by Cara Carnes
No. Uncle Lucian wouldn’t be stupid enough to lead the army into Demonia. Baldar would. I’d destroy them all, and then I’d handle the king after—assuming I survived. Lane and his pack had no business going up against my kind. In time, he’d forgive me for what I’d do to ensure their safety.
I feathered my lips along his, savoring the heat in the fusion of our tongues. I groaned, settling my hands on his shoulders and dragging him closer. My final taste of what-if. He severed the kiss, and I forced a few labored breaths out, channeling my desire for him into determination. He would be safe.
They all would.
He opened the door, and Vira, Macen, and Logan shuffled into the room in an unconcealed state of pissed. The scent of sex wafted in the room. Lane rumbled a threatening growl when their gazes locked on the bed.
“Why aren’t you sneezing anymore?” Vira demanded. “Does the sage lose its impact after prolonged exposure?”
“It does on me.”
“Good to know. We’ll wait to light the sage at Sanctuary until everyone’s in place. Read us in on the plan, the target, whatever we should know.” Macen leaned against the door, his silent threat of what would happen if I failed to follow his order evident in his gaze.
“Wait. Who the hell is with Riles?”
“She was going to be in here with us, but she’s currently downstairs sneezing her head off. She sounds like a kitten with a cold,” Logan offered.
“My mate is not a cat.”
“Enough. I want answers,” Vira said.
A weight settled on my chest. Nervousness crawled beneath my skin, scraping against my beasts until they growled. Trust no one. The mantra had saved me countless times. Yet here I was, about to trust four people with the secret I’d held onto, the silent war I’d been waging for the past few weeks.
No. I didn’t trust the four of them. I trusted Lane and his word. He’d vouched for the people in the room, his pack. I didn’t pretend to understand the bond we’d built so quickly, but I knew without a doubt I’d blindly follow him anywhere, into any situation.
These people, the pack downstairs, walked willingly into a war where they were the weaklings for Lane. For Riles.
For me.
The blind trust they exhibited as they waited patiently for me to speak spoke volumes. Though we hadn’t shared blood, they were brethren on the battlefield. Their primal determination and courage strengthened my decision on how tonight would end—the betrayal of their trust I’d commit to keep them all alive.
“My uncle, King Lucian, overthrew my other uncle on my father’s side. He slaughtered the entire family, except for Severin, a toddler at the time. Since then, Lucian led our Realm with a ruthless efficiency few dare cross. When news of Riles’s survival spread in our world, I knew he’d come for her.”
“Why?” Vira asked.
“It’s complicated. Angels and phoenixes don’t mix in our world. Since both my mother and father descended from ancient royal bloodlines of their kind, their union was the ultimate sin. They should’ve been destroyed. Riles and I most definitely should’ve been killed at birth, if not sooner.”
“You both carry powers from both lines, thereby making you more powerful than the king. Anyone,” Lane said.
I nodded. “When Riles disappeared, my mother wanted me dead. I’d failed to keep her safe, and the loss became my burden to bear until I no longer breathed. I’d been in grueling training with my father’s covert angelic squadron since I’d learned to crawl. My mother hauled me to the king and gave me to him.”
Macen and Lane growled. Logan cursed. Vira remained silent, assessing. I trembled beneath her gaze. She blamed me for Riles’s suffering. The accusation hung in the amber flecks in her obsidian eyes.
“Rather than destroy me outright, he turned me over to his elite phoenix assassins as a play toy of sorts, someone with angelic blood to practice their maneuvers on. Rather than accept my fate, I fought. Learned through regimented survival. In a couple of years, I became a member of their group, trained to do the bidding of our king.”
“So, you’re here because he commanded it, or because of Riles?” Macen demanded.
“I’m here to protect Riles. Uncle Lucian sent me here to keep her untrained and to befriend Vira. His objective is entrance into Demonia.”
Vira growled. “No way in hell.”
“You want this done, you open the portal.” I closed the distance between us. “Everything rides on tonight because I can’t keep the shit from today hidden for long. Baldar or Uncle Lucian get wind of the things I’ve shared, the sudden interest in burning sage, and the covert discussions in locked rooms, what went down last night will look like child’s play.”
“So, you want me to open the portal and allow him to destroy Demonia?” Vira glared at me. “You’re crazier than I thought.”
“You saw what he did to my father, and I wear one of the many things he’s done to me as a permanent reminder of how deranged he is. I assure you, we must open the portal tonight or Riles will suffer much worse than my father did. Uncle Lucian told me so when he gave me my latest gift.” I whirled on Macen when he entered my personal space. “And don’t think a few wolves are any match for my kind. There’s no crevice small enough to tuck her if this goes south. We’re all dead if this doesn’t happen tonight.”
“So, I open the portal and watch him slaughter my world?”
“No. You open the trap door. You saw the discussion I had with Severin earlier. He would never fail me. He’s the one warrior I have left of my bloodline I trust. He’ll be there with a legion of angels.”
Silence met my statement. Anger rose in me. I took a couple steps from them all. “You self-righteous assholes. For weeks, you’ve been demanding to know what’s going down, telling me to trust you. Well, guess what? I have and I did. I can’t keep you all safe and alive if you don’t trust me. You’re running out of time to make a decision, so warrior up or stay the hell out of my way.”
I shoved through Vira and Logan, uncaring what the fuck any of them said. Enraged tears ran down my cheeks. I couldn’t handle them. The emotional wounds from the moments I’d shared with Lane were too raw, exposed. I’d trusted him. The next play was his.
***
Lane
“Well, the confront Xandra train wreck was a blast. Should we chase her down and go for round two?” Vira crossed her arms and glared at me. “You horny-ass wolves can’t keep your dick in your pants when shit hits the fan. You couldn’t think of anything other than her to do? Maybe find out what the fuck is going on?”
“Care, vamp. My wolf’s needs a chew toy.”
“Try it, mange ball.” Vira paced. “I can’t. The plan wouldn’t work, even if I pulled off opening the portal without alerting every hellhound in Demonia. You don’t want to deal with those assholes. They make you two resemble neutered pups.”
“We’re helping her. She stuck her neck out trusting we’d have her back,” I growled.
“She should’ve asked for help sooner,” Macen replied. “We can’t have a hand in whatever this play is. Her plan is shit. Letting him into Demonia makes no sense at all. Clearly she’s not thinking clearly. Look, I get what she’s gone through and I was on board with helping until I heard the plan. We can’t aid in the destruction of another realm. We owe Vira more than we do Xandra.”
Fuck. The reasoning in his words pissed me off. Vira did a lot for Riles. For us all. I ran my hands through my hair and heaved a sigh of frustration. Not good. “My pack’s here. Outside. I’m at Xan’s back tonight, no matter the play, because I vowed to. Your word is apparently shit, but mine stands. She’s trying to save us all, and I won’t let my mate fight alone.”
To hell with them all. Xan needed me. My real pack would help protect her.
***
Xandra
By the time I hit my floor of Badger Hall, I’d gotten over the minor meltdown and decided to let the blind trust bullshit have a full spin. Translation—I assumed Vira and t
he pack would be at Sanctuary. She’d open the portal. Plan A was in full swing.
I sneezed a few doors down from the room I shared with Vanessa. The moment I entered the room, it was as though I’d stepped into another world, one filled with too many women and small bottles of crap all over the place. Between achoos, I noted nervous looks moving between some of the females and Vanessa. The urgency in their gazes kept me silent while I closed the door.
“Oh. My. Gawd! You’re here.” Vanessa jumped up and down, a huge grin on her face. “Guess what! Macen and Lane both came over and told me my party is still on. I just knew they’d make me cancel with….” She swallowed. Huge tears rolled down her cheeks. “Shit, I’m the worst roomie ever!”
A crushing mass landed on me. Arms and legs squeezed me like a Vanessa pretzel. I took a step backward and scanned the people in my room for assistance. Sniffles erupted near my ear.
Please save me from what’s about to go down.
“I’m so sorry, Xandra. I can’t even imagine. I tried to get to you last night, but the warriors tucked us omegas away real tight. Not even the beta females were let out. Most of us cuddled downstairs in a makeshift slumber party, except with guys. We did hair and makeup—ours, not theirs.”
I sighed and squeezed her. Although I didn’t have time for a cuddle fest, I was too intrigued and shocked to escape. “It’s okay. I’m okay. We weren’t close.”
The lie hung in the air, thick and blackened by the overt glances among some of the women. I’d met none of them, which made my beasts bristle when I spotted Riles in the corner, pushing toward me.
“What are you doing here, Riles?”
“Oh. Well, I was having the whole sneezing problem over there anyway, so I figured I may as well be useful.” She sneezed a couple times. She really did sound like a kitten. Cute. “It’s starting to wear off since I’ve been over here a while.”
“Who are all these people?”
“Oh.” Vanessa’s eyes widened. “Well, I hadn’t exactly gotten to introductions with most of them, but I think they’re from Macen’s pack. Ours is en route, but they had more distance to cover.”
“You must be Xandra.” A tall brunette with hazel eyes and a big grin pulled me into a hug. “Glad to meet you, sis.”
Erm, say what?
“Oh. My. Gawd!” Vanessa waved her hand in front of her teary face. “I’m crying. This is so sweet. I wish Lane was here. We should call him. I mean, most of you are from his pack. He should be here to introduce you all.”
The stranger—my sister, apparently—winced. “Let’s let my big brother do whatever he does and keep this girl time.”
Brothers. Plural. Wait. “Lane’s pack is here? As in, his familial pack?”
“I’m Aubrey. Lane calls me the runt of Mama’s litter. I’d introduce everyone, but we really need to get these bottles prepped for the party.”
“Bottles.”
“Lane filled us in on what he could. I got the rest a few minutes ago.” Her brows furrowed. “You’ve got a hell of a lot more spunk in you than he told me.”
“Thinking he didn’t know,” one of the women said. Others laughed. “He’s got an interesting method for dealing with spunk.”
“Eww. He’s my brother.” Aubrey plugged her fingers in her ears and sat down.
What the ever-living hell had I walked into? My confusion must’ve been evident. Riles squeezed my hand and enveloped me in a hug. “We’re all here for you, sis. You aren’t alone. I can’t believe it. You were staying away to protect me? All this time.”
“I failed to protect you once. It won’t ever happen again.” I hugged her close and let the familial bond my actions severed years ago expand with the love she offered so freely.
I didn’t deserve it, but I suckled every morsel, inhaled her innocent scent. She’d be okay. The baby would be okay. I squeezed her shoulders and caught her gaze. “Promise me something.”
“Anything.”
“Tonight, you find the darkest, smallest corner and stay there. Use the angel shield I showed you earlier. Keep the wall up and don’t move, no matter what.”
She shook her head. “You fight. I fight. You’re my sister.”
I settled my hand on her belly and whispered in her ear. “The baby needs you more than I do, Riles. Do this for me. I’ll fight a thousand times harder if I know you’re both safe. Promise me.”
Her hand settled over mine, fingers burrowing between mine. Fresh tears sprang to her eyes, a huge smile on her face. “I’m scared.”
“Everything will work out. Protect our future. For me. For Father.”
Her spine stiffened. She nodded, determination in her gaze. “We’ll need you more than ever. My baby will need her strong auntie to train her in our warrior ways.”
No scenario I’d run made me an aunt, but I nodded and forced a smile. She darted a glance at Vanessa, who’d gotten distracted by some of the other women. “Van doesn’t know anything about tonight. Macen said keeping the truth from the omegas was best.”
A hard knock shook the door, which opened when I turned. Macen and Logan strode in, a couple of pack warriors I hadn’t met behind them in the hallway. “What’s going on?”
“Come on, Riles. We’re leaving.”
“But the bottles….”
“We’re out.”
“Excuse me?” Riles bristled and tugged from her mate’s grasp. “What do you mean ‘we’re out’? Since when?”
“Since I heard the full play. I’m not risking you. Let’s go.”
“No party, then?” Vanessa’s deflated voice added sadness to the jumbled cacophony of emotions in the room.
Aubrey settled herself between me and Logan, who’d blocked Macen from me.
“We have a problem?” he asked her.
“No, but apparently y’all lost your balls along with your brains. Maybe you’d best go run off and find them.”
Logan and Macen growled at the insult. A few of the other women stood behind me, their heat pressing into my personal space. Macen’s pack.
“You have no idea what she plans,” Logan challenged.
“I know all I need. She’s Lane’s mate. She’s pack now. What’s your excuse for skulking away?”
“Let’s go,” Macen growled. He grasped Riles’s arm and pulled gently.
“No!” She punched his stomach until he let her go. “She’s my sister. I’m staying here.”
“The hell you are.” He lifted her up over his shoulder. She thrashed and kicked. My beasts growled.
Vanessa’s eyes widened. A couple of Macen’s pack omegas shifted restlessly beside her, their fear evident.
Logan glanced at them. “Come on, ladies. We’re going where we belong. Let’s leave the fools to whatever game’s at play.”
The women shuffled to the door. Vanessa chewed her lower lip and darted a cautious gaze my direction. Tugging on her shirt, she paused at the door. Macen turned from the hallway, his body shaking with the fury of my sister’s pounding on him.
“I’m staying,” Vanessa whispered.
“No. You’re not.” Logan grabbed at her, but she backed up.
“Do you know she wouldn’t sleep?”
“Huh?” Macen asked, his impatience evident on his reddened face.
“Xandra. She won’t sleep if I’m in the room. I-I didn’t think anything of the quirk at first, and then I realized why. She’s similar to me, us all when we’re alone. Too afraid to sleep because there’d be no one to keep her safe.” Tears sprang from her eyes. “I-I remember being so scared when Ma and Pa died, before your dad found me. I was so tired but wouldn’t sleep because the monsters would return. Grab me.”
Riles squirmed from his loosened embrace and tumbled to the ground on a groan. Springing up, she vaulted to Vanessa’s side and hugged the omega close. “You’re safe now, Van. We’ve got you.”
“T-that’s my point. I-I followed him here because he always watched over me.” Vanessa looked at Macen, who’d moved closer.
His hand ran down her hair, and he leaned in to kiss her forehead. “Remember all the nights you’d sit outside my door with your sword drawn. Remember the promise you always made when I shut my eyes?”
Macen nodded.
“W-what was it?” Riles asked.
His jaw twitched a moment. He sighed. “I swear as long as I’m breathing I will slay any monster who dares go after you or any woman in my care.”
“Jesus,” Logan muttered.
“Message received, little one.” Macen kissed Vanessa’s forehead. He regarded the men behind him. “Let’s go chase down Lane and get business handled.”
Riles scampered into the room and shut the door. We all stood there in the silence a moment. I reconciled the events in my head, coming to roadblock after roadblock. What just happened?
Vanessa jumped up and down. “Let’s get ready! We have a party to go to.”
Aubrey laughed, the sound rich and full.
“What?” Vanessa asked innocently.
“You sweet little omega. You played your Alpha.”
Vanessa fiddled with a couple of bottles on her vanity and then raised her gaze in the mirror. “It was for a good cause. I may not be warrior strong, but I will protect my own however I can.”
She’d played Macen for me.
“I know the party isn’t about my birthday. Whatever tonight is, I’m in.” She smiled. “So, let’s party rock-star style and kick some ass.”
Chapter Ten
“And come he slow, or come he fast, it is but death who comes at last.”
—Sir Walter Scott, Marmion
Xandra
Nightfall crept upon us sooner than I’d anticipated. After a lot of arguing, I finally managed to shake myself free of wolves, little sisters, and pissed-off demon friends. Standing alone in the same vicinity Uncle Lucian found me last time left me on edge, as though I’d walked into a trap. For someone who’d spent her life doing things solo, I’d put a lot of trust in people lately.