Emerald Flame: A Paranormal Romance (The Flame Series Book 6)

by Caris Roane

  Kiara understood his concerns and there was a strong possibility the wizard was in residence in the El Lobo Grande compound. But a few weeks ago, when she’d found herself in Maeve’s rescue hospital and recovering from her wounds, something had shifted in her soul. From the first year of her residence in Five Bridges, she’d been part of many rescue operations and she would continue that work as long as she had breath. But the presence of a dark witch like Veyda in Elegance and now Wizard Glissane in Savage prompted a resolve to do all she could to get rid of these evil alters.

  If her ability to create an invisibility spell could allow her and Warren to gather enough intel to forge a battle plan, she had to be part of it. Besides, the strong smell of emerald flame spoke to the urgency of getting rid of the monsters that had enslaved two of Savages more vulnerable packs.

  While hovering in the air, she shifted enough within Warren’s hold to meet his gaze. I know both you and Fergus want to take the fight to Julio. Well, so do I. People I cared about died tonight in a brutal act. It seems the least I can do is use my invisibility shield to find a way to help exact revenge.

  She could feel him grow very still as he mulled this over. On his own, he wouldn’t have a lot of choices. If he attacked directly with his force of wolves, either Julio would make use of his wave ability and they’d all be knocked unconscious. Or if there wasn’t a wave attack, the fighting would be brutal. An enormous amount of lives would be lost on both sides.

  One thing she knew about wolves. They took death hard. Packs mourned as a group for anyone they lost. Wars were avoided at all costs for that reason. Even more than the human world, the loss of individual lives took a terrible toll on each community.

  She added. I don’t see you bringing a huge force over here and risking all those lives. Use me, Warren. I want this. I hate a lot about our world. But I make up for it by doing everything I can to help the good and the worthy of each territory.

  Warren had never looked more somber. What if Glissane is here? We won’t stand a chance. You could get hurt. You could die. I couldn’t live with that.

  She caressed his cheek, something she loved to do. She loved to feel his scars beneath her fingertips. They’d been part of him for years, for as long as she’d known him. And what if this is something I’m meant to do?

  You mean like fate?

  In a way, I suppose. I mean, I shouldn’t have survived Veyda’s poison. In that sense, every day I’m alive is a gift. Let me do this for you and for Savage. You must understand. I’m prepared to die. I think I have been for a long time, maybe since I arrived here. What matters to me is that should death come, I want to be doing something to make Five Bridges a better place.

  You really mean that.

  I do.

  He suddenly shifted his position, turned her to face him then pulled her into a full-on embrace.

  A warm, surprising kiss followed.

  It took her a couple of seconds to adjust to the passionate onslaught, but her body figured things out right away. She all but collapsed against him, gripping his arms and parting her lips for him.

  He plunged his tongue deep inside taking her in a way that was as intimate as if he was buried in her sex. The rhythm he set was so familiar that she clenched and used her levitation to press her hips close to his.

  She felt his arousal and wished they were somewhere else except over a madman’s compound with emerald flame thick in the air.

  At least a full minute passed before he finally released her. When he did, he settled his forehead against hers. He was breathing hard. She was too.

  Geez, all you did was kiss me and I feel about two cock-thrusts away from reaching paradise.

  He chuckled and gripped her in another tight embrace. You make me laugh. Thank you for that.

  Well, thank you for that kiss, though I think I’ll be burning for the next hour. I hope you intend to make good on this later.

  He ran a hand over her bottom, pressed her against him and ground against her sex in a slow circle. You’d better believe it, Sweetheart.

  Sweetheart.

  A melting sensation poured through her heart.

  Maybe it shouldn’t have mattered, and she would try not to make too much of it, but she loved that he’d used the endearment. She knew theirs was a dead end, but for this moment, she’d made him laugh and he’d called her ‘Sweetheart’.

  She planted her hands on his chest and switched back to telepathy. So, what do you say? Feel like disrupting the cartel’s foothold in Savage with a little reconnaissance?

  All right, then. But if we find ourselves in the middle of it, I’m calling a retreat.

  Agreed. So where do we start?

  He took a long sweeping glance up the parking lot, then down. He released her, took her hand then guided her twenty feet away from the building, but only ten feet in the air.

  He gestured to the mounted cameras. This place might be run down, but Julio installed some brand new, heavy-duty surveillance equipment. Take a look.

  He released her which allowed her to levitate beside him. He whirled in the air and gestured with un uplifted arm. He’s got another battery of cameras situated near the sidewalk. And it goes up and down the entire street. See that?

  Kiara nodded. I do. How about we locate the surveillance center. If you and Fergus want to make a move against Julio, we could dismantle his computers and shut everything down long enough to get your wolves inside.

  That’s a good plan.

  He caught her arm at the elbow then guided her gently in the direction of the main door.

  I just realized, she said, if we open the door, won’t we set off some alarms?

  No doubt. Which means, we wait for someone to exit.

  Kiara had so much adrenaline flowing through her veins in anticipation of finding Julio’s security center that the thought of waiting caused her nerves to spasm.

  Fortunately, just as they were landing on the sidewalk, the door popped wide and two wolves emerged. They were higher than a kite on emerald flame. The green markings on their cheeks practically vibrated with color.

  Warren caught the door and she slipped inside. He followed after swiftly to make their entrance as unobtrusive as possible.

  The foyer was under construction and dust filled the air. In the distance she could hear the grinding of an electric saw.

  Looks like Julio’s remodeling, Warren said.

  Should we keep levitating? Or walk?

  Let’s stay in the air for now.

  With their hands linked, he again drew her forward, though this time he slid his arm around her waist. She realized she needed the closeness. She might be on her first recon and she might have insisted on the mission, but she was scared.

  What if Glissane was here as Warren feared? What if he could see her and she, him?

  Warren leaned close. Ease down, warrior-witch. It could take some time to find the security center. Just focus on breathing. He gave her waist a squeeze.

  She didn’t apologize for her nerves. Instead, and as he’d suggested, she forced herself to take a series of steadying breaths. It helped.

  The foyer already looked like it would be stunning once it was completed. A beautiful marble tile had been laid on a portion of the floor and the wall to the left showcased a massive waterfall feature protected by a layer of clear plastic sheeting.

  Impressive.

  She heard Warren mumble a few choice words, then, They strip people of their money and their lives then think some good-looking stone can make up for it all.

  More choice words followed.

  Kiara couldn’t have agreed more.

  She let Warren lead the way. At the end of the hall, she jerked to a stop, Warren with her, when two men suddenly rounded the corner. They wore jeans and tanks. Both were sweating and had sawdust clinging to their damp skin. Neither looked happy. Each had a grim set to his jaw and compressed lips. Green flames marked their necks and cheeks.

  Warren relaxed instantly but it t
ook her a little longer. He set them back in motion. Though she’d only been close to him for two nights, her levitation was in full-sync with him. The slightest pressure of his hand on her waist told her which direction he intended to move. It was like a dance they’d perfected over several years.

  Once at the intersection of a broad main hall, she could hear more voices coming from opposite directions. She saw bare cement floors, walls ripped out, more plastic sheeting in different locations. The ceiling was bared with all kinds of pipes and ducting exposed. Standing, portable spotlights lit each work area.

  Wolves, both men and women, labored everywhere. Though the smell of the dust was strong, all of it was tainted with emerald flame. Flame markings on throats and necks confirmed a forced, societal addiction to the drug.

  A sudden barrage of gunfire and not too distant, had Warren pulling her tight against one of the walls.

  Her heart hammered hard in her chest. What was that? She could hear shouting.

  He was using his body as a shield as he listened intently. She planted her hands on his hips to try to calm down.

  She felt him relax. We’re okay. Some asshole of Julio’s is flexing his muscles. He’s saying something about moving the bricks faster.

  She thought it incredibly stupid to fire a weapon for such a reason.

  Over the years, she’d been among many groups of wolves, sometimes in the formalized packs like Warren or Fergus’s compounds, or in clubs like Ralph’s. When wolves were allowed to thrive, there was a vibe that felt like freedom, even contentment despite the hardships Five Bridges presented.

  What she felt within Julio’s combined packs was akin to death. Hope didn’t live here, not when slavery, drugs, and the self-interest of one man ruled the night.

  Warren drew back, but looked down at her. Hey. What gives? We can leave right now if you want to.

  She met his gaze and searched his eyes. How silly that her heart ached just looking at him. It’s not what you think. I’m not afraid. Well, I mean, yes, I’m shaking right now. But that’s not it. Warren, do you feel it, too, the despair in this place?

  He cupped her face with one hand and thumbed her cheek. Like fire on my skin.

  It’s the opposite of the Caldion Pack, isn’t it?

  I’d like to think so. When wolves are allowed free will, it’s air to our kind. In the distance, a table saw started up again. The low voices of wolves murmuring behind torn up walls eased through her spell. Then another burst of gunfire.

  Yet, all she saw was Warren and his green eyes. What was that saying about the eyes being the gateway to the soul? That’s what she saw, all that he was as a compassionate leader of his wolves. That’s why she stood here, in the middle of the enemy’s lair, risking her life. Warren had inspired her for a long time.

  There’s something I want to tell you.

  Again, he gently touched her cheek. What’s that?

  She felt as though she was laying her own soul bare, but she continued anyway. You’re the reason I built the refuge in Savage Territory and where I placed it. I wanted to be near the man who had saved a warlock.

  He frowned slightly. What warlock?

  He would need reminding. For him, it had been all in a night’s work. But she’d seen her kind slaughtered for less by wolves from Savage.

  You were about to leave a crime scene in Elegance where a wolf had been assaulted by a drugged-out warlock. It was maybe two-and-a-half years ago now. You’d already sent the wolf back to Savage to recover. You were just getting into your SUV to take the warlock to the Elegance station to have him locked up, when several wolves flew in from Savage wanting revenge for the attack.

  I remember now, he said. But I don’t recall you being there.

  I was a few yards away, inside my shield. I’d been trying to get that same warlock into rehab. The wolves were going to kill him, but you didn’t let them. You actually talked them down and in doing so you saved a warlock’s life. That’s why I’m here. I thought, maybe, if that kind of compassion resided in one of the most powerful alphas in Savage, then there might be hope for Five Bridges. That’s when I started my rescue work. You were the reason. I’ve been trying to emulate you all this time.

  ~ ~ ~

  Warren stared down at Kiara knowing full well what she’d just told him had broken something inside him yet again. He’d never thought of himself as a role model for anyone. He lived a brutal life in Savage whether she saw it or not. A week didn’t go by when he killed another alter being in the line of duty, some idiot so high on drugs he was a danger to those around him, or a drug runner trying to make it to the border between Five Bridges and the US, or some exchange of gunfire with the local cartel.

  He might not agree with her perceptions of him, but he was glad if it had inspired the creation of her refuge.

  She continued, For the longest time, after I arrived in Five Bridges, I fought who I was and the latent power I knew I possessed. Dark covens tried to recruit me repeatedly and Veyda abducted me in an attempt to turn me. When she couldn’t, it was torture and should have been death. But you and your stance in this world have consistently kept me on the right path.

  They were in the middle of Julio’s construction mess, but all he could see was the warm light in her brown eyes, her sincerity, her appreciation. What he did next seemed absurd given the circumstances, but the only response he could think of that made sense. He held her face tenderly in his hands and kissed her.

  She responded by leaning into him and parting her lips. She was always ready for his touch, his tongue, to permit him to take possession of her body. When he entered her mouth, he was gentle. This wasn’t about lust and need, but about connection and appreciation. In his way, he was expressing gratitude that she’d come into his life.

  When he drew back, he didn’t release her right away, but continued to look into her eyes. You amaze me.

  He felt her take a quick breath then release a rush of air. I feel the same way about you.

  He loved her voice in his head. For whatever reason, this quiet telepathic conversation had needed to take place here, in this moment, at this time. To a degree, he also believed in fate. Maybe she was his fate.

  He began to ease back. We have a job to do.

  She offered a quick bob of her head. We do.

  He turned and looked up and down the hall. It was still a bizarre experience to see wolves moving around but never noticing him. His alpha nature was troubled by the experience. Wolves, whether members of his pack or not, always acknowledged him.

  But the part of him that was still human enjoyed the anonymity even if it was forced by Kiara’s invisibility spell.

  He chose to head in the direction of greater activity. He also thought it possible they’d have to descend to a lower level. He’d been inside both pack compounds before Julio’s takeover and knew the alphas had built large, underground communal burrows. Putting himself in the shoes of the alphas who’d passed, he would have set-up his security center in the deepest most inaccessible part of his compound.

  He guided Kiara past a large room. It had a blown-out wall that opened up to a massive courtyard. Outside, several of Julio’s cartel wolves stood around with AR-15s slung over their shoulders supervising the pack workers. Though each weapon was kept at a downward slope facing the ground, they could be raised in a split second. A quick spray of bullets would wipe out the entire work party.

  In a flash of alpha ability, he assessed the wolves assigned to lay a massive amount of bricks. He immediately felt their despair just as Kiara had said. Several of the wolves showed signs of thinning hair which meant when they shifted, their usually thick coats would show bare patches, a sign of stress. All of them bore flame markings.

  He moved Kiara along the main corridor, levitating carefully to avoid colliding with wheelbarrows and stacks of lumber. A foreman called out some orders. He recognized the wolf. A good man who’d served as a second-in-command for the alpha. He had severe crow’s-feet at the sides of hi
s eyes now. His heart rate was elevated in a permanent, adrenaline-seized state. He, too, had flame markings on his cheeks.

  Warren moved past him and saw what he was looking for, a broad staircase that led belowground. He released Kiara’s waist, but kept hold of her hand as he gestured for her to hug the wall behind him on their descent.

  Several wolves ran up the stairs. They wore tanks trimmed with silver, the color Julio had chosen for his new pack.

  Once they disappeared around the corner and were now out of sight, Warren eased down the remaining descent. This second, belowground level wasn’t under construction though it needed improvements.

  The space opened up to a large communal dining area with long rows of benches and cheap folding chairs. A few wolves hunkered down at the far end of the nearest row. They were eating in complete silence, unusual for wolves.

  A long hall led to the left, but he suspected it wouldn’t take him to the security room.

  Warren turned toward the right and saw another stairwell that led to a third level. There. He gestured toward the stairs. The lighting in the hall was dim. He still held her hand.

  She levitated beside him. Both moved faster now and with no one on the stairs, they zipped down to the third level.

  Again, to the right, he saw offices and a command center. Through the glass walls, he was able to see a room full of monitors. Bingo.

  The door, however, was closed. Kiara drew up beside him as he paused outside the glass partition. Looks like we may have to wait.

  Not my strong suit, but I think you’re right. He backed them up to the cement wall opposite.

  I have an idea, she said. How about a small diversion, maybe get somebody to open the door so we can slip inside.

  He glanced at her and felt his lips curve. What do you have in mind?

  I could step out of the cloak and flash ‘em.

  His lips instantly curled back and his nose elongated. He felt fur rise on the lines of his lengthening cheeks. Hell, no. He released her hand, turned into her and grabbed both shoulders. Don’t even joke about it.