by Willow Hayes
“I don’t know, Firefly. Can you get in contact with the family she was staying with to see what information they have?” Nakoa looks as shaken as I feel, and I tell him I will.
“This can’t be a coincidence, it just can’t be. They know who she is to me. Maybe they somehow orchestrated all of this?” I’m struggling to wrap my head around any of it. Suddenly the guys all pause and tip an ear toward the stairs, listening.
“Someone just knocked on the office door.” Nakoa says for my benefit, having not heard what they did. “Luka and Teo go see who it is. I’ll stay here with Callum to keep watch.” Luka and Teo quickly stride off while the rest of us are left with an agonizing wait.
When they walk back in the door I start shaking my head and scramble off Callum’s lap in my haste to get away. “No, it can’t be. No. No.” I wave my hands in front of me in a vain effort to keep the letter away.
Nakoa takes the letter from Teo and opens it. After reading it he hesitates a moment before telling us all what it says:
“Doing the Trial of Three was a mistake. One your friend will pay for. Act out again and we will end you and everyone you care about.”
He looks up from the letter and hesitantly adds, “There’s a picture of Reg’s gym in here as well.”
“Reg,” my voice a mere whisper as my knees buckle. Callum tugs me back into his lap, kisses my shoulder, and holds me tight. I can’t decide whether to be terrified or unbelievably hostile. They have threatened me and my own, they have my best friend, and they want me to just fucking disappear? “Who could be doing this? What do we do now? I can’t leave her in the clutches of that psycho!” I have to do something! I have to take action!
There is silence as we all consider what our options might be when Luka tentatively speaks up, “We could break her out of the clinic.”
Silence reins for a moment more before Nakoa’s authoritative voice breaks it, “We would need to verify that she’s in the clinic before we can make any plans, but let’s start moving in that direction. Luka, hack into the Center’s record system to find out if she is there, or if they are holding her somewhere else. Wherever she is track down blueprints of the building. Callum, go scope out the clinic, so we have an idea of what we’re up against, especially their security. Firefly, you are going to reach out to Rya’s family and to Reg. Tell him to close the gym temporarily, and to get out of town for as long as he can afford to be out. Tell him we’ll help with the financial burden if needed. I don’t want him coming back before it’s safe. Teo, check our surveillance equipment and get it packed and ready to go. If we find she’s there I want to move as quickly as possible. Rya cannot stay in their hands, and the faster we get her out the better,” Nakoa barks out his orders, taking charge of the mission because that’s exactly what this is.
Luka and Teo head out to do their tasks, but Callum remains where he is, holding me close. His words are soft but passion filled when he says, “Ómorfos, our security services are highly sought after, not because we have made a name for ourselves, but because we are the best in the country. Trust in that knowledge, and do not allow fear to steal your power once more.”
His words nearly bringing me to tears again. I turn to look at him and say, “I won’t.” I lift my lips to his and kiss him softly before climbing off his lap. I take his words and hold them close as I watch him walk out the door.
I turn back to the room to find Nakoa watching me. I give him a questioning look, confused as to why he’s not off doing a task. “My job is you right now, Firefly. Anything that can be done right now is being done. I want to hear what Rya’s family has to say, and I want to be here for you.” He cups my face, running his thumb along my cheek.
I nod before pulling him down onto the couch, so I can crawl into his lap. With his bear-like frame, sitting with him feels like being surrounded by the biggest hug. I bury my face in his neck and breathe in his woodsy scent. “Do you want to know what brought me out of my panic?” I ask him quietly. He nods then kisses my forehead, waiting for my response. “I thought about the fact that I was surrounded by my men, my Chosen, and how when I’m with you guys I feel truly safe for the first time in my life. Growing up the way I did, safe was never something I felt, and I didn’t realize how much the fear stayed with me, even as my life got better. Rya and Reg helped me figure out how to keep myself safe, but no one has ever truly made me feel safe. When I sit here, with you, I feel safe.” I don’t exactly know why I felt the need to share with him. Maybe it was the emotions of the day, but it was the truth.
I feel the rough pad of his finger under my chin, lifting my gaze to his. “Firefly, you are one of the strongest people I know. Your inner strength astounds me, and the fact that I help to make you feel safe leaves me humbled.” Caught in his chocolate gaze and held in his strong arms I find myself lifting my face, fitting my lips to his. It wasn’t meant in passion but for connection. I need this man. I need all of my men, my mates. I reach my hand up and grip his neck. He cradles me closer as we continue the slow exploration of each other. We don’t deepen the kiss, but we didn’t need to. He pulls back slowly and with a sigh rests his forehead against mine. “You should call Rya’s family and Reg.”
I agree and pull my phone out to make the calls. Rya’s family was told by a representative of Queen Isadora that Rya had been selected for the research project, and that her participation was mandatory. They were unhappy of course, but believed there was little they could do. With Nakoa’s prompting I ask about his security guys. She says they had checked in earlier that day, but left after a few hours. Nakoa’s jaw clenches with news that his guys missed Rya by only a few hours. After all my questions her mom grows concerned and asks if something is wrong, but I don’t want to worry them, so I only tell her to be careful.
Reg agrees to get out of town when I tell him the particulars of the threat. When I apologize he brushes it aside, “Girly, if I had a freak out every time I’d been threatened I’d be in the damn looney bin.” He tells me he’ll go visit family out of the country and makes me promise to keep in touch. We say our goodbyes, and when I end the call the tears I’d been holding back start to fall. They are my family, and I feel so powerless to protect them. Nakoa holds me tighter while I cry, silently comforting me.
One by one the guys filter back in from their tasks. Once we are all gathered Nakoa asks for a report. Luka speaks up first, “According to their records Rya is at the clinic here in the village, and I’ve already pulled the blue prints.” Luka lays them out on the table. Thank gods she’s close. I don’t know what we would have done if she was somewhere far, or if we couldn’t find her. Luka confidently continues on, “I’ll be able to hack into the security system no problem.”
“The equipment is good to go,” Teo says, pointing his thumb over his shoulder toward the garage.
“The clinic is three stories, at least above ground, there may be sub levels, but there is no visible exterior access if there is. There are two buildings we can use for surveillance. One taller, and one of the same height. There are three exits, and walls of windows. However, the glass is tinted for privacy, so it may compromise some of the information we gain. I can install listening devices tonight if we decide that is the direction we are going.” Callum is all soldier now, a stark contrast to the man who was passionately kissing me a few hours ago.
“Yeah, go ahead and get those installed tonight, but before you go let’s get the framework of a plan in place, so we know what to prep for tomorrow.” He turns to me with a humorless smile and says, “I don’t suppose I’ll be able to convince you to sit this one out?” My face turns mutinous, but before I can even utter a word he says, “Yeah I didn’t think so. I hate that you’ll be out and exposed, but I won’t argue. Chances are that if I insisted you stay behind you would find your own way there anyway.” I shrug because he’s not wrong. “Let’s get a rough plan put together then.”
Fifty
Kenna
All five of us go on surveilla
nce the first night. Nakoa tried to convince me to stay behind with one of the guys, but I flat out refused. So I’m decked out in all black, as are the guys, with my hair tucked up into a black knit cap because Nakoa says ‘my mass of copper curls’ is too identifiable. Callum identified the best places to observe from last night, so all we need to do tonight is set up.
The roof we’re working from rises a story above the clinic and looks down on the main entrance. The equipment the guys pull out make me feel as though we are in our own spy movie which I suppose we are, given our clandestine activities. Nakoa pulls out what looks like a long, small, black camera and sets it up on a tripod. It’s similar to my camera, but the body is smaller and the lens much longer. I ask him what it is, and he tells me to look through the scope. When I do I see a grainy black and white image with a human type shape moving around in various shades of red. “It’s an infrared camera that allows us to track movement in the dark.” He presses a button on top, adjusts the angle, then tells me to look again. This time I see a normal image of the guard in the front lobby. “This feeds into Luka’s computer and records the images, so we’ll be able to review the footage back at the house.” He points to Luka’s computer which has a cover over the screen to reduce the light. Luka’s fingers move across the keyboard so rapidly they’re almost a blur.
Callum hands me a small earpiece similar to headphones, and I put it in. It itches like a bitch, but I find I can hear the conversation a doctor is having with someone on the phone. With questions in my eyes I look at him. He smiles and says, “These are connected to the listening devices I installed last night. Luka can switch the feed between devices when it picks up noise.” I watch the guys work in wonder as they pull out and set up more equipment. They are a well-oiled machine and seeing them in this setting is unaccountably sexy.
After sitting in the dark for a few hours the novelty of the experience has worn off, and my ass is totally numb. I shift uncomfortably and fidget nonstop. I try to remind myself of why we’re here, but I’m still having a difficult time sitting and doing nothing. The information we’ve gathered so far doesn’t seem to be of much use, and it’s making me all the more agitated. “How do you sit so still for so long? This is killing me!” The whine in my voice apparent, but I can’t hold it back. “What have we learned in the past few hours that will help us get Rya out?”
Teo grins at my discomfort and asks, “What’s wrong, Spitfire? Uncomfortable? I can help you get more comfortable.” He waggles his eyebrows before winking at me.
I only glare at him. “Shut it, Pretty Boy.”
Nakoa rescues me from having to say anything more to Teo by explaining, “Surveillance can take days, if not weeks, depending on the location being scouted.” My eyes widen at the implication of Rya being subjected to more days or weeks at the hands of that bastard. My panic must have shown on my face because Nakoa rushes on, “We’ll do our best to get the information we need quickly, but we can’t rush this either. If we go in on faulty information we are at risk and so is she.”
Luka reaches out and wraps his hand around my wrist and looks at me with a kind smile, “We are trained to wait silently and control our bodies. It takes years to master, and you, my Princess, are a fidgeter and will find this work difficult.”
And difficult it was. When we arrive back home I turn to the guys and announce, “I think my time would be better spent helping with something other than surveillance.” I see Teo’s lips twitch, but he wisely keeps the smile contained. “I hate sitting still, and this is what you guys do best. I would really like to continue my training, so I can be doing something that will benefit the rescue mission.” The guys agree to work out a schedule for shifts watching the clinic and for helping me to train.
I reach deep and call Fire to me. She eagerly responds to my call, and I tell her what we need to do as I weave my intention into the magic. I take a deep breath and focus on the three small walls in front of me out in the training field. They’ve been set up with the goal of learning how to bend my fire, and this is my third attempt at three walls.
We have built up to three after many tries, a shit load of curses, and way too many walls that crumbled to ash. I started with trying to maintain a steady stream of fire instead of releasing the usual balls I had been working with. This has been by far the most challenging magic I have done to date, and it’s kicking my ass. I keep pushing because I need to get Rya out, and I need every advantage I can get.
I release Fire and mentally envision her going around the first and then the second wall. “That is it Ómorfos, stay focused,” Callum’s voice is soft in my ear. This is where things have gone to shit, but I’m determined to make this happen, so I push harder and feel Fire rise to the command. Together we hit the target at the end of the training ground.
I do a celebratory dance, and if I’m hoping for some praise from my insanely sexy drill sergeant Callum I’d be sorely disappointed. Good thing I’m used to his asshole ways and sense his pride regardless of what his mouth doesn’t say. “Again.” I knew he was going to say that.
My combat training has improved dramatically in the past few days while we wait for surveillance to gather enough information to move forward. I’ve managed to land far more hits on all three guys, although with Luka’s faster speed he’s damn hard to hit. Not to say that I’d beat a supe in a fight, but I’m making steady progress.
Weapons training, on the other hand, continues to be frustratingly stagnant. Watching Nakoa circle me in his distracting black athletic pants and tight black t-shirt I look for a sign of when he’ll strike. When he moves he sends a right side thrust at me. I block the swing, pushing his blade away. Taking advantage of his closeness I swing my second sword aiming for his right side, but he sends my swing back to me.
We continue to move in a dance of give and take. As he draws his arm back to perform a thrust I see an opening. I swing my sword towards his neck stopping just short of hitting him, landing what would have been a fatal blow. I stare dumbfounded at my blade at his neck, not processing my long awaited victory.
In a rare show of levity Nakoa gives a whoop and grins wide. We both drop our swords, and the next thing I know he has wrapped his arms around me and is swinging me around. We’re both laughing in celebration of my first victory, and I can feel his joy and pride through the bond. When he stops I slowly slide down his body until my feet touch the ground. With the feel of his body moving against mine I go from jubilant to hungry. I stare up into his heated chocolate eyes and will my mate to kiss me.
Nakoa
Caught up in the moment of her first victory I wrap my arms around her and swing her around. Her laugh and smile are like the sun breaking through the storm clouds. For years my life has consisted almost solely of the company and the guys, and somewhere along the way I stopped truly living and was just going through the motions. She’s brought color and passion back to my life, and reminded me that it doesn’t have to be a choice between love or duty because with her I can have both.
When we stop spinning her luscious body slides down my own. The realization that I’m holding my mate in my arms makes my body hum. When I look down into her bright sapphire eyes I see my own need mirrored there. Through the bond I can sense her hunger and can almost hear her silent plea for my kiss. Needing no further invitation I lean down and roughly capture her lips. After denying this for so long the kiss is full of passion and an almost feral need.
My brand of fucking is rough and dominant, and I had planned on taking things slow with her, but in this moment her passion matches my own as she claws at my neck and nips at my lips. I wrap my hands under her thighs and lift her up. “Wrap your legs around me,” I say, my voice gruff with need. Her legs instantly twine tight around my waist settling her center against my cock, separated only by the thin fabric of her leggings and my pants. “Good girl.” With my words her breathing hitches, and I smile wickedly to myself.
I take her mouth again as I walk to the nearest wall and
push her back against it. I pin her with my hips and say, “Hands above your head.” Her eyes dilate as she instantly complies. I take both her hands in one of my own, trapping them. She moans and rolls her hips against me. Her eager submission and her body’s responses tell me all I need to know about what my Firefly likes. She craves a dominant partner.
I demand entrance to her mouth with my tongue, even as I thrust my hips against hers. I groan at how perfect she feels against my body. She is a sweet fire, and in this moment she’s mine. I show her she’s mine by claiming her mouth as I use my tongue as a promise of things to come. She writhes against my aching cock, and each of her moans send a bolt of need through me, making me impossibly harder. I use my free hand to trace the shape of her lush curves and run my thumb over a peeked nipple. She groans and arches her back demanding more. I pinch and roll her nipple, enjoying the way her body responds to me.
The smell of her arousal is intoxicating, and I have to know what she tastes like. “Unwrap your legs.” Her breathing ragged her eyes shoot to mine in question, but I offer no further explanation needing to see if she will trust me. She unwraps them, and I slowly let her slide down the wall, still holding her hands. “Spread your legs.” This time she follows the direction immediately. “Good girl.” She swallows hard and watches me.
Not claiming her now is killing me, but I will not have her for the first time against the gym wall. I will however, taste her. I bring my free hand to the top of her leggings and stop. I meet her eyes and wait for her permission. Instead of saying anything she rolls her hips, asking me to continue. I dip my hand in, and immediately my fingers are soaked in her juices. “You’re soaked, Firefly,” my voice husky with need when I find how much I’ve affected her.