Page 3

Sierra

“ L et me go you piece of shit!” I screamed as I rubbed my wrists together, frantically trying to loosen the binds tying them together. It was no use. They had spelled the ties and used some sort of dampening field to dull my magic. Or maybe it was that shit they injected me with.

“Shut up, bitch.” The guy who kidnapped me from my shop reached his arm back, poising to backhand me.

Before his arm could snap forward, a large shadowy figure emerged from the tree line. “We do not strike our guests.” I was not going to think about how his slightly accented voice was deep and rich. And I was not going to mention how it made goosebumps erupt along my arms.

Wait, what did he say?

Guests?

What the fuck was shadow man smoking? If I could get my head out of my vagina long enough to process the words actually spoken and not focus on the voice that spoke them.

“I’m not your guest, asshole.” I held up my hands and shook them, showing off my fancy bonds that made it impossible to be classified as a ‘guest’.

If I thought his voice was incredible? Yeah, it was nothing compared to his laugh.

I clenched my teeth together as my arms dropped in my lap. I desperately fought back the shiver of arousal that wanted to roll through me. This shadow fucker had to be at least part incubus.

No one had ever made me feel like this. Well, except for he who shall not be named.

And he was an incubus. Hence the crazy mojo powers he seemed to have over my lady bits.

“Antonio, I will deal with you later. Back to headquarters. Now.” With a snap of his fingers, the man disappeared with a wide eyed look of horror etched on his face.

“I’m so fucked,” I muttered under my breath.

Shadow man took several steps forward, the camping lantern asshole numb nuts had placed in the center of the picnic table not quite illuminating his features.

“My dear, sweet Sierra,” he purred and leaned forward. He was the shadows… or he controlled them. Night had fallen and I could discern any of his features other than a classically structured face with lush lips. He was tall. And wide. He’d be imposing to many people.

But I was took pissed off to care right now.

“Who the fuck are you and how do you know my name?” I snapped, leaning away from him as far as I could without toppling backward. I both craved and dreaded his touch. I couldn’t deny the electricity that sparked between us. Even if it was just his incubus mojo.

He straightened to his full height and crossed his arms over his chest.

“Show me who you are.” I lifted my chin and gave him my best haughty stare. “The shadow man thing may work on some people but you look like a blob.”

“Always so feisty,” he growled, and this time I couldn’t help my reaction. Damn it.

“Stop with the demon mojo!” I snarled, frustrated. “You drug me. You kidnap me. Tie me up. Try to scare me with your shadowy shit so the least you could do is not make me want to rip my clothes off and offer myself to you!”

I squeezed my eyes shut and focused on calming my erratic breathing. My thighs rubbed together, trying to alleviate the ache building. His essence was so similar to Rowen’s that my mouth was watering as memories flooded through my mind.

No. I was so not going there.

“Poor Sierra.” Shadow man crouched in front of me, and slowly he allowed the light to pierce through his shadowy facade.

My breath caught in my throat as his face was revealed.

Then confusion swept through my body, drowning me like a tsunami.

This wasn’t Rowen. I had to keep telling myself that.

But the resemblance was uncanny. The same high cheekbones.

Strong nose and jawline. Lush lips that I wanted to kiss for days.

And eyelashes so long they should be illegal framed an eerie pair of green eyes so pale they were almost colorless from a certain angle.

But where Rowen had a hint of charm, this man was hardened. Almost as if he was…broken? But he wasn't completely shattered.

His aura flashed shades of black and red, with pulses of green and blue. He was fighting a war with himself. What was he fighting about? What conflicted him so much to etch the lines around his eyes and mouth.

“It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, my dear omega.” He smiled broadly, but the longer I looked at him the different the smile became. While it started as lecherous, it transformed as he stared at me, his eyes becoming transfixed.

“Who are you?” I had every intention of snapping at him. Yelling and screaming, ranting and raving. But the question came out on a breathy sigh. I swallowed harshly before my lips parted.

He was in my personal space, so close I could feel his warm breath fan over my face. Just another thing about him that was intoxicating. His minty breath, manly scent, and the overwhelming heat rolling off him in waves.

“Callum!”

My heart skipped a beat as the familiar voice invaded my senses.

No. No no no no.

This was not happening. My world was collapsing around me. My senses confused and my powers overwhelming me.

Rowen sauntered into the small clearing, half shifted into his demon form.

He retained his human coloring, but wicked horns sprouted from his head and swept back into a flourish at the back of his skull.

Large, leathery bat-like wings were still behind him.

Tall enough that they rose above his head and the tips rested almost to the ground.

His tail betrayed his agitation as it flicked from side to side.

His obsidian eyes briefly locked with mine, making a breath stutter out of me. Fire flickered in those deep dark depths. The force of his emotions taking me back in just that one look.

Just behind Rowen, like his shadow, stood Archer.

I’d never been able to figure out what the man was.

He was utterly mysterious. He didn’t have the same magnetism as Rowen which was inherent in incubae.

His blue gaze swept over me, and he gave me a wink as his lips tilted up into his version of a smirk.

It was more disconcerting than amusing.

Hell, it gave me the fucking creeps, just like everything about the mysterious Archer.

“Hello, brother.” The shadow man—Callum—stood beside me and rested one hand on my shoulder. The touch was light, but it shot tingles of electricity bouncing through my cells.

Brother? No wonder they looked so similar.

Hurt flashed through me swiftly then it disappears just as fast. I didn’t know Rowen had a brother. Psht. The things I didn’t know about Rowen could fill several books. And we’re talking full length epic fantasy books full.

“Callum, your issues are with me.” Rowen clenched his jaw together so tightly I feared he may crack a few molars. “Let the girl go.”

Girl? Ouch. That one stung.

Callum threw back his head and laughed. “We both know she’s much more than that.

Aren’t you, precious omega?” Those pale eyes took me in and I felt as if I was falling into the depths and drowning.

His power was utterly intoxicating. It beckoned my own and begged me to unleash them so they could dance together.

And Callum knew it.

His fingers tightened on my shoulders for a fraction of a second before he loosened his grip and skated his fingertips up the sensitive flesh of my neck. “So soft. Such a good little omega,” he hummed his pleasure and my inner omega preened under his praise.

Damn traitorous hormones.

Rowen didn’t meet my gaze, focusing all of his attention on Callum. Or rather Callum’s fingers as they caressed my flesh.

“Hands off, Callum.” His growl reverberated through the clearing and my stupid fucking body reacted.

Because of course it did. It recognized the alpha strength surrounding me. Even Archer, standing several steps behind Rowen twirling his daggers oozed alpha energy.

I was getting entirely too close to my heat to be around these asshole, overbearing alphas. If they kept on with this behavior, I would tumble into heat early and really be damned.

“I think I rather like my hands on her, brother,” he taunted, and I was beginning to understand the depth of hatred between these two men.

Rowen gritted his teeth, grinding them back and forth. He always clenched his jaw, but saved the grinding from when he was really pissed off. And that tail. The things I used to imagine him doing with that appendage would make even a prostitute blush.

Archer moved subtlety, if I wasn’t keenly aware of how the man maneuvered, I wouldn’t have even noticed it.

He was no longer twirling his daggers. Another dangerous sign.

The tension thickened, and I barely held back a moan of appreciation.

I couldn’t help it, I was an omega. My biology demanded I reacted to alphas, and this close to my cycle, I was surprised I wasn’t running to climb one of them like a tree.

I shook myself out of those thoughts and sighed. “I don’t know what kind of pissing contest is going on between you two, but could you kindly keep me the fuck out of it? Perhaps not use me as your tug-of-war toy?”

Rowen’s eyes flashed red. “Do you have a death wish, Sierra?” He growled, his lips pulling back from his elongated fangs.

“That’s a loaded question, Rowen.” I cocked my head to the side and tapped one finger against my chin—despite my hands still being bound.

“For years after you betrayed me and left me bleeding out in a random Phoenix emergency room, I did. Then I realized what a piece of shit you are and got smart. I’m worth more than you. ”

I ignored the tears that wanted to fall, but I’d already shed was too many over this man—demon. Whatever the fuck he was.

My words weren’t to wound him. Well, okay maybe they kinda were. But they were more to get it off my chest. This was the first time I’d seen him in eight years.

The fact that seeing him—first seeing the resemblance in Callum—opened up the wound that I thought long since healed.

Nope. Back in its full glory and bleeding all over me. Metaphorically at least.

Rowen’s lips parted slightly, his fangs still elongated and gleaming in his mouth. His eyes flashed between red and black and betrayed his emotions.

And here I thought he didn’t have any.

A shift of Archer's arm told me he had it pressed against Rowen’s back. Providing some comfort to the normally stoic demon king.

“Ouch, Sierra darling.” Callum chuckled as his fingers continued their perusal of my neck.

Goddamn it, why was my neck such an erogenous zone? Because Callum’s touch was driving me utterly insane. Up and down with the lightest of motions, nothing overtly sexual about it. More possessive than anything else.

As much as I wanted to jerk away, I didn’t: contrary to Rowen’s earlier statement, I did not have a death wish. And let’s just say I knew Callum could destroy me with little more than a flick of his wrist.

Callum shifted, leaning down so his lips brushed over my ear. “You’ve wounded him more with your words than any blade ever has.” His teeth nibbled on my lobe and I sucked in a harsh breath. “And you wonder why I had to find our sweet treasure here.”

Sweet treasure? Our?

Oh no mister tall dark and ethereal, I was no one’s sweet treasure.

I opened my mouth to reply, to give voice to my rising anger but Rowen held up a hand and implored me with just one look.

Something deep in those depths told me to snap my mouth shut.

“I don’t know what game you’re playing, Callum.” Rowen seemed to grow in stature and I knew it was part of his illusion. Like trying to make yourself seem bigger to ward off predators.

But there was no mistaking it. Rowen was a predator. Just as lethal as the man standing beside me.

At least as far as my powers were able to discern when I was weakened by the bindings.

“No game, brother mine.” He grinned as he took a few steps towards Rowen and Archer.

The distance between us grew and the knot churning around in my stomach tightened. Did I… want him to stay close to me?

My head was a jumbled mess. Seeing Rowen again. Experiencing whatever the fuck it was with Callum. It was messing with me.

“Leave Sierra alone.” The ground vibrated with Rowen’s intensity and my body trembled in response.

“Or what?”

Oh shit. Yet another thing Rowen couldn’t resist.

A challenge.

Time seemed to slow as Callum’s long legs ate up the distance between him and Rowen. Archer blended into the shadows, Callum none the wiser.

“I’ve told you time and again, Callum. I have no interest in anything to do with the Fae realm. That’s your territory.”

Hmm…so Callum was Fae? That would make sense with his ability to use the shadows around him. It was a very common ability amongst dark Fae.

“This has nothing to do with that,” Callum smirked and mirrored Rowen’s pose with his arms crossed over his chest.

Every few seconds, Rowen’s glance flicker over to me. As if he needed to make sure I was okay. Why did that seem to warm my heart? He hadn’t bothered to check in on me for the last eight years.

That you know of

Oh shut up, inner hussy. He proved he didn't give a shit about me long ago.

“ You know as well as I do, Ria, that isn’t true,” Archer's deep voice rang throughout my head with a song-song chant. I hated it when he did that.

He was like my own personal Jiminy Cricket whispering in my ear about conscious and all that Disney magic bullshit.

“ Out of all the minds I’ve encountered, yours is definitely one of the most fun.”

Fuck me. As much as I hated to admit it, I loved hearing his voice in my head. While not as deep as Rowen’s, Archer’s voice was rich and smooth. It was like the smooth velvety burn after a top shelf glass of scotch.

“ Just listen to him. That’s all I ask.” Archer's hand landed on my shoulder and I almost jolted out of my skin at the suddenly contact. His other palm curled over my mouth as he bent close. So close I felt his breath fan over the side of my neck.

I never wanted to admit out loud that I had a secret crush on Archer. Rowen might have killed him when we were ‘together’ so I pushed it to the back of my mind.

“ Oh, darling. If you only knew,” he purred into my mind. “ But you’ll find out soon enough. Now, let’s go have a conversation and leave the boys to their pissing contest.”

Before I could voice a protest, darkness surrounded me as Archer flashed us out of the forest.