Ancient One: Paranormal Romance (Protectors of the Veil Book 1)

by Ruby Wilder

  He was right. Although he did try hard, by kissing her passionately.

  Drago next, then me. Both of us useless.

  I'd hoped Fiona or Vig might've stirred her as they had bonded, but it was only a few nights ago - hardly time to fall in love.

  No good. No one could wake her. No one had enough time to build up that bond with her.

  Except for Conri.

  He'd known her a long time, had even imprinted on her.

  Was that the same as love?

  I wasn't sure, werewolves were not my specialist topic of knowledge.

  'Conri,' I said.

  Levi laughed, 'The werewolf?'

  'He loves her, always has. That's why he can't handle all of this,' I said, looking around the room.

  'You must find him - all of you go now. We've got no time to lose,' Mr Green said.

  Drago was the first to spring into action, running out of the door, flickering.

  Next was Fiona and Vig, they seemed to do everything together now.

  'I don't know where to look,' Levi said.

  'Me neither, but we've just got to try.' I said, transforming into a bat and flying out of the door.

  21

  Levi

  I didn't know where to look for a fucking werewolf.

  The pet shop? The zoo?

  I knew we had to find him though - or we would all be dead.

  We had all the crazy, evil monsters of this world, stuck in the underworld for millennia just stewing. That was a recipe for disaster. Their vengeance would be swift and total.

  Once that veil opened properly - and it was only a matter of time before it would without Maeve - this planet belonged to the others. The evil ones.

  There wasn't enough of us on this side anymore to stop them.

  I'd had a thing going on with Lilith a few thousand years ago.

  She terrified me.

  I was glad when the war broke out, and we chose separate sides - she was one of the reasons I chose this side. An eternity being good was infinitely better than an eternity as Lilith's play thing.

  I'd spent the whole night looking for him, but hadn't even picked up his scent. So I went back to the cottage.

  Everyone was back, I was the last.

  Adam was going into his sun-proofed bedroom - we wouldn't see him until dark.

  'I'm guessing no one found him?' I asked.

  A lot of head shaking and grunts,

  'What now then?'

  No one answered. No one knew.

  We were fucked.

  'I didn't even catch his scent,' I said, just to break the awful silence.

  'Not smell either,' Drago agreed.

  Adam's voice shouted telepathically into all our heads, 'Why don't we call him? He was pretty receptive to telepathy?'

  'But how do we do that when we don't know where he is? Where do we direct our voices?' Fiona asked.

  She was right.

  Telepathy was great, but you had to roughly know where your voice needed to go.

  If you just shouted, randomly, well, it was just like shouting with your real voice. Everyone in earshot would hear and possibly not the person you intended it for.

  'If we all shout his name at the same time, it might be loud enough for him to hear.'

  'But everyone will hear. All humans too.'

  'I know we promised to hide from them, blend into the shadows so that they remain innocent. But we can't, not this time. We have to try. Hopefully, they will just think they heard it with their ears.'

  'Do we all agree?' I asked. It was all we had.

  The others nodded in agreement but didn't look hopeful.

  We all opened our minds to the human chatter around us and shouted for Conri.

  It was mind-bending.

  Five other Protectors shouting into your skull was not pleasant. But we shouted three times anyway.

  Fiona dropped to her knees with her hands on her ears and Drago passed out.

  'Are you okay, Levi, Vig?' Adam asked, using his voice.

  'Yes, we are,' I said looking at Vig, even though it looked like he was going to throw up.

  'If that doesn't reach him, I don't know what will.'

  Conri

  I'd crawled into a small damp cave and shifted back. Part of me hoped I'd die of hypothermia. I'd been here almost a day, but it felt like forever.

  I'd fought with the demons in my mind, but they were winning.

  I was hopeless. As a human, I wasn't so angry, but what I lost in anger I gained in self-pity. I was a pathetic mess.

  I was dozing off to sleep, again, when I heard my name being called. At first, I thought I imagined it, but then I heard it again. The third time I knew who was shouting. It was The Protectors - all of them, except Maeve.

  Why was Maeve not there? Did she hate me that much? Of course, she did. Who wouldn't after the things I'd said to her?

  I settled back down to sleep. Whatever they wanted, I wasn't interested. I wasn't leaving my cold, wet cave until I was dead.

  But why were they shouting for me? It was a big risk to shout telepathically. All the humans for miles around would've heard that. Why would they take such a chance?

  I sat upright, my body ached with the cold.

  Maeve. She was in danger. I knew it.

  Slowly, I stood up - it was difficult. Ice had formed around me as I slept, freezing me solidly to the floor. I would've been dead hours ago if I was a human. The skin on my naked chest stung with the cold, but I wasn't even shivering.

  What made me think a werewolf could die of hypothermia?

  I transformed. I could get to the cottage quicker this way.

  By the time I was at the cottage, I had completely recovered from my night in ice. I was pain-free and hot to touch. This werewolf thing had some perks, you know.

  The veil was wrong. It was pulsing with red. Normally, it was calm and there was a faint blue glow over it - invisible to humans. But this had lumps and bumps of red pushing through the blue.

  Could the humans see that?

  I was staring at it when I heard my name.

  'Conri!'

  It was Fiona, she hugged me before I could get in through the door.

  'What's going on?' I asked, not sure I wanted the answer.

  'Come inside,' she said, pulling my arm.

  I transformed back into a human as I waited for an explanation. Wolf form kept me angry. I was going to explode on someone - I could feel it.

  Calmer.

  Much better.

  'It's Maeve,' Levi said, 'Lilith put a spell on her and only true love's kiss can release her.'

  He was taking the piss.

  I stared at him. He stared back.

  'You're kidding, right?' I grinned.

  Levi shook his head, 'I wish I was.'

  'B-but that's Snow White, isn't it?'

  'That was the poisoned apple, this is Sleeping Beauty, but that doesn't matter right now,' he said.

  I was surprised at Levi's knowledge of kids stories - and amused. It didn't sit well with his six foot five, bad boy look.

  Trying to keep the grin off my face - I realised this was serious - I asked what this had to do with me.

  'You love her, mate. Everyone knows that,' he said, simply.

  It was true. I did love her. I'd loved her from the first day I set eyes on her. That was what imprinting was - only it couldn't be broken, unlike love.

  'What do I have to do?'

  'Kiss her.'

  I walked into her bedroom - no one followed. They gave me that.

  She looked so frail lying there on the bed. I couldn't hear her breathing. I put my cheek next to her nose. It was faint, almost nothing. I picked up her pale cold hand.

  'I'm sorry, Maeve, I didn't mean the things I said. I'm a jealous man. I love you.'

  I bent down and kissed her freezing lips.

  She was so cold, I got into bed with her. I put my arm under her neck and snuggled her into me. Even if I couldn't wake her, I could
at least warm her up.

  I kissed her again, this time I opened her mouth with my tongue. Even inside her mouth was cold. I kissed her and kissed her, willing her to wake up. I rubbed her arms and back, trying to get some heat into her. I held her head with both my hands and pleaded with her to open her eyes. Begged her. My tears splashed onto her beautiful face. I'd do anything for her if she would only wake up. Anything.

  Then it hit me. This wasn't a kids fairy tale where a peck on the lips would wake her. I had to take her completely. I said I'd do anything she wanted if she would only wake up.

  And what did she want from me? What was the one thing that had caused all this?

  Sex.

  22

  Maeve

  I was cold. That was the first thing I thought of.

  Where was I? Where had I been?

  Who was that? What were they doing?

  I looked down and saw unruly brown wavy hair in between my legs. It felt amazing - and warm.

  'Fiona?' I gasped.

  'Maeve! You're awake!' he said crawling up my body.

  'What happened? What are you doing?' I asked, trying to sit up.

  He pushed me back on to the bed.

  'Plenty of time for talk later. Now, where was I?'

  He went back down kissing me all the way. He picked my legs up and put one over each of his shoulders and got to work.

  It was ecstasy. I threw my head back. What the fuck was going on? Did I even care?

  Was it Conri? Or Fiona? Did it matter?

  I released myself to pleasure and stopped thinking. Thinking was overrated anyway.

  He eventually stopped and stood up above me.

  'Why did you think I was Fiona?' he asked.

  Ah, maybe it was Conri after all. I looked at his hard cock. Bigger. Much bigger. I smiled.

  'She tricked me into having sex with her by shifting into you,' I said, 'so technically, you are the first person out of The Protectors that I bonded with.'

  He smiled and dropped to his knees.

  'How do you know it's me now?' he asked.

  'I don't. You will have to show me your technique - I know what Fiona's is like,' I said, looking up at him through my lashes.

  He growled and grabbed my hips lifting me up onto his hot, stiff cock. I gasped and threw my head back.

  Definitely not Fiona.

  'Well?' he asked.

  'It's you, Conri,' I gasped, 'It's you.'

  He put me down on the bed and pounded into me using all his weight. Just when I thought I couldn't take anymore he flipped me over.

  'On your knees,' he growled, 'this is how wolves do it.'

  And took me until he came.

  I woke to the sound of clapping.

  Drago stood in the doorway with a tray of tea and toast.

  The rest of them were standing behind him clapping. Even Adam had a grin on his face.

  'We were so worried about you,' Vig said.

  Where was Conri?

  'Conri?' I said, my voice raised a little higher than I would've liked.

  'I'm here,' he said, waving his hand from behind Fiona.

  'Come in, all of you,'

  'Eat,' Drago said.

  I bit into a slice of toast - it was delicious.

  'How long have I been asleep?'

  'A few hours. The others have been filling me in on what happened. I don't want to rush you Maeve, but you need to take a look at the veil,' Conri said.

  I pushed myself up by my elbows and tried to sit upright, but dots swam before my eyes and I heard a gushing sound in my ears.

  I lay back down.

  'Eat your toast and drink your tea, then rest for a while. You've been through it, Maeve.' Fiona said, rounding the boys up and shooing them out of the door.

  She came and sat on my bed.

  'Well?'

  'Well, what?' I said, my mouth full of toast.

  She rolled her eyes at me.

  'Well, what was wolf love like?'

  'You got it wrong,' I said, grinning, 'he's much bigger and likes it doggy style.'

  'Wolfy style,' she said, laughing.

  I must've fallen back asleep because I woke with a start.

  The veil was calling me. I listened, but the others were relaxing in the other room.

  It was calling me only.

  I tried to stand but I was still dizzy. That wouldn't do. I sat back on the bed and called my magic. It shot into my hands, quicker than before.

  Conri. I wondered if he felt the power surge too.

  The whole room glowed blue - it seemed brighter than usual too. I wrapped it around myself and lay back on the bed. I projected healing thoughts and intent into it and let it do its thing.

  It crackled and spat around me. I never really got used to the sound. It sounded... angry. But I knew it wasn't, it was just powerful.

  I just let it do its work. It would absorb back into the ground when it was done.

  The veil was calling me, it was almost irresistible.

  But I learned my lesson from last time. From Lilith.

  I wasn't going to rush headlong into it, throwing caution to the wind. I would wait and go to the veil when I was ready, on my terms.

  It didn't take long.

  The blue energy eventually faded and the room went back to normal. I carefully put my feet over the edge of the bed. Was I fixed?

  I sat up. No dizziness. I gingerly stood. No rushing sound. I took a few steps. Yes, I was fixed.

  I said a little thank you to my Druid magic.

  'Can you hear the veil calling?' I asked as I opened my bedroom door.

  'Maeve!' Conri said, standing and coming over to me.

  He kissed me on the lips and held me tight. It was unexpected. Nice - but unexpected.

  Vig answered me, 'No, I can't hear it.'

  'What's it playing at? Is this Lilith again?' Adam asked.

  Levi shrugged.

  Fiona walked towards me. What was she doing? She had lust in her eyes. Was she going to kiss me?

  Conri still had his arm around me.

  I panicked a little - how would he react?

  She looked up at me and held my face in both her tiny hands, staring into my eyes she said telepathically, 'He has to understand you are not exclusively his. He is being very possessive over you right now.'

  And she kissed me, a wonderfully sweet kiss.

  Girls lips were different from boys, softer and not as demanding. I could've stood there forever kissing this delicate little creature, but I felt Conri's arm tighten around my waist.

  This was going to be a problem.

  I pulled away from her, saying, 'We should go and see what the veil is doing.'

  Her voice came into my head. 'Look at his reaction and it was only me. Imagine if that had been Adam or Levi.'

  She was right, of course. Conri was going to make it very hard to bond with the rest of the group.

  I had to know. Had to test it.

  I removed Conri's arm and walked up to Levi. He stared down at me with his cold grey eyes. He knew what I was doing! There was a spark of amusement in them. The thought travelled to his lips, and he curled them into a smile that made my stomach do somersaults.

  This man was dangerous but oh, so sexy.

  I put both my arms around Levi's neck and stared at him. A faint growl came from behind me - Conri.

  Levi stared down at me - ignoring the warning growl - not moving.

  I looked at his Adam's Apple, but it didn't move. I wasn't flustering him at all. As I looked back at his eyes, I tried to look sexily through my lashes. He just stared at me, grinning. My heartbeat was fast and my stomach was in knots.

  This guy turned me on, I couldn't wait to bond with him.

  I stood on my tiptoes and gently kissed his smiling mouth. He grabbed me and kissed me back passionately.

  A whistle came from behind me and someone said, ‘Let's check out the veil.’ Vig I thought.

  I grabbed Levi's hand and put my othe
r hand out towards Conri. To my surprise he took it, and his quiet growling stopped! The three of us walked out of the cottage holding hands. It was a start.

  The bonding had worked.

  23

  The veil was pulsing red. Once we were all outside, the Protectors felt its call. I listened closely - there were a lot of voices all talking and shouting over each other.

  'There are many of them pushing to get out,' I said.

  'What do they say?' Drago asked.

  I strained to listen, but there were too many of them, and some talked in tongues I couldn't understand. There were trying to escape, I could feel their intention pushing against the magic.

  'They are trying to escape.'

  Then I heard her. Lilith. She was close to the veil. She spoke to me.

  'I will destroy you before this night is over, Ancient One. I feel your newly gained strength, yours and the wolf's, but it's not enough. You need the dragon, the vampire and the demon to defeat me. You will fail this evening and I will take what is mine.'

  'What do you mean?' I shouted, 'What do you think is yours?'

  I listened but she'd gone. I felt her disappear downwards, into the depth of the underworld. She was preparing for an escape.

  Maybe I should prepare? Maybe I should take Adam, Levi and Drago and have a fucking threesome with them right now. That would make us strong enough. That would defeat her. Would they do it though? All three of them seemed like one at a time kind of guys. I got the feeling only Fiona and Vig would be up for orgies. Oh, well.

  Maybe I had time to take one of them? Who would be the best to have powered up?

  Adam, with his speed and cunning?

  Levi, with his demonic rage and strength?

  Or, Drago, with his vast knowledge and well, the fact that he could turn into a fire breathing dragon?

  Decisions, decisions.

  My thoughts were broken by Adam shouting, 'One's coming through!'

  I pulled my magic from the ground, it pulsed and spat around me. It felt like an old friend now.

  We watched as the veil struggled to contain the thing that was trying to escape. I threw my magic at the bulge and the red pulsing began to wither under the blue magic. But another red bulge began appearing ten feet away.