by Dia Cole
Ty stiffened. “What do you mean?”
“I mean you and me become her mates once Tasha is defeated and Vana transitions.”
The large male looked as if I’d bludgeoned him with a battle-ax. “You’d be willing to do that? You’d be willing to share your female?”
“I don’t want to lose you, brother,” I said softly into his mind. It’d been the two of us against the world for so long.
He inhaled deeply and shook his head. “You won’t lose me, but I won’t lay claim to your female. You two deserve happiness.”
I started to voice my objection, but he silenced me by reaching into his pocket and pulling out two silver wrist cuffs.
“You’ll need to wear these.”
I snarled at the sight of the shackles. Now that I’d had a taste of freedom, the last thing I wanted was to become a prisoner of the silver again.
“Calm down. These cuffs are only replicas of the ones Tasha made you wear. These are made out of platinum.” He held them out to me.
I walked over and inspected them. Although they looked almost identical to my old cuffs, upon closer inspection I could see the metallic sheen had a whiter tint to it.
“I had them made for you years ago, but I never thought I’d convince you to wear them.” With a click, Ty snapped the cuffs around my wrists.
I didn’t feel the immediate punch of nausea to my gut or the constant drain of energy from them like I did with the old cuffs. “Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me yet, brother. You’ll need to be very careful to keep my mother from finding out about these.” He tapped the cuffs. “And Havana.”
“I know,” I said, once again haunted by the danger we were in. “But in a few months we’ll all be free.”
“May I live to see that day,” he said, his face etched with grim determination. “My mother won’t go down without a fight, you know that.”
I shook my head. “There doesn’t have to be bloodshed.” Thanks to my alliance with Shoshanna, we’d have the warriors needed to subdue her and force her to abdicate.
Ty let out a heavy sigh. “You always were the optimist, brother.”
“The plan will work.” The alternative was too dark to consider.
“We could always try to ambush her,” Ty suggested in a low voice.
I shook my head. “And we would fail.” Over the years dozens of skilled assassins, mercenaries, and Enforcers from other factions had attempted to kill Tasha. None had succeeded. With an uncanny premonition, Tasha had sensed every single attempt on her life and had been able to thwart her enemies. She’d delighted in turning the tables on them and made them suffer in ways so terrible I still heard their screams in my nightmares. No. A direct attack will not work. Our only hope was a political coup.
“I hope you’re right.” Ty glanced over at the door. “Will you tell Havana the truth?”
“What, that she’s not actually human and neither are we?” I let out a strained laugh. “No.”
Ty frowned. “You can’t keep this from her. She deserves to know.”
I held out my hand to reassure him. “And she will, when the time is right.” After we’d eliminated the threat that Tasha posed, I planned on taking her to Winterhaven and introducing both her and Mira to our people. I guess they would technically be Mira’s people. Damn, thinking of my daughter as my ruler was going to take some getting used to.
“Don’t wait too long. You don’t want Havana to transition before you tell her.”
“That won’t happen.” The pheromones that a Lykos female shed before her initial transformation and heat would give me more than ample lead time. My loins tightened as I tried to imagine what Vana’s first heat would be like. Fuck. She was irresistible to me now. How will I handle her dripping with sex hormones and filled with an insatiable need to mate? I shuddered with anticipation.
“I hope you’re right, brother.” He clasped me on my shoulder. “I’m heading back to Winterhaven, but I’ll be back to share any intel I gather. Until then, keep Havana and Mira safe.”
Before I could wish him well, he disappeared into the shadows.
23
Havana
A loud giggle woke me. I opened one eye to see Mira kneeling on the bed, her small face an inch away from mine.
“Boo!”
I let out a gasp.
She giggled again. “Did I surprise you?”
I took a shaky breath. “Mmm, yeah.”
“Why are you in Daddy’s bed?” she asked, pushing back the crooked plastic tiara she wore. The fake blue gems in the headpiece matched the blue satin princess dress she was wearing.
“Um.” My sleep-deprived brain took a moment to reboot. I glanced over at the rumpled sheets next to me. Where’s Nathan? He’d know how to answer his daughter’s questions.
There wasn’t a trace of the handsome man in the bed, or the room. By the bright light streaming through the gap in the curtains, it had to be close to midday. I must’ve slept for hours.
Mira repeated her question.
“We had a sleepover last night,” I finally said.
“I wanna have a sleepover,” she squealed, bouncing up and down on the mattress. “It’d be so fun!”
Fun was right. Holy hell. I’d never in my life had so many orgasms. Last night, Nathan had quite literally rocked my world. I’d lost count of the times he’d taken me. Sometimes hard and fast, sometimes slow as if he were savoring every second inside me. My favorite had been the times he’d tied me up and had his wicked way with me. I flushed thinking of how I’d screamed out my pleasure time and time again. Thankfully, I hadn’t woke Mira. I shifted, feeling the intimate burn between my legs.
The silk coverlet slipped down and the little girl peered at my chest. “Why aren’t you wearing any clothes?”
I gasped and wrapped the covers around my body. “Ah. They must have fallen off.”
“How did that happen?”
“Mira!” Nathan’s voice rumbled from the doorway. “You weren’t supposed to wake Vana.”
Mira’s face crumpled. She hung her head. “Sorry, Daddy. I was just excited to see her.”
I put my arms around her and kissed her on the forehead. “It’s okay, bug. It’s time for me to get up anyway.”
Mira burrowed into my arms. “Maybe you can have a sleepover with me tonight.”
“Well, that’s up to your daddy.” I looked over her head at Nathan who’d walked into the room wearing a tight-fitting T-shirt that molded to his chest muscles like second skin, and a pair of loose-fitting jogging pants.
My mouth dried, as he came to stand with his back against the dresser, his massive arms folded across his chest. The memory of kissing down that chest and lower made my heart pound. Despite the complaining from my well-used body, I couldn’t wait for the next time we could be horizontal together. Or vertical. I was a creative girl and he’d clearly demonstrated that he had enough stamina for ten men. I was so thankful that he was over whatever issues had been effecting his libido.
Last night, between bouts of lovemaking, I’d gently inquired about it and the wrist cuffs that seemed somehow related to his condition.
He’d responded that the cuffs represented an oath that he’d made to another female, and when Tyberius had broken the cuffs, it had set him free.
I would forever be grateful to Tyberius and had half a mind to fix him up with Syd in thanks. Although on second thought that probably wasn’t a good idea as she possessed the faithfulness of a tomcat. Somehow I sensed that Tyberius was a deep, sensitive soul and he deserved better than that. Maybe Lee from work? She seemed like good people.
“I don’t see why you couldn’t have a sleepover,” Nathan said, dragging my attention back to him. His gaze locked on mine and I melted at the warm emotion reflecting back at me.
He said he loved me. Remembering his words filled me with so much happiness, it felt like my chest would burst apart. Being with him was everything I’d ever hoped for. Moodiness aside, he wa
s smart, sexy, caring, and a wonderful father. He was the prince I’d dreamed of since I’d been young. He was my happy-ever-after.
Nathan winked at Mira. “We’ll have to take turns, sunshine, because I’m looking forward to my next sleepover with Vana too.”
Mira clapped her hands together and stared up into my eyes. “Does this mean you’ll be my nanny again?”
Once again, I looked to Nathan for direction.
He cleared his throat. “Unfortunately, that position is no longer available.”
Mira frowned. “Why not?”
My heart missed a beat. What does he mean? Surely, after last night he’d hire me back. Unless... Unless me being a stripper made me unsuitable to care for his daughter. My stomach sank like a stone.
As if sensing my inner turmoil, Nathan grinned. “However, I’m opening a new position. The title is life partner.”
“Yeah?” I said, unable to stop from smiling like an idiot. “What are the job requirements?”
He cocked his head to the side as if thinking deeply. “Let’s see. The candidate must be smart, have a sense a humor, and be open to new things.”
“Check.”
“The candidate must be good with kids.” He motioned at Mira.
“Check.”
“Ah. Most important, she must be willing to put up with me.”
“And me!” Mira added with an imperious nod of her head. The motion sent her tiara tumbling onto the bed.
“Gladly,” I said, picking up the headpiece and carefully sliding it into her tangled silver-streaked hair.
Nathan nodded. “Excellent. Well, in that case, I think I can arrange for an interview this evening.”
“I’ll need to check my schedule. Where is it being held?” I managed to say with a straight face.
“My study. Seven-thirty sharp.” He strode over to his nightstand, pulled something off a stack of papers and tossed the object at me.
I caught it in midair. When I opened my palm, I found a small, metal binder clip. I looked at him in confusion. “What’s this?”
“Just bring it with you.” He flashed me a wicked grin. “And don’t be late, Ms. James.”
24
Epilogue
Nathan
“Nice rock,” said the limo driver, his compliment all but drowned out by the rain beating against the windshield of the vehicle.
“Let’s hope my female thinks so,” I replied, snapping the small velvet box closed and tucking it into my front suit pocket. The four-carat diamond ring was the reason for my overnight trip to New York. Of course, I could’ve just had it sent to the house, but for the half-a-million-dollar price tag, I’d wanted to examine it personally. Thankfully, I hadn’t been disappointed—the stone and setting were stunning.
“She must be one special lady, sir.”
“She is,” I said with a grin. The past three months with Vana had been the best in my life. I’d never dreamed I’d meet someone who made me this happy. She truly was the other half of my soul and I couldn’t wait to make her mine in both the human and Lykos way.
“If you don’t mind me asking, when are you planning on popping the question?”
“Tonight.” Excitement ran through me as I went through the plan. Vana was due over in an hour and we’d have a romantic dinner that included a special delivery from her favorite French restaurant and a bottle of her favorite champagne. Once we’d eaten, Mira, who was almost more excited than me, was going to come in and say she couldn’t sleep. She’d hand Vana her well-loved ladybug book and ask for a bedtime story.
Knowing my Vana, she wouldn’t be able to resist Mira’s request. When she opened the book, she’d find the ring inside at which time Mira and I were going to ask her if she’d marry me together. I grinned, anticipating Vana’s shock and joy.
“Well, good luck, sir,” the driver said tipping his hat. “I’m sure she’ll say yes and you two will have a lovely wedding.”
My smile faded. We’d have to wait for the wedding. There were still three more months until the end of the year—three more months until the threat Tasha posed was eliminated. But I was more than confident that we’d be able to neutralize her. With my support, Shoshanna had approached her allies in the Northern Arizona factions and they had committed their warriors to our cause. Between their Enforcers and Shoshanna’s Moon Hunters we had a veritable army to force Tasha to abdicate. Then, my first act as regent of Winterhaven would be to order Tasha’s permanent imprisonment.
Although Ty remained skeptical that his mother would step down without bloodshed, he’d encouraged her to make her New Year’s Eve party the biggest ever and ensured invitations had gone out to all the council members and faction leaders.
At this point, everything was going according to plan, but a niggling voice inside my head warned me that Tasha was anything but predictable. We couldn’t underestimate her and truly the last thing I should be doing was proposing to Vana. But damn the fates, I needed my female to know how much I loved her. The past few weeks she’d hinted at us moving in together and had seemed disappointed every time I changed the subject. The marriage proposal would show Vana how serious I was about her…about us.
“Did you need help with your things, sir?” the driver asked, pulling up in front of my house.
“No. That’s not necessary.” I found my wallet and paid the man. Then, holding my bag over my head, I rushed through the downpour to the front steps. As I fumbled for my keys, I realized the door stood ajar. What the—? My muscles went rigid as I slowly pushed the door all the way open and the nauseating scent of blood and roses hit me.
Tasha’s here. Ice-cold dread poured down my spine.
My heart raced as I stepped into the entryway and looked up. The light on the small device mounted to the ceiling was blinking red. Someone had hit the panic alarm.
Dropping my bag, I quickly yanked out my phone and texted Vana a terse message telling her not to come to the house until I contacted her again. Then I ran down the hall toward Mira’s bedroom. Please let Mira be okay. My daughter knew the blinking red light meant she needed to run straight to the safe room that was equipped with food, water, and, most of all, ten-foot-thick steel walls that would keep her safe for weeks if necessary. Did she make it?
I skidded through a large slippery pool of blood. Oh, fuck. Whose blood is that?
Both Rachel, the new housekeeper, and Ty had been staying at the house to keep an eye on Mira while I was away. Did Tasha attack one of them? Both of them? Is that Mira’s blood on the floor? “Ty!” I shouted telepathically.
“Tasha’s here,” he groaned into my mind.
“Does she have Mira?”
“No. Mira’s… s-safe in the panic room.”
Relief swept through me. At least Mira’s okay. But what about Ty? “Brother, what’s wrong? Are you injured?”
He didn’t respond.
The trail of crimson led straight into the formal living room. Bracing myself for anything, I rushed through the door.
Three bloody human corpses lay in the center of the room with dozens of knives sticking out of their bodies. I didn’t recognize the two males, but I did recognize the female with blood-covered gray hair.
Rachel.
Damn the fates. Grief and rage churned inside of me at the sight of the blades embedded in her eye sockets, ears, chest, and abdomen. The housekeeper had been with us for only a few months, but in that time she’d proved to be loyal and competent. She didn’t deserve this.
The older woman’s mouth was open as if she’d begged for her life until the end. Not that begging would have done any good. Tasha drank the pain of her victims down like vintage wine.
Speak of the devil. Tearing my gaze away from the carnage, I looked over at the tall female reclining on the chaise lounge. Her skintight gold satin dress matched the color of her eyes and the long hair cascading down her back.
Tasha looked up at me with a wide smile. “Ah, my prodigal consort has finally returned. Come over h
ere and try some of this.” She held up the plate of beef bourguignonne she was eating. “It’s so delicious, I almost regret killing the humans who brought this food.”
Well, at least I now knew who the dead males were. I shook my head as I looked over at the pile of bodies. Their only mistake had been delivering food to the wrong house at the wrong time. “Why did you kill them and my housekeeper?”
Tasha’s yellow eyes glinted under the light of the chandelier. “The males were just in the way. That stupid female tried to keep me out of my own house and then refused to answer any of my questions. I couldn’t even compel her to talk.”
“It’s my house,” I said, gritting my teeth. “And Rachel was deaf.” Despite her lack of hearing, communicating with the housekeeper hadn’t been a problem. She’d read lips perfectly, but her deafness would’ve prevented Tasha’s mind control. My throat tightened. The poor woman’s last moments on earth must have been horrific.
“Oh,” Tasha said, sliding off the lounge chair with all the grace of a jungle cat. “Well, I didn’t know.” She set her plate and fork down on the closed lid of the grand piano and brushed her hands together. “No matter. She’ll be easily replaced.”
I fisted my hands, battling hard to suppress my rage. Anger was what Tasha wanted. I’d learned decades ago that staying in control and hiding my reactions was the only way to disarm her.
“Don’t be upset at the mess. I’ll have someone clean it up,” Tasha purred, sashaying toward me. It was obvious she wore nothing under the gold dress. Her stiff nipples pressed against the fabric and the twin slits up the sides of the gown parted with each step, revealing most of her thighs.
The sight of all her tawny skin on display along with the pheromones wafting off her had me taking a step back.
She’s going into heat.
At nearly a hundred years of age, Tasha’s cycles had become irregular. To my knowledge she hadn’t gone into heat since Mira’s birth. Why is she here instead of mating with the unclaimed males at Winterhaven?