by Harper Wylde
Copyright © 2018 by Quinn Arthurs and Harper Wylde.
All rights reserved.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously.
The author acknowledges the trademark owners of various products, brands, and/or stores references in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Spark of Intent
Phoenix Rising Book Three
Quinn Arthurs
Harper Wylde
Wylde Side Publishing
Contents
Acknowledgments
Warning
Blurb
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Author’s Note
Also By Harper Wylde
Also by Quinn Arthurs
About Harper Wylde
About Quinn Arthurs
Acknowledgments
As always, we’d like to thank our incredible readers! This series means so much to us, and we’re so excited that you love these characters as much as we do. Spark of Intent was a tough book for us to write but it means so much more to us because of the challenge. We hope you enjoy the next installment of Nix, Hiro, Ryder, Damien, Theo, and Killian’s journey as much as we do. Thank you for reading and being part of our book world family.
Now we need to take a moment to pause and thank two key people who helped us make this book what it is today. We truly cannot thank them enough for all their long hours, sleepless nights, hard work, and hilarious entertainment. To our editor Missy Fournier—thank you for your ceaseless dedication to not only us as authors, but to our characters and the Phoenix Rising Series. You’re talent to polish our draft into a novel ready to publish is beyond amazing, and we’re so glad to have you on our team. To our beta reader Brina Walker—thank you for your endless encouragement. You’re willingness to dive in and help, to keep us organized, to lend advice and be a sounding board has been such a huge blessing.
Most of all—thank you both for your friendship. It means so much to us.
From Harper:
To all my readers. Your enthusiasm, kind words, and encouragement mean more than you’ll ever know. To my husband. Your support, understanding, and help in all aspects of life is invaluable. Thank you for always being my sounding board, my rock, and my best friend. I love you. To my kids. Everything I do, I do for you.
From Quinn:
I wanted to thank the fans who have shown so much passion and enthusiasm for my stories. You all have no idea how much your words and jokes have touched me and encouraged me. I also want to thank Jody for being there for me every step of this journey; the sleepless nights, the giggle fits, the crazy debates, the random facts. Jody, I love you to the moon and back.
Warning
*** This book contains scenes and references of abuse that some readers may find triggering. This book also contains some m/m themes within the harem. ***
Spark of Intent is a reverse harem novel which means our heroine doesn’t have to choose between her love interests. Really, though, that’s just more fun for everyone!
Blurb
The things of nightmares haunt my dreams. Secrets lurk around every corner. The world I’ve entered isn’t all it seems, but as a newcomer, questioning the Council isn’t the safest move. Not when my guys are so entrenched in a world that I find dangerous. As Theo, Hiro, Ryder, Killian, Damien, and I try to find out how we fit together, we must also decide where we stand among the politics, class, and half-truths. While we each battle with our own demons, the ties that bind us together strain. With the Gala right around the corner and the Council’s rules threatening to break up my family, the arrival of a new shifter at our front door adds more stress—and more humor—to our already complicated lives. As everyone struggles to find where loyalties lie, we find that not everybody is who they appear to be. When the secrets around me turn deadly, will I let them break me or will they become my Spark of Intent?
Prologue
Rini
Men are assholes, generally. The irritated thought bubbled towards the tip of my tongue as I stared at my phone in annoyance—pacing along the length of my bedroom. I wanted to throw it, but I had already broken two. I couldn’t really afford a third one, and my men refused to buy me more themselves, saying it only encouraged my bad habit. I didn’t know why Nix and the guys were ignoring me. Theo had simply said they all needed space to cool down, and then the bastard hung up on me! I pursed my lips and tapped my toes as I stared at the screen. He’d known me since we were kids; he knew damn well that their silence would drive me crazy.
So much had gone on at the last Council meeting, and I only had pieces that I had gleaned through other shifters who had been in attendance. I knew it must have been hard for Nix to deal with, and I wished she would reach out to me. Then again, I doubted she even knew exactly what she was thinking right now. I sure wouldn’t. I’d give her a few more days, then I’d kidnap her for a girls’ day. I nodded my decision, my mouth firming in resolution. Her men were protective—just like mine—so their actions were understandable—even if they were dumb. They didn’t need to protect her from me though, and Nix was damn strong in her own right. I hoped she’d never forget that.
A snore startled me from my thoughts and I rolled my eyes, glancing over my shoulder at my handsome mates. Ok, to be fair, part of Theo’s temper might have been the fact that I was calling him at two in the morning, but if I couldn’t sleep I didn’t see any reason he should either. It was a bad habit left over from childhood. I smiled at the way my bears sprawled across our giant bed Barrett had made us. We liked to feel connected, and many nights found us all cuddled up on the giant bed rather than in our own rooms. I couldn’t say I minded being wrapped up in all my mates, especially when they wanted to play with me.
I sighed. Mom was pressing me to come work with her, insinuating that she could use help cleaning at the Council grounds. I knew she wanted me to settle down officially, find a way to fit into the life of a regular shifter. I ground my teeth at the thought. I may not have been a phoenix, but heat rose in me nonetheless. I was born a bear, but I wasn’t born to serve, damn it. I got lucky with my mates. They let me care for them and they cared for me in turn; there was no pressure to serve or to bear multitudes of cubs as fast as my body could.
I’d always known that my mother had borne pressure from other members of our sleuth after my father’s death. She chose not to mate again nor bear any more children. A bear with a single cub was nearly unheard of, and had been a source of shame and stress on her for far too long. She didn’t want to see me make what she deemed as ‘her mistakes.’ I’d simply laughed, assuring her that I wasn’t going to make ‘her mistakes’—that I planned to make plenty of my own instead. She had rolled her eyes and swatted me.
I glared at the clock, swearing the numbers were ticking backwards. I had always had trouble falling asleep. Even my bears sexing me up before they crashed in a hibernation-like state only kept me down for a few hours. I debated a moment before walking softly toward the bed to scoop up my pill bottle. It was probably for the best anyhow, I’d just sleep in a little later in the morning. With the help of the pills, I would nearly hibernate for a few hours and get the deep sleep I needed. I downed a couple, and climbed back into bed, cuddling back between my big, burly bears. I didn’t need to fear disturbing any of my men as nothing short of a sonic boom would wake them at this point. I listened to them breathe and let myself drift off.
Took you long enough. The voice was cooly amused and I wanted to roll my eyes. Oh goody, my visitor was back. I resisted the urge to run my hands through my hair to smooth it. I hated the intrusion—not being able to control my dreams or who was in them. Emotions I wouldn’t have if I were awake and had control over my own body, thoughts, and feelings was disconcerting to say the least.
What do you need now? I sighed in exasperation. I wasn’t in the mood for cryptic messages tonight, and I tapped my toes, hoping my visitor would get to the point so I could get some much needed sleep.
I’ll be seeing you shortly. Keep on top of everything and be good, teddy bear. I’ve got a job for you. The cool voice was nearly a caress, but now I really did wish I had something to throw. ‘Teddy bear’ made me sound cuddly and cute, and I was so much more than that. As the presence slipped away, I fell deeper into slumber, the darkness from the pills swallowing me. Men really were assholes.
One
Nix
Dangerous eyes haunted my dreams and I jolted awake, sitting upright in bed. My chest heaved as I tried to stifle my scream of warning. It had only been a few days since we had been called before the Council to watch Michael—Henri… whatever his name was—die. Even in sleep, the threat of the Council loomed, but I took comfort in the fact that Michael was no longer an issue for me. Something inside of me reared its ugly head in anger, wishing my “father” had suffered more at the end, the way I had every time he’d beaten me—killed me. I took pleasure in how sickly he had looked, and I knew instinctively that he hadn’t had an easy time as the Council’s prisoner. The thin, decrepit state of him equally soothed the need for vengeance I felt and terrified me at the same time.
No. You’re not a sadistic asshole, Nix. I scolded myself. Taking a deep, shaky breath, I tamped down on the dark thoughts fighting for dominance. If I gave credence to the darkness inside me, that would make me no better a person than Michael had been in life.
I had worked so hard not to become like him, to not allow myself to lose my temper or lash out in anger, to try and see the good in people. To overcome the upbringing I’d had. Outside of my personal struggle, the Council scared me. They held complete and total control over other mythologicals and shifters. That they had tortured Michael—and that the occurrence was common enough no one seemed to care—indicated it was socially acceptable. What kind of world was I in now where torture by rulers, who were supposed to care for us, was not only normal but approved by those around me? It was such a hard and terrifying concept to allow myself to grasp.
I didn’t want to be a terrible, evil person. I didn’t want to live under the rule of malicious leaders.
The emotions raging inside me were all-consuming to the point that my body shook. Double checking my mental barrier against Damien and the guys was solid, I crept from between the sheets, my feet hitting the cool floor. Stretching, I wandered to the dresser and clothed myself in workout attire before sneaking on nearly silent feet down the stairs of the guys’ house. When I reached the back door, I stopped and put on my socks and sneakers before grabbing my coat and quietly slipping through the sliding back door. Frigid air met my warmed skin, and I shivered, quickly donning the winter jacket and sliding the zipper of Ryder’s coat into place. I crossed the yard and stepped across the barrier, letting the buzz of the protective wards tingle over my skin. Taking a deep breath, I stretched my arms over my head, trying to warm my muscles. The barriers allowed some protection from the elements, but I knew that once my jacket came off I would need to stay moving. I wasn’t sure I would ever get used to the cold.
While I limbered up, Damien jumped to the forefront of my thoughts. He had been closed off from his brothers and me since the Council meeting, his mental walls solid enough that little slipped through, even while he slept. All of us were on edge, not wanting to push him into revealing more than he was ready for but nearly overcome with worry and curiosity at the thought that his father was involved with Michael. I knew that my guys were just as worried about me as I was about Damien. I saw the sidelong glances, the shared looks, the slower movements as if they were afraid I’d startle or run if they moved too quickly.
The truth was I didn’t trust the Council, and if Damien’s dad had truly known Michael… it just lent more credence to my distrust. Yet, I didn’t feel I could share my concerns with any of them. These were their leaders, their families. I didn’t have any solid proof other than gut instinct and intuition, and that wasn’t enough. It was sufficient, however, to take extra measures to protect myself. I was done feeling like a victim.
Muscles warmed, I dropped my jacket and began the training regiment of punches and kicks Killian had drilled into my head. The repetition of the same movements had seemed odd at first, but I was beginning to understand why Killian had me doing them. The punches and kicks, while few and simple, were becoming ingrained. I had started the extra training sessions to try and quiet my mind and, if I was honest with myself, to feel safe. Every night I focused through the exercises to the point that they were becoming second nature. My muscles knew which kick followed which punch and how to follow through each movement.
You ready? I reached for my Phoenix, who immediately chirped her response. She was enjoying the extra practice times, though she scolded me for my lack of sleep and my stress level. Fire first? I knew she wanted to practice flying, but it was a fire day. We had flown yesterday, and we had to ensure we were back in the house before my guys were awake. Fire rose in response to my query, the heat a welcome tingle through limbs that were chilled despite my movements.
I took steady breaths, focusing entirely on the heat of the fire inside of me. My Phoenix fluttered in my head, wanting to take over and direct the flames herself but knowing I needed the practice. I broke concentration for a moment to smile. You’ve got the skill. It’s my turn to learn it. Pulling my attention back to the solid wall of fire in my chest, I let it spread to my fingertips, and the heat poured off me in visible waves. The icy early morning air turned as warm as a summer day, my heated aura radiating around the clearing. My Phoenix chirped her encouragement, and I opened my eyes and focused on the targets Theo had made me scattered across the clearing.
Feel it, will it, control it. I repeated Hiro’s mantra in my head as I zeroed in on the closest target and pushed my flames from the palms of my hands, sending them directly towards it. “Yes!” I couldn’t prevent the small cheer as I nailed the target squarely. My Phoenix chirped her agreement, urging at me to try again. I think it soothed her to both use her flames and to have me control them. I aimed for the next target, enjoying the sensation of the flames lashing from my hand towards it. “Nailed it!” Another solid hit. This extra practice was paying off.
My Phoenix hissed a warning at me, and I turned my attention on her. It must be nearing morning. I wasn�
�t sure how she was always sure of it when there was so little light, but I could trust her to let me know if I was going to be late getting into the house. I shrugged my jacket back on and jogged through the barrier to the edge of the treeline before I slowed my pace as I walked towards the porch, my steps quiet and slow. Discreetly, I slipped into the house, toed off my shoes, and tugged my jacket over my arms. I didn’t hear anyone moving, so there should be time to grab a bottle of water from the kitchen before hopping into the shower.
“Another workout?” I swore and spun, throwing up my hands and feeling them heat before I recognized Damien. He sat sprawled at the dining room table with his ankles crossed in front of him and his hands behind his head.
“Damn it, Damien.” I hissed the words at him and glanced around to see if anyone else was up. “I could have scorched you!”
