Page 10 of Dragon's Flame
Tarian blinked. He didn’t know what that was, but it didn’t sound good.
Another woman, just as drunk as the blonde, stumbled up to the door. Her gaze swept over him hungrily—until it landed on Rocky, who sat obediently at his feet.
“Sarah, strippers don’t bring dogs,” the new woman said, her words slurred.
“Maybe the dog does tricks?” Sarah offered, her brow still furrowed as if trying to connect stray memories.
“Who’re you here with?” she finally asked, her voice tinged with suspicion.
“Now? He’s with me,” the second woman declared, grabbing his arm with surprising decisiveness and hauling him inside before he could respond.
Tarian was momentarily overwhelmedthe moment he stepped inside.
The music was loud and heavy with bass, vibrating through the floor. The lights were low, casting strange shadows, and the air carried the unmistakable scent of something pungently herbal.
The temptation to unleash his magic and find Seris here, now, was immense. But he kept himself under control.
Barely.
The woman at his side pressed a cold bottle into his hand. “So, how do you know Chelly? I thought I knew all her friends!”
“Is this the girl?” Rocky asked, bouncing excitedly at his feet, ready to claim his place as dog-king.
“No,” Tarian said quietly, his voice meant only for the dog. “Mine has warm skin, warm eyes, brown hair, and she carries the scent of orange blossoms.”
“Got it!” Rocky barked, then zipped off into the crowd without hesitation.
The woman frowned. “You want orange beer? We don’t have any Blue Moon.”
“I do not want beer,” Tarian said, though he absently took a sip of the one in his hand, scanning the room from his greater height.
Several people were already staring, whispering, their eyes darting toward him as if they could sense he didn’t belong.
Seris was so close. And yet, impossibly far. “Excuse me,” he said abruptly, handing the bottle back to the stranger. His chest ached with the familiar emptiness, the void only Seris could fill. He had to find her. Some part of him would never be whole again until he did.
And a furious barking erupted from the next room.
Tarian moved instinctively, following the sound, each step drawing him closer to her. He could feel her presence now, a pull deep within his soul.
His pulse quickened as he turned the corner, bracing himself for their reunion. Surely now she would see him, know him, and everything would fall into place.
But she didn’t.
Rocky had her cornered—and she didn’t even realize it.
Because she was too busy being kissed against the wall by another man.
The world around Tarian went still. The music dulled, the shadows pressed closer, and all he could see was her. His Seris. Here. Alive. With someone else’s lips on hers.
Tarian crossed the room in a single breath, his hand closing around the man and barely stopping himself from launching him through a nearby window.
“Hey, man!” the kisser protested, stumbling back as Tarian released him.
The kissee was definitely Seris.
She wasn’t as drunk as her friend, and the second her eyes landed on him, recognition flared. Not from her past, but from earlier today.
“How the fuck did you get in here?” she demanded.
