Seven Wardens Omnibus

by Skye MacKinnon

  “I’ve met no one quite like me either,” she countered, not liking the idea of not being special.

  “I doubt there’s anyone like you, but I mean power wise, I’ve never met anyone like me, whereas I suspect you’ve been around kelpies your entire life,” he said softly.

  “True,” she admitted. Actually, this was the first time she’d ever been away from her people for so long. It felt, odd, but freeing. And while she wanted to know that her brothers were alright, she wasn’t ready for that freedom to end. “Has Flint replied yet?” she asked hopefully.

  “Sorry, he hasn’t. But the two of them should be back any moment.” He nodded towards her plate as if to encourage her to eat up. She didn’t need telling again, and quickly polished off her food, allowing Cam to clear their plates away.

  “Tea, coffee, wine?” he asked as he placed the last of the plates in a dishwasher. It seemed a little odd that they had a dishwasher when they appeared to be living completely away from civilisation, but she figured that was something it was best not to question him about. At least, not if she didn’t want to end up with an insane headache and still no answers.

  “Just tea, please,” she answered. She’d had her fill of wine during her party years. Now it was good quality whisky or nothing, like the good little Scot she was.

  He turned to put the kettle on, but was interrupted by a loud crash from the hallway outside. “There goes any peace,” he muttered.

  Two men stumbled into the room, the broad auburn-haired man clearly supporting the other one. The sober man was clearly Flint. She didn’t know how she knew that, she just recognised it as true. Which meant the not so sober man was Jared. She studied him as he stumbled. He was as tall as Flint was, but with a shaved head and dark skin that seemed to have taken on an unhealthy pallor. Due to the alcohol, no doubt.

  He looked up and fixed her with an intense dark brown stare that seemed completely at odds with the rest of his intoxicated appearance. “Who the fuck are you?”

  “Mind your manners,” she hissed. “Maybe sober up before you speak to me like that.”

  He seemed taken aback for a moment, then laughed heartily, bringing some colour back into his pallid skin. “I’m not drunk, little one.” He wavered as he took a step forward, and only Flint’s strong grip prevented him from falling.

  “No? You look pretty drunk to me,” she teased, but stopped when he lifted his head and she saw a tiny trickle of blood spill from his mouth. If he wasn’t drunk, then that meant... “What happened to you?”

  Ignoring her, Cam stepped forward and helped his friend sit on one of the comfy chairs around the kitchen table. “How long have you been like this?” he asked, face grim.

  “About two days?” Jared groaned and wiped away the blood from his chin.

  “Fuck, did you learn nothing from last time? You need to feed!” Cam growled angrily, but there was a trace of desperation in his harsh voice.

  “Feed?” Macey asked hesitantly, and Jared looked at her with sad, bloodshot eyes.

  “I’m a baobhan sìth, lass,” he sighed, as if that would explain everything.

  “What’s a baa-van shee?”, Macey asked and he sighed again.

  “Don’t they teach you anything nowadays?” Flint interrupted while putting a wet cloth around Jared’s neck. “He’s an incubus, one of the only ones in existence. And right now, he’s starving himself. Again. For some fucking noble reason he won’t explain!” His voice had turned loud and bitter.

  “It’s better this way,” Jared whispered hoarsely. He seemed to be getting weaker with every minute that passed.

  “What does he need?” Macey asked, fearing she already knew the answer. She’d read about incubi, but never thought that they existed here in Scotland. But then, she’d grown up beneath the water’s surface, far away from all the beings roaming the lands. Hell, she’d only ever learned about humans, and even then meeting them had been a shock. They were so... boring. But this baa...something, was certainly not boring, not at all. He was hot, sexy, beautiful. His skin invited her to touch, and his mouth to kiss, deeply, passionately. She approached him, hips swinging in a silent dance. Her hands wandered to her blouse, slowly unbuttoning it while keeping her eyes fixed on him, her prize. She was going to make him feel good. She was going to make him better. She kneeled down in front of him, putting her hands on his knees, spreading his legs to give her better access - SLAP. A hand landed on her right cheek and she yelped.

  “Snap out of it!” someone called, but she didn’t care. She put a hand between his legs, feeling the bulge making itself known. He was getting ready for her. She smiled as she reached for his zipper - and screeched as she was pulled back, someone’s arms around her chest. Wait, her chest. Boobs. Her nipples hardened at the touch and she turned around, facing her captor. Cam’s stormy grey eyes were fixed on her, so beautiful, so pretty. She stretched until she was on tiptoe, and pressed her lips against his. He didn’t respond so she nibbled on his bottom lip, just a little, to make him open his mouth, and he did, but only to say, “Stop it, you will regret this later.”

  She didn’t care, she wanted to kiss him, and more, to fuck him, hard. Someone ripped her away from him and she moaned, needing his touch.

  “Get her into the guest room,” Cam shouted, and she was picked up, her arms pressed to her side. She growled in frustration, her nails sharpening into claws. She was going to get her pleasure, even if she had to fight for it. She struggled against the iron grip, pouring some of her kelpie strength into her muscles. She didn’t have to fully shift to have the strength of a shifted kelpie. Why hadn’t she that used earlier when she was trying to drag her brothers? Stupid! But it didn’t matter just now. With a roar, she broke his grip and turned around, pouncing on the man who had stopped her from getting her kiss - and saw Flint, staring at her in surprise. She liked that look on him. Delicious. Totally fuckable.

  She jumped and wrapped herself around his hips, burying her claws into his back. She ignored his scream and slowly licked his cheek where a scratch was just starting to bleed. How had he got injured? She didn’t know, but she was going to kiss it better. She swirled her tongue over his wound, tasting the blood, savouring it.

  Suddenly, he was gone and she fell to the ground, her ass crashing onto the hard wooden floor. She screamed and looked around, searching for Flint - but he had disappeared into thin air. Only Cam and Jared were with her in the kitchen, both watching her in a mixture of fascination and horror. In her haze, she noticed that Jared was no longer looking as sick, but then her hormones took over and she jumped to her feet, slowly stalking towards them. She was going to have them both, at the same time. She licked her lips as she imagined being sandwiched between the two men, their bodies rubbing against her own. She smiled at them seductively, but they didn’t smile back.

  “I’m sorry, lass,” Jared whispered and for a moment, she was confused, but then she saw Cam’s arousal and continued to walk towards him. She remembered she was going to unbutton her blouse, but when she lifted her hands to her collar, something was pressed against her face from behind, something soft and smelly. She caught a whiff of it, a familiar scent... thyme?

  “Breathe in deeply,” Flint said from behind her, “it will make everything better.”

  She followed his command, sucking in air through the fabric, filling her lungs with the smell of thyme. She coughed and Flint released her from his grip, that she hadn’t even noticed. Something in her mind changed. Everything was becoming clearer. She took a deep breath and looked around the room.

  Then it hit her.

  Mortified.

  Embarrassed.

  Wanting to sink into the ground and die.

  “Take me away from here,” she whispered, hating how weak she sounded. But with the scent of thyme still filling her nose, and the pounding in her head that must have been the result of Jared’s magic, she didn’t really have much choice.

  “Okay,” Flint whispered back, scooping her into his arm
s and carrying her from the room. Without fully realising what she was doing, she wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her head in his shoulder. He was a lot warmer than she expected, like there was something bubbling beneath the surface that was raising his temperature, an raising hers in turn. If she wasn’t careful, she’d end up taking her clothes off for an entirely different reason.

  He set her down on a soft bed. She stretched out, hating the feel of her clothes against her sensitive skin. Jared’s pheromones may have worn off thanks to the thyme, but she was still feeling the effects of it. She wanted to feel the cool air against her skin, and she really needed to find some relief, though maybe that was best left until she was completely alone.

  Flint took a step back from the bed, and Macey let out a soft whimper, taking herself aback. She’d never been the needy type, even as a child she’d been infuriatingly independent, not wanting anyone to control her. It had driven her father and brothers crazy, especially when she’d insisted on going on land and their father had made them go with her.

  “I’m coming back, Macey.” His voice rumbled through her. She nodded, cursing herself for being so needy, even if she knew it wasn’t completely her fault. He left, giving her a lingering look as he walked through the door. Oh, she was in trouble if he kept this up, especially if Jared was going to keep making her go crazy. Though maybe she could persuade the three of them to be a little less reluctant going forward. A girl could dream.

  She shuffled up the bed so that she was propped against the wall, that way she could keep an eye on the door and anticipate Flint’s return. He was back within moments, a wadded up shirt in one of his hands. “Here,” he said softly, handing it to her. “I thought you’d be more comfortable with this.”

  “Thank you,” she said, unfurling the fabric to discover that it was a man’s t-shirt. From the size, she suspected it was Flint’s, but she had no way of knowing for sure. She stood up shakily and began to unbutton her blouse, anxious to be more comfortable.

  “Whoa, Macey, hold up.” Flint held up his hands as if to tell her to stop, but she didn’t understand why. She cocked her head to the side.

  “Why?”

  “I can see you,” he pointed out needlessly.

  “I should hope so, unless you’ve suddenly gone blind.”

  He snorted slightly and she smiled. He was a lot calmer than he’d been when she arrived, and she found she liked this side of him. “I can assure you, I’ve definitely not gone blind.” His voice went straight through her, reawakening the side of her that Jared had brought to the surface. But this was different. Very different. She could tell the difference now between the forced attraction of before, and the burning need inside her. Weirdly enough, this felt far more intense.

  “Good to know,” she said huskily, continuing to remove her blouse. He licked his lips, but didn’t do anything to stop watching. She hoped he didn’t. Dropping the blouse to the floor, she unzipped her jeans and pushed them down over her hips, wiggling her way out of them and hating how unsexy removing them was. Surely the people who’d created jeans should have considered that important factor when they came up with them? Luckily, Flint didn’t seem to mind, at least not if the intense look he was giving her was anything to go by. His eyes were dark, though it almost seemed like there were flames flickering within them. Though that couldn’t be right and she knew it. Cam had said he and Flint were the same, and there’d been no hint of fire from him.

  Stood in front of him in nothing but her underwear, she should have felt self-conscious, and yet that hadn’t even crossed her mind. How could it when there was someone looking at her like that? It was like a shot of caffeine teamed with an injection of confidence, and it was making her blood sing. Other things too, and from the look on Flint’s face, she wasn’t the only one that felt that way.

  Something snapped between them and he strode forward, pulling her to him with a burning hand on her bare skin. He leaned down and crushed his lips to hers. This wasn’t tentative or unsure, this was primal. She could feel how much he wanted her, and not just because of the bulge that was pressed against her. He was conveying so many emotions and desires in the one action, that even she was surprised.

  Macey pushed her body against his, dropping the t-shirt he’d given her to the floor so that she could grab handfuls of his own, pulling him as close as possible. Damn, how she wished she could get it off him without breaking the kiss. It’d be a shame to end such bliss. A fleeting thought passed through her mind and she focused on her hand for a second, shifting it so her nails sharpened. Having no choice, at least none in case she wanted to accidentally maim him, she watched what she was doing as she ripped a nail down the material, ripping it from his body, before threading her non-shifted hand into his hair and pulling his lips back to hers. His hands left her body, but only for the amount of time it took for him to shed himself of his ruined shirt. The moment it was gone, he placed his hands on her waist and pressed himself against her again.

  Even through the kiss, she could hear how ragged his breathing was, and that it matched her own. She’d never felt like this before. Not with any of the humans who’d tried to kiss her during her party years, and not when she was with her childhood sweetheart under the water. Nor was it like the drugged up kisses she’d experienced while under Jared’s influence.

  Whatever it was, Macey wasn’t ready for it to stop.

  She rubbed against his bare chest, their skin touching, sending shivers through her body. Their tongues danced as her fingers roamed his back, slowly making their way down to his bum. Fighting against his tight belt, she squeezed her hands into his jeans, gripping his firm ass, pulling him closer.

  With a gasp, he leant back, leaving her breathless. “What’s wrong?” she whispered as he gently took her wrists and pulled them out of his trousers.

  “I’m not going to take advantage of you like this,” he said, gently stroking her hair as disappointment crashed into her.

  “But you’re not,” she moaned, stretching up to kiss him again, but he evaded her.

  “I am,” he whispered, “you just don’t know it yet. There are things I have to explain to you... but not now. You need to rest, little kelpie.” He winked. “If you still want me after we talk tomorrow, I’ll be ready.”

  Before she could reply, he left the room, leaving her speechless and shivering in humiliation. Was she truly this unappealing that not just one, but three men had rejected her within the course of an hour? Granted, she was glad they had ignored her advances while she was under the influence of Jared’s pheromones. It made her trust them more. Not every man would reject the advances of a young woman ready to jump him.

  Sighing, she picked up Flint’s shirt and put it on. It smelled like him. She debated whether to take it off, but that would have been childish. And it was comfy. And his.

  She curled up on the bed and pulled the duvet on top of her, hiding from the world. This day had been too much. Fear, surprise, anger, desire, disappointment, humiliation. Her body was shivering from all the emotions her mind was remembering. She growled and pressed her hands hard against her ears, listening to the pulsating whoosh of her blood. It reminded her of the waves, of home. She imagined being back underwater, an innocent, slightly spoiled kelpie princess, who didn’t have to deal with abductions, desires and hot guys.

  Just like the waves in her thoughts, sleep washed over her, taking her with it.

  Chapter 4

  When she entered the living room, still wearing nothing but Flint’s t-shirt and her underwear, the three men were waiting for her.

  Camdan cleared his throat and pointedly looked down at the floor. “Why are you walking around naked?”

  She shrugged. “I don’t have any clothes.”

  Flint chuckled. “Girls. I’ll get you some later. Weren’t you wearing jeans yesterday?”

  Now it was her turn to look at the carpet, hiding her blushing cheeks. “I ripped them by accident. My claws must have come out without me
noticing.”

  “Yes, Flint told us what happened between you two,” Cam sighed and she swallowed hard. She was tempted to run back to her room and hide from all the embarrassment. Forever. Instead, she looked up, giving them all dirty looks.

  “Do you always gossip like pesky little selkies?” she hissed, ignoring the fact that her hair was turning green in anger.

  “We don’t gossip,” Flint grumbled. “They needed to know.”

  “Did they now,” she growled, but inside she was getting curious. He’d promised her she’d find out more about them today. Maybe she should stop being angry?

  “Sit down, Macey,” Cam commanded. She hissed at him but did as he said. That didn’t mean that she had to stop glaring at them, though.

  “How do I start...,” Flint murmured, more to himself than her.

  “Easy,” Jared grinned, “you’re fire, she’s water, opposites attract each other.”

  Cam groaned, hitting his friend in the ribs. “Do you ever think before you speak?”

  “Rarely.”

  “I’ve noticed. Now be quiet and let Flint explain it properly.”

  Jared smirked but didn’t reply. Macey was staring at them open-mouthed. What the fuck was going on here?

  Flint sighed again, obviously feeling uncomfortable. “What do you know about the Seven Elements?”

  “Aren’t there just four?” she asked, taken aback by this strange question.

  “That’s the human way of thinking. In truth, there are seven: fire, air, earth, water, ice, wind and lightning. We call them Seachd-Sìona in Gaelic.”

  “Wait, aren’t air and wind the same?” she interrupted? “And water and ice?”

  “Similar, but not the same,” Flint explained. “Their base essence is different. Which is why there are seven of us.”

  He paused to let it sink in, but she was having none of it. “Seven what? Idiots?”

  Cam chuckled. “Seven Wardens.”

  “Please tell me you’ve heard of the legend?” Jared groaned dramatically. Macey shook her head, embarrassed at her lack of knowledge of the supernatural world. Her grandmother had told her stories, but most were about the peoples roaming the sea and waters, not... Wardens, whatever they were.