Hell’s Key: Siblings of the Underworld, Book 1

by Baxter, Linzi

  He walked up and said something to Wrath that made her throw her head back and laugh. The pack was full of laughter with everyone home and no more crazy demons trying to attack. Tyler and Sasha were both heading to Harvard. He’d gotten a scholarship to play basketball, and they expected Sasha to go to med school. Mary was worried about her daughter going out of state, but she knew it was the right path for both of them.

  The local pack doctor had checked my mom out, and she didn’t have any lasting damage from her years in captivity. Her memories still hadn’t come back, and I knew it frustrated her that she couldn’t remember more. The doctor had told us they might come back over time and not to stress over it.

  Dr. Henderson thought my mom had only survived because of her genetics. We knew Mom and Kali might be related, but we didn’t know how. Wrath had killed her before we could ask. Mom and I had spent hours reading through books, seeing if any of them talked about her parents. We were starting to think Kali might’ve been lying about Jasmin being her sister. Also, Lucifer didn’t remember much about Jasmin. He was trying to figure out how someone erased parts of her from his mind.

  Ryker walked up on the porch and pulled me into his arms.

  “What did you say to Wrath?” I asked. “I could hear her laugh over here.”

  My sexy mate pulled me over to the white bench swing. “I told her she was getting slow and we might need to call in Lust to take over.”

  I smiled at the thought. Wrath fought dirty with swords and magic. Lust wielded her powers to win.

  “How was work today?” Ryker asked.

  That was a sore subject between Ryker and me. He thought running the PI firm was too dangerous and didn’t understand that the bail jumpers I went after didn’t have magic or want to raise the dead. My job was a lot safer than the underworld.

  Michelle still worked as my receptionist and was dating Archer. She had quickly become accustomed to the supernatural world and had spent time over at our house, watching my sister take on half the pack. She and Archer had decided to take things slowly, though I thought it was more Michelle than Archer. His eyes burned with love each time he looked at her. If I had to guess, I would bet Michelle was his mate, and he would wait until the end of time for her to be ready.

  “Work was good. I took down two bounties and netted close to ten thousand dollars.”

  Paxdon walked onto the deck and tossed Ryker a beer. “You, my lady, can’t drink any more beer, but I brought you a cup of decaf coffee.”

  I reached up and grabbed the cup. It didn’t compare to the real stuff, but in nine months, I could drink my liquid gold again. “Did you decide to come live around here also?”

  Ryker had been about to take a sip of his beer when I asked the question. His hand stopped in midair.

  Paxdon’s smile spread across his face. “I would love to, but my home is in hell.”

  Ryker let out an audible breath. “So, what brings you here today and without Lucifer?”

  Paxdon blushed. “Lucifer is working on a surprise for both of you. He can’t wait for his grandbaby to come.”

  I held up my hand. “No surprises. What is he doing? Unless it’s kidnapping Carlton the leprechaun, I don’t want it.”

  “You know, it hurts my feelings that you no longer want me as your pet as well. No, he is not kidnapping Carlton. Leprechauns bite. Lucifer is in the process of building you a summer home in hell, and he expects you to raise your child part-time in hell.”

  “Nope. Not going to happen, and I will tell the big guy that myself. I’ve never even been to hell.”

  Paxdon shifted, clearly uncomfortable. “That is the other reason I’m here. He wants me to bring you back for a visit.”

  “Again, not going to happen.” I crossed my arms over my chest. No matter how much my sisters talked about hell, I wasn’t ready to visit.

  “Can you take me?” my mother asked. I hadn’t realized she’d stopped watching Wrath fight and was listening to the conversation.

  “Yes. When do you want to go?”

  “Mom, do you really want to go to hell?”

  My mother leaned over and gave me a hug, and it ended too soon. “I need to figure out more of my past. Maybe someone or something can help trigger a memory.”

  I stood and pulled my mom back into my arms. “Are you sure hell is the best place to try? We can find more books.”

  Jasmin cupped my face. “I need answers, Paldon. Not knowing is killing me, and I think we’ve read every book under the sky. Let me do this. You can always come visit, and I will be back before the babies are born.”

  “Baby,” I muttered. The doctor’s equipment had lied when it showed two. I didn’t sign up for two, so we were going with one no matter how many people told me I was wrong.

  “Bye, Paldon,” my mom whispered before she and Paxdon vanished.

  * * *

  That night, I lay in bed next to Ryker. We were both naked, and I draped my body across his. I couldn’t get enough of the man and wanted to always be near him.

  Ryker ran his hand over my claiming mark on my shoulder. Two nights after getting back from Georgia, Ryker and I had finished our mating. Ever since we mated, Ryker had magic as well, and he was getting the hang of the black bulbs of magic easier than I had. My speed and strength had increased. When researching how to get Mom’s memories back, I had looked to see if it was normal for powers to cross during mating, but I hadn’t found any information yet.

  “Are you okay with your mom leaving?” Ryker asked softly.

  “I didn’t want her to leave. I’m worried about something happening to her. We had so many years apart. I don’t know what I would do if she disappeared again. But her going to hell to see if she can find answers is a good decision—as long as she’s back before the baby is born.”

  “Babies.” Ryker laughed.

  I rolled my eyes. “I’m not ready to admit babies yet.”

  “I hope we have a boy and a girl. Can you imagine a little girl with your long brown hair and blue eyes?”

  “Honestly, I thought you wouldn’t want a girl. Can you imagine all the little boys wanting to take her out on dates?”

  Ryker frowned. “She can’t date.”

  “Gosh, I can’t believe we mated and are having our first kid. Two months ago, I did everything to stay away from you. I thought I would tarnish your name because of my old alpha. But you should’ve been the alpha when everything happened.”

  “I hate that I did this to you.” Ryker ran his hand down my face. The scar was still gone, but I still felt a tingling where it used to be. “I should have taken my place, then you would never have had this happen.”

  “Never think that way. Everything happens for a reason. No matter who the alpha was, Glen and Kali still would’ve tried to rule the world and take Lucifer out. I love you, Ryker, and no matter what happened in our past, I wouldn’t change it because I ended up here with you.”

  “How did I get so lucky to have you as a mate?” Ryker asked as he ran his hand down my side.

  “You’re not the only lucky one. I have you. And we have everyone else in this pack. Mary’s so excited for the twins. With Tyler and Sasha leaving, it will give her something to take her mind off them being gone. We are a team and would be a better team if we could keep Carlton.

  “I love you,” I whispered as I shifted to be on top of Ryker. His gray eyes flashed silver, another change since our mating. We had so many questions, but that moment, I wanted my man. “Now let me show you how much I love you.”

  “I know you do.” Ryker’s words came out as a groan. “You are stunning, Paldon, and I’m the luckiest man to have you. I’m all yours,” he added after a minute.

  I grinned at his hard erection between my legs. We had made love each night since we mated, and each time was better than the last. Ryker pulled my shirt off, and the second it was over my head, I worked on pulling Ryker’s gym shorts down. Need burned inside me as I gripped Ryker’s member and positioned it agai
nst me.

  “Wait,” he said, grabbing my hips and stopping me from sliding down.

  “Please, Ryker, I need you.” My words came out breathlessly

  He rolled me over onto my side. “I want to taste you first.”

  “I need you in me, Ryker. I need my man, please.”

  Ryker must’ve seen something in my eyes, because he positioned his cock and slid forward. My back arched, and he pressed a finger to my clit. The added sensation brought me close to the edge as Ryker slowly worked his member in and out. He locked his eyes with me, and I could feel the love and tenderness. Ryker was breathtaking, and I couldn’t imagine my life any other way.

  “Faster.”

  “Better?” Ryker asked.

  He reached down and pinched my pearl, sending me over the edge, and I screamed Ryker’s name.

  Two more thrusts, and Ryker went over the edge as well. A minute or two passed before he rolled over and pulled me to his chest.

  “Will it always be like that?”

  Ryker ran his hand down my arm. “When the twins come, we might need to go quicker or hide so we can be together.”

  “Twins, Ryker—what are we going to do?”

  “We will figure it out. They will be here in nine months.”

  Epilogue

  Ten months later.

  “How cute!” Mom gushed.

  Paxdon had shifted into his pandacorn and was snuggling with Riley and Rex. My twins giggled as he blew raspberries on their tummies.

  “Paxdon loves the twins. He comes at least once a week to spend time with them,” Ryker mumbled. He always complained when Paxdon showed up, but I could tell he enjoyed his friend coming to visit.

  We were having our monthly barbecue, and it was the first get-together since the twins had come home—Riley, our precious baby girl, and Rex, our demanding little boy. Everyone from the neighborhood had shown up.

  Michelle and Archer were still together, but they couldn’t make the barbecue because Archer needed to take care of something in Europe. He’d said he needed her help, and from the happy tone in her voice, I knew she would do anything for him. She didn’t tell me what it was but said that everything was okay.

  “Do you think they are going to kill each other?” my mom asked Ryker and pointed at Wrath and Atieno, who were standing at the end of the yard, having a heated conversation.

  Ethan walked over and handed Ryker a beer. Over the past few months, Ethan had fixed up the Georgia pack, and he and his brothers visited often. We had spent hours talking about our time apart. I was still trying to deal with the fact that I’d never questioned anything and my friends had paid for my mistake.

  Ryker took the beer and answered my mom, “I understand what Atieno did back then, though I don’t like it. Wrath might care for Atieno as a friend, but she will always blame him for her husband’s death.”

  Wrath turned and stormed off into the woods. She would be gone for a few days. I wished we could find someone to make her happy.

  I turned toward Ethan. “Are you dating anyone?”

  Ethan narrowed his eyes. “I like my life the way it is.”

  “Really? Alone? I think Wrath is a good catch.”

  Ryker laughed. “Run, man. Do you realize your father-in-law would be the devil? She hid it from me until I fell in love with her.”

  “Liar,” I teased. “You know you love my dad.”

  As if we’d mentioned him too many times, smoke wafted from the center of the deck, and Lucifer appeared. “Where are my little demons?”

  Rex and Riley squealed when they saw Lucifer. My father showed up a few times a week to play with our kids, and Ryker and I were planning to go to hell in the next month to check out our vacation home. With Mom spending so much time there, she’d made sure the place would feel like home for us.

  Rex burst out crying when Lucifer picked Riley up first. I went to get up, when my mom clutched her head and let out a scream that rivaled my son’s. When she looked up, tears were running down her face. That had happened a few times over the past ten months. Something would trigger a new memory, and she would get a piercing pain in her head.

  “Mom, did you get another memory?” I kneeled in front of her.

  “A memory of the day you were born flashed through my mind. But you weren’t my only baby born that day. I had twins.”

  The End

  Want to find out about Paldon’s twin sister? Pre-order Hell’s Future now.

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  When the universe throws you a curve ball, you can either fight it head-on or run for your life.

  The fresh air of the West Virginia mountains did nothing to calm Talia’s nerves. It wasn’t the first time the supernatural council had summoned her. Once the council found out about her ability, they used her to help solve cases, and now they called at least once a month. But something about that day’s call made her uneasy.

  If Talia could hide from the council, she would. Yes, she loved the money she made—it helped support her Jimmy Choo habit and kept a roof over her head. But the visions took a toll on her with each new case. It wasn’t as if she could unsee her visions. The images haunted her in her dreams.

  Each state had its own governing council. A handful of high-ranking government officials in each state’s council governed the supernatural community. Only a few humans were aware of the supernatural world, and the supernatural beings wanted it kept that way. The council’s headquarters for West Virginia were in the mountains, a few miles from Haven Springs, a small town inhabited mostly by shifters.

  Talia had not only helped the West Virginia Council—sometimes other state councils also called when they needed her help. The council was made up of supernatural beings who had been around for centuries, whose moral compass only consisted of black-and-white beliefs.

  Talia parked her red Toyota Corolla at the end of the gravel parking lot. She shifted in her seat and stared at the building, which resembled a warehouse. The morning sun hadn’t burned off the layer of fog surrounding it. From the outside, the building looked small, but she knew that under the structure was a maze of offices and research labs. A chill went through her as she thought about the research labs. She’d overheard horror stories over the years about the criminals being used as test subjects.

  Ever since Gideon, from the high council, had called, she felt like something bad was about to take place. Talia couldn’t call in sick—the council would send someone to her one-bedroom apartment and drag her to the warehouse. Few people had her ability, and some days, it seemed more like a curse than a gift. Today was one of those times she wished she had no abilities, because she had an inkling that once she walked into the building, her life would change.

  The council had placed cameras around the warehouse—Gideon would be informed the second Talia arrived. Even if she wanted, she couldn’t sit in her car much longer, or Gideon would send a goon out to grab her. Talia’s best friend, Nyx, had called her when she was in the parking lot a few weeks earlier, and they’d been on the phone for five minutes before one of Gideon’s men had shown up at her car window, ushering her inside.

  She took in a deep breath of the mountain air before she exited her car. The gravel crunched under her high heels as she walked toward the side entrance. Gary stood outside. He had been the day guard for as long as she’d worked for the council. The council used trolls for protection around the building because they were particularly loyal.

  No matter how many times Talia came to the council, Gary would motion for her badge. This time, she held it up, and he scanned it with his phone then nodded when a green check mark appeared on the screen. She grabbed the cold metal door and pulled it. Gideon had told her to head to the interrogation rooms.

  Talia stopped at the security desk. “Hi, Olinda. Is this new?”

  Every time Talia walked past Olinda’s desk, a new flashy trinket was sitting on it. Fairies loved to collect sparkly charmed objects.

  Olinda’s face lit
up as she reached for her glittery gold miniature gnome. “Yes. Gary bought it for me.” She blushed.

  Talia held back a smile. She couldn’t image the petite blond fairy with the muscular Gary. He didn’t resemble a troll unless he shifted, but he was close to seven feet tall, and his muscles had muscles.

  “That was nice of him.” Talia shifted to her other foot. “You have any clue why Gideon called me?”

  Olinda was in charge of the front desk for the council and heard all the latest gossip. She might be able to give Talia a hint about what she was about walk into.

  Olinda’s lips turned down. “I have no clue why he called you in, but Gideon is in a bad mood. Something happened, and he isn’t happy about it.”

  Great. Now I have to deal with a thousand-year-old grouch. She couldn’t remember the last time he’d been in a good mood, but if Olinda thought he was mad, well, their meeting would be bad.

  “Okay. I’ll head back.”

  Olinda reached in her pocket and threw gold glitter on her. Talia hated when Olinda doused her in glitter, but the fairy didn’t understand, and Talia didn’t want to upset her. Talia mumbled a thank-you and walked through the door to the left of the receptionist’s desk.

  She stepped into the back, where TVs lined the far wall of the warehouse. Each TV displayed the local news around the state and country. A team scrutinized the news and waited for someone to shift in public. Within minutes, the council would have someone on the scene, cleaning up the mess. The council members perceived it was important to keep their abilities a secret so humans wouldn’t do research on them, but it didn’t stop them from using the lab in the basement on their latest criminal.

  Talia bypassed the group working and walked down a plain hall to the back of the warehouse. On her way, she passed the stairway that led downstairs. In her years of helping the council, she’d never set foot downstairs, and she didn’t plan to ever go down there.