by Brenda Trim
That sobered Hayden, a little. Only the Omega had the ability to override animal instincts and bring rogue shifters in line. Alphas can make their pack listen, but when dealing with an out of control beast, they didn’t have the power to take control of their minds.
A powerful shifter could cause untold damage in minutes. He didn’t encounter issues all that often. Part of the reason was shifters knew they wouldn’t get away with shit while he was on watch. There had always been an Omega present to curb behaviors.
If Hayden was lost right now there would be no one to take his place. There had been no Omegas born since he was over seven hundred years ago. Most often it ran in families. For more than two millennia Hayden’s family had been producing the next ruler.
“No you can’t, but I’m not going to put myself in a situation where I will be killed.”
Zeke tilted his head to the side. “What are you planning on doing? I can see all these years of silence has been a ruse. You’ve been cooking up something and I want to know what it is.”
“Don’t play wit fire, Hayden.” Tia’s warning chilled Hayden. It wasn’t the fact that she doubted his ability or that she spoke out against him.
He liked Tia and didn’t want to piss off his second. He needed Zeke and had no desire to lose him because he pissed his mate off. What Tia said was a portent. At least that’s how it felt to Hayden.
Rarely did he feel anything of the sort. In fact, he’d never experienced it before. Why now? And why when she warned him about not playing with fire. He wasn’t going to take unnecessary risks.
Shaking off the unease, Hayden looked from Tia to Zeke. “I’m not playing with anything. All I plan on doing is learning more about the human government while I visit the packs on the east coast. I keep hearing about the dangers they pose yet no one really knows which organization might pose the largest risk to our kind. Everyone assumes it will be the military, but I’m not so sure. If we ever do come forward, I need to know which organization is more likely to be on our side.”
Zeke lifted one eyebrow in question. “And how exactly do you plan on doing that? It’s not like you can simply walk into the various offices and start asking how they’d react to the existence of shifters or vampires.”
Hayden hadn’t actually gotten that far, but that didn’t sound like a half bad idea. They’d either think he was crazy and treat him as such, or they would make a move against him and show their hand. Either way he would be prepared.
“I haven’t actually gotten that far. I’m still working through it all. I just can’t stop thinking about how we wouldn’t have lost Matt or any of the others in New Orleans if we had more help from the cops there. There is no reason we need to do this all on our own anymore.”
Tia snorted as she stirred the pot on the stove. Smelled like gumbo. She made the best damn gumbo Hayden had ever eaten. “Or are you trying ta be better dan Zander? Seems like you want ta do sometin to upstage his Dark Warriors.”
Hayden lifted one corner of his mouth while sharp canines replaced his teeth. “Watch it, Mambo. I give you leeway because you’re mated to my second in command. But I will not tolerate anyone talking to me like that. I was there when Zander suggested the various factions band together. It was revolutionary and the first time in our history we did anything like that. Just because what I am proposing is the biggest deviation, we’ve ever experienced doesn’t mean I’m trying to upstage him. I am fucking done losing shifters and other supernaturals. The Tehrex Realm has lost enough. We’ve sacrificed more than our share.”
Zeke stood and positioned his body between Hayden and his mate. “Let’s leave that conversation for another day. Nothing is happening any time soon. What can I do to help you now? The east coast really could use a visit from their Omega. I’ve had three reports from pack alphas that their members are getting restless.”
Hayden let his breath out and leaned across the island. “I’m not surprised to hear that. It’s been too long since I’ve been out there. Too fucking many emergencies that have needed my attention lately. I’ll plan a trip, but I will need you here to manage shit while I’m gone. And if Crocell or another archdemon attacks I’m not coming back. I need the normalcy of fighting rabid shifters.”
Zeke laughed and clapped him on the back. “You’ve got it, Sir. Why don’t you go for a run?”
“And ask your grandmother if she wants ta come over for dinner,” Tia added.
Hayden stood up and stretched his arms over his head. “I need to patrol the perimeter anyway.” While Grandma Flo loved Tia’s cooking it was next to impossible to drag her from the main dining hall. She thrived on having the pack surround her and eat her food. There’d been a friendly rivalry between Tia and his grandmother since the Mambo arrived. They both love cooking for others.
“I’ll see if I can drag her from her stove. You know how she is about mealtimes.” Hayden headed for the door.
His mind continued churning through the conversation, getting stuck on seeking sympathetic humans. The cool air of the night embraced Hayden, clearing some of the clogged channels.
Hayden loved living at the Grove. He could breathe out here where he was suffocated anytime he went to Zeum or anywhere else in the city. Located out in the Snohomish mountains, the pack had plenty of space to roam in their animal forms without being too close to the pollution from cars, the noise and the cloying smells.
Hayden headed to the dining hall located behind his house. His grandmother lived in a small home not far from Jesaray House, but she wasn’t there at the moment. For a second, Hayden missed having her in the big house with him.
After his mother and father were killed, his grandmother moved in with him. He was a young shifter. Barely out of his transition. They’d moved from Scotland to the new country shortly after that.
Zander and the other council members moved at the same time. Their big group moved around the country and settled on the west coast a couple hundred years ago. Hayden and his pack joined the natives in the Snohomish mountains and made a home while Zander and the others continued moving around the area before settling in Seattle.
Soft music drifted through the open windows in the kitchen connected to the dining hall. The woman that helped shape him into the Omega he’d become stood before an eight-burner stove with several pots bubbling in front of her.
She moved her hips and bobbed her head as she lifted a spoon to her lips. Hayden opened the door. “I’m not coming for dinner, Hayden.” He couldn’t help but chuckle when she answered him before he’d even asked anything.
Hayden crossed to her and kissed her smooth cheek. She was one of the oldest living pack members, but she didn’t look a day older than him. Her power and energy were another thing entirely.
Where there was no denying the sheer magnitude of the mantle Hayden carried, his grandma had a presence that spoke volumes. It made one feel welcome, loved and understood without saying a word.
“Zeke and Tia would like to have you over for dinner.”
Grandma Flo smiled and grabbed a pinch of salt from a wooden container on the counter. “You mean she wants to prove her cooking is better than mine. After all my grandson eats it more often than not anymore.”
Hayden laid his hands on her shoulders. “Her food isn’t better, and you know it. That’s why most of my lieutenants still eat here. As for me, it’s easier on days where I’m so busy I barely have time to go for a run.”
His grandmother turned around then and cupped his cheek. “You work too hard, my boy. You never take time for yourself. How will you find your Fated Mate if all you do is work?”
Hayden smiled while a vice squeezed his heart. “What makes you think I’m going to be blessed with a mate? I keep pissing the Goddess off with my blasphemous talk.”
“You stop that. You’ve sacrificed everything for our kind and lost so much. The Goddess has a plan for you, but you need to help her out.”
Hayden considered her words. He prayed she was right. For one s
econd he wondered if his persistence in coming out to humans against the Goddess’s previous edicts was in fact keeping her from blessing him with a mate.
While it was entirely possible, every fiber of his being refused to back down. In fact, ever since Zeke mentioned him walking into human agencies and talking to there was one thought that kept rising to the surface. That doing so felt right. And that made him want to be reckless.
Hayden kissed his grandma on the cheek and embraced her. “I promise I will do what I can. In the meantime, I would love to have dinner with you tonight. I have to go visit packs on the east coast soon and I need time with you.”
Her slender arms squeezed him before letting go. “Fine, but only because you asked. I can’t promise I will like her food though.”
Hayden shook his head. “Why don’t you bring your peach cobbler. Show her you’re better.”
Her eyes crinkled and her head bobbed at the same time she grabbed a container of flour. “I’ll see you soon. Now go for your run.” She shooed him away.
Hayden watched her for a second then exited the kitchen. The scent of dirt, pine and flowers greeted him. He returned to his porch where he stripped off his clothes and set them on the swing.
Calling on his tiger, Hayden willed his form to shift. As Omega he could shift into any of the shifter animals. Ursine, feline and canine. Once his body transformed into the four legged creature, he let out a loud roar informing the pack he was running and took off into the trees.
Zeke’s wolf joined him a few seconds later followed by Embry and other pack members. Taking the lead, Hayden ran to the edge of their lands. He loved the feel of leaves and pine needles crunching underfoot while he raced through the trees. For the first time that evening the weight lifted from his chest and he was free.
Regardless of what happened now, Hayden realized he needed to make some changes. His agitation was trickling over to his pack and that wasn’t okay. He paused at a corner and contemplated which direction to go. The only real choice was to move forward, no matter what Fate had in store for him.
Chapter 5
How the fuck does this keep happening to me? Chloe narrowed her eyes at Dante and accepted the drink he handed her. The crisp scent of the alcohol filtered to her nose and cleared some of the remaining fog. Tugging the soft blanket tighter to her body, she wished she were home.
Remaining on high alert, she scanned the room and sipped the vodka. The burn spread as it flowed down her throat to her belly. Her surroundings had significantly improved since she escaped the Daeva demon.
A subtle shift of her backside made her entire body ache. It was all the reminder she needed of what she’d just endured at the hands of a being as handsome as the one standing across from her. Perhaps this was another tack the archdemon was using to force her to lower her guard.
For some reason they wanted her. She’d never been all that involved in the supernatural world. Her entire existence was on the fringes where few are noticed. And she’d never taken anyone’s side. There wasn’t much special about her. It seemed too farfetched that they’d want her for her angelic blood. There were plenty of fallen with strong ties to the Underworld.
“You can come clean now. I know you aren’t with the Alliance.” She watched the male closely as she spoke. The way his eyes widened slightly, and his shoulders went back didn’t fit with an archdemon’s minion. She imagined the Daeva had a hard time controlling this one.
Demons as powerful as the one that kidnapped her used weaker beings to do their dirty work and they created skirm to create chaos. Skirm maimed and killed to feed their masters. They were completely controlled by their creators and used in any and every way an evil mind could dream up.
Dante crossed his arms over his chest and glared at her. “I’m one of its founding members. Cambions are part of the agreement thanks to me. I ensured my kind rose above our birthright and were given better choices.”
That seemed far too easy. “Say you’re right. Where are your warriors?”
Dante crossed to a table and picked up a smartphone. He tapped the screen and started typing. “They are likely sleeping but will be down soon.”
That couldn’t be good. Chloe stood up and scooped up the statue she’d dropped earlier. Pinning Dante with a hard stare, she moved behind the sofa and dropped the blanket. Having free hands would make fighting easier.
“I’m not going down without a fight. It’d be smarter if you found another…supernatural to power whatever plans you have cooking.”
Footsteps echoed from right outside the room they were standing in. Angling her body, she crouched and held the weapon in front of her. Dante didn’t move anything aside from his head while her heart tried to race from her chest and into the hall to find out who was approaching. She remained in place ready for anything.
A male with black hair and grey eyes stopped in the entry and took in the scene. “Couldn’t handle the female, Dante?”
“Jett.” He nodded his head in the newcomer’s direction. “Our visitor doesn’t believe I’m a member of the Alliance and asked where you guys were. This is Chloe.”
Jett was followed by a blond-haired male with brown eyes, a male with shoulder length brown hair and amber eyes. They were all attractive but the last one to arrive had something extra that drew Chloe to him. He had short brown hair and hazel eyes and if she wasn’t mistaken, he was a cambion like Dante.
“Good to meet you Chloe.” Jett’s eyes roamed up and down her naked frame.
The cambion stepped forward and extended his hand. His pheromones seeped from his pores. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Lucas.” Dante growled and snatched the blanket from the ground.
Dante wrapped the fabric around her shoulders. “She isn’t here to feed your beast, Luc. We are helping her. The shifter there is Axel.” Dante pointed to the one with amber eyes. “And the vampire is Ty.” Dante gestured to the blonde.
She tilted her head. “So, what does that make you? A sorcerer?”
One corner of Jett’s mouth quirked up. “That’s an impeccable guess. Unless you are something other than a Fallen Angel. Although I’m not sure harpies or phoenixes can read minds.”
Chloe pulled the ends of the cotton around her chest and set the sculpture down. “From what I know neither species can read minds. Harpies have sticky fingers and phoenixes are tied to fire but neither hint at mental abilities. To answer your question, everyone knows there are one member of each species stationed at the Dark Warrior compounds throughout the world.”
Dante nodded. “That’s true. Although that has changed since we’ve gained witches and Harpies as allies. Once we have newly trained warriors I will be rearranging and adding to each site. So, you are a Fallen Angel then. For a second there I thought you might be a harpy that got caught with her hand in the cookie jar.”
Chloe’s mind’s processed information at a million miles an hour. She’d never come under the attention of the Dark Warriors before. The only reason she did now was because the Daeva demon had kidnapped and tortured her. Her shoulder slumped and her heart slowed. She was safe for the moment.
“What I don’t understand is why you feel different. How come there’s no darkness inside you?” Dante continued. He placed a hand on her elbow and nudged her around the side of the couch then took a seat.
Chloe watched the other males pour drinks and take seats around the room. She finally fell to the cushion beside Dante. Pain made it difficult to concentrate. Her side ached and her spine felt like it’d been trampled. And, she swore she was bleeding internally. That Davea had done a lot of damage before she cut off one of his balls.
“I have as much darkness as anyone else.” The demon had said something about her not having a connection to the Underworld. Most assumed she did and never looked further. How had Dante seen so much?
“Told you, Dante. She shouldn’t be here.” Jett didn’t try to hide how much he loathed what she was.
Dante sat forward with his elbows on
his knees. “You know as well as I do, that she doesn’t carry the dark energy. Judge her based on her actions, not your assumptions about them. She’s not going to tell us anything. She has no reason to trust us.” Dante turned his head to Chloe. His stare burned right through her. He really was attractive, even without adding his hormones. “But you will eventually.” She was suddenly very aware of her nudity.
Ty cleared his throat, breaking the tension between them. “What happened to you? Why were you down there?”
Chloe took a deep breath. Now was not the time to get sidetracked by her wayward hormones. Being surrounded by five attractive guys with one that had truly seen her was not good for her health.
“What do you think happened? I was attacked.” She rolled her eyes to emphasize how ridiculous she thought the question.
Dante sat up and shook his head with a smile. “I thought that was foreplay for your kind.”
She couldn’t help but laugh at that. “Touché. To that point, I am different from others like me. I don’t like bloodplay with my sex.”
Dante chuckled and nodded. “Who attacked you? How did they get the jump on you? You have some major skills.”
She winced, her hand going between her legs in sympathy. “Sorry about that. I assumed you were working with the demon that kidnapped me earlier. And, I wasn’t about to fall into another trap.”
Dante’s humor vanished in an instant and was replaced with a ruthless warrior. “What demon? Where was this trap? We need to dismantle it so no one else falls victim to it.”
“There was nothing that might snare unwitting humans or supes. It was more of the handsome asshole following me and taking me by surprise.”
Jett set his empty glass down and steepled his fingers in front of his face. “Was this Daeva an archdemon?”
Chloe nodded her head as she thought about it. “Yes. He’s old and has significant power. If he’d been newly elevated to an upper demon, he wouldn’t have been able to control me long enough to get me back to his lair.”