by Boon, Elle
A golden hand brushed lightly over the top of her head, making the tension that had invaded her as she’d spoken ease. Instant lightness flowed through Jenna. “All my children should feel this way,” the Goddess agreed. “This is why you were born to be queen. You, my sweet Jennaveve, are my greatest creation. You are destined to be the Queen of the Fey Realm. From this moment on, you will be the one to bring peace to all of Fey, and with my powers inside you, you’ll be the strongest, most powerful being in all the realms.”
“I don’t...what do you mean?” Jenna whispered, her throat barely allowed the words to come out as knowledge began to flood her. A strange power pulsed within her veins.
“All of the beings here in Fey are my children, but you my child, you were created with more. You are a part of me, created by me, from me, for this purpose.” Her lilting words were filled with power. The Goddess ran her palms around Jenna, speaking words that Jenna couldn’t interpret, but as the last words rang out, a surge had Jenna crying out, forks of white hot power sent her falling onto her back.
“What’s happening to me? We are all your children,” she gasped out. More knowledge and power filled every fiber of her being, shredding her from the inside out. Jenna feared she was going to explode as the pain increased.
“It’s okay, Jennaveve. I’m sorry for the suffering you are feeling, but it’s almost done. The power has always been inside you. I just needed to unlock it.” The Goddess shook her head; a tear rolled down her cheek completely unnoticed by her.
The urge to reach up and wipe the moisture away had Jenna trying to lift her arm, but the movement was too much effort.
“See, that is why you are the Queen. Yes, all here are my children. However, many years ago, too many for me to recall, I had a vision. In it, I saw the need for one such as you. In the way of my kind, I created what I knew would be the savior of this realm and beyond, then waited for the right time. You needed time to...well, for lack of better terms, experience enough of life to mold you into what you needed to become, before bestowing the mantel of what you were destined to be. That time is now, Jennaveve,” the Goddess said, her words echoed around them with authority.
Finally, as the pain was subsiding, and she no longer felt as if her body was being shredded, she was able to take a deep breath without feeling like thousands of knives were digging into her. Moving her head didn’t take as much effort, so she rolled her neck to the left and looked at the Goddess who was sitting calmly staring off into the distance. “What do you want me to do?” As the last word left her mouth, the Goddess touched her forehead, more knowledge filled her head like a tsunami. Then, just when she was sure her brain was going to explode, the pressure was gone. The bright rays of the dual suns were replaced by the two moons.
“It is time for you to rest now, for tomorrow you will show all what it means to have you as their queen.”
Jenna could only blink, or at least she thought she did. However, the last thing she remembered was loving arms lifting her from the ground, wrapping around her and rocking her back and forth, gently, like a mother would a child. Words that sounded like a song floated through the air singing her to sleep. For the first time in hundreds of years, Jenna rested without fear.
~Present Day~
As her feet touched the ground, her legs wobbled then gave out. The feel of the cold tile slapping against her palms had her crying out even as her knees slammed into the unforgiving surface. “Shit,” she moaned.
Why nobody had come at her cry was a little alarming, but it gave her a moment to get her bearings and stand up or attempt to stand. Hell, she’d take leaning on the bed while standing on her two feet at the moment as a step in the right direction. “You can do this, Jennaveve,” she cheered herself on, but in all reality, it took more effort than she’d thought. “What the hell happened to me?” A fine sheen of sweat covered every inch of her body like she’d been working out for hours.
She remembered allowing herself to be kidnapped by a scumsucking vampire freak who’d mated with a panther shifter. The jackhole had wanted to kill his wife while his daughter watched. In his mind, which she still wanted to gag when she thought about the things she’d seen in his memories, the bastard wanted to teach his daughter a lesson or something. She rubbed at her temples as she thought back to the night in question.
Yes, she’d only been in his clutches for a couple hours. Her Iron Wolves were coming. She remembered sensing them, along with Damien and Lucas. Everything was going according to plan, until a stranger came out of the darkness.
Fear had her looking around the quiet room, opening her senses in search of the being who’d come out of nowhere that night. His essence reminded her of the Cordell’s only darker. Sinister. Goddess, she’d never felt such a being before and didn’t want to ever again. A shiver stole up her spine. “Please tell me I’m not his prisoner?”
No, she couldn’t allow herself to think that way, or she’d lose whatever sanity she had left. She needed to get to the Fey Realm and recharge. Once she was back to herself, she’d return and speak, or mate, whatever the wolpires did. Jenna nodded, then opened her heart reaching for her home. When nothing happened, and she was still leaning against the large four-poster bed, real anxiety nearly felled her. “I’m just overly tired. Can someone come and help a girl out.” Like before, she reached out for one of her friends, only a vast emptiness met her quest.
Never in all her years had she not been able to communicate with whom she wanted, when she wanted. Never had she been unable to move between realms. Until now.
The door opened to the right, it’s slight creak like a shotgun in the quiet room. Jenna raised her right hand, preparing to defend herself. With what, she had no clue as she could barely stand on her own two feet, but she’d be damned if she’d go down without a fight. Of course, she’d probably go down in a stiff wind, but the young female who entered paused, her startled gaze appeared friendly.
“Good afternoon, miss. I came to check on you. We weren’t sure you’d be awake just yet. Let me go get...”
“Who are you, and where am I?” Jenna demanded hiding the tremble that shook her by forcing rigidity into her body.
Eyes as wide as a baby doe, the girl kept one hand on the door. “I’ll just go let the others know you’re awake. Is there anything I can bring for you?”
Jenna wanted to run across the room and make the girl stay, but her body was shaking from standing already. “Please, tell me where I am.”
“You’re in the guest wing, of course. I’ll just go tell them you’re awake.” The maid began walking out the door.
“Wait. Who are you going to tell?”
“Damien and Lucas of course.” The girl bowed and backed out as if she thought Jenna was a crazy person.
Hearing the names of those who were destined to be her mates, had her relaxing. If she was in their home, then she was safe. They’d help her figure out why she couldn’t access the Fey Realm or reach out to anyone. The way she was feeling, it was as if she was—human.
The air stirred near the large fireplace. What made her look she wasn’t sure, only that she knew something seemed familiar. She expected to see Damien or Lucas, heck her heart actually sped up at the thought of seeing them. However, her body froze as the man from the darkness appeared. “What are you doing here?”
She whipped her head toward the door the young girl had gone out. Although Jenna’s senses weren’t on track, she was sure she’d been a human, especially since it was daylight. The being in front of her came out of the shadows, allowing her to get her first real glimpse of him without the cover of night or a trick of him keeping his identity hidden. Oh, he was gorgeous, there was no doubt of that. But what was most startling was his resemblance to Damien and Lucas.
“Hello again, Fey. You’re looking slightly ill. Are my...family not treating you well?” His eyes flashed from obsidian to red. Where her men had gorgeous eyes that she wanted to get lost in, this mans were cold and lifeless.
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br /> His words finally registered. “Your family?”
He raked his claws together, making them clack in a way Jenna was sure he did to scare his victims. Newsflash asshole, I’ve faced bigger, badder, uglier, and hopefully deadlier foes, she thought.
“I’d love for us to stay here and chat, but I fear the big guy is waking, and well, I’m not in the mood for a reunion just yet. By the way.” He looked toward the doorway. “Sorry, my pet. I don’t usually use females as pawns, but in this instance, it’s a must.” He flew across the room, eliminating the space separating them.
Jenna fell back against the bed, nearly falling to the floor on her ass. His quick reflexes kept her upright. “What the hell are you talking about?” She pressed her hand to his chest, trying to put space between them.
He shook his head. “You’ll find out in due time, my pet. Now, we must go before father-what-a-waste awakens.”
She knew the telltale signs of magic and could feel it as the man in front of her began to manipulate the fabrics of time and space. “Who are you?”
He flashed her a smile, white teeth with two canines much longer than the others prevalent. “My name is Khan, son of Zahidda. Bastard son of Damikan at your service.”
The door flew open, giving her hope she’d be saved. The sight of Damien and Lucas had her shoving harder against the rock hard chest. “Let me go, asshole. I’m not your pawn.” It was like trying to move a mountain if you were a mere human. Goddess, she hated being so weak.
“Jenna, flash away,” Damien growled.
“Ah, but your female can’t. It seems I’m her cure, little brothers,” Khan taunted.
Lucas stepped forward. “Who are you, and what do you want?”
Khan tilted his head to the side. “You have nothing I want. Tell your father I’ll be in touch. Oh, here,” he tossed a necklace onto the bed. “He’ll know who I am with that. If not, then you’re little plaything will become mine, until I tire of her.”
Blackness swirled around Jenna as she heard both Lucas and Damien roar her name. A sick feeling hit her square in the gut, one she knew all too well. Goddess, the memory of the first time she’d come into contact with Damien and Lucas brought a shiver to her. Lucas had been injured and she’d been called to heal him. As soon as she touched him an electric shock had gone through the two of them until it had found Damien, connecting them for all time. The knowledge that they were hers, and she theirs was as clear as glass, but she’d held them off thinking she needed to fix what she’d deemed broken. Now, faced with the possibility of never seeing them again, Jenna cursed herself for being foolish.
Khan was playing a game with the Cordells. One only he knew the rules to, and he had zero compassion for anyone getting in his way unless he could use them for his own gain. Jenna just happened to be exactly what he needed in order to hit back at the man he felt deserved it. Shit, she so could use her Fey powers, or even her bestie Kellen right about now. Or even better, if she’d not been so stubborn and mated with Lucas and Damien, instead of waiting, then none of this would have happened. “Well, what ifs do nothing but make big girls cry over spilled milk,” she muttered to herself.
“What?” Khan asked as he opened the portal allowing light to filter in.
She blinked a few times. “Huh?”
“You mumbled something about girls crying and spilled milk.” He carried her over to a couch and set her down. His gentle touch and actions at war with his words to Damien and Lucas.
The light airy room reminded Jenna of a lake cabin, one that families would go to on vacation. “Oh, um, nothing. I talk to myself sometimes.”
Khan shrugged his shoulders. “Make yourself comfy, you’ll be here for a spell or two.” He winked.
A growl rumbled in her throat. “Hahaha, very funny.”
He was next to her in a blink. “No, I’m not funny at all. What I am is deadly. You’ll do best to remember that.” He raised his nails, the longer lengths looking ominous now, reminding her of the night he’d cut her cheek.
“You did something to me when you sliced my cheek open.” If he was going to kill her, she’d at least know the hows and whys.
“I didn’t realize I’d poison you the same as those ghouls. I spelled these.” He clacked his nails together before continuing, “to kill with maximum efficiency. I thought I’d scented something different on you and was just going to take a taste. When I smelled my...the Cordell’s blood in you, I realized the chance to finally exact justice on their father was now.”
Her world righted itself as she realized why he looked and smelled like her men. “You’re their brother?”
“Ding ding ding. Give the girl a prize.” Khan walked away, his stride not quite as smooth.
“But, how? I mean, are you?” She was at a loss for words. She’d met Damien and Lucas’s parents, Damikan and Luna, and couldn’t imagine either of them giving up one of their beloved children. He’d called himself the bastard son, yet it didn’t equate with the man who was known as the Vampire King, the one she’d met.
Khan turned around, his eyes glowing red. “Damikan seduced my mother then left her for his queen, the shifter bitch. My mother was ruined in the eyes of her clan, tossed out like trash since the Vampire King wouldn’t acknowledge her or me, her bastard son. We had to fend for ourselves, fight for everything we could get, including the ability to sleep without fear we’d be staked at sunrise. All the while, his greatness lived in his grand home with his Hearts Love and created a new family, while me, his eldest son was a beggar in the streets. The things my mother had to do, in order to keep us safe until I was old enough to help, would turn your hair grey. Would you like me to tell you some of them, Fey?”
Jenna swallowed, knowing what he was implying. The thought of anyone, man, woman, or child being forced to do anything made her want to rip the nuts off of the ones who did the making. “No, I don’t need the details. However, I don’t believe for a second that Damikan knew. He’s an honorable man.”
No sooner had the words left her mouth before she found herself against the stone floor, an angry Khan looming above her. “You don’t know anything. What have you ever had to suffer?”
She wanted to reach out with her powers and soothe his pain away, but had nothing except her arms, yet she didn’t want to touch him. “I’m sorry, Khan.”
He flashed across the room. “They’ll come for you, and when they do, I’ll kill them and then, Damikan will know what suffering is.”
Jenna gasped, a spark of her powers flared to life at the thought of Damien and Lucas being hurt. “Over my dead body.”
Khan raked his gaze over her prone form. “That can be arranged as well.”
In a blink, he was gone, leaving her on the cold floor with nothing but a small bit of her former powers. “Goddess, wherever you are, help me please.” The last thing she wanted was for her guys to try and save her, only to be hurt, or worse, killed in the process. Khan had powers that rivaled that of Damikan, only darker. No, she’d find her Fey spark and save herself, then somehow, she’d figure out what the fuckity fuck happened all those years ago. How the heck could Damikan have fathered a child, a son, and left him with his mother without giving both of them his protection? By her calculations, he was thousands of years old at the least since Damien and Lucas were over three millennia. Luna was going to rip his dick off. Jenna smiled in spite of her situation. It was either that or curl up in a ball and cry. It had been way too many years since she’d indulged in a pity party for one and didn’t think this situation merited another one, yet.
Damien looked at the empty space where Jennaveve had been only moments before then at the shocked face of his twin, knowing his own reflected the same expression. “That couldn’t be who it appeared to be.” He paced away, his wolf scratched beneath the surface of his skin with the need to find their mate.
The bedroom looked as if an F5 tornado had been through it in the short amount of time since they’d entered and watched the bastard disappe
ar with their woman. He knelt next to the bed, scenting Jenna’s blood. A small smear of her precious life force coated the tile flooring. He ran his finger over the red stain, bringing it to his nose, inhaling, focusing on what had caused the injury. Instant jarring took him into the exact moment their Hearts Love had fallen onto her knees, her cry of pain was like a blade slicing through his own heart. “Why did one of us not stay with her?” Anguish and regret filled him.
Lucas’s roar had the windows rattling, his wolf every bit as angry as Damien’s. “I don’t understand this, but we were only away from her for short periods of time. Whoever...that being was, he knew when to strike. It was as if he had a connection to her. He looked like us.”
Distaste soared through Damien. He glared at Lucas, wanting him to take the words back. Their Jennaveve didn’t belong to anyone but them. “We must summon father. This happened in his household. Surely he has a way to track whoever came and went.”
His brother’s eyes flashed blue. “Whoever he is, he’s a dead man.”
Damien nodded. “In that, we agree.”
The door flung open, wind pushing him and Lucas backward as Damikan entered, their mother Luna rushing in behind him. “What the hell is going on? First, I feel a breach in my wards, and then I’m summoned,” he paused, pointing at his chest. “Me, summoned to a guest suite as if I’m not the King. You have thirty seconds to explain before I teach you and your brother why I am the ruler.” The air crackled with power.
It took all his control not to cower in the face of his father’s fury as the King of Vampires blasted his dominance at them, the very air became heavy, threatening to push him to his knees. He and Lucas both stayed on their feet, fighting the power, holding their bodies straight by sheer will. Blood seeped from his nose, but he wasn’t willing to show any weakness, not now, not when Jenna’s life was on the line.
