The sound of something cracking grabbed her attention. She followed the noise and tripped over the edge of a heavy wooden bench. Rayna put her arms out, in hopes of catching herself and ended up grabbing hold of a wall sconce. It turned, lever-like, and the stone wall nearest her opened, revealing another damn staircase.
Sachin’s voice became clearer. “My lord, ask the queen.”
This time it sounded as if something snapped. The noise was followed by a painful cry and Rayna recognized the voice immediately—Lazar. She ran down the steep steps and when she came to the end she covered her mouth, unable to believe the sight before her.
Kabril cracked a whip and it bit at Lazar’s exposed chest. Lazar’s wrists were bound above his head as he hung, suspended from iron chains. Blood trickled down him as his chest heaved. Rayna’s gaze traveled the length of the large room. A cornucopia of torture devices lined it. With her mouth agape, she stared at Kabril horrified by what she was seeing.
His black hair clung to his sweat-soaked face. The feral look in his eyes made her take a step back as he gritted his teeth, his attention still solely on Lazar. “You dared to harm my mate. To take her from me and leave her for dead. For this, you shall suffer my wrath.” He drew the whip back again and Rayna dashed forward, putting her body between Kabril’s and Lazar’s.
Sachin was suddenly before her, shielding her with his massive body. “My lady!”
“S-Sachin?” she asked, her voice barely there. “What? Why?”
Sachin blinked and lowered his head, shame evident on his face.
Rayna trembled, her mind racing, words wanting to break free from her but they couldn’t seem to get in sync with her head. She cupped her mouth, pushing past Sachin and rushing at Lazar.
Lazar shook his head, the action looking as though it cost him greatly. He winced in pain. “Go.”
“No,” she whispered, her heart pounding, confusion still gripping her. She twisted, keeping herself between Kabril and Lazar. “Why?”
Kabril’s golden gaze burned with rage. The veins in his neck stood out noticeably. “He dared to harm you.”
“No. He didn’t.”
Kabril continued to glare.
Finding her courage, Rayna put a hand on her hip and glared right back at him. “If you’re going to shout orders at me or try to hit me with that whip, I’ll have you know that I’ll—”
Suddenly, Kabril dropped the whip and backed away, the fire draining from his eyes. “Hit you? Rayna, I would never raise my hand to you. Never.”
“But you’d beat a helpless man?” she demanded. “One who tried to keep me safe from his own people?”
Kabril grimaced and tipped his head.
Sachin took hold of her shoulder. “Explain. Tell him exactly what happened, Rayna, for his mind twists reality and truths, turning them into something more than they are.”
She exhaled and continued to shake with adrenaline, fear and a hefty mix of rage. “I’m so hurt and mad at him right now I’d rather take that whip and crack him over the head than give him the benefit of the truth. He’s too hard headed to hear it.”
“Well, there is always that option,” Sachin said. “If you decide you want to whip him, I shall hold him for you.”
Kabril cringed. “Rayna, my love.”
“Shut up,” she snapped.
He blinked.
Sachin snorted.
Even Lazar seemed surprised.
She squared her shoulders. She’d tell them exactly what happened and then she’d demand to be taken home. “Yes, Lazar is who took me from the campsite.”
Kabril’s hand tightened on the whip.
Rayna leveled her gaze on him. “But, when he found out Kabril was a big fat liar and had done nothing but keep me in the dark for months on who and what he really is, Lazar decided I’d been through enough.”
Now it was Kabril who refused to meet her gaze.
She bobbed her head, her anger still coursing through her veins. “And, I don’t think for a minute Lazar ever intended to hurt me. He was about to take me home when the other Falco Per-e-something or others arrived.”
Sachin bit his lower lip as if he were trying to keep from laughing. “Falco Peregrinus?”
“Right.” She nodded, adding, “The man you’re beating killed one of his own men to keep me from being hurt, and I think he would have done the same to Humbert if I hadn’t infected his wound with soil from Earth. Lazar had been suffering from the effects already and it was too much for him. He fell into the water and I went in after him.” Rayna blushed. “After I kicked Humbert where it counts.”
“Where it counts?” Sachin asked.
She centered her gaze on his groin and he winced.
“Yeah, it worked, so don’t knock it.”
A horrified expression came over Sachin. “I would never suggest anyone knock it. For that would be most painful. Knocking should not be done to any man’s groin. Ever.”
She groaned and tossed her hands in the air. “I give up. You’re all weird. And right now, I want to smack the lot of you. Well, not Lazar. He’s the only one who doesn’t deserve to have some sense knocked into him.”
Kabril continued to look away from her and she snapped her fingers, forcing his gaze to her. “Have anything to say for yourself?”
He grunted and shook his head. “No.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Kabril stood, listening to his mate talk of how Lazar had come to her aid. Guilt for having allowed her to be taken to begin with settled over him. Seeing the shame in Rayna’s blue eyes as she shielded the Falco with her body didn’t help matters any. He was king, it shouldn’t make a difference what anyone thought of him, but it did. He cared what light Rayna viewed him in. And right now, that light was anything but favorable.
Truth be told, she looked a lot like she wanted to see him strung up by his toes. Or, perhaps his ball sac. He cupped them, slightly worried she might make an attempt on them.
Sachin tipped his head. “My lord, permission to remove the prisoner’s restraints?”
Nodding, Kabril made an attempt to go to Rayna. Her glared halted his progress.
Rayna crossed her arms under her breasts, causing them to thrust forward. “Prisoner? How about a guest? I like the sound of that better. Yes, guest works for me. That is what we’ll call him.”
“Rayna, you cannot possibly think to—” The stern look upon her beautiful face silenced Kabril. She would not allow him to get off so easily. He knew that about her.
She tapped a finger against her arm. “I’m still mad at you for lying to me, Kabril. Don’t think you’re going to get on my good side by beating Lazar to a bloody pulp. Let him down, clean him up and see to his wounds. He needs a doctor and something to eat, not to be interrogated by you—you big giant jerk.”
Sachin opened his mouth to say something and Rayna shot him a nasty look. “One word from you and I’ll make you eat my famous chicken divan.”
Gulping, Sachin put his hands up, signaling defeat.
Kabril’s stomach churned at the thought of eating chicken anything. His long-time friend thrust him towards his mate as if he were scared of the woman. “For the love of the gods, see to your woman before she truly does clip our wings.”
“Your woman?” Rayna quirked a brow as she stared at Kabril. “I’m sorry, but I’m anything but your woman right now.”
He gave in to the smile wanting to come and went to one knee as Sachin had told him human males did in situations such as this. He took Rayna’s hand in his and stared up into her blue eyes. “Rayna, you will marry me the way humans do.”
“I don’t even like you at the moment,” she shot back.
Sachin cleared his throat and Lazar laughed under his breath. It certainly was a mess if the prisoner thought Kabril was wasting his time. Kabril thought hard about Sachin’s instructions and realized he’d commanded Rayna instead of asking her. He decided to try again. “Uh, umm, Rayna, would you do me the honor of being my ball and chain?”
<
br /> The anger washed away from her face and then laughter erupted from her. She tipped her head back and covered her mouth with both hands as she continued to laugh at him. “Ball and chain? Heaven help me. My man thinks that’s a compliment.”
“Be my chick?” he asked, hopeful he got it right this time.
Rayna laughed harder.
Kabril shifted awkwardly on one knee. “My sexy significant other?”
She closed the distance between them, snorting softly and shaking her head. He went to try another only to find her pressing her fingers to his lips. “Shhh, Kabril. Yes, I’ll be your wife the way humans do it too. But, first you’re going to make our guest comfortable, apologize to him and thank him for saving my life.”
His heart soared. He swept her off her feet and would have taken flight with her had they not been confined to the dungeon. His need to feel the wind on his face would have to wait for his cock needed attention first. The need to get her back to their chambers and make sweet love to her was too powerful to resist. The Oracle had chosen well for him. Rayna truly was his perfect match.
He would not tell the seers as much. They could think he was angry for a few hundred years or so. It would serve them right, meddling the way they had. And Sachin would get his when he found his mate. Kabril would be there to be sure she too was one would could clip his friend’s wings if need be.
He looked to Sachin. “See to our guest.”
Sachin didn’t bother to hide his laugh. “Nearly choked on that one, didn’t you, my lord?”
“I am sure he did,” answered Lazar. “Thank you, Rayna.”
She smiled at him, but it was weak. “I’m sorry he hurt you.”
“I would have done the same if it were my mate,” Lazar replied. “I would have done far worse.”
There was a loneliness in the man’s eyes as he spoke of his mate and Kabril had to wonder if tragedy had befallen his chosen one.
Epilogue
Earth, three and a half months later…
Kabril slid his arms around his wife and held her close, running his hands over her low, swollen abdomen. The life they’d created grew within her. Every moment since its conception seemed like a miracle to him, to Rayna and to the people of Accipitridae. Already the somber moods had lifted and the people rejoiced once more. A festival was in the works, the first in many years. It was to honor their union and the coming of their child. At least that is what the people claimed. Kabril suspected they were looking for a reason to celebrate after so many cycles of dwelling on the negative.
The threat of war was still imminent. Relations with the Falco Peregrinus were still nonexistent. Lazar’s presence in the castle sparked controversy at first, but he was beginning to grow on everyone, including Kabril. Sachin insisted the Falco could be useful for establishing relations with the Falco Peregrinus in the future. Lazar seemed to think he would never be welcomed back by his own kind. Kabril tended to side with him on the matter. Lazar was always welcome in Kabril’s kingdom.
The wind picked up, causing orange and yellow leaves to scatter about. Rayna sighed and leaned back into his embrace. “It’s so beautiful, Kabril. I’m going to miss it.”
He kissed her temple. “Ta’konima—my love, I have told you time and time again that you do not have to sell your grandmother’s home.”
She nodded. “I know, but we don’t need it. We’re keeping mine on the off chance one of your men wants to visit, and we live in Accipitridae.” She glanced over her shoulder at him. “Your castle sleeps about a hundred people or better, so I don’t think we need this as a guest house.”
“It holds sentimental value to you, Rayna.” He rocked her gently, drawing in her sweet scent.
“I’ll make new memories with you, Kabril. You’re my family now.”
He cringed, not wanting to broach the subject he needed to. “Speaking of family. You met my brother Rossi.”
Rayna arched a dark brow. “Yes, and I still think you’re too hard on him. But I don’t think that’s what you’re getting at. What’s up?”
“Word came of my other brothers arriving soon to welcome you to the family.”
She licked her lips and grinned. “Are you going to tell me how many brothers you have finally?”
Kabril stiffened. “I have seven brothers. Two were born minutes behind me. There are two sets of twins. Then Rossi, he was a single birth.”
One. Two. Three. He mentally counted down until Rayna’s temper flared.
“You have how many sets of what?” Rayna spun around in his arms, her eyes wide in disbelief.
“There is more,” he said, against his better judgment. “For our kind, multiple births have nothing to do with the female. Apparently, male shifters of our kind release a chemical in our sperm which encourages a high fertility rate. The chemical has been absent for some time as it is tied to our magik.”
Rayna clutched his arms, her fingernails digging into his skin. “Are you trying to tell me there is a good chance I have more than one baby growing inside me?”
A sheepish smile swept over him. “Yes.”
“And this is coming up this late in the game why?” she asked, tapping her foot.
“I love you.”
Rayna batted her lashes and let out a soft sigh. “I love you too but if you don’t start telling me important things up front, you’re going to be sleeping in the birdhouse.”
He cringed and she laughed. “Ah, my queen, you have my word, you know now all of my secrets.”
THE END
About the Author, Mandy M. Roth
Mandy M. Roth grew up fascinated by creatures that go bump in the night. From the very beginning, she showed signs of creativity—writing, painting, telling scary stories that left her little brother afraid to come out from under his bed. Combining her creativity with her passion for the paranormal has left her banging on the keyboard into the wee hours of the night.
She’s a self-proclaimed Goonie, loves 80s music and movies and wishes leg warmers would come back into fashion. She also thinks the movie The Breakfast Club should be mandatory viewing for...okay, everyone. When she's not dancing around her office to the sounds of the 80s or writing books, she can be found designing book covers for NY publishers, small presses, and indie authors.
Mandy writes for The Raven Books, Samhain Publishing, Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Harlequin Spice, Pocket Books and Random House/Virgin/Black Lace. Mandy also writes under the pen names Reagan Hawk, Mandy Balde, Rory Michaels and Kennedy Kovit.
To learn more about Mandy, please visit www.mandyroth.com or send an email to [email protected].
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Act of Mercy (PSI-Ops Series / Immortal Ops)
Book One in the PSI-Ops Series
Paranormal Security and Intelligence Operative Duke Marlow has a new mission: find, interrogate and possibly eliminate the target—Mercy Deluca. He knows looks can be deceiving, but it's hard to believe the beautifully quirky woman running around in a superhero t-shirt is a viable threat. The sexy little biomedical engineer quickly proves she is more than he bargained for and Intel has it all wrong—she’s not the enemy. Far from it. Intel also forgot to mention one vital piece of information—she’s Duke’s mate. This immortal alpha werewolf doesn’t take kindly to her being in danger.
When Mercy accepted a position within Donavon Dynamics Corporation, she thought it was to help cure disease and to make a difference for mankind. She had no idea what her new career path truly entailed—monsters masquerading under the guise of scientific research. Unable to stomach the atrocities she’s uncovered, she reaches out through what she hopes is the proper channels, asking for help. Mercy gets more than she bargained for when a team of paranormal hotties show up on her door
step ready to take down the Corporation. One in particular is able to get under her skin, both aggravating and exciting her in ways she can’t explain.
Excerpt from Act of Mercy (PSI-Ops Series / Immortal Ops)
by Mandy M. Roth
Paranormal Security and Intelligence Division B Headquarters, classified location…
Duke Marlow stretched the two typing fingers he used because he wasn’t exactly gifted in the way of a keyboard, and hunted and pecked the last of the reports that’d been due in to his handler—who also happened to be captain of his ops team—several days prior. With Duke’s reluctance to do any type of recordkeeping, let alone the kind that involved a computer, his handler would be happy to see the files this quickly. Duke was actually at least one month early if anyone went off his past turn-in dates, or the fact that occasionally he never turned in a report at all. The idea of leaving the damn things to sit for a few more weeks had crossed his mind.
That would piss Corbin off for sure.
Corbin Jones headed one of the many Paranormal Security and Intelligence Operative Teams (PSI-Op) and Duke already knew he was Corbin’s most trying team member. He wore the badge with honor. What could he say? After knowing the guy well over a hundred years, he had to do all he could to keep their working relationship interesting. Plus, Duke was set in his ways. He didn’t embrace change.
Never had.
Besides, he enjoyed getting under Corbin’s skin. Corbin was a lion shifter, and everyone knew cats and dogs didn’t mix well together. As a full-blooded, born werewolf, Duke tended to get a kick out of giving Corbin as hard a time as possible.
Came pretty easy to him and that nearly took the fun out of it.
Nearly, but not quite.
And Corbin looked like a blond underwear model. That alone was grounds to be given a hard time.
The phone on his desk rang, drawing him from his thoughts. He sighed. He disliked the phones at PSI. Too many buttons. Too many options. It was never just answer and be done. They had people who normally handled routing the calls. Without them, Duke would be totally and completely lost. It was way after hours and he knew there was still a group who worked somewhere in the building, handling these types of things. What he couldn’t figure out was why they’d send a call his way. Corbin had taken Duke’s phone privileges away when he’d told a conference call full of people to get bent. He’d then followed that up with the suggestion they lick his balls.
King of Prey: (A Bird Shifter Novel) Page 10
