I looked back down at the blades and ran shaky fingers over the leather-bound hilt of one of them.
“Thank you.”
Declan nodded before pulling me into an embrace. I melted into him.
“I’d like you to move in with me,” he said. He rubbed circles along my lower back, draining the tension that would have had me stiffening at his words.
I didn’t say anything.
If I was really going to give this a chance, was moving into Declan’s room such a bad idea?
Declan pulled away just enough to look down at me.
I chewed my bottom lip and then nodded. Okay, I could do this.
“Well, you’ve already moved in my things,” I said.
Declan grinned from ear to ear, his emerald eyes sparkling, but before he could say anything, I placed a hand on his chest, stopping him.
“There are going to be ground rules.”
Declan frowned, “What kind of ground rules?”
Uh, well. I wasn’t entirely sure yet but figured there should be some, right?
“No sex,” I said and then blushed. It had been the first one to pop to mind.
Declan raised a single blond brow.
“Are you sure about that?” His voice dipped low and heat crept into his gaze.
Nope. Not one bit, but it sounded like a good idea.
I nodded my head. “Sex can complicate things. I want to see if this—us—works. I don’t just want physical distractions,” I said.
Declan nodded his head slowly. “Okay, for how long?”
I shrugged my shoulders. How the hell was I supposed to know? "I don't know. A month, maybe longer."
“Okay. I can live with that. Am I allowed to have some ground rules?” he asked.
I eyed him skeptically. I wasn’t sure if I liked where this might go.
“Maybe—” I hedged.
“No leaving the Compound without an escort until the trouble with Thorne and your mother is resolved.”
No. Absolutely not! I was not a child in need of a babysitter. I was a grown woman, dammit, and I could take care of myself.
Declan placed a finger on my lips, halting my response.
"It's not forever. I know you chafe at the idea of having a bodyguard, but, Aria, you've been attacked, kidnapped, and have nearly died more times than I care to count. This isn't an unreasonable request."
I set the box down and, with daggers still in hand, folded my arms across my chest.
I hated when he was right.
“Fine,” I agreed. “But I get to pick my escort.”
Declan pursed his lips. “Who would you pick?”
I frowned. Now that I thought about it, I didn’t know.
I didn’t know many Pack members outside of Declan’s inner circle, which mostly consisted of Clan Alphas, and I couldn’t very well ask one of them to play bodyguard duty. Every Pack was made up of a series of Clans. The Pacific Northwest Pack had seven, and there wasn’t a single Alpha within those Clans, that I believed even remotely liked me.
“Does it have to be a shifter?” I asked.
Declan’s eyes darkened, and I knew where his mind was heading. “I’m not saying it always has to be Inarus,” I interjected. “I’m just saying that if I happen to already be working with him, it doesn’t make sense for me to have another person tagging along.”
“It makes perfect sense,” Declan argued.
“You’re being unreasonable.”
Declan folded his arms across his chest, his muscles bunching with the movement. “I don’t trust him.”
“You don’t have to. I do. I trust him with my life, more than I would some random member of the Pack who I barely know and who also probably hates me.”
"Any member of the Pack would die for you," he growled.
"That's fine and dandy," I told him, "But I'm also not the most popular person around the Compound. I'm pretty sure that they also wouldn't shed a tear if it was me who died. Accidentally, of course." I couldn't really blame them for not liking me. I wasn't exactly the most likable person, and rejecting their Alpha on more than one occasion hadn't helped me earn their good graces.
“Brock likes you,” he added.
“Brock is your head of security. He has more important things to do than babysit me.”
Declan clenched his jaw. “Who will guard you is to be determined, but you don’t leave the Compound grounds without someone, even if it is the damn psyker, and you don’t leave without alerting me.”
“What if I can’t find you?” I asked.
"Then leave a note," he growled.
“Deal,” I said and stuck my hand out to shake on it.
Declan shook my hand with a smile.“With that settled, we need to get ready. We have a meeting with the Clan Alphas in two hours.”
I groaned. “We?”
He nodded his head. “Yes. We.”
12
Aria
I hadn’t eaten in twenty-four hours, and my body was starting to growl at me. I jogged down a flight of stairs leading to the Compound commons and kitchen.
Like usual, it was teeming with activity, everyone scrambling about for their morning meal. Shifters never skipped a meal if it could be helped, and if they did, they gave an entirely new definition to the word hangry.
I grabbed a plate and went to stand in line with everyone else. The set up reminded me of a school cafeteria, but it made sense given the number of mouths that were fed on a daily basis in the Compound.
The Pacific Northwest Pack encompassed all of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and parts of Montana. It was several thousand strong, however most lived outside of the Compound but still within Pack territories.
The Compound itself housed several hundred shifters at any given time. From what I’d been able to gather, the Compound had an open door policy to all Packmates. Some were permanent residents, and others were just passing through.
I scratched behind my neck as I waited in line and tried not to turn around. I felt eyes boring into my back, and it made me feel twitchy.
I’d left my daggers in Declan’s room, which was probably a good thing, since my hand wanted to reach instinctively for one.
I ignored the stares and looks of disgust that came my way by passersby and reminded myself that I’d win them over eventually.
When it was my turn, I stepped forward, and a serving of eggs, toast, and two strips of bacon were heaped on my plate. I thanked the cook and headed to find a seat.
Everyone avoided making eye contact as I passed by.
Don’t worry, I didn’t want to sit with you anyway.
“Ari! Ari!” I turned in the direction my name had come from to see Caden waving an arm in the air. I smiled and headed in his direction, happy to see a familiar face.
Caden was one of the children Inarus and I had rescued a few months ago when we’d stumbled upon one of the H.A.C. labs. I still had nightmares about the horrors they must have gone through at the hands of my mother and her cohorts.
We’d rescued the eight children being held. They were shifters, and we had successfully located the parents for all but two.
Caden was one of those who didn’t have any parents to go home to. At seventeen, he was a ward of the Pack, but I was happy to see that he’d settled in.
“Aria, sit over here,” Caden said and indicated the space next to him. I took the seat and nodded to the two other shifters seated with him—Brock, Declan’s chief of security, and Devin, a bear shifter and Brock’s usual partner in crime.
Brock was a lion shifter in his mid-twenties with cognac eyes. He was still growing into himself, but if his broad shoulders and long limbs were any indication, it wouldn't be too much longer before he fully filled out.
He offered me a hesitant smile before returning to his meal. His apprehension was understandable.
I wasn't exactly nice to him when I’d discovered Declan's little plan to use me as a weapon. Brock had known, and he'd never told me. Not that I could blame
him. We hadn't been exactly friends at the time, but it still felt like a betrayal.
Devin, on the other hand, was a man of few words and even fewer expressions. He offered me a grunt as a hello and then returned to his meal as well.
“Where have you been all morning?” Caden asked as he placed a spoonful of eggs into his mouth.
“Sorting through some things with Declan,” I said. I noticed Brock’s and Devin’s ears perk up across the table, but neither of them lifted their heads.
“How are you two getting along?” Caden whispered.
“They can still hear you,” I whispered back with a chuckle. Caden rolled his eyes.
“I know that,” he said. “I just didn’t know if you knew that.”
I ruffled the top of his auburn hair. “We’re getting along just fine.”
He seemed comforted by my response, his grin widening.
“So when’s the ceremony going to be?”
I drew down my brows and took a bite of my toast, “What ceremony?” I asked him.
“The mating ceremony. You know …?”
I shook my head. “We’re not having a mating ceremony.”
His face fell. “So it’s true? You rejected our Alpha?” His jaw hardened and anger filled his copper gaze.
I wrapped my arm around his shoulders, but he shrugged me off.
“I didn’t reject Declan,” I told him.
That wasn’t entirely true. I’d rejected him plenty of times, but now wasn’t one of them. Regardless, I felt like I needed to reassure Caden that Declan and I were working it out. He needed some semblance of stability, and since being rescued, Declan and I seemed to be what he latched onto.
“I just moved into his room today. We’re making progress,” I told him. “I’m just not ready for any ceremonies yet. You understand right?”
Caden nodded slowly. “So you’re trying?” he asked hesitantly.
“I am.” That seemed to be all the reassurance he needed. He gave me a toothy grin and returned to his food.
When I looked up, both Brock and Devin were staring at me intently.
“Yes?” I asked.
Both men frowned before Brock finally spoke up. “You weren’t lying,” he commented.
“Was I supposed to?” I asked and took another bite of my toast.
He shook his head. “No, it’s just—”
“We didn’t think you’d be staying.” Devin finished.
“Sorry to burst your bubbles. Not that my relationship is any of your business or anyone else’s for that matter,” I said in warning. I didn’t need the rumor mill to start buzzing about me moving in Declan’s rooms, “but Declan and I are giving things a whirl.”
Brock shot to his feet with a whoop of excitement, rushed over to me and pulled me into a big hug.
“Welcome to the family,” he said.
“Can’t—breath,” I coughed out.
“Sorry, sorry.” He quickly released his hold on me. “This is great news.”
“It is?” I thought everyone hated me, well except for James and the children.
"Yeah. Do you have any idea what a pain it's been working with Declan? He's been an absolute bear. No offense, man," he said to Devin.
Devin rolled his eyes, unperturbed, and continued stuffing his face. I quickly scanned the room and realized that all eyes were on us.
Damn shifter hearing.
“Uhh …” I resumed my seat and tried to ignore all the glances in my direction.
“Did you really have to make such a scene?” I asked Brock.
He smiled smugly. “Of course I did. How else was I going to make sure the entire Pack knew Declan and you were official?”
I groaned.
13
Aria
Shit! Inarus was still in my room. Where I’d told him to stay put yesterday when I went to find Declan. And then gotten drunk and spent the night in his room. It seemed like days ago. I couldn’t believe I’d forgotten
I groaned and scrubbed a hand over my face.
“Hey—” I said.
“Hey,”
The awkward silence was deafening.
“Sorry about …” I trailed off.
Inarus was still in the same clothes he’d been in the day before, his black shirt wrinkled and his midnight-black hair disheveled.
“You slept with him?” It was more of an accusation than a statement.
I shook my head. “No, well, I slept with his tiger.”
He nodded as I sat next to him on the bed.
“But, I’m moving in,” I told him.
Inarus leaned back and gave me an assessing look.
“Okay,” he said.
I waited for more, but he just looked at me with sad resignation in his eyes.
“We okay?” I asked.
He shrugged. “Why wouldn’t we be?”
I frowned but didn’t comment. He was clearly holding back, but I was going to roll with it.
“Did you stay here last night?” I asked.
He nodded, “Is that alright?”
“Of course. I think you should stay here. At least until things cool off with my mother. It’s not a good idea for you to go back to Sanborn Place or my apartment. I’m sure she’s got eyes on both places.”
“I doubt Declan, or anyone else in the Pack, would go for that.”
“It’s fine. I’ll take care of it.”
“Okay, but not here.” he indicated the room around him. “You’ll still need somewhere you can escape to. I’ll bunk with Caden.”
Inarus had taken the cub under his wing, and they'd developed a close friendship. Inarus had never been very accepting of shifters, but so far, they both seemed to have a positive effect on the other.
Declan wouldn’t be thrilled with Inarus living in the Compound, but he’d see the necessity behind it. And Caden was the most likely choice to watch Inarus.
This couldn't be a better set up. I snickered to myself. Caden was fiercely loyal to the Pack, but he was also loyal to Inarus. I didn't think Declan would get much out of Caden unless it was dire.
“So what now?” Inarus asked.
“I was actually coming to get you for that. We’re going to a meeting.” I told him.
He arched a brow. “We are? With who?”
“The Clan Alphas. Declan is getting everyone together now. We should hurry. We don’t want to miss any of the excitement.”
14
Aria
We walked into a storm of raised voices as each Alpha fought to control the conversation.
“We have to strike now, while there is still the element of surprise.” Eva sat forward, fists clenched on the table.
“It’s foolish to provoke a war. Over a human woman no less.” I didn’t see the idiot who’d spoken those words.
A growl reverberated through the room.
“Declan, I meant no disre—”
I cleared my throat, and all eyes swung my way. Caynen, the Alpha for Clan Big, met my gaze, and I knew he’d been the one to speak up.
“Hi,” I said with a wiggle of my fingers. “Human woman here and ready for action.”
His thick, dark brows drew together. “My apologies,” he said. “I meant no disrespect.” His voice dripped with mock sincerity
I snorted and saw several brows raise around the table.
"Look, Caynen, I might not be a shifter, but I can spot a lie a mile away. You don't have to like me." I already don't like you. "But we're going to need to work together."
Declan caught my attention, growled softly, and waved me toward the seat on his right.
I turned back to Inarus, and he gave me a quick nod before angling in the opposite direction and taking the only other empty seat at the table. Hostile eyes fell on him.
Crossing the line from foe to friend was never easy, and it was no secret that the Pack weren’t fans of his.
Inarus had conspired against them with the H.A.C. to start a war between the Pack and the Coven, and he was person
ally responsible for at least one shifter murder.
My mother was smart. Pit the Pack and the Coven against one another, and when the dust settled, the victor would be too weak to thwart her next attack.
Inarus had come to his senses shortly after his involvement with the death of a shifter woman and a vampire and realized he was just another pawn being used by my mother in her deathly bid for power, but forgiveness from those you wronged never came easy.
He ignored their sneers and took his seat across the table as I took mine next to Declan.
Butterflies danced in my stomach, and Declan placed a large, comforting hand on my knee beneath the table, causing warmth to suffuse me.
I avoided eye contact with him but met the gaze of every other shifter in attendance before I cheerfully asked, “So what did I miss?”
Robert chuckled. “We’re glad you could join us, Aria,” His sincerity took me by surprise. “We were just discussing the best course of action for dealing with the matter of your mother.”
I rolled my eyes. “Despite the fact that she’s my mother, she is a direct threat to the Pack,” I told him.
Robert offered a sardonic smile. “Indeed.”
Declan squeezed my knee below the table, encouraging me to speak.
“You can’t wait for her to attack. She’s the head of the H.A.C., and she controls PsyShade. You’ve all seen what I can do, but I’m untrained. Her men are all experts in their abilities. A battle against the entire PsyShade forces will result in significant losses for us.” Us. The word rolled naturally off my tongue, and I saw the smile of satisfaction that crossed Declan’s face when I said it.
There were murmurs around the room as everyone digested my words.
“What would you suggest?” Caynen folded his hands atop the table and leveled his gaze with mine.
“My mother doesn’t fight fair,” I told him. “I suggest we don’t, either.”
I turned to Inarus. On our way here we’d discussed the best course of action. We’d both studied shifters since the Awakening, when all things paranormal had decided to come out of the woodwork and play.
Branded by Fire: A Paranormal Urban Fantasy Series (Blood & Magic Book 4) Page 8