The Ancients Series

by Christine M. Butler

  “Jess…” my father warned.

  “My apologies, Jessica. I know he was something special to you, and what my mate did... It was awful. I’m so sorry.”

  “Just answer his damned questions.” I seethed through clenched teeth. Then I turned to Mikael as Leanna continued to explain how that morning had gone, as any other morning did. “You need to call Evan.” I whispered to Mikael. He glanced at me, questioningly. “This is his mother. I want his input, in the end, as to what we should do with her.”

  Mikael nodded in understanding. “I’m going to step away from all the ears in the room. Will you be okay?” Concern mixed with the beautiful green of his eyes, etching tiny lines into the corners as he looked down at me. I inclined my head once and stepped to the side a bit. Mikael turned and left the room to make the call.

  “…we didn’t see them again after that.” I tuned back into Leanna’s story. “Where is Mikael going?”

  “That’s none of your business.” I stated simply.

  “I would feel better if he were here.” Leanna pleaded.

  “Let’s make this clear, right now. Your feelings mean absolutely nothing to me. If you’re scared, I’m happy. If you’re worried, that’s smart, because you should be. If you think for a minute that you are going to get out of here one second before we know everything we want to know, you are delusional. So,” I gestured back to my father, “pay attention, and answer the next damn question.” Something flashed across Leanna’s face in that moment that I was sure she didn’t want me, or anyone else, to see. There was a little defiance in there, but it was blanketed with a heavy dusting of hatred.

  My father must have caught a glimpse of it too, because he growled at Leanna, bringing her attention fully back to him then. The mask went up, her face crumpled over again; into the pained look she wanted everyone to see. Pain would get her sympathy; hatred would get her locked away, or worse. She understood how to play the game. Thankfully, so did my father. “Let me also get something straight,” my father started. “You will look at me. You will address me. If I catch even the slightest hint that you are more concerned with anyone else in this room, or out of it, I will end these talks and have you taken straight to the locks.” Leanna’s eyes flew up in a very sincere showing of shocking surprise.

  “Y-y-yes, Jameson.” Her answer came on the heels of her slight head bow, acknowledging that my father held position over her.

  “Why did you and Annabelle leave the area? If you knew nothing about Malachai and Antoine’s plans, how did you know to leave?”

  “We were already packed to go. Antoine was frustrated with the lack of progress between Mikael and Jessica. Clearly, he had been fooled, because they had already been mated. Had he known, we would have left days before. Well, at least I would have thought so. I didn’t know he had other plans brewing.” Her haughty tone as she spoke worked my nerves, and it took a lot to keep my place in the room. I was suddenly hoping Mikael would hurry up and get back inside, just in case.

  “That morning, Antoine told Anna and me that he had already booked us a flight back home. He was going to send us ahead of time.” She sniffed, and flinched, as she got ready to look in my direction, before she remembered my father’s orders. “I argued with him, because I didn’t want to miss the bonding ceremony during the solstice. I liked the idea of Jessica with Mikael. He may not be a son from my own womb, but he is family to me as if he were. I didn’t want to miss it. Antoine said I was being silly, and then he ordered us to go, saying that he would make sure Jess and Mikael came home shortly after so that Jess could see the Ancients territory.”

  My father didn’t really get any solid details out of her about what took place before they took off for Romania, so I stepped in.

  “When you got to Romania, what did you do?”

  “I’m not sure I understand your question.” Leanna fidgeted as she looked up at me.

  “You left here, you went to Romania, and then what?”

  “We didn’t go there first. We found out what happened to Antoine, and about Malachai going missing and we travelled to Paris instead. We stayed there a short time, trying to figure out what to do. We’re well aware of what guilt by association can do.”

  “So, you hid out in Paris. What made you think that it was okay to go to Romania?”

  “Quite frankly, I was tired of hiding. I figured we’d just get it over with. No one bothered us while we were there though.” She sighed.

  “Malachai was there at some point?” I questioned.

  Mikael came back in the house and stood there next to me with the phone in his hand. He had Evan on a video chat, and held the phone so Evan could see Leanna as she answered.

  Leanna took her time, watching Mikael, trying to figure out what he was up to. “Malachai showed up, and told us to gather our things, that he had a place for us to go.” She continued to fidget with her dress. “Annabelle was screaming at him, begging for answers. She accused him of ruining our lives by going along with his father.”

  I was growing impatient with her slow story telling. “And?”

  “And, I was packing while they yelled. I wanted nothing to do with Malachai’s plan to get away. That wasn’t why I was packing. I already had a plan to come here.” She looked up beseechingly. “I couldn’t make Anna come with me though. For better or worse, she’s mated to Malachai.” Leanna huffed then. “When I told him I wouldn’t be coming with him, he got angry. Anna screaming at him continuously didn’t help matters, and finally he yelled that he was done with the both of us, and told Anna that he would find a way to break their bond.” With those words, the now calm Annabelle started up her simpering again. It wasn’t long after Malachai left that a young wolf who worked in the house found us, and helped us pack some things for our travels.”

  “So, you packed, but I see there are only a couple bags sitting in the room. Where’s the rest of it?”

  Leanna looked confused for a moment. “What do you mean?”

  “I mean you packed up most of the contents of an entire house. Where’s the rest of it?”

  “We only grabbed some clothes and a few trinkets.” Her eyes were large and Annabelle was now paying attention again.

  “Is that so?” I huffed, and then turned to look at Mikael. He knew what I was thinking. We’d already had confirmation from a wolf that said he helped them pack, that they weren’t packing light. “I will have zero mercy on you if you can’t be honest with me.”

  “Jessica, we…” Annabelle cut off whatever Leanna had been about to say. “We put it all in a storage facility. Leanna and I are left with nothing considering what happened with our mates. The remaining boys were going to inherit everything, and we weren’t sure if we were going to have to keep running for our lives. Do you blame us for wanting a little security?”

  I didn’t bother to answer. I just turned to Mikael, and held my hand out for the phone he held. “Evan, Leanna is your blood. And I trust you know her best…” I looked over the phone at Mikael who nodded his approval and smiled. “What would you have us do with your mother?”

  “Keep her there. Treat her well, but maintain watch on her.” Leanna flinched at her son’s words. Evan continued, “She’s my mother, but it was my father who caused all this chaos to begin with, so I’m not in the mood to take unnecessary chances. As for Annabelle, keep an even closer watch on her.” Annabelle shot him a reproachful look through her tear stained face. “I don’t trust her at all. She’s Malachai’s mate thru and thru, whether he’s shunned her or not. Mikael?”

  “Yeah, brother?”

  “We need to talk as soon as you’re alone.” Evan looked beyond the camera again. “I’ve got to go for now. I’ll call later though.”

  With that Mikael hung up the phone and put it back in his pocket. I turned towards my father. “I’ll leave their arrangements to you. We haven’t learned everything from them yet, though. I can see that they are both holding something back. Can you try to find out what it is?”
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  “You know I will, Jess.” My father answered.

  “Good. Be kind if you can, but if they don’t cooperate, do what needs to be done.”

  My dad inclined his head to me, but I noticed how his eyebrow quirked up in surprise. My father’s men seemed to regard me differently as I said that too. They all stood, looking at me reverently, and then they each inclined their heads as my father had done. It was a sign of respect.

  Mikael and I left the house and headed for my Jeep that was parked outside. “They didn’t think you’d sanction force on females.”

  “I’ll sanction force on anyone if it seems necessary. Trying to save my people doesn’t mean I’m not willing to get my hands dirty when we have to take the laundry out.” Mikael laughed, and raised his hands in surrender.

  “I’m fully on your side, babe.”

  “I know you are. I’m hungry, and cranky, and a little bit tired though. Let’s hurry home before someone else needs us, please!”

  “You got it.”

  “I’m going to call Angelique’s and have them deliver something.”

  “They don’t deliver out to my house, Jess.”

  I stuck my lip out in a pout. “I guess we have to stop by on the way then. I’ll go ahead and call it in. What do you want?”

  “I just want you!” The grin that broke out across Mikael’s face seemed to light him up from the inside out. It was contagious.

  “I’m already here, do you want anything that’s actually on their menu?” I laughed.

  Mikael gave me his order, and I called in the food. Everything was ready by the time we got to Angelique’s, and I had to salivate the whole way home smelling the yummy goodness of the southern cuisine.

  Mikael and I sat down to eat our dinner in peace. The best part about his house being so far from the pack was that when we were there, it was just the two of us. We didn’t have to worry about the constant interruptions. I wasn’t sure how my father managed being a pack leader, or how I was going to manage somehow governing over all the wolves in the world. Ideally, Antoine and I could have worked together. Had he not been so power hungry, and depraved, anyway. Now, I was on my own, and there were definitely packs out there that didn’t like it one damn bit.

  “You know, now that I’ve been acknowledged as the white wolf, we should probably live within a pack, not apart from them.” I expressed my thoughts out loud so Mikael could weigh in too.

  “Actually, that’s something I wanted to talk to you about. I spoke with Jameson about building a place out there. As soon as Ash & Asi’s house is done, we’ll get it started.”

  “The pack's town has become a perpetual construction zone lately.” I blurted out before taking another bite.

  “Yeah, well, I expect it’s only going to get worse for Jameson’s pack, and all the ones near it before all is said and done.”

  “What do you mean? Why?”

  “My father ruled from Eastern Europe. Those that want to be near the leadership congregate around it. We had our own little city there. I imagine that most will flock to be near the new regime, especially if they want to attempt to blend in with your Immersion Program.”

  “This is why I keep you around.” I mused.

  Mikael grinned. “That’s why?” He leaned over the table and nipped the tip of my nose. I thought for sure there were better reasons than the random thoughts and ideas I spit out once in a while.”

  “Oh, there are, but once in a while your randomness is genius when I’m too tired to think.” I winked at him, and he laughed.

  “Don’t worry, your dad is already preparing for the influx.”

  When all the food was gone he followed me up the stairs, and started the shower for me so the water had a chance to get hot before I jumped in. I thought, maybe he was going to join me, but he never came back in. When I was done, I found Mikael already fast asleep on the bed. Apparently, I wasn’t the only who was exhausted lately.

  I climbed in bed, and tucked myself as close to his body as I could get, letting his natural, woodsy, masculine scent wash over me until my eyelids were too heavy to stay open any longer. My life had changed in crazy ways over the course of the past year, and the best of those changes was having this man by my side. I went to sleep with a smile on my face, content just to be close after another long day.

  ~*~

  The warm glow from the flames bounced across the cave with a shimmery effect, adding to the magic of the dream place where the previous white wolves spoke to me. The air, which normally smelled strongly of lavender, also had an undercurrent of freshly turned earth. I looked around again, taking everything in as each aspect of the cave slid in and out of my view. There, right in front of the dais in the middle of the cave there was a patch of earth amidst the smooth rocks that usually adorned the area. This was the first time I had been sucked into the dream realm with the white wolves to find the scenery had changed. I wondered why, just before they started speaking to me.

  They were going on and on about planting, harvesting, and continuing cycles. The magic of love came up as well, but I honestly didn’t understand a damn bit of it. This was, by far, my most confusing visit with the white wolves to date.

  “It is time for you to share in the magic, Jessica.” The voices of the wolves echoed through the cave. The call of the wolves was a melodious sound that drew me down deeper into my dream. Everything warmed, my skin tingled, and I listened as their voices once again sang in a chorus throughout the cave. “It is time. The magic is yours. So the cycle begins anew.”

  “What?” I whispered, but then I was too caught up in the euphoria of the moment to care what they meant. The world spun around me, the warmth seemed to fill every pour in my skin, branching out beyond that to every follicle of hair I possessed. A deep moan of sheer pleasure escaped my lips when Mikael’s face came to mind. I smiled, wishing he were there, feeling the love and light flowing through him as well. Then his voice broke through, calling to me, pulling me out of the dream, and into his arms…

  ~*~

  “Jess, baby, wake up!” I opened my eyes to see the emerald deep pools of Mikael’s irises staring back at me, shadowed with concern. “You were moaning in your sleep. I wasn’t sure…”

  I took a deep breath, taking in the intoxicating scent that was all Mikael. It wrapped around me like a blanket, making me want to be closer to him. I moved, in his arms, wriggling my body until I was flush up against his chest with my own. The skin of my cheek a fiery trail across his, and down his neck, as I marked him with my own scent. An overwhelming need to possess him, to make him entirely mine, to be one with him had taken hold. It was a need so deeply ingrained that I began to ache with it. Something in my belly tugged me even closer, if that was possible. My hands began to roam all over his body, and I slid my way back up to lay not so gentle kisses on his neck. I grazed along his jaw and chin with my teeth, alternating between playful bites, and sweet kisses.

  “Jess?” Mikael asked breathlessly.

  A moan erupted from somewhere in the back of my throat as his voice sent tender gooseflesh dancing across every inch of my skin. “Mikael…” I whispered throatily as I tossed a leg over the other side of him, straddling his hips now. A wave of pure, blissful heat swept through my whole body, igniting a fire I didn’t know was possible to feel. That tug in my belly went deeper now, to my very core as I felt Mikael move underneath me.

  He pulled me closer, wrapping his muscular arms around my back, and tipping my head back so that he could nuzzle into my neck this time. When he did, I felt the change in him immediately. He started growing rock hard underneath me, and the playful little nuzzling he started turned into an unbridled passion that neither of us had experienced before. All thought was lost then, as our clothes were quickly disposed of, and our bodies came together with a need that burned. Mikael twisted, pulling my body around, and underneath his once our clothes were no longer a burden. He leaned in, kissing me deeply with that first thrust, and suddenly I never wanted
it to end. This was how I wanted to die. It was how I wanted to live in the same moment. We were so close, so consumed with one another-in one another-which we were very nearly a single entity that only existed as pure bliss.

  He moved his hips above me, swirling and surging forward as I arced my body to meet his. Each of us was striving to meet the other’s demands. It was a sensual dance that continued on for some time, and even when we had both reached our climax, we weren’t done. The rest of the world simply fell away as we lost ourselves in one another for the next few hours.

  I was staring up at the ceiling, not really seeing it, but daydreaming about being able to wake up like this every day with Mikael. I just knew that if I could see myself right then, I would have been glowing. A blissful peace settled in around me that I hadn’t known since that day Mikael and I spent at the cave, when I lost my virginity and we bonded. “Hey babe, penny for your thoughts?” Mikael called to me as he looked through the closet for something to wear. His hair was sending little rivulets of water cascading down his shoulders and back to be swallowed up by the towel he had wrapped around his waist.

  The intense hunger to have him there, touching me, inside of me, bonding together again was overpowering. He must have felt the same pull because he stopped what he was doing and turned to look at me with an equally heated gaze. In the space of a breath, he was stalking towards me, his towel lost along the way, as he climbed across the bed to get to me. The spell was only broken when my stomach growled loudly in protest.

  “Okay,” Mikael sat back quickly, “we need to get you fed first before this can continue. I don’t want you wasting away any further in here.”