by Jessica Snow
Magnus!
There was no reply, but suddenly, in her mind’s eye, she saw a hazy image form. It jerked around. Magnus’s head was whipping back and forth as he tried to both give Kristina a view of her fight as well as watch their asses.
Kristina . . . focus, Magnus said over the link. She’s right there. Now . . . with me . . .
Kristina wanted to argue, wanted to tell Magnus that she could hear her people coming and they only had seconds, but instead, she trusted her heart and let Magnus in as deeply as she could. She felt him in her mind as much as she was, their minds becoming one for an instant as she lowered her jaws again and caught Pauline’s head between her teeth.
The succubus howled in pain and fury, clawing at Kristina with her hands, but Kristina didn’t care, clamping down with jaws that could tear through steel if she wanted.
There was a moment of resistance. Pauline’s resistance to injury was huge even with the combined Lycan and Aklark essence, and Kristina clamped down harder, using the strength Magnus was giving her over the link to add even more pressure.
Pauline’s screams rose to a piercing wail that echoed through Kristina’s skull before, with a flash of light and a smell of brimstone and what Kristina could only call sex, Pauline’s head shattered in an explosion of blood and bone. Even though she tried not to, Kristina was so surprised that she swallowed some by pure instinct, the dark flesh rolling down her throat and into her stomach in an instant.
She gagged, trying to cough up Pauline’s remains, but she couldn’t. It was already working its way into her body, and she could feel the urge for sex and darkness whisper in her mind. She blinked, shaking her head as she staggered, looking up to see Magnus turning away from her, his growl piercing the night as four Aklark, all men, emerged from the trees, shaggy behemoths that dwarfed even the house behind her.
Magnus!
Get ready to run, Magnus said as he got to his back legs, his body rippling. I’ll hold them off.
Stop! she said, and she was surprised when, instead of Magnus stopping . . . the four Aklark stopped.
Perplexed, she got to her feet, walking over to the frozen Aklark, and realized they were all men. She knew them, and deep in her mind, in a part separate from her link with Magnus, she realized they were obeying her. What the fuck is this?
You’ve inherited Pauline’s powers, Magnus said wonderingly. How?
Her blood, Kristina said, sniffing the nearest Aklark. The man growled deeply in his shaggy chest, and Kristina blushed as she saw his cock emerge from its sheath between his legs. His growl was one of lust. They think I’m her.
Then send them home, Magnus said, dropping back down to his forepaws and looking them over. Do they even realize what’s going on?
I don’t think so, Kristina said. I think . . . I think their minds might be gone right now.
Then send them home. We’ll deal with this in the morning.
Kristina nodded, suddenly exhausted. She looked at the Aklark men and jerked her head toward Container Village. Go home. Change. Sleep.
The bears dropped to their four legs and turned as one, heading back toward their houses, and Kristina was suddenly exhausted. She shuddered, and without realizing it, she shifted back to her human form, dropping to the snowy ground nearly unconscious. She felt shaggy arms pick her up, but before she could do anything, darkness enveloped her and she passed out.
Chapter 18
“Well, when I said you could use my house, I didn’t think I’d find you in my bed like this.”
Magnus blinked, opening his eyes to find himself naked, Kristina in his arms, and a huge shape dominating the doorway of the bedroom. “Edward?”
“Yeah,” Edward said, his voice both amused and sad. “You okay?”
“Yeah,” Magnus said, sitting up. He realized he was naked, but more importantly, Kristina was, and he hurriedly covered her with the blanket. “What time is it?”
“About ten in the morning,” Edward said, watching as Magnus got out of bed and looked around for something to put on. “If you don’t mind cinching them in tight, I’ve got a pair of sweats you can pull on in the third drawer. I just talked with Kim. She’s at Kristina’s house, and she’ll bring you both some things.”
“Thanks,” Magnus said, finding the gray sweatpants and pulling them on. With a lot of rolling and tying, he was able to keep them on his hips at least. “When did you arrive?”
“Forty-five minutes ago,” Edward replied. “Akiko tried to call you back. She’d gotten some more information on Pauline, and when she couldn’t get through, Kim hacked your laptop. Well, not hacked, really—you’ve got a Lockwood laptop.”
“Of course,” Magnus replied. “How’d that help?”
“When we activated the webcam and saw a hole the size of a small car in the wall and a body in the back yard, we hauled ass,” Edward said. “We were met at Kristina’s house by her friend. She told us about the howls out by Ben Stormstout’s house. I found Pauline’s body, and none of the Aklark were willing to go near the house for some reason.”
“Kristina . . . when she killed Pauline, she swallowed some of her blood. She got some of Pauline’s abilities.”
Edward nodded, looking at the sleeping woman before following Magnus out of the bedroom. They sat in the kitchen, Magnus looking out the single window at Container Village. He could see people moving around, confused and pensive, some of them gathering by Edward’s truck before moving off. “They’re scared.”
“They know my father’s dead,” Edward said simply. “I’m still in shock about it myself. Magnus, I have to ask . . .”
“If I could have left him alive, I would have,” Magnus said, turning his eyes to look at Edward. “He was going to kill my mate.”
Edward nodded, getting up to root around in the cabinets before coming back with two large wrapped salami. “All I’ve got here. You must be starving.”
Magnus nodded, chewing on the salty, fatty preserved meat while Edward poured a glass of water. When he’d quelled the immediate need in his stomach, Magnus sat back, looking at Edward. “So what now? Pauline might be dead, but there’s a shitload of mess up here that needs cleaning up.”
Edward said nothing, draining his water and leaning against the counter. Finally, he spoke. “Both the Aklark and the Kenai are leaderless. The Kenai, especially, are going to need an Alpha very quickly.”
“Their leaders aren’t ready for it,” Magnus said vehemently. “I don’t know what Pauline did to them. All but one of them are supposedly mated, but knowing what I do, I can promise you she was tearing the clan apart from the inside.”
“That’s what Akiko was calling to warn you about,” Edward said. “There is a way, if she had assistance. Considering my father and Peter . . . she probably had all she needed.”
Magnus thought of telling Edward about his father’s confession at the moment of death, but he decided against it. Instead, he swallowed. “Edward, before your father died . . . he said he was sorry. And that he cared about you.”
Edward stopped, blinking as he fought back his tears, then nodded. “Thank you, Magnus. Later, I’ll mourn my father, and I’ll make sure his bones nourish a tree in the tradition of my people. But . . . Kim’s here, and we’ve got other work to do.”
“A succubus?” Tom Reilly, one of the Kenai, said unbelievingly, and Kristina wanted to shake her head. Even when confronted with the evidence, some were refusing to believe.
“Yes, a succubus,” Kimberly said, standing in the front of the school auditorium. It was a human place, but it was also the only place big enough to gather all the Kenai and Aklark in one place at one time. “Rare she might have been, but it was confirmed by Akiko Thornblood herself. Unless you want to argue the point with her?”
Tom sat down, casting a glance at Kristina, who felt self-conscious up on the stage next to Kim, Edward, and Magnus. She didn’t know where their children were. They hadn’t brought them, and part of Kristina wished the two adorable babies
were there. At least they’d absorb part of the attention.
Some of it was that, with a glance, she knew more about a lot of men in the room than she’d ever wanted. She knew exactly what aroused Tom, how Pauline had seduced him despite his mated status, and how much control she’d had over him. She knew the same about too many people in the room, and it turned her stomach.
“So what do we do now?” one of the Aklark asked fearfully. “Both of our peoples are leaderless.”
“Because you Aklark couldn’t keep your dicks in your pants!” a Kenai yelled, and there were growls of anger on both sides as accusations started to fly. Kristina was glad that Kimberly had insisted that there be a gap between the two groups. “You brought this on us!”
“Will you please shut the fuck up?” Magnus growled, his eyes flaring in anger. “Nobody brought anything on anyone. And frankly, tossing around stupid accusations like that is beneath anyone here, Lycan or Aklark!”
“What do you know about it, outsider?” one of the Kenai asked. “You’re acting very high and mighty for a secretary.”
“You—” Kimberly started, but she stopped when Magnus held up a hand, his eyes glaring back out at the Kenai.
“If any of you have the balls to meet me to determine just who is better, speak now or shut the fuck up for good,” he growled, staring down the Kenai. He didn’t know what had come over him. He was normally one to let insults slide. Maybe it was killing Ben Stormstout or maybe it was fighting a succubus and being part of the first couple to actually kill one. Maybe it was being mated, he didn’t know.
What he did know was that as he stood in front of the Kenai, his eyes glowing and his growl rumbling lightly in his chest, he felt more powerful than any Lycan alive at the moment.
A few of the Kenai shifted back and forth, but none made a single comment, and finally, all of them sat down, most of them staring at the floor. Magnus stared at them for another few seconds before stepping back and sitting down, leaning over to whisper to Kimberly, “Sorry about that.”
“No,” Kimberly whispered back. “Actually, it gave me an idea.”
Kimberly stood up, looking out at the crowd. “I make a motion. The Aklark and the Kenai face a similar problem. You both now lack leadership. What you need is a strong leader.”
“Great, and you want to take over a third clan?” one of the Kenai asked. “No offense, Lady Lockwood, but you’ve got enough on your plate.”
“Damn right I do,” Kimberly said, smirking. “Besides, I’m having too much fun being a mother, and I don’t want to drive home the reminder. This problem is keeping a mother Lycan away from her children.”
Everyone shifted as all eyes went to Kim and Edward, who glowered out at the group. “Well,” one of the Aklark said, “Edward, what about you? We all respect you.”
“No,” Edward said, shaking his head. “I love the Aklark. You are my people, my blood. But my duties as a mate and father mean I cannot be the leader of the Aklark. I have someone else in mind, however.”
“Who?” Melissa Running Deer asked. “Nobody in the Aklark is strong enough to pick up the pieces that Ben left behind.”
“Yes there is,” Edward said, turning to look at Kristina. “Only one member of the Aklark or the Kenai was strong enough to kill a succubus with her own teeth. Only one member was brave enough to try and reach out when she knew things were going wrong. Kristina Darksky, the Aklark need you. What do you say?”
Kristina blinked, stunned. Was Edward really offering her the position that should by all rights have been his? “Edward . . . but . . .”
“Do it,” Magnus said, reaching over and taking her hand. “We took out a succubus together. I’ll have your back.”
“Actually, you’ll be doing more than that,” Kim said, standing up. “I don’t know about the rest of you, but I think you’re the perfect choice to be the new Alpha Male of the Kenai.”
Magnus blinked, shocked. “Me?”
“Think about it,” Edward said, looking out at the Kenai. “One of the biggest frustrations that the Aklark have had about the Kenai is that you’re constantly bickering amongst yourselves. You’re one clan but controlled by a few families. And frankly, I don’t want to hear the horse trading and bickering as you try to decide it amongst yourselves.”
“We don’t . . .” someone on the Kenai side started before quieting down. “Fine. But he’s not Kenai at all.”
“Which is why Magnus is the best choice,” Kim added. “Magnus?”
Magnus blinked, then shrugged. “I need two things. First, if I take the job, that I have the support of all the Kenai.”
The Kenai talked amongst themselves before one by one, they stood up and bowed to Magnus. “We support you.”
Magnus nodded his thanks, then looked at the Kenai. “Then the second thing I need is . . . twelve hours.”
Chapter 19
“Twelve hours, huh?”
Kristina leaned against the door frame as she watched Magnus shrug off his jacket and go to hang it up by the door before remembering they weren’t at her empty, destroyed shell of a house, but in Edward Stormstout’s house in Container Village. It was compact, meant for a single person, but it worked for that night.
“Twelve hours,” Magnus confirmed. After his announcement resulted in a lot of confusion, he’d left the meeting with Kimberly after telling Kristina over their link that he’d talk with her later. She’d gone back to Edward’s house and waited, curious. There hadn’t been anything bad come over the link, so she was curious more than anything else. “Actually, about nine and a half now. I promised Kimberly that I’d have my answer tomorrow morning at eight o’clock.”
“And what’s holding you back?” she asked, curious. “Magnus, even before we linked, I knew that you wanted to become an Alpha. Now, you’ve been offered a clan of your own, and while it’s not the Lockwoods or the Thornbloods or any of the other clans you told me about since we met, the Kenai are good people who only lack a good leader.”
“It’s not the clan that’s stopping me,” Magnus said, turning around to toss the jacket over the big chair nearest the door. “It’s you.”
“Me?” Kristina asked, surprised. “Magnus, why would my opinion on your becoming a clan Alpha have anything to do with your decision?”
“Two reasons,” Magnus said, going over to Kristina and taking her hands. “First, because if I’m up here, the link we have . . . Kristina, it’s strong enough now. We’ve done enough linking, and well . . .”
“Mating?” Kristina asked with a twinkle in her eye, and Magnus laughed.
“Not quite, but yeah . . . anyway, Kristina, that link isn’t going to fade unless we spend a very long time a very long distance apart. Which sort of leads me to the second part.”
“Which is?” Kristina asked, biting her lip nervously. Magnus looked into her eyes, and suddenly, over their link, she felt it. A wave of pure, unadulterated desire, strength, devotion . . . but most of all, love. “Oh, Magnus.”
“I love you, Kristina. I couldn’t say it before now—you know why—but I need you by my side. If I’m going to be a clan Alpha, my clan needs an Alpha Female. I want that to be you.”
Kristina gulped and looked back. “If I’m going to lead the Aklark, I’m going to need a good husband by my side too.”
Magnus nodded, then chuckled. “So . . . will you be my First Mate, my only mate, for the rest of our lives?”
Kristina’s response was a wave of love over their link, and as she stepped forward, putting her arms around his neck and kissing him deeply, she felt complete. “Of course I will,” she said.
She knew that there’d be challenges in bringing their two peoples even closer together than they’d been before. She knew the Aklark were stubborn, as were the Kenai.
But she also knew that she had her mate, and that was all that mattered. “So what now?”
Magnus chuckled and lifted an eyebrow. “Well, two things. First, I saw that Edward has a hell of a bathtub in
here. I would like to use it. Second, we need to talk about the other consequence of our mating.”
“Which is?”
Magnus smirked again. “I can smell you, Kristina. You’re in your fertile cycle. If we mate anytime within the next three days . . .”
Kristina nodded, smiling. “Well, at least I won’t be the first hybrid mother. I’ll be able to call Kimberly Waldwyck for advice. Come on, let’s take care of the bath, and we’ll see what happens after that.”
They went into the bathroom, and Kristina had to admit, the bathtub was big, a Jacuzzi that probably would just fit Edward Stormstout. “Huh, never knew he had this in here.”
“You didn’t come in here before now?” Magnus asked. “Figured you’d hit the toilet as soon as you got here.”
“Never ask what bears do in the woods,” Kristina joked, making Magnus laugh. She went over, somehow not nervous at all as she turned on the hot water, watching it fill up. She saw something and took a sniff, grinning as she dropped a tablet into the water. “Now, my mate, you bathe first . . . and we’ll see what happens.”
Kristina had to hold her breath as Magnus undid his pants and slid them down his muscular thighs, his cock coming into view. She could admit now that even more than his Lycan status, she could never have let him go simply because of his body. Chiseled, strong, and hung, he excited her simply by his presence.
Magnus sat down on the edge of the tub before casually swinging his legs over and down into the water. He inhaled, sighing happily. “You put the bath oils in,” he noted, looking at the scented globs on the surface. A soft natural pine scent started to fill the air, and he rolled his neck. “You know you didn't need to.”
“But I wanted to,” Kristina replied, getting on her knees next to the tub. Taking the washcloth, she rubbed his upper body carefully, using just water at first to get him rinsed off before taking the soap in her hand and running the bar over his bare skin. She was so intent on washing him that she barely heard him when he moaned softly and his breath sped up. When he placed his hand over hers, she stopped, looking at his face. His eyes were dark, his mouth open with desire, and out of the corner of her eye, she realized that his cock was erect, over half of it sticking out of the water. “All of that for me?”