by Jackie May
Parker enters the room, dressed in a suit like he’s going to work, and gives Oliver a more subdued smile. “How are you feeling?”
“Wiped out,” Oliver admits. “But better since I kept some soup down.” He nudges my arm with his. “How about you? You slept for a long time.”
“I was going to wake you up hours ago,” Nick grumbles. “But your big ass grumpy troll threatened me.”
That makes me smile.
Said grumpy troll enters the room, frowning at Nick. “She needed her rest.”
“I really must have,” I agree. “I had no idea I was so exhausted until I woke up feeling a lot better.”
Terrance turns his frown on me. “You need to take better care of your body, Nora. If you’re going to be working for the FUA and using your powers more often, I want you sleeping more and eating more calories.”
I’d give him a salute and a “Yes, Dad,” but he doesn’t look like he’s in the mood for any sarcasm. I can’t blame him. There’s too much going on with our clan to give him any flack about my health. “I will, T-man. Promise.”
I nudge Oliver’s arm with mine. “You trying to find our mythic collector, or the guy who put out the hit on our clan?”
Oliver stops typing and scrubs his hands over his face. “I’m trying.” He sighs. “I’ve been looking for hours. I’ve tried several different things, and all I can say right now is that the person collecting mythics and the one who wants us dead are likely the same person. And that’s just a guess, because the steps they’ve taken to cover their tracks are identical. I’m getting the same dead ends, goose chases, and firewalls. I can keep trying to break through, but I’m not very hopeful. Whoever they are, they’re better than me.”
He sighs again, defeated.
I grab his hand and squeeze it. “It’s okay. We’ll find them another way. Thank you for trying.”
Oliver squeezes my hand back and kisses my cheek. “I’ll keep trying.”
“But you’re sure it’s the same person?” Illren asks. His book is now closed and sitting on the end table beside him, and Charlie is sitting up.
“As sure as I can be,” Oliver says. He sounds like he hates the fact that he’s not 100 percent certain.
“To what end?” Parker wonders, voicing the question we’re all thinking. “What’s he trying to accomplish?”
“A spell, most likely,” Oliver says. “Mythics are the most magical beings on Earth. Their blood, and other things like feathers or scales, are very powerful when used in spells. Sorcerers pay obscene amounts of money to get their hands on anything mythic related.”
“What’s that got to do with us?” Rook asks.
No one seems to have an answer to that.
“That’s what Nora and I have to figure out,” Nick says. “We’ll ask around, see if anyone’s heard anything. Between the contracts out on the mythics and your clan, there’s a lot of money up for grabs. Someone’s got to be talking.” He gets to his feet like everything’s settled. “Jacobs. Let’s go. Get your coat.”
I sigh. “I don’t have one.”
“Yes, you do.” Terrance pulls a slim black mid-length women’s coat with a fuzzy lining off the coatrack. It’s nice. Stylish. But it’s also simple. I like it. “Rook and I picked it up this afternoon while you were sleeping.” He shoves it at me with a grunt and a rare blush on his cheeks. “We tried to get something you’d like.”
His blush hits me right in the heart. It’s so sweet. He’s nervous that I might not like what he picked. Terrance may be a big ass grumpy troll—and don’t get me wrong, his bite is definitely as bad as his bark—but he’s got a serious soft spot deep inside. I get to my feet, take the coat, and rise up on my tiptoes. He bends down to let me kiss his cheek. “It’s perfect. Thank you, Terrance.”
Terrance rolls his eyes, but his lips twitch. He’s trying really hard to keep the scowl on his face, but he’s not fooling anyone.
Rook clears his throat, so I go to him next. “Thanks, Rook. I love it.”
I start to kiss his cheek, but he snakes his arm around my waist and kisses my lips. “You’re welcome. We got you some gloves, a hat, and a scarf to match.”
I grin. I may not be very girly, but if I have a fashion weakness, it’s winter scarves and hats. That fact hasn’t gone unnoticed in the den. “Thanks.”
Nick walks to the coatrack and slips on his leather jacket. “You ready to go, partner?”
“Rook and I’ll go out with you,” Terrance says. “We’ve got to get to the club.”
Charlie sits up and closes his laptop. “I need to go out to my office for a bit as well.”
“Take someone with you,” Terrance orders. “No one goes out alone until we stop this man.”
“I will accompany him,” Illren says.
“I’ll head into the office with Parker, then,” Oliver says. He shakes his head at me before I can get any protests out. Which is exactly what I was about to do. “I’ll take it easy, Nora. But I can do more good at the Agency than I can here.”
I want to argue, but he looks determined. “You promise you’ll take it easy?” I ask.
He grimaces. “I don’t have the energy to do anything but take it easy.”
“Then you should stay—”
“I’ll be okay. I can sit on the couch here, or at my desk at work. It’s the same. I promise if I start to feel bad, I’ll have Parker or Ren bring me home.”
He’s a grown man. I guess I can’t order him to stay home and rest. I can’t blame him for wanting to help catch this guy, either. I let out a long breath and give in. “Okay. If you’re sure.”
“I’m sure. I might be physically weak, but I’m not helpless. My magic feels as strong as ever.”
He has the tiniest hint of a proud look on his face, and his shoulders are pulled back just a little bit more than normal. I grin. He’s going to be using his magic all the time before we know it. “Okay. I never did tell you how awesome you were fighting against Mitchell, by the way. You really kicked his ass. I especially loved the Darth Vader move.”
Oliver beams me such a wide, bright-eyed smile that it has all the men in the room chuckling. Parker holds out a hand to help Oliver up. “Come on, Star Wars,” he teases. “Let’s get to work.”
Before everyone starts bundling up, I clap my hands once to get their attention. “Actually, before everyone takes off, I’d like to have a quick family meeting. If that’s okay?”
Everyone settles back into the couches and chairs, all giving me their full attention. “First,” I say, blushing because I’m nervous to make my next request, “I’m not sure how this works, or if it’s even something we do—I don’t know anything about clans—but I’d like to propose we invite Nick, Wulf, Enzo, and Ren to join our clan. They’re basically part of the family already, and I’m pretty sure Enzo, at the very least, would really like to be part of what we have.”
A wave of self-consciousness hits me when no one says anything right away. All I’m getting is a lot of surprised looks. “Are you saying you’d like them all to be part of your harem?” Charlie asks.
I quickly shake my head. “No. It’s not like that. Five men is more than enough for me.”
Illren sits straight up, his eyes sharp on me. “Five. So you admit that I am in your harem.” It’s not a question.
I roll my eyes, but I can feel a blush spread across my cheeks. “Not the issue here, Illren. I’m talking about adding a few men to our family.”
I glance around, biting my lip when I realize Nick is staring at me looking more shocked than anyone else here. When our eyes meet, his face softens and he gives me a rare sincere smile instead of one of his playful smirks. We’re still looking at each other when Terrance’s rough voice rings out, “Anyone have any objections?”
All of my guys shake their heads, and it warms my heart.
“Very well.” Terrance nods, the gesture finalizing the discussion. Not that there was much of one. “I will extend the invitations.” He turns
his serious face my way. “Don’t be offended, though, if any of them decline the invitation. Demons are not known for being the family sort, and Wulf has been a lone wolf for a long time. Not to mention, Nick may be too dominant. There aren’t many species more dominant than a troll, but dragons are at the top of the list.”
I look to Nick for confirmation. He nods apologetically. “Terrance is right. As much as I appreciate the offer, my dragon could never accept anything other than being head of a clan, and I’m not about to challenge Terrance for his title. Plus, my dragon’s a wild one, a real ornery bastard, which is why I’ve never joined one of the few dragon clans. I don’t take orders well.”
My heart falls a little, but I understand, and I’m not about to let him know I’m disappointed. He must see it anyway, because he pulls me into his arms and kisses the top of my head. “I might not be able to join the clan, but I was serious yesterday that my dragon has claimed you as kin. We’re family, Nora. I promise. And you’ll always have me at your back, partner.”
I swallow hard and squeeze Nick around the middle. “Thanks.”
When I let go, Nick throws his arm over my shoulder and smiles at my clan. “I can’t join you, but your clan has my respect and my protection. If you ever need me, I’m there.”
My men all nod solemnly, respecting the weight of that promise. I’m glad. Nick, whether he joins us officially or not, is still one of us.
Nick grins down at me. “Was there anything else?”
I wince. “Yeah. One last thing.” I meet all the curious gazes of my men. “Last night, when Nick brought me home, Henry was waiting just outside the wards.”
All of my guys jump to their feet, outraged. “I’ll take care of it,” Illren says, heading straight for the stairs.
I grab the back of his shirt and pull him back to stop him from leaving. “Hang on there, killer. Nobody needs to go after him. He never tried to touch me. He only wanted to help me.”
Illren takes advantage of my nearness and snakes his arm around my waist. He pulls me in front of him and holds my back to his front. “Are you sure, Mistress?” he murmurs against my ear.
I’m too tired to fight him, and to be honest, I don’t think I could pull away from him right now if I wanted to. He’s got this magnetism that draws me to him. Not that I’d admit that. I ignore his question. Ignore his grip on me, his nearness, as best I can and pretend he’s not holding me. “Henry knew about Mitchell. He knew I’d lost control of my power. He’s as worried as the rest of us that I’ll lose myself to my darkness.”
All of my men automatically try to argue that I won’t lose myself, but I hold up a hand, stopping them. “He had a possible solution that I think is worth a try.” I take a breath and pull myself free of Illren’s grip. I meet all of my men’s eyes as I steadily say, “He offered to compel me to not use my siren’s song.”
The room erupts into angry protests until Nick whistles loudly. I nod my thanks and then continue with my speech. “Of course I turned him down. I’m not letting that man near me. But his idea is a sound one.”
Parker steps forward. “Nora, I don’t think—”
I shake my head. “I have to do something. Whether you guys want to admit it or not, I have lost control of my siren a few times already, and each time I do, I am more tempted to give into my dark nature. One of these times, I will do something I regret. Possibly even hurt one of you. I could never live with myself if that happened.
“I won’t let Henry compel me. I don’t even want him to know I considered his idea. He doesn’t need to know if I make myself more vulnerable to him. But I do think it’s a good idea. At least a temporary solution to the problem.” I look at Parker. “If you would be willing, I’d like you to compel me.”
He stares at me a long time. “It will make you vulnerable.”
“No one has to know but us in this room.”
“I don’t like it,” Rook says.
“You weren’t there,” I say. “I lost control of myself during an interrogation. I hurt an unarmed man who was handcuffed to a table. I did it out of a need for vengeance and a desire to hurt him. I nearly killed him. And the only reason I didn’t was because Nick stopped me.” A shiver rocks me, and I wrap my arms around myself. “I don’t want to become a killer. And I don’t ever want to hurt any of you.”
“Nora,” Parker murmurs. He rubs his hands up and down my arms. “You’re not a killer.”
“Not yet.”
He pulls me against his chest, but I stay stiff in his arms. “Will you please do this? I know it will make me more vulnerable, but I have all of you to protect me. I trust you guys to keep me safe.”
Parker’s still holding me against his chest, so I miss all the looks being thrown around, but they must come to an agreement because Parker pulls back from me and runs his fingers through my hair as he makes eye contact with me and says, “You will not use your siren’s song on anyone unless your life is in danger.”
I accept his stipulation that I can still call on my song if my life is in danger. I’m grateful he thought of it. Admittedly, I hate the idea of being completely helpless against my enemies.
His command settles in my head like a weighted blanket being thrown over my brain. I know the compulsion has worked because my siren is angry. My power rises up in my body, kicking and screaming to be unleashed on the man who dared control it, but nothing happens. No matter how hard my siren rages inside me, I don’t use my power.
I wait a whole minute to make sure she won’t break free, and then I let out a big breath. “It worked. My siren is pissed, but she can’t hurt anyone.” I meet Parker’s eyes and can feel the sting of relief in my own. Parker looks uncomfortable, so I wrap my arms around his neck and kiss his lips. “Thank you.”
He rubs his hands up and down my back. “If at any time you want me to undo it, just tell me.”
I won’t want to undo it. I don’t want to lose myself to my siren. But I promise him anyway, because he looks like he needs the reassurance. “I will.”
My siren tries again to unleash her power on Parker, but my body doesn’t obey. My song stays locked up inside me. I’m amazed at how effective Parker’s compulsion is.
While everyone starts putting their coats on, I ask a question that’s suddenly bothering me. “If a vampire’s compulsion is so strong, why don’t you—or at least men like Henry—use it all the time? Henry could control this entire city if he wanted to.”
“It’s against FUA laws, first of all,” Nick says, slipping on his leather jacket. “And secondly, everyone knows that vamps who start abusing their powers of compulsion never last long.”
My eyes widen. “People kill them?”
“Of course they do,” Illren says, going for his jacket as well. Like Nick, he doesn’t seem to need a thick winter coat. Winter fey can naturally handle the cold a lot better than most. “Vampire compulsion is powerful. People are scared of power. When they feel threatened, they tend to eliminate those jeopardizing their safety. I’ve taken a number of jobs dealing with this exact thing. I’ve never felt bad taking out a power-crazed vampire.”
I have no response to that. Just…none. Sometimes I forget that Illren is a stone-cold killer. What does it say about me that I’ve accepted him as one of my mates? Or that I don’t really mind him getting rid of the scum of this city? I’ve come a long way since falling into the underworld. Good or bad, I don’t know. But I’ve definitely changed as a person since my days as a perceived human.
“Plus, vamps can’t compel shifters,” Rook adds, a hint of smugness in his tone. “Well, they can, but all we have to do is shift forms and the compulsions are broken. It’s one of the reasons vampires tend to not get along with shifters. They don’t like that we’re immune to their greatest means of self-defense.”
“Interesting. So then, can Nick be compelled, too? Are mythics different from shifters?”
We all head up the stairs. Nick follows behind me, saying, “There’s not much we’re vuln
erable to. A vampire’s mind is not stronger than a mythic’s. Compulsion can’t take hold of us.”
“Must be nice,” I grumble. The few times Henry compelled me I absolutely hated it. And now I’ve gone and locked away my own self-defense against it. “I hope I made the right choice having Parker compel me.”
Oliver holds the front door open for me and smiles as I pass him. “It’s only a temporary solution,” he says. “I’ll figure out something better. There’s got to be an answer.”
“If anyone can find it, it’s Oliver,” Parker adds, making Oliver blush.
Some of my stress eases. “Thanks.”
I give both men kisses and laugh when three more line up behind them. This harem thing, as happy as I am that I get to keep all of the men I care about, is a little strange. I give all of my men kisses and tell them to be careful, and then we all split up. I let out a breath as I watch them all drive off. I really hope they’ll be okay.
Nick takes me to a diner that serves breakfast all day since I haven’t eaten yet. After that, we head into the office to update Director West on our case. Nick promises me we aren’t stuck, but I still feel a little helpless. Especially when we look up the house where Galina and Sabin dropped off their goods for our collector and learn that it’s owned by a bank that has repossessed it. The collector must be wholly unconnected with the house and only picked it because they knew it was abandoned and that no one would disturb it or care that they’d broken in to do their business. I go over every inch of the house with my hands, but as I suspected, I get no imprints. It’s another dead end.
“What now?” I ask as we leave the house and climb back into Nick’s truck.
He starts up the engine and shrugs. “Now we follow the next lead.”
“Do we have a next lead?”
He chuckles at my skepticism. “Not at the moment.”
“So then…?”
He glances my way and smirks. “We find another one.”