Mated to the Griffin (Elemental Mates 5)

Chiara nodded slowly. “You know, there are lots of theories out there. I’m a bit of an expert when it comes to this sort of paranormal thing. I’m one of the senior journalists for the Extraterrestrial Enquirer.”

The look she gave him showed how proud she was of that fact.

Then she continued. “I never believed in aliens despite all the theories. But looking into that... thing’s eyes, it was like looking into space. Into a black hole. A void, icy cold, where nothing can live. Where no light exists.”

“Doesn’t have to be aliens,” Jared said, still not sure how much of it she meant. “We’ve got quite some darkness here on this planet, don’t we?”

And what she said lined up exactly with what he’d felt when Steele had attacked. Which only made it more probable that this was somehow connected to the element of darkness that had been woken.

“I suppose,” Chiara said, clearly not convinced. “But think about it. Would you like to believe that we’ve got demons of that sort here on earth? I’d rather believe that they came to us in a space ship. Because that means they’ll leave again.”

“Not without being defeated first. And in that case, does it make a difference where it came from?”

Jared couldn’t believe that he was actually debating alien conspiracy theories with his gorgeous yet utterly bewildering human mate.

“I guess it doesn’t.” Chiara released a sigh. A second later, her eyes narrowed. “Wait a moment—you’re actually discussing this with me? You don’t think it’s insane? Werewolves? Aliens? Demons?”

Slowly, Jared shook his head. “I don’t think it’s insane. What we saw clearly wasn’t human. Which doesn’t mean that I believe in aliens,” he hastily clarified. “But I do believe that there are things—creatures—in this world made of darkness.”

Humans had always come up with explanations for the parts of the paranormal world that touched their lives. And he supposed demons was a pretty good description for the terrifying element of darkness that had tainted Steele.

And that now had somehow found a way into the human world...

“Wow,” Chiara breathed. Her coffee rested forgotten on the table as she stared at him. “You’re the first person I’ve ever met who doesn’t think I’m crazy. Well, outside of the readers of the Extraterrestrial Enquirer, of course.”

“I don’t think you’re crazy. I saw it, too,” he reminded her. “So, now that we got that out of the way... Why did that creature attack you?”

She gave him a long, thoughtful look. A moment later, she pulled an old, battered notebook from her bag.

“Promise me you’ll never, ever mention this to anyone. Promise,” she demanded.

“I promise,” he said quietly. “I’ll keep your secrets, whatever they are.”

Chiara took a deep breath. Then she opened the notebook and pulled a map from it.

“I’ve never shown this to anyone,” she said. “I probably shouldn’t trust you with this—I’m crazy to trust a stranger after what just happened, but—you don’t feel like shadow at all.”

He quirked his lips at that. “What do I feel like?”

“You feel like light,” she said earnestly. “Like sunshine playing on mountaintops.”

His smile widened as he thought of the countless hours he’d spent as a child playing in the wind and the sun, soaring between the ragged rocks of Mountain View with his best friend, Gregory the storm dragon.

“I like that.”

“I like you,” she said, then stopped and flushed, as if she’d only now realized what she’d said. “Umm. Anyway. Here it is.”

Hastily, she unfolded a battered bit of paper, spreading it out on the small table before him.

Flushed, she looked even more enticing. A part of Jared yearned even now to explore her flushed skin with his hands and press kisses all over those luscious, soft curves.

It took quite some effort to tear himself from the sight of her breasts pressing against her shirt.

But when he did, he immediately froze.

The thing Chiara had so carefully smoothed was a map. It showed a labyrinth of paths and a mountain range—the same mountain range they’d both traveled to.

He’d come here because the only information he’d had about his parents was that the clothes and blanket he’d been wrapped in had come from France. And griffins tended to be attracted to mountain ranges, which left the Alps and the Pyrenees for him to explore.