by L. A. Boruff
We’d resolved our problems quite well over six months. All but one; I couldn’t shake my anger. I wanted to hunt down every shapeshifter in the world and set them on fire. Elias and Anthony treated me with kid gloves since the day I burned my husband alive. My head knew that the person inside the Michael-suit was not Michael, but my heart kept seeing my husband burning. I didn’t feel guilt, exactly, just pain.
A swift kick in my abdomen brought me out of my musings. “Kohbi, your brother is kicking again,” I called across the yard.
“It’s not a brother, Mommy! It’s a sister, for me and Jaime!” she yelled as she ran over to feel my stomach. “She’s kicking hard!” she giggled.
“Wait until she gets bigger,” I said. “You may be able to see her feet sticking out.”
Elias and Anthony walked out of the house with Jaime. She ran when she saw Kohbi touching my belly, her raven hair streaming behind her. It wouldn't be long until her Supay abilities manifested, and she wouldn’t be running like a typical little human girl any longer. I wasn't ready for any of them to begin to grow up.
I climbed out of the hammock and strolled casually toward my husbands. We were married as soon as we found out I was pregnant. We still didn't know if the baby was Peter’s or not, or why my birth control choice failed. It didn’t matter to us who the father was, except that if it was Peter, we would have to find out if shapeshifter babies required any special care. The DNA of my child didn't matter to me, it was still my child. And Eli and Anthony proved themselves capable of caring for each of our children; they loved them all the same.
Time would heal my anger and quell my need for revenge. My people were going to be safe. My sons were by my side. I gained two daughters and Elias's son, and a little one on the way. Bring it on, life. I can take anything else you’ve got for me.
* * *
Haven’t had enough of Riley and her guys? Dying to find out what happens to Axoular and Minda? And whose baby is it, anyway?
Read book 2 now
Her heritage has been exposed. Her retribution was swift. Now, Riley will conquer new threats with the help of her men. Can she keep her baby safe in a world that grows more dangerous by the day?
Read book 2 now or keep flipping the page for a peek at chapter one of War of Fire, the next chapter of Riley’s adventure.
CHAPTER ONE
RILEY
My little garden grew beautifully. Squash and zucchini, corn and tomatoes, all in neat, orderly rows. I hummed as I weeded, soaking up the summer sunshine that was a source of energy to me, like the plants. Maybe I’m turning into a pumpkin. I certainly feel like one. I rubbed my growing stomach fondly.
Once again, I cursed the laws that forbade an Unseen creature from studying our genetic heritages. I should’ve known why the sun gave me energy. All of the Sárkány knew it, but nobody knew why—it wasn’t the same in Galdiart, the homeland of my people. I held out hope that one of the Sárkány we brought through the portal to live on Earth might end up being one of their famed scientists.
The dragons I’d begun to help save the year before had once been a thriving and proud people, even more advanced than we were on Earth. But their civil war had destroyed all of that, leaving them a shell of who they once were, without enough people to keep their civilization going. Much knowledge was lost or burned, and there weren’t enough people to carry the tomes of information to the small village they’d gathered in.
We’d promised to destroy the last remaining portal once all the dragons were through, but I found myself second guessing that decision. We could send expeditions into Galdiart. There was so much information to be had. I groaned and sat up, rubbing my lower back.
“Are you okay?” Anthony sat in a lawn chair beside the garden, the sunlight bringing out caramel highlights in his dark hair, reading a book on programming. He was searching for a way to combine human technology with magic. “Are you sure you won’t let me help you weed?”
“No, but thank you. I enjoy the sunshine and having my hands in the dirt. It’s weird, I never had any desire to do such a thing before we went through the portals and my dormant Sárkány side was woken, but now I love it. I feel connected to the Earth.”
“In all the years I watched you and learned about you, I never noticed you spending any amount of time outside,” he replied, face pensive.
I gave him a sharp look. “Don’t say it like that. I know you now, I love you, and I’m so happy to be your wife. But that shit was creepy.”
The months after we returned from Bolivia were, in some ways, a nightmare. I’d grown to care for Elias and Anthony, to love them. But the shock of losing Michael was raw after watching his personage burn. And once I’d had time to really think and contemplate how everything had happened, the pain of Elias’s betrayal cut me deep.
Anthony’s role in the whole ordeal didn’t bother me quite as much, since he didn’t integrate himself into my life with lies, but him watching me for so long before I knew him was still an intrusion into my privacy.
Even months later, the betrayal and lying was still a major wedge in our relationship. I sighed and attacked the sparse weeds with renewed vigor. Elias, though I’d married him and loved him, wasn’t my favorite person at the moment. He’d taken to traveling with the Sárkány, throwing his energy into helping them come through the portal and integrate.
After so many years apart, we told my sons the truth as soon as we could find a private room to sit down and talk to them. We made it a family conversation, knowing they’d need all of us in the coming years. We didn’t know how they would progress as they aged, whether their Sárkány or Supay lineage would dominate or somehow meld into some new species. As the adults, we had decided to resolve our issues so we would all be available to support the children.
In the early days, I couldn’t let my guard down enough to let Elias or Anthony close. Axoular, who was also in an overwhelming situation, became my companion. The kids had continued their studies with their Aunt Tammy, and weren’t around as much as I would’ve liked.
Axoular filled a need, giving me a purpose. I’d taught him the basic history of Earth. We’d driven to the home I’d shared with Michael, about a half an hour away, and I’d taught him to use technology that he'd encounter in his everyday life in our society. He’d mastered the television, and I’d gotten him his own cell phone. We had plans to go get my laptop as well.
I’d put Danyelus on the scent of solar power over the winter, and he'd been obsessed until he completed the setup for the manor. It had previously been run on generators and gasoline, but they’d had to be sparing. Most of the lighting came from the sun, and they’d lived without television or internet access. I wasn’t about to live that way—I needed my TV fix.
“When will Elias be home?” I asked tentatively, without looking up. He’d run off on another trip to Bolivia a few days before, after we’d had a pretty nasty fight.
“I talked to him this morning. He’ll be back tomorrow.”
Guilt, my constant companion. I sighed and allowed the emotion to overwhelm me again. Guilt that my children were only just beginning to know me. It didn’t matter to me that I couldn’t have done anything sooner to reconnect with them.
Guilt that Axoular was miserable. Minda, his long-time girlfriend, took off soon after reaching Earth. I taught her a little about technology and she took to it. She’d loved figuring out how electronics worked and stayed holed up in my old home for days at a time tinkering. Eventually, she turned up at the manor, took the starter kit we offered every Sárkány, consisting of a new ID, ten thousand dollars, and a cell phone, and took off. We’d texted a few times, but she seemed to want nothing to do with any of us.
Guilt that I couldn’t get past Elias’s betrayal. I’d managed to forgive Anthony, though it was still a touchy subject. I just couldn’t quite forgive Elias for ingratiating himself into my life without telling me my children were safe.
And worst of all, guilt about what sort of world I�
��d be bringing my little one into. I rubbed my belly. If he—I was convinced he was a boy—was a Shapeshifter, what would the other Unseen think of him? How would they treat him? What if he needed some sort of special treatment only Shapeshifter children required? If Peter really was his father, we might have problems.
“I think your weeds are gone. You’re pulling up vegetable roots now.” Anthony’s voice broke through my thoughts again and I jerked my hand back. He was right; I held tiny carrots in my hand.
After shoving them back into the dirt in hopes of having them grow again, I stretched and got to my feet. Anthony jumped up to grab me, pulling me up so it wasn’t so difficult to rise. At eight months pregnant, my stomach was enormous and cumbersome. When I found out I was pregnant, I’d hoped my newfound powers would help me thrive through the nine months, but no such luck. I’d been miserable since about week four, unlike with my boys.
Anthony hugged me, putting one hand on the back of my head in comfort. The baby kicked hard enough for him to feel it as he pressed himself to my front. He laughed and drew back, bending to talk directly to my stomach. “Don’t worry, little one. There are plenty of hugs waiting for you when you come out.”
He kissed my stomach before taking my hand and tugging me toward the house. “It’s lunchtime, and Axoular made your favorite.”
Mmmm. Mini pizza bagels. I’d been craving them. “Great.”
Axoular had fit right in at the manor. He got along well with everyone, but spent most of his time by my side. He’d been teaching me about our heritage and I’d continued to teach him about Earth.
Anthony and Elias became fast friends with Axoular. They shared many interests, namely the continuation of our combined races and my well being. If I allowed myself to think about it, I knew I was attracted to Axoular, but I wasn’t sure about the can of worms that would open.
I waddled my way in the back door, which opened into a wash room. Stepping into the utility sink built into the floor, I strained to clean my hands and bare feet.
Anthony followed me into the room and laughed at my attempts to lean against the wall and reach my feet. He bent over and took the water sprayer from my hands. “Clean your hands, Coya. I’ll take care of the rest.”
He held the sprayer out for me to soap my hands, then rinsed them for me, rubbing with one hand and spraying the water with the other. When they were clean, he took a knee and set down the sprayer. With sure, firm hands, he massaged soap into first one foot, then the other, careful not to tickle me. His touch sent tingles up my legs, straight to my sorely neglected happy place.
“How many more days?” I asked, naughty bits aching from lack of use.
“The doctor said once you reach thirty-two weeks we could have sex again. So, four more days.” I’d gone into premature labor and one of the Unseen healers had been called in. She had primitive medical equipment, but it was sufficient to hear a heartbeat and determine the baby was healthy. My body had a hard time holding the little guy inside, so I was put on strict bed rest until thirty weeks, and on pelvic rest until thirty-two weeks.
“That’s an eternity,” I said with a groan.
“For us, as well. Elias has expressed more than once how he longs for you, Riley.” He finished my feet and dried them with a towel kept nearby for that purpose. I’d been spending a lot of time in the garden. He gripped my arms and pulled me close. “When will you forgive him?”
I stiffened and turned, making my way toward the smell of cheap pizza sauce. I’ll forgive him when I’m damn good and ready. My shoulders slumped. I was tired of being mad at my best friend and love. I needed to find a way to move on, but the anger wouldn’t cool.
“Thanks for lunch, Axo.” I smiled at my friend as I entered the kitchen.
He chuckled and patted my belly in response before walking around the kitchen island to the sink. He loved doing the dishes, thrilled with the ability to use a dishwasher. “I’d heard of dishwashers in Galdiart, but never had one. By the time I was old enough to help with the dishes, we had no electricity.”
I sighed, troubled by the fate of the Sárkány. They believed me to be their savior, and in a sense I was. I ensured their survival, but on Earth they faced the danger of the Shapeshifters hunting them down, and they would probably suffer the same fate as the Supay. Their intermarriage with other species was a likely outcome. But, I was only part Sárkány and I was just fine, so maybe their genes would dominate in a similar manner to the Supay.
“Any news from the Junta?” Axoular asked. We were waiting on a formal invitation for him onto their council. I both looked forward to and dreaded the invitation. It would mean he'd move to New Zealand.
“Nothing. I expected word from them weeks ago,” Anthony replied, shaking his head. “It’s pretty typical of them to keep us waiting though.”
“Well, that’s shitty,” I said around a mouthful of bagel. “I don’t know, Axo, do you really want to do it? Let Drest or Maedoc do it.” I hated the idea of him being gone. Damn it, you’ll have to let him live his life. He’s not yours.
“They refuse to cross until every other Sárkány has come through, and I’m glad. With Boudicca and Morcan searching for Boudicca’s progeny, someone needs to be there to lead those left behind. We can only bring through one or two every week or so, and that leaves the rest of them to be protected in Galdiart.”
“How many are left?” I asked. We’d brought them through in small groups every week since the previous October. Basically, the length of my pregnancy.
Axoular did a quick mental calculation. “A hundred and three.”
I moaned. “So, another eight months.” Those poor people. “We need to organize another supply run. The last I checked they’ll need them within the next few weeks.”
“I already started the list, Coya.” Anthony patted my hand.
“Thanks.” I finished my lunch in silence while Anthony sipped a cup of blood. Once we’d returned home they drank blood supplied by a regular delivery from a Supay controlled blood bank. It still rankled a bit that they used blood donated by unsuspecting humans, but at least they weren’t taking their meals directly from the source.
Elias’s face drifted through my mind, his expression had been hurt before he’d turned and walked away from me to go through the portal on the latest Galdiart run. I could tell he’d wanted me to ask him to stay, but I couldn’t say the words. He took my heart with him, goodness knew I loved him, but his betrayal had festered until it was something ugly inside me.
I was ready for him to come home. “I think, when Eli comes home tomorrow, I’d like to have a couple of days just me and him. Maybe we can go stay at my place in town?”
Anthony shared a look with Axoular and nodded his head. “I think that’s a wonderful idea, Coya.”
“What’s with the look?” I asked. “You’ve been talking about my relationship with Elias?” I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. Axoular had become a dear friend to us all, but still, he wasn’t my husband, and they were. I felt a bit betrayed, though I knew they’d have my best interests at heart. I grumbled to myself. It was difficult differentiating hormones from true feelings.
“It was my fault,” Axoular said. He moved around the island to put a hand on my shoulder. “I overheard part of your last fight and asked Anthony to explain.”
“Why didn’t you just ask me?” I furrowed my brow at him. We talked about damn near everything, why not that?
“You haven’t exactly been easy to talk to lately.” He grimaced and took a step back, as if expecting me to blow. “I didn’t want to upset you.”
I blew my hair out of my face in exasperation. “I’m under a fair amount of strain, but that’s nothing new for me. Being stressed while carrying an unknown species in my womb is a bright, shiny new level of worry.” I put my hand on his. “I’ll try to be more reasonable, and recognize when I’m just being hormonal.”
“Actually, Coya, we’ve talked about that too.”
I raised an eyebrow.
“We don’t want you to worry about that, the hormones. Don’t try to curb your emotions or wonder if you’re being irrational. You’re pregnant with an Unseen child. Those pregnancies are always more difficult than a human pregnancy. The hormones seem to be wilder. Just feel how you feel and don’t apologize for it.”
“We can handle it, Riley.” Axoular squeezed my shoulder and Anthony took my hand.
He had his eyes on Axo’s hand, but didn’t seem upset by the gesture.
“Well, I’m not going to argue with that. I have been worrying over absolutely everything, and it'll be nice to have at least that one thing off my fret list.” My relief at not having to curb my emotions was overwhelming and tears leaked from my eyes. “I’m sorry, it’s still the hormones.”
Anthony laughed and pulled me close. “Not much longer now, Coya. Do you feel like a nap?”
I smiled and nodded my head gratefully. A nap sounded wonderful. He took my hand and we walked slowly up the grand staircase to the bedrooms. My bare feet sunk in the plush carpet.
Tammy and Danyelus had the master suite, but given there were three of us, they’d renovated and combined three of the bedrooms on the right side of the hallway. We had our own bathroom and den, as well as a spacious sleeping area. Anthony joined me, pulling down the comforter and top sheet so I could slide into the crisp, fragrant bed.
“There’s nothing like clean sheets,” I said with a sigh, my eyes already closing.
He wrapped his arms around me from behind and I felt his head nod. “You are absolutely right.”
***
I woke gently, my mind peaceful and calm. Before I opened my eyes I stretched and languished in the warm bed.
“I love you.” Elias’s voice sent shock waves through me.
I was surprised and pleased at how thrilled I was to find him lying on the covers beside me. “I love you, too,” I whispered. “You’re back early?”
“I couldn’t stay away.” He smoothed my hair, no doubt a rat’s nest from the nap. “I hated the way we left things.”