"Here's what I don't get," I said as I maneuvered the huge truck down the street to our lab and house. "What's that, Asher?" Kiema asked me. Damn was I glad I'd figured out what was bugging me about her. "Captain Silent said I needed to save her' in the future. Was he talking about you, Ki-Ki, or some other chick who's going to be overwhelmed by my awesomeness?""What else did he say?" "That my spirit was brave and light." I buffed my fingernails on my shirt. Kiema shrugged beside me in the front passenger seat. "I don't know, Ash. I think I'm pretty brave and light on my own. Maybe he saw someone else who would need those qualities from you in the future."I nodded, tapped my thumbs against the steering wheel. "True dat, Ki-Ki. You, baby doll, don't need any lighter or braver." I shuddered. Watching her walk up to Taryk like she didn't have a care in the world, made me want to yell, puke, and lock her up all at the same time. Kiema chuckled. "Thanks, boo." She w
I pulled my paws from the table as I shook out my fur. My nails left long furrows in the tabletop. Damn it. I was going to have to replace that."Atlas? You in there, buddy?" Asher called. My eyesight was so clear in this form I could count the individual strands that comprised his eyebrows. Immediately, I started formulating ideas on how I would be able to test the differences. What made the same set of eyes work differently in different forms? Would I be able to somehow apply the wolf's vision to my human form? I inhaled. "Damn, boys." I snorted. I needed to get that stench from my nose. "You stink." I chuffed. "You're the one who's a big dog at the moment, Atty. Not us," Asher smiled, crossed his arms. I snarled at him. The sound, and emotion behind it, startled me. I was a fucking wolf. If I could do happy dances without being seen or teased, I would have. But not with Asher in the room. The man could make a joke about the most serious of subjects. I wasn't going to e
I looked over at Ransom. He was watching me, the corners of his eyes tight. I looked to Xander, back to Ransom. Ransom shook his head ever so slightly, bumped one shoulder into the air. Could I possibly share her with another of my brothers?I'd think not, Saint. She's our True Mate. Not some trollop to be passed back and forth like a common tankard of ale on some random evening.I rolled my eyes at Ten's language. He had some interesting sayings. All of you with your fucks' and asses,' that takes no brains to say. Merely verbal filler of an empty mind. At least when I speak, I have things of importance to say.Yeah, like telling Ransom about his magic. I'm still not happy about that part, Ten. I was going to do it.He snorted. Yes, but not with any amount of time for him to prepare himself. Forewarned is forearmed. Now he is aware of the situation, he will be able to guard his mind against the darkness. He can be on the lookout for the darkness, instead of being swe
Wherever I was, it felt like a freaking sweatbox. I kicked my feet free of the blankets. Ah, blessed coolness. At least for my legs. My upper body was still roasting in the heat. I pushed against the hard arm that kept me sweat sealed to the body behind me. The body behind me.I turned over, popped up on one elbow. A smile stretched my mouth until I felt like an idiot. Saint was here. He was with me. Touching me. Without pain. Without either of us being pulled to the spirit world. Honestly, I couldn't remember feeling this instant pull, this almost magical bond with Ransom that I do with Saint. A hint of sadness filled me. Am I such an awful person? The smile fell from my mouth as I contemplated my life. I know these guys shared women, but how did their women deal with being shared? Did they love each man equally? Wasn't that how this was supposed to go?"Keep looking at me, I'm going to assume you're fully awake," he mumbled. Saint's voice pulled me from my thoughts
My eyes were only for Kiema as Ransom shucked his boxers. I'd seen the man naked more times than I could count. Eh. Still not my cuppa.The long luscious lines of Kiema, though? Those I could get lost in for days. The honey of her skin beckoned me. Ransom sat up against my headboard, a hiss as the cold metal touched his back. He pulled my new favorite dessert into his arms. Their fingers intertwined, a measure to keep her from touching me before I was ready. He locked his legs over hers, a sort of bracer to keep her legs spread, her cunt open for me, whatever I chose to do with it. Her pupils dilated as Ransom got her locked down. She really did like this. With Ten's help, I could now identify the smell of our Mate. So much fuller bodied than simple berries and amber. I could smell the sharp spicy scent of lingonberry mixed with the honey I likened her skin tone to. The spice of the amber scent was there, but it was both mellower and brighter with this newfound olfactory
"Blackhammer89, you've got unfriendlies on your six," I said into the headset. "Roger that MindFreak," came the reply. I fired on the enemies with my virtual gun, bullets sprayed and bodies fell in their wake. The picture flickered on my screen. "What the fuck?" I hit the side of it with my hand. That had never happened before. The picture steadied. I kept on blazing through enemy lines. We had to secure the package before it was airlifted off the island. The picture flickered again. Right before a loud electrical pop sounded through my headset. The lights went out as the fire alarms went off. "What the fuck is happening?" I shot through our mental network as I threw off the headset. I started counting down the seconds until the backup generator turned on.. Ten.Nine. I grabbed the right keyboard, my fingers flying over the keys to do a system check. We were completely black.Seven."Xander, if you've blown another breaker, I'm beating your ass," Asher
I looked down at the phone in my hand as it vibrated again. I wasn't sure what was real anymore. Dragons, goddesses, and spirit tigers...oh my. CODE RED. CODE RED. CODE RED."Fuck. Guys we've got a Code Red. Xander, give her to Lukas. We're going to need you on electronics."Lukas stepped forward. Xander snarled at him."Now, Xan. We don't have time for a pissing contest. He doesn't want her body anyways," I said as I pushed everyone else into the elevator. Xander let Lukas take her from his arms. Once he had her securely tucked against him, Xander pushed up from the sofa."She gets hurt, you die." Brushing by him, Xander didn't wait to see what the other man would say. "Right, mate," he called after my brother. I punched the elevator call button again to keep the doors open. Lukas stepped in, forcing the rest of us to the back of the now too full car. I hit the button for Xan's third-floor unit. "We need to know the fives, Xan. Fast.""The fives?" Lukas asked.
I climbed into the military vehicle, medical bag in hand. I set it on my lap as Taryk pulled out of the lab's bay doors. I rubbed at my hands. I know they didn't have literal blood on them, yet. But the idea that I'd taken those lives, without knowing them, without being able to look in their eyes shredded me. I'd gone into medicine to help those who needed healing. Not kill those who threatened me and mine.And that's what it came down to. They threatened my family, Kiema, my life, my livelihood. I could live with the stain against my soul for that. For them. For us. For me."Okay, bro?" Taryk asked quietly from the driver's seat.I nodded my head, continued to look out my window."I'm here if you need me."I nodded again. He'd been there the first time I'd had to protect us this way. I knew he would be there every time it came down to us or them. I thanked Gaia for that. Even as I prayed I'd never have to protect us in this method ever again."Aeron is pulling himself alo