by Tigris Eden
“The cup is on an island, guarded by three brothers. They want Draven, Jesminda, and Jorunn to make the journey. The brothers want Jo in exchange for their help. Phineas also wants the twins to donate their blood. The twins have declined that request.”
D’s body stiffened. What did they want Jo for? Before he realized his own actions, he spoke.
“No, not happening.”
His common sense was apparently absent this morning. A fierce surge of protectiveness for the female flared in the center of his chest out of nowhere.
“Dietrich?”
“I said no, Xee. Fuck them fools. Have Royce read Phineas’s brain and jack him for information.”
Royce leaned forward on the table.
“Did that, man. She has to go, or she’ll die.”
That wasn’t what he wanted to hear. His jaw tightened in anger. Someone or something was jamming a knife underneath his ribcage and pressing it against his heart.
Why the fuck did it matter at all?
It doesn’t.
“Royce, can I ask why you don’t want to give up your vial of blood so she can make the journey?” Xee questioned. She placed both hands on the table and leaned forward.
“You can,” Royce smiled.
“Well?”
“Well–,” both Gabe and Draven spoke at the same time.
Royce had a smug look on his face as he eyed Xee.
“I said you could ask. Not that I’d answer.”
“This is bullshit!” Jesminda finally chimed in. “Are we really okay with ushering in the coming Apocalypse? We’re just going to sit here and argue about some fucking vials of blood?”
Draven’s woman was understandably under a lot of stress. Her unborn baby had been taken from her in a horrific way. She’d killed her oldest, living ancestor, and her childhood friend, Cyrian, who just happened to be a Broker Demon. Shit was not good in her life.
“Petal, calm down.”
Jes turned seething eyes on Draven. Those two were a pair and a bit touched in the head. The Red Sun had held them both captive. Jes’s capture was only a handful of hours, but Draven had spent weeks in their clutches. Dietrich worried she might be on a lifelong PMS trip. Dietrich gave her credit, though. She worked her issues out in the gym, and was talking to Anna.
Draven placed a hand on his mate’s shoulder. This was as good an opportunity as D was ever going to get, although, why he was siding with Jesminda wasn’t particularly clear.
“I agree with Jesminda.”
Xee turned in his direction, a blank look on her face.
“The fuck you mean you agree? If my brother says no, it’s no,” Ronin growled.
Dietrich turned his shade-covered stare on Ronin.
“I fucking agree with Jesminda. What? You don’t speak English?”
Ronin snarled, backing out of his chair. Dietrich didn’t give the Feral time to act. Prompt responses were something he knew well. Hesitation got you laid out on your ass, or worse, dead. His body was up and out of his chair in a heartbeat, and Ronin and he were throwing punches. Ronin connected to his shoulder, and he connected to the other man’s chin. They each staggered, recovered quickly, and were right back at it. Again, Dietrich took his shot; this time he connected with Ronin’s gut. The Feral doubled over but kicked out with his leg, taking Dietrich to the ground. Ronin really knew how to counterattack.
“You two seriously need to knock it off,” Xee huffed out. This wasn’t anything new. Since Dravaggio had left, they seemed to be falling all over the place with no real direction. Of course, Dietrich wasn’t trying to hear her shit. If Ronin wanted to go all badass, then he’d show him just how bad things could get. If he wanted to go rounds, they’d go rounds. It wasn’t like anyone would jump in to stop the fight. At least they’d better not.
“Ronin?” The pained whisper stopped both men from throwing their next punch as they turned to see Belinda. She was standing at the glass door, both her hands holding her protruding belly. Ronin pushed Dietrich out of the way to get to his female. Royce was already at her side.
“Deva? What is it?” Ronin asked, his voice going soft as he tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear.
“Baby?” Royce stood to her other side, grabbing her arm and leading her towards a chair.
“Where is Harper? Why are you limping?” Dietrich asked. Her mother’s consort should have been with her by now. He was the only one besides the birthing maidens that was equipped to help Belinda.
“Babies are coming,” she huffed out.
You could barely hear her voice, it was so small and pain-filled. Fuck, he really didn’t want to be a witness to this shit.
Months ago, Jesminda would have been the one comforting her best friend, but with the loss of her unborn child, she kept her distance. All the males in the room were frozen. No one knew what they were supposed to—or should—do. Belinda let out a pained sigh.
“Breathe, Deva. Breathe.” Ronin looked to Jesminda and Xee. They both looked back at him.
“Well, don’t look at me. I know squat when it comes to delivering babies,” Xee exclaimed, putting her hands up and shaking her head.
“Let’s get her to the infirmary. Royce, get Harper on the phone. Ronin, Dietrich, Draven, follow me. The rest of you figure out how to stall Phineas. These babies will be here before Harper will.” Jes walked out of the war room and headed towards the elevators. There were no doctors on staff that could assist with the birth, and it wouldn’t have mattered anyway. Birthing baby Phoenixes wasn’t a documented practice; only Harper and Belinda’s mother knew how to do that.
Royce pulled out his phone. “I’ve got Harper. Can you guys help get her to the elevator? Ronin lifted Belinda into his arms and walked at a clipped pace. Dietrich and Draven followed closely behind. Why he needed to be there, he didn’t know, but he wasn’t going to argue with Jesminda. She’d kick his ass if her attitude were anything to go by.
~ ~ ~
I can do this. I can be here for my friend. Jes tried to remind herself she wasn’t a selfish person. Or she tried not to be. Her son would have already been born. A small bundle of love created by her and Draven. She knew she should be happy for the twins and Belinda, but she just couldn’t be. Not now. Bitterness filled her heart and clouded her judgment. She’d done nothing wrong. She’d simply fallen in love with a Lycan, and for her trouble, she had lost her unborn child. She even wondered if and when the Elder Council would come for her daughter, Faith.
Jes made her way to the infirmary as she tried to lock down her emotions. Royce was the only one she couldn’t keep her secrets from, and she needed to have a clear head. She wanted to be supportive of Bells. Her friend had been with her through a lot of tough times, and if she couldn’t do this, then what kind of person did that make her? A selfish bitch. Ann told her it would take time to heal, and that the ill feelings she was harboring were normal. But it wasn’t a sickness that she felt; it was self-loathing and hatred towards others. Others that would do her wrong and try to break up what family she had left to cling to.
Faith had even suffered the ill effects of losing her sibling. She’d invented an imaginary friend named Caleb, who, according to Faith, caused her to act out and be extremely needy. Jes couldn’t fault her daughter for wanting to be near her parents, but to act as if she were an infant, well, it was taking a toll on both her and Draven.
Ronin walked in holding Bells in his arms. Jes could do this, had to do this.
Keep it together.
“Ronin, lay her down on the bed.”
Royce and the others followed closely behind.
“Dietrich, I need your help until Harper arrives.”
D looked her way and snarled. “Why the fuck for? They don’t care about Jorunn, why should I help Belinda?”
~ ~ ~
“I’ll kill you if anything happens to her,” Ronin whispered, holding on to a panting Belinda. The struggling mother—his ex-fiancée—looked to him with dread in her eyes.
>
“Dietrich…please. Something’s wrong, they’re not due for two more days.”
Shit. He knew from past births, Phoenixes’ always gave birth on time. There was no such thing as an early or later delivery. If the babies were trying to come early, it meant something was wrong.
It wasn’t like he wasn’t going to help her, but they didn’t know that. This was his one and only chance to get closer to Phineas. Closer to Yewa. You sure about that? It was the only reason there was. It wasn’t because he had feelings for Jo. He didn’t even know her, hadn’t tasted her or touched her. Why should he care if she lived or died? He didn’t. This was a means to an end that would benefit everyone. You hope it does. As long as he was reunited with his sister, he didn’t give a damn.
Dietrich looked at Belinda. She was sweating and her skin looked overly flushed. She was burning up, and from the looks of it, she was burning up from the inside.
“I’ll help her, if you agree to help Jo. She doesn’t deserve to die.”
Jesminda’s face softened and her eyes filled with tears, as did Belinda’s. What the hell was wrong with the females? Couldn’t they tell when a brother was sincere? He sure as shit wasn’t, but if it appealed to them, then it would make their men more agreeable, as well. A small part of him argued that he was being sincere. He shook his head. No, he wasn’t. He didn’t care for anyone, trusted no one but himself.
“Fine. I’ll give up a vial and so will Royce,” Ronin rushed out.
“Thank you, Dietrich,” Draven added, the approval evident in his voice. He pulled his mate into his arms as Dietrich prepared his soul for the journey into Belinda’s body. He took the chair next to her and took her sweaty hand in his.
“Okay, mama bird, squeeze my hand. I’m gonna take as much pain as I can.”
He looked to the twins, who were both staring down at Belinda as she tried to breathe through the pain.
“You two need to touch her. One of you hold her hand, the other one talk to the babies, put your hand on her belly. Let the babies know not to fight me.”
Royce took her hand, and Ronin pulled up a chair and put both hands on Belinda’s belly. The male didn’t talk but started to sing. It was low and soulful. Dietrich could appreciate a good sound when he heard it.
Taking a series of breaths, Dietrich let himself go. Entering another’s body was easy. Entering a woman’s body that was pregnant with twins was an experience better suited for a female Walker. Harper was on his way, and hopefully he’d arrive before the babies did. Had Andina and Yewa been here, they would have handled Belinda like pros.
Belinda’s body was overheated. The babies had Bena, Belinda’s Phoenix which was a permanent fixture on her body, in the form of a living tattoo, trying to protect mother and babies; only it had the opposite effect. He couldn’t see any of the others in the room, but he could still hear them. He wasn’t taking over Belinda’s body, just absorbing most of her pain. Hopefully, it would calm the babies. He couldn’t penetrate her womb, because there was a chance there’d be a reaction, but he could try and calm them with the help of their father’s voice. Working together with the twins, he could contain the situation and ease Belinda’s pain.
When a Phoenix went into labor, it was hit or miss. He wasn’t the expert, but he knew enough. Dietrich did a complete scan of her body. Her heart was strong, but it was working overtime. Dietrich saw to her heart first, slowing it to a normal rhythm before slowly making his way to the outside of her womb. He could tell the babies were calming. Something had made them uncomfortable, but he couldn’t see what it was unless he penetrated their protective barrier. Something he couldn’t do.
Chapter 6
“Khalid…Khalid!” Jorunn called her brother for what felt like the hundredth time. She was getting frustrated, and her fever had returned.
Damn. Damn. Damn.
She didn’t have any more VAB. She was out. Tapped dry.
“Khalid!” Jo tried calling out again, but there was no answer. Where the heck had her brother run off to? If she could just get to the phone, everything would be all right. The patrons in her coffee shop had dwindled down to one. She couldn’t go out front and close up; her hands had gone numb again. She couldn’t even open her office door.
“Mother trucker!”
Last time an episode had occurred, Jo was out for sixteen hours. When her brother had found her, she’d been covered in blue moss that glowed the same color as her markings. Only VAB was keeping her stable. Her vision started to blur. Jo placed her head on the desk and prayed someone would find her soon.
~ ~ ~
“Fathers, mother, and babies are all doing fine,” Harper assured as he walked out of the infirmary. His hands were still stained red with blood.
“Congrats.” This came from Sam. The wannabe poser of the Shadow Unit. The wolf really got on Dietrich’s motherfucking nerves. Kissing ass and sucking up to Draven as if he were second in command. That honor went to Gabe, not Sam. Pack politics and Unit business were two separate entities.
Dietrich was standing in the hall like everyone else, although why, he wasn’t sure. It served no purpose. They were no closer to his goal, and he needed to get in touch with Phineas. After Harper and Surelle had arrived with the birthing maids, Dietrich spoke with Gabriel and Xee. They had twenty-four hours to report back to the club owner, and they were, literally, at their last hour.
“Dietrich, I’m an aunt,” Aria declared, her red hair flowing like lava down her back.
“That you are, little mama.”
Belinda’s littler sister gifted him with a big cheesy grin and a girl giggle. He hadn’t seen her for some time because the Belinda’s people kept the children sequestered on the mountain, which was in an entirely different realm, hidden in the Fifth Ward. She was going to be a beauty when she grew up. He watched as she walked over and started talking to Faith.
Royce came out of the infirmary with a huge smile on his face and tears in his eyes. Chump. D was never having children, never going to give himself over completely to anyone ever again. No matter how good they seemed. He’d only helped Belinda to live so he could help himself. Fuck everyone and everything else.
“Royce. Royce, what are their names? Caleb wants to know,” Faith squealed.
D watched as Royce walked over to Faith, who sat in her father’s lap. Jesminda was nowhere in sight. He felt bad for Jes at times, but what had happened to her was a constant reminder of how fragile life—whether human or immortal—really was. The saying was: You can’t tempt Fate. Well, fuck the Fates, those bitches had a real hard on for serving up pain. He wasn’t going to let them weave him another version of what he knew would be betrayal and disappointment. He was going to focus on the now, do what needed to be done. If he ever had the chance to meet the bitches face-to-face, well, he’d unravel every fucking thread they’d ever sewed together where he and his sisters were concerned, and tell them hoes he wanted a fucking do over. The Fates were truly a batch of bitches.
“My daughter’s name is Ece, and Ronin’s son’s name is Erastus.” Faith smiled and turned to the left. He knew what was to her left, but the others had no clue, and until it was time for that to be revealed, it would stay hidden.
“Hear that, Caleb? The twins are called Ece and Erastus.” Faith clapped her hands, and Aria smiled.
“What do the names mean?” Faith asked curiously.
Ronin walked out of the infirmary. He stood taller, was more alert. With a clear voice, he spoke to both the girls.
“Ece means ‘the queen,’ and Erastus means ‘beloved.’ Our Deva and the twins are resting. I was told by Surelle it is customary for mother and children to be undisturbed for a period of six weeks. This allows for ample bonding.”
Ronin turned and made his way back inside.
“That’s my cue, little Faith. Aria, your mother wants you to assist Harper and the birthing maids with cleanup.”
Ronin was right. The Matria needed the six weeks to recover, as did the
babies. He’d been the only one, outside of the twins and the birthing maids, to see Ece and Erastus. The birth had not been easy on Belinda. But once everything was over, she’d come out on top.
Ece was a combination of Royce and Belinda. She had violet eyes, but when she wailed, they turned a striking amber color. She was the reason Belinda’s temperature had risen. She was born with her bird, but was absent her immortal feather. Something Dietrich knew would be a topic of conversation later. He knew they were immortal, but because the feather was absent, there would be talk and speculation.
Erastus had one silver eye and one violet eye. He’d been born a wolf-like creature with wings, almost like a Griffon but not quite. He was hairless, but had fangs and claws, and his first breath had not been to wail, but to howl. He was in his parents purest form. Fiery wings, and claws that could rival any blade. His father’s ancestors were called Feral, not because they looked like animals, but because of their instinct. Logic wasn’t something that appealed to them, it was something they worked towards, until they were able to curb their animal pulses. The male baby also didn’t have an immortal feather. The twins and Belinda could have cared less. They were so in love with what they’d created, they ignored the looks and nervous energy they were receiving from those privy to the birth. Dietrich knew Surelle had been expecting the twin babies to be full Phoenix. But the babies were a mixture of all parents. In a way, they were like Solon, Belinda’s dead half-brother.
Dietrich didn’t see what the big deal was. It was two Ferals and a Phoenix getting it on, what the hell was everyone expecting?
“Royce.” D grabbed the male by the shoulder. “We need those vials, man. If not for Jorunn, then for the survival of the little ones.” Yup, he was totally playing the sympathy card. Hit them when they’re chock-full of girly emotions.
Royce eyed him. The Feral would have a hard time reading his thoughts period, but he made sure to block what wasn’t his business anyway. Was he selfish? Fuck yeah, he was. But his only purpose was to get free of his chains and get back the one person who meant something to him.