E.V.I.E.: 13 Slayers, 13 Missions

by Lexi C. Foss

  “How is the concept of true mates different?”

  I went on to explain how true mates were destined for each other in a similar manner to mates, but how we had choices and the ability to mate and imprint with whomever we chose.

  Rowan stopped pacing and looked at me with a speculative gleam in her eyes. “Not that I’m putting any stock in your claim that I’m your mate”—my wolf didn’t like her tone when he recognized the word mate, and he emitted a low rumble—“but if I was, you’re saying I can choose not to accept it?”

  Everything inside me rebelled at the idea of not claiming Rowan, to the point that I felt a little physically ill. My wolf was snarling, his instinct to protect us from whatever threat had my emotions in turmoil. I needed to calm down before he forced his way out. “Technically,” I grunted.

  She resumed pacing again and her fingers twirled the ends of her hair as she stared at nothing. After a while, she paused and scrutinized me in silence—evidently, she was still working everything out in her mind. When her mask dropped into place again, I knew I wasn’t going to like whatever she was about to say.

  “I’ve never been good at being an ‘us.’ And I’m pretty confident that I would make you miserable. We’re better off just forgetting about this whole thing. Go find yourself a demure, pretty little wolf who won’t sleep with a stake under her pillow. It’s much more likely that she’s your true mate than I am.”

  Frustrated, I growled as I stood and prowled toward her. “I tried that once and it wasn’t for me. I want you. Your fire and strength are sexy as fuck. It’s only been twenty-four hours and I already know you are the one for me.” I grasped her arms and dragged her up against my body. Her head had to go all the way back to look up at me and I gave in to the temptation to run my fingers through her silky, lavender waves.

  “My body craves yours, and my wolf is riding me hard. I want to fuck you, claim you, and become one with you.” Gently, I lifted her up until her mouth was level with mine. “Don’t pretend you don’t feel this pull, baby. I can hear the fast pace of your heart, the heat radiating from your body”—my lips brushed over hers—“and I can smell how much you want me.”

  Then my mouth crashed down onto hers.

  19

  Rowan

  Bozhye moi.

  I was over one hundred years old, so it stands to reason that I would’ve come across some good kissers in all that time. Some of these guys had curled my toes and turned me into jello.

  I had never, ever felt like this, as if I’d stepped into an inferno and it was boiling me from the inside out. Lust slammed into me so hard I wouldn’t have been surprised to wake up with whiplash tomorrow. I wanted to climb Jax like a tree—which is probably how my legs ended up wrapped around his waist and my arms locked behind his neck.

  He ran his tongue along the seam of my mouth, and it parted without any permission from me. When his tongue twisted with mine, I moaned and wiggled even closer. He tasted amazing and the hardened bulge nestled in the apex of my thighs was sending little zings of pleasure straight to my core every time there was friction from movement. His answering growl was low and dark as his hands traveled down until they cupped my ass. His words echoed in my mind and I was on the verge of letting him to take me right then and there.

  My mind was at war with my body, and my magic was no help at all. It seemed to be a big fan of this incredibly sexy man and the suchka was basically standing in the background with the pom poms it wouldn’t accept earlier, cheering him on.

  Everything he said sounded pretty awesome…but it was crazy, right? How could I be clinging to a man I didn’t even know, considering letting him do all kinds of dirty things to me—things that would eventually bind me to him unequivocally. Why did that sound so damn sexy?

  A sudden urge to bite him came over me and it was like throwing a bucket of water over me. It didn’t completely extinguish the fire; the embers remained, keeping my body temperature elevated.

  What the hell was that? I wasn’t a shifter, or a vampire, and I’d never been into pain, so why had I been on the brink of sinking my teeth into this guy’s neck?

  With monumental restraint, I tore my mouth away and dropped my arms and legs, wiggling in an attempt to make him let me go. I felt him hesitate and thought about how easy it would be to strike him in the Adam’s apple. Before I made the decision, he slowly lowered me until my feet were on the ground, then flipped around and paced away. He was breathing hard and when he glanced back at me, the intensity of his hunger was a little alarming. His eyes flashed wolf, turning molten gold for a second, then shifted back to ocean blue.

  It was little wonder that I’d been instantly attracted to Jax. He was over a foot taller than me, with broad shoulders, a sculpted chest—I could see his abs through his shirt and I pinched my lips together to keep from drooling—and strong, muscular arms that had colorful tattoos wrapping around them that stood out against his tan skin. His waist and hips were narrow, but they led to powerful thighs and long legs. And his hands…holy fuck. They were masculine, with long fingers and rough calluses that indicated he used them frequently for manual work. It was easy to imagine they were very talented hands…

  He carried himself with a relaxed confidence that was appealing, although there was an intelligence and awareness in his eyes that belied his casualness.

  Because of his size and muscular frame, I was sure that to most people, he was incredibly intimidating. But he didn’t make me feel small and powerless. Instead, I felt delicate and protected.

  Then again, most women were probably busy swooning over his square face with a strong, firm jaw, an aquiline nose, and full lips. His dark brown hair was thick and wavy, naturally tousled in a way that many men tried so hard to achieve. But it was his eyes that I got lost in. They were bright blue with thick, dark lashes that added to the smoldering quality. When they turned gold from his wolf being so close to the surface, it had sent a delicious shiver down my spine.

  When I first met Nathan, I’d believed there couldn’t be many men out there who were better looking. Then I’d opened the door to find Jax pushing his way through my spells and I’d thought, “Yo-moyo, this man makes Nathan look like a dishrag.”

  My magic had been doing a little happy dance too. Apparently, it liked that this big, strong man could muscle his way past our protection wards.

  And that right there was the problem. In the back of my mind was a little voice warning me that Jax had the ability to break down all of my defenses and I recoiled at the thought of being open and vulnerable. Besides, being a tough motherfucker had kept me alive for a long time and I doubted I could be any other way. As if all that wasn’t enough, there was the fact that he came from a world I no longer wanted to be a part of. Staying in this reality, working for E.V.I.E., those were the options that gave me the best chance at staying out of the clutches of Dimitri and his horde of Judases.

  As usual, thoughts of my past blanketed me in a darkness I tried to avoid, but in this case, perhaps it was for the best since it helped me see through the desire that was still attempting to cloud my vision.

  “I don’t know what the hell just happened, Wolfgang, but maybe you should just stay on that side of the room from now on,” I directed, pointing to the farthest corner from me.

  “You were about to get your freak on with the big, sexy wolf,” Emerald announced as she strode out of my bedroom.

  Anger suddenly surged through me at hearing my friend call Jax sexy. I barely managed to stop before I growled at her.

  What in the name of every tarot card was wrong with me? I didn’t get jealous or possessive; it wasn’t in my nature. My magic picked up its pompoms again, liking my new attitude toward Jax.

  Oh, fuck. Had Jax noticed? I glanced at him to see that he hadn’t moved, and he was studying me with great intensity, as if trying to figure me out. When our eyes met, his lips slowly curved up into a smile that made my knees weak and my heart skip several beats.

  The
smug undertone in his expression answered my question. Yes, he’d definitely caught my reaction. And from the laughter in Emerald’s eyes, so had she.

  “Fabulous,” I muttered, “Just fabulous.”

  Emerald laughed out loud this time and when I scowled at her, she smirked and teased, “Careful, Ro, your crazy is showing.”

  She’d long ago picked up Vi’s habit of giving me shit when I talked to myself. Before I could make a smartass comment back, a low growl rumbled through the room. Both of our heads swiveled toward it to see Jax glaring at Emerald.

  “Don’t insult my mate,” he commanded in a deadly tone.

  More shivers danced down my spine to have a little party with some butterflies in my stomach. I’d never been this turned on by the sound of a voice.

  Emerald looked affronted and glowered right back at him.

  “Leave it, Em,” I said tiredly as I trudged over to the couch, giving Jax as wide a berth as the room would allow.

  “Back to the matter at hand. You”—I pointed at Jax—“are free to leave.” My hand swung over to point at Emerald. “You, sit down and help me figure out this mess.”

  “I’m not going anywhere, baby,” Jax responded, in a much too cheery tone. He sauntered over to the couch and dropped down heavily next to me.

  “I don’t think so, Wolfgang,” I objected, leaning away from his woodsy, manly scent. It was incredibly arousing and mortifying to know he could smell my reaction. Especially when he grinned knowingly and slung his arm around my shoulders to haul me into his side.

  Emerald’s eyes were bouncing between us with fascination. “This is going to be very entertaining,” she said gleefully.

  I rolled my eyes and was about to say something else when there was a knock on my door. Jax’s arm tightened around me, not enough to be painful, but I definitely couldn’t move. His eyes flashed wolf when he glanced down at me, then they went to the door and he growled.

  “Why is there a man at your door?” he grunted.

  His voice was gritty and filled with possessiveness, sending the butterflies into another tizzy. I needed to get ahold of myself and stop acting like a lunatic!

  “I don’t know, Jax,” I replied with a healthy dose of sarcasm. “Maybe if I could move and go to the door, I could ask him.”

  He didn’t look away from the door, nor did he acknowledge my backhanded request to be released. Emerald snickered and walked to the door. “I’ve got it.”

  She twisted the knob and swung the door open, then stood there in complete silence. Her expression and countenance were calm, but someone who knew her as well as I did could see that she was practically gaping at this person in shock.

  “Hello.” A smooth, enchanting voice greeted her, and I nearly burst out laughing.

  It was Cam at the door and he was directing the full force of his charm at Emerald. To my surprise, my friend fast came to her senses and she smiled smoothly at the slayer, betraying nothing of her reaction to him. I’d never seen anyone pull back from him like that. I barely managed to do it and I was used to it.

  “What can I help you with?” Emerald drawled as she leaned her hip against the doorjamb and folded her arms. Her attitude conveyed boredom, but I didn’t miss the small bite to her lip that said she wasn’t as immune as she wanted to appear.

  “As long as you’re offering, how about a date, gorgeous?”

  Emerald rolled her eyes and pushed away from her spot to flip around and lift an eyebrow, soundlessly asking me what I wanted her to do. About Cam, not the date.

  “Let him in, Emerald. Camden’s a friend. He’s a slayer at E.V.I.E., my trainer actually.” I observed Emerald for a minute, paying close attention to her response to Camden’s charm. It was having an effect on her, but like me, it seemed very mild. It was because of Emerald’s sigil. It was similar to the one on the bottom of my foot. Plus, I’d given her other wards that were intertwined with the tattoos on her legs. One day, I was going to have to analyze this more because my theories about Cam were taking shape after this interaction.

  Cam swaggered into the apartment, looking like a movie star, as always, and shut the door behind him. He beamed another smile at Emerald, but it faltered when she did an about-face and wandered into the kitchen. His brows furrowed and he looked confused for a few seconds. Evidently, he decided to dismiss the problem because he turned from her and gave me his full attention. His eyes widened a tiny bit as he took in the sight of the giant keeping me tucked into his body.

  “Camden Dupont, this is Jax and that’s Emerald,” I introduced with a wheeze.

  Jax had a dark, murderous scowl on his face and, at this point, he was practically squeezing the breath out of me, and I was getting antsy from sitting still for too long. When I wiggled to indicate he should let up, he tightened even more. His eyes had never left Cam, and I wasn’t sure he even realized he was doing it. With a sigh and a silent apology, I put my fingertip to one of his—on the hand holding me hostage—and shot a small dart of magic straight into the densely packed nerve endings. My magic bubbled, practically giggling at its little trick.

  “Fuck!” he griped as he let go of me to shake out his hand. Fingertips are way more sensitive than people realize.

  I used the opportunity to jump up from the couch and skitter out of his reach when he attempted to grab me. Still, I didn’t move any closer to Cam. With the way Jax was looking at him, I was a little worried that he might pounce.

  “What’s up?” I asked in a casual tone, pretending there was nothing going on. I even smiled in the relaxed manner I’d perfected.

  Cam’s eyes narrowed when he clocked my smile and he glanced at Jax again, assessing the situation. “You tell me,” he replied as his gaze landed on me once more.

  I shrugged. “Unless you can convince Jax that I’m not his mate, catch Dorian, or find Violet, I’m afraid you won’t be of much help.”

  His lips suddenly grew into a stunning smile, one that would normally have a girl doing just about anything he asked. Luckily, I was mostly immune—my thoughts stopped short as a realization struck me. I didn’t have my usual butterflies. Well, I did, but they weren’t for Cam. My head slowly rotated in Jax’s direction and he seemed to feel my eyes on him because he finally broke focus away from Cam and looked at me. His face wrarped into a confused frown, and he glanced between Cam and me a couple of times. Next, he studied me closely and the expression on my face must have been all the explanation he needed because a smug smile replaced his glower and he relaxed, settling back into the couch, completely at ease.

  When I simply stared at him, he grinned and tapped the side of his nose. Ah yes, the shifter sniffer. Camden wasn’t eliciting any kind of sexual response from my body and Jax knew it.

  “Your mate, huh?” Cam questioned with a laugh.

  I sighed and looked back at the slayer. “So he tells me.”

  “A wolf?”

  “Yes,” I answered, cocking my head to the side in confusion when my reply made him laugh. The musical sound was still pleasant to me, but I smirked when I saw Emerald swallow hard before training her iciest stare on Camden. “Why is that funny?” she challenged.

  He lifted his hand, and for the first time, I noticed the little carrier he’d brought with him. A tiny sound came from the inside, a soft mewl for attention. I gasped and bounded over to snatch the pet carrier away from Cam and set it on the kitchen counter. When I unlatched it, an all-white, short-haired cat slipped out and right into my waiting arms. He blinked at me with pretty blue eyes, then snuggled in and purred contentedly.

  “Hello, cutie,” I cooed. I loved animals. Sometimes they were so much better than people. Unless they were also people.

  Emerald rushed over and gave him a couple of scratches under the chin. When she tried to take him from me, I pulled my arms away and glared at her. “Get your own,” I grumbled.

  She pouted, but stopped attempting to steal my new buddy, though she continued to pet him.

  “That’s Malfo
y.”

  My back went ramrod straight and I spun around to stare at Cam. “Malfoy? Loey’s cat?”

  Malfoy tensed, so I softened my posture and ran a comforting hand over his back.

  Cam’s nod was tense, his trademark smile absent.

  “Isn’t Loey another E.V.I.E. slayer,” asked Emerald.

  I bobbed my head. “Is everything all right?” My instincts were going fucking haywire.

  “I don’t know all the details,” Camden admitted. “Jude asked me to find Malfoy a new home and you’d been nattering on about getting a pet for a while now, so I thought I’d see if you were serious.”

  “She wasn’t,” Jax interjected, drawing everyone’s attention. He was watching Malfoy with his brows slanted in an annoyed frown.

  “Excuse me?” My eyes narrowed to slits, sending him a clear message to tread lightly. Malfoy seemed to understand that there was a threat to his warm, cuddly new home and hissed at Jax.

  He sighed and gestured to my new friend. “You’re mated to a Canine, baby. Cats don’t usually warm up to our breed. How is he going to handle living in pack territory?”

  “He won’t,” I pointed out. His eyes narrowed and I shrugged. “I told you I’d make you miserable,” I touted with a gloating smile. “Now you can forget about this whole mate business and go along your merry way.”

  Malfoy clearly approved of my attitude toward the wolf because he raised his little head and licked my chin.

  “You’re hogging him, Ro,” Emerald complained, but I ignored her and continued to shower my kitty with love.

  “Not happening, Rowan. You should start getting used to having me around because I’m not going anywhere.”