Consumed by Fire
Blood and Magic #5
Danielle Annett
Coffee and Characters
Contents
Also by Danielle Annett
Praise for the Blood & Magic series
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
20. Curious about James, Aria’s best friend?
Chapter 21
Dear Reader
About the Author
Consumed by Fire
Blood & Magic: Six
Copyright © 2018 Danielle Annett
All rights reserved, including the rights to reproduce, distribute, or transmit in any form by any means. For information regarding subsidiary rights, please contact the author.
This book is a work of fiction; all characters, names, places, incidents, and events are the product of the authors imagination and either fictitious or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
Cover Design: Coffee and Characters
Formatting: Coffee and Characters
Created with Vellum
Also by Danielle Annett
Blood & Magic
Cursed by Fire
Kissed by Fire
Burned by Fire
Branded by Fire
Consumed by Fire
Forged by Fire - coming soon
Blood & Bone
Hunter Born - coming soon
Alpha Forged - coming soon
Praise for the Blood & Magic series
Cursed by Fire
“Oh my GOODNESS! I completely devoured this book in one sitting it was THAT GOOD!”
—Cocktails and Books Blog
“I thought Cursed by Fire was an awesome read and a great introduction to the series. I can’t fault it in any way and thoroughly enjoyed it and am looking forward to more.”
—Book Passion for Life
“I personally am a Kate Daniels fan, and I loved this series.”
—Amazon Reviewer
Kissed by Fire
“I love how Danielle Annett writes. Her books are so intriguing, action packed, and unique.”
—The Book Quarry
“This twist in Kissed by Fire was exactly what I, as a reader, needed, even though I didn’t know I needed it until it happened.”
—Sapphyria’s Book Blog
“This is even better than the first one. I hope there are many more.”
—Amazon Reviewer
Burned by Fire
“I couldn’t believe how it ended either, now I’m super excited to read the next one!”
—Shooting Stars Reviews
“I have to say, Danielle Annett sucked me into a world of magnificent beings and creatures.”
—Amazon Reviewer
“Ugh, these endings are killing me! I love this series. The dynamics between Naveed and [redacted] are hot, hot, hot. It just keeps getting better.”
—Amazon Reviewer
Branded by Fire
“I have loved this series from the first book Cursed by Fire and all the characters as well. But I think that Branded by Fire is by far my favorite.”
—The Avid Reader
“Danielle Annett’s BRANDED BY FIRE is scorching hot.”
—Amazon Reviewer
“Branded by Fire is the best one yet (and the other 3 books in the series rock!)”
—Sapphyria’s Book Blog
For the little peanut growing inside of me. I can’t tell you how much I love you already. I cannot wait to meet you.
1
I hated people sometimes. I especially hated people who tried to kill me. And the number of people who tried to kill me grew higher with each passing day.
How the hell I wound up babysitting the woman who only seven days ago had tried to kill me was a mystery.
Why would anyone in their right mind agree to that?
Clearly I wasn’t in my right mind. Because here I was, sitting in a leather recliner, and staring at her comatose body as she lay in a bed inside the Pacific Northwest Compound. The same Pack Compound where I lived.
The Compound was seventy-four thousand square feet nestled on one hundred and seven acres. She could be on one end and I on the other and it still wouldn’t be enough space between us.
I ground my teeth together. I should be the one relaxing in bed but no. Instead I was babysitting Dia Ryholt.
My skin vibrated with energy.
She’d given me a concussion, two bruised ribs, a sprained wrist, and a hell of a lot of scrapes, gashes, and bruises. As a psyker—someone with psychokinetic abilities—I healed faster than your average human, but nowhere near as fast as a shifter. My bones still ached and now and then my wrist would twinge.
Having her here made my blood boil. This was my home.
Sure I’d only recently moved in, but that was beside the point.
I belonged here.
She didn’t.
The temperature in the room ratcheted up several degrees.
Shit.
I folded one leg over the other and closed my eyes.
Breathe. That’s it. Relax.
I popped my neck and rolled my shoulders back. The room was silent save for the tapping of my leather boot on the hard stone floor and the steady inhale and exhale of my breaths.
She’s in a coma. She can’t hurt you, I reminded myself.
Not that the reminder helped.
I lifted one eyelid to make sure Dia was still there.
You could never be too sure with telekinetics. One second they were there, and the next… Well, you got the idea.
But she was still there. Right where she’d been the last seven days and seven nights. And at the rate we were going, she was right where she’d be for the next week or more.
I scrubbed my hands over my face and glared daggers at her.
Dia’s jet black hair stretched over a pale lavender pillow and a small smile had the corners of her lips curved up. Freckles dusted her high cheekbones and her chest expanded with each inhale of breath.
Closed lids hid what I knew to be blue-gray eyes so clear it was like looking into a bottomless ocean.
She had the same eyes as her brother. The same jet-black hair. But where Inarus’ skin was bronzed like desert sand, Dia’s was alabaster white.
If it weren’t for the IV in her right forearm and the feeding tube in her nose, you’d think she was sleeping.
She looked peaceful. Well rested, even.
It made me want to punch her in her too-pretty face. Hard.
I thought about doing it too.
A quick glance at the door assured me that the coast was clear.
Declan had gone to a meeting with the witches a little over an hour ago, and Inarus was back at Sanborn Place coordinating repairs. Neither should be back for at least another ten to fifteen minutes or more.
I chewed on my lower lip. The Human Alliance Corporation had trashed my office in an attempt to track me down. And the dark-haired beauty in front of me was one of theirs. A telekinetic in her prime and unfortunately related to Inarus Ryholt.
He’d be really pissed if I hit her.
Inarus was my lone employee at Sanborn Place and a friend.
It felt weird calling him that, when not so long ago he’d been my enemy.
But things had changed. Inarus had proven more than once that he could be trusted.
So here I was trusting that in time he would sort things out where his sister was concerned.
He’d asked that the Pack spare her, and as a favor to me, Declan had.
A part of me wished I’d never asked Declan to hold back. But Inarus had saved my ass more times than I could count. Even when we weren’t fighting on the same side.
The least I could do was watch over his sister and refrain from killing her.
I owed him that much.
But dammit I really wanted to hit her.
I rocked back and forth in my chair and cursed.
“You’re better than that,” I told myself.
I wasn’t. Not really. But we all lied to ourselves from time to time.
Telling myself that hitting a woman in a coma was beneath me was better than admitting that the only reason I hadn’t already punched her in her stupid face was because it would leave a mark.
And you could guess how that would go over.
Maybe I could just light her hair on fire. A small flicker of a flame.
I smiled.
Fire would be fun. I could just singe eight or nine inches off. She was probably vain. I wondered how she’d feel to wake up with those pretty locks gone.
My smiled faded. And then how would I explain that to Inarus?
“Err … I’m sorry. I lost control of my pyrokinetic abilities but on the upside, I managed to only burn off her hair.”
I snorted. Yeah, that would go over well.
I resigned myself to sitting and staring. Because if looks could kill, she’d already be dead ten times over.
Someone cleared their throat, and I jerked my head up to find Declan Valkenaar—Alpha to the Pacific Northwest Pack and my mate—standing in the doorway.
My heart rate picked up as our eyes collided. Gold flecks filled his emerald gaze, and a light dusting of white blonde hair shadowed his hard square jaw.
Heat pooled in my stomach, and I sucked in a breath.
Declan stalked into the room. It was the only way I could describe it. He moved on silent feet with long, graceful strides like the predator he was.
His muscles bunched with each movement, hinting at the coiled strength hidden beneath the thin fabric of his clothes.
“Don’t sneak up on me like that,” I chided to cover my reaction to his proximity.
Butterflies decided to do cartwheels in my stomach. And I gripped the armrest of my seat to keep from reaching out for him.
He laughed and smiled wickedly. “Talking to yourself again, Aria?”
I rolled my eyes. “No. Just rationalizing.” I stood from the chair and, without conscious thought, moved closer to where he stood.
I caught myself, but it was already too late.
Declan rested his palm on my lower back and captured my gaze with his again.
“How’s that working out for you?”
Dressed in dark denim jeans, work boots, and a forest green thermal shirt, Declan looked like your average well-muscled male.
Until you caught the shifter glint in his eyes and recognized the ropes of corded muscle that bunched beneath his shirt.
Declan would never be average. He was a Siberian weretiger. And he was Alpha.
Dominance radiated from his skin.
At the ripe age of twenty-four, he’d seized control of the Pack, and nine years later, he still held it with an iron grip.
He turned his Alpha stare on me.
If I were a weaker person, I would turn my gaze to the floor; slurring my words and praying for him to hurry up and leave before I peed myself.
Lucky for me, I wasn’t weak.
But I was a woman, and I wasn’t blind. Butterflies continued to dance in my stomach, and my body swayed in his direction for just a second before I jerked myself back.
“Fucking peachy. Why don’t you turn off your headlights and give me an update?”
Declan laughed, a rich sound that vibrated deep in his chest. He turned toward me and placed both hands on my hips. “Does it always have to be business?” he asked, a wicked glint in his eyes.
I shrugged my shoulders in a noncommittal gesture. Of course it didn’t have to be all business. Lord knew that my lady bits certainly didn’t want it to be, but I didn’t need him knowing that. It would go straight to his head, and he was arrogant enough as it was.
Declan’s gaze captivated my full attention. A small furrow formed between his brows when he didn’t get the welcome he’d been expecting.
“The witches have an idea. We should have answers soon.”
“Good. Maybe then we’ll be able to get on with our lives.”
He nodded.
Pulling me into an embrace, I melted against his chest with a sigh of relief.
“We have a plan. But that doesn’t mean we have to wait to explore our lives together.”
“Mmmm …” I closed my eyes and breathed in the scent of pine and mint that was uniquely Declan. “Is now really the best time to—”
Declan cut me off, taking me by surprise with a firm press of his lips against mine.
Before I could react, he drew back and tucked my head against his chest.
“We don’t have to figure everything out right now. She isn’t going anywhere. It can all wait while we work on us.”
If only that were true. With the HAC still determined to eliminate paranormals, we needed answers, and Dia was the only one who could give them to us. We’d have interrogated her already if it weren’t for the fact that she was a telekinetic with the added ability to teleport.
If we woke her up, she’d teleport herself out of the Compound without bothering to see what it was we were after.
Hence Declan and his visit to the witches. We were hoping they’d have a spell that could bind her abilities so she couldn’t teleport herself to freedom.
And with the newly formed alliance between the Pacific Northwest Pack and the Evergreen witches, there was a good chance they’d even be willing to share it.
“I know we have a lot to sort out, but I can’t focus on a future if the threat of my mother and the HAC looms over it.
We stood there for several seconds, and Declan drew small circles on my lower back with one hand while the other gripped me against his muscled body.
I listened to the steady beat of his heart, taking comfort in his strength.
“No more waiting. I can’t take it anymore.” I was sick and tired of looking over my shoulder. The Human Alliance Corporation—or HAC—needed to be stopped.
“She’s your mother. Are you sure—”
Fury consumed me so quickly that fire broke out across my skin.
I spun on my heel and paced to the opposite side of the room. “She’s not my mother. My mother died seven years ago along with my father. That woman isn’t my mother.” I folded my arms over my chest.
Sure, I was probably overreacting, but you would too if you’d been through what I had.
The ground shook.
“Aria—”
“I know!” I snapped.
I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. Get it together. A storm of psychokinetic power thrummed through my veins.
“What did the witches say?” I needed the subject change to get my mind off my mother, and the realization that the woman I’d grown up loving was a monster who’d instigated her husband’s murder and abandoned her only child because she saw me as an abomination.
The air stirred around me.
Declan sighed but continued without acknowledging my slip in control. “Olivia said there’s a spell they can do to bind Dia’s abilities. It will be a day or two before they can forge the spell into a wrist cuff, but when they’re finished, we should be able to wake her without risk of her teleporting.
I nodded. “Good. It’s about time we got some answers. I’m sick of being on the defensive.”
Declan strode toward me. He cupped the side of my face and stroked his thu
mb along my cheek. “You’re not fighting this—fighting her—alone. I have you. Always.”
I leaned into his touch. I knew he had my back. But it was nice hearing the words out loud anyway.
Declan was my mate. He would always be there to fight my battles with me. But I was still getting used to being able to depend on someone else—and having that person depend on me in turn.
“Thank you.” I reached up and kissed him. Just a light press of my lips on his.
I wasn’t ready to jump him even if my lady bits wanted me to. Our relationship was still new. But satisfaction thrummed through me when his eyes widened and his heart rate quickened beneath the press of my palm.
A beaming smile spread out over his face. He leaned down, and I angled my face upward to reach him …
And then my phone rang.
Declan growled and pulled away from me. “Every time—”
I turned away to hide my smile and pulled my phone from my pocket. “Naveed.”
“You might want to get down here,” Inarus said.
Every one of my nerve endings went on high alert.
“Did something happen? Was there an attack? Dammit, I knew—”
“No. None of that. Calm down.”
I paced back and forth across the room. “Well then what is it?” Agitation coursed through me.
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