by Jess Buffett
Something suddenly seared his flank, and Jordan rolled to the side. A heavy weight landed on top of him and he snapped at the figure.
“Easy there, little puppy. I promise, this will only hurt a bit, but it’ll be a lot nicer than what we have installed for most of them.”
Jordan growled, trying to buck the figure off, when a blinding light reached his eyes. Turning away from the iris searing heat, he could hear the Wizard above him shriek. When the light faded, Jordan risked a quick glance, almost choking on his tongue at the sight before him.
A bird, literally on fire, hovered in the air. Its wings spread out, glorious, majestic, and Jordan sighed in relief. Quickly, he shifted back, taking no care for the fact that he was now naked. The mythological creature slowly lowered itself to the ground, morphing as it went until all the feathers disappeared and in the bird’s place stood a man.
His bright hair was so red it appeared on fire, the black irises of the man’s eyes adding to the effect. At almost seven feet, he was tall and lean, yet still heavily muscled. He was a nature and law unto his own.
“Torio,” he whispered gratefully.
Damn, he had never been happier to see the Phoenix Shifter.
More so though, he needed to find his mate.
When he had watched Colton turn into the smooth, sleek Panther he was, Jordan had struggled to allow Colton to fight by his side, but seeing the fierce predator his mate changed into reminded him that they were equals. His Wolf had seen and accepted that, the human…not so much.
Scanning the area around them, Jordan fought the urge to cry out when he finally found Colton, curled in the fetal position, blood covering his lithe body.
Running as fast as his legs would carry him, Jordan crumpled to the ground by his mate, placing a hand on Colton’s shoulder. God, he was so badly hurt, Jordan didn’t know where to touch.
Colton, who had appeared unconscious, snarled and lashed out with a paw.
“Whoa, honey. It’s just me,” he soothed.
The Panther’s head shot up and their eyes met. He could see the pain and even panic in those green orbs. When Colton shifted back to human form, his head fell back down, too heavy for him to lift.
“Hey. It’s okay. Just rest, honey. Everything is okay now,” Jordan reassured him. “God, you scared me. Never. You are never allowed out of my sight. Do you hear me?”
A crooked smile appeared on Colton’s bloody face. “I’ll keep that in mind next time.”
“You do that.”
Colton’s eyes flicked around as he frowned. “H–how? I was sure we were losing.”
Jordan gathered Colton carefully in his arms, pulling him into his lap. He went with it, and Jordan suspected his mate was unable move on his own. Christ! How close had he come to losing him?
“We had help from an old friend.” He chuckled, thinking of how Torio had appeared, like something out of a story. The man always had a flare for the dramatic. “You could say he blew them away with his entrance.”
Jordan laughed at the look Colton threw him. Even in pain, Colton still managed to roll his eyes.
Colton slowly lifted his head, his eyes searching. Jordan followed his line of slight, seeing the others that had been with them. Riley and Caleb stood over near Jonas and Micah, Riley clutching his injured mate as he looked the Vampire over. Caleb, for what it was worth, seemed to be enjoying the attention. Kellan stood just a few feet away with some of Jonas’s men, but Jordan could see their eyes were glued to Torio. He saw Colton frown, twisting in his lap. He knew the moment the Panther saw Tor because a jolt of shock went through him.
Yeah, it was an impressive sight.
“Who the hell is that?” Colton whispered in awe.
Jordan chucked. “That…is Torio.”
* * * *
Everyone gathered in Jonas’s grand study, or at least those capable and not still receiving medical attention.
Caleb took his position next to his brother, a firm arm around his mate. Riley for the most part looked unscathed, not that Jordan was surprised. It would take a lot for someone to get close to the Mage. Micah stood on the other side of Colton, helping Jordan support his stubborn mate, who refused to seek help until the meeting was over. Though, he wasn’t the only one.
Jordan was amazed at Kellan’s resilience. The Vampire should be resting, having received multiple broken bones and lacerations from the attack. However it seemed all of that took a backseat to his need for vengeance.
“We need to hunt those bastards down and slice them in two.” Kellan growled, his fangs dropping low.
“We need a plan first, Kellan.” Jonas tried to soothe his second-in-command. “Then, we will take them all out.”
From the far side of the room, Tor chuckled. “You make that sound incredibly easy, Vampire.”
Jonas threw him a scathing look. “I never said it would be easy, but it can’t be impossible. I refuse to believe that.”
“They killed Brett.” Kellan glared at the Phoenix, his amber eyes blazing with anger. “They held us down while Michael slit his throat and tore through his chest. I won’t rest until they all pay.”
“We need to focus on the bigger picture. You may think I don’t care, but it is the opposite. I care a great deal, perhaps too much.” Tor stepped forward, coming to stand beside Jordan. “I know, more than you, what these people are capable of. You will do yourself and your fallen friend a disservice by not thinking things through first.”
“Tor may be many things, but heartless is not one of them,” Jordan added in defence of his friend. “He wouldn’t be here if he didn’t give a shit. It’s been a long damn time since we last saw him. He didn’t have to come now.”
“It has been a long time, old friend.” Tor shook his hand, thumping him on the back so hard it nearly sent Jordan flying. “It’s good to see you again.”
“You too, man. And great timing by the way.” Jordan tilted his head to the window that opened to the grounds they had just been fighting on. “Another few minutes, and who the hell knows what would have happened. We’ve never faced an attack that large before.”
“You should have called long before now.” Tor’s deep, baritone voice was filled with anger. “You’ve never been attacked like that because you’ve never truly faced Potestas. The ambushes you’ve received were children’s attempts to show their parents what they were capable of. However, the parents are less than impressed. They’ve sent the kids to bed early and have decided to play the game themselves.”
Jonas thumped his fist down on his desk. “So then up until now, who the hell have we been fighting?”
Tor pinned the Rege with an arrogant look. “Your brother, a few of his friends. You didn’t honestly believe Darius had resurrected Potestas on his own, did you?”
Jonas visibly bristled, and Jordan winced. Tor was old. No, fuck it, dirt was old, Tor was something more. Yet he still hadn’t seemed to grasp the knack of tactfulness, or perhaps because of his age, he no longer felt it was necessary.
“That still doesn’t tell us who is running the show,” Jonas bit out. “Who reestablished Potestas?”
The Phoenix shook his head. “No one reestablished anything, don’t you get it? The same people who created Potestas are the same people controlling it now.”
“But that’s insane.” Jordan finally spoke up. “Potestas was created over three thousand years ago!”
Tor crossed his arms over the wide expanse of his chest. “And?”
Fuuuuck!
“How old are you?” he asked, not for the first time since he had met the man.
“Old.”
Dammit. It was the same response he received every time.
“Well, it sounds like you were around when Potestas was formed at least,” he prodded.
The bastard smirked. “It does, doesn’t it?”
“Jackarse,” he muttered.
“I’ve been called worse. And by the way, congratulations on your mating.” Tor leant around h
im and gave Colton a wink. “I’m Tor, not that your mate bothered to introduce me.”
Colton gave him a timid nod but otherwise said nothing, seeming in awe of the flirty bird. Jordan had no such problem. “I haven’t exactly had time, arsewipe.”
“Perhaps,” the Phoenix agreed. “Or perhaps you were just worried I would impress your mate too much. A Panther as smooth and sleek as he is needs a tender touch to tame his wild needs.”
The only thing that stopped Jordan from taking a swing at the arrogant prick, friend or not, was Colton snorting in laughter.
Both of them shot his mate a confused look, which only caused Colton to laugh harder. “I’m sorry. I know this is so inappropriate at the moment. The severity of the situation and all…but that was the lamest, corniest thing I have ever heard.”
Tor shrugged, giving Colton another wink. “True, but everyone is a little less tense now that I have made an arse out of myself.”
Jordan chuckled. Of course. The air was a little lighter, even Kellan having relaxed back into the chair he sat in.
Beeping suddenly enveloped the room, bodies tensing all around.
“Calm down, it’s just a video call,” Jonas assured them. Glancing down at a pad sitting on the edge of his desk, he frowned. “It’s Jake. Well, if that isn’t timing I don’t know what is.”
The Rege flicked on the screen, everyone turning to face the Kayan and the Anax who appeared. “Jacob, Xander.”
“Jonas.” Jake nodded in greeting. “We tried contacting you earlier but received no response. You all look like hell, what happened?”
“Potestas.” Jonas sighed, wiping a hand down his face. “But this attack was like nothing we have ever seen. I lost a few good men, one of them my third. Though I assure you, all of your men are in one piece, more or less. As much as it chafes me to say, if it weren’t for Torio’s interference, we may not be standing here.”
“Shit,” Jake cursed, peering around until he found Tor. “Thanks, Tor. I’m glad you got my message in time.”
The Phoenix rolled his pitch black eyes. “You should have sent word earlier, but I’ve already had that bitch, we have other stuff to focus on.”
“Yeah. Well, on top of this we’ve discovered some more information that could seriously affect things as they are now.” Jake grimaced. “We received a video from Darius and you’re not going to like it one bit.”
Jonas held up his hand before Jake could continue. “Regardless, it’s best you don’t tell us now. Our systems are even more compromised than we originally thought. Any vital information can’t be delivered through anything capable of being hacked.”
“Christ, this just gets worse and worse.” The Kayan growled. “But I figured it would be safer to send the information to you personally, which was why I was calling. I’ll be sending it with someone, but I’ll need you to meet them. Can’t take a chance they’ll be intercepted.”
“Agreed. Who will you send?” the Rege asked.
Jake’s face contorted into a grimace. “That was another reason for the video call. The person I’m sending wanted to tell his brother in person.”
Tension rose in Jordan. Brother? Was Morgan risking himself to bring them information? While he didn’t doubt in his brother’s abilities, he worried that the man had been too distracted lately. With being unable to mate Lily, Morgan’s attention had been split, and that could easily land his brother in hot water.
“Morgan?” Jordan asked.
Jake let out a heavy sigh. “No.”
“Then who are you sending?” he asked his Kayan. There were only so many people the man trusted, and half of them were already standing in the room with Jordan. He had said brother, so it couldn’t be Dmitri, but if not him or Morgan, then who?
Colton trembled beside him as his brother, Mason, suddenly stepped onto the screen, and Jordan was filled with dread.
“I will be coming with the information,” the Panther said.
“No,” Colton shouted. “No, I won’t allow it.”
His brother gave him a sad smile. “You don’t have a choice, little brother. And neither do I. This is a chance to make things right, and you need this information. It’s only right that I bring it to you.” Colton was shaking his head in denial, but Mason ignored him as he continued. “There is a club nearby Jonas’s Coven. Send someone to meet me there tomorrow night. It’s crowded, lots of people.”
Mason didn’t give Colton a chance to respond, and Jordan could feel his mate sag against him.
“He can’t do this, Jordan. What if something happens to him? Potestas could get to him first.” The stark fear in Colton’s eyes made him feel helpless. Jordan wished there was something he could do or say, but there wasn’t. Mason seemed hell-bent on doing this, his guilt clearly overwhelming him.
“I’m sorry, but your brother needs to do this, and I need someone to do it,” Jake said, stepping back onto the screen. “Trust in your brother, and whoever Jonas sends to meet him.”
The leaders conversed some more, but Jordan was more focused on his mate. The look of utter desolation was heartbreaking.
When the meeting was over, Jordan wasted no time in ushering Colton to their room. Once inside with the doors closed, Jordan took his Panther into his arms tightly, leading him over the small love seat near the window.
Jordan sat, pulling Colton into his lap. His mate shuffled until he was straddling Jordan’s thighs, resting his head on Jordan’s shoulder. “He’ll be okay. If he is fully healed, Jonas will most likely send Kellan, and I can ask Tor to go along as well. With a seriously old Vampire and a god only knows how old, ancient Phoenix, your brother will be safe,” he promised his mate.
And he knew he would do anything to keep that promise, even if it meant going himself.
“I know, it’s just…I just got him back. What if I lose him? Will Ethan blame me? I couldn’t stand for either of my brothers to look at me with so much hate again.”
Colton pulled back, and Jordan could see that the tears that had been threatening had finally begun falling. Jordan leant down to press their lips together softly, determined to put all the love and affection he felt for the younger man in the kiss.
It wasn’t long until the kiss became more. More heated, more consuming. Their shirts were the first thing to go, the need for skin a priority for them both. Jordan dragged in a ragged breath when they finally came up for air, shocked when Colton abruptly stood on the couch, undoing his pants and lowering them along with his boxers. The shoes followed and before he knew it, his mate was in front of him, bare as the day he had been born. Hell if that wasn’t a glorious sight.
Colton sat back down, rubbing his ass over Jordan’s hard-as-fuck cock. He squirmed around, letting his shaft rub up and down Colton’s crease. “God, I love you.”
Colton placed his hands on Jordan’s chest, smiling down at him even through his tears. “And I love you. You’re everything to me, you know?”
“I know, babe.”
Colton continued to rub his ass into Jordan’s groin, making him groan. Damn that felt good.
His mate was panting as he ran his hands over Jordan’s chest. “I want you to fuck me. Please, now.”
Jordan nodded as he reached for his own pants, working them down and off. He spread his legs, pushing his mate a little further back. “Have to get you ready.”
Colton mumbled something that sounded like an agreement, reaching down until his hand touched the floor, and then brought the bottle of lube up and sat it on Jordan’s chest.
At Jordan’s questioning look, Colton blushed. “I had it in my pants from earlier. Just in case.”
Jordan grinned. “Good to know you’re always so well prepared.”
He quickly lubed his fingers and then pulled Colton close, making his mate lie across his chest. He took his mate’s lips in a gentle kiss, as his fingers delved into his mate’s entrance. Colton moaned as Jordan prepped him for his invasion. An expression of lust gleamed in Colton’s green eyes w
hen Jordan broke the kiss. He lubed his cock and then grabbed Colton’s sides, lifting his mate and then watching in wonder as Colton took over, impaling himself onto Jordan’s shaft. “You look like a god sitting up there.”
Colton groaned and then smiled down at him. His mate grabbed the back of the couch with one hand and then began to ride him. Jordan watched as Colton’s stomach muscles quivered, his thigh muscles bulging and flexing. Shit. He was going to come just by the way his mate twitched! Jordan jackknifed, pulling Colton down with him as he devoured his mouth, snapping his hips along the way. He drove his cock deep, trying to bury it inside of his mate. Colton cried out as Jordan snapped his hips harder, feeling his orgasm building to an epic proportion.
“Come with me.” He jerked his hips faster, the tightness of his mate’s ass driving him mad. Jordan used the friction to bring his mate off without touching him once. Colton shouted Jordan’s name, making his ego grow by leaps and bounds as he felt wetness between them. “That’s it. I’m about to come in your ass, babe,” Jordan warned as he threw his head back, letting out a loud growl. His canines descended as his body exploded. He didn’t hesitate when he felt Colton push his neck into his teeth. Jordan sank them deep, cutting through flesh as he laid his claim once more, feeling Colton do the same.
Licking over the wound to seal it shut, Jordan pressed soft, tender kisses up Colton’s neck. “It’ll be okay, hun.”
“I know.” Colton gave him a tentative smile. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For being you.” Colton shrugged. “For being everything I needed.”
Jordan grinned. “Well, you’re pretty purrfect yourself, mate.”
Colton pulled a face at him. “Oh god. You didn’t just say that. Could you get any cornier?”
“Probably.” He chuckled, pulling his mate tighter against him. And just think. I’m all yours.
“Yes. Yes, you are,” Colton agreed, bringing their lips together again.
In that moment Jordan realised he was right where he had always wanted to be, but never knew. In the arms of his perfect mate.