Pax smiled and slapped the male’s chest.
The happy couples congratulated one another and everyone surrounded baby Maya to catch a glimpse of her newly glowing eyes.
Diesel threw his arm around Pax’s shoulders. “Congratulations, partner.”
“Thanks, Dies.”
The male eyeballed his ring. “Check out that bling. Don’t wear that thing on duty. I’ll have to hold it for you the next time you jump off a bridge.”
James whirled around. “You jumped off a bridge?”
“Thanks, Dies.”
“Whoops. Hey, the food’s coming out. Niiice.” The male made a break for the nearest hors d’oeuvres tray.
Pax rolled his eyes.
“We’ll talk later. I’m gonna get some champagne, my male. Want some?”
“Definitely.” His camzah dropped a quick kiss on his temple.
James met up with Evy while picking up two flutes of champagne. “Hey. I think there’s another bottle of that non-alcoholic sparkling cider in the kitchen.”
“I’m good, thanks. Can I talk to you for a sec? Alone?”
“Yeah, sure.” James set the drinks down and put an arm around her shoulders, guiding her into the study. “What’s wrong?”
“I need to ask you a favor.”
James nodded. “Anything.”
“Reyn is leaving tomorrow and I’ll definitely be the one taking him to the Otherworld, but…”
“But, what?”
“I’m not sure exactly when I’m coming back.”
“What do you mean? How long will you be gone?”
“I’m not sure. We won’t really know until we’re there. I mean, we’ll be fine. I’m just so worried about how Troy will handle losing his connection to me. To us. We’ve never even been apart since our mating and the connection is so strong because of the pregnancy. I know X will be looking out for him, but I…” Her eyes clouded with tears and she looked down at the floor.
James hooked his finger under her chin and she looked up into his face. “Hey, you don’t need to do that. Not with me.”
That was all it took. Evy couldn’t hold back the tears any longer. While her responsibility as the Seer grew, the pressure to remain strong for those around her was intensifying. Now with the pregnancy, she was even beginning to feel that way with her mate. Somehow it was different with James. She had no doubt it started with their shared link to Seth, but it was more than that. James had done the unthinkable to save someone he loved. He was one of the bravest people she had ever known. She knew he understood unimaginable sacrifice, and right now she needed someone who could.
James brought her in close. “Shh. It’s okay. I know.”
“He’s just come so far since our mating. He was a loner before that. All his life, he felt like he’d never belong. He couldn’t even let someone touch him, he was in so much pain. “Once Reyn and I cross over, Troy will be totally unable to sense the baby and me. He’ll be completely alone again. I’m so afraid he won’t be able to handle it.”
Evy held onto her friend and cried, soaking his lapel with her tears. What would Troy do if he couldn’t bear it? Shut down? Isolate? Fall into a depression? Evy had been unable to look at SE at all during the ceremony, and now she understood why. There was a far darker, more terrifying possibility looming in the back of her mind.
Permaphase. Oh, God. If Troy’s pain became too intense for him to handle, she could lose him to the Wolf forever.
She looked up into the male’s soft gray eyes. “Will you watch out for him? Please, James.”
“Of course. You have my word.”
She willed herself to smile. “Thank you.”
He put his arm out so she could take it and they went back into the party together. The dancing had started and James brought Evy straight to the dance floor. He looked over at Troy leaning on the wall and the male gave him a nod. Neither he nor Evy knew anything about Latin dance, but they had a hell of a good time making it up as they went along. When the song was over, James walked her back to her mate, then went to help Mary clean up the main table before the cake came out. He sensed his male behind him as Pax slipped an arm around his waist.
“You about ready to cut out?”
“Yeah, I just want to make sure the cake makes it out okay.”
“Don’t take too long.” His male leaned in so close James could feel the warmth of his breath on his neck. It gave him chills. “Just so you know, I plan to put out.”
James felt his jaw drop. Holyyy shit. Had he just heard that? He turned around in time to see Pax take a bottle of champagne off a table and head for the far door. Cake shmake. After all, Mary didn’t need him in the way. He found Adriana and let her know they were leaving before following his mate into the hallway. Pax took a swig from the bottle and handed it to James. He took a sip, leaving some on his tongue for Pax to suck off. Their mouths were still fused when they gleamed out.
Ana was in the darkness of the conservatory, standing in front of the windows with her hands in the pockets of her jumpsuit. Her heels were killing her, but it hardly even registered. After dinner was over, she’d left in search of somewhere quiet to think. She needed to be alone with her thoughts. She kept going over it in her head. Mommie Dearest wanted more rogues and less hellions. It did make sense. Hellions couldn’t control their need for k’ul. It was almost like a chemical need or addiction, and it made them prone to erratic and often violent behavior. Rogues were just as physically strong, but they could be taught to manage their need for k’ul. Her psychotic bitch of a mother had gone from wanting a bunch of brain dead zombies who couldn’t think for themselves to a new and improved version that could. But, why?
She paced to the other side of the room and looked up at the moon through the glass ceiling. Her mother joining forces with Batiste made absolutely no sense. It was wildly out of character. Mommie Dearest did not play well with others. She despised pretty much everyone, especially humans. Look what she’d done to Roman when he’d crossed her, for fuck’s sake. What could that scumbag drug lord possibly possess that— Wait a minute. Batiste had double crossed Victrixa by buying over two hundred of Toltec’s rogues. And now she was hiring that new British guy to create more?
“Oh, my Goddess!” Ana flew from the room and gleamed out at a run. She materialized at the far end of the drawing room still running, not able to get to SE fast enough. She spotted him standing by the fireplace with Reyn and Richard.
“SE! She’s building an army! Victrixa’s building an army of rogues!”
Evy went over her list in her head one last time before pulling the drawstring on her small bag. Without even bothering to change out of her dress, she pulled on Akina’s cloak and went to Troy’s bedside. She’d promised to wake him up when it was time, but he slept so peacefully. Truthfully, she wasn’t sure she’d be able to go through with it if she looked into those blue eyes and tried to say good-bye.
Her thought wandered back to the night she had broken into his room and woken him from sleep with a kiss. She’d had no idea what his reaction would be, but he’d brought her into his bed and made love to her. She remembered hardly being able to believe it was happening. From that night forward, a whole new world had opened up to her. One that included being the Seer, Troy’s mate, and soon a new mother.
Evy wasn’t conflicted. There was no one and nothing more important to her than Troy. Although she loved her Goddess, she would have been more than happy to let Ana take this gig if she could have. But one of the things Evy had noticed very early on was that everyone in the house did their part to aid the cause, including the females. Well, this was hers. She may not have asked for it, but it was a part of her now. She leaned down over Troy and kissed his soft lips. “I love you so much, my male. I’m so sorry I have to go, but we’re going to be okay, Patrick and me. We’re going to come home to you soon. I promise.”
She walked to the door before turning back to take one last look at their room. She slipped out into th
e hall where the early light of daybreak coming from the windows of the conservatory faintly lit the upstairs. Reyn was waiting for her in the foyer. She went down the staircase and met him at the bottom.
“Ready? The early birds will be up soon, hangovers or not.”
She nodded. “All set. Let’s go.”
Evy took Reyn’s hand and they walked to the center of the hall. A familiar energy radiated from the balcony above and she looked up to see Ana’s bright green eyes as they began to glow. The female raised her hand in parting. Evy gave her friend a small wave back before they dematerialized.
James stood on the beach and looked out at the blue-green ocean, the hot island sun beating down on his bare chest. The night before had been heavenly. He’d made love to Pax on the beach, then they’d watched the sunrise together, wrapped in a blanket and drinking champagne. It was the happiest night of his life. Part of him wished they could stay there forever, but he’d made a promise to Evy he intended to keep. And then there was Batiste, who knew the identities of both Solares males.
He pushed it all from his mind. They would take care of it, but not today. Today was only for them. He walked down the sand to the shoreline and looked down the beach, watching as his mate—so resplendent as Stallion—stormed through the shallows. Sasha barked like mad as she chased behind him. He circled around James before coming to him and bowing his head so that he could pat his great neck. And then Pax stood before him, taking James by the chin and kissing him in the gentle way he had. James knew that no matter what happened, he would always love Pax—his brother, his camzah, his lover, his mate.
Martha Bourke grew up in Burlington, Vermont, a magical place where street art meets nature and Boston, a city full of history and no-nonsense New England sensibility. She is an accomplished teacher who has spent the last fifteen years creating Spanish language programs for elementary schools and traveling extensively. For most of her life, she has been fascinated by foreign languages, cultures, and mythology– a passion that colors and enriches the world of the YA Jaguar Sun Series, and the Adult New Breed Novels.
Martha and her husband of fifteen years have carved out their own little piece of Vermont in the Massachusetts countryside. When not writing, she loves spending time with her animals, listening to good music, thrifting, and adding to her Converse collection.
For more information about the author, please visit www.marthabourke.com. Also By Martha Bourke
Young Adult
Jaguar Sun (Book 1 in the Jaguar Sun Series)
Jaguar Moon (Book 2 in the Jaguar Sun Series)
Revelations (A Prequel Novella to the Jaguar Sun Series & New Breed Novels)
Adult
Forbidden Call (The New Breed Novels, Book 1)
Deadly Call (The New Breed Novels, Book 2)
Mating Call (The New Breed Novels, Book 3)
Fatal Call (The New Breed Novels, Book 4)
Desperate Call (The New Breed novels, Book 5)
Up Next
Eternal Call (The New Breed Novels, Book 6) – Spring, 2016
Desperate Call (New Breed Novels Book 5) Page 18