“You need to wake up, my little hellion.” He was rubbing my back in circles. “You feel so good, though. Can’t we just stay here forever?” I asked, pressing a kiss to his chest.
I thought I heard a laugh at the same time that Locke let out a low growl. “Eve,” he groaned. “Please, I need you to wake up. We need to talk about what happened. Then I’ll lay down with you for as long as you want.”
My eyes popped open when I heard laughing. I was in shock to see the heirs, Penny and Jacob. “Not that I’m unhappy to see you guys, but why the hellfire are you all in my room?” I sat up and stretched my arms over my head.
Jacob jumped up to hug me, but Locke pulled me back against him. A threatening growl escaped his lips. At the same time, Cade pulled Jacob away from the bed. I looked around the room in total confusion.
“What’s going on?” I asked as Locke nipped his mark on my neck. I could tell his hydra was very close to the surface. “We need to call Eve’s dad. Locke, I’m going to get the phone. I’m not going to come any closer,” Miles said as if he was trying to calm a wild animal. I seriously feel like I woke up in the twilight zone.
My dad picked up on the first ring. “Evelyn,” he breathed out in relief. “Dad, hi. Um, so could someone fill me in on what’s going on? I’m very confused as to what’s happening right now.” I looked around the room. Everyone had different expressions on their faces.
Jacob looked like he wanted to steal me from Locke’s grip. Emmett looked like he was about to kill someone. Cade couldn’t take his eyes off of Locke. Miles was deep in thought, and Penny was on the verge of tears.
“What’s the last thing that you remember, my love?” Dad asked. “I was texting you guys in the library.” I frowned. I feel like there was more too it, but my mind was still sluggish. Why can’t I remember? What’s happening to me?
“She’s having trouble remembering what happened next. Don’t push her,” Locke snapped. He started running his hands through my hair.
“It’s okay, Eve. We can have Emmett tell us what he saw. It may help you fill in the blanks,” Miles suggested.
“I was keeping an eye on Eve in the library. She was working on her laptop for a while. She was texting on her phone when a teacher approached her. I didn't think much of it, but then I noticed that he was touching her,” Emmett gritted out. He looked furious.
He took a second to collect himself. “Her body language was all wrong, so I rushed over. She was really tense and could barely keep her eyes open. Her teacher said that she asked him to take her to her dorm because she was exhausted. There was no way in Hell that I was going to let that happen. I started packing up her things. That’s when Locke came.”
Locke kissed my shoulder, and I froze. “My shoulders,” I whispered. Confused faces stared back at me. “I was texting Dad and the guys when someone put their hands on my shoulders. I panicked and texted gibberish in the group text. Dad, did you get it?” I asked.
“It was a brilliant move, my love. We called Locke right away to check on you. We didn't know where you were to pop in but knew Locke could find you through your connection.” Dad explained. “Who is this teacher?” Cade asked as he paced around the room. “It was my combat teacher, Zane.”
Locke was vibrating with fury as his eyes turned completely gold. “I'm going to rip him to shreds.” As Locke spoke, I knew it was actually his hydra. Crap. I can’t have him shift in here. I turned to face him.
“I know you’re upset, but I’m safe now. Can you let Locke come back? I need him,” I whispered. He kissed my forehead and let out a frustrated breath.
“I knew something was off with that teacher after I saw him touch Eve in class.” Locke can say that again. “Zane was always very touchy-feely. I just thought he was friendly. I don’t why he lied to Emmett. I never asked Zane to take me to my room, and I didn’t tell him that I was tired.” The whole room was silent.
Penny was the first to speak. “How have you felt after he’s touched you before? Did he give you a drink or anything? Maybe he’s been drugging you?” I shook my head.
“No, he’s never given me anything to eat or drink. I’ve felt tired every time he has touched me, though. I assumed it was because I was working out in class, but I obviously missed his class this morning. That’s why he approached me today. He was calling me out for skipping class.”
Miles banged on the door behind him. His eyes were glowing red. “The guy must be a fucking siphon. He’s been draining Eve’s power every time he touches her. That’s why she’s been exhausted. She’s been his personal power source.” My eyes widened. This is bad, really bad.
“I want you all to go straight to the warehouse. Locke, I need you to pop them over. You must control your shift until they are all there,” my dad ordered before hanging up. I turned to our friends. “Guys can you grab blankets and sweatshirts from my closet? Jacob, grab our backpacks.”
I turned back to Locke and ran my hands through his messy hair. “You need to hold it together. I promise that I won’t leave your side. You need to get us over there now, though.” He stood with me wrapped around him and grabbed ahold of Penny and Jacob. One-second we were in my room and the next we were in the warehouse.
All of my guys were there anxiously waiting for our arrival. I was about to jump out of Locke’s arms to greet them, but he pulled me back against him. Abaddon shook his head.
“Locke, she can’t go back again. It will take too much energy out of her. I’ll keep Evelyn safe so you can collect the other heirs.” Locke looked torn but reluctantly agreed. In a blink of an eye, he was back with Emmett, Cade and Miles. Locke pulled me close to him and kissed his mark.
“What’s going on with him?” Cade asked. I could tell he was genuinely concerned about his friend. Cerberus laughed as he approached us.
“Locke, you need to give in to your shift. Come with me to patrol the grounds. We need to make sure that the wards are still strong. Eve will be fine for ten minutes.”
Locke walked over to the guys. He kicked Gabe out of his seat and sat me between my dad and Abandon. I guess he thinks they’re the strongest in the room.
“Go ahead. I’ll be fine, Locke.” He was too close to shifting to speak. Locke stared at me for a minute and forced himself to leave with Ceb.
I couldn’t stop thinking about the fact that my dad and Ab weren’t sitting next to each other. I hate it. Are they still fighting over the betrothal thing? I pushed the thoughts from my mind and focused on my friends.
They visibly relaxed as soon as Locke left the room. I laughed. “If you guys think that was intense, then you’re in for a treat when he shifts.” The guys groaned in unison.
My smile faltered when I saw our friends’ confused faces. Hellfire, I completely forgot that they don’t know that Locke is a shifting demon. It looks like the hydra is out of the bag.
“I know he wanted to tell you guys himself, but things have been a bit crazy. Locke recently found out that he is a shifting demon. It’s all still very new to him, so Cerberus has been helping him figure it out,” I explained.
“What does Locke shift into?” Miles asked. Most shifting demons change into hellhounds or hellcats. This is definitely something Locke should be telling them, but I don’t want them to panic if they see him in his hydra form tonight.
I shifted in my seat. “He turns into a three-headed dragon. We think he’s a hydra, but we haven’t found a ton of information on it. That’s what I was researching in the library earlier today.” Jacob started cracking up. “Seriously, what does he shift into, Eve?” Jacob asked as he wiped tears from his eyes.
Suddenly, the ground started to shake. “We’re having an earthquake!” Penny shrieked. Uriel stood in front of our friends. “No, it’s just Locke. You guys need to be aware that he’s overly protective of Eve. He will never harm her. However, he will end you without a single thought if he thinks you’re going to hurt or take her. Please keep a good distance from her.”
Cerberus
shifted back and opened a large airplane hangar door. “He needs to stay in his shifted form for a bit. His dragon’s a bit restless,” Ceb explained as the hydra walked in. All three heads snapped in my direction.
Emmett’s eyes grew comically wide. “Holy shit,” he whispered. I walked over to the beast and reached out my arm. One of his heads bent down so I could pet his cheek. “Is that thing purring?” Miles asked in disbelief.
Just then, Raphael popped in with a medical bag. “I need to check your vitals, Eve. Take a seat by the guys.” He immediately started to set up his instruments on the table.
Locke let out a growl, which prompted Ceb to shut the hanger door. The hydra followed me to the hospital bed and positioned himself so that his one head was watching Raph. The other heads were keeping an eye on the exits.
Cade shook his head in disbelief. “I can’t believe that thing is Locke. Your wings are black and gold, just like his hydra. Your eyes both turn gold instead of red when you’re emotional. I have to ask. Are you guys mates?” Geez, I thought Miles was going to be the one with the hard questions.
“Um, I’m not sure. We definitely have some sort of connection. We can feel each other’s emotions. Right now, Locke’s torn. He wants to shift back but wants to keep us safe.” My dad cleared his throat to get our attention.
“Cerberus, Legion said he’s fine to guard the gates. This way, you can stay here with us for a while. How about you shift so that Locke can join us in his other form.” Cerberus nodded and instantly shifted. Both creatures stared at each other for a few minutes, as if they were having a silent conversation.
Locke eventually shifted into his human form as Raphael finished checking my vitals. He took the seat next to me and pulled me onto his lap. Raphael rolled his eyes and faced the group.
“She looks fine. It’s remarkable that it only took her two hours to recover from being drained to the point of severe exhaustion. I was told that Locke laid with Eve when she was asleep. My theory is that he helped recharge her power somehow.”
My dad and Ab began asking Raphael questions, but my attention shifted to the blonde angel who popped into the room. Gabe was carrying a bunch of bags from our favorite Chinese restaurant. My eyes lit up. “I love you, Gabe! Hellfire, I’m starving!” Gabe gave me a wink and handed me a container of General’s chicken.
26
Eve
Emmett passed the container of steamed dumplings to Uriel. “So, this Zane guy, does he just have to touch someone to steal their power?” Emmett asked. My dad gave a curt nod.
“Exactly, he doesn’t have power of his own, so he’s been taking it from his students. He hit the jackpot when Eve walked through his door,” he spat.
Uncle Mikey reached over for another helping of cashew chicken. “Siphons are very rare and extremely dangerous. With one touch, they can use your power against you. Since they don’t have power of their own, they usually are highly skilled in combat and weaponry. It helps them fit in better,” Mikey explained as I stole one of his cashews from his plate.
Ab shook his head and filled my plate up. He hates when I pick from other beings’ plates. “This particular siphon clearly likes having power. Being a combat teacher gives him the perfect opportunity to take a bit of power here and there without it being noticeable. I have a feeling that he’s never touched anyone with Eve’s level of power before,” Abaddon added. I shivered.
“He can’t keep the power that he’s absorbed from Eve and others. He’d be beyond powerful. The stolen power must eventually wear off, right?” Miles asked. Cade nodded his head. “That’s probably why he sought her out today. It’s been over a week, and he needed a fix.”
I felt Locke tense next to me. He looked over to my dad and Ab. “This time he wasn’t careful though. He took too much in a very public place. It could only mean that he was desperate. We need a plan,” Locke bit out. This is all seriously creeping me out. I need a minute.
I stood up, gave Penny a head nod and walked toward the bathroom. Locke was hot on my tail. I spun around, holding out my hand to stop him. “We’re going to the bathroom. We’ll be fine.”
I pushed Penny through the door and locked it behind us. Not that I thought it could keep any of these guys out. “I’m so sorry that you got dragged into this mess, Penny,” I sighed, running my hands over my face. Penny and Jacob didn’t sign up for this insanity.
“What the hellfire, Eve! Jacob and I are your best friends. There’s nowhere we’d rather be. Well, maybe I’d rather be on Emmett’s lap. Did you see the tats? I just want to lick them.”
She started fanning herself with her hands. Hellfire, I love this girl. This is exactly the kind of break I needed. It was getting way too serious out there. “Um, can we talk about the dragon in the room?” she asked. I couldn’t help but laugh out loud.
“I can’t believe he turns into a freaking hydra. A hydra that you’ve got wrapped around your little finger.” I leaned against the sink and let out another laugh. “It is pretty crazy.”
“Eve, I had no idea how close you guys were. It was obvious that there was an attraction, but that guy is crazy about you. He was so worried about you when we were in your room. Girl, your boyfriend is intense. It’s kind of sweet, though.” As if I wouldn’t tell her if I had a boyfriend.
“We aren’t together, Penny. There’s definitely a connection, but that doesn’t make us an automatic couple. He was making out with bitchy Barbie not so long ago.” I couldn’t help but cringe. I wish I could scrub the memories of their make-out sessions from my mind forever.
“Whatever you say, sister.” Penny was about to say more when someone started banging on the door. “Did you girls fall in?” I opened the door and locked arms with Gabe. “No, it was getting too intense. I needed to escape.”
Joining the group, I sat on the floor in front of Gabe. He huffed and started rubbing my back. I leaned back to Gabe. “Do I have something on my face? Why are they all staring at me?” He snickered as he continued to rub my back.
“Please get comfortable, Evie. We’re just chatting about how we can take down a fucking siphon and keep your ass safe,” Ceb snapped. I rolled my eyes at my bestie.
“You’re just jealous that you didn’t think of asking Gabe to rub your back first. Come here, you big baby. We can do a back-rub train.” I patted the floor in front of me. “I think I’m the one losing out in this deal,” Gabe muttered under his breath.
“What the hellfire is happening? Are they always like this?” Emmett asked incredulously. Uncle Mikey slapped his back. “You just need to ignore them. That usually works for me.”
I giggled and looked up to find Locke glaring at me. What the hellfire? I lifted my eyebrow in question. He huffed and looked away.
I turned to the guys. “So, what did I miss? We should probably have someone keep tabs on Zane so we can gauge how long it takes for my power to fade. Gabe, can you do my neck?”
Hellfire, these beings don’t know what they’re missing. Suddenly Gabe’s hands were gone. “I got it from here,” Locke snapped.
“Locke, you better be good, or you’re…” I couldn’t finish my thought. Locke’s hands are magical. “You like that, little hellion?” I couldn’t even form words. I’m pretty sure my hands dropped from Ceb’s back.
“Dude, her entire family is literally right here,” Miles whispered. My face heated. Locke laughed as I quickly stood up to get a drink. A very, very cold drink.
“Right. So, did you guys come up with a plan?” I tried to look for an egg roll, but Ceb must have eaten them all. “Abaddon will ask the Dean to pull you from Zane’s class. He’s going to say that you’re getting lessons from one of Michael’s warriors,” my dad explained.
Cerberus began snickering. “Just make sure it’s not Da...” I threw a dumpling at him before he could finish. I used to have the biggest crush on one of Michael’s warrior angels, Daniel. I would see him sometimes when I video chatted with Gabe.
Then Daniel started callin
g me. He was very good looking, but he thought he was God’s gift to women. I seriously never met a guy who was that full of himself, and I know Gabe. I’ve managed to avoid him despite his still pretty recent attempts to connect.
“Enough! You and Cerberus are like two unruly children. This teacher is clearly not ashamed to seek you out, so you need to have additional protection.” I narrowed my eyes at Abaddon. He’s well aware of how I feel about having a guard. I picked up another dumpling and threw it at him.
“You promised! You promised that I wouldn’t have a bodyguard! This is complete bullshit, Ab.” Locke was at my side in a flash.
“No, it’s bullshit that this siphon nearly killed you! It’s bullshit that we need to take down a guy that cannot be touched by power!” Abaddon boomed. My shoulders sagged. Nothing is worse than seeing Ab upset. I walked over and hugged him.
“Fine. You’re kind of right. Think about it, though. If I start walking around with a bodyguard, Zane will know that we figured out that he’s a siphon.” Ab kissed my head and looked over to Uncle Mikey. I let out a sigh. They already conspired, which a bit odd considering that they tend to butt heads.
Uncle Mikey gave us a wicked smile. “Zane wouldn’t think anything was strange if you were walking around with your new overprotective boyfriend.” Holy hellfire, this is not going to go over well.
“Over. My. Dead. Body. No other man is going to touch Eve. You’re insane to think that I would be okay with this,” Locke spat.
I sighed and put some space between us. “You don’t get a say in this, Locke. As much as I don’t want a bodyguard, you guys can’t risk getting touched by Zane, either. You and I aren’t officially together, so no one would be suspicious of my new shadow. I get that you don’t like it, but this guy would just be playing the part of my boyfriend. We wouldn’t really be dating.”
Unlocked (Hell's Throne Book 1) Page 13