Page 31 of Second Shooter

Win looked to Wellyn. She shrugged. “Okay.”

She went to Atil and slid her hand up his chest, touching his neck and pulling him down to her. For her, the kiss was varying degrees of pressure. Atil gave her a spark of power, and she leaned back and nodded.

“Did you feel anything?”

She shrugged. “Pressure.”

He sighed and stroked her cheek.

Wellyn touched her arm and eased her to him. She felt the warmth of his arms around her, and then he leaned in to kiss her. He passed along another spark, and she nodded as he backed away.

She sat next to the Elite’s shoulder and looked at him. She held in the power as she said, “Can you let our hosts know that I am trying this?”

Ymer said from the doorway, “We know.”

She gave him a thumbs-up and leaned to the Elite, bending in to press her lips to his for a moment before she breathed in the sparks she had taken in.

There was nothing for a moment, and then his lips moved against hers. A gentle hand held her head to his, and his eyes slowly fluttered open. When she leaned back, his swirling mercury irises took her in. “My lady. You are all grown into your power.”

“Yes, thank you. What is your name?”

“Draven. How did you wake me?”

“My other mates gave me a spark of magic to give to you. You woke up.”

“Other?” He turned his head and stiffened. “My lady, there are dark Elite here.”

“I know. I was just making out with them.” She looked at him. “Suck it up, Draven. You are out of the Stronghold now. If you want to go back, I am sure that arrangements can be made.”

She looked at him.

“They will come for me.”

“They really won’t. You are marked as mine for whatever reason, and as such, you are untouchable. If anyone from the Stronghold attacks you, they will burst into flame. Dark flame. From the feet up, they will burn by inches.”

Atil asked, “How do you do that?”

“I learned it from the shadow mages.” She smiled. “I protect what is mine, and the magic says you are mine. I just don’t know what to do with you.”

Wellyn murmured, “We can get you an educational manual if that would help.”

She looked at him. “Hah. Hah. No, my sex drive is nonexistent, and I don’t want to trap anyone into a situation like that.”

Draven slowly sat up. “What?”

“Yeah. They had to hit my system with broad-spectrum antivenin so hard that it basically killed my cycles and hormonal processes. I have no sense of taste, very little sense of smell. I am a bargain basement omega if you don’t have anyone to fight. If you need to fight someone, I can’t be beat.”

Draven smiled. “You have grown strong, little dove.”

She snorted. “Right. You are up. I don’t know what to do with you. I am assuming you can manage to keep yourself alive and comfortable.”

He nodded slowly. “I can. Your mates will take care of you?”

“I am not mate material.”

Atil said, “Let us worry about that. There are ways to help your body recover. We just have to figure out which one will work for you.”

She looked at him and shook her head.

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