Forged in Flames

by Harper Wylde

  I grinned at her, teeth and all, and shook my head, amused from their banter.

  Damien chuckled, and then let out a weary sigh as he slid the back door open, leading the way into the backyard. “So that’s the way you’re going to play it.”

  “I do it because I care.” Nix stepped up to his side, went to her tiptoes, and kissed the Gargoyle on the cheek.

  The way Damien gazed down at her told me he wasn’t all that upset about having been singled out as the bearer of Nix’s care and affection.

  Slipping past me, Nix brushed her fingers along the back of my hand, making my heart happy.

  The chill in the air was bitter against my exposed skin. Even though I was impervious to the cold temperatures, thanks to my alter, I could tell how chilly it was outside and my gaze followed Nix, unable to help my worry. Instead, I found her smirking just before I felt the tingle of her power.

  “See? Nice and toasty?” She threw her arms out and spun in a circle, enjoying the light coating of snow that covered the ground, melting under her feet.

  Watching her in that carefree moment was like watching joy. I wanted to capture it and keep it for the days ahead. Days I knew were going to grow more serious and more difficult.

  I shook off the descending gloom the moment Nix started slipping out of her clothing. First her shirt, shoes, and socks disappeared, and then she was shimmying the thick leggings off her legs in a mesmerizing dance that I couldn’t tear my attention away from. The confident way she stripped was sexy as hell. When she stood against the wooded landscape in nothing but her underwear, I swallowed—hard.

  She reached back to unhook her bra, but before letting it drop from her arms, she looked up and glanced between Damien and me. I felt her hesitation the same time Damien did. Although we’d both already seen her naked, I could understand her feelings of being on display and the shyness that suddenly overtook her. Clearing his throat, Damien turned and gave Nix her privacy. I drank her in one more time and then averted my eyes.

  “I’m s-sorry,” she stuttered, and I heard a note of insecurity creep into her tone.

  “You have nothing to be worried about,” Damien assured her, pouring sincerity into his voice. “We take all of this as fast or as slow as you want.”

  “We’re all still growing in our relationships, Nix. Familiarity… intimate familiarity… doesn’t need to be something we rush. It will build in time. Let it happen naturally. We take our cues from you and what you’re comfortable with. None of us will ever do anything to make you feel uncomfortable,” I promised.

  “And what’s right one day may not be what feels right the next. Just because we’ve had sex doesn’t mean you don’t have a right to your own body anymore. That’s so far from the way we were all raised. You control the pace and the yes’s and no’s, sweetheart,” Damien added, and I nodded my wholehearted agreement.

  “I… I don’t know what I did to get so lucky.” I could hear tears in her voice, and I wanted nothing more than to turn around and take her into my arms to comfort her. Instead, I remained the gentleman I was and kept my eyes off her stunning figure.

  Without another word, I felt the tingling wash of her energy run through me as she let the shift overtake her.

  Sparkling lights danced off the snow in a fiery display as her Phoenix emerged, appearing where Nix once stood. I glanced up, taking in the glory of her alter. Deep red, orange, and yellow feathers covered the wings that Nix’s Phoenix spread wide. A slight breeze worked over me when she flapped as she stretched, and then ruffled her feathers. I smiled when she settled and folded them away, cocking her head at Damien and me. She had a sharp beak, dark eyes, and a long tail that held every color of fire. She was beautiful, and I told her as much.

  “As much as I wish we could play, I’m going to just get this done so that it’s over.” I pulled a pair of latex gloves on and nodded to Damien who moved closer to assist me.

  He ran a hand over the soft, sleek feathers in awe. It was rare that we got time with Nix’s alter this way—with her shifted and us in human form—and it was an experience I wanted to make more time for in the future.

  “Can you hold her for me, Damien? Just lightly,” I requested, and he agreed. We both stooped to her to level, and I ran my hand down her neck before gently lifting up one of her wings. Nix’s Phoenix squawked at me and I could practically feel her raising her brow. Chuckling, I answered her unspoken question. “I need to access the brachial vein on the underside of your wing.” I traced a finger over it, and then motioned for Damien to hold the wing for me. “It’s the easiest place to draw blood from in birds. Not only is it a thick vein, but it’s in a lightly feathered area.”

  Nix chirped and relaxed into the hold.

  I took a deep breath and inserted the needle, happy when my research paid off. I’d never drawn blood from a bird before, and it’d required a proper amount of research before I felt comfortable enough to attempt it on my mate. Luckily, it turned out to be a rather easy task.

  Two vials were filled before I pulled the needle out. I was hesitant to take more from her at the moment. Her alter wasn’t large, especially in comparison to the rest of us, and I wasn’t sure what the side effects would be if I took too much, though the volume difference made for interesting math.

  “Are you alright?” Damien stroked Nix gently as he released her wing, setting it back into place with care. While she wasn’t a tiny bird—about the size of a peacock—she still felt small to our human halves.

  In a flash of sparks and tingling magic, Nix transformed back to herself. Damien shucked off his coat and covered her nakedness with it. Wrapping it around herself, Nix stood on shaky legs.

  Alarm shot through my chest. “Are you okay?”

  She offered me a wobbly smile. “Yeah, it didn’t even hurt. I’m just feeling a little lightheaded, is all.”

  “Shit, I’m sorry.” I stepped toward her, leaving my bag and supplies forgotten in the snow.

  “Theo, don’t look so worried. I’m just a little woozy.”

  “Maybe I took too much,” I mused, running a hand through my messy blond hair. Guilt ate at me for making her feel less than her best, and I quickly ran through my mathematical equations looking for any errors.

  “Theo.” Nix clung to the sides of the coat, keeping her nakedness modestly tucked away. “Stop fretting. You’re going to make me mad. I’m fine. This is important, and I’m a big girl. I can handle a little lightheadedness. It’s certainly not the worst thing that’s ever happened to me.” She raised her brows, giving me a hard look until I relented. My shoulders sagged and I nodded.

  “If you’re sure,” I hedged.

  “I am.” Then she grinned. “Besides, I know where Ryder keeps all the best sweets. I’m sure after a glass of water and something sugary, I’ll be back to one hundred percent.”

  Proving her point, she straightened, shrugged off Damien’s help, and sauntered her sexy body back up to the porch and inside. The jacket barely covered her ass and I watched, riveted, until she was out of sight.

  I just hoped that putting Nix through so many blood draws and making her feel like a test subject would pay off in the long run. We all needed these next tests to provide the answers we required.

  I had a gut feeling they would.

  Five

  Nix

  I slammed my books onto my desk, fed up with the teetering tower that was precariously balanced there. It all seemed so pointless. Theo had insisted we go about our usual routines, to try and keep the eyes of the Council away from us, but what was usual? It was only the beginning of November, not even an entire semester had passed, and every week was more eventful than the last. I had already died multiple times, and missed more class than I would have thought possible now that I was away from Michael. It didn’t help that I had absolutely no motivation to continue struggling my way through Calculus and Introductory English when I knew the probability of getting my degree, let alone using it, was nonexistent. I settled at
my desk, scrolling through my laptop for messages.

  I winced when I clicked open the e-mail sitting in my inbox. I knew exactly what it would say, and I wasn't looking forward to the scolding I knew I was due. The sharp, succinct message from my professor reminded me that I had missed class yet again, and that if I wasn't willing to take their class seriously, then I should consider dropping it and picking a class that was better suited for my needs. I blew out a breath as I stared at the simple, black and white words on my screen. I had known I'd need to deal with this sooner rather than later, but I still hadn't come up with a good way to handle it. I had e-mails similar to this from other professors as well—at least the ones who seemed to care whether I was in class or not. While I had medical excuses for missing my classes, thanks to Theo, the truth was I had still missed far too many, and my professors were only willing to give me so much leeway.

  Withdrawing from my classes, or even from college altogether, would be such a final decision, and I wasn't sure I was ready for that, though I wasn’t ready to flunk out either. I knew the Council would prefer me to remove myself from college—they had made that abundantly clear. They saw me solely as a breeder and taking on mates was far more important to them than my studies toward a degree they would never let me use. Even though I hadn't been attending due to the number of disasters I’d experienced this semester, I wasn't sure I wanted to withdraw. This was my last tie to my normal human life. Although that life had been far from pleasant, I had been moving into the period that was supposed to be enjoyable—or at least normal. I had left the past behind, focused on what I wanted, and took the steps that led me to the freedom I had dreamt of—living away at college for a new start. Giving that up kind of felt like my past won, like I was giving up on what I needed.

  Except now my needs had changed.

  I growled to myself, pushing away from my desk. My phoenix chirped at my anxiety, her feathers ruffled from my irritation. She didn't understand the conflict that was raging inside of me, even though her emotions were pushing me to face it head on instead of continuing to run from it. That was almost always her preference. She didn’t back down from a challenge.

  She also wanted to be with her mates—come hell or high water—and she desired to confront and demolish anything that may be a threat to them and our being together. If giving up school truly made me miserable, she wouldn’t want it, but her ultimate desire was to be with her mates, and in her mind, that solidified where she wanted to cast her vote. I just wished it were truly that easy.

  I was honestly surprised that the Council had been as quiet about my future as they had been. I wasn't sure why, but I had appreciated that they weren't forcefully shoving my suitors at me. I assumed after the Gala I’d be inundated with flowers and dates galore, but I welcomed the lack thereof, although I knew that was going to start changing. Gaspard was due to visit this afternoon, and I knew he would be bringing information about the next step in my ‘courtships.’ I was also positive he would advise me in the areas where I was slacking in my role as the Council’s puppet, playing into their plans to use me as a breeder for the continuation of a nearly extinct bloodline.

  As if my thoughts had made him appear, I heard the doorbell and I groaned, glancing down at the sweats and the oversized purple sweater I had stolen from Ryder. It wasn’t exactly what I’d like to be greeting Damien’s grandfather—and my Elder—in.

  “Nix!” Damien called up the stairs. I took a deep breath and a moment to exchange my sweats for jeans. I wondered if he'd notice that the sweater I still wore was Ryder's. If he did, I doubted it would bother him. Wearing my mates’ clothing made me calmer and more centered, as if I was always wrapped in their arms. It wasn't a habit I wanted to give up anytime soon. At this point, I’d stolen at least one article of clothing from all of their closets. I justified it at first as practical—I needed more clothing and I didn't want to take the time, or the money, to go out and buy more. It had quickly devolved, however, to simple enjoyment. I buried my nose in the sweater, breathing in the spice, magic, and sweet berries of my Ceraptor’s scent that clung to the fabric, letting the familiarity of his fragrance calm my nerves before I left the room.

  “Nix!” Damien yelled up the stairs again, this time with exasperation lacing his words, and I could only chuckle. Apparently Gaspard wasn't going to be irritating only me today.

  I bounded down the steps, joining Damian and Gaspard in the living room as they faced off. The others had made themselves scarce, whether that was for duties, hobbies, or simply to avoid being dragged into Gaspard's lessons, I couldn't be sure.

  “Ah, there you are.” Gaspard beamed at me as his deep voice boomed out into the room. I sent him a smile while bouncing on my toes. Gaspard had been nothing but a friend to me, and even when he drove me crazy, I always enjoyed our time together. He never treated me as though I was injured or impaired for not understanding what he was saying. He was always patient, and I loved that he never sugarcoated information. The man was straight to the point, and I looked forward to his visits. “Good. You kept me waiting. Now, that's a fine tactic to use if you have a suitor over, but it isn't the best thing to use if you're interacting with Council members.”

  “I know, I know,” I muttered, and stopped myself from playfully rolling my eyes.

  “Grandfather, can't we just have you visit us without it relating back to suitors or the Council?” Damien asked, shoving a hand through his hair and glancing at the kitchen. I wondered what he had cooking. From that look, I assumed he had been in the middle of a project when he had been interrupted, and he wasn't enjoying having it put on hold.

  “I think my visits can be educational, as well as emotional,” Gaspard challenged, raising a brow. He flicked his gaze toward the kitchen, and then back to his grandson, with an all-knowing smirk curving his mouth. “Of course, if you have some other plans I'm interfering with, don’t let me keep you.”

  “It's fine, Damien.” I shot him a smile, before tilting my head toward the kitchen. “Something smells good.” I let the hint linger in the air, hoping he would take it. My visits with Gaspard always grew more complicated if one of my mates insisted on butting into them. They spent the entire time growling at the both of us, displeased with our talks about the Council, etiquette, and suitors, and it was both attractive and distracting.

  “I was baking cookies,” he admitted, glancing at the kitchen again. “There was a new recipe I wanted to try for snickerdoodles…” He trailed off, the hesitation clear on his face as he glanced between Gaspard and the kitchen again.

  “I love snickerdoodles.” I really did, so it wasn't like I was lying. “We're fine here, Damien. Promise.”

  “Well…” He shot his grandfather a pointed look. “If you need me, I'll just be in the kitchen.”

  “Good, then we can begin.” Gaspard clapped his hands together as Damien disappeared into the kitchen. “Now, as you well know, you really need to start taking steps to look as though you're considering your suitors.”

  I flopped down onto the couch, burying my face in my hands. “You do realize how many problems that will cause, right?” I asked, my voice cracking as I imagined my mates’ reactions to me returning from a date.

  “I'm well aware of what their reactions will be,” Gaspard acknowledged with a nod, though there was no sympathy in his hard tone. “I just don't want you to forget, or underestimate, what the Council's reactions will be if you don't continue to take steps they consider appropriate.” He shot me a pointed look and I winced.

  “I know.” I sighed, rubbing at the back of my neck. “Some of them were very nice,” I admitted. “It's just hard to convince myself that this isn't, well, cheating.” The word had heat flooding my cheeks and my eyes sought the floor as I shrugged.

  Gaspard settled himself onto the couch beside me with a sigh. “I know, Nix. It's definitely not something that humans would have to face. But my grandson is well aware of why you're doing this. They all are, even if it bothers t
hem a bit.”

  “Why does everything have to be so hard?” I muttered, and clenched my hands into fists as I banged my head on the back of the couch.

  “Of course it's hard.” Gaspard settled beside me, surprising me when he patted my knee. I tensed for a moment, before relaxing into the couch again. I knew Gaspard wouldn't hurt me, and I was becoming comfortable enough with touch that a light pat wasn't enough to send me into a tailspin. “It's different, it's challenging, and it's about your future. But do you really think you wouldn't run into incredibly hard obstacles if you were living in the human world?” I winced, thinking of my life before moving here, and he patted my knee again. “My point exactly. You never know what kind of hard you'll run into. It could be a tragic illness or accident, the loss of a home or income, or, in this case, handling a handful of suitors. No matter what it is, you have to face it head on and know that those who really care about you will be there to support you through all of it.”

  “I know.” I snuck a glance at him, smirking a bit as I added, “But it still sucks.”

  He laughed, shaking his head at my antics. “Enough feeling sorry for yourself. It's time for action. Now, let's focus on your different suitors. You're likely to begin receiving presents, so don't be surprised if that comes up. Many families will seek to impress you with their wealth.”

  “Like chocolates or something?” I inquired, wrinkling my nose. I wondered if my mates would object to chocolates since they could eat them as well.

  He shook his head ruefully. “You may see a car show up in the driveway, and no one would blink or complain that it was too extravagant.”

  “A car?” I squeaked. “And that's considered normal? How rich are these people?”

  “Not all of the families are rich, Nix, that's what you have to understand.” Gaspard shifted so he could look me square in the eyes. “They have been saving up their entire lives for this. Shifter groups help each other live. Most expenses, such as housing, are communal as long as they are a contributing member to their pack or other grouping.”