Flames of Chaos

by Amelia Hutchins

  “Why didn’t anyone say anything?”

  “Duh, you weren’t handling it very well. You were shutting down, and telling you wouldn’t make it better. In fact, I’m not even sure why I am telling you now!” she cried, staring down at the vial of potion that had shattered when it hit the floor. “Damn, truth potion.” She sat back and looked up at me sadly. “You are my sister, and I don’t care if you’re…whatever you are. We all have some major issues, y’know? You’re just more like us now, not different.”

  “I love you, too. I know you guys are trying to protect me, but you can’t protect me from something that is literally inside of me.”

  “Yeah, I mentioned that to them. Not everyone agreed to hide it from you. When I turned into a teenager, my other half was already a part of me. Aine and Luna, they transformed at sixteen. You’re twenty-five and just now starting your transformation. The rest of us have lived our entire lives knowing what we would become. We’ve had time to adjust, to realize that changing was normal. You’ve never known, and you have no idea what to expect. It is a part of you, but it’s more.”

  “I thought I might have been a cat shifter.”

  “You made fire, so unless you’re like some mythical cat, I doubt it.”

  “Yeah, and fangs,” I groaned.

  “I’m not so sure I’d qualify those as fangs. You have an entire row of razor-sharp teeth on the top, and I wasn’t getting close enough to give you an exam. I’m the fun one, not the crazy one. Ask Reign to do that, she’s the crazy one.”

  “Great. I’m a monster.”

  Chapter 40

  I entered the alpha mansion in a crimson red dress with slits that stopped just below my hips. It was vivid, exposing the curve of my hips and accentuating my cleavage by showing off the rounded tops of my breasts with a small V-line, without revealing too much. The entire back of the dress was decorated in thin, crisscrossed laces to keep it secured. My hair was up, exposing the curve of my throat, forcing me to add concealer to the light scar from Knox’s teeth adorning my shoulder, which still hadn’t healed enough to vanish. I’d forgone any other makeup, settling on just a touch of lipstick to match the dress, and mascara to make my eyes pop.

  “Well, ladies, shall we move?” Valeria clapped her hands together, smiling at the men who turned as we entered. “I’m getting laid, how about you?” she chuckled, staring down the stairs.

  My eyes searched the crowd, not entirely happy with the amount of attention we’d drawn with our entrance. Our names were called, and, one by one, someone came to escort us down the stairs to the ballroom floor. I started down the stairs slowly, since I was wearing higher heels than I was used to. They were a perfect match to the dress, tied around my calves into delicate bows, adding to the sex appeal.

  I reached the landing in the middle of the stairs and lifted my gaze, finding Lore studying me as he walked forward, extending his elbow to escort me down the stairs with a naughty grin on his full lips.

  “Red suits you, Aria. A primal color for a primal beauty, my lady,” he said, bowing at the waist before he rose, offering me his hand.

  “Thank you, Lore.” I smiled at his attempt at humor, or what I assumed was him jesting at my expense. Slipping my arm through his, he walked me to the bottom of the stairs, and then leaned closer, kissing my cheek.

  “Be careful tonight. Don’t wake the beast, little one,” he offered cryptically before starting through the crowd.

  I frowned, uncertain what to do with myself once I stood alone. I was already awkward enough, but alone I felt even more so. My sisters were already on the dancefloor, dancing. My gaze slowly slid through the crowd, finally finding and settling on the male I’d searched for. He watched me with his arm around a small, petite Asian woman’s waist. I rolled my eyes, starting toward the bar to grab a drink. I should have stayed home and played sick tonight.

  At the bar, I leaned over and smiled at the bartender, who whistled beneath his breath as he approached me. “Scotch, neat.” I turned around with my elbows leaning back against the bar, watching the people decked out in their finery.

  It was insane how many immortals had come to the gathering, but then, like us, most had been ordered to attend. The crowd was filled with happy couples dancing to the slow beats of Motown jazz that soothed my soul and made me wish I had someone with which to dance. Not that I felt left out, but sometimes I did wish I had one person who would hold me and dance with me like I meant something to them.

  The bartender returned with my drink. Accepting it politely, I brought it close to my nose, staring over the rim as I watched Knox lean against his date, whispering into her ear, which caused her to throw her head back and laugh like an idiot.

  “Dick,” I muttered before taking a sip and dismissing him.

  “Aria Hecate, is that you, trouble?”

  I turned to the voice, narrowing my eyes on the man with dark hair bound behind his head. A pair of striking alpha blue eyes studied me, never dipping below my face, which was refreshing. I sucked my lip between my teeth and tilted my head, trying to remember who he was, and then smiled wide as it hit me.

  “Dimitri?” I asked cautiously, watching as his lips curved into a smile. “Oh my word, it is you!” I stood, hugging him as he let his hands settle on my hips, inhaling my scent before I pulled away. “Look at you, you grew up from that puny little kid into…oh, wow, you’re buff.” My hand tested his arms, smiling wider as he chuckled at my response.

  “I was a child the last time I saw you, Aria. So were you, for that matter, but that is far from the case now.” He settled in the seat beside me as I went back to crowd-gazing with an idiotic smile on my face as he watched me.

  “You’ve been here this entire time and didn’t say hello?” I asked, pretending to pout as he shook his head.

  “No, I just got back not too long ago, a couple of months now, maybe four. My father called the pack home. He didn’t give me much of an option on whether I had a choice in the matter.”

  “You’re away from home and still an alpha? I’m impressed.” I studied his face as he smirked broadly and took in the dancing couples. “If I remember correctly, you used to chase me, and you also pulled my hair once or twice on the monkey bars.”

  “You never saw me, Aria. You were oblivious to the boys who fawned over you and your pretty wide eyes at school. Poor bastards anyway,” he finished speaking and lifted his drink in the air. “To being stupid kids and thinking we ruled the playground.”

  “Oh, Dimitri, I did rule that playground. If I remember correctly, you followed right behind me with your wide, puppy eyes, and I did notice you. You annoyed the hell out of me.”

  “I may have annoyed you, but someone had to have your back. You didn’t care to make friends, nor did you care if anyone liked you. I liked you well enough,” he announced, noting I hadn’t looked away from him. “You’re much more beautiful than the awkward little girl you were back then. Not that I ever thought you were awkward, as much as I thought you were the most beautiful girl in the entire Nine Realms.”

  “I was an awkward kid. You had a crush on me back then?”

  “No, you weren’t that awkward, I was fucking awkward. Do you remember my feet? And Aria, the entire male population of that school thought you were cute, but for me, you hung the fucking stars and created the moon.”

  “I do remember your feet. I swore one day you’d become a giant, and your dad would be so angry at your mother for sleeping with one.” I ignored the last part of his words as a pink hue tinged my cheeks.

  He choked on his drink, looking at me as he grabbed a napkin, covering his mouth before he spoke. “You thought that?”

  “Well, Dimitri, did you see the size of your feet?” I asked, holding my hands out as I embellished the size.

  “You’re incorrigible, woman. You were always so vivacious until the accident. Then you just vanished, and I thought you died. No one would speak about it. I came to your house, you know? I came every day, and they
wouldn’t let me in to see you. I remember your mother cuffing me on the back of my head, telling me you weren’t good enough for me.”

  “I guess it changed me, my own mother trying to murder me. No one else spoke about it either, since no one else even cared that she had tried to kill her own daughter. I’m pretty sure after all that happened, no one wanted to speak about the incident—or me. It was easier to hide from the pitying stares or the whispers of the people in this town.”

  I turned away from Dimitri’s stare to find Knox watching me from across the room. Sadness wrapped around my heart, clenching it tightly as my mother’s hate-filled eyes entered my mind before I shook it off. That was one of the memories that still haunted me, knowing that everyone had been aware of what she’d done to me, yet not one single person had tried to protect me as a child. It had left me colder than I’d been, reserved about who I allowed into my life from that point forward.

  “I’m sorry if I brought up old wounds.”

  “It happened a long time ago, wolf. I’m not that scared little girl anymore, nor do I give a shit what others think of me. Life is a bitch, and you can let it destroy you, or you can face it head-on and show that it doesn’t define who you choose to become in life.”

  “You were twelve years old, Aria. You were a fucking child, who should have been protected, but everyone ignored what was happening, and that bothered me the most.”

  “I remember it very clearly.” I tore my eyes from Knox to studying Dimitri.

  Dimitri hailed from Wintermane, one of the larger realms of our homeland. His hair was the darkest black I’d ever seen that caught and held the light as if it was absorbing it. He wore a midnight-colored tux that hugged his muscular form seductively. Beneath the crisp white undershirt, I could see tattoos that he’d gotten since the last time I’d seen him peeking from his wrists and forearms. He was striking and definitely fit the alpha mode. He bespoke power, but unlike Knox’s, Dimitri’s was silent and lethal and didn’t explode into a room, announcing his presence. His electric-blue eyes studied me back, and I frowned, finding him lacking compared to Knox, which pissed me off.

  “Your parents must be proud of you. Few dare to set out into the States to find a pack and become their alpha.”

  “I’m a second-born son, and with the covenant in place, I have more room to move out there. They sent my brother back to be molded into a king for our tribe. As much as I wanted to sit around and do nothing, I wanted to get out and take control of my future more.”

  “Makes sense, those of us with several siblings understand that all too well.” I nodded, exhaling as I drank the rest of the scotch in my glass, catching the eye of the bartender for a refill.

  “Scotch, huh? A woman after my own heart,” he smiled tightly with a wink before turning to watch the crowd dancing to the fast-moving beat of the song.

  I followed his stare, watching the people who moved on the floor, and spotted my sisters all dancing together. My gaze turned, finding Lore speaking to Knox as Dimitri’s lips touched my ear.

  “You should be out there dancing. A pretty girl like you shouldn’t be sitting here drinking with some asshole like me.” His words caused my lips to curve into a smile. Knox glared murderously at us, and I shivered as Dimitri’s lips touched the shell of my ear.

  “I’m waiting for you to ask me.” I brushed my lips against his cheek as he started to pull away, letting his hand settle against my side when he stood.

  “You’re trying to get me killed, aren’t you?”

  “Why would you think that?” I asked as my nose scrunched up.

  “You have every alpha in this room watching to see if you make a move on one of them, and deciding if you could be easily subdued. You are something strong; even I can smell it on your flesh. You are the talk of the town. Apparently, the male they sent to save us is smitten with you. His scent clings to you in warning, sweet girl. You’ve been with him, and he wants everyone to know it.”

  “Smitten? No. Knox is anything but smitten with me. It’s more like I made a mistake and let him have something he didn’t deserve. He’s an asshole, one who likes to puff his chest and pound it for any bitch in need to hear his masculine war cry. His? Absolutely not,” I snorted as I finished my drink, holding it up for the bartender to see that I needed another refill. “Knox is here to investigate Amara, but the investigation doesn’t appear to be going anywhere. I agree that she looks guilty, but she isn’t stupid.”

  “Unless she never intended to be here when it was discovered what she had done,” he pointed out.

  “Amara needs the coven to use magic. She isn’t like me at all. I pull from our homeland, she pulls from us. She is helpless without us, so why would she leave? A witch without magic becomes mortal, and she knows that. Every day she is without magic rushing through her veins, she becomes more mortal. Witches need magic to remain immortal. Our line is no different, we need it.”

  “What if her lover led her to believe that he could turn her into something else? What if he’s a wolf or something that can turn a witch into another creature? Vampires have accomplished it, as have wolves.”

  “Maybe, but she’s always hated the idea of changing into anything other than what we were born to be. So, not going to dance with me?” I changed the conversation, enjoying the heat from the alcohol that slid down my throat, warming my body deliciously. He shook his head, studying me.

  “Depends, do you accept his claim?”

  “No, I don’t. I am not ready to be claimed. Besides, Knox doesn’t even like me, so he doesn’t get to claim me.”

  “You never played fair, either. If I remember correctly, it was how you ruled the monkey bars.”

  “Hey, they were mine. No one else wanted to sit on them, they wanted to be like little monkeys and go across them. I used them to watch my sisters to make sure they weren’t being bullied.”

  “Let’s dance, pretty witch,” he chuckled, taking the drink from my hand and placing the glass on the bar before he held out his hand to me. “I can’t be held responsible for what happens on the dancefloor.”

  “And what would happen?” I placed my hand into his much larger one, watching him as he walked backward, pulling me onto the dance floor.

  “The possibilities are endless with the way you look tonight. I always knew you’d be pretty, but you exceeded my expectations.” He slipped his arms around my back as I wrapped mine around his neck, peering into his heady gaze.

  Lewis Capaldi’s Hold Me While You Wait was playing, the beat slow and yet methodical to sway to. His deep blue eyes watched me as I did the same to him. The feel of his hands on my back was pleasant, but I didn’t feel the electricity that sparked when Knox touched me. Still, it was nice, and he moved us slowly, letting his fingers skim over my back.

  “You’re pretty hot, too, Dimitri, but I think you’re aware that you are.”

  His mouth lowered without warning, brushing against mine softly. His kiss was searching, asking permission. I opened to it, letting him delve deeper, and he growled against my lips, bringing his hand up to the back of my neck to hold me there as the room continued moving around us. His kiss was sensual, sending a wave of heat washing through me. He didn’t end it right away, but when he did, his nose continued to touch mine. He exhaled, staring into my gaze as his hands slowly slid down my spine to the arch of my ass.

  “I shouldn’t kiss you like that,” he whispered, staring into my eyes as he pulled back.

  I stared up at him, unable to get words to leave my tongue as heat pooled in my apex from the seductive kiss. Dimitri’s kiss had been gentle, something I hadn’t ever felt before. Knox kissed like he was going to war against your senses. Dimitri asked permission, and then slowly took control. I sucked my bottom lip between my teeth as he turned me around on the dance floor. I found Knox with his mouth against his date’s ear, whispering into it as he watched me. His date turned her mouth, brushing her lips against his as a sensual smile lifted his generous mouth, igniting a
fire in his eyes.

  “Will you excuse me for a moment?” Dimitri asked as he frowned. I nodded, stepping back from him so he could pass by me, watching him as he moved toward Fallon, who stared at me across the room with an angry glare.

  I watched him moving away from us through the crowd and lowered my lashes, watching Knox through them. His fingers skimmed over the hip of the woman beside him, touching her as if she was familiar and not a last-minute date. I mentally gave myself a shake and turned to go back to my drink.

  Lore leaned against the bar the moment I stopped to pick up my glass. He didn’t speak, just stood there watching the people dance. Bringing the drink to my lips, I watched as Knox walked past where I stood. Smiling, he settled beside me with his date, which stood in front of him, leaning back against him as her hands slipped around his muscular thighs.

  Downing my drink, I turned around, brushing against his shoulder to get the bartender’s attention. It sent shocks racing through my system, and I swallowed hard. I could smell the scent he oozed, and it wrapped around me, enveloping me with need. From the corner of my eye, I could see his date rubbing her ass against him in a pathetic attempt to get his attention. His hands moved to hold her hips, assisting her as she ground against him, moaning loudly.

  Once my glass was refilled, I downed it in one drink and set it on the bar, heading out onto the dance floor where my sisters were dancing.

  “We need a better song,” I announced as they turned.

  “Yeah? You planning on actually dancing? Or do you intend to drink them out of scotch tonight?” Kinvara asked, smirking as she watched me narrowing my eyes on her pointedly.

  “I am planning to dance, make sure it is sexy and sensual. This slow shit is for the couples, and we don’t need it. Let’s liven it up, shall we?”

  “Pussy Liquor work for you?”

  “Fuck, yes. Let’s show them how witches do things.”