Muss flexed his wings as he rested his head on my knee. ‘Bareiijnr wanted Derek the Lion, but he could not have him without you. His plan was to capture you and force Derek the Lion to comply. He could’ve hurt you all he wanted, as long as you did not die. However, he did not realize that Derek the Lion is an extension of your magic just as you are an extension of his shifter. I am content knowing that my love for you cannot supersede the mate bond, Linne. Even so, I knew that if I died in the Unseelie realm – you would come for me. Bareiijnr’s attempt to manipulate you with your parents would never have worked, and that is why I urged him to do so.’
My gaze flickered to Muss, and I saw the rampant devotion and trust shinning through all of his eyes, as I gave him a wobbly smile.
‘I have done many things in my lifetime that I am not proud of…but dying for you is not one of them. I do not care about the danger – I do not care about the consequences. As long as I can be with you, I will sacrifice everything and anything.’
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Linne
Smiling with pride as Derek expertly forced his opponent into a trap, I rested my chin on my knees to release a contented sigh. Standing beside me, Faro watched through narrowed eyes, and his wings rustled as he flexed them. He had yet to remove them; I was positive that he wanted to complete Derek’s training before making such a drastic change.
“He’s gotten a lot better since the fight with Bareiijnr,” Faro spoke up softly, and I tore my eyes off my mate to them settle on him.
I watched as my trainer nodded, and stroked his jaw with the backs of his fingers for a few seconds before opening his mouth.
“Training for necessity is important, Linne. When the battle looms, you are at your best and most alert. However, the desire to get better is arguably more important than necessity. There are things in us that are more powerful than fear and anxiety and apprehension – like proving that he is worthy of you and your vast ability…or realizing that his best was not good enough to take the weight of the choices that you had to take on.”
Confusion rose on my brows, and Faro glanced down quickly before ducking his head in a nod. “I am sure that Derek the Lion feels that if he had better control of this magic, he could’ve been the one to kill Bareiijnr and Kaslni – maybe even those pathetic beings that dared call themselves your parents. Those actions take a toll on you, and he probably wishes you weren’t the one to have to shoulder that burden.”
“I do not understand. I do not feel different for it.” Truth rang in my voice, and Faro cracked a slight smile as he shook his head.
“That’s the problem, Linne. It doesn’t bother you that you killed them. When you become what you are, molded by people like Llaiq and Kaslni, it takes a part of you away. Your friend Jon is a good example of what happens to people that are…dehumanized… Although, I wouldn’t say it applies to you in the same sense. Jon was born a killer, and you were made into one.” Looking directly at me, Faro’s small smile widened, and I held my breath as expectation slithered into my veins.
“I am sure, also, that Derek is annoyed he cannot do for you what Muss has done – sacrifice himself for the love he has for you. It is one thing to say that he would die for you, but an entirely different thing altogether to actually do so – and Muss has. Although both males are careful to keep within their boundaries with you, they are still in competition – I suspect they will battle each other until they die.”
“You think that?” Surprise colored my tone, and Faro threw back his head and laughed. I felt heat creep up my neck, and I turned my gaze to my lap as his words circled in my head.
“I believe very strongly that Derek and Muss will always be jealous of what the other has. Derek is your mate, and you love him, but to an extent – that love was forced on you. However, you chose of your own volition to love Muss…” Trailing off, Faro left me in a contemplative silence for a long moment.
“I remember when you molted, Linne... Muss was very jealous because you were naked in front of me even though I only saw your wings. He knew that your body didn’t interest me in the slightest, but it is an emotion he couldn’t control. It is powerful because of his love for you, and he takes solace in the fact that you love him without some outside force dictating that love. However…Derek can mate with you – something Muss can never do. As I said…they know their boundaries. I am sure that this expanse and growth from the both of them is simply male rivalry.”
I was silent for a moment. “…Is it wrong? Am I wrong?” I finally spoke up.
“No.” Faro’s answer was instant, and I gazed out over the training field to find Derek helping up a friend from his clan. They shook hands firmly, and the man didn’t seem to be in any pain.
“Love can never be wrong, Linne – it is the social constructs by which we live in, which falsely define it. You have every right to love Muss, and you have every right to love Derek. You cannot go through your life without loving people. Just as you love the human Chad, your love for Muss, Derek, and everyone else, is different. Derek will never understand what you went through with Muss, and Muss will never understand the mate bond you have with Derek. It is these insurmountable differences that dictate relationships. Your relationship with both males is romantic, but for different reasons – in the same way that your love for the human Chad is platonic.”
“Do you think Muss has a mate in this realm? Maybe an avian shifter?”
“I do not know. If he does find one on your travels, be sure to tell me. That would truly be interesting.”
The conversation died as my mate strode over with languid strides and harsh pants, and I smiled broadly.
“Speaking of, have you decided where to start?” Faro asked, referring to our travels.
“Not yet.” Answering for me, Derek dropped down heavily and swiped his sweat-slicked hair back with a jerk. Reaching across the small space, I carefully wiped the sweat from his face and neck as he took in a huge breath.
“We haven’t talked about it much, honestly. There’s a lot of cleaning-up going on, and we can’t just up and leave… Karina’s clan is going crazy about the Bareiijnr thing, and the witches are even worse.”
“Ah – yes. Melinda still needed a sacrifice to create the portal…” At the mention of the witch’s name, my hands froze, and Derek gripped my wrists firmly as my heart squeezed itself tightly in sorrow.
“The cogs of power are constantly shifting. This is nothing that cannot be rectified. I am surprised, though, that the witches have not yet descended on this clan.”
“They will – they’re just getting their shit together. It’s only been three weeks since it all went down, so their new leader is probably still consolidating power. What about you, Faro? When are you going to remove your wings? Can you do it by yourself?”
Three weeks…
Three weeks was a lot of time, and yet, it was not a lot of time. The sensation of being safe and secure had only just began to settle inside me, and I had to work consciously not to battle it. There had been this threat looming over me for so long, I found it difficult to contest with the fact it was now squashed.
But I had Derek, Muss, and Faro – and my human friends. That was a lot more than anything I’d had before.
“Actually, no – I cannot. Alpha Jackson has offered the assistance of his doctors to remove my wings, and I agreed. These methods are not available across the Veil, and I am curious as to how it would be done. Although they are weary, I requested not to be…put under? I have been through much pain in my life, and this – I can bear for the sake of my own curiosity. It is honestly exciting. I am very much looking forward to it.”
Faro’s excitement was palpable, and I glanced up to find a bright sparkle in his eye that I had never seen before. “We are still discussing the particulars. Until then, I will continue training you. Most likely, I will not undergo this procedure until after you have departed for your travels. Then, I will begin my life as a normal human.”
“Der
ek, we got visitors.” As if magically appearing at the sound of his name, Alpha Jackson came jogging up to us with a scowl. Both my mate and I stood up, and I flexed and stretched my wings as I held my arms taut above my head. “It’s the witches.”
“Damn. I was hoping we would have a little more time.” Mumbling grumpily, Derek huffed as his arm slithered around my waist. The sensation was electric, and my skin washed in goosebumps as his sweat rubbed off on me. Inhaling in his thick, heady scent, I rested my head on his shoulder and folded my wings against my back. “Cleaning up is almost more of a hassle than the actual fight.”
“The witches are aware of the situation, yes?” The four of us started towards the clan house before Faro posed his question, and I glanced over my shoulder to nod firmly. “So, what is the problem?”
“…To get Jennifer and a few of her powerful friends to help us, I might’ve agreed to give them something of Kaslni’s in exchange.” Alpha Jackson let out a low growl at his own admission, and I saw Faro grimace out of the corner of my eye.
The grass was soft underfoot, tickling between my toes as it grew thicker the farther away from the training field we moved.
“I was hoping you’d have a suggestion or two, Faro. I don’t know anything about that shit, but I don’t want to give them something crazy. Honestly, I didn’t think I’d be following through with this at all because I thought Kaslni would run back to her realm as soon as Bareiijnr was dead.”
“So, you lied to them for their cooperation, and now that circumstances have changed…” Trailing off thoughtfully, Faro scratched his jaw as we came up on the back entrance to the clan house.
He continued. “Kaslni is not stupid, thankfully. She did not only bring her most powerful relics. There are a few scrolls the witches will benefit from that will not do much. They need to be translated, though.”
“The witch’s notion of powerful is not very powerful at all…” Memories of my interactions with Savannah brought a smile to my face, and I took the small steps up the porch with a huff. “It is a little pathetic, honestly.”
“Who is the new leader of the witches?” Derek’s question only drew him a curt shake of Alpha Jackson’s head, and I pursed my lips as my laughter dissolved in my throat. “She’s gunna be a bitch, isn’t she?”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Derek
My cock twitched and throbbed in my shorts as I watched Linne shed her human skin; I hadn’t seen her full, Unseelie form yet, and my mouth watered as need tightened my gut.
Her beautiful, long, mahogany hair turned a dull shade of bluish-purple, and her skin glittered as its pigment rippled pale aquamarine. Long, slender fingers tinkled as her claws came out, and thin, curved crystals glimmered when she raised her hand.
She was so fucking beautiful, and I sucked in a sharp breath when her brilliant, green eyes met mine.
“I don’t understand – why is she glowing and you’re not, Faro?” Jackson’s question floated around us, not between us, and I reached to caress Linne’s smooth cheek. The colors shivered and flickered wildly, and my lip twitched up in a smirk even while she tilted into my touch.
“My magic is miniscule compared to hers. Thus, she glows brighter than I do.” Amusement laced Faro’s tone, and I tore my gaze off my mate just as he nodded to her. “I have lived a long, long time, and I know many things – I was a Trainer because I do not possess much magic, though. I am a Lower Unseelie just as she was, but my molt did not elevate me. So, I relied on knowledge instead of magic to get to where I was.”
“Did Kaslni know?” Linne’s voice colored in surprise, and I exhaled roughly when I realized that I was holding in my breath. She was just too gorgeous – no matter which form she chose.
Slowly, Faro shook his head, and he waved his hand in dismissal.
“She did not. She had a particular distaste for Lower Unseelie. As I have told you before, I am much, much older than she was – I trained her. There are many things she didn’t know about me.”
Faro couldn’t say anything more as the front doors of the clan house opened with a flurry, and I whirled around. Tension tightened my shoulders and back, and a snarl lifted my lips as a dozen or so witches spilled into the foyer. My pride swirled in the air in dark wisps, condensing to take on physical shape, and surged forward to keep the haughty bitches a good thirty feet from us.
The group froze – like they hadn’t expected this reaction despite not bothering to knock, or being polite enough not to fling open the fucking door. Their wide eyes darted around, and a slow smirk spread across my face as pride and annoyance clung in equal measures to my ribs.
“You know – barging into someone’s home like that is very impolite.” For once, the witches weren’t a viable threat, and the cockiness lacing Jackson’s voice was thick and strong. All eyes snapped to him, but they didn’t linger long, as they flickered to Linne and then Faro. “Things are going to be different now, you understand.”
“What the fuck is the meaning of this!” The shrill, high-pitched cry dragged out a growl from deep in my chest, and my shadow pride closed in on the group. I just wanted to fucking rip them apart – consequences be damned.
Breaking apart from her entourage, the woman who I assumed was the new Head Chancellor flung out her arm threateningly, but the beta female of my shadow pride was faster.
Over the past weeks, I’d learned some things about these creatures that I could control. I could choose whether or not someone could touch them.
Faro was pretty good at training me, and magic crackled in my veins as my beta female positioned herself in front of the witch. Hackles raised, she stood almost as tall as the woman, and she looked the witch dead in the eye. The Head Chancellor stiffened with indecision.
“We’re not here to fight this time, and you know that you’d probably lose. We just wanted to introduce ourselves to you and vice versa.” I could hear Jackson’s lie clearly; he had the same urge I did to just go balls to the wall. These witches always looked down on us, and he wanted payback. Sure – Savannah had been the queen of all bitches when it came to shifters, but hers wasn’t an isolated opinion.
Anxiety tightened my chest when the new Chancellor didn’t lower her hand, and I clenched my hands into tight fists by my sides.
“I was hesitant to believe Savannah’s desire to kill you was warranted, but obviously she wasn’t exaggerating.” Speaking firmly, loudly, the woman narrowed her eyes on me as she quickly recovered from her shock. “Call back this abomination.”
“Fuck off.” Why is it always a fucking fight with these bitches? It was like they couldn’t be civil – which was ironic because the shifters were supposed to be the savages.
Sneering at me, her fingers twitched with the desire to use her magic, and my eyes narrowed into slits. My heart twisted with need, but my mate’s claw-tipped palms caressed my shoulders and down my chest.
Alarm returned to the Head Chancellor’s eyes as Linne kissed the nape of my neck, and I took in a sharp breath.
“…Anyway, I’m sure you want to get what’s owed to you and leave, as much as I want you off my territory. So – ”
“You’re delusional if you think I’m going to allow this to happen,” the witch scoffed, cutting Jackson off.
I couldn’t stop the tortured groan that escaped my lips, and I ran my palms heavily down my face in frustration. After everything I’d been through, the last thing I wanted was to get involved with witches.
Leaning back against Linne’s soft, plump chest, I rolled my eyes at the woman’s glare.
It’s not like she’s in a position to say anything, either. She didn’t even fucking introduce herself.
“I can always just kill you if you want to fucking start shit that doesn’t even involve you.” Irritation thickened my voice, and I left Linne’s grasp to snatch the scrolls Faro had picked out from the nearby end table. Thankfully, he was staying here and had amassed Kaslni’s collection of shit between two rooms. “Take it and leave.”
Tossing the scrolls carelessly to the ground, I glared hotly at the Head Chancellor, and she glared steadily back.
No fucking translations for you, bitch. The scrolls were useless if she couldn’t read them, and Faro hadn’t gotten around to rectifying that problem. As petty as it was, that knowledge quirked up the corner of my mouth, and tension crackled through the air like an electrical current.
“If you think you have an advantage because of your magic, you’re sorely mistaken, you inbred cripple.” Venom dribbled from her tongue, and I pursed my lips as my mind churned furiously. Not that it really mattered, because Faro chose this exact moment to step out from the back of the group.
“Magic does not make you extraordinary, my dear. It’s how you use it that matters.” The magic weaving through his tone rolled down my spine, and I frowned deeply as the Chancellor noticeably relaxed. “I do not believe it was conducive to our conversation to just burst into a place that you do not own. There are better ways, and I believe one of those ways is to properly introduce yourself. We still do not know who you are.”
Realization slammed into my gut; Faro wasn’t powerful, but his power was extremely potent. The power of persuasion. That’d make sense, because he’s a Lower Unseelie and no one had ever found out. Fuck.
“… Andrea.” Instantly, Andrea’s expression twisted into frustrated confusion, and she turned her glare on Faro. “I’m not here to make nice. I’m here for what was promised to us when you all decided so stupidly that Savannah was going to be sacrificed for no good reason.”
“You weren’t fond of her, though. You craved her power, and now that she’s been disposed of, you have it.” I’d never really understood that Faro was so dangerous; he was just the guy who’d trained Linne. Now, though, that perception of him was crumbling into dust, and I couldn’t help but be impressed.
Retribution Page 8
