by M F Adele
“I think she’s more hurt than anything, York,” I admitted to him. “You didn’t trust her. You didn’t tell her what was going on. To her, you just disappeared. No explanations. No goodbye. Nothing.” I grimaced as I told him the truth he needed to hear.
He opened his eyes and they swelled with unshed tears. He clenched his jaw to hold them at bay. When the first tear trailed down his cheek he looked away from me and back to the sky. “She’s my mate. What was I supposed to do? Tell her? Do you know what she would’ve done, Stone?” He asked me with a hint of fear in his voice. “Exactly what she did last night, except she’d have done it by herself. I couldn’t risk her getting caught.” His tone was rough with emotion as he pushed the words out. His hands were fisted so tightly that his knuckles were changing color.
“We’re all her mates. It’s not like I don’t understand your side, because I do. I also understand hers though.” I wanted to remain a neutral party in their issues, but I knew he needed someone to talk to. York had been my friend for years. I would always be honest with him.
“No,” he whispered. “She’s not just a potential mate, Stone. We sealed the mate bond.” He paused to let his statement sink in and I turned wide eyes to him. “I never said anything to her about it. I thought that she knew, but after some time I figured out that she wasn’t aware of it. She’s so powerful that she didn’t notice any new abilities, but I did. My own power increased considerably. Magic I’d not been able to wield before was as easy as breathing, like second nature.” He blew out a strained breath and I waited for him to continue. He’s frustrated with himself, but also with her. I get it. I probably would be too.
“I filled her greenhouse with plants from my kingdom. I shouldn’t have been able to do that without seeds. I did though, with nothing but the thought of missing my homeland. I grew them with no seeds or soil. Not even water. Look.” His request was urgent. York opened his hand, palm facing up and as if out of thin air a flower bloomed. Not an earthly flower. It resembled a daisy but the petals were twisted and warped. It was a deep plum color with a feather-like texture, and the stem it grew from curled around his wrist like a delicate bracelet. Over the years of our friendship I’d seen him create many things, but never from nothing.
“So,” I started as my fraying thoughts began to form, “That time you and Vaughn were sword fighting in the backyard at our old house and you lost a couple fingers?” It made me smile thinking about it. Back then? Not so much.
He chuckled as he nodded his head. “I stitched my fingers back on with grass from the yard. That shouldn’t even be possible. It wasn’t sterile, that’s for sure. Still, somehow the earth magic healed me. I've got no scars or suppressed motion. It’s like it never happened. I healed as fast as Novak would have, but it worked more like how Vaughn heals his injuries with his ice.” He flexed his fingers and smiled down at them.
“And that was after you sealed the bond?” I needed clarification. What could Sloane do if she had been practicing with his earth magic? Her possibilities really would be limitless when she was bound to us all.
“Yeah, man!” He exclaimed, breaking me out of my thoughts. “That’s what I’m saying. Think about what could have happened if those idiots who kidnapped me had found out that we were mated. She was already powerful, and she’d barely dipped past the top of her well. Every time she takes another mate we all grow, not just her.” He stopped to let me think about what he was saying before he explained more.
“Draining her power compared to other supes… is like solar panels compared to double A batteries. We all run out of power eventually, but she keeps soaking it in. The same things that energize us will energize her, but there’s six of us. We all feed off of different things. I’m not talking about food, Stone. I’m talking about walking across the dirt barefoot and replenishing my power. How fire makes you feel alive and ready to run a marathon. The same way shifting between forms never wears Briggs down. Think about that. Think about how strong she’s gonna be, how strong we’re all gonna be, when she’s taken all of her mates. Think about being encased in ice and having your flames burning hotter than ever, not dying out. Look. See if your heat wilts this flower.”
I summoned a small ball of orange and yellow flames into my palm and moved my hand closer to York. He didn’t pull away as the fire danced across the space between us. The flower didn’t wilt. It was almost as if it was impervious to the flames licking down the petals and around the stem. York’s skin didn’t burn either. I increased the heat, turning the fire light blue in color. This should be melting the skin off of him. He never even flinched from it. The flower remained untouched. I stared in wonder and disbelief as I sucked the flames back into my hand and touched the petals to see if they’d fall apart. They were hot, but that was it. It felt like it had been sitting in front of a space heater, not surrounded by hellfire.
“Do you see what I’m saying now?” He quizzed me.
“Yeah,” I acquiesced. “I see everything you’re saying and everything you’re not. This is a big deal, York. A huge fucking problem too, if the wrong people find out about this. You have to tell her.”
I looked up at the streaks of sunlight as I thought about the ramifications of what he’d just told me. Can we keep her safe? Will we be enough to keep her safe? The threat was far from over. Sure, we took out a significant player in the power draining game. Other farms would arise though. More people would start hunting her when word spread about her being basically limitless. Is she limitless? We needed to test her. Push her to the point of exertion and see how far she could go. We need to ask Jack.
Palmer was right about training with each other. We could all take lessons from her on movement. She fought as effortlessly as water flowing downhill last night. Not one obstacle stood in her way. We have to get stronger. For us and for her. We can’t be the weaknesses that bring her down.
“I know what you’re thinking, mate,” York pointed out as my emotions teetered on a knife's edge. My demon surged to the surface with barely contained anxiety over the mate we’d yet to claim. “We won’t be her downfall.”
“You sound confident,” I brooded.
“I am,” he acknowledged simply. “You’ll see. The Fates have spoken. The weapon is on our side. All we have to do is keep her out of the wrong hands and make sure she stays happy.”
“Oh yeah,” I laughed, “And just how do you plan to do that?”
“Well, I know this smooth talking Mage,” he countered. “He’s pretty good at working his magic. All I need to do is set the scene.”
I can tell you now, I don’t want any part of his plan. He was going to do her how he used to do Briggs. Piss her off and let Palmer smooth things over so he can swoop in and apologize. I didn’t think it was gonna work on her, but watching him get his ass kicked should be fun. Tomorrow.
“Tomorrow,” I repeated out loud. “Do it tomorrow evening. She’ll be in a great mood after Novak and I pay up on our debt.”
I dreaded tomorrow for more than one reason. Watching them argue would suck. Knowing he’d planned it would be even worse. Wearing a skirt for two hours while I cleaned nothing? That was humiliating. It’d be funny if it wasn’t me though. For once I was almost thankful that the Druid didn't ask me what we owed, but that quickly turned to suspicion when I noticed his lopsided grin. I made a decision right then and there. No more bets with Sloane. I'll let the rest of them suffer.
Sloane
Monday Late Morning
I spent an hour or more talking to Levi about his new position and the changes I planned to make at CBP. He would be starting next week, and we were both excited about it. Vaughn was freaking out because he didn’t call into work and let them know he’d be out today, or late. It’s only 9 o’clock. He’s not that late. It wasn’t like I didn’t know the boss or anything.
“Yeah, you should be worried. I heard your new boss is a dick,” Briggs joked with Vaughn and me. Novak whispered “Magnet,” gaining everyone’s attenti
on at once.
“What!?” He questioned us with a guiltless voice. “You were all thinking about it. I just said it out loud.” He turned to Vaughn with his brow raised skeptically. “You didn’t notice when you were at the bar with her? Because I damn sure did.”
Vaughn used his right hand to rub his left shoulder as he stared dumbfounded at the Vampire. “Uhm, yeah, but calling her a dick seems a little rude, Novak.”
“I didn’t call her a dick,” he gasped and slapped his hand to his beatless heart in mock horror before pointing to the Shifter. “Briggs did. I just insisted she was dick magnet. And hello, look around us.” He spread his arms wide at the evidence of his words.
“I am right here,” I admonished the group. “Are we going to work or not?” Vaughn nodded his head vehemently as he walked around the table in my direction.
“Yes, I haven’t missed a day since I started. This is the first day I’ve been late,” he nervously admitted.
“I think your boss will understand,” I stated dryly, “And since I fired everyone between your position and mine… I’m your boss. I won’t write you up for being late today.” I winked at him but he was not joking about his work ethic. Noted.
“I’ll mist us home,” he announced as he reached for me, placing his large, shimmering hand on my slim shoulder.
“Right, you boys have fun on the ride home,” I managed to squeeze out before we transformed into water. We fled through the ice cold Void, landing in the foyer of our home. That still feels weird to say. Misting was a wild feeling. I could feel my body disintegrate into tiny particles, but I could also feel Vaughn’s hand on my shoulder throughout the process. There is a numbing chill that hits your bones before everything returns to the way it was before you misted.
When we landed Vaughn looked down to his clothes. He moved to the doorway leading to the staircase as he spoke. “I’ll only be a minute. I need to change clothes.” Honestly, he looked fine. His dark jeans were work appropriate and his white t-shirt would be covered by his lab coat. He didn’t need to dress formally to go to work. I’m starting to wonder if he just doesn’t want to be alone with me.
“You know, if you just told me what you wanted to wear I could snap my fingers and pull clothes from your closet, right?” I informed him. I suppose he didn’t know. “If you could open your mind to me then I could visualize it and that would be it. You’d be dressed and we could ride to work together. I’ll even let you drive,” I teased.
“You’re sure that’s a good idea? What if it causes problems? Are you ready to handle those kinds of accusations as soon as you take over? What happens when the factory floor falls apart because I’m not there to corral everyone?” His inquisition made me pause. He definitely doesn’t want to be by himself with me.
I eased into his personal bubble and wrapped my arms around his neck. “You need to relax,” I murmured with my face inches from his. “There’s no need to be worried about what anyone else says.” I pushed my body against his, and he moved his hands from his sides to my waist. “I’ve handled worse allegations in a workplace, and none of those were true. The floor won’t crumble without you there for an hour or two. Take a deep breath and calm down,” I instructed him.
“That’s really hard to do with you pressed against me like you are,” his whisper soft breath caressed my cheek, making me arch into him more.
“Do you want me to move?” I inquired huskily. My need amped up a notch with every second we touched. My skin felt like molten lava and his an arctic ocean. As I waited for the steam to rise from our joined bodies he mumbled, “We should go.”
Those three words doused my core with icy resolve. “Yeah, we should,” I replied breathlessly, “But we’re gonna finish this when we get to work,” I told him. I gazed at him with half lidded eyes, hoping the look on my face would make my intentions clear. His eyes rolled back and he groaned to himself before he dragged me in the general direction of the garage.
Once inside, I strolled to the frame mounted on the wall that held the keys to a few different cars. I have a problem. I’m working on it. I selected the set that belonged to my Audi R8 Coupe and tossed them to Vaughn. He’ll be the first person to drive this car other than me, but that’s okay. I wasn’t in much of a driving mood. We both slid down in the smooth leather seats and the V10 roared to life.
Vaughn sped the entire way to work, and I couldn’t decide if it was because he was enjoying my car or if he was just really that worried. I tried to send a few emails, but typing correctly spelled words seemed impossible with him swerving between lanes. When we pulled up to the gate the security guard manning the entrance didn’t even check our IDs. Fucking ridiculous! Security is getting revamped next week, so I’ll post some hiring ads today. That was the least that I could do to help Levi with his new position. So much for no firing sprees.
We parted ways at the elevators. Vaughn was going down and I was going all the way up. This was the first time I’d be seeing my office as mine and not someone else's. I knew I would be spending half the day unpacking things and setting it up. That’s the fun part, right? The corridor on the top floor was just as plain as the rest of the structure. This place needed a cosmetic overhaul, but it could wait. Not the top priority, Sloane.
As I strolled leisurely down the hall I noticed a horrendous smell and an open door. You’ve got to be kidding me! Upon closer inspection I realized the odor was coming from David Preston’s office. That meant the weekend security never did their rounds on the top floor. Fuck my life. I hate Mondays. Why did I even come in? Knowing I wasn’t being recorded by the shitty, outdated system that was in here last week, I decided to play it up a little bit. The new system that I had installed would catch every movement and breath.
I stopped walking and sniffed at the air, moving from door to door, before I got to the source. Rotting flesh had a way of making your stomach turn, and I found myself thankful that I hadn’t eaten anything. I paused at the door and knocked, making a play of leaning in to look through the crack Vaughn and Novak had left. Raising a shaking hand to the handle, I pushed it open and screamed at the top of my lungs. No one heard me. I’m the only one up here. I backed up until my ass hit the wall and fumbled for my cell phone as I slid down to the carpeted floor. I called 911 to report the murder, then called the security desk. I had to call three times before anyone picked up. They’re all getting fired. Every last one of them.
The elevators pinged as they opened, and four guards stepped out. I stood and straightened my shirt. My fucking crop top. I should have changed clothes, damn it. “Don’t go in there!” I had to shout at them as they bee-lined for the open office door. “What are you thinking?”
They all stopped as they noticed me. The guy who thought he was in charge stepped up. “We need to check the area out.” I did not like his tone. He clearly doesn’t know who I am.
“No, you don’t,” I snapped. “I’ve already called the police. What you need to do is have someone stand guard so no one can enter until they get here. I want one person by the door and one at the elevator. Do not touch that door or anything near it. The rest of you can come downstairs with me and wait for the cops to get here. They’ll want statements from the guards who checked off on the patrol log showing they made their rounds this morning. We’ll need to call in the guys that worked this weekend as well.” The man standing in front of me swallowed hard as his face paled.
“Of course,” he affirmed, sounding both polite and disrespectful in those two words. Or maybe I’m just accustomed to being addressed properly. I pointed to the three guys behind him. “You two take up posts. You call the guards in from the weekend shift.” I turned my glare to the main guy. “You're coming with me,” I bit out, clenching my fists at my side as I sped to the elevator.
The cops showed up in heaps, parking all over the sidewalk in front of the lobby doors and filling the visitor parking spaces. They swarmed the top floor, using the empty offices to interview the guards and myself. I sign
ed my statement and gave them access to the security room so they could review the new camera feeds and old footage from Friday before the upgrades occurred. Then, I told them that I had a meeting with an employee. I excused myself to my office after giving the officers a description of Vaughn, so they wouldn’t stop him.
I spent twenty minutes picking up books off the floor and stacking them neatly on the built in shelves before there was a knock at the door. Vaughn came in before I could say anything. I set a handful of books down and leaned against my desk as I told him everything that had happened in the last two hours. He sat in the chair across from me, listening intently while pressing the fingers of his right hand to his forehead. “Why did you call me up here?” He inquired, confused. “There’s nothing I can do.”
I smirked at him and crossed the distance in two steps, plopping down sideways in his lap. “I seem to remember telling you this morning that I was going to finish what I started. Have you already forgotten?”
He repositioned me across his lap and tugged at the ends of my loose hair. “Now?” He looked doubtful. “Are you serious?” His voice rose a little when I ran my hand down his chest.
“Shhhh, there are cops crawling all over the place,” I grinned at him and started kissing down his neck.
“Sloane.” He pleaded, the sexy kind of whine tinging his low voice.
“Ms. King,” I corrected with my lips against his skin. “We are still at work.”
He groaned deep in his chest before replying, “Ms. King. This is highly inappropriate behavior for the workplace.” His face betrayed every one of his words.
“Are you telling me no?” I purred in his ear and his cock swelled beneath me. “Or, are you telling me you can’t be quiet?”
“That’s not what I’m saying,” his rebuttal was husky and laden with need.
