“It’s yours?” The question was stupid. I’d subconsciously known the answer the moment the scent had filled my nostrils.
“It’s from my go-bag, in the tunnels. I assume that’s the way you came in?”
“Yup.”
“It’s not the first time you’ve seen it. Maybe you remembered it somehow?”
“I didn’t. I don’t remember anything. I just stumbled upon it. I was freezing, and I think it was self-preservation more than anything else.” I shrugged out of the jacket and handed it back to him. His mouth twisted into a frown before his eyes dipped to the corset top of my dress, the laces loose and my boobs practically spilling out. A low growl vibrated his throat and I felt it—deep inside me, as if the deep rumble had come from my insides.
I crossed my arms over my chest and hugged my middle. I needed out of this dress ASAP.
He must have noticed my discomfort because he averted his gaze to the floor as we continued walking. He led me up a winding staircase to the second floor where the obsidian walls continued, but the air was definitely less institutional. No neon lights or barred doors.
We finally stopped in front of a thick oak door. A gold plaque across the top read Warden Logan Campbell. A flicker of recognition crept across my mind before a pang of pain jolted through my skull. I cursed myself for the tenth time for not thinking to bring the healer’s potion. Maybe there was someone here that could help—but as a prisoner, would I be allotted such luxuries?
Talon reached for the door, but my hand slapped his away from the knob. The faint touch sent heat spiraling through my core. I shoved it down and focused on the towering man beside me. “Did I escape? Am I going to be punished now?”
A hint of sadness crept across his handsome face before he shook his head. “No, Azara. You didn’t do anything wrong. It was my fault you ended up in the Underworld with Thax.” He raked his fingers through his hair, mussing up the ends. “I don’t know where to start. There’s so much to catch you up on. I’m hoping Logan can help.”
I ticked my head at the gilded sign. “The warden?”
“He’s a family friend, Azara. I hope that seeing him will jog your memories.” He paused and drew in a breath. “You really don’t remember anything?”
“Nothing before a week ago. Before that, I only know what Thax told me, and the more I’m learning, the more I’m certain they were all lies.”
Talon’s jaw clenched, and silver flames danced across his blazing irises. “Your cousin kidnapped you. He stole you right from under my nose and dragged you down to the Underworld. He’s held you captive for three months, and I’m certain he’s done something to make you forget m—everything.”
The door whipped open, cutting off our conversation and a man filled the large doorway. “Azara?” His eyes were shiny, the light gray hue similar to the dragon’s but without the blazing intensity. He reached for me, catching me off guard and pulled me into his rock-hard chest.
I squirmed against him for a moment, but he held me in place. It was like being hugged by the side of a mountain. He finally released his hold and held me out to arm’s length. “Oh gods, Azara, I was so scared I’d never see you again.”
“How do you know me exactly?” It was a pretty odd way for an inmate to be treated by a warden.
Talon huffed out a breath. “Dammit,” he muttered.
Logan extended his hand, and I let him take mine. He ushered me inside his office, and the moment I crossed the threshold, a surge of power ignited in my gut. My she-demon flared to life and snuck her way to the surface. No anti-magic wards in here?
“Tell me everything,” said the warden as he escorted me to a supple leather couch and sat beside me.
Talon folded his massive body into a chair across from us, his scrutinizing gaze never deviating from my own.
I sank into the soft sofa, and a sigh immediately slipped out. After the freezing trudge across Draeko, it felt like heaven.
“She doesn’t remember anything before a week ago,” Talon interjected. “According to Delacroix, she freed a demon from Thax’s castle in exchange for a ticket into the prison.”
“Yup, that about sums it up.”
“How did you know to come here?” Logan asked.
My eyes flickered to the gorgeous dragon across the table. It was him. I couldn’t get him out of my mind. Would I admit that? Of course not.
I shrugged. “I just had a weird feeling.”
Talon turned to Logan, an indecipherable look clouding his eyes. “Now what?”
“I don’t know. We can’t keep her hidden in here forever. The director will eventually find out somehow.”
“The director?” I asked.
“Of the SIA—the Supernatural Intelligence Agency.” Logan turned to me, his expression suddenly serious. “You said you remember the last week, so you’re aware of the few dozen supernatural souls you consumed?”
Few dozen? I could only clearly remember a handful. “Is that a problem?”
Both men exchanged a worried glance. “It is in the eyes of the SIA,” answered Logan.
“You knowingly took supe lives?” Talon’s eyes widened as if I’d done something truly despicable.
Tell them you had every right to, Azara. Don’t let these men control us. My inner demon surged closer to the surface, begging to be released. “I’m an animas demon,” I repeated. “And most were willing donors.”
Talon scoffed and rose to his feet, throwing his hands in the air. “I doubt that.”
I jumped up and leapt across the table, my demon taking the reins. “What would you know about it, dragon?” I hissed. My hands clamped around his neck as hunger snaked through my insides. It had been too long since my last meal.
My lips drew closer and to my surprise he didn’t hedge away. On the contrary, he met my dark gaze and smiled. “You’ll like it, you’ll see. They all do.” I inched closer and inhaled. His mouth closed over mine, and his tongue darted inside my mouth. I was so shocked, the hunger receded, the burning urges stifled.
His hand snaked around the back of my neck as he tilted my head to deepen the kiss. I smacked my palms against his chest and pushed—for only a second, before I yielded to the maddening strokes of his tongue against mine. A slamming door barely registered in the background as he continued his assault.
A different kind of hunger ripped through me, and I threaded my fingers through the soft hairs on his nape. The move only spurred him on. His hands moved down my hips and clutched the back of my thighs. He wrapped my legs around his torso and staggered forward until my back hit the wall.
The full length of his hard body pressed against mine, and I was trapped. My she-demon reveled at his touch, heat roaring through my insides. I wanted this man, and not just for his powerful soul. I wanted his body. The carnal urges surged inside me, like nothing I’d felt since waking.
I reached for his zipper and yanked. The gray jumpsuit fell to his waist, revealing a silver dragon tattoo. I couldn’t keep my hands from running across the hard planes of his chest and torso. His dragon wriggled beneath my touch, the scintillating scales dancing with life. I dipped my fingers below the waistband of his jumpsuit, and he groaned against my lips.