by Erin R Flynn
“Fishing, why?”
“Wait, do you guys need the habitat of your animals?” I asked James and Thomas. “Your owls are found in Canada, right? So that’s part of why you wanted here?”
“Yes, it’s preferential but not required as safety’s more important,” Thomas said.
“So we could get them set up in Mexico somewhere and they could fish the gulf? Not the Florida side to stay away from the coven and not near Texas, but yeah, like there?”
“Wait, what do you mean?” Lorenzo cut in, glancing between us fast enough that I would have thought his neck hurt.
Trisha came back with Simon, and I set down my coffee, taking the adorable margay from her.
“Thanks, Simon,” I whispered, kissing his head. He licked my cheek and settled down for a nap during snuggle time.
For the next twenty minutes I listened as Lorenzo was caught up and everything we were discussing with Thomas.
“You didn’t make it official yet?” Kristof asked when everyone was done chipping in.
I shrugged as I scratched behind Simon’s ears. “The idea has merit until you think about us giving powerful weapons to people and they could turn around and shoot people I care about. Not to make this pointed, but look what happened with Olivia? Did you remotely expect that? Clearly Cerdic and Sebastian didn’t and they thought they knew her better.”
“It’s a valid concern,” Sebastian admitted. “You would want one of your older nobles to check in often anyways in case there’s a problem, but you don’t want to be looking over everyone’s shoulder to sow seeds of distrust.”
“I was thinking once we’re engaged you punch off the head of another metal statue and show them the punishment if they betray us,” I told Kristof. “And then I could reward you for making everyone behave. Maybe that special reward you love most and something from that book I was looking at.”
He swallowed loudly as his hands moved closer to cupping my breasts instead of just hugging me. “Thomas, how many clan leaders do you know? That book boasted two hundred and forty-five positions.”
“I think a lot of those were oral sex too,” Jaxon muttered, shaking his head.
“There were two I wanted to try with you,” I admitted. “One I thought would be interesting because of how intense you are and the other… You would just really like.”
“Fuck,” he groaned, burying his face against my neck. “We need to find a cache of metal statues for sure. Whatever my princess wants of me.”
I moved so he had to look at me when I turned a bit. “It’s not being a total bitch to use you that way?” Several people snorted, but I ignored them, searching his eyes. “You’re more to me than that, you know that, right?”
“I do, but thank you for checking,” he whispered, giving me a soft kiss. “I’ve told you more than once the most important thing I can give you is my protection.”
“That wouldn’t have been what I put first,” I confessed, snuggling back against him, glad when I felt he understood what I meant. Yeah, he’d given me his heart. I liked that best. “What do you think otherwise?”
“I think they have to want it and be willing to accept a bit of oversight to make sure we’re comfortable with all we will give them,” he said after a moment. “It’s up to them, but you can’t just give everything and them not know there’s a cost to it. Thomas and his clan were out camping. Now they have lots and you’re going to give them more and leave it all in their care. He has to promise to keep order of that.”
“Agreed,” Thomas said firmly.
“Besides, all the owls might not always stay here, love,” Cerdic added. “This is like the next year sort of plan and we can reassess. Maybe three hundred and fifty armadillo shifters don’t want to all fish in Mexico, as they’ll want to find mates. Eventually they can be just normal towns under your protection and we’ll visit.”
“I didn’t realize there were so many in your clan,” I said to Lorenzo, nodding to Cerdic I heard him and that helped.
“We had more,” Lorenzo replied, the sadness thick in his voice.
“I’m sorry.”
“Thank you. We’ve all lost people.”
I guessed that was true even for me, even if I didn’t remember them and I had no idea, I had to have had parents and family and lost them too.
I listened as everyone kept talking about ideas and plans, Lorenzo’s clan fine with staying in Canada until we got more settled so they had basics but then we could figure out more later. There were a lot of corrupted to still clear out.
“Is Branko near?” I asked Kristof when I realized something.
“Yes, he just arrived back for lunch, why?”
“Can we speak with him for a moment?” I asked instead. I kissed Simon’s head when he nodded. “I’ll be back for more snuggles. I just need to ask a quick favor.”
Simon yawned and nodded, curling up on the chair I put him on.
“We’ll be right back,” I promised Cerdic and Jaxon. “And I want to check on Darius.”
“We’ll keep plotting, love,” Cerdic promised, giving me a worried look.
Yeah, I didn’t blame them. One minute I was spacing out, the next I was joking about Kamasutra fun, and then the next I was upset. Basically I was just all over the place.
Branko must have heard his name because he was waiting for us at my room. Kristof let him in but then moved me up against the door and kissed me deeply.
“I beg you to show me these positions in the book before you ask him whatever, My Princess.”
I nodded, pulling away and going for the book that had started so much trouble, moving past it the moment I touched it. I opened to the first one. “The python. I wanted to feel that with me wrapped all around you.” I shivered at the heat in his eyes. I turned to the other position and handed him the book. “I thought you would like this.”
He swallowed loudly. “The prison guard? You standing bent over for me as I hold your wrists and dominate you?”
“Yes.”
“Please tell me there are some you thought to try with me,” Branko about whimpered.
“Yes.”
“Are you going to tell me?”
“No, but I’ll reserve them for you for my first time trying them,” I teased, shivering at their heated looks. “I’ll maybe let you watch as I try one of the oral sex positions with Kristof if he’s good again.”
“Yes, please,” Branko groaned. “What did you want to ask me about?”
“Oh, right,” I sighed, taking the book and setting it aside before moving Kristof’s arms around me protectively. “Can you handle something Kristof was supposed to? I know he can do it super fast, but right now I just need…”
“I get it, yes, of course,” he whispered, moving closer and cupping my face before kissing my forehead. “You’re okay. I know it was scary and you’re all over the place, but you’re okay.”
“I really do feel all over the place,” I grumbled. “Tyson’s making a run to blow up corrupted in Denver tonight. My blood needs to be reapplied to the spot. I’ll get you a small jar after lunch.” I stared up at him. “I’d really appreciate it.” I felt better when he nodded. I glanced back at Kristof. “I was going to say we should have our Costco date after the ghosts tomorrow. All of us for some fun.”
“That sounds perfect,” he agreed, giving me a soft kiss. “How is your body? You were moving funny on my lap.”
“I ache, but the tearing healed and wasn’t bad,” I promised. “Anything tonight would need to be gentle, and I’m worried about Darius. He won’t forgive himself for leading me in there.”
“Nor would any of us,” he whispered. “But it wasn’t his fault, and he’ll be fine too.”
I nodded. “I want to rest with him after a quick lunch. Will you join me?”
“Of course.”
We shared a few kisses, and I accepted a sweet hug from Branko before we headed to lunch. I quickly ate, wanting to get to Darius and knowing the others would handle Lorenzo
and more planning. I gave the jar of blood to Branko and explained things to Tyson.
I had just snuggled down to nap against Darius with Kristof wrapped around me when my fiancé shot up with a gasp, looking around wildly.
“What happened?” he demanded when he locked on me. “There were people there I didn’t sense. What happened?”
“I’m fine,” I whispered as I scrambled onto his lap, cupping his face when his eyes were wild. “We’re fine, I swear it. Kristof came and rescued us. They’re all dead.” I repeated it a few more times as he seemed to have trouble shaking off the potion.
“Tell me all of it,” he breathed as he lowered his forehead to mine. “What did they do to you?”
So I told him. I told him more than even Kristof knew since he hadn’t seen it from the beginning. Tears filled my eyes when Darius begged my forgiveness for failing me and letting strangers touch me. He was so, so distraught I didn’t know what to do.
“I’m fine, I swear it,” I choked out. “We bathed in their blood. I barely felt anything but their blood, I promise. Not so much as grabbing my ass. My nobles killed them all, and Kristof did everything I needed.”
“It wasn’t your fault, Darius,” Kristof said gently in that voice he normally reserved only for me… But in a way it was. “Even I couldn’t sense them when I arrived. I only felt Inez and knew to go inside, otherwise I would have missed it too. It wasn’t that you were young. That potion and magic had layers, strong layers, and now we know.”
That seemed to help Darius, but I snuggled closer. “Can we go to the hot spring tonight? Let’s relax and be grateful it didn’t turn out as they wanted. Tomorrow I want to play at Costco with my nobles and have some fun after the ghosts. Is that okay?”
“Whatever you want, Inez,” he whispered, tears in his voice. “Whatever you need, my love.”
“I need you guys and that’s all,” I promised. “I was so scared when I saw you go down.” I couldn’t hold back my own tears then. “I swear I would never have left you. I went to scream for help. I would never have just left you there.”
“I know, I know you wouldn’t have even if that’s what I would have wanted,” he murmured. “We’ll do better going forward. We always double up, and everyone takes safety more seriously.” He let out a shaky breath when I nodded. “What else does my princess want?”
“Lots of kisses and snuggles,” I admitted as I moved his hand over his ring on my necklace.
The ring from Jaxon was on there now too, and I was shocked it had survived the struggle, but maybe I was protecting it without knowing it. I loved both rings equally, the one from Jaxon a row of green stones, two that matched my eyes and two that were lighter like his. It was perfect and gorgeous.
“Good,” Darius whispered against my lips. “Let’s go check out this meeting and everyone can see I’m awake then. I don’t want to lose momentum on getting you to your coven in time.”
“I love you.”
“Well, thank the Goddess because I’m completely in love with you,” he purred, trying to sound better than I knew he felt right then.
I knew that because I was doing the same thing and it wasn’t easy.
I was still distant at the meeting. Something was missing, and I didn’t think it was what had happened earlier, and I said as much. There was some last part not there to make the puzzle work. I didn’t mean to sound dismissive, and I said as much, but I think they also understood it was happening fast, especially since they wanted to find other clan leaders to discuss it.
We had dinner and then I was glad when I was alone with my nobles at the hot spring. I’d had a lot of blood that day, but I still wanted more, wanting Cerdic for some reason, probably his calm, strong handling of bad was what I needed. They were so gentle and tender with me it soothed my hurt that other men had thought me such shit and treated me like it.
I realized part of what I was missing when we arrived back at the same time Tyson did from flying his bombing run. I went over to him, and he gave me that soft smile and a gentle kiss when I stood on my toes. “Go shift and let him out. Thank you for doing so much for me.”
“It’s my pleasure, and I want to protect all of us too,” he whispered, hugging me gently. “I’m glad you’re okay.” He gave me a wink. “Lots of ghosts tomorrow. There were a ton gathered in the crater. I bet that whole area for the center of the coven is cleared out.”
“Good, thank you.” I glanced over at James. “How do you think clearing out of California has gone? Kristof was trailing them out of Vancouver, Seattle, and Portland that way, right?”
“Yes, and probably really well,” he answered. “I think we bring the destroyer down and just shoot fish in a barrel. You want to move out of here soon, right?”
“Yes, the day after tomorrow,” I admitted. “I’d like people to start heading down with the trailers, as it’s a two day drive and we can fly down.” I turned to look at Sebastian and Jacob.
Jacob seemed to guess where my mind was. “What can our coven do to start asking your forgiveness, Princess?”
“And ours to keep in your good graces?” Sebastian added.
“Finish clearing Vancouver, Seattle, and Portland,” I answered. “They’ve been leading them out for days and they should be clear. Use your speed to check buildings and make sure it’s really, really safe for raiding and more.”
“Of course, my princess made sure those who came with me this time were of age to be useful in that way,” Sebastian replied, Jacob nodding as well. Smart, that was the one thing we were lacking.
“We have an idea for that missing piece you spoke of,” Thomas told me. I noted some other people with him that weren’t owls. “Several older nobles helped us track down other heads of clans and brought them in. We’ve caught them up.”
I nodded, feeling like he did have the answer and following him back to the conference room no matter how ready I was for bed. We needed this settled, as there were a lot of people waiting.
“We propose not just the head of each clan swearing as your knight, but an alliance between us that if one betrays you or breaks the agreement, they’re declaring war against all the clans that are party to this,” James told me, clearly in on this. “Most might think if the shit hits the fan, fine, they’ll have to deal with you and your court, your knights, but the shifters will side with them.”
“Take that out of play and they’ll make a fuck ton of enemies,” I muttered, bobbing my head. “Yes, good, that’s part of my main concern.” I stared at him a moment. “Vance told me there are shifters who have rules of purebloods or don’t allow outside breeding? I don’t want any of that. If people are under my protection, they have to agree to a certain morality clause or something.”
“You’re worried some of these clans could be as bad as the cult settlements,” Darius surmised, nodding when I did. “Good call. Yeah, everyone who joins the coven has to agree to it. No bigotry. No one’s better than others. Knights and your nobles are authority with your blessing, but you hate the idea that just because someone is a noble they think they’re hot shit.”
“I do,” I agreed, fluffing out my drying hair. “And none of this ‘prey are less’ shit Lorenzo was implying. It’s crap. Maggie’s a little kitty and fierce and everything awesome. So what if her animal is small? It’s crap.” I sighed when I got a lot of strange looks. “Sorry, really tired, and this is hard to lay out and make this call.”
“It is, but we all know it’s subject to change too,” Thomas assured me. “That’s the way progress and order work. You keep building on it.”
I nodded. “Yeah, like I want a way that if someone disagrees with you as mayor, they have an alternative outlet. A sit down with my knight or noble but with the warning that if they’re stupid, they might get smacked for wasting people’s time.”
“Smart,” a shifter I didn’t know praised. “So you’re open to it otherwise? You’re fine helping us?”
“Yes, that’s not the issue,” I promised. “
I’m worried how to do it and not have any of the people I’ve already agreed to protect and help not get hurt.” But Thomas was right and we could build on it later. It was a good starting point.
Kristof, Cerdic, Thomas, James, and even Lorenzo and a few others I hadn’t met yet worked out a very carefully worded agreement to start that each head of a clan would sign to join us. James put his name first once it was done, giving me a wink as he did. I could tell he was trying to act like it was no big deal, but it was and mostly because he was acting as head of his clan.
While grieving the people who would have had that title first that he’d lost.
The look he gave me when I didn’t push him to give me his oath made me feel it was the right call. He was just as scared as I was even if he was older. I did however accept Thomas, Lorenzo, and three others that we would get set up when we could, but at least we could give their clan better than they’d been living.
And then I was really, really ready for bed.
22
The next morning I went early with Kristof and Cerdic to find more artifacts. We handled Mexico and Latin America along with getting in and out of Texas and a few other states in the South. Which meant we were almost done. Almost there.
I wanted to do a lot more than sigh with relief. Over five years of doing this and I was almost done. Sure, there was going to be something else after it, but that was a long damn time to have a quest.
Stupid quest.
I handled the ghosts, smiling when Kristof said he’d found another room like that in Albuquerque, closer to the coven so I was covered until the castle was built. Awesome. I loved when we were smarter.
But I was wound up and ready for fun when we got to Costco. Everything icky was already cleared out and places were aired out, as that was now the procedure, as it was horrible to stay in the places to raid if they hadn’t been aired out. And years of time closed up didn’t mean that rotting smell left. No, it normally got into everything, so better to give it time to get back out a bit.
Before I laid down rules, Branko pulled me off to the side and moved me up against the wall, leaning down to whisper in my ear. “May I have a real kiss of my princess? I know we’ve teased and played, and I’m very grateful for that, but I would like to give you a real kiss before we play on this date.”