by L. A. Banks
He’d walked out with his head held high and with the carriage of a true king. The moment the door clicked shut behind him her shoulders dropped from relief.
Pacing across the room, she snatched off the bewitched robe, letting it fall wherever, threw back the duvet, and climbed into the bed in the buff. Just a few hours of shut-eye was all she asked for. But as her body sank into the softness and her head hit the pillows, Sasha let out a weary groan. Silk sheets slid against her as rose petals rained down on her from the sheers. The damned thing was no doubt bewitched for all-night lovemaking, and the longer her head rested on the pillows, the more erotic thoughts accosted her brain.
Sasha closed her eyes with a plea in her voice. “C’mon, Rodney, give me a break.”
CHAPTER 19
At dawn, Rupert knocked gently on her door and announced that breakfast would be served for all in the round table hall. She dragged herself out of bed, answering the valet with a croak, but anything was better than tossing and turning in the sheets for another hour.
As promised, the hamper produced her clothes—and given the sexy leather outfits deemed casual clothes in the closet, she gladly chose the old standbys. But the second she reached for her cell phone and checked it, she groaned. Fae cleaning magick had wiped out the freaking memory—all her phone numbers, all her pics, everything!
She made quick work of washing up and going through a boot-camp-fast morning routine. Armed guards awaited her as she exited, providing a welcomed security escort to the round table hall.
Hunter was already seated with Shogun, one man slumped over a steaming cup of coffee, the other over hot green tea. They both looked up at the same time, eyes weary and five o’clock shadow covering their jawlines. It seemed as though nobody had gotten anything but fitful sleep, from where she was standing. Sir Rodney didn’t look much better as he slowly stood for her, his actions encouraging the others to get to their feet. But the rest of the men looked refreshed and well rested. Oh, yeah, this male-lust spell was definitely getting worse by the night.
“Good morning,” Sasha said, feeling surly.
Rupert lifted a glass pitcher of freshly squeezed orange juice. “For the lady?” he said, seeming so nervous that the pitcher shook in his grip.
“Please,” she said, taking a seat. She lifted the silver dome that was covering her plate, and steak and eggs and hash browns were on it. She lowered her nose and took in a deep inhale, closing her eyes. “Mmmmm . . . Thank you.”
Food. Good food; fantastic food. She was beginning to feel better already—that is, until she opened her eyes and noticed that two alpha male wolves were staring down her throat. She set down the silver tray cover very carefully; there was so much tension in the air that she could practically see it arc as she lifted her knife and fork. The moment she took a bite of steak, Hunter licked his bottom lip. Shogun slowly closed his eyes and Sir Rodney picked up his mug of coffee with trembling hands. The other guys held their forks in midair, bodies tense, bracing for sudden battle.
“I have a theory,” she said quickly, slurping her juice. Her quick, jerky motions overlaid by nervous chatter seemed to temporarily snap the three male contenders out of their dazes.
“Coffee, milady?” Rupert said, rushing to her side, appearing to understand her strategy to keep distractions going.
“Yes, plenty, with—”
“Cream and sugar?” he sputtered, and then spun toward a far door. “Kitchen! Cream and sugar for the lady.” Rupert was so undone that he splashed coffee on the white linen cloth that covered his sleeve.
“Have you gone daft, man?” Sir Rodney asked in a low, warning tone, setting down his coffee slowly. “Is this how you present yourself before—”
“It’s ne, it’s ne,” Sasha said quickly. “He was just rushing to get it for me fast because I’m so not good in the morning without joe—bad habit since who knows when . . . But I haven’t had my coffee yet. Thank you, Rupert; sorry about your spill. So, it looks like we’re in for another bright and sunny day.” She was babbling and couldn’t seem to stop herself. The only option was to take a hurried sip of her coffee without any of the additions Rupert had called for, but that made her burn her tongue. “Oh, boy, that’s hot—but that’s a good thing.”
“You seem undone,” Hunter said slowly, his voice a sensual rumble. “Baby, how did you sleep?”
Oh, shit, he was going for the verbal possessive! She had to get these guys fed and out hunting so they could kill something or blow something up, fast.
“Good, good, was really very comfortable. I take it everybody slept well—we have a lot on the agenda today.”
Elves ran forward with cream and sugar, deposited the items beside her, and then dashed off, taking cover.
“No, we all didn’t,” Shogun said in an intense murmur, taking a long sip from his tea as his gaze connected with hers for a moment and held it. “But we do have much to accomplish today.”
Sasha took several mouthfuls of eggs and promptly began coughing. Three males stood quickly to rush over, but she held a napkin to her face with one hand while waving them off with the other.
“I’m okay—just was so hungry that I was wolfing down my food too fast.”
“Live game? Name it,” Hunter said with a low growl. “If this isn’t doing the job, I’ll bring it back still twitching.”
“She has to survive to eat it,” Shogun said, throwing back his chair and coming dangerously close to Sasha so that he could pat her on the back.
“I’m okay, I’m okay,” she said, coughing harder.
“Put your hand on her and you’ll lose the arm,” Hunter said, squaring off with Shogun.
Her men were on their feet; Shogun’s men were up and in battle stances. Bear Shadow and Crow Shadow were up and snarling. Fae guards whipped silver-tipped arrows from their quivers, lifted bows in a flash, and drew. Sir Rodney spun on his serving staff that was huddled by the door and flung his mug on the stone floor with a crash. “What were my demands? Everything was to be prepared to her approval!”
“Guys! Save it for the enemy!” Sasha shouted, finally catching her breath and holding out both hands.
Times like these made her want to pull her hair out by the roots, but at least war in the round table hall had been averted. All potential combatants stood in the long corridor outside the grand foyer, breathing hard but slowly regaining their composure.
“I’ll send you through the tapestries; there, you’ll meet the Wood Sprites, who can guide you to the plants you need to collect.”
Sir Rodney looked around the group. “They are shy, nervous creatures by nature. If you guys go alpha wolf on them, don’t expect ’em to help you. They love sugar,” he added, dropping several cubes into Sasha’s palm. “Put these in your hip pocket. Once they’ve shown you the rowan, they’ll guide you to the way out. From that point on, and as long as you’re carrying rowan or iron, we’ll have to stay at a distance. But your men will cover you, along with our aerial tree archers, to the edge of the bayou, where our Brownies ’ave borrowed a human vehicle.”
Sasha tossed Sir Rodney her cell phone. “All the numbers got accidentally wiped out—but when this rings, it means we’ve finished the job and are on phase two—blowing up Vampire lairs.”
He looked at the cell phone with appreciation. “I have to get used to using these things more than our missives. It still amazes me how, without magick, this little device can truly help the humans talk to each other over great distances. It’s just a shame they aren’t impervious to Vampire hijacking, but it’s not bad for a human development.”
She smiled. “It’s their attempt at magick, but not nearly as elegant as the Fae’s.”
Her words seemed to please him as he tucked the unit into his breast pocket. “But she won’t work in the castle.”
Sasha shook her head no. “You’ll have to post a guard just outside the glamour zone. Seems that human technology doesn’t work in any of the distorted dimensions. My cell always goe
s dead in the shadow lands, too.”
“I like the part about where we start blowing up lairs, Cap,” Fisher said, getting antsy.
“I like the plan,” Woods added, checking his weapon. “Sure wish I had more shells, though. Ammo got real low back at Buchanan’s.”
“That’s an easy request, man,” Sir Rodney said with a twinkle in his eyes.
Fisher nodded. “We’ll be on the other side of the walls, locked and loaded.”
“As will we,” Bear Shadow said, bumping his fist with Crow Shadow.
“You men are on train yard detail,” Shogun said, looking at Seung Kwon. “Once you collect enough iron, stay hidden and make your way back to the three positions.”
“That’s the primary thing—that each of you stays out of sight until one of us arrives with the rowan and other ingredients we gather. Then we must gain entry to the properties and find the dark altars.” Hunter’s gaze traveled around the assembled group. “We may only get one shot at this, so let’s get it right.”
“I’ve been calling up Sasha’s phone,” Bradley said, closing his in frustration. “I’ve left her countless voice mails, but I don’t know where she or the team is.”
“The last time we made contact,” Doc said calmly, “they were on their way in to the Fae fortress. Our gadgets don’t work in there.”
“When the time is right, we will be able to communicate our plan,” Silver Hawk said in a wise, peaceful tone. “Clarissa and I do not sense danger at present.”
“I really don’t,” Clarissa assured him.
Winters looked around the group with a shrug. “Dude, so let’s just chill and go get that iron gear you were talking about.”
It was the eeriest sensation, feeling her body sucked into a small pinpoint of light. One moment, Sir Rodney had a fistful of dust in his palm, blowing it in their direction, with them all standing in the hallway—the next moment, she became smaller and smaller until she could actually see each line of thread in the huge wall hanging so closely that it became impossible to see the entire pasture scene. Everything became larger-than-life and blurry, distorted by the extreme shift in size. Then, as though a cyclone had swept her up screaming, she felt lighter than a dust particle, whirling in between the fabric threads to land on her butt on a green, green hillside.
Hunter and Shogun were dazed and sprawled out beside her.
“Remind me never to jack with the Fae,” she said in an awed murmur.
Even though they’d never admit it, she could tell the guys beside her were a little more than shaken. There was newfound respect for Sir Rodney’s capabilities.
Hunter jumped to his feet in a move that Shogun matched. Both male wolves scanned the terrain cautiously, canines beginning to crest.
“If I were a Wood Sprite,” Sasha said, pushing herself off the ground. “I wouldn’t show myself to you guys, either.” She walked off from them a bit, growing weary of the display of testosterone, and called out gently. “We’re here as friends, not foes, on behalf of Sir Rodney Clerk of Penicuik . . . you know, the guy who runs Forte Shannon of Inverness, current king of Seelie Court and Clerk Castle?”
Sasha’s shoulders sagged as they waited, and then she finally sat down hard on the grass—using hand motions to get Shogun and Hunter to also sit down. To a small Wood Sprite, king’s orders or not, she imagined it might take a bit of courage to lead several scary wolves deeper into the forest. That had to be the antithesis of all things they were taught according to the Faerie tales.
“Friend, not foe,” Hunter shouted, losing patience.
Sasha cocked her head to the side and placed a hand on her hip. “That tone had foe all in it. Wanna try again—this time losing the growl?”
“It was a long night,” Hunter said, staring at her.
“Friend,” Shogun said in a low, sensual rumble, the edges of his eyes beginning to blaze wolf. “definitely not foe.”
Hunter turned and tilted his head. But before things got ugly, a small face peered out of the bushes right next to Shogun, giving Hunter a start. It took a moment before Shogun realized what had made Hunter back off. All Sasha could do was laugh.
“Well, hello,” she said in a chipper voice, trying without much success to swallow away a smile.
The Sprite waved and then ducked its head back into the bushes.
“You big guys back up,” Sasha said, going to the shrub where the tiny creature had appeared.
Hunter loped off, with Shogun following, and stopped several feet away. Sasha bent down and glanced over her shoulder, but shook her head as Hunter turned away from her, rubbing the nape of his neck. Shogun had paced away to lean against a tree, facing away from her with his eyes closed. Men.
She returned her focus to the frightened Sprite, trying to coax it out with a sugar cube. Holding it on the flat of her palm the way one would feed a horse, she slowly moved her hand closer to the bush, just inside it, so the Sprite could make off with the sugar cube without being seen.
The sensation of it grazing her hand and snatching the cube away tickled and she laughed. Apparently, it responded to happy tones of voice, and it peeked its small face out with a cheerful smile, licking the cube that it held between both hands.
“Ah . . .” Sasha crooned, “so that’s it. You heard me giggling before and came out.”
The Sprite squeaked a happy sound and licked the cube, then released what sounded like a contented bee buzz. That only made Sasha laugh more. “You are sooo adorable,” she said, going down on her hands and knees.
It had a small face tinged light green with wide brown eyes and the longest lashes she’d ever seen. Its soft brown hair was swept up in an updo of wild hazel-toned ringlets. Pretty autumn-hued leaves covered its body in a makeshift dress, laced with vines, and its tiny toenails were each painted a different fall color.
“Aw . . . just look at you,” Sasha said as though doting over a cute toddler. She pulled out another sugar cube, offering it just to bring the small creature closer to get a better look.
But another tiny face popped out from behind a leaf and made her squeal in surprise. Both Sprites giggled as the second one, brown faced and with green hair, stretched out his arms for the sugar cube Sasha had promised.
“There’s enough for both of you. You guys are soooo awesome. I didn’t know what to expect, honestly.” She laughed and gave up the sugar, watching the second Sprite thoroughly enjoy it while swinging his legs as he straddled a small branch. “You don’t have to be afraid . . . You can have more if you want it.”
Yes! She’d made contact. Now was the delicate balancing act of getting the two edgy males behind her not to make any sudden moves while she asked for something deadly. She turned to glance over her shoulder to give them the eye to be cool, and then could only shake her head.
Hunter was leaning against a tree, one arm fully extended, back turned to her, taking in very slow breaths. A deep V of sweat stained his t-shirt. Shogun had claws dug into the bark where he remained, motionless, head back, eyes closed. They were so not going to be much help.
“Listen,” Sasha said, keeping her voice gentle and happy. “Sir Rodney needs us to find a really bad plant and to take as much of it out of the forest as possible . . . that way it won’t be over here to hurt you . . . And he sent a couple of big, bad wolves to do that—because they’re real strong and can carry a lot. They can also protect you, if we have to go somewhere scary to find it.”
The Sprites stopped licking their sugar and seemed like they were about to flee. “Would we have been able to get royal castle sugar if we were trying to trick you? Look at the stamp in it. This came from the king himself.”
With raised eyebrows of suspicion, the Sprites slowly turned the cubes over and then relaxed when they saw the royal coat of arms indented into the sugar cubes. But they then cast a questioning look at the two male wolves struggling to breathe by the tree line.
“Yeah, I know,” Sasha muttered. “I’m not that keen about going into the woods
alone with those guys, either.”
CHAPTER 20
Sasha’s voice had sliced through Hunter’s groin so brutally that he’d broken out in a cold sweat. After needing her all night, the near-full moon staining his suite in madness blue . . . tossing and turning, nearly mating with the sheets, to hear her voice low and cooing . . . the words she said sending twisted translations through his head, her backside perfectly accented by her jeans, and then she’d gone down on all fours?
There wasn’t enough “safe haven” in the entire world. He had to walk it off. The fact that Shogun did, too, was forming a growl inside his chest. She was radiant at breakfast, the smell of her she-Shadow and rose petals and whatever she’d bathed in. Great Spirit help him; do not let him kill his brother in these woods.
“You guys ready?”
Both he and Shogun spun at Sasha’s voice. Were they ready? Did the sun rise in the east and set in the fucking west?
“We’ve gotta go get the rowan,” she said firmly, hands going to her hips. “If you scare these Sprites, I swear to . . .”
“We’re ready,” Shogun said, releasing a long breath. Hunter nodded.
“You’re showing canines, gentlemen. The wee folk don’t like it—it makes ’em nervous.”
Hunter rubbed the nape of his neck and walked away for a bit. Shogun rolled his shoulders and walked away in the opposite direction.
“Anytime you’re ready,” Sasha said, folding her arms.
Hunter and Shogun both turned slowly to stare at her.
“You’re going to have to use a better choice of words.” He nodded to the bush as she opened her mouth and then closed it. “Let’s get out of here.”
Winters came out of the occult shop digging in the bags. “This stuff is kinky, dude. Like, who really uses this stuff? Iron collars, cuffs, stakes, damn . . . If I didn’t know better, I’d swear you and ’Rissa—”