by M F Adele
I shrugged. I couldn’t be much assistance with a true vampire’s bloodlust. I’d never felt it without my demon alter being in full control. And even then, I didn’t want blood.
I wanted murder.
Blaire stared at her hand curiously before she licked the tip of her index finger and gagged. I cackled, bumping my shoulder into hers. She glared at me with a sour face.
Her black hair was matted with drying blood, and she had a bruise on her jaw that was turning dark purple, but she was otherwise unharmed.
I had healing claw marks across my left ass cheek, so I wasn’t going to move until they finished knitting themselves back together unless I had to.
Vaughn was crouched beside Stone, fussing at my demon for refusing his help. York jerked the shredded remains of Palmer’s shirt sleeve off as my mage bitched about blood on his khakis. Novak had a foul expression on his face, glaring daggers at Briggs’ brother.
Bay eyed Jack suspiciously before inquiring, “How do you keep your clothes on when you shift, and why have I never heard of a horse shifter? We’re all predators.”
I wanted to grin when Jack raised those perfect fucking eyebrows at someone other than me. All I could manage was a grimace as twigs stabbed into the wounds on my ass.
My best friend—my brother—pointed to his own chest, slowly enunciating, “Demon. Not a shifter.”
The side of Jack’s mouth curled as he smirked at Bay.
“No one ever said I wasn’t a predator. I feast on flesh. Hearts are my personal favorite.”
Bay nodded, trying to accept what he’d just heard before shaking his head violently, stammering, “What?”
Grim patted his shoulder as he steered them toward the rest of our group. “You’ll get used to it, Wolf.”
I was enthralled as I watched them. They seemed too familiar to have just met Briggs’ brother, but it was a familiarity that was tugging at my muddled subconscious.
“All the static in the minds of those rogues gave me a headache,” I mumbled aloud.
“Same,” Blaire admitted. “And that polar bear smacked me in the face.”
Her jaw was getting darker instead of lighter; so I yelled for Vaughn, knowing he would heal us both up.
“Hey, Fae. Bring those frosty fingers over here if no one else needs them.”
“Please,” Blaire groaned. “I think my jaw has a fracture. I’m gonna be so fucking pissed if he broke any of my teeth. Are they fucked up?”
She started to open her mouth wide enough for me to check, but she winced. Vaughn squatted down in front of us, and I smiled at him, nodding my head at Blaire.
“Check her jaw first; then I’ll show you my ass.”
He furrowed his brow at me. “What’s wrong with your ass?”
I leaned over to show him the still healing gouges. He frowned as he glanced between Blaire and me, clearly torn, but I could wait. I would heal just fine without assistance. If her jaw was broken, then it might need to be reset. That was more urgent.
“Her first,” I reassured my fae.
“I’ve got Blaire,” Grim told him. “Heal your mate so she can put some fucking clothes on.”
I chuckled at the reaper. “I don’t mind being naked. Would it make you more comfortable if I covered my nipples?”
Blaire snorted. “I didn’t even notice.”
Grim sighed in exasperation. “This is the second time I’ve seen you naked in less than a month. That’s my limit, Lo. It’s like looking at my sister, and that’s disturbing.”
“Jack’s dramatics are wearing off on you.” I rolled my eyes when the hellsteed scoffed at me.
Vaughn pushed at my shoulder, silently asking me to lean over so he could see what he was healing. He sucked in a harsh breath, turning his earlier grumbling on me.
“Gods, was it down to the bone? Lay on your stomach, Lo. They go halfway down the back of your thigh.”
I flipped over, giving him a full view of the damage as I thought about what he’d said. I felt the freshly knitted skin tear open again with my movements.
“I don’t know. I didn’t stop to look, and I don’t quite remember when I got the scratches, but there were teeth marks.”
His fingers were frigid as they lightly brushed across my skin, accelerating my already rapid healing. Goosebumps raced across my arms at his touch. Now really wasn’t the time to be turned on from his caring nature.
I could absolutely jump his bones—bone?—right here and not think twice about it.
Yeah. Just one bone.
From Vaughn.
Novak snorted at me from across the yard, tossing into my mind, “Just one? The fae can go all night, and you want just one?”
When Vaughn finished, I stood and brushed the dirt off of myself while I glared at my nosy vampire. I snapped my fingers out of habit, pulling a t-shirt and denim shorts to my hand before dressing.
Palmer handed Briggs a pair of jeans as my other mates wandered through the bodies. They were checking for anyone still breathing, hoping they could ask some questions. But I knew that we’d get nothing out of these rogues, and they were definitely all dead.
“Lo?” Jack called. “Did you bring Pete? Of course, you did,” he answered quietly before correcting himself. “Do you think Pete could move these bears into the Void while we get the rest of the animals in?”
“I’m sure he could. I’ll get him. Dad will have a conniption if I release his magic while he’s in the cabin.”
“Please don’t do that,” Jack whispered, rubbing his forehead.
I wasn’t dumb. Now was not the time to be testing the Alpha’s patience. Tomorrow maybe, but not today.
I walked to the porch to grab Pete in his tortoise form, placing him in the middle of the yard before removing the magic. Blaire gasped when he rose to his full, leathery form.
Obsidian tucks glimmered in the streaks of sunlight that broke free from the canopy, and his black eyes gleamed playfully. His trunk wrapped around my waist as he picked me up, dangling me upside down in front of his face.
Bay’s deep voice rose several octaves, echoing around us as he panicked. “What the fuck is that? And what are those? And where the fuck did they come from?”
“This is Pete,” I calmly replied, tapping his trunk so he would put me down. “He’s a pedmar from the Underworld. And those are hellhounds.”
“Your dogs are hellhounds,” Blaire commented absently. “I guess that makes sense. I wondered what they were when we were in Baton Rouge. They came out of nowhere to fight.”
“I don’t have dogs. I mean, I disguise them as mastiffs most of the time, yes. But if you get close enough to them, they don’t act or smell like dogs. And they were bats when we got to the party at the House of Vampyre.”
“The bat hanging from Stone’s handkerchief?”
“Mmm, that was one of the boys.”
I called the hounds’ magical collars to me because I couldn’t remember where I’d dropped them. As I put them back on the boys, Blaire watched in fascination while the glamor flowed over them.
I turned my attention to Pete, rubbing my hands down his chest as I spoke softly. “Would you mind helping us move some of these bigger animals into the Void? I’ll get you some more oranges when we’re done.”
He chirped happily, waiting for instructions, so I sent him to Jack. After listening to what we needed, Pete turned into three smaller pedmars and began pushing the bigger bodies to Grim. The reaper opened and closed the Void beside each animal that Pete cleared.
Dad stood near Grim and checked each body before it went through the Void. He had started a mental list of their species and scent, trying to figure out if he knew any of them. He knew them all so far, between his memories and the missing person reports.
I couldn’t even make myself call them shifters at this point. I hated the thought, but it was true. There was nothing human left in them when they showed up.
Just pre-programmed attack orders.
“Where did t
he mountain lion go?” Dad asked us when there were only four bodies left.
Jack shook his head. “What mountain lion?”
“The one in the tree…” I trailed off, searching my mind for the last time I’d seen the feline.
“I didn’t see one either,” Stone admitted.
“It was there,” I told them, pointing to the thick branch it had been standing on. “But I don’t recall seeing it at all after the fight started.”
“There are six in the pack here,” Dad muttered to himself, ticking his fingers down as he recalled their names.
Briggs glanced at me, then his brother. “We know one.”
“And I wouldn’t put this kind of shit past her,” Bay confessed.
6
Briggs
Wednesday, June 3rd
Late Afternoon
As soon as Charlie left, I stalked toward Sloane, intent on checking her for any lingering injuries that the fae hadn’t healed.
Images of her gunshot wounds haunted my memories. I couldn’t stand seeing her covered in blood any longer without knowing that she was okay.
I knew she didn’t need Vaughn’s assistance with healing, but we had all sensed his need to play the part of mother hen. His OCD tendencies would not stop until he knew he wasn’t needed anymore.
Sloane was right.
We’d all been together for so long that we knew what the others could and couldn’t do. We each had a role in our friendship, even if they overlapped.
Vaughn and I were both care-givers. We needed to know that the people we cared about were healthy and happy. I tried to stop us all from doing dumb shit, and the fae stepped in after we did it.
Palmer and I kept them fed while Stone and Novak were our foundation, constantly self-sacrificing to ensure we were safe. The vampire was more emotionally driven to protect than the logical demon.
And York would shove us all out of our comfort zones, pushing us to take risks and enjoy ourselves. He wouldn’t let us get too complacent or lazy. Between him and Palmer, we were basically forced to learn new shit against our will.
Not that I was complaining.
It was just hitting me all of a sudden.
Stone didn’t give a fuck about himself, especially if others were injured. He could have been holding his intestines in his hands, and he still would have waited. Everyone else had to be in perfect condition before he would allow anyone to help him.
Novak had fallen into the role of protector years ago, and he continued to get himself into trouble to save our asses. It wasn’t just with us either. He would go insane over Blaire in a heartbeat, and more recently, he’d pulled Sloane under that umbrella of protection.
Palmer knew everything about everyone under our roof. If one of us sneezed seven Thursdays ago, the mage could tell us exactly which room we were in and at what time it happened. He never missed a date that was important to one of us and would bust our balls if we weren’t punctual.
Vaughn would exhaust himself trying to keep us contained. He did all the important things that the rest of us barely thought about. He had the laundry sent out, groceries delivered, bills on auto-pay. And probably a hundred other things that we never noticed or fully appreciated.
I hadn’t washed clothes or physically signed into an account to pay anything in longer than I could remember.
York had picked up all the slack when he was with us. He’d been the peacemaker, instigator, comedic relief… The shot of honesty that we all needed, even if we didn’t want to hear it.
He had been a training partner for Stone, a study buddy for Palmer, the voice of reason for Novak, a boost of confidence for Vaughn. He’d been my test subject in the kitchen.
I knew all of these things, but Sloane didn’t.
The six of us were navigating new relationships with her while helping each other out. Maybe it wasn’t completely new for York, but I doubted she was the same person he knew before he was taken.
She was learning to maintain six new relationships, and none of us truly seemed to understand the complexity of that.
No. That wasn’t true. Novak had understood. He’d been himself from the moment he met her.
I’d stopped walking while I was lost in my thoughts. The scent of fresh pines and wilderness and too much blood filled my senses, bringing me back to reality. Sloane’s hand waved in front of my face.
I gazed down at her, and she quirked a curious brow as she asked, “Were you going to explain what you bring to this bromance, or should I guess?”
“I, uhm…” I trailed off, shrugging as I struggled to answer her. “I cook.”
“And?” she prompted.
“And I don’t really know. I've never thought about what I bring to the table.”
“You didn’t mention very much about yourself, and some of those things sounded like you thought you failed at them,” she acknowledged, and I couldn’t disagree with her.
“If your friendship was a house, and Stone and Novak were the foundation, as you said. Then Vaughn would be the walls, and Palmer would be the roof. York would be the doors and windows.”
I nodded. Her analogy made sense to me. It also left me thinking.
“So I’m the decor, Barbie? Is that what you’re saying?” I inquired sarcastically.
She scoffed at me. “Don’t be dense. I’m the decor. A house isn’t a home without this warmth,” she smarted, flourishing her hand to showcase herself.
I rolled my eyes. “Then I’m the yard. I think I have a spot somewhere on my body where I can add a little garden gnome tattoo.”
“You’re the nails, Briggs,” she said, grinning as she shook her head. “You hold everything together. And you’re the exterior, offering unyielding security. Your bromance had all the necessities before the furniture arrived.”
“Is she telling you about the furniture company she talked Charlie into buying?” York questioned from behind me, clearly missing the beginning of her statement.
Barbie threw her head back and groaned, “No, but thanks for reminding me of work.”
York side-eyed me as he smirked. “She bought it so she could fire one of the salesmen.”
“I did not,” she shot back.
The druid stared at her until she backtracked. “Well, maybe that was my intention at first, but he was a creepy asshole. I stand by my decision.”
I snorted at her, and she shrugged. “It was a worthwhile investment.”
“How’s that working out for you now?” York teased.
“Pleasantly. Thank you for asking,” she popped back. “The quarterly revenue is more than the original sales price now. We’ve opened up three new stores in two years, and we distribute furnishings worldwide.”
She cocked her head, playfully glaring at York with a small grin tugging at her red-stained lips. The demon snuck up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and propping his chin on her shoulder.
“Hypothetically,” Stone began, whispering in her ear. “If I piss you off, will you buy my practice and fire me?”
“Oh, no,” she purred. “I’d buy your practice, demote you, and then increase your hours.”
He chuckled, shaking his head, but she wasn’t done. She twisted out of his arms, standing between the two of us so she could see him.
“I’d hire several more attractive dentists and shift the advertising to something a little less… standard. Hot demon with his hands in my mouth? Yes, please.”
She hooked two fingers into the side of her mouth, pulling at her cheek before she winked at Stone. He took a step forward, stretching his arm out to grab her. She darted out of his reach, tucking herself into my side.
“Fuck with me, demon,” she sassed. “I’ll turn those boring two days a week into a busy five. You’ll be fending off horny patients trying to get a look at your tools.”
She glanced down at his tool, and Stone’s eyes closed briefly. York and I snickered as he pointed at her, struggling to collect his thoughts.
“I thin
k… Possibly—” He cleared his throat and tried again. “I need a new marketing director.”
“I’ll check my schedule,” she told the demon, picking at her nails. A wide smile split her lips as she drawled, “I’m just so busy.”
They continued to bicker back and forth, but I tuned them out as I watched my brother flirt with Blaire. Novak’s sister looked weirdly cozy with Jack and Grim, but that didn’t stop Baylor.
When he caught my eyes on him, he nodded his head, and the four of them turned to head our way. They made Blaire look so tiny as she walked between the three of them.
“I forgot how much you and Bay look alike,” York said, bumping me with his elbow.
Barbie rolled her eyes, muttering, “They think alike too. It’s very charming.”
I snorted, squeezing her against my side as my brother stopped in front of us. Blaire was just as bloody as Sloane, but her jaw and cheek had a clean, yellow spot where Grim had been checking out her injury.
“Really, Briggs? Another one?”
Baylor sneered, and mild annoyance coursed through my mate bond. Jack tilted his head, grinning as Barbie tensed.
“Sloane is my mate, Bay. Don’t be a dick.”
“Yeah, okay. Your mate. Whatever you say, Big.” He shrugged. “You’ll have a new girlfriend in three months. I’d bet my truck on it.”
“I’ll take you up on that bet,” she sweetly replied. “I’ll even put my R8 coupe on the line.”
Jack and Grim took a step back, hauling Blaire with them as they joined the rest of my friends. The hellsteed had the biggest, shit-eating grin on his face, and Grim was silently laughing.
“Sure you will,” Baylor sarcastically agreed. “And what happens when there’s another woman? Other than you losing an expensive ass car, I mean…”
Gods, why couldn’t he just shut the fuck up?
He was going to be so pissed when he woke up in a couple of months and realized that his precious truck was gone. I did know enough about my mate to know that she took her bets seriously, even if Bay didn’t.
“If there’s another one, then I’ll kill her. I can’t really be sure how I’ll do it until it happens, though. I have time to get creative.”