by Aileen Erin
“Fun?” Why did he think all of this shit was fun? He was messed up in the head.
We did it, Dastien said.
We did? “Is that it? Is it over?” It felt like it was too easy.
“I know. It’s always sad when the fight’s done,” Eli said.
I wasn’t sure if I wanted to laugh or cry. “You’re out of your mind.”
He laughed and let me go.
Exhausted, I slid to the ground. Wolf-Dastien came to lay by my side and I leaned into him.
Everything was quiet. The demons were gone. Astaroth was gone.
We’d won. I didn’t care what Astaroth said about coming back. He wanted me to stay afraid, but I wasn’t. Because I’d won. The portal was sealed, and Astaroth? He was stuck in Hell where he belonged.
I closed my eyes, letting the relief sink in.
It was over. It had been the longest three days of my life, but now I could rest.
Something wet touched my cheek and I pushed Dastien away. “Gross.” He nuzzled me with his nose, making sure I was okay. When he got to my stomach I laughed and swatted him away. “Stop it.” Then he saw my wrist and started licking it. “That’s unsanitary.” I sat up with a groan, and Eli came to kneel in front of me.
“You did well.”
“Thanks.”
He nodded. “You’ve made a very powerful enemy.”
I sighed. “What are the chances he stays under there?”
One of his eyebrows quirked up.
Which meant that Astaroth had a plan B. “How do I kill him?”
“You can’t. He’s like me. Immortal.”
That’s not what I wanted to hear. Especially not right now. “Can he be contained?”
He raised an eyebrow. “Isn’t he contained now?”
If I had even a thimble full of energy left, I’d have punched him. Screw the consequences. “You just said he’d be back?”
“He will.”
“So he’s not contained.”
“Containment never lasts for long. Especially when dealing with someone with his power and resources. But don’t worry. I forged our tie, so I’ll be watching if he makes another play. I wouldn’t want to miss out on the fun.”
I blew out a breath. “No. We wouldn’t want that.” But with any luck we’d have a while before Astaroth showed up again. Cosette said time went differently in her Underhill. Maybe it did the same in Hell.
I stayed on the ground as Eli rose. The air whipped around me as he flew up in the air a few feet and then disappeared. I had no doubt I’d see Eli again soon, but I just hoped he gave me time to recover first.
My body was spent. I’d get up soon, but not yet. Dastien settled next to me and I nuzzled my face in his fur.
“I think we’re going to need another vacation.” My head bounced a bit as he huffed his wolfy laughs.
Okay, so maybe that was crazy. We’d just gotten back from six weeks of vacation. But I was exhausted.
I closed my eyes. “Wake me up when it’s time to move.” Dastien whined. “Don’t worry. I’m fine. Just resting my eyes.” I let the peaceful darkness take me away. No abyss. Just dreams. Just beautiful, happy dreams.
Twenty-Six
“We need a new name for whatever this Council is,” Chris said. “And the Avengers is already taken. So is Guardians. Mega overplayed. So, what’re we calling ourselves?”
I’d laid on the ground for a while, just breathing, but eventually I’d gotten up.
It’d been two hours since Astaroth had been sent back to Hell. All injuries had been taken care of, clean up was in progress out on the quad where a bonfire was burning the last of the demons—and everyone else was recovering. We’d already showered, changed, and come back to the cafeteria to stuff our faces, grateful that the cooking staff had been close enough to feed us. We’d stuffed our faces in the cafeteria and were now just hanging out.
We meaning the new group. Council. Whatever.
I kicked my feet up on the table and leaned back, balancing my chair on its back legs. Chris was right. We needed a name. “I got nothing,” I said. “My mind is all mushy with relief. I’m just so glad Astaroth is gone.”
“Is he really though?” Claudia asked.
I shrugged. “He’s in Hell, where he belongs. He might find a way to come back, but we should be good. At least for a while.”
The bonds that connected us were two inches thick, glowing braids of magic. They weren’t gold like my mate bond or the pack ties. Or white like Eli’s magic. But they glittered with so many colors. All the different types of magic together were beautiful.
I should’ve still been tired—I had a short trip to Hell after all—but I wasn’t. It took about an hour for the bonds to really settle in, and with every second I felt like I had more and more and more energy, until it was all I could do to sit still.
I wasn’t sure what benefits we’d get from the tie. It could be that we just all had more power, but maybe other types of powers would be shared within our group. Only time would tell.
“Is anyone else feeling like their heart is racing?” Claudia asked as she leaned into Lucas.
“You, too?” Chris said.
“It’s a high from the magic,” Cosette said. “We should get used to it soon. I hope.” I figured Cosette would leave after the spell, but she stuck around along with her fey friends. She’d gotten Kyra and Elowen settled in the dorms and then met us here without them. Apparently they were feeling unsocial. Which was fine. We had plenty of time to get to know them.
The Alphas and the Cazadores had mostly cleared out. Mr. Dawson and Dr. Gonzales were seeing to the ones that were hurt. Raphael was still gone. I hoped that his tie was gone, but if not, Samantha would take care of it. And I was going to have to call her. I had so many questions…
Blaze was settling in with the group as was River. Beth was sitting beside River, keeping quiet as she watched the conversation flow around her. She was being more stoical than the fey, so that was a start. It might take some time, but she’d grow more comfortable with us.
Adrian and Shane were sitting with way too much room between them, but I wasn’t going to meddle. Dastien and I had enough to deal with.
I wanted to laugh at the fact that I was getting used to yet another magical thing, but oddly, I was okay with it. This was my new normal, and even if it kept getting weirder, I loved it.
You’re amazing, Dastien said, and I did laugh.
I’m really not. I’m just me. I—
Eli popped in and I lost my balance. My chair slipped out from under me, but Dastien reached out, grabbing me before my ass could hit the ground.
“Jesus, Eli. Give us some warning before you do that,” I said. Dastien set me on my feet, and I pulled my chair upright. This time, I kept all four legs safely on the ground.
“And ruin the surprise? Not a chance.” Eli’s grin was hot and wicked.
“What do you want?” Cosette’s tone was laced with annoyance, and I was glad she wasn’t talking to me.
“Be nice, cousin.” Eli wasn’t bothered by Cosette’s ire, and I wondered if it was because he was powerful, stupid, or insane.
“I’m not your cousin.”
“Are you not? Hmm.”
My gaze darted between the two as they stared each other down. This was getting interesting, but eventually, someone had to break the tension and ask the important question. When no one said anything, I guessed that was my job. “What do you want?” I asked. “Do you need my blood?”
“Do I need to have a reason to be here?” Eli asked me with a positively evil grin, one I didn’t trust at all.
Eli was an archon. By nature, archons didn’t show themselves unless they had a reason. It’d only been a couple hours since we’d sealed our plane from the one beyond. Everything should’ve been fine and dandy, but he was here. He definitely had a fucking reason.
“Eli.” I hoped he felt every ounce of annoyance I’d put in that one word.
“Fine. But yo
u’re taking all the fun out of it. We’ll deal with our tie once you’re recovered from today. For now, I have a situation, and I’d like some help.”
I glanced at Dastien, whose eyes were glowing amber. I don’t like it either, I said. It’s too soon. We haven’t even gotten a chance to breathe. He can’t make us go off on some other stupid quest.
He might want just you.
I reached over to Dastien. No. Not negotiable. Where I went, Dastien was going. Being apart was for the fucking birds.
“You definitely think highly of yourself,” Eli said. “I was actually thinking Christopher could help me.”
Everyone at the table turned to Chris, who sat frozen in place. His eyes were wide and mouth in a shocked oh. After a second, he cleared his throat. “Me?” He pointed to himself. “You think I could help you?”
“Wait. No. The deal was with me.” I wasn’t about to let Chris get roped into any shenanigans with the archon.
“That’s right, but I need Chris. And if he’s willing, that’s between him and me.”
Chris opened and closed his mouth a few times, before nodding. “I don’t have anything planned right now. I can help you if you need me.”
“Perfect.” Before anything else was said, Eli and Chris disappeared.
I had a second to process that before I jumped up from my chair. “Eli! You asshole! You can’t take one of my friends! That wasn’t part of our deal!” I screamed at the ceiling. There hadn’t even been a negotiation. Chris had just blindly accepted. That wasn’t good.
I didn’t know if Eli could hear me, but I sent all of my will at him. “Get the fuck back here! Eli!” I screamed so loudly my throat burned.
“Calm down,” Eli said from behind me and I spun to face the jerk. “I’ll bring him back. Eventually.” And then he was gone again.
“What the Hell.” I couldn’t think. Worry for one of my best friends set me on edge. “Eli!” I screamed again.
Dastien grabbed my hand and squeezed, cutting me off. He looked over to Cosette. “How worried should we be?”
She shared a long look with Van. “I don’t know, but let’s stay calm. Eli is…” She sighed. “He’s a lot of things, but evil or cruel isn’t one of them. He won’t let Chris die after everything he did to get this new bond established, but I don’t like it. There are too many things Eli could be up to.” She grabbed Van’s hand. “I’ll do some digging and let you know what I find. Until then, just try not to worry. I’m reasonably certain Chris is okay.”
“Like how certain?” I’d love a percentage or odds or some kind of ballpark figure so I knew how hard I should fight to get Chris back.
“I don’t know,” Cosette said. “Don’t do anything. I’ll be back as soon as I know more.” She nodded to Van and they disappeared.
I sat down hard in my chair. “Damn it. It’s always something.”
Blaze laughed. “That’s life. There will always be fires to put out, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t enjoy the victory.” He pushed a carton of ice cream at me. “You’ve done well. So relax.”
“I…” I didn’t know if I could. Not without Chris.
“He’ll be okay,” Adrian said. “Chris is stronger than he thinks.”
I hoped so. I really, truly hoped so. “Well, I guess that’s it for tonight.” I grabbed a spoon and the ice cream carton from the table. If I was going to celebrate the victory, then I had something special in mind. “I have a date in bed with some ice cream and shitty home improvement shows.”
Dastien grinned at me, dimples winking. “Yes. We do have a date.”
“See you guys in the morning,” I said.
Dastien wrapped an arm around me as we walked for the door. He’s right. You’ve done an amazing job. This new thing? It’s everything. You’re changing our world and making it better.
I looked up at him. You’re biased. You’re my mate. You have to think I’m awesome.
You don’t have to believe me. Look at them. He motioned behind us with his chin.
I glanced over my shoulder. Our friends were watching us go. Blaze raised his hand in a wave. I wasn’t sure if what we’d done was right or meant to be, but it’d worked. And that was all that mattered.
We’d lived. Today I’d celebrate, and tomorrow? I’d deal with whatever new fire came my way. Because Dastien was right about one thing.
Just one thing?
I elbowed him. Shut it. But you know what I mean, right? We did good tonight. This was good.
He pulled me to a stop. Good? No, chérie. We did amazing. Groundbreaking. Epic. This was epic. And it wouldn’t have happened if it weren’t for you.
That made me a little uncomfortable. Or because you bit me? So, it’s kind of all your doing.
He laughed and the sound rumbled its way through my soul. If you say so, he said as he leaned down to brush his lips against mine.
I threw the ice cream on the grass, and grabbed his face. I say so. I dove into the kiss, jumping up and wrapping my legs around his waist. Let’s go home, I thought to him so that I didn’t have to break the kiss.
Best idea ever. He took off running and I couldn’t help but laugh. I tucked my face in his neck, breathing in his scent. Wood. Pine. Home. Maybe I didn’t need a vacation now. After the last three days of terror, I wanted comfort. My mate. My friends. My home. Nothing could be better.
I wasn’t sure what happened to Chris, but I trusted Cosette to find out what was going on. I trusted him to reach out if he needed help. I trusted in our friends.
Tonight was for me. And Dastien. Because in the end, tomorrow could wait. Love was all that really mattered.
The series continues with Lunar Court, Book Eight in the Alpha Girl Series!
Releasing June 17, 2019!
Click here to preorder!
* * *
Chris is the guy Cosette always wanted. Fun. Funny. Lighthearted and sweet. He always manages to find beauty and laughter, even when fighting a chapel full of demons. He’s exactly what she needs. Except he’s a werewolf and she’s a member of the Lunar Court—the only fey court that holds sway over the werewolves. Even on his best day, Chris isn’t strong enough to last a few hours in the Lunar Court without becoming a slave. No matter how much Cosette’s heart wants him, she knows she has to let him go.
* * *
But when Chris goes missing, Cosette realizes how much she has to lose if the worst happens.
* * *
Cosette is everything Chris wants, but he knows he’ll never be enough to survive in her world. So, when Eli—a mysterious archon—requests his help, he figures why not? He needs every distraction he can get. But when he learns that Eli’s quest could help him gain enough power to go against even the strongest of fey in the Lunar Court, he can’t believe his luck. Except Eli never helps anyone without a price.
* * *
When it’s all over, Chris will either earn the power to have the one he loves or die trying.
Coming soon from USA TODAY Bestselling Author, Aileen Erin
Off Planet, Book One of the Aunare Chronicles.
Releasing March 19, 2019!
Click here to preorder!
Keep reading for a blurb and sample chapters!
* * *
Maité Martinez has always yearned for more than waitressing in a greasy diner, especially when most people have left the polluted ruins of Earth behind for a better life on other planets. It’s not just working at the diner that’s making life hard for her. Being a half-human, half-alien girl has never been trickier. With the corporate government hunting down the last of her father’s alien Auanare race living on Earth, hiding her growing special abilities has become a full-time job on its own.
Every minute Maité stays on Earth is one minute closer to getting caught. The stress is almost more than she can bear, and when a fancy Space Tech officer gets handsy with her at the diner, she reacts without thinking.
Breaking the officer’s nose wasn’t her smartest move. Now she’s fac
ed with three years forced labor on the volcano planet, Abbadon. With the job she’s slotted for, it may as well have been a death sentence.
It doesn’t take Maité long before she realizes there’s more to the mining on Abbadon than Space Tech has let on. As she makes unlikely allies, Maité uncovers Space Tech’s plot to nuke the Aunare homeworld. The firepower stored in Abbadon’s warehouses is more than enough to do the job ten times over.
As the clock ticks, Maité knows that if she can’t find a way to stop Space Tech, there will be an interstellar war big enough to end all life in the universe. There’s only one question: Can she prevent the total annihilation of humanity without getting herself killed in the process?
Off Planet Sample
Chapter One
* * *
A chorus of shouts rippled through the room, sending a zing of energy up my spine. The warehouse’s old wooden floors creaked as the class launched into a jump kick. Not even the mats I’d scrounged from around Albuquerque could mask the noise of the battered floorboards.
The massive room was good enough for us to hold a class in and not much else. I’d created a little makeshift locker room in the back with a floral curtain and a few cubbies where the students could stash their stuff. A few industrial lights hung down from the ceiling. They weren’t very bright, but they also didn’t cost much to keep turned on, which was essential since I was on a budget. I’d shoved a small, battered desk I’d found abandoned in an alley in the corner and some outdated vidscreens hung on the wall. I didn’t watch much on them, but I liked to check the news and a selection of social channels—both legit and off the grid resistance sites—before leaving. It was dangerous out there, especially for halfers like me, but I was a girl who knew how to survive.
