Always (Dragon Wars, #3) by Rebecca Royce Page B

form.
    “Go.” She opened the door.
    If she were stronger, she’d deny his claim of her. What she should tell him was leave and not come back. Except, the words wouldn’t come. Maybe she was selfish...but she wanted him to be hers, too.
    She’d cause them both pain until she left.
    Robert ran out the door, his eyes on her until he turned down the hall to go wherever he needed to be to resist the urge to bite her.
    Tatyana leaned her head against the wall. “Goodbye, Robert.”
    She didn’t know if she said it for now or for the rapidly ticking clock counting down the moments until she would have to say it permanently.
    Without thinking too much or focusing on what she did, she finished dressing. In another world, a fair one, she would be wrapped against him with his arms around her. He’d fall asleep next to her while she listened to him breathe. In the morning, he’d wake her with a kiss and, before either of them were truly awake, they’d make love again.
    But this wasn’t that world. It had never been, which was why she only let a single tear slip free. Crying over unfixable things had never been her way.
    When the dragon alarm sounded she wasn’t even surprised.
    What else would go wrong?

Chapter Six
    R obbie had barely made it to the main room where Auggie and the others worked on repairing the machines when the dragon alarm went off.
    Auggie rushed to Gordon who had been sitting on the floor. Both men were on their feet in seconds and Gordon ran over to a different console and stared at it. Robbie would love to help except his gums ached with the need to go back to his mate and bite her, mark her delicate skin until none could be in any doubt as to who she belonged to. Doing so wasn’t an option, so he had to stay as he was.
    “Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit.” Gordon ran a hand through his hair as stared at the monitor. “How did they find us?”
    “We’re hidden here.” Auggie leaned forward and Robbie decided he had to shift. Control slipping or not he wouldn’t not know what the hell was going on because he had put himself in his wolf form.
    He’d have to control himself, he simply had no other choice. Calling his shift back he changed into his human form. From the corner, his brother Dougal called out to him. “Do you suppose it’s necessary for the alarms to continue to sound? Could we silence them a bit?”
    “Hell if I know. I’m not running the compound.” He stormed over to Gordon and Auggie. “Are we imminent danger?”
    “Yes.” Gordon croaked. “There’s a power drain on the system. I’m not sure how to fix it. Where is Taty?”
    “I left her in the game room.” Or whatever it was called. “The place with the pool table.”
    Gordon hit some buttons, and Tatyana’s face appeared on the screen. Her image immediately filled him with peace and also pain. The burn in his gums continued to ache. She couldn’t be completely his and the need for her would drive him to desperation before too long. It didn’t matter, dammit, he would gladly walk the path of madness to simply know her.
    Tatyana was the greatest gift the universe could ever have bestowed upon him.
    She jolted on the screen when she saw him yet otherwise didn’t comment about his presence at all. Dark circles marred her skin and he didn’t have to be a genius to know she’d been crying. He’d done that to her and an overwhelming need to comfort her nearly took him to his knees.
    “I’m already on it.”
    Gordon sighed. “I would handle the situation only I have no idea how.”
    She snorted. Robbie loved when she made her little noises. “Because God forbid you have ever studied a manual. Not to worry. Taty to the rescue.”
    “What does she mean?” He pointed at the screen. “Tatyana, what does your handling it entail?” She didn’t answer him and instead the picture went black. “Where did she go? What happened?”
    Gordon swallowed. Robbie knew nervousness when he saw it and the room stank from the acrid