Wild Lands (Savage Lands Book 2)

by Stacey Marie Brown

  I stared at a tiny hole in the wall.

  “I wouldn’t bother lying to you now, Ms. Kovacs. You have already proven yourself immune.”

  I turned to look up at him, my lips pinching.

  He smirked as if he could read me.

  “Not only were you on them for two solid weeks, but they were in every meal after the first few days passed. Those you saw below took only one pill a day. It didn’t seem to matter: weight, sex, or health. They were all affected within the first twenty-four hours.” He settled back on his heels. “I wish to test you another way, if I may?”

  “If you may?” I sputtered, anger lashing out like venom. “Please, you are not asking my permission, Killian, so drop the act.”

  In a flash, his face was in mine, his hands flattening me back against the wall.

  “I told you. Do not call me by my name,” he seethed, his irises bursting with color, his nose flaring. We stared at each other before he cleared his throat. “Don’t push me. Unlike your last companion, I do not feel the need to use violence for everything.” His mouth brushed my ear, which made my lungs constrict. “But if it is the only way you to obey me, I will.” He pushed back, tugging at his cuffs. “Eat your breakfast. A guard will be coming for you in ten minutes.” He swiveled around, exiting.

  “Oh my…” A voice jerked my head back to the tray of food, half a sausage sticking out of his mouth. Opie stood there, fanning himself. “He’s so yummy.”

  Chirp.

  “No, I don’t think he’d be into that.”

  Chirp.

  “Bitzy!” Opie’s mouth fell open. “He’s our master. Don’t put those images in my head.”

  Chirp.

  “You’re right. I totally already thought about it. He’s probably into that stuff behind closed doors.”

  “Please stop.” I rubbed my face. “You’re making me queasy.”

  “Oh, then you won’t be eating this then?” he mumbled, his mouth sounding full.

  My head snapped to my breakfast, seeing a slice of bacon sticking out of Opie’s mouth, while Bitzy’s finger stirred the coffee, licking it off and sticking it back in the cup.

  Folding myself over my legs with a sigh, I said, “No. All yours.”

  “Oh, good! I know we had a stack of pancakes twenty minutes ago, but I’m starving.” Opie crammed in a piece of toast, butter trailing down his chin.

  The lock on my cell clinked, the door swinging open. Peering back at my friends, once again, they vanished as if they’d never been there.

  “Let’s go,” a woman’s deep voice barked, jolting me back to the door. I was shocked not seeing the young cute guard, Iain, standing there. The woman wore a signature guard outfit with Killian’s symbol on her chest, a sword dangling from her waist. She was over six feet, with a sharp nose and wide shoulders. Her feather-like short hair was various shades of brown and gold. Acute gold-brown eyes narrowed on me with utter disgust. “Move it!”

  Fuck. I got to my feet, stepping cautiously toward the door.

  “Where’s Iain?”

  “Did I say you could speak, prisoner?” She shoved me forward, my shoulder ramming into the stone wall across the hallway. “You shut the hell up and do what you’re told before I stop being nice.”

  “Someone spit in your coffee too?” I muttered.

  Her large hands grabbed my hair, yanking me back, her expression twisted. “Whatever spell you put on the men won’t work with me. That’s why they have me watching you. Iain was growing too fond of you.”

  Dammit. Killian saw the weakness before I could exploit it. “I want nothing more than you dead. So, remember your place, human. Or my knife might accidentally slip across your neck, as you deserve.” She thrust me forward, my feet scrambling to keep up.

  Shit, what had I done to her?

  I stayed quiet the rest of the trip to the lab, but she took every opportunity to shove and push me into walls and doorjambs. My arms were bruised by the time we entered the lab.

  “Nyx.” Killian’s voice cut through the air as he stepped into the room with the window, meeting us. “That’s enough.”

  “I disagree, my lord. I think the prisoner has grown too comfortable and has forgotten her place. What she really is.”

  “And what is she, Nyx?”

  “Lucky! I haven’t stabbed a hole through her chest yet,” she replied.

  A hint of humor flashed over Killian’s face, his eyes meeting mine. “I see you made a friend, Ms. Kovacs.”

  I glared back.

  “You are excused, Nyx. I will let you know when she needs to be returned to her cell.”

  Nyx dipped her head at his order, snarling at me before marching back down the hallway.

  “Better be careful. Hawk-shifters become intent on their prey and are hard to sway off their target. And she really wants any reason to kill you.”

  Hawk-shifter. That didn’t sound good for me. “What the hell did I do to her?” I rubbed at my sore arms. “Or is it just because I’m human?”

  “The human part is what I want to figure out.” He moved right up to me, his solid body evident under his nice suit. “But that’s not why she wants to kill you.”

  “Then why?”

  “Because you murdered her partner, Yulia.” He lifted an eyebrow. “Put a bullet through her lover’s heart and watched her fall into the Danube the night you escaped Halálház.”

  I blinked and glanced back at the doorway. Holy shit… Yulia. Her girlfriend was the owl-shifter I shot while Warwick and I were fleeing Halálház?

  Fuck.

  “She watched it happening live, so I think that gives her an exceptionally good reason to want you dead.” He twisted around, going for the door. “You will do as I say, or I will let her seek the revenge she craves.”

  Chapter 4

  “That is enough for today.” Killian’s silky voice caused my lashes to flutter open, and I took in his familiar build strolling up to the bed I was lying on. He clicked off the machines surrounding me with their rhythmic beeps and hums, which had lulled me into dozing. “How are you feeling?”

  “Better if I had a cookie.” I tried to hold back my grin.

  “I’m sure I could find you something sweet.” His violet eyes lifted to mine with a playful smile, making my chest clench. I turned my attention back to my hands. What the hell, Brex? He’s the enemy.

  It was getting harder to remember that.

  It had been more than a week and a half since he first brought me down here. Every day I returned, but instead of forcing pills down my throat, I went through every type of test imaginable: blood, physical, psychological, x-rays, brain waves, fae woo-woo stuff. And in that time, Killian had been by my side. I stopped questioning it after the third day; his constant presence was the only thing giving me comfort. He only left when business came up, but he returned the moment he could. Because I was doing what he wanted without a fight, his threat to punish me if I didn’t drifted away with each passing day. But I was no fool. I understood it could all shift in a blink, and he could easily kill me.

  I expected the tests to start bordering on cruelty. But besides a basic physical examination, I got to lie there and eat cookies later. In my book, that was a holiday.

  “You look a little pale today.” Killian peeled off a monitor attached to my temple. “Might benefit from some fresh air. A walk, maybe. Would you join me?”

  My head jerked to him.

  “Actually, I have a little surprise for you.”

  My brow crinkled. His kindness bypassed every one of my defenses. I doubted his intentions and my own judgment of character.

  Killian was nothing like I imagined or what I had been told. He didn’t have human slaves bringing him trays of food while he tortured, killed, and raped our kind. He was compassionate toward me. Attentive. I found myself laughing and teasing with him the longer we spent together. It disturbed me.

  “Can I ask you something?”

  “Of course.” He gently tugged out
the needle in my arm.

  “Why are you here?” I watched him do everything himself instead of a lab specialist. He had all week. If he was by my side, then he dismissed the technicians and took care of me himself.

  “What do you mean, why am I here?” His brow furrowed, grabbing a cotton swab to pat the drip of blood from the puncture hole. “This is my lab. My palace.”

  “Exactly. Yours. You have dozens of staff at your will who could be here instead.”

  He didn’t respond, still putting pressure on the wound.

  “Don’t you have other obligations? You are the leader. Shouldn’t you be, I don’t know, running your side of the country instead of being my nurse?”

  “My focus is precisely where it should be.” His eyes met mine. “And I enjoy being your nurse.”

  I sucked in, his gaze heavy on me. “Why?”

  He stepped back, tossing the swabs into the wastebasket.

  “Come,” he ordered, advancing for the door, ignoring my question.

  Blowing out my breath, I slid off the bed, following him out. Nyx waited at the elevators for us, her glower darkening the moment she saw me.

  “Lord.” She dipped her head, pulling out a set of handcuffs. “Should I take the prisoner back to her room… smother her with a pillow?”

  He chuckled, shaking his head as he stepped into the lift. “Not tonight. I will be escorting Ms. Kovacs myself. You can take the rest of the night off.”

  “Sir?” She blinked at him in horror, the handcuffs in her hands. “Shouldn’t I at least bind the captive?”

  “No need.” His regard slid to me as I moved into the elevator with him, then back to Nyx. “I think I can handle her.”

  “My lord…” Nyx shook her head. “Yes, she is a weak, disgusting, vile human. But I’m concerned you are not seeing clearly.”

  “Are you second-guessing me, lieutenant?”

  “No, sir.” She bowed her head deeper. “It’s my job to keep you safe. To see all threats.”

  “I hardly think a human is any threat to me.” He pushed the button on the elevator. “Good night, Nyx.”

  Nyx’s mouth remained open, her eyes wide as the doors shut, taking us up.

  “I think she’s really beginning to like me.” I peered over at Killian, his regard meeting mine, a smile hinting on his mouth. I had seen more and more of this side of him in the last week.

  “I daresay she is,” he replied, his stare not wavering, forcing me to look away as tension billowed in the tiny space.

  The doors opened, finally breaking Killian’s attention from me as he stepped out into a large room. A gasp caught in my lungs as I followed him out, twisting around to take in all the grandeur and the opulence reminding me of home.

  He had brought me up to his palace. His home.

  The huge gallery was laid with marble flooring and rich red carpet. Excruciating detail was sculpted into the arched ceilings far above our heads. Exquisitely carved statues of fae lined the room, invaluable murals painted on the ceilings and walls. Every space dripped with crystal and pure gold chandeliers, ornate rugs, oversized fireplaces, and excessive riches beyond anyone’s imagination.

  I recognized it; it was very similar to HDF. Here, the fat cats lapped at the cream, while most others starved and begged in the street for crumbs.

  When I was at HDF, I used to stare at this castle from across the river. I knew the building’s shell was left intact, but from old pictures, it was clear Killian had the interior updated, removing the human influence of its previous owners.

  It was now more modern, clean, but oozed decadence and money. Paintings of fae mythology replaced portraits of human leaders, and Killian’s insignia was everywhere: two intertwined, detailed circles with a sword cutting through the middle, the blade and handle encrusted with Celtic symbols and blazing with light. It symbolized the Sword of Nuada, an old-world treasure said to have been destroyed around the time of the Fae War twenty years ago. Though, some still believed it had made it out, hidden somewhere in the world.

  The time alone with Killian almost made me forget who he really was. Seeing this was like a punch to the face. He was the fae leader. My enemy.

  My soft slipper-type shoes skated over the cool floors. My skin prickled, and my lungs sucked in the fresh air blowing through the open windows, where sheer drapes billowed like sails on the open sea. The early evening set deep purples and blues along the horizon and cast the room in shadows. Warm buttery light spilled from the chandeliers and sconces.

  Killian strolled out onto the balcony, glancing over his shoulder at me. Stepping beside him, I took a deep breath, tears prickling at my eyes. The scent of the Danube rolled over me, smelling familiar and comfortable. My breath shuddered as I took in the glowing city across the river. The lights of the Human Defense Force twinkled at me like an old friend, beckoning me over. I bit down on my lip, longing and sorrow stabbing my heart. Home.

  I could feel Killian’s weighted gaze on me, but I couldn’t look at him, lost in the view. The hint of fall kissed the air. It had only been a handful of months since my capture on the bridge below, but standing here next to a Seelie fae, the lord of Hungary, staring at my old home from his castle, alive and unscathed, I realized how much had changed for me. I lived lifetimes in those months, experienced things I never imagined.

  The girl who used to sit up on the roof of HDF staring at this palace would not recognize the girl who looked back now.

  “You won’t let me go, will you?” I asked, my voice unemotional.

  Killian glided his hands into his pockets. “Is that really what you want?”

  I glanced over at him, perplexed by his question.

  “Could you imagine yourself returning to what you were doing before?” He flicked his head toward HDF, the lights from the gardens glinting off his dark hair and reflecting in his stunning eyes. “Training to kill fae, listening to them repeat over and over what monsters we are.” He curved toward me. “Could you go back? Back to wanting to kill fae… to kill me?”

  “How do you know I don’t want to now?” My voice wobbled more than I expected, my throat coiling on itself, trying to ignore how stunning he was.

  “Do you?” He stepped up to me, his body only a breath away, his face far too close to mine. “You want me dead, Brexley?”

  I inhaled abruptly as though he’d shot a bullet straight through my chest. The potency and intimacy of my name on his lips pulsed through my stomach and down between my thighs.

  “Power of a name,” he muttered, leaning farther into me.

  Was this what it was like when I said his first name? Then I could understand his anger at the time. Holy shit…

  “Normal humans do not feel the intense weight of a name as we do.” He tipped his head to the side, studying me. “But there is nothing normal about you, is there?”

  I swallowed, trying not to move or breathe.

  “I think Nyx may be right about you.”

  “That I should be smothered by my pillow?” I croaked.

  He huffed out a laugh, his head wagging.

  “No.” His hands came up to my face, sliding over my cheeks, my lungs hitching. He cupped my face, his gaze dropping down to my mouth. “That you are a threat to me. I cannot see clearly when it comes to you. I cannot explain it, but you make me feel alive. You are a force I’m drawn to, and I can’t seem to help but want to follow.”

  Without warning, his lips came down on mine, locking my muscles up in shock. His mouth was warm and inviting, lighting passion through me. Sparking that need for touch, for a moment of pleasure against all the cruel harshness. To not feel alone and scared.

  I slowly responded. Opened to him. He hissed, reacting to my voracious reply, his fingers clasping my face harder, his tongue slipping through my lips, curling against mine, deepening the kiss.

  This was like when Zander kissed me. A burst of fervor flared up my vertebrae, taking over. I returned his kiss as if my life were on the line, but I wasn’t getting
what I needed. Our mouths moved hungrily, but still, I needed more. Demanded it.

  Then something shifted when he pressed his body into mine. He seemed larger than I recalled, letting me feel everything. His need. His desire. Pulsing and extraordinarily massive. Everything about him encompassed me like he had suddenly grown feet taller. Wider, more muscular, consuming me. His mouth moving against mine was so utterly divine, for once I was satisfied. And fuck… horny as hell. Our kiss raked thick desire into my core, bowing my legs, adding more desperation to my kiss.

  “Fuck, Kovacs, after weeks, I can’t say I mind being greeted this way.” A deep gravelly voice scraped over my skin, slipping between my legs like fingers, hardening my nipples instantly. My lids burst open, jerking me out of corded arms.

  “Oh, my gods.” I stumbled back, blinking in confusion and fear, gaping at the huge figure standing before me, completely blocking Killian.

  Warwick Farkas.

  A cocky grin tugged the side of his mouth, his aqua blue eyes glowing like lights in the evening, his intensity slamming into me. Raw. Savage. Brutal.

  “Missed you too, Kovacs,” he rumbled, his thick eyebrows lifting. Every syllable struck me, slipping and clawing over my skin as if they owned me. “Looks like you are doing just fine. Though it must not be that good, because you’re still thinking about me.”

  “No,” I snarled, stepping farther away, gripping my head. This wasn’t real. He wasn’t here. Wake up, Brexley. Wake up.

  “Don’t…” Warwick reached for me, his lips rising in a snarl. “I finally got in… Don’t push me out yet.”

  “Get the fuck away.”

  “You can’t trust him…”

  “I can’t trust you.” I shook my head, covering my face. Wake up! Wake the hell up now!

  “Brexley?”

  “Get away from me!” I screamed, squeezing my lids tightly.

  “Brexley…?” A hand touched me. The voice was soft, soothing the burns I still felt on my skin from Warwick’s touch.

  I pried my lashes apart, turning my head up into a beautiful face, the eyes the color of lavender. My head snapped around, searching for Warwick, knowing I would find nothing but shadows and whispers, my imagination conjuring him up like a spirit.