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  Jace nodded. “Yep. Kinda tough for a fourteen-foot dragon not to stick out in the crowd.”

  Automatically, Dana’s attention lifted to the ceiling. Okay, he hadn’t been exaggerating about damaging the roof. “Man, you guys must have ginormous houses.”

  A chuckle broke from Aiden. “We limit our Drakoni forms for the outdoors.”

  “Smart thinking.” Dana fiddled with a stray lock of hair that’d escaped her scrunchie. “Next question—what are you doing here? With me, I mean.”

  Aiden stepped beside Jace. “I told you. You’re our sacrifice.”

  “What?” Emmaline shrieked.

  They all turned to stare at Dana’s aunt. The color slowly leached from her skin again. “Are you saying you’re going to eat her?”

  “Well, not necessarily in the way you’re thinking.” A wicked grin stretched Jace’s mouth. Aiden punched him hard enough in the arm he stumbled sideways.

  “What my brother means is she’s not that kind of sacrifice.”

  “All right, then what kind is she?” Emmaline demanded.

  The flush that raced over Aiden’s cheekbones was downright adorable. “Uh…it’s probably best if we don’t go into the nitty-gritty details. I wouldn’t want to embarrass you.”

  Enlightenment replaced Emmaline’s scowl. “Sex? Is that what this is about? Jeez Louise, I’m not a nervous virgin who’ll fall into vapors at mere mention of the word.” She suddenly frowned. “Come to think of it, Dana isn’t exactly a virgin either. Isn’t she supposed to be untouched in order to be placed on the sacrificial chopping block? She’s had her fair share of lovers. Not an outrageous amount or anything, but let’s just say the girl’s no longer pure as driven snow. Maybe she’s not exactly tarnished as the mucky black stuff you see piled on the side of the—”

  “Okay, you’ve officially clobbered that simile and it’s now whimpering for mercy.” Dana didn’t know whether to hug her aunt or throttle her. On one hand, it was darned sweet that Emmaline was fishing for a way to save Dana from becoming the sacrificial offering. On the other hand, it was rather mortifying to have her sex life up for debate.

  “Virginity isn’t a requirement,” Aiden said, his strained voice breaking through Dana’s internal grumblings.

  “Besides, do you have any idea how hard it is to find a virgin these days?” Jace’s smile turned teasing. “We’d have better luck finding the Easter Bunny.”

  Dana dug her fingers into her temples. “Don’t tell me it exists too?”

  “Don’t know. But I sure do love me some rabbit.” Smacking his lips, Jace rubbed his stomach.

  “That is really warped.” Despite the weirdness of everything, Dana couldn’t help her chuckle from joining Jace’s full-scale belly laugh. Once the hilarity passed, the seriousness of the situation returned and she shoved her hands against her lap, twisting her fingers together nervously. “I’m still not clear on this whole sacrifice thing. You want me to have sex with one of you—why?”

  The now all-too-familiar silent communication passed between Aiden and Jace, earning an exasperated groan from Dana. “Would you quit that and just spit it out already?”

  “Fine, you want blunt?” Aiden, his jaw hard as stone, pinned her with a stare that sizzled. “You’re not having sex with one of us. We’re a package deal.”

  Chapter Six

  “Oh my Lord.” Every inch of Emmaline’s exposed skin turned the same color as an overripe tomato. “Maybe I am too old to hear about kinky dragon rituals.”

  “I warned you,” Aiden muttered. He glanced at Dana and found her wearing an expression like she’d spotted a semi truck hurtling straight for her at one hundred and twenty miles per hour. “As for the why—it dates back to a pact that was drawn up almost nine centuries ago between the ruling dragons and the neighboring village. In return for a human sacrifice, the Drakoni promised not to ignite their homes.” He winced. “My ancestors were sort of pyromaniacs.”

  Dana sped up the circles she was massaging into her temples. “What exactly does any of that have to do with the here and now?”

  “Tradition is important to the Drakoni, which is why every two to three hundred years a pool of candidates is chosen for sacrifice and contracts drawn up.”

  Dana stopped drawing figure eights into her temple and gaped at him. “Pool?”

  Jesus, he hated being the one forced to explain it to her. Everything about the damn custom was distasteful. Archaic. Everything he stood against in his quest to make his clan embrace the twenty-first century. Shit, at the rate they were going, the Drakoni might successfully join the rest of civilization right around the same time dinosaurs re-inhabited the earth.

  Dana continued staring at him, patiently awaiting answers. With great force of will, he unclenched his jaw. “Several centuries ago the Drakoni realized the wisdom in creating a pool of potential candidates rather than relying on a solitary sacrifice.” He offered a half shrug when her forehead wrinkled in confusion. “People get married, have children. Model the latest in sheet-metal fashion during a lightning storm. Always a good idea to have a backup plan.”

  He detected the gleam of consideration in her eyes. “It’s too late for you to get married or have children. And I don’t advise trying the last option.”

  Her shoulders visibly sagged in tandem with her long sigh. “Right. So how exactly did I luck out and end up in the pool, if you don’t mind my asking?”

  “Your birth coincided with one of the years they sought candidates, during the full talon moon.” He met Dana’s puzzled look and hurried to explain the significance of something he knew would probably make no sense to her. Hell, many of the Drakoni traditions made no sense to him. Most of them were passed down from generation to generation solely in hopes of persuading the younger dragons to toe the line. “It’s a sacred moon phase to my kind. Trust me, you won’t find reference to it in any astronomy books. Drakoni representatives were dispatched to various hospitals throughout the country and given the task of convincing the parents of any females born that night to sign the sacrificial contract.”

  A spark of triumph flashed in Dana’s green irises. “Ah-ha! I knew there had to be a mix-up. No way would my father have willingly signed me away to a bunch of dragons.”

  A blanket of weary frustration settled over Aiden, and he cursed the council all over again for putting him in this unenviable position. “Dana, you don’t understand. Your father wouldn’t have been given a choice. The representatives would have seen to that. Much like our predecessors, the old guard Drakoni weren’t opposed to using intimidation and threats to get what they wanted. Most of the parents went along with it, naturally, and quickly learned that going to the authorities would earn them nothing but a trip to the local shrink.”

  Emmaline gasped. Aiden jerked his head in the older woman’s direction and noticed she’d pressed her trembling fingers against her lips.

  “What is it?” Dana pushed off the overstuffed arm of the sofa.

  “Nothing. Just a Charlie horse in my leg.” Emmaline smiled reassuringly but Aiden didn’t fail to notice the slight tremor at the corner of her mouth.

  “Take a load off. You’ve been on your feet too much today.” Dana patted the couch cushion, apparently not picking up on the anxiety wafting from her aunt. Emmaline’s gaze shifted in Aiden’s direction before she dutifully obeyed her niece’s request. Yep, she was definitely hiding something.

  “I still find it hard to believe my father would have agreed to any of this.”

  Aiden sucked in a deep breath. If she wanted proof, he could oblige. “We brought along a copy of the contract.”

  “I’ll get it,” Jace offered, striding to the door.

  In the wake of his brother’s departure, a strained silence filled the small office. It didn’t help that Dana and her aunt kept a wary eye on him the entire time. Yeah, nothing like being the solitary dragon in the room. Finally Jace returned and handed the sheaf of papers to Dana. Her gaze fell to the name scrawl
ed at the bottom of the top page and she went still, her breathing seeming to cease.

  Emmaline rubbed Dana’s back. “Hon, you know your father didn’t willingly sign that. Like Aiden said, your pops was forced into it.”

  Dana released her breath in a rush, her uncertainty vanishing. “You’re right. I just wasn’t expecting…” Worrying her bottom lip between her teeth, she shook her head and scanned the remainder of the document. “Other than the basics—like my personal info and the word sacrifice—I don’t understand most of this.”

  “A lot of it is archaic terminology. That’s the problem with relying on a nine-hundred-year-old scroll,” Aiden said dryly.

  Dana fidgeted with the corners of the contract. “I guess my main concern now is do I need to worry about your relatives torching my aunt’s restaurant if I don’t agree to sacrifice myself?”

  When it came to the council, he didn’t know what to expect. “I wouldn’t rule out the possibility.”

  “Great.” Dana let go of the papers and they plummeted to the floor. She clasped her knees tight enough her knuckles whitened. “So I have sex. With you both. Then we go along our merry ways?”

  “Not exactly.” He saw no way to avoid killing the spark of hope in her expression. “Next Sunday marks the first phase of the Talon Moon. That night, Jace and I will claim you. Completely. Bindingly.”

  The muscles in Dana’s graceful neck worked as she swallowed hard. “What are you saying?”

  “You’ll belong to us. For as long as you live.”

  Dana surged to her feet, her eyes snapping fire. “That sounds an awful lot like slavery.”

  Aiden gusted a weary exhale. “More or less.”

  “Well screw that. I’m not going to be the live version of a blow-up doll the two of you will pass back and forth whenever you’re horny!”

  Jace cleared his throat. “It’s not like we’d only be using you for sex.”

  Her face livid, Dana swung on Jace. “Let me guess—I’d also get the honor of doing your laundry and scrubbing your toilets. Wow, I should probably bow and kiss your feet for such a privilege.”

  “Good going,” Aiden growled beneath his breath to Jace. He schooled his features into a less threatening mask before facing Dana again. “You don’t have to decide now. There’s almost eight days to make up your mind.” That gave him and Jace a little over a week to persuade her to accept the claiming. In whatever way it took.

  “Gee, that really takes the pressure off.” Dividing a hot glare between him and Jace, she stalked from the office.

  In the wake of Dana’s departure, a tense silence descended on the room. Emmaline broke the mood by plopping onto the sofa with a groan. “All these years I thought my poor brother was suffering delusions caused from the trauma of losing his wife.”

  Aiden narrowed his gaze on the woman. “When I was explaining the candidate pool earlier you looked like someone walked over your grave.”

  “I was reliving a memory. One that’s going to haunt the rest of my days.” Emmaline pinched the bridge of her nose. “I always wondered if I somehow betrayed my brother by allowing the hospital to forcibly admit him into the psychiatric ward. Now I know I did.”

  A heavy weight anchored in Aiden’s chest. “Let me guess. Your brother suddenly started ranting about dragons wanting to take his baby?”

  Emmaline brushed a tear from her cheek and nodded.

  “It isn’t your fault. You reacted as anyone would.”

  She stared at him, her expression doubtful. “I should have believed him. Especially after he joined the hunters.”

  A shiver of dread raced along Aiden’s spine and crawled inside his head, unfurling into an unpleasant realization that refused to go ignored.

  Dana’s father didn’t become a hunter because he was crazy. He became one to protect his daughter.

  From me.

  Chapter Seven

  The remaining five hours of Dana’s shift passed in a haze. Somehow she managed to keep her orders straight and even smiled for the customers. In other words, she pretended her life hadn’t just imploded. Her steps sluggish as a zombie’s, she trudged into Emmaline’s office and grabbed her Renaissance costume from the locker. Draping the dress over her arm, she listened to Emmaline’s sneakers squeaking along the hall. A second later, her aunt shuffled inside the office.

  “Hon, I don’t want you sacrificing yourself for me or this restaurant. It’s not right.”

  “Could we not talk about this?” Dana released a heavy exhale when Emmaline planted her hands on her hips, her typical prelude to an argument. “Please? Right now all I want to do is go home and soak my aching head in a hot shower.”

  Emmaline’s chin lost its stubborn tilt. “Okay. But don’t do anything foolish until we’ve had a chance to discuss everything.”

  “What—you mean like tying myself to a sacrificial altar?” Although she’d said it in jest, her mind immediately conjured the image from her painting and the host of dreams responsible for its inspiration. Oh my God. Had she somehow known?

  The pounding behind her skull increased and she pushed aside all the thoughts making her head spin. Which pretty much left her with little else to concentrate on. Okay, the hot shower. Yeah, that was a dreamy prospect she could focus on. Hugging the dress against her chest, she pecked Emmaline on the cheek. “Don’t worry, I’m not doing anything rash. I’ll call you tomorrow, ’kay?”

  “You better.”

  Leaving her grumbling aunt behind, Dana took the back hallway. POC was waiting in the parking lot. Unfortunately, so were Aiden and Jace. After sending them both a hard glare, she fished in the pocket of her wench dress for her keys.

  “You should have your keys ready in your hand before you leave a building.” His face tight, Aiden fell in step beside her. Jace took up position on her other side.

  She was well aware of the precautions a single woman alone needed to take. So acknowledging she’d made a major snafu just now really irked. Rather than sharing the admission with Aiden or Jace, she decided to stick with the surly route. “Don’t tell me you’ve spent the last five hours out here?”

  Aiden slowed his pace to match hers. “Other than the forty minutes we racked up at the sporting goods store at the mall, yes. You’re our responsibility. We’ll stick around however long is necessary in order to ensure your safety.”

  His pronouncement was like a matador’s red flag waved in front of a snorting bull. She slammed to a halt, anger buzzing in her head. “I am not your responsibility.” No way in hell would she be yet another charity on someone’s list.

  “Yes, you are.” Aiden calmly plucked the keys from her hand. “Which vehicle is yours?”

  “What do you think you’re doing? Give those back.”

  “I will as soon as you point out your car.”

  She could either argue with him all night or give in and be one step closer to a nice, hot shower and her comfy pajamas. The hot shower won out. “That’s POC over there, by the red convertible.”

  “POC?” Jace asked.

  “It stands for piece o’ crap.”

  Both men choked on a laugh. She tried grabbing for her keys but Aiden held them out of reach.

  “Hey, I told you what you wanted to know. Now hand them over.”

  “I will. Just as soon as we reach your…POC.”

  “Really, that isn’t necessary.”

  “Yes, it is.”

  Jeez, he was single-minded. And bossy. “Look, I’m sure you’re used to women falling all over themselves to do your bidding, but you’re in for a rude awakening where I’m concerned. See, I actually have a mind of my own, and I’m not afraid to use it.”

  Rather than looking irritated or offended, Aiden actually grinned. “Yeah, I noticed.”

  Okay, it was seriously annoying how doubly gorgeous he was when he smiled. Kind of hard to remember all the reasons she shouldn’t like him.

  Oh, right. He enjoyed running roughshod on her. And don’t forget the whole sa
crifice thing. That alone sufficed as the mother of all reasons. “Fine, you can escort me to my car. But that’s it, understood?”

  “We’re also following you home.”

  The angry bees swarming in her head went into attack mode. “There is no way in hell I’m going along with that. Forget it.”

  “Dana, it’s our duty. As our intended sacrifice, we’re sworn to protect you.”

  She narrowed her eyes at Aiden. “That’s hilarious. From where I’m standing, the only ones I need protection from are the two of you.”

  Aiden stacked his arms over his chest. “What about the guy I pulled off of you this afternoon?”

  “Who, Calvin? He hasn’t stalked me at my house in over a week.” The second the words left her mouth, Dana wished she could reel them back.

  “He’s been to your house?” The growl Aiden emitted seemed to come all the way from his toes.

  “Only the one time. He took off pretty fast after I pointed my dad’s old Remington at him.”

  “You know how to shoot a rifle?” Admiration underscored Jace’s question.

  “Sure. My dad taught me how to shoot when I was old enough to pull a trigger.” Just thinking about her father made her teary. In the twelve years he’d been gone, the pain of losing him hadn’t vanished. She sniffled, hoping Aiden and Jace wouldn’t notice. “My dad was a big-time hunter. He was going to take me out with him, but he never got the chance.”

  Aiden and Jace wore identical expressions of horror. Jace was the first to break the odd silence that’d fallen over them. “Your dad planned on taking you…hunting?”

  “I know it isn’t your typical father-daughter pastime, but I didn’t care. It was great just getting to spend a day shooting pop cans off our split-rail fence together.” She glared when Aiden’s mouth twitched. “So help me, if you’re even thinking the word hillbilly, you’re going to regret it.”