She was thinking about it. Seriously considering it. I should be overjoyed, but part of me wanted to wrap her up and keep her all to myself. She still might be just mine. She might not be able to touch the others. I blew out a breath. It doesn't matter. Not yet anyway. We had to keep her safe. From her parents, from whoever contacted her. From fucking OTIS. Wrapping her up and stealing her away was sounding better and better."Taryk and Atlas sent some pictures a couple nights ago," Saint said. "They're still in negotiations with the museum about the book. The parts they sent over, those are illuminated leaves from the late 1100s to early 1200s. Three pictures from the bestiary section and seven pages from the scientific section. I'll send the pages over so you can look at them." He hit a couple of buttons on his computer. Within moments, the files popped up on our screen. "Got em.""According to Taryk and Atlas, The Lost Ones is one of the earliest books ever discovered. Th
"I'll start digging into the Apollo, Inc. files. According to their homepage, they've been in business since the mid-1960s," Xander said and left the screen again."I think we should work under the assumption that OTIS reached out to Kiema," Saint said. "It seems to fit the most pieces of the puzzle with the least effort."I nodded as Ransom agreed from behind me."We're going to need the specifics of the plan they hashed out with you, Kiema," Ransom said. Saint and Asher nodded. "We should wait for Taryk for that though. He's our security chief," Saint added for my benefit."Got it. That's fine with me. My brain is really full right now. I might go lay down, if that's okay with all of you." I looked at the two men on the screen, got their nods. Ransom squeezed my shoulders. "Of course, angel. Go take a break. I'll come get you if something new comes up."I tilted my head, kissed his fingers. "Thank you so much, guys. Ransom's lucky to have such wonderful people in h
The erection that had been pushing against Kiema's hip lost a little steam. For a number of reasons. Not the least of which was the idea that she wanted to take on her parents, and maybe even OTIS. From the set of her chin, she'd do it without anyone's help, too. "Angel, that's going to be quite the project," I said. "I know," she nodded. "But I figure with all of your help, I'll be able to help them. I can't let my parents be part of treating anyone the way they've treated me, Ransom. I just can't. That's working under the most positive assumption they're being treated even that well." She looked up at me, her pale gray eyes stark and fierce. I wanted to throw her on the counter and bury myself inside her. Right here. Right now. No matter the witnesses. For all her hesitation, she might not mind the witnesses either. "We can add her parents to the work we're already doing, Ransom," Asher said. Kiema flipped around to look at the screen. Asher shot her a wink. I fe
A heavy pounding filtered through the weight of sleep. I batted at the sound, snarled, before pushing my head under the pillow. Go away.More pounding. "Ms. Feuer! This is Dallas with the front gate. Ms. Feuer!" I threw my pillow across the room. Got to my hands and knees. "You have unauthorized visitors. Ms. Feuer!""Shit, shit, shit." I bounded from the bed, awake enough to grab a discarded sheet from the floor on my dash to the front door. "Ki?" Ransom yelled from his shower."The guys are here," I yelled back. I slid the last foot to the door, the sheet caught under my feet. Slamming into the solid wooden door, I had to take a minute to steady myself. "Wait!" Ransom yelled. I wasn't going to leave them out there. I checked through the peephole to make sure it was the front gate guard first. I wasn't stupid.The guard rolled his eyes, muttered something under his breath, and raised a fist into the air. I pulled the door open before the guard could
I didn't have time to explain the rules! It was my first thought landing in the spiritual landscape of Asher's body. Unlike the colors of the rainbow that I'd experienced in Ransom's, Asher's were predominantly browns, greens, and golds. It reminded me of the forest that sat just beyond the perimeter of the cabin. While I didn't really understand what was happening in his body from a medical perspective, I could see the pieces of his spirit that were at war. The gray and the earth tones were fighting in a swirl of chaos. The pulsating fiber of black was threaded through each earth tone. Almost as if it were the origin of the colors. I grabbed one piece of the black fiber and willed my spirit to find the beginning of it. The black thread threw me off. I felt like I was kicked in the guts and then run over with a semi truck. I bounced off the edges of Asher's body. I can make the pain stop, I whispered. The war of colors stilled almost as if his spirit could hear and under
"You stupid fucking idiot," I yelled at Asher as Kiema went completely still. Shoving the guys out of the way, I smashed Asher's face to Kiema's. "Don't you fucking move," I growled at my friend. "What the fuck is going on with her?" Saint asked, his brow furrowed."We have to move them, together, to the nearest bathroom. They can't separate until she's back in her own body." Her body was stiff as a board and just as cold. Wrapping Asher and Kiema in my arms I started walking backwards into the living room. "Taryk, find me the nearest bathroom. It's going to be off to the left somewhere. Not the first door on the right though. That one's got the specimen.Taryk sidled past our small group. "Door," I said, not caring who got it.It slammed closed behind me."This way," Taryk called. "Third door on the left down the far left hallway.""What's happening?" Dr. Atlas asked, rushing behind me. "She's been sucked into Asher's magical spiritual plane thing. It's
All eyes turned to me. I could feel my protective shell coming around me, but I was unable to stop it. My spine straightened; my hands folded at my waist. I even tried to tuck the sheet around me more firmly. "I'm going to go put some clothes on. Excuse me." I stood and strode to my rooms, head held high. My stomach twisted itself into knots. As soon as I closed the door behind myself, I dropped the sheet and raced to my closet. I threw on stretchy pants, an oversized sweatshirt, and some socks. I didn't bother with any undergarments. The heavy silence as I returned to the living room let me know that I'd been the topic of discussion. Asher had moved from the mattress to a chair. The guys were sitting in the chairs in a loose circle around the mattress."I feel like I'm about to be chastised by a tribunal," I called from the door of my rooms. "Is there another chair for me?"Six butts rocketed into the air; six men offered their chairs. I sighed. "You're all too sweet. I d
Everyone but Taryk sat around like idiots staring after the woman who'd just healed another of our ranks, chucked up a magical ball, and walked away like it was a normal Tuesday afternoon.Five faces swung to look at me. I shrugged."I didn't even get to take her temperature," Atlas said stupidly, staring at the trashcan in his hands.I burst out laughing. I'd told her to be herself. She'd done exactly that."Do you feel any different?" Asher asked Atlas.Atlas' gaze turned inward. "My stomach doesn't hurt; my lungs aren't heavy." He took the stethoscope from around his neck, fitted it to his ears, and listened to his heart. "My heart murmur is gone." He looked up, awe on his face. "Right? My legs aren't in agony. My arms feel like I could lift a million pounds and not feel the strain." Asher did a couple of bicep curls. I looked at Xander, Saint, and Taryk. Hints of jealousy darkened the happiness in their expressions. "RANSOM!" Kiema's shout pulled all of our at
Three months later"And I'm telling you right now, dad, that if you want to ever see these babies, you'll stop sending my mates to the Underworld for a cooling off' period. That shit is getting old," I said as I waddled into the hospital built for gods and demi-gods. He chuckled beside me. "But, bubbles, they deserved it. Crowing like they built Olympus bare handed. They were getting on your Circle's nerves. I could tell." He said as he lifted me into the bed. "Bring them back, dad. Now." I glared at him. Even though, on the inside, I was smiling like a loon. This was the type of relationship I'd always dreamed of having with a father. He sighed, a smirk still pulling at his mouth. With a snap, my three mates stumbled into the room."Damn it, Apollo," Saint said as he flicked his shirt. "Cerberus almost got me that time."My dad's head tipped back as he laughed and laughed. The babies inside me loved that sound. They kicked at my belly. I rubbed at the spot. "Easy
Six months later"Last time, I'll ask. I swear." Kiema swallowed heavily as she moved around behind me. "You promise you're okay not getting your deer back?" Kiema asked me as flicked the fabric of my dress this way and that to get it to lay perfectly.I waited until she looked up at me. That look of slight hesitation on her face tugged at my heart. "I promise. I was never meant to be a deer. A shifter of any kind."She nodded, sniffled quietly. "You ready for the rest of this then?" Kiema asked me as she adjusted the crown of flowers in my hair. "So much more than ready. I've been waiting for this my entire life." I bit back the tears that wanted to flood my throat. Not today. I wouldn't ruin this day with tears.She smiled as she stepped back. "You look beautiful, little sister." Tears gathered in her eyes. I held up a hand, looked at the ceiling. "Don't do that. I told you I wasn't crying today. You start crying, then I'll start crying. Then we'll have to postpone e
The next night"Wake up, Saint," I said softly in our shared consciousness. I could barely contain myself. I had felt the swell of magic. Had felt it when it took root."Saint," I said again. The man slept like a rock at the bottom of a spring. "Mgmgs," he mumbled.Forcing our arm to move, I slapped our face. He shot up, his teeth bared. "Who's there?" he called out. "It's me, you buffoon," I said.Our head cocked to the side. "Ten? Why are you waking me up? Can't whatever it is wait until morning?" He snuggled back down into the comfortable bed in our new home. "No." I shook our head so he would fully wake up. "Wake up!"He sat up, pulling the blankets with him. "I'm awake. What can't wait until the morning, Ten?""Kiema is pregnant.""WHAT THE FUCK!?"I snickered as everyone in the room burst from the bed, fists and knives raised in defense. "What is it?" Ransom's head turned back and forth quickly, visually sweeping the room. With a grunt at its emp
Two weeks later"Are we finally going to try this? We've been prepping for what feels like forever." I licked my way up Saint's neck. He shivered as his fingers curled into the flesh of my ass. "Maybe we should wait one more day. I don't want to hurt you."I rolled my eyes under the cover of my closed lids. This man. So dominant. So caring. So sure I wasn't ready to take one of them in my ass. I guess I'll just have to show him that I was more than ready.I slid down his body. A wave of magic and all of us were naked as the day we were born. As I sucked his cock into my mouth, Kord came up behind me.Curling around my back, he pinched my nipples with one hand. With his other, he slid a hand down my belly and straight over my clit. With a sharp movement, his fingers were deep inside me. I groaned around Saint's dick as waves of pleasure washed over me. Sprinkled with the counterpoints of pain from Kord getting my nipples ready for the clover clamps. I felt my core cream at
The next day"Torture and then straight back to bed. I don't care that your father is the god of healing. This is ridiculous, Kiema," Atlas said as we stood in the elevator on our way to the basement level."Don't get trapped in the dungeons," Apollo had said as he laid his palm against the electronic plate on the wall of the elevator.Right. Dungeons in a god hospital. Gods were freaking weird.I patted his cheek. "I've got my main medical provider right next to me. I'll be fine. Besides I feel like a million bucks."He huffed a laugh as Mason and Lukas came up beside him. I wiggled my eyebrows at Atlas, looked over his shoulder, back to his face.He chuckled and rolled his eyes. "Yes, little sister. We've decided to try being a thruple."I wrinkled my nose. "What kind of word is thruple?""A three-person couple, luv," Lukas answered. I snorted. "And you guys won't let me make up words? That's a heaping load of Berserker shit right there."We were all laughi
I pushed the other two through the doors. I wasn't waiting another minute to see my girl. I'd felt her die. Felt my spirit try to follow her down that long tunnel. My heart had stopped beating when I saw Heppni literally rip her heart from her chest and crush it. But here we were. Alive. Healing. She was pale against the bright white sheets of the hospital bed. Although it was unlike any hospital I'd ever been in. Apollo said something about it being a place for gods and goddesses. I shook my head. It didn't matter to me what it was as long as it made her better. She looked over as we rushed in. Her eyes searched each one of us before returning to me. Tears flooded her eyes as I pulled her into my arms. We all sat on the bed, curled and huddled together while she got it all out. The guys and I had had some truly brutal boxing matches to deal with our own emotions. I was still achy and sore from a couple of well-placed hits from Kord. The man might be a nerdy librarian, b
My chest hurt. I tried to rub it, but my arms were restrained. "Easy there, bubbles. You'll pull your stitches if you do that," a man said. His voice was soft and melodious. Like listening to angels sing. Angels. Something about that word tickled my brain.Angel. Almost. Almost.Ransom. As soon as I thought his name, his face popped into my brain. I tried to sit up. Made it a couple inches before I was pushed back to the bed beneath me. I opened my eyes. Ignoring the stabbing pain that slid into my eyeballs, I blinked to clear my vision. A bright white room greeted me. The only color in it was the man who had a hand against my chest. I looked down at his hand. Looked up at his face. Raised an eyebrow. "Get the fuck off, perv. My mates will rip you to shreds."He huffed a laugh and removed his hand. "I doubt your mates will be doing much more than breathing for a couple more hours, but I'm glad to see that you're back, bubbles. Have a nice nap?" I leaned ba
Everyone Hellion had made me vow to keep alive fell to the ground as if they were puppets and their strings had been cut. Fuck, fuck, fuck. I hurried to the closest one's side. Pushed two fingers to his neck. Gone. I was so fucking dead. I blasted an oncoming human with a burst of magic. He withered where he stood. I sank to my knees next to the small woman with bright white hair. She was gone as well. The woman with the long brown hair threw her blade into an approaching Direct. It sliced through him like he was air. With wild eyes, she didn't even try to gather the particles of his passing. She pushed me aside as she cradled the smaller woman to her chest. "No no no not my baby no no no please no no," she wailed. Her agonized scream was muffled against the smaller woman's head.The rest of the humans who had interrupted our plans were either dead or falling back the way they'd come. Movement drew my eye. I squinted as I tracked it across the street. It wa
I sent another stream of fiery magic at the Direct who thought to protect my mother. Some pansy-assed gifted asshole wasn't going to stop me from hunting my mother down and killing her. With a wave of my hand, a path cleared. With a curl of my fist, humans fell to the ground, their spines crumbled into dust. "I'm coming for you, Herpes," I screamed at the top of my lungs. She scurried away, down the side street towards the fighting arena I'd created for us to use for practice. I picked up my pace and followed her. "You better be fucking careful, honey," Saint said through my head. He was working with Arasne and Felix at the opening of the street where the humans were still grouped. The Faeries had set up a blockade of sorts, forcing the humans into a bottleneck situation. They were taken down one by one as Ransom had his horde of beasts funneled them through the line of magical warriors. "Always, Saint baby. See you in a bit." I rushed down the street Herpes had