It’d only been six years since paranormals had integrated with everyday society, so there wasn’t much to glean from their behavior yet. However, Inarus and I agreed that shifters tended toward battle with honor. They preferred to fight one-on-one and face-to-face with their enemies.
Viola Reynolds had no honor.
I nodded my head toward Inarus suggesting that he take over and sat back in my chair. Declan gave me a questioning look, and I shook my head.
He frowned and pressed his lips into a thin line but nodded, acknowledging that Inarus had the floor.
Inarus cleared his throat. "If the Pack is to have any hope of preventing a war with the H.A.C., you'll need to get to Viola and cut the head off of that snake before she can wage a full-scale attack."
Furtive glances flicked my way. I’d be the first to admit that Viola was a snake. She may have given birth to me, but that was as far as her mothering skills went. She considered me an abomination, and had not only kidnapped me, she’d nearly killed me.
I had a hard time connecting the malicious woman to the nurturing mother in my memories, but they were one and the same. I needed to continue to remind myself of that.
Declan turned and captured my attention.
“You’re okay with this?” he asked.
I shrugged my shoulders. There wasn’t an alternative. My mother needed to be dealt with.
“Inarus knows the location of most of the H.A.C. strongholds. We can’t afford a direct confrontation. The Pack is strong, and we outnumber PsyShade. But one psyker can easily combat a handful of shifters, especially if they’re a skilled telekinetic.”
It wasn’t that long ago that Inarus had demonstrated his telekinetic abilities to the Pack. In an attempt to sway me to the side of the H.A.C., he’d come to the Compound to reason with me. When members of the Pack had attempted to intervene, he’d dangled their bodies over the roof with the threat to drop them to their deaths. He could have killed nearly a dozen men with little more than a thought had he been inclined to do so.
“I propose concentrated strikes until we’re able to capture her. We want to weaken her position and force her out with as few casualties to the Pack as possible.”
Declan gave me a nod of approval. “Do we all agree?” he asked the now-silent room.
A flicker of light in the far corner of the room caught my eye.
Alarm bells immediately screamed inside my head. I shoved away from the table and stood, drawing my daggers from their holsters at my waist.
“Aria?” Declan quickly stood, snarling when he saw what had me in a fighter’s stance.
All heads turned just as a man appeared out of nowhere, in the darkened corner.
Between one second and the next, he launched himself at Inarus, a wicked blade in his hand.
Inarus quickly ported across the room. The newcomer whirled, his eyes flashing with menace.
Before the shifters next to him could react, the man ported out of the room, only to immediately port back in, this time less than a foot from me.
He slashed his blade in my direction, and I narrowly dodged his strike.
Adrenaline surged throughout my body. I called my fire and felt the lick of heat as it rushed to respond. I shot my hand out toward the enemy, but the ball of fire missed, crashing harmlessly into stone when he disappeared again, only to reappear behind Derek and Teagan.
The wolf brothers both launched themselves at the newcomer, but he ported again and neither could slow their trajectory as they crashed into one another.
Inarus whirled to halt an attack to his back, and both men vanished again. I struggled to track their movements as they popped in and out of existence.
There, then gone, then there again. Damn telekinetics.
Snarls filled the auditorium, and two Alphas executed partial shifts as we all waited for the newcomer to reappear.
Each time the man appeared, I took in something new about his appearance—young, thirty at most, clean-shaven jaw, ice-blue eyes.
The black tactical gear and the white emblem of a moon pierced by a dagger with drops of blood was all the indication needed to label him a member of PsyShade.
I frowned. Was my mother so reckless that she’d send one of her men in alone? What could she possibly hope to gain?
“We need him alive,” I shouted to Declan.
"Easier said than done," he grunted. I looked down to see three-inch claws extending from the tips of his fingers.
The PsyShade soldier came into view again, and without conscious thought, I slammed a ball of fire into his back, driving him to his knees.
Declan didn't hesitate. He dug his claws into the man's stomach, eliciting a blood-curdling scream of agony before he disappeared.
His weak attempt to port only managed to move him three feet away, and Brock was next to fall upon him.
The assailant threw Brock into the wall with a push of telekinetic power, but Teagan in wolf form was swiftly upon him, knocking him back to the ground and ripping into his throat with his fangs.
“Dammit. Alive! we need him alive!” I shouted.
Inarus suddenly ported in beside me. Face awash with strain and sweat dripping down his brow, he struggled to stay on his feet.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
“Fucking peachy,” Inarus said through clenched teeth.
I looked down and saw Inarus’ hand clutching his stomach as blood seeped through his fingers.
Shit. “How bad is it?” I asked as I lowered him to the ground.
“I’ll live.” He angled his head toward our assailant’s unmoving body. “Dead?”
I nodded. Teagan prowled around the body. Angry snarls came out of his blood-coated muzzle.
“I don’t think they like being ambushed in their own territory,” I said.
Inarus nodded and then pitched to the side. I barely caught his head before it crashed into the stone floor as he passed out.
I checked his pulse and released a breath of relief when I found the strong and steady thrum in his neck.
“Can we get him to a healer?” I looked at Declan.
Declan frowned but nodded his head toward Brock who’d been guarding the doorway. Brock came forward and, slinging one of Inarus’ arms over his shoulder, hefted him to his feet and dragged him out of the room.
I turned my attention back to the assailant. I bent down and retrieved his weapons—a thin dagger from an ankle holster, a sword from his back, a palm dagger from his right hand. I handed two of the three to Robert, deciding to keep the smaller dagger. I slipped the thin blade into the strap of my boot and ignored Robert’s raised brow.
To the victor go the spoils. I patted our intruder down once more to make sure I hadn't missed any more weapons or possible clues as to why he'd come alone.
“These fuckers attacked us in our own den?” Eva snarled, rage radiating off of her as she bent and ripped the PsyShade insignia from the dead man’s shoulder and threw it to the ground at my feet.
Snarls filled the room as everyone worked to calm down. The tension and battle rage filling the room was overpowering. It was making me anxious.
Everyone was hopped up from the fight. The surprise attack had played out quickly and bloodlust was still running high.
Declan stepped forward and placed a hand around my waist, his claws now retracted.
He looked at Robert. “Get with Brock after he drops off Inarus with Frankie and see what the two of you can uncover about our assailant.”
Robert nodded as Declan turned me away from the scene.
"Come on. Robert and Brock will see what they can figure out," he said. "For now, let's let him clean up this mess."
Declan led me out of the room as I reeled with the repercussions of this attack. If the Pack had wanted to avoid a full-scale battle with the H.A.C., any chance of that had gone out the window. My mother had drawn first blood and the Pack wouldn't let this go unanswered.
15
Aria
I’d l
ain awake all night as Declan snored beside me. My mind refused to shut down as the ramifications of yesterday’s events rolled through my mind.
My mother attacked the Pack in their own territory. What could she have hoped to gain from it?
The assailant hadn’t targeted any one person specifically, but he hadn’t held back either.
Had he been ordered to kill whoever he could get his hands on? Had she ordered me dead if he could reach me?
The thought brought a chill to my bones.
I still had a hard time reconciling the woman who raised me with the monster she’d become.
My mother was nothing if not calculating, though. I needed to figure out why she’d sent a Psyker to attack the Compound, because I knew she had a reason.
Declan shifted on the bed and pulled me into his arms.
“What are you thinking about?” he whispered against my hair.
I snuggled closer into his embrace and released a sigh. “It’s nothing.” I inhaled the masculine scent that was uniquely Declan. Pine and mint.
I rested my head against his chest and focused on the steady beat of his heart as I stroked my fingers along his abdomen, eliciting a deep rumble from his throat.
“Are you purring?” I smiled and tilted my face to look up at him.
“I like when you pet me,” he said, leaning down to kiss the tip of my nose.
Butterflies fluttered in my stomach with the sweet gesture.
“You’re thinking too much about her.”
I frowned. “How can I not? She attacked a room full of Alphas.” I shook my head and sat up, staring down at Declan’s relaxed features.
“How are you not freaking out about this?” I asked.
Declan pulled himself into a sitting position and stroked his hand along my bare thigh, causing goosebumps to break out along my skin. “Brock is doing plenty of freaking out for all of us.”
I snorted. After dropping Inarus off with Frankie, one of the Pack's resident healers, Brock had gone on high alert. If the Pack followed Defcon levels, the Compound would be sitting at Defcon One.
All hands were on deck. Brock had instituted regular sweeps of every level of the Compound and every room, including private quarters. Last night no less than three security patrols popped their heads into our room before Declan snarled at them and threatened to rip them in half if we were disturbed again.
“I know, but—”
Declan put a finger over my lips.
“Let me take you on a date.”
I frowned at him.
“I don’t really think now is the time to go on a date with everything we have going on,” I told him. Though the thought of getting away and doing something entirely normal sounded wonderful.
“That is exactly why we should go on a date.” Declan leaned in closer and cupped the side of my jaw, his thumb stroking over my lower lip.
“Let’s go downtown. We’ll have dinner. We’ll drink. We’ll be normal.”
I snorted. “You’re a weretiger Alpha, and I’m a pyrokinetic with new telekinetic abilities. We’re hardly normal.”
“All the more reason to do something normal.”
His eyes were earnest, and I couldn’t help the smile that tugged at my lips.
“Okay,” I said. It would be nice to put aside my psychotic mother and my new abilities, and simply focus on me and Declan and our relationship.
A boyish grin lit up Declan’s face, and he leaned in, giving me a quick kiss before he jumped from the bed and landed gracefully on his feet.
Heat crept up my cheeks when he pulled away.
“I have some business to take care of this morning, and I need to check in with James,” he said, “Can you be ready in a few hours?”
“A brunch date?” I asked.
Declan grinned. “A brunch date it is.”
I climbed out of bed with a spring in my step and headed for the bathroom to get ready.
“Go do your Alpha stuff. I’ll get ready and meet you here when you’re done.”
Declan eyed my bare legs up and down with a heated look. I pulled at the hem of his oversized T-shirt making sure my rear end was still covered, and cocked a hip in the doorway.
I bit my lower lip and met his gaze.
“I could join you,” he suggested.
I shook my head with a smile. “No sex,” I reminded him.
Declan prowled closer. "I didn't say anything about sex."
Before he reached me, I darted into the bathroom and quickly closed the door. I pressed my back against the wooden surface and fought to slow my racing heart.
I jumped when Declan suddenly knocked on the door.
"Go do your Alpha things," I called out. I locked the door and took several steps back.
Declan chuckled, his voice muffled through the wooden door.
“Oh, come on. I won’t bite.” Sure you won’t. Oh, Mr. Tiger, what big teeth you have.
I turned on the shower to drown him out.
Thoughts of Declan filled my mind. His hands on me, slick and wet as the shower filled with steam.
I shivered and clenched my legs together. “Don’t you dare open that door,” I muttered to myself. There wasn’t a chance in hell we wouldn’t have sex if I let him into this room. Delicious, hot, sex.
“I can’t hear you,” I shouted back as I stripped off his cotton T-shirt and my underwear. I stepped into the glass enclosure. “Have fun at work.”
I heard his groan and smiled to myself as I stood under the spray and let the warm water melt my worries away.
I had a date. I could pretend that that was all I had to worry about today.
16
Aria
I couldn’t remember the last time I’d been so nervous. I tried on almost every shirt I owned and hated all of them.
I eyed the clock warily. I didn’t have time to go shopping, not that I would know what to buy even if I did. I was never a girly-girl, and I didn’t know the first thing about dressing sexy to catch a man’s attention. The thought of even trying to be sexy made me flush with embarrassment. Where would I even begin?
My daily wardrobe consisted of yoga pants and T-shirts. Not exactly the most alluring attire.
I threw a dagger at the wall and frowned when, instead of sticking, it bounced off to clatter to the ground.
I was seriously off my game.
The door opened, and I whirled around to see Declan standing in the doorway. God, he looked good.
He’d changed into a clean pair of faded jeans and a forest green thermal shirt that accentuated his emerald green eyes and hugged his broad chest and shoulders.
I wanted to take the damn shirt off of him and explore the hard ridges of his abdomen that I knew lay hidden beneath it.
I had to physically shake myself.
Come on, Aria. Get it together and stop drooling.
“I’m not ready,” I told him. I looked down at my outfit and suddenly felt self-conscious. I’d put on the only pair of jeans I owned without any rips or tears and paired it with a long sleeved V-neck cotton tee that hinted at a bit of cleavage. I wore my black leather boots, the only shoes I currently owned. None of my ensemble screamed date-worthy.
Declan’s eyes roved over my body. “You look beautiful.”
Before I could think about it, I stepped forward and kissed him on the cheek.
“Thank you.”
A brief flash of surprise crossed his face before a wide smile took over, making him appear much younger than his thirty-three years.
“Do you need a coat?” he asked.
I pulled away from him to grab my leather jacket and retrieve my dagger from the floor. I sheathed it at my waist beside its twin.
“All set.”
Declan reached out and laced our fingers together.
As we walked down the wide hallways of the Compound, we caught the attention of several shifters whose eyes strayed to our interlaced fingers.
Outside, I climbed into the waiting Pack SUV and
turned the heater on high. The air was brisk and took a few minutes to warm.
We drove in comfortable silence into downtown Spokane, a short twenty-minute drive from the Compound.
I’d lived in Spokane, Washington the last ten years, but it still didn’t feel like home. I’d spent most of my childhood in Iran. My father was Persian, born before the Iranian Revolution in 1979, so while growing up in Iran was all I knew, he had never once called us Iranian. We were Persian, and he was proud.
He’d met my American mother while she was traveling through the Middle East during summer break from University, and as he always told it, it’d been love at first sight.
They married less than six months after they met and decided to stay in Iran. I was born Iranian, not that not that I’d call myself anything but Persian in front of my father, and we stayed in Iran until I was twelve.
It was difficult for my mother to adjust to Middle East culture. After my grandparents passed, there’d been nothing holding my father to his home country, so she got her wish, and we moved to the states.
I missed the Norouz celebrations, and I missed running down the cobbled streets with my friends.
I never really connected to the west.
I sighed wistfully. Maybe one day I’d take Declan back to visit the home of my heart.
“Are we going to Kendall Yards?” I asked, recognizing some of the businesses we passed.
Declan nodded. “What better place for brunch than The Yards Bruncheon?”
I smiled. I hadn’t been to The Yards Bruncheon since they’d opened a little over a year ago. A small, local eatery, they were known for pairing breakfast and brunch dishes with cocktails.It was my kind of place.
Declan parallel parked in one of the metered parking slots in front of the restaurant and jogged around to open my door.
I lifted a brow.
“Chivalry isn’t dead,” he said. He took my hand in his warm calloused one and led me inside.
Vintage diner seating greeted us with retro booths and checkered flooring.
It was open seating, so we stole the booth in the far back. I slid into the seat that faced the front door and placed my back against the wall. Declan frowned. He must have realized that if he sat across from me, his back would be exposed.
Branded by Fire: A Paranormal Urban Fantasy Series (Blood & Magic Book 4) Page 9
