by Harper Wylde
I laughed from the mere pleasure of hearing the words reciprocated. “I know,” I told him. “I heard you say it the other day when you were falling asleep. It’s why I left your envelope on your bed. It’s my favorite memory of us.” Ryder tilted backward and let me go to swipe at a tear that dripped from his eye. The sight of it made me blink back my own emotions.
Then Hiro was there, studying my face with an intensity that made me squirm. “I love you, Annika,” he murmured, and I melted into him as he banded an arm around my back and kissed me, tasting the lingering flavor of Ryder on my lips. The coolness of his tongue ring rubbed sensually against my tongue as we played, our kiss slow, gentle, and sultry. As Hiro pulled back, I explained why I’d taped his card to the wall. “That’s the same spot where you kissed Ryder for the first time.” I blushed, remembering how hot that kiss had made me, even just as an observer. “It started this wonderful bond between the three of us, in addition to what we have with the rest of the group. What we have together means the world to me. You let me be myself. You let me be comfortable enough to try new things. It’s just one of the many things I love about you.” I leaned up and locked my lips onto Hiro’s one more time.
When Hiro moved to make room for Killian, I grabbed my Puca’s shirt and pulled him close to me. “It was hard for me to decide where to put your envelope,” I informed Kill, and my eyebrows drew together as disappointment crossed his face. Reaching up, I ran my palm over his scruff-covered jaw. “You misunderstand me.” I soothed my fingers over his light beard. “It was hard for me to pick where I wanted to leave it because I have so many fond memories of us together, Kill. I wasn’t sure if I should leave it on the couch where we had our first kiss, or in the basement where you’re always teaching me about self-empowerment in the home gym. Ultimately, I chose your room because it’s where we were first together. You made me feel comfortable and powerful, and I will love you forever for that.” Killian’s arms crushed me in a hug, lifting me straight off my feet and into the air.
“I fucking love you,” Killian grumbled. “I’m so fucking glad I answered that stupid uber call that day. Meeting you… it’s unfathomable.” I giggled, recalling our rocky start, and then leaned down and sealed his words with a lingering kiss.
Turning to Theo next, I watched as he shook his head, still in shock over the image in his hands. “This changes everything for so many mythological shifters. I always knew animal shifters believed in marks, but I’d never put properly tested the theory. This… this is incredible.” He glanced back and forth between his picture, and the one of my own mark that Rini and Molly helped me take.
“I’m sure you’ll have plenty of time to study mating marks later.” Damien nudged Theo, snapping him out of his scientific mode.
Theo blushed and rubbed a hand across the back of his neck. “I’m sorry, Nix. I get carried away sometimes.”
“You have nothing to be sorry for. Your curious mind is just one of the many qualities I love about you.” I stepped closer, gazing up into his face. “Your pure, caring heart is another one. It’s why I left your card in the bathroom. I’ll never forget that day you brushed my hair for me after my rebirth.” His hand came up to thread into my hair, and he massaged my scalp gently as he remembered the day just as I did.
“You are the glue that binds us all together. We were strong before, but we’re boundlessly strong with you at our center. You have to know that I love you too.” Leaning down, Theo kissed a teasing trail along my cheek, nipping at my bottom lip before claiming my mouth in a kiss that set me on fire. The slow way he kissed me, teasing me with the tip of his tongue, only to pull back again, left me wanting and needy.
When he moved back, my breath was coming in rapid pants that increased my heart rate.
And then my Gargoyle descended on me, his strong hands hooking themselves under my butt and lifting me until I had my legs wrapped around him. I felt his hard length rubbing against my panty-clad center, my dress leaving little covering between our bodies. “You left my card in the bathroom too,” he rumbled.
“I did. Do you remember that day you eased my fears when I was too afraid to even move the shower curtain?” At his sharp nod, I continued, “You made me feel protected and safe, the same way you make me feel everyday. It was the first time I’d gotten to see your Gargoyle too. Even when I’m afraid, you bring me back and remind me of the power I have inside of myself.”
“I’ll always be here for you, sweetheart. We all will.” Gravel tinged his tone and I knew his Gargoyle was here with us, close to the surface. “I love you, Nix.” He angled our bodies close, rocking us together slowly while I leaned down and grazed my lips over his. When he growled, I deepened the embrace, pressing my body more firmly against his and tilting my head to give him the access he craved. His tongue teased the recesses of my mouth, eliciting a moan that rocketed through me.
By the time he set me on my feet, I was a panting mess.
“We have something for you too, babe.” Killian smoothed a hand down my back as the guys all gathered around me.
“You do?” I asked in confusion. “But how?” Damien grinned and my eyes widened. “You knew? About all of this?” I waved my hand around frantically. I’d worked so incredibly hard to block my thoughts from his these last few days only to fail.
“Not all of this, sweetheart. Just that you were thinking about telling us you loved us.” His grin was cheeky and unapologetic.
“I can’t believe it.” I let my hands fall to rest against my outer thighs.
“My mental abilities have been growing stronger. It’s hard to keep stuff from me, but I promise you I’ll help your barriers grow sturdier so you always feel like you have privacy.”
“Anyway, that’s not the point. The point is that we have a present for you.” Ryder smiled and I took a moment to enjoy the way it sparkled in his hazel eyes.
“You didn’t need to get me anything,” I hedged. “I didn’t get you guys anything other than the pictures, although I do have a romantic dinner planned.” I motioned toward the kitchen where the roast I had was baking as savory smells floated toward us from the oven. I just had to work my magic on the side dishes, and set the table with plates and the few candles I’d purchased, and we’d be all set.
“You don’t have to cook for us, you know,” Damien chimed in.
“Neither do you, but you do it because you enjoy it and you like to take care of us, and I do it for the same reasons.” I bopped him on the nose and he sent me an incredulous look that made me laugh.
Hiro cleared his throat as he sauntered across the room with a small box in his hand that he’d procured from some hidden hiding spot that I hadn’t been paying attention to while Damien distracted me. “This is from all of us to you.”
“We picked it out together, and we hope you like it,” Theo added.
“It’s a small token of how much we love and care for you.” Ryder beamed.
“We had to be careful with what we picked because we didn’t want it questioned…” Killian trailed off, waiting for me to open the box.
I ran my fingers over the velvet of the square box, marveling at the softness before I used my thumb to flip the lid open. There, nestled in the middle of the box, was a beautiful silver colored necklace.
“It’s made of platinum so that it can’t hurt any of us,” Damien interjected, but I couldn’t take my eyes off the beautiful piece of jewelry to glance up at him or respond. I simply stared at the necklace and ran my finger over the smooth, cool surface. Hanging off a delicate silver chain was a charm in the shape of Alaska with numbers engraved across its center.
“We wanted to get you a ring, but we figured that it would draw too much attention with the Council,” Ryder explained.
“We searched for something that would be memorable and yet easily explained.” Hiro reached out and tucked a strand of hair back behind my ear so he could see my face better. “Are you happy with it?”
I blinked back my tears and
nodded my head, unable to get words past the knot in my throat. “No one has ever given me something like this.” I swallowed hard, “I freaking love it.” I finally pried my eyes away from my gift to offer a watery, emotion filled smile to all my guys. “I freaking love you. All of you.”
“And we love you too, Nix,” Damien whispered. “So fucking much.”
Gazing down one more time, I ran my thumb over the engraved numbers. “These look like latitude and longitude numbers,” I noted, and Killian confirmed my guess.
“Yeah, they are.”
“They’re the coordinates for Anchorage.” Theo gazed at me from behind his lenses. “The place where we met and our lives forever changed.”
“No matter what happens going forward, with the Council, with the rebellion, we’ll always be together, and that’s what matters the most.” Damien looked to each of us in turn, and all of my guys pledged their agreement.
“We love you, baby. Now and forever,” Killian promised, and Ryder joined him.
“You’re ours.”
My heart soared, and my Phoenix danced and twirled in my mind, more joyful than she’d been in her entire life. Her fiery jubilance warmed me from the inside out, and I knew I was glowing with happiness.
We had our fair share of hardships heading our way between evading the Council and completing our last and largest task for the rebellion. With Zanoah still a no-show, my memories from the island were still just a mash-up of disjointed fragments that didn’t form a complete picture, and now that we knew Ryder had a niece, we all had renewed motivation to connect the pieces and track down the little girl from the island. Danger waited for us around every corner, it seemed, and yet, I knew without a doubt that whatever was coming our way, we’d face it together. The way we were meant to. As a family. As mates.
“Mates,” I murmured the word, letting it settle into the center of my heart. “Mine.”
Rumbles of agreement surged around me, before I was whisked off my feet and shown just how much they liked those two little words.
Author’s Note
Thank you for reading Forged in Flames
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The Phoenix Rising Series
Born of Embers
Hidden in Smoke
Spark of Intent
Forged in Flames
Blaze of Wrath
Shadow Touched
The Veil Keeper Book One - Harper Wylde
Chapter One
Lorn
I had never been normal. It was a fact I’d known about myself my entire life, and one I’d learned to live with. So I guess it stood to reason that like my life, my death would be anything but mundane.
I stood riveted to my spot as dark red eyes stared down at me, boring into my flesh like burning lasers. The breath of the beast was rancid as it bared its blood-red fangs, the unearthly slits in its eyes widening as a puff of hot breath washed over my face, chest, and arms. Magick tinged through my veins as I narrowed my gaze and assessed the enemy, looking for the best way to end it before it ended me.
Everything about the creature was unformed, its edges undefined. Instead, its body was a pitch black mass of thick, swirling, cloudlike whisps, but that did nothing to detract from its deadly appearance. It did, however, make it hard to figure out where the beast was most vulnerable. Lethal claws tipped each of the creature’s long fingers, and horns jutted out from the top of its wide, triangular shaped head. When it blinked, the beast’s eyelids lifted from both the bottom and the top, meeting in the middle in an unsettling, otherworldly display that had panic squeezing my heart in a vice-like grip. A piercing, all encompassing roar unleashed from the beast spurring me into action, and I raised my hands, letting go of the carefully guarded magick that I always kept locked away. Adrenaline coursed through my body and my heart started racing just before I jolted awake on a scream.
Panting from my subsiding nightmare, I groaned as awareness seeped back into my body. It took a few moments for my thoughts to find their way to the present, and I pushed myself up, my palms meeting the rough texture of what could only be the forest floor. The sticks, stones, and leaves of my impromptu bed stuck to me as my shaking arms lifted my upper body off the ground. Every muscle ached, giving homage to a wicked workout session that I knew I hadn’t done. I was completely exhausted down to a soul level, but I forced myself to crack my eyes open. Bright, blinding daylight greeted me, filtering down through the trees, their green, swaying leaves dancing in a cheery display that did no match my pre-coffee mood.
“Shit. No. Not again!” The adrenaline that was dying off after my nightmare surged back to life within my chest as reality crashed over me. My cheek stung from the sharp stone I must have used as a pillow and dirt clung to dark hair that tumbled freely around my shoulders. My very naked shoulders.
Wincing, I glanced down before shutting my eyes again with a disheartened sigh. Totally. Naked.
This is not happening. Not today! I scrambled to my feet while embarrassment ate at me and my worry became nearly tangible. The possibility of being discovered like this made my stomach drop and my pulse race much like it had during my overly realistic dream. Getting my bare ass into motion, I hurried through the thick forest, hoping the trees would offer up enough camouflage that I’d make it home unnoticed. The soles of my feet were sore after only a few steps, but I pressed on anyway, heading to the extra stash of clothing I kept outside for exactly this occasion.
This wasn’t the first time I’d found myself outdoors, naked, with no idea how I’d gotten there. And it probably wouldn’t be the last. These ‘episodes,’ as I called them, were happening more frequently. The fact I’d had one last night, just two days after my previous one, was more than a little concerning, but I needed to handle getting home before I let myself freak out. They’d never happened in such quick succession before, and deep down I recognized this change for the bad omen it was.
After a year full of dealing with them, I was still no closer to figuring out what the ‘episodes’ were about, or what happened when I was ‘under.’ As far as I could tell, there were no patterns or commonalities. The one thing I did know was that I couldn’t blame them on alcohol and bad decisions. At nearly twenty, I was still under drinking age and a strict rule follower. You had to be when your adopted father was a warlock on the High Coven. Eyes were always turned in our direction, and as the blemish that already stained the Kentwell name, I did everything in my power to stay as unnoticeable as possible.
The sun was well over the horizon line, and I knew there was a possibility it would be too late to sneak back into the house and pretend nothing unusual had happened. Especially if my absence had been noted. So far, I’d been able to hide these weird occurrences from my family, but today might require some creative storytelling.
A whoosh sounded and a hawk flew overhead, deftly moving through the branches before extending its wings and gliding to perch in a nearby tree. My heart nearly leapt from my body as I momentarily freaked out, throwing my hands over my nude body while a scared, embarrassed shriek left my lips. I skidded to a halt just as the ground beneath my feet trembled with unrestrained magick that slipped out unwarranted, taking advantage of my heightened emotions. It was a dangerous oddity of mine, this magick I wasn’t supposed to possess. I looked around frantically while I calmed myself and processed that the noises
had simply come from a bird and not a person. Working to retract the free reign energy, I mentally contained it all back in the box I kept it hidden in. With sharp movements, the creature watched me through it all.
“You get off on scaring people?” I scolded the hawk with an icy glower. It simply tilted its head—like it was actually listening to me. I knew hawks were known for being incredibly smart, but it seemed impossible that it actually understood the accusation I’d thrown at it.
Thoroughly shaken by the entire morning, my rising anxiety had my feet moving again as I sped toward home. The very last thing I needed was to be discovered by an actual person in the state I was in. I had no way to explain any of this, and if word got out, it would probably mean the ruination of the sliver of reputation I had left.
Taking in my surroundings, I knew I was getting closer to my house. Almost there. At least this time it seemed as though I’d stayed on my parents’ property. A few nights ago I had ventured far enough away that I’d ended up in the state game lands. Easily a five mile hike from home. If there was one shining bright spot in having returned home from the Witching Academy—a two year, college-like program all witches and warlocks had to attend—it was that these odd occurrences were easier to hide here than they had been when I lived in a dorm room full of other students.
I drew lungfuls of clean—albeit humid—air, the unsettling dream I’d had still buzzing in the back of my mind. It wasn’t the first time I’d awoken to the nightmare, either. The eerie creatures stalked my sleep, and while it wasn’t the same monster every night, each was just as deadly and creepy as the last. Despite the summer heat, a shiver raced down my spine, but I suppressed the memory of those eerie red eyes and buried the haunting remnants away as deeply as possible.