“I’m glad you approve.” Jenson grinned. “Let’s have breakfast before the eggs and bacon get cold.” Then, to her astonishment, Jenson looked straight at her and Amy. Not just that, he made his way over to them. “Excuse me.” He winked at June. “Females…” he held his hand out and introduced himself again. “I’m Jenson.”
Amy cleared her throat and stepped forward, introducing herself. Claire did the same. “Shall we grab something to eat?” He smiled, putting a hand to the small of her back. Okay, so, they were obviously at a table with him then.
Her heart raced when she saw where they were headed. The farthest table. The white-dress, stiletto-wearing woman was already at the table, chatting to a couple of shifters. Claire frowned, looking over at Amy, who was deep in conversation with Jenson. She was telling him what she did for a living. Talking up a storm.
Odd!
Why were the three of them together at a table? She looked over at the other tables, expecting to see that similar age groups had been seated together but everyone else was mixed up. There were several shifters guys at each table. Maybe it was a coincidence that the youngest of the group had been seated together. Her frown deepened. Perhaps that was how the cards had fallen. Was it possible that this was a coincidence?
“Why the frown?” Jenson asked as they arrived at the table. The men already there stood up.
“Oh,” she shrugged, “I was wondering why the three youngest women ‒ us,” she gestured to Amy and ‘Stilettos’, who remained sitting, “had been seated together at the same table when everyone else is mixed up.” She smiled. “Just a silly coincidence, I’m sure. You said that we had been randomly selected.”
Jenson nodded once. “That is true…for everyone but the three of you.”
What?
“I see,” Claire said. She could feel that her frown had deepened. She didn’t ‘see’. Didn’t understand at all. This made no sense. “Why is that?”
Jenson pulled her chair out for her, gesturing that she should sit. “We have a proposal for the three of you.” His eyes glinted. “One that could very well change your lives.”
Chapter 2
Leukos paced a few yards away from Reece, the grass flattening beneath his shoes, then paced back. “What time is it?” he asked, looking over at the male.
“A couple of heartbeats and a few breaths since you asked me last.” He shrugged, his eyes bright with humor, even though his mouth didn’t betray the emotion. “I doubt more than two minutes have passed, my lord.” He pushed out a heavy breath suddenly looking concerned all over again. “Are you sure this is wise?”
“Yes.” Leukos nodded. “Of course it is.”
“There is another one of these silly…these…” He got his feathers all ruffled trying to come up with the correct term.
“Lotteries?” Leukos raised his brows.
“Yes!” Reece practically shouted the word. “There is another one in a week’s time. Why not wait? Let’s first test this idea. There are sure to be issues that crop up. Let’s wait. Please!” He took a step towards Leukos, imploring him with his eyes.
Leukos shook his head. “Do you think my brother will wait? Do you think he’ll bide his time? He knows! There will be no waiting! We have waited long enough already.”
“I know that but—”
“No buts. We can’t afford buts. It would be foolish to wait. I plan on bedding and mating a female as soon as possible. Within a few days, if all goes well. I need to secure my crown, and this is the only way. Otherwise, the Fallen may not remain fallen for very long. We,” he hit a hand against his chest, “will become the Fallen. Do you want that?”
“Of course not, sire.” Reece still looked troubled. “The females may not…” He widened his eyes. “What if the same thing happens with these humans as before?”
“I was rejected because those females were terrified. We took them from their territory, their homes against their will. It was not the right strategy to secure a mate. These entered the lottery because they like shifters. They fit the requirements. This is a much better plan. One that will work.”
“They still have no idea about us. What we are, I mean.”
“It will be fine. The ‘regular’ shifters have briefed the females. They know who we are. What we are. There is a nice group of females, I presume?” It was his turn to raise his brows.
Reece nodded. “Yes, but what if none of the females is to your liking?”
“Why so negative? Not to my liking…what kind of nonsense is that?” he snorted. “I am quite sure that at least one will interest me. Besides, I will mate for my throne, for my people. I will make sure that my female is happy and that she wants for nothing. It will be a joyful enough arrangement. Love would be nice but…” he shrugged. It wasn’t ultimately necessary. “My first priority is not to fall in love. It’s to procreate.”
“So,” Reece drew his attention back, “you just pick one and that’s it…done?” Reece looked bewildered. “Sire, that’s not a good idea.” He shook his head. “We’re talking about being bonded to this person for a lifetime.”
“Of course I won’t just pick one. There will need to be something there. I’m not mating a female unless I am attracted to her. Not unless she is attracted to me as well. We need to get along well with one another and she will need to make a good queen.”
“That is a big ask.”
“Nonsense.” Leukos did have his doubts but he brushed those negative thoughts aside.
“What if you don’t? It has to be said, my lord.” Reece clenched his hands and pulled in a deep breath. “What if this female doesn’t want you back? What if Ekon beats you to it?” Reece looked ashen. “What if something were to go wrong?”
Leukos snorted out a laugh, sounding casual and completely relaxed. What was there to worry about? “If the female doesn’t want me, I will pick another.” He shrugged. “As to Ekon beating me to it…” He felt everything in him bristle and tighten. “If I pick today, it won’t happen. The problem will very quickly disappear. If I wait…” He raised his brows, not having to go on.
“So, you’re definitely set on picking today?” Reece wrung his hands together.
“Stop asking me that. It’s beginning to rub. Maybe you should go back to your nest. I’ve never seen you like this. We’ve gone into battle where lives were lost, where blood was spilled, and you weren’t this anxious.”
“This whole thing makes me…antsy. I woke up with a bad feeling.” Reece paced. “I have this tightening in the base of my belly. I don’t understand it. Something is off.”
“You need a female. You need to mount.”
Reece tossed his head and gave him a surly look. “I do not need to mount. Mounting has nothing to do with it…” He sighed, throwing Leukos a smile. It lasted all of two seconds. “Okay, maybe I do need a female. A female would be great.” He groaned. “It isn’t that, though. I just have a bad feeling. I can’t shake it.”
Leukos narrowed his eyes. “We redoubled patrols of the area, right?”
Reece nodded. “We redoubled look-outs on their border as well, as of this morning.”
Leukos smiled, feeling some of the tension drain. “It will be fine. You will see. In fact,” he grinned, “I feel so much better after our talk. Thank you!” He clapped the male on the back. Reece still looked like he was getting ready to throw up. You would think he was the one who was about to meet his future queen. That the tables were turned. “It’ll be your turn next time.”
Reece’s grave expression didn’t change. “Let’s get through this first.”
Leukos smiled as he scanned the horizon, spotting the approaching helicopter. It was still just a speck in the sky at that point.
Reece grumbled some more about waiting. About testing the waters of this project first. Leukos ignored the male. The mechanical bird drew closer and closer. Until he could hear the whine of the engine. The spinning of the blades.
Excitement coursed through him. His future queen w
as more than likely inside. His female. The mother of his young. The savior of the throne. Truth was, his brother was a hothead. He was emotional, making spur of the moment decisions at the drop of a feather. It was tradition that the eldest ruled, but with Ekon at the helm, their kingdom would have been in ruins by then.
Taking the crown from Ekon had been the only way to secure the future of his species. The only way. He didn’t regret it. Leukos only wished things could have played out differently. There was no doubt in his mind that Ekon hadn’t changed in the years since. That he still harbored fanciful ideas. Ideas that would get them all slaughtered.
No! He’d done the right thing.
Leukos watched as the helicopter touched down. He needed to mate one of those females, and quickly. He needed to get her with clutch as soon as possible. The first clutch from a human/Feral mating had been a success. Stone’s young were thriving. He had no doubt that his would too.
“If only you would reconsid—” Reece tried as the engine noise died down.
“Stop!” He put up his hand as the helicopter door swung open. “Once my female is with clutch, I will secure the crown and our future. It is my duty to protect my people. Ekon is not fit to rule. You know that! It must happen and it must happen now.” He glanced at Reece who nodded once.
Two of his males rushed forward to help the females. A tiny female with light hair smiled brightly. Next was a tall, willowy creature in a dress. She didn’t look too sure of herself. Then another light-haired female who was taller than the other two, although still very small compared to a Feral female.
He kept his eyes on the open door until one of the males pushed it closed. “W-what?” Leukos stammered. “Only three?”
“I received an email earlier in the week, stating that it was mostly older human females entering the…lottery. I knew there might only be a few since winners are actually drawn. It isn’t rigged.” He made a face. “I didn’t think we’d end up with so few eligible females though. We have a human marketing team working on a better-targeted advertising campaign which will appeal more to the younger, unmated females of the species. Maybe now you will wait for the next…lottery. Three is not enough of a selection.”
“Not on your feather! One of them will do.”
Reece sighed and gestured to where the females were standing. They still looked bewildered and unsure. Only the tiny one seemed happy and calm. She was still smiling. “After you, sire,” Reece said.
Chapter 3
Crap!
Double crap!
Had she made a mistake?
“You have got to be kidding me,” Stilettos muttered, mimicking her own thoughts. Her name was actually Pauline but Claire preferred Stilettos. It suited her better since she was teetering on a pair right now. Standing in, what looked like, the middle of nowhere. There were flat, grass plains for the most part, mountains in the distance. The land dipped behind them to a vast, blue lake.
Littered across the plains in front of them were towers with houses at the top. The houses were about two or three stories off the ground with no obvious way of getting up there. No stairs. No elevators. The houses were round. Some bigger than others. It was bizarre.
Feral.
Maybe they were feral. As in wild, untamed…the word ‘savage’ came to mind, making goosebumps break out on her upper arms and thighs.
“Welcome.” One of the guys who had helped them off the chopper spoke. He had the strangest eyes, they were yellow. A bright, crazy yellow that reminded her of the sun. He was huge…bigger than the other shifters – even the bear ‒ had been. The normal shifters. This had to be a griffin.
A Feral.
Eeeeep! Excitement coursed through her.
“Hello.” Amy took the initiative, introducing herself and then the two of them. “It’s so good to meet you. We were wondering all about you guys. What you would look like ‒ and I have to say, you don’t disappoint.” She giggled.
The shifter took the gap to continue. “This is Locke.” Worth smiled back, the guy he was introducing them to had the same eyes. How peculiar. Maybe they were brothers?
“Are you the shifters we’re supposed to be meeting for…this whole…” Amy giggled, “introduction thing? Because if you are…”
“Yes, we are,” Worth replied. He was quite good-looking, as was Locke. Worth was clean-shaven with dark hair. Locke had longer blond hair and was sporting a light-colored beard. It was trimmed. Same eyes. Same huge build. Same height. They both wore jeans and t-shirts. The shirts were plain and stretched across broad chests. Their feet were bare. Both of them had a full sleeve on one of their arms. Tattoos wound their way around from their hands all the way to their shoulders. Looking around, she saw it was the same for all of the Feral men. Interesting! The tattoos were different for each shifter.
Claire was almost six feet tall and she had to crane her neck to make eye contact. It wasn’t just their strange-colored eyes, they were different from the other shifters she’d met earlier. She wasn’t sure how, there was simply something she couldn’t pinpoint.
“Oh?” Stilettos perked up. She licked her lips. “How does this whole situation work?”
“We’ll explain everything shortly. You do know why you are here, right?” Worth narrowed his eyes slightly.
Amy nodded, her ponytail bobbing. “To see the Feral first-hand. Griffin shifters,” she gushed. “I still can’t believe you’re real. And then we get to go on a date with one of you guys.” She giggled again. “I can’t believe this is happening. We’re staying for the weekend, right? Can we stay longer if we want to? I could move in. Give me half a chance and I might.”
“That’s right.” Worth nodded
“Which part did I get right? Please say all of it.” She bounced on her heels.
“All of it.” Worth winked at her and she broke out in another fit of giggles.
“What if we don’t want to stay the whole weekend?” Stiletto’s asked. “I might be interested in a date but…” She let the sentence die, making a face instead.
“It’s entirely up to you. All we ask is that you honor the non-disclosure agreement you signed.”
“Or we’ll be sued for everything we own.” Pauline rolled her eyes. “Like you guys can afford to sue,” she mumbled under her breath, looking around her.
“I’m pretty sure you’ll want to stay once we’ve all been properly introduced. Come this way.” Worth smiled at them. He turned around and she followed his line of vision.
Good lord!
That was Claire’s first thought as she turned and caught sight of him. That was followed by, ‘Good god up above’. Then, ‘Holy hotness!’
Claire very nearly fell over her own feet. The shifter walking towards them was gorgeous. He had the same eyes as the others. Golden yellow. Bright, only they were filled with determination. A good measure of steel. They were commanding, just like the rest of him. This new guy wore suit pants and a white button-down shirt. The top two…maybe three buttons were undone, and the shirt sleeves were folded up to just below his elbows. He had good arms. Great arms. There was a tattoo on his left arm, she could see it disappear beneath the sleeve. His chest was amazing in that shirt. What was she saying, all of him was yummy. He handed the jacket in his hands to the man walking next to him, and they kept walking.
“Well, hello!” Stilettos whispered. “I might just stay,” she added, her voice sounding all breathy.
He threw them a casual half-smile as he drew nearer. His eyes glinted. A dimple popped out on one of his cheeks.
“There you are, my lo—” Worth began.
“I am Leukos.” His voice was rich. Not as deep as the ‘normal’ shifters. Like his eyes, it was still commanding. Very sexy, like the rest of him. He was even more delicious up close. Smelled good too. Like aftershave, only it wasn’t. It was him. “It is so good to meet each of you.” He wrapped his arms around Amy, who was closest, pulling her in for a hug. The other woman looked over at Claire and mouthed, “Oh my
god!” to her.
Oh my god, indeed!
Next, he hugged her. His arms pulled her in against a chest chiseled from rock. It had to be. It was that hard. He rubbed her back. Rubbed. With one of his big, warm hands. When he pulled back, he looked into her eyes for a moment and it was like she was the only woman on the planet.
Leukos…it was an interesting name. He hugged Stilettos next. The other woman smiled, also looking a little shell-shocked. She wobbled on her ridiculous heels as he let her go. Leukos gripped her elbow, steadying her. Pauline nodded once, eyes wide.
“Shall we head somewhere more comfortable?” Leukos asked. “We commissioned—”
There was a loud, terrifying shriek, followed by a moving shadow directly overhead. What the hell…?
Pauline grabbed her chest and ducked. All of them looked up.
“It’s Orrick,” Locke remarked, sounding casual. At least, Claire was pretty sure it was Locke who had said it, but she couldn’t be sure, on account that she couldn’t take her eyes off the huge creature circling overhead. It shrieked again. Big beak open. She might not speak griffin, but that shriek had sounded pissed.
Half eagle and half lion. Its wings were impossibly wide and feathered. Its arms were talons with yellow-scaled skin. The feathers gave way to fur as her eyes tracked down its powerful body. A long tail with a tuft of fur swished from side to side. Its back legs had massive paws with claws. The creature shrieked again, sounding angry, turning sharply in mid-air.
“What…?” Pauline yelled. “What is it…? That thing is—” She screamed as the griffin dropped to the ground. The earth thundered as it landed.
“What are you doing here?” Worth asked. “You were not invited.” Was it her imagination or did Worth sound…sympathetic? His eyes seemed filled with compassion. “We talked about this,” he went on, sounding like he was pleading.
The creature stood up on his hind legs, towering above them.
Hate Awakened: Book 3: The Feral Page 2
