“He thinks you’re masculine?” Kallie asked with a frown. “Do you want to be a man?”
“Hell fucking no.” She made a face. “I like the feel of women, of you. The smell of a woman is so much richer and more delicious than that of any man.”
“That only tells me you’d still like women if you had a sex change.” Kallie pulled out of her arms. “I’m gay. I love being with women. I don’t want a man, Sia.”
Sienna’s fingers closed around the silver chain around Kallie’s neck. “Good, because you have a woman who’s going to take care of you, make you happy, and love you every day of her life.” She closed her fingers around Kallie’s throat. “I’m a dominant woman and I love being a woman.”
“You like controlling women,” she muttered.
“Kal, there are certain—the discipline is as much for me as it is for you,” she admitted. “Most men will never admit they need the order, the control, of BDSM. You haven’t seen a tenth of the violence I’m capable of, darlin’. The order, the structure keeps me on the right side, so I need that control with you.”
Kallie studied her and Sienna wondered if she’d try to run now that she knew she still had so much to learn about her and the violence she was capable of.
“I’ve always felt safe with you,” Kallie said softly. “I’ve always known you’d take care of me if I came to you. I’ve wanted everything you had to give while being afraid you’d give it and then just walk away, leaving me wanting more.”
Sienna shook her head. Kallie had no idea what she was saying and to what kind of creature she was talking to. The box-lady would never let her go.
“You always were safe with me, and you always will be.” She kissed the tip of her nose. “Let’s go check out the office.” Sienna led her to the original section of the house.
“Sienna.” MJ’s voice stopped their trek to the basement.
“What?” she asked after he’d joined them.
“We’ve found a problem in one of the bathrooms,” he said. “Come have a look.”
“All right.” She turned to Kallie. “Wait for me. I don’t want you down there alone. Go into the kitchen, and call if you need me.” Her tone was firm and Kallie nodded.
“Okay.”
Chapter Fifteen
Kallie stepped into the bright kitchen she’d spent so much of her time in as a child and noticed some things had changed. The Victorian era was still in full force in color and style, but the kitchen felt different. Across the room, the old table she’d sat down at while she learned basic potion making was gone and so was the greenhouse the kitchen opened onto. The door now led out to a patio from what she could tell.
Kallie crossed the room to peer outside and saw what appeared to be a woman staring at her from the trees. She backed up, a bad feeling starting in her stomach. A sound had her jerking around and coming face to face with Dizzy, a six-foot-four-inch man. He was wearing a T-shirt with the logo of Kemp Haze’s company emblazoned across the chest.
His dark eyes held a hint of mischief that translated to danger. Her butterfly went cold.
“This came for you,” he said, holding up a box she hadn’t even noticed. “I’ll leave it on the counter.” He gave her a nod. “My condolences.”
“Thank you.” She waited until after he’d left to creep closer to the package.
The box was prettily wrapped in green rather than pink, her favorite color. She carefully unwrapped it, eager to find out what was inside. Her butterfly went still in tense apprehension that sent a wave of cold warning through her as she lifted the box’s lid. She peeked inside and let out a scream as her mother’s eyes stared back at her from her decapitated head.
“Kallie, my precious little slut.” The voice that came out of her mother’s mouth wasn’t hers. It was dark and her lips twisted cruelly. “I am going to cut your head off, too, but first I’ll spend several long days torturing you until you tell me where the fuck my spear and wand are.”
She shook her head, backing up. Horror at what was happening, what had been done to her mother, tore through her.
“Don’t you dare walk away from me!”
She stopped, her eyes wide, her breathing harsh. Her skin chilled. Her blood turned to ice water in her veins. “Mommy.”
“I am your mommy.” The last word was a mocking sneer. “Come closer. I have a secret to tell you.”
Kallie’s feet moved automatically, hands shaking as she stared into the box at the pale skin that had once been warmly tanned and eyes that had been so full of love and life.
“Come closer.” Her mother giggled.
She moved closer and her mother opened her mouth. Inky black sludge issued forth and Kallie screamed as she was yanked sideways. She collided with a hard body as the sludge splattered onto the floor.
“What the hell?” MJ demanded breathlessly.
“Hold her,” Sienna ordered him and stalked across the room to peer into the box. The cold eyes glared at her.
“Bitch.”
“Necromancer, I am going to kill you!” she snapped. “Wait until I find you! That shit could have hurt her, but my shit is going to kill you.” She slapped the top over the box. “Call that freaking sheriff.”
“I’m doing it,” MJ assured her.
Kallie sagged, fear still a strong grip around her heart. She shook, refusing to scream from terror, from rage. She covered her face with her hands and felt a long spider arm pull her close. She turned her head to Sienna’s shoulder. “How could they do that?”
“Shh, darlin,” she murmured, a human hand on the back of Kallie’s head. “I will make them pay for desecrating your mother’s grave.”
Her voice throbbed with a promise that had Kallie’s arms going around her neck as she took comfort from her mate.
“I’m here,” Sienna crooned. “MJ.”
“He’s on his way.” MJ watched his cousin, looking as if she were going to punch the wall. Helplessness and rage stained her face. “The person behind this will pay.”
“I know,” Sienna said firmly.
* * * *
“Looks like the sheriff’s here.” MJ gave Sienna a look ten minutes later when the doorbell rang. “I’ll get it.”
“Yeah,” she agreed.
“Hello, Sienna,” the sheriff greeted her grimly a few minutes later. Sienna watched his gaze flicker with sympathy before narrowing on the offending box across the room.
She’d kept Kallie in the kitchen, not wanting to risk that box disappearing. One of her people had brought it in and maybe one of them would have taken it out.
“How’d the box get here?” Donald asked as two others, Charlie and Chandra followed him in.
“Dizzy brought it,” Kallie told him.
“Dizzy?” Sienna asked with a frown. Fucker was in trouble.
“We’ll take him in and talk to him,” he said. “MJ said it spat that.” He motioned to the black stain on the floor.
“Yep.” Sienna gave him a cold look.
“Did it talk?” He directed his gaze to Kallie, who had her head on Sienna’s breast. “It’s not your mother. No matter what face it has.”
She nodded. “It wants the spear and the wand. Said it was going to kill me after torturing me.”
“We won’t let that happen,” he said. “Chandra, go ahead and get some samples and check the doors for prints.”
“Sir.” She gave him a sharp nod and then gave her coven sisters a sympathetic look before taking her black case across the room.
“Anything on the girl?” Sienna demanded.
“She rented an apartment, not too far from the hotel. Brayberry’s place, but she wasn’t there,” he told them. “She’s in the wind. According to the manager, she came in with one of your kills as well as another man. The man rented a room under the name of Smith, and he had company the night before last.”
“Who?” Sienna demanded. “Did he see?”
“Draden and another man. He didn’t see the other man’s face. It w
as too dark.”
“Damn.”
“I’m sorry, sheriff,” Kallie said apologetically. “Can I get you guys a drink?”
Sienna gave her an incredulous look. “He’s not here for tea, Kallie.”
“No, thanks, Kallie,” he said with a little smile. “You’re just like your mother. She was always a very welcoming lady.”
“So, you’ve got nothing on this other, and it’s pretty obvious Draden was conspiring with someone not Maggie,” Sienna snapped.
The sheriff sighed deeply. “I talked to Lima again, but she still maintains that Maggie was smuggling magical artifacts from Peru and Brail and selling them to the highest bidder.”
"That is not true!” Kallie snapped. “That b—woman is lying on my mother.”
Sienna pulled Kallie against her side. “What about Draden?” Sienna asked. “Are you bringing him in or having someone follow him to see if you can find out who his contact is?”
“I have someone on him,” he said. “But I don’t have the man power unless we—”
“One of my coven can watch him,” Sienna jumped in. “A reserve enforcer. I’ll call my dad, and he’ll pick someone to take up the slack.”
Donald nodded. “Fine. I’ll talk to him. Maybe you should let us come over and search,” he said. “Draden gave me pictures of this spear of life and the wand of fire. He said Maggie had the wand of fire when she returned from Peru, but she’s had the spear since after her twin’s death. He said he saw it in her possession more than once.”
Kallie frowned. “I don’t know what it looks like,” she said. “I’ve never seen it, but okay. You can come over tomorrow? The Elders said it was worth millions. Isn’t that a reason for Draden and Lima to kill my mother?”
Donald grimaced. “It’s enough to turn her into a smuggler too, Kallie,” he said and winced at the look Kallie gave him. “Around nine?”
“That will be fine,” Kallie answered coldly.
“It will be too many people in the house, and we’re trying to renovate,” Sienna protested.
“We’ll stay out of the way,” the sheriff promised. “I think it’s time to put a few enforcers outside the house around the clock, and I’d like to put one inside.”
“My father had coven on it. MJ will stay with us,” Sienna said coldly and Kallie rubbed her hand up her back, but it didn’t stop the feeling inside of Sienna that something was about to go even more wrong.
Chapter Sixteen
Kallie wasn’t surprised that the elders descended on them after that, preventing their trip to the basement. They stayed well into the evening and Sienna left her with them while she worked.
MJ was to stay with them until this was over, and Sienna’s friend Kaminari joined them as well. They were both staying in the main house.
“Did the sheriff take Dizzy in for questioning?” Kaminari asked after everyone had gone that evening.
Sienna nodded, glancing to her friend and coven sister. She was a beautiful Japanese woman with sharp cheekbones and almond-shaped brown eyes fringed by long lashes. If she hadn’t been a dominant, she would have made her a lover years ago. “Yeah, but his story is it was delivered. Kallie felt something that frightened her, though.” She shook her head as she stared off into the trees outside the backyard. The night was almost quiet except for a night bird’s call.
“Her senses have always been extraordinarily strong for a mutant nymphalidae breed,” Kami responded. “Do you know what this spear does? Did Maggie not give you any clues while you were working with her and driving her around town?”
“All we know is that it’s a powerful healing crystal, and Maggie wasn’t forthcoming.” She sighed deeply. She trusted Kami with her life, but the night had ears. She could feel a scorpion in its microform not too far from her barrier. They were watching, waiting for the most opportune time to get into the house and get to Kallie.
“Tas and Peta are out there, too,” she said in a low tone. “They’re watching to see what they can see in micro form. Both are in the trees.”
She nodded. Her friends were strong dominants as she was, especially Tas and Kami. Both shared a similar affliction. They were mutants like her who were stronger than their parents. Kami was a butterfly and Tas was a ladybug, as was Peta.
“We’ll get them, honey.” Kami took her hand and squeezed it. “If the crystals are here, we’ll find them before the sheriff or the scorpions.”
“Hopefully,” she murmured. “But I will kill the guy behind this for putting Kallie through hell.”
“We’re there with you,” Kami told her. “No one fucks with us.”
“Exactly the message I want to send.”
“Have you given any thought to my request?”
Sienna sighed. She had fully mated Kallie last night, so she was secure that she belonged to her. Besides, this was something she herself wanted to introduce Kallie to, but only with her inner circle. Kami, Tas, Peta, and Alexandra, who was currently out of town.
“We’ve shared women before, but this is new territory,” Kami said when she didn’t reply. “I want her, but not at the price of our friendship.”
“I don’t have a problem with it, but Kallie might,” she murmured. “Let’s go inside and see what happens.”
Sienna made sure the house was secure before she went up to her room. She retrieved her bag from the closet and removed some of the toys she’d like to use. Once she’d laid them out, a rap on the door signaled Kami’s arrival.
“Come in.”
The door opened and Kami strode in, having changed into a short jade-green nightgown that went well with her olive skin.
“I love that color on you,” Sienna commented.
“Thank you.” She smiled and glided on bare feet to stand in front of her. “Why don’t you change, too?”
“I plan to.”
“I won’t stay the night,” Kami said as Sienna turned away from her, pulling her T-shirt over her head as she did so.
“Sounds right,” she said. “Kallie was a little upset when I told her I wanted to share her with you.” She tossed the T-shirt aside and Kami unhooked her bra and kissed her shoulder.
“Do you think she’ll refuse?”
“We’ll have to find out.” She allowed Kami to work the button of her jeans free before Sienna pushed them down, dragging her panties with them. She stepped out of them and grabbed a nightgown from the dresser and tugged it over her head before facing her friend. She sat on the edge of the dresser and Kami came to stand in front of her.
Kami stroked her fingers over Sienna’s jaw. “You have such beautiful coloring,” she murmured and Sienna slid her hand up Kami’s thigh.
“Thanks.” She grasped a strand of Kami’s thick long black hair. “You have great hair.”
Kami smiled. “You have gloves?”
“Umm. She loves them.”
“What’s going on?” Kallie asked from the doorway, her voice thrumming with anger. “Why are you touching her, Sia?”
“Come here, Kallie darling.”
“Why?” she demanded.
“Now!” Sienna kept her tone low.
Kallie closed the door and went to her. “What do you want?”
Sienna got to her feet and Kami made room for Kallie between them. Sienna captured Kallie’s chin. “Watch your tone, little one.”
“I don’t think that temper is something you’ll be able to fully train out of her, Sienna,” Kami commented.
“I’m not going to try,” she admitted and kissed the corner of Kallie’s mouth. Her hands went to Kallie’s, fingers lacing between hers as she claimed her mouth.
Kallie leaned into her, tongue stroking over Sienna’s. “Mmm.” Her eyes widened as another set of hands gripped her hips and soft lips kissed her neck. “Sia?”
“I’m not going to hurt you, sweetheart,” Kami said against her ear in a soothing tone. She glided her hands down the front of Kallie’s body. She pushed them beneath the skirt Kallie wore and found the tig
ht little nubbin with eager fingers.
Kallie gasped and Sienna deepened the kiss as her own hands held Kallie in place. She could feel Kami’s hand sliding past the waistband of Kallie’s panties. The smell of her honeysuckle heat washed over her.
Sienna lifted her head to drink in the heat in Kallie’s eyes. If she looked too uncomfortable, she’d end it now. Nothing mattered more at this moment than her mate’s comfort and acquiescence. Uncertainty filled her eyes as Kami’s fingers stroked her retracted pussy lips.
“Say no, and it stops,” Sienna murmured.
“Sienna’s right, sweetheart,” Kami said.
Kallie gasped and Sienna knew Kami’s fingers were pressing harder against Kallie’s clit.
“Too much?”
“No.” Kallie breathed hard.
“You like having her fingers stroking you, darlin’?”
“Sia,” she pleaded.
Sienna laughed huskily. “Feels good doesn’t it?”
“Yes.”
Sienna lowered her head and trailed kisses along Kallie’s throat.
Kallie squeezed Sienna’s fingers as Kami penetrated her. She gasped. “Fuck.”
“This little cat is tight, Sienna.” Kami bit the back of her neck. “How do you stand it?”
Sienna bit Kallie’s throat. Kallie groaned as Kami’s finger fucked into her nice and easy. She moved against it, seeking a stronger penetration, and Kami pressed the heel of her hand against her clit. She whimpered, her body tightening.
Sienna pulled back and released her to rip Kallie’s blouse open. She kept her eyes trained on her mate, watching for signs of regret or fear, and saw nothing but stark desire. She quickly unzipped the skirt as Kami nibbled Kallie’s neck and looked at Sienna.
Sienna gave her a sensual smile as the skirt fell down Kallie’s legs. Kami ground her clit against Kallie’s ass and moaned.
“Oh, yeah!” Kallie breathed roughly.
Sienna pushed up the bra cups and lowered her head to swipe her tongue over one nipple. She lashed it and then sucked it into her mouth as Kami drew her fingers from Kallie’s body and thrust two back into her wet heat.
Training an Unruly Submissive Page 10