by Janelle Peel
I nodded. “She’s right. We’re just playing.” Bumping him with my shoulder, I gave the Amazonian beauty the stank eye.
Grin still in place, Sasha snarked, “Well, I can’t help it. I have no Mate and he looks good enough to eat.”
Jealously slithered through my veins like a venomous snake. My Fox peered through our shared gaze and growled a warning.
Sasha paused. Raising her hands in apology, she backpedaled. “I’m only kidding.”
My brow furrowed. What was wrong with me? I had no right to be jealous. In fact, I barely knew Alec.
Swiveling her ears, my Fox chuffed in disagreement. With a knowing glare she settled back inside her den to resume her nap.
Fidgeting with the lace of her green corset, Allie strode around the bar and changed the subject. “Do you like vodka, Alec?”
Rubbing the light smattering of blond stubble along his jaw, he laughed. “I’m not sure, actually. I’ve never had it. We had to keep our wits about us, so alcohol was out of the question as we journeyed here.”
Subtly, I pursed my lips. Don’t go there, Allie. His brother’s death was still too fresh. He was making progress, but I didn’t want his pain to resurface and sour his good mood.
Taking my cue, she grabbed a clear bottle. Winking once, she cracked the lid. “Well my friend, you’re in for a treat.”
Several bottles later Viv joined us. Unfortunately for Alec, she challenged him to a drinking game.
Vampires didn’t process alcohol like we did. I’d tried to tell him it was a bad idea but he would have none of it.
Viv took full advantage of his naivete and literally drank him under the table.
Snoring softly in between the pool table’s legs, he mumbled incoherently in his sleep. The puddle of drool wetting the black carpet beneath his face somehow made him look even more endearing.
Viv yawned as she put away her stick. “It’s been fun ladies, but I’ve got to go.” Lifting a brow at Alec, she chuckled. “You need any help getting him back to his room, Rowe?”
Oh, shit. We hadn’t even assigned him one yet. Shrugging it off, I dropped my glass to the bar. “No thanks. I’ve got him.”
Grinning from ear to ear at his drunk state, she snickered, “All right. ‘Night.”
Allie and Sasha kissed my cheeks in tandem.
“Later, Rowe.”
“See you tomorrow.”
Sasha’s six foot height towered over Allie as they linked arms. Whispering amongst themselves, they followed Viv.
I sighed. Hopping from my stool, I grabbed Alec’s leg. Tugging him out from his makeshift bed, I hefted his weight over one shoulder with ease. He was so tall his face bumped against my ass with each step.
On the way to my room, I went over what to do.
Undress him? Leave him clothed? I definitely didn’t want his boots on my bed. Should I sleep under the covers? Did it matter?
All too soon we arrived at my suite. Kicking the door closed with my heel, I gently lowered him to the bed. As I unlaced his boots, I decided I was too tired to care.
Peeling off my black tank, I gave myself a cursory sniff. Goddess, that was disgusting. Going without a shower had done me no favors.
Figuring I could tackle the issue of Alec after a hot shower, I padded to the bathroom.
Alec
A warm weight at his back drew him from a deep sleep. Lifting his sleep crusted lids, he squinted.
Christ, what happened last night? Where was he?
Rolling over, he came face to face with Rowe. His breath caught as he roved the perfection of her face.
Just how old was she? So far he’d learned looks could be deceiving, but he judged her to be somewhere near 25.
Did Shifters age differently? There was so much he still didn’t know.
Perusing the bow of her supple lips, he decided it didn’t matter.
His thoughts stuttered to a halt.
He was in her bed. Did they? Had they…?
Shifting to a more comfortable position, she hooked her leg over his. Her creamy skin winked out at him as she settled.
Was she… naked?
Inari grinned in delight at the sight. Mine…
What did that mean?
At Alec’s confusion, the red Fox shoved him aside. Irritated at his loss of control, Alec beat on his cage inside their shared mind.
Dreamlike, he could only watch as their hand tenderly caressed the back of her knee. Her skin felt like silk. Slowly, their palm feathered up her thigh.
As they kneaded her toned muscles, Rowe moaned a sleepy sigh.
Alec redoubled his efforts. This is wrong! Stop!
Unperturbed, Inari continued his exploration to the curve of her hip.
Elation flickered through Alec as the sensation of material met their skin. Thank God. She was wearing clothes.
Their fingers slipped past the barrier.
Horrified that his twin was taking advantage of her, Alec howled in anger. I SAID STOP! Violently, he forced Inari down. This was his body, too. While he was attracted to Rowe, they would not have her like this.
Inari bared his teeth in anger. Mine!
Envisioning a door, Alec slammed it closed on his snarls.
A soft touch settled over his hand. Snapping his gaze to Rowe’s face, he sucked in a startled breath.
Bright green, she and her Fox stared out at him from beneath a thick fan of dark lashes.
Cheeks heating, he attempted to tug his arm away. “I’m so sorry, Rowe. Inari-”
Tightening her grip, she smiled mischievously. “We know. We can sense him.”
Dumbfounded, he mutely nodded.
Tentatively, she moved his palm to her flat stomach. Releasing him, she cupped the line of his jaw. “Do you want to?”
He froze. What?
Leaning up on her elbow, her exhale whispered against his lips.
Locked in place he could do nothing but drown in her unique scent.
With no answer forthcoming, she kissed him.
If he thought she smelled amazing her taste blew his mind away. Wild was the only way he could describe it. Dancing with her tongue, his member bobbed in approval. Clutching at her ribs, he gently caressed the ridges of her spine.
Lifting her leg, she straddled him in one smooth motion. As her heat met his shaft through the thin layer of his pants, he groaned aloud.
Breaking the suction of her mouth, she nuzzled his neck. “Alec, I’ll have your consent now, please.”
Gripping her narrow waist, Inari’s rumble joined his own. “Yes, please.”
Chapter 11
Sora
Blaze rumbled from the mass of pillows stacked against the head of the bed. “You’re supposed to be sleeping, Love.”
Fidgeting with the tip of my silver braid, I paced the length of our suite. “What does the feather mean? Who does it belong to?”
Shifting his arms behind his head, my gaze snagged on the thick muscles lining his chest.
Smirking, he answered, “It doesn’t do any good to worry about it. For all we know it could be Gazardiel’s.”
Pausing, hope fluttered through my stomach. If that were true maybe we had a way to contact Lila.
Blaze shook his head. “No. She will return when she’s ready. What if it’s Michael’s? Or as the Demons know him, Rimmon? If we summoned him we would be unleashing Hell inside the protective barrier of the sphere. Without the Fae to back us it’s too risky.”
My brow creased in frustration. “Then why would she leave it when she took Lila? It’s not like we hid it from her.”
Heaving a sigh, he frowned. “I know, but we can’t take the chance.” Pushing aside the blankets, he nodded beside him. “Come back to bed. We can call a meeting and deal with this later.”
Flaring my nostrils, I growled, “It won’t do any good. No one knows anything. We aren’t,” waving around the room, my tone dropped to a defeated whisper, “doing anything. It’s killing me, Blaze.”
Flashing across the room,
he pulled me into his embrace. “Shh. We’ll fix it, I promise. Until then you need to rest. How can you expect to find the solution when you’re exhausted?” Loosening his grip, he tipped up my chin. “You haven’t fed in weeks, Sora.”
Gritting my teeth, I sulked, “I had a sandwich yesterday.”
He snorted. “You know what I mean.”
Knowing he was right did little to sooth my nerves.
Tugging my wrist, he guided me back to bed.
Nat’s projection filtered through my nightmare.
‘Sora? We’re just outside the barrier. Do you want to meet?’
Thankful for the reprieve, I opened my eyes. Snuggled against Blaze, all my worries came rushing back. We had to figure out who the feather belonged to. Mentally, I replied, ‘Yes. The others arrived safely and have filled us in. We’ll convene in the boardroom.’
‘Okay. There’s something you should know. We, uh, did the ritual.’
Bolting upright, my heart pounded an excited staccato inside my chest. ‘Was it a success?’
Her chuckle rang through our connection. ‘Yes.’
Blaze palmed my bare hip. Sleepily, he grumbled, “What is it?”
I grinned. “They’re back. We’re meeting in the boardroom.” Filled with renewed motivation, I zipped to the wardrobe to get dressed.
Bex
Buzzing around the large table, Julian’s pen scribbled across his ever-present clipboard. Stopping beside my chair, he beamed. “And you? What would you like, Bex?”
Taking in the crinkled edges of his brown eyes, my expression mirrored his. “A BLT if it’s not too much trouble. Thanks, Jules.”
Jotting it down, his pants creased as he snapped out a curt bow. “Straight away.” Straightening, he settled his fingers on my shoulder. “It’s wonderful to have you home.”
Julian never touched anyone. Not that I’d ever seen, anyway. My heart swelled at his warm welcome. “It’s good to see you, too.”
Nodding once, he exited as Sora and Blaze strode in.
Zipping to my side, Sora gabbed my face and mashed my nose tightly against her breast. “Goddess, Bex! We’ve been so worried!”
Patting her arm, I laughed. “Damn, Sora. I’m hungry, but not that hungry. Ease up on the free show.”
Squeezing me once more, she laughed. “Shush it.”
Blaze loomed over her shoulder and glowered at Kai.
Unperturbed, Kai nodded. “Blaze, Sora.”
Nat broke their stalemate. “Who else is coming?”
Slapping Kai’s leg beneath the table, I glared. We didn’t have time to fuck around. Angering Blaze would not end well for either of us. I didn’t have the energy to pander to either of their egos. We had more important things to deal with.
Grasping my fingers, he turned around.
While Sora spoke with Nat and Kane, Daisy, Cooper, Lillin and Mel filed in. Justine arrived and sat beside Daisy. Mila made a surprising appearance and settled to her right.
Skye seemed content to be alone.
Rowe and Alec entered and my mind stuttered to a stop. Holy shit. Rowe had totally scored!
Widening her green eyes, she silently told me to shut the fuck up.
Miming a key at the corner of my lips, I lifted a brow in amusement.
Seeing our silent communication, Alec blushed as he pulled out her chair.
Jackson preceded Viv and closed the door.
I still didn’t know why Viv bothered keeping her hair dyed. Sure, hot pink was a cool color, but finding it was becoming more and more difficult. Rumor had she’d begun experimenting with food coloring.
The office chair creaked in protest as Blaze lowered his massive frame to its cushion. Placing his large palms on the table, he rumbled, “Let’s begin.”
Stuffed, I pushed my plate away. Damn, it felt like I hadn’t had a decent meal in forever.
Daisy drummed her fingertips on her chin. “I’m sorry, Sora. We never did figure out who the feather belonged to.”
Rowe leaned forward. “I want to know if Kai has touched your fur, Bex.”
All eyes swung to me. Confused, I shook my head. “Not that I know of, why?”
Sympathy laced Lillin’s tone. “Well, we want to know if your armor affects him like it did me.”
My stomach dropped as I connected the dots. She was a half Demon and so was Kai. Did that mean I had to be careful around him, too?
Kai frowned. “What’s going on?”
Focusing on Lillin’s ruby and raven hair, I barely listened as she filled him in. It couldn’t be true. I’d just found him. Was Fate really so cruel? Why did I ever make those diamonds?
Gently, Kai touched my thigh in silent comfort. Meeting my gaze, he whispered, “We’ll figure it out, okay?”
Numbly, I nodded. It’s not like we had a choice. But if I harmed him I’d never forgive myself.
Blaze’s deep bass broke through my self-pity.
“Kane says Bex touched Lucian with her wingtip. Do any of you know what has come of this?”
Nat grunted. “We haven’t laid eyes on him since Seattle. He was close by when we found Kai and that forced our joining, but no.”
Sora changed the subject. “Have any of you had a chance to test your new Elements?”
Skye lifted his hand. “We did try a couple times on our journey here. I am able to wield each with the exception of Earth. It is,” he paused as if searching for the right words, “difficult. I assume it’s due to the density of the soil. My Air allows me to manipulate Water and Fire, so those both came easily.”
I picked up where he left off. “I can use Air and have no problems with Earth. Well, kind of. I think of it differently. Water erodes dirt over time, so they’re somewhat linked. Rain falls from the sky, so that’s how I relate it to Air. Fire on the other hand, refuses to head my call.”
Pursing her lips, Sora’s gaze settled on Nat.
Taking her cue, Nat answered, “With Asena’s help, I’ve mastered them all.”
Throwing her a glare, I stuck out my tongue. Show off.
Chuckling at my sass, she turned to Kai.
Tipping his chin in acknowledgment, a few ginger hairs flopped over one pointed ear with the motion. “Air is the only one I can use.”
Biting her lip in contemplation, Sora stood. “Well, we’d better figure it out. After you’ve all cleaned up, use the northern lawn and try not to scare the humans. Most of them are farmers and startle easily. Be careful not to upset them. The food you’ve just eaten is a product of their hard work. I expect you all to be courteous and exercise caution. I’ll join you shortly.”
Jackson knocked on the table.
Glossing over his sculpted jaw and no nonsense military haircut, I wondered what he could possibly add.
Panning his cobalt gaze between us, he sighed. “I don’t possess the same kind of magic so I may be off base, but you’ve all described using your natural gifts to fuel the others. Well, with the exception of Nat, but she is also part Mage. I suggest she take point on this. From what I’ve heard of Sora’s power is that she just uses it. She calls, it answers. Instead of using one to corral the other, perhaps find them individually first and then proceed.”
My jaw hit the floor. What he said made total sense. Could it really be so easy?
Viv snickered, “Shut your mouth, Bex. You’re going to catch flies.”
Taking the stairs to my room, my mind skittered from one issue to the next.
How could Kai and I be together if my newfound ability might kill him? When was Lila coming home?
I just wanted this whole thing to be over with.
Kai hesitated at the threshold. “Bex?”
Distracted, I opened the door. “Yeah?”
Snagging my wrist, his face lit with a hopeful expression. “Can I come in?”
All of my worries came to an abrupt stop as I gazed into his aqua orbs.
Were we ready for this?
Reaching up to trace the stubble lining his jaw, my fe
ar came rushing back with a vengeance. He was mine but I couldn’t risk taking our Mating any further until I knew for sure that I wouldn’t inadvertently harm him.
Fisting my hand, I dropped my arm.
Hurt flashed across his features. Slowly, he took my hand and uncurled my fingers. “It’s okay. We can decide later. I just don’t want to be away from you.”
My chest ached with equal parts of loss and relief. He understood. Maybe I was being selfish, but I felt the same.
“Okay.” Tugging him inside, I closed the door.
Skye
He became used to the stares early on in life. His strange mismatched eyes unnerved many humans, but after so much time in seclusion he felt uncomfortable with the Clutch’s scrutiny.
His own people were born with white irises. Their ridicule of his blue orb had caused his mother to set forth a decree. A strike against him was an offense against her. The first death, brutal as it was, set the example for the rest of their people. No one wanted the flesh stripped from their body by their Queen’s power.
In his dreams he could still hear the little girls pain filled screams. She hadn’t meant to gawk. At five years old she was merely curious.
He’d tried to come to her defense but Alizeh would hear none of it. As Queen, her order could not be rescinded. Weakness was not tolerated among the Fae.
Fear was a powerful motivator. No one in his village met his gaze ever again.
Lowering to the soft blades of grass, he recalled the last time he’d seen his Queen.
The layers of fur wrapped around her body obscured her lithe figure. The cold didn’t bother her, but while in the presence of humans it was a necessity to blend in.
She’d just returned from a meeting regarding the new military signals they’d received.
The wind howled at her back as she trudged to the door. Her eyes glowed with a bright light. Uttering a single whisper, the gale immediately calmed. Dimming to their natural snow color, she met his stare through the window. Lifting a brow, she kicked the slush from her boots and made her way inside their rustic home.
Biting his lip, he fought the unending amount of questions begging to spill from his mouth. While she entertained him in private, his behavior would not be tolerated around a guest.
