by Trina Bates
Copyright © 2018 Trina Bates
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any mean-electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording or otherwise-without prior permission of the publisher and author.
Any references to historical events, real people or real places are used fictitiously. Any resemblances to actual persons living and or dead, or actual events is entirely coincidental.
Contents
Glossary
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Dedication
For my brother.
I love you so much,
and I will always be proud of the man you are.
“We know what we are, but know not what we may be.”
- William Shakespeare
Glossary
Other - Supernatural Creatures
Hollow - Humans
Rare - Dual bloods of two pure, supernatural parents
Ternary - A triple shifter. One of the most powerful beings, a child of two Alphas
The Fall - When the Supernatural world outed themselves, along with every other creature or race.
Yggdrasil - The world, or realm, of the original Valkyries they were once just a race of warriors but now pride themselves on having the strongest Valkyries in existence.
Kalikor - The realm of the Gods that took the Warriors and bred the Valkyries into Existence.
Agathion - A Demon’s familiar after they have manifested their Demon powers. Always have two forms and are very powerful in their own right.
Unwanted - A child that has been abandoned, given up. Usually, Others but can sometimes be Hollow. The Conclave takes them in and experiment on each one to find out their abilities.
Conclave - Eight Others that run each major city, controlling and watching over all the supernaturals (Others).
Spriggan - Tree spirits that can speak into the minds of people that touch them.
Merrick:
Falling back into the large leather sofa in Rhydian’s small apartment, I watch as Rhett and Rhydian walk down the hall. I run my hands through my short, now sweaty hair and blow out a breath. Dropping my hands to my sides, I sit here and think of the blonde bombshell, Mira. The woman I was just deep inside of hours before with my brothers and another man, Ebbin.
I don’t know what came over us or why we all decided to go back to a stranger’s house. Someone we had met only hours before. It was a night I’m not likely to forget anytime soon, my brothers either. The tight feel of her wrapped around me, moaning with every hard thrust I gave her, has me hard just thinking about it. I want to see her gorgeous blue eyes, pleading for me to kiss her again, wrap my hands in that long blonde hair and grab her wide hips with everything I have and pull her back onto me. I‘ve never felt this way about a woman, not once. One night is all other women were given, but for some reason, I’m thinking about seeing her gorgeous smile the morning after we spend an amazing night together. Watching her wear my t-shirt as she makes a cup of coffee, or seeing her sitting in one of her ridiculous chairs that were placed in the strangest spots throughout her house. Even being with her mate, or man, whatever, felt right. He was easy to talk to and had the same mentality as my brothers and myself. Thinking about it, I’m excited to talk to him again, get to hear more of his stories about the guard duties he has had to take on since he became a guard for Others.
Bullshit rules from the fucking Conclave, only Hollows can guard Others. It makes no sense, but we have to follow them. A set of eight assholes that have egos the size of the fucking universe. They rule over our kind. There’s one Conclave for each major city, the smaller cities are lorded over by the Hounds. They keep us all in check, help get us placements when we move and do their best to control our abilities. If they can’t, they send in the Hounds and have us dealt with in other ways.
Trying to get my mind off the bastards that have controlled all our lives for far too long. I think back about that sweet tattooed woman that came into mine, Rhydian, and Rhett’s lives so quickly, wrapping us around her finger and pulling us back without any knowledge she was doing so.
“Hey man, something isn’t right.” Rhydian’s large frame comes into view from the hallway. He must have showered because his hair is wet and he’s standing there in gym shorts and nothing else. He has more tattoos than anyone else I know, including myself. I think even more than Mira. He’s by far my favorite of the two assholes that have become my family so quickly, my brothers.
“What do you mean?” I ask sitting up, putting my elbows on my knees and peering up at the muscled man in front of me.
He sits right beside me and huffs out a breath while he stares at the wall in front of us trying to come up with an explanation.
“I don’t get it. I want, no, need to see her again. She’s calling to me and Kigiree. This has never happened before. I feel this...” He stops talking and pounds his large chest twice with his tattooed fist and looks to the ground. “This pull, like I have to make sure she is okay. I can’t explain it.” He sounds frustrated and hopeful. His eyebrows are drawn down in frustration, his lips flattened into a hard line. I’ve never heard him this conflicted before. He’s the sane one out of the three of us, always the one with a plan.
“I was actually just thinking the same thing. I don’t know how to explain it either, but I am seriously debating whether or not I can actually go back home, knowing she’s here. She feels, fuck man, don’t laugh, but she feels like she’s ours, fated. I don’t know.” I run my hands through my hair again and sit up straighter when Rhett appears out of nowhere with a knowing smirk playing on his baby face.
“Sounds like we are all fucked right now. I feel the same,” he says as he comes to sit on the other side of me. “You think she really is a Hollow? I mean, this shit doesn’t happen with their kind. Ours sure, but this is insane. I want to go back there, ward her house and stay with her. Shit, I just want to see her smile again. The first time I touched her it was like fireworks went off inside me. I’ve never felt that before.” His admission has Rhydian and I raising a brow to each other. Rhett loved women, he brought a new one home each night, so for him to feel this way, there really is something going on; something Other. We need to figure it out.
“I don’t know what she is. I didn’t sense anything Other about her. She didn’t smell Other, and her features, her eyes and skin are all Hollow. They aren’t bright and she doesn't have any runes like Rhett.” Rhydian stares at his hands but from the side, I can see he’s deep in thought and trying to figure something out about this intriguing woman. “I could hear her thoughts at times.” He looks to the rest of us with confusion and hope playing behind his magic filled eyes. I look to him surprised, my eyes wide with elation that I’m not the only one. From the look on Rhett’s face, the same goes for him as well. I stand from the couch and start to pace. We can all hear her thoughts. That really isn’t normal, not for Others, to be able to hear a Hollow’s thoughts.
“So, from the look on both of your faces and your reactions, I take it, it isn’t just me that
can hear her.” Rhydian says while he puts his head in his hands and shakes his head. When he starts to laugh it throws me off and I halt my pacing to stare at him.
“Why are you laughing man, there’s something more going on here. We can hear her, but she’s not Other. She’s calling to us all and we have no idea why. What could you possibly think is funny about this situation?” I ask, throwing my hands in the air. My annoyance at his reaction becoming apparent. He stops his laughing and looks up to me with a huge smile still plastered on his face. I roll my eyes and begin pacing again.
“Don’t you get it? She is meant for all of us. I just have no idea why. If we can hear her, she’ll be able to hear us too. If we see her again, we all need to lock that down. Hollows don’t have that kind of knowledge of our world. I’m not leaving here, Merrick.” Rhydian’s matter of fact tone brokers no rebuttal from either Rhett nor I. When he gets his mind set on something, he doesn't stop. He leans back into the couch and crosses his arms. He thinks I’m going to fight him, but he’s wrong.
“Don’t worry, I will be putting in a transfer as soon as I get back,” I tell him with my back turned and looking straight at Rhett who is chewing on an apple while grinning like a fool with the juice from the apple dripping down his chin. He’s nodding at me with a full mouth and abruptly turns, walks down the hall and slams the door to his room.
“When I go back, I want to do some research, find out if there is anything more to this. I’m wondering if some Witch or Warlock might have messed with us and did something to push us into this. It’s too coincidental that we are all being pushed and pulled to her, at the same time and after just one night. While I’m gone, keep an eye on her.” I turn around and stare into his shining blue eyes. They’re filled with mischief and hiding something I can’t place. I need to leave it alone for now though. This trip has been fun, but I have to leave in the morning and I still haven’t packed.
Mira:
Holding my hand over my mouth, I’m utterly unprepared. I’m scared beyond belief at the little thing I'm holding in my hand that’s about to change my world forever. “I swear Blue!” I shout at her through the phone. My neck is kinked at a weird angle trying to hold the phone to my ear while I stare down at my hands. “This is all your fault!”
As I sit on the toilet looking at this ‘stick’ with two godforsaken blue lines, fear, shame, disbelief, and shock are raging through my mind and body. How the hell did this happen? I get how it happens, but I’m protected! That’s the one thing my generation is adamant about, we use birth control and other forms of protection, always.
Ebbin is either going to freak out on me or storm out leaving me for good.
“I love how you’re blaming awesome, hot, naughty, orgy sex on me! I didn’t make you do shit, and you know it.” I can tell she thinks this is funny by the tremble of laughter that she’s doing a piss poor job of containing. That's just it though, it’s not funny at all, that’s one of the reasons I’m getting so down on myself.
“Blue, you served us those damn drinks! You laced it with some of your crazy magic shit. This. Is. Your. Fault,” I reply, knowing damn well she can’t deny it.
There have been a few times where I’ve asked her to throw something in for a little extra fun, but that night, I didn’t know she did, until I was too happy to care.
“Listen Mira, I know this is a shock but you gotta calm down, okay? Yes, I did throw in a little lust, but that was strictly for you and Ebbin. It's NOT my fault you felt like sharing with three other hotties,” she says, yelling the last bit making me tear the phone away from my ear.
Blue has been my best friend for over twelve years. She’s a riot maker, and I love her for it. She’s never done anything to me that would cause any kind of strife or pain. She loves nothing more than to help those that she deems deserving. Those who aren’t, well, they feed her power, and I’m all too glad she has always found me the loveable friend. She’s what’s called a Rare. Most of the Others are a single threat, but she's a dual blood, Blood Fae and Witch. I’ve always been a bit jealous of her.
I'm what’s known as a Hollow, or a human as we were called before the Fall. Before the veil between worlds and realms dropped. Myths, legends, and fairytales weren't just fables we read or stories we were told as children to keep us in line. They are real. Demons, shifters, vampires, angels and fairies, are all real. We don’t know how or why the Veil fell, but when it did, our ancestors fought against the Others and tried to keep them from taking over our world. They are stronger and more advanced in many ways. We didn't stand a chance against them. Our ancestors were unable to return them to their own realms. Now, many live on Earth. Some stay in their own realms, on their own worlds, but many choose to keep coming here inhabiting our planet, our realm, there’s nothing anyone, or anything can do to stop it, not all of us care too much. I think they’re amazing personally, but not everyone feels the same as I do.
Coming back to reality, I almost forgot Blue is on the phone with me. “What if it's not Ebbin’s, Blue? He asked me to be his intended! We haven’t even set a date! What if this rips everything apart?” The utter anguish I’m feeling is tearing at me. What will I do if the baby is not Ebbin’s? I feel like I am being torn apart.
After a few moments of silence on her end, my stomach knots and my palms are sweating, I can barely hold the phone in my hand at this point.
A small “pop” of her lips lets me know she's still there, but she is just as speechless and concerned as I am.
“Listen Tatts,” she calls me by her nickname she started calling me years ago, making the corners of my mouth twist up into a sly smile. “Tell him, don’t wait. He’s either going to handle it or not, but you need to tell him. If anything goes wrong, you’re always welcome to come to my place or stay in the loft. Get it girl! Band-Aid babe, do it. Now, I love you but I have to get the bar open. I'll see you tonight, and for fuck's sake, chill your tits.”
“Okay, love ya, bye.”
I know she’s right, but that doesn’t make any of this any easier. She’s supposed to have all the answers, give me more advice, not give me three seconds of her time to tell me to ‘just spit it out’ damn it. I can’t keep her, she has her own responsibilities and this one is mine.
Sitting up straighter, I take a deep breath, get the hell off the toilet, shake myself off, and try to find a little courage for what I’m about to do. Still clutching the test, I drop a hand to my stomach. My stomach is in knots at the thought that my anxiety can be felt by this tiny person growing in my womb. Eight weeks. The gestation window on the back of the stick showed eight weeks, three days. How did I not know earlier, I have even been regular!
Can I do this? There’s no question of if I’ll keep the child, because I will. With the Hollows dwindling in numbers, this baby will be a blessing to anyone, especially me. It will bring new joys, memories, love, and family. How could anyone not want that?
Trying to steel my nerves, my stomach is still in knots, and I keep running my hand through my hair trying to give myself something to do instead of sit here and worry. I clutch that little life-changing stick in my hand and go in search of Ebbin.
Stepping out of the bathroom, I walk down the hallway to our game room, since it’s the most likely place he would be.
Our house has five rooms but there are only two we actually use. Our bedroom, and the cave. The cave being the game room. We don’t even really cook. There’s no need to since we both work swing shifts and aren’t home until around three a.m. We always catch a bite while we’re out.
Finding him in the cave like I thought, I look around trying to calm my nerves. Just seeing him Linked up, has my heart racing and my ears burning.
Two Link Up chairs sit side by side. The room is covered in midnight blue paint, red LED lights surround the top of the ceiling, giving the room a light, peaceful glow. The red lights reflecting on the dark walls give the room a dark purple hue that is gorgeous at night. I love sitting in here just to relax w
ith a good book sometimes. Posters of our favorite games and movies line the walls. In front of the two chairs sits a single desk that holds the Link Up console. Two wires flow from it falling to the ground and then fastening at the back of the chair; at the end is a small square patch that attaches at the base of our necks below the headrest. That’s what lets us link into the cloud. You can do anything from it. Shop, game, write, read. All of it is virtual reality, but you're inside the system, your mind is linked neurologically.
You can change a lot about your appearance in a Link. Your weight, height, hair color, eye color, and even the way you dress, but never your actual facial structure. In the beginning, you’re scanned in and the markers on your nose, eyes, chin, and cheekbones are what the system reads. Too many people downloaded the same appearance, causing the system to overload so now it has spots that are unavoidable, you have to resemble your real life face as much as possible. Knowing Ebbin is most likely Linked in one of our battle games, I sit down, attach the link wire with the sticky pad to the back of my neck. I have to get it as close to the cerebellum as I can, so the electro waves can sink into my brain and pull me into the Link.
Finally hooked up, I wait for my mind to clear and the pictures to form. Showing me the images of my games, shopping centers and link tools, I find what I want in the cloud, Ebbin. He knows when I Link up, it always tells you if a friend logs on, so finding him is easy. He’s standing in his battle gear, weapons ready to upgrade and change. He looks every bit the part of a warrior. When I first met him in the cloud, I made a comment about being a ‘beefcake’. His entire body was ripped with massive muscles. His arms were the size of my thighs, and his thighs the size of my waist. It took true discipline and many years to get a rock solid, sexy body like that. What made it better were his tattoo’s, they weren’t visible with long sleeve clothing on, minus one tribal mark going up his neck, the rest were on his wide chest and huge arms. He was gorgeous. I thought he was an Other due to his height.
