by L. Rose
“She’ll have a bond with her master—”
“If it’s meant to be, no bond with the master can change it.”
“Felnick,” Clyde called. “Come with us. She’ll need you too.”
Felnick’s eyes widened, surprised. He’d honestly thought he’d lost any chance he had with Aggie. Felnick had been scared Clyde wouldn’t want him around his new addition into his clan.
“My queen,” Felnick said, though he didn’t look back at me.
“Go. Be with her,” I told him.
He took off, stopping at Clyde’s side to take her hand in his. Clyde said something. Felnick looked up in shock, his lips thinning, but then tipped up before he nodded.
“What was that about?” I asked.
“Clyde has offered for Felnick to stay in his place and for her to feed upon him first.”
I dipped my brows in confusion. “Isn’t Felnick a ghoul? Does he have the blood to fill her?”
“Do you bleed, love?”
I glanced down to my arm to my tee where blood stained it from my wounds. “Yes, but I have a beating heart.”
“That is true, but there will be enough blood in Felnick to supply Aggie with what she needs before he will have to feed to replenish the blood drained from his body.”
Oh, I got it now. The blood from our kills stayed in our body, which was why my people bled without a beating heart.
Honestly, I still had a lot more learning to do.
Since arriving, each day seemed to have spun by in a blur of activity. The only moments that took their time was when I was with my men. Even still, they weren’t long enough. I couldn’t wait for the day where I had nothing to do but lounge around. If it ever came.
“Will Aggie be all right? Does… I mean, she’ll still be a witch, right?”
Asher nodded. “She will, love. She’ll be a hybrid. Half witch, half vampire.”
“Are there many hybrids?” Seemed strange since there’d been many rules about cross mating and such.
“No. She’ll be the first here. At least that I’ve sensed so far.”
That made more sense.
“My queen” was voiced from our side. I turned to see a man who was even bigger built than Nate.
“Yes?”
He dropped to his knees and bowed, his forehead nearly touching the dirt. “Thank you for your assistance in saving me.”
He had to be the bear shifter.
“You’re welcome…”
“Leon Walton, my queen.”
“Please stand,” I asked. He did and towered over me, though that seemed normal around here. “Are you a part of Thorn’s brotherhood?”
A pang of loss cracked my chest.
No. I ground my teeth together. They weren’t lost. They were alive, and I would get them back.
“No, my queen. I’m a mere shifter. We don’t belong with the brotherhood.”
I scoffed; I couldn’t help it. It seemed Thorn had to fold within the old laws as well. I knew he wouldn’t have been discriminating on purpose; he would have followed the orders of the old advisers or queen.
Upon my scoff, Leon’s gaze snapped up from the ground to meet mine. Asher and Nate rumbled out a growl. I fisted my hand in Nate’s fur and took Asher’s hand.
“It’s all right.” I lifted my chin and addressed Leon, “You were willing to fight for the people without even being a part of the brotherhood. Your courage is amazing. If you would, I’d like to invite you and four others you trust completely to safeguard my own family. But you will also be working together with another four brotherhood guards, if you accept.”
He closed his eyes and dropped his chin. “What you bestow upon me is the biggest honor. Members of my sleuth would protect your family with our lives.”
Dropping Asher’s hand, I reached out for Leon’s, only Asher, with his glowing eyes and descended fangs, grabbed my hand back and pulled it to his side. His grip unwavering as he hissed at Leon.
Leon tipped his head to the side, his lips twitching. “She is your mate, vampire.”
“We’re a little out of sorts after everything,” I told Leon.
“Of course.”
“How many are in your sleuth?”
“I have eight brothers, a sister and her mate, and they have four children.”
Wow, okay, that was a lot of siblings.
“My queen,” Gregory said, stopping at our side.
“Gregory.” I smiled. “What are you doing here?”
“Jessup,” he said simply.
“Yes, please thank him and his pack for his assistance.”
“It was the least we could do,” Jessup called, walking up to our huddle.
“How are you healed already?”
I was surprised when Jessup and Gregory blushed. Nate at my side snorted. Even in wolf form he still managed to do that.
“Ah….” Jessup rubbed the back of his neck. His naked neck. On his naked body. “I shifted, and a mate can, ah, help the healing process after.”
“You’re naked,” I pointed out in case he didn’t already know.
He chuckled. “Comes with the territory of being a shifter. We don’t care about nudity.”
I glanced down at Nate. I jabbed my finger on my chest and then down at him. “We care about it. You don’t go around naked in front of anyone.”
He huffed, not liking being told what to do.
“How are you not naked?” I asked Leon, noting he wore jeans and a flannel shirt.
He grinned. “My sleuth and I leave clothes all over the place. Seems my sister doesn’t want to see us naked, and her mate doesn’t want anyone looking at her naked either.”
“I think I’ll like them. That’s what you should do…. Not saying that naked isn’t fine. Anyone who wants to go around naked can. Being naked for some is natural—”
“Love, how about you stop saying naked?”
“Good idea.” I nodded. “Jessup, thank you and your pack for helping. Gregory, could I please ask a favor?”
“Of course, my queen.”
“Are you able to set up some rooms for Leon?”
“Oh no, my queen,” Leon said. “Please and thank you for the kind offer, but we live in the village, and we’d like to stay there. Our cubs go to the school there. We’d need to stay close. Since there are eight brothers of mine, we can rotate shifts to attend your family. Four on four off and so on, if you wouldn’t mind.” He dipped his head.
“Leon, that’s fine, but as long as I’m not taking you away from any jobs you have in the village. I didn’t even think of it before.”
“Our jobs will be replaced by another easily. Nothing to worry about. It is honestly an honor to work for the queen.”
I bit my bottom lip, feeling guilty for taking them away from the village, from their sleuth.
“Please, my queen. We would be looked upon as well-respected individuals if you allow us to still have the jobs to guard your family.”
“As long as everyone in your, um, sleuth is okay with it.”
His smile took up half his face. “They will be, but if you’ll excuse me, I’ll go and speak with them now.”
I nodded. “All right, thank you.”
“No, my queen, thank you again. My brothers would have been here, but they were far away fishing. They should return soon, and then I’ll have your answer, which I’m sure will be a yes.”
“Okay, Leon. If I’m not available, please let Gregory or Eric know, and they’ll inform me.”
He bowed, turned, and raced off.
“Your kindness has made that man’s day, and no doubt his family’s. Shifters have never been sought after from a queen, until now.” Jessup smiled.
I glanced down at Nate. My fingers sifted through his fur on his shoulder. “Shifters were never a lesser being. We’re all equal.”
“But it is those who see it that makes a tremendous queen, such as yourself,” Jessup said.
I shrugged. Asher chuckled. “Our mate doesn’t do wel
l with compliments.”
I glared up at him. “No, I don’t. Can we start cleaning up around here. I could use a shower. If only Alex was….” Misery twisted my stomach. I gripped Nate tighter to me and told Asher, “They’re alive.”
“I’m sure they are, love.”
“They are.” They had to be.
He nodded. “You would know, my love.”
“I would, and I know they’re alive. They’ll come back. They’ll… they’re in Hell, Asher. Hell.” I spun to Gregory. “I need to call Lucifer. Get me on the phone to Lucifer. Now.”
His gaze dimmed. “I’m sorry, my queen, we have no way of contacting him.”
“But he called me.”
“I heard he had, but he wouldn’t make it traceable. The former queen never had a number to contact him. If the devil wants to see you, he shows, he calls, never the other way around.”
Frustration had me throwing my head back and yelling. How was this fair?
“They’re in Hell, Asher. Can they survive Hell?”
“They would do anything to come back to you, my love. Anything.”
Nate whimpered at my side and pressed himself into me. My insides were a swirling pool of fear, worry, and misery.
“Take the queen inside. We’ll take care of this mess,” Jessup offered.
“No!” I shouted, then took a deep breath. “I need to keep busy. I need something to do.”
Asher nodded, and Nate started to move off. “Nate,” I called and he turned. “I-I’d like you here with me.” I couldn’t let them out of my sight. Not now.
He barked, only I didn’t talk wolf.
“I believe he’s going to get dressed so no one here sees him naked,” Jessup offered.
“Right, well, that’s good.” I nodded and then shot Nate a thumbs-up. I was sure I saw him roll his eyes at the gesture before leaving.
My gaze drifted down to Grace. I wished she wasn’t dead already. Just thinking of what Thorn and Alex were going through in Hell made me want to kill her again and again.
They had to be alive.
No, they were. Deep inside me, I would have felt their loss, and even when their links to me were blocked, I would still know.
I would.
I stood back and eyed my work. I screwed my nose up. What had I been thinking painting Alex’s room in purple? I tried to get the same color to match his eyes, but now it just looked like a squished eggplant. However, I wasn’t the best painter. Thorn’s room could contest to that when I’d messed up his walls, and maybe I got some on his floor and bed, in a deep red.
“We have to do something,” Nate mock whispered to Asher behind me.
Asher hummed. I didn’t know if he was agreeing or disagreeing.
Okay, maybe I might have lost my mind a little. The wolf pack wouldn’t have me back until I fixed their plumbing. Something I’d tried to help with since I’d been human not that long ago, compared to them at least. But now their water only ran cold water. Thankfully, Leon’s brother had experience in plumbing, but he was still working on the other problem I’d made.
People around the castle stepped out of my way these days since I’d stopped everyone I passed and asked them if I could help with anything. With a few mistakes with sewing, cooking, gardening, and home renovations, they learned to dodge me, so they wouldn’t feel guilty and have to accept my help. At least they’d gotten over the queen asking to assist people. And that was only because my rant about how queens were able to do whatever they wanted in a time of need and support, or anytime for that matter, had been spread when the first person questioned why the queen would sink so low as to do mundane things.
It had been two weeks since Grace had come in ready for a battle and informed me that Alex and Nate were in Hell.
Two weeks.
Two long-ass, frustrating weeks.
Every minute that passed, I made sure I kept busy, else I’d be a mess in the corner of a room, holding a dolly and asking for my mommy.
Nate growled in the back of his throat. “You know they’re alive or else we would both know it. Our souls would have lost a part of itself.”
I knew they were. We knew they were since Nate had claimed them both and had made his own connection to them. We just never ventured to the part where we were unsure. Would we feel the broken bond even from Hell?
I quickly pushed that thought away and went over to the paint tin. “I know,” I muttered.
“Paige, you need to rest. You’ve only had a few hours sleep in two weeks, and you need to feed,” Asher said. “Your people are concerned about you.”
“You also look like shit,” Nate added.
Straightening, I swung my eyes his way and lasered him with a glare.
His brows raised. “You do.” He walked to the door and opened it. I saw Gregory standing there. “Make her a meal, normal food and flesh. Bring it up but leave it outside the door. Have a guard watch it.”
Gregory smiled, and he dipped his head before walking off. Nate closed the door and turned, crossing his arms over his chest. “You need a shower, rest, and food before this fucking meeting tomorrow, and I’m going to make sure you get all three.”
I snorted, rolled my eyes, and picked my brush up to walk back to the wall. He was right. I knew he was. I should have wanted to look my best for the ceremony in front of all to swear Aggie, Leon, and his brothers into my close fold; however, I just couldn’t bring myself out of this depressed state of worry to care enough. I was also concerned that if I slept, I would dream. Even though I hadn’t had that dream I used to have since I’d been there, I had no doubt my mind would twist and show me Alex and Thorn dead. I couldn’t handle it.
I was beyond pissed they weren’t back and beyond angry I had no way of contacting Lucifer. No matter how hard I’d tried. I swore to Christ, when Lucifer got his ass into gear and showed up, since apparently a couple of weeks didn’t mean two weeks in his books, if he appeared without knowing my men were in his world, I would carve him open and feast upon his insides with pleasure. He had to know something.
“Right, that’s fucking it,” Nate clipped as I started brushing the wall with more paint. I ignored his words. He’d been threatening to beat my head against the wall for the last week. I knew he was all talk. “Vampire, are you ready?”
“I’ve been ready for some time, wolf,” Asher answered, his voice low and thick. Slowly, I turned, and the paintbrush dropped from my hand. Both of my men were getting undressed.
“W-What’s going on?”
They didn’t say anything, just removed their pants like they already had with their tops and shoes. Nate’s body shimmered and shifted; his half form shot forward. His tail swished back and forth. I wanted to rush over to him and play with it. My clit pulsed and my nipples hardened. Nate drew in the scent around him, and he shot me a cocky smile.
“Already turned on, angel?”
I gave him the finger. He chuckled around his sharp teeth. My gaze went to Asher as he hissed. His body had grown a little. His claws lengthened, his eyes glowed, his fangs dropped, and he licked his lips, watching Nate like he was a delicious meal. Asher’s long, dark hair blew from the open window behind him. Usually he kept it tied back in a braid, but tonight this wasn’t the case, and it made him look like an incredibly hot monster.
Both had my body shaking with need.
In a blink, Asher was beside Nate, picking him up and throwing him into the wall. The room shook. I expected some guards to rush in, but the door stayed closed. Nate jumped to his feet and rushed at Asher. He leaped, wrapped his arms around Asher’s neck, and swung his body over Asher’s back with his arms still locked around his neck. I expected Asher to be flung over Nate’s shoulder, but Asher flipped himself over and wrapped his arms around Nate’s waist. I would have been worried for both of them, if it wasn’t for the erections they both sported—turned on from the fighting.
Nate bucked, but Asher didn’t move; in fact, as Nate growled, Asher hissed into his neck befo
re latching his teeth onto Nate’s shoulder. Nate let out a roar before stilling for a moment, and the roar turned into a rumble of his chest. Asher’s hand glided down and wrapped around Nate’s hard-on, stroking him up and down.
My knees wobbled. I sank to the floor on my knees and kept my gaze on the two beautiful monsters.
Asher licked at Nate’s neck before saying, “Do you hear, wolf, our mate—well, she’s not yours yet, but listen to her heart pattering in her chest. Smell her desire. She likes a show, but are you ready for me to claim you?”
“Never,” Nate clipped. He unleashed his claws, dropped his hands, and stabbed them into Asher’s thighs. Asher snarled. His eyes swirled from green to black, something I hadn’t seen before, and back again. If I had to guess, I would say it happened because his vampire was pissed.
I knew I’d been right when Asher’s hold dropped from Nate for a second, only to come back and rake his nails up Nate’s stomach and chest, leaving blood-welling red marks. I nearly missed Nate shuddering against Asher. Then he picked Nate up and threw him across the room. Before Nate could even get up, Asher flashed to his side. A low growl was Nate’s only warning before Nate was picked up and thrown against another wall. Only Nate landed on his feet in a crouch this time and stood as Asher reached for him again. Nate’s arms went around Asher’s waist, and he slammed them to the floor. His hands snapped out to hold Asher to the floorboards. They snarled, hissed, nipped, and growled at each other.
“Open your legs, vampire. Let me have you.” Nate’s voice was rough and deep. His tail… well, it wagged in excitement while he ground their cocks together, causing Asher to still for a second, but when Nate’s feet slipped between Asher’s and started to spread Asher’s legs apart, the vampire smiled up at him. Only, it wasn’t a pleasant one.
I gasped when their bodies floated up to a standing position. Asher leaned closer to Nate, their arms still held together above their bodies. “Not happening, wolf. I claim you.”
Nate snapped his teeth in Asher’s face. Asher laughed darkly. He managed to free one hand and dropped it around Nate, where his cute, fluffy tail swayed side to side. Somehow, I’d spread my legs without thinking about it and was rubbing my fingers over my jean-clad pussy as I watched Asher circle his hand around the base of Nate’s tail. It stopped moving.