Chaos Burning

by Lauren Dane

  “Don’t have to. I’m not going anywhere.”

  He let go of her hip on one side and drew those fingertips around her nipple and down her belly until he found her clit and with a light, deft touch, set about shattering her all over again. She sucked in a breath and plunged under as he continued to fuck her in short, deep digs until she couldn’t hold back and arched as he made her come again. This time with more ferocity, this time with him in her, this time as he growled her name and came as well.

  “I’m going to need to do that again. Not right now, as I’m not sure I can feel my toes.” He rolled to the side and pulled her to him, her back to his front. “But once I regain some feeling I’m gonna be back all up in your business. Once wasn’t enough. I doubt twice will be either. But let’s see what we can get up to before we finally go to sleep tonight.”

  Chapter 16

  “SO what did you learn?” Simon asked when she came out to where he’d been waiting, speaking to Dominic. Dominic the playboy who now had a wife and an office at Clan Owen’s headquarters. It looked good on his friend.

  Then again everything looked good that morning. All night long, long after the moon had set and the sky had begun to lighten with dawn, they’d napped and woken up with more need. She’d received him over and over, always with open arms, always with enthusiasm and a great deal of skill.

  “I’ve got to meet Meriel right now. I’m going to be a little late getting out of here. Do you want to go ahead?”

  He simply stared at her. As if he’d just go about his day because she had to work a little longer. She got that smile of hers, the one that brought out the dimples to each side of her mouth.

  Heat flashed through him and her pupils widened. He knew she felt it too. The pull between them.

  They were combustible, he’d told Dominic. Their chemicals had mixed and gone supernova. It was a nice thing to know he’d have this with her forever. Though he wondered if that need to be in her, to be touching her as much as possible would ever go away.

  Today she wore… he had no idea what the fuck it was. He looked her up and down. She had on snug pants and heavy boots. He approved of this part. She could run in those. In fact he’d seen it firsthand. And she had little buns of hair on either side of her head. Not quite like Princess Leia but smaller.

  But the top? The swells of her breasts showcased well above the top of the corset-type thing she wore over it. A turtleneck. She wore a turtleneck beneath the vest thing, which covered the bare skin, but not the magnificence beneath. It was as if the fact that she was covered only made it sexier.

  She huffed a sigh. “It’s a dirndl. Or part of one anyway. I got it in Austria several years ago. It came with a full skirt and an apron thing. I like that too. But today was cold and I decided on pants instead. In case I had to run.”

  “How did you know? Also I approve of the top.” He leaned in close. “Though I’m not sure about the way the sweater draws the eye right to your tits.”

  She smirked. “You’re not so mysterious for a big giant alpha male. Plus, you looked at me like an encyclopedia page.”

  He took her hands, kissing them both, delighting in her blush and the way she didn’t try to move away but leaned into his touch. “You obey no rules when it comes to fashion. I think I must be getting used to that. I may even find this particular ensemble rather sexy.”

  “Boobs are the secret weapon and the best accessory. Don’t tell anyone though.” She winked and it was his turn to blush.

  “I can wait for you. I’m here already and I’m certainly not crossing over until you’re with me.”

  Dominic cleared his throat to remind them he was still standing there. “You should come in to the meeting anyway.” Dominic indicated they should go into his office. “Meriel will be here and you have to go speak to Simon’s father so you may as well be part of the briefing now.”

  As he promised, Meriel came in shortly and Lark got started.

  “Mrs. Warden was amazing. She’s a werewolf encyclopedia. I’ve passed her info to the Kellys. I think they should all hook up and take over the world.” And then she sobered. “They thought it was at least two thousand years ago, but turns out it’s three thousand years since the Magister has been seen in this reality. The last mention of it, or what may be it, was actually thirty two hundred years ago. The wolves have some myths that might be about it. Gia looked them all up. Many people died and then the storm was vanquished, is all she could find.”

  “Not how it was vanquished?”

  “This is like partly cuneiform and partly hieroglyph. They have their own ancient language with pictographs essentially. It happened around a time with a great illness so the deaths were just sort of rolled up into that. Or maybe that was actually the Magister. I don’t know. She’s continuing to research and has contacted the other Elders from different packs to see if they have anything helpful to add.”

  “I don’t like being blind.” Meriel played with the bracelet she wore as she thought. “I’ve had the Kellys add some staff to work on this. Please officially request any information the Lycians have from Simon’s father. I don’t want to send you guys out there with so little info.”

  “I have no doubt my father will assist.” Simon spoke calmly. “I’ll also make the request to the Table. Through my brother Card I have connections with the Fae. If anyone has answers, they will.”

  Lark gathered up her paperwork. “The only difference between today and last week is that we know about the Magister. There’s no difference otherwise. It’s just as dangerous. And this week we’re more prepared. The crew is learning, tightening. We’ll meet this challenge, Meriel. And we will win.”

  “I love your attitude. Call me when you get back, please. And don’t be gone too long. We need you here.”

  “I promise not to keep her longer than one night. We’ll be back by morning.”

  “SO do they know I’m coming with you?” She practically bounced from foot to foot as they stood in the small glade an acre or so from his home. She knew she was being ridiculous and probably annoying him, but she couldn’t help it. “Also, this is one of the coolest things I’ve ever done. So thank you.”

  He paused to look her over, smiling as he did. “No, they don’t know you’re coming. I can’t call them or anything like that. We’ll show up and it should be later in the day there. There’ll be sentries and once I’m identified we’ll go to my family’s property.”

  “Should I change?” She suddenly felt a little awkward.

  He moved to kiss her, brushing her hair from her face. “No. I like you just how you are.”

  “Can I watch how you do this? Is it something I can do again on my own? You know in case I want to go to meet the Fae?”

  “You won’t be doing that without me as your escort in any case. But only those with the blood of the other side of the Veil can part the way and get through on their own. Everyone else has to be brought over.”

  “I love the way you describe it. It sounds a lot better than you have to be one of us to get there.”

  He took her hand. “Ready?”

  She had a small pack he tried to get her to let him carry on one shoulder and her hand in his. She nodded. “Yes.”

  And his magick, something she’d witnessed at this level only once before, when he’d changed for her, spilled out over the glade, washing against her skin, calling to her own magick as it stirred in her belly. It rose up and through her pores as it slid against his.

  He turned, surprise on his face.

  It felt so good she simply took a deep breath and squeezed his hand. If her magick reacted that way, it was supposed to. She never questioned that sort of stuff. Of all the things in her life, her magick had never steered her wrong. She trusted it and the way it reacted to Simon’s magick only strengthened the stuff he’d told her the day before.

  And ahead of them, the air shimmered and then they walked through it.

  For a moment she didn’t realize they weren’t on hi
s land anymore. The surrounding area was heavily laden with trees and huge ferns. It wasn’t until she noted that darkness had begun to fall there that she realized they’d left Earth and were definitely somewhere else.

  “Hold,” he said calmly, loudly enough to be heard by anyone standing nearby.

  And then they came out, two wolves, nearly as large as Simon was when he wore his beast. And when they saw him they went down to their front paws before yipping and running off.

  “They’re going to alert the pack I’m home.” His smile was bigger, she realized, now that they were here in his homeland.

  “Is it hard? To live on Earth?” She looked up at the sky as the stars began to wink into sight. The sky was different here. The stars more plentiful. A moon began to rise in the far horizon.

  “I miss home sometimes. But I have a full life in Seattle.” He looked down at her for long moments as they kept walking. “And now it’s even more full. But I should visit more often.”

  There was a story there she knew. Had waited for him to tell her and maybe he would now that she’d seen the place for herself.

  A large house surrounded by smaller cabins and outbuildings rose in the distance, just on the shores of a large body of water.

  “I expected big, huge walls or gates or something.”

  “There’s plenty of defense here. When you’re strong enough, you don’t need gates or walls. Just enough fear to create reverence.”

  That sent a shiver through her.

  And then three men, men as large as Simon, emerged from the house and waved to them. Simon grinned and waved back, picking up his pace so that she had to hustle or get left behind. The man had ridiculously long legs!

  “Seymeon! Welcome home.” The biggest of the males, the one she guessed was Simon’s father, Cross, walked out to meet them. She tried to let go of Simon’s hand so he could get to his father faster, but he squeezed and kept his hold.

  “It is good to be home.” He finally let go of her hand not to hug his father, but to go to one knee and bow his head.

  Cross Leviathan looked at her and then back to his son, whose head he caressed. “Stand and let a father embrace his son and then you can tell me who this wee girl is.”

  Simon stood and embraced his father. So much passed between them that Lark knew she needed to see her own father, knew she needed this as well.

  The other two came forward and Simon did a version of what he’d done with his father.

  “Before the entire family comes out, let me introduce Lark Jaansen to you. She is a warrior. A witch. The hunter for the Owen Clan and she’s here to speak with you about a matter of great importance.” He paused a moment. “And she’s my…” He said a word that she didn’t understand, in a language that felt old just to hear.

  Eyes widened, Cross looked back to her and grinned before pulling her into a hug. “Welcome to you! Come, come inside. Tila will be already ordering the staff to get started on cooking the feast but she’ll want to meet you.”

  “I’m your what?” she asked in an undertone she was sure they all heard as they walked toward the big house where people of all ages began to pour out, all apparently delighted to see Simon.

  “My everything.” And then he was enveloped in one embrace after the next as she went reeling because of yet another thing he said to make her all warm and noodley inside.

  “I take it this is your first time on this side of the Veil?” Cross asked as he held the door open for her. Simon still stood in a knot of people all speaking at once, touching him, laughing, kissing and hugging him.

  “Yes.”

  “What do you think?”

  “I think it’s marvelous! This is amazing and beautiful and I’m going to have to work really hard on my filters to not say something dumb because I’m excited.”

  Cross laughed, surprising her and apparently several others around them. “I’d always imagined Seymeon with a completely different sort of female. I was wrong. Come in and let me introduce you. He won’t get free from his sisters for another several minutes. Don’t tell my other sons but he’s the favorite with his sisters.”

  It was her turn to laugh. “I’ve yet to see a female who isn’t charmed by Simon. Or Seymeon I suppose. I quite like that name.”

  “It’s my great-grandsire’s name.” He inclined his head and then looked up, his expression softening at the approach of a woman roughly the same size as Lark.

  “Tila, come and meet Seymeon’s Lark!” He turned back to Lark. “This is my wife, Seymeon’s second-mother.”

  Lark bowed her head as Simon had showed her at the approach of the silver-haired woman. Her eyes were pale gray and Lark had never seen anything quite so lovely. She was a high-ranked demon who’d escaped her tribe and had found shelter here in Lycia with Cross and his young family.

  And then Simon’s mother had died while having him and she’d stepped in, slowly falling for Cross and marrying him some time later. This woman meant a lot to Simon, had raised him after he lost his biological mother.

  Tila took her hands and squeezed. “I’m so very pleased to meet you and have you here. Are you tired? Hungry? There’ll be food momentarily. And a big feast in a few hours’ time. It’s been a long time since Seymeon has been home.”

  “But he’s back now. And Lark has something important to tell us as well. We’ll take the food and drink in my chambers, please.” Cross kissed his wife’s hand and she blushed.

  Simon managed to make his way over. “Mameri!” He swooped in and hugged Tila tight as she laughed and clearly loved him right back.

  “Darling, you’re here. I should scold you for being gone so very long. But as you’re here, I won’t.”

  He kissed her cheeks and turned to Lark. “I’ve brought Lark with me. Isn’t that a point in my favor?”

  Tila looked back at Lark and then smiled up at her son. “I do like your little bird, yes. Maybe she’ll get you back here more often, mm?”

  Simon blushed. “Perhaps. It might take some work though. Maybe it would help if you made venison dumplings?”

  Lark burst out laughing though her stomach was tight at all the importance they seemed to place on her being there with Simon. “You’re shameless.”

  “When it comes to Mameri’s dumplings, I really am.” Mameri was an affectionate term for mother, she knew and clearly this woman was all that and more to the group in the house.

  “I was worried my brothers might have tossed you over a shoulder and run with you for the hills.” He winked and she shook her head.

  “My boys have all brought home females with some spark. They like it. I have no idea why.” Tila’s mouth twitched and then let go into a smile.

  “I’ve never seen that color in hair before. Were you born with it? Is it a spell?”

  “This is my youngest sister Sarayah.” Simon looked back to her, affection all over his features. “We’ve got to meet right now with Papa. You can quiz Lark on her hair color when we get out.”

  The girl who looked like a teenager clearly adored her brother and nodded. “Promise?”

  Simon nodded. “I do.”

  “You’re staying the night at least, yes?”

  “Yes, but then we have to get back. Things are happening and Lark has to take care of them.”

  She loved that he said that and some of her anxiety eased as he got back to the subject of this visit. He recognized and respected her job. Which was sexier than his naked back and that said a lot.

  “Come on.” Simon put an arm around her shoulders and led her after his father and brothers up a beautiful wooden staircase and down a long hall. “His chambers are here. As the Alpha, this is where he does his business. My brothers have chambers up here too.”

  As they got settled at a table in the corner, the wall of windows looking out over the lake and woods, Tila and a few others brought in drinks and snacks. Whatever it was it smelled so good her stomach growled and she had to force herself to just put a few on her plate and not eat the
entire platter.

  “May I ward this space?” she asked Cross when she’d finished chewing that first quick bite.

  “We’re safe. None would dare attempt to attack. Warriors are legion and all within easy distance to repel any violence.”

  “Not this kind of attack. I need to ward against any sound leaving this room. What I have to tell you is very sensitive.”

  Simon’s oldest brother frowned but nodded his head. Cross indicated she continue with a flick of his wrist.

  And they all watched as she worked so she shoved it out of her mind and did what came naturally.

  Simon admired her when she worked her magick, but it was stunning to see how much his father and brothers seemed moved by her as well. Magick swirled around her like dust motes, glittering on the breeze she made. Her eyes were open but her gaze was on something far away. Her hands danced as she spoke under her breath. The feel of the wards locking and knitting together went up his spine.

  When she finished, she turned and nodded, all business. But he couldn’t help but smile as she took her seat again right next to his.

  “What have you heard about a being called the Magister?”

  Chapter 17

  SHE found herself standing in a building that had to easily be ten thousand square feet, with a ceiling that vaulted up three stories. The place was filled with Lycian warriors, including Simon, who all stood facing Cross Leviathan. Each warrior wore nothing more than some tiny shorts. Many had very long hair with warrior braids at the temples. The women also wore the shorts but had a shirt of sorts as well. Though she’d seen a lot of casual nudity since they’d arrived some hours before, she understood this was as much about the ritual as the actual use of the clothing, which they’d shed when they took on their beast anyway.

  “A very long time ago, back when I was very young, my grandsire told me about a threat on the wind. A dark storm gathering in the land of the Fae. This storm was attempting to break free and roil into the worlds we all inhabit on this side of the Veil. This storm killed thousands of Fae, rolled over the land and nothing existed in its wake. We don’t know how this storm was stopped, but one day it was simply gone. And the Fae it took never returned.”