by Janelle Peel
Sora answered for him, “He is Hers. That’s good enough for me.”
Blaze gritted his teeth, of course it was. He wasn’t so sure, though. A thought filtered through his mind… “Swear it,” he rumbled.
Without hesitation, Cooper said, “I swear to the Goddess I mean you and yours no harm. I serve Her, and by extension, Sora.”
Thunder rumbled, shaking the tinted pane of the bay window as the Goddess passed judgement on his oath.
“Alright,” Blaze grudgingly said. “You may stay, but, I want your allegiance as well.”
Cooper’s brow dipped in confusion, “Allegiance?”
“Fealty,” Viv answered with a roll of her emerald flecked eyes. “Blaze wants you to swear fealty and join us.”
Cooper
My thoughts ground to a halt as I looked at the pink haired pixie. Swear fealty to a Clutch of Vampires?
She laughed. “It’s really not that bad. Remember what Nat was saying, how she’s connected with us? It’s like that,” she patted her chest for emphasis, “except, it’s all the time.”
He had never known that level of comfort, not since his family was whole. In fact, he had searched for that very feeling his entire life without truly realizing what he was trying to find, until now.
“It’s a blood ritual,” Sora added from the couch. “Nat underwent the same thing when we accepted her into our Clutch.”
His brows lowered as he recalled his brother dabbling in Blood Magic. “What does it entail?”
Blaze answered with a smirk, “Sora, you, and myself, all dribble some blood into a chalice and drink. Normally, it is performed in front of the entire Clutch and is a cause for celebration. Now, however, in the interests of time and the impending war, it would just be the three of us.”
Viv lifted her hand and flipped Blaze off, “Um no, Fang Boy. I’m here, too.”
Blaze nodded, “Fine.”
Curiously, he asked, “When would this ritual happen?”
“Now,” Blaze replied in a tone that brooked no argument.
“It’s okay, Cooper. Really,” Sora said softly. “It isn’t dark magic. Magic is neither dark nor light, it’s the user’s intent that colors it one way or the other. We have no ill will toward you.”
Cooper relaxed at Sora’s words, “Fine. Get your cup.”
Blaze reached below the bar and pulled out a small, golden chalice. It seemed he’d has this planned all along.
With a snick of his fangs, Blaze punctured his palm. Fisting his large hand, he trickled a few drops into the cup and licked the wounds.
He was so engrossed by the display, he didn’t notice Sora beside him until her hand reached for the chalice.
Her starlit gaze caught his as she repeated her Mate’s process. Finished, she handed him the cup and looked imploringly to Blaze.
Blaze intuited her question and produced a small pocket knife.
Cooper took the offered blade without a word and slashed the meat of his palm. Making a fist, he mirrored their actions.
Blaze took the cup and swirled its contents while he healed his wound.
Satisfied, his deep bass boomed, “We are yours, as you are ours. One Family. One Clutch. Now and always.”
Sora softly repeated his words as Blaze lifted the chalice and took a sip before passing it to his bloodstained hand. Here goes nothing, he thought, and took a sip.
Sora took the cup from his hand and downed the entire thing. Slamming it to the bar, her fangs descended and she hissed, “Mine.”
A sharp pain lanced his heart, dropping him to knees below the bar. As quickly as it had come, it was almost instantly replaced with… love? Well-being? His chest expanded as he explored the sensation. A part of one whole; he now knew what he had been seeking for so long.
He was home.
Nat
After a quick change of clothes, I was on my third circuit of the mansions’ interior when an intense feeling shocked through my well. I sucked in a sharp breath, Cooper. Happiness lit through me. He was ours.
Smiling to myself, I pushed open the pool door and made my way into the courtyard. Thankfully, it had fully defrosted over the past few days. Inhaling through my nose in short puffs, I located my quarry.
“Mel,” I whispered into the predawn light. “It’s time to come out and talk to me.”
Silence met my ears and I shrugged. Settling on a stone bench, I decided the wait him out.
Mate, huh? I had no interest in a Mate. For starters, I was way too young. Not only that, I wanted to explore the world. Every single hope and dream I’d ever had, was now possible. Why would I take a Mate and be shackled again? Sure, he was nice to look at and all, but he had tried to mark me, without permission. That alone stopped any of my previous attraction towards him.
My internal musing almost caused me to miss his soft footsteps. Turning on my rear, I watched him stalk naked across the grass.
Don’t look, don’t look, I repeated over and over again before turning back around.
Buck naked, he settled himself beside me; crossing one thigh over the other to hide his manhood.
Refusing to meet his chocolate gaze, I stared at a nearby palm tree. “What the hell was that, anyway?”
He growled low in his throat, “You touched him.”
My nostrils flared in outrage, “Yeah, I can touch whomever the fuck I want.”
His loud swallow echoed in the silence. Clearing his throat, he continued, “It was too much… for my Wolf. You are ours.”
I stood, done with all the bullshit and shouted, “You could have killed him! He is my Brother; nothing more. Goddess forbid you stop to ask, though. No, instead, you tried to tear his throat out.”
His amber eyes looked deeply into mine. Rumbling, he said, “You are mine.”
I bared my teeth and growled, “I am not yours.” Cocking one hip, I shouted, “I am MINE! NO ONE MARKS ME. End of story. Get your shit together, or pack up and move out. We,” I waved a hand at the house and leaned in closer to his face, “don’t have time for your shit, nor your idiotic dominance displays.” My disappointment deepened, lacing my words in a spiteful manner, “We are at war. Accept it or don’t, but we,” my fingers curled back and forth between our bodies, “are done here. Stay the fuck away from me.” I slashed one hand through the air.
A soft whine escaped his barely parted lips.
The sound pinched my heart, but it changed nothing. Firming my resolve, I met his golden orbs. “Done,” I whispered. “The only reason I can even look at you is because you didn’t use your venom on him.” Pivoting on one bare heal, I headed back inside.
Padding into the rec room, I easily located our newest member. Grinning broadly, I threw my arm over his thick shoulders, “Welcome, Brother.”
His hazel eyes sparked endearingly, “Thank you, Sister.”
Mel
He sat on the stone bench, chilling his naked rear in a numb like state.
Footsteps whispered over the concrete path, announcing Jonas’s arrival.
Mel couldn’t even bring himself to look at his Beta.
“It’s not that bad,” Jonas said soothingly, tossing a pair of sweats onto his bare thighs.
He didn’t want to be comforted. He wanted to scream and fight. His failure to think, to let his Wolf lead, had cost him the one thing he’d always wanted.
Jonas settled beside him, “Cooper has joined.”
Mel’s upper lip lifted.
“Why did you attack him, Mel?” He asked.
“Nat is my…” his heart clenched painfully as his Wolf dug into the soft tissue inside his ribcage. “Was,” he whispered past the pain, “my Mate.”
Jonas bumped him with one meaty shoulder, “Was?” He chided, “Come now, don’t tell me my Alpha has given up so easily.”
Mel sighed, “She hates me, and she has every right to. I almost killed Cooper. It was all I could do to stop my Wolf’s venom.”
“So? I am certain she will have a close call or two
in the future, we all have.”
He shook his head, “No, she won’t. You don’t understand, Jonas. She doesn’t possess twin souls, it’s just her in there.”
Jonas sucked in a sharp breath, “You’ve got to be shitting me. An Alpha without the soul of an animal?”
Mel nodded.
“Can she even communicate?”
“No. I was trying to teach her, but then all this,” he waved a hand helplessly, “happened.” He sobered, “Jonas, I need you to train her. She’s no good to the Pack as she is, and we need her strength.” An involuntary growl tumbled from his lips at the thought of another Shifter helping his Mate.
Jonas was already shaking his head, “I don’t think that’s wise. My Bear is terrified of her. Not to mention what your Wolf thinks, unless you just go around growling at everyone now.”
Mel’s amber gaze met Jonas’s blue orbs. His rumbled words reinforced the command, “You will do this.”
Jonas lowered his eyes with a nod, “Yes, Alpha.”
Satisfied, Mel’s Wolf settled and let his human side take the reins. Standing, he pulled on his pants. “Good. I am going to make myself scarce. And Jonas?”
Jonas grunted, unpleased with his new orders.
“Keep an eye on Bex.”
“It will be done.”
Turning on his foot, Mel prowled back into the house. If he was going to have any luck at controlling his barely leashed Wolf, he needed food and rest.
Daisy
My indecision warranted a stop at a hotel roughly 20 miles from the Clutch’s Compound. Thankfully, with multiple vacancies, they let me check in early and sleep the day away.
Thoughts of my parents’ words rolled like marbles inside my brain. I never could please them, and I ran myself ragged trying to. My youth was loveless and full of disapproval. It didn’t matter if I ranked at the top of the second-tier class for magic, it still wasn’t good enough. At their insistence, I’d even cut off ties with my best friend. Only Sora knew of my hopes and dreams, my constant yearning for their love.
I could still see her tear stained face when I closed my eyes. At 13, I received my magic, she did not. Cocky, I finally thought that I had gained my mother and father’s approval. They didn’t want me to bring our family name down by associating with a dud. I couldn’t blame them, not really. Our world revolved around power, and she had none. I’d said the meanest thing I could…
“I don’t want to be your friend anymore, Sora.” I sneered, “No one does. You aren’t one of us, no one even wants you here.”
My words had the desired effect and she hiccuped a sob.
I continued with my hurtful words, high on magic and stupid as hell, “You were born with a silver spoon; your parents would do anything for you, and you can’t even make a light sphere.” My face pinched into a glare, “You are no one and can offer nothing.” Dumber still, I had spit in her face before walking away.
I hadn’t meant to be so hateful, but she always had everything. For the first time in my life, I had something. But, I was still jealous of her. My ego couldn’t take it, so I took my frustration out on the one person that had always been there for me.
Coming out of the memory, I showered on autopilot. I couldn’t even look at myself in the mirror. Goddess, I was such an idiot. If I could go back in time, I’d talk to that angry little girl. I’d tell her the way the world worked, and that nothing was more important than the people who cared about you. It’d taken years to drive that point home, though. Many long, lonely, hard years. And, I still wasn’t good enough for my parents.
Sitting on the soft bed, I pulled a clean pink tee from my bag and got dressed in yesterday’s jeans. Reaching into my pocket, I took the smooth stone in one fist.
How was I going to do this, I wondered? What would Cooper think? Could I really deliver Sora to the Council?
Biting my lip, I called to my well. Pink flames broke out on my hand and I sucked in a sharp breath. No longer red, they flickered in and out of my confused vision. If what Darius and Mark said was true, my magic was fading…
Shelving the thought, I tightened my grip and said, “Cooper Blake.” A ping pinched beneath my breastbone as the magic kindled.
Now all I had to do was wait.
Chapter 10
Cooper
An internal hum sounded through his well of magic, similar to the string of a guitar being plucked. He sucked in a sharp breath and met Rowe’s curious jade eyes from across the boardroom’s thick table.
He stood and jerked his head at the stack of books, “I need to find Sora. Can you handle this on your own for a little bit?”
Lifting one brow, she nodded.
“I’ll be back,” he threw over his shoulder and exited the room.
Where would Sora be, he wondered? It was early evening, the kitchen, maybe? Did she even eat food?
Busy musing internally about her whereabouts, he ran into Julian as he turned a corner.
Julian squawked in a most undignified manner; barely catching himself on the wall from their collision. Recovering, his brow furrowed as he snapped out a short bow and straightened, “Cooper, good evening. What is the rush?”
“Sorry, Julian,” he bobbed his head in apology. “I need to find Sora, but I’m afraid I don’t know where to start.”
“Ah. Sora is usually in the second kitchen at this hour.” Turning on one shiny dress shoe, he pointed back down the hall, “Take two lefts and one right. There is a white swinging door. You shall find your quarry there.”
Cooper was already moving, “Thanks, Julian.”
He found Sora on a small wooden stool greedily attacking a plate of French toast. Smiling, he jovially asked, “Just what did the toast do to you?”
Her cheeks pinked endearingly as she tongued a bite aside. “Hey! Nothing, just hungry.” She swallowed, “What’s up?”
Perching on the stool beside her, his brow lowered, “I gave Daisy a locator stone before she left to meet with the Council. It’s been activated.”
“Oh? I’ve never seen one,” her silver flecked eyes squinted in thought. “Do you know how far away she is?”
He nodded, “Roughly 20 miles west.”
“And I’m assuming you want to go, right?”
His voice softened, “Yes, I promised I would come for her.”
Her eyes widened, “How long have you guys been a thing?”
How did she know, he wondered? Shrugging, he answered, “A few days.”
“I see. Well, it could be a trap so you will have to take an escort.” She pushed her plate away, “Let’s go find Blaze.”
Blaze
“No, it’s too dangerous,” he growled.
Sora rolled her eyes, “We need information, Blaze. Daisy probably knows what the Council is up to. Not to mention, if they are staying in LA, or coming here.”
He knew she was right, but it was a large risk. Cooper seemed sure that she hated the Council, but he just couldn’t shake the feeling that something larger was at play. It was one thing to send Cooper, but he refused to let his Mate go along. “Cooper can go with Jackson, Viv, and Syn. There’s no way I can keep Viv from going with Jackson, so that’s not negotiable.” He paused, “And Mason.”
Cooper cleared his throat, “I was hoping Nat could go.”
“No,” he rumbled. “Her fighting skills are untested. She stays.”
Cooper nodded in understanding, “Okay.”
Reaching into his pocket, he grabbed his phone and shot off a group text to Jackson, Mason, Syn, and Viv-
‘Underground garage in five. You will accompany Cooper to Daisy’s location and bring her back.’
Four tones sounded, acknowledging his orders.
He met Sora’s curious gaze, “We meet them in the garage in five minutes.”
Daisy
It’d been roughly 30 minutes since I had sent Cooper my location. Leaning against the hood of the sedan, I listened to the sounds of San Diego’s bustling traffic and wondered wh
at the hell I was going to say.
Had they accepted Cooper? Did they trust him? I didn’t even know if he was actually coming.
A black SUV pulled into the mostly empty lot. After a moment, the lights cut off and one person exited.
Cooper, my chest squeezed, recognizing his tall silhouette. Grabbing my pack, I shouldered it and came forward with butterflies dancing in my stomach.
He looked better than I remembered. Dressed all in black, his tattoo looked like a part of his military style uniform. Patiently, he waited beside the SUV.
“Hey,” I called out.
He looked left and right before answering in a deep timbre, “Is it clear?”
I nodded, “Yes. It’s just me.”
The hard lines of his tense shoulders relaxed as he closed the distance between us. His thick arms wrapped around my smaller frame in a crushing grip, “Are you okay?”
I shuddered inside his embrace. No, I most certainly was not okay. But this, being held by him, was a dammed good start.
He leaned back and inspected my face silently with a concerned expression.
I swallowed under his scrutiny as my heart cracked, “I’m alright.” How could I deceive him?
His brows rose for a moment. Tugging on my wrist, he said, “Let’s go.”
My nerves were completely ragged by the time we pulled into the underground garage. The large Panther had glared at me the entire time as we rode in complete silence. If it wasn’t for Cooper’s death grip on my hand, I probably would have done something foolish like light the stupid beast on fire.
The garage was empty, thankfully.
With no fanfare, Cooper pulled me inside the house’s interior. I watched the thick muscles of his legs flex as he led me through a maze of turns. So entranced was I, that I didn’t even notice we had arrived.
The boardroom was large with a massive round, oak table. My eyes widened as I caught Sora’s starlit gaze. Her Mate, Blaze, loomed behind her chair with menace written in every line of his tense body.
Averting my eyes, I sat in the chair Cooper pulled out and waited.