“I’m off, too. We’ve got training tomorrow, and I’m already going to suffer a massive hangover.” Tossing his empty beer bottle into one of two trash bags, Alpha Jackson flashed a loose, lazy grin that proved just how much he’d drunk. “I had fun. Worth it.”
“Don’t die on the way down the street, yeah?” Lifting his arm up in a wave of acknowledgement as he turned to follow Jon’s path, Alpha Jackson didn’t respond to Derek.
Nibbling on my bottom lip, I turned my gaze to Maddy and Kristy to find them asleep – together – on a lounge chair. Kevin was sprawled out on the ground, and surprise shot through me at how suddenly things could change, even in the brief moment I had taken my eyes off of them.
“I’ll make sure Jackson doesn’t bust his face on his way home.” Rushing after the Alpha wolf, I watched from afar as Melinda pulled her hair up into a high ponytail before slipping under Jackson’s arm.
The party was over. The realization hit me hard, and I scanned the yard for Kaslni and Muss – but they’d both vanished. Squeezing me to his side, Derek carefully took my empty plate to toss it haphazardly in the direction of the trash bags.
“Come on, Linne.” Following Derek’s lead with no resistance, I hid my yawn behind my hand as tiredness hit me with a suddenness that dragged at my eyelids and my steps.
It was time for a nice long nap.
CHAPTER THREE
Derek
My ears twitched as I dozed, half awake, with my mate curled up against me, as I kneaded the bed sheets in lazy satisfaction.
Despite the steadily brightening sun that peeked through the blinds, Linne clung desperately to sleep and my tail thumped gently over the foot of the bed.
“I do not want to wake up.” The soft, husky murmur only pulled a lethargic rumble from my chest, and Linne burrowed deeper into the underside of my mane.
Her voice triggered the shadows around us to shiver and shudder, but I ignored them to relish the feel of her warm breath in my fur. “I would block out the sun if I had the stimulation.”
A snort bubbled from my nostrils at Linne’s muffled declaration, and I felt her smile against my skin.
Her magic didn’t work on either of us – not mind manipulation, at least. Her shadow manipulation was a different story, though.
Shifting into my human form, I wrapped my arms around her and tangled our legs together as she groaned in protest.
“I think you mean, ‘if I had the energy’, my mate.” Tangling my hand in her luscious, long hair, I tugged gently to pull Linne’s lips to mine, and she hummed listlessly into the small kiss.
“Are you going to come to the training field with me today?”
“Yes. I like watching you train.” Drawing up her knees to hug my hips with her thighs, Linne kissed me greedily despite her sluggish movements. “I like watching you beat them all.”
“Yeah?” Rolling Linne onto her back, I held myself on my elbows as she nodded, and I captured her lips as desire weaved into my blood.
Grinding against the heat between her legs, my cock stiffened with need while my hand blindly searched for her rosy nipple. The explosive ecstasy that had once dictated our sex life had evened out a lot over the past months, and the hairs on my body stood up at her lusty moan.
But the build up led to nothing when my cellphone chimed, and I released my mate with an irritated sigh.
“It’s time.” Wrapping her legs more securely around my waist at my declaration, Linne gave a little whine of defeat. Training my gaze on her, I couldn’t resist ducking my head down to kiss her neck and jaw. “I’ll make it up to you, babe.”
“Okay…” she said with a sigh.
Pushing myself up on my knees, I gazed down at my mate in all her naked glory.
Her little wings shimmered in the golden, early morning light, and Linne propped herself up on her elbows to stare from under heavy lids. “Last night…I am sure that my wish will come true.”
“I know it will, babe.” Climbing off my bed, I stretched my arms over my head with a groan, and Linne’s eyes burned ruts into my back. “Are you coming with me now, or do you want to rest a little longer?”
“I will come with you.” Shaking my head wildly, I held myself still to savor the sound of Linne’s soft skin slipping along the sheets. So much had changed since Kaslni’s arrival, and I couldn’t say that it was all for the worse.
Honestly, though, I didn’t like Linne’s former Master; she just seemed like a childish brat. Ignoring everything else, Kaslni radiated this ugly sense of self-entitlement that really pissed me off at times.
Linne had spent countless hours over the past months apologizing to everyone for Kalsni’s behavior, fixing her messes, and smoothing things over with people who her old Master had rubbed the wrong way.
Kaslni never took any responsibility for anything she did, or acknowledge that things were different – as if she hadn’t fallen from grace.
The party last night was the first time she hadn’t fucked up a gathering. Kaslni treated the clan like they were lesser beings, undeserved of her majesty, and Melinda and Jackson had a hard time controlling her.
Sometimes, I found myself wishing that Bareiijnr had killed Kaslni when he’d had the chance, just so she wasn’t a fucking nuisance to me.
Wandering through my house, I waited for my mate to join me as my thoughts ran rampant.
Kaslni didn’t really help me with my power, either.
She didn’t understand creation magic or shadow magic, and her promise to train me had been hollow. I’d at least learned to communicate with the beasts that became my pride. But that was only because Linne had taught me how.
“I’m ready.” Blinking at the chirpy tone of voice, I glanced up to see Linne smoothing over her top and flexing her wings out. Her feathers slowly grew larger, touching the floor and bending as her wings resumed their true size.
The neat, little trick was handy when she put on clothes since all of her shirts had been altered to accommodate the appendages, and I smiled as she tucked her wings against her back.
“I hope Jackson’s not in a pissy mood. He’s always nasty when he’s hungover.” My sour words only earned me a hum from Linne, as we stepped into the dusky, early sun, and I raked my hands through my hair with a grunt.
The shift rippled through me to thicken my skin and reform my bones, and the pads of my paws tingled as they hit the concrete sidewalk. Lowering myself for my mate, I waited for her to position herself atop of me comfortably.
A low rumble ripped through my chest as she tangled her fingers in my mane.
The leisurely journey to the training ground was quiet…peaceful...until the sounds of grunts and growls reached my sensitive ears.
Jackson’s irate voice rang out through the noises of mock battle, sharp and unyielding, and I held back a groan of annoyance. My fur bristled as I sauntered past the clan house to catch my first sight of the training field, and my irritation only grew at the general atmosphere of animosity and misery.
Jackson was working everyone hard because he felt like being a fucking asshole this morning, apparently.
“He does not look very happy.” Murmuring softly, Linne squeezed my sides with her thighs as her wings ruffled, and I only licked my teeth absently.
Jackson’s head whipped to the side, eyes blazing as they met mine, and I could tell even from a hundred yards away how hungover he was. His face was pale, gaunt, and there were deep, dark bags under his eyes.
“You’re late, Derek.” The accusation lashed like a whip through the air, and my lips curled into a snarl as tension thrummed through my body. “Get to work. You’re training with Todd.”
That fucking kid… My eyes narrowed into slits as they landed on Todd, jogging towards his Alpha at the sound of his name, and I heaved a frustrated huff.
Sliding off my back, Linne scratched my crown gingerly, in sympathy, before heading over to sit under a small canopy.
But I never got the chance to take a step befor
e painful prickles tore up my spine to attack the base of my skull. Stiffening as my gaze instantly went to the sky, my snarl deepened at the shimmering aura that opened up right above the training field. Everything stopped – even time – as I held my breath, and I crouched low as the tension in my body concentrated on my back legs.
The body that came tumbling out of the opening in the Veil was very obviously male, and I didn’t hesitate this time as memories of Linne’s experience with Kaslni flashed in my mind’s eye.
Launching myself with a furious snarl, the shadows swirled and rippled around me as they surged forward. Hitting the ground hard, with a crisp snap, the male flailed wildly – but I wasn’t burdened by disorientation.
“Derek!” Shadows slithered across the ground, locking the body to the pebble strewn dirt as I pressed one, massive, paw against his lower back. The male froze, wings half-raised, not even daring to breathe, and I leaned down with a threatening growl as adrenaline fueled my furiously beating heart. “Derek – Derek – I know him!”
So close to him, I could see with crystalline clarity as the male recognized Linne’s excited voice, and his eye rolled to catch mine. His pupils blew, shock rippling across his profile, and my mane ruffled as my mate’s slender, familiar fingers threaded through it.
“It’s okay – I know him. He was my Trainer.” My head whipped up, and my thoughts must’ve been emblazoned on my face as Linne shook her head wildly. “Not the one that pushed me off the cliff. My second trainer – his name is Faro. He was very good to me.”
“Why was he dropped here and not back on the west side of town like you were?” Coming up next to my mate, Jackson’s irritability was held back by grave curiosity, and she shrugged absently before tugging at my fur.
“Please let him do, Derek.”
Still feeling reluctant, I let out a sigh, but did as Linne asked. Easing off the male – Faro, Linne’s ‘Trainer’ – I resentfully sat back on my haunches, trying to ignore the restlessness in my muscles. I itched to snap my teeth at Faro, but refrained, not wanting to piss Linne off. But really…I didn’t trust the guy.
“Faro…” Carefully helping her previous Trainer to his feet, Linne checked him over for any injuries, but found none aside from the blood gushing from his nose. He’d fallen a good hundred feet right onto his head, but he didn’t seem to have sustained any brain damage at all.
Which was disappointing.
“Linne – It’s good to see you, but we are not safe here.” Surprise ripped through me as Faro spoke perfect English, and I pushed myself to my paws roughly when he grabbed Linne’s biceps. With urgency marring his sharp features, he glanced around the training yard from under furrowed brows. “Where’s Kaslni? I do not have good news.”
CHAPTER FOUR
Linne
“You cannot trust him, Linne! He is aligned with Bareiijnr – it is the reason I fled our realm. He is dangerous and should be sent back.” Crossing her arms over her chest indignantly, Kaslni glared hotly at Faro, and I wrung my fingers as I nibbled my bottom lip furiously. “Muss has repeatedly stated that things are quiet in the Unseelie realm. The only reason Faro is here, is to kill us.”
“You are an idiot, Kaslni,” Faro stated bluntly, causing Derek to choke on his laughter beside me at Faro’s sharp observation.
I frowned as I tore my eyes from the pair. My mate covered his mouth to hide his smile, and he wrapped his free hand around my hip with a slight shake of his head.
“Who do you think that Muss has been talking to on the other side of the Veil? I told him not to say anything to you because I didn’t have all of the information.”
“Why would Muss listen to you?” The question flew from my mouth, and I bit down on my lip as Faro cast his gaze on me. The fire in his eye diminished some, and he nodded in acknowledgment as my chest tightened. I’d never thought to see Faro again after being banished; even now, I could barely believe I wasn’t still in Derek’s bed, dozing the hours away.
“Muss and I have always had an understanding when it came to you, Linne. We agreed before Kaslni fled to keep the state of the Unseelie realm from you until I could figure out what was really going on. Bareiijnr isn’t just trying to consolidate his power because Kaslni got close to exposing him. He has bigger plans than just stealing Seelie and Unseelie wings.”
“How can you speak English?” Speaking up from my side, Derek squeezed me to him as he finished listening to Faro’s revelation, and my former trainer turned his full attention to my mate. Faro scanned Derek closely – so closely that it was uncomfortable – and I held my breath until he spoke up.
“This is not my first time in the human realm. I’ve been here many, many times. I assume that Linne has not told you about me.” Shaking his head roughly, Faro flexed his wings wide, and I exhaled a gust of breath before he continued.
“That does not matter now. I have come back because I now know what Bareiijnr is planning. He was never fully accepting of my betrayal – if it can be called such a thing – of Kaslni. It took me much longer to obtain sufficient information than I’d expected.”
“Why would we believe anything you have to say, Faro?” Kalsni retorted, and I nearly winced at the angry snap in her voice, as she lashed out at him. But Faro only coolly turned his attention back on her. His ability to keep his composure was impressive, and I forced a deep breath in and out of my lungs.
“Are you implying that I care about whether or not you believe me? I have never played your stupid power games, Kaslni, and I will not start now. I came here because Bareiijnr isn’t after you. He’s after him.” Faro lifted his hand to point directly at Derek, and I stiffened as his body jolted against my own.
“He’s a Descent, and Bareiijnr has known for some time. Descents are more powerful than regular Seelie – and not only that: he is Linne’s mate. He is unfathomably powerful – inheriting not only his own strain of Seelie, but also her Unseelie.”
“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” Derek’s hoarse voice tore from his throat, and I twisted to wrap my arms and wings around him protectively. My mind whirled at this new information; I had never – in my wildest of dreams – suspected that Bareiijnr would be after my mate.
Seelie, but also Unseelie.
“Magic infected this world in the form of Unseelie experiments on Seelie, many thousands of years ago, in your time. Every so often, a Descent will appear. Traditionally, they do not find a way to activate their abilities. You did. Now, you are shifter, Seelie, and Unseelie – a perfect hybrid. Normally, Unseelie wings only work on Unseelie, and Seelie wings only work with Seelie. You can safely use both types of magic, as well as shift. You would be the most valuable Slave ever to have existed if Bareiijnr got his hands on you. And all he needs to do that…” He trailed off, leaving the room in stunned silence, before sighing heavily and facing me. “I came here because Muss has reported to me that Kaslni has…bitten off more than she can chew.”
My heart thundered, sending blood to roar in my ears as silence followed Faro’s explanation. Tightening my hold on my mate, I held my breath and pursed my lips tightly as he held me in a crushing grip. My thoughts raced faster than my ability to process them, and I squeezed my eyes shut in a futile attempt to focus.
Muss had been lying to me for months.
Faro had resorted to spying.
Kaslni didn’t want anything to do with who may or may not kill her even without Bareiijnr’s instruction.
“Derek – what do we do?” Feeling my heart squeezing and stuttering in its cage, I looked up to see Derek had schooled his expression, and he was wearing an emotionless face, even as he pressed his lips to my forehead. Everyone else’s expression had changed, but he remained the same – and I clung to that knowledge using it as assurance, as he took a deep breath to stabilize his emotions.
“We do whatever we have to do, Linne.” His quiet mumble was edged in threat, causing the hairs on the back of my neck to stand on end. Holding me tightly to his side, he
kneaded my hip, and I got the sense he couldn’t wait to sink his claws into Bareiijnr. And, this time, it wouldn’t be just a phantom locked inside my mind.
“Derek, you need to be trained – properly. We will start immediately. There’s no way to know how long you have until Bareiijnr comes to fetch you, and he will bring everything he’s got.” Faro grimaced nastily, and I frowned as my former trainer glared hotly at Kaslni for a short second. “Is there a place we can go?”
“I can clear the training fields, but…if Derek can only summon his pride, how are you going to find out what else he can do?” Speaking up for the first time, Alpha Jackson crossed his arms over his chest to lean back on his heels. He looked much better – as if the crisis had cleared his abused, hungover mind.
Meanwhile, my heart sunk down into the deep pit of my belly. I had heard rumors of this rigorous training process, and I felt worried and uncertain. Faro caught my uneasy gaze, and a long moment of silence passed between us, sending pins and needles of apprehension crawling across my flesh.
“We do not have time to explore more comfortable methods, I’m afraid,” he finally said.
Whimpering softly, I turned my face into Derek’s warm, hard shoulder as Faro’s declaration assaulted my ears, making me feel distressed. “I will force him to molt.”
“Whatever that is, I don’t care. I can take it. How do we do it?” There was no fear in Derek’s deep, rough voice, and I squeezed him tightly as tingles shot up my spine and into my wings. “You torture it out of me?”
“Not in the sense you are thinking of, no. Your shifted form is your link to the magic, much like one of us before the molt. Essentially, I am going to have to split up the parts of you and force them back together.”
“Like Frankenstein…” Alpha Jackson’s input only earned him a look of confusion from me, and I pulled my brows low together, as I watched him shrug. “Don’t mind me. I just run the clan. This is far too fucked up for me to follow.”
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