Chapter 17

**Nova**


A small humming of energy has been vibrating through me since that moment in the bar with Chase. I hadn't even thought before pulling up the power that looks a lot like Charle's portal. The purple tendrils looked almost like snakes when they wrapped around my arms. The power felt like pure electricity and something dark grew with it.

A feeling that I could have easily hurt that girl if she didn't leave my mate alone. Once the feeling passes I felt a wave of intense guilt, but I wasn't going to let anyone see that. I'm sick of them seeing me break down over all this. I need to get myself together, and that means pushing things down until I can unpack them alone later.

This is my problem to deal with not theirs.

Now another woman is eyeing the rest of my mates, and that urge to protect them is scratching at me. This time I am trying to bite back all my urges to act on the annoyance building inside me. What is it with these women? Playing it off as nothing seems to be the best idea because otherwise, I would hurt the poor woman.

Being a Vampire means the urge for violence is ingrained in me but that side was controlled for so long. I feel like a bowstring pulled so tight and any small thing will set me off. We need to finish this deal and get this woman out of here.

The guys are looking over the paperwork and Asher's talk with Chase seems to have been enough. We all quickly sign the papers and hand them over to the lady standing a few feet from us. She keeps glancing at the guys but is a bit more subtle about it now. At least that's something.

"You guys are all good to go!" She says with a shaky voice. "I'll forward a copy of these forms to the email you gave me. I'll also send over any information you need to get started on construction on the property."

Yeah yeah...get moving!

"Thank you for your time and assistance," Charles says politely.

For some reason that makes the woman blush.

It's like she's never spoken to a polite guy before.

"Of course! Call me any time." She says and that is what makes me snap.

"That won't be necessary. You have done enough." I snap before I can stop myself.

A deep heat starts to build in my stomach and my eyes start to feel a little dry. I blink them a couple of times and when I focus back on the woman she looks terrified.

"I-I'm sorry." She says before scrambling to her car and climbing in like her butt is on fire.

She turns the car on and speeds off. I watch her go and my annoyance starts to simmer down and the heat inside me becomes warm and comfortable. When I turn to the guys they are watching me with various expressions.

Asher is smirking, Eli looks almost bestial, and Charles has a brow raised in interest.

"What?" I ask them.

"Little dragon," Eli grumbles before storming over to me and pulling me against his huge body.

He's so much taller than me that my feet lift from the ground before he slams his lips down on mine. That heat from a moment ago bubbles up until I feel like I'm burning all over. He hums hungrily into the kiss and I swear it feels as if my whole body becomes a single flame. My arms snake around his neck and I feel the same heat along his skin.

Suddenly the smooth feeling of his skin is replaced by something else. It still feels smooth but more like glass. Realization has me breaking the kiss and looking at him. His eyes are a heated orange and smooth scales have started breaking out along his neck and along the sides of his face. It's the most incredible thing I have ever seen.

I'm sure a lot of people would find a man with random scales breaking through his skin would look terrifying or even ugly but no. Eli looks majestic.

"Wow." Is the only word I can get out and even that is a breathy whisper.

His eyes take me in with a more predatory interest and I feel a hunger similar to what I felt with Chase starts to build. I want to kiss him more and feel all of him without the shield of clothes he's wearing.

A throat clearing snaps me out of my lusting thoughts, but Eli doesn't release me. In fact, he holds me tighter and a low growl vibrates through him.

"Shit," Asher says from somewhere I can't see. "Dragon...you need to calm down."

That was the wrong thing to say apparently because Eli's eyes swirl with anger and it seems like he grows the more angry he becomes.

"Perhaps it is best to give him some space." I hear Charles says.

He steps away and waves a hand at Asher to do the same. They think he's going to shift. I lift my hands and place them on either side of Eli's face forcing him to focus all his attention on me.

"Eli," I say his name softly and that gets his attention. "It's okay. He won't take me from you. I'm with you."

I lean in and leave a gentle kiss on his lips before pulling back and locking eyes with him again. He watches me for a long moment but I start to feel his hold on me relax. His eyes have softened and his hand slowly moves over my ribs and up until he threads his fingers through my hair. He tugs me into a deep kiss again and I'm lost.

All the sounds around me fall away and what's left is the sound of our hearts beating in tandem. I know that sounds clique but it's true. It's so loud that it feels like the sound is all around me.

Our kiss turns desperate and Eli lifts my leg to his hip. I take the hint and wrap myself around him without breaking our kiss. The hunger inside me starts to tickle at the back of my mind, but I try to push it away. I want to be present at this moment without my instincts taking over, but it has a life of their own. I feel my fangs elongate and I quickly break our kiss and try to pull away from Eli.

He's startled by my sudden actions and releases me. My feet stumble but I use that momentum to put distance between us.

"Nova?" He steps closer to me but I only take another step back.

I need to breathe.

My head throbs and something dark slips over my vision. I gasp in surprise and shake my head to try and clear my vision.

"Nova? What's happening?" The voice is muffled and sounds far away.

It's so distorted that I can't recognize who's talking to me.

Something touches me and jolt at the feeling. My skin burns from that small contact and I cry out in pain.

"Something's wrong." Another deep voice says before something powerful wraps around my body.

My body spasms and shakes but whatever it is won't release me.

I need to get away!

I'm trapped...

The fear turns into desperation and my body locks up. Images begin to flash through my mind like a grotesque movie. Every detail seems so real that it feels like I can reach out and touch the people I'm seeing. I can smell the stale air and feel the cold air being filtered into the room. Familiar faces come into view and they look worried.

What is this?

"Nova?" One of them says and I choke on a sob at the sight of my closest friend.

"I'm so sorry," I tell her but she still looks like she doesn't understand me.

"For what?" She asks, and this time she sounds so clear it's like I'm in the room with her.

I turn my head from side to side and everything looks so clear. It's as if...

I sit up and try to understand what I'm seeing. No...this can't be real...

"Adly where am I?" I ask my friend.

"In the bunk room. Are you alright?" She reaches out and brushes a strand of hair away from my face.

No...this is wrong...

"I can't be. You can't be here. This isn't real." I cover my eyes with my hands and pray for this dream to end.

She was dead. They all were...but when I lift my head and look around again everything is the same.

I'm back.

How is this possible?

"Adly. What happened?" I ask reaching out for her desperately.

She covers my hands with hers. "You blacked out during the last session. It took you a long time to wake up."

Her last words are a whisper and I see her eyes gloss over with tears.

"I was so scared."

"How long was I out?" I ask her quickly.

"Almost three days." She says and my breath leaves my lungs.

All that time with the guys...it was a dream?