by J. L. Madore
As much as the avian pushes my buttons, I regret that. Fae magic recognizes us as perfect mate compliments. Not solely Calli and him, but Kotah, Brant, and me too.
I think about that bullshit he spouted the other night about his guardianship offering him a political advantage and I want to throat-punch him. He needs to get out of his way and see what we can be.
I let my instincts fire, expecting to find the other three together taking the grand tour. No. Kotah and Calli are halfway across the palace and the bear is on his own, off to my right.
I set off, tracking him down.
I’ll bet my left nut Brant is in the administration offices, searching fae records. A twinge of guilt twists my guts. Hawk isn’t the easiest mate, but Brant’s conviction that he’s the Black Knight, a duplicitous traitor to fae laws, doesn’t sit right.
Even after Hawk shredded her, Calli asked us to give him a break and try. I understand he did it to save my life and I want to honor her request and not burn any bridges. Hawk is one of our quint, whether he admits it or not. He may dig his heels in but Calli is his match and will wear him down.
If Brant and I make an enemy of him, what then?
I explore the palace following the mating bond like Hansel following breadcrumbs to Gretel—an extremely hairy, muscular Gretel.
“Howdy, Bear,” I say, finding Brant buried in boxes in a file storage room. “Having fun?”
“Shit-tons.”
“Having any luck?”
“Nope… or maybe yes... I’m not sure how to answer that.”
I grab a chair, flip it around, and straddle it.
“I wasn’t able to get into the birth registration room,” he says, scowling and waving a finger toward the door. “The biddy in charge is a tight-assed stickler about who gets a peek at the files, so that’s a no-go until I convince a certain sweet young prince to grant us access.”
“What’s the yes?”
“I found the registration records and files for the three families involved. Only there’s no record of the kids I know they had. The electronic system is wiped, and it’s the same thing in the powers registry too. They’re gone too.”
“Frickety-frack.”
“Yep, that sums it up.”
“Is there any way to find out how many kids this might involve or who’s pullin’ the strings?”
Brant’s jaw tightens. “We know who’s pulling the strings. We’re practically in bed with the puppeteer.”
“You’re makin’ assumptions. If you’re serious about the FCO investigations unit, don’t you think you should base your conclusions on facts?”
“Jaguar, seriously, the guy gets off on moving all his little pawns around. Of course he’d call himself the Black Knight.”
“What’s in it for him? He’s already rich and powerful and runs the show for almost all fae events. Why amass guns and gifted kids to make warriors? Who’s he fixin’ to fight?”
“What if he’s part of Darkside and wants the portal open? Or doesn’t want it open? I saw him spellcasting. Do you know any other wildlings with mage abilities?”
No. I don’t, but that doesn’t mean he’s the enemy. “Maybe it’s hereditary. We know nothing about his family.”
Brant flips a few pages back into place. “I’ve been working on that too.”
“You’re snooping into his background and life?”
He laughs. “So, what? He snooped into ours first. Face it, Hawk’s got a God complex a mile wide, and can’t face the idea of not being the one in control.”
All true, but I’m not convinced that makes him fae’s enemy number one. “I’m just sayin’. I think it’s hypocritical to judge the male for using his power and influence to further his agenda when we’ve benefitted from it more than once this week. It doesn’t feel right to expect him to handle everything and then plot against him.”
Brant scowls. “That’s different. Asking him to bring in a cardiologist is about—”
I raise my hand and stop him from speaking her name. We can’t let it get out that our phoenix savior might have a heart condition.
He scowls, looking around the empty file room like he doesn’t understand my interruption.
“Discretion, Bear. If it becomes known there might be a problem, it will embolden the enemy and weaken those looking to us for hope.”
Brant gathers the folders he laid out and files them back into place in their boxes. “She’s gonna be pissed we went behind her back to get her checked out.”
Jaxx nods. “I considered that. Maybe we say she needs to have a physical to ensure her transition is progressing properly. Or maybe we all get examined and say it’s a quint thing. You know, getting a baseline at the beginning to gauge how we change and grow over time.”
Brant nods. “I like that. And if we all get tested, we might learn how Hawk can command physical magic.”
Yeah, that blows my mind. “Just tread lightly, that’s all I’m sayin’. If you’re wrong about Hawk’s involvement and he accepts his part in the quint, we have to live with the fallout of our actions for centuries.”
“I’m not wrong.”
“Good then. I’m relieved you’re keepin’ an open mind.”
Kotah
“You’re here!” Keyla knows better than to shout in the public halls of the palace, but the excitement in her voice climbs well over what our parents consider an acceptable level. Her long, brown tresses flutter back from her shoulders as she closes the distance between us. Bright blue silk trousers sway around her legs with each step and the intricately embroidered neckline of her ivory blouse dips toward the rounds of cleavage.
My sister has matured a great deal since last I saw her.
“By the Powers, big brother, you are a sight to warm my heart. I’ve missed you.” She rushes forward, her hands extended, her eyes sparkling.
“I missed you, as well.” I accept both her hands in mine, squeeze, then bow to press a kiss on her knuckles. “You are as radiant as always Keyla. Mother told me about Father. Where is he?”
She blinks. “It’s the middle of the day. He’s in the receiving room granting audiences. Have you been gone so long you forgot how this palace runs?”
“But Mother…” No. She wouldn’t lie to me about this, would she? To further her agenda, of course she would. “Is Father truly ill or have I been misled?”
Keyla frowns. “Oh, he’s certainly not well. That wouldn’t stop him from performing his duties. You know what he always says about duty and honor.”
I do. “A leader must embrace his duty—despite personal sentiment, obstacles, dangers, or pressures from others. To fail in this is to lose the honor of being a male of worth.”
“Good. You didn’t forget everything.”
How could I? The lessons I learned here are burned into my very marrow. “And have you kept well in the days since I saw you last?”
Her smile slides away from me to fall on Calli. “Not as well as you, it seems. Do my senses deceive me, or have you marked this creature as your own?”
I step close to Calli’s side and wrap a possessive arm around her back. “Keyla, this is Calliope Tannis, my mate.”
Keyla shoots Calli with an assessing squint that would make Lady Hacey, our schoolmarm tutor proud. “I overheard Mother says she’s a common-folk human, but I sense magic. What is she?”
I swallow my disappointment. It’s not Keyla’s fault that my mother is so unflattering. It is, however, within her power to handle it with more grace in the face of my love.
“Does she even have fae in her bloodline?”
“She is standing right here,” Calli says catching her attention with a little wave. “How about you talk to me if you have something to say about me.”
Keyla laughs, the sound musical and infectious. “Well I see why Mother doesn’t like her. She’s far too forward and reaches beyond her social status.”
Calli stiffens and several passersby slow to take in our conversation. “I’ve never had t
he urge to initiate a teenage takedown before,” Calli says, “but slapping a debutante silly is sparking all kinds of creative ideas. Lucky for you, I think too much of Kotah, and he thinks too much of you, for me to go with my first instinct.”
I offer Calli an apologetic smile. “Please excuse my sister, Chigua. Keyla was raised to believe she stands above all others. No one has yet to knock her off that pedestal.”
“I’m up for the task,” Calli says, her grin forced. “I volunteer as tribute.”
I squeeze her hip and secure a stronger hold. “Living a life of indulgence has taught Keyla little of the realm she represents or how to interact with its members. She’s a work in progress but believe me when I say she is worth the effort.”
Keyla arches a perfectly manicured brow but remains otherwise unaffected by my censure. “Wait until I tell Mother you mated her.” She draws a deep breath, testing the air, and shakes her head. “A last-minute attempt to lock the cogs of your destiny, judging by the freshness of it. Well played, brother. Mother and Father will be furious.”
I remind myself that I both love and have missed my sister. “Firstly, Keyla, you will say nothing to Mother. My mating is my business and I will handle it. Secondly, mating Calli was not an adolescent stunt to throw in our parents’ faces. I love her. You will accept that and treat her with the respect I know you are capable of if you try. Lastly, my destiny is mine to determine. Whether it’s as the Fae Prime or a Guardian of the Phoenix or a traveling bard playing guitar and living hand to mouth, the choice is mine.”
Keyla’s eyes widen as she glances at the nosy crowd of onlookers now openly eavesdropping on our family squabble.
I despise palace life. “Back to your business,” I snap, glaring at our audience. When they scatter, I scrub a hand over my jaw and exhale. This will be reported straight back to Mother.
I don’t have much time to diffuse this bomb.
I take Calli’s hand and lean close to my sister to whisper straight into her ear. “Not a word, Keyla. I mean it. If you ever wish for me to speak to you again, you will allow me the courtesy of handling my own affairs.”
Hawk
I emerge from the shower, freshly shaven, and wrap a towel around my hips. The four-bedroom Timber Trail suite assigned to us has a five-piece bathroom behind the back wall of the living room with two bedrooms on opposite sides. Lukas and Brant’s doctor friend each have private rooms across the hall. It suits our needs and honestly, Calli isn’t hard to please when it comes to housing, clothing, food, or… much of anything.
I brush my teeth, thinking about how rare that is.
The memory of Kotah gifting her with the mate bracelet he made is a prime example. No gemstones. No platinum or gold. Yet that simple leather-crafted weave with little wooden figurines carved to represent the five of us captured her heart.
When he gave it to her, she gushed and said she’d never take it off. It sounded like placation to me. Since then, I’ve seen her smile at that bracelet a dozen times. In the quiet moments, when she doesn’t realize anyone is watching, she caresses that gift like a precious lover.
I’m man enough to admit I don’t understand her—at least admit it to myself. Growing up with nothing made me determined to have only the finest things in life.
Similar situations made her grateful for every kindness.
I accused her of not learning from her situation to grow into the woman she had the potential to be. Rethinking that, I wonder if it is me who missed the mark.
“Sir?” Lukas says on the other side of the door. “It’s all arranged.”
I finish with the rinse and spit, and head out to the common area to hear what he has to say. He’s standing behind one of the leather sofas opposite the piano, his hands clasped at his back. I sniff the air and listen. It seems we still have the suite to ourselves, so we can speak freely.
“Go ahead. What do we know?”
“The mobile medical unit will park in hanger eight on the north side of the airstrip when it arrives. Sunset is expected at 8:44 this evening and your plane will arrive after nine and taxi straight inside. Dr. Glask and his technician have both signed the non-disclosure agreement and understand what’s expected of them.”
Good. “And the passenger information listed on the flight manifest?”
“The pilot is named, and the two passengers are noted simply as fae dignitaries. Our man at the tower assures me that it’s not uncommon to keep names off the documents when dealing with the rich and powerful.”
“Excellent, Lukas. Thank you—”
The door swishes open and my attention slams back to the fact that I am standing in the center of our living quarters wearing only a towel. Damn.
If I wasn’t running completely on empty, I wouldn’t have made the error of being naked anywhere near Calli. Thankfully, with the question of her suffering from a possible heart condition unanswered, my libido has no intention of taking over. Calli’s health far outweighs my sexual need.
“Raar. Honey, I’m home,” Calli says, waggling her brows. “Yes, this is how my men will greet me upon my return from now on. Point to you Sir Barron for starting us off. Write that down, Lukas. The phoenix has spoken.”
I roll my eyes and clamp my hand over the tuck of my towel to ensure it remains secure. “Lukas, you’re dismissed to take care of the things we’ve discussed.”
He fights to straighten his smirk and sobers. “Yes, sir.”
When Lukas leaves, I eye the bedroom where I set my bag and hung my clothes. “If you two will excuse me, I’ll get dressed. Then you can tell me about your night at the honky-tonk bar and what’s kept you busy the past couple of hours.”
“Hawk, wait,” Kotah holds up a hand. “I have a family matter to address. May I leave Calli in your company for the next hour or so?”
Fuck. Until we know why Calli collapsed, she shouldn’t be alone. I nod to make it clear I got the message. “The two of us can survive that long without killing one another, can’t we, Spitfire?”
The wolf practically bolts out the door.
“Trouble on the home front?” I ask.
Calli takes a meandering stroll around the room and drags her fingers across the polished surface of the mahogany desk inside the door. “We had a slightly heated, not-so-private conversation with his sister. He wants to get to his mother before someone spills the beans about him mating me.”
Right. My breath tightens in my chest. Refusing to succumb to the madness of mating heat, I lift my chin and force my hawk’s fury deep down to fester in my guts. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to put some clothes on.”
“Don’t rush on my account.”
I refuse the bait. “Pour yourself a glass of wine if you like. There are also an assortment of cold trays in the refrigerator if you’re hungry.”
I slip into the bedroom, swing the door, and grab a pair of jogging pants out of my bag. I’m stepping into the first pant leg when I realize the door didn’t click shut behind me.
Yep, she’s leaning on the doorframe getting an eyeful. Shit. Her hunger for me is a serious aphrodisiac. It sends a lightning strike straight into my cock and there is no hiding the result. “Boundaries, Miss Tannis? Ever heard of them?”
She smiles unrepentant. “Why are you in such a hurry to put that away? It is intended for me, isn’t it?”
I stomp my second foot into my pants and pull them up my thighs. “I would think that after having Kotah last night and both he and Jaxx this morning, your sex drive might be ready to gear down for a few hours.”
“Techy.”
I dig in my duffle and come out with a black shirt. “Do you blame me? Should I rejoice that first Jaxx and now Kotah has altered your scent with their claim on you? Should I celebrate that when we walk through a crowd, everyone recognizes them as your mates but not me?”
Her expression softens. “I’m sorry, Hawk. I didn’t realize it would bother you.”
I give her my back, unable to face the compassion in he
r expression. “It doesn’t. Not really. My hawk might be vexed but I realize I don’t care. It’s a trick of the mating.”
“Which you want nothing to do with.”
I shove my arms into the sleeveless cotton tank and force it over my head. “Exactly.”
“So, the fact that you haven’t slept in a week is…”
“An annoying side effect of me asserting my independence. I decide who and what I want out of my life.”
She chuckles and the sound is a one-two punch to my groin. “How did it go again… Your wants became irrelevant the moment I resurrected on the side of that road. Welcome to your second chance at life. Time to get with the program.”
“Using my own words against me. Well played, Spitfire. Point to you.”
“Hawk, look at me.” Her voice is soft, and much too calm. My body sways to obey. I close my eyes and suck in a deep breath. My resolve to resist her is weakening.
Still, I can oblige her request without succumbing to mindless passions.
When our eyes lock, the empathy swirling in her gaze nails me hard. The sex is making her more confident in her new body. Her emerald eyes blaze, and a ring of flames licks around the round of her irises. The phoenix is becoming more integrated with the woman. It’s sexy as fuck.
My heart pounds, pushing my pulse up the base of my throat. The longer she stares, the more intense my need for her gets. It’s a blow to my ego, but I have to drop my gaze.
If I wasn’t exhausted, I wouldn’t be so drawn into this. “Calli, don’t. I’m too tired to fight and I don’t want this.”
She closes the door and shuts off the light. The blinds are closed but still leave enough light to see perfectly. “I see that you’re tired. And two nights ago, when you kissed me, I felt your hawk recede and leave you in peace.”
She reaches to move my duffle from the bed, but I snatch it and hold it between us. A leather satchel is a ridiculous excuse for a defensive shield, but I’m at the end of my tether and it has to do.