After shutting the door firmly, he kept pace beside me. “If you want to go for a run in wolf form, I could probably manage a decent obstacle course for you.” My eyes widened, absolutely loving the idea, knowing he really could with his earth magic. But I was still utterly shocked at his kindness. Again, he shrugged, his lips tilting. “It’s not a completely selfless act. It’ll give me practice.” A pause, then his eyes darting from mine with quiet words. “And it’ll give me some companionship.”
My lips lifted into a real smile. “King Fergus, I do believe I’d enjoy your company.”
He nodded, a smile lifting his own lips.
And as we walked along, I couldn’t help but stare at him, evaluating him in a different light after his honest words, and I blurted, “Why have you been alone?” I gestured at him from head to toe. “You’re not exactly repulsive.”
He grinned. “Thank you.” Slowly, he shook his head, soft neon green curls brushing his shoulders. “But that isn’t a story I’d wish to talk about.” His amber eyes darted to mine and away. “Unless, of course, you’d like to fill me in on who the twins’ father was, then I may be willing to spill details.” Instantly, my eyes narrowed as we started up the walkway. He chuckled, green eyebrows raised. “The young are always so ready to know others’ secrets, but are never willing to risk their own.”
Rolling my shoulders, I grumbled, “Fair enough.” A sideways glance toward him. “But you should really get back out there if it has been that long.” At the beginning of school last year, under Ezra’s power, King Fergus had said it had been a few years since he’d had sex.
He snorted. “I didn’t say I wasn’t having sex, Ms Ruckler.” He peered around the interior of the cave. “I’ve found many partners here.” His gaze found mine, his eyes searching. “The many acts of sex can be pleasurable, but it’s often empty pleasure.”
I held his regard as we weaved through Mysticals. I knew exactly what he was talking about. Often, the pleasure was fleeting, quickly leaving after the act. Sometimes, during. Only when you found a partner you cared about did it hold meaning. By the surety of his tone, I now knew he had once loved. Whether it had been with a mate or another Elemental, he had definitely found love once. And lost it somehow.
Guzzling my water, I grinned, pointing at King Fergus around the bottle to let him know it was his own fault. It had been a week since I emerged into the world, and every day, after helping the kitchen staff or training with Elder Merrick, we went into the woods above King Cave where King Fergus would provide one hell of an obstacle course for me. But today, at the end of our session, he had gone a little hog-wild by blowing up parts of the earth, trying to make me stumble. And it had backfired on him. Literally.
We both had chunks of dirt/mud and grass and twigs all over us as we made our way into King Cave. Swallowing my mouthful of water, I laughed outright at the scowl on his face. “Christ, I’m never gonna forget how you screamed.”
“I did not scream,” he grumbled in short, terse words.
I laughed harder. “When I had to shift to catch you, you sure as hell screamed.”
He sniffed, tucking his dirty green hair behind his ear. “I had dirt in my eyes, so I couldn’t see the ground coming.”
My chuckle was a deep belly laugh as we entered the top section of the cave, where I stopped and bent to hold said belly as it was starting to cramp from my laughing.
He actually kicked my leg. Not hard, but not exactly soft, either. “I wasn’t the only one screaming.” He paused, his own chuckle erupting. “I wasn’t sure if you were coming on to me or trying to escape.”
My head fell back, my laugh joining his. “I was naked.” I slapped at the wall a few times, shaking my head, bits of dirt flying everywhere, at remembering how he had frozen for a moment after he had freaked out at opening the ground beneath us, just as I caught him, burying us inside a dark hole of the ground.
“I noticed.” He wiped tears from his face, making the dirt on his cheeks streak darker. “You sat on my damn face at one point.” He arched back, mouth open wide in raucous laughter at my saucer-eyed glance, as I paused, realizing I had freaked out a little down there. He hooted it up, pointing at me. “Like I said, I didn’t know if you were hitting on me or trying to escape.”
My lips trembled and my chin quivered before I busted up, picturing his reaction in my mind. “Oh, God. That’s fucking hilarious.”
“What the hell happened to you two?” King Kincaid bellowed, off to our left.
Our attention swung his way, both of us wiping our eyes, making our faces look that much worse, as we continued snickering. I pointed at King Fergus as King Kincaid, King Venclaire, and King Nelson moved up the incline. “He prematurely blew a load.” King Fergus stilled, and then started snorting hard as the Kings stopped moving altogether, their eyes going wide. I blinked, realizing that hadn’t come out quite right. “Of dirt. I meant dirt.” My hands went wide. “Big explosion.” A head tilt toward King Fergus. “And a screaming King left in its wake.”
King Fergus kicked me again, almost knocking me on my ass. “Not to mention a screaming Prodigy.” He shook his head, trying to dispel some of the dirt, and pointed at King Kincaid, as I stepped away from him and out of his damn leg’s reach. “And you need to teach her where her ass should properly be sat.”
I scowled at him. “That’s just wrong.”
He grinned, white teeth gleaming through the dirt. “Revenge for your premature-crack.”
King Kincaid blinked. “So you’re both fine?”
“Of course,” King Fergus mumbled, taking a swig of his own drink. “I didn’t harm your precious Prodigy.”
I snorted. “He was too busy harming himself.”
“I told you there was dirt in my eye!” he exclaimed.
“And yet, the ground still swallowed us,” I muttered, raising my eyebrows over the rim of my drink bottle. “And still, you screamed.”
King Venclaire clapped his hands in front of our faces, his eyes still wide as he stared at us. “We were coming to look for you two. There’s a meeting planned.” His gaze darted to our dirt-streaked clothing. “There’s no time for you to change.”
I shrugged. “I’ll blame it on him since it was his fault.”
“You came out of nowhere,” he griped even as we started to move down the incline behind the other Kings. “My aim was only a little off.”
I jumped back and forth, grinning. “I was trying something new.” I chuckled. “And it worked.”
He huffed. “Won’t work again.”
King Kincaid whispered to King Venclaire, “I got a twenty that says she beats him again.”
King Venclaire nodded, glancing back at us. “I’ll take it.” His attention darted to King Kincaid, narrowing his gaze as he pointed a finger at his eyes. “He’s got that look, and I think he’s actually enjoying himself.”
I glanced at King Fergus, and right before he blanked his expression, I saw a mischievous squint to his eyes. “Oh, bring it. Please, do.” My grin was purely impish, countering his.
Entering the conference room, King Fergus and I were still bantering back and forth, barely noticing how each of the Elders in the room, all in their pristine suits, stared at us. Flopping into a chair next to him, I flicked a bit of dirt on King Fergus, which naturally flew back, straight at my forehead, without him even lifting a finger. I mumbled, “Cheater.”
He was chuckling as a certain Mage hustled into the room.
I blinked, staring at Antonio.
He had on a pair of jeans that hung low on his waist and were barely done up, his belt dangling. He brushed his tousled golden hair out of his face, showing flushed cheeks. His eyes were sparkling, and he quickly started buttoning his white shirt, which was open and showing his slim but muscular build. He muttered, “Sorry, I’m late. I only just listened to my voicemail.” He moved around the table while finishing up his buttons and tucking in his shirt.
I blinked again as he started fixing his
belt.
“The message went out three hours ago,” Cahal stated, his eyebrows lowered, apparently not appreciating Antonio’s lack of decorum.
Antonio grinned down at his belt. “I was…busy.”
I blinked again. “You had sex.” It just kind of blurted out, but I had never seen him disheveled like that before.
He chuckled, moving to the bar in the corner. “Yes, I did. Many times with a very talented partner.” His eyebrows rose as he glanced in my direction, laughing at whatever expression I had on my face as he grabbed a water bottle. “Oh, Lil, your innocence is exquisite. You didn’t think I had been celibate all this time? I enjoy doing what I’m good at.”
“Stop.” I shuddered, nowhere near forgiving him yet, but… “That’s too much info for me.” No one liked to think of their dad getting it on. Nor did they want to know they were ‘good at it’.
“Alright.” He sat between King Venclaire, who had his arms crossed and his head down, and Elder Zeller, who was still scowling at him. He pointed at me and King Fergus around his water bottle. “What happened to you two?”
“Dirt boy here,” I tilted my head at King Fergus, “got a little trigger-happy.”
‘Dirt boy’ bristled. “I had mud in my eyes.” His eyebrows rose. “And that’s King Fergus to you.”
I fluttered a hand, firmly put in my place, and told Antonio charmingly, “That’s his excuse and he’s sticking to it.” I started sputtering when dirt from my shirt suddenly lifted and flew into my mouth. I glared at King Fergus, picking dirt from my teeth as he grinned. “And least I didn’t mention the premature part.”
His grin only grew. “And I didn’t mention where you prefer to sit.”
Suddenly, Ezra’s scent wrapped around me, which meant he had definitely arrived, and I felt his heat at my back just as my chair began rolling. I blinked up at him as he turned my chair to the side. “Huh?”
“I want this seat,” he rumbled, shaking my chair. “It sits higher, so it’s more comfortable for my legs.” He tilted his head to the chair next to it. “Take that one.”
My eyebrows puckered, drying dirt falling like dust from my forehead. The chair next to me appeared no different height-wise. But his mien expressed he was prepared to argue with me if I opened my mouth. He and I hadn’t really talked much this past week, both of us keeping busy, and I really didn’t want our first discussion to be an argument, so I assented and got up from my chair — leaving dirt behind — and sat in the chair directly next to it.
Which was the same height.
He brushed the dirt off my old chair and sat, turning it in my direction and resting his elbow on the table, even though his attention was over my head where Elder Camden stood next to Elder Harcourt, both of whom were waiting for the rest of the latecomers to get here. I blinked, eyeing his robe/sweater. Instead of the blue one he normally wore, he wore one that was black velvet, almost the same cut as the other one: rough patches sewn at the elbow, long enough to just skim the floor, and a few tong buttons holding the upper section together while the lower part spread to allow free movement below the waist. I peered up at his bright green gaze, which was underneath the hood and concealed somewhat. “New robe?”
He nodded, nostrils flaring. “A gift from a friend.”
My whole body stilled, but I didn’t quite know what I was feeling. “Jessica?” I hadn’t seen him with her this week, or with any other woman, and noticing that particular Vamp woman only because I had seen her enter her bedroom with four — yes, four — Vampire men.
He shook his head. “Rose.”
I blinked, turning my chair slowly to face Elder Camden and Elder Harcourt. I had no clue who Rose was, but obviously her name matched her scent since that was what was wafting from his new garment. “That was kind of her.” Liar, liar.
He grunted, and from the corner of my eye I saw him picking at the sleeve. “Have fun playing in the dirt today?”
Remarkably agitated, I drummed my fingers on the table. “It was an experience.”
A pause, then he said, “So was Rose.”
My fingers stopped thumping, only to be exchanged for my heart pounding. Truth. He had just spoken the truth. Deep hurt instantly and unreasonably rushed through me in a brutal, wounding tidal wave. I had known he would start having sex again sometime soon — he was Ezra, after all — but he had promised not to flaunt it, and I had done the same, which hadn’t been a problem since I hadn’t hit the sheets with anyone.
Turning my chair the opposite way so no one but him would see my expression, I gave him a special look. He had made a promise. And he’d broken it. To go along with all that hurt, I was pissed off beyond belief.
His nostrils flared, and his lips lifted, more of a baring of teeth, and he flicked a finger, hitting a clump of dirt on my sleeve and knocking it to the ground.
Confused, I gazed at him. He stared back, eyes narrowed under his hood. Suddenly, what Ezra thought hit me. That King Fergus and I were getting it on. We had been going outdoors for the entire week. Coming back in great moods. And now, Ezra had purposely maneuvered me to a different chair…away from King Fergus.
My laugh was quiet, full of scorn and bitterness, and I whispered, “You’re wrong.” My eyes flicked down to his new robe as he stilled. The one he had gotten from a woman he had fucked. An ‘experience’ of a fuck. Pure anger radiating through me, my now narrowed gaze met his now carefully blank one, his hand over his mouth, his elbow resting on the table. I didn’t say anything else. I couldn’t, not with my emotions like rapid fire inside me.
Plus, we both knew this day would come.
There was nothing to say.
I held his gaze a moment longer before turning my chair back around, blocking him out completely, and lifted my muddy shoes to cross my legs on the oversized chair, letting my head fall back against it and closing my eyes. I tried to rein in my emotions. He was my damn best friend. I shouldn’t feel as if I wanted to strangle him right now. I had jumped into having a sexual relationship with him just as much as he had me. It was similarly my fault for any fluctuating emotions. Time to grow the fuck up.
“King Venclaire, are you alright?” I heard Elder Harcourt ask.
I peeked and saw my biological dad lift his carefully blank face to him. “It’s a day full of revelations.”
“I remember those days,” Elder Harcourt murmured softly. “I envy you them.” He shut the door once Pearl and Jack had hustled inside and had seated themselves at the opposite end of the table. They were both out of breath and in workout attire, obviously just getting the news, as I had.
I closed my eyes as Elder Harcourt and Elder Camden began speaking of the Elders’ — our peace-making Elders — progress with the Commoners. Which was shit. They weren’t getting anywhere with the leaders, in fact, their talks with them apparently only creating more of a ruckus since they were confirming that any living hybrids could, indeed, create those Beasts, done in an effort to be honest with them for new peace. Elder Harcourt also began playing more videos produced by the men in red robes, which I did open my eyes to watch. When the third one began, I went rigid, recognizing the robe with the black and gold trimming the edges.
“He’s possibly the same man,” I couldn’t confirm because his hood was up as it had been on the beach, “we saw outside King Hall with Elly Belford.” I pointed. “Same robe.”
“We believe he’s the leader,” Elder Camden stated, all the Elders and Kings around the table leaning forward to get a better look.
And everyone went quiet, listening to him blather on about how we had lied to the Commoners, creating Beasts to destroy them — yada yada, it was all the same — but what interested me was his voice. Closing my eyes, I listened as he ranted and raved, his tone getting louder and more forceful, and a second later, I cocked my head.
My whole body jolted. “Pause it.” My eyes slammed open to Elder Harcourt. “Rewind it, and magnify the sound, please.”
He stopped the film, eyes on me.
“What did you hear?”
“I’m not positive.” I shook my head, not wanting to say if I was wrong. “Just rewind it, please.” I glanced at King Kincaid, Elder Merrick, and Elder Talus — the King Shifter, and the Elder Shifters I knew — while Elder Harcourt did as I asked him. I said, “Listen close. Tell me what you hear.”
Slowly, they nodded.
The video on the golden cube started again, and I closed my eyes, listening to the magnified sound. Once more, my head cocked as the leader got to his particularly loud rant. I heard it for a second time and threw up a hand. “Elder Harcourt, stop.” The sound turned off, the video pausing again, as my eyes flew open to the Elders I had spoken with. “Did you hear it?”
As one, all three of them shook their heads.
“Shit,” I muttered, pushing up from my seat and staring at the image. I felt incredibly stupid that three more powerful men hadn’t heard it, but I knew I had. “I think…” I stalled, clearing my throat, jaw clenching as everyone stared at me expectantly. “Okay, I think I know two things about the man in question.” I stared at the image and not the intimidating Elders and Kings around me. “One, I believe the man is Philip Masterson.”
I saw everyone become still around the table, and I quickly explained for those who weren’t in the know. “He’s a Congressman in the United States. I know him personally, since he tried to rape me a few months ago. I recognize his voice.” My gaze went to King Kincaid’s wide eyes. “It’s him. I know it is. And it also explains the timing of his disappearance.”
“Goddamn mother-fucker,” King Nelson muttered, eyes solid on the screen. A pause. “Elder Farrar, you followed him. Did you see any signs that it could be him?”
Antonio’s gaze was glowing a bit as he stared at the screen. “I saw nothing out of the ordinary at the time, but Lil’s right. It’s his voice, now that she mentioned it.” Golden eyes swung to me, his grin feral. “I believe you have something else to say.”
King Cave Page 20
