelot, after all. And daylight was

approaching.

“If it will get you in my car on the road home.” He didn’t wait for an answer

but took her arm firmly enough that she moved forward with him, although

she grumbled about still wanting to find the dragon.

He would have to find a way to divert her interest on that because what he

didn’t tell Chloe was that Sigurd had been Balor’s pet.

****

returning shortly after sunrise. It would have given her just a smidgin’ of

satisfaction to let Morgan think Gavin had been out with her all night. Not

that he had hinted at anything that even bordered on being attracted. The

ride home had been boringly quiet and he had disappeared as soon as they

got back.

Sometimes she wondered if she really was losing it. She was acting like

some high school kid infatuated with the latest rock star while Gavin

remained aloof and impervious to her. He wouldn’t even call her by her

name. It was always “Miss Whitney” like she was someone’s old maid aunt

or something. Geez.

“My dear,” Mr. Smith said as Benton served them coffee in the breakfast

room, “you really must not take it upon yourself to do things like this.

Promise me.”

“Promise you what?” Morgan asked as she entered the room in another

negligee with a thin, silk robe loosely knotted at her waist and draped open

enough to reveal the top half of her breasts.

Well, maybe it was better that Gavin had disappeared immediately. Morgan’s

theatrical entrance was lost on Mr. Smith. Still, she smiled brightly and

joined them.

“Chloe actually went out to Palo Pinto County last night to look for the

dragon!” Mr. Smith exclaimed. “By herself!”

Morgan’s eyes narrowed slightly as she looked at Chloe. “I guess you didn’t

find him? You don’t seem to be worse for the wear.”

“No, I didn’t.” But she had found something else. Or she thought she had.

But how would she explain two albino dogs the size of ponies and a half-

naked man wearing antlers who disappeared when she turned around? Or

she thought he did. Maybe he had been part of that erotic dream she’d been

having. Heat sluiced through her veins as she remembered Gavin

passionately making love to her. Or she thought he did.

Maybe the antlered-man really was an Indian doing some sort of ritual.

History always said they walked soundlessly. Maybe he actually stole away

while she wasn’t looking—or maybe she had imagined the guy, injecting him

with enough testosterone to fill a football stadium because Gavin wasn’t

interested. Could her self-esteem really be that low?

It was all so confusing.

Chloe felt a bubble of hysteria rise in her throat. Maybe the world was going

bonkers and not her. If dragons could be real, why not an antlered man who

appeared and disappeared out of nowhere? Heck, maybe even werewolves

existed too. And vampires. Why not? Gavin seemed to prefer working at

night—

Geez. If she kept this up, she’d be in a psych ward soon.

“Well, it’s just a good thing that Gavin went after you,” Mr. Smith said.

Chloe felt the chill as Morgan’s gaze turned icy-green like a winter sea. She

couldn’t help but smile—probably a mistake given the odd glint in Morgan’s

eyes.

“I was wondering where he had gone last night,” she said.

Chloe kept her smile pasted on. Did that mean Gavin was sharing Morgan’s

bed other nights? He’d stopped going to the police station at night so she

didn’t know. Was that why he’d been so angry when he approached her?

Because he had to leave Morgan’s warm bed and hot body?

She lifted her chin a little. It wasn’t like she was wanting Gavin to declare

undying love or anything. Her mother had a series of lovers while Chloe was

growing up and all of them had been nice to her and treated her mother well

while they were there. So it wasn’t like she expected anything permanent.

She was a big girl now.

She’d be damned if she let Morgan know the barb had struck home. Feigning

a yawn, she stood up. “I think I’ll go get some rest. It really was a long

night.”

As she walked away, another icy blast ripped through her. She didn’t need

to turn around to know Morgan was angry. It almost made up for her

insinuation.

Almost.

****