by Shea Balik
“What in the hell are you talking about? She didn’t do anything. You’re the one who killed Bodhi. How will your precious nature fix that? Huh?” He stalked over to where the God stood and shoved him. “You fucking killed my mate. What the hell did he ever do to you?”
The tears he’d been trying to hold back spilled down his cheeks. “How could you have killed him?” His voice cracked as he stared up at Ryrmar, willing the God to help him understand how he could have let this happen.
One lone tear fell down the man’s orange cheek. “I didn’t—”
“Yes, you did,” Kai shouted, not letting the God finish. He wasn’t about to let Ryrmar deny his part in Bodhi’s death. His mate deserved better. “You killed the sweetest, most precious person in my life,” he screamed. “Get out.” Rage crashed over him. “I hope you burn in hell for your sins.” He yelled until the anger had burned its course. His throat was raw with the effort, yet Ryrmar still stood there, clearly unsure what to do.
It was Paytah who stepped between them. “You need to go, Ryrmar.”
“I would, but I can’t. You need to understand what Cynthia did.”
Kai didn’t care what the God had to say. He just wanted to hold his mate one last time. Wyatt stood next to Bodhi’s body, protecting Kai’s mate. Giving his friend a watery smile, Kai knelt down next to Bodhi and took him back into his arms.
A soft moan stopped everyone in their tracks as they all stared at the man who made the noise. Bodhi.
Chapter 13
How long he lay there feeling like he’d been run over by a truck, Bodhi couldn’t say. What he did know was his mate thought him dead, and he wasn’t. At least he didn’t think he was. It was hard to know considering everything he’d been through.
But the last time he’d woken up, he knew he was dead. There had been no pain, no real feeling for that matter. But most importantly the connection he had to his mate had been severed. That had been the only real thing he’d felt. It had been like a rope with its ends frayed and mangled from being pulled too hard.
That feeling hadn’t gone away. The connection was still gone, but this time he also had a headache to end all headaches. It was like jackhammers were trying to dig into his skull. Pinpricks of pain raced up and down his body, doing their best to poke giant holes in his skin.
But then Kai touched him, held him, and all that pain went away. He heard the moan that spilled from his lips, but he was enjoying his mate’s body against his too much to hear the shouts of joy that soon followed. Although he didn’t miss the way Kai’s lips pressed against his, or the man’s next words.
“I love you, little butterfly. Please come back to me.”
How could Bodhi deny such a sweet request? His eyelashes fluttered as he tried to get used to the light. The moment they focused on Kai’s gray orbs, he felt all the love the man had just declared. They may have known each other only a few hours, but Bodhi knew what was in his heart.
“I love you too,” he croaked out around his too-dry throat.
Suddenly he was crushed against Kai’s body. His mate was holding him too tightly for him to do anything more than take shallow breaths, but Bodhi didn’t care. He was in his mate’s arms, right where he belonged.
Other sets of arms were suddenly wrapped around him also, which was when Bodhi first realized Kai was naked. He wasn’t sure why his mate had no clothes on, but Bodhi was having a hard time keeping his body from reacting.
He’d died. Bodhi had thought he’d never get to see his mate again. Not to mention their mating connection had been severed. More than anything else, Bodhi needed to feel his mate deep inside of him, claiming him once more.
His arousal was becoming more obvious as thoughts of being fucked within an inch of his life were harder and harder to ignore. Kai’s body stiffened under his. The man’s hands inched over to Bodhi’s groin, and a soft moan fell from both of their lips.
Lips brushed against his ear as Kai whispered. “Damn, little butterfly. You make me need.”
Bodhi couldn’t help it. His hips bucked, desperate to get more friction from Kai’s hand. The last thing he wanted was to be claimed in a roomful of people, but it was looking more and more like a possibility.
“Seriously? We are all standing right here.” Gibson glared at the two, but Bodhi didn’t really care. He just wanted his mate. “Get a fucking room. The house is full of them.”
Bodhi was all for that idea, but his mate didn’t move. Gray eyes looked at him with uncertainty. “Cynthia is still unconscious.”
Just like that, Bodhi’s cock deflated. “What do you mean, still unconscious. When did that happen?” Bodhi climbed out of Kai’s lap, instantly missing the warmth of the man’s embrace.
Fortunately he didn’t have to miss it long. Kai stood and wrapped his arms around him, pulling him against his strong chest. “I have no idea what happened, but you were…” Kai’s voice broke, tears brimming over his mate’s lashes.
“She’ll be fine. She brought you back to life and exhausted herself.”
Bodhi turned to the booming, harsh tone of the man—no, the God—that he’d met just before dying. “You’re the reason I died.”
The God’s orange face turned an odd shade of red, like he was blushing. Could a God blush? Bodhi didn’t think so, but that was what it looked like. “I didn’t mean to cause you harm. It was a surprise to find you alive. We had thought all of your kind had died. I apologize for what happened.”
Bodhi considered holding a grudge but figured there wasn’t much point. “I guess I forgive you, but you owe me.” Forgiving he might be. Stupid he wasn’t. A God owing him a favor would be invaluable.
Ryrmar nodded. The God seemed relieved it had been so easy. “That seems fair, but just know I can’t do favors that would upset the balance of nature.”
Huh? “What does that even mean?” He should have known there would be a catch.
The God looked over at Cynthia, who was lying on the couch, apparently asleep. Seeing his foster sister look so fragile tugged at his heartstrings. He didn’t know what had happened while he was dead, but somehow Bodhi was sure he wasn’t going to like it.
“As was explained to Paytah before”—Ryrmar pointed to the Fire Mystic—”there are consequences for every action.”
That wasn’t something new. “You mean like Newton’s third law. For every action an equal and opposite reaction occurs.”
The God smiled. “Yes. Except unlike physics, where the reaction can be predicted, nature’s balance isn’t so kind. Even we Gods don’t know the consequences of our actions. Case in point: the creation of the paranormal races. We had no idea nature’s way of setting things right would be to have the newborn baby shift at the moment of their birth, alerting the world as to what they were.”
That explained a lot. Here Bodhi just thought the Gods were a bunch of sadistic assholes to allow newborn babies to be killed or experimented on. “Okay, so what does all this have to do with Cynthia?”
Bodhi’s fingers itched to touch the little girl to be sure she really was okay. With Kai not leaving his side, Bodhi made his way over to her. He sat on the armrest and just touched her, his anxiety lessening at the feel of her warm skin.
“Cynthia brought you back from death. There is no bigger imbalance in the world than bringing someone back to life.” Sadness filled his red eyes as he looked at Cynthia. “That debt is going to have to be paid, and I have no idea what it’s going to be, but it will affect her since she was the one who created the imbalance to begin with.”
Kai squeezed his hip. “Then fix it.”
That was what Bodhi loved about his mate. The man would do anything to protect those he loved, even take on a fucking God.
“I wish I could, but I don’t even know what the consequence will be.” As Ryrmar spoke, Tular and Assiri suddenly appeared.
The purple God spoke first. “An evil is coming. Tular can feel it, but we still can’t see it.”
“The malevolence
pouring out of the earth can be felt all the way to heaven. Whatever’s coming has the power to destroy everything in its path.” Tular’s warning sent a chill down Bodhi’s spine.
“Exactly how are we supposed to prepare if you don’t know what it is?” Talon asked. The Alpha’s hard glare and strong stance said he wasn’t afraid of the Gods any more than Kai had been.
Bodhi didn’t know where they got their courage, but he wished he had some of it right about now.
“Are you planning to help us?” Paytah asked the three.
The reluctance in their faces said it all. They wouldn’t help. Whatever evil Cynthia had unleashed by saving Bodhi would be something they’d have to face without the Gods. He just hoped the Alpha and inner circle weren’t going to bail on them, too.
Bodhi didn’t know what was coming, but he was pretty sure he wouldn’t be able to defeat it without some sort of help. He just wished he could get the children somewhere safe, but it would do little good to send them away if the evil was intent on getting Cynthia. She would just draw it to her.
“We can’t.” At least Assiri looked like he regretted having to deny them help. It wasn’t much, but…No, it really wasn’t any help at all.
Paytah shrugged his shoulder and stepped in front of Aidan as if protecting his mate from the three Gods. “Then get out. We have no use of you.”
Now Bodhi understood why Paytah felt the need to step in front of his mate. Pissing off the Gods probably wasn’t a good idea.
Tular’s black eyes stared at all of them like he was sizing them up for their deaths. “We didn’t cause this imbalance. The girl did.”
Now that bullshit just enraged Bodhi. The courage he’d been hoping for earlier was there with a vengeance as he stood up, his mate’s hand on his back, steadying him as Bodhi faced the Gods. “No, Ryrmar did, by killing me. Now if you’re done making a mess down here on Earth, why don’t you go back from wherever you came from?”
He stood his ground until they disappeared, then collapsed in a quivering mess into his mate’s arms. Did he really just do that? What had he been thinking standing up to not one but three Gods? He had to have lost his mind. It was the only explanation.
“I’m so proud of you, little butterfly.” Kai’s words made Bodhi smile. He loved that his mate was proud of him, but more than that, he loved hearing Kai call him “little butterfly.” He’d been an idiot to complain when they first met.
He just hoped they all lived through whatever was coming long enough for him to hear it again.
Chapter 14
It had been a week, and Kai was ready to tear his hair out. He knew he shouldn’t complain, but it was hell constantly being on alert. No one was allowed to leave the manor for any reason. All supplies were brought to them. The trucks delivering were stopped a block away and unloaded for the guards to go through.
Each can of food, each roll of toilet paper, each stalk of celery was examined, tested, and only when it was deemed safe was it brought into the manor. The wait for what was to come had them all on edge, exacerbated by the forced confinement of the manor and its grounds.
“What the fuck do you mean I have to be vetted by the Alpha? I’m part of his inner circle, moron.” Evan’s anger could be heard in the basement, where Kai was working with Paytah to teach all the mates how to defend themselves.
If the Gods were right and something big was coming, everyone would need to fight. They would never expect the mates to engage in battle, but it would make them all feel better if they could at least fight off an attacker.
“Apparently Evan’s back and in as good a mood as ever.” Paytah’s comment dripped with sarcasm.
Kai just hoped Paytah would be able to refrain from engaging in Evan’s need to start a fight. The two were like oil and water, or he should say fire and water. Paytah was a Fire Mystic, Evan a Water Mystic, and the two always bickered back and forth, with Evan starting most of the confrontations.
Since finding out Slash refused to claim Evan as his mate, declaring his other commitments were more important, Evan’s digs at Paytah had only gotten worse. If they had any hope of defeating whatever was coming, they would need Evan, who was their weapons expert. He just hoped Evan didn’t tear the rest of them apart with his anger at Slash.
“Rune said he couldn’t find Slash. It was like the man disappeared off the face of the earth,” Anemone whispered, his gaze fixed to the stairs that led up to the main floor, as if afraid Evan would come tearing down them.
If he lived forever, Kai would never understand how a mate could just walk away from his other half without a word. The kicker was, it was all over Slash losing his leg. Sure, it sucked, but what did a missing leg have to do with being with one’s mate?
“I don’t give a flying fuck what the Alpha said. I’m going to my room.” Sounds of a scuffle reached them before they heard Evan’s loud voice once more. “I didn’t realize the Alpha was hiring incompetent assholes nowadays. The next time you think you have the balls to take someone on, make sure you actually know how to fight.”
“Evan.” Talon’s sharp tone rang out through the whole house. “Put your things in your room, and meet me in the communications room.”
If Slash wasn’t careful, he was going to end up getting exactly what he wanted—no mate. Evan was a bit suicidal already when it came to their missions. Knowing his mate didn’t want him, his destructive nature was only likely to get worse.
“Talon still thinks Alpha Raak knows where Slash is.” Gibson shook his head. “Once this is over, he’s planning on making a trip to the Outback and emphasize just how important mates are to the Alpha.”
A hand slid into Kai’s, giving him a gentle squeeze. Smiling down into his mate’s sweet face, Kai was grateful to have Bodhi by his side. There was nothing that could make him leave the man that meant the world to him.
“Come on, we still have another hour of practice.” Kai turned back to the mats and went through the moves he wanted the mates to practice once more. Once they’d finished with the mates, he and Paytah would bring the older kids down and teach them.
“I don’t see why we don’t just call one of the puppet masters and ask them what’s going on,” Basil groused as he tried to keep up. “I get we’re mad they aren’t willing to help, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t pump them for information.”
Since they were outside the secure communications room, they used the code name “puppet masters” to refer to the Gods. That way if anyone was listening in, they’d have no idea who they were talking about. If they had met the Gods, no one would ever believe them to be puppet masters, as they just weren’t that smart. Hell, Kai had no idea why the Gods had been given the code name.
As much as he hated to admit it, Basil was right. They were allowing their grudge against the Gods to hinder their ability to find out information. Once they were done with the mates and the older kids, Kai would go talk to Talon. It was time to contact the Gods once more.
* * * *
“Undim,” Talon called.
The team had talked, heatedly. They had finally decided to call the Gods, but Kai refused to allow Paytah to call Ryrmar. As far as he was concerned, the God would never be allowed in his home again. Bodhi could forgive Ryrmar all he wanted. Kai didn’t.
A large man with mottled brown-gray skin that shifted back and forth to fur appeared before them. “I don’t know if I should be honored to be called or insulted that I’m not your first choice.” Undim tilted his head to the side, his face shifting between that of a human and animal. “Then again I could feel pissed that you seem to think the Gods are nothing more than your pets, who come running whenever you call.”
“As I told Ryrmar, you are the ones who come running whenever we call.” Paytah smirked at the God.
Undim snarled, baring his very sharp teeth. “Watch it, pup. I’m not like the others. I don’t have a problem taking a bite out of your hide.”
“Paytah, stop,” Talon ordered.
For once Paytah actually listened to Talon. Finding his mate had really mellowed the Fire Mystic, which was a good thing in Kai’s book.
“You aren’t going to actually take that, are you, Paytah?” Evan taunted.
Too bad Evan’s mate hadn’t done the same.
“Evan,” Talon warned.
Undim chuckled when Evan backed down, setting off the Water Mystic. A deluge of water poured down on Undim. The God only laughed harder when not a drop actually touched him. It was like an invisible bubble surrounded Undim, which had the unfortunate consequence of causing the water to spray outward, right onto the computers Undim was standing next to.
“Damn it, Evan.” Rune jumped up from his seat and ran to the ruined computer equipment. Sparks shot out of the plugs, starting a small fire along one wall. “Fuck. Carver, Wyatt, Blade, get these computers over to the table on the far wall.”
The three men jumped into action, unplugging the computers as quickly as possible. Paytah put the fire out before it did too much damage, and Evan already had all the water cleared up.
Undim’s gaze landed on Evan. “There are always consequences to everything we do.”
“Fuck you.” Evan flipped him off and stormed from the room.
Evan had been back only a few hours, and already he was causing trouble. Kai just hoped his friend would get it together when they really needed him, or they may not survive whoever was after Cynthia.
Undim stared at the door Evan just left through. “You need to find Slash before he self-destructs.”
Paytah snorted. “You’re not telling us something we don’t already know.”
“I just wish I could find Slash,” Rune said as he worked to open up the cases that surrounded the computers. “The man is like a ghost.”
Undim gave a smile that flashed his canines. “You don’t have to find Slash. He’s already here.”
Silence filled the room as every pair of eyes turned to the God. It was Talon who found his voice first. “Are you saying Slash is in Juarez?”
