by A. E. Via
“He is coming, Farica.” Justice glared. “Be patient.”
“He is here,” Taleb said from the entrance to the living, his masculine, sure voice cutting off the remaining chatter.
Adres didn’t know Taleb Volkov as well as he’d gotten to know his siblings over the past months, but he understood him to be the most intelligent and steadiest of his brothers. Adres had not seen Taleb since before he’d left for the Monstrous Reef. Somehow, he looked older, more mature, in his dark blue jeans and crisp white collared shirt.
There were gasps and other vocal reactions as Taleb reached behind him and took each of his mates’ hands, “Justice, Wick, family. I want you to meet my mates. Henry Fitzwell.” The usually shy vampire stood at his alpha’s side with his head high and his mating mark on full display. Adres’s eyes widened when Taleb motioned for his second mate to come forward. “And Orion Whitefly.”
It was almost comical the way everyone in the room turned their noses upward, nostrils flaring as they inhaled the omega’s amazing scent, which was still as incredible as before, but minus the heat and pheromones, therefore far less trance-inducing. The stunning white-haired man blinked, his long lashes fanning over his violet eyes as he smiled at them as if the pleasure was all his.
“I’ve been waiting to meet you all for so long.” He sounded as if he was a descendant of Apollo, the god of poetry and song.
“We have been waiting too. It is good to see you well,” Farica said, her gaze eating up the handsome omega. “We have a lot of questions for you.”
“That is why he’s here. He has the answers I have been searching for my whole life.” Taleb responded. He motioned for his mates to sit on one of the love seats while he sat between them. “What is the prophesy, and will it ever come to pass?”
“You said you are the prophesy.” Wick stood at the front of the room with Justice, their guards standing directly behind them. “Meaning…?”
“History has shown us that the prophesy will always reveal itself when needed. Vampires and shifters are natural enemies, and it is instinctive for you to distance from each other over time. But,” Orion stressed, “if the divide becomes too great, mayhem, rivalry, and war always follow. And then he will resurrect again.”
“The sorcerer of strife,” Taleb said grimly.
“Yes. Like now.” Orion eyed each of them as he spoke, his voice seeping with emotion that kept them riveted and on the edges of their seat. “Your species has never been more divided before Wick came to Justice.” Orion smiled beautifully. “And so it began.”
“How old are you?” Adres asked, remembering this man. Wrath was correct. Adres had rescued him when he was just a boy.
“You remember me now, dark warrior.”
“I do.” Adres frowned, trying to understand.
“I am two hundred and forty-six years old.”
“How is that possible? Shifters, especially omegas, don’t live that long,” Justice said.
“There’s a couple reasons for that, Alpha. One, there is no growing old and weary in the fairy lands. And two, most of all, I am ageless, because the blood of a Titan god courses through my veins.” Orion motioned towards Adres.
“Everything that has happened has been with a specific purpose. My parents were the leaders of the NorthStar pack. My father was an alpha, and my mother a fairy omega. One of the few that were left in the world.” Orion’s tone dropped several octaves, and so did the entire mood of the room. “I was only twelve when my home was raided by a rogue coven of vampires. My entire pack was being murdered before Adres and his brothers appeared.”
All eyes were on Adres, but he was focused on Orion. Now that Adres was whole and had his memories back, he remembered that night as if it had happened yesterday. The curse in him at the time was only a hundred years old, still fresh and wreaking havoc on his life. But Adres had wielded his magical plague like a weapon and had gone after feral and corrupted vampires without mercy.
How could he have forgotten those eyes and the hope and freedom that radiated from Orion’s core when Adres had shoved the small, bloody wolf under his cloak and protected him with his shields? And even though Adres couldn’t pull from his goodness and light at the time, he just knew without question that he had to save Orion. “He was beaten and wounded when I found him. His entire pack was killed, so therefore my brothers and I thought he was as good as dead. Even around the wickedness inside of me, something deep within told me to save him.”
Against his brother’s wishes, Adres had bitten into his wrist and placed it to the pup’s mouth and let him drink. “I healed him with my blood enough to survive the ride on Război’s back all the way to the Monstrous Reef and beyond.” Adres could feel Macauley in his mind reliving the memory with him. He gripped his beloved’s hand for his strength. “I gifted the omega back to the fairies, and in return, they gave me back part of my light that had been shaded by the sorcerer.”
Before Adres had left the fairy lands, he recalled how Orion had reached for his soul with his—perhaps so he’d be able to find him again—but he’d come up empty. The small wolf had whined for him not to go, but Adres didn’t turn around, knowing he would never be permitted to stay. “I prayed he would be safe and that the fairies would give him a good life.”
Now there he was. Strong, gorgeous, mated, and magical.
“If it was not for a horseman, I would be dead by now. He took me to the only place I would be safe. I had already gone through puberty, so my scent would have gotten me killed or taken long ago if I wasn’t hidden away.” Orion touched Taleb and Henry’s cheeks. “I did not know it then, but the prophesy had already begun. The fairies had never seen a horse god, a vampire, risk their life for a shifter. We prayed to the Mother, and it was almost a year before she came and told me my destiny.”
“Which is…” Justice baited.
Orion stood, his eyes alight with magic. “You, Justice, are the alpha, who started it all, and I… am the omega.”
“The end is here, brothers,” Taleb told them.
Macauley held Adres’s hand as the worry and emotion of what he’d gone through to save Orion that day bled into his mind. There had been so much darkness and rage in his mate back then, yet he hadn’t been able to leave a hurt pup to die alone amongst carnage.
He wanted to pull Adres onto his lap and enfold him in his arms, but he would not humiliate his strong mate in front of everyone. Instead, he eased the sensation of his tight embrace inside him, and Adres released a quiet sigh as he leaned towards him.
“So, what does this mean?” Farica glanced back and forth between Orion and Justice. “What do we do?”
“We power through with the plan.” Justice didn’t hesitate as he took Wick’s hand. “We continue to unite the species as the prophesy tells us.”
“My people are starving, please. We have to move forward.”
“We need to proceed with the blood drive,” Justice demanded. “Vampires have been saving us for centuries, it is far time we return the favor. The prophesy is centered around karma. It is time that we do unto others, as the vampires have done for us.”
Orion nodded as if he agreed, then glanced in Adres and Macauley’s direction. “When evil comes for us, do not fear… this time our warrior will be ready.”
“It’s still early,” Macauley told Adres on their way home. “You want to read a book while I watch some more episodes of the Days of Adres’s Lives?”
“Of… what?”
Macauley chuckled, then waved off the question. “Never mind. It was a soap opera my mother used to love.”
“And that was the title?”
Macauley shook his head at his clueless mate. “Forget about the name. Let me watch some more.”
Adres pushed his hood off his head, his dark hair getting longer and curling at the ends. His mate gave him an exasperated sigh of air. “Are you not tired of watching scenes from my life yet, young wolf? I thought you would have surely lost interest by now.”
Adres still had his duties to fulfill as the Lord of Arms, and over the past two weeks, Macauley had assembled a team to get the pack lands ready for their huge blood drive tomorrow night, so their free time had been limited. But when they were together, Macauley found a far more exciting way to pass the time between their lovemaking. And since Adres did not care for television, his mate would read an old book while Macauley would settle into one of his memories and relive it, experiencing every emotion that lay within. It was the fastest, easiest way to get to know his new life partner and his millennia of tales.
He had watched Adres fight battles in faraway lands, in colosseums, and packed arenas, beside giants and beasts not known of this world. He had watched him avenge the betrayed and protect the weak. His mate was deadly in battle and merciless to his enemies. And over time, after much brutality, Macauley had learned just why Adres’s name was so legendary.
He also saw when Adres had fought the sorcerer of strife… and lost. Macauley had felt the excruciating pain as if it was his own when the evil shadowed Adres’s light. When he was done watching, he’d sworn to his mate that he would never fight alone again.
Macauley cupped Adres’s stubbled chin and tilted his head up so he could claim his mouth. Adres moaned when Macauley ran his tongue over one of his fangs, causing his blood to pump faster.
“You want my bite just as badly as I want yours,” Adres whispered into his mouth, licking his tongue out to tease his.
He slipped his hands beneath Adres’s long cloak and squeezed his ass through his thin pants. Adres had grown to enjoy kissing him, especially when Macauley added a hint of blood with it.
“Yeah,” he agreed to whatever Adres said as razor-sharp teeth grazed over his throat. “Mmm, bite.”
“No,” Adres teased, nipping him over his rapidly beating pulse.
Macauley yanked Adres hard into him, pressing his bulge into his pelvis. “Are you telling me no?”
He could feel the rush of excitement that slammed into Adres’s chest.
“Never, beloved.”
“Then bite.” Macauley pulled at Adres’s elastic waistband, wanting to feel his skin.
“But…” Adres sucked on his throat. “I want you inside me, first.”
Macauley’s dick leaked, liking that idea.
“My gods, you two. Not in front of the children.”
Adres jerked out of Macauley’s grasp so hard at the sound of Aleksei’s voice that he almost tripped over the tail of his robe. Or maybe it was the fifteen or so kids that were standing on the other side of the hedges, gawking at them. Either way, Macauley didn’t overreact as much as his mate did.
Adres fumbled with his suit, turning in different directions to avoid facing Macauley’s older brother or the group of wide-eyed pups.
“We thought we were alone, Alek.” Macauley eyed the kids that started laughing and vibrating with energy.
“You should know by now this place has no privacy.” Aleksei smirked.
“Tell me about it,” Adres murmured.
“I just thought you guys might want to know that you had an audience.”
“We want to see your wind again, Lord Adres,” one of the older kids called out, raising raucous cheers from the rest of the group.
Macauley and Aleksei chuckled behind their fists as they watched the kids run around the bushes and pounce on Adres. Macauley almost felt sorry for him, but the panicked expression on his mate’s face and the way the pups tugged on his robe was too hilarious.
“You didn’t tell me that you had a fan club.” Macauley winked.
“I don’t,” Adres snarled as he was dragged farther away.
“Hey, Mac. While your mate is busy, can I holler at you for a second?” Aleksei gestured over his shoulder with his thumb.
“Sure,” he told him.
No! Adres blared. Don’t leave me.
I’ll just be one second, Adres. You’re doing great, Macauley told him as he went towards his cabin with his brother.
“Is everything okay?” he asked once they were near his porch.
“Actually, no. Michelle managed to get herself a meeting in front of Justice yesterday.” Aleksei looked him in his eyes. “She claims your mate challenged, then threatened her.”
“That’s bullshit,” Macauley growled. “Did she tell you what she said to me? If anything, she challenged Adres first, and he did not harm her.”
Aleksei gripped the back of his neck, his warm palm instantly calming the rage that had flared inside his wolf. “I know, brother. I’m not here for your mate, I’m just letting you know that she went to Justice.”
“And did he believe her?”
“You don’t see him here, do you?”
“No, but you are.”
“Actually, I was on my way home, and umm…” Aleksei glanced down at Macauley’s jeans riding low on his hips. “I heard some groaning. So, I thought I’d investigate.”
Macauley chuckled. “That’s Adres’s fault. He’s the loud one.”
“Looks like everything is all better with you two.”
“Things are great.”
“That’s good to hear. Wrath seems happy to have his friend back too. I was wondering why he watched Adres the way he did when he first arrived.”
“Yeah. Apparently, they have a long, complex history together.” Macauley frowned, appearing confused for a moment. “Wait… Wrath is… happy?”
Aleksei teetered his hand back and forth. “Happy in his own way.”
Macauley couldn’t begin to understand the complexities of his older brother’s relationship with his inner beasts and his mate.
“It is good they found us,” Macauley said, wondering what his life would’ve been like without Adres and how he’d lived for over thirty years without him.
“And don’t worry about Michelle. I think Farica got her situated. She shouldn’t be the cause of any more problems.” Aleksei lowered his raspy voice. “Just tell Adres no more breaking windows or telling people that he’ll blow them away.”
Macauley cringed. “That was probably taken out of context.”
“Sure.”
Macauley walked back towards the compound, striking up a conversation with Aleksei about Taleb’s lucky ass having two mates, when the sound of a boy screaming made them both take off into a sprint. Macauley slid to a halt when he saw Anita and John’s ten-year-old son go flailing through the air and land in a huge haystack well over a hundred yards away. The boy leapt out of the mound of straw, laughing his ass off as he ran back towards the rapidly forming line.
“Shit.”
“What the fuck?” Aleksei narrowed his eyes. He gaped at Macauley as Adres leaned against a picnic table while the next child stepped up for their turn. His mate flung his hand out—as if he was swatting away a pesky fly—and sent the kid hurling backwards, even adding a few flips in before he landed in the mountain of hay. “Is he playing some really fucked-up game of fetch with the pups?”
“Um.” Macauley ran his hand over his beard, stalling for time, because he didn’t know what the fuck to say. Another kid flew across the dark sky, his laughter and stunts making the other kids in line jump up and down for their turn. Macauley shrugged. “Well, they do seem to be enjoying themselves, so I don’t—”
“Mac!” Aleksei growled.
“Okay, okay,” he hurried to agree. “We have plans tonight anyway. It’s been rough getting all of this set up for the blood drive, so we haven’t had much time alone the past couple of weeks. I think Adres might be a little frustrated.”
“You and your guys did a great job, man.” Aleksei glanced at the lights that Macauley had strung over the courtyard.
While his big brother was distracted, Macauley faced Adres. Can you stop throwing the kids, please? he thought as sarca
stically as he could. I don’t think their parents would appreciate it.
Gladly. Adres had to almost pry kids off him as he walked away. And do not get snappy with me. I told you not to leave me with them.
Aleksei covered his laugh with a cough. “Night, Mac.”
“Hey, Alek.”
“Yeah?” His brother turned around.
“You think you can have Wrath heat up that cove before you go home?” Macauley glanced at Adres, then added, “Make it really hot.”
Aleksei nodded once, a sly smile tilting his lips, “I got you.”
Adres flashed through the waterfall after Macauley, then shook out his robe. “My gods,” he whispered.
Adres wasn’t sure what he was going to find when he dove through the rushing water, but he wasn’t expecting a hidden oasis. The hollowed cove was embedded with shimmering minerals, crystals, and gemstones that caught the minimal light seeping inside. The cave went several feet into the mountain, and nature had somehow created a shallow basin of crystal-clear water—resembling a hot tub—that was probably twenty degrees below zero. It was a gorgeous place, romantic even. But Adres was not about to freeze his balls off.
He’d been taking in the beautiful cavern and hadn’t noticed that Macauley had removed his clothes and was sinking into the water. “Ahhh. That is perfect.”
His cherished didn’t appear to be cold. Adres knelt against the smooth rocks and dipped his fingertips in the hot water.
“So how did you manage this?” Adres asked as he unfastened the two clasps of his shawl collar.
“It is within my power.” Macauley’s deep voice in his dark den of desire made Adres undress a little faster. “I have a lot of magical places hidden in these mountains that I want to show you, Adres. I know you have a beautiful estate in Romania, a home that you and Război probably miss greatly. But I can build you any kind of mansion you want… anything you need so that you never have to leave.”
“I am not going anywhere, young wolf. I am home.” Adres removed his hood.