Chapter 7

Ryodan watched Bridget and Leni arrive on the security monitors upstairs. He couldn't keep his eyes off Leni as she descended both ladders; her dress had ridden up, giving him a good view of her shapely legs, encased in silk stockings and blue garters. He liked the way her small feet and trim ankles looked in her thin, high heels. Bridget was beautiful as always, but to Ryodan, she had nothing on her smaller cousin. Leni looked sexier than hell to him.

The two beautiful women walked gracefully toward the back and sat down in a booth and ordered a drink. A waitress approached and a few minutes later brought their order. Leni ordered an American beer in a long neck bottle and Bridget a mixed drink. Leni leaned toward Bridget, smiled and laughed at something she said. When the little blonde smiled, her whole face was transformed from merely pretty to stunningly beautiful. Ryodan was transfixed by the change.

Leni tilted her head back and took a sip. Her pink, full lips pursed lightly around the mouth of the brown glass bottle held up by one small delicate hand. He imagined her enticing lips on him, on a most sensitive organ. His groin tightened naturally in response to his thoughts.

Since Tegan wasn't in the bar yet, Ryodan decided to go down and greet his friend's fiance and her cousin. Leni was sitting facing the stairs that he descended; he could feel her curious eyes on him as he approached their table. He stopped to talk with several people along the way, including two very gorgeous women. With his peripheral vision, he saw Leni's violet eyes as she continued to stare at him as he neared their booth. He smiled inwardly; the little blonde was definitely attracted to him as he meant her to be.

When he reached the table, he flashed his brightest smile at the two women, said hello, sat down next to Leni and turned toward her.

"Whose your pretty friend, Bridget?" he asked even though he knew who Leni was.

"This is my American cousin, Leni Hammond. She is here for the wedding. I asked her to be my Maid of Honor," Bridget replied.

Ryodan looked directly into Leni's eyes, smiled and raised her fingertips to his lips. "It's nice to formally meet you, Leni. You didn't tell my your name on the plane." Leni's heart began to flutter, and she felt warm. His smile deepened.

This is working out just fine, he thought.

Ryodan was far more handsome that Leni remembered. He was simply huge, but he was all lean muscle. As he stood talking to other men, Leni could see he dwarfed the average human male. Taller, at least 6'6"; he was massive in a way that reminded her of a huge perfectly shaped oak tree. His chest, arms and legs were slabs of muscle; his neck was thick; his shoulders strong and his hips narrow.

His face seemed the epitomy of what a man's face should look like. Broad cheeks, high forehead, a straight nose, a firm chin with a hint of a cleft and wide, full sensual lips. wide silky. His straight, black hair hung loosely down his back and gleamed with a silky sheen. Even under the neon lights, his golden skin glowed with vitality.

For more than ten minutes, Leni watched as Ryodan slowly made his way to them. He stopped and talked to many people, both male and female. As he moved, she noted that he radiated a strange aura or energy that lured the female sex. Women preened and tried to gain his attention by touching him lightly on his arm or shoulder. They flirted, smiled and tried to engage him in conversation. Many blushed coyly when he spoke to them. Even women who accompanied other men seemed curiously drawn to him. She saw more than one jealous man jerk his companion's arm or whisper fiercely in their ear when Ryodan strode past.

He flirted and smiled back at them, but the smile never really seemed to reach his eyes. It occurred to Leni that Ryodan was knowingly toying with these women. He didn't really care a fig about any of them, but he enjoyed being the center of so much female attention. He expected it. That seemed arrogant and conceited to Leni; it confirmed her worst suspicions that Ryodan thought himself to be some sort of gift to womankind.

There was one woman that did seem to get to him. She was a tall redhead with green eyes and the most flawless complexion Leni had ever seen. She was sophisticated and gorgeous with a dynamite figure; she was absolutely beautiful in Leni's eyes. She sat alone at a booth not too far from the girls nursing a martini and watched Ryodan carefully as he walked through the nightclub.

The woman's eyes seemed to eat Ryodan up; it was clear that she was in love with him. He stopped, sat down with her and talked quietly for a few minutes. The woman's green eyes teared up; her face paled and she looked distraught as if he had just delivered bad news. As Ryodan stood up, she got up and ran to the Ladies Room near the back stairway.

When Ryodan turned around toward Bridget and Leni, he looked a little upset and angry himself, but he also looked determined. Leni marveled that someone could actually affect the big man. Nevertheless, she felt sorry for the redhead.

"Ry, this is my American cousin, Leni Hammond. She's here for the wedding." Bridget said smiling at Ryodan as he finally made it to their table.

"We've already met on the plane, but it's nice to formally meet you, Leni Hammond," Ryodan said with a toothy grin as put out his big right hand. Leni had no choice but to place her smaller hand in his and shake it. His hand felt hot; she felt a spark of electricity as he touched her. It was all she could do not to yank her hand away from him.

Leni had known many handsome men who attracted women by their natural good looks or the sheer force of their personality, but this guy was ridiculous. He was superlatively male; he exuded virility and a carnality so raw and hot, she wondered why women didn't burst into flames from simply touching him. He had an aura about him that was intensely sexual and masculine. The allure of that aura was uncanny and preternatural.

She suddenly remembered her grandmother saying that Fae males used the magic of glamour to attract human females. From the way those other women looked at him, Ryodan seemed to posses the same ability to entice women. Although she was sure that Ryodan was not Fae, Leni wondered if his allure was somehow based on a similar magic. Whatever it was, she believed it was beyond the normal human ability. It gave Ryodan an unfair advantage over women, and he was not above using it.

Leni hated the fact that she felt his allure too. She definitely was not immune to him. When he looked at her, she was drawn to his black eyes that hinted at a deeply passionate nature and seemed to promise unimaginable sexual delights. When those intense, intelligent dark eyes stared into hers, Leni felt like she was drowning. She had an uncontrollable urge to explore the mysteries contained therein.

Get a grip, girl. This guy is bad news. She said to herself, blinked several times and turned her face away. She forcefully pushed the attraction to him out of her mind. When she felt under control again, she resumed her part of the conversation, but she had no real consciousness of what was being said.

Being around Ryodan was like standing next to a large electric power generator. The very air around him seemed to crackle and hum with an electric current. Leni could feel the hair on her arms raise as his nearness stimulated her. Her hair crackled with static. It was an altogether disconcerting feeling.

The longer Ryodan sat next to her. The more Leni was aware of him at an almost atomic level. It was as if he was inexorably pulling her to him, drawing her inside of him, and she could do nothing to stop him. His aura enveloped her in its sensual warmth. The feeling that her whole body was being intimately caressed was so strong that she looked twice to make sure his hands were not on her. She almost sighed as she closed her eyes and gave herself up to the pleasurable feeling, if only for a few moments. The feeling she had was indescribable.

In their natural form, when a Draghar male wanted sex with a female, using small internal organs located near their testes, he "casted" to her, exuding particularly potent sexual pheromones. After being accepted by an alpha male into his harem, females were irresistibly drawn to the specific pheromones of that male, especially during their rare estrus cycles.

Males had to lure the females by casting since they were generally uninterested in sex, unless it was to procreate. It was only during their five estrus cycle that the females were biologically driven to initiate sex on their own. It was only during estrus that the female could become pregnant and casted her own pheromones to her alpha male. The infrequency of estrus kept their planet from being over populated.

Although the male kept a harem, once sexually initiated by her alpha male, the female was monogamous. The pheromones of other males would produce a fighting instinct in her. She would kill herself before she let another male touch her. That kept males away from females who belonged to other Draghar. It was an efficient biological way to ensure harmony, yet ensure the continuation of the species.

When they assumed human form, Draghar males retained a vestigial casting organ, but they did not have to use it on human females. Perhaps it was because human female were constantly fertile and able to conceive year round. Perhaps it was because of the of residual potency of their vestigial casting organ that caused Draghar males to radiate virility and an intense masculinity that made them irresistible to human females. As she sat beside him, Leni had no way of knowing this; she only knew she felt a deep attraction to the big dark man who sat beside her.

As he sat beside Leni, Ryodan casted her. He was intentionally inundated her senses. He deliberately turned his sex pheromones up high and broadcasted then to her on full blast. Leni could not help but feel Ryodan's unnatural allure. It made every cell of her body nervous, edgy and uncomfortable. She felt an unexpected burst of lust that was so deep, she burned from its intensity. She felt the raw power of his sexual aura. It made her feel weak and completely out of control of her senses.

From deep within, Leni understood that Ryodan was somehow causing this. That knowledge made her angry and a little afraid of him. She moved as far away from him in the booth as she could. Ryodan had been talking to Bridget, but he turned toward her as she moved with a ghost of a mocking smile on his face. He knew exactly what she was feeling.

"Ry, do you mind keeping Leni company for a few minutes? I see Tegan over there. I have something for him; I'll be right back," Bridget asked.

Leni started to signal her cousin to stay put, but Bridget was out of her seat already and moving toward the front of the club. Leni sighed in resignation. She was going to be alone with Ryodan whether she wanted to be, or not.

"So, are you still angry with me, little girl? Nice dress, by the way. You look quite sexy in it." he said grinning widely, he was thoroughly enjoying her discomfort.

Leni made a huffing sound as if his opinion was of no importance to her. "Life's too short to be angry with the likes of you. Besides, I have better things to do than think of you."

"Is that so, and just what are those "better" things? Someday you must tell me; I'd be interested to know," he teased.

"How do you like my place?" he added, changing the subject.

A new song started playing and the people of the dance floor started hooting and howling. The noise level got so loud that Leni had to learn in much closer to him to answer. She didn't want to tell him that she didn't like the place, so she said, "Well. It's pretty big. You have quite a large crowd."

Frowning, Ryodan said, "In other words, you don't like it?"

"It's not that. It's just that it's so loud in here, you can't hear yourself think," she lied.

"Most people who come here do not come to think. They come to play."

"I gathered that," Leni said wryly discreetly pointed at a couple a few booths down. They were groping each other so openly and so wantonly, she wondered if they were going to do the funky money right there in front of a whole crowd of people. "Those two really need to get a room," she said.

"Are you a prude, Leni." Ryodan asked curiously. "Or do you just not like sex?"

"I like sex just fine, thank you very much, but there is a time and a place for everything. This is definitely not the time or place for that. Besides, I think people should exercise a little self control in public don't you?" she sniffed in a haughty tone. Ryodan only smiled.

Leni couldn't think of anything else to say, and after an awkward silence, Ryodan surprised her by asking her to dance. Signaling someone with a wave of his hand, the music changed to a much slower tempo by the time they got to the dance floor. Ryodan pulled Leni into his arms and placed one of her small hands in his, and the other on his shoulder. He moved his other hand to her bare back, above the swell of her hips. He began to move, and Leni found her small body easily following his much larger one. They moved in sync as if they had danced together a million times before.

Their bodies flowed together; they moved gracefully as one to the music. After a minute, Ryodan pulled Leni tighter against him; her cheek was resting against his large chest. He lowered his own cheek to the top of her head and laid it there as he inhaled her scent. She was like a bouquet of honeysuckle and lavender. Her smell intoxicated him. Ever so lightly, he pressed his lips to her hair.

As they danced, Ryodan's emanation encased her again and Leni felt the muscles of her inner core tighten. A warmth that was sweet and liquid suffused her above the juncture of her thighs and pooled there. Hot, large fingers touched her and softly made small circles across the bare skin of her back. Leni trembled; she felt like she was on fire.

Her nipples peaked into little hard buttons as they brushed up against his shirt. She looked up at him to find him staring down at her with an intense carnal look in his eyes. She felt blood rush to her face; she began to find it hard to keep her breathing regular. She could hear the sound of her heart pumping wildly and the blood rushing through her veins. She wondered if he could hear it too.

Ryodan was breathing unevenly too; she could hear the rapid beat of his heart. His body trembled against her as they danced. She felt his arousal; their bodies were so close, she could feel his erection hard against her belly, and it was growing larger by the second. Ryodan as much affected by her as she was with him, and for some reason that surprised him.

Unexpectedly, Ryodan bent a little and blew lightly into her ear. Leni quivered as a wave of pure ecstasy rocked her body; she almost orgasmed right there on the dance floor. She felt hot and cold at the same time. Her knees buckled; she would have fallen if Ryodan hadn't been holding her up against his large body.

"Don't you do that!" she commanded in a low, but fierce voice. Ryodan laughed softly and did it again and again. Frissons of erotic pleasure sparked along her spine; every nerve ending lit up with desire for more. Memories of her explicit dreams earlier that afternoon flooded her mind, and she blushed deep red embarrassment. Suddenly, she couldn't wait for the dance to end. When it did, she jerked away from him and almost ran to the booth where Bridget and Tegan now sat.

For a moment, Ryodan stood immobile and stared dumfounded at the little blonde as she rushed away. He had felt the powerful electricity between them. He had casted her to draw her to him, but it was she who seemed irresistible to him. It was as if she were a Draghar female sending out sex pheromones and luring him during her estrus cycle, and he knew that was impossible.

That never happened to him before, and he never heard of it happening to his fellow Draghar. Over the centuries, Ryodan had been sexually aroused by many human women, but they never attracted him with anything near the strength of the deep magnetic attraction he felt for Leni. He was deeply confused because not even his wife, Zayida attracted him that way.

For a moment, he wondered if he should leave Leni alone, but he knew he couldn't. He desire for her was like a living breathing thing with a life of its own. He wanted her, and he always got what he wanted, one way or the other. He told himself that he would enjoy her for a while, and when he finally tired of her, he would get rid of her, just like he did the others.

She doesn't stand a chance, he thought confidently. Taking a deep breath to steady himself, he followed her off the dance floor. He slid into the seat beside her and projected his aura, casting her again. Spreading his legs wide under the table, he deliberately pressed his left thigh lightly against her right one. He really enjoyed the sensations as heat and an intense feeling of electricity that flowed between them once more.

Leni stiffened and moved away again. A few minutes later, she and Bridget got up to go to the bathroom. Being human Bridget had no idea of what was going on, but Tegan's Draghar senses easily picked up Ryodan's pheromomes immediately. After the girl's left the booth, Tegan looked at Ryodan with narrowed eyes and asked. "What do you think you are doing? Do you know you are casting?"

"What is it to you, Te, unless you are planning to mate with her too? Will Leni be part of your harem now? Does she know? What does Bridget think of that?" Ryodan growled at his friend.

Tegan's hands fisted at his sides. "Don't insult Bridget or Leni either for that matter. Unlike the others, I haven't had more than one woman at a time since Rhianna. Bridget is my soul mate; she is the only woman I want; she is enough. Have you forgotten how you felt about Zayida already? How can you treat these women so?"

"Besides, Bridget loves Leni, and I sense that she is worthy of that love, so don't play games with her like you do with Moira and the others. Bridget told me what happened on the plane, and I know that you want her, but Leni is not one of your whores. She is family, and she is under my protection. If you hurt her, you will answer to me!" The big Draghar male ground the the words out between clenched teeth.

"Mind your own business, Te! What happens between Leni and I is our concern, not yours. I will not do anything to her that she does not want; I can assure you of that." Ryodan would have continued, but the girls came back to the table.

As she sat back down, Tegan noted the Fae cuff on Leni's arm; he became excited with this discovery and immediately forgot about Ryodan's games. He pointed to the cuff and began to ask questions.

"I have studied ancient languages, and I read Celtic runes, may I?" he asked politely. Leni reluctantly took the cuff off and handed it to Tegan. He examined it carefully and handed it to Ryodan, who did the same. Leni watched the two men as they turned it over and read the inscriptions. Both men seemed fascinated by the cuff, yet at the same time, they did not seem to like touching it.

"The runes spell out a magic spell to protect the wearer from harm. It is beautiful and quite valuable. You probably should keep it covered in places like this, so no one is tempted to steal it. Where did you get it, if I might ask?" Tegan asked quietly.

Ryodan handed the cuff back to Leni with a sardonic smile as if to say, "See, I really didn't intend to steal it." Leni put the cuff back on, and Ryodan swore he could hear her give a little sigh of relief. Leni had been advised by both her grandfather and grandmother not to divulge who gave her the cuff. "It is a matter of life and death," they both insisted. Leni didn't want to lie, so she told a half truth.

"From a very good friend of my grandmother on my 15th birthday. He said it was magic. Of course, I didn't believe him. I don't believe in magic," she replied.

Ryodan and Tegan knew she wasn't telling the truth, or at least not all of the truth, but the spell on the cuff seemed harmless enough and posed no danger. Later, they concurred there was no harm in allowing her to keep the cuff. They felt they would find out more in good time. Ryodan determined to ferret out her secrets; it was a job he looked forward to.

"Will you come back tomorrow?" Ryodan asked as he got up from the booth. Zigor had just come in with a date, a black haired beauty who reminded them all of Fiona, one of his old lovers. Zigor, their leader, who owned Barrons Books and Baubles, a bookstore not too far away, signaled Ryodan that he wanted to talk to him upstairs. Ryodan guessed that Barrons wanted to discuss the fiasco they had just suffered in New York trying to obtain the singing stone. Leaving his date at the bar, Barrons walked toward the back stairs.

Before Leni could answer, Bridget spoke up. "No, we can't. Leni is going to sing at my Uncle Marty's pub tomorrow night and Saturday. She has a really good voice. You should come, Ry. Her first set is at seven."

"I'll be there. I wouldn't miss it for the world," he answered as he walked away grinning to himself.

A few minutes later, Bridget, Leni and Tegan got up to leave. None of them noticed Moira, who was sitting at the bar watching them. Moira was particularly interested in the little blonde who accompanied Tegan and his fiance. She didn't know who the new girl was, but she was going to find out. Hate filled Moira's eyes; it twisted her normally beautiful face into something quite ugly.

Moira watched Ryodan while he sat and talked to the blonde. She recognized the way he looked at the girl; he had once looked at her like that, although not as intensely. She had watched them while they danced. She was surprised at the depth of Ryodan's interest in the new girl. He had shown interest in many other women over the years, but tonight he actually looked shaken. Moira was burning with jealousy.

Ryodan had told her earlier on the phone and confirmed it later in the bar that they were over. He said he should have told her before, and he apologized for not having done so. "I cannot love you the way you want me to, Moira. I have told you that before. It is time you find someone who can," he said.

The pain of Ryodan's words nearly killed her, but Moira was not someone who gave up easily; she would find a way to change his mind. The new blonde would never have Ryodan if she had any say in the matter. She would find a way to get rid of her, even if she had to kill her. Ryodan would love her as she wanted. It was the way it was meant to be; it was their destiny to be together.