by Lacy Danes
“Air was there, I swear.”
“Air was missing. If he was there, you would be back in London and I would be enjoying my feast. We are through. Du er løsladt fra mig.”
“Wait. Wait! I did not fail.” Pain ripped through Hudson’s cock, and then nothing but silence met his ears. He blinked his eyes. No! His eyelids grew heavy. No! He fought to keep them open but failed. The black abyss met him.
Ilmir blew under the door and out of the room in which Hudson slept. Whatever Hudson had talked to in that room was aware of the Zir. To his delight, whatever that otherworldly creature was, it could not see him when in air form. He did so enjoy snooping. He floated down the hall toward his room.
Ferrous for certain would call a family meeting. But that needed to wait. Jordan needed time with his new mate without an air of chaos. All this new information he just learned would certainly cause a fuss. Ilmir’s lips curved up. But oh! Chaos… Now that would be fun.
He would give his brother a week. Or a month, depending on how much resentment the three held toward him for being the first to find his mate; then he would tell them what new information he had found…
Chapter Ten
The man they had called friend lay beyond this door. Jordan stood with his brothers, Madoc and Ferrous, before the burgundy room. They had all mistaken him. Hudson had become an unknown. The potion and elemental power Ferrous had cast was uncertain in its outcome.
Jordan turned the handle and pushed the door wide.
With the inward swing, the stench of sweat and sour stomach bile wafted out into the hall. Hudson lay on the bed in the same position he was left in last night. He thrashed and hissed.
Ferrous and Madoc rushed forward to the edge of the bed.
Jordan stood back, leaned a shoulder against the doorframe and watched.
“He’s burning up.” Ferrous’s dark hair slid over his shoulder as he reached down and touched Hudson’s face. “No. He is in the midst of full transition. He needs blood and a calming cast.”
“Help me.” Hudson lifted his head up and, with beady black eyes, stared directly at Jordan. “He betrayed me. I-I will do whatever you wish of me to make this pain and this overwhelming dark need stop.”
Jordan pushed from the doorframe and walked into the room. Sweat drizzled Hudson’s pasty white complexion. His cheekbones distended, and gray fangs protruded from his lips.
“We will help you only if you agree to a few things.” Ferrous leaned down so he was close to Hudson’s face.
“Anything. Please.” Hudson arched his back and cried out in pain.
His agony filled the room with its energy and jittered Jordan’s senses. “First you will annul your marriage to Celeste.”
“All right.”
Ferrous turned Hudson’s chin toward Jordan and inspected his neck. “Second, you will not come after this family. The authorities are in pursuit of Jordan. You will tell them it was your desire to disappear with us for a few days.”
“Anything.” His voice wheezed out.
“You will convince the queen that Ilmir had nothing to do with her niece’s death,” Jordan stated flatly.
“All right.”
“If only Ilmir was here to see we are helping him.” Jordan’s mouth straightened into a line, and he shook his head. Even if he were, Ilmir would not appreciate the gesture.
“Oh, but he is.” Hudson glanced to the ceiling. “Why am I the only one who sees him?” His black eyes widened, and then he closed them. Shaking his head, he mumbled something that Jordan did not understand.
They all stared up to the spot where Hudson had just glanced. Jordan tensed and reached out with his power. Warm tingles washed through his body. The air swirled and shifted. A purple haze appeared by the ceiling. “Ilmir.” Jordan ground his teeth together. How long had he been there?
The haze lowered to the floor bedside Jordan. Ilmir emerged, wearing an eggplant-colored, fitted jacket and a smile. “Good day, brothers.”
“I knew it. I knew it. I am not mad! I did not fail!” Hudson screamed into the room.
“A good day?” Madoc’s eyes narrowed. “How many times have you spied on us?”
The right side of Ilmir’s lips quirked up. “Me? Never.” Ilmir ran his hand down his lapel and met Madoc’s gaze.
The crescent on Madoc’s cheek glowed a hot red. Ilmir’s secret obviously vexed him.
Ferrous shook his head. “You have not lost your powers at all.”
“Oh, brothers. I had, but as you can see, we all have gained power with the finding of the dear Celeste.” Ilmir walked over to Hudson. “I believe we have this man to thank for that, and I know for certain I shall renew my search for my futter partner with vigor. Just look at how powerful Jordan and his chit are.”
Jordan fisted his hands. “Celeste.” He wanted to punch him. To hell with restraint. He would.
Ilmir winked at him. “What are you going to do? Lecture me?” He laughed.
Jordan raised his fist and slammed it straight into Ilmir’s jaw. Ilmir’s head knocked back, and blood slid from his lower lip down his chin. Pain shot through Jordan’s knuckles but, damn, that felt spectacular. Ilmir grinned even bigger and wiped his chin with the back of his gloved hand.
“Enough, both of you.” Ferrous leaned down and ran his fingers across Hudson’s forehead once more. Then he turned and walked to the servants’ pull and yanked it.
A few moments later, Astrid emerged in the doorway. “May I be of help?”
Ilmir turned toward her, and his expression softened. “You are always of help, dear.”
Ferrous strode to her and whispered in her ear. She turned and quickly left the room.
“I asked her to bring a live pig from the stocks to Hudson. It will quench his thirst and help with his transition. But before we allow him to feed… Jordan?” Ferrous held out his hand to him.
Jordan pulled a scroll from his breast pocket and handed it to Ferrous.
“Hudson, you must sign this and use your ring to seal it.” Ferrous pivoted on his heel to the small desk in the room and pulled out a quill and ink. He dipped the quill and turned back to Hudson.
Hudson raised a shaking hand, grasped the quill and signed the bottom. Ferrous rolled the scroll, then dripped a pool of wax from a candle and pressed Hudson’s ring emblem into it.
He handed the parchment back to Jordan. “We will do everything we know of to ease this transition for you, Hudson. Though, not knowing what you are transitioning into will make this harder. Do you know what you are becoming?”
Hudson turned his head to him. “I fear the worst. I trusted Havanis.”
Jordan’s stomach tingled, and dread pitched through him.
“Who is Havanis, friend?” Madoc turned and paced in the room.
Hudson chuckled. “The most powerful otherworldly being I know. When I found you through my connections, I had no idea there was something more powerful than you. He is.”
A breeze touched Jordan’s neck, and he spun about. Ilmir was gone. Jordan turned back. There was a depth to this deception he was certain not even Hudson was aware of.
A pig’s squeal echoed down the hall.
Astrid would bring Hudson his meal; then Ferrous would use the elements to calm Hudson’s transition. In the end, Hudson would not suffer…much. They would teach him. He would still be in their lives. That was capital for Madoc. Madoc and Hudson had formed a bond over the past six years. Though Jordan would never trust him again.
“I have heard enough. Celeste needs me.” Jordan turned from the room.
Chapter Eleven
Celeste rolled over in bed and studied Jordan as he slept. His breath slowly moved his chest in and out, brushing against her. The white hair that she’d first found so odd fit him perfectly. Her mate. She grinned, and her heart seemed to float in her chest. The last two weeks had been the happiest of her life. Hudson had agreed to the annulment, and she and Jordan had been inseparable ever since.
There was a k
nock at the door.
Jordan didn’t move.
A frown curved her lips. She did not want to leave the warmth of his embrace. Celeste slipped from the sheets and pulled on one of Jordan’s silk robes, then walked to the door.
She cracked it open.
Astrid’s childlike face appeared in the crack. “Good day, miss.” She glanced over her shoulder. “I have news that I must share with you. Can we speak in private?”
“Certainly.” Celeste opened the door wider to allow her in.
“Please come with me.” She stepped to the side, out of the doorway.
“All right.“ Celeste slipped through the crack in the door and closed it softly. She followed Astrid down the hall toward Grandmum’s rooms. “Is my grandmum well?”
“She is.” Astrid stopped in front of a small door to the right of Grandmum’s chamber and opened it. A thin corridor lay beyond. “Come.”
They stepped in, and Astrid grabbed one of the candles that lined the walls.
Astrid closed the door behind them. “Shhh. We must be quiet. But she wants you to know.”
“Know what?” Celeste whispered.
“You shall see.” Astrid lifted a small flap against the wall. Dim light poured through into the space in which they resided. She put her eyes to the small opening, then turned to her. “Your vision of your grandmum was true. Hudson did bite her. Though he did not kill her. I don’t believe he knew what he was doing. He was driven by the need to feed. She lived and transitioned so much easier than he has. I’ve been helping her find suitable food. Take a peek.” She motioned to Celeste to look through the wall.
Celeste walked to the light streaming into the space and pressed her eyes to the opening. She sucked in a startled breath. Oh! Grandmum sat on the floor, her nightshift covered in blood. To her mouth she held a small pig.
The pig didn’t struggle or squeak.
Her grandmum cooed to it, then licked its neck. A moan came from her and echoed through the room.
The hairs Celeste’s neck rose, and her stomach roiled. Oh no. She turned away, trembling. Oh no. No. No. This could not be the truth.
Astrid touched her arm. “She wanted you to know but couldn’t find a way to tell you. She told me she now lives free. She cannot hide how happy she is. You will see that when you speak to her of it.”
Tears streaked down Celeste’s face as she processed this new information. Grandmum was not different. She would be the same woman Celeste loved.
“She is not in pain. She is powerful. I have no idea how or why. But she is one of the most amazing women I have known in this otherworldly world we live in. She adores you, Celeste.”
She looked up at Astrid. “She wants this?”
“Quite so.”
Celeste swallowed hard. “Is she all well?”
“She is struggling a bit with the need to feed. Other than that, she is thriving.”
She needed to talk to her but would give her the respect she deserved in this awkward moment. “Thank you, Astrid. I will speak to her later today when we are both dressed.” She brushed the tears from her cheeks.
“Yes, miss.” Astrid turned from the corridor and led her back to her room.
“She is free.” Carmen’s voice vibrated in Celeste’s ears as she shut the door to her and Jordan’s room.
“So it appears,” Celeste whispered. “Carmen, where are you? Are you somewhere I can find you?”
“Doubtful. Havanis cursed me to here. I have no idea how to even explain what it is like. I am certainly no place on your world.”
“Tomorrow, we shall talk more about who Havanis is and how to find you.”
“Very well.”
Celeste slipped back into bed and pressed the length of her body up next to Jordan’s warmth. Jordan stirred and rolled toward her, wrapping her in his arms. She sighed. The air glimmered blue and gold and danced around them like the sun glinting off the rippling sea.
“Is all well?” His breath warmed her neck as his tongue licked from shoulder to ear. She trembled. His member grew between them and pushed between her thighs.
She opened her legs, allowing him access. “More than well. I am a bit shocked. Grandmum has transitioned. My vision was true.”
He pulled back from her and studied her face. “Are you certain?” She could see the concern in his eyes. He loved her, cared for her safety and her happiness. This was more than she had thought possible of her life three weeks ago. It was all she ever wanted.
She nodded. “Astrid has been helping her. Grandmum wanted me to know.”
He tightened his arms about her. “I am sorry, Celeste. We will have Ferrous do all he can.”
“Astrid said Grandmum wants this. That she can now live free. I can see that from all I know of her. She was always a bit unconventional. I will tell her how happy I am for her desires later today.”
Celeste leaned in and licked his lower lip, then sealed her lips to his. She pulled back and stared into his blue eyes. “I understand how Grandmum feels, because our situation has set me free too. I was given into a relationship that would have changed nothing for me. I would have been just as unhappy as the duchess as I was at my father’s. Our magic has given me happiness. You have allowed me to be a woman I never dreamed of being.” Tears welled in her eyes, and she smiled and it lit her soul.
He smiled back her. “I love you, my divine wife and lover.” His lips covered hers, and she breathed all he was into her body.
Tingles shot to her toes, and light flashed behind her eyelids.
This was what she desired too.
This man.
This life.
This otherworldly power that pulsed through her.
She wrapped her legs about her mate, and he slipped inside her. She broke the connection of their mouths and cried out.
Indeed. This was all she needed.
About the Author
Lacy Danes made a New Year's resolution to write a hot, historical romance. A year and a half later, she achieved her goal. She lives in Portland, Oregon, where besides writing she enjoys playing cards, chasing her kids around, and savoring a great martini with the man of her dreams all while watching the world go by. Visit Lacy at her web site. www.LacyDanes.com
Look for these titles by Lacy Danes
Now Available:
House of Sin
Serving the master’s pleasure was never so dangerous…
House of Sin
© 2011 Lacy Danes
Emily’s dreams are simple: a life of dedicated service at a respectable estate, and a strong marriage filled with love and devotion for one man. Portage Place, the manor where her parents apprenticed, seems the perfect place to start. Though it is whispered that all is not as it seems behind its grand façade.
The rumors, it turns out, ring with truth. The halls are saturated with sensuality, desire and lust. Despite the scandalous duties she is asked to perform, she is determined not to stumble on what could be her first step toward her dream. Dreams that, lately, have included the manor’s fiery-haired groomsman.
A promise to watch over his younger half-brother brought Adam to Portage Place. For the first time in five years of enjoying the delights of the manor’s unbridled debauchery, Emily’s innocence touches the protector that still lives deep in his core. This house of sin may have ruined him, but he will see to it that it doesn’t ruin her.
It seems, however, that behind every door lurks a conspiracy to bind Emily in velvet chains of desire. Until the only way out is for Adam to take the biggest risk of all…
Warning: If servants sleeping with servants, who are sleeping with all the peers and guests at the house upset you… you won’t like this book. Contains explicit sex scenes, threesomes and a whole lot more!
Enjoy the following excerpt for House of Sin:
Emily stood outside the kitchen and dry laundry door. The yard before her led to the stable and outbuildings beyond. The sun glowed in the sky as big fluffy clouds waltzed past on the
warm breeze. She chewed a scrap of pitted apple that she’d grabbed on her way through the kitchen. The fruit pleasantly soured her mouth.
Not another naughty encounter all morning. Thank goodness. It was past noontime and she had expected to see something… What, she hadn’t an inkling. The normalcy of the day was reassuring and proof her mind had run off with the possibilities.
She inhaled and the smell of sweet rose soap from the laundry filled her nostrils. If she took stock, the morning was filled with accomplishment and calm.
She had pulled linens from the beds, washed them, and now they hung before her, drying on the lines in the floral summer breeze. She would press them when they dried and refit others in the rooms of the master, his sons and the ruby guest room. That was as soon as she found Sibila. Where had she gone? She was uncertain what her next task should be.
She glanced across the white, billowing walls of hanging sheets in the dry laundry and down the rust-colored dirt path, which led to the stone coach house and stalls.
She sighed.
A young man dressed in a green livery long coat and brown breeches crossed the path to the stable with a bucket in hand. His reddish hair curled over his collar. He glanced over his shoulder at her, slowed his pace and fully turned toward her.
Emily froze mid-chew. His green eyes sparkled like a bead of dew caught in the sunlight. Filled with merriment and mirth, he had masculine lips that turned up in a grin and stretched the skin over his square chin.
Her cheeks, filled with apple not yet swallowed, twitched as her lips curved in reply. My, he was handsome. If not for his livery, she’d have taken him for a playful forest sprite. A fiery-haired sprite and an enchanted soul.
He raised his hand and his index finger glided along his lower lip. His tongue slid out and wrapped the tip as long, amber lashes closed over his left eye. He then gestured with his head that she should come with him.