touched by flames sample
I hope you enjoy the first three chapters!
Infected with dark magic, this white lighter has to fight for her life.
After being held captive for five months, Danita Warren still has evil blooming inside her—and that scares her more than being in prison. Once she is rescued, Griffin Caspian, the most amazingly kind, protective, and super hot dragon shifter decides he wants to protect her. How lucky could she get? The man is hot. The problem? She doesn’t want to drag him down the same dark path.
From the moment Griffin meets Danita, he pledges to devote his life to helping her. Sure, she’s his mate, but until she’s ready to commit, they can’t be together.
Confused as to how to win her heart, he decides that if he can find her missing cousin, she just might want to be with him. And if he can’t? He could be doomed forever.
Chapter One
“Are you still having nightmares?” Danita Warren’s therapist asked.
Why did Dr. Aminor always insist on digging into that wound? There were more pressing things to discuss with her therapist.
Danita rubbed the worn wooden chair arm in the doctor’s rather dark office. “Yes. Every night like clockwork.”
Her brows rose as she leaned forward. “And? Are they less scary, more scary, longer or shorter in duration than when they first started?”
Danita huffed, hating herself for being so weak. “Ever since that terrible wolf attacked me a few days ago, they have been worse. The strange part is that I don’t see his red eyes staring down at me like I would have thought, but rather Sanditra’s eyes.” Sanditra—that horrible dark lighter who tried to turn Danita’s light into darkness.
“Knowing she is dead doesn’t seem to help, does it?” her therapist asked as she made a note on her tablet.
“No.”
“Why is that, do you suppose?”
“Because I am partially evil. She altered the light inside me when she made me do those despicable acts.”
Dr. Aminor added something to her notes. “And why do you think you are evil? Have you done bad things?”
“Not yet, but I can feel some kind of darkness welling up inside me at random times.” Danita looked up. “I had a premonition recently—something that has never happened before.”
Her doctor’s eyes sparkled with interest. “A premonition? This is new. What was it about?”
Danita blew out a breath. “After my recent wolf attack, this woman, Greer Caspian, helped heal my wounds. It was a few days later that I pictured her in trouble. When I told her brother about it, he charged out and was able to save her.”
Her therapist smiled. “That sounds like a good thing. You helped save the woman who helped you! I wouldn’t call that being dark at all.”
“You might think so, but my insides felt as if they were on fire, and I’m not sure why.”
“I wouldn’t worry about you being evil until you start doing bad things. Helping someone else shows that your white light is still strong.”
“I hope so.”
“Tell me again about this recurring nightmare.”
“Why? It’s always the same—Sanditra making me do evil things.”
Dr. Aminor waved her stylus at Danita. “Yes, but you remember something different each time. I think when we have all of the pieces, we’ll be able to make more sense of it.”
Danita doubted that, but she’d try to recall what last night’s dream was about. “One minute I’m in my usual cell in the Royal castle, the handcuffs sending poison through my body, and the next I am outside in the dark.”
“Then what happens?”
“Sanditra is looming over me with that insidious smile of hers that cuts me to the core. I swear that dark lighter bitch could always see right through me.” Danita huffed. “She starts off being nice and then turns really cruel.”
“During this dream, you don’t know in your heart that she is dead?”
“I don’t recall. It’s probably because I know she is too evil to be gone for good.”
“We’ve talked about this, you know.”
Danita blew out another breath, not appreciating Dr. Aminor’s slightly condescending tone. It didn’t matter if she was trying to be helpful or not. “I know.”
“Did Sanditra force you to perform dark magic last night in your dream?”
“Surprisingly, no. She came, laughed uncontrollably for a minute, and then just left. It was strange.”
“How did that make you feel?”
Danita wanted to lash out at the therapist for asking that way too obvious question. “Scared the white light right out of my body.” Fear had actually paralyzed her to the point where she couldn’t move, not even while asleep.
“Then what happened?”
Danita clenched her fists to keep them from shaking. “Malevolent thoughts bombarded me.”
“What did you want to do?” Dr. Aminor asked, her words metered.
“Kill someone. And before you ask who, I don’t know, but I suspect it was some Royal for taking me. Then again, it could have been Sanditra for ruining me. I woke up in a sweat, my body trembling and my heart racing.”
“You were scared.”
Why did she have to state the obvious? “Yes. I’d never had that exact dream before—or those horrible feelings of such rage.”
“What did you do to compensate for these evil thoughts?” the doctor asked.
“What you suggested. I pictured myself before I had been kidnapped by the Royals.” Danita closed her eyes and entered that pleasant sphere right then. “My safe place is on top of this hill where the pink, yellow, and white wild flowers abound. I imagine being on my back, staring up at the bright blue sky, watching the clouds float by and listening to the birds go about their business. The scene calms me and brings out my light.” She reopened her eyes.
Dr. Aminor was actually smiling. “Excellent. Keep doing that.” Just as quickly she sobered. “I think this recent werewolf attack has set you back.”
She shook her head. “The attack was painful, sure, but Greer healed me rather quickly. I think it’s because I’m still upset over my cousin’s recent disappearance that I have these nightly panic attacks. Every time I think about where Wendy could be, extra dark feelings emerge.”
“That’s maybe why you’ve been picturing yourself with Sanditra during the night. The darkness could represent your feeling of helplessness.”
Way to make me feel worse! “It would seem so.”
“There hasn’t been any progress on learning Wendy’s whereabouts?”
Danita’s stomach churned at not only the possibility of losing her beloved cousin and friend, but at losing control over her own thoughts. “No. Nothing.”
Dr. Aminor scribbled something on her tablet. “It has to be hard, but you can fight through it. How are you handling these feelings of despair? Besides coming here, of course or picturing yourself on top of a mountain in a field of flowers?”
“I try to think positive thoughts as much as I can, but I fail miserably most of the time. To be honest, I’m increasingly angry with each passing day. That wolf attack was just the final straw I think. Anyone would be upset if her only relative had gone missing. I believe what would help me the most is doing something to find her. Clearly, the police have failed. It’s been over a week since Wendy disappeared.”
“Danita, please. We’ve spoken about this. If your cousin was abducted, you need to leave it to the authorities to find her.”
Danita’s lip uncontrollably curled. “They haven’t done a damned thing! A week is a long time to be held captive. I should know!” She was almost shouting.
“Calm down. This isn’t helping to bring back the rest of your white light.”
It was the reason why she was in therapy in the first place. “I know, but it’s so frustrating. Wendy is the only family I have. She’s sweet. Kind. This never should have happened to her. What could anyone want with her?”
“Tell me what you do know.”
Facts helped to center her, and Dr. Aminor knew that. “Nothing more than what I told the cops and Griffin Caspian.” Ah, Griffin. He’d been the one she’d called after that terrible wolf attack in the woods. Within minutes, he was by her side, flying her to safety. He’d also been the one who had helped her after her escape from the Royal prison. She wouldn’t have recovered this much if it hadn’t been for him. “Wendy’s downstairs neighbor heard a commotion in the apartment above hers. Normally, my cousin is super quiet since she works on her articles during the day. She’s a journalist. At first, the neighbor thought Wendy was moving furniture, but then she heard a shout followed by a thud. The neighbor is elderly and wasn’t about to run to the rescue, so she went next door to speak to her neighbor—only he wasn’t home. She returned inside and called the police.”
“What did they find?”
“A lamp had been turned over, and a shattered coffee cup was on the floor,” Danita said. “Two pillows were also slashed. That seemed rather random to me, but I think they were trying to make it look like a robbery.”
“And Wendy?”
“She was nowhere to be found.”
“It appears as if she put up a good fight.”
“Wendy is a wolf shifter, so I’m hoping she did some damage to her kidnapper.” It was the only scenario that made sense.
“Has there been a ransom note or contact of any kind?” Dr. Aminor asked very matter-of-factly.
She shook her head. “Wendy has little money, and she and her dad are estranged. He has no money either, so I don’t think this was motivated by greed.”
“Then what?”
“I wish I knew,” Danita said.
“To help with your feelings of helplessness, you said you wanted to do something. What do you think your options are—other than interfering in a police investigation?”
“I’m not a detective. I’d have no idea where to start.”
“Hmm. I suggest you focus on thinking cleansing and positive thoughts then.”
Dr. Aminor was no help. “It’s hard to do that when I’m so worried about her. I know what captivity can do to a person.” Danita refused to think that her cousin was dead though. That negativity could prove lethal to her own soul.
“We talked about this. Negative thoughts are a feeding ground for your dark light to take over your body.”
“I know.” Damn Sanditra. Before the Royals had kidnapped her, Danita didn’t have an ounce of darkness in her. After being held captive for a few weeks by the very powerful dark witch, her white light had started to dim. What she wouldn’t give to be like her old self again.
“Understandably, you are angry and anxious,” her therapist said, “but in your current mental state, you might do something rash that could make things worse. What if Wendy’s kidnapper took you too?”
She shrugged. “I’d at least be with Wendy.”
“Danita.”
She held up her hands. “Fine. I’ll let the police handle things.” For now. Besides, Griffin said he would look into it.
“Good. This week I want you to focus only on positive thinking. With a clear head, you might be able to figure out a way to help your cousin.”
She doubted that, but it was worth a try. Danita stood, though not any calmer than before she’d walked in, but after her Royal incarceration, she had promised Griffin that she would attend therapy. Just when she’d thought she was ready to embrace the world, her cousin had been kidnapped, and Danita was attacked. No doubt about it, she was cursed. “Thanks, Doc.”
In need of a caffeine boost and a snack, Danita decided to walk over to Angelique’s café instead of driving there. After being cooped up in that office for an hour, she needed the exercise and fresh air. Too bad it wasn’t as cathartic as she’d hoped. Horns made more noise than usual, people seemed pushier, and the wind was whipping her hair into her face and annoying her. For a moment, she was tempted to slow down the world around her to help calm her mind.
But she’d promised herself not to use her magic in that way. While it only took a sweep of a hand and a silent chant, it would take more energy than she possessed right now. It also wouldn’t be of any benefit to anyone. Using her powers for her own personal gain would only serve to foster her darkness, which was the last thing she wanted or needed. Ugh.
As soon as she entered the coffee shop though, her negative vibes diminished. Angelique, the restaurant owner, possessed a very powerful white light aura that affected everyone who entered. Her coffee shop was safe, giving Danita a small sense of control.
After ordering a drink and a snack, she snagged a table near the back, needing peace and quiet to think about her next move—a move that Dr. Aminor might not approve of.
Chapter Two
Griffin Caspian’s cell rang. It was his cousin Declan. While Griffin was in charge of sales and trade for Caspian mines, Declan Sinclair was the head of both the Sinclair’s and Caspian’s mines, which technically made Declan his boss. Thankfully, his cousin always treated him as an equal.
“Hey, what’s up?” Griffin asked.
“Are you at the Caspian office today?”
“Yes. I’ve moved over here. It’s quieter than at the SinCas building. Logan and Stone are here too.”
“Good. Anderson called and said the man we captured who had kidnapped those shifters and then held them captive in that cave a few months ago, is now willing to talk—but only to us—or rather only to anyone who was in the cave that day. Anderson tried contacting Thane, but he was running drills. Our cousin apparently didn’t want to bother Finn, so I guess we’re it.”
His pulse soared. “Five months is a long time to keep quiet. Why talk now?”
It had been a nightmare when Declan’s mate Chelsea had uncovered a potential slave ring of shifters. Even though they’d tried to find the person behind this horrible violation, they had failed. It still stuck in Griffin’s craw even after all this time. The Guardians had run into one dead end after another—something that rarely happened.
“We’ll have to ask him. You free to do a little interrogating?”
For the first time since the wolf attack on Danita, a rush of energy filled him. It was bad enough he’d made no progress on the disappearance of her cousin Wendy. As a Guardian, helping others was woven into the fabric of his being. While he loved his job at the mine, it was facing and defeating the enemy that really gave him pleasure.
He grabbed the keys to his office. “I’m on my way to the station.”
Declan was waiting for him in front of their cousin’s desk in the Avonbelle Province Police department.
Griffin nodded to Declan. “Thanks for calling me. I can’t believe we’re about to get a breakthrough in the case.”
“I can’t believe it either,” Declan said.
Griffin faced his cousin, Detective Anderson Caspian. “Did our human trafficker say why he had a change of heart?”
The man they’d found in the cave with the caged animals had clammed up on the spot and refused to offer any information, despite offering him a deal. Griffin had always suspected that whoever was in charge of the operation was probably holding something over this man’s head.
Anderson leaned back in his chair. “Your theory was right. From what I can tell, Gonzalez is just a low-level patsy. He’s no hardened criminal. I think these past few months in prison have given him a new perspective, shall we say. He knows he did wrong and wants to repent.”
Griffin chuckled. “That, or the thought of spending years and years in prison scares the shit out of him. That’s no place for someone like this thin, weak-looking human.”
“Regardless of his reasoning, he’s now willing to give us some information in order to get a deal.”
“I’m willing to listen,” Declan said. “We caught him red-handed, so he got what he deserved. I hope he knows that even if he gives us a name now, there is no guarantee that the judge will take any time off his sentence.”
“I explained that to him,” Anderson said. “But it is equally possible that if he tells us who ordered these men to be captured, the judge might reduce his sentence by a few years.”
“In either case, it’s win-win for us,” Griffin added. “It might even provide some closure for the captured men.”
Lucky for this human, the prisons were segregated: shifters in one and humans in another. Even though a human was with his own kind, it was still highly dangerous on the inside. Gonzalez had already been taught a few hard lessons—or so Anderson had said.
Griffin and Declan had saved the ten men, however a couple of townsfolk had come forward claiming someone they knew was also missing. Griffin, Declan, and many of the other Guardians had searched for them but had come up empty-handed. Whether there was any connection to the captive men was anyone’s guess.
“Ready?” Declan asked Griffin.
“Let’s do this.”
Anderson led the way down a dimly lit hallway. When they reached Interrogation Room 3, he opened the door and motioned them in, saying it would be better if he remained outside, probably because the man refused to talk with any cop.
The sorry sack was shackled to the scarred wooden table. Gonzalez looked up, and from the sag in his shoulders, he almost seemed relieved to see them.
Two chairs had been placed across from him. Both Griffin and Declan sat down. “Why the change of heart after all this time?” Declan asked, coming right to the point.
“Malpan threatened me and my family if I said anything. When my wife came by the prison yesterday, she said she’d had enough and was leaving me. I can’t say that I blame her. She’s been through a lot.” Gonzalez buried his head in his hands. “I want that bastard taken down. I don’t care what happens to me.” He looked up, his jaw now tight.
“Malpan? As in Gregory Malpan, the owner of the copper mine?” Declan asked.
“Yes. This isn’t the first time I’ve worked with that ass either, but he pays really well.”
Fury raced through Griffin. “Are you saying you delivered other shifters besides the men we found?” Griffin asked.
Gonzalez held up his hands. “Yes, but I swear to the heavens that until you guys showed up and told me our captives were shifters, I had no idea the animals were really men. I never would have taken shifters. They’re humans.”
“Not buying it,” Griffin said.
“It’s the truth,” the man stated with a fair amount of conviction.
“Fine. I’ll rephrase my question. How many other animals did you deliver to Malpan before we caught you red-handed?”
The man looked away. “When you found us in that cave, I was on my third run. The first group consisted of twenty animals, the second fifteen. The last group, as you know, only had ten.”
Shit. That meant thirty-five men, and possibly women, were being held somewhere and had been for months. Griffin didn’t like this man, but he did seem to be telling the truth. “If you want a chance at a reduced sentence, you will have to give us something concrete. Just saying that Gregory Malpan is a human trafficker or that he threatened your family isn’t good enough.”
Gonzalez worried his fingers. “I don’t know what kind of proof I can give you. I wasn’t the one who dealt directly with him.”
Likely story.
“Then who did?” Declan asked.
“The two men who owned the animal shelter on the edge of town—Stick and Marty. As I said, I just did what I was told.”
“It’s rather convenient that they are dead.” Too bad Declan had killed both of them five months ago, or he would have dragged the answers out of them.
Gonzalez’s face brightened. “They are? Never mind. I did overhear Marty talking with Malpan on the phone about a second Malpan mine though. I think maybe that’s where he might be keeping these animals—I mean shifters.”
The idea there were two mines made little sense though. The Guardians surely would have heard if another mine was operating in the vicinity. “Using them for what? Slave labor?”
Gonzalez shrugged. “I don’t know. I swear. Look, if you can’t put in a good word with the judge, can you at least watch out for my wife—or rather my soon-to-be ex-wife and kid? If Malpan finds out I’ve talked, he’ll send someone after me and them too. I still love her, even if she doesn’t want to be with me.”
The man’s plea rang true. “We’ll see what we can do to protect your family.”
“Thank you.”
Declan pushed back his chair. “If you remember anything else, tell Detective Caspian. He’ll contact us.”
“Sure, but it’s all I know.”
Once they stepped into the hallway, Declan faced him. “What are you thinking?”
Griffin could smell a lie from afar. “Other than the fact he claims he didn’t know his captives were more than mere animals, I believe him. Malpan probably is threatening his family. Did you see how Gonzalez’s hands were shaking, and he didn’t shift his gaze when he told us about the other men.”
“You might be right. I have to say I didn’t expect Malpan to be involved in any of this,” Declan said.
“Me neither. To think he used to be a reasonable man,” Griffin said.
“Used to be?”
“Don’t you remember that his son committed suicide? Ever since then he’s been bitter.”
“I might be too.”
“That’s no reason to take it out on others though.”
Declan slapped him on his back, but it held no cheer. “I couldn’t agree more.”
After they all discussed Anderson’s next move, Declan and Griffin decided to walk back to the SinCas building, partly to have time to brainstorm. “With the men who ran the animal shelter dead, and Gonzalez not knowing much, where do we go from here?” Griffin asked.
“I’m thinking we need to find that second mine.”
“I agree, but Tarradon is a big place. Even if we assume it’s in Avonbelle Province, that’s a lot of space to cover,” Griffin said, his fists clenching.
“We can’t let that stop us. Those thirty or so people need to be rescued. Being held prisoner for months on end will destroy even the strongest person.”
“I hope there aren’t more out there, though who’s to say that Malpan—if he is the one guilty of this—hasn’t been adding more to his slave trade using another source. It’s been more than five months since he received the last batch. Shit. It’s possible, he could have sold most of them by now, assuming that was his end game.”
Declan snapped his fingers. “Wait a minute. Sanditra was involved in keeping these people in those collars. Remember how she put one around Chelsea’s neck when Sanditra captured her?”
“Sure.”
“It almost makes it seem as if the dark lighter was the one in charge and not Malpan,” Declan said.
“She might have been, but she’s been dead for months. Surely her curse would have worn off by now, which makes me wonder why these people haven’t escaped. They wouldn’t be zombies any longer like that group of ten we found.”
Declan blew out a breath. “Your logic is sound, unless Malpan found another dark lighter to take Sanditra’s place.”
“Shit.” Griffin sighed. They turned left toward their destination.
“It’s cases like these that are going to turn my red scales gray. Speaking of dead-end cases, any leads on Danita’s cousin’s disappearance?” Declan asked.
“None. I’ve spoken to all of the neighbors, but it’s like she disappeared into thin air.”
“How is Danita holding up? I know those two were close.”
“I’ll see her tonight, but from what I can tell, she’s becoming angrier and more despondent with each passing day,” Griffin said. “After the Changeling attacked her in the woods, she seems to have withdrawn even more. I don’t know what to do.”
Declan clasped his shoulder and squeezed. “I’m sorry, not only for Danita but for you too.”
Griffin had confided in Declan that Danita was his mate, but so far, he’d been unable to get much of a response out of her. He’d decided not to push her since she was dealing with one tragedy after another.
They headed to the elevator, ready to tackle the day. Griffin needed to come up with a plan to find Wendy soon or Danita might never recover.
Chapter Three
Danita shouldn’t be nervous that Griffin was stopping over tonight, but she was. He’d called earlier to say he wanted to come by to make sure she was doing okay. Physically, she’d healed from the wolf attack, and while she should tell him not to bother looking in on her, she couldn’t bring herself to do it. Being around Griffin brought her comfort.
But just like the last few times he’d stopped over, she would tell him everything was fine, and yet somehow he’d worm it out of her that she really wasn’t as good as she claimed. He was well aware of just how much her cousin’s disappearance was weighing on her.
The problem with tonight’s visit was that she was determined to find a way to locate her cousin, and Griffin would not be pleased with her decision to meddle. For her own mental health, she wanted to be a participant instead of merely watching on the sideline. He’d balk at the idea for sure that she wanted to help, which meant she might have to demonstrate a few of her white lighter talents—or maybe they were now dark lighter talents—to prove to him that she was capable of handling herself.
At least when Griffin came over, her white light seemed to shine brighter. It was almost as if she was feeding off of him, drawing out his goodness and taking it for her own. She always worried that she might be affecting him in some negative way, and the last thing she wanted was for her darkness to harm him.
Someone knocked on her apartment door, and she jumped. Jeez. It was only Griffin—or so she hoped. In her old apartment—before she’d been evicted for not paying her rent—she’d had a peephole and a security chain. This dump was lucky it had a door that closed. Griffin had offered many times to find her a better place to live—and even said he’d pay for it—but Danita didn’t want to be more beholden to him than she already was. Griffin had then offered to find her a job at SinCas, but she didn’t want the charity. She had her pride.
“Who is it?” she asked.
“Griffin.”
Her heart sped up until she forced it to calm. Getting her hopes up that they could ever be a couple was juvenile. The two of them couldn’t be any more different. She was a white lighter—okay, her time of being able to claim she was one was becoming more suspect with each passing day. Griffin, on the other hand, was this bigger-than-life dragon shifter whose family practically ruled Avonbelle Province. Ever since her escape from the Royal dungeon, she’d only managed to snag a job with a temp agency; hence the reason for living in a dump in the poor end of town. Who would want a woman who had been captured, tortured, and basically had emotional issues?
Griffin Caspian was rich and gorgeous as well as successful. Danita was rather plain, poor, and a failure. Her powers might have returned after his family had sprung her from prison, but the quality and purity of her powers remained suspect.
He’s waiting!
Danita pulled open the door and stared—like she often did when she hadn’t seen him in a while. Not only was Griffin over six feet five, his muscles had muscles. He’d admitted that working out in the gym was his way of coping with anxious times, but he claimed he didn’t focus on building body mass. It just happened.
She thought it cute that his brows were in a perpetual frown, but it was his full lips that were made for kissing that really made her hot. If nothing else, Danita was a pragmatist. Not only was this man way out of her league, but she was too messed up to be thinking about being with anyone—especially a Caspian.
“Hi. Ah, come in.”
Why did she become tongue-tied whenever this man came near?
“Hey.” He breezed past her, not even studying her this time like he usually did.
She touched his arm to turn him around, but the moment her fingers came in contact with him, her body ignited. Thankfully, a swirl of white light surged, rather than something darker. “Is everything okay?” she asked.
He faced her. “Sort of.”
Oh crap. “Did you learn something about Wendy?”
“Wendy? No. This is about those men you helped us locate.”
About five months ago, she’d given Griffin and his family a few helpful hints that led them to finding Sanditra—the dark lighter bitch who had nearly destroyed her. That had given them the clue they needed to find ten shifters who’d been held captive in a hidden cave. “What about them?”
Griffin looked around. “I could really use a drink. Would you mind if we head on over to The Wing’s Bar where we can talk?”
Danita preferred not being in public. People made her jittery, but he seemed ill at ease at her place, and she couldn’t blame him. “Sure.”
His brief smile made his face come to life. “Great. Do you want to fly or go by car?” he asked.
Being held in his claws would be too claustrophobic. “Given the choice, I’d prefer not to use your mode of transportation.” Yes, he’d carried her after her wolf attack, but she remembered none of it.
He held up a hand. “I’m sorry. I forgot. If I’d been held prisoner, I’d not want to be in anyone’s clasp either.”
Shit. She’d hurt his feelings, but he did seem to understand. “Let me get my purse.”
As soon as she returned with it, Griffin held out his hand for her car keys. She was sure it was because he liked the control, but Danita didn’t mind. In fact, she liked having a man take over. Not having to drive gave her more opportunity to keep an eye on the side view mirror. Ever since the Royals had nabbed her, she still feared they would try again. Not to mention, whoever had taken her cousin might come after her too. That was irrational thinking, but Danita couldn’t help it.
Thankfully, they arrived at the Wing’s Bar in no time. Just as they drew near, someone pulled out of a space in front, and he slid in. Griffin was lucky like that.
He’d asked her to wait for him to open her door, but that only made her more paranoid. He must suspect her life could still be in danger. It didn’t seem to matter that Sanditra was now dead.
Her door opened, and he held out his hand to help her out. This time when their fingers touched, she swore his heat shot straight up her arm and pierced her heart. What was wrong with her? Sure, Griffin was hot, intelligent, and intense, but he was also brooding and rather over-the-top protective. Despite his shortcomings, she desired him. Acting on those urges however was something she wouldn’t do. Griffin deserved a lot better.
Inside Wings, the noise was surprisingly tolerable. The place smelled of both sweet and tangy beer, and the fairly lively music helped take her mind off being in a public place.
Griffin pressed his palm against her back, once more making her hyper-aware of him. “Let’s sit in a booth over there.” He nodded to a seat in the corner.
Once they were settled, his cousin Finn came over. His mate had mentioned that Finn bartended there four nights a week.
“Fancy seeing you here, Griff.” Finn faced her. “Danita. I’m sorry about the Changeling attack. How are you feeling?”
Griffin gave Finn the stink eye. She looked over at Griffin. “It’s okay. I know your family is aware of what happened, and that they are responsible for taking down the red-eyed devil.”
“Sorry,” Finn said. “You look good.”
She smiled. “Thanks.”
“What can I get you two?”
Griffin looked over at her, his brows raised. “I’ll have a glass of white wine, please,” she said. Danita wasn’t really in the mood to drink, but she needed the courage to talk to Griffin about finding her cousin.
“An Answalt,” Griffin said. Once Finn disappeared, Griffin faced her and inhaled. “I have a favor to ask.”
That wasn’t what she expected him to say. “What’s that?”
“I received some information today about a possible lead on the man responsible for kidnapping the ten shifters.”
“That is good news. Did one of the men remember something?”
He shook his head. “I actually spoke with a few of them last week. None of them have remembered what happened even after all this time.
They said it’s like they are still in a fog.”
“A fog? As in a spell is still controlling them?”
“Maybe. One of the men said it was like he’d had his memory erased, and his reason for existing seems to have been damaged.”
She shook her head. “I didn’t experience anything like that when I was under Sanditra’s spell.”
Griffin blew out a breath. “I’m happy to hear that. I was actually hoping you knew of a spell that could return them to normal.”
“I do have talents, but mine aren’t that kind. My range of spells are rather specific. Have you asked Angelique to see if she knows of anyone who can perform something like that?”
“No, but I can contact her.” Griffin flashed her another smile, and her pulse beat wildly.
Finn came over with their drinks. “Just holler if you need a refill.” He placed her wine in front of her and Griffin’s beer in front of him, before rushing back to the bar.
“The captured men have no idea who took them then?” she asked.
With the kidnappers dead or in custody, together with the fact the captured shifters were all men, Danita had no reason to believe Wendy met with the same fate, but she wanted to leave no stone unturned.
“No, but the man who helped kidnap them talked today.”
She lifted her wine glass with both hands. “What did he say?” Danita was pleased her tone remained fairly calm. Inside, a swell of darkness was swirling.
Griffin leaned closer. “Arthur Gonzalez claims that Gregory Malpan is the one who captured the shifters.”
“Malpan? He’s a miner, like you. What would be his end game?”
“I don’t know. All I can think of is that he is using these men as slaves in his mine. Nothing else makes sense.”
There went her theory about Wendy possibly being among them. She was a strong woman, but Danita saw no benefit in taking a female.
“I find it hard to believe that no one has leaked this horror. I have a friend who works in the Malpan mine, and he would have said something if they used slaves.”
“According to Gonzalez, Malpan has a second mine,” Griffin said.
Her pulse sped up. “Why don’t you go there and expose him then?”
Griffin tossed back a good portion of his beer. “If I knew where this mine was, I would.”
“Your family doesn’t know where all of the copper veins are located?”
He shook his head. “I wish we did. We certainly can fly around and look for activity, but no telling how long that would take.”
A crazy idea struck her. Almost giddy, Danita looked around and leaned forward. “As you know, I work for a temp agency. How about if I ask to be placed in his office? I can snoop from there.”
Griffin slapped the table, and the man in the booth behind them turned around. “Absolutely not,” he said. “It’s too dangerous.”
“It’s not like they would have me work in the mines.”
His eyebrows rose. “You don’t know that.”
Her stomach flipped. “What aren’t you telling me?” He better not be withholding information about Wendy.
“Nothing, but anyone who would capture people and then use a dark lighter to make them forget things, isn’t someone you want to be around.”
She’d expected he’d say something like that. “It’s not like I’m without my own talents to protect myself.”
“Are you saying you have some hidden ability to take down an army? Because anything less than that could get you killed.”
Griffin was being ridiculous. “No, but I can do spells.”
“Will your spell make Malpan tell you where this mine is hidden?”
She’d never tried to make anyone tell the truth before. “Probably not.”
“Even you have to admit that it wouldn’t be safe for you if he catches you asking too many questions.”
She supposed it wouldn’t be terrible to show Griffin what she was capable of. “I’d be safe.”
“Like you were against that Changeling?”
“I was attacked from behind. I didn’t have time to do any spell.”
“Malpan may do the same.”
She huffed. “I’ll be super careful. Are you certain that Malpan is guilty?”
Griffin glanced away. “No, I’m not. I do believe the underling who took these shifters believed he was telling the truth when he said Malpan was in charge.”
“Malpan could be guilty, or this man was just trying to get something from you.”
“Damn. You might be right.” His top lip curled. “I wanted the bastard who did this worse than anything, which meant I might have been desperate for a name.” He grunted. “Enslaving someone is as bad as torture.”
“How true.” She knew first-hand about both. Needing a moment to compose herself, Danita closed her eyes and pictured everything around her moving in slow motion. After she opened them, she waved her hand and focused intensely. To her delight, everything came to a near stop—including Griffin whose hand was half raised. The noise in the room dropped close to silence, and the beer someone was pouring at a table nearby slowed to a trickle.
To prove that she could escape unnoticed, Danita grabbed her purse, slipped out of the booth, and left.
Infected with dark magic, this white lighter has to fight for her life.
After being held captive for five months, Danita Warren still has evil blooming inside her—and that scares her more than being in prison. Once she is rescued, Griffin Caspian, the most amazingly kind, protective, and super hot dragon shifter decides he wants to protect her. How lucky could she get? The man is hot. The problem? She doesn’t want to drag him down the same dark path.
From the moment Griffin meets Danita, he pledges to devote his life to helping her. Sure, she’s his mate, but until she’s ready to commit, they can’t be together.
Confused as to how to win her heart, he decides that if he can find her missing cousin, she just might want to be with him. And if he can’t? He could be doomed forever.
Chapter One
“Are you still having nightmares?” Danita Warren’s therapist asked.
Why did Dr. Aminor always insist on digging into that wound? There were more pressing things to discuss with her therapist.
Danita rubbed the worn wooden chair arm in the doctor’s rather dark office. “Yes. Every night like clockwork.”
Her brows rose as she leaned forward. “And? Are they less scary, more scary, longer or shorter in duration than when they first started?”
Danita huffed, hating herself for being so weak. “Ever since that terrible wolf attacked me a few days ago, they have been worse. The strange part is that I don’t see his red eyes staring down at me like I would have thought, but rather Sanditra’s eyes.” Sanditra—that horrible dark lighter who tried to turn Danita’s light into darkness.
“Knowing she is dead doesn’t seem to help, does it?” her therapist asked as she made a note on her tablet.
“No.”
“Why is that, do you suppose?”
“Because I am partially evil. She altered the light inside me when she made me do those despicable acts.”
Dr. Aminor added something to her notes. “And why do you think you are evil? Have you done bad things?”
“Not yet, but I can feel some kind of darkness welling up inside me at random times.” Danita looked up. “I had a premonition recently—something that has never happened before.”
Her doctor’s eyes sparkled with interest. “A premonition? This is new. What was it about?”
Danita blew out a breath. “After my recent wolf attack, this woman, Greer Caspian, helped heal my wounds. It was a few days later that I pictured her in trouble. When I told her brother about it, he charged out and was able to save her.”
Her therapist smiled. “That sounds like a good thing. You helped save the woman who helped you! I wouldn’t call that being dark at all.”
“You might think so, but my insides felt as if they were on fire, and I’m not sure why.”
“I wouldn’t worry about you being evil until you start doing bad things. Helping someone else shows that your white light is still strong.”
“I hope so.”
“Tell me again about this recurring nightmare.”
“Why? It’s always the same—Sanditra making me do evil things.”
Dr. Aminor waved her stylus at Danita. “Yes, but you remember something different each time. I think when we have all of the pieces, we’ll be able to make more sense of it.”
Danita doubted that, but she’d try to recall what last night’s dream was about. “One minute I’m in my usual cell in the Royal castle, the handcuffs sending poison through my body, and the next I am outside in the dark.”
“Then what happens?”
“Sanditra is looming over me with that insidious smile of hers that cuts me to the core. I swear that dark lighter bitch could always see right through me.” Danita huffed. “She starts off being nice and then turns really cruel.”
“During this dream, you don’t know in your heart that she is dead?”
“I don’t recall. It’s probably because I know she is too evil to be gone for good.”
“We’ve talked about this, you know.”
Danita blew out another breath, not appreciating Dr. Aminor’s slightly condescending tone. It didn’t matter if she was trying to be helpful or not. “I know.”
“Did Sanditra force you to perform dark magic last night in your dream?”
“Surprisingly, no. She came, laughed uncontrollably for a minute, and then just left. It was strange.”
“How did that make you feel?”
Danita wanted to lash out at the therapist for asking that way too obvious question. “Scared the white light right out of my body.” Fear had actually paralyzed her to the point where she couldn’t move, not even while asleep.
“Then what happened?”
Danita clenched her fists to keep them from shaking. “Malevolent thoughts bombarded me.”
“What did you want to do?” Dr. Aminor asked, her words metered.
“Kill someone. And before you ask who, I don’t know, but I suspect it was some Royal for taking me. Then again, it could have been Sanditra for ruining me. I woke up in a sweat, my body trembling and my heart racing.”
“You were scared.”
Why did she have to state the obvious? “Yes. I’d never had that exact dream before—or those horrible feelings of such rage.”
“What did you do to compensate for these evil thoughts?” the doctor asked.
“What you suggested. I pictured myself before I had been kidnapped by the Royals.” Danita closed her eyes and entered that pleasant sphere right then. “My safe place is on top of this hill where the pink, yellow, and white wild flowers abound. I imagine being on my back, staring up at the bright blue sky, watching the clouds float by and listening to the birds go about their business. The scene calms me and brings out my light.” She reopened her eyes.
Dr. Aminor was actually smiling. “Excellent. Keep doing that.” Just as quickly she sobered. “I think this recent werewolf attack has set you back.”
She shook her head. “The attack was painful, sure, but Greer healed me rather quickly. I think it’s because I’m still upset over my cousin’s recent disappearance that I have these nightly panic attacks. Every time I think about where Wendy could be, extra dark feelings emerge.”
“That’s maybe why you’ve been picturing yourself with Sanditra during the night. The darkness could represent your feeling of helplessness.”
Way to make me feel worse! “It would seem so.”
“There hasn’t been any progress on learning Wendy’s whereabouts?”
Danita’s stomach churned at not only the possibility of losing her beloved cousin and friend, but at losing control over her own thoughts. “No. Nothing.”
Dr. Aminor scribbled something on her tablet. “It has to be hard, but you can fight through it. How are you handling these feelings of despair? Besides coming here, of course or picturing yourself on top of a mountain in a field of flowers?”
“I try to think positive thoughts as much as I can, but I fail miserably most of the time. To be honest, I’m increasingly angry with each passing day. That wolf attack was just the final straw I think. Anyone would be upset if her only relative had gone missing. I believe what would help me the most is doing something to find her. Clearly, the police have failed. It’s been over a week since Wendy disappeared.”
“Danita, please. We’ve spoken about this. If your cousin was abducted, you need to leave it to the authorities to find her.”
Danita’s lip uncontrollably curled. “They haven’t done a damned thing! A week is a long time to be held captive. I should know!” She was almost shouting.
“Calm down. This isn’t helping to bring back the rest of your white light.”
It was the reason why she was in therapy in the first place. “I know, but it’s so frustrating. Wendy is the only family I have. She’s sweet. Kind. This never should have happened to her. What could anyone want with her?”
“Tell me what you do know.”
Facts helped to center her, and Dr. Aminor knew that. “Nothing more than what I told the cops and Griffin Caspian.” Ah, Griffin. He’d been the one she’d called after that terrible wolf attack in the woods. Within minutes, he was by her side, flying her to safety. He’d also been the one who had helped her after her escape from the Royal prison. She wouldn’t have recovered this much if it hadn’t been for him. “Wendy’s downstairs neighbor heard a commotion in the apartment above hers. Normally, my cousin is super quiet since she works on her articles during the day. She’s a journalist. At first, the neighbor thought Wendy was moving furniture, but then she heard a shout followed by a thud. The neighbor is elderly and wasn’t about to run to the rescue, so she went next door to speak to her neighbor—only he wasn’t home. She returned inside and called the police.”
“What did they find?”
“A lamp had been turned over, and a shattered coffee cup was on the floor,” Danita said. “Two pillows were also slashed. That seemed rather random to me, but I think they were trying to make it look like a robbery.”
“And Wendy?”
“She was nowhere to be found.”
“It appears as if she put up a good fight.”
“Wendy is a wolf shifter, so I’m hoping she did some damage to her kidnapper.” It was the only scenario that made sense.
“Has there been a ransom note or contact of any kind?” Dr. Aminor asked very matter-of-factly.
She shook her head. “Wendy has little money, and she and her dad are estranged. He has no money either, so I don’t think this was motivated by greed.”
“Then what?”
“I wish I knew,” Danita said.
“To help with your feelings of helplessness, you said you wanted to do something. What do you think your options are—other than interfering in a police investigation?”
“I’m not a detective. I’d have no idea where to start.”
“Hmm. I suggest you focus on thinking cleansing and positive thoughts then.”
Dr. Aminor was no help. “It’s hard to do that when I’m so worried about her. I know what captivity can do to a person.” Danita refused to think that her cousin was dead though. That negativity could prove lethal to her own soul.
“We talked about this. Negative thoughts are a feeding ground for your dark light to take over your body.”
“I know.” Damn Sanditra. Before the Royals had kidnapped her, Danita didn’t have an ounce of darkness in her. After being held captive for a few weeks by the very powerful dark witch, her white light had started to dim. What she wouldn’t give to be like her old self again.
“Understandably, you are angry and anxious,” her therapist said, “but in your current mental state, you might do something rash that could make things worse. What if Wendy’s kidnapper took you too?”
She shrugged. “I’d at least be with Wendy.”
“Danita.”
She held up her hands. “Fine. I’ll let the police handle things.” For now. Besides, Griffin said he would look into it.
“Good. This week I want you to focus only on positive thinking. With a clear head, you might be able to figure out a way to help your cousin.”
She doubted that, but it was worth a try. Danita stood, though not any calmer than before she’d walked in, but after her Royal incarceration, she had promised Griffin that she would attend therapy. Just when she’d thought she was ready to embrace the world, her cousin had been kidnapped, and Danita was attacked. No doubt about it, she was cursed. “Thanks, Doc.”
In need of a caffeine boost and a snack, Danita decided to walk over to Angelique’s café instead of driving there. After being cooped up in that office for an hour, she needed the exercise and fresh air. Too bad it wasn’t as cathartic as she’d hoped. Horns made more noise than usual, people seemed pushier, and the wind was whipping her hair into her face and annoying her. For a moment, she was tempted to slow down the world around her to help calm her mind.
But she’d promised herself not to use her magic in that way. While it only took a sweep of a hand and a silent chant, it would take more energy than she possessed right now. It also wouldn’t be of any benefit to anyone. Using her powers for her own personal gain would only serve to foster her darkness, which was the last thing she wanted or needed. Ugh.
As soon as she entered the coffee shop though, her negative vibes diminished. Angelique, the restaurant owner, possessed a very powerful white light aura that affected everyone who entered. Her coffee shop was safe, giving Danita a small sense of control.
After ordering a drink and a snack, she snagged a table near the back, needing peace and quiet to think about her next move—a move that Dr. Aminor might not approve of.
Chapter Two
Griffin Caspian’s cell rang. It was his cousin Declan. While Griffin was in charge of sales and trade for Caspian mines, Declan Sinclair was the head of both the Sinclair’s and Caspian’s mines, which technically made Declan his boss. Thankfully, his cousin always treated him as an equal.
“Hey, what’s up?” Griffin asked.
“Are you at the Caspian office today?”
“Yes. I’ve moved over here. It’s quieter than at the SinCas building. Logan and Stone are here too.”
“Good. Anderson called and said the man we captured who had kidnapped those shifters and then held them captive in that cave a few months ago, is now willing to talk—but only to us—or rather only to anyone who was in the cave that day. Anderson tried contacting Thane, but he was running drills. Our cousin apparently didn’t want to bother Finn, so I guess we’re it.”
His pulse soared. “Five months is a long time to keep quiet. Why talk now?”
It had been a nightmare when Declan’s mate Chelsea had uncovered a potential slave ring of shifters. Even though they’d tried to find the person behind this horrible violation, they had failed. It still stuck in Griffin’s craw even after all this time. The Guardians had run into one dead end after another—something that rarely happened.
“We’ll have to ask him. You free to do a little interrogating?”
For the first time since the wolf attack on Danita, a rush of energy filled him. It was bad enough he’d made no progress on the disappearance of her cousin Wendy. As a Guardian, helping others was woven into the fabric of his being. While he loved his job at the mine, it was facing and defeating the enemy that really gave him pleasure.
He grabbed the keys to his office. “I’m on my way to the station.”
Declan was waiting for him in front of their cousin’s desk in the Avonbelle Province Police department.
Griffin nodded to Declan. “Thanks for calling me. I can’t believe we’re about to get a breakthrough in the case.”
“I can’t believe it either,” Declan said.
Griffin faced his cousin, Detective Anderson Caspian. “Did our human trafficker say why he had a change of heart?”
The man they’d found in the cave with the caged animals had clammed up on the spot and refused to offer any information, despite offering him a deal. Griffin had always suspected that whoever was in charge of the operation was probably holding something over this man’s head.
Anderson leaned back in his chair. “Your theory was right. From what I can tell, Gonzalez is just a low-level patsy. He’s no hardened criminal. I think these past few months in prison have given him a new perspective, shall we say. He knows he did wrong and wants to repent.”
Griffin chuckled. “That, or the thought of spending years and years in prison scares the shit out of him. That’s no place for someone like this thin, weak-looking human.”
“Regardless of his reasoning, he’s now willing to give us some information in order to get a deal.”
“I’m willing to listen,” Declan said. “We caught him red-handed, so he got what he deserved. I hope he knows that even if he gives us a name now, there is no guarantee that the judge will take any time off his sentence.”
“I explained that to him,” Anderson said. “But it is equally possible that if he tells us who ordered these men to be captured, the judge might reduce his sentence by a few years.”
“In either case, it’s win-win for us,” Griffin added. “It might even provide some closure for the captured men.”
Lucky for this human, the prisons were segregated: shifters in one and humans in another. Even though a human was with his own kind, it was still highly dangerous on the inside. Gonzalez had already been taught a few hard lessons—or so Anderson had said.
Griffin and Declan had saved the ten men, however a couple of townsfolk had come forward claiming someone they knew was also missing. Griffin, Declan, and many of the other Guardians had searched for them but had come up empty-handed. Whether there was any connection to the captive men was anyone’s guess.
“Ready?” Declan asked Griffin.
“Let’s do this.”
Anderson led the way down a dimly lit hallway. When they reached Interrogation Room 3, he opened the door and motioned them in, saying it would be better if he remained outside, probably because the man refused to talk with any cop.
The sorry sack was shackled to the scarred wooden table. Gonzalez looked up, and from the sag in his shoulders, he almost seemed relieved to see them.
Two chairs had been placed across from him. Both Griffin and Declan sat down. “Why the change of heart after all this time?” Declan asked, coming right to the point.
“Malpan threatened me and my family if I said anything. When my wife came by the prison yesterday, she said she’d had enough and was leaving me. I can’t say that I blame her. She’s been through a lot.” Gonzalez buried his head in his hands. “I want that bastard taken down. I don’t care what happens to me.” He looked up, his jaw now tight.
“Malpan? As in Gregory Malpan, the owner of the copper mine?” Declan asked.
“Yes. This isn’t the first time I’ve worked with that ass either, but he pays really well.”
Fury raced through Griffin. “Are you saying you delivered other shifters besides the men we found?” Griffin asked.
Gonzalez held up his hands. “Yes, but I swear to the heavens that until you guys showed up and told me our captives were shifters, I had no idea the animals were really men. I never would have taken shifters. They’re humans.”
“Not buying it,” Griffin said.
“It’s the truth,” the man stated with a fair amount of conviction.
“Fine. I’ll rephrase my question. How many other animals did you deliver to Malpan before we caught you red-handed?”
The man looked away. “When you found us in that cave, I was on my third run. The first group consisted of twenty animals, the second fifteen. The last group, as you know, only had ten.”
Shit. That meant thirty-five men, and possibly women, were being held somewhere and had been for months. Griffin didn’t like this man, but he did seem to be telling the truth. “If you want a chance at a reduced sentence, you will have to give us something concrete. Just saying that Gregory Malpan is a human trafficker or that he threatened your family isn’t good enough.”
Gonzalez worried his fingers. “I don’t know what kind of proof I can give you. I wasn’t the one who dealt directly with him.”
Likely story.
“Then who did?” Declan asked.
“The two men who owned the animal shelter on the edge of town—Stick and Marty. As I said, I just did what I was told.”
“It’s rather convenient that they are dead.” Too bad Declan had killed both of them five months ago, or he would have dragged the answers out of them.
Gonzalez’s face brightened. “They are? Never mind. I did overhear Marty talking with Malpan on the phone about a second Malpan mine though. I think maybe that’s where he might be keeping these animals—I mean shifters.”
The idea there were two mines made little sense though. The Guardians surely would have heard if another mine was operating in the vicinity. “Using them for what? Slave labor?”
Gonzalez shrugged. “I don’t know. I swear. Look, if you can’t put in a good word with the judge, can you at least watch out for my wife—or rather my soon-to-be ex-wife and kid? If Malpan finds out I’ve talked, he’ll send someone after me and them too. I still love her, even if she doesn’t want to be with me.”
The man’s plea rang true. “We’ll see what we can do to protect your family.”
“Thank you.”
Declan pushed back his chair. “If you remember anything else, tell Detective Caspian. He’ll contact us.”
“Sure, but it’s all I know.”
Once they stepped into the hallway, Declan faced him. “What are you thinking?”
Griffin could smell a lie from afar. “Other than the fact he claims he didn’t know his captives were more than mere animals, I believe him. Malpan probably is threatening his family. Did you see how Gonzalez’s hands were shaking, and he didn’t shift his gaze when he told us about the other men.”
“You might be right. I have to say I didn’t expect Malpan to be involved in any of this,” Declan said.
“Me neither. To think he used to be a reasonable man,” Griffin said.
“Used to be?”
“Don’t you remember that his son committed suicide? Ever since then he’s been bitter.”
“I might be too.”
“That’s no reason to take it out on others though.”
Declan slapped him on his back, but it held no cheer. “I couldn’t agree more.”
After they all discussed Anderson’s next move, Declan and Griffin decided to walk back to the SinCas building, partly to have time to brainstorm. “With the men who ran the animal shelter dead, and Gonzalez not knowing much, where do we go from here?” Griffin asked.
“I’m thinking we need to find that second mine.”
“I agree, but Tarradon is a big place. Even if we assume it’s in Avonbelle Province, that’s a lot of space to cover,” Griffin said, his fists clenching.
“We can’t let that stop us. Those thirty or so people need to be rescued. Being held prisoner for months on end will destroy even the strongest person.”
“I hope there aren’t more out there, though who’s to say that Malpan—if he is the one guilty of this—hasn’t been adding more to his slave trade using another source. It’s been more than five months since he received the last batch. Shit. It’s possible, he could have sold most of them by now, assuming that was his end game.”
Declan snapped his fingers. “Wait a minute. Sanditra was involved in keeping these people in those collars. Remember how she put one around Chelsea’s neck when Sanditra captured her?”
“Sure.”
“It almost makes it seem as if the dark lighter was the one in charge and not Malpan,” Declan said.
“She might have been, but she’s been dead for months. Surely her curse would have worn off by now, which makes me wonder why these people haven’t escaped. They wouldn’t be zombies any longer like that group of ten we found.”
Declan blew out a breath. “Your logic is sound, unless Malpan found another dark lighter to take Sanditra’s place.”
“Shit.” Griffin sighed. They turned left toward their destination.
“It’s cases like these that are going to turn my red scales gray. Speaking of dead-end cases, any leads on Danita’s cousin’s disappearance?” Declan asked.
“None. I’ve spoken to all of the neighbors, but it’s like she disappeared into thin air.”
“How is Danita holding up? I know those two were close.”
“I’ll see her tonight, but from what I can tell, she’s becoming angrier and more despondent with each passing day,” Griffin said. “After the Changeling attacked her in the woods, she seems to have withdrawn even more. I don’t know what to do.”
Declan clasped his shoulder and squeezed. “I’m sorry, not only for Danita but for you too.”
Griffin had confided in Declan that Danita was his mate, but so far, he’d been unable to get much of a response out of her. He’d decided not to push her since she was dealing with one tragedy after another.
They headed to the elevator, ready to tackle the day. Griffin needed to come up with a plan to find Wendy soon or Danita might never recover.
Chapter Three
Danita shouldn’t be nervous that Griffin was stopping over tonight, but she was. He’d called earlier to say he wanted to come by to make sure she was doing okay. Physically, she’d healed from the wolf attack, and while she should tell him not to bother looking in on her, she couldn’t bring herself to do it. Being around Griffin brought her comfort.
But just like the last few times he’d stopped over, she would tell him everything was fine, and yet somehow he’d worm it out of her that she really wasn’t as good as she claimed. He was well aware of just how much her cousin’s disappearance was weighing on her.
The problem with tonight’s visit was that she was determined to find a way to locate her cousin, and Griffin would not be pleased with her decision to meddle. For her own mental health, she wanted to be a participant instead of merely watching on the sideline. He’d balk at the idea for sure that she wanted to help, which meant she might have to demonstrate a few of her white lighter talents—or maybe they were now dark lighter talents—to prove to him that she was capable of handling herself.
At least when Griffin came over, her white light seemed to shine brighter. It was almost as if she was feeding off of him, drawing out his goodness and taking it for her own. She always worried that she might be affecting him in some negative way, and the last thing she wanted was for her darkness to harm him.
Someone knocked on her apartment door, and she jumped. Jeez. It was only Griffin—or so she hoped. In her old apartment—before she’d been evicted for not paying her rent—she’d had a peephole and a security chain. This dump was lucky it had a door that closed. Griffin had offered many times to find her a better place to live—and even said he’d pay for it—but Danita didn’t want to be more beholden to him than she already was. Griffin had then offered to find her a job at SinCas, but she didn’t want the charity. She had her pride.
“Who is it?” she asked.
“Griffin.”
Her heart sped up until she forced it to calm. Getting her hopes up that they could ever be a couple was juvenile. The two of them couldn’t be any more different. She was a white lighter—okay, her time of being able to claim she was one was becoming more suspect with each passing day. Griffin, on the other hand, was this bigger-than-life dragon shifter whose family practically ruled Avonbelle Province. Ever since her escape from the Royal dungeon, she’d only managed to snag a job with a temp agency; hence the reason for living in a dump in the poor end of town. Who would want a woman who had been captured, tortured, and basically had emotional issues?
Griffin Caspian was rich and gorgeous as well as successful. Danita was rather plain, poor, and a failure. Her powers might have returned after his family had sprung her from prison, but the quality and purity of her powers remained suspect.
He’s waiting!
Danita pulled open the door and stared—like she often did when she hadn’t seen him in a while. Not only was Griffin over six feet five, his muscles had muscles. He’d admitted that working out in the gym was his way of coping with anxious times, but he claimed he didn’t focus on building body mass. It just happened.
She thought it cute that his brows were in a perpetual frown, but it was his full lips that were made for kissing that really made her hot. If nothing else, Danita was a pragmatist. Not only was this man way out of her league, but she was too messed up to be thinking about being with anyone—especially a Caspian.
“Hi. Ah, come in.”
Why did she become tongue-tied whenever this man came near?
“Hey.” He breezed past her, not even studying her this time like he usually did.
She touched his arm to turn him around, but the moment her fingers came in contact with him, her body ignited. Thankfully, a swirl of white light surged, rather than something darker. “Is everything okay?” she asked.
He faced her. “Sort of.”
Oh crap. “Did you learn something about Wendy?”
“Wendy? No. This is about those men you helped us locate.”
About five months ago, she’d given Griffin and his family a few helpful hints that led them to finding Sanditra—the dark lighter bitch who had nearly destroyed her. That had given them the clue they needed to find ten shifters who’d been held captive in a hidden cave. “What about them?”
Griffin looked around. “I could really use a drink. Would you mind if we head on over to The Wing’s Bar where we can talk?”
Danita preferred not being in public. People made her jittery, but he seemed ill at ease at her place, and she couldn’t blame him. “Sure.”
His brief smile made his face come to life. “Great. Do you want to fly or go by car?” he asked.
Being held in his claws would be too claustrophobic. “Given the choice, I’d prefer not to use your mode of transportation.” Yes, he’d carried her after her wolf attack, but she remembered none of it.
He held up a hand. “I’m sorry. I forgot. If I’d been held prisoner, I’d not want to be in anyone’s clasp either.”
Shit. She’d hurt his feelings, but he did seem to understand. “Let me get my purse.”
As soon as she returned with it, Griffin held out his hand for her car keys. She was sure it was because he liked the control, but Danita didn’t mind. In fact, she liked having a man take over. Not having to drive gave her more opportunity to keep an eye on the side view mirror. Ever since the Royals had nabbed her, she still feared they would try again. Not to mention, whoever had taken her cousin might come after her too. That was irrational thinking, but Danita couldn’t help it.
Thankfully, they arrived at the Wing’s Bar in no time. Just as they drew near, someone pulled out of a space in front, and he slid in. Griffin was lucky like that.
He’d asked her to wait for him to open her door, but that only made her more paranoid. He must suspect her life could still be in danger. It didn’t seem to matter that Sanditra was now dead.
Her door opened, and he held out his hand to help her out. This time when their fingers touched, she swore his heat shot straight up her arm and pierced her heart. What was wrong with her? Sure, Griffin was hot, intelligent, and intense, but he was also brooding and rather over-the-top protective. Despite his shortcomings, she desired him. Acting on those urges however was something she wouldn’t do. Griffin deserved a lot better.
Inside Wings, the noise was surprisingly tolerable. The place smelled of both sweet and tangy beer, and the fairly lively music helped take her mind off being in a public place.
Griffin pressed his palm against her back, once more making her hyper-aware of him. “Let’s sit in a booth over there.” He nodded to a seat in the corner.
Once they were settled, his cousin Finn came over. His mate had mentioned that Finn bartended there four nights a week.
“Fancy seeing you here, Griff.” Finn faced her. “Danita. I’m sorry about the Changeling attack. How are you feeling?”
Griffin gave Finn the stink eye. She looked over at Griffin. “It’s okay. I know your family is aware of what happened, and that they are responsible for taking down the red-eyed devil.”
“Sorry,” Finn said. “You look good.”
She smiled. “Thanks.”
“What can I get you two?”
Griffin looked over at her, his brows raised. “I’ll have a glass of white wine, please,” she said. Danita wasn’t really in the mood to drink, but she needed the courage to talk to Griffin about finding her cousin.
“An Answalt,” Griffin said. Once Finn disappeared, Griffin faced her and inhaled. “I have a favor to ask.”
That wasn’t what she expected him to say. “What’s that?”
“I received some information today about a possible lead on the man responsible for kidnapping the ten shifters.”
“That is good news. Did one of the men remember something?”
He shook his head. “I actually spoke with a few of them last week. None of them have remembered what happened even after all this time.
They said it’s like they are still in a fog.”
“A fog? As in a spell is still controlling them?”
“Maybe. One of the men said it was like he’d had his memory erased, and his reason for existing seems to have been damaged.”
She shook her head. “I didn’t experience anything like that when I was under Sanditra’s spell.”
Griffin blew out a breath. “I’m happy to hear that. I was actually hoping you knew of a spell that could return them to normal.”
“I do have talents, but mine aren’t that kind. My range of spells are rather specific. Have you asked Angelique to see if she knows of anyone who can perform something like that?”
“No, but I can contact her.” Griffin flashed her another smile, and her pulse beat wildly.
Finn came over with their drinks. “Just holler if you need a refill.” He placed her wine in front of her and Griffin’s beer in front of him, before rushing back to the bar.
“The captured men have no idea who took them then?” she asked.
With the kidnappers dead or in custody, together with the fact the captured shifters were all men, Danita had no reason to believe Wendy met with the same fate, but she wanted to leave no stone unturned.
“No, but the man who helped kidnap them talked today.”
She lifted her wine glass with both hands. “What did he say?” Danita was pleased her tone remained fairly calm. Inside, a swell of darkness was swirling.
Griffin leaned closer. “Arthur Gonzalez claims that Gregory Malpan is the one who captured the shifters.”
“Malpan? He’s a miner, like you. What would be his end game?”
“I don’t know. All I can think of is that he is using these men as slaves in his mine. Nothing else makes sense.”
There went her theory about Wendy possibly being among them. She was a strong woman, but Danita saw no benefit in taking a female.
“I find it hard to believe that no one has leaked this horror. I have a friend who works in the Malpan mine, and he would have said something if they used slaves.”
“According to Gonzalez, Malpan has a second mine,” Griffin said.
Her pulse sped up. “Why don’t you go there and expose him then?”
Griffin tossed back a good portion of his beer. “If I knew where this mine was, I would.”
“Your family doesn’t know where all of the copper veins are located?”
He shook his head. “I wish we did. We certainly can fly around and look for activity, but no telling how long that would take.”
A crazy idea struck her. Almost giddy, Danita looked around and leaned forward. “As you know, I work for a temp agency. How about if I ask to be placed in his office? I can snoop from there.”
Griffin slapped the table, and the man in the booth behind them turned around. “Absolutely not,” he said. “It’s too dangerous.”
“It’s not like they would have me work in the mines.”
His eyebrows rose. “You don’t know that.”
Her stomach flipped. “What aren’t you telling me?” He better not be withholding information about Wendy.
“Nothing, but anyone who would capture people and then use a dark lighter to make them forget things, isn’t someone you want to be around.”
She’d expected he’d say something like that. “It’s not like I’m without my own talents to protect myself.”
“Are you saying you have some hidden ability to take down an army? Because anything less than that could get you killed.”
Griffin was being ridiculous. “No, but I can do spells.”
“Will your spell make Malpan tell you where this mine is hidden?”
She’d never tried to make anyone tell the truth before. “Probably not.”
“Even you have to admit that it wouldn’t be safe for you if he catches you asking too many questions.”
She supposed it wouldn’t be terrible to show Griffin what she was capable of. “I’d be safe.”
“Like you were against that Changeling?”
“I was attacked from behind. I didn’t have time to do any spell.”
“Malpan may do the same.”
She huffed. “I’ll be super careful. Are you certain that Malpan is guilty?”
Griffin glanced away. “No, I’m not. I do believe the underling who took these shifters believed he was telling the truth when he said Malpan was in charge.”
“Malpan could be guilty, or this man was just trying to get something from you.”
“Damn. You might be right.” His top lip curled. “I wanted the bastard who did this worse than anything, which meant I might have been desperate for a name.” He grunted. “Enslaving someone is as bad as torture.”
“How true.” She knew first-hand about both. Needing a moment to compose herself, Danita closed her eyes and pictured everything around her moving in slow motion. After she opened them, she waved her hand and focused intensely. To her delight, everything came to a near stop—including Griffin whose hand was half raised. The noise in the room dropped close to silence, and the beer someone was pouring at a table nearby slowed to a trickle.
To prove that she could escape unnoticed, Danita grabbed her purse, slipped out of the booth, and left.
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