Smoldering Hunger_Part 1 Read online

  He’d been hurt deeply.

  Sophie didn’t want to feel a connection to him. Ulrik wasn’t a man to be trusted—ever. He was too controlled, and entirely too handsome. Men like him were a volcano waiting to erupt.

  And when they did, they took out everyone around them.

  Unlike Darius who was more like water. Soft at times, and yet unyielding and dangerous. Why then did she want to trust him?

  She tried to keep walking, but something held her back. Sophie turned her head to Ulrik. He tilted his slightly, a question in his eyes.

  “What is it?” he asked.

  By his confused look, he had no idea of what he’d revealed. Most people wouldn’t have seen it, but Sophie knew all too well how deep the wounds of a betrayal were. Those who had those same wounds could see them in others, no matter how well hidden they might be.

  “I’m going for coffee. You’re free to walk with me,” she told him.

  His cocky grin was back in place. “While doing my best in that short time to convince you of my proposal?”

  “Yep.”

  Sophie started walking, and just as she expected, Ulrik was beside her. He held the door for her, as a perfect gentleman would. Yet there was a precarious current around him.

  It was different than what she felt with Darius. Darius was electrifying, a temptation. Being near him was heart-pounding and hazardous to her health, but exhilarating all the same.

  With Ulrik, she got the feeling that being near him almost certainly meant death. It put her on edge, making her tense and uneasy.

  With coffee in hand, they sat at an empty table. Sophie set the chart in her lap and filled her coffee with loads of cream.

  “Why did you invite me?” Ulrik asked.

  Sophie focused on fixing her coffee. “I’m not sure. You make me uncomfortable, and you know I don’t trust you.”

  “Exactly. You should be far away from me, and yet here you sit.”

  She lifted one shoulder in a shrug as she sipped her coffee. “I told you I’d listen to what you have to say. Once I decline it, you can leave.”

  “I’m more interested in why you agreed to hear me.”

  Sitting back and placing her coffee on the table, Sophie regarded him. He’d changed tactics. No longer was he the suave businessman who was trying to sell some proposal and wanting her involvement.

  The man before her now was focused on one thing—the reason she didn’t walk away.

  Sophie could lie and make up something, but it would do neither of them any good. Ulrik was the kind of man who could spot a falsehood a hundred miles away.

  “As silly as this sounds, it’s because I saw your pain,” she admitted.

  All emotion was wiped from his face in a millisecond. “Excuse me?”

  “Someone betrayed you.” She slowly turned her cup with her fingers. “I’m guessing by your reaction that few people are able to pick up on that.”

  “You could say that.” His words were clipped, cold.

  Sophie released a slow breath. “I can usually spot someone who’s been betrayed deeply. You hid yours very well. I almost didn’t see it.”

  “But you did.” He tapped the rim of his coffee cup with his index finger. “You notice what you yourself hide.”

  “It’s not something I share, but yes. I, too, was betrayed.”

  His golden eyes held hers, refusing to allow her to look away as he gazed deep inside her. Sophie shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Finally, she was able to lower her gaze. She found herself staring at the tie knotted at his neck.

  “Let me take you to dinner.”

  Sophie lifted her gaze to him to find him running a hand through his long black hair. Her first thought was of Darius. “Thank you, but I must decline.”

  After a few minutes in silence, Ulrik pushed his chair back and stood. “That is your right, Sophie.”

  With a nod, Ulrik walked away, leaving Sophie more confused about his arrival than before.

  Chapter Ten

  Darius was feeling restless and agitated. He needed to find a Dark Fae to take his frustration out on, but he’d scoured the city three times and couldn’t find a single one of the buggers.

  He was there to rid Edinburgh of the Dark. It was something that helped to keep his mind off Sophie and the need tearing through him.

  But without Dark to fight, all he could think about was her.

  Darius paused beside a hotel and leaned back against the building. Somehow he managed to skirt the hospital without going inside and searching for Sophie.

  With no more Dark in the city, he should notify Con and return to Dreagan. Or at the very least see if any of the other Kings needed help in their cities.

  Yet Darius did nothing. He knew the right thing to do was continue the mission and defeat Ulrik and the Dark. With Ulrik in the city and showing up at the hospital, this was where Darius needed to be.

  Sophie was beautiful and fiery—and mortal. Not only that, but Ulrik already begun to focus on her. Darius didn’t wish to carry the weight of her death for eternity. He already carried too much.

  His mission was complete. The Dark were gone.

  And suddenly there was Ulrik.

  Darius should tell Con about his run-in with Ulrik. He wasn’t sure why he hadn’t yet. With all the searching Con did for Ulrik, Con was going to be furious.

  Darius saw something out of the corner of his eyes that had him jerking his head to the left. There, for a half of a heartbeat was a man with long white hair. That was the second time he had caught a glimpse of the man before he disappeared.

  His hair wasn’t silver, so Darius didn’t think he was Dark. And though he’d seen plenty of Dark with more silver than black in their hair, never had he seen—or heard of—a Dark with solid white hair.

  But if not a Dark, then who could the man be to disappear as rapidly as a Fae?

  “Well, this is a first,” said a deep voice filled with humor behind him.

  Darius sighed and turned around to find Constantine, King of Kings and CEO of Dreagan Industries, behind him. Shite. So much for Darius updating Con via their mental link.

  Con wore a dark gray suit with a crisp white shirt and a steel gray tie with silver pinstripes running vertically down the tie.

  Con was grinning, his wavy blond hair trimmed short and neat while his black eyes saw everything and everyone. The half-smile faded. A small frown puckered his brow. “What is it?”

  “Have you ever heard of a Dark with white hair?”

  “Nay,” Con said with a shake of his head. “No’ even one with all silver hair.”

  Darius looked over his shoulder where he’d seen the white-haired man. “That’s what I thought. It’s twice now I’ve seen him.”

  “And his eyes?”

  “I doona know,” Darius said as he turned back around. “I’m only able to catch a glimpse. It’s the hair. Both times I caught him out of the corner of my eye, and by the time I turn, he’s gone.”

  Con put his left hand in his pants pocket. “Twice, aye?”

  “Aye. His hair is long, Con, and white as snow. It’s no’ something I can miss.”

  “If you’ve seen it, others have as well.”

  Darius grunted. “As if a mortal would pay him any mind. They color their hair all sorts of weird shades now. White means nothing.”

  Con nodded as he stood silent for a moment. “And our situation here?”

  “All but taken care of. I’ve no’ even found a Dark using glamour. It’s like they’re gone. Yesterday I was still killing a few, but now there’s nothing.”

  “It’s the same in the other cities. I think it’s time you returned to Dreagan with the rest of us.”

  It meant leaving Sophie behind with Ulrik. Which wasn’t going to happen.

  “I saw Ulrik yesterday.”

  Con’s black gaze narrowed. “Why did you no’ tell me sooner?”

  “Because it’d do no good.” Darius shrugged and glanced in the direction of the hosp
ital.

  “Tell me what happened. All of it,” Con said in a low voice tinged with anger.

  Darius glanced at the ground. “I found him entering the Royal Victoria Hospital and followed.”

  “The hospital? Why?”

  “Do you remember when Lexi became ill? Thorn called Warrick, and Darcy was able to tell him of a doctor who would come to Lexi.”

  “Since Thorn couldna take her to the hospital,” Con finished.

  Darius gave a bow of his head. “Exactly. The doctor’s name was Sophie Martin. She came to Thorn as he was staying in Darcy’s flat with Lexi. Dr. Martin was able to heal Lexi.”

  “And you believe Ulrik is interested in this Sophie Martin because she helped Lexi? There’s more. What are you no’ telling me?”

  Darius stared at Con for a long moment before he said, “It’s been a verra long time since I satisfied my body.”

  Con turned away, mumbling something beneath his breath as he ran a hand down his face. He pivoted back to Darius, his black eyes icy as the Arctic. “You fucked her.”

  “We shared our bodies, aye.” It infuriated Darius that Con put so base a word to what they had done, even if it was the truth.

  “Does she know what you are?”

  “She knows nothing.” Darius raised a brow and glared at Con as anger simmered. “Do you want to know where I took her? How about the position or how many times she came? Since apparently that’s all tied to Ulrik.”

  “I didna ask those questions.”

  “You didna have to.” Darius now understood how Thorn had felt under Con’s scrutiny of his and Lexi’s relationship. “Sophie was a mere tumble. She eased my body.”

  Con’s entire demeanor changed. He relaxed, looking almost bored. “You bed her once, and Ulrik comes to the hospital. Did he speak with her?”

  “Nay. I followed him outside. That’s when he spoke.”

  “He … what?” Con demanded heatedly, rage making his black eyes dance with emotion.

  Darius had seen Constantine furious twice in all their millennia together, but there was no denying the indignation that Con allowed him to see.

  “The conversation wasna long. He was after Sophie because he thought I was interested in her.”

  Con’s nostrils flared. “Why?”

  “He saw us together.”

  “Fucking?” Con asked with a curl of his lip.

  “Aye.”

  “Did you no’ know someone was looking in your window?”

  Darius didn’t need to explain anything to Con, but if he didn’t answer, it was just like Con to go to the hospital and find Sophie. Darius would rather answer the questions than pull Sophie further into their war.

  “I took her outside the hospital against a building.”

  Con’s eyes widened a fraction. “Have you lost your damned mind? When was this?”

  “The night Edinburgh was burning.”

  Con closed his eyes and stood as still as stone for several minutes. When he lifted his eyelids, there was censure there, and it irked Darius.

  As if Con hadn’t done anything foolish and rash before. Then again, Con was perfect. He’d never done anything out of line or wrong, Darius thought mockingly with a snort.

  “While you fucked Sophie,” Con said, emphasizing the word fuck, “Ulrik was watching you. He obviously saw something that made him believe you’ve an interest in her.”

  “As I told him. He’s wrong.”

  “How many times have you fucked her?”

  Darius was barely holding onto his own rage. He kept silent, his gaze holding Con’s.

  Con smirked as he gave a dry chuckle. “How many times have you slept with her?”

  “Twice.”

  “When was the second time?”

  Damn. Con just had to ask, didn’t he? Darius knew his answer would look bad. “Ulrik made it clear he’d target anyone the Kings show an interest in. I followed Sophie home last night to make sure Ulrik wasna there.”

  “And?” Con urged expectantly when he paused.

  “And,” Darius said angrily, “I told her if she ever sees me to pretend that she hates me.”

  Con raised a blond brow in question. “I suppose you want me to believe that you walked from her flat then?”

  “I did. After we had sex.”

  “What if Ulrik was watching?”

  “He wasna,” Darius assured him.

  Con nodded and blew out a breath. “All right. Let’s say he wasna at her flat. How do you know he wasna following you?”

  “I’m no’ a fool, Con. I know how to make sure no one is trailing me.”

  “And the Dark who are allies to Ulrik. You doona think one of them would track you?”

  Darius folded his arms across his chest. “None of them can remain veiled for longer than a minute or so. I wasna followed.”

  “You believe Ulrik is going to take your word regarding Sophie?”

  That had nagged at Darius all day. “I’m going to make sure of it. She helped Lexi, and I had sex with her. That’s all she is.”

  “Why did you no’ let me know you were there with Ulrik? I could’ve captured him.”

  Darius glanced to the side. “Ulrik pointed out that since we Kings can no’ fly anymore, that even if I alerted you to his whereabouts, he’d be gone before you could drive here.”

  “He is ahead of the game. For now.” Con’s chest expanded as he drew in a deep breath. “That willna always be the case.”

  Darius knew that Ulrik had to be taken out. His need for revenge against Con was disrupting everyone’s lives. The one place the Kings had always been safe was Dreagan.

  Ulrik had shone a spotlight on their home, making it more of a prison than a refuge. Ulrik’s alliance with MI5 and the Dark Fae were just a portion of it. If Ulrik had proven anything, it was his ability to work the humans into helping him.

  The worst—and harshest—of things Ulrik had done was curse Rhys so he couldna shift. Then there was Ulrik’s attempts to kill Darcy and Lexi.

  Any female—mortal or Fae—that a Dragon King showed attention was going to be on Ulrik’s radar. Which meant those females were as good as dead if the Kings weren’t around.

  “How serious was Ulrik in wanting to talk to Sophie?” Con asked.

  Darius shrugged, thinking back over the conversation. “I suspect he wanted to see how attached I was.”

  “Do you think he’d return to Sophie today?”

  Darius dropped his arms to his sides. “It’s a possibility.”

  “Then you should get to her. Now.”

  “I told her I was staying away.”

  Con tilted his head to the side. “I was in agreement with that statement a few minutes ago. No longer. I need to know if Ulrik speaks to her, and I need to know what he says. Sophie could help give us an edge.”

  “You said that about Darcy as well,” Darius pointed out.

  “You can be near Sophie, or I’ll send someone else to the doctor. Your choice, Darius.”

  As if there was a choice. Darius turned on his heel and walked toward the hospital.

  Chapter Eleven

  Sophie was still thinking about her peculiar visit with Ulrik as she pulled the takeout carton from the bag. She used to it eat right out of the container, until she realized she’d gone two months without washing a single dish.

  From then on, she always put her takeout on a plate. It was a nice pretend game she played, allowing herself to believe she actually cooked the meal.

  In reality, cooking for one was nearly impossible unless she wanted to eat the same thing for three to four meals, and she couldn’t handle that. Besides, she never liked cooking.

  Eating, however, was an entirely different story. She loved food. She enjoyed visiting all sorts of restaurants and sampling what a chef could create. It had been months since she had been to a restaurant.

  Work had been busy with her picking up all the extra shifts from doctors who wanted out of Edinburgh until all the deaths stopped.
Even sleep had been a luxury she could ill afford. She caught naps at the hospital when she was able. Sometimes it was even easier to stay there instead of returning to her flat.

  Maybe it was time to take a night and go have a nice dinner. It wasn’t like she enjoyed eating by herself, but she learned to do it years ago. The trick was not looking as if you were about to break into a million pieces because you were lonely.

  Sophie didn’t mind eating alone. She didn’t have to worry about keeping a conversation going, or worse, pretending to find a guy interesting.

  She put the sushi on her plate and filled a glass of white wine. After she sat at the table, she pulled out her mobile phone and checked the calendar. She had the next two days off. It wasn’t by her choice. The hospital administrator had insisted. Apparently she’d worked for three weeks without a day off.

  Someone had to do it. Why not her? She had no family or anyone waiting at home. Not even a cat. She was the most likely candidate to cover those shifts to allow the others with spouses and children to get home to them.

  “I can sleep in,” she said aloud and took her first bite of the roll.

  Sleeping in. What was that exactly? Her inner clock would have her awake at five with or without a day off. She was banned from even going to the hospital for the next two days. What was she going to do?

  What did people do on their days off?

  There were a few patients she could check on that she saw outside the hospital, but that would only take a few hours. What in the world was she going to do with the rest?

  Sophie glanced at the telly. She couldn’t remember the last time she turned it on. There were movies. She could go see a movie. That would eat up a couple of hours. And then what?

  She ate the rest of her sushi roll and was sipping on the wine when she rolled her shoulders. A nice soak in the tub would help to work out the kinks.

  As soon as she walked into the bathroom and saw the tub, images from the night before filled her mind. Darius. The man set her aflame with a single look. It wasn’t fair that he had that kind of control over her.

  “It’s not control,” she told herself. “I’ve just not relieved my body in a while. That’s all it was.”

  Horse shit.

  It was complete horse shit. Darius did it for her in so many ways she couldn’t begin to count. His hair, his eyes, that amazing jaw and cheeks. That mouth!