Arynn's Chosen Mate: Bad Alpha Dads (Iron Wolves MC Book 8)

by Elle Boon

  Kellen glanced from her, to Arynn, then back. “They’re safer than they’ll ever be in their entire lives. Trust me on that. Although, I do believe one dragon will be having to answer to her own queen.”

  “Why didn’t Lula take her with them?” Creed asked.

  Sheila’s hand went to her heart. The thought of leaving Arynn made her breath catch and her heart ache, yet her motherly instinct wanted to be with her children. “She didn’t give me that option. She just poofed in and out with little to no response from me. I swear, the next time I see that pink haired woman, she and I are going to have a nice talk about manners.”

  Arynn didn’t want to tell them about the three visions she’d shown him. He also needed to convince Sheila to not confront Lula. A pissed off, sixty-foot pink dragon wasn’t something he or any of them needed to see.

  “Ezra and some of the elite guard are coming to help. They’ve dealt with this before. We’ve sent Jenna back to Fey with Raina, much to our mother’s dismay. Now, you have our entire focus.” Damien put his hands on his hips, waiting.

  Why was everyone staring at him? He was the Omega, not the damn alpha or expert at dealing with the darkness. The part of him that usually lay dormant except when helping tingled. An awareness of what he’d done to Ezra and the others when he thought they were hurting his family surfaced. Was the Omega in him part of the darkness? Was he part Dark Fae? He turned to Creed.

  “Can you—do you recognize darkness when you touch a person?” He’d never asked the other man to look inside him. To be truthful, he’d never allowed anyone to see inside him completely. Now, with the fate of his family, friends, pack, and possibly more, he was willing.

  Creed nodded. “I can sense darkness in anyone. I am darkness.”

  Xan snorted. “You sound like a fucking scary movie. I am darkness,” he mocked. “Shut the hell up, Hellboy. You’re possibly one of the best men I’ve ever met, and no we ain’t gonna hug and shit.”

  “Is this like a, bromance now? It’s because you looked down, isn’t it?” Creed sighed. “I told them all. Don’t look down. I warned them they’d all get dick-envy. I had no clue it would become—this. Fine, come here. You can have a side hug.” Creed held his left arm out. “Come on, you can’t be greedy. Side hugs are all you get. If I gave you a full hug, you’d hump me and shit. Not today, pup. Or tomorrow, or the day after that. Or the,” he stopped and laughed.

  Xan held his middle finger up. “Bromance my ass. You only wish I’d hug you so you could find out why the ladies say I put the X in sex.”

  “Enough, my fucking ears are bleeding. If you two need to get a room, go, get r done, but for fuckssake, stop with the jawing,” Kellen growled.

  “While y’all were fucking around and doing your chest pounding, junk grabbing, and other man bullshit, we scouted the area. Seems the darkness has set up camp about a mile outside our territory, alpha.” Lyric tossed her hair behind her shoulder.

  Arynn gaped at Lyric and Syn as they strolled through the door. Their confident strides didn’t pause as they passed. “Oh, Bodhi and Rowan are right behind us. They’ll be bitching, because we were faster than them. Ps. Size doesn’t equal speed,” Syn laughed. As the sister to the alpha, she had been brought up as the princess of the pack. Arynn had watched both girls grow up, saw them fight alongside the men, and had eased each of their heartaches at one time or another. However, when their mates slammed through the door, he moved back.

  “Karsyn Fucking Underwood, get your ass back here,” Bodhi roared.

  Syn gave a mock shudder. “Oh, he used my full. Wait a minute. He’s Xan Fucking Carmichael. I am not, nor have I ever been referred to as the same moniker. Take it back.” She stomped her foot.

  Arynn knew what was coming next, kept his arms around Sheila as Bodhi swept Syn into his arms, and over his shoulder.

  “Bodhi, I am not a sack of potatoes. Dammit that hurt,” she yelled as the man slapped her butt. Their voices trailed off when they turned the corner.

  “Well, that was interesting. Hi, honey, how was your trip?” Lyric smiled.

  “You coming to me, or am I coming to get you?” Rowan folded his arms across his chest.

  Lyric tossed her arms in the air. “What’s wrong with you men. Come, sit, do this, don’t do that. All we did was show you where to go. You and Bodhi were heading in the wrong direction. Ps. You’re welcome.”

  “I’m gonna count to three. If I get to three, it’s gonna hurt you worse than it hurts me, darlin.”

  She pointed at Rowan. “Don’t you darlin’ me, and don’t you dare start counting. I’m coming because I want to, and my legs are tired of walking.” While she talked, she moved to stand in front of her mate. “Alright, pick me up, and do what you will with me.”

  “What am I gonna do with you?” Rowan asked. Instead of tossing her over his shoulder, he lifted her until she could wrap her legs around his waist.

  “Eye. Bleach. It hasn’t been invented yet,” Xan yelled.

  Lyric lifted her right hand and flipped her brother off while Rowan carried her down the hall.

  Creed touched his arm. “There’s no darkness inside you.”

  Relief washed through Arynn, making him almost dizzy with it.

  “People, we ain’t got time for you to be practicing with the baby making. I’m glad to see you have at least stopped all that practicing.” Lula puffed out a breath.

  Arynn froze in place, his heart threatening to burst from his chest. “Where are my girls?”

  The woman rolled her eyes. “They’re with my mother, of course. You didn’t think I’d leave you to battle the baddies all alone. I had to explain to my mother what was going on, and Egypt needed some company. I didn’t tell her how I found out, but anyhoo, I’m here now, so we can go kick baddies’ butts.”

  Sheila held up her hand. “Who is Egypt? Please tell me it’s a little girl and not the country.”

  Lula laughed. “She’s a child close to your girls ages, silly human.”

  She wasn’t a drinker, usually, but lord, she was thinking she needed a couple bottles of wine. Or whiskey. They both started with the letter w and would surely do the trick.

  “Do you have a plan, wolpires and friends?” Lula asked, bouncing on her toes.

  As the men began talking, Sheila felt a hot burst of air skate down the back of her neck.

  Lula moved closer to her. “Don’t be afraid. It feeds on fear.” She grabbed Sheila’s palm, a long nail scraped across the center. “Try to focus on your girls. Can you picture them running and laughing? Imagine them running through a field of flowers, their hair flying behind them as they held strings attached to twin kites while their laughter floated back toward you.”

  The vision was so clear she felt as if she were actually seeing Rebel and Romie running, could smell the flowers. A sharp pain had her looking down, blood welling in a straight line across her palm.

  “You are not darkness, sisterkin, but pure white light. Accept my gift, for it is freely given.” Lula sliced her own palm, pressing it to Sheila’s, their blood mingling together.

  Fire arced through her, setting her palm, then her arm, to blaze. Her entire body was filling with lava. She opened her mouth to ask why, but nothing came out. Lula held their hands locked together while her body melted from the inside out. God, she wished Arynn would look at her one last time. She wished she could hold her girls one more time. Finally, the excruciating pain subsided, leaving her panting.

  “Silly humanfae, such strange thoughts. Of course you’ll get to hold your girls again, just as soon as we off the baddies. Are you prepared to face your mother and sister?” Lula asked, her hand releasing its hold.

  Sheila stared down at her palm, expecting to see a burn or scar. Smooth skin was the only thing she saw. “What did you do?”

  “I gave you what you’d need to fight. Now, are you ready? The battle is near.”

  She opened her mouth to ask what she meant, but closed it as the hallway darkened. “Th
ey’re coming.”

  Kellen nodded. “Let’s meet them halfway.”

  He walked out the door with Creed and the twins right behind him. From the hallways, more of the pack joined them as if they’d been waiting for the call. Sheila grabbed Arynn’s arm. “All of these people could die because of me. Maybe I should just go and give myself to them.”

  Arynn jerked her to a stop. “Don’t you even think that. You think if you gave yourself to that bitch she’d stop? She’d come for Romie and Rebel and then what? Do you think our girls would go down without a fight? Look around you. This is what being pack means. What being with me, means. We take care of each other. You’re mine. Those girls are mine. That makes you one of us.”

  The huge lump in her throat threatened to choke her. She’d always been the expendable one, until Sarah died. Even then, she was only tolerated because she was taking care of Sarah’s child. Now, she was someone special, because she was loved. “I love you, Arynn. So much it scares me.”

  “I love you too, so much it hurts, but it’s a good hurt. I’d hurt every day to be with you. They say love hurts. They didn’t lie, but damn it sure is a feeling I could get used to. Don’t make me live without it, Sheila. You’re the light I’ve needed for longer than I can remember. You are what my world needed to be complete.”

  “You’re so getting lucky when this is over,” Sheila whispered.

  “Gonna need ear bleach and eye bleach. Fuck, need a chemist in this band of merry fuckers,” Xan said as he passed them. “Let’s go get to killing so I can get back to my mate. I feel the need to practice making babies.”

  “Again with the practice. You just get naked, stick your...” Lula was cut off by Kellen’s growling. “What? I was just going to explain the sticking part A into slot B thing. Jeez,” she whined.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Arynn looked at Sheila then at his pack. “Sheila can’t shift.”

  At his announcement, a dozen black clad men appeared. “We’ll bring her, wolf. You’re going to need your fur for this battle.”

  Lula held her hand up. “Um, well, you see, it’s like this. She can shift, but not like you wolfies.”

  “Exactly what do you mean, Lula?” Kellen’s deep voice rumbled, his alpha power rolling over the entire pack. Most dropped down to their knees.

  Creed rolled his eyes, crossing his arms, looking bored.

  “Oh stop that, you big bully. I just gave her what she needed to fight. Ps. You’re welcome.”

  Kellen tossed his hands in the air. “Why do all the fucking females around us keep saying that. Ps. Fucking you are welcome. It’s your fault.” He pointed at the Cordell twins.

  Damien raised a brow. “Excuse me?”

  “Your mate. She has done this.” He paced away.

  “You’re her bestie, man.” Lucas smiled.

  His alpha stopped pacing. “Goddess, I do love that crazy Fey. You two better treat her like the Queen she is, or I’ll kick both your asses with the help of my mate. Lake is a doctor you know. She knows all kinds of ways to cut you to pieces while you still live and suffer.”

  Lucas laughed. “Dude, we trained her. Remember, doctors as well.” He waved a hand between he and Damien.

  “Let’s stop with the BS and get to killing. I feel the darkness moving closer. Lula, however you changed my mate, and we’ll get back to that later, does she know how to change?” Arynn kept a firm hold on a shaking Sheila.

  Lula widened her eyes. “I am not an idiot. I put all the info right into her silly humanfae mind. Oops, sorry, dragonish mind. Wow, that’s a lot to take in. Are you alright, Sheila?”

  Arynn noticed his mate was paler than normal.

  “You put a dragon in me? I thought I was dying, but you put a dragon in me, instead.” His mate fought his hold, exploding away from him in a flurry then miraculously she transformed into a huge gold dragon.

  Lula clapped. “See, told you. Dragon is born. Make her angry and BAM, you got a dragonish on your hands. Eeeep,” Lula squealed. “Bad dragonish. You do not try to bite the hand that made you.” Lula transformed to her much larger pink dragon, smacking the gold dragon on the head.

  Arynn watched as a silent communication flew between them. He opened his mind and followed the same golden thread to his mate. As Lula showed her how to use her powers, her words of use ‘your powers for good Obiwandragobee’ nearly had him laughing.

  “Let’s roll pack.” Kellen shifted into his Iron Wolf form, the one that was twice as large as any other wolf and stood on two legs, his claws were Iron instead of that of a wolf.

  “Fuck, I’ll never get used to that,” Damien swore.

  “What? It’s not that impressive. I’ve seen demons that were—grosser,” Creed said.

  Kellen lifted both middle clawed fingers toward Creed.

  Arynn shifted along with the rest of the pack, running toward the darkness. He sensed they had more than a dozen people with them, not all of them human. He allowed his Omega to surface, taking in the fear and desperation of the others.

  Once they left pack land, it didn’t take them long to find where the so-called Coven had set up. The forest was black with their foulness, trees rotting as they lay all around.

  He focused on the men ringing around the Dark Queen, one who looked very much like the man who’d fathered Romie. Instant hate filled him. The man smirked as Arynn leapt over several coven members, landing in front of him.

  “What, you can’t face me as a man, beast? You scared I can take you in a fair fight?”

  Joseph, the name came to him from Sheila’s memories. He was Sarah’s husband’s oldest brother, and from the smell of him, Sheila’s mother’s lover. Arynn shifted, clothing himself in black leather pants and shirt. Something in him gave him the knowledge of what he’d need to defeat the man. “So, you’re the eldest of your family. Too bad your baby brother’s already dead, I’d rip his head off the same as I did your other brother, Charles.”

  Hate flared in Joseph’s eyes. “They were weak. Now you face a real man.” Joseph waved his hand at Arynn.

  If he’d been younger, he’d have attacked, thinking he was top dog, but the confidence and the way Joseph wouldn’t come to him set off alarms. “Nah, you want a piece of me, come get it, boy,” he growled, letting the last word linger on his tongue as if it was the vilest thing one could be.

  “When I get Sheila under me, I’ll show her what a real man feels like. I’ll have her belly swollen with my kid and keep her that way until I’m finished with her.”

  Arynn shook his head. “You’re forgetting one thing. Mommy dearest is gonna bring back the dead and put her in Sheila’s body. You gonna fuck her, take your brother’s left overs? Hell, Sarah would probably laugh at your poor attempt. Do you even know how to get a woman off?”

  Joseph lunged for him, a rift in the air showing him exactly what he’d thought. They’d set a trap, thinking he’d get stuck inside with the man. Now that Joseph was out, Arynn wasted no time. He grabbed the smaller man by the throat and tossed him farther away from the firepit, stalking toward him with the intent to end him quickly.

  The other man rose and pulled a large knife from the holster at his thigh. “I don’t need her protection. I can take you.”

  Not bothering to banter with Joseph, he let his hands partially shift. “Evening up the game, Joey.” The first sign of fear appeared in his eyes. Arynn allowed it to feed his Omega, then lashed out, going low instead of high, slicing through the man’s pants. All around him, he could hear the battle waging, but he tuned them out. Joseph brought the knife down in a wild arc, barely missing Arynn’s arm. Again, he lunged, slicing the midsection of Joseph. At this point, he was playing with the man.

  Joseph’s arm went to the new wound. “I’m going to kill you and your kid.”

  Arynn saw red. “I’ll cut your head from your body first.”

  Before he could make contact with Joseph, he was hit from the side by several men. Somehow, they’d gotten close to the
fire again. Clearly, Joe wasn’t as stupid or hurt as he pretended. Arynn slashed at the men who tried to hold him down, his claws raking across bellies and throats. Their terror filled yells no deterrent to him or his wolf. Standing, breath sawing in and out of him, he faced Joseph. The other man once again stood next to the fire. “Stay inside your protective bubble, pussy. We’ll wipe out the rest of your coven. I can wait you out, then I’ll take your head.” He made a show of wiping the blood dripping from his claws onto his pants, the leather showing no damage.

  A line of fire erupted above them as a golden dragon faced off against a female who was—he had to blink to see if his eyes were truly seeing what he thought. The Dark Queen was floating several feet in the air, lobbing balls of energy toward the dragon that was Sheila.

  “Son of a bitch, you got a dragon?” Joseph’s voice held a hint of awe.

  Arynn wasn’t going to inform him who the dragon was. No, they’d find out when Sheila shifted, or not. It was up to her to reveal to the bitch she battled who was going to kill her. Of that, he had no doubt. His mate was more than angry. She was a pissed off mama dragon, which totally trumped a mama bear every day of the week.

  Sheila saw her mother orchestrating the entire attack from the back lines, like the bitch she was. Not that she couldn’t do some damage, but Susan Barnes would wait and strike at the very end, taking credit for the triumph. Usually, she’d make sure the last battle, the final kill was the most gruesome, but not this time. Sheila wouldn’t allow the woman who’d birthed her, to continue. With Lula’s gift, she’d finally been able to crack through her mother’s mind, seeing too much, yet not nearly enough. Yeah, she was with Xander. A little mind bleach was definitely on the agenda.

  “We don’t need to battle, dragon. Join us and we can conquer this world. Imagine the power you can have at your claws,” Susan cajoled before lobbing another blast toward Sheila.

  With a fan of her wings, she knocked her mother backward, watching as she flipped ass over head. Oh, if she were in her human form she’d laugh. Instead it came out a chuff with black smoke coming out her nose.