Shadows and Stars

by Becca Fanning

  She blew him a kiss, then felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. A quick glance showed it was a message from Aithne. Glad to see her friend would be back tomorrow, so they could go back to planning their meeting with Lazzaro. Chase had been slowly coming around to the idea. She would never go behind his back, but she was determined to find a way to help save Chase’s people and end the war that seemed to be brewing between the supernaturals and Orion Hunters. Ending the war was the only way she could see to help keep her family safe.

  “Who’s that?” Chase asked, watching her face.

  “Aithne. She said she’ll be home tomorrow.”

  Chase gave her a wicked grin and winked, “Viktor told me earlier. He’s getting cranky.”

  Violca laughed, how she’d seen him snap the other day at one of his guards. He’d always been patient with the girls but seemed a little short with the men. Aithne had a fiery temper to go with her red hair and she had no problem standing up to Viktor. She challenged him in a way that only a woman who loved him could.

  Violca heard Viktor’s office door open. As he emerged she bit her cheek to keep from smiling. “We were just talking about you.”

  Viktor smirked and she laughed, thinking she saw a small blush on his cheeks. From the laughter behind her, she thought Chase might have seen it too. “I just came to see how the girls’ homework was going.”

  Violca snorted and shot him a skeptical look. His dark blue eyes lit up and he gave her a look before walking over to the desk where Sari was doing her homework. Viktor had been helping her write a history report.

  Violca headed toward the kitchen to make dinner for everyone, and smiled at Chase before leaving the men to help the girls. She loved to cook and Viktor’s staff didn’t mind that she’d taken over most of the dinner cooking duties when she had moved in with her sisters. Since she wasn’t working anymore, she found she had too much time on her hands.

  Kati would be home in an hour and the guys would make sure the girls finished their homework. Eva would be staying at her place with Eryk tonight. Eryk was Scott’s younger brother and Eva’s roommate. Eva’s telepathic abilities had been growing stronger and she had been working hard at trying to block out the thoughts of those around her. Violca’s best friend Brandon was also a telepath. Before her parents had died in a car crash they had taught him to control his abilities. Brandon’s job didn’t give him much time off so he was helping Eva over the phone learn how to block those thoughts.

  Violca went to the fridge and grabbed all the items she needed to get started. She took a deep breath and opened the old handwritten cookbook she’d found in the attic when they packed up to move. Violca had been having fun trying them. She had started with the cookie recipes and had just begun working on the dinner recipes. In a small way, it made her feel closer to her mother.

  THREE

  VIOLCA STRETCHED, smiling to herself when she felt Chase tighten his arms around her in his sleep. She wanted to surprise him with breakfast in bed, so she slowly untangled herself from his arms and grabbed the robe draped over her dresser. Since it was the weekend, the girls would be sleeping in, and the idea of a lazy morning in bed with Chase sounded like heaven to her.

  Viktor’s personal cooks always made breakfast early and set up the meal on food warmers so everyone could eat whenever they awoke. Violca quietly crept from their wing down the stairs to the dining room and jumped when she saw Aithne. Aithne was nursing a coffee and wearing Viktor’s shirt from the night before. Her long red hair flowing down her back.

  “I thought you were coming home today!” Violca said, smiling knowing Viktor must have been pleasantly surprised when Aithne showed up early.

  Aithne smiled back, “That was the original plan. Kassandra pointed out that we weren’t learning anything new and that she was tired of Viktor’s constant text messages, asking how much longer until I’d be home.”

  Violca laughed. Like all dragon males she’d met so far, Viktor was pure alpha and overly protective. She knew it was hard for Viktor to let Aithne go and help. “Has he tried to talk you out of us meeting with Lazzaro?”

  A light shade of pink crept up Aithne’s pretty cheeks. “He was so surprised to see me,” she said, smiling, “that we didn’t get that far.”

  Laughing harder and noticing Aithne’s cheeks were almost as red as her hair, Violca started making two plates with French toast, sausage, bacon, and some fruit. When she was finished she put both plates on a tray and poured coffee. “I found something in my mom’s book I want to talk to you about later.”

  Aithne raised an eyebrow and shot Violca a curious glance. Violca shrugged before picking up the tray. “I thought we would enjoy a rare morning in bed.”

  Violca heard Aithne chuckle as she walked out of the room, carefully balancing the tray. The halls were quiet and she blushed when she ran into Viktor. It was rare to see him in a pair of jeans and no shirt. It was hard not to trace the muscles of his chest with her eyes, so instead she looked at the fresh bite mark at the base of his neck. She bit her lip to keep from smiling when he blushed. “If you’re looking for your mate, she’s in the dining room drinking coffee.”

  “Thank you,” Viktor said before continuing on his way.

  When Violca got back to her room, she smiled when she saw Chase still asleep in their bed. With the blanket only covering half his body she took a moment to appreciate the view.

  She placed the tray on the nightstand and crawled into the bed next to him pushing Chase onto his back. She saw his lips curve in a small smile and knew he was awake. Nibbling on his lips, she smiled. “I thought you might enjoy breakfast in bed this morning.”

  Chase grinned and rolled her to her back, his hips settling between her thighs as he brushed her back from her face. Her stomach let out a low rumble, announcing very loudly that she was hungry. Chase laughed, kissing her on the nose. “Breakfast first.” He growled as he nibbled on her lips. “Then I plan on having an early dessert.”

  With that announcement, Chase rolled off her and propped up the pillows so they were against the headboard. Violca thanked him as she sat up next to him. They both ate in silence for a few minutes, enjoying the time alone. Chase was excellent with helping her raise her younger sisters, and that made these rare moments like these that much sweeter.

  “Aithne came home last night,” Violca announced casually before taking a sip of her coffee.

  Chase chuckled. “Kassandra must have gotten tired of Viktor bugging her.”

  Violca smiled. She knew he was right. Chase had a hard time letting Violca out of the house without guards. Between the threat of Dmitri and the Hunters she knew Chase would be happier if they would just agree to stay inside. They had fought about her picking up the girls on her own from the school. As a compromise Viktor had talked the school into having two security guards. The school were surprised by his request, but since his family had basically supported the town and the schools during rough times, they quickly agreed.

  She and Chase picked their plates clean, and afterward Chase pulled her close to him. Violca laughed as she turned and straddled his lap. She was still wearing the silk violet robe that she’d put on earlier and he was naked beneath her. Chase pulled on the ties of the robe his golden-brown eyes lit up as they focused on her chest. Violca felt her nipples harden in anticipation as he pushed the robe from her shoulders.

  “You’re so beautiful,” Chase said, and Violca felt a shiver run down her spine.

  Rolling her hips gently against him, she felt his hard cock pressing against her. Violca couldn’t help but moan in pleasure. With a wicked grin, Chase slid his hand around her back, pulling her closer to him. His hands gripped her ass, forcing her to rock against him. A giggle escaped her as he let out a growl. Her body responded as he touched her every muscle, each tight with anticipation.

  Her hands rested on his shoulders as she looked down at him, her hips rocking against his. She leaned down and kissed him deeply, moaning as his tongue eagerly dueled wi
th hers. Chase’s hands continued to massage her ass, encouraging her to rock against him harder.

  Sucking on his tongue, she sat up, reaching between their bodies and guiding his cock into her. Violca moaned into his mouth as she lowered herself, taking him deep inside her, keeping her pace slow as she rode him.

  Chase broke the kiss and Violca tilted her head back, giving him access to her neck. He kissed and licked down her neck, causing her to lean back more. Her hands slid into his hair and she held him tightly as his teeth scraped her hard nipple before he sucked the sensitive bud into his mouth. With a gasp, she tightened her hold on his hair; each suck on her sensitive flesh caused her core to tighten around his cock.

  He released her breast and she whimpered until she felt him lick and bite his way across to her other breast, greedily sucking it between his lips. One of his hands left her ass to massage the breast he’d released, as his other hand encouraged her to ride him faster.

  “Chase,” she whimpered. She pulled his hair as her core tightened, her pleasure building with every suck on her sensitive breast.

  Her pleasure building quickly, Violca bit her lip as she tugged on his sandy blond hair, forcing him to release her breast. Chase looked up at her, his eyes almost completely golden. She was aware of both Chase and his dragon’s desire for her. Violca kissed him roughly as her movements became less controlled. With a growl, Chase placed a hand on her hips, holding her still as he thrust hard into her. She broke the kiss and buried her head in his neck, her fingers curling on his shoulder as she held him tightly.

  The mating connection let her feel his pleasure building as fast as hers. Each thrust caused her pleasure to build until she could no longer hold back. “Chase!” she screamed into his shoulder as the first wave of pleasure rolled through her. Her core tightened hard around him, pulling him deeper into her. He gripped her hips holding her still as he thrust upward. She heard him call out her name as he found his release.

  Chase held her close as they both started to come down. Smiling, her head in the crook of his neck, she kissed the side of his neck before nuzzling him. Violca felt a faint rumbling in his chest and grinned. His dragon was so content it almost sounded like a purr.

  A giggle escaped her before she said, “I love when your dragon purrs.”

  “Dragons don’t purr,” Chase replied, as he rolled her to her back keeping their bodies connected.

  “No, of course not.” She said as her lips threatened to curve up in a smile.

  Chase glared down at her as he tickled her sides. Wiggling and laughing loudly, she squirmed under him as he continued to tickle her relentlessly.

  Whispering in her ear, he said, “Kittens purr. Dragons dominate.”

  FOUR

  AFTER THIER MORNING together Violca had fallen back to sleep. Chase kissed her gently before getting up and carefully tucking her in. He was still smiling as he walked downstairs to check on the girls. Not hearing them upstairs, he headed downstairs to see what they had gotten into.

  A high-pitched squeal followed by the sound of little footsteps sent him to the other side of the house, toward Viktor’s wing. Stopping in his tracks, he laughed when he saw Aithne’s wooden sword fending off Sari and Angyalka. Aithne had suggested teaching the girls fencing. The goal was to teach them how to think, how to be defensive, and light on their feet. Aithne turned out to be a great teacher and the girls loved it.

  Chase had always thought it was interesting that Violca’s dark hair and violet eyes resembled their mother, whereas Angyalka, the youngest, resembled her father, with her blue eyes hair was blonde it was practically white resembled her father. The middle three, Eva, Kati, and Sari were a perfect pairing of the two, with their black hair and blue eyes.

  Chase saw Kati sitting at the top of the stairs, so he went to join her. Kati smiled at him when he sat next to her. Since being taken out of her previous school and moving to Colorado, Kati had started to gain her self-confidence. The school here was smaller, and a decent portion of the students were supernaturals whose parent had chosen to live in the area because of the extra protection the dragons had offered them. The town became known as a safe haven for those looking to get away from the troubles of hunters. The school didn’t bat an eye when Viktor increased security or when he did background checks. In fact, they embraced Kati with open arms, unlike her old school, where a few of the students tormented her.

  “Those two really seem to enjoy their fencing lessons,” Chase said, smiling as he watched Sari start to attack Aithne.

  Kati watched her sister, nodding. “Angel gets a little impatient at times, but she really wants to be as good as Sari.”

  “So how’s school going?” Chase asked.

  Kati shrugged and he noticed her smiling. “Good. I’m going to a dance next month,” Kati said. Chase noticed a small blush on her cheek.

  “Does that mean there’s going to be a guy coming to pick you up that I get to interrogate and intimidate? I was practicing, but Eva moved out and I’ve been dying to use it.”

  Kati giggled before shaking her head. “No, no date. A group of us are going together. It should be fun.”

  Chase laughed. “Damn! I was really looking forward to giving the ‘hurt her and I’ll teach you the meaning of pain’ speech. I even had some dramatic pauses, complete with popping my knuckles and some fierce fist-shaking.”

  Kati laughed, her blue eyes twinkling in amusement. Watching her come out of her shell these last several months had been interesting. Chase debated with Violca once about telling Kati about Scott had imprinted on her. He disagreed with her at first, but now understood what she was saying. Kati would have to come into her own before she could be equals with Scott. Kati needed to be able to stand up to Scott and he needed to know she could fight by his side. Violca knew her sister, and the more time he spent with Kati, the more he found himself agreeing with Violca. It was driving his friend crazy, but the wait would be worth it.

  “Fist-shaking, huh?” He heard Viktor’s deep voice behind him and turned to see his king, coming from his room.

  Kati laughed harder and Chase grinned. “Fierce fist-shaking, Viktor,” Chase said. “The kind that would put fear into the heart of some kid who would dare try anything.”

  Viktor’s dark hair still wet from a recent shower, his dark blue eyes twinkled with laughter as he looked in Kati’s direction, giving her a smile. “You haven’t been paying attention. Kati here can take care of any guy stupid enough to try anything.”

  Chase noticed Kati blush at his words, but he also noticed a look of pride as well. She had been training very hard and Viktor was right.

  “Thank you, Viktor,” Kati said, giving him a bright smile.

  Viktor sat on the opposite side of Kati, and Chase noticed Viktor watching Aithne below with the girls. Aithne signaled for both the girls to attack her, and when they did, she quickly blocked them, which caused them both to drop their wooden swords. Grinning, she poked Sari in the side and then twirled in a circle, gently smacking Angyalka on her backside while laughing.

  “All right, girls. I think we’ve practiced enough.” Aithne smiled and bowed to each girl. The girls bowed in turn. Gathering their wooden swords, they took Aithne’s as well. Aithne had instilled in them early on that the girls had to put away their equipment as soon as they finished or they wouldn’t have any more lessons.

  Chase smiled at Aithne as she turned and headed up the stairs. Her green eyes were only for Viktor, and she kissed him before looking at him and Kati. “Those girls are getting better every day. I can’t believe how quickly Sari is learning. She almost had me twice this morning.”

  “Sari loves it,” Kati said with a grin. “Okay, I’ve got to get ready to go. Eryk was nice enough to agree to take me to the mall today so I wouldn’t have to bring a guard with me.”

  She smiled at Chase before heading down the stairs. Chase sighed. It was hard on the girls having to take the guards with them pretty much everywhere they went. It being K
ati’s senior year in high school, she was looking into colleges. The local college didn’t have an arts program and Chase knew that they would need to come up with a plan to keep her safe when she finally decided where she wanted to go. Kati was gifted and deserved to go to a school that would help nurture her artistic talent.

  He and Viktor both stood up and walked downstairs. “So Aithne, were you able to learn anything while you were out?” Chase asked.

  The three of them headed down the hall, toward Viktor’s office. “Dmitri was there,” Aithne said, “but there were also a large number of Orions in the area.”

  Chase went over what he knew. Over the last several years, the hunters—the Orions-- had gotten more aggressive. This wasn’t the first time they and Dmitri had been at the same area. He wondered how it was that Dmitri and the hunters kept showing up at the same places. Were they working together or both looking for the same thing?

  “Do you know what they were looking for?” Viktor asked, leading them into his office.

  Viktor sat in one of the chairs, pulling Aithne onto his lap as she twirled a strand of red hair around her fingers. Chase watched Viktor as he rubbed his hand up and down her arm. “One of the families said one of their old books had been stolen.” Aithne said.

  “So my brother and the Orions broke into this family’s house to steal an old book?” Viktor asked her, looking at Chase.

  “Yeah, but I don’t think they came together. From what the neighbors saw, Dmitri was there first and the hunters showed up when he was leaving and tried to steal the book.” She looked back and forth between the two.