by JL Madore
That’s over now. He’s mine as much as Calli and the others. “At least that’s how I feel.”
Before it gets weird, I ruffle the kid’s hair and set him free. “See, this is nothing but a good thing, Doc. Don’t worry about me. I’m fucking overjoyed. Once we find our rhythm, this quint will be legendary.”
As the words solidify in the air between us, I’m even more certain. Yeah, when it comes to laying down roots, it’s Musketeer time—all for one and one for all.
Kotah recovers from whatever emotional rush he got from my PDA and nods. I don’t know if it’s our mating bond or an effect from him being an omega, but I adore him and will give my life to protect him from anyone who might do him harm.
Mine.
Doc will not understand that, so I move on. I point to the book clutched under the kid’s arm and nod. “Go ahead, buddy. Did you find something you want to share?”
Hawk
“The stylist called,” Lukas says. “She’s compiling the items you requested for tonight’s gala and will have them to the cabin this afternoon. The updated files on the other guardians are in your inbox. And you’re scheduled to appear in front of the Fae Council at the end of the regular session this afternoon at 3:15. I entered it into your schedule.”
“And access to the satellite system?”
“Approved, but you’ll need to go in person. They had a potential breach with remote access and until they isolate the source, it’s hands-on only.”
Inconvenient, but understandable. “Okay, what about the coroner’s report on the dead women from the drow property?”
“At first blush, it seems they died of heart failure.”
I blink up at him and frown. “Mass, simultaneous heart failure? That’s impossible. What was their blood chemistry?”
“The lab is breaking down an unknown substance found in all of them. They’re not sure what it is, but it seems to have caused unusually low levels of tryptophan and erratically high levels of adrenaline.”
“To what end?”
“Other than death?”
“Yes, other than that.”
“Undetermined at this point.”
“All right. What about the establishment where Calli’s friend tended bar? Any luck tracking down the leader of the Sovereign Sons or their guns buyer?”
“Nothing yet.”
“And the men who ambushed us?”
“Nothing yet.”
“Any hits on this Black Knight fellow?”
“Nothing yet.”
“What about the reason for the rise of the phoenix?” I raise a finger and point at him. “If you say, ‘Nothing yet,’ I will gut you.”
Lukas stares at me and purses his lips, saying nothing.
“For fuck’s sake! What do I pay you for? Have you got any answers about anything?”
He shrugs undeterred. “You were right about the discrepancy on the maps provided for the land contract. The science team concluded that the shift in the waterway didn’t occur naturally but was coerced by damming and digging about ten years ago. Someone wanted the river shifted.”
“Ten years ago? Why? Who benefits from the shift?”
“Jayne’s working on that.”
My phone rings and I sigh. Speak of the she-devil. “Hold on a second.” I put the call on hold and go back to my conversation with Lukas. “Check the dark web for any references to this Black Knight or anything to do with Darkside. Keep on it. Maybe one day we’ll find we have more answers than questions.”
“Where there’s life, there’s hope.”
When Lukas clears the room, I accept the call and rub the growing ache in my temple. “Jayne. What can I do for you?”
Jaxx
After an amazing wake-up session with Calli, we shower and eventually end up getting dressed—eventually. I understand the day is ticking away and the guys are waiting but being naked with my mate and having her to myself is the most consuming sensation I have ever experienced.
It’s not uncommon in our world but with our rocky start, for a minute there, I wondered if it would happen.
“Stop fidgeting.” I slap her hand away from the lapel of her little jacket. Hawk sent her over a day outfit from the boutique in the main lodge and it is breathtaking.
No. She’s breathtaking.
“I’m going to mess this up.”
I check her position facing the stone fireplace and call up my parents for a video chat. “Just be yourself. My parents are awesome, and they’ll love you.”
Her whimper of defeat is so damned cute I can’t stand it. I give her a quick kiss and check that she’s ready.
“Jaxx, seriously. I’m going to say something stupid, pass out, or worse… what if I shoot fire out of my eyes.”
I chuckle and step back from my dialing phone propped on the mantle. “That honestly wouldn’t be the worst intro my parents have suffered through with the girls I’ve dated.”
She’s so unamused it’s hilarious.
“Okay, if your eyeballs heat up, duck out of the frame and shoot fireballs into the hearth. No biggie.”
She glares like I’ve grown a second head. Hilarious.
The phone rings and I pull her against my side so she can’t escape. It rings… and continues ringing until the call is dropped. “Weird. I told them I was calling with exciting news. I wonder where they went.”
I shrug off the disappointment of not being able to show off my girl and set her free. “Looks like you’re off the hook.”
“Thank the gods.”
Calli
Jaxx is amazing, and I am sure his parents are amazing, but he can’t grasp the scope of how different our lives have been. He grew up in a nuclear family, devoted parents, brilliant older sister, grand-parents, cousins, birthday parties, family dinners, the whole works. I try to picture it… and I’ve got nothing.
I send up a prayer of thanks to whatever fae gods saved me from making a fool of myself and alienating the people who mean the most to him.
It sounds selfish, I know, but I need a moment to process. Hell, we just got together five minutes ago. Give a girl a minute to adjust.
I, of course, say none of this aloud. Like I said, Jaxx is amazing. No way will I burst his afterglow by admitting I’m not ready to shout our mating news from the rooftops.
Instead, I link our fingers as we leave the cabin and tamp down my need to run for the hills. Of course, I won’t get far in strappy slingback pumps.
Where I expected to wear yoga pants and a tank for training later, Hawk sent me a black sleeveless pantsuit with a chiffon overlay skirt and emerald bolero jacket to wear up to the main lodge. It’s elegant, very pretty, and totally out of my comfort zone.
“You look stunning. The people here will be in awe of the phoenix before they even meet you. We’ll get you fed and then go back to our cabin with the others to change and start the training we need to make up for.”
We walk side-by-side, our steps in sync, our fingers linked between us. The earthy smell of the forest hangs thick in the air and my pulse kicks up a notch. I’ve never been outdoorsy before, but I get the sense my phoenix likes having space to stretch her wings.
Maybe one day soon, I’ll properly call my phoenix into a full shift and see what that feels like. I need to get a handle on that. The fae community is counting on me and I’m not ready.
I’m still thinking about that when a tiger bursts from the trees and races across the path ahead of us. He’s swatting at a shrieking eagle, leaping ten feet into the air, swiping to catch the bird.
Whatever Jaxx sees in my face, makes him chuckle. “While wildlings mix and mingle across the country, the primary alpha center for each group is where most of us live. The canines in the north, the avians in the east, the felines in the south and the ursines in the west. We’re an aggressive species and don’t always get along. We stick to our quarters.”
The breathy sounds of a private coming together draws my attention to a bench tucked under a weeping
willow. A man is sitting on the bench naked with the woman in his lap riding his cock and another man kneeling in front of her, suckling her breasts.
“Some people are getting along fine.” I watch, not meaning to intrude but fascinated by their freedom to express their hungers. It feeds a giddy pang of excitement building in me. It will be like this with my mates as we accept one another.
“Yeah, they seem to be doing just fine,” Jaxx says.
The sun is almost completely overhead when we arrive at the main lodge. I’m swamped with the realization that with the heightened senses of the fae, everyone will know why we’re so late.
Stupid super-sniffers. “Is your marking scent noticeable on me?”
“Fuck yeah.” The predatory purr that rumbles from his chest vibrates squarely between my legs. He swings me around and pulls me against his solid chest. There’s a playful fire in his eyes that ignited a few hours ago that calls to me. “No one in this compound will question who claimed you as his mate.”
“That’s both super sexy and offensive,” I say, freeing myself from his arms before my hunger for him gets me into trouble. “I’m nobody’s property.”
He chuckles and swings our joined hands between us. “It’s less about being someone’s property and more about knowing who will rip their throat out if something happens to you. A male’s mark puts other members of our world on notice, and it works both ways.”
We arrive at a great, wooden lodge on the edge of a lake and Jaxx opens the gate for me. Three lion cubs and two roly-poly bear cubs are grunting and rolling in a fenced pen on the front lawn. The brunette woman watching them straightens as we approach.
“Wait for it…” Jaxx whispers beside me.
The woman eyes him up and down, making it very clear that she likes what she sees. Natch. She swallows, a soft smile curving her lips until we get about twenty feet from her. Then, everything about her demeanor changes and she stands down.
“Hello, Ginny,” Jaxx says, stopping as we pass. “This is Calli. Calli, Ginny is my Alpha’s niece. She takes care of the young here on the compound for visiting delegates.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Calli,” the lynx feline says. She dips her chin to me and drops her gaze to the ground. “Welcome to the Bastion. I do hope you enjoy your stay.”
“Thanks,” I say, baffled. “It’s nice to meet you too.”
Jaxx’s warm palm at the small of my back leads me through the double glass doors and into the lodge. Once inside, I take his hand and tug him to the side. “So, my scent on you does the same thing? Women smell our ode to sexy times, they know you’re mine, and they’ll mind their manners?”
He nods. “It’s partly manners and partly respecting that you’re dominant. Whether or not you’ve got control over your animal side, you are an alpha female of a very powerful and respected species. Females won’t touch what’s yours if they have half a brain.”
He’s watching my reaction and chuckles. “Like that, do you? A little possessive, are you, kitten?”
I link my arm with his and waggle my brows. “More than a little. We’re together and building toward something. I’m glad women like her know it.”
“That’s all I’m saying.”.
“There you are,” Nakotah says, meeting us in the grand foyer. Dressed in traditional doe-skin pants and vest, he looks every bit the male of his heritage. His long, chestnut hair is drawn back and braided, and he wears a colorful beaded choker over the wide black leather of his usual one.
He kisses my hand and smiles. “You are resplendent.”
I’m not even sure what that means but I get the gist. I brush my finger over the beading on his throat and swallow. “You’re killing it yourself, sweetie.”
Jaxx told me we’d be in the lodge for a bit and then back to the cabin to change before working out. If all my guys are dressed to kill like this today, we may not make it out of the cabin after all.
Kotah draws a deep breath and blushes. “Right now, you need to eat, Chigua. The rest must wait, I’m afraid.”
Jaxx chuckles as Kotah tugs me down the hall toward the mouth-watering aroma of grilled meat. “The wolf’s right. It’s long past the time when you should’ve eaten.”
I hug Kotah’s arm and slow down the race toward the kitchen. I’m used to sneakers not heels and I don’t want to end up faceplanting in front of the elders of the fae world. “I’m fine. The morning just… got away on us.”
I search Kotah’s face. He’s so guileless my heart trips looking at him. The last thing I want is to bring up my morning with Jaxx and hurt Kotah’s feelings or make him feel left out—especially after how good he’s been to me.
I squeeze his arm. “I’m sorry if it’s weird for you knowing Jaxx and I spent the morning together?”
Kotah stops and brushes his fingers over the blush of my cheek. “Calli, we are to be a mated quint. You stand here smiling, more relaxed and sated than I’ve seen you in days. How can that be a bad thing?”
I swallow. “Well, it’s not for me, but I want to make sure there’s no tension between you four and that no one feels left out. I want this to work for all of us.”
Jaxx shakes his head. “You’re still looking at things through a human mindset. The five of us are a pack, a clan, a unit. However you describe it, you thriving in this quint is our primary concern. It’s more than our duty, it’s our greatest pleasure. We may disagree and, knowing Hawk, likely come to blows, but it’ll never be about you or your happiness.”
Polyamory is foreign to me, but if this morning is an example of what it can be like with each or all of them, then, hellooo, I’ll adjust. “I don’t want anyone to feel slighted.”
Kotah’s braid brushes my wrist as he leans to whisper in my ear. It’s a soft tickle and feels far too intimate for such a public setting. “Yes, Brant and I, and likely even Hawk, want more time with you, private or otherwise, but it’s not at the expense of the others. As males, we yearn for a deep emotional connection with you. As animals, we hunger for the final quint claiming.”
I search the depths of his brown eyes. “Final claiming?”
“Yes. Only when the five of us come together as one will our bond be truly complete.”
“All five of us at once?” I say, my mouth going dry.
He holds up the book in his hand. “I spent the morning in the library. According to what I discovered. We can each be with you and our bond will grow but only when all of us are together will the extent of our powers unlock.”
Despite my growing attraction to each of them, four men at once sounds too exploitive and hedonistic. Besides, they don’t even like Hawk. Sex for the sake of releasing powers isn’t anything I want to be a part of.
How do I say that without disappointing them?
My stomach growls and I place a hand over my belly. “Okay, you’re right. I need sustenance. Lead the way.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Calli
After lunch, Brant, Jaxx, Kotah, and I head back to our cabin in the woods. Since I no longer have a phone, I had Kotah send Hawk a text inviting him to join us for our meal, but he didn’t come, and he didn’t respond. Knowing him, he’s probably in a meeting or putting out a political fire somewhere. Still, I don’t like the divide growing between us. Chronologically, it’s been less than two days since he shredded me. In the grand scheme of my shifter evolution, it feels like years ago.
What if he’s already gone to the elders to be severed from his bond? It’s too soon. He hasn’t given us a chance.
He hasn’t given me a chance.
“In your dreams, Bear,” Jaxx says, laughing as the four of us burst into the three-bedroom guest cabin. “Muscle mass is important, but it doesn’t negate speed, agility, and cunning. Right, Kotah?”
Kotah nods. “Sorry, Brant. I’m with Jaxx on this.”
Brant chuckles and his massive chest bounces with his amusement. “Of course, you are. You’re a wolf. You gotta pair up with the jaguar. Just like you’ll
have to pair up if you expect to take me down.”
I laugh and head into the bedroom. On the dresser, there is a pile of new clothes that weren’t there when Jaxx and I left this morning. The closet door is open and there are several evening dresses and the corresponding shoes. I’ve suspected my personal shopper is Hawk all along.
Now I’m sure of it.
The guys are still joking and talking smack about how badly they intend to kick each other’s respective asses when I grab a set of workout clothes and head to the bathroom. It’s not that I’m shy, but I know damned well that if I’m naked in front of any one of them, I’m going to be lost to lust again and distracted from training.
I pad quickly and quietly across the suite until I’m at the bathroom door—
A sharpness of emotion twangs the tension of my connection to the guys and I stop. The mating bond is solidifying like an invisible cable connecting the five of us and whatever I’m sensing twists in my gut.
I abandon the door to the bathroom and continue down the hall to the office. Hawk sits on the edge of the desk, his back toward me. His shoulders are rigid, the spine of his black vest pulling at the seams. “I don’t give a fuck,” he growls in a throaty tone. “I pay you to get things done, so get it done.”
The cellphone flings across the room and smashes to bits against the wall. He tips his head back and roars at the ceiling. I feel his animal writhing close to the surface and wonder what is testing his control.
I haven’t figured out the tie we share or what it means for us in the future, but Hawk’s suffering aches in my chest. I’m still furious with him—there’s no denying that—but more than wanting to slap him, after feeling his isolation, I also suffer from a profound need to ease his pain.
I want to hate him. But like Jaxx keeps reminding me, I’m looking at things from a human mindset. Maybe wildlings don’t hold grudges against their mates.
“I guess now both of us are unreachable by phone.”
