Rhia followed Nolan's car in her own. He led her almost straight west and a little south to the hospital. She shouldn't have surprised. He worked for the Counsel, once upon a time, and was the head of his department in one of L.A.'s busiest hospitals. He could afford a house on the coast in a premier Ancient neighbourhood. That did not stop her jaw from dropping when he led her through a gate guarded by four large males in pristine gear with the words Drakos Security written on the breast. In the flood lights they used to illuminate the area, she could see the vertical slits of their pupils.

"Are those dragonkin?" she yelped as she stumbled out of the car. She stared back down the street. There were another two guards patrolling the line of oversized properties.

"Yeah." He called back, opening the back door to his car to grab his. "The Drakos Group provides security to Ancient neighbourhoods, gated or otherwise. Well, unless someone offends their royals."

She stared at him, chills running through her spine. "Royals... you mean... Ares and Quintiles Drakos? The dragon kings?"

He shrugged a shoulder before taking her hand. "And Ares's mate. Usually Ares's mate. Keoni is much better suited for the public eye. Ares is too combative, and Quin is... well... he's Quin. They also have a queen, but Luna hasn't come to the states in over a century."

"You talk as if you know them."

Another shrug as he guided her stunned form into the house. "I was on the Counsel, remember?"

"Dragonkin aren't represented by the Counsel, though." She insisted. "They exist in their own world apart from everyone. They don't care about human or ancient laws. They're too strong, too... old! What are they even doing in the city? I thought electronics just stopped working around them!"

He laughed. Her curiosity was adorable. "Only when they're actively using their magic. Their passive senses are more than enough to act as security. And just because they're not represented on the counsel does not mean I never had to work with them. They are extraordinarily protective over anyone they consider family and as stubborn as any creature that was born with the world can be. You should see them down in Brazil. I'm pretty sure they are single-handedly keeping the rainforest from disappearing."

He reached for the lights and flicked them on. Another wave of shock and awe rushed over her as the house's interior came into view. The front door led into an open foyer leading to a large living room with floor-to-ceiling windows. Another door opened onto a patio with a cold fireplace that led directly onto the beach. "Holy shit." She breathed, her feet moving her further into the house automatically.

The kitchen was just past the foyer, filled with modern, top-of-the-line appliances. The house was gorgeous and clean, but it was comfortable and had the feeling of having been lived in for a while. She glanced over her shoulder at Nolan. He was a few feet behind her, his deep blue eyes watching her. There was a flicker of doubt in his handsome features. "What do you think?" he asked.

"Its beautiful." She beamed.

He laughed in relief and walked past her into the kitchen. "Pick your poison. I have wine, beer, tequila."

"A beer would be great."

Nolan came out of the fridge, popping off the tabs of two brown bottles and handing her one. "And I think I already know the answer, but steak or salmon?"

"Do you have a vegetarian option?" Nolan went still, his eyes widening just slightly before she burst out laughing. "I'm kidding. One-hundred percent carnivore. Feed me the beef!"

He let out a stream of swears in a different language and managed a breathy laugh. "Thank the gods. I didn't want to have to kick you out of my house."

"Would it have been that bad?"

"How would you feel if I told you I were vegetarian?"

"I would feel just awful for Wilbur, but you do you."

"Smartass."

Nolan turned back to the fridge and started pulling out ingredients. "Can I help?" she asked leaning against the side of the island.

"Absolutely not." He pointed at one of the bar stools. "Sit down, relax."

"Oh, come on," she reached for an onion, but he pulled it away and batted her hand. "I'm good with my hands! Use me!"

The heated look he gave her could have set her on fire. He moved slowly around the island, making sure she saw his every move. Her feet were cemented to the floor as he moved to stand in front of her. He braced his hands on the counter behind her, looked down from his towering height, and pressed his whole body against hers. God, it was like he was made of marble. He dipped his head until his lips were a fraction away from hers. "Don't make promises you can't keep, Rhia." He breathed.

A rush of pleasure and anticipation flooded her. Her eyes fluttered and, in that moment, she would have done anything for him to kiss her. The corner of his mouth quirked upwards in a smirk. He could hear her heart racing, her shallow breathing. He could probably smell her arousal. His hands slowly moved to her waist before turning her around so fast she needed to grab the marble countertop to keep steady. Nolan pressed into her again. His mouth moved to the base of her jaw by her ear. His hands continued down to her hips and crushed her against him.

"But if you insist... you won't need your hands."

She leaned her head back against his shoulder, exposing her neck to him, and barely managed to hold back a moan. That irresponsible part of her brain was screaming for him to bite her. He wouldn't. It was the number one law in vampire society. Do not feed from the vein. It was a crime punishable by death. Or... that's what she thought until the needle-sharp points of his fangs brushed against her neck. A ragged gasp escaped her lips as a shudder of excitement and heat pulsed through her.

Nolan pulled away enough to turn her back to face him. His eyes were glowing red and concern clouded his face. "Are you afraid of me, Rhia?"

"No." she whispered honestly.

"You trust me?"

"You haven't given me any reason not to."

Slowly the red started to fade from his eyes, returning to the equally intense sapphire blue. He stared at her, like he couldn't believe that she was real. Rhia reached up to wrap her hands around the back of his neck, pulled herself up, and kissed him. He groaned and melted into her, deepening the kiss. His hands lowered to grip her thighs and lifted her effortlessly onto the edge of the counter before diving into her shirt, his rough hands setting fire to her skin. She wrapped her legs around his waist to pull him closer. She had never been so desperate for someone in her life. It was like the man had awoken a whole new side of her. "Gods above, Rhia," he moaned against her. "You have no idea what you do to me."

Oh, she could feel exactly what she was doing to him. He was impressively large and hard as steel between her legs. "Any chance we..."

Her suggestion to move their activities into a bedroom was interrupted by the unmistakable sound of a door opening and a male voice calling out. "Hey, dad!" said the voice. "Sorry for barging in, I thought you'd be at work."

Nolan pulled Rhia carefully off the counter with a heavy sigh. "In the kitchen." He called back.

Rhia's whole body was on fire, but now for an entirely different reason. Son?! A tall male walked into the kitchen and stopped. He was definitely Nolan's child. Same dark hair and bright blue eyes. He even had the same disarming smile. "Sorry," he said slowly. "I didn't realize you had company. I should have called."

"It's alright. This is Rhia Kincaid. Rhia, this is my son, Cameron."

"Kincaid?" Cameron questioned. "The paramedic?"

"Have we met?" she asked slowly, glancing up at an equally confused Nolan.

"No, I'm a partner at the same law firm as Ethel Powell. She spoke very highly of you."

"Ah." An awkward silence filled the room for a second before she added. "I'm just... going to step outside."

"Oh," Cameron's eyes widened as it dawned on him exactly what he was interrupting. "I'm sorry, this is a bad time. I'll drop by tomorrow."

"Don't worry about it." Rhia shrugged and met Nolan's eyes. "I'll be on the patio."

She heard Nolan let out a frustrated sound as she slipped out the patio doors. The beach beyond the patio was dimly illuminated by the full moon, the light of the house behind her, and the ever-present light pollution of the city. She walked onto the cool sand and all of her tension melted away. Twenty feet forward and the waves of the Pacific Ocean lapped at her toes. "What the fuck am I doing?" she whispered under her breath.

She didn't know how long she was outside before she felt Nolan watching her a few feet up the beach. She turned to face him, and his jaw dropped a little. "You are absolutely stunning." He breathed.

She smiled but didn't move towards him. "So much for no interrupting family, huh?" she chuckled awkwardly before asking; "So, you have a son?"

"I have two." He corrected softly. "And a daughter."

"Should I be expecting to meet the others too?"

"Cameron is the only one who lives in the States. Bastian is in Canada and Sybil is in Russia."

She nodded slowly. "And your... ex...?" she looked away. She couldn't bring herself to ask about the previous women in his life.

"She died a while ago. I don't have any ex-lovers currently wandering the world."

"Any other familial atom-bombs I should know about?"

"I have descendants all over the world. Cameron's children are the youngest at sixteen and three."

Rhia looked down at her feet and dug them into the soft sand. "How..." she cleared the lump in her throat. "How old are you?"

She almost felt guilty asking the question. Age was a bit of a touchy subject among humans, the shortest living intelligent creatures in world of magic. The human lifespan was a blink of an eye for most of the other species. She was an idiot for thinking she wouldn't ask about it eventually. The question had been at the back of her mind since she had met him. The oldest vampire, apart from the king himself, had lived to just over a thousand years. Nolan had to be old, given his status on the Counsel and his... descendants. But he also had a... timeless feel about him.

She forced herself to look at him again. His body was relaxed with his hands shoved in his pockets, and he'd finally taken off his tie and opened the top button of his shirt. His eyes were so blue and betrayed the conflicted emotions he was feeling. "Twenty thousand."

~