Page 3 of Lycan and Lark
When he continued his wordless torture, she tentatively began to push against his hold, moving her hands closer to his hood. He held her wrists tightly for another moment, then slowly loosened his grip.
Her hands trembled as they ghosted over the dark fabric. She took a last steadying breath, and then pushed the hood back. She released a surprised gasp as the cloth fell away from his face. A shock of pale, snowy hair was styled messily atop his head. Her gaze moved down to his eyes and she became completely transfixed. One eye was a soft lavender and the other an emerald green. Wait, one was a deep amber and the other an icy blue. Now they had shifted to a silky brown and a vibrant gold.
They continued to change. Each eye was always unique, with the two never matching each other. He had a straight symmetrical nose and sharp, shapely lips. A slight shimmer pulled her gaze to a deep scar that ran from his left temple all the way to the corner of his mouth. What had made such a horrible scar on such a beautiful face? She reached out a hand to touch it but he flinched away. The movement stung and her wolf growled within.Mine.
She gasped and his eyes went wide. Did he know? Had he felt it too?
Her heart thundered in her chest. This man couldn’t be her mate. He was with Creedin. He was dangerous, evil. Her wolf paced beneath the surface, scenting the air and taking in the mysterious man’s aura. She didn’t sense darkness within him. He had none of the telltale signs of the other Collectors. His skin wasn’t rotted, and his eyes didn’t possess that sickly, vacant white. But surely he had done terrible things at Creedin’s command. The thought of his past sent a shiver through her.
Aria took a step away to put some space between them. His color-changing eyes were trained on her and she wished she knew what he was thinking. Confusion swirled inside her at the overwhelming and highly conflicting feelings within.
“What’s your name?” she asked, reticently.
The man stood statuesque. The only movement in the dark room came from the colorful glow of his ever-shifting irises.
“Lark.” The single word rolled out of his mouth and skimmed across her skin like a lover’s touch.Lark.The name wrapped itself around her heart and blood rushed to her cheeks as her pulse quickened. “And you?” His fierce gaze drove into her. She stared up at him, feeling his presence swarm around her.
Why did she find it suddenly so hard to speak?
He took a step toward her. Aria’s urge to step back was strong, but her feet remained rooted to the floor. He reached out a hand and pushed a strand of her long dark hair out of her face. She sucked in a breath when his fingertips brushed across her cheek. Electricity danced across her skin at his touch.
“Tell me.” His voice was soft and hypnotic.
Her lips finally parted and she gave him a breathy, “Aria.”
* * *
Aria.The name sent a thrill thrumming through his veins. He hadn’t really needed to ask. He had heard the word in her mind the moment he had asked the question. But the way it fell from her lush lips made him groan within. The woman standing before him was the most perfect specimen he had ever laid eyes on. Deep sapphire eyes sparkled curiously up at him. Her skin was smooth and a smattering of freckles dotted her nose and cheeks. A small nose led down to that plump, pink mouth. He ached to touch it, to taste it. Aria had deep brown hair that tumbled well past her shoulders. She was small, but he could tell there was strength in her petite, fit frame. Full breasts pressed at the fabric of her dress, and led down to a tapered waist. The slit in her dress revealed toned legs. The muscles flexed as she shifted uncomfortably in her heels.
His gaze raked over every inch of her and when his eyes met hers again, there was a rush of blood that colored her cheeks. He knew she was thinking about him. He listened as she wondered what he looked like beneath his cloak. Her mind quickly shifted as she chastised herself for the inappropriate train of thought. He smiled to himself. He wanted to know those things about her too. She noticed the gesture and frowned.
“What are you smiling at?” She planted her hands on her hips and glared up at him. His silent observations had clearly made her uncomfortable and her defenses were up again. He couldn’t help it. He wasn’t used to conversation.
He cleared his throat to speak, but a sharp tingling in the back of his skull told him Creedin was summoning him back. A flicker of fear shot through him. Creedin had sent him to capture Nova. But when he’d sensed Aria’s presence, he had gone to her out of instinct. It was a rash decision that he would no doubt suffer for later.
“Creedin needs us.” He reached out for her and fear filled her blue eyes.
“Wait!” But he had already made contact with her skin. The cave around them vanished and they reappeared on the fringes of the battle.
* * *
“This fruitless battle ends now.” Creedin’s voice echoed across the chaos below. Lark held Aria tightly in front of him as he stood side by side with Creedin and his lackey. The piles of bodies beneath their feet raised them high above the others. Aria’s thoughts were muddled and confused. Lark sensed her fear as he maneuvered a long silver blade at the front of her throat.
On the ground below, the Alpha shifted back to his human form. He stood naked and fuming. Even Lark’s broken wolf could sense the raw power pressing out from Gideon and into the air around the others. He continued to glare with eyes as brilliantly blue as Aria’s.Brother?He heard Aria silently call for him, pleading for his help. Her wolf was sending out distress signals, too.
Gideon took several purposeful steps forward, but then Creedin’s words halted him.
“Uh uh uh, Alpha. Each step you take brings your precious sister closer to death.” Creedin snapped his fingers and Lark knew he wanted a display of power. The blade in Lark’s hand moved a fraction closer to Aria’s pale throat. When he hesitated, Creedin turned on him. Anger burned wildly in his eyes and it caused Lark’s heart to hammer against his lungs. If Creedin found out he cared for Aria, she would be in even more danger.
Creedin’s fingers snapped again and Lark made his choice. Harm her to protect her. He pressed the long blade against the smooth flesh of Aria’s throat. Blood welled against the shining metal before trickling down Aria’s neck and chest. Every part of Lark screamed for him to stop.
A shimmering nearby caused a momentary distraction. The Veil Walker appeared, making a grab for Aria. Creedin quickly flung him from her side, sending the man crashing head first into the hard ground beneath. Lark used the moment to withdraw his blade, hovering it just above her stained skin. Thoughts of relief poured from her mind.
“Stop this!” Gideon roared. “What do you want?”
A cruel smile pulled at Creedin’s decrepit lips. “I was hoping you would ask. I do believe it should be quite obvious what our desires are at this point.”
Nova’s mate growled. “You will not lay a hand on her.” The lycan tensed as he guarded Nova’s body.
