Love (The Allure Chronicles Book 4) Read online

I lifted her chin with my hand. “You’re so much stronger than you give yourself credit for.”

  “What does strength have to do with this?”

  “Everything.” I brushed my lips against hers. “You wouldn’t be standing here right now without it.”

  “I wouldn’t be standing here right now if it weren’t for you. It’s you that’s fueled me.”

  “You’ve fueled me too.” There was so much more I wanted to say, but it had to wait. We weren’t safe yet, and Daisy’s safety came first.

  Taylor slowed down and waited for us to catch up. “I hope this isn’t some sort of trap.”

  “What would be the reasoning there?” Daisy slipped her hand into mine. “And wouldn’t you have worried about that before you let Wyatt fly you here?”

  “You mean before Wyatt grabbed me and took off?” Taylor rolled her eyes. “Because I had so much time to stop him.”

  “I didn’t hear you complaining.” Wyatt put a hand on her back. “And I don’t need to hear it now. I don’t want to be here anymore than you do, but we have no choice. We have to discuss this somewhere more discreet.” He glanced around the crowded lobby.

  “Exactly.” I led Daisy toward the elevator where Levi already waited impatiently holding open the door.

  Once we were all inside the elevator, he inserted his key card as the door slid shut.

  “Where are we going?” Taylor leaned against the back of the elevator car.

  “To the basement.” Levi smoothed out his white t-shirt. He was dressed far more casually than he usually was when he came to work.

  “So the story is true?” Taylor straightened.

  “What story exactly?” Levi asked.

  “The one about The Society being headquartered in a basement. It all seemed odd to me. I mean there are no basements in New Orleans. We’re below sea level.”

  The door slid open, and we emptied out into the pitch darkness of the basement.

  “As you can see, this is a basement.” Levi started into the darkness. “Although not like any you’ve ever seen before.”

  “I can’t see anything.” Taylor sighed “I forgot how tedious this human thing is.”

  “You are really human?” Daisy tilted toward Taylor. “Completely?”

  I knew her interest stemmed from many sources. I was plenty curious myself.

  “We can talk about all of this once we are in a better spot.” Levi led the way down the long marble floored corridor. I had grown up running up and down these hallways, and I had spent several years working here, but they felt foreign now as I clutched Daisy’s hand. I no longer felt as if I was part of The Society. It was like I was an outsider looking in.

  Levi opened the door to one of the sitting rooms. It wasn’t a safe room, but the walls were completely sound proof even to the ears of the Pterons working nearby.

  After everyone entered Levi closed the door and stood in front of it. “Please everyone make yourselves at home.”

  No one moved.

  No one spoke.

  “I said make yourselves at home.” Levi’s voice remained level. He was likely unsurprised by our decision to remain standing.

  “Are we even sure there was a threat?” Taylor crossed her arms. “Maybe your friend was wrong.”

  “There was a threat.” Wyatt narrowed his eyes. “You think I would have gone along with these guys if I didn’t know it?”

  “Then why didn’t you say anything first?” Taylor grumbled.

  “Because I realized it just as Jared did. Why does it matter? With all the pressing issues going on, I hardly think that one is worth discussing right now.” Wyatt rubbed the back of his neck.

  “I agree.” Levi took a step away from the door. “Jared will be with us as soon as he can. Until then we might as well discuss the multitude of other things that need to be addressed.”

  “Yes, other things.” Daisy’s shoulder’s slumped. “Lots of other things.”

  “Don’t you find it a little bit too convenient that I ask to speak with you alone, and we end up here?” Taylor opened her arms wide. “Where it is impossible for us to talk alone.”

  “I assure you we did not bring you all the way here in order to interfere with your conversation.” Levi frowned.

  “Not that he wouldn’t go to those lengths to get what he wants.” Wyatt raised an eyebrow.

  “I am growing tired of your attitude.” Levi’s hand turned into a fist. “If you dislike me so much, why are you here?”

  “You really don’t understand, do you?” Wyatt shook his head.

  “Understand you want my help fighting some of the strongest beings that exist?” Levi walked over toward a long black couch.

  “And some of the most dangerous.” Wyatt joined Levi across the room. “That’s why it’s so important we work together on this.”

  “By ‘we’, who do you mean exactly?” Levi rested a hand on the back of the couch. “I don’t see anyone else with you.”

  “There are other Dragos ready to help.”

  “Where are they?” If fighting the Elders was so important to them, why didn’t they show up for the meeting?

  “Waiting,” Wyatt explained quietly.

  “Waiting for what?” Daisy asked. “I thought the Elders almost caught up with us already.”

  “They’re waiting for my order.” Wyatt’s expression softened as he faced Daisy. “The Elders are close, but we cannot rush into this. We need to make calm and collected decisions.”

  “Why would the Elders have taken Troy?” Daisy’s forehead furrowed. “They like you.”

  “They want our power. Just like they want your power.” He pointed at her.

  Daisy laughed dryly. “My power. Right.”

  “You are an Allure with a full essence, and you’ve regained some ability to feel. That’s power.” Wyatt watched her far too closely for my comfort. I pulled her closer to my side.

  “How do they know that?” Daisy asked.

  “They knew the second you ran back to Owen. Why else would you have? The transformation should have happened by now.” Taylor answered for Wyatt. “But you already knew that. Don’t waste time asking questions you already know the answers to.”

  “But the transformation didn’t happen.” I concentrated on the most important part of the statement. “And it won’t.”

  “And the fact she is able to resist is extraordinary.”

  “Maybe it’s the essence I got.” Daisy turned to Taylor. “Could you feel at all when you had it?”

  She shook her head. “Not emotions.”

  “Then how or why did you give the essence up?” Daisy made complete eye contact with Taylor.

  “Give it up?” Taylor’s eyes widened. “Is that what you think happened?”

  “I don’t know what happened. But you are alive. That has to mean something.”

  “It was stolen from me.” Taylor’s eyes darkened.

  “Not by me.” Daisy put a hand to her chest.

  “I am well aware. Before you got it you were human. You were predisposed to accept the essence, but that doesn’t mean you would have been strong enough to take it from me.”

  “Predisposed.” Daisy sighed. “Lucky me.”

  What did that even mean? Predisposed. I wanted to know, but I tried to keep my questions to myself. I had plenty, but this was Daisy’s chance to get answers to the many questions she’d been mulling over for months—or really years. Her life had changed long before she met the Allures. Getting the paste had changed everything.

  “Yes. If you hadn’t been predisposed, it would have been impossible for you to accept.” Taylor twirled her hair around her finger.

  “I know that.” Daisy let out a long breathe. “Violet told me that, but I thought maybe you were implying more.”

  “It would be nice wouldn’t it?” Taylor walked toward Daisy. “To have an easy answer to everything.”

  “Easy answer?” Daisy cocked her head to the side. “I wouldn’t go that far.”


  “I’d take any answers right now.” Levi remained in front of the door. “For starters, who are you, Taylor?”

  “You haven’t figured it out?”

  “I’ve pieced together that Daisy’s Allure essence traces back to you, but that doesn’t mean I really know who you are.”

  “A king that admits to what he doesn’t know.” Taylor nodded. “Interesting.”

  “None of us know who you really are.” And her true identity was important. Her past held answers to Daisy’s, and therefore my, future. I had met one person who knew her. “Although my uncle seemed to know a lot about you.”

  “Your uncle?” Taylor’s face darkened. “Oh, you mean Jim?”

  “Yes, I finally made his acquaintance.”

  “You finally met your uncle. That would be odd in many circumstances.” She moistened her lips. “Very odd.”

  “But not this one.” This situation was crazy. Impossibly crazy. Meeting a secret uncle was nothing compared to everything else we were dealing with.

  “No. It is far from the oddest thing going on right now.” Taylor dropped her arms to her sides. “But how was he?”

  “Jim?” I ran my hand down Daisy’s back. I needed to touch her. To remind myself that she was at my side. And to let her know I was there for her. I would never let her slip away again.

  “Yes. Who else?” Taylor asked.

  “He was fine. Crazy, but fine.” Wyatt answered before I could.

  “You’ve seen him?” Taylor seemed genuinely surprised by this.

  “Yes.” Wyatt walked over to the far wall of the windowless room. “It’s how I tracked down Owen. The Dryads knew where to find them.”

  “Jim is friends with Dryads now?” Taylor raised an eyebrow. “That’s a new one.”

  “He left The Society. He was limited in his social circles.” I felt for my uncle. Despite his eccentricities, I liked the man. I trusted him enough to leave Hailey with him.

  “Why did he leave The Society?” Taylor took a seat at the far corner of a love seat.

  I wasn’t sure if she was playing dumb, or if she really didn’t know. “I don’t fully understand.” I glanced at Levi. I didn’t want to go into what happened to push him out of The Society.

  “What aren’t you saying?” Levi figured out I was hiding something right away.

  “He left The Society because he felt the leadership wanted him to.” I met Levi’s eye.

  “Meaning my father?” Levi clarified.

  “Yes.” I nodded.

  “Why would my father have wanted him to leave?” Levi’s brow furrowed.

  “Because my uncle insisted certain mythical creatures existed that The Society said didn’t exist.” And he’d been right. Completely right. I wondered how much would be different if The Society had embraced him instead of sending him away. Would that have changed anything for Daisy? Would the paste have ever been created? The answer to that lay in Taylor. I was sure of it.

  “I am sure my father had a reason.” Levi’s expression darkened. “Although I can’t say it was a good one.”

  Taylor snickered. “Daddy issues?”

  “No.” Levi shook his head. “But I understand nothing is black and white. It’s the right way to look at the world.”

  “Really wise coming from a bird.” Wyatt made a flapping motion with his hands.

  “Would you like me to throw you out?” Levi narrowed his eyes. “Because I’d be happy to arrange it.”

  “You don’t like being called a bird?” Wyatt smirked.

  “You know the answer to that.” Levi scowled.

  “I don’t mind being called a dragon, although a dragon and a bird are very different creatures.” Wyatt lifted his chin.

  “Birds descended from dinosaurs.” Daisy straightened up.

  “And that’s relevant to this conversation because…?” Taylor gestured with her hand.

  “Because dinosaurs and dragons aren’t all that different.” Daisy shrugged.

  “Does that mean I should listen to him?” Levi turned to her. “Even after he repeatedly insults me.”

  “What does it matter what I think?” Daisy looked down.

  “You are the reason we are all assembled right now.” Levi pointed out.

  I caught Levi’s eye. I wasn’t sure where he was going with this line of conversation. Daisy had enough going on, and I hoped Levi would tread carefully. Otherwise I would have to intervene. King or not, he wasn’t going to disrespect or upset her.

  “I think Taylor needs to do some talking.” Daisy crossed her arms. “You wanted to talk to me. So talk. We don’t know how much time we have before the Elders catch up with us.”

  “They won’t come here yet.” Wyatt leaned back against the wall. “They will want to prepare first.”

  “Prepare?” I knew that couldn’t be a good thing. “What kind of preparation are they doing?” The Elders were frightening. I wasn’t one to get intimidated easily, but they had the kind of power very few had—and no one should. It was too all encompassing, and they took it lightly. They played with us as though we were small toys for amusement. No one was going to play me like a pawn. I was done being treated like a playing piece.

  “Let Taylor talk.” Wyatt nodded toward where Taylor sat. “Then we can discuss the Elders.”

  “There’s no way you could provide a private space for Daisy and me?” Taylor looked to Levi. “We need to have part of this conversation alone.”

  “There is nothing you need to tell her privately. I am king. I need to hear everything.”

  “But some of this doesn’t pertain to you.” Taylor thrust out her chest. “Most of it doesn’t.”

  “I’ve been brought in on it, so it all pertains to me now.” Levi’s expression was unreadable. He was good at hiding his thoughts and opinions when he wanted to be.

  “Not exactly.” Taylor turned and walked over to where Daisy and I stood. She reached out, and Daisy stepped back.

  I resisted the urge to step between them. Daisy was strong. I needed to let her handle this.

  Taylor grabbed Daisy’s free hand. Daisy pursed her lips.

  “Please.” Taylor’s voice softened to nearly a whisper. “We need to talk alone. I promise it won’t take long. Then we can talk to everyone else.”

  Daisy looked at me. “Do you mind if I do?”

  “You want to talk with her alone?” I studied Daisy’s face trying to make sure I was reading her desires right. Was she looking for a way out of speaking with Taylor or only reassurance it was okay?

  Daisy nodded. “Yes.”

  I had no right to stand in her way even if letting her out of my sight worried me. “Levi, can you make that happen?” I wouldn’t be far.

  Levi appeared to mull it over. “You are asking me to allow a private meeting between them?”

  “Yes, but not for long.” I would make sure of that. I didn’t know how Taylor was alive, but she appeared to be completely human. Of course appearances could be deceiving. One realized that quickly when you grew up in a supernatural world.

  “Fine.” Levi walked to the closed door. “Follow me.”

  Daisy looked to me again. Did she expect me to change my mind? I wanted to. I wanted to keep her close, but I couldn’t get in the way. This was important. Taylor was human again. Could Daisy learn how to do the same thing? I tried to keep my excitement to a minimum for both of our sakes.

  I followed the girls and Levi out of the room and watched as they entered Levi’s office. Taylor closed the door in Levi’s face.

  “That one has an attitude.” Levi pointed to the closed door.

  “She does.” I had no interest in chit chatting about Taylor, but maybe it would help pass the time as I waited for them to reemerge from his office.

  “Speaking of attitudes, Allie is going to have one if I don’t check in.”

  “She puts up with a lot.” Way more than most women would.

  “She does.” Levi nodded. “She’s more than I deserve.”


  “I hope to get to that point.” I couldn’t keep the wistfulness out of my voice.

  “Get to the point where Daisy puts up with you even though she shouldn’t?” Levi laughed. “Doesn’t she do that already?”

  “Not in the normal sense.”

  “Normal? Do you think your life will ever be normal?”

  I shrugged. “One can hope.”

  “I gave up on that hope years ago, and I have realized normal is overrated.”

  “Maybe I’ll feel that way eventually.” It had taken years for Levi get there. Hopefully I wasn’t too far behind.

  “And you are going to stand here and stare at my office door until they leave, aren’t you?”

  I nodded. “Yes.”

  “I’d tell you you were crazy, but you’re not.”

  “Because at one time you would have done the same thing.”

  “I still would do the same thing.” He patted my shoulder. “I’m going to make sure the Drago doesn’t set fire to the sitting room.”

  “And call your wife.”

  “Yes, that too.” Levi smiled. “And maybe if I’m lucky I’ll actually get home tonight.”

  “Thanks.” I’d never thanked him for showing up to help. “And you will get home. I know Wyatt says it involves The Society, but it’s not your problem as much as it’s mine.”

  “No problem. You would, and have essentially done, the same thing for me.”

  “Except I never had a wife to leave behind to help you.”

  “It turns out you were going through quite a bit yourself.” He gave me a knowing look, and I assumed he was referring to the years between Daisy getting the Seduction’s Kiss and us finally reconnecting. I still regretted my decision not to hunt her down. But life wasn’t made for regrets. It was made for action.

  “Yeah, well. Still, thanks.”

  “I’m going to do everything I can to help.” Levi leaned in toward me. “I need you to know that.”

  “But there will be a limit…” Levi was hinting at more than his words were saying. “And when you reach that point…”

  “I’m saying that if there comes a point where you have to do more than I can let you, do it. I’ll still be here.”

  “Thanks.” Our conversation likely would have made no sense to anyone else, but I’d understood him completely. He was giving me permission to break the rules. It was permission I didn’t need, but it was nice to have anyway.