Dianthe Rising

by J. B. Miller

  “Awww, hell, you’re not human either, are you?”

  The terrifying roar accompanied by a face full of freaking huge teeth was all I comprehend when he pushed me tighter against the door.

  Fuck…fuckity…fuck… I knew I should have stayed in bed. Those last precious moments before you die. I was a lot calmer than I planned on being. On the other hand, it might have been the shock. Yeah, probably the shock. I didn’t even have time to scream. Okay, maybe I did squeak a tiny bit. In my defence, the guy lifted me up a couple of feet off the ground before sticking his nose against my neck and inhaling.

  Seriously, he sniffed me. Who does that? He held my neck at an angle while continuing his olfactory exploration. I hung there for a moment before clearing my throat.

  “Ummm...Mr. Jameson, Kale? Are you going to kill me or smell me to death?”

  Hey, a girl had to have balls of brass at some point in her life and this seemed like a good time.

  That seemed to pull him out of his...whatever the hell he was doing. Kale’s eyes were amber and his teeth way to sharp but at least he was looking mostly human.

  “I’m not going to kill you, Dia. I would not harm you for anything."

  “Oh God,” I groaned. This was starting to sound awfully familiar.

  I peered out at him from the hair blocking my face and queried. “Any chance you’re a Faery?” Oh wow, that may have been the wrong thing to say. Kale’s lips peeled back and his teeth lengthened. Fur began to sprout all over his body and his eyes were pulsing with a yellow light.

  “Do I look like a fucking Faery?” he growled.

  He pulled me closer and inhaled. It did not slip past me it was on the side of my neck that Robin had bit.

  “That gods be dammed Puck marked you.”

  “Mine,” he snarled and crushed me against him.

  This time a scream did make it out. He was wild and I’m not sure he knew what he was doing. I was struggling against him when a popping sound filtered through the snarling and growling. I stopped wiggling in Kale’s arms and my eyes widened as a savagely grinning Robin stood beside us with, get this, a rolled up newspaper.

  "Oh sweet baby Jesus, this cannot end well," I whispered.

  Robin raised the paper and with apparent glee whopped Kale upside the head with it. In a heartbeat, Kale released and pulled me behind him in a protective gesture. I moved out of the way of the two idiots as fast as I could. A roll of my eyes was the only outward sign of what I thought of their behavior.

  “Down boy, bad puppy,” Robin chortled with delight. “No treats for you tonight.” He waved the newspaper in my direction and winked.

  Mouth agape, I goggled at him. He did not imply what I thought he just implied.

  “No freaking treats for you either, you Faery freak,” I muttered. Robin’s face fell like a little boy who realized he could not have his favorite cookie for dessert.

  “Too bad, too sad, Faery boy, you shouldn’t piss off the sweetie.”

  Kale was enraged at this point. His chest was heaving while his body struggle to stay in one shape. “I’m tired of your games, Puck. It’s time to put you in your place.”

  “Oh, puppy, my place will always be above you,” Robin taunted.

  “My mate, Robin. You knew it. She. Is. Mine.”

  Now serious, Robin tossed down the paper and stood arms out to his side.

  In a deathly calm voice and narrowed eyes, he rebuked Kale. “I understand your anger, wolf, but you also knew I was going to claim her. You are not her only mate and neither am I. She has one other that I know of. You will share or you will lose her.”

  He nodded in my direction before glancing at me. “Look at her, she knows nothing of our world but there she stands strong and brave. She is a worthy mate to both of us. Dianthe, what happens next has nothing to do with you. I need you to understand that. It is dominance. This was coming no matter what. I suggest, dearling, you go see Davies for a few minutes while Kale and I take care of our business.”

  Still growling, Kale looked at me and nodded his head.

  “What?” I stammered. “You want me to leave my office so you two can duke it out over me? Do you suppose I should be a good little wife and do what the men tell me to, no questions asked?”

  Robin and Kale both opened their mouths, but I held up a hand.

  “Think well before you answer, more than your pride may be on the line.”

  Kale managed to get a sentence through his changing throat. “It’s for your protection, sweetheart. We don’t want you hurt… ”His words turned into a snarl and trailed off.

  In frustration I crossed my arms over my chest and stomped my foot. “Fine but when I come back, this posturing had better be finished. You got me?”

  Basic nods were all I got before I slammed out of my office. The moment the door shut behind me, what sounded like a bull elephant in rage echoed throughout the hallway. The wall shook with the force of a body hitting it.

  Right, time to get Mr. Davies. I dashed down the hall to Mr. Davies’s office and shoved the door open.

  “Oh God, Mr. Davies, they are going to destroy the place,” I gasped.

  “Who, Dia,” he queried.

  Seriously, could he not hear that World War III was commencing down the hall? “Kale and Robin, David, they’re fighting.”

  I do not believe I had ever called him by his given name and he looked slightly taken aback.

  “Where and why are they fighting, Dia?”

  “In my office and I don’t know why. Kale cornered me when I got here. He pushed me against a wall and started sniffing me. The man started wolfing out and going on about smelling Robin all over me. He is a wolf right?”

  “Yes, he’s a wolf, Dia." Mr. Davies shook his head before he motioned for me to continue.

  “The next thing I know, Robin is slapping him with a newspaper and calling him a bad dog. All I know is, they both told me to get out while they assert dominance or some shit like that.”

  “Shite," swore Mr. Davies.

  My mouth dropped open. I would never imagine that man swearing. “Come, Dia, let’s see if that part of the building is standing and what we can do.”

  “Yeah, good idea, that’s my office they are desecrating.”

  We headed back toward my office. On the plus side, we did notice the walls were mostly intact. There was a large man shaped hole next to the door. I crept over to the hole and had a peek into the room. Well, what remained of it at any rate. My mouth hung open in shock as I stared at my tidy and organized sanctum transformed into a war zone.

  Kale, or whom I guessed was Kale, stood closest. He was a monster, an honest to God monster. He stood over seven feet tall covered in black fur. Hell, he looked like Bigfoot with a wolf face. He just had more teeth and claws than I expected any Sasquatch to have.

  Robin, on the other hand, looked like himself, just a bit torn and bloody. He had let his glamour fall and he stood in all his dishevelled glory. His autumn hair flew in every direction and his eyes spat silver flame, glowing with their own light source. A snarl curled his lips as he faced off with the giant wolf-foot…big-wolf? Awww fuck it, the angry wolfed out Kale, which really just wanted to eat him.

  After the shock wore off my anger began to rise. How dare they destroy my office? This was my sanctuary. The more I looked the more rage built inside me. I could feel it like a burning fire in the pit of my stomach working its way through my soul. They were going to stop and stop now.

  My eyes glanced around me and I spied our floor’s water cooler. That would cool their freaking heels. I wish it would just dump out on top of their egotistical big heads. I stomped my foot in frustration and stood stunned when the cooler rose in the air and flew into the room.

  It hovered over where the two remained locked arm in arm, snarling insults at each other. They needed to cool off, but I was still reeling over the fact the water cooler was floating over their heads. Ice began to form around the condensation on the cooler before the
plastic split in half and freezing water poured down on the two males.

  My hand flew to cover my mouth, both in shock and to hide my laughter. Kale and Robin stood there blinking while icy water dripped from them. Oh sweet baby Jesus, the look on their faces was priceless and I just could not hold it in. I wrapped my hands around my waist bent over and started to laugh hysterically.

  Mr. Davies came up behind me and put his hand on my shoulder leaning down to speak quietly to me. “Are you all right, Dia?”

  I was laughing so hard tears were forming. I did manage to nod at Mr. Davies. The laugh turned into a hiccup and my breath caught.

  “Dia dear, would you like to sit down? We can retire to my office.”

  Tears blurred my vision and I shook my head. I backed up against the wall before I slid to the floor, my hiccup turning to sobs. All around me was the destruction of all I had worked toward the last few years. I couldn’t take in how they had destroyed everything.

  “Ohhhhhhhh gawd,” I moaned. "It's all gone, everything is,” I couldn't speak anymore, racking sobs choked me to the point my breathing became strangled.

  In a detached way, I felt Robin and Kale by my side, both pushing against one another trying to touch me. They were bickering and growling at one another and something inside me snapped.

  “Enough!” The rage was back but pushed by a coldness I had never experienced before. I flung my hands outwards. “Both of you just get away from me.”

  Surprised, they both flew backwards landing side by side against the far wall.

  “You did this, both of you. You ruined my life!” With a wave at the room in general, I yelled at the subdued men. “This was my whole world. All my work and research was here. It’s gone because of you.”

  I pointed my finger at them and a bolt of lightning shot in their direction. They both scrambled at incredible speed to move out of the way.

  “Oh crap, what’s going on?” I whispered. I stared at the burnt hole I had just put in the wall.

  Cautiously, Robin took a step toward me. “Dianthe, dearling, you need to calm down. Your power is manifesting and you don’t have control.”

  “Control,” I screeched. “Of what? I don’t understand what the hell is going on.”

  Kale’s low rumble joined in. “Dia, I’m so sorry. I did not mean for this to happen. I lost my constraint and I will pay for all the damages.”

  A laugh, a wee bit on the hysterical side, slipped out before I replied, “Can you fix the lost research? The irreplaceable scrolls and artifacts I had on loan to study?”

  I could feel the tears welling again and Mr. Davies put a reassuring arm around my shoulders. “Dia, it can be put to rights.”

  My shoulders hunched, I looked at him and cried, “How? You tell me how, Mr. Davies?”

  He glanced at Robin, “My Lord?”

  Robin walked over and pushed back a few strands of hair before exhaling deeply. “Dianthe, I can put everything back as it was before the argument."

  “How?” I mumbled.

  “I’m a Faery remember? I’ll just wave my magic wand." He waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

  Kale groaned at the horrible pun and Mr. Davies just shook his head disapprovingly.

  “Can you really fix it, Robin?”

  “Yes, dearling, I can. Not everything, it is draining. The wolf can pay for the damage to the furniture and walls, but I can replace the irreplaceable. Is there a storeroom I can put everything in as this room is in need of refurbishment?”

  “Umm…yeah, is the storeroom down the hall empty, Mr. Davies?” I asked.

  “Yes, I think it is. This way, my Lord, and I will show you the storage room.”

  Robin followed Mr. Davies out of the room leaving me with Kale.

  Chapter Fourteen

  I had calmed down enough to look at the room without breaking into tears. Kale was another story.

  “Kale,” I questioned, “ummm can you change back? You’re a little bit intimidating in that shape.”

  He sighed deeply and relaxed his shoulders. “Yeah,” he growled, “give me a second.”

  A ripple of heat rent the air and Kale was standing before me. For some reason it never occurred to me he wouldn't have on any clothes. Oh wow, that was a lot of naked. I began to blush as I glanced down at his privates, wow that sucker was huge. I gulped before raising my eyes back up. What was it with the men I had met recently? I thought the average size of a male was about six inches. I glanced back down at Kale's equipment. That was not six inches. Was it a paranormal thing? Bad, Dia, it was time to get back to the man at hand. There is more to a man than his package. I swung my eyes back to Kale's face as he came toward me.

  A devilish light lit Kales eyes and he leered at me as he settled down into a crouch. “See anything you like, baby?”

  “Oh gosh, too much actually,” I blurted. My hand flew over my mouth. I could not believe I had said that aloud.

  Kale’s smile widened in pure delight. “Baby,” he motioned to his body, “you can have anything and everything you want.”

  Oh Lord, this cannot be happening. One hand covered my eyes and I closed them tightly. I waved in his direction.

  “You’re naked,” I squeaked. He caught my hand and brought it to his lips. Kale kissed the palm before he began to nibble at the tips of my fingers.

  “Yes, and your overdressed,” he trailed off and his tongue licked between my thumb and forefinger.

  A little moan escaped me and I gasped out. “I’m kind of seeing someone, I can’t do this.” He grasped my wrist and pulled me closer, the hardness of his erection pressed against my lower belly. Kale’s nose nuzzled into the indent of my shoulder and neck and he inhaled.

  “Yeah, I can sense them. The Puck and a human male, their scent is all over you."

  Okay, the hand flew from my face and my eyes widened. “I do not smell. I showered before I came to work.”

  “Mmmhmmm…” he murmured. “With vanilla body wash.”

  “Eeep. Okay that’s freaky, how do you know that?” My curiosity was overcoming my horrified embarrassment.

  “I’m a wolf, baby, the nose knows. I can smell your delectable scent under the smells of body wash, male musk, and sex. If I’m honest with myself, it’s fucking hot smelling sex on you even if it isn’t from me.”

  “What? You don’t even know me.”

  “Oh I know you, baby. I’ve known you since the night that vamp tried to make a snack out of you and I took the bastard down.”

  “That was you?” I whispered.

  “Yeah, but by the time I finished you had gone.”

  I relaxed into his hold, my eyes softened. “Thank you, Kale, I thought he was a strung out wannabe Goth. I never realized he was a real vampire. Oh God,” I whimpered. “He would have killed me.”

  Kale pulled me flush against his body and held me. “Yeah, he would have, baby. Don’t worry, I was there and if I have anything to say about it, I will always be there to protect you.”

  I honestly did not know what to think. Tears began forming in my eyes and everything came crashing down on me. “You, Robin, Daniel…this isn’t normal. None of this is normal. I don’t know if I can handle all of it.”

  “Shh…baby,” Kale whispered into my hair. “It’s a lot to take in but you are so strong. Give it time to sink in and it will be okay, I promise.”

  “How can you know that?” I asked.

  “Because I’m your mate, like that fucking Faery,” he growled but there was reluctant acceptance in his voice. “Also, I’m guessing that human is yours. I will tell you this, Dia, we wolves do not share easily. I’m not going to lie to you. I will probably be a complete arsehole for a while around the other two.”

  My gaze locked with his and the serious but honest expression on his face caused something inside of me to click into place. Just then, I gathered this was right, as wrong as it seemed—it was as it should be.

  “I’m going to feel like such a slut later but…” I reac
hed up, grabbed a fist full of hair pulling him down, and locked his lips with mine.

  Kale was not a passive kisser. The moment the shock of my initial kiss wore off, he took over. A growl reverberated deep in his throat and his arms turned me in his embrace. In moments, he had lifted me and carried me over to the desk. It was the only piece of furniture miraculously still standing. He hoisted me up with one arm never breaking the kiss. With the other, he swept the debris from the top, and carefully laid me back on the cleared space and began to consume me one kiss at a time.

  There were so many reasons why I shouldn’t be doing this. At the top of that list was the fact I had been sleeping with two other men less than forty-eight hours ago. However, when Kale’s mouth left mine and his teeth grazed my throat all other thoughts bar him left my mind. This was more…somehow, more erotic, more sexual, and more intimate than what happened between Daniel, Robin, and me on Saturday night.

  Just Kale and me, it was like coming home after being lost for the last twenty years. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Robin in the doorway smiling sweetly at me before he put two fingers to his lips and blew me a kiss. A shimmer seemed to encompass the whole room and my office dissolved around us.

  Kale and I found ourselves in a forest lying upon the softest bed of grass I had ever seen. He raised his head, looked down at me, and grinned, well wolfishly.

  “Looks like the Faery is good for something after all,” he winked. I followed his line of sight and discovered not only had Robin moved us. He took the liberty of stripping me to match Kale.

  “Baby, you are gorgeous. Damn, I can’t wait to sample every last inch of you.” Kale pulled back from me letting my legs fall from around his hips to open spread eagle before him.

  “Perfection,” he murmured. He lifted my left leg and ran a finger down my calf. His fingers trailed over my heel and ran gently up the sole of my foot. A giggle slipped from my lips from the ticklish sensation.

  “Even your feet are beautiful,” he said in wonder. Kale raised said foot to his mouth, his teeth showing white before darting his tongue out. A strangled breath froze in my throat when he sucked my toe between his lips. Wet heat surrounded it and spikes of electricity shot through my body. I had never considered feet an erogenous zone.