Don't Tempt the Phoenix

by CJ England

  Gasping in astonishment, Milcham closed his eyes and then reopened them. Alexander slowly faded until all that could be seen was a faint outline of his body.

  “I can disappear completely,” came Alexander’s disembodied voice. “But I thought you’d like to see this first.”

  “You’re…invisible.” Milcham sat down hard on his chair. “How can this be?”

  Alexander slowly regained his solid form. “I was hoping you could tell me.”

  “I have no idea. This is new to me as well.”

  “It’s not all.”

  Milcham swallowed…hard. “What else can there be?”

  “You’d be surprised,” Alexander muttered. Leaning down, he put his hand on Milcham’s desk. “Watch.”

  They both stared at his lean hand. Without warning, it vanished. But this time, instead of becoming invisible, it pushed through the papers and melted into the desk itself. Alexander moved and the limb moved though the desk as easily as if the hard wood was water.

  Milcham shook his head. “This is impossible.”

  Alexander’s lips quirked into a smile. “As impossible as a man who can become the immortal Phoenix ?”

  “You can turn invisible and you can walk through walls?”

  “If I want.” He pulled his hand from the desk and flexed it. “Feels weird, but it doesn’t seem to damage anything.”

  “You think I had something to do with this?” Milcham felt the guilt rise up in him. Had he done this to his friend?

  Alexander surprised him with his answer. “No, it’s not your fault. I think it happened when I went into the light. I came out of it like this. Other than saving my life, you didn’t have anything to do with it. Maybe, I need to look at it as another gift. I can not only talk to the dead, I can act like them too.”

  Milcham thought about all the times a gift like that would come in handy. “You could use it for good, you know. Perhaps you can help others. Not just the Ethereals any more.”

  “Maybe.” Alexander gave a little grin. “I guess I was hoping you’ve run across this somewhere in your travels, but it is a little weird.” He laughed and his face brightened. “You should have seen me the first time it happened. I was reaching for the door to the trailer and I fell right through. Jarrod screamed like a girl. Then he immediately wanted me to try out my new skill in the woman’s shower room.”

  Both men broke into laughter. After a while, Milcham sobered. “I am sorry I can’t be of more help.”

  Alexander shrugged. “Now you can see why finding a lady of my own will be difficult. What woman would want a man like me?”

  “Hey!” Milcham came around the desk and clapped his shoulder. “You’d be surprised at who is out there. When the time is right, you will find her. This I know.”

  The dark man smiled. “And is this a prophecy from the Phoenix ? Or just the belief of a friend?”

  Milcham thought of the love he and Aithne shared. Somehow he knew deep in his soul Alexander would find the same. “Both, my friend…both.”

  —

  “Are you sure you want to give up everything you know and go live in a place you’ve never seen before?”

  Aithne smiled as she helped Jarrod blow up balloons on the dart game. “As long as I’m with Milcham, I don’t care where I live.”

  Jarrod growled. “Won’t you miss everyone? I mean…there won’t be any humans in the city, will there?”

  “I don’t know who will be in the city, and of course I’ll miss everyone. But Milcham and I are both hoping we can come back, at least to visit. You’re not getting rid of us that easily.”

  Jarrod grumbled under his breath. “I still wish you were both staying here.”

  Aithne leaned over and gave the big man a hug. “We don’t know what’s going to happen, Jarrod. But be glad for us. We are both so happy.”

  The werewolf was silent for a few minutes. All that could be heard was the sound of balloons filling with air. Then he looked at her. “Have you told him about Aidan, yet?”

  Aithne’s beautiful mouth tightened. “He knows I have an older brother. That’s enough.”

  He stopped blowing up the balloons and turned to look at her. “You got so angry with him about not telling you about being the Phoenix ; do you really think its okay not to tell him about your brother?”

  She turned and glared at him. “There is a huge difference between the two. Aidan, and what we were to each other, is in my past. It’s over and done with, and I’m human now. Besides, they will never even meet. But Milcham was and is the Phoenix . That isn’t just his past, but his future, one I’ll be a part of. I had a right to know.”

  Jarrod shook his head and turned back to the board. “You’re fooling yourself, girl. Your past made you what you are today and he has a right to know about it. You shouldn’t hide from what you really are.”

  Her eyes flashed at him. “Is that so?”

  He nodded grimly. “I may not be as smart as Milcham or Alexander, but I know what’s right and you keeping your past from him, isn’t.”

  “So I shouldn’t hide what I was, huh?” She tossed the inflator nozzle down on the ground. “Maybe you should practice what you preach.”

  “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

  “It means…you’ve been hiding since you got here. When are you going to come clean about your past?”

  Jarrod froze where he stood. “That has nothing to do with this!”

  She tossed her head. “Maybe not, but if you’re going to start berating me about my actions, you better not be doing the same.”

  “You have no idea what you’re talking about!”

  Aithne sighed. “Aidan and I knew some werewolves over the years. And I know something about them.” She reached over and pulled his tank down, showing the tattoo of a wolf high above his left pec, near his collarbone. Howling at the moon and surrounded by lightning bolts, it was a beautiful piece of art.

  “I know this is a sign of leadership in a wolf clan. And if you are a leader and you aren’t with your people, then one of two things happened. You either rejected them, or you were denied your place in the pack.”

  His face filled with fury and pain. “It’s none of your business!”

  “No,” she agreed, her eyes filling with tears. “It’s not. It’s your past. But I’m your friend, Jarrod. I love you and I know you’re hurting. I know you don’t agree with how I’m handling my past and Milcham, but if you want to talk…I’ll listen. No matter what.”

  She could see him struggling and going on instinct, she wrapped her arms around him. “Is it so bad, really?”

  His massive arms engulfed her, and he shuddered. “You can’t tell anyone.”

  “You’ve kept my secret and I’ll keep yours.”

  He pulled away and went to stand next to the side of the stand. His face was full of remembered pain. “You’re right. I was next in line for my clan leadership. My father was old and ready to die, so I set about finding a mate and getting myself prepared to take over when he finally passed beyond the moon.”

  “Go on,” she urged.

  Jarrod swallowed hard. “I found a mate. Her name was Benasia. She was sweet and beautiful and I fell hard for her. We planned out our life, and I thought all was perfect.” Pacing over to the other side of the stand, he turned and looked back at her.

  “My father died and after we sent his soul to the moon goddess, I came forward to accept my place as leader and finalize my mating with Bena. As you may know, there are often challenges to a new rule and I wasn’t surprised when I too was tested.” He rubbed his eyes. “It was who challenged me that was the surprise.”

  “Who was it?”

  Jarrod’s chocolate eyes were full of remembered anger. “It was Theos. Benasia’s brother. I couldn’t believe my mate’s family would turn against me.”

  Aithne’s heart hurt for her friend. “What happened?”

  “As is our custom, clan members are to encircle their choice. Most surround
ed me, but someone was missing. Bena had chosen her brother.”

  “But…but…” she didn’t need him to tell her what a betrayal that was. It was the same in the vampire world. Like going against your own sire, it was beyond wrong.

  “I was infuriated. I went to them and tried to force her to my side.” Jarrod looked at Aithne and she could see the confusion that still touched his eyes. “She wore my first mark. She was my mate in everything, but name. I loved her.” He turned away and stared out over the empty carnival.

  “When I grabbed her, he attacked me. Not even waiting for the ceremony to start, he went for my jugular. I didn’t think…I just protected myself.”

  Jarrod looked back at Aithne. “I killed him with one blow.”

  “You killed her brother?”

  He scrubbed at his face as if he could erase the memory of what he saw. “Benasia went crazy. She threw herself on her brother’s body and cursed me. Then she told the whole pack the truth of why her brother had challenged me.”

  “Why? It doesn’t make sense.”

  Jarrod stared at her with eyes as bleak as a northern winter. “She screamed it so all could hear. He wasn’t just her brother…he was her mate as well.” He flinched when Aithne gasped. “But that isn’t all. She told me she hated me, had always hated me. There was only one reason she had agreed to become my mate.”

  Aithne had a very bad feeling growing. “Oh no, Jarrod. Not that.”

  He nodded grimly. “Yes…even as she received my mark on her body, she carried his pup in her belly. When he saw her coming forward to become my mate, he lost it. Couldn’t handle the thought of her being with me, so he issued the challenge.”

  “What happened to her?”

  “Their relationship was an abomination. One of the things not tolerated by clan. My people attacked her, ready to tear her apart. I couldn’t let them.” His eyes misted with memories. “I’d loved her. I told them as their leader, I would decide her fate.”

  He looked at Aithne. “I was going to have her locked up until I could decide what to do with her, but before I could say anything, she attacked me from behind, driving a knife deep between my shoulder blades.” He squeezed his eyes closed. “It was made of silver.”

  Aithne went to him, holding him tight as the horror of what he’d been though coursed through her. Jarrod kept talking, as if the bitterness of the memory had to be purged. “I collapsed and in the confusion, she escaped. But when I recovered, my clan had turned from me. They said I had been blinded by emotion and too weak to lead them. They gave leadership to my cousin instead.”

  “I am so sorry,” she murmured to him. “They were wrong. It takes strength to have compassion.”

  “I left as soon as I was able,” he went on. “I chose not to fight for my place in the pack. I couldn’t stay there. Everywhere I turned, I could see my shame in their eyes.”

  Aithne pulled away and looked up at him. “It wasn’t your shame, Jarrod. It was theirs. Whether you would have decided to have her killed or not, making snap judgments is never smart. They accused you of too much emotion, when it was them who were out of control.”

  “Either way, I decided to leave my clan and strike out on my own. It was the hardest thing I ever did.” He sighed. “It’s why I worry about you going off on your own.”

  “I’ll have Milcham,” Aithne said quietly. She pushed away the worry of how he would react if he ever found out about her past. Like she told Jarrod, it was different with her. Her past was behind her.

  “I just don’t want you to get hurt,” the wolfman said. “You know how lonely being alone can be.”

  “Yes, I do. But Milcham isn’t going to walk away from me. He loves me. And I won’t do anything to ruin that.”

  “Telling him the truth won’t ruin it. It will free you both up.”

  Aithne swallowed. “I’m not going to even think about it.” She hugged him again. “Both of us have painful pasts. Neither of us want to talk about them, so we won’t. We will only go forward from here.”

  Jarrod kissed the top of her ebony head. “I hope so, girl. I hope so.” He sighed and prayed to whatever gods were listening that Aithne wasn’t making the biggest mistake of her life.

  Chapter Sixteen

  “Milcham…where are you taking me?”

  He looked over at her pouting lips and chuckled. “That will not get me to give away my surprise, Assai.”

  Aithne sighed and put on one of the small emerald earrings he’d insisted on buying her that day. Looking in the mirror, she admired how they were the exact same color as her eyes. He did have good taste. As he did with lingerie. He’d also chosen the emerald lace corset set she was wearing. Clingy, sexy and easily removed, his eyes glowed like candles when he’d first seen her in it. She’d half expected him to tear it off, but so far he was controlling himself. “But I can’t dress properly if I don’t know where I’m going.”

  Laughing, Milcham went to the closet, pulling out his choice. “It is said a little black dress goes anywhere.”

  Putting her hands on her hips, she studied him. He’d been so much more open and demonstrative with her since their argument earlier in the week. His eyes were clearer and he smiled more. It was like a huge burden had been lifted from his shoulders.

  They’d finished up all the business at the carnival, leaving it in Alexander’s capable hands. With Jarrod to help him, Milcham was sure everything would go smoothly. They’d packed a few things then headed to the airport where Aithne found to her amusement and Milcham’s disgruntlement; he’d never flown in a plane before.

  He quickly reminded her that being a creature with wings; he’d never needed to avail himself of another form of transportation before. It was then she realized it was only because she was with him they were taking this journey at all. If he’d been alone, he would have magically flown to his walled city home.

  Now, as she looked at him, standing smugly by their hotel bed, she was thankful all over again he loved her and she was going home with him.

  “Aithne?”

  She walked over and put her arms around him. “So, if you want me to wear that little scrap of a dress, you must have something special in mind.”

  “I do.”

  “And since this is New York City …maybe you are taking me to see a Broadway play? Or an exclusive restaurant?”

  He laughed and slapped her gently on the butt. “I am not telling you. It is a surprise. Now get dressed.”

  Heaving a mock sigh, she let her shoulders sag as she walked away from him. “Okay,” she sniffed in a tearful voice. “Be that way.”

  She gave a muffled shriek when he spun her around and tossed her on the bed. “Milcham!”

  He came down on top of her, nipping at her lips and running his hand up her semi-naked body. He cupped her breast through her tiny bra and squeezed it lovingly. “You looked so sad. I thought you needed to be reminded of how much I want you.”

  She narrowed her eyes when she saw the twinkle in his. “Oh! You didn’t believe me for a second, did you?”

  “Nope.”

  She ran her fingers down his side to the large bulge that was growing between his legs. “And I suppose this means you want to have your way with me?”

  He gave a growling laugh. “Assai…I always want to have my way with you!”

  “Well, here I am all dressed in this sexy outfit, lying on this huge bed, with you on top of me. I wonder what you’ll do with me now?”

  Brushing his mouth gently over hers, Milcham answered the question the best way he knew how. His tongue swept over her lips in a teasing kiss, then dipped into the warmth of her mouth to taste her unique sweetness. Clasping her tightly to him, he moved his hard body sensuously against her. “I will show you exactly what I am going to do to you, but…” He slapped her ass again, rolling them both off the bed. “Not now, or we are going to be late.”

  He grinned when she pouted. “None of that,” he ordered, tossing the dress to her. “Now go cover up,
before I do what I want to do and we never leave this hotel room.”

  Giggling, Aithne sauntered into the bathroom. “You don’t know what you missed.”

  Adjusting himself, Milcham groaned. “Oh yes, I do.”

  —

  An hour later Aithne stared out the taxi’s window in wonder. The tall buildings around her looked like they touched the sky. She’d been in a lot of places since Aidan was first turned, but they’d never made it as far as New York City .

  “Are you enjoying yourself, Assai?”

  She turned and grinned at him. “This is an amazing place.” Turning back, she gawked at the stream of people pouring out of Grand Central Station. “There are so many of them.”

  Milcham leaned over and looked to where she was pointing. “Yes, this is one of the busiest places in the world.”

  She slanted him a look. “You’ve been here before?”

  Nodding, he took her hand in his. “Several times, but not recently. As you noticed…too many people.”

  “And yet…here we are now.”

  Milcham grinned as he thought of the surprise he was planning. “I thought you would like to see the sights.”

  She pounced on that. “You’re taking me sightseeing?”

  He laughed aloud. “Tomorrow. Tonight, I have something else in mind.”

  Aithne leaned over and bit him gently on the chin. “It must be special. You shaved again.”

  They pulled up in front of a brightly lit storefront. Milcham paid the driver and then helped Aithne out of the taxi.

  “Where are we?” she wondered out loud.

  Milcham was grinning so wide he thought his cheeks would split. “You’ll see.” He glanced up at the sign above the store. The Gregory Marx Gallery was one of the most prestigious in the city, but Aithne was too busy looking around to see exactly where she was. He wondered how long it would take before she would figure it out. After handing his invitation to the man at the door, he ushered her inside.

  She was frowning as she gazed around the crowded room. “I don’t understand. Why are we…?” Her voice trailed off and she gasped, coming to a complete standstill.