It was an old bar, or at least it was before it went bankrupt. I did my research on it and learned the clue about water came into play with the name of the street. Aquamarine. Cyril didn’t divulge the plan he had cooked up, other than the time we needed to leave the house. Our departure worked a little too well, considering Olezka was called out for an emergency clean-up downtown at the precise time we needed to leave. Somehow, I had a feeling Cyril had something to do with it.
Roman had been in and out. He didn’t work with Sentinel, but I had a feeling he was out searching for Olezka’s twin.
“Play your part, Seis,” Cyril hissed in my ear as he snaked an arm around my waist, tugging me flush against his body. The chatter of multiple excited voices started ringing in my ears. It felt so out of place in this deserted area. After a couple of steps, my neck tingled, indicating we’d passed through a glamoured barrier.
“I heard you the first eighteen times,” I said sarcastically. “Ouch!”
Cyril pinched my side. I restrained from slapping him even though the idea had merit. We continued to the entrance where a giant bodyguard stopped us, complete with a square jaw, beefy biceps, and beady eyes. He grunted when Cyril got closer. I tried not to shrink back when his eyes roved over me. He peeled back his lips, exposing prominent canines.
“Spaghettios,” Cyril said with a completely straight face.
I had to smother my reaction of puzzlement. These badass, otherworldly beings chose Spaghettios as their secret password? Humor bled to fear when the massive male did nothing but stare at us. I shifted my gaze forward.
“Keep your human on a leash,” the bouncer guy commanded, snapping his teeth at me. I stifled my flinch and allowed Cyril to push me forward. The moment we entered, it was like stepping into another world. The ceilings were impossibly high, and there were balconies on each level where people milled about. Well, not people, paras. None of them were cloaked in glamour. Here, they walked around freely.
Glittering wings, shifters strutting around in half recognizable forms, High Fae of Light and Dark walking around with an unearthly glimmer... It felt like organized chaos. Paras moved around boisterously, brimming with excitement. It sparked in the air and made my skin itch. Several fae gave me disgusted glares, but the scarier ones were the ones who presented more carnal looks.
The deeper Cyril led me into the building, the more I recognized an echo that reverberated from every corner. We approached the fighting ring, but it looked like more of a pit, including a fenced-in arena with at least a twenty-foot drop on all sides. The floor of the cage was sand, but most of it was discolored and darkened by blood. I swallowed hard.
“Is that…? Oww!” I growled at Cyril and gave him a dirty glare. He didn’t even have the decency to look down at me. Instead, he kept his cool, neon gaze directed ahead of us, across the way. I lifted my gaze to follow his.
“Holy…”
Wow. The pictures I’d researched online didn’t do his sister any justice. I peered across the ring to see her on the other side, arguing with someone. Her long, kinky curls whipped around her head as she tossed her arms in anger. The man she was speaking to showed very little interest in her tirade, his keen eyes watching the ring below.
Cyril’s grip tightened on me further as another man rippling with muscles bigger than my thighs came and grabbed her arm. When he dragged her away, fuming and spitting, I half expected Cyril to run after them. Instead, he loosened his hold on me and leaned down to speak in my ear.
“Don’t speak unless spoken to.”
Why didn’t he take the opportunity to tell me that was his sister? He didn’t know I’d creeped her social media accounts and knew what she looked like, and it seemed like that would have been a perfect opportunity for him to point me in her direction. There was no mistaking her.
Just then, another male came to where we stood and leaned down to Cyril’s ear. They spoke in hushed tones that I couldn’t make out over the roar of excited conversations swirling around us.
Someone slipped around my back, and a moment later, I felt a hand brush against my exposed thigh. I tensed in Cyril’s arms, but he didn’t react. When the hand moved farther upward, I couldn’t hold still. I stepped closer to Cyril, who grunted in agitation as I stepped on his foot.
“Get off me!” I yelled at the werewolf who touched me. His eyes flashed yellow, showing his wolf’s ire, and the blood drained from my face. Fudge.
“Train your human better, incubus,” the wolf snarled.
“Back off, she’s mine.”
“Can’t you share your little snack? I’ll get her nice and primed for you.” The wolf with a crooked nose and unhandsome features leered at me.
“I don’t need any help in that department,” Cyril said, his voice dropping sensually as he gripped under my breasts possessively. I squirmed, not liking his hold much better but knowing it still beat the wolf’s.
The werewolf snapped his hand forward, grabbing me by the arm and tugging me toward him. Cyril barely had a chance to move before I was stumbling against the wolf’s chest.
“Stop it!” I pushed at his chest, but my puny attempt did nothing to move the barrel-chested para from my path. I whimpered as he crushed his arm around me, not mindful of his supernatural strength versus my weaker body.
Cyril flashed his green eyes in response. “Fuck off, wolf. Release her now.”
He laughed, his chest rumbling. “If you can’t hold onto your female, then that’s your problem.”
“Trust me when I tell you it’s in your best interest to release her, pal,” Cyril said, his cool, calm tone breaking. I couldn’t see anything from where I was crushed into the smelly wolf’s chest, but the conversation around us died down as everyone listened to the drama unfolding before them.
Well, so much for keeping a low profile.
“She’s not yours anymore,” the werewolf claimed, his tone possessive. “She’s mine.”
Lightheaded, I wasn’t sure if I was more revolted or terrified now.
“Fuck,” Cyril hissed behind me. His tone was different, but I didn’t realize what had happened until…
“Release her.” Olezka’s voice dropped to that half-beast, half-human tone.
“Fuck off, hound. This human is mine to fuck,” the foolish wolf smarted.
Reeeally wrong thing to say.
All hell broke loose after that.
Chapter 13
Olezka exploded into his fiery beast form as the werewolf practically tossed me aside to fight him. The werewolf, in return, exploded into his half-man, half-wolf form, resembling the monster from old horror flicks. The creature was immense with muscles packed on muscles, bristly fur covering his entire body, and standing on his hind legs, which were elongated and shaped like a wolf’s. His arms were tapered like a human’s but tipped with wicked claws.
My mind blanked when I saw his form. The last wolves I’d dealt with moved and shifted into full wolves—none of this half-beast, half-man form, which, for some reason, was far more terrifying. But Olezka was nothing to sneeze at. Even if he didn’t have massive horns crowning his head in this world, he was bulkier than any werewolf I’d ever seen. His long tail twitched agitatedly as his blistering gaze remained locked on his prey.
Cyril approached me as I backed away from the circling beasts, knowing better than to get in the middle. Olezka would kill me afterward, anyway. “I’ll be seeing you, Seis,” Cyril said before disappearing into the crowd that had formed.
Selfish, inconstant incubus!
A familiar bombshell of a female stepped forward, her eyes narrowing as the two beasts clashed. I recognized her from Erebus’s club and knew she must be working undercover with my mate. The werewolf didn’t stand a chance with Olezka’s hellfire raging, but he still swiped and slashed with vigor. Others cheered or voiced their displeasure, treating this as nothing more than pre-fight entertainment.
The werewolf lunged for Olezka, and I stumbled back out of habit. Olezka’s fire fl
ared, brushing the crowd that formed and scorching their skin while it swept across my skin as a loving embrace. It still didn’t make the sick feeling in the pit of my stomach disappear as I watched Olezka fight the wolf. Olezka jumped forward, making his move. My hands shook as I clasped them together.
The bombshell female, Sasha, if I remembered correctly, came over and joined me. On the other side of the spectators, I saw Kallan closing in, but he stayed a safe distance away.
Shit, this just got a whole lot worse.
Boom!
The ceiling splintered, and debris rained down from the hole the bouncer made with the canon-like gun clasped in his bulging hands. “Get the fuck out, or I’ll shoot you both between the eyes!”
Olezka took a couple of steps back and bared his bloody teeth as the werewolf panted heavily, his clawed hands pressed over one vicious bite that poured blood. His fur smoked, charred and blackened from the hellhound’s fire.
“Come with me. I think your mate will kill him if we don’t leave,” Sasha whispered in my ear. I followed as she led me through the crowd and back around to the entrance.
How did Olezka know we were here? Why didn’t he say anything beforehand? If he already knew about mine and Cyril’s plan, why didn’t he tell me about it?
He knew Cyril and I were tied into this favor together, but at the same time, I was pretty sure Olezka didn’t know about Cyril’s sister. But if not, how did he know we would be there?
All of these thoughts rushed through my head as I blindly followed Sasha. I didn’t notice we’d left the building until the cool air brushed against my skin. Dang, it was cold outside! Sasha released her gentle hold on me and took five measured steps back. My brows pinched in confusion until I saw Olezka storm out of the building, still looking like he was ready to commit murder on the first unsuspecting victim. If I thought I could actually get away, I would have backed away, too.
Unfortunately, his burning eyes were laser-focused on me. He didn’t even take a second to speak before he bent down, ready to shove his shoulder into my stomach and carry me off.
“Ope, not this again,” I groaned as he started to walk. My too-short skirt, which was already testing the limits of decency, rode up my butt, and I was positive I was mooning all of the people who had followed us outside to see how the spectacle concluded. Olezka moved quickly down the street before depositing me beside his car.
“Get in, озорник.”
“Are you-”
“In. You are testing my already thin patience, Sixx.”
My cheeks burned with a mixture of shame and anger. He was pissed. That much was obvious. But he was still disregarding me; treating me like a child to be pushed in the direction he wanted. In any event, this wasn’t the time or place to fight him, not with so many unknowns around.
“We will discuss this when we get home. You hear me?” I demanded, standing taller than normal in these skyscraper heels yet still grossly shorter than my towering mate, who glared down at me. There wasn’t even a twitch of a smile on his face. I didn’t think it pleased him that I chose that moment to stand up to him. This night had officially gone to hell in a handbasket.
Olezka’s jaw clenched, but I refused to budge until he acknowledged me in some fashion. Eventually, he dipped his chin in a slight nod. I narrowed my eyes at him before climbing into his car and slamming the door behind me. He started around the car but stopped halfway to the hood. He took in a deep breath and then turned back around and opened my door.
“Before we leave, I need to know: Did that wolf hurt you?”
My heart melted. Even at the height of his anger, he still checked on me to make sure I was okay. If I wasn’t, I was sure he would hunt that werewolf down and do unspeakable things. Things I didn’t want to know about.
“I’m okay.”
****
If I thought his question would help ease the tension on the drive home, I was sorely mistaken. Every minute or two, he would growl and glare at me like it was my fault. I mean, it kind of was, but I wasn’t ready to admit that yet.
We arrived home, and Olezka opened the front door then stepped aside so I could walk in. Roman’s eyes practically bugged out of his head, and he choked on the pretzels he’d been obsessively eating for the last week. Of course, now, in the moment of my disgrace, he was home.
“Fuck, I don’t wanna know,” Roman said when he saw Olezka coming in with a stormy look on his face. “You know what? I think, oh, yep, I’m getting a text. I gotta meet someone. See you.” He bolted out of the house.
“You should change clothes,” Olezka growled.
I crossed my arms defiantly. No, I wasn’t comfortable in the clothes, and all I wanted to do was change into something more comfortable and homely, as Cyril said, but that would have to wait. We needed to talk. Plus, I was still pissed.
“No, first we need to talk about what happened,” I said, facing him.
He raised his brows, his anger still evident. “You want to talk about the fact that you released my prisoner, took off with him in the middle of the night, dressed in such a way that everyone can see what is mine, and happened to come into the same fighting ring that my team was sent to infiltrate? Not only that, but when I had to fight the wolf who sought to steal you, we lost our one chance of seeing who was pitted against each other! What the fuck were you thinking, Sixx?”
My eyes bugged out. “What was I thinking? You knew Cyril had information on the fighting rings, and you knew that’s what he wanted my help with, and then…”
“And what?”
I rolled my eyes and shook my head. “That’s beside the point.”
“Not when my mate is keeping things from me!” he snapped, throwing his arms out to emphasize his anger.
I exploded, “You don’t think I can handle myself, and I can! I’m not as helpless as you make me out to be!” I answered, hating the tears of frustration that crept into my eyes.
“You are not…” he started.
“What? Strong like you? Have magic like Ana? No, but I can think my way through things. I plan ahead and set things into place!” I yelled, frustrated with how he was degrading my talents, human as they were. Why couldn’t he hear me? Trust me?
To his credit, Olezka took a calming breath before speaking. “You are brilliant, my Sixx. But brilliance does not always trump brute strength. I thought you, of all people, would understand that. I thought we were a team. We work together. As you do with Anastasia,” he argued, moving closer.
His heat brushed over my skin, making goosebumps pebble. I breathed out, trying to soothe a different ache that suddenly hit me. Especially when his gaze roamed over my body, taking in the scandalous outfit I still wore.
“You don’t include me in what’s going on,” I said weakly. “I feel like I give, give, give, but when push comes to shove, you shove me aside,” I snapped, pushing his shoulder.
Olezka reached forward and combed gentle fingers through my hair. I tried my best not to close my eyes and lean into his heat, but his tender touch, as adrenaline rushed out of my system from the night’s activities, was too much. Hell, since the second we returned home, I’d been on edge.
“I fear for you. You are my only one. I would do anything to protect you, Sixx.”
“I appreciate your protection, but what I need from you is respect,” I argued. “I want you to see me as an equal, not a burden.”
Olezka leaned forward and pressed his forehead against mine. His hand trailed down my cheek to collar my neck in a firm but gentle hold. It was doing some seriously stupid things to my insides. But I was determined and refused to be derailed.
“It is not a burden to love you, Sixx. And I could never see you as equal. You mean more to me than anything else. You are my everything.” His eyes were molten lava, his mouth a tantalizing furnace, and his words were a salve to my charred heart.
“Stop trying to sweet talk me.”
He breathed a quiet laugh. “I would never.”
; “I’m still stupid-mad at you.”
“Da.” Olezka leaned closer and pushed his hips flush against me. His breath brushed against my lips, tasting uniquely like him; a smoky hint of chocolate like a perfectly made s’more.
Oh, fudge-nuggets.
“Olezka.”
“Ty mne nuzhen.”
“Yes.” I nodded, reaching forward to kiss him senseless.
Olezka laughed and kissed me back. “You do not know what I said, pchelka.”
“Whatever it was, the answer is still yes,” I said, my thoughts lost to his touch. He pulled me closer, one hand tight on my hip while the other still wrapped gently around the back of my neck, holding me in place.
Gods, we needed this. I needed him.
The next few minutes moved in warp speed. Who removed whose clothes, I wasn’t sure. We were frenzied, fueled by anger and lust, our fuses short because we’d resisted this moment so long. After being interrupted one too many times, this combustible need had built to dizzying levels between us.
Olezka lifted me in his arms. The only things I still wore were my bra and underwear pairing that Cyril was annoyed I chose. Olezka’s thick chest brushed against my skin, and I groaned, tucking my face into the crook of his neck. His bristly scruff had turned into a short beard that only enhanced his ruggedly handsome features.
He was striking. He held me like I weighed no more than a feather, but I felt a pang of self-consciousness try to worm its way to the forefront. Then the very prominent, hard-to-hide evidence of his attraction brushed against my stomach, eliciting a deep groan from us both. I slowly blinked my eyes open, only to see heat mirrored in his.
“Mine.”
“Yours,” I agreed.
Olezka kissed me deeply, his hands holding me tightly to his body. Every inch of my skin fired at a million different nerve endings. I couldn’t control my reactions to him. I panted when he released me from his latest onslaught of kisses.
Sixx and the Incubus: The Sidekick Chronicles Page 9
