Forbidden Craving by Gena Showalter & Jeaniene Frost

Author:Gena Showalter & Jeaniene Frost
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2017-03-28T07:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

“WAKE UP, SHAYE.” Shake. “Wake up.”

Shaye heard the voice from a long, dark tunnel. Yes, she thought. Must. Wake. Up. Trouble was nearby. Trouble for her and for Valerian.

Consciousness gradually worked through her mind, chasing away the darkness.

“Wake up.”

Slowly she cracked open her eyelids. Sunlight glared down at her, and orange-gold spots danced through her vision. Dry cotton filled her mouth. Sand and salt coated the rest of her. Her dress was stiff, as if it had been soaked and dried right on her. The sound of lulling waves greeted her ears, soothing, familiar. Yet...wrong. The smells weren’t right, either. Yes, she smelled salt, but not orchids or storms.

“Valerian,” she called. Her throat felt raw, scratchy. “Valerian.”

“Do you want the herb, honey? Someone. Help! Get me valerian root!”

“No. I want the man. My man.” Her attention veered to the speaker. Her... “Mom?” She rubbed at her eyes. “What are you doing here?”

“I’ve been haunting the beach since you were taken. Are you—” her mother gulped “—okay? Did they hurt you?”

“I’m fine.” From the corner of her eye, she saw Ameena kneeling in the sand, dark hair hanging in tangles around her face. Dirt smeared her blade of a nose and the sharpness of her now gaunt cheeks.

Shaye crawled to her. “What’s going on?”

“I want to go back,” she said, never looking Shaye’s way. “I’d give anything to go back.”

Go back... Understanding clicked. Yes. The dragons had invaded Valerian’s bedroom, had threatened to take her to the surface, wipe her memory, then had rendered her unconscious.

Well, the memory wipe clearly failed.

She hugged the woman and shoved to her feet. Her equilibrium was off balance, and she swayed. Her mom wrapped an arm around her waist.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Tamara asked.

“Yes, yes. I’ll be fine.” Shaye massaged her temples to ward off the dizziness. She scanned the area. Other women were scattered across the beach. Some sitting up. Some still lying down. Others were walking around, frowning and obviously confused. “Ameena, help me talk to the others. Any who want to go back, we’ll try together.”

When the world finally righted itself, she cataloged her surroundings. White-gold sand stretched as far as the eyes could see. Waves crested to the beach, leaving sea foam in their wake. The sun shone brightly, no hint of crystal.

“I was here when you arrived,” her mom explained, realizing the direction of her gaze. “I’ve questioned everyone who awoke. Most can’t recall their own name, why they’re here, or even how they got here.”

“There was a boat docked over there.” Her mom pointed to the right. “The men inside helped get you to the beach, but they didn’t know anything, either. I did see the initials OBI on the side, though, whatever that means.”

“I still don’t understand why you’re here,” Shaye said, pinning her with a frown.

Tamara’s expression contorted. “After you disappeared, the police arrived at the tent. They didn’t believe us when we told them what had happened. They laughed at us, said you girls had probably paid strippers to pretend a mass abduction.

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