Unhuman Acts

by Candace Blevins

  “It’s possible. Don’t discount the possibility of them figuring out a way to be together. There’s talk of him moving to Chattanooga when the most powerful vampires play musical cities in a few years. If it works out, he could be Master of the City of Chattanooga, and that would mean they could be an item.” Maybe.

  Chapter 17

  Nathan

  Kits have always brought joy to the pride. I’ve made a habit of bringing the troubled teens into my inner circle and making sure they make it to adulthood with as little baggage as possible. I’m immensely proud of Zach, who’s now a successful attorney, and Ronnie, who’s a kick-ass detective these days with the Hamilton County Sheriff’s department. Never mind Ronnie’s a tiger and not a lion, nor that she’s married to a powerful vampire. She’s mine, and neither she nor the vampire will say otherwise.

  But Lauren is mine in more ways than I can explain. If someone attacks when she’s around, my first instinct will be to defend her, not Kirsten. Perhaps this is because I know Kirsten can usually take care of herself, or maybe it’s because I couldn’t bear Kirsten’s pain if something happened to her daughter — but the truth is, Lauren gives me hope for our future. Despite her rough beginnings and an early life without a mother, Lauren is everything we should want in our youth. I feel as protective of her as I do the lionesses I held as infants and watched grow into strong young women.

  Kirsten and Lauren and even Mordecai have become my family. It doesn’t matter Lauren is off at college most of the time, she’s an important part of our family. We talk to her often and sometimes have her on video chat while we watch movies together so we can talk about them.

  So, when Mordecai and I arrived to see mother and daughter sitting on a sofa together, so deep in conversation it took a few moments for them to realize we were there, it warmed my heart. Lauren stood when she saw us, and looked back and forth between us. Mordecai chuckled. “It’s okay. Hug Nathan first.”

  She put her arms down and looked at her mom. “How do you decide?”

  “I usually don’t. I let them come to me, or we all hug together. If I haven’t seen one in a long time, or if one has had a bad day, I might go to him first, otherwise...” She shrugged. “I try not to overthink it.”

  I walked to her and gave her a big bear hug. “It’s good to see you in person again, shortstuff. Your energy feels good — it seems this realm agrees with you.”

  I let go of her and Mordecai moved in for his hug.

  Staff arrived with platters of cheeses, smoked meats, breads, and crackers, along with a large teapot with steam still wafting from the spout. More staff arrived with two large mugs and a huge pitcher of beer. They knew how to make Mordecai and me happy.

  “Will you spar with me later?” Lauren asked me. “Mom thinks I may be able to access more magic in this realm, and she says that might let me kind of accidentally access it, without trying too hard.”

  “Of course.” I looked to Mordecai. “I’m sure you’ll have input on that.”

  “As the non-lineal princess of the realm, gaining your own magic here might make you lineal. There’s never been a sole adopted child before. It’s possible the rules will change to include you, but doubtful they will if you don’t demonstrate your own strength and power. It’s an unusual situation. If you don’t want to be the successor to the throne, you should tread carefully.”

  She looked at her mother, who told her, “Totally your decision. I’ll support you whatever direction you take. I’d point out, though, that once you’re the successor, you take on that responsibility, so you should carefully consider the ramifications before you take steps towards that end.”

  Lauren looked at me. “Maybe another time, then.”

  Smokey said his hellos to both of us, and I finally pulled Kirsten up so I could give her a proper hello. Okay, so not a proper hello — not in front of Lauren — but at least a peck on the lips and a hug. Mordecai followed suit, and we all prepared little saucers of food. So damned civilized. My inner lion wanted to toss the plate and watch it shatter, but I sat and pretended to have manners. The lion at least enjoyed the sausages.

  I had the sense Kirsten and Mordecai telepathed a few sentences back and forth, and I once again considered whether I could let my walls down enough. I’d only done it once outside the pride since I’d become Amakhosi — it’d been necessary to connect to a lone wolf I sent in as a spy about six hundred years ago, so she could get the information to me and we could use it in a timely manner. And then I’d killed her the next day instead of merely kicking her out of my head. My choices were to sever the connection and send her on her way, keep the connection in place so I could control her, or kill her so I didn’t have to bother with her again. She’d seen inside my head, which meant releasing her wasn’t possible, and I didn’t want to have to ever see her again, so I killed her.

  However, that was the old Lion King, the one who’d tortured without a second thought so long as it got the job done — sometimes even when it didn’t have much chance of providing results. I’d only needed a slim chance to make it worthwhile. Thankfully, Aaron had befriended me and taken great pains to help me find my humanity again.

  Did I trust Kirsten enough to be in my head?

  Yes. So why was I holding back?

  “You asked once if the two of us could telepath. Mordecai put you off, and you haven’t brought it up again.”

  She met my gaze. “I figured you’d let me know if you wanted to make it happen.”

  “It’s a big deal. It lets you into my head. Since you’re so strong, it will probably give you access to my lions, but you can already sense them and send energy to them without the connection, so it’s mostly the fact you’ll be in my head. You won’t need to be near me, you’ll only need to be within about a mile of one of my lions in order to telepath with me.”

  “Are you telling me because the answer is no, or because you’re considering it, or because you’re ready?”

  She was way too hesitant with her questioning, and I realized I’d done that. I’d turned my back on her too many times, and she didn’t really trust me to stick around. She didn’t dare believe I was willing to open myself fully to her. I’d been explaining it because I was considering it, but her anxiety and uncertainty changed my mind. I needed to fix this. She needed to trust me. I wasn’t turning my back on her again.

  “I’m ready. You’ll need to be touching me before I can open the conduit. It allows me to control a normal human or a lone shapeshifter. However, I’m told that if the other person is stronger, I won’t be able to. Also, if they’re part of an animal group, it isn’t likely I’ll be able to control them. You have the power of the wolf pack in your energy, so even without your capabilities, you’d likely be okay.”

  She looked to Mordecai. “That’s why you said I needed to settle into my new power?”

  He nodded. “I don’t believe there’s a chance he’ll be able to control you. If he can, it’s reversible.”

  Without further consideration, she asked me, “What do I need to do?”

  “I need to touch you skin-to-skin, and I need you to open up and accept the connection when I make it. I can force it on someone weaker, but I’d never try that with you. We don’t do this unless you open up to it.”

  She walked to me, straddled my lap, and sat on my thighs. “Close enough?”

  I grinned, wrapped my hands around her bare forearms, let my walls down to her, and offered the connection.

  My aura felt as if it’d been hit by a nuclear powerhouse when she accepted it and the pathway formed. I gasped a breath in at the unexpected surge. I thought she’d shared a lot when she orgasmed those first dozen or so times, but this was completely different. Pure power. No, not power. That wasn’t specific enough. Pure love. I wanted to call it Goddess energy, but I knew that was wrong. This was more about the bigger picture. Symbiosis. Animals take in oxygen and expel carbon dioxide, while most plants take in carbon dioxide and expel oxygen. It’s like all
the creatures of a realm are unknowingly codependent on each other. Each is an important puzzle piece. Even the seemingly lowly earthworm is vital to the ecosystem. Kirsten’s energy was the totality of all living creatures, all the puzzle pieces, assembled correctly. That’s the only way I could describe it, and I had to close my eyes and force my physical body to sit still and adjust. The lion wanted to burst forth, and I’d need to let him out — soon — but I needed to deal with it in my human form first.

  Did it work?

  Her voice rang in my head like the purest bell. Not too high pitched, not too low pitched. Her telepathic voice resonated with my soul.

  It did. I’m figuring out how to balance the energy I got from you. When I do, I’ll have to change for an hour or so. The lion is going to need some time to adjust as well. It’s good we did this here and not at home, so I can deal with it when I’m not directly connected to my lions.

  Lauren’s going to sleep on the sofa in my bedroom here tonight. I told her you and Mordecai could wear shorts to sleep and would just have to behave, but it might work for your lion to sleep in front of the door. She’s still getting used to the magic here, and she didn’t want to sleep alone.

  Perfect. A night in my other form will do me good.

  Chapter 18

  Nathan

  Today was going to be a surprise for Kirsten. The introduction of the Royal Family to the realm. Fashion is different here, so while it might sound a bit hideous to Midgard sensibilities, Kirsten was in a form-fitting dress made of a heavy tapestry material with a floral design. Underneath was a rather tightly laced corset, so her waist was even smaller. She wore kick-ass dressy burgundy leather boots from home (I’d managed to get them here without her knowing), and her one-of-a-kind crown. The dress was in shades ranging from light burgundy to deep burgundy. Smokey wore a wide collar of the same fabric. Lauren wore a deep burgundy pencil skirt and blouse, with a wide belt made of the tapestry fabric.

  I wore a deep charcoal suit, burgundy dress shirt and tie, and a waistcoat made of the tapestry fabric. The day called for me to be crowned, since I’m King of the Lions, so I proudly wore the crown I so rarely show.

  Mordecai was dressed somewhere between Mars and Ares, the two god-names he’s most known for. As Mars, he represented the idea of having enough military power to secure peace without having to fight for it. He wore the metallic scaled shirt and skirt of ancient battle, his huge sword in a scabbard attached to a burgundy belt, and the famous Spear of Mars in his hand. A wide sash of the tapestry fabric draped from shoulder to waist.

  But Kirsten only knew what she was wearing. It wasn’t until she was brought outside that she saw the rest of us and realized we all wore the fabric of her dress as an accent.

  We were already in the open-air carriage when her guard brought her out with all the pomp and circumstance one would expect.

  Today, magic would transfer us to the seven largest cities of the realm, and a team of majestic horses would pull us within the cities. We’d seamlessly go from the end of one parade route to the beginning of the next. Our final destination was in the largest city, and a ceremony was planned at the end of the procession.

  Mordecai

  I’m not one for the rituals of humans anymore, but I’d have done just about anything to make sure Kirsten’s people understood she belonged to me. In this case, we were broadcasting that she was both mine and Nathan’s, but that was okay. Along with Lauren and Smokey, the five of us made up the Royal Family, and it was important the people of the realm saw us as a unit.

  In Alfheim, people live in villages. The cities are the economic centers, with open air markets, arenas, theaters, and various specialty stores. Bakeries and produce stands are plentiful in the villages, but you’ll need to go to the market in a city to buy seafood if you don’t live near the ocean, or freshwater fish if they can’t be caught locally. If you want a fruit that isn’t native to your area, you’ll need to travel to the city. Building materials are only available in the city. Basically, anything the people in your village can grow, catch, kill, make, or produce, you can usually get in the village. The cities are thriving marketplaces, but no one wants to live so far from nature.

  Through the seven cities, our procession took us down the wide main street, the sidewalks and roofs crowded with spectators. We drove a circle through the packed arenas. We exited the carriage and went into the theaters to walk across the stage, and I didn’t see an empty seat anywhere.

  It was estimated that seventy percent of the realm made it into the cities so they could catch a glimpse of the Royal Family. Kirsten had understood she’d be presented to the realm as part of the midwinter celebrations, and she’d known it was important she be seen with her loved ones, but she hadn’t understood the love and adoration the realm had for her, or why.

  The carriage took us to a village for a short respite halfway through our procession. It’d been chosen as part of a contest, and only people who lived in the village were allowed here on this day.

  We exited the carriage and walked to a temporary dais. Once on it, the stage rose into the air so we could see the surrounding crops.

  Our carriage was kept warm with magic, but the dais was cold. I worried Kirsten would begin to shiver. Nathan stepped behind her, and I realized he was trying to share his body heat without looking obvious. I reached for her hand and sent subtle heat through the connection — enough she’d feel it, but not so much anyone would sense it. Kirsten was great with every kind of energy except the kind that would keep her warm. Well, unless she set herself on fire, but that probably wasn’t the best choice for the moment.

  “These are winter crops, Your Majesty,” the mayor of the village told her. “Over the summer, our crops yielded nearly double what they’d given us the year before. These crops are growing even more, and we expect possibly six times more crops, compared to previous winters. It’s believed your sexual adventures with your men have contributed to the enhanced growth and overall prosperity in the land during recent months.”

  An old Crone stepped forward, a girl child of perhaps six holding her hand. “You’ve done this, Queen Kirsten. Your energy has blessed our land. Finally, we have a Queen again, and your family is more powerful than anyone could have hoped for.” The Crone eyed me and then Nathan, clearly assessing us in some way. She looked back to Lauren and said, “We assume you haven’t named your men as your consorts only because they come with their own royal titles.”

  Her expression changed to that of a grandmother, and she smiled at Lauren. “Your daughter is beauty and grace personified.” She looked at Smokey with the same grandmotherly affection. “A canine with an aura of white and lavender is a rare gift indeed.” She met Kirsten’s gaze again. “You’ve brought love and health to the realm. You aren’t what we expected, but you’re what we needed.”

  Her voice lowered, so we could hear her but the assembled crowd could not. “The midwinter festival always ended with an orgy, and with the king fucking dozens of young maidens. None of us are expecting you to follow the ancient customs, Your Majesty, but we’re all hoping you’ll do something at the ball tonight to give the symbolism of spreading your energy to the realm. This is, in effect, what the orgies did, but with the added benefit of…” She spread her arms dramatically. “The idea of rebirth on its way. Babies and crops coming in the spring. Hope to get through the winter.”

  “Do you have any suggestions?” Kirsten asked the Crone.

  “I do not, Your Majesty.”

  Kirsten kept her voice soft. “I’m asking for advice. You won’t offend me by giving it.”

  “If you were to have sex with your men at the ball, and you share your orgasm with us, it will be enough. You haven’t shared it in some time.”

  She hadn’t shared it because she’d gained the control to keep from it. Kirsten didn’t explain anything though. She merely nodded and thanked the Crone for her wise counsel.

  Chapter 19

  Kirsten

&nbs
p; I didn’t know what to expect when we took the stage at the end of our nearly all-day parade route. We’d had a nice meal in a heated tent at the halfway point, but I worried about getting out of the carriage again. It was a beautiful sunshiny day, but it was freezing cold. Some of the cities had snow on the ground, but thankfully, the final city did not.

  Someone put a full length fur coat on Lauren when we exited the carriage, and I was grateful she wouldn’t be cold, at least.

  Alfheim runs on magic instead of electricity. Most of the time, I could get away with bringing my phone so long as I didn’t use it. Sometimes, though, it was as if the magic shorted it out, and it was totally bricked when I got back to the human realm. I tried to remember to leave it when I came.

  Because of this, I’d taken to wearing a non-electronic watch. It was one that used kinetic energy so you didn’t have to wind it every day. It was never right when I returned to Midguard, but it at least gave me an idea of the passage of time. Or, perhaps it just helped me feel as if I had a grasp on the time, because the truth is, I rarely did when I was here.

  I was still in the carriage when I saw an imperator crocodile in warrior form approach the large stage and lumber up onto it. He — or I assumed he — walked to the center of the stage, morphed into his crocodile form, and then into a human. A large, naked, human male. His crown formed on his head and he looked regal, even naked.

  I smiled at Harrison, levitated to the ground, walked the twenty yards to the stage, and climbed the steep stone steps up. We were in the center of the arena, with some of the crowd behind us and some in front, but I’d been instructed to face the obvious front of the stage. I didn’t understand how they’d managed to get this huge, Greek-looking stone structure in the center, unless perhaps it was permanently here?