by Jana Leigh
Sydney’s eyebrows shot up in surprise, the Alpha had called her on the whole lying thing, but she would still not back down. This was not about that, this was about completing her goals.
“Nice speech,” Sydney scoffed. “It would have been better if you would have gotten up on the pedestal that you seem to put yourself on. Sure, I may have left out a few things when I came here, like what I wanted and what my powers were.” She heard Kiki and Thomas make noises behind her, and felt them shift a little to the side. Damn it, she was fucking this up. This is why she didn’t want to mate, she had to be responsible for someone else, or in her case, two someone else’s. It sucked, and she was going to have to explain all this later. “But that has no bearing on the fact that you have an obligation to seek out and ask for help from those who also believe in this cause. I can help, and Ms. Praton is the head of the Drekinn Agency, not you, or your overgrown baboon of a mate. So forgive me if I don’t bow down and kiss your feet because you are an Alpha. I don’t belong to this pack or whatever you want to call it. It is by sheer coincidence that I am some descendant of the Chosen, cool yes, life-defining, not so much. Now, if you don’t want to help me find Ms. Praton, fine, I never asked for your help, but step your dingy ass, dyed hair out of my way, because I have a purpose to fulfill and it doesn’t include sitting in this nice posh castle watching while the people of my race are killed off one by one. I am more of an action type of girl.”
The two remained in a stare down while the room exploded around them. Everyone yelling and demanding the two women stand down and take a chill. Of course neither of them would, it was against both of their natures. Calli may be an Alpha of the Drekinn Pack, but Sydney would be damned if she handed her allegiance over to someone without proof they could mentally handle what was coming. Challenging her seemed to be the only way she could think of to see if the Alpha pair could lead them to where they needed to get to.
“Calli,” Kade bellowed and stormed over to where his mate was standing growling at Sydney, with her psycho friends standing behind her with their arms crossed and rolling their eyes at the rest of the room, including their own mates who were demanding they not get involved.
“What?” Calli barked out.
“Knock this shit off, you are pregnant!” Kade said and went to take her arm.
Rissa stepped forward and said, “Listen here, slick, this is between the women.”
Her mates groaned and put their hands over their faces. Rissa was challenging not only the mate of Calli, but also the Alpha. “What did you say to me?” Kade growled.
Never breaking eye contact, Calli said, “She means step the fuck back and let me deal with this now.”
Kade sighed, shook his head, and turned to Kiki and Thomas and said, “Sorry, guys, I tried, but I actually want to get laid in this century. Don’t worry, we will find you a new mate, a better mate. One that will not lie to you.”
Kiki made a noise and Sydney wanted to turn and beg their forgiveness, they were right she had lied to her mates, all for what? To try to help these crazy bitches out? Right now that didn’t seem like such a good idea; however, she had gone too far to stop now. They would think she was a coward, and she may be about ready to piss her pants looking at the three demented females, but that was beside the point.
The men stepped back and Sydney faced off with the three women who she had heard were a little off balance. “So, it seems like we have a situation here.”
“We don’t, you do. Now are you going to go quietly, or are your going to go with a fight? Please pick the fight, I have been dying to kill someone.” Calli laughed menacingly.
Sydney took a deep breath and felt the power flowing around her. She grinned when everyone in the room felt the electric storm gathering. “Bring it,” Sydney said as she changed into the only woman in the room who she knew could kick this chick’s ass, her mother. She let the power flow into her and she knew what it looked like, her body growing and changing, looking a bit like a shapeshifter but changing into another person not an animal.
“What the fuck is this?” Calli roared when her mother appeared in front of her, bad hair and all.
“Damn, is that what my ass looks like in these pants? I need to do a few more butt crunches at night, honey, put that on the list,” Vivi said and stepped next to her daughter who looked horrified at the prospect of seeing two of her crazy ass mother.
“Moooommm, knock it off,” Calli said and took a deep breath. Sydney smelled like her mom now, gone was the flowery scent of the fairy, and in its place was her mother’s scent. Calli narrowed her eyes.
“Hell no, I won't knock it off, I am having too much fun,” the fake Vivi snarled and stepped forward.
“Stop it,” Calli said and walked around Sydney. “Is this your gift?”
Sydney cocked her head and smiled at Vivi whose eyes were twinkling at her. “No, I am a hallucination. Duh, this is my power. I can change into anyone I meet and touch, I take on their scents, their mannerisms, everything.”
“And this is cool, why?” Calli asked.
Rissa raised her hand and jumped up and down. Calli groaned and said, “Ris, we are not in school anymore!”
“Just being polite. It is cool because you can become any man and play with your own winkie, then flash unsuspecting people in the street?” Rissa laughed and winked at her mates.
“No, it is cool because you can freakin’ fuck with people minds and make them think you are nuts. Change into them when they are drunk and make them think they arguing with themselves.” Cherri laughed.
“Girls, you are thinking too small, you can kill someone and blame it on a human! The perfect crime,” Vivi said and Calli stopped pacing and growled at them.
“Maybe I should interrupt here.” Pilar smiled and walked toward Sydney. “I am sorry, I thought you knew I am Ms. Praton.”
“Shit,” Sydney said under her breath and put her head down.
Chapter Four
Kiki stood with Thomas and felt a huge lump in his stomach. She had lied to them. Acting sweet and demure. All for what? To get in with his friends? She used them. Kiki could feel the anger coming off Thomas as well, and he knew there was gonna be an explosion soon.
All they could do was stand there and watch Pilar approach Syd with a smile. “No worries, Sydney.” Pilar laughed. “However, I am not the leader of the Drekinn Pack, Kade and Calli are the Alphas. The Agency is gone and we have been forced to change this a little.”
Sydney changed back into her normal form, sighed and nodded. “I guess I thought that you were still in charge.”
Pilar snorted. “No, and nor do I want to be anymore. I need to be back in the ranks, help without being Ms. Praton. She is too conspicuous. If I want to change things for the better, Ms. Praton must retire.”
Thomas finally blew with a roar. “Damn it, does anyone at all care that our mate used us? This is fucking bullshit. All of it. We fight and protect without a thought, for what? So, we can finally find our mates and live happily ever after? This just proves it was a fucking dream—nothing is ever as easy as what you think it will be. Hell, I have been waiting to mate with this wonderfully quirky man who drives me to distraction, for what? So we can both get our hearts trounced on? Fuck this, I am out of here, and I am taking the only person who has ever shown loyalty to me—with me.”
Kiki stumbled a little when Thomas grabbed his arm and pulled him. Fuck, what the hell? They were leaving the compound? Kiki thought and kept his eyes forward on Thomas’s back. His mate was right though. This was completely fucked up. He could hear the cries from Calli, Rissa, and Cherri follow them as Thomas led him out of the dining room without a glance at Sydney and the others, and into the hallway.
Thomas paused, breathing heavily, and then turned to Kiki. “I am sorry, but I just can’t do this shit anymore. I can’t be in there with her, she betrayed us.”
Kiki nodded and felt pissed off that someone had hurt Thomas, the man was strong and passionate, but
when you crossed him, there was little forgiveness from him. He felt a sinking in his chest and waited.
“Let’s go,” Thomas said and led him back to where their rooms were. When they arrived, he turned again to Kiki and the man saw the pain in his mate’s eyes. “I am sorry, the choice is yours. I am leaving, this place feels like it is suffocating me.”
Kiki didn’t allow a second to pass when he put his hand to his mate’s face and smiled. “I will follow you anywhere.”
Thomas nodded and said, “I will meet you here in fifteen minutes. Grab what you can and we can send for the rest later.”
Kiki nodded and watched his mate struggle with himself for a second and then he looked Kiki in the eyes and said, “You are my mate, I can’t promise not to fuck up, but I do promise that we will be true mates.”
Kiki sucked in a deep breath when Thomas leaned over and kissed him passionately for the first time. Holy shit, this is what he had been missing out on. The man was like sex on a stick of dynamite. Thomas's lips were firm and demanding, assaulting his willing lips. When his tongue touched Kiki’s lips, he almost grabbed him and ripped the sexy man’s clothes off. His desire was ready to erupt when Thomas pulled back, both of them panting.
“Holy shit,” Kiki whispered and Thomas laughed.
“You ain’t seen nothing yet,” Thomas whispered, leaning his forehead against Kiki’s, and he sighed. “Later, let’s get out of here and then we will finish this.”
Kiki nodded and stepped back feeling a little better, at least one of his mates wanted him. With a smile, he walked into his room and frowned. What the hell was he going to pack?
*****
Rissa, Calli, and Cherri glared at Sydney with their hands on their hips. She felt like a bug on the wall with the stares. Damn, what had she done?
“You know, I don’t really care if you challenge me, or fuck with Ris or Cherri. We are used to it and can handle it. But when you fuck with those two men, that is bullshit,” Calli spat the words out.
Yep, now she felt like shit.
“Listen,” Sydney said, holding her hands out as if to hold them at bay. “I am sorry, I have been so focused on finding Ms. Praton and helping, I lost sight of what was important. I was truly going to talk to them tonight and apologize for all of this. I know I screwed up, I was going to fix it. I know they are my mates, and I know I can’t run from that.”
Rissa sniffed and said, “You hurt my cross-dressing Diva. Kiki will never be the same again. He is crushed and lonely, probably crying into his hair dye mixer right now. You guys know he is, his hair is gonna be yellow or orange, atrocious colors that make him look a little sickly.”
Cherri nodded, “I have never seen Thomas actually lose his cool like that. You fucked up big time, and I think it would be best if you just leave. They shouldn’t have to leave because you are here.”
Sydney wanted to scream about the unfairness of the whole situation. Yes, she fucked up, but damn it, she needed to be given the opportunity to fix it.
Pilar stepped forward and held up her hand to the three women who were nodding in agreement over Cherri’s announcement. “Maybe we should slow down a little here. Sydney, I understand where you are coming from. I am guilty of only looking at one goal and moving everything else to the side. Let’s let her go fix this, and then we will meet back here in the morning and talk about what you would like to do with your gift.”
Sydney felt a rush of relief for the young woman and nodded. “I am on it.”
Calli snorted and looked at Pilar, “Always the diplomat, but if it goes south, I am taking a chunk out of the princeAss.”
“I am with Calli,” Rissa said stubbornly. “But I won’t take a chunk out of her ass, I will let my murdering, psycho husband take care of her. He knows how to hide a body real good.”
Sydney rolled her eyes as she saw a tall, sexy man protest on the sidelines. “Hey, that is one.”
Rissa giggled and wiggled her ass at her handsome mate as Sydney walked through the door. Well, tonight could be called a success since there was no bloodshed; of course, they could be playing with her and kill her in her sleep, but right now she felt pretty confident she would wake up in the morning.
*****
“Ready?” Thomas asked and kissed him gently on the lips. Kiki nodded and took his mate’s hand. He felt sad about leaving the compound. Kiki had finally found a home, one where he actually belonged, and he was leaving it.
But with Thomas, it would be okay, Thomas would be his family now, and they would build a life together far away from the fuckin’ mess. The pain speared his heart when he thought about Sydney—she had betrayed them. Mates were not supposed to do that to each other.
With one last look, Kiki laid a note on his bed for the girls and they walked out the front door of the compound and set off down the road. Thomas was explaining his plan to him. If they went farther north, there were small clans up there that were hidden in the open, of course it was a little colder, and when winter rolled around they would be snowed in.
It sounded perfect, leading a quiet life. Thomas and Kiki both had money, since joining the Drekinn Pack they had found out their ancestors had property and money, which were left to their descendants. One of those places was north, and Kiki couldn’t wait to see what it looked like. Neither of them would have to work until they wanted to, they could hide. Of course Rissa would find them and come to drag them back but if they avoided her for at least a week, Kiki would be over the mourning phase, he would feel better about saying no.
As they walked they began to talk, Kiki relaxed and for once loved that Thomas was ready to accept their mating.
“You know, I am sorry about the way I have behaved,” Thomas said and grabbed his hand. “I was just so confused.”
“About me?” Kiki said cautiously.
“Yeah, I mean, you are raised to think one way and I will admit that over the years there have been some men I was attracted to, not like I am to you of course, but more like, ‘wow, look at that ass’ type-of-thing. But when I met you, everything changed and I wasn’t sure how to handle it,” Thomas explained.
They walked into the woods that surrounded the compound. They would not officially leave the compound for several hours because the land surrounding the house was huge. But just on the other side of the northern wall, it was only a few miles to the first clan where they could spend the night.
“I can’t change who I am!” Kiki whispered.
“I don’t want you to either, it was just that I was so shocked about the whole thing that I didn’t know how to talk to you,” Thomas admitted.
“And now?” Kiki laughed.
“Now, game on, Ki.” Thomas leered at him and he felt his heart soar. Since meeting Thomas, it had always been between them, their lack of communication about what was going on. Kiki assumed he would never have this type of relationship with his mate, Thomas. He had faced reality and sucked it up, wanting to show the man he could be exactly what he needed given the chance.
“So, you are okay with the cross-dressing thing, because even though I have been wearing pants and shit in public, when I am in private I do like my frilly robes and slinky undergarments though.” Kiki laughed and then paused when Thomas turned to him quickly, it took him a moment to read the look on his face, it was filled with desire and wanting. “Oh well, that answered that.”
“Do you have anything red? All I can think about is a shimmering red robe against your smooth sexy skin, rubbing all over me,” Thomas whispered.
“Oh, darling, I have red, blue, and of course white,” Kiki laughed and then sucked in a breath and waited. Thomas’s eyes changed to a golden brown and Kiki could see him battling to remain in control. Shit, he thought, he wants to play hide the sausage now? In the open? With all the bugs? The thought just made him feel creepy.
“You have about two seconds to get that tight little ass moving before I strip you naked and take you on the dirty ground,” Thomas growled and Kiki felt his
eyes widen.
He was talking dirty to him, damn it, why did they have to be in the fucking woods when he decided he wanted Kiki?
“Okay, no snapping,” Kiki teased, hoping to break the sexual tension surrounding them. He squealed when he felt Thomas slap his ass and encourage him to move.
“Move it.” Thomas laughed.
“Yes, Master!” Kiki said smartly and then froze when Thomas pulled him to a stop once again. This time he didn’t turn him to look at him. Instead, he leaned forward and whispered in his ear with his deep, sexy voice.
“Sounds about right. I think I will love taming you, slave, just picture it. Me in control of our passion, you serving me, calling me Master. I would love to see this cute little ass red from a spanking. I am sure that will happen often with you being so headstrong. From this moment on, think about what I am proposing, I have always wanted a mate who would live the Dom lifestyle with me. You pleasing me, and me taking care of your every need. Soon your body will respond to my command, like the good little slave you are.” Thomas ran his tongue down the side of his neck.