Page 4 of Reign of The Beast (Immortal Passions #2)

4

~Lucian~

Glancing at my Rolex on my bedside table, I was surprised to see that I’d once again slept in.

I had always been a stickler for adhering to a strict schedule, to rising early and making the most out of the day. I never normally needed the assistance of an alarm clock to rouse me awake. My internal clock was infallible.

Or, it had been.

Until Ryker Morgan had started sleeping in my bed.

Having him with me, against me, brought me a peace that I had never felt before in my many centuries of existence. It was a sense of tranquility that my mind and body alike did not wish to leave, that sentiment consequently overriding my internal clock.

I looked down to see him sound asleep, his arm thrown across my abs, his head resting on my pecs.

The fact that either of us were able to find any semblance of peace given the situation surrounding us was a true testament to our relationship.

It had taken Draco only three days to recover from Cornelius' assault during the Maven Coven battle. And his ire at facing temporary defeat at the hands of his enemy had been fierce, something he had taken out on the supernatural world.

It had only worsened over the last few months. He’d overrun and decimated many supernatural strongholds, targeting all species indiscriminately. If that wasn’t enough, he’d turned hundreds of supernatural beings, recruiting them to his side on the false promises of power, wealth and glory. As a result, we weren’t only battling him and his endless devastation, we were forced to fight against our own people.

A couple of weeks ago, he’d dealt a brutal blow to the Guardian Movement, one that we still had yet to recover from.

We were overwhelmed and unprepared, forced to respond reactively and defensively, which made it impossible for us to gain any traction in this war.

As the most powerful magic-wielder, with Mia in exile, a great deal of the burden had been placed on Ryker’s shoulders. Despite his denial, I knew he was close to burning out.

His relentless search for Mia really hadn’t helped matters either.

He’d put everything into finding her. Not only his magic, but his hopes also, believing her to be the key to winning this war and stopping Draco. He’d assumed she’d just needed a reprieve and that she would be ready to rejoin the fight when he’d found her.

Unfortunately, he’d been proven wrong.

She was so very far from ready.

I would allow her some time and then I would go to her, employ my powers of persuasion to bring her home.

Even at his most agitated, Ryker was soft with her. He treated her like she was precious, with kid gloves as though she were something breakable. While his intentions were noble and admirable, it also meant that he would not push her past her comfort zone.

I didn’t see her that way, believing instead that she needed to experience a heavy, dominant hand. It was exactly what I would employ to ensure she returned to the fold.

Unfortunately, the state of her that Ryker had described meant that would only be the beginning. It would take a great deal to ready her for the threat we now faced.

She was afraid. The power I’d seen her unleash that day had been dark and she had not been ready to taste it, nor to accept that part of her. Like Ryker had been before we’d come together, she was repressed. Most magic-wielders were. They were afraid of losing control over any aspect of their lives, afraid it would allow the potential for darkness to swallow them whole.

I had also seen Ryker touch another level of power that he’d never accessed before. That green lightning he’d sparked to life in an attempt to stop Cornelius from pulling us into that phantasmal plane. But it hadn’t scared him . It was because he’d accepted the dark as well as the light within him a long time ago. And that had occurred decades ago when he’d been forced to face off with his father.

I couldn’t help thinking that things would not be so dire right now if Cornelius had gone about making his vision of the Covenant a reality in a different manner.

Instead of being transparent, he’d deceived us all, even his own daughter. He’d also alienated, threatened, and even attacked, his urgency getting the best of him when he was questioned. Had he really expected all of us to go along with something so profound, life-changing and irreversible, without time to think it over and discuss it? He’d clearly lost his mind and his ability for rational thought as soon as Draco had resurfaced. And now we were all paying the price.

A grating buzzing cut through my maudlin thoughts and I turned my head to see Ryker's phone flashing on his bedside table.

I tensed automatically when I saw the caller ID.

Jaxon Silver.

The wild card of our yet-to-be-solidified Covenant.

Just what we didn’t need.

Not to mention, I was sure the history between him and I would make things that much more complicated and our task that more difficult to accomplish.

Alas, Ryker and I had determined that he was most definitely to be a part of it, so we’d both have to get over it. Other things mattered a great deal more than old grudges.

The fate of the entire supernatural world rested upon our shoulders.

I watched Ryker stir as the buzzing graduated to a ringing.

I smiled with amusement as I recognized the ringtone. Hungry Like the Wolf by Duran Duran. He had a wonderful sense of humor.

“Ryker,” I called, giving him a couple of gentle nudges when he failed to wake fully. He was a heavy sleeper in general, but a lot more so lately.

He opened his eyes with a disgruntled groan. “What’s wrong?” he rasped.

“You have a call from Jaxon.”

“Fuck,” he grumbled. “It’s way too early.”

“It’s late afternoon,” I informed him.

He shot bolt upright. “What? That late? Shit.”

“We were up late. ”

The truth was, it was a great deal more than that.

It was the burnout.

He rolled over and snatched up his phone, swiping it quickly, and answering, “Hey, Jax.”

Jax? They’d grown closer than I’d realized.

He tossed the covers off of himself and pushed out of bed, striding back and forth in nothing but his delicious navy boxers.

“Yeah, I found her last night. What? No. I didn’t want to tell you until we had her back with us. I didn’t want to get your hopes up. Left her? Never. She kicked me out. She doesn’t want anything to do with any of this right now. She’s scared. Yeah, about what happened with Draco. We’re going to give her some time, then Lucian will try to convince her.”

He turned, his gaze meeting mine, unease bleeding from him.

He looked away quickly, as he spoke down the line, “He won’t. He cares about her, just like we do. He’d never—absolutely not. You need to calm down. Yeah, I know how long it’s been. I’m doing everything I can, but forcing her back won’t work. She’s not the type of person you can bark orders to.”

He listened, fisting his hands with agitation.

Then, he blew out a breath and he scrubbed his hand over his face. “Look, you’ve trusted me this far, trust me this last leg, okay? I’ll bring her back to us.”

He jerked the phone away and grumbled with displeasure. “He hung up on me,” he said, turning back to me. With a sigh, he tossed his phone back onto the bedside table and climbed back into bed.

“Wolves are difficult to calm at the best of times. With the subject matter being his apparent mate, it’s virtually impossible. He won’t be at ease until they are reunited and he has completed his claim.”

He leaned back against the pillows. “She’s causing us a major fucking headache. If she’d accepted what Cornelius had told her months ago everything would be different. We would’ve been ready when Draco returned and we could’ve cut him down before he’d decimated the Maven Coven.”

“Perhaps, but there is no point regretting what we cannot change.” I slid my fingers through his hair, stroking his thick locks softly. “Besides, you and I may not have come together if that had been the case and if things had followed that ideal path.”

He planted a sweet kiss on my cheek, telling me earnestly, “I would’ve regretted that more than anything else.”

I smiled and wrapped my arms around him.

He had such a beautiful, pure heart. So much love to give. It was something to be treasured.

Unfortunately, it also made him vulnerable.

But I was here now and I would safeguard it to the best of my ability, something that would take a great deal when Mia returned.

She’d already wounded him once. I wouldn’t allow her to do so again. In fact, until she was able to open herself as was required for the Covenant, I wouldn’t allow her to get close to him.

“You are dealing well with the situation between Jaxon and Mia.” Much better than I’d expected. In fact, he hadn’t brought it up at all and when Ryker was upset about something, he had to vocalize it and talk it to death.

Shrugging his shoulders, he said, “Once upon a time, I did think she and I were destined for one another. But so much has happened. Everything’s shifted. For me, a lot of that is because of you, because of what we have. Also, Jaxon is good for her. He's a wild, rough and tumble guy. He can break through that repressed part of her and bring out her wild side, coax her to let go and open up. It’s exactly what’s needed for the Covenant. We all need to be united. Mind, body and soul, according to Cornelius. What I am worried about, though, is you and Mia.”

“Me and her?” I asked, surprised.

“You two are the only ones that aren’t connected. Jaxon and I both share a connection with her. He’s her mate and I’m her first love. But the only interaction you’ve had with Mia was a brief battle of wills and low level threats until I joined the party. I know you’re sexually attracted to her, but it won’t be enough.”

“Ryker, I—”

“Look, I know it’s because of me. You’re pissed that she hurt me. But I’m over it. I need you to be too.”

“I will spend some time with her when she returns.”

“Good,” he said, stroking my arm. “Thank you.” He yawned, then rubbed his eyes. “I guess we should roll out of bed finally, huh?”

“Why don’t you rest today? There have been very few quiet days like this since Draco returned. We should take advantage of it while we can.”

He frowned. “I can’t just—”

“You can and I beseech you to do just that.”

“Well, what about you?”

“I must continue with my search for those Guardians who scattered, following the blow Draco dealt us a couple of weeks ago. I am close to retrieving them all. Only half a dozen more still elude me.”

“I can help you with a spell that—”

“ No .”

He jolted at the harshness of my tone .

I laid my hand on his shoulder. “I’m sorry. I just want you to conserve your magic whenever possible.”

“I know you’re worried, but I can do this. I need to do this, to operate at this level. Everyone is counting on me. With Cornelius and Mia out of the picture, I’m the strongest magic-wielder remaining. No one else can do what I can.”

I took his hands and held them between us, drawing his gaze as I implored him, “I understand the predicament fully, Ryker. So, deal with those matters that require high-level magic, but delegate the rest. Like this tracking task which I am taking point on.”

He kissed my hands. “Okay, yeah. You’re right.”

“Good,” I said, releasing him and climbing out of bed. “Stay here and rest. When I return, we’ll—"

“Lucian,” he interrupted.

“Yes?”

“If you don’t put some clothes on in the next few seconds, there’s no way you’re going to be leaving here at all.”

I glanced down at myself. Oh . I’d forgotten I had slept naked. I laughed. “You’re insatiable.”

“You’re lucky I can keep up with the stamina of a vampire.” He clasped his hands behind his head, flashing me a self-satisfied grin, looking very pleased with himself. “What was it you said? I’m giving you a run for your money?”

Cocky bastard. “Yes. You most definitely are.” With a burst of speed, I snatched my black silk robe off the back of the door and covered myself. “Rest, my beloved.” I made my way to the ensuite bathroom, calling over my shoulder. “I will have my staff prepare a hearty breakfast for you when I leave.”

I was just about to step into the bathroom when I felt Ryker’s pulse spike dramatically.

I spun on my heel as a curse escaped him, to find him hunched over in my bed, his hands slapped to his ears.

“Ryker!” I cried, speeding to his bedside. “What is it? What’s harming you?”

“Get… back,” he eked out.

I did as he asked.

A moment later, he brought his hands away from his ears. They were trembling with the effort as he held them before him, turning his palms upward. Green fire flared to life upon them. He brought them together and vibrant sparks erupted upon their contact, extinguishing in the next moment.

“Shit,” he breathed, as his pulse began calming, the pain that’d been etched into his features dissipating.

“What was that?” I asked.

He climbed out of bed, telling me, “After what happened to Cornelius, I set up an alert.”

“An alert?”

“Yeah. To let me know if any heavy magic of his fell. His magic powers several vital supernatural institutions—pillars, if you will.”

“And that’s what you just felt? One of them has fallen?”

He nodded.

“When a magic-wielder dies, all of their existing magic, any spells that they have conjured, cease to be.”

“It’s not only death that can cause that. He could be alive, but severely incapacitated.” He snapped his fingers twice and the both of us were instantly showered and dressed. “Either way, I need to fix this.”

“What has just fallen?”

His expression was grave as he took a beat, then revealed, “The Guardian Compound. The barrier protecting it.”

“Holy hell.”

“I need to head there to see if I can conjure something strong enough in its place.”

“I’ll go with you.”

He nodded and held out his hand, conjuring his magic to teleport us.

The situation was deteriorating quicker than either of us had imagined.

We’d thought we’d have a little more time at our disposal.

More time to bring Mia back into the fold.

More time to complete the Covenant ritual.

Now, though, with the Immortal’s magic already falling, we were out of time.