M&L03 - SS Page 4

  “I could just become a nightshifter. Then I’d be able to take care of myself,” Rachel argued.

  “We’ve been over this Rachel,” Angela sighed. “There are just too many things to consider. You need to wait until you’re at least twenty-one.”

  “What kinds of things do I need to consider other than which animal I want to be?” Rachel asked, not the slightest bit deterred by a word her mother said.

  “Rachel, choosing a sire is the most important decision you will ever make,” Josephine warned. “Your sire will always have the ability to enter your mind and he or she will always have some measure of control over your actions. You must also remember that once you’re a nightshifter you will be governed by whichever clan your sire belongs to.”

  “I’m already governed by nightshifter laws and Dragon is my king too. They told me I had to agree to that if I chose to live here and keep my memories about the supernatural world.”

  “Yes Rachel, but if you were a wolf you’d have to join a wolf clan and you would be subject to their laws too,” Doyle explained. “Think of it like state laws and federal laws. You have to follow both, and the federal government doesn’t step in to overrule the states unless there’s a pretty good reason. You also have to consider the nature of the beast you choose. Some animals are more aggressive than others and that can make it harder to learn control and to get along with others in your clan.”

  “Which is exactly why I chose to be a fox with Solomon as my sire and clan leader,” Josephine supplied.

  I understood why Josephine chose me, but the actual transformation had been a bit awkward since the process required me to drink from her. Vampires and nightshifters feel a euphoric sexual high when they drink blood and they share those sensations psychically with their donors to mask the pain they would otherwise feel. With the way Rachel was constantly trying to entice me sexually, drinking from her would be a bad idea, but if she wanted to be a fox I wouldn’t turn her down. The fox clans were the most stable among all the clans - especially mine.

  “It’s also important to note that you are still very young and your mate could be out there somewhere waiting until the time is right to find you. Having a mate for a sire would help you learn how to control your animal much faster,” Serafina pointed out, and I could tell Rachel was biting her tongue. She had no interest in being mated, but Serafina was the queen so Rachel kept her comments to herself and let her continue. “Dragons are very aggressive especially compared to foxes, but I had a much easier time learning control than my mother did because Dragon’s presence through the mating bond was very soothing to my dragon. Plus, when he needed to teach me something he could just do it himself and I felt exactly what I should be doing.”

  “I’ve seen the games the lions play, the power struggles, and I have no interest in playing them,” Liliana told Rachel. “When I become a nightshifter I will be a lion because Lucien is my mate, but if he wasn’t going to be my sire and my clan leader I wouldn’t even consider being a lion.”

  Doyle snorted. “If you think lions play games, you haven’t been around enough wolves yet.” He just shook his head probably thinking about all the drama he had to deal with on a daily basis. Doyle’s horror stories always made me glad to be a fox.

  “You should think about the sun too,” I said adding my two cents into the mix. “You spend a lot of time sunbathing Rachel. Are you ready to give that up? Most nightshifters can handle some indirect sunlight now that our beasts are awake, but even a moment of direct sunlight could cause severe burns and death shortly after that.”

  “Okay, I get it,” Rachel relented, throwing her hands in the air. “Isn’t there a way to make this decision easier?”

  “Twists and turns, the world burns. Her only hope, a soul that yearns,” Claire said cryptically and tossed Rachel a gold coin.

  We all sat in stunned silence as Rachel examined the coin. Claire probably saw hundreds of visions from the future every day that only affected a small number of people. Then every once in a while she saw what we called golden prophecies. During those visions she cried golden teardrops and mumbled poems that later helped her make sense of the images in her mind. She always had the gold she cried fashioned into jewelry or coins that she gave to the person or people that would be involved in fulfilling the prophecy.

  “What is that supposed to mean?” Rachel finally asked.

  “It means that you shouldn’t worry too much about making this decision dear, because it’s already been made.”

  “Huh?”

  Claire just smiled serenely, and locked eyes with Jasper.

  And that was the problem with Claire. She controlled the future by doling out bits of information - not enough to give us the full picture, but enough to keep us on the right paths. The paths she thought we should follow at any rate. She felt that if she gave us any more, then we might accidentally erase the futures we were meant to have.

  Dragon cleared his throat. “Just remember, no one is allowed to create another nightshifter without my approval.”

  He gave Rachel a hard look that made her shrink back into her chair and squeak, “I won’t forget.”

  We lingered a while longer talking about Peyton Manning’s record-tying performance in the game but when they decided to watch a movie I took off. If I was lucky, Renee would still be at the club and I’d be able to get some answers tonight.

  Chapter Four

  ~ Solomon ~

  The Myths and Legends castle was decorated in a style reminiscent of a Hard Rock Cafe, but instead of focusing on music legends, the memorabilia and artwork highlighted various supernatural themes based on the nearest attraction. Once you passed the vampire lore outside Lilith’s Lounge and the nine circles of Hell surrounding The Inferno, our fine dining restaurant, you came to a forbidding iron gate and the entrance to The Dungeon, the Myths and Legends fight arena.

  The corridor beyond the gate leading up to the arena was dark and damp, and thanks to my magic evoked a bone deep chill that had humans looking over their shoulders as they passed the small alcoves lining the rough, stone walls. Each of those alcoves housed an old door with wide iron bands reinforcing the scarred planks of wood. The doors had a small, barred window set at eye level. When humans looked through those windows, they saw any number of mythical creatures trapped in the rooms beyond. When supernaturals looked through the same windows, the shimmering rainbow of a portal greeted them.

  The portals led to our other properties and to The Pit where fights to the death settled disputes and grievances. I’d been standing in front of the portal to Supernova for nearly twenty minutes when Doyle found me.

  “Oh good, you haven’t left yet,” he said coming to a stop beside me. When I didn’t reply he asked, “Is something wrong?”

  “I can’t go through the portal,” I growled barely containing the wave of fury that threatened to consume me.

  He looked at me, then the portal and then back at me again. “No shit?”

  I shook my head and stepped back. “All this time I thought I was just second guessing myself when I decided not to go see Renee, but it wasn’t me making that choice, it was that fucking spell. It hasn’t just been keeping me away from her in our dreams; it’s been keeping me from going to Supernova.” I ran my fingers through my hair. “How could I have been so stupid?”

  “It’s not your fault Solomon...”

  I glared at him and he clamped his mouth shut. “Don’t Doyle, not right now.” I took a deep breath, then another one but it really didn’t help much. The fox wanted his mate, the vampire in me wanted the sorcerer responsible for the spell, and I couldn’t figure out how to give either one of them what they wanted.

  Doyle cleared his throat beside me and I took another deep breath pinching the bridge of my nose between my thumb and forefinger. “What is it Doyle?”

  “That hurricane in the Gulf isn’t going to Texas anymore. It’s coming here and they expect it to make landfall tomorrow evening.”

&nb
sp; Just what I fucking needed right now.

  With a hurricane on the way, I wasn’t going anywhere so I slammed the door on the portal and strode down the hallway heading to my office. I couldn’t stop this hurricane from coming, but with the right preparations and a lot of luck, I could minimize the damage it caused for most of the Mississippi coastline. Besides, tackling this storm would help me blow off some steam so that maybe when I did catch up with Renee I wouldn’t end up strangling her.

  ~ Renee ~

  “Are you going to stare at that portal all night Renee?” Dimitri asked sliding onto the barstool beside me.

  “After the dream last night I was sure he’d show up tonight.”

  “I told you, the spell won’t let him come through that portal.”

  I turned to face Dimitri. “You also said he wouldn’t be able to find me in my dreams. Then he found the house and you swore he wouldn’t be able to get inside. You don’t know Solomon. He’ll never give up now that he knows I’m his mate.”

  He reached out to caress the side of my face. “Maybe if you told him about us he’d get the picture and stay away.”

  I pulled back out of his reach. “There is no us Dimitri.”

  He shrugged. “There could be Renee. You don’t have to stay here with the nightshifters. We could travel the worlds together, go places Solomon would never even think to look for you. All you have to do is say you’ll be mine and we can leave this place together.”

  It was the second time in my life a man offered to whisk me away for a better life and for just a moment, I seriously considered his offer. Dimitri was very good looking with his dark brown hair brushing his collar and his well-toned body dressed in designer jeans and a fitted black shirt. On top of that, we got along very well and had a lot of fun dancing and partying here at the club. There were times though when I looked into his deep blue eyes and saw something slithering in their depths that made my blood run cold; some hint that once he got me truly alone I’d never be safe again.

  “I’ll keep the offer in mind Dimitri, but for now I’m going to stay here and take my chances.”

  Red flames flared in his eyes then he shook his head and they were blue again. “You are the most stubborn female I have ever met Renee, but I’m not ready to give up on you just yet.” He stood and offered me his hand. “Will you at least dance with me?”

  “Not tonight Dimitri,” I said shaking my head. “I’m going home early since I didn’t get a lot of sleep last night.”

  His hand fell to his side. “I’ll see you tomorrow then.”

  The look in his eyes sent a shiver up my spine and I knew it was time to go. Whether he was angry about being turned down or thinking about all the things he’d like to do with me in bed, I knew I didn’t want any part of whatever plans he was cooking up in that devious brain of his.

  “Tomorrow,” I agreed and left before he could say another word.

  I made my way across the club to the wall of portals. Just before I stepped through the one that would take me home, I looked over my shoulder to see that Dimitri was still staring at me. That shiver went up my spine again but this time a deep sense of foreboding accompanied it.

  Maybe Solomon wasn’t the only one I needed to leave town to avoid. Unfortunately, I was still very young as far as supernaturals went and finding a place to settle down on my own would be difficult. Supernaturals were very territorial and they didn’t like surprises. If I wanted to move somewhere, I’d have to ask for permission first, but how would I even know who to ask? I had some friends that I was sure would be willing to help me - right up until I told them I didn’t want Solomon to know where I’d gone.

  And that was the problem. How do you run from a man with friends in every corner, of every world, ever discovered, that is loved by almost everyone he’s ever met? The answer is; you can’t, not even if you’re doing it for his own good.

  ~ Solomon ~

  Rachel and I were in the watchtower high above the Myths and Legends castle where we had a good view of the Gulf and the storm bearing down on us. It was still light outside but beneath the storm clouds roiling overhead, the atmosphere had that strange yellow tint that often came right before a storm hit. It was almost as if we were looking through a yellow camera lens or a pair of yellow tinted glasses. And with that strange yellow light, there was an eerie calm pressing in on us that spoke to the primitive part of my brain where instincts rule, urging me to seek shelter now.

  “You know, everyone around here thinks Myths and Legends is charmed because hurricanes seem to bounce right over it without causing any damage,” Rachel noted from where she leaned against the short, stone wall surrounding us.

  “They’re not that far off actually,” I said walking over to the very edge of the shade provided by the circular roof over our heads. “Whenever a hurricane comes this way I create a protective ward that keeps most of the storm surge from coming on shore and lessens the impact of the rain and wind. The ward actually creates a drag that slows the storm down a lot faster than simply passing over land would, so it also lessens the damage done to areas hit after the storm moves beyond my reach. While we were cursed, I only had enough magic to cover the resort plus a few miles in every direction. Tonight I’m going to see how far I can reach now that I can tap into the animal magic of all the nightshifters here at the resort.”

  “You can do that; use magic from the other nightshifters?”

  “Yes, magic is everywhere; in the air, in all of us, even in humans like you. I can pull magic from any available source, and I do on a regular basis to keep the portals and wards up and running. Normally I don’t draw enough magic from the supernaturals here for anyone to notice, but this will be different - this they’re going to notice. They won’t mind though because what I’m about to do will likely save lives and homes.”

  “Can I stay here and watch?”

  I shook my head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea Rachel. This is going to take a lot out of me and when it’s over I’ll need to feed.”

  She stepped towards me, her fingertips tracing the side of her neck then continuing down between her ample breasts. “I wouldn’t mind if you drank from me Solomon.” She was getting much better at playing the seductress. No wonder poor Jasper was so whipped.

  “I know, but I would. I value our friendship Rachel and I don’t want anything to come between us. Drinking your blood would change our relationship in ways that I’m not sure I could live with.”

  “You really aren’t going to ever sleep with me are you?” she asked, looking far more vulnerable than usual.

  “No Rachel, I’m not. You’re a beautiful young woman, but my heart and soul are already spoken for.”

  Rachel was quiet for a moment then she smirked. “Well she better treat you right or she’ll have to deal with me.”

  Smiling, I reached out to muss her hair. “I’m sure Renee will be terrified.”

  “I’m serious Solomon. I’ve been sparring with Mom and Rook. If Renee doesn’t stop hurting you I’m going to kick her ass.”

  I chuckled and pulled her in for a hug. “Thank you Rachel, it’s nice to have you watching my back.” When she stepped back I said, “Why don’t you head back downstairs now. I need to get started or the ward won’t be strong enough when the storm hits.”

  She smiled sadly but did as I asked.

  Once she was gone I sat down on the hard stone floor with my legs folded and started chanting, weaving my spell, focusing all my energy on holding back the devastating power of the hurricane. With every breath I took, I pulled more and more magic from my surroundings, creating a shield between us and Mother Nature’s fury.

  Hours later, I was drenched from head to toe but the castle was still standing and the land around it only had minimal flooding and erosion. I stood in the tower watching the storm rage around me, the clouds swirling above, the wind howling through the trees and the rain pelting down with punishing force. The churning waters of the Gulf crashed against my ward
again and again only to fall back into the salty abyss and be sucked back out to sea.

  All the while, another storm was brewing inside me, one born of frustration and months of denial. The wild energy of thousands of shapeshifters pulsed through my veins, vibrated in my bones, ignited a fire that burned through all reason and awareness until I was delirious with want and need.

  Oh Renee, I need you now more than ever.

  Eventually my strength began to wane and the vampire rose to the surface, the virus whispering dark thoughts through my mind urging me to do unspeakable things. I needed blood soon or I was going to fall into bloodlust.

  “Solomon?”

  My head whipped around at the sound of the soft feminine voice. Renee? Could it be? I had her in my arms before I even realized I’d moved. “I need you.” It was a hoarse whisper just before I sank my fangs into her tender flesh.

  A growl vibrated in my throat when her blood rushed over my tongue electrifying my cells, bringing me back from the edge of darkness. I felt her hands at my belt then my pants were open and her hand was stroking my aroused flesh. Already consumed by lust, I lifted her in my arms and impaled her as I turned to put her back against one of the stone pillars supporting the roof.

  I heard her shout, “Yes!” but I was already lost to the sensations ravaging my body. It had been so long...

  Thrusting hard and fast I felt her wet channel tightening around my shaft as my climax drew nearer. A moment later, she screamed, clawing at my back and I felt her release, hot and slick, and so fucking good. I plunged in harder, burying myself as my orgasm crashed over me.

  After a moment, I bit my tongue and swiped my blood over her neck, sealing the puncture marks made by my fangs. Her head fell forward onto my shoulder and I rested my forehead against the cool stone behind her while I tried to catch my breath.