by R. A. Boyd
What in the absolute hell? His daughter? The Ghost shifters were sterile until they found and claimed their mate, but fallen angels could bare children. The offspring of fallen angels were born with earth magic flowing through their veins.
“Who was your daughter?”
“She was a member of the coven that went to subdue Ronin that night in Ireland when you chose to forsake your duty. Samiyah got there before I did, and found her by the river. Dead by the hand of Ronin. Samiyah may have been a son of a bitch, but he loved Cara more than anything. He killed to have her. Killed to keep her.”
Bastian shot up from his seat when realization set in. “You let him bespell and control Paige? Your own fucking great-granddaughter?”
“We did what we had to do to build this,” Remus shouted, hand panning out to the building. “That girl stopped being anything to me the moment she aligned herself with your clan. I will kill her too if you don’t do as I say, Bastian. Cara would still be here were it not for Ronin. He killed too many of my people. Powerful witches who didn’t stand a chance in the face of the Creator’s beloved fallen angels. The fucking Ghost shifters.” He pointed to the bag on the table. “Pick it up. Dose that bitch with it, and bring her to me. Or you all die. That is your only option. Forty-eight hours or I tell them everything, and you still die.”
As if on autopilot, Bastian picked up the bag with the pill and walked from the warehouse. The doors swung open before he could touch it.
Bastian walked to his truck, opened the door, and got in. He made it to the interstate before he had to pull over, his saber-tooth threatening to tear through is skin. No. He couldn’t do this here.
Pulling the truck to the side of the road, he rolled down the windows and breathed in the fresh air. Bastian wrapped his arms around his middle and prayed to the Creator that he could hold on to his beast until he got back home. There wasn’t enough space to shift and run. All he could do was suck in gobs of air as he fought to keep the animal at bay.
He didn’t know what to do. He hadn’t meant for things to go this far. How could he tell the people he loved that he was the reason this was happening to them?
There was no way in hell he would ever turn Cass over to them, and Bastian knew that he was the one that needed to tell his family what he’d done all those years ago.
“I can’t do this,” he whispered, digging his nails into his arms. “This is my fault. I can’t fucking do this. Samael. I need help.”
Please, please, please, Samael, he thought as he rocked back and forth, banging his head into the steering wheel. Maybe if he hit his head hard enough, the amount of sense he once possessed would be knocked loose, and he could think straight. I fucked up, Samael. I need help.
“I saved your Nev from being taken by the Rogues when they attacked her car, and I was unjustly berated by her mother. What more do you want from me?”
Ahh. So it had been Samael whose voice Nev heard.
Bastian looked over to the passenger side seat to see his brother, the Angel of Death, sitting next to him. His lavender eyes looked just as hopeless as Bastian felt.
He shook his head and then shrugged. What did he want Samael to do? Damn-it, his insides hurt at the thought of betraying his family.
“Samael,” he breathed, trying to hold back the tears. “I never meant for any of this to happen. Never.”
Samael took in a deep breath and looked out the front window as cars drove by where they sat on the shoulder of the road. “Why did you ignore the Calling?”
“I was scared shitless,” he shot back, remembering the day he received the Devine Communication to go to the Valleys of the Earth to retrieve the Watcher Angel with Ronin. Bastian had been there once before and vowed never to go back.
Samael ignored his answer and spoke, his voice cheery and light as if the lives of his family weren’t on the line. “Did you know that empaths can be very powerful? They can push their will onto almost anyone. That is why the gift is so sparingly given. Only a person with a good heart and good intentions wields such a special gift. If misused, it can be taken from them. Your mate has it, and she uses it just as she should. To help people.”
Okay. That had nothing to do with the Rogues attacking his family. The joy in Samael's voice pissed Bastian off. He ground his teeth as a rumbling snarl started in the back of his throat. He stopped short with a raised eyebrow and grin from Samael. He was wrong for even thinking of taking it out on Samael. At least he’d come when Bastian called.
Bastian sucked in a breath and held it in his cheeks. He blew it out slowly and said, “Answer me this. If I would have gone with Ronin to get Zeke out of that prison, would he still have gone crazy and killed all those people?”
Samael’s lips worked as if he were about to say something, but instead, he closed his mouth and glanced toward the back of the car. “Are we at risk of getting hit by a vehicle? I don’t want anyone else to get hurt if they ram into us.”
“We’re fine,” Bastian replied. “I have my hazard lights on. Answer my question, please.”
Taking a deep breath, Samael pursed his lips and then shrugged. “All I know is this, brother. Everything that has happened was meant to happen. You cannot go back and change a single thing. It’s done. Worry not of it. Just know this. You and your clan can fix this. You can end this. All of it.” Samael glanced behind them as a car passed too close to where they sat parked. He gave Bastian a sideways smile. “I will tell you this. Using that pill on Cassiopeia will be the best thing you could ever do.”
Bastian turned fully to face his brother and ask if he’d lost his mind, but Samael was gone. And now, Bastian was faced with a terrible decision. When the Angel of Death told you to do something, the only way to go through a shit storm and come out clean on the other side was to so precisely what he said.
Chapter 11
“How am I not drunk off my butt right now?” Nev yelled over the loud music of the jukebox as she wiggled her hips and did the bump with Audra. “I’m tipsy, but not drunk. This is crazy!”
So far, she’d had four margaritas and five shots of tequila. This must be a new shifter power. Drink as much as you want and only feel as if she’d had two glasses of wine. It was awesome. Or evil. It could all come rushing back when she woke up the next morning. It was an experiment in the making!
Nev shimmied and two-stepped over to Emma and did the bump with her. Two-step, bump. Two-step, bump. She did it over and over until she’d danced with each one of her new sisters. She hadn’t believed when Audra ‘inducted’ her into the Sisterhood of the Ghost shifters, but after grocery shopping, an early dinner, and copious amounts of alcohol, Nev could feel the bond growing with each one of these women.
Charlie hopped up and down, dancing and singing to the music blasting through the speaker. “It’s drunk off your ass, Nevy, not drunk off your butt. Say it. Ass!” she sang, flipping her curly silver hair from her face. “You may not be drunk, but I am! Simon is gonna get so lucky when I get home.”
Audra moon-walked over to Nev and slung her arm around her shoulder. “First off, new sister. You don’t have to yell. See? You can hear me just fine, and I’m talking in my normal sexy as hell voice.”
“Sorry,” Nev yelled. She slapped her hand over her mouth and giggled. “Sorry,” she whispered.
Audra kissed her cheek. “Don’t you dare apologize to me. You’ll get used to it. Oh,” she cried, throwing her finger in the air as if she remembered something. “Secondly, it’s your shifter metabolism. That liquor is burning straight through your system. You’ll be fine.”
Nev looked around at the women who’d quickly become her friends. They’d only been around each other for a few hours, but they never made her feel like the odd one out. These ladies had embraced her. Even Cass made her feel welcomed. They’d talked for a few minutes that morning, but Nev felt an odd connection to her.
Cass stayed away from people because their thoughts and emotions overwhelmed her. When Nev was younger, she�
�d isolated herself so people wouldn’t think she was crazy. For a time in her youth, she couldn’t tell the difference between a spirit and a living person. She would carry out full conversations with ghosts in the mall or school, and everyone thought she was insane.
When she was eight, her mother finally found a medium for Nev to meet with who taught her how to see the dead for who they were. Spirits had a dim light that shined around them. It was unnoticeable at first glance, but if she really looked at them, she could see the glow of pure energy. That’s all a person’s spirit really was. Energy. The dead had lost the shell that quelled that light.
“I’m getting another drink. Anyone want something from the bar?” Nev asked as she moved closer to Riley. “Want me to get you another apple juice? Heavy on the ice, right?”
Riley’s round face lit up as she rubbed her hand over the small bump of her growing baby belly. “I’m good. I’ll be in the bathroom all night long as it is, but thanks for asking.” She did a hip thrust and pointed toward her mate Teague who sat in the corner watching her.
When Nev glanced over to ask Teague if he wanted anything, she was surprised to see Bastian sitting next to him. She narrowed her eyes playfully and shook her head.
“How long have you been here?” she called as she walked toward Bastian.
Good gravy, that man was all kinds of sexy. His eyes blazed an inhuman gold color as he watched her walk. His black V-neck tee-shirt showed the top of that perfectly cut line between his well-defined pecs. The black denims he wore fit his long legs, and the tall glass of dark beer in his hand made him look like the cool, handsome guy in one of those bad-boy movies from the sixties.
Her nether-bits did a double-take as his eyes drank her in, starting at her feet and working its way up to her eyes.
Someone must have used him to carve the statues of the beautiful Greek gods. He was old enough to have been there.
Nev stopped a few feet in front of him and let her lips curve up in a smile. “How long have you been here?”
Heat bloomed in the tops of her ears and set them on fire at the thought of Bastian watching her dance like a toddler during a sugar rush.
Bastian held his hand up to her, and when she took it, he pulled her close until she was settled between his splayed legs. “Long enough to get a beer and say hi to Teague. Don’t let me mess up your fun. I’ll be here when you finish.” He leaned in and kissed her forehead, nose, and then her lips. “I love the way you dance. Can I bump my pelvis to your pelvis later?”
The wicked grin on his face brought a wave of heat to her body. She didn’t want to wait until later. She was ready to go home and bump right now.
Bastian looked down at his crotch and then back up to Nev. “I don’t know what you’re thinking, but my cock is going to break through these pants to get another taste of you.”
Her eyes widened as she looked down and saw the hard bar of his length through his pants. Holy crap. It was thick and hard enough to show through jeans. Jeans!
“Um,” Teague sighed as he stood up. “Do you want me to drive a straw through my ears, or do you just want me to get the hell away from you two?”
Sorry, Nev mouthed as Bastian put his beer down and wrapped his arms around her waist. He pulled her close until he buried his face in the bend of her neck. His warm breath tickled her ear. She reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck, inhaling deeply as they rocked back and forth.
“I don’t remember the last time I had this much fun.” Nev put her lips next to his ear and bit the lobe. She gasped when his hard erection swept against her belly. “Can we go home after you finish your beer?”
“This beer can go straight to hell.” His lips plucked tiny kisses on the sensitive skin of her neck. “Let’s go,” he said, grabbing her hand and walking them toward the door.
Nev wanted to tell the ladies goodnight, but when she turned around, they were all making kissy faces at her and Bastian.
“Have fun,” Riley sang as she grabbed Teague’s butt.
****
Nev woke to the feel of Bastian taking her seatbelt off and lifting her from the truck. She tried to swing her legs down from the bed of the vehicle to walk, but his arm hitched under her legs as he motioned for her to slide from the seat.
“I’ve got you. Wrap your arms around my neck.”
She did as he asked. To be helpful, she closed the door before he had a chance to do it. Bastian carrying her around like she was the most precious thing in the world would never get old. It felt safe to be in his arms like this.
Bastian’s long strides were easy as he tried not to jumble her around as he walked up the steps and onto the porch. “Let’s get you to bed. You slept the whole way home.”
Her voice was sleep heavy when she spoke, and she had to clear her throat so she wouldn’t sound like a pirate. “I wanted to be well-rested for you. The only way you’re getting me into bed is if you’re sliding in with me.”
Wow. She’d never been bold when it came to asking for sex. The times she and Derrick had been together were always sweet and loving. They were friends and learned to please each other over the years.
Being with Bastian was vastly different, and so intoxicating. With only a word or a glance, he was able to send a rush of liquid heat to her panties, making her crave him even more than the air she breathed. He behaved as if she were the most beautiful, most desirable woman on the planet.
A soft growl sounded in his chest, sending erotic vibrations against her hardened nipples.
“You’re already wet for me, aren’t you?” he asked, eyes glowing bright enough to rival the moon shining high in the sky. “Fuck, you smell delicious.”
“Thanks?”
Bastian growled out a laugh that echoed through the empty street as he twisted the knob and opened the front door. Carrying her into the house, he said, “I do mean that as a compliment. You haven’t given me a chance to taste you yet, and that’s the first thing on my list.”
She quirked her lips to the side as he carried her up the stairs, leading to the second floor of the house. “You have a list?” Maybe she should start creating sexy lists of her own. Tons of ideas of what they could do swam through her mind when she was alone, but when Bastian touched her, every sensible thought escaped her.
“Yes, ma’am. First, I’m going to suck your forehead in.”
Nev pulled back so he could see the confusion in her eyes. “Yeah. I’m not sure I like the way that sounds. What does that mean?”
Bastian walked through the bedroom door and tossed her on the bed. Nev laughed harder than she had all night as she bounced up and down, but sighed when he grabbed her ankles and yanked her bottom to the edge of the bed.
“Well,” he said, holding up one of her feet and pulling off her shoe. “You seem to like when I touch your clit. So,”— he pulled off her other shoe and kissed her toes— “I’m going to wrap my lips around that needy little bud between your thighs and suck until you can’t see straight.” He ran his hands up her thighs, hooked his fingers into the waistband of her stretchy skinny jeans and panties, and pulled them over the round globe of her bottom. “And while you come so hard you can’t even open your eyes or take in a full breath, I’m going to fuck you with my tongue. And my fingers.” He held her gaze as his nails scratched along the skin of her legs, finally freeing her lower half of clothes.
Desire pulsed between her legs, and her empty channel clenched as if waiting for his tongue and fingers and cock. Heck, she could barely take in a full breath right now.
Nev took a shuddering breath and watched as he pulled his shirt over his torso, revealing toned abs and a beautifully cut Adonis Belt. “What are you going to do next?”
“You should probably take that shirt off if you want to keep it in one piece.” His words were level as he toed off his shoes. “I haven’t decided if I’m going to have you sit on my face or my dick. Which one do you want?”
For the love of cheese, Nev couldn’t process a singl
e coherent thought. Bastian’s words were enough to drive her over the edge. She could feel the need to release aching deep in her pussy.
Bastian’s hands moved toward the bottom of her shirt as if getting ready to rip it apart, but she reached down and pulled the thin fabric off before it lay on the floor in pieces. His hands splayed at her waist as he massaged them up her body. When he got to her bra, he unhooked the clasp in the front like a freaking professional, and her full aching breasts burst free. She let the black, lacy material slide down her arms as Bastian’s head came forward. His heated mouth wrapped around one nipple as his hand slid to the other, rubbing and tweaking until her bud was drawn up tight.
Nev arched forward to push her breast deeper into his mouth, and good God, he sucked so hard it sent an electric jolt of need straight to her core.
“Oh, yes. Do that again. Please,” she moaned.
He did it again, harder this time, and she speared her hands through his hair, holding him firmly against her chest. He chuckled, and the quivering undulations of his mouth almost brought her to orgasm.
Just as the coil in her abdomen began to unfurl, he backed away and stood up. “No,” he breathed, unsnapping the button on his jeans. “I want to feel you come for me. With my cock or my fingers.” The slow riiiip of his zipper slowly being lowered echoed through the room.
He wanted to tease? Nev could tease too. Or at least she would try to.
She’d never wanted to make a man come more than she did at that moment. She wanted her mate panting for her, begging for release.
His cock jutted out, throbbing with need. Nev sat forward on the bed and encircled her hands around the bulbous head of his cock. His pants still hovered around his knees, but Nev only thought the hindrance would make it better for him. He wouldn’t be able to pull away from her.
Nev licked her lips and wrapped them around the tip of him. A guttural growl rumbled in his chest as he thrust his hips shallowly toward her heated mouth. He was too big to fit fully into her mouth. She caressed his long, thick length and twisted her grip as she suctioned her jaws. His hand lightly grasped the back of her neck to keep her from going any further, but she relaxed her jaw and brought him in until he hit the back of her throat. Using one hand to jerk and twist at the base of his cock, she ran her nails down his taught, hard abs, and smiled inwardly as a shudder raced through his body. She still had a good handful of dick left and wondered at how he fit so perfectly inside her pussy.