by Avery Gale
Two halves of the same soul can’t survive being ripped apart once they’ve been rejoined during mating.
Kenya was going to lose her mind if Bronx didn’t focus. Holy hat racks for homeless bunnies… he seemed to think she was easily distracted, but she was going to have to step up her game if she was going to keep up with his scattered thinking. It was obvious, he’d forgotten she could hear his thoughts, and the more time that passed since his mating bite, the clearer his internal voice sounded in her mind.
Please. I’m begging you. Harder. I need it harder. She hadn’t meant to share her thoughts, but Kenya couldn’t make her mind focus on anything aside from her need long enough to figure out how to prevent anyone from eavesdropping. The damned mailman could be listening in as far as she knew—or cared.
Bronx growled, the vibrations coming from deep in his chest. The ominous sound made her think his need might be as urgent as her own—that, or he was angry. She pushed the worry aside—no time to worry about that now. His thrusts were coming faster, pressing her incessantly against the marble wall. He took a half step back, just enough to shift his position and change the angle, making certain the rigid ring encircling the flared head of his cock caressed her G-spot with every thrust.
Bronx’s small move was all it took to launch her over the edge into a blinding abyss of brilliant lights flashing behind her eyelids. Kenya felt as if she was soaring. Despite blood thundering in her ears, she heard a woman shout Bronx’s name. It took several seconds for her to realize she’d been the one screaming her mate’s name. Damn, I’ll probably be embarrassed about that later… but right now, I’m just trying to breathe.
Bronx lowered her legs to the floor of the shower but held her close. If he’d released her immediately, Kenya would have collapsed into a heap. When he finally stepped back, Bronx caressed her cheek until her eyes met his.
“Are you okay to finish your shower? I just heard my phone sound the alarm for incoming family.” She must have looked confused because he gave a shrug and grinned. “They enter their code before crossing the perimeter. They think it shuts down the alarm system—it doesn’t. The code changes the alarm to a different tone, telling me who is coming up the drive.”
“Why do I get the idea there is more to the story?”
“The second time my sister Asia walked in to find a gun pointed at her, she announced she wasn’t coming out again until I fixed the alarm system or started answering my phone.”
“Wouldn’t it have been cheaper to answer your phone?”
“Sure, but then I’d have to come up with a plausible excuse to avoid whatever social function she was showing up to demand I attend. This way, I know it’s her, and I lock the place down, kill the lights, and wait until she gives up and goes back to Austin.”
Her soft laughter as she shampooed her hair made her look like a water sprite enjoying an afternoon rain shower. He’d been looking forward to a nice long round of patio sex, but with Austin headed their way, those plans were going to have to wait.
Austin isn’t alone. This is a buy one, get two free deal. Get your ass down here. We need to talk.
What the fuck? I don’t want to play reindeer games with you assholes. Go away and let me spend time with my new mate.
Damn it all to hell. He was starting to wish he’d harassed his brothers after they claimed their mates rather than letting them enjoy the time all shifters were supposed to be allotted for the process.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Cry me a river. None of us are happy to be here, either. If you’d get your horny ass down here, we might be able to get ahead of this train wreck before the hungover wizards show up.
Damn it all. Bronx had a mental vision of his plans going up in smoke as he dried off and stalked into his closet. He would set out clothes for Kenya to wear, so she could join them, but if she was picking up on this conversation, he wouldn’t blame her for taking her sweet time getting downstairs. Just in case she was entertaining any thoughts of slipping away, he punched in a command on his phone, activating the underground monitors, so they were sensitive to a much lower weight. A single touch outside a window or door would send a message to his phone. Smiling to himself, Bronx pulled on a pair of jeans and a tattered t-shirt and headed down the hall.
Brigitte Stafford rolled her eyes at Israel’s telepathic communication. She doubted he’d deliberately tried to hide the communication because he would have known it was futile.
“Israel never tries to hide behind telepathic communication. He rejoices in speaking right into his brothers’ and sisters’ heads. It’s annoying as hell.” Gigi raised her brows in surprise at Austin’s sudden outburst. The man who’d claimed Gigi’s niece, Charlotte, as his wife and mate was notoriously in control.
“It’s easier. People,”—Israel gave his older brother a pointed look—“tend to ignore their phones. I’m much harder to set aside if I’m chattering between your ears rather than trying to speak into them.”
“That has to be the lamest excuse I’ve ever heard. What’s the problem with you two, anyway? Austin has a baby at home, so his grumpiness might not be so hard to understand if I didn’t know he and Charlotte have one remarkable nanny training another one who, by all accounts, is going to be even better. But you,”—she pointed a blood-red polished finger at Israel—“hell, you should still be in the honeymoon stage of your marriage. I swear the two of you need a session under my lash.” The horrified looks on Israel and Austin’s faces was worth all the lost hours of sleep.
“Fucking hell, that’s never happening. One scene during our Prairie Winds training was more than enough.” Gigi laughed because she knew Kent and Kyle were adamant every Dominant spent one evening as a submissive, so they understood the dynamic. It had been the longest evening in Brigitte’s life.
“What’s not happening? And, what the hell was that bullshit about hungover wizards? If you are talking about Audric and William, when Kenya and I left, they were still watching the separation ritual in the meadow. How did they manage to get drunk? There wasn’t a bar or anything else for miles.” Bronx moved to the kitchen, pulling a beer from the fridge. Turning, he was surprised to find Brigitte grinning at him. “Holy shit, when Israel said there were three of you, I figured it was Kensington or Cleveland. Wait, why aren’t you in Mexico, watching over Denali? Why am I asking all these questions, and nobody’s giving me any answers?”
“Perhaps if you took a breath, they’d have a chance to answer.” Bronx looked up to see Kenya standing at the end of the hall. Dressed in a cropped top that looked like it had been painted on her and a pair of perfectly faded blue jeans, she took his breath away. With the frayed hems framing her pink polished toes, she looked like a fresh-faced teenager.
“Where did those clothes come from? That’s not what I left on the bed.”
She blinked at him in confusion.
“I left those for her. You tried to dress her like one of the boys to keep your brothers from looking at her.” Gigi was leaning casually against the wall, pretending to look at her nails. The low growl her response got from Bronx made Brigitte smile. Shrugging with feigned disinterest, she added, “You’re really on a roll lately. Trying to dress your lovely sub in shabby clothes after shagging her in the shower… I swear your reputation as charming is vastly overrated. And all this after dragging her through several centuries and plopping her down in a dark forest? I assume you’ve figured out my dad used you for a ride and set Kenya up, so she’d meet William.”
All three Adler men stood with their mouths gaping open in shock. Kenya was the only one who appeared to be keeping up—her bark of laughter rang through the silence.
“Audric Stafford is your dad? Oh, I’m so happy to meet you.” Extending her hand, she never missed a beat. “I’m Kenya Star. Your dad is the shit.”
Gigi was speechless for a few seconds before she remembered hearing the young people on Kensington’s movie set using the same expression when they thought something was really great.
> “I’m Brigitte, but my friends call me Gigi. My dad is something else alright… to be honest, I’m starting to think he is going through his second childhood.” Turning so she included the men in the conversation, she nodded at Bronx. “I’m sure you’re right about where they were when you left, but they detoured to Dublin. Instead of returning to the here and now, they decided to revisit the pub where they wasted so much of their youth.”
“How did you find this out? It’s not like someone could have texted you. Wait…” Kenya paused, chewing on her lip, her mind spinning so fast, Gigi was becoming dizzy. “That’s not possible, is it? A cell phone working back then without cell towers or electricity? It doesn’t seem like it would work, but then again, the world of magic seems to color outside the lines without any trouble… so who knows.”
Gigi laughed out loud. “Oh, the Adler ladies are going to love you.” Gigi knew they would, to the last one, the Adlers—whether they were born into the clan or mated with one of the five brothers—were all smart as whips and as independent as any women she’d ever met. Each had a unique skillset of magic that was amplified by their mate. The whole family was remarkable. It was easy to see why the Magic Council was watching the group so carefully and tapping their skills when they had a challenge one of the Adlers could help with.
Kenya’s cheek flushed a deep red as her gaze dropped to the floor. Bronx held out his hand to her and smiled when she moved to him without hesitation.
Hell, if Brigitte spent much more time in Texas, she was going to start thinking about finding a sub of her own, and she didn’t have time for a permanent relationship. If her dad didn’t stop acting like a damned teenager, she wasn’t going to have any free time at all.
What the hell was he thinking taking off when the rumor mill was in high gear. What the old fool needs is a nice calm witch to keep him company—someone with a level head on her shoulders to keep him out of Irish pubs and give him a reason to stay in the present.
“Why don’t you give everyone else the Cliff Notes version of all those thoughts, Gigi? Save me the trouble, and it’s better they hear it from you.” She tended to forget Israel Adler was a gifted telepath, and his brother-in-law was even better. Thank the Goddess, Luke Grayson, and his wife, Brooklyn, still lived in New Mexico.
Doesn’t mean I can’t hear you, Gigi. Don’t make me send Brooklyn to Texas. She’s already worried sick about Catalina. I’m not sure how much longer I can keep her home. Knowing her family is ass-deep in alligators is going to be all the excuse she needs.
Gigi wanted to throw her hands up in frustration. This mess was spiraling out of control and her damned sister, Amaya, was too busy worrying about her next yoga class and whether or not her chakras were in balance to help pull their dad back from his drunken foray.
“While you’re at it, maybe you could enlighten us about who has decided our mates should hand over their medallions and how many people have died trying to protect the damned things.” Israel wanted answers, and he got the distinct impression Brigitte was holding back.
“Personally, I’d like to know why the Council didn’t step in a long time ago. Does anyone know if reassembling this magical totem is going to solve the problem because my gut instinct tells me it won’t?” Austin’s frustration was edging closer to the surface, and Bronx saw Gigi stiffen at their questions.
I’m going to kick Amaya’s namaste ass.
Chapter Sixteen
Bronx listened as Brigitte complained about her father and William Fitzgerald’s detour, more than a little curious how she’d known what the old farts were up to. It was clear she was frustrated with the two elderly men, but Bronx found the entire scenario oddly reassuring. There was something to be said for living long enough to annoy your children and grandchildren—although, from the amused look of Kenya’s expression, he’d say William wasn’t going to face the same tongue lashing.
“Gigi, I don’t mean to be disrespectful, but why is it a problem for your dad and my grandfather to have a night of fun?” The question wasn’t unreasonable but seemed to take Gigi by surprise. To her credit, Brigitte gave the question careful consideration before answering.
“It’s irresponsible at best and bordering on dangerously negligent.”
“Maybe I’m obtuse, but I still don’t get it. Was there a scheduled meeting or something?” Gigi seemed to deflate, collapsing in a chair and leaning her head back to stare at the ceiling. “Geez, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you. I’m still trying to figure all this out. My view is probably terribly naïve, but it seems like we just need to get everyone together. Reverse the spell, which I’m guessing isn’t that difficult since neither wizard looked like they planned to take notes—heck, they barely paid attention when the statue thing started vibrating like the San Andres Fault.”
“Kenya, that statue thing represents a power so strong, it’s going to require special handling by a group of magicals to transport it to the Council’s safe. The meeting isn’t until tomorrow night. Kensington wanted to finish up filming, and he wouldn’t let Denali travel without him.” Austin shrugged as Israel and Bronx laughed.
“What did you expect? Kensington has yet to realize how self-sufficient his bride is.” Austin was right, but after Bronx thought about it, he realized that was true of all their wives.
“I agree with Bronx or at least with what he was thinking.” Israel flashed him the same grin Bronx had seen his entire life—and it never boded well. Damn, that smile had preceded a lot of weekends spent in their room, grounded from whatever fun outing their parents had planned. “Great Goddess, you have the memory of a wounded elephant. Do you ever remember the fun stuff?”
“You got me into trouble at every turn, brother.”
“Will you two stop bickering like a couple of preschoolers? I have a wife and child I’d like to get home to. Hell, I still don’t know why I’m here if the ceremony isn’t until tomorrow.” Bronx chuckled when Gigi stared at her niece’s husband in shocked disbelief.
“You’re here for snack assignments. What should we put you down for? Cookies? Chips and dip? How about a nice relish plate?” This time, Bronx stared in disbelief, but it didn’t last long before everyone in the room dissolved into laughter.
“Damn, Kenya, you surprised the hell out of me, and that doesn’t happen very often. I agree with Gigi—though I’ll deny it if you tell anyone. You’re going to be a big hit with our wives and sisters. Well done.” Kenya’s cheeks blushed the deepest red Bronx had ever seen on a woman, and he couldn’t wait to get their company back out the door.
“Okay, I can take a hint, and if the lot of you would focus for more than ten seconds at a time, I’ll wrap this up.” Gigi looked at Kenya and smiled. “You’re right about my dad and William. I was just frustrated with them for having fun when I’m worried about getting this done. To be honest, I need a damned vacation, and I’m just plain pissy.” Turning to the Adler men, her expression became more serious.
“Don’t take any chances tomorrow. I don’t care how you get here, what kind of security you have to employ to do it… just get here. The dark magic forces are working overtime, trying to figure out how to get around the protections we put into place.” She paused, and Bronx waited along with his brothers because it was clear she was holding back. Taking a deep breath, Gigi suddenly looked tired, and Bronx could see she was carrying the bulk of the responsibility on her small shoulders.
“There’s one more thing. I know Catalina is in the wind looking for Cooper. If you have any way to contact her, let her know she is looking in the wrong place.” Bronx noted Gigi was choosing her words carefully and wondered who was behind her reluctance to speak freely. It was unlike her to be so restrained.
Austin and I are wondering the same thing but want to give her a chance to come clean before calling her on it.
“Listen, I know you are chatting about this between you, and I understand why. Trust me, if I wanted to fool your sixth senses, I’d make a much better eff
ort.” Bronx didn’t doubt she had plenty in her magical arsenal to back up the claim and didn’t see any reason to test her.
“Cooper is working with the Council of Magic. I know at first glance it seems like an unlikely alliance, but if you’ll stop and think about it, the whole thing makes sense. They needed someone from outside the magic world—someone with a specific skillset who already knew magicals existed and cared enough to help.”
Austin raised his brows in surprise before narrowing them. As the oldest, Austin felt a keen sense of responsibility for his siblings and now by extension, their mates. Catalina hadn’t admitted Cooper was the one for her, but she was the only one who hadn’t accepted it as a foregone conclusion.
“The Council doesn’t want me contacting Catalina; they believe I might be a distraction. Can you imagine that?”
“No! You? A distraction? I can’t fathom it.”
“Sarcasm is a sign of a subpar wit, Austin.” Gigi’s glare was worse than her bite, and Austin easily shrugged off her criticism. “You’d make a magnificent toad, but Charlotte would wail, and I’ve always been a sucker for my niece.”
“Who’s being sarcastic, now?” Austin rolled his eyes at Gigi.
“Touché.”
“What’s Cam Barnes’ stake in this?” Gigi’s eyes widened at Israel’s question. “Don’t play coy, Brigitte. It’s not even remotely convincing. Cam has recently developed a very focused interest in the world of magic, and the man never does anything by half measure. Not to mention the fact Cam and Cooper are practically joined at the hip. What one knows, they both know—if one of them has his fingers in a pie, the other has already been served.”
“I feel like I should be taking notes for a who’s who in the zoo cheat sheet. Not to mention all the… well, catchphrases. My senior paper is practically writing itself.” Once again, Kenya had managed to defuse the tension in the room, and Bronx was beginning to think she might be magically gifted in more ways than she knew. Reading people, understanding their motives, and when they needed a moment to regroup was more difficult than most people were aware of.