The Rhyn Trilogy

by Lizzy Ford

  "Nope."

  "Rhyn’s mother was a powerful demon, and his father is the same as Kris’s. There isn’t an immortal out there who’d face off against Rhyn now that Andre’s gone. Have you done much to civilize him?"

  "There’s no civilizing a man like him." Even as she spoke, her thoughts went to what Gabriel told her. Compared to how Rhyn had been, she had made him civilized.

  "Probably not," he agreed. "I’ll show you to the women’s wing. I’d stay there if they let me!" His step grew quicker, and his face brightened as they wound their way through the compound.

  "Are we underground?" she asked.

  "No. This is just a really huge place. It’s pretty easy to navigate after a few decades of trying."

  "Only a few decades?"

  He didn’t catch the sarcasm in her voice; his gaze was trained on a woman clad only in a towel and trailed by steam, emerging from a door along one wall. Katie heard the sounds of laugher and talk from behind the closed door. They followed the woman, who looked like a fitness warrior if she ever saw one. The black-haired woman had dark Mediterranean skin and tattoos down her back and across her shoulders. She was barefoot.

  "Ully, you’re not supposed to be down here!" she called over her shoulder in a distinct British accent.

  "I have a reason," he said quickly. "I’m showing a new member to her room."

  The woman turned, interest then puzzlement on her serene, chiseled features. Her eyes were almond shaped and clear amber.

  "Not a warrior," she said, her questioning look lingering on Katie’s neck. "Wow, really?"

  "Yeah, really," Ully said. "Megan, this is Katie. Katie, Megan. Megan is one of the chic fighters."

  "Female warriors," Megan said, raising an eyebrow in warning.

  "I’m too wimpy to beat up," he reminded her.

  "Right. I’ll take her from here."

  "But I--"

  "Out."

  Katie almost smiled at his fallen face as the stern voice of the Amazonian-sized woman before them. Ully was too harmless to be angry at, like a kid brother. He turned and smiled at her, then retreated, lingering at the door to the shower room.

  "You’re…" Megan trailed off, as if debating what to say while trying to figure out what was standing in front of her.

  "Short? Human? Disrespectful? Not accustomed to the rules of this world?" Katie supplied with no heat. "You can say it--Kris won’t let me forget I’m a square in a round hole."

  "I was going to say you look like a living doll," Megan said with a half smile.

  Katie smiled in return, deciding she liked the Amazon with the British accent and wild tribal tattoos.

  "Nearly all of us girls here at the castle are warriors,” Megan said. “None of the Ancients have mates, though some other immortals do. C’mon. I need to change, then I’ll show you around."

  Katie trailed her. The women’s wing was a beehive of activity. They crossed through a common area with a kitchenette and large, flat-screen TV, past a gym, a library, and a few other common rooms, and into the barracks area, which bustled with activity.

  She crossed her arms, self-conscious with the looks the others gave her. Her arrival silenced conversations and made most everyone do a double take. Even if not for Rhyn’s name scrawled across her neck, she’d draw attention. None of the other immortal Amazonian warriors were below six feet. They came in all colors and complexions, some slender and graceful like dancers while others were muscular. She heard several different languages spoken before those she passed fell silent.

  "This room’s empty. Go ahead and make yourself at home. I’ll come get you in a minute," Megan said, pushing a door open near the end of the hall.

  The room was more welcoming than Katie expected, the stone walls covered and smoothed with Sheetrock painted a light green and edged with pumpkin orange. The room contained two full-sized beds and two large wardrobes along with military-style trunks at the foot of each bed. She had yet to see a window. She sat on the bed, placing her small satchel of belongings on the nightstand. The room smelled of vanilla mixed with some other exotic scent, the beds covered in soft white duvets with pumpkin-colored pillows.

  She looked at her belongings and then at the room around her. It was nice, but eternity?

  She felt a deep sense of loneliness and longing. For the first time in years, she wanted her sister around. Tired and conflicted, she lay back on the bed, taking great satisfaction out of a real bed after the few days on the flimsy bed at the Sanctuary.

  "You need to rest, or do you want to see more of this place?" Megan asked, chuckling as she leaned against the doorway. "I’ll show you where to go for logistics."

  "Logistics?"

  "Clothing, bathroom stuff, anything. They have all kinds of good stuff. You can order things out of magazines or from your favorite stores or pick from what they’ve got."

  Megan led her again through hallways that fell silent when she passed. They crossed more intersections, descended to the level below, and stopped outside of double doors.

  "Clothes, rations, gear," Megan said with a toss of her hand down the hall toward several other open double doors. "Cafeteria’s on this level, too, all the way down at the dead end. This is the women’s clothing department."

  Katie braced herself to see a storage room full of military uniforms and was surprised to see what looked much like a women’s department section.

  "Cold weather, transitional, summer weather. In the back they have more exotic clothing, like Indian saris and the like. Pajamas, underwear, socks, bras in that corner. You know what hemisphere you’ll be in when you leave?" Megan asked.

  "No idea."

  "It’s always chilly here, more so now that it’s autumn. We’re in northern Europe, so you can’t go wrong with sweaters."

  Megan wandered, looking through piles of sweaters and pants. The walls were lined with blouses, formal wear, business wear, jackets, and other kinds of clothing, while displays of knit shirts, sweaters, jeans, and slacks spanned out before her.

  "Megan, how much do these cost?" Katie asked, lifting a cashmere sweater.

  "Free. One of the perks of our job."

  She replaced the sweater and began hunting in earnest. She selected a few items, enough to get her through a few days in the new world. Light sweaters, long-sleeved shirts, a couple pairs of jeans. Megan helped and stacked socks and underwear in her pile and then brought her a light wool jacket, leather gloves, hat, and scarf. The Amazonian picked out a couple of T-shirts, her thick upper arms exposed in the tank top and jeans.

  Katie gathered her clothes into a wool satchel and slung it over her shoulder. Megan led her down the hall to a room dedicated to shoes. Most were either boots of various kinds or running shoes, but there were a few more stylish pairs. Katie chose a pair of wool-lined clogs, shower sandals, and waterproof ankle boots.

  She almost felt normal. Next Megan took her to what looked like a large drug store, where she plucked a few items from a shelf filled with top of the line skincare products. Katie’s eyes widened in surprise as she recognized a brand of moisturizer that cost a few hundred dollars.

  She grabbed the moisturizer and its cleansing counterpart and eye moisturizer. When she’d gathered everything she needed for bathing, she trailed Megan through the maze of hallways back to her room. Megan left her alone, and she unpacked. Then she grabbed her shower gear, sandals, and a plush towel and headed to the showers.

  Steam and dampness clung to her as she set foot in the bathing room. No less than twenty showers separated by waist high walls lined the area before her. Another door led to a chamber with several bathing tubs. Still another door led her to a locker room with mirrors along two walls and another door to the restrooms. The final door led to a sauna. Several women bathed in stalls, the easy banter between them marking their camaraderie.

  The hot water pounded over her body. She sighed deeply as it beat against her sore muscles. They responded and began to relax. She stood for a long time, let
ting the hot water pour over her, before she lathered herself up from head to toe. When she finished, she felt refreshed for the first time in weeks. She shut off the shower and wrung out her hair, then wrapped herself in the thick towel. She turned and gasped.

  "Rhyn, you ass, how long have you been there?"

  He looked her up and down in approval from his position leaning against the wall nearby. His glance went to the other women in the showers, who either ignored him or weren’t going to say something to someone whose mother was a demon.

  Exposed, irritated, she pointed to the door. He didn’t budge. She tossed her hair over one shoulder and walked to him, pushing him toward the door.

  "This is the women’s locker room!" she said. "Give me ten more minutes of peace, and leave these poor women alone!"

  Katie didn’t notice the amused glances the women gave her, but she did see their appraising looks at Rhyn. He made no attempt to hide his perusal of the tall, athletic women around her.

  "Missed a spot," he said, looking pointedly at the tattoo around her neck. "Might come off if you scrub hard enough."

  "Jackass," she muttered, pushing him again.

  She told herself he’d gotten there after she’d wrapped the towel around her. She didn’t want to think of him watching her bathe naked. The idea made her body thrum with something she didn’t want to feel.

  He left, though she sensed he sought her out for a reason and wasn’t about to grow patience. Determined to enjoy her first relaxing experience in a few weeks, she watched to make sure the door closed behind him and went to the locker room. She hadn’t thought to bring her clothes. It was, after all, the women’s wing. Her clothing from the Sanctuary was in a garbage can. She’d taken great pleasure in stuffing it there. Left with her towel and her toiletries, she took her time applying the thick moisturizer and lotion over her entire body, then finished by combing through her hair.

  "That’s the Ancient Rhyn?" Megan asked in disbelief, appearing through the door leading to the hall. "The girls wanted me to ask since they haven’t met you yet."

  "Unfortunately," Katie grated.

  "Wow. Not what I expected."

  "What did you expect?"

  "A demon or something,” Megan admitted. “He’s quite a looker. You are one lucky woman to go to bed with that one."

  Katie ignored her, irritated. She looked at the tattoo on her neck and slathered lotion on it, wishing it were paint.

  "I’ll tell Aisha not to hit on him," Megan said.

  "She can have him."

  "Trust me, if he weren’t an Ancient and he looked that good, she’d snatch him up, even if he had a mate," Megan said with a laugh. "That girl knows no bounds and can land any man."

  Megan’s words pissed Katie off. She didn’t want to feel attracted to Rhyn. She wanted him to find someone else, but the thought of that happening made her furious. No one else would share his incredible kiss…or anything else that might happen between them. Her heart fluttered at the thought, and she wondered if it was her teenage hormones talking or if there was something else growing between them.

  "Aisha wouldn’t want him," she said with more calmness than she felt. "He’s…you know, small."

  Megan looked ready to laugh but smiled widely instead.

  "You can say you haven’t slept with him. I won’t tell," she said. "I’ll tell Aisha to back off anyway."

  Katie flushed without answering. She gathered her things and left. Rhyn was standing outside the door, and she passed him without a look. He trailed her through the halls. She wasn’t the only one who stopped traffic and conversations. She expected someone to be angry that there was a man in the women’s wing. Instead, the women gave him open looks of lust and approval, as if he were the hunted and they the lionesses lining up to take their turns at him.

  She was scared to turn around, almost afraid he’d be passing out his phone number to every lithe, beautiful Amazonian they passed. She wouldn’t put it past him. He wasn’t known for his morality or virtues. They reached her room, and she threw down her shower things on the bed, agitated. The door closed softly behind him. She was surprised he made it and wasn’t screwing one of the Amazons in the hall.

  "I need to put on some clothes. Please turn around," Katie said.

  "Nope. You’re my mate."

  She faced him, suddenly overly aware of how small the room was and the fact that he leaned against the only way out. He watched her with an intensity that made her blood quicken and her nipples harden. She crossed her arms. He wore the long-sleeve knit shirt, snug enough to show his physique without clinging to it, the snug jeans low on his lean hips.

  "What do you want, Rhyn?"

  "My room, too," he said.

  "What? No. You have to go to the men’s wing."

  "Nope."

  He lowered a backpack from his shoulder to the bed, nearing her. She all but jumped away.

  "Scared, little girl?" he growled without looking up.

  "Scared, no. Suspecting you’re in the women’s wing to get something other than sleep, yes."

  He looked at her closely, a slow smile spreading across his face. He pulled out a small stack of clothing from the backpack and peeled off his shirt, displaying the lean, muscular body beneath. She stared, awed. He caught her and said nonchalantly, "Only one woman in this wing I’ll fuck."

  "I see you’ve met Aisha," she said stubbornly, flushing.

  He took a step to close the gap between them, and they were kissing again. Emotion and desire fueled her. She responded as aggressively as he. He wrapped one arm around her and pulled her against him. The feel of his warm skin against hers thawed her resistance, teased her with the image of his naked body against hers. He smelled of sweet rain and dark grasses, his taste just as exotic.

  His strength, his heat…in seconds, she couldn’t think of anything more than feeling more of him, tasting more of him. His arousal rose solid and thick against her belly, and the soft towel agitated her suddenly sensitive skin. She met his aggression with her own, nibbling his lower lip, tasting him. Her hands roamed his chest and back. He pressed her against the wall, moving against her slowly while intensifying the kiss.

  "Say yes," he ordered in the low growl.

  "Yes," she said breathlessly.

  He chuckled and lowered her onto the bed, his body atop hers. She surrendered to the heat in her blood.

  Chapter Nine

  They made love twice, then once again. When her mind had cleared and her body no longer thrummed with need, she tried to figure out what the hell had happened. She felt too sated to move. She breathed deeply of his scent and listened to his heart beat from her position sprawled atop him. She’d never felt such a connection to anyone. It was so much more than their physical joining; she’d felt him from the inside. For the first time since she could remember, she felt at peace, whole.

  She didn’t exactly understand the sensation except that she didn’t ever want that feeling to end. She felt alone when he was gone, and while he frustrated the hell out of her, she still felt better when he was near.

  "Rhyn…" she whispered. "Was this supposed to happen?"

  "Don’t start."

  "Don’t start what?" She lifted her head to look at him. He propped his head with one folded arm, silver eyes glowing at her.

  "You’re my mate."

  "So…that’s permanent."

  "Yep."

  "Guess that means I’ll have to stop sleeping around," she retorted.

  "Go ahead. Don’t ask where I hide the bodies."

  She chuckled. His confidence was too strong to shake, and she suspected he knew just how damned good in bed he was and how unlikely any woman who’d had him would choose another man over him.

  "Don’t expect me to sleep with you at your bidding," she warned. "You’re still a jerk."

  "Only have to say yes once."

  She sighed, content to rest atop him. His confidence was the only rock to stand on in this forsaken world of immortals. She didn�
�t know if she could trust him, or Kris, or anyone yet, but she could at least know the man beneath her was probably the only man she was safe from. It wasn’t much, but it was more than she’d had in what felt like a lifetime. He’d protected her and made it clear anything that got near her would die a nasty death.

  Albeit everything he did was on his terms. Always on his terms. She couldn’t swallow his ability to be a fierce beast shredding human-like creatures with no regard or morals. She didn’t understand why he’d chosen her of all people. She feared knowing what he truly was, that she’d married a demon. There really couldn’t be any kind of good demon, could there?

  Troubled, she dozed, waking when she heard the knock at her door. Her demon lover was gone and her body covered with a sheet. She and her bed still smelled of him, and she breathed deeply.

  "Hey, Ully wants to see you. Something about science experiments," Megan said, poking her head in.

  "I’m coming," Katie replied, stifling a groan as she shrugged out of the sheet to stand. Her legs were wobbly, the muscles of her inner thighs stiff.

  Megan disappeared, and Katie changed into one of the outfits she’d chosen. She almost felt normal in the jeans and light sweater. She slid her feet into clogs and left the room, meeting Ully just outside the girls’ locker room. He beamed a smile and offered his arm, which she accepted.

  "All hell’s broken loose," he said cheerfully.

  "What do you mean?"

  "I mean, Sasha's created some sort of funky monster that even an immortal can't kill."

  Her thoughts went to Jade, and she frowned, troubled.

  "Awful."

  "Yeah," he agreed. "The tests I did with your blood came back promising, but I can’t nail down the right genetic code."

  He led her down a floor to a large gym where a group of men stood in a loose cluster on a mat. Her eyes found Rhyn first, then Kris. Jade was there, another man with Kris’s eyes but whom she didn’t recognize, and a fifth man. All but the man with Kris’s eyes and oriental beauty were sweating and bloodied in at least one spot.