“I’m guessing you’re about to tell me hence the separation.” I spread my hand out unambiguously showing the crowd all watching. I knew that Cas could probably hear anyway. He is a Vampire.
“You are the goddess. You tell me.”
I gave him a sure-fire dose of are.you.serious from the look on my face. “I’m not sure that’s accurate, but for moving this on a little faster, surnames now announced, let’s proceed. I have you to smooth over, fathers to appease, and my hair to wash, so if it pleases you... ”
He smile was teasing and deceptive as he scratched his unshaven chin, “You’re not at all what I expected. Feistier than ever.”
“That seems to be the consensus, yes.” I wish he would just get on with it.
His playful attitude diminished, “Anastacia, you are in great danger. I was there at the bonfire for your birthday. You took down my right hand man and made the way for me a little sooner than expected. You are well protected, but I have on good word also that the ones who want you dead are well guarded and I’m left at the other faction’s mercy. I was there at the party, but Thorn had you before I could. Guess he won the pissing contest. I will admit I have been unmerciful towards the other factions for any action that might have been taken to endanger our way of life, or yours, as was my job before this one. We cannot control our natural instincts and therefore I have to preserve our people and yours and manage some kind of peace. The other factions want you to believe that I, my faction, is disagreeable but I aim only to ensure our way of life and yours. Our people are not expendable and nor are you.”
He paused wanting my reaction not letting him down in the dirty look department. I hadn’t expected a plea for acceptance. What really went down with my father and the other leaders? That included Cas as a faction leader decision maker. “I don’t believe that anyone is expendable. I’m sure they have a good reason for leading you to believe what you do. However, I think now that I am safe and there is no reason to spend so many resources on keeping me that way, we can spend more time finding a way to work as one team, as a group. This danger you say I am in, who from?”
“You don’t know?”
No freaking no!
I was offended but then smiled devilishly, “No, I only recently found out what I do know, so knowing any enemy other than you was not on my know list.” He’s not dumb at least. But if he knew about Borgon I wanted to hear him say it first.
“Well, mark me off as your enemy but not anyone else.”
He was playing a game again with me just trying to get me into an outrage so I played a move back. I couldn’t figure him out yet and refused to let him see me trying. “Done, but who have you derived at naming my enemy?”
I could see two kinds of person in the Cord Ryan, like two skins. He wore the tough guy one right now. I wondered what the other one was like. Maybe all of us in this little bubble of superheroes were second skin kind of people. Something to hide.
“The group that calls themselves the new leaders who include Borgon and his death wish cronies would have you dead, my lady.”
My smile showed him I was aware of the fact. “Let’s say we are not enemies. Let’s say that we can come to an agreement where you will work with the other factions—
“No! I will work with you, not the factions themselves.” He touched his hand to his temple and then his ear.
“Okay!” I so don’t get this. I have to know. “Why?”
He looked almost sheepishly shy for a second and then returned his face to the bad boy image he wanted displayed. Story of my life with these boys. I was definitely in the decision that I like all these boys much better than the boys my father had picked out for me.
“Anastacia Anat Hathown, you’ve been lied to for a very long time. I was made to keep quiet. I could have never predicted the recent events, nor could have predicted that you and I would be standing here today, together the way it should have been long ago.”
Why am I getting a weird feeling? My head still ringing all the while.
“Why do you act like you know me?”
“Because I do.”
Well, elaborate already. The freaking mind games were wearing me out.
“I will show you.”
Good thing, cuz’ I’m dying to know. He moved closer. I felt Cas and Calum move in behind me. This boy’s hand flew up in Cas’ direction.
Cas stopped disturbing me somewhat.
Scorpion, Mr. Cord Ryan, moved even closer.
I tensed. Was he trying to unnerve me?
“Do you think I will hurt you?”
“I really don’t know that for sure?”
“I wouldn’t hurt you. I need to show you something. And I’m betting you need to show me. You know, I’ll show you mine if you show me yours like before. Unless you require me to just remove clothing and get it all out in the open. I could make it happen.”
Who is this guy? I know he’s supposed to be the last of the faction leaders we need but he was a nympho psychopath. I know they secretly hint that he is one of us but I would like to think the mothers were being careful in the choosing process. She told me to be ready for him, the human. But how does that make him one of us?
He lifted his shirt. I didn’t look down. I was so afraid. Not because a guy was stripping his shirt off in front of me or a whole crowd. Yeah, I noticed that he’s hot in that bad boy Harley kind of way. It was all kinds of weird. But I was afraid because the look in his eye told me he knew what was under my shirt.
I didn’t even realize I’d stepped closer still. Perhaps it was to hide what he was about to do or even more, to keep my secrets within a small space for a little longer. This was beginning to become a regular habit.
And I saw it. It dawned on me why the other dude had called him what he did. On his navel surrounding it with the stinger pointing up was a scorpion. My head began to spin and I felt like I was falling, but this time I caught my breath escaping and grabbed this boy’s arm to steady myself saving me from the idiocy of being a fainter.
“How?” was all I could manage. It wasn’t absurd to believe it to be real, just overwhelming. All I could see in my mind's eye was that scorpion kills Orion.
“And you?” His eyes pointed downward.
I lifted my shirt without hesitation. He saw. I dropped my shirt. No doubt the display of apparent clothing exchange baffled some. “And this explains the name they called you. They know you have it?” I nodded my head at his men and the boys.
“Yes and yes.”
“And you knew I had one?”
He flashed a pirate smile. “Yes, but not what. It is Orion surrounded by the sun I’m guessing. I imagine at closer inspection, I might find myself represented down there too.”
Not gonna happen. So he knew some things.
“Do you know the meaning?” he asked.
“No, but I’m wagering to guess that you’re the scorpion that killed Orion and I’m somehow the link between them all.”
“Wow, gorgeous, sassy, and smart.”
Was that a compliment? I didn’t react, letting ice form around heart. “What do you want?”
“Do you see what you missed?”
I cocked my head sideways.
“May I?” he gestured to my shirt looking straight to Cas so I cursed him in my head.
I nodded and presently touched my skin. I should have predicted this, but lately I can’t seem to fathom what really does happen to be true anyway. The ringing in my ear and head shot out continually so loud I screamed but it didn’t come out. It was stuck in the back of my throat.
He was holding his head too.
“What was that?”
“You heard it too, I take it?”
“Duh!” BFO! Blind Freaking Obvious.
“So you have some type of head smashing power?” he asked.
“NO, that was you, not me.” He shifted his feet back and forth.
“Not me.”
“Okay, again.” He was on me like fast flying locusts
attacking their prey. My head pounded.
“No touching,” I yelled seeing my saviors from afar jump to attention. My hand flew up stopping them.
“That’s one I haven’t heard before from the opposite sex.”
“Maybe you should.” Pig!
He reached out again.
“NO!”
“I’m just pointing.” He yelled in a whisper returning the favor to me. He pointed down. I followed his eyes. “That is scorpion.”
I looked at my stomach. What I thought was the sun bursting out all this time on one side was actually the stinger of the scorpion. He was right. I reached so fast raising his shirt that when I touched him the ringing was loud, but predicted and easier to handle. I stayed there longer than I should have and when my eyes went to his, he darkened into this sad faced Barbie doll that he was. I saw a glimpse of the unguarded mind of Cord Ryan, Were leader.
“YOU can call me Cord.”
Chapter Twelve
...which he never shows to anybody.
“What does everyone else call you?”
His face lit up with something suggestive and fearfully pleasing to himself only.
I walked into that one.
“Well you’ll just have to see, won’t you? Let’s retrace what we know. I came for you at the party. Gone before I could claim you,” he looked towards Cas, “You are the princess of the Val court, or were but it is my understanding that you don’t want it.”
“How do you know this? And why did you let your minion torture my brother?”
“Couldn’t be helped. A part to play to get to you. He knew the dangers.”
“Again, how do you know I don’t want my role?”
“We share mutual acquaintances.” He gestured towards Cas. What?
“Yes, as you can see, we are not all enemies. You prefer to shack up at the Vampire court these days.”
“Shack up. He is guarding me.”
“I thought it was your last word that you don’t need guarding?”
“How—
“Never mind. You’re loverboy Hunter is next in line as well as your brother, correct?”
He clearly knew I was aware of all this. But how did he know so much. Were Cas and he best buds? A Were and a Vamp? I tossed my head back at Cas and now to Cord. Cord mumbled something under his breath that sounded like, “I have a better bite.”
He read easily. Eerie. I go almost eighteen years without boys and now they are piling up. Nice, but maddening.
“Who is the rightful heir to your faction?”
“Ah, smart girl. I really do like you. He died if you recall. The voting process is almost complete. The family line died out and so a new leader is voted in.”
“And who might that be?” even though I knew the answer.
“Thought we were talking intelligently?”
“Don’t patronize me,” I gave my own austere driven answering system from the Ice Queen.
Cord eyed me with eyes I seem all too familiar with lately. First Calum, Cas, Lee too. Boys! They will be the death of me. “Stop looking at me that way.”
“What way, princess?”
“And don’t call me that either.”
“As you wish.” He gave me a two-finger salute with sarcasm dripping everywhere. The familiar ring signaled with it. I absentmindedly looked back to find Cas searching for his ring like I could play the matching game.
“And don’t say that either.”
“Then don’t look at me the way you do.” That unnerved me. “Is there anything I can say?”
I huffed. I should have held it in, but there it is. “We aren’t getting anywhere this way?” I added.
“Well, let’s get busy then. Where to? Point me the way.” His eyebrows rose. He’s eyes glossed over. I knew that look again. What was this?
“Alright now. Let me get this straight. You are familiar with the four of us I see and leaving a lot to be guessed by me. I want some type of alliance, but you are only selective on who you speak with. Let’s just lay it all out on the table and find out where to go from here.”
His wolf smile played on his lips. How ironic that I’d pin it that way. He unfolded his arms and leaned to his side. His hand barely motioned. Cas, Calum, and Szar all came forward. “On the table is my specialty.”
How did…never mind.
“Now, so there are no secrets.” Cord’s hand went to his shirt. Like we had to establish trust. I don’t see ever trusting this guy with anything.
Stace, just listen.
You knew. You knew all this time. I glanced his way to glare.
Stace, it is pertinent to our survival.
Yeah, and I’ve been in the dark blind and filled with shi—
Not any more, we can’t afford for you not too.
“Are you two telepathic?” Cord interrupted us his voice somber and worried.
“Ah, wolf boy doesn’t know everything,” I came off more sarcastic then I’d meant too. Dude has issues.
Cas snorted.
Szar howled under his breath making Cord snarl like his true form. Oh, sexy. Not!
I took a turn glaring just for good measure.
Cord glared right back. And I didn’t give him his answer to what he now knew. Cas moved a hand to my shirt and turned it up for me. A picture taken of the five of us examining each other sounded distasteful to even say. Very weird situation here. To the watchers we had to look very strange and melodramatic.
All five of us let out a collective sigh. At least we were all on the same wavelength.
I continued the sarcasm for it was easier than what was real, “And when I bloody want you to know something, I’ll be sure to run your way. Let that be, ahhh...in your freaking dreams.”
Cord came back just as quick with, “Every night. You can star in my show anytime.” His cheek lifted in a quirky smile.
I rolled my eyes and huffed.
Go on and tell him Kissa. He has to know either way.
I huffed at Cas and started in with my attitude voice, “Calum is Orion. I now know Cord is the scorpion known for killing Orion. Sorry Calum. Watch out for this one. Cas is the sun who came from Ra, the sun god. Szar has a shield and according to the almighty mother is to take cover over me. Ha! I have all of you. Aren’t we just all the richer now?”
Everyone present nodded.
“I can feel all of you come near, except my brother.”
“Thank the gods.” Szar had to comment.
“Same to ya, bro!”
He nodded in full agreement pushing the point too far. He knew we could read each other so well it was beyond normalcy.
“What connection do you have with Cord? How do you know already?” Calum asked with anxiety in his voice.
“Not sure yet. When we arrived my head was killing me and the closer he moved to me the higher the ringing grew in my ears.”
“That’s it?” Cas wasn’t giving up.
Kissa, your hiding something. I frowned and nodded at him a big no. When a girl doesn’t want to talk she doesn’t want to talk.
“No, when he touches me the same feeling magnifies.”
Cord was ping ponging back and forth. “And I’m guessing you have a connection too.”
“Yes.” I wasn’t telling. I’m done telling. Some things are getting out of hand.
Cord looked at Calum. “And him?”
“Same.” Since we’re airing it all out. Heck, I think I will play with my food. I focused on him. Yep! “You afraid mister wolf boy? I sense it.”
“What am I afraid of?”
“I don’t know the exacts all the time. My boys here can sense it too. You tell me, but I can tell you are. What are you hiding?”
Szar backed up with his hands up, “Not me, bro. I can’t read slick. Just you three. I can read fear, nothing else. That’s about it for me.” He threw a wink at Cord.
Gods, my brother was trying to outwit the witless.
“Don’t ever wink at me again dude!” Cord told Szar. His fear
increased significantly the second they landed back on me and then darted around giving me answers. I didn’t know how this weird magical ability worked like it did. He’d spied on me before. I have the same feeling I did those days in the woods with Calum. Of course, I knew now that Cas had been there too.
“You are…sad about something you don’t want us to know. You’ve been near me before. I feel it like I did before.”
I rest my case. He was really scared now. His eyes pleaded with me.
“Everyone back away.” I guess my voice was that demanding because they shocked me at how fast they complied.
They all went backward three steps like the force of the hurricane. They were shocked at themselves. I looked at Cord not sure what to think or why I did that for him.
“Thank you, gorgeous.” His apparent trademark two-finger salute shot out at me again hiding his true emotions.
I rolled my eyes. “And?” I just wanted to hear it from him and get on with it. Why I felt the need to give privacy to say it was making me feel heeby jeeby and out of sorts.
Cord interrupted my thoughts, “So I’ve watched you. Standing right beside your Vamp on cold nights while you stuck your tongue down the Hunter’s throat. Headaches came then too but I didn’t have a clue till now.”
Lots of throat talk with all these people. Isn’t that my business only? And I remember getting the headaches.
“I have a theory on something. Just a theory.”
“On with it,” I spouted, my arms already crossed from before he first spoke. If he queued up a whole list of evidence I still wouldn’t care. At least I told myself that.
“It requires more than you may want to give.”
What was he asking for? “I’m not doing anything inappropriate.” Cas started across the grass. My hand flew up. I loved that he wanted to protect, that wasn’t the problem though. He was already dissatisfied with my pushing him away.
Cord snorted with the same practiced “I’m a player” voice, “I can hope.”
I growled. Heck! Did Aphrodite give these three men aphrodisiacs called the Stace Potion number nine?
Kissa!
He pulled out a knife and sliced his palm where blood dripped freely. He grabbed my hand, “Trust me. I won’t hurt you. Although everyone seems hell-bent on keeping you safe, you don’t really need it.”
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