by Tigris Eden
Draven nodded.
“I don’t see Gregor?” Draven mentioned after looking around the table.
“He’s tending to Enri. Z has informed us that we had unexpected visitors in the night. They were given safe passage and are demanding an audience. Let them in.” Her uncle motioned to the closed doors of the hall. Jo looked to see who’d come and was shocked to see Adam and Dietrich’s sister, Yewa.
~ ~ ~
“What the fuck is my sister doing here, Adam?” Dietrich hollered across the table, standing. He was furious. Yewa flinched at his words, but he couldn’t worry about her feelings right then. He was going to hand Adam his throat.
Yewa rushed to him in an effort to stop his approach.
“Omari,” she whispered. “Please, be at peace, brother. I asked him to bring me here. I was worried.”
D looked down at his sister, who was still fragile-looking in his eyes. He could see the courage it had taken for her to come here. Some part of him was proud. Another part wanted to rip her a new one for not following his orders. Tentatively, she placed a hand on his arm to get his attention. He pulled her in for a hug; it was the only way to calm him down. He hadn’t truly appreciated the fact that his sister was now free and with him. Too much shit to get emotional. He kissed the top of her head to reassure her that he wasn’t going to get crazy.
“This isn’t over, Adam. You will answer to me after this is all said and done.”
Adam looked to him and then to his sister.
“Go fuck yourself, Walker, or better yet, fuck someone else. I’m not your bitch. Yewa is an adult. She felt she needed to be here, so I brought her.”
Adam looked to Draven and Jes.
“We ready to bounce? Gabe called last night, said you all were out of range.”
“Just need the blood, which we will get after Jorunn’s Chrysalis transformation.”
“Well, whatever the hell that means, we got stuff to do. The naming ceremony is in a few days, and Xee wanted me to relay the message.”
“We all know,” Jesminda said, snuggling up to her pup.
“Whose pup is that? Is it a present for Faith?” Adam asked curiously.
“No, It’s our son. We’ll explain later. Right now, we have other items to worry about.” Adam’s face was a mask of confusion, but he nodded his head.
Dietrich looked over at Ryn, who smiled up at him appreciatively. The girl was still trying her best to go after him, even after he’d shot her down. His new conscience wasn’t chiming in today, so he wasn’t listening to reason when he winked at her. Yeah, he’d just slept with Jo the night before, but now, he needed to go about cutting ties.
“You mind letting my sister sit next to me, sugar?”
“Not at all, but where shall I sit?” Ryn asked coyly.
He was going to do this anyway. Now was as good a time as any. He had to show Jorunn she was replaceable. Just like all the other girls. He had to make her see she meant nothing to him. It was now or never.
“I’ll sort you out, sweetheart.”
Ryn stood, and Yewa sat in her seat. Dietrich grabbed his chair then sat and pulled Ryn into his lap. The silence in the room was telling.
“You can eat from my plate.”
“You honor me, Primori,” Ryn said, smiling wide.
All eyes were on them. He wasn’t going to look at Jo, but he could feel her stare. He didn’t want to see her face, peer into her eyes, and have her reflect his betrayal back at him.
“Why is everyone so quiet? What? He can sleep with Jorunna, but I can’t sit in his lap?” Ryn grunted. Yup, she was definitely related to that douchebag Royce.
Normally, that wouldn’t bother D, but right then, he really wanted to drop Ryn on her ass just to shut her up. He didn’t. He had to make his point. Drive the dagger home so there was no misunderstanding. Jo would get over the notion that she loved him. He wasn’t the lovable type. He was, what he was. A man who pleasured his bed partners and took pleasure himself. Sappy, almost fallen Dietrich was gone. He’d been delusional the other night, he reasoned. It had to be because he hadn’t had ass in a handful of days. Her pussy had sexdazzled him. That was all. She didn’t have super snatch, and even if he thought the sex was beyond mind-boggling, he had to get on board with the Dietrich Omari Johnson show. He wasn’t a team player; he was a man who took what he wanted to get what he needed. Nothing more. He’d reached his end game. He had his sister.
He’d been very clear from the beginning, but had already broken many of his rules when it came to her. Did he want Jorunn?
Fuck yeah.
But it wasn’t meant to be. She would eventually grow tired of him, and despise him for taking so much of her time. She may even try to hurt him by hurting Yewa. Saving her from their ugly breakup by ending it now was the only way to go.
Jes sneered at him and Ryn, and Draven shook his head.
“I made no promises of forever or declarations of love to Jorunn. She knows who I am, what I am.”
“You’re a pig is what you are,” Jesminda sneered. Clearly disgusted.
Dietrich laughed.
“Oh, honey, I’m not the only one. Didn’t Draven here fuck Melissa after he fucked you?”
“That’s enough, Dietrich!” Draven roared.
“Why, ‘cause you say it’s enough? Last time I checked, you only got the boss’s job because the other guy walked off the scene. Not because I wanted you there, or any of the others. Did you even think to ask?”
The others at the table sat there and watched the back and forth that had begun at the table. Once the words were out, it was like a train wreck. Hostility rose in Dietrich for them trying to make him the center of attention, when all he wanted to do was get away from the one woman he could see he was breaking. Yewa placed her hand on his and shook her head. She all but begged with her eyes for him to stop talking.
“Omari, you are wrong in your actions.”
“Yewa, things have changed. I’ve changed.”
“Not for the better,” she whispered.
He still hadn’t worked up the nerve to look across the room at Jorunn. He wasn’t going to either. But he knew the moment she’d had enough humiliation. She stood.
“I’m sorry, Uncle. I’m feeling a little out of sorts. Everyone, please don’t speak to Dietrich like that on account of me. Dietrich, there was no need to try and shame me further. You’re right. You made no promises to me. You were clear from the beginning. You told me not to walk down this road with you, but I chose to anyway.” She tried to laugh, but it came out more like a strangled choke. “I’m a big girl. You owe me nothing.” She looked around the room. “I’m sorry that your meals had to be ruined. If you’ll excuse me, I’d like to prepare for the rest of today.”
“Of course, my dear,” Ulstair said calmly.
Her voice was strangled and rough with unshed tears. He could hear it all, but refused to look at her face. He heard her chair being pushed back under the table. Heard her clear her voice. The desperation. He didn’t like the way it made him feel.
“Dietrich,” Jorunn called again. This was it, that defining moment. Jorunn wasn’t confrontational. He’d seen that, but she wasn’t a pushover either. “Just so that I’m clear, and there are no misunderstandings on my part...”
Why did she have to keep talking? Everyone could hear the longing in her voice.
“Now that you’re done with me and my cousin is best suited to be your next conquest, can you at least show me a modicum of respect by not lavishing your charm while I’m in the room. She’s beautiful, I get it. A knockout. But most men, real men, at least have the decency to wait until after the other woman is no longer around.”
Nail in the coffin, D. Nail in the fucking coffin.
“I can try,” was his harsh response before he kissed the back of Ryn’s neck. He’d made sure to remove his shades so that he could level Jo with his gaze. Jorunn cleared her throat as they locked eyes. He saw it all then. The pain, his betrayal, her hope
crushed. He’d done that. Taken the beautiful light out of her amazing eyes. Fucking dipshit. There it was. The new conscience making a comeback. Don’t call it a comeback. I’ve been here the entire time, hoping you’d man up.
“Right.” Jo’s voice shook with her words as she left. Two large men dressed in only pants flanked her. Dietrich wrapped an arm around Ryn, lifting her before rounding the table to stop Jo from leaving. He didn’t say she could leave with males. They’d shown her in, but he’d thought they were like footmen or something. They weren’t following her back to her room. A primal surge of protectiveness clouded his brain. Fuck, no. He was the only one allowed in her room.
“Who are these men?”
Jo stopped, her dress swishing around her feet. Her spine straightened and she lifted her head to speak. But before she could, asshole #1 spoke for her.
“I am Bren of House Ranse. This is my brother, Stegis. We are Lady Jorunna’s escorts.”
“Fuck that. I promised her father I’d watch over her.”
“You promised my father you’d get me here safely, and you did. Job over. Mission complete. I would think you’d be more than okay with that. You did your job, even put in overtime well into this morning. Job well done, Dietrich.” She sneered.
“Peaches, that mouth of yours is going to get your body in a lot of trouble.
She smirked, “Doubtful. I don’t want to play this game with you. The one where you say one thing and do another. If you only wanted me for one night, then you should have done a better job of fucking me.”
His entire body flinched, and he had to take a step back at her words. Her voice was getting louder as she spoke.
“You don’t make love to a woman and leave her the next morning. Stealing out before she opens her eyes. It’s a bitch move, and was a complete and total contradiction of your actions the night before!”
Dietrich stepped up and reached for her arm. Jo stepped back and away.
“No! You made it perfectly clear where you and I stand. I all but confessed my love for you last night. I may be obtuse when it comes to things of the heart. But I’m not stupid. You’re a coward, Omari! A fucking coward if you’re really going to leave things the way they are. A spineless twig of a person, pretending to be a man.” She spat the last words in his face before storming out.
Seriously. Did she really see things going any other way? Their relationship was destined for failure. Since when did he even do relationships?
Chapter 22
Jorunn sat in her room and waited for her escorts to return. Una had given her a rundown of what to expect. She was being taken to a sort of sleep chamber. She wasn’t the only Fionan who was half human. Apparently, this sort of thing happened a lot. Once she entered her Chrysalis, she’d go into a deep sort of hibernation that would last eight hours. Once she was awakened, she would emerge her true immortal self. She’d no longer be susceptible to human germs and disease. Her skin wouldn’t dry out, and her hair wouldn’t become brittle due to lack of healthy cells. A Fionan needed constant moisture. They could go long periods of time without it and those that travelled topside usually lived near a body of water, but if a Fionan were half human, dry skin or lack of moisture could lead to death if they hadn’t gone through their transformation.
She was more than anxious to get started. She’d be wrapped in a cocoon-like environment, and the fluid from the cocoon would start her transformation. She didn’t know if she would ultimately have wings or even horns. Every hybrid was different.
“Lady Jo, your escorts are here.”
Jorunn stood in nothing but a robe. That was the other thing. She’d be completely naked. Una floated through the glass as Jo approached the door. Just as she reached it, an arm snaked around her waist, pulling her into a hard chest.
“Baby girl,” came the lilting voice of her father.
“Dad? How did you get here?”
His arm tightened around her waist. Phineas placed his head atop hers as he rocked her back and forth.
“I tracked you with my blood. I must admit, I never thought it would work, but I’m sure glad it did. This place is something to see.”
If he’d wanted to come so badly, why didn’t he just make the trip with her?
“Why are you here?”
She didn’t think her father would come all this way for nothing. He barely left the club, and when he did, it was for something important. Maybe he’d found out from Gregor about her transformation and wanted to be a part of the ceremony.
“Oh, I’m here for a lot of reasons.”
Jorunn turned in her father’s arms, peering up at him in confusion. What reasons? There was only one, right? Thoroughly confused, she stared at him and noticed that his face was gaunt. His posture was rigid, and the corners of his mouth were ashen.
“You don’t look so good. Maybe you should lie down. I’ll call Una or my escorts.”
“No!” He hissed, grabbing her tightly. “You’ll do exactly as I say, when I say. You hear me?”
Phineas was trying to control her. Make her submit to his request. He’d done that a lot when she was younger, but it had always been a way to keep her from freaking out, from breaking down when put in awkward situations. She’d had no problem submitting to him in the past, but there was something really wrong with him now. He was acting crazed.
“Tell me why you’re here, father,” she used her voice to compel him. She’d never tried it on him before, but hoped it would work. His eyes glazed over a moment before he shook his head.
“That doesn’t work on me, love. I’m a first generation Demon. It wounds me that you would even try.” His free hand reared back, and she knew what was coming, braced for it, and prayed her father was just trying to scare her. The sting of the blow came swift and hard as it landed across her cheekbone, his nail catching her in the lip, splitting it wide open. Blinking back tears, Jo momentarily saw black and white spots. She would have fell if he’d not been holding her.
“Quiet! I’ve had enough of your questions.”
This wasn’t her father. This wasn’t the man who had found her and Khalid eating trash. This wasn’t the man that had taken care of her, seen to her health and her overall survival. This was someone else. A monster that had been buried deep and lying in wait for the perfect opportunity to strike.
When he released her, Jo fell to the ground. Why was he doing this? What was the motive, and where was Una? Or Stegis and Bren? Phineas began pacing back and forth. When he stood in front of her again, he crouched to her level, eyeing her like a scientist would their lab experiment.
“I was in love once, with a woman so pure and beautiful it hurt to look upon her face most days. Even though Lilith forbade me to see her, I made concessions. I saw to it that no one laid one finger on her delicate head. I wasn’t some love-struck Elemental either. I knew what it was to love. I knew what it was to be loved, but your uncle... Your uncle took that all away. Said Elementals and Fionans of Royal lineage were unable to blend the bloodlines.”
He took a deep breath as if to calm himself and then continued talking. “Fionans came to Earth all the time. Causing havoc, wrecking lives. Why do you think people talk in hush tones about Faeries, huh? Sure, the name was mixed up and changed over time, but a Fionan is a Faery. Dark Faeries. There aren’t many Light Faeries left, thanks to your uncle. House Lial, Tanna, Elore, and some of the others have all been exiled from Fion. Most have died out or adapted by mixing with other immortals. All because of Ulstair’s greed. Your uncle offered me a chance at happiness. Said all I had to do was get rid of a small problem.”
Her father started mumbling then. His eyes went unfocused as he talked about getting rid of her uncle’s problem. She didn’t understand a word he was saying. Her door slid open, and Stegis and Bren stood on the other side.
“Lady Jo!” Bren yelled, lunging for her, but Phineas was quicker. He pulled Jo from her spot on the floor and held her off the ground by her neck. The restricted airflow was starting to
burn. She was still weak by all accounts. Human.
“Where is Ulstair? Take me to him now, or I’ll snap her neck.”
~ ~ ~
Dietrich stood with his sister in front of the sleep chamber. Jesminda, Draven, and their pup sat next to them. The little furball had taken a liking to him and his sister. He kept crawling over his mother to flop down on him or Yewa with a huff. Then he would lie there for a few moments, lick their hand or their face, and crawl back over to his mother, until finally, he was out.
“Draven, is this normal?” Jes asked, giggling as their son slept in her arms.
“This is new to me, Petal. Our babies are born human and don’t mesh with their wolf until age five. Our son is obviously different.”
Jes turned worried eyes on Draven.
“You think we’ll have to wait until he’s five before we get to really see him?”
Draven pulled her in for a hug, kissing her forehead.
“Either way, he’s home.”
“True. I still think I’m dreaming.”
“Me, too.”
Yewa smiled at them.
“I think your son is beautiful. He looks like both of you, just with a lot more hair.”
Draven laughed, and Jesminda’s eyes brightened. Leave it to his sister to put a smile on other’s faces. NuNu, Jacobi, and Adam sat in the back row. There were a lot of people that came to witness Jorunn’s transformation. Were they all going to sit here for eight hours? Her uncle and aunt and cousins were in front of an altar. A statue of a man and woman was suspended in the air, as tiny lights floated around them. Gregor and his brothers were all in their robes at the front along with Z. The High Priest was in some sort of a mezzanine box, looking down at the crowd. As if he were too good to be a part of the ceremony. The Brothers Grimm and Z were chanting in a foreign language. It was a bit distracting, but at least they were in tune. The door behind them banged open and dipshit one and two came barreling through, along with Jorunn and her father, Phineas.
Something wasn’t right. Jorunn’s face was tear streaked, and her lip was split open. Phineas looked more than pissed. He looked crazed.