Kaden took in the reaction of his friend and tried to understand the reason; but try as hard as he could, he couldn’t understand why Jiraq would give such a reaction at the mention of his mate’s name. The only thing he could say was that Jiraq knew something that he didn’t know about his mate.Please, it should not be another crush. He thought, though he doubted it was anything in the line of that. He had never heard Jiraq talk anything about any girl. Like Lent, he was waiting for his mate. But unlike Lent who was at least interested in mingling and going to bars, Jiraq wasn’t even interested in all that. The dude was always in his lab, thinking of solutions and ways to make their lives easier. And if he wanted to unwind, there was a little bar space in the clan where alcohol wasn’t sold but was always available. That was where he stayed, either that or the library. Similar to Casper, he loved books, he loved the smell of books. “Jiraq, say something. What is the problem? Do you kn
“She is calling? What are you waiting for? Pick the call!” Lent whisper yelled, glaring at a still surprised Kaden. Kaden was shocked that Storm was calling him. He couldn’t help but wonder if all was actually well, if trouble had already arisen, if whoever was after her had caught up with her, if a bounty hunter had finally found their hideout. The thought had him getting up sharply from his seat, and looking around as if searching for a weapon. He couldn’t afford anything to happen to her, not now when he was sure of who she was. When he saw Lent palm his face and Casper sigh, out of disbelief, he knew that he was already acting unlike him. He looked down at his phone, the call had ended. He had missed her call. What was wrong with him? “You would never know what is going on if you don’t answer the call. Calm down, Kaden. She is fine. Now, you can call her.” Jiraq said, not truly believing the entirety of his words; he was only attempting to calm his alpha down. And then he neede
Sound woke her. Elizabeth didn’t want to be awake. She wanted to sleep forever, but those weeping notes refused to allow her to succumb to her need to hide from the world. Like the drops of rain drumming softly into the earth, feeding the soil, those notes slipped into her mind with a song of rising. More and more that gentle melody awakened her on each rising, and became more insistent that she comply more fully. That she more than just wake to feed and go straight back to slumber.Whereas before, the song was in her mind, now it sank into her body, her blood and bones, her heart and soul, calling to her persistently, and she knew it was the call of her lifemate—one she couldn’t ignore. She didn’t dare ignore. It didn’t matter how terrified she was of him. She had to answer.There was safety beneath the ground. Solace. No one could get to her. She was alone and no demands could be put on her, but she had known all along it wasn’t going to last. Every rising, each time the sun set, t
Elizabeth did feel safe. She burrowed deeper, imagining being held in those strong arms, feeling them tighten around her, feeling the warm breath in her ear, so steady. Breathing in and out. His heart rate never faltered. Never rose or slowed but remained that same steady rhythm, as if he could always be counted on. Did she dare voice her concern aloud? Already she was terrified that she had been awake long enough to alert Levon.‘He will never give me up. He will use me to kill everyone who helped to take me from him. He’s so cruel. If I don’t go back to him, he will burn this place to the ground with everyone in it right in front of me.’As soon as she gave voice to her concerns, even if it was only in her mind, panic again began to burst through her. What if Levon heard? What if he was able to monitor her in spite of the safeguards the ancients had so carefully woven around her? She didn’t dare utter his evil name just in case the demon was able to latch on to that.A hand pressed
“Are you ever going to look at me and see your lifemate?” There was the faintest trace of amusement in his voice.She pressed her lips together. ‘Only if you command me. I mean, yes. But . . .’ She couldn’t. Not yet. As long as she had her eyes closed, she could enjoy his touch. Pretend her world was going to be alright. If she opened them and the world was too big or she panicked, and everything frightened her, he would realize just what he had tied himself to for all eternity.He didn’t command her to open her eyes. His lips continued a slow travel from her eyelids along her left cheek to the corner of her mouth. Her heart stuttered as he brushed across the curve of her lips and then down her chin and throat. He continued lower over the curve of breasts. For a moment she thought to bring her hands up to cover herself, but it seemed a little silly. Her body belonged to him. She had scars. He had already seen them. He had already seen how thin she was.His lips moved back and forth in
She clapped a hand over her mouth to keep from blurting out another word. It was already far too late. He could read her mind anyway. She’d gone from appearing half normal—or at least she hoped she looked that way—to looking insane. He was stuck with crazy. She did try to crawl off his lap back to the welcoming soil. It was impossible to move when Fero didn’t want her going anywhere. He simply clamped his arms around her and held her to him.“You are having another panic attack. Breathe. I am not going to leave you on your own until you are ready. Stay still, little songbird. Just breathe while we go over a few more rules.”She could do that. Rules made her feel safe. She liked rules. He stroked her hair in that soothing way he had, and she found herself following his breathing pattern. She liked that he called her “little songbird.” It sounded a little like an endearment. He wasn’t making fun of her, or taunting her. He seemed only gentle when he could crush her so easily.“I know th
Elizabeth wasn’t certain she wanted to call him by his given name. “Ferro,” she said softly. “But you call me little songbird. I think you are a strong heart, and this songbird will learn to fly because you have a heart big enough for both of us.” She felt very daring to tell him what she was thinking.Deep inside, she was desperate for it to be true. They were lifemates and she could look into his mind, but she wasn’t brave enough for that yet, nor was she strong enough, if he deliberately kept her out, to push beyond any shield. She had learned, over the centuries, to do so with Levon, but subtly, so he was unaware. She had the feeling that Fero would always be aware.His teeth tugged at her earlobe and then released her just as abruptly, but not before the sudden gentle bite caused a spasm in her sex that sent a shock wave through her entire body.“Take a look at these dresses. Claire, lifemate to Tensel, had several books she called catalogues she allowed me to look through for cl
“Everyone always underestimates Levon. His brothers did. The mages have done so. He has slivers of them in his head now, so that gives him access to their knowledge. He has created spies using human psychic males. He has an army of vampire demons here in this country and abroad. He planned for centuries so quietly, allowing others to make fun of him and to treat him as if he wasn’t bright. He never quite lost all of his emotions because he thought, ahead of time, to take me prisoner. If you underestimate him, the way everyone has, simply because you’re older and have more fighting experience, you will lose.” Elizabeth stated.Her voice was so low Fero could barely hear her, but it was impossible not to catch the notes of fear, of weeping, of utter hopelessness. She didn’t believe he would listen to her.Men were arrogant. She had seen so many die over the centuries, men who had been intelligent and had risen to power only to be defeated in the end. Levon was the last of the five brothe