“Are we pulling the trackers off Kiril?” Lilith already had her phone out, texting the many men who owed her favors.
“Bad idea.” Seraphina met Christabel’s eyes.
“No. If he finds her first somehow, we’ll want to know about it.”
Fifteen minutes later, the plane tickets had been booked, and calls had been made to a few Fey they knew who lived in New Orleans
Everything was set up perfectly. Any minute now, Sophia’s coordinates would be in Christabel’s hands.
Soon, she would have her Kiril back.
* * * *
“Coming to the brewery?” Sebastian asked hopefully. He’d pulled up to the firehouse, where Cael and Aiyanna were waiting for her. Heath and Sebastian didn’t want her doing anything until Aiyanna saw to her wrist, and Sophia had to agree with them.
It didn’t hurt nearly as badly as the poison had, but the pain was there, along with a ridiculous amount of swelling and the inability to so much as raise her hand. The injury would also throw a wrench into what she planned to do with Heath, which was simply unacceptable.
Normally she’d love to drink with her brother and his packmates, but tonight she needed time with the man who’d come infuriatingly close to exchanging his life for hers.
She wanted to be angry with him, but having seen how he felt about her made it impossible to feel anything but joy.
“Next time,” she promised, hopping out of his G-Wagon. To her delight, Heath hadn’t stopped touching her since he’d spoken to his mother. As soon as they’d gotten into the car, he’d pulled her into his lap, his arms around her so tight she couldn’t have moved an inch if she’d wanted to.
She hadn’t.
Sebastian had regarded them curiously in the rearview mirror, but all he said was, Kick his ass when he’s grumpy, Soph. She intended to take his advice.
She watched them drive off. Briony had started to come to during the drive, but remained uncharacteristically quiet. Now she grinned, waving until Sebastian turned a corner.
Raphael and Theo had arrived at the firehouse minutes before; the Alpha had been unwilling to wait an extra second in getting the Inverness weres out of his city.
“You need to eat something.” Heath held the door open for her, following her inside. She didn’t argue—her stomach had been growling for the past ten minutes, but his had been too.
Hearing their entrance, Aiyanna rushed into the foyer, zeroing in on Sophia’s wrist. She whistled, her golden eyes narrowing. “Honey, that’s awfully close to a compound fracture.”
Heath growled, his arm tightening around her waist.
Aiyanna tsked as she wrapped her hands gently around the injury, her eyes closing in concentration. A few minutes later, Aiyanna lost the color in her cheeks, but Sophia could gingerly move her wrist with only small twinges of discomfort.
“That’s all I can do for now.” Aiyanna yawned. “You broke it in so many places, I could only kickstart the healing process.”
Sophia thanked the shifter, pulling her into a hug. “I don’t know what this pack would do without you,” she murmured.
Cael emerged from the shadows, where he’d been observing Aiyanna while she healed. “We’d be utterly screwed,” he told Sophia, wrapping a protective arm around Aiyanna’s shoulders.
She beamed, leaning against Cael with an expression of bliss. Sophia could have sworn she heard the other woman purr.
The two left for the brewery after Sophia and Heath declined a ride with them. Instead, they made a beeline for the kitchen. She put together a salad using some of the produce Briony brought over, and Heath cooked chicken on the stove. When an ache in her shoulder had her adjusting her arm, she pulled away from her place next to him, her hip feeling cold where it had been pressed against his leg.
Heath made a strangled sound low in his throat, his narrow-eyed glare bringing forth a fit of laughter in Sophia.
“You can touch me all you want,” she said when she caught her breath. “But I may need a deep-tissue message.” Her muscles were knotted and bruised, and she imagined Heath’s big hands could work wonders.
He plated the chicken and ran callused fingers over her shoulders while she finished the salad, lightly pressing down on the sensitive area behind her ears, kneading the muscles of her back gently. She melted into his touch, throwing her head back on a low moan.
“Eat first.” His voice was a rumble in her ear, laced with satisfied amusement.
They did, eating in the near-silence of the truly hungry. As soon as Sophia finished her meal, Heath lifted her in his arms and ran for the stairs, taking her all the way up to the roof without so much as a catch in his breath.
“We’re going to do this right,” he murmured, lowering her to the loveseat gently. “But you have to be positive this is what you want.” His green gaze was earnest, resolved enough that Sophia knew, should she decide to walk away right then, Heath would allow her to, no matter that her decision could carve out his heart.
I’ll be tied to him for life. She watched the sun disappear in a burst of red across the western horizon. He’ll be overprotective to a fault, and he may just take away my powers.
The last notion didn’t factor into her decision; she could feel the fire in her veins, at her very core. Its warmth licked in her belly, washing over her shoulders where Heath’s hands had been as if to reassure her.
Despite everything, she never fought instinct, the guiding force that had saved her life countless times over the last century.
She wasn’t going to throw her mate away.
“What I want,” she whispered, placing one hand on his cheek, the other over his heart, “is you.”
Heath pulled her into a kiss full of promise, no longer holding himself back. She knew her words had torn down the barrier between them, but she wasn’t afraid. She delighted in his lack of inhibitions, the undeniable joy on his face stretching to her, encompassing her whole being.
She had regrets, but she knew this night, Heath, would never be among them.
“Your powers,” Heath said raggedly, speaking against her mouth.
She shook her head, nibbling underneath his chin and back up to his lips. “We’ll see what happens soon enough.”
The next full moon was tomorrow night, and from what Sophia understood about Raphael and Mary, the mating became finalized over the first night they would be forced into their wolf forms.
The transformation was always painful, but this next one will be much worse. At least Mary had said as much, having felt but a fraction of what Raphael went through. As a banshee, she hadn’t undergone nearly as much change as Raphael had. Sophia suspected it would be similar for her and Heath, as his powers had been bound for so long.
He’ll get something back. She lifted his shirt over his head, and this time his tattoos moved toward her hands, a powerful force underneath her fingertips. Her hand tingled, and she felt like she could lift a car. His powers, my powers won’t disappear.
His right hand was on her thigh, molding to the curves exposed by her dark leggings. The tattooed eye was closed, relaxed, and she realized she might know what the ink’s purpose was. Instead of asking, she filed away the notion for later, unwilling to distract him from the way he felt, the way she could feel his every touch as if her body was exquisitely sensitive to only his hands, his lips.
For a long time they only kissed, learning each other. Heath fell to the ground laughing when they both realized Sophia’s right ear was an erogenous zone, which he took advantage of without mercy with kisses and bites that made her toes curl.
Sophia took revenge by biting down on his lower lip, causing him to groan low in his throat and pull her closer so she could feel his every movement underneath her. He didn’t try to hide his erection, a hard length against her, but he didn’t let her take off his pants either. When she went to unzip his fly, he lightly bit her hands and fingers before placing them against his cheeks.
&n
bsp; It wasn’t until the sun was long gone and the night was sky was a deep, velvety black that Heath gently lifted her from him. He stood and went to dim the fairy lights, question in his shadowed gaze.
He was giving her one last chance, in case she craved freedom from him, if this really would take away her fire.
“Nice try.” She launched herself at him, slamming him back against the brick wall as he caught her. She wrapped her legs around his waist, reveling in the feel of his hands supporting her back. “We may have some major adjustments to deal with,” she told him truthfully, drawing a line from his lips to where the tattoos crept up over the neckline of his shirt, “but I’d rather face a different challenge with you every day than live a completely safe life with anyone else.”
She was a soldier, and she’d worked her ass off to earn and keep that place in her pack. She’d never made her decisions based on comfort and stability; it wasn’t who she was.
It was a mindset that had never let her down.
“In that case, baby…” Heath kissed her hard, turning them around to put her back against the wall. “I’m keeping you.”
She shivered as his promise sunk in. He lifted her higher, so her head was above his when she leaned down to kiss him, but she didn’t let him keep her there long.
She wanted to be skin-to-skin.
At her impatient taps to his arm, Heath lowered her to the ground with a chuckle.
She palmed the Zippo and dropped his jacket to the ground, along with the rest of her clothes, before she lit another fire in the pit. The temperature was dropping, and she wanted to focus solely on the man before her.
Heath watched the fire grow, his expression solemn, his hand running over her back comforting, but she didn’t mourn for her powers.
She wouldn’t, not until she was positive they were gone.
When Sophia told Heath as much he smiled slightly, lifting his shirt over his head. “You know, Sebastian said the same thing,” he said thoughtfully. “He doesn’t think you’ll lose your powers.”
She loved her brother, but she really didn’t want to talk about him in this moment. “Either way, let’s make this about us. No powers, no exile, just a man and a woman.”
At his nod she undid the fly of his pants, lowering them and his boxers to the ground before he could stop her. Muscular legs were covered in almost blond hair, his manhood confirming her suspicions that he was fully erect, but proving to be even more impressive than she imagined.
Seeing him naked made her feel small, which rarely happened despite her actual size.
Challenge accepted.
“Sneaky,” he murmured into her hair, his hand fisting the strands to pull her head back for another kiss. He jerked when she wrapped her hand around him and squeezed lightly, his eyes twinkling as he made her gasp with a well-placed touch to her core.
He added another finger, and Sophia was sure her legs would go out from underneath her. Heath played, making sure she fell apart more than once before pulling his hand away. “Devious,” she managed to say breathily.
He surprised her when he pulled her atop him on the loveseat, his arms tight around her, his expression fierce. She didn’t hesitate to slide onto him, her inner walls stretching, allowing them to fit together perfectly.
She went slowly, rocking against him as she leaned forward for a kiss. His mouth against hers, he pushed her back upright, his hands hot on her breasts, his rhythm matching hers.
Her climax swept her under, clenching her around him, and she knew he was lost too.
Sophia collapsed on his chest while they were still connected in the most intimate way, and Heath held her in arms so strong, she knew between the two of them, they would survive just fine no matter what wrenches life threw their way.
“Can you feel it?” Heath’s whisper in her ears echoed her own thoughts—she’d been about to ask him the same question.
There was something there between them, linking them together. She knew mating would create a connection, but she’s never dreamed of this.
They rose to sit up, skin glowing in the firelight. Sophia pressed her hand to Heath’s heart wondrously. Now it beat for her, as hers did for him.
“We almost gave this up,” she murmured. The idea sounded wrong.
Heath pressed his lips to her temple silently, and she knew he was still concerned. They would both wonder until the time came tomorrow night.
And then they would know where their powers stood, whether they were ready for the knowledge or not.
Sophia decided not to think what if, and let the heat of Heath’s body relax her until she fell asleep against his chest. She didn’t protest, nor did she wake completely when he covered her in his shirt and carried her to his room, tucking himself behind her in bed.
He’d earned her trust, and her love. She was happy, no matter how unsure she was about what was in store.
* * * *
In the passenger seat of her car, Leila squeezed Alexandre’s outstretched hand.
When they stopped at the address Wish had given them, she pulled her hand away and began to sign, already missing the contact.
You’ll be back for me in an hour?
Alex shook his head, his silky golden hair catching the fluorescent car lights. “I’ll be waiting outside—I trust Wish, but I don’t know this Birgit woman.”
Wish said she’s an immortal banshee too. So was her sister, who was born deaf.
“Was?” Alex’s hands tensed on the steering wheel.
She killed herself.
His jaw was a rigid line, but when he faced her there was nothing but gentleness in his expression. “You don’t have to go see her,” he said quietly. “I won’t say anything to Wish or Mary.”
Leila signed, No. Wish had been right; if she didn’t get a handle on her abilities, she would hurt someone. Most likely either Alexandre or Mary, and she couldn’t bear to harm either of them. She loved them both so much, and she’d been stupid to keep her lapsing control a secret for so long, was lucky her rash decisions hadn’t killed someone.
If she learned the control she needed, maybe she could finally really touch Alex, beyond a fleeting hug or a quick grasp of hands. He’d been devastatingly patient with her for the past six months, never pressuring her even when she knew he was dying to touch her.
She was forcing him to fight his own nature, and it was unfair to him. But if he did touch her, did make her feel even more than she already felt for him, she may open her mouth. And tear apart everything around her.
She owed him this. She had to be strong enough for them to have a real relationship—they both deserved it. They had what Mary and Raphael had, what Leila was sure Aiyanna and Cael had, and she was the only thing standing in their way.
No more.
She would fight, and right now it meant fighting herself.
I need to do this.
Alex didn’t seem happy, uncharacteristic strain lining his face, but he nodded.
Thank you for watching out for me. He always did. Whenever she was nervous or scared, Alex found a way to be there, even if that meant signing up to be a stage hand during her performances in Tulane’s production of A Million Kisses to My Skin, a ballet that had her exhausted for most of the summer and current semester.
When he’d blown her a kiss from the wings, her anxiety left in a rush while she flew, floating across the stage in a rush of pique and chaînés turns until she landed in his arms once they pulled the curtains.
It was the closest they’d ever been, the longest hug she’d ever allowed him.
She lifted her hand in the sign for I love you, and leaned over to briefly kiss his cheek when he crossed his first two fingers in that same sign, telling her I really love you without words.
Before she lost her nerve she left the car, knowing Alexandre would prowl around the property until her hour with Birgit was up. If she so much as hit her fist against a wall, he would come running. That n
otion close to her heart, she took the set of stairs leading to the portion of the divided house that Birgit resided in and knocked on the door.
A thirty-something blonde woman opened it. Birgit? Leila finger-spelled the name, raising her eyebrows in question. As Wish didn’t tell her she needed a translator, she assumed this woman knew sign language, especially given her sister had been deaf.
Leila’s stomach coiled when the woman simply looked at her blankly for a few long moments before raising her fist in a “knocking” motion, signaling yes.
You can speak to me, Leila signed, pointing to the transmitter clipped into her hair. Many didn’t notice it, as it was the same color as her white-blonde hair, which was currently down, covering her more obvious processor. I have cochlear implants.
“So you can speak,” Birgit murmured, her hand reaching up to touch her ear.
Leila nodded.
“How incredibly sad. At least Eartha—my sister—she couldn’t hear, so she could never speak. Those implants were invented long after she’d passed,” Birgit’s eyes were elsewhere as she spoke. “I think she may have tried them. I don’t know whether she would have taken to the gadgets.” Birgit laughed, and it was a sound filled with grief.
Leila couldn’t hear as most thought she could, the implant didn’t gift her perfect hearing, but she’d learned to pick up on the nuances of speech.
Birgit seemed to shake herself, ushering Leila into her home. “I’m so sorry for leaving you standing there. Please, come in.”
She went to sit in a small nook off her kitchen, gesturing for Leila to take the seat across the table from her. Leila acquiesced, leaving the doorway, and she could have sworn she heard a growl from outside.
“Wish tells me you’re immortal now, and need help controlling your voice.” Birgit held up a hand. “Your voice is the issue because it needs to be released. Your problem is you can’t hear it as it truly sounds, so you won’t be able to control it the way most of us banshees do without thinking. So you could hear, before?”
Hunted Page 17
