Bk 1 Dracones Awakening

by Sheri-Lynn Marean

  “I’m glad you’re okay.” Thaniel peered shyly up at Jax.

  Brimstone walked around Genna towards Tierney, and she noticed that blood was dripping from a gash on his arm. “You’re bleeding.” She was angry that he’d been hurt in their home.

  “Yeah, she attacked me.” He held his arm against his chest to keep from dripping blood everywhere.

  “He tried to attack Caden.” Genna glared while Thaniel silently slipped away.

  “I did not, I only wanted to talk to him.” Brimstone glared back at her, before turning to Tierney and Jax. Genna plopped down on one of the couches with a huff, pouting.

  “I need to find my sisters. The woman you saw, what did she look like? Where did you see her?” Brimstone asked again, and Tierney wondered how many sisters he had.

  “We saw someone who looks identical to you,” Sami said and Thaniel hurried back up to them and held out a towel to Brimstone.

  “Thanks, man.” Brimstone took the towel from him and wrapped it around his arm before looking back at them. “Anyway, that would be my twin.”

  Sami groaned and Brimstone frowned at him. “I appreciate all the help, but I gotta get to Spokane.”

  Tierney nodded. “Yeah, one of us can give you a ride.”

  Sami sat down and dropped his head into his hands and Jax glanced at his brother with concern. “I need to talk to him soon.” Tierney agreed, then Jax glanced back at Tierney. “So, who’s Caden?”

  “Caden is Genna’s friend,” she said and Jax frowned, attitude sneaking back in. “So, we’re running a bed and breakfast now? You think I could sell tickets to all this drama?” He smirked. “Just think about all the money we could make.”

  Tierney raised an eyebrow and smiled. “Do you really think we need the money?”

  Jax rolled his eyes, and she cupped his face. “I love you.”

  He smiled down at her. “I love you, too.”

  “Oh gah,” Genna averted her gaze as Thaniel sidled away from them. Tierney dropped her hand from Jax’s face and glared at devil girl.

  “Caden was hurt. We needed someplace safe to hide,” Genna piped up, glaring at them.

  “Yeah, and he’s the Master’s son,” Brimstone shot back.

  “What?” Jax, Tierney and Sami stared at Genna who, still glaring, folded her arms over her chest.

  “Genna?” Tierney growled and waited for her to explain. Damn, I knew she’d be trouble.

  Genna unfolded her arms with a huff. “Well, the Master hurts him. Makes Lyle torture him all the time. You do remember where we found him, right? In the torture room?” Her eyebrows were raised questioningly. Then she sighed. “Besides, Caden hates the Master.”

  Jax and Tierney exchanged worried looks, while Sami glowered at devil-girl.

  “Great, let’s give them more reason to come after us,” Jax muttered, sounding more like his old self.

  “We’ll talk about this later,” Tierney said to Jax and Sami.

  “You do know I can hear you, right?” Genna said, scowling at them.

  “Well, stop listening,” Tierney snapped.

  Jax chuckled. “So, anyone else you want to tell me about?” The fire in his eyes sent heat rushing through her.

  “One other thing, but it can wait.” Tierney thought about Taraven. Then she turned to Brimstone, who waited for them to tell him about his sister. “Let’s talk.” Then she narrowed her eyes on Genna. “And you. No more attacking anyone in this house or you’re out of here.”

  “Fine.” Genna stood and stormed down the hallway and a moment later they heard her close the door to the room she shared with Caden.

  “Brimstone, come. Sit, please.” Tierney led the way over to the couches where Sami sat.

  “I really need to find Nix—” He started to argue, but instead gave up and sat down at the look on Tierney’s face. She and Jax went and sat on either side of Sami, while Thaniel slipped away again. Tierney frowned after him before turning back to Brimstone.

  “There’s no easy way to tell you this but, yeah, we saw her not too long ago, only—” She swallowed, not sure how to go on.

  Just then, Thaniel came back into the room with a large plate of sandwiches and set it on the coffee table between them. Jax groaned and grabbed one, moaning as he bit into at his first bite.

  “What?” he smirked at her. “I’m starving.”

  “Maybe you should have eaten last night,” she said and would have smiled, if they hadn’t been about to tell someone their sister was dead.

  “Hey, Kitty.” Jax ignored her comment and nodded at Thaniel. “You rock, dude.” Then he devoured the Ham and Cheese. Thaniel blushed but seemed pleased as he found a spot on the floor by her feet.

  “So, where’s my sister?” Brimstone was growing impatient.

  “We were at an Ilyium compound when I went outside and around the end of the barn.” Sami swallowed deeply.

  “Two men caught her,” Tierney continued. “I’m so sorry, but they dragged her to a pit where they were burning bodies—”

  “I tried to get to her—” Sami’s voice broke. “She kicked and cussed at the men, but … I couldn’t get to her fast enough.”

  “Oh.” Brimstone nodded, unconcerned. “Which compound?”

  Sami stared at him. “I don’t think you understand. I couldn’t save her. I couldn’t get to her in time. The men, they—” He couldn’t go on.

  “No worries, man.” Brimstone started to get up, when Jax’s muttered curse stopped him. He sat back down. “Look, I appreciate your rescuing me, and giving me a place to rest and heal, but I need to get back.”

  “Dude. I’m sorry, but we’ve been trying to tell you. The sister we saw—she’s dead,” Jax said.

  Brimstone just grinned and shook his head. “Nah, you don’t know Hellfire.”

  “Hellfire?” Jax mouthed, looking at Tierney, before turning back to Brimstone.

  Hurt shone in Sami eyes, but rage filled his voice. “They threw her onto the fire. No one could’ve survived that.”

  Brimstone scowled as he stared at Sami in challenge. “Who is she to you?”

  “I—she—I didn’t even know her name until this moment,” Sami replied.

  Brimstone glanced at all of them as if debating on whether to tell them something. “She isn’t dead, I promise.”

  Tierney glanced at Sami who looked utterly wrecked. “No one could survive what they did.”

  “Hey, I’m not sure what’s going on with you and my sister, but I guarantee she’s not dead,” Brimstone repeated. Then he sighed at the expressions on their faces. He closed his eyes and when he opened them, his silvery gaze swept each one of them. “Listen, we, my family, are hunters. We hunt the Ilyium. Hellfire, her cussing and kicking means she was pissed that they captured her. Not because they wanted to throw her into a fiery pit.” Brimstone hesitated and then sighed. “This will be easier if I show you.” He stood up and stepped away from the couches to the middle of the room.

  Not sure what was about to happen, they rose to their feet as well, leery and prepared to attack if need be.

  “I’m not going to do anything bad, just watch,” Brimstone said with a grin and although still suspicious, they nodded. “Just, don’t get freaked out or anything, I’ll be fine,” he cautioned as sudden flames engulfed him.

  “Shit,” Jax growled and a moment later the flames burned out and Brimstone stood before them, sprouting large, shiny, lethal-looking black wings that almost touched the ground.

  Each so-called feather appeared very sharp. Like thin obsidian blades. His eyes, the same color as before, glowed the tiniest bit, and his hands sported long, razor-sharp talons at the tips of his fingers.

  “Baby Phoenix,” Tierney whispered in awe.

  Brimstone frowned at her, then grinned at the shock on all their faces. “My family, we’re Phoenixes. Fire doesn’t kill us, it’s a rebirth. We love fire.”

  A low hissing sounded beside Tierney, and she glanced down to find Thaniel crouched
and close to changing. His eyes glowed as he stared at Brimstone in fear. “Thaniel, shh, he won’t hurt you.” She laid a reassuring hand on his shoulder and felt him begin to relax. His eyes changed back to their normal pale-blue. Tierney kept her hand on him, to soothe and calm him, surprised that he let her.

  Brimstone stared at them curiously. Then with a shrug, flames enveloped him once again and, before he could fully change back, Sami started out of the room.

  “Sami?” Tierney called, worried as he took the stairs up to his room.

  “He going to be okay?” Brimstone asked as he walked back to the couch and sat back down.

  “I don’t know,” Tierney said as she digested what he was.

  “You said ‘Baby Phoenix.’ Why?” Brimstone asked and picked up an egg salad sandwich.

  Tierney smiled, let Thaniel go, sat down and waved her hand. “Just something I heard at Club Purgatori the other day.”

  Brimstone stared at her as he chewed, and with a sigh, Tierney explained. “Sin, at Club Purgatori, said ‘Baby Phoenix’ when she saw a young woman meet with someone we may have met once in Tartaria.” At Jax’s frown, Tierney added, “Ah, where we come from.”

  She could see the wheels turning in his brain, as Brimstone wondered who she had seen, but he let the subject drop.

  “So, you said family—how many of you are there?” Jax asked as he wolfed down a roast beef sandwich this time.

  “Well, my older sister and brother are twenty-eight. Dark Angel and Damnation. Me and Hellfire are twenty-four, and our baby sister, Nix, is twenty. She’s the gentle one. She doesn’t hunt like we do.”

  “Wow. Were your parents on crack when they named all of you?” Jax asked with a wide grin.

  “Ha! We get that a lot. And probably, or, at least pot,” Brimstone shrugged.

  “You said you hunt? What do you mean?” Tierney absently laid her hand back on Thaniel’s shoulder and he started to purr. But when she glanced down at him, he stopped. Well, at least he let her touch him now.

  “We hunt the Ilyium. We’ve been hunting them all our lives. Our parents taught us,” Brimstone said as he ate, trying not to worry about his sister.

  “Your parents taught you?” Jax asked, surprised any parent would let their kids around the villains.

  Brimstone nodded. “Yeah, they died five years ago. We’ve been taking care of each other ever since. Anyway, I tried to call Nix after you brought me here, but she didn’t answer. I didn’t plan to be out for so long.”

  Tierney nodded her understanding as Brimstone scooped up another sandwich. “Anyway, I gotta go find her. Can someone give me a ride into the city now? I try not to fly during the day—causes problems with humans.”

  “Ah, sure, but where are your older siblings?” Tierney asked.

  “Angel and Damn are somewhere in Texas, hunting. Hellfire, who knows. We needed to move from our existing building. I found a new place to bunk down, but didn’t get a chance to tell the others where before the wolves attacked me. Fucking Weres!” Brimstone growled. “Now I can’t reach any of my sibs, so unless Hellfire found her, Nix’s been alone this whole time, and Nix alone is trouble.”

  Tierney and Jax exchanged glances.

  “I’ll give you a ride,” she offered.

  “I’m not sure I trust this guy,” Jax said.

  “He won’t hurt me. You should get more rest—” But Tierney didn’t get to say anymore because Sami had walked back into the room with an intense frown on his face. “I’ll take him. I need to find his sister.” Both Tierney and Jax looked up at him in surprise only to realized that there’d be no stopping him.

  “Okay, thanks.” Brimstone got to his feet and nodded at them. “I appreciate everything.”

  “Good luck finding your sisters,” Tierney said.

  Brimstone, looking antsy, nodded and glanced at Sami. “I’ll go wait outside.”

  “I’ll only be a few minutes,” Sami said.

  “Sami,” Jax got up and started over to him.

  Sami tensed up. “I’m going, don’t try to stop me.” He wore a guarded look, but Jax shook his head and stopped in front of his brother.

  “Never, man. You gotta find her, I get it.” Then he surprised Sami when he grabbed him in a hug. “Just be safe, okay?” Sami nodded. “I love you, bro,” Jax said.

  Sami was quiet as he hugged him back. “Love you too.”

  When they parted, Jax looked at Tierney. “I’m going to go sit with Zander for a few.”

  Tierney nodded, her gaze following her mate down the hall.

  “You and Jax worked things out.” Sami seemed happy for her, but Tierney could feel how unsettled and lonely he was as she walked over to him.

  “Yeah.”

  “I’m glad, it’s about time,” he said.

  Tierney agreed. “Yeah, it is. Thanks, Sami. But what about you?” At his frown, she shook her head. “I’m worried about you.”

  “I’m fine, you don’t need to worry,” he tried to brush her off, but she huffed as she gazed at this wonderful man she considered a brother. His pain, even muted with his shields up tight, still hit her.

  “Sami.” She wrapped her arms around him, hugging him. “I know you hurt, and I can’t help worrying.”

  Sami stiffened at her words but, after a moment, he relaxed and hugged her back. “I’ll be fine.”

  “Gods, I hope so,” she whispered as she reached up and cupped his cheek, watching him close his eyes at her touch. “You’ll find her.”

  Without another word, he turned to go get his keys, wallet and phone.

  “Sami, we love you. Come back to us,” she said to his back, a sick feeling inside of her.

  Her heart broke more as she turned to see a wistful expression on Thaniel’s face as he watched them. “Thank you for the towel and food,” she said. Thaniel’s eyes widened in surprise and she gave him a little smile. “You’re getting so much better at controlling your leopard.”

  Although pleased at her comment, red tinted his cheeks and suddenly shy, he got up and took the plate to the kitchen before hurrying to his room.

  Tierney walked over to the French doors and went out onto the balcony, needing some fresh air. She couldn’t help but worry about what would happen next. Thaniel tried so hard to please them, but at least he seemed to be controlling himself better. On the other hand, Brimstone’s sister, Hellfire, sounded like a handful. Somehow, she sensed things weren’t going to be easy for Sami. And, the gods knew, her dad had a rough road ahead of him.

  Her heart ached for the men in her life, and now they needed to worry about the Master, Genna and Caden as well. Tierney didn’t like having Caden in her home, but she couldn’t turn someone hurt or in danger away.

  Besides, she had agreed to keep an eye on Genna who now it turned out, was Jax’s sister, as well as a formidable ally. So, no matter how much she didn’t want devil-girl here, she didn’t really have a choice. Plus, she didn’t want to turn Genna into an enemy.

  But, the dead wolf on their property proved that someone knew where they lived. She needed to talk with Kyrian about anything else they could do to keep the place safe.

  She thought about the night she and Jax spent together, and her heart sang. Then she stiffened when she spotted movement up the trail. Oh, it’s the big bad wolf. She relaxed.

  Soroyan stood in wolf form inside the tree line, watching her. Gods, for someone so scary, he’d turned out to be a huge help. They wouldn’t have gotten her dad and Jax out if not for him. She smiled as she hurried down the outside stairs to thank him.

  Soroyan, seeing her headed his way, changed into his human form.

  “Hi.” She smiled.

  “Tierney, I trust Jax has healed?”

  “Yes, and Dad’s healing too, thanks to you,” she said.

  Soroyan shrugged and looked away. “It was nothing.”

  “It was not nothing. Neither of them would be here if not for your help,” she said, indignant.

  Soroyan didn’t
say anything more and Tierney studied him. He was devastatingly sexy when he wasn’t scowling and scaring the hell out of everyone. “So, thank you.” She sensed a deep sadness buried inside him, along with something else she didn’t understand.

  Kyrian had mentioned that Soroyan had lost loved ones as well, and now guilt filled her that they hadn’t found Toren yet. “I’m still going to help search for Toren,” she said but he remained silent. Tierney sighed. “Sami said Sin didn’t show up the other day. We should head back in and try to talk to her again.”

  “I planned to,” he finally said, with a strange look on his face.

  “Well, Sami and Brimstone are heading into the city if you want to go with them, or do you want me to take you?”

  “No. I’ll go with Sami,” Soroyan said just a little too quickly, making her frown.

  “All right, but if there’s anything you need, let me know.”

  Soroyan stared at her a moment longer before he finally turned away leaving her feeling like she should say more, but not knowing what.

  ***

  SOROYAN Walked away with blazing jealousy roaring through him. Tierney and Jax had bonded. It’d been so long since he’d connected with someone, and he hadn’t realized how much he longed to again.

  The loss of his mate, hundreds of years ago, still left a gaping hole inside him, and in all these years he had let no one tempt him. He stayed faithful to his beautiful sweet love. But after all this time, he need only lay eyes on a purple-eyed warrior angel, or catch her scent, and his hatred fled as desire claimed him.

  Angry that Tierney tempted him so badly, Soroyan wanted to walk away. But when she started toward him, his anger had dissolved. As he changed into his human form, his cock stiffened, which filled him with resentment once again. Soroyan shook himself mentally. Stop this! Compared to you, she is but a child! But she overwhelmed his senses, and his heart raced as she got closer. He couldn’t help but imagine her naked and willing in his arms. Enough!

  An ache pierced him at everything he’d lost, along with what he’d never have. He waited while she thanked him, like he had any choice. Somehow, she seemed to have bewitched him, and he still needed her help in locating Toren.