by Setta Jay
She’d investigated the entire palace. It was a beautiful and opulent place, all gold and crystal with massive dimmed chandeliers. The Aletheia were known for pleasurable pursuits, but also had sensitive eyes, so the soft light served a dual purpose. It left darkened corners for lovers if one of the many rooms seemed too far away.
The Aletheia mated pair hosting the Emfanisi definitely knew how to throw a party. Food trays for the mortals, or even those Immortals who liked to partake, were in small areas in each of the rooms. The hosts had set up several larger rooms in themes to accommodate all tastes.
The main ballroom and receiving area she’d just left were where the younger Mageia met and danced with Immortals. It had been slightly brighter in the most prim setting of the entire place. The rooms grew more daring as they fanned out from there. Starting with card and gaming rooms then moving to the large huge indoor-outdoor pool and grotto, and finally moving upstairs to areas she had no doubt would host themed orgies later in the night.
The party wasn’t confined to the inside, she’d mapped the grounds and found pools and gardens with secluded alcoves like the one she planned to slip through. There were also several fighting rings, where the Immortals were pitting their strengths and battle skills. As far as she’d seen, they were mainly showing off and spouting insults. She smiled, thinking that the rowdy outside had seemed more entertaining to her.
The excitements inside had worn her thin and she was happy for the marginal quiet of the patio leading to the garden. Dim lights began flickering down the paths winding in the hedge maze below. Little moonlight filtered through the thick branches of the trees cradled in green walls. It would have been peaceful if she wasn’t anxious to get to her hiding place.
She smoothed a hand over her hair, it was spelled a dull brown meant for blending into the crowds, and the makeup she’d donned changed her appearance fairly dramatically. The gold gown she’d stolen was added camouflage. Maybe a little bright, but she hadn’t wanted to take time to find something else and doubted this would be missed. Not that it mattered. She now wore the Mageia’s scent, which still clung to the dress. The Immortal occupants inside had only seen her as another in the sea of those trying to find a mate.
She rolled her shoulders and took a deep breath of the moss-covered trees and tall hedges filling the space. The maze was strategically designed with plenty of cutouts with partially hidden seating. A few she passed were already in use.
The sounds of heavy breathing and a throaty moan to her left had her sidling quickly and silently to the right. The scent of sex filled the air as she glimpsed the bronze and cream colored flesh of a trio writhing inside.
Anticipation filled her as she neared her hiding place. She’d selected it earlier and arranged slits for viewing the surrounding area. She wasn’t sure who Elizabeth’s Kairos was, but he didn’t seem to be using as much caution and stealth as his predecessors. Unless it was some kind of trap for the curious like her, or maybe they’d leaked the information to the Guardians. She wasn’t sure, so she planned to be very cautious.
What was Elizabeth’s agenda? she wondered as she slid around another hedge and into her spot. There were any number of places to hide in the shadows of shrubbery and trees that filled the gardens, but hers gave the most expansive view.
Chapter 5
Emfanisi, Tetartos Realm
I’m heading into the receiving room now and then I’ll do a perimeter. You good? Jax asked Conn.
Yeah, a fucking Aletheia got a little too friendly with Zoe. Fucking bastard’s lucky I left his limbs attached. She’s finding the whole experience a little too entertaining. Her brothers are now forming a barrier and snarling at any male who comes near. Conn growled. Jax grinned. The Lykos was protective of his new sisters-in-law and Zoe was the most adventuresome of the three.
Isn’t the point for them to find a mate? he asked in amusement as the palace doors were swung wide by liveried servants. They were a pompous bunch of older Mageia, who seemed to raise their chins even higher when they saw a Guardian was entering their domain.
Conn pointed out, Hagen and the brothers see no reason for any male to get within touching distance. They’ll know by scent. Conn’s mental voice held a hint of amusement now, and Jax wondered what was going on in there.
He had barely cleared the door when it hit him.
He stood paralyzed for a second as the scent smacked him in the gut. He inhaled deeply and growled as his animal roared inside.
His.
It wasn’t strong enough for her to be inside, but she’d been there. He tracked it, consumed by the need pulsing in his blood. He fought the roaring need of his cat to transform, to hunt. Bodies moved from his path as he scanned the room for threats and tracked the scent.
I’m going outside.
Danger? Conn asked.
No. At least not to Conn. He didn’t want to say the words, not until he had her. Knew for certain he wasn’t losing his fucking mind. All he could think about was finding her. His muscles pulled tight as he paid only enough attention to the milling crowds to decide if they were a threat to his brother and make it clear he wasn’t there for them. Females paled and kept their hands to themselves. The occupants were smart enough to clear a path and shut the fuck up as he tracked the scent.
His cock pulsed in the supple leather of his pants. He wore his fighting gear because it was comfortable. The spelled leather pants and sleeveless shirt flexed with his movements. His one nod to the formal event was his lack of blades. Drake didn’t give a shit what they wore at formal functions and the last thing Jax wanted to put on was a tuxedo or any of the other stupid shit the males wore. The Guardians were a force of their own, answering to no one but the Creators, and the heads of the cities knew they could give a fuck about their dress codes.
His skin itched and his muscles pulled tight against the suddenly suffocating material.
He silently moved by several couples fucking in the hidden seating areas; others walking in the path quickly moved out of his way to go in the opposite direction. His focus was on the scent driving him farther down the path, where fewer lovers walked or screwed. Soon he was moving to the outside of the path, getting closer to the glass greenhouse at the far end of the garden. Each step brought the scent deeper into his lungs. His hands fisted as he rounded another curve.
Why had she come this way? He scrubbed a hand over his face, not liking the possibility that his mate had come out to a secluded spot to meet a lover. Ironic since he’d been nothing but a damned rutting dick himself not long ago, but the last thing he wanted to do was kill some unlucky bastard that decided to fuck his female. His mate wouldn’t be fucking anyone else. Ever.
*****
What the hell was happening?
Shock held Ileana motionless for a split second as she peered through the hedge down the path. The wind had shifted his scent in her direction and she nearly moaned at the intensity of it.
No way in hell was this happening. She couldn’t have a mate, yet she knew by scent and deeply ingrained instinct that the male was hers. Her heart nearly beat out of her chest and the urge to flee nearly overcame her as her body wept with the arousal his scent alone caused.
What was even more shocking was who he was. Everyone knew what the Guardians looked like, had seen their images displayed in all of the cities in some form or another. His image had fueled some private fantasies through the years; there was no denying he was the most gorgeous God-like male in the Realm. His wide shoulders displayed by the sleeveless leather had sharp licks of ink running over the thick muscles. Her eyes caught on that and moved up to his piercing blue eyes, bright even at the distance. His fighting leathers molded to every chiseled inch of his massive frame and cupped his heavy bulge to perfection. She nearly groaned before closing her eyes to all his beauty. Even his short dark hair begged for her fingers. Shit. This was worse than anything she could have imagined.
She paced the small space as her body’s responses grew w
ith each breath she took into her greedy lungs. It was close to the potential meeting time. What was he even doing here? He was only getting closer; she fought the instincts and her cat’s needy mewling. Her nipples rasped against the confining material of her dress as she mentally cursed; they felt heavy and so sensitive already. It was already bad, but if she touched him, the frenzy would start in truth. The desire to mate would try to overwhelm them. She closed her eyes again, she had no choice. She had to get him out of that path. She refused to let him ruin her best chance in millennia of finally getting the vengeance she needed.
She spared another glance; he was much closer. Was he out here for the same reason as she was? No. He was walking the path when he could have watched from much farther away and teleported in to claim his prize if he knew about the potential of a meeting.
If not for the meeting, why? She had no scent, so he hadn’t come for her. She was sure of that. None of it mattered, he was about to ruin everything and she had two choices. Leave and the meeting would be ruined because the Kairos’ senses weren’t as strong as the animal races, but he’d still scent the Guardian. Or she could try to hide him with her scent and hope that she could salvage everything. It wasn’t a choice, she didn’t want a mate, but the potential of this meeting was too important. Her heart beat like a drum against her chest as she made her decision.
If the Kairos didn’t show, she would destroy something, because there was no going back from what she was about to do.
She ran a hand over her forehead. Knowing with the speed he was moving he’d be to her in seconds, she tracked him by the throbbing of her pulse and the strengthening of his scent. Clenching her teeth one last time, she moved. Damn him.
She slipped from her hiding place and dragged him back with her, though he didn’t fight her, he nearly lifted her back into place. His skin was warm and she heard a growl that issued from his throat.
If his scent was arousing, the first touch sucked the breath out of her lungs, sending a jolt straight through her body.
She was strong and could fight the intensity for fifteen damned minutes, but could he?
“We have to wait. Have to be quiet,” she whispered and he narrowed his eyes. The male was just too powerful, too destructive to her senses, her concentration. He pulled her hips into him and she moaned at the feel of his cock against her stomach, his hands on her body.
Panic hit hard and snapped her out of the moment.
The meeting.
His chest rose and fell as harshly as hers, but he only stared at her with narrowed eyes, sapphire shards biting into her, unsettling her. She didn’t give him a chance to talk but instead shook her head, hoping he would get the clue as she slid her fingers into his hair and pulled his head way down to begin rubbing her exposed skin all over his face, his hard stubbled jaw, over narrowed eyes. She was panting, wishing she could rip her clothes off and shred the leather covering him.
No time. She had to hide him.
She moved with preternatural speed, sliding her palms and forearms over his neck and then down his massive arms. The nerves of his biceps twitched as she used both hands, which still didn’t cover all that was exposed without circling the flesh.
“What the hell are you doing?” he groaned and one hand gripped her tight to him and the other fisted in her hair at the nape of her neck. Her eyes shut and she bit her cheek hard enough to bleed as she shook her head. More spikes of shocking arousal between her thighs. What had she done? She fought it, fought her cat’s harsh cries.
“Shh. I have to do this.” She pulled from his grip. He let her go and tracked her like prey when she rubbed her body over his from front to back and realized how still and hot he’d become. The leather of his fighting gear molded with perfection over his body and hugged the most beautiful ass she’d ever seen. She heard him growl low. That noise set her animal off and she had to fight her cat back.
There wasn’t time. She needed to focus.
The scent of arousal filled her small hiding spot and she was getting drunk on it. She bit back a moan at the softness of the strands of his hair, which is where her fingers had gone again to make sure everything was covered. He’d tensed and his jaw was clenched tight as he stared at her, aroused primal male. She hoped to hell that she’d masked his scent enough. It was a gamble.
“What the hell is this?”
She put her palm over his lips and his tongue touched her palm before she pulled it away. She stifled a groan as the spot continued to feel his touch, the rasp of his tongue as if it still caressed her skin. She clenched her teeth to force her mind back to her mission and turned to gaze through the hole she’d made in the hedge. She hoped he wouldn’t pounce on her. Not yet.
You had better start explaining. Now, Jax said in her head.
Her heart stopped for a second and it felt as if her world tilted on its axis. The full dizzying impact of having a mate hit her in the chest with the force of a blade. He was in her mind, in the spot where only her parents had ever been. She closed her eyes as she tried to wrap her mind around the enormity of what she’d done, everything she’d built for herself seemed to tumble away, but she refused to crumble along with it.
Mates started their own family links, she knew this. That didn’t ease the pain.
Eyes still closed, she looked for the link he’d used. It was a faint glimmer of light, but there. How had it formed so fast, she’d just touched him? Did it have to do with his being a Guardian? She panted through the panic of what she’d done; with deep breaths she forced the emotion away. She couldn’t let it affect her chances of learning something important, but the mating frenzy was hitting with the force of a hurricane, so much that if he touched her again she would implode and everything would be ruined for nothing. She took another calming breath and willed him to keep his distance.
She closed her eyes and found the link that hurt her heart, but she had no choice but to use it. I need you to not touch me for a few minutes. I need to concentrate and then I’ll explain. She felt her stomach churn with every word she spoke.
He stilled; she felt it. She was so tuned to him that she felt him without touch. The power that surrounded him licked over her nerves and made her cat keen, it was so much, unbelievably so. She forced her beast to calm as she panted, every breath dragging more of his scent into her.
Her mind went to other things she hadn’t had time to consider. To complete the bond they’d have to blood bond. That would never happen. Others of the races wanted kids and families, but she’d never even considered that. And nothing was worth having a male see her at her weakest, and during the blood bonding he’d see everything, every strong memory of her existence. There had to be a way to fix this. They could feed the frenzy as needed and keep the mating secret so she could stay hidden. Keep to her life, her mission.
He growled through her mind. The continued intrusion was setting her nerves on edge. She felt that same dizziness, the need to rebel and reject it, but she couldn’t, it was permanent.
I asked nicely, Guardian, she ground out through the link that she would never have used if she’d been given another option. Give me a few minutes.
A few calming breaths and she focused back on the greenhouse she could see through the hole in the shrubs, finding her prey would make it all worth what she’d done. Or she hoped so.
Kitten, you better tell me what the fuck’s going on or I’ll teleport your tight ass out of here right fucking now. I don’t hide in bushes.
She closed her eyes at the warmth of the link in her mind. It shouldn’t feel good. His voice was too damned deep and sexy and his scent was making her lose her sight.
Her eyes shot to the left when she finally heard footsteps. Thank the Creators. She was a second from losing her mind and now relief hit hard.
An old Mageia male with close-cropped gray hair moved into view. His eyes darted over his shoulder, possibly checking to make sure no one followed him. Good. Now, she just had to wait for the Kairos. She stilled, her sen
ses alert, before she was lifted and spun to stand behind the Guardian, who was now bending to see through the hole she’d made.
She gaped at his back for a split second before her vision went red. The bastard had moved her out of the way.
What the fuck am I looking at? He growled into the link. His breathing was just as ragged as hers.
The fury he’d unleashed inside her didn’t even lessen the arousal a little. The asshole had taken her place and didn’t even know what he was looking at. It took all of her strength not to do serious damage to the male; lodging her claws into his ass was tempting. They were even now extending to slice into his bitable ass.
Move out of my way, she growled.
Tell me what this is, and keep your claws to yourself unless you want me to punish you.
She fumed at him. Punish her? She wasn’t some errant child, she was a fully grown female warrior, and she’d show him exactly what that meant if she missed the coming meeting. She growled through the link.
The Kairos could be there any second.
She needed to see what he was seeing. More, she needed the asshole out of her head. She heard the Mageia speak and went still.
Get out of my damned way. I need to see and hear what they’re saying.
Then shut the hell up and listen.
She fumed at his back, but was left with no damned choice. He would pay for this. She closed her eyes and listened in irritation.
“You have information?” the Kairos asked in a tone that she barely heard with the feet separating them. It could only be described as a whisper.
“Yes. No Mageia has the skills you are looking for, but there is someone, I think… an Immortal. But I want Immortality for the information. I also want assurances.” She wished she could see them speaking and then suddenly images of the meeting flashed through the link she shared with the Guardian.