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Chapter 28 - Toven
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Circle of the Stars Chapter 29 - Thane
I pinched the bridge of my nose as a headache set up residence directly behind my right eyeball. "Okay. One more time."Tove heaved a sigh. "I didn't find anything on Alder Valley other than some housing developments in different states. Apparently, alder trees aren't as poplar." He snickered at his terrible pun. "The information on druids and the Grove of the Oaks is spotty at best. There are a couple of groups who use that term in their religious practice, but I can't find any of them near here. The only thing I've found that's even close to being about nature and Druidry is The Copse Initiative. The guys who tried to kidnap Hols. They're supposedly a small subsidiary company of a shell company of a bigger company that's all about trying to bring back more trees after all the deforestation done by big business." "That still makes me sick to my stomach. I might not hold a lot of the values that the Oaks did, but bulldozing forests just to make paper?" Hollyn covered her mouth
Circle of the Stars Chapter 30 - Tagan
"What is it again when you have three of one number and two of another?" Sweetcheeks asked. I threw down my cards on the table with a groan. "Full house." I narrowed my eyes as I studied her. There was no way she was this good. Beginner's luck notwithstanding. She shot me a smile, red brushing her cheeks. "How many hands is this that's she's won?" Tove asked, a look of disgust on his face. "Fifteen?""Seventeen," Thane said. She bounced in her chair, a little butt wiggle thing that was driving me to distraction with how it made her tits jiggle under her shirt. I was going to need another fucking cold shower before I could get to bed. And jerking off in the cold water was my least favorite of all jerk sessions. But I wouldn't wipe the smile off her face for anything in the world. Even calling her a cheater. Which I'm ninety-nine percent sure she is. She's either cheating or been playing for a lot longer than a couple hours. "Maybe we should play for stakes," Tove sai
Circle of the Stars Chapter 31 - Toven
Keep it cool, man. You're going to freak her out. Keep it cool. Keep it cool. Keep it cool. I couldn't fucking believe that I was the winner at poker. And that even though we were both just going to sleep, I got the girl as the spoils of victory. Nothing spoiled about her. If I could go back in time and tell my younger self that I'd get a smart, beautiful, wildly awesome woman like Hollyn, I would say not to worry about being dorky with computers and numbers and DnD. In the end, it didn't matter. I pushed open the door, hit the lights. They turned to the lowest setting automatically as the windows darkened. My California King size bed looked massive. I almost wished I had a double, hell even a single, so I could snuggle with this crazy, sexy woman all night long. She sank to her knees next to the bed, giving me a mind-blowing view of her ass. "Night night, Tove." She sprawled out on the floor. My brow wrinkled. "What are you doing on the floor, Hols?" I asked quietly.
Circle of the Stars Chapter 32 - Hollyn
I turned back to the other two brothers. "I don't really understand anything of what just happened." I took another drink of water to help push the bile back down. I could connect the dots well enough to know that, somehow, I was partially to blame for the blackmail attempt. Tove looked at me. "Was your mother named Moira Hellen Parker?"I jerked again. My brow furrowed. "How could you possibly know that?"He raised one finger. He tapped on his phone screen. Flipped it around so I could see it. "Is this her?"I looked at the screen and felt the bottom of my belly fall out. I nodded as I looked at the face of the single person who had truly loved me. I took the phone from his hand as tears gathered in my eyes. "She was so beautiful. So happy. I'll never understand why she ran away to the Oaks.""I think your mother was running for her life, and she unfortunately ran into the wrong guy. From what I could find, Moira Hellen Parker was born as Mary Ellen Elgesmythe. Not a lot ab
Circle of the Stars Chapter 33 - Tagan
I slid a tracker into the hem of the shirt. I could figure out what she was going to try to do. But soon, she would learn that I didn't break my promises. Nor did I let people take what was mine. Not without severe consequences. Walking back out into the living room, Sweetcheeks was drumming her fingers on the granite countertop in the kitchen. She nibbled and twisted on her lower lip. As I watched, she winced and dabbed at her lip with her fingers. Rolling her eyes, she stuck the tip of her finger in her mouth. Mumbled around the digit. When she pulled it from her mouth, she gave it a smirk. She was amazing. She was mine. "Here. You might want to wear these." I handed her a pair of joggers, a t-shirt, and a hoodie. Late September wasn't freezing, but it could get a little nippy. I dropped a pair of socks and slide sandals at her feet. She literally cringed. "Do I have to?" She nudged one of the sandals with her big toe. I snickered. "Yeah, sweetcheeks. You do. The
Circle of the Stars Chapter 34 - Toven
"Just fix it, Jameson," I said. The idiot needed to be moved to a different section if he couldn't figure out the simplest of routine fixes. I walked back to my office and pulled up the encrypted file I had started at home. We needed more information. At least we finally knew who the master was. I could start doing a deep dive on him. But it was going to be very tricky. The man was richer than Midas and he had his own computer team protecting his data from here to eternity. It wouldn't matter. Not in the grand scheme of things. He'd hurt my Hollyn, and that shit wasn't going to stand. I set up another autotask to mine for data between the Walsh, Kavanaugh, and Cananach names. Then another with all of those and the Christiansens. The fact that Ainsley was involved in this mess should have come as a shock. But when I thought about it, I could see the calculation and predatory look in her gaze too often. I wouldn't be surprised if she knew we had magical blood in our family ei
Circle of the Stars Chapter 35 - Thane
I felt it in my belly before the call ever came through. I knew something had happened to her. To Hollyn. Like a light had been snuffed out inside me, I felt the moment she lost consciousness. My world plunged into the darkness with her. "Seems your brother is getting lax in his duties as bodyguard, lover," Ainsley said in my ear. The complete deadness on her end of the line signaled an encrypted channel. "What do you want, Ainsley?" I asked, but I already knew. And I knew I would do anything to get Stretch back. "Exactly what we talked about. Show up at the gala, be charming and sexy. Tell daddy that you were wrong. That you undercut Jonathan on purpose, knowing it was him."I gritted my teeth. "Why does this matter so much to you? It's a buried comm line out in the middle of nowhere.""Why doesn't matter. Not to you and your performance. Just do what I want, and you'll get your dirty whore back. Fight me on this, make a stink, or try to go around me, and I'll make sure y
Circle of the Stars Chapter 36 - Hollyn
I blinked rapidly, tried to clear the clouds and mist from my vision. It still looked like I was standing in the middle of a cloud bank. I reached up to rub my eyes. Only I couldn't. Restrained once again. Damn it. I reached out with my senses. It didn't work in this world as well as it had worked when I was in the Village. Nature whispered to me there. But all the cement and metal in Triport blocked that communication. Nothing whispered back to me. Time for the old-fashioned route."Hello?" I called softly. "It's awake," a hard, feminine voice called. She grabbed at something on my head and yanked. I rolled my lips in to keep from shouting when she pulled some of my hair out with whatever the cloth had been. I blinked again, glad my eyes hadn't been lying to me. They were still working. I looked up at the woman. She had a very thin body. So thin, I could see most of her bony parts. Her hip bones looked like mountain cliffs in her tight muted green dress. Her dark red
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Circle of the Stars Chapter 138 - Epilogue II
Eleven Months Later"Give me my babies, Grumpy. I carried them. I get to hold them." I held out my arms. My tired and noodley arms. I didn't care if I could barely hold them up. I was going to snuggle with my three girls until we all fell asleep anyways. He slid the one wrapped in purple into my arms. "So bossy, cheeks." He kissed my sweaty brow. "I love it. But I'm still the boss." My daughter's blonde hair and dark purple eyes were a startling combination. Her dusky skin made her even more exotic looking. I blew a raspberry at him. "That's what you think. We've got you outnumbered now."Tove carried over the little girl snuggled in pink. "Yes, you do. We're all going to be wrapped around your fingers. Hell, I already am and I have no problem admitting it." With her citrine eyes and black hair, she was just as pretty as her sister. Thane smiled. He laid the little bundle of yellow on my chest. "I'm right there with you. They're perfect, Stretch. Just like you." Little Miss Sun
Circle of the Stars Chapter 137 - Epilogue
One month laterI looked at the little computer screen. Squinted. When that didn't help, I rubbed my eyes. Blinked. Looked at the screen again. "Are you sure?" I asked. The nice dragon smiled at me. "Very sure, my lady."I grimaced at the name. But no matter how many times I told people not to call me that, they continued to do so anyways. I shook my head. "I still don't believe you.""Cheeks, you're pregnant. You can't tell me all the crazy mood swings and eating us out of house and home has been lost on you," Grumpy snapped at me. His face was basically plastered to the little screen. I glared at the back of his head. "If that's so, maybe I should go live with Drace and Finn. They won't bitch at me."He turned with a snarl. "Try it and see what happens."The dragon healer chuckled, the sound a little uncomfortable. "Perhaps we could all calm down. New mothers, especially dragon carriers, need to be calm and happy." I raised my eyebrows in victory at Grumpy. "Yeah. No m
Circle of the Stars Chapter 136 - Hollyn
"Where is she? Where's my granddaughter? Hollyn, he was lying. He was lying, baby!" Ari raced up. Tears and fear soaked her voice. "I would never do that. Not ever. You're mine. Just as your mother was mine. I don't trade one for the other. I'd never do that." I looked up at Tove, his blue green eyes smiling down at me. "Think I should talk to her?"He nodded. "You know you want to. I can tell." He gave me a cheeky wink. I narrowed my eyes at him. "Watch it, mister."He smacked his lips to mine. "You just smashed Merlin into light particles. I'm pretty sure you can handle a discussion with your Grams."I smiled hugely. I had smashed Merlin into light particles. His bitchass was no more. My eyes widened. "Shit!" I pushed Tove off me. "We've got to get out of here. Merlin's gone. The Valley could collapse at any second."Ari crushed me into her body. "He was lying. He was lying. I swear to you he was lying." She kept saying the same thing over and over again, her eyes wi
Circle of the Stars Chapter 135 - Toven
I still rushed forward. I would do whatever was necessary to help her win this. To get her back. To bring her home. Literally blind, I plowed into someone. She gave a hoarse oomph as we smashed to the ground and rolled. "Batman," she whispered. Then she settled her lips on mine. Two more heavy bodies crushed down on us. She inhaled sharply. "Can't...breathe."With a grunt, I forced myself to my hands and knees. Made a cage of protection over her. My brothers rolled off to the sides. "Sorry!" Tag said as he popped back up."Damnit, Tag," Thane snarled. "You good, sweet girl?" I whispered. She nodded. "As long as you're all here, I'm better than good."Soon, she was in our arms in another Hollyn burrito.
Circle of the Stars Chapter 134 - Hollyn
I saw his smug stupid face as he smiled up at me.He raised a hand. The energy crackled like pale pink lightning in his palm. His lips moved. The stores of my magic that had been topped off with Chaos' boost bubbled and writhed as I filled them with starshine. There were no longer any stars in my bright Autumn sky. None. Save for one. The sun. Using a thread of Chaos' magic, I linked up to the shining orb that rested high above our globe's heavens. The power shivered and danced through me. An unbreakable link that let me see far beyond what my eyes were capable of. The hint of pink shot from Merlin's hand, straight at me. I steadied myself. Prayed that my magic would hold me true. That I wasn't going to be the reason everyone in my life, in this fucking Valley, died. Just as the spinning, crackling sphere of pure energy neared me, it burst into a rainbow of motes. I hurtled towards the earth and an idea began to form. I had no idea if it would work, but I was out
Circle of the Stars Chapter 133 - Toven
He dies. Right now. I was torn between screaming in victory and yelling at my girl until I ruined my voice forever. Either way, I was out of time. As we raced up the final small hill, I saw her dart down from her spot in the sky. We thrust through the line of Wardens as she angled herself like an arrow at the man who had caused all of this. "You shouldn't have told me my men were dead." Her voice was in my head, but I could also hear it as if she'd whispered it to me. Shit. I poured on the speed.
Circle of the Stars Chapter 132 - Hollyn
I gritted my teeth. Tried to convince myself it was a lie. He wrapped a hand in my hair, yanked my head back. With his free hand, he displayed another screen of some kind. "Watch, pet. Watch with me as you realize your doom." A picture wobbled and then steadied in front of me."My daughter, Hollyn's mother, crying out for me," Ari said as she turned to look at someone.Grumpy. She was with Grumpy. They were both wearing the clothes we'd arrived in. The backdrop of the picture showed the hollowed out remains of the Village. Body and pieces of creatures dotted the ground."She's gone. You said yourself that she was gone. Cheeks told us." Grumpy squeezed her arm. Ari's gaze darted over his shoulder, back to his face. Her blue eyes were wide, scared. She shook her head. "You don't understand.""NO!" I screamed and thrashed against his hold. My heart stuttered in my chest. "No!" She was just like everyone else. Only using me for my power. For what I could give her. She wanted
Circle of the Stars Chapter 131 - Tagan
I sliced through the last zombie that stood in front of me. Wiped a hand over my brow. I hadn't thought there were that many people in here the last time. But I guess if Merlin could raise one, he could raise all the dead people here. Time wouldn't really be a factor. Ari yanked her sword back, spit on the corpse that still twitched at her feet. "And stop touching my shoes!" She hacked off the creature's hand. I snorted, causing her to look up at me. A blush rose over her cheeks. "Sorry. That wasn't very goddess-like."I shrugged it away. "Honestly, I liked it better than the goddessy parts you usually show. A bit more real."She smiled as she looked around the Village. Dead bodies littered the ground like trash in an abandoned alley. "Where is everyone else?" She looked at me. I pointed to the right. "Apparently there were a lot coming in from the standing stones. I'm guessing these were the old Villagers?" I shrugged. Oh well. They'd deserved to die for treating my Sweet
Circle of the Stars Chapter 130 - Hollyn
I bent my knees to keep my balance as I soared on Drace's back. I hadn't really been thinking about anything but destroying Merlin when I launched myself towards the sky. Luckily, my bestie had my back. Although...I think I might have been able to fly for a little bit there. I focused as huge, gleaming balls of pure energy were launched into the sky. He's throwing magical grenades, I announced to the dragons. Hold on, Mistress, Drace said. She started dipping and dodging, weaving and winding in the sky as she tried to miss being hit with the missiles of unadulterated power. I lost my balance and landed on my ass between her spikes. Luckily, they felt like feathers instead of the sharp knives of Thane's scales the first time I'd hit those. I clenched my hand around the one directly in front of me as I held on for dear life. I'm going to swoop down and let you off. You're nothing up here but an easy target, corcra. Just make sure you stay alive down there until I can come and
