Team Inez (House of Garner Book 2)

by Erin R Flynn

  It took a good dose of power, maybe a third of the huge rush I’d gotten from Cerdic. I also felt a bit lightheaded and gave myself a moment to let that pass, glad when I felt his hand on my hip in a reassuring way while holding me against his strong body. When I was better, I moved to the pile of grains that really looked like pixels—tiny, bead sized pixels—and reformed the semi.

  That was harder than destroying, and the only reason I didn’t land on the ground was Cerdic being so quick. He swooped me up into his arms and gave me a soft kiss.

  “That’s step one. We’re going to try for step two while playing with the onslaught of ghosts you will undoubtedly have soon. So you need more fuel as well.” He waited until I nodded, racing us back to camp. He snickered as he set me on my feet. “Apparently there are some cats who want to make sure you still love them.”

  I wasn’t sure what he meant until I saw two leopards—I could now tell they were Wilson and Wolfe after having seen them in animal form—stacking dead ducks next to one of the tables being used for butchering. I let out a giggle, and it built into giggles fast. I had said the duck I’d tried had been one of my favorite things like ever. I went over to them and kissed their noses.

  “Thank you, and I woves you guys too. I’m not cleaning those birds though.”

  “I don’t mind doing it, Princess,” one of the shifters told me. “The bird shifters have a hard time, as I would if someone asked me to skin a wolf for dinner, but the big predator shifters have not a problem with it.”

  I shivered. “Thank you. It’s not the type of blood and guts I can handle. And Inez is fine.”

  “I thank you, but others could misunderstand that people aren’t showing you the respect you deserve, and you do deserve it,” he said, dipping his head. “Which is why we want to give you the respect instead of feeling we have to or it’s expected of us.”

  “Thanks.” I felt my cheeks flush and left him and others to handle the butchering.

  I had mounds of bread to enjoy. Apparently there were a lot of everyone who had helped with the wheat we’d gotten and used the trailers with equipment to put it to good use. And someone had found another dairy farm that had lactating cows because there was more milk and people doing whatever with it.

  “You’re really okay with Cerdic?” I checked with Jaxon when he joined me as I stuffed my face.

  He nodded, leaning in and kissing my hair. “We meant it when we said we were. We don’t know these new nobles or vampires yet, but the three of us agreed that we would discuss things and trust each other. We trust you.” He waggled his eyebrows. “How was it? Did he make my delicious princess scream?”

  I felt my cheeks flush yet again, not able to process how he could just accept like that. I’d lose my mind if he touched another woman. “No, I like the idea of going slow. You and Darius were flukes that were perfect to jump in with. I want to make sure I never risk what we have again. Cerdic agreed to my tough negations.”

  “As he should.” He moved his hand to my thigh. “Darius and I have a present coming for our perfect fiancée who’s been so understanding and spoiling us.”

  “You guys didn’t need to do that,” I argued even as I was vibrating with excitement. They were the only people who had ever given me presents, but I’d liked the ones I’d gotten so far. I mean, not everyone woman would want a sniper rifle, but to me it meant they saw me, who I really was, and liked that person. “I was thinking of doing something nice because of how awesome you guys were last night.”

  “It was our pleasure. We want less baddies and danger in the world too,” he reminded me. “You wearing skirts and helping us with our clawing need for you is everything, Inez. You are amazing when so many princesses are horrible and selfish.”

  “I sort of like the skirts going commando,” I admitted, thinking of all the sexy fun we’d had. “I think as long as it’s not heels during the apocalypse and the wind isn’t so chilly I could get used to them.”

  “As I said, perfect. You are perfect.”

  I didn’t think I was anywhere close to that, but I was glad they were so happy. The ghosts started as I finished stuffing my face, and it was just Cerdic and me today, the guys knowing he was up to something and leaving us be. I appreciated it especially when shit hit the fan fast because I didn’t want them to worry.

  “There are so, so many,” I whispered as they gathered around the SUV and fast, way faster than before. “I know I killed a lot, but they come as I killed them and this has to be—”

  “I was worried about this,” he admitted, throwing the SUV into drive and punching it. “You accepted seven more knights, love. And they killed a lot of fucking corrupted last night.”

  “Oh fuck,” I breathed, my heart racing.

  “I got you. We got this,” he promised, reaching for my hand. “Just do your thing and we’ll get it done.”

  I nodded, focusing on the four that appeared in the SUV and dissipating them. Okay, I could do four. I had this.

  I could handle this.

  I couldn’t handle this. We didn’t even make it fifteen minutes before I was about to claw my arms off. Cerdic begged me to hang on as he whipped into the base they’d already broken down the gates for. He stopped at a row of choppers, and I bolted out.

  “These three,” James said, his eyes wide as he realized things weren’t going as planned. He was already jogging to what was next, knowing Cerdic would bring me over. Next were three large planes and a bunch of smaller jets. I was wiped by that and a bit dizzy.

  “We got you, love,” Cerdic promised as he carried me back to the SUV. He was handing me food the whole time we drove around, but the next time he took me back to the airport and this time had me pixelate a bunch of vehicles in the parking garage. I had no idea what he was up to, but I did it. He radioed where we’d done it as we got back in the SUV. I didn’t ask, focused on eating and hydrating.

  And trying to make it through what was already in front of me to handle. What came next could just come next and wait its damn turn.

  We went for hours, longer than I had since that first long fighting night after the leopards had become mine. The second I saw Jaxon, my fangs came out, thirsty and ready for him to do everything to my body after so much energy had coursed through me.

  And did he ever. He gave my body everything it needed against an airplane hangar away from the eyes of others, but they could undoubtedly hear me since I doubted I was anything but loud given the ringing in my ears.

  “I love you, Inez,” he breathed in my ear when I was sated and spent, making me smile and tell him the same.

  We cleaned up and fixed our clothes before joining the others. I did a double take when I saw the huge piles of those pixelated beads I’d turned the long term parking garage into.

  Cerdic gave the people there several annoyed looks before coming over to me and taking my hands. “This is step three. Maybe, hopefully, but the tossers are hanging out to see after I asked them to clear out what you did. Ignore them and just focus on your sexy teacher.”

  I snorted and let him lead me over to the first pile. “Put them back to the vehicles? I can’t remember what was with what and it’s all mixed now.”

  “Yeah, they are, and we don’t need those vehicles, but everything you need to put together a different vehicle is in here. There were metals for engines, rubber for tires and hoses—it’s all here, Inez.”

  My eyes went wide as it sunk in. “You want me to make a fucking electric semi from other vehicles?”

  “I want you to try. It should work. In theory. If it doesn’t, so what?” He shrugged. “This is still better than leaving the vehicles to rot and become an eyesore. There are others who can use certain powers to reform or convert materials like the tree pixels or whatever you called it into wood beams. I’ve seen it.” He gave me a soft kiss. “You got this, and if you prove me right, I have a gift to give my princess.”

  I flushed. What was with these guys and gifts all of a sudden?

&
nbsp; I liked it.

  I nodded, went over to the massive pile of beads, and took in a deep breath, knowing I had to get this energy out of me. I focused as I had when I’d made the semi, not worrying about the logistics or conversions, just I wanted a semi and my power was going to give me one because I was the boss and a badass princess.

  Or that was what I was going for.

  I kept focusing even as I saw the beads start moving, knowing it wasn’t really about touching them but near their vibrating energy or whatever. I used the power and used more until I felt like there was nowhere left for it to go. My eyelashes fluttered as my body felt too heavy.

  “Did I do it?” I asked Cerdic as he swooped me up into his arms.

  “That you did, love, that you did,” he whispered, kissing my forehead. “You made three.”

  “Nice.” I passed out before I even got to see them. I thought that was the least my body deserved after reforming energy and decomposing car beads into electric semis.

  16

  Kristof

  I was losing my fucking mind. I had been from the moment she’d nearly pissed herself in fear when I’d confronted her about avoiding me. No, it had started the first time she’d ducked me, blurting her plans and then watching those plans, watching her please them.

  Watching that fucking naked Scrabble and hearing her pleasure I wasn’t giving her had about done me in. And then watching Cerdic get an in with her with the tai chi, watching them get closer.

  Everyone always wanted to be closer to Cerdic. I couldn’t even fault them. He was a good guy. I liked him. I just didn’t like him by her when I wasn’t, feeling enraged that he was taking my place and doing it better than I could. But the way he flowed and moved in a group was his most attractive quality. I could see how much she needed that.

  Especially after I’d hurt her. Listening to her cry that night had about unraveled me mentally and emotionally. I’d hurt her so much just by being me, and when she’d said she wished she’d never come near me, it had felt worse than a sword twisting through my gut.

  And I deserved everything I was getting. I hadn’t even realized half of my comments until she’d mentioned them. I was angry, and none of it was her fault. Here I’d assumed she was playing me and instead, I’d ruined everything.

  But I was thousands of years old. I could fix it. Finding the lactating cows and giving her milk was a good first step. Making sure she had what she needed and showing I was paying attention would be a good first step.

  Except it wasn’t. She didn’t see the gestures or my trying, too wounded to even let me try and heal the hurt.

  Still, I had time. I was a patient man, and I could figure out what I wanted and fix things.

  Apparently time wasn’t on my side though as a ship with over a thousand shifters, nobles, and vampires had come into port. I’d watched as she’d moved around and found more knights, floored at how powerful she, the little baby vampire, already was to have the spirit animals of all cats, not just one. And that would have been amazing given she had the ghost power as well.

  So that situation was maddening, and then she started bleeding. Then I knew I’d already lost my fucking mind. The need hit me hard, the fire her blood started in me burned and burned me all over. I was so stupid. All my thousands of years of barely noting it, and here I’d finally found blood that sang to me as hers did, and I’d lost everything.

  That night things had gotten too hairy for my liking, the amount of corrupted coming for her at least double the educated estimates. I honestly thought about checking cemeteries and wondering if bodies were coming up out of the ground just for her with how many that had come. It had been a long, long time since I’d been scared, and I’d been terrified we weren’t going to be enough.

  Petrified I could lose her. And that was the moment I’d realized how badly I’d fucked up. I’d been so busy dealing with my old traumas and wounds I hadn’t seen how much salt I’d poured into hers while trying to protect myself and angered in the rat maze Aether was trying to put me through.

  The third day of her bleeding I couldn’t take it anymore. I couldn’t take seeing her get closer with Cerdic or how she spoiled Darius and Jaxon. I couldn’t see any more of the shifters become enamored with her or the nobles cracking and dying to give her official greetings.

  I couldn’t be patient anymore. If I waited, I could lose her for good as she filled up her court and life with those who weren’t assholes and didn’t hurt her.

  “I’ve got Inez,” I called to the others when she came out of the camper that morning. Her eyes went wide and filled with fear as I moved my arm around her. “To talk.” I didn’t wait for her answer, whisking her far away from the others so we had some privacy.

  Except I didn’t know how to start.

  “You needed me?” she whispered when I was silent and kept her against me. It was actually the perfect thing to say because I did.

  Fuck, did I need her.

  I took her hand and moved it into my pants, letting her feel my cock was hard. “This is yours. This is because of you.”

  She tried to pull away. “I saw you with those women. Don’t feed me bullshit. I get it, you can get whatever females to play your sluts and I didn’t matter.”

  “No, no, that’s not true,” I rasped, pressing her against the wall of the barn I’d brought us to. “That was for you as well. Yes, I let them have fun with the biggest cock they’d ever seen—their words even—but I was hard for you, Inez.” I pressed my lips to her ear as I moved against her hand, so out of my mind for her and that I’d hurt her. “You are the first woman in over two centuries to get me hard.

  “None even remotely interested me. I couldn’t even imagine one who would make my body react to even masturbate. And then I see this vision, and I’ve been hard ever since.” I kissed her neck. “Please hear me out. Please. I know I made so—I didn’t mean to hurt you. I’m sorry I did. I didn’t see what I was doing. I was angry, so angry, but not at you. I let my past cloud what I saw.”

  “Fine, we can talk but not like—”

  “Don’t say no,” I begged, nibbling her ear. “Please don’t say I’ve ruined it all. I’m sorry. I—please help me. No princess has made me wild like this. I’m trying so hard to keep control, but I need you.” I leaned back and met her glazed over eyes, but realizing she was upset with herself for feeling that way. “You can be angry at me and know there’s still something here. That’s not a doormat.”

  “You treat me like one,” she snapped, squeezing my cock harder than I would have thought she’d dare.

  “You’re not,” I groaned, moving faster. “Fuck, fuck, you’re not. It’s my fault. It’s all my fault. You are perfect. You are amazing. It wasn’t your fault you bewitched me. You weren’t playing me.” I came with a grunt, pleasure rocking my body even as I needed more of her. I brought us over to some horse blankets that were stacked in a corner and got undressed.

  “No, I’m not letting you fuck me,” she whispered. “You said to talk.”

  “I’m offering you all of me,” I breathed, my fear and clawing panic easing when she shivered. I lay down and let her decide what she wanted. “Will you give your word that what I tell you stays with us?”

  She nodded, realizing I was really trying to fix things and not fuck with her. “I would never tell your secrets. Why are you doing it naked though?”

  “Because you like the way I look naked,” I admitted. “I want you to bleed on me more than my next breath, maybe more than I’ve ever wanted anything in my very long life, but I’m offering whatever you want.” I let out a shaky breath. “I’ve never trusted anyone with this nor told people, so I only meant to hug you and feel comforted I think.”

  Even in her upset her heart was still so pure and big that she actually came closer. After a moment she straddled my thigh as if saying she would touch me but not make it sexual as I’d wanted.

  Except she wasn’t wearing fucking panties and feeling her bare pussy on my th
igh drove me nuts. Staring into her eyes, I thought she might know that and be giving me a taste of my own medicine.

  Well, I deserved that, but at least she was still there.

  “First off, you clearly have realized I don’t have a high opinion of princesses.” I winced when she snorted. “I always make comments, and I wasn’t registering them. I’m sorry for that. I did not make them with the intent of being so pointed or in judgement of you. I have thousands of years’ experience and reason to loathe princesses.”

  “Then why come near me at all?”

  I winced again. “You offered me the fantasy I’d always wanted.”

  She blushed so hot so fast she almost looked lightheaded. “A princess on her knees and letting you treat her like you think we deserve.” She pushed to stand, looking heartbroken.

  “Yes, but no,” I argued, grabbing her wrist and yanking her back down, which made her plop on my groin. “That was an accident.” She rolled her eyes like she wasn’t buying it. “Yes, I’ve always wanted a princess on her knees for me, but it was not about treating one as I thought they deserved. I swear that to you.”

  Her eyes filled with understanding. “You wanted one not to treat you like shit and make you kneel to them.”

  I nodded, feeling like I was seconds from splitting apart inside, and knew it was time to just get it all out. “My first real memory was watching my mother bathe in the blood of her nobles. And I mean an actual bathing tub filled with their blood in her chambers. They would cut themselves and bleed into the bath like livestock being drained before a roast.

  “And she treated them as well as animals to be slaughtered. Her sons were there to witness this so we learned early what we were born for, our place in life. I don’t know which noble was my father, as that didn’t matter. She wanted to reproduce again and did, none of us worth caring about enough to tell me or him that he was a father.”

  “I’m sorry,” she whispered, moving to get more comfortable, turning her wrist so we were holding hands. “That’s horrible.”