ASHES

THE BEAST KING BRIDES: BOOK 6

CHARLENE HARTNADY

Copyright © May 2023 by Charlene Hartnady

Cover Art by Aura

Copy Edited by Brigitte Billings

Proofread by KR & HF

Beta Reader: Shelley Charlton

Produced in South Africa

charlene.hartnady@gmail.com

Ashes is a work of fiction and characters, events and dialogue found within are of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, either living or deceased, is purely coincidental.

With the exception of quotes used in reviews no part of this book may be reproduced or shared in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including but not limited to digital copying, file sharing, audio recording, email and printing without prior consent in writing from the author.

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1

Everleigh

Thud!

Thud!

Thud!

I can hear my heart beating over the sound of my breathing, which is saying something since I’m wearing a full-face mask. If I ever truly needed this particular piece of equipment, today is that day. I reposition my helmet. Sweat drips off my brow, and I can’t see shit.

The smoke is thick. Like a gray wall. It’s hotter than hell, but I’m grateful for my jacket and boots. My gloves, too.

There is a raging fire on the lower floors of this building, but it’s the smoke that will kill the final few remaining residents of this apartment building if we don’t get to them first.

“Anything, Jones?” I hear in my ear.

“Nothing,” I say.

“Keep looking.”

“You have to find her,” I hear a woman say in the background. “Oh, god! My baby!” It’s the girl’s mother. She’s with my captain out front. I flinch because she sounds distraught. I can’t say that I blame her. If it were my daughter… I ignore the thought, as well as my emotions. They have no place here. They won’t help me or the missing child.

“Cassy!” I yell. “Call out if you can hear me!” I yell again.

I know from my five years in the department that kids sometimes hide. Cassy is only five. Her mom left her to go get clothes from the laundry room. It was only supposed to take five or six minutes, but in that time, all hell broke loose.

The fire might have started on the east side, but it also started on the ground floor and very quickly blocked all entry and exit ways of the building. The stairs and elevator included. Our buddies from the ‘29s’ and the ‘82s’ are here to help evacuate the twelve-story building. Cassy is one of three who are still unaccounted for.

“Lewis here,” a deep voice sounds in my ear. “I have Mrs. Parker.”

“Good work,” the captain says.

That makes two unaccounted for, and Cassy is one of them. I walk slowly, careful not to bash into anything. A flashlight is useless, so I don’t even bother removing it from the pouch on my belt.

“Cassy,” I try again. I’m in their apartment. I’m trying to find the hallway that leads to the bedrooms. I’m pretty sure she’ll be in her room. Under the bed or in the closet. I hope so.

I inch my way along the wall and around a dresser before finding an entryway. This looks like a hallway to me. Then I walk down the hall, moving my ax from my left to my right hand.

Sweat trickles down my right cheek. The back of my neck itches as more sweat drips. I ignore it and keep walking.

“Cassy!” I shout as I reach the first doorway. I note that the wallpaper, which is right in front of my face, has a green print. It looks like leaves or vines. It isn’t childlike at all. I shout the girl’s name one more time before continuing down the hall. I’ll double back if she isn’t in her bedroom.

“I’m on my way back,” Lewis says over the comms system.

“Copy,” I tell him. “I’m in Cassy’s bedroom.”

Time is running out for the little girl. I hope that she is staying low. Maybe she has her shirt over her mouth. I need to find her soon.

I sigh in relief when I see pink. Pink wallpaper with a motif I can’t quite make out. This has to be it. This apartment only has two bedrooms.

“Cassy!” I yell. “I’m Everleigh. I work for the fire department. Your mommy sent me to find you.”

I hear something. I’m not exactly sure what it is. It almost sounds like a noise a kitten would make. Does this family have a pet? They don’t allow pets in this building, but that doesn’t stop people from getting them, anyway. We’ve already rescued three cats and a couple of dogs.

“Cassy, honey,” I yell, getting down to check under the bed. Other than a sock, it’s clear. The sock is small and yellow, bringing home to me how young and alone Cassy is.

I hear that mewling noise again. It’s coming from behind me. The closet. It has to be. I turn and quickly find it, opening it up and checking for a little girl. Nope! Not there. She’s here. I just have to find her before it’s too late.

“Hang on, Cassy,” I shout.

“Jones! Come in, Jones!”

“Jones here,” I say. I’m crawling on the floor.

“Any luck?” my captain asks.

“I’m close. I think I can hear her,” I say between pants.

“I’m about to pull all units. It’s getting too dangerous in there. The fire is spreading. Most of the lower floors are engulfed. The building is at risk of collapse.”

“I can hear her, Cap. I’m close!”

Don’t pull me yet! Please! Don’t!

I’m not sure I’ll be able to live with myself if she dies.

“You have one minute.” I hear the frantic screams of the mother just before the sound goes dead.

Holy shit!

“Cassy!” I’m the one who sounds frantic now. “Cassy, where are you?” I can’t see a damn thing. My eyes are stinging despite wearing the mask. The sweat is pouring off of me.

I crawl straight into a wooden item. It’s a…a… I think it’s a toy box. I hear a clunk against the wood.

“Cassy!”

“Get out of there!” my captain shouts directly into my ear. “All teams, evacuate the building now!”

“Cassy, honey.” I open the lid to the toy box, and she’s curled in a tight ball. “Oh, thank God! I have her!” I yell. “I repeat, I have Cassy.”

“Get out of there, Jones. Good work!” my captain says. “Both of you need to move. Now!”

I pick the little girl up. She weighs nothing.

“On my way out now,” I say. “You need to get out of here, Lewis,” I tell my partner.

“Not without you,” he tells me. “We’re still good.”

“All teams, evacuate the building. Everyone has been accounted for. I repeat, everyone is accounted for,” my captain says. I can hear the fear in his voice. It chills my veins. It’s the first time I’ve ever heard him sound this way.

“Go, Lewis!” I yell. “Go, now!” Cassy is coughing and wheezing as I make my way out of her bedroom. I need to get her out of here, stat.

“Not without—”

“Don’t be a stubborn bastard. Go!” I say. “I’m right behind you. I have the girl. We’re getting out of here. Do you hear me? All of us.” I have an idea of the path, so I’m moving more quickly.

“Okay, Leigh, but you’d better be right behind me. You know I don’t like waiting. I’ll be on the ladder.”

“Copy,” I say. I’m acutely aware of how the temperature is rising. The floor beneath my fire-retardant boots is killer hot. The smoke is growing thicker by the second. The little girl in my arms goes limp.

“Shit!” I mutter. She has passed out. There is no time to check on her. The best thing for her is to get her out. The quicker, the better. The clock is ticking. I am going as fast as I can.

“Jones! Where the hell are you?” my captain shouts.

Good! That must mean that Lewis got out.

“Nearly there,” I say, tasting my salty sweat as it trickles down my face. I cough. I need to hustle. I think of fresh air and sun. I think of water. What I wouldn’t do for a glass right now.

I turn left in the hallway that takes me out of the apartment. Nearly there. It’s twenty or so meters to the window.

Light.

Yes!

“I swear to god, Jones!” Lewis yells.

“Quit shouting in my ear,” I say. “I’m right here.”

“Do you want me to die of heart failure?” My partner’s grinning face greets me as I reach the window.

I hand him the child. “She passed out a few minutes ago.” I hope I wasn’t too late. I pray that she passed out, and that she isn’t— No! I can’t think like that.

Just as I’m about to climb out of the window, the floor falls away below me. Flames lick up around me as I fall. And then everything goes first very bright and then pitch black as I die.

2

Ax

I land hard on my ass, grunting as I make contact with the earth. Smoke swirls around me. It isn’t the fragrant smoke of a fire. This stuff is insipid and wispy.

It’s magic.

I’m not a fan, so I wave my arms, causing it to dissipate faster. Asshole mages get on my nerves. Tassos more so than most.

The ground beneath me is thankfully soft. I smell pine and fresh air. The sweet scent of home. Right in front of me is my cabin, and to my left is my shed. It’s filled with ashes. They’re my ashes and useless to me right now, since I can’t shift or feel the pull of the fire.

I’m not dwelling on it right now. Nope! That line of thinking won’t do me much good.

I keep my eyes on the shed for a long minute. Just before he sent me back here, Tassos told me that a surprise awaited me within the wooden structure. What kind of surprise? I’m not big on surprises or bullshit. This feels a little like bullshit to me.

I stand and swat the dirt from my jeans. Then I pick up my Stetson and place it back on my head. My eyes don’t stray too far from the shed doors. I rub my chin, feeling my thick beard beneath my fingers. I tilt my head, picking up sweet nothing.

My senses are crap. When I still had my animal, I used to be able to see, smell, and hear so much better. My healing abilities were superior, too. Although all of these things are still much better than your average human, they leave a lot to be desired as far as shifters go.

I sigh and saunter over to the shed. I’m tempted just to go inside my cabin and forget all about this stupid surprise. I know I’m going to be disappointed.

I know it!

I mutter a cuss as I swing the shed door open. Light shines in through the back window. Dust motes fill the air. I look around.

Hmmmmmm.

My ashes have been disturbed. They’re not in a neat pile anymore. Lying in the middle of the pile is…a dead squirrel.

Is this that asshole’s idea of a joke?

I shake my head. I knew it was going to be bullshit. I do feel disappointment, but it’s fleeting. I mutter another curse, this one a little more choice than the first. Then I leave, shutting the door behind me.

A dead squirrel. I shake my head. I pause for a moment and contemplate taking a shower since I’m outside already, but I decide against it. I’m hungry. Fighting fires and dealing with bastard mages will work up an appetite. Food, a nice cold shower, and then…who knows? I might go hunting. Smoke a cigar on my porch. Although I envy the rest of the beast kings for finding their mates, I also don’t. Their lives are complicated. Mine is simple. Sure, it can get lonely sometimes, but I’ll take simple over a female to wreck things.

Talking about complications, my mind wanders to Elena. I am no longer the only phoenix shifter. There is Elena, who plans on trying to wake up more of my people. They should stay asleep. Waking before one’s time is unnatural. It destroys the balance. At least, that’s what the elders always said. I’m not sure how, but they always had this grave look in their eyes when they said it… It destroys the balance. Hopefully, they were just being dramatic. I look down at myself. Then again, I’m proof that it might be true. No beast. A fuck up. I sigh heavily. Forget hunting or chilling on my porch; I’m going to have to stop Elena. I sigh.

I walk up the stairs leading to the back door of my cabin. First, food, and then I’ll get hold of Thane and the others.

I open the back door and almost swallow my tongue.

It’s a female. A naked female. A wet, naked female.

She is holding one of my shirts in her right hand. She gasps loudly, dropping the shirt. Then she reaches down and grabs it up, clutching it to her torso, but not before I get a good look at her. Short of gouging my eyes out, I can’t help but see her.

She isn’t tall. Suffice it to say, she’s fucking tiny. Everything but her tits and hips. The latter flare enticingly and the former are nicely rounded with plump pink nipples. I’ll bet she has some ass on her, too. Not too much, but just enough. Enough to jiggle during sex. Enough to grab onto. Enough to make a man salivate.

“What are you doing in my house?” I growl. Apparently, that’s the best greeting I can muster. This must be the surprise that Tassos was talking about, and therefore I can’t trust her.

Her eyes are big and very dark, like good-quality chocolate. Her hair is blond, falling in wet tendrils about her shoulders. A pretty thing. Sexy too. Nope, I can’t trust her one bit.

I sniff and get the strong odor of fire. It might be coming from me. I can’t be too sure.

She takes a step back. “Don’t hurt me.”

3

Everleigh

“You can drop the sweet, innocent act. What the hell are you doing in my house?” The caveman narrows his eyes on me.

His eyes.

Holy shit!

They’re like looking into fire. Swirling, flickering orange flame. Not normal. Not normal at all. Is he wearing contact lenses? Then again, no contact lens can give an effect like that. They are burning and bright and…not human. Not possible. I dismiss the crazy idea.

“Has the cat got your tongue?” he says, his voice a little less gruff but not by much.

I clear my throat. “I don’t know how I got here.” I look around. “I…” I shake my head, feeling overwhelmed all over again.

“You don’t know?” He gives me a look that tells me he thinks I’m full of shit. “That doesn’t make any sense.” He folds his arms. “You’re here. You got here somehow. Car, plane, bus, on foot? And why are you naked?”

I’m still clutching the shirt to my body. Goosebumps have risen all over my body. That outside shower was frigid, to say the least.

I look down at myself. “Do you mind if I get dressed before we talk?” I ask.

“Go ahead.” He just stands there watching me. He’s huge. Massive is a better description. To the point where even his muscles have muscles. I don’t think he has even an ounce of fat on him. It’s all defined and honed power, from his wide shoulders to his washboard abs, to his corded thighs.

The only thing he is wearing are jeans, which are stretched tight around thick muscles. Even his feet are bare. The Stetson doesn’t really count, and neither does the beard – I don’t think. Even though it’s thick and bushy. There is a big black tattoo on one of his shoulders, spanning across the top part of his chest and collarbone. It looks like flames and swirling smoke. He’s powerful and badass, and…he comes across as dangerous. It’s a feeling I get. An instinct.

Am I about to become a wrong-turn statistic?

“Are you going to turn around or what?” I ask him.

He mutters something about humans being shy, but I might have misheard. I heave a sigh of relief when he gives me his back. It’s muscular as well. His ass, too.

I should not be looking at this caveman’s ass, so I get to work pulling on the shirt. It’s huge on me, falling to just above my knees. I do up all the buttons except for the top one. Even though I’m sufficiently covered, I fold my arms over my chest, feeling self-conscious. A set of underwear would be nice. A baseball bat, too.

I find myself still looking at his ass, so I raise my eyes to his shoulders. I note that the tattoo spans the top part of his back. More flames and smoke. I think there are feathers, too. It could be a wing, but I would need to get closer to be sure. I realize that I am staring and stop immediately.

“I’m done,” I tell him quickly. “Do you have a towel for my hair, by any chance?” I ask as he turns back.

He shakes his head.

“How do you dry off?” I’m not sure why I ask him such a stupid question at a time like this.

“I drip dry.” He sounds annoyed. “Now, from the top. Who are you, and what are you doing in my house?”

“I don’t know how I got here. One minute I was…I… I have no idea who I am and how I got here. I can’t seem to hold on to any kind of solid memory.”

“And you expect me to believe that?” he rasps.

“Yes, because it’s the truth.”

“You have to remember something about how you got here or who you are. What is your name?” He’s looking at me skeptically, and I guess I can’t really blame him. He found me buck naked in his house. I’m not lying, though. I don’t remember a darned thing.

I know I have a name, but I don’t know what it is. I know I like the color purple. That sunflowers are my favorite flower. I know that I enjoy reading; that Lord of the Rings was my favorite series of all time. But I don’t know my name, how I got here, or anything important about myself. Am I married? Do I have kids? I look down at my hands, which are bare. I’m not even wearing a watch. It doesn’t mean anything. I keep drawing blanks.

I look back up at him. His gaze has softened marginally.

“I don’t know.” A tear slides down my cheek. I swipe it away.

He growls. An honest-to-god growl. He sounds like an irritated bear. Can bears get irritated? This one can.

“Come on. Do you really expect me to believe your whole amnesia act?”

“Yes, because it’s true. I remember heat and smoke and fire. I was afraid…so afraid. Then I woke up in your shed. I was naked and lying in a pile of ash. I was covered in the stuff. There was a dead squirrel staring at me. I freaked out.”

“Dead squirrels can’t stare,” he tells me.

“Whatever. You know what I mean. It was facing me. It’s dead little face an inch away from mine.” I shiver at the memory. One minute I was…doing something I don’t remember, and the next, I was waking up in a shed, buried in ash, with a dead squirrel staring at me. It was definitely staring. So what if I freaked out?

“I don’t know what you mean. I came home to…you…in my house… I’m a private person.” He shakes his head. “You can’t just appear in a pile of ashes. Those aren’t even your ashes. They’re my ashes.” He scratches the back of his neck, looking deep in thought.

“Your ashes?” I frown. “I’m not sure I understand what you mean by that. Ashes.” I shrug. “Are they special to you somehow? Wait a minute; they’re not the ashes of someone who died? Something that died? A pet, maybe?” Were those the ashes of his horse? Or a beloved bovine? Oh, no! I’m starting to hyperventilate just a little.

Again, he looks at me skeptically for a while. The look is a little different from the previous skeptical looks, but I’m not sure how that is. He finally shakes his head. “They’re regular, everyday ashes. Relax.” He grimaces. “Who would keep the ashes of a loved one or a pet in a shed?”

I shrug. I don’t know, maybe a mad caveman-slash-lumberjack at the end of a wrong turn, perhaps? It’s possible. “You?” I finally settle on.

“Nope, they’re just plain old ashes. Nothing special. You can relax. The question of the hour is, what am I going to do with you?” He puts his hands on his hips and takes a step toward me.

“My boyfriend will be here any minute!” I yell before I can stop myself.

He frowns. “I thought you couldn’t remember anything.”

My shoulders sag. “I can’t.”

“What is this about a boyfriend, then?” He narrows his eyes.

“My mom always told me that if I’m ever in a precarious situation, to let my would-be attacker know that I wouldn’t be alone for long, even if I had to lie. Old habits die hard.” I widen my eyes.

“Back to my original question. I thought you couldn’t remember anything?”

I frown hard, trying to remember more about my mother. “I can’t. I mean, I don’t know my mother’s name, her hair color, where she lives. I don’t even know if she’s still alive. All I know is that she gave me that advice a good couple of times, and it stuck.”

“But nothing else stuck?” He folds his arms, those strange eyes on me.

“Not much of anything else.” I shake my head, feeling defeated.

“Where are your clothes?”

“I was naked when I woke up. That freaked me out a lot, as well. It wasn’t just the squirrel.”

“Naked…in ashes.” He narrows his eyes, looking deep in thought. “You remember a fire, you say?” He doesn’t wait for a response. “It can’t be,” he mutters to himself.

Then he does something really odd. He walks up to me and sniffs at me.

Sniffs!

His eyes are closed. I catch his scent; it’s smoky, like fire. Not in a bad way, though. Behind the smoky scent is something spicy with hints of citrus. Actually, he smells really good.

The caveman – I can’t help but think of him in that way – seems to like what he smells on me because he gives a soft groan. It’s barely audible.

The sound makes my nipples tighten, which is highly inappropriate and a whole lot embarrassing.

Then he opens his eyes, revealing a fiery intensity that makes me shiver. I’m cold and wet; of course I shiver.

He sniffs again. His gaze drops to my throat, and then to my chest for a heartbeat or two before coming back up to meet my stare. “I can’t seem to get a handle on you, and I have absolutely no idea what to do with you. I’m miles away from any kind of civilization.”

“For a start, it would be nice if you didn’t kill me.” I offer him a tight smile, even though I’m not joking.

He smiles, and holy crap…I think he might be cute under all that hair, but I can’t be sure. His lips are full. They look soft. The only thing that is soft about him.

The smile is gone almost as soon as it arrives.

Oops! I’ve been staring at his mouth for too long. Crap!

“If I wanted you dead, you’d be buried already.”

“Okay, great, so no killing me, then. Perfect. Um…next on the list is rape. I would prefer it if that didn’t happen.” I bite my lip. “You see, I’m one of those types who like to date for weeks…months, even, before…um…going there.” This isn’t entirely true. I’ve had sex after days before. If it feels right, then do it. I’m a modern woman and all that. I’m not telling him that, though. Oh, no! “I just…yeah…um…you probably don’t get a lot of women around these parts and…” I stop talking because he’s looking at me like something that fell out of a dog’s butt.

Then he makes this grunting sound that sums up how he feels, namely, that sex with me would be akin to torture. “I’m not into raping women. Not my thing. Even if I was, I wouldn’t pick you.”

Nice!

“Why not?” Shit! Am I really asking this caveman why he doesn’t want to rape me? Have I lost my mind? Yes…apparently, I have.

One side of his mouth quirks up with humor. “Have you changed your mind? Would you like me to—”

“No! No way, José.” I shake my head vehemently.

“Let’s just say you’re not my type, and we leave it right there. I won’t rape or kill you. You’re safe, so long as you don’t try anything.”

Me? Try something? I laugh, but when he doesn’t react at all, I stop. I clear my throat and then I push out a pent-up breath. “Oh, great! I’m glad we got that out of the way. Can I ask you something?” I keep my eyes firmly on him.

“Yes.” He sounds hesitant. Unsure. I think his jaw tightens, but it’s hard to tell. I wish he would trim that beard of his…even just a little. Maybe he’s one of those guys with a weak chin.

I hope not. It would be a shame and the only weak thing on him. Then I realize that he’s waiting for me to ask him my question, and I quickly suck in a breath. “What are you going to do with me?”

4

Ax

For the first time in years, my dick starts to get hard. It begins in my balls, which tighten. Then my lower belly tightens, too. I get this feeling… It’s need.

Fuck!

I don’t like it. I don’t like it one bit. I’ve trained my body over the years not to react. I’ve ignored that part of me. Tamped it down until it almost wasn’t there…until now, that is.

“What are you going to do with me?” Her big dark eyes are wide and blinking. So pretty, like the rest of her.

Human.

She’s human. At least, I think she’s human, but I can’t be sure. I want to drop her off at the nearest police station, but I can’t do that. Not until I know what the hell is going on. Why is she here? Was it Tassos? Elena? Something else? Is she lying about the amnesia?

I huff out a breath, grabbing a blanket off my bed. I hand it to her.

“You’re cold,” I say, trying hard not to let my eyes drift back to her tits. Her nipples are trying to poke holes through my shirt. “I’m going to start a fire. Then I’m going to fix us something to eat. Your stomach keeps grumbling.”

“Yeah, it’s been a while since I last ate.” Then her eyes widen. “I’m not sure how I know that, only that I do, and it has nothing to do with feeling hungry.” She touches her stomach.

I’m still not sure I believe her amnesia story, but somehow, I don’t think she’s lying. If she is, she’s an amazing actress.

“Before I do any of that,” I tell her, “I’m going to call a friend of mine. We need to figure out who you are so that you can go home.”

I pray it’s going to be that simple. Somehow, I have a feeling that it won’t be.

“What is your name?” she asks.

“Ax,” I tell her. I may as well, since it seems like we’re going to be spending some time together.

“Ax, as in the tool used to chop down wood?”

“Yep.” I walk over to the chest of drawers and pull out my cellphone. It’s dead. I plug it into a battery used for emergencies such as this. I will need to hike two miles south in order to find a cellphone signal. It’s a ball-ache, so I opt for the satellite phone that I use only in emergencies. I don’t want to leave the female alone, and she’s in no state to go for a hike. I glance at her feet. Her toenails are painted a bright shade of red. Nope, not without decent shoes.

“That’s harsh. How did you get a name like Ax?”

“I’m strong and will cut you down if you stand in my way.”

“Okie dokie.” Her face has gone pale. “Note to self: I will not mess with you.” Her voice has grown a little high-pitched. She’s gone back to being a little afraid…and just when I thought we were making progress.

“Or you can call me Accelerant. It’s a mouthful, so I would go with Ax.” I shrug.

“Accelerant as in a substance used to aid the spread of a fire?” She frowns. Shaking her head, looking shocked. I can see a million questions run through her mind. I doubt she’ll have the right answers. I’m a phoenix shifter. I love fire. It’s in my nature. Built-in. It’s a good name.

“Yep, that’s exactly what it means,” I tell her, but her eyes are all hazed up in thought. “Hello.” I click my fingers a few times, trying to get her attention since I don’t know her name. “Earth to ‘Sleeps With Dead Squirrels,’” I add.

That does it. Her eyes flash to mine, and her mouth drops open for a second.

“You did not just call me that.”

I shrug. “For lack of an actual name, yeah, I did. Actually, the more I think about it, the more I think it works. It has a certain ring to it.” I stroke my beard, loving how her eyes turn fiery.

“Do not call me that,” she bites out. She’s cute when she’s mad.

“In response to your question, whether accelerant means a substance used to aid the spread of a fire, I answered in the affirmative,” I tell her.

“Excuse me for saying, but those are weird nicknames. Ax and Accelerant.” She shakes her head. “What kind of friends do you have?”

“I have great friends. I mean, Ax is better than Pickles or Honey-Butt.”

She chokes out a laugh. It’s one of those kinds of laughs that comes from your belly. From deep inside. Her eyes close, and she throws her head back a little. Interesting. She’s beautiful even in the throes of a belly laugh. This is one dangerous female.

Then she puts her hand over her mouth for a moment before saying, “That’s funny. Honey-Butt. How did you come up with that one?” She sniggers some more.

“I’m a barrel of laughs capable of wit the likes of which you have never encountered before,” I deadpan.

She looks at me pointedly. “Yeah, right.” She clearly doesn’t believe me. “My friends call me Habanero.” Her eyes glaze over. “Only I don’t know who my friends are or why they call me that.”

“Habanero?” I frown. “That’s a type of chili.”

“Yes, it is.” Her eyes are hazy. She looks like she’s trying to hold on to more of the memory, but can’t. A vertical line forms between her brows as frustration sets in.

“Maybe you’re a chef. Maybe you like eating chilis?” I try to offer my two cents.

“Maybe it’s because I’m hot as hell.” She laughs like it’s the biggest joke.

I don’t so much as break a smile because I can still picture her naked, and although Habanero seems like a weird nickname for a woman, I suddenly see the fit.

“Um…” She looks self-conscious for a moment. “Why don’t I start a fire while you call your friend?”

“Do you know how to make a fire?”

“We’ll soon find out.” She gives a one-shouldered shrug and makes a face.

She turns and bends down, reaching for some firewood. The shirt rides up. I can’t actually see anything. My dick still takes note. I need to find out who the fuck she is so that I can send her on her merry way, because unless she’s a phoenix shifter, I can’t so much as touch her. But there’s a fat chance of that being the case!

5

Everleigh

I’m warm and toasty, sitting next to the raging fire. I pulled a wingback up earlier and am starting to feel sleepy as my eyelids drift closed. They feel like they weigh a ton. I yawn. Then yawn again.

That’s what a full belly will do to a person. The stew Ax made earlier was delicious. The big guy sure can cook.

Something lands on my lap.

“Get dressed, Chili Pip,” Ax says.

I throw him a dirty look. He started calling me Chili Pip earlier when I couldn’t reach the matches on the top shelf. I hate the nickname; a variation of Habanero, I’m sure. Yet, I kind of like it at the same time, which means that I have a screw loose.

“You might want to hurry.” He looks down at my lap.

I lift the garment he dropped. It’s the biggest pair of sweatpants I have ever seen in my life.

“You can pull the tie and then maybe fold them a couple of times to make them fit. We have company.” He looks at the front door of the cabin.

How does he know? I don’t ask. Instead, I nod once.

“You have two minutes before they get here.”

Two minutes? How does he know that?

“Who is coming?” I hope it isn’t more of his caveman friends. He’s a good guy – I think – but that doesn’t mean that his buddies will be good too.

“It’s my friend Thane and an associate.” Ax rolls his eyes. “His words, not mine. They’re here to take a photograph of you and to get your fingerprints so that we can find out who you are and send you home.”

“Okay.” I stand. “It would be nice to know who I am,” I mutter more to myself than to him.

“They’re here,” he says, heading for the door.

There is a crunch of rock and gravel as a car pulls up outside. I put the ridiculously big sweatpants on. I tug on the ties, which grow longer and longer before I make a double-tied bow. Then I bend over to roll up the pant legs.

There are heavy footfalls on the wooden deck outside just as I finish one pant leg and start on the other.

Ax swings the door open before they can knock. “How long will this take?” he barks at whoever is on the other side. I can’t see because he is in the way, and he’s freaking huge.

“It’s nice to see you too,” someone says in an even voice. “And no problem. I didn’t mind dropping my life to fly out here to help you out.” The voice is deep and cultured.

Ax grumbles something that I can’t make out. Then he says, “Thank you for coming, asshole. If you want me to suck your dick to show how appreciative I am, you’re going to be seriously disappointed. This concerns all of us,” he adds in a clipped tone. “That’s why you’re here. Let’s be clear about that.”

“Yeah, yeah,” the person outside mutters. “You spelled it all out during our call earlier.”

I might have snuck a peek outside while he was on the phone. Ax was pacing; he looked very serious. Then again, that’s how he looks most of the time. He’s quite an intense guy.

“Are you going to let us in?” the guy asks. “This is Tony,” he adds. “That grumpy bastard is Ax. Ignore him if he’s rude. He can’t help himself.”

“Hi,” someone says. I’m assuming it’s Tony.

“You’d better come in.” Ax doesn’t sound too impressed. “How long will this take?” he asks as the two men walk into the cabin.

The one guy is super-impressive. He’s in a three-piece suit. His hair is styled and gelled to within an inch of its life. He’s one of the best-looking men I have ever seen in my life. He looks like he could rock the cover of GQ or Forbes equally well.

He nods and gives me something that starts to resemble a smile before scowling again. “I’m Thane,” he says in a clipped tone, walking over and holding out his hand. “I’m a…friend of Ax’s. You must be Jane Doe.”

They might be friends, but they’re not close. I get the feeling that Ax is somewhat of a loner. He has zero people skills, that’s for sure.

I shake his hand. “It’s nice to meet you. I wish I knew my name so that I could introduce myself back.” I shrug.

“That’s why Tony is here.” Thane gestures toward the other guy. He’s also in a suit, but the difference is glaring. Tony is older and has grown a little soft around the middle. His hair is all salt-and-pepper, and he has crow’s feet around his eyes. His suit looks store-bought. It doesn’t have a tailored fit. It looks like it’s been through the wash cycle a good few times and has a sheen to it.

I’d bet that Thane’s outfit costs more than I make in a month, maybe two. Oh, crap! That means I’m not some wealthy heiress who went missing. I don’t earn big money. I’m not sure how I know it, but I do.

“It’s good to meet you,” Tony says. “I’m going to take a few pictures of you, and then we’ll take your fingerprints. I don’t expect to get any hits unless you’re a criminal,” he chuckles, “or a terrorist, but you never know; we need to cover all of the bases. It’s a starting point in figuring out who you are. My PA is researching new missing persons cases that have been opened matching your description. We’ll get to the bottom of this soon enough. No one just falls off the planet. Someone will be looking for you.”

“Tony is with the FBI; he does work for me on the side,” Thane says. Who has an FBI agent in their pocket? Maybe he’s a drug dealer or a— Nope! I’m not letting my imagination run away with me. I’m sure he’s an upstanding family man. I note that he is wearing a plain wedding band.

“Okay. Perfect,” I say, nodding. I want to know who I am. I’m sure that once I know, everything will fall into place. My memory will come rushing back to me. It’s right there, just below the surface. I can almost feel it.

Tony has me stand and takes at least a dozen photographs of me from various angles. Then he takes my fingerprints, handing me an alcohol rub after we are done.

“It won’t take me long to run these once I’m back at Quantico. Give me a couple of hours,” he tells Thane. “I’ll get going on the FRT if I come up empty-handed.” Then he looks my way. “If not today…” He looks at his watch. “Actually, it’ll be tomorrow morning at the soonest, or I should have something for you in the next twenty-four to forty-eight hours.” He glances my way again.

“What is FRT?” I ask.

“Face recognition technology. We will use your images to see if we can get a hit. It’s nothing to be concerned about,” Tonys says. “Standard operating procedure.” He shrugs.

“Oh, okay. Thanks,” I tell him. I hope it works.

“Are you sure you don’t mind her staying here?” Thane asks Ax. “She can fly back with us.” He finally turns to me since I am in the room, and he is speaking about me. “The accommodation I can offer is a little more…comfortable.” He looks around the cabin with a stick-up-the-butt expression on his face. For whatever reason, I don’t like the idea of leaving. I think I trust Ax. I trust him more than Thane, at any rate. I’m not sure why, but I go with it.

“Thank you for the offer, but I’m fine. I’ll wait to hear from you. I have to be from around here,” I say. “That makes the most sense.”

Thane snorts. “That’s…unlikely but suit yourself.” Then he and Tony leave without so much as a goodbye.

“That was weird,” I say. “Who is that Thane guy? How is it that he has an FBI agent from Quantico doing his bidding?”

“Thane has money and doesn’t mind throwing it around to get what he wants.”

Crap! So probably a mobster or a drug dealer, then.

“He’s a legitimate businessman with a God complex,” Ax elaborates.

“Okay.” I don’t sound convinced because I’m not. “How do you know him? Forgive me for saying this, but you guys are completely different.”

“We’re chalk and cheese, but we have mutual friends. Let’s leave it at that. You can have my bed,” he rasps.

“Your bed… Sorry, what?” I frown.

“It’s getting late. You take my bed. I’ll crash on the sofa.” He points at the bed in the corner of the room. It’s covered in a large animal skin, which I’m hoping is just for show. There must be a duvet or a blanket under that.

Please, God.

Then I take in what he said about it getting late. It doesn’t feel late.

Then again, it is dark out. Ax has kept the fire burning brightly. There are several kerosene lamps hanging from hooks on all four walls. There’s one on the wooden table as well; otherwise, this place would be shrouded in darkness.

“What time is it?”

“It’s ten past nine. I think we’ve had a long day.” He goes over to a nearby closet.

I yawn and nod. “You’re right about that. I’m already pooped.”

“If you’re still hungry, there’s some stew left over,” Ax adds as he rummages in the closet. He turns back to me. “I might have a spare toothbrush.” He must see the way I look at him, because he narrows his eyes on me. “Don’t look at me like that. I’m not a Neanderthal. I believe in good hygiene. I even wash my beard twice a day.” He touches his chin. Before I can say anything, he adds, “I’m going to take a shower now. You’re welcome to do the same. Help yourself to whatever you need.” He puts a new toothbrush on the table with a tube of toothpaste next to it. It looks like he still has something in his hand. Something white. I can’t make out what it is. Probably soap.

Ax hangs his Stetson on a coat rack at the back door. I note that there are no other items on the thing. Normally, you would find a jacket or an umbrella. There’s nothing else.

My jaw unhinges when he undoes his jeans, pulls them down, and steps out of them. I think I might make a soft choking noise because he has a great ass. Holy shit! That, and he’s naked. Totally and utterly naked and doesn’t seem to care if I’m watching.

What the eff?

Then again, I probably shouldn’t be watching him undress.

Screw that! If he’s undressing where I can see him, then I’m watching. He isn’t my type at all. I mean, it looks like a creature crawled onto his face and died. Nope! Not for me, but his body is a thing of sheer beauty. I knew I was into tats, but now I’m convinced for life. In fact, I think I might get one myself…of his ass. I’d need to put it somewhere I can look at and admire on the regular. An ass tat. I have to hold back a chuckle. It might be nerves.

He stands up tall and—

Holy freaking mackerel, mother of all things cod!

“What was that?” He looks back over his shoulder. Thankfully, he doesn’t turn around. Actually, I’m disappointed he doesn’t turn around because I’m a pervert.

Then I realize I must have said that out loud.

Crap!

“Nothing!” My voice is high-pitched. “I said, oh wow, you’re naked. Because you are. That’s all. No biggie!”

Ax grunts and goes outside, slamming the door behind him.

That was…weird. He really is a caveman. Not a Neanderthal because he likes to be clean. A clean caveman who is clearly happy in his own skin. Most guys would come across as sleazy for dropping their trunks, but I don’t get that vibe from Ax. He’s just blunt and anti-social and not good with people. Maybe he likes being naked.

Okay.

Fine by me.

Whatever.

Quite frankly, I don’t care as long as he doesn’t kill or rape me. I will hopefully find out who I am in a day or two. Maybe even as soon as the morning. A girl can hope.

I finish brushing my teeth and clean the sink. At least there’s running water in here. A toilet, too. The shower is outside and freezing. I’ll pass!

I take off the sweats, fold them, and make my way to the bed. I peel back the thick fur, grimacing as I touch it because yuck. What animal is this? It’s huge. There is a sheet and a blanket. Halle-freaking-lujah! I won’t need to sleep under that thing. I peel the fur all the way down the bed, then carry it to the sofa. It’s heavy. Again, I find myself wondering what animal it came from.

The sofa isn’t your normal, run-of-the-mill sofa. It’s made from wood. Thinner tree trunks that have been manufactured into furniture. It sounds crazy, but I am looking at the result. There is a base with a mattress covered in brown hide and a couple of hide pillows. Out of interest, I sit on the sofa and lean back on one of the pillows. It’s surprisingly comfortable. I get the feeling that Ax made this, along with the rest of the furniture in this place.

It doesn’t look bad in any way, just like nothing I have ever seen in a store.

I climb into bed. It smells both clean and…manly. It has that same spicy, citrus scent. So good. I didn’t think cavemen wore cologne, but here it is. A metrosexual caveman. I like it.

The back door opens, and Ax saunters in. I swallow my tongue, and my eyeballs almost fall out of my head. My lungs have seized because I can’t so much as breathe.

Holy mother of all things python.

He has a dick on him. The tight white briefs he is wearing are doing nothing to hide his junk. Good thing he’s so muscular because he would have a hard time getting around with that thing otherwise. And it isn’t even hard.

I watch him shamelessly as he walks around the room, turning off the kerosene lamps. He throws three logs on the fire. Oh, mama, but his hotness level goes up a few notches when he’s in the light of the flames. They dance on his skin. The rest of him is shrouded in darkness. I’ve always had a fascination with fire.

That’s interesting.

Another little fun but useless fact about myself.

“Oh,” he says, looking in my direction as he picks up the fur. “Are you sure you don’t want the bear fur? It’s really warm.”

Bear.

Okay, that explains the size of the thing.

“Um…it’s all yours,” I tell him.

“Thanks,” he says.

I watch as Ax gets a sheet and a spare pillow from the closet. Within minutes, he’s made up a bed, which he slides into.

“Night,” he grunts.

Ax is one of the most interesting people I have ever met in my whole life. A metrosexual caveman who is both anti-social and rude but quite sweet, all at the same time.

“Night,” I tell him. I fall asleep within minutes.

6

Everleigh

I crack open my eyes and stare straight into Ax’s fiery gaze. His eyes are freaky and totally disconcerting. They’re also quite beautiful in a weird way.

He’s pulled up a dining room chair. “Good. You’re awake.”

I sit up and rub my eyes. “What time is it?” I yawn. The cabin is light and bright.

“It’s twenty past nine.”

“I overslept. How the hell did I oversleep?” I note that Ax is wearing a pair of jeans. That’s it. They’re a darker pair this time.

“You clearly needed the rest, so I left you to it,” he says. “The good news is that you’re not a criminal, and neither are you a terrorist.”

“Oh! Did you hear back from Tony?”

“Thane.” He nods once. He has this weird air about him that I don’t like.

“And? Who am I?”

“The bad news is that you’re dead,” he deadpans.

“I’m what?” I choke out a laugh. “That’s crazy. I didn’t die. I’m sitting right here.”

“You’re a firefighter. That’s why your prints were in the system. Your name is Everleigh Jones. You work for the Meredith Hills Fire Department. You fell to your death late yesterday morning in an apartment building that collapsed. Your partner saw you fall several floors into a raging fire. That whole section of the building collapsed seven minutes later. You shouldn’t be sitting here.”

“You’re right. It’s not possible. I obviously didn’t die. How did I end up here?” I look around us. “Where is here, exactly…in relation to Meredith Hills, that is?”

“You’re in a whole other state,” Ax says. “Do you remember anything more?”

I shrug. “Heat, smoke, and fire. Then I woke up in your shed. I know that I like fire. That I’m fascinated by it.” I shrug. “Not much else. Nothing of importance, at any rate. Just stupid little things, like strawberry ice cream is my favorite. I would rather snuggle up on the sofa with a bowl of popcorn and a good movie than go to a fancy restaurant. Reese’s Cups are life. Stupid stuff.”

“Human,” he mutters. At least, I think that’s what he said.

“What was that?” I ask because it’s a weird thing to say.

“You’re only human. Who doesn’t love Reese’s Cups?” He shrugs.

I giggle. It comes out sounding a touch hysterical. Who can blame me? I just found out that I’m dead.

“Yep, you can’t go wrong with chocolate and peanut butter,” I say, suddenly feeling hungry, which is nuts, considering my situation.

“Thane will be here in the next hour. He’s taking you back to Meredith Hills.”

“How do I explain the fact that I’m alive?” I look down at myself. “I’m fine. I can’t have fallen into a fire.” I laugh. “I mean, that’s just plain stupid.”

“I have no idea,” Ax says. “Are you hungry?”

“I’m so hungry I could eat the butt off of a low-flying duck.”

Ax chokes out a laugh. “Where the hell did you come up with that?”

“I’m the only female firefighter in my station. I hear a lot of crazy shit.” I gasp. “Another fun fact about myself.”

“It looks like you will get your memory back, Everleigh. You’re going to be just fine. There must be an explanation as to what happened,” he says with a growl in his voice.

“Yeah,” I laugh, “a person doesn’t just fall into a fire and then appear in a pile of ashes in another state. That’s crazy.”

“Seriously fucking crazy,” Ax agrees, but I think I catch a look in his eyes. It’s gone before I can get a handle on it.

“What else did you find out about me? Am I married? Kids?” It doesn’t feel right, but you never know.

“Nope, you’re single.” He shakes his head. “You do have a mother and an older brother. Your father passed away ten years ago from cancer.”

My heart clenches even though I have no memory of any of this.

“You live in an apartment on the outskirts of town,” he continues. “You don’t have much of a social media presence. Just an Instagram account with only one picture loaded onto it, which is more than I have,” he says as an aside. “It’s of a field of sunflowers.”

“They’re my favorite,” I half-whisper.

“There will be a reasonable explanation. It’s all going to be fine. You’ll go back to your life, Everleigh, and that will be that.”

Why do I get the feeling he’s trying to convince himself just as much as he’s trying to convince me?

“I’m sure you’re right.” I nod a few times. “Can I ask you something completely off-topic?”

“Sure, you can.” He locks his gaze with mine and sits there, waiting.

“Your eyes are…um…they’re different.” Understatement of the century. “I don’t mean to be rude, but… It’s just that they’re not normal.”

“Nope, they’re not. I have no idea what’s going on with my eyes. I should probably see a doctor. They weren’t always like this.” He shrugs, and I buy it because he looks sincere.

“What color were they before?”

“Brown.” He shrugs again. “Plain old brown and then this.” He waves a hand.

“You woke up like that?”

“It took a few days for them to…go like this.”

“Does it hurt?”

He shakes his head. “No. They’re fine, and my vision is normal. I guess that’s why I haven’t been to see anyone about it. It’s not like I see many new people. I don’t really care what people think of me or how I look, for that matter. I don’t get out much.”

“You don’t say.” I smile at him.

It takes a few long seconds before he sort of smiles back, and it’s cute as hell despite the big-ass beard.

“Breakfast? Before you go?” he asks.

I nod vigorously. “That sounds amazing. Please tell me you have bacon?”

7

Ax

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a tiny little female eat the way this one does. It’s a serious turn-on. She groans, licking her lips. Then she slices another piece of meat and shoves it in her mouth.

“Oh, my gawd!” She licks her lips again, and my jeans get tight. “This is soooooo good. Like soooooo good! You smoked it yourself?” She doesn’t sound like she believes it.

I nod once. “Hunted it. Killed it. Dressed it. Quartered it, brined it, and then smoked it.”

“You’re a genius and a great cook. The stew last night knocked my socks off as well.” She takes another big bite.

“Thanks.” I take another bite of my own food too. “I wish my so-called friends were so forthcoming with the compliments. You would swear that bear stew was a cuss word.”

She drops her fork with a clang, swallowing her food down in one loud gulp. “Bear! Are you telling me that I ate bear?” Her eyes are wide. Her face has gone pale. Her lips are pressed together.

I choke out a laugh. “You should see your face right now.” I’m not normally like this, but there is something about her that makes me feel…lighter, more carefree.

“You were joking.” She clutches her chest and then laughs. “You asshole! You had me going for a second.”

“Of course, I was joking. I mean, why use bear when you have a perfectly good squirrel? Waste not want not, I always say. And your friend from the shed was still fresh.”

She actually gags this time, putting her hand in front of her mouth.

“It’s too easy with you.” I shake my head, grinning.

She gives me one hell of a dirty look. “Funny guy. That was hilarious.”

“I told you I’m quick-witted and a joke a minute,” I deadpan.

“Hahaha…asshole! That wasn’t funny. I think I just lost my appetite. Maybe even for the rest of my life.” She looks pissed.

“Bullshit. Not you! The woman who can eat a butt off a low-flying duck.”

“You got me there. Maybe not my life, but for at least the rest of the month.” She makes a face of disgust.

“The stew was elk, which is venison. Perfectly acceptable on most tables.” I lift a brow.

“Elk is good.” She nods a few times. Then she takes a small bite of the smoked meat and groans all over again, making me want to smile. And fuck, my dick goes hard again. It’s starting to annoy me.

I scowl instead.

I’m disappointed that she’s just human. I meant it when I said that there must be a really good explanation for how it is she came to be in my shed. In my ashes. I’m inclined to want to believe that there is more to it, but that would be nuts. I need to let it go.

“I’m going to give you my number before you go so that when you get your memory back, you can text me about the mystery of how you ended up in my shed. How you didn’t die and all of that.” It’s intriguing.

“No problem,” she says, cutting another slice of the smoked hog. “Just as long as you don’t expect me to send you any boob pics.”

I throw out a laugh. “You really like to think the worst of people, don’t you? I always thought that was my job. I won’t expect boob pics as long as you don’t expect dick pics. How’s that for a deal?”

She starts choking on her bite, managing to swallow down her food with tears in her eyes, which are now dancing with humor. She takes a sip of her water, clearing her throat. “The screen of my phone isn’t big enough for a picture of your dick.”

I laugh. It’s deep and loud, and it scares me a little because who am I right now?

“What is it about you, Chili Pip?” I finally push out. I should stop calling her that. It’s not like we’re friends. I’ll probably never see her again.

“I can’t help it if I’m quick-witted and freaking hilarious.” She grins.

“Nope, I guess not.”

Everleigh looks down at her almost empty plate, spearing the last piece of hog with her fork. Then she looks back up at me, and my blood fucking drains out of my body.

“What is it?” she asks, rubbing her face and then her forehead. “What? Do I have food on me? What is it, Ax?” She’s sounding freaked out. “Why are you looking at me like that?” Then she looks down at herself. “I feel weird.” She drops the fork on the ground.

I’m sure she does.

Fuck! This can’t be happening.

“We need to get you outside,” I tell her as she stands up.

“I feel sick.” She holds her belly. “And…warm. I think I have a fever. Ax!” She sounds afraid. “What’s wrong with me?”

“Outside. Now!” I start pulling her toward the back door. Her eyes are no longer a warm brown; they’re on fire like mine. Exactly like mine.

Fuuuuuuck!

Just like every phoenix just before a shift. Everleigh is about to change. She’s about to turn into a phoenix. How, though? She’s human. Just a human. This is wrong. All fucking wrong, I think to myself as I practically carry her down the back stairs. I need to…I—

Shit!

The hairs on my arms start to singe as her temperature rises. My hands are burning. I let her go. Yep, I look down, and my hands are blistered.

“Ax!” she yells as her whole body bursts into flames. “It hurts!” she screams. “I’m burning.”

“You’re not burning,” I try to tell her. “This is normal,” I add. It’s normal for a phoenix, not a human.

Not a human.

What the hell?

“Axxxxxxx!” The flames lick higher and thicker and harder. I can hear the crackle as her clothes burn off her. She screams as she shifts. It’s slow. This part will hurt the first few times. I can hear it from the pitch of her yell. I can see it in her eyes. I wish I could help her, but I can’t. I wish I could stop it because…this is all kinds of fucked up.

“You need to stay,” I tell her. “Stay here.” I should just save my breath because a shifter never has control over their first few shifts.

Also, I doubt she even hears me as her body clicks and cracks. It’s reforming from human to phoenix. Feathers sprout from her skin. Her body grows bigger. Her arms stretch out, turning into broad, strong wings. Her face elongates as a beak protrudes. Powerful claws dig into the ground as she pushes off, her wings flap slowly. She lifts up and up, her long tail trailing. She’s all flames of various shades. From red and orange to yellow and even blue. She’s beautiful. So fucking beautiful.

Everleigh burns brighter and brighter. So bright that my eyes sting. I have to move back so that she doesn’t burn me. I feel the intense heat radiating off her.

“Everleigh!” I yell as I stagger, my back hitting the cabin wall.

Then she disappears.

“Dammit!” I mutter.

8

Ax

“What do you mean, she disappeared?” Thane is pacing back and forth in my cabin. He runs a hand through his hair. It still manages to stay perfect, despite all the roughing up. His suit is gray today. Otherwise, it looks the same as all his other suits. The collar looks tight. I’d suffocate in that thing.

“She turned. I explained that to you.”

“Yep, I got that part. What I don’t get is how a phoenix just disappears into thin air?” Thane asks.

“You guys really don’t know much about our people,” I mutter. I haven’t exactly been forthcoming over the years, but you’d think that other supernaturals would have an understanding of a whole race. Particularly the leaders, and yet they don’t. They know nothing about us. Sweet fuck all.

Thane doesn’t say anything. He gives me a look.

I sigh. “We’re able to move from fire to fire when in our phoenix form. As long as the blaze is big enough, we can transport to it. We’ll transport from blaze to blaze, moving from place to place. State to state, even country to country. The danger is that we sometimes get stuck on the other side. It takes time to be able to shift again. Not huge amounts. It depends on how much energy was expended. Usually, ten or fifteen minutes. Everleigh might get stuck somewhere for a long time. Firstly, she doesn’t have ashes of her own. Secondly, as a new shifter, she won’t have control of her shifting abilities. It could take her hours or more.” I’ve never known a human who became a phoenix shifter, so I’m not sure of any of this. Chances are good she won’t be able to shift at will.

“Will she come back? Can she even come back?”

“I have no idea.” I shake my head. “She pitched up in my ashes before; maybe she will again. It’s unlikely, though. I think the mage had something to do with that.”

There is a surprise for you.

“If you’re talking about Tassos, then he will have been up to no good. Of that, you can be sure.” He frowns. “I have no idea why you keep referring to ashes.” He sounds exasperated. “How do we find her? We have to find her. This is a disaster. Another human has turned supernatural. How did this even happen?”

“I don’t know.” I shrug. “It has to be related to Elena coming back. It’s the only thing I can think of. Perhaps the mage is interfering.”

“Who is Elena? What’s happened? That fucker is getting on my last nerve,” Thane snarls. His fangs look longer and a tad sharp. The vampire king is pissed off.

“I’m not talking about Tassos this time.” I shake my head. “There’s another one. A woman from Peru. She calls herself Lucia.” I remind myself that Thane doesn’t know any of this. “I take it that Daegal hasn’t called you yet?”

“No. I haven’t heard a thing. A mage called Lucia. This is getting more and more bizarre. If she’s anything like Tassos, we’re in trouble. What happened?”

“Long story short, Elena is a phoenix shifter. She’s from one of the older family lines. We were destined to be mated. An arranged marriage to keep our blood pure. Our families are all about old lines and strong phoenix blood. Then the long sleep hit us all, but instead of staying asleep, I woke up with my beast gone. You know the rest.”

“Sleeping?” Thane raises his brows.

I sigh again. I’m getting sick of repeating myself. “My people didn’t die. They went to sleep…to ash. They will rise again from the ashes one day.”

“They’re sleeping? Not dead, but sleeping. You are not the last, then?”

I shake my head. Give me strength.

“Why did you tell us that you were the last? That they all died?”

“I did no such thing. You made assumptions that I never corrected,” I tell him.

“Why the fuck not?”

“I didn’t feel like it.” I shrug. “Sleeping phoenix shifters need to be left in peace. The fewer who know about them, the better. Now Elena has awoken, and the equilibrium is out of whack.”

“How did Elena wake up? Was it this mage…Lucia?”

“No. There was an uncontrolled brush fire in the south of Texas a couple of weeks ago. It burned for days. It was enough to wake her. She has enlisted Lucia to help her wake up the rest of my people. Her goal is to get supernaturals to start fires that become huge and uncontrolled. That’s how she will do it.”

“How many does she want to wake?”

“Everyone. She says that she is bored and lonely. She refuses to listen to reason. She wants to wake the whole flock. It isn’t right. I think that what happened to Everleigh is a direct result of Elena waking. I might be wrong, but we were always taught that when the phoenix sleep, they need to be left, or there would be consequences. It’s unnatural and disturbs the balance. The natural order of things. A human shifting is a huge fucking consequence.”

“So, what you’re telling me is that we need to find Everleigh as well as Elena and Lucia. Everleigh needs to be turned back, and Elena needs to be put back to sleep? It needs to happen before she wakes up any more of your kind?” He pretty much repeats everything I just said, giving me a headache.

“I’m not sure that’s even possible, but yes, that would be fantastic. To take it one step further, I should be sleeping, too. I’m not sure how to fix any of this, though.”

My front door opens, and Tassos walks through. He is wearing a colorful Hawaiian shirt and black cotton shorts. The shirt is half open, showing off a ton of his chest. There are a pair of yellow flip-flops on his feet. He smiles broadly.

“Hello!” he practically yells, spreading his arms wide. “It is me, Tassos Greatness. I am at your service.”

“Wonderful,” Thane says. “Bring the human back here and then tell us where Elena is. Better yet, take us to her.”

Tassos shakes his head. “No can do. Firstly, the human is no longer human. Secondly, I have no idea where Elena and Lucia are.” He says ‘Lucia’ in a husky voice, and his eyes glaze over for a moment. “The pretty mage must be using a powerful cloaking spell.” He pouts. “It will take time to find them, but find them I will.”

“So, you’re no use to us, then,” Thane remarks.

“Anything you can give us would be great,” I interject.

Tassos grins at me. “I know exactly where the newly turned phoenix shifter is.” He turns to Thane. “We will need your helicopter to get there.”

“Can’t you send me there?” I ask him. “In a puff of smoke, like last time.”

Tassos shakes his head, looking sad. “I might be one of the strongest mages on the planet, but my power is finite. I have used most of my reserves. We will need to use more conventional methods until they are restored.”

I turn to look at Thane.

“Fine.” He rolls his eyes. “Let’s go.”

9

Everleigh

Five hours later…

I sit up, sucking in a gasping breath.

What?

How?

Who?

Where am I?

I squint because the bright light hurts my eyes. I’m in bed. The walls are white. The bedding too.

How did I get here? Where am I?

“Oh, honey! You’re awake.” A woman clutches my arm. She looks both upset and relieved. “It’s fine. It’s all okay. You can relax. You’re in the hospital.” She’s older, with crow’s feet around her eyes, which are the same brown as mine. Is she a family member, or is it a coincidence?

“Hospital? Why am I in a hospital?”

“Don’t you remember, hon’?” the woman says. “You gave us quite the fright.” She starts tearing up, then gives me a watery smile. “I’m not going to cry. You’re right here. You’re safe and sound. It’s a miracle, honey. A miracle.” She pushes softly on my shoulder. “You should lie down. You’ve been through an ordeal.”

She knows me…very well, it would seem. I should recognize her. Why don’t I recognize her?

“What have I been through?” I ask. I want to ask the woman who she is, but I don’t. I think we’re close.

I’m wracking my brain. What happened? I was with Ax. I’d just found out my identity. Thane was going to fetch me. Did he fetch me? Did something happen? It’s fuzzy. Once again, I remember smoke and flames, but I can’t seem to get a handle on anything else. I was hot…burning up. That’s it, the sum total of what I can recall. My mind is like smoke in the wind. Nothing sticks.

I let the lady push me back against the cool sheets. “You gave your brother and me a huge fright, Everleigh. What happened? You don’t have a single burn, let alone a scrape or so much as a bruise. Don’t get me wrong; I’m relieved. So relieved.” She clutches her chest; her eyes start watering up again. Come to think of it, they’re bloodshot and puffy like she’s been crying a lot. Her short blond hair is mussed. Her blouse is rumpled.

I think she’s my mother. She has to be. There’s only one way to find out. “Can you pass me some water, please, Mom?”

She doesn’t flinch or correct me; she fills and then hands me a glass with a straw in it. “Of course, love. You must be parched.”

My mom.

This is my mother.

Shit! I get nothing. No recognition at all.

I take a sip and then realize just how thirsty I am. I down half the glass before she pulls it away.

“Take it easy, honey. You don’t want to make yourself sick.” She takes the glass and puts it down.

“How long was I out for?”

“I don’t know.” She shakes her head, looking flustered. “They found you a couple of hours ago and brought you here.”

I look down. There’s a drip attached to my arm. I’m wearing a green hospital gown.

“They’re keeping you for observation because they can’t believe it. None of us can. Aside from some mild dehydration, you passed all the tests with flying colors. It’s a miracle.” A tear runs down her cheek. “What happened, Everleigh honey? They found you wandering outside the apartment building that almost burned down. The one you…” She covers her mouth for a second, having to compose herself. Once she is relatively collected, she lets her hand drop. “The one you were supposed to have died in.” Her voice is choked, and more tears fall.

“Don’t cry, Mom. I’m okay.” I can’t remember her at all. It’s not just her eyes that are the same as mine. Her mouth, too, but I can’t place her. I can’t conjure a single memory. Not one. My head starts to hurt from trying, so I stop. My chest hurts a little when I see more tears roll down her face. She takes a tissue out of her purse and dabs her eyes and cheeks.

“I didn’t die,” I add, hoping it will help. “I’m right here. I’m fine, Mom.” Not really. I’m not sure why I don’t tell her about my memory loss. Something is holding me back.

“And thank the Lord, too.” She looks up at the ceiling for a few moments. “How did you escape from the fire? You fell two stories into the raging fire below. It’s a miracle.”

“I don’t know.” I frown, trying to recall, but it doesn’t work. “I can’t remember any of it.”

“What about afterward? You were missing for over twenty-four hours. They were still trying to recover your…your…body.” She chokes out the word, looking stricken. “They couldn’t find you, but there are parts of the building that they couldn’t access due to safety reasons. Maybe…” She doesn’t finish. She looks at me with expectation. Like I’m going to fill in the blanks.

I shrug. “I have no idea. I can’t remember anything.” I shake my head. “It’s a complete blank.”

“They found you unconscious, naked, covered in soot and ash. Covered from head to toe and totally unharmed.”

I shake my head, starting to feel flustered. I was with Ax. We were eating, and then it got hot. And then nothing. Absolutely nothing.

“Are you okay, hon’?” My mom clutches my hand.

“I’m okay. I’m just tired and confused. I think I need to rest.”

There’s a knock on my door, and a nurse enters. She looks flustered. Her cheeks are bright pink. “Ummmmm…there’s someone here to see you. Two someones.” She holds up two fingers and giggles. “Ummmm…a Mr. Ax and a Mr. Thane Nocturnus.”

“My daughter is exhausted. She can’t possibly see anyone right now.”

“They’re insisting,” the nurse says, biting her bottom lip.

“Let them in,” I tell her. “I know them. It’s okay.”

“Honey…that isn’t a good idea. You’ve been through an ordeal.” My mother flaps her hands as she talks.

“It’s okay. I want to see them.” I try to keep my voice neutral. Not to sound desperate. I hardly know these men, and yet I know them better than anyone else right now. It will be nice to see a familiar face. Maybe they have some answers for me.

“Just for five minutes.” The nurse stifles another giggle as she leaves the room.

“Who are these men? Why can’t this wait?” my mother asks.

There is a knock on the door, and Thane enters, followed by Ax. My mom makes a squeaking noise. Her mouth drops open. She looks like she just saw a ghost. I don’t blame her. Out here in the real world, these men are larger than life. Like linebackers on steroids. Thane is in another suit. This one is gray with pinstripes. His tie is navy blue.

Ax is in jeans. He is wearing a T-shirt and boots. The shirt is white, and holy freaking cow, no wonder that nurse was giggling like that. The shirt pulls tight over his chest and around his biceps. He looks amazing. That and uncomfortable. Completely out of place.

“Who are these men, sweetie?” my mother asks in a soft voice that is a touch shrill. “Are they colleagues of yours? Are you firefighters?” Her face turns red when she talks to them.

“Yes, Mom. They’re colleagues,” I lie.

My mom instantly relaxes. The white lie was the right thing to do.

“Good to meet you, ma’am,” Thane says. Ax nods once.

“Can you give us a minute, Mom, please?” I lift my brows. “I could do with a hot chocolate,” I add when she doesn’t budge.

My mom’s eyes brighten. “With whipped cream?”

“That would be amazing.” I smile back.

“I’ll be right back,” she says. “Remember what the nurse said, only five minutes.” She looks at each man pointedly and then leaves the room.

“Get up, Everleigh,” Ax says as soon as the door closes.

“We need to get you out of here,” Thane adds.

“Right now?” I say. I notice that Ax’s eyes look normal. He must be wearing contact lenses. “I haven’t been discharged,” I tell them.

I suddenly have a vague memory of flying. Not in a chopper or an airplane, but actually physically flying. Of taking to the sky, of spreading my wings, of dancing in the flames. It seems so real. It can’t be real. I must have hit my head or something.

“You’re fine,” Ax says.

“How do you know? You’re not a doctor,” I say, my eyes on his.

“I just do. I brought you clothes.” Ax slings a backpack off his shoulder. “We need to hurry.”

I should tell these men to get lost. I’m home. My mother will be back soon with a hot chocolate. There will be whipped cream on top. I love whipped cream. I should stay. Tell these two to get lost. I look over at the door.

“I’ll write a note for your mother explaining that you had to leave and that you’ll be in touch. You need to get dressed.” Thane takes a gold pen out of his pocket. “Now, Everleigh, before it’s too late.”

“Too late, how? I don’t understand.” And yet I know that he is right.

“I’ll explain everything. I promise,” Ax tells me. His eyes are filled with sincerity. “Please, you need to trust us. Trust me.”

“O-okay.” I shouldn’t listen to them, but there is something telling me that I have to.

“Do you need help with that?” Ax points at the needle in my arm. The one attached to the drip. It’s secured with tape.

I shake my head, pulling it out. It doesn’t hurt. A drop of blood drips from the wound, which seals instantly.

That can’t be right.

I frown. Sure enough, it’s stopped bleeding. It looks fully healed. I rub over the blood, blinking my eyes. The tiny hole has healed.

“I’ll explain everything,” Ax says again, sounding desperate. He glances at the door.

What the heck is going on?

I get a strange feeling in the pit of my stomach. I nod, grabbing the bag as I head to the bathroom. I don’t think I’m going to like what Ax has to say.

10

Ax

The door opens three minutes later, and Everleigh emerges.

“You didn’t pack underwear,” she says to me. “Are you kidding me?” She looks down at herself.

I make the mistake of doing the same. Holy fucking shit, but her tits look great in that dress. It’s made from cotton and molds her every curve.

“I’m sorry,” I say. “I don’t have a clue about sizes. I looked at the underwear, but…I had no idea, and I didn’t have much time. I…” I sound flustered, so I shut the hell up.

“Eyes up here, Ax. I can tell you’re not great with sizes because the dress is two sizes too small. Fits me like a glove that shrunk in the wash. Thanks. I think.”

“Why are you thanking me?” Is this a test? If it is, I’m failing.

“You thought I was two sizes smaller than I am.”

Is that a compliment? If it is, I don’t get it.

Moving on!

“I think you look great.” I realize that I still have my eyes on her breasts and force my gaze upward. Her brown eyes are blazing. “That shade of blue looks amazing on you,” I add, sounding like an idiot.

“Can we leave now?” Thane asks; irritation laces his voice. “You look fine.” He barely looks at Everleigh.

“At least the sneakers fit,” she mutters. “That’s something, I guess. For the future, underwear is a must,” she tells me, “and socks.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” As if I’m going to be shopping for her or anyone else in the future. I barely shop for myself.

Thane holds the hospital door open, and we leave.

“Did you write a note?” Everleigh asks as we walk down the hallway.

“Yes, I did,” Thane says. “Your mother will be fine. I did a great job.”

I’m sure he did.

Everleigh seems placated because she smiles. “Thank you. It’s just that she seems like a nice lady. I don’t want her to worry.”

“She won’t,” Thane says.

“Okay, then.”

Everleigh walks sandwiched between the two of us. I keep expecting someone to stop us, but no one does. I hand her a cap and sunglasses as we near the exit.

“What are these?”

“Put them on,” I tell her.

She does what I ask. A group of people stand at the side of the doorway, talking and smoking. They don’t react as we walk out.

There are four SUVs waiting outside. They pull up, one behind the other, as soon as they see us exit the building.

“This is where we part ways,” Thane says. “I’ll stay in town tonight and let the others know what’s going on. Call me if you need me.”

“I will.”

“Why are we parting ways?” Everleigh asks Thane. “Where are you going?”

“I don’t camp. Goodbye, Everleigh,” he says and then walks to the closest SUV. One of his men opens the door for him.

“We’re going camping?” she asks me, looking unsure.

“It’ll be fine,” I tell her. “I’ll explain everything. We need to go.” I glance at the group of people. One or two are looking our way.

Shit!

We walk to an SUV with its doors open. Thane’s men stand waiting. Then we’re strapping in, and the vehicle is pulling away. I note that one of the SUVs follows us, while the other follows Thane. They turn left. We keep going straight.

We drive in silence for a few minutes.

“Are you going to tell me what’s going on?” Everleigh asks. “Do you know how I ended up back in Meredith Hills?”

“Do you remember anything?” I ask her, keeping my eyes on the road.

“Crazy things that can’t be real. I think I hit my head. It must be that.” She shakes her head. I can see that she’s deep in thought. “Why are we camping?” She looks back at me.

“There is a good reason.”

“Camping as in tents and sleeping bags?”

“Yep.” I nod.

“Why isn’t Thane camping, too?” Her frown lines are back in full force.

I laugh. “As he said, Thane doesn’t camp. Besides, our tent isn’t big enough for three.”

“Wait just a minute…we’re sharing a tent?” She lifts her brows.

“Yes, we are.” I note that we’ve left town and are driving through farmlands. There are rows of crops, all neatly planted. Fields of soy, corn, and wheat, the colors of fall mingling with the greens of summer. It’s still warm during the day but can get cold at night.

“Why do we have to share?” She frowns.

“You’ll have your own sleeping bag. For the record, I’m not trying to get into your panties.”

“I don’t have panties,” she grumbles.

Just like that, my dick gets hard. I try not to squirm as my jeans get tight. I’m going to have a zipper indentation by the time we get to the camping grounds.

She sighs. “I don’t mind camping as long as we’re prepared.”

“I have all the gear,” I tell her. “It’s in the trunk. It’ll just be for a few days. So that we can lie low. That’s all.”

“A few days?” She still looks unsure. “I don’t get why we have to go camping. I have an apartment in town. You said so yourself. We could stay there. Why all the cloak and dagger bullshit?”

“Trust me for a little longer, Everleigh. I’ll explain when we get there.”

“It had better be a good explanation. This seems a little…weird.” Her eyes dart to me and back out the window.

“I’m sorry. I know you must be…unsure and frustrated and possibly even a little afraid.”

“I’m afraid of camping without any proper clothes.” She scowls at me.

I wince. “I bought a couple of things for you. I probably got all of the sizes wrong. I mean, you’re tiny, so I figured that size Small would be perfect. I’m glad I didn’t get you Extra Small.”

She gives a cute little snort-laugh. “I want to be mad at you, but I’m struggling. A Small. Hah! I wish!”

“You can wear my clothes.”

“Or we could go back.” She glances backward. “I saw a mall about a mile or two back. I could get everything I need. I’ll pay you back. Or even better, we could swing past my apartment, and I could pack a bag. I’m sure you have the address after all of your research on me.”

“No stopping. There are paparazzi outside your apartment. There was a group of them at the hospital. We left just in time.”

“Papa-what now?” Her eyes are wide.

“You’re the miracle firefighter who fell several floors to what should have been your death, but you survived. It’s all over the news. You are famous.”

“Holy crap! Really?”

“Yep. It’s part of why we can’t make any stops or swing by your apartment.”

She gives a little shake of the head, like she can’t quite believe what she just heard. Then she swallows thickly. “I guess you’re right. You said ‘part’ of why we can’t go to my apartment. The paparazzi are not the only reason?”

“No. They’re not. Look, we’ll make do. It’ll just be the two of us, so you won’t need all the latest fashions.”

She makes a humming sound. “Just the two of us. Out in the middle of nowhere, sharing a tent. Is that right?”

“Yep, it about sums it up. There is a good explanation. I promise.”

“So you keep saying,” she mutters.

“Look, I won’t make any moves on you. You’re safe with me.”

“That’s boring,” she grumbles. “If we’re stuck together for days in a two-man tent, we may as well have hot, sweaty sex. Did you pack condoms?”

My mouth falls open. What the fuck? I didn’t think humans were this forward. I guess I was wrong.

“Don’t look at me like that. I’m serious. I’m not a Small, so I’m pretty sure I can handle your python-sized dick.” She chuckles.

The vampire behind the wheel chokes out a laugh. Two sets of eyes are staring back at us in the rearview mirror.

I glare at them for a second. That’s all it takes to get their eyes back on the road.

Assholes!

“That isn’t a good idea.” My cock seems to think it’s an amazing idea. It’s throbbing behind my zipper.

Everleigh laughs. “I’m only kidding. You should see your face.” She laughs.

Thank fuck I didn’t agree to it. I almost told her that I was all in. Literally! As in balls deep. I arch my back; it doesn’t help. My cock is being squeezed to death.

My phone vibrates in my pocket. I hate the thing. I frown as I pull it out. It’s a text from Thane.

Oh! I forgot to tell you, do not fuck the human. That’s what she is, she’s human. Or will be soon, since she’s going to be turned back. I saw the way you looked at her. Hands off!

“What is it?” Everleigh asks me. “You don’t look happy.”

“Nothing. Just Thane stating the obvious. Nothing to be concerned about.” Prick!

I couldn’t fuck Everleigh even if I wanted to. I can’t if I want to live.

11

Everleigh

I laugh when the guys offload all the camping gear an hour later. “Holy shit! How much did you bring?”

Ax keeps swinging duffle bags onto his back. I’m in awe of how much he is carrying. He’s like a pack horse twice over. It doesn’t seem to faze him. The man is stronger than anyone I’ve ever known – and I’m a firefighter. I take a moment to realize that this is a memory. I’m brought back to reality when Ax hands me a bag and a bottle of water. I put the bag on my back and give a nod of thanks for the refreshment.

“You have my number,” the driver of the SUV says to Ax, who nods.

“Yep. I have it, Vince. Thank you for the ride. We’ll be in touch.”

Vince inclines his head in my direction. “Ma’am.”

“Thanks,” I say, looking around. There is one other car in the grass parking lot. An old rusty sign points toward an overgrown path.

We’re in the middle of nowhere. At least, it feels that way. I look toward the vast expanse of forest before us. In the distance, there are tall mountains reaching up into the sky in a spectacular backdrop.

I wave as Vince pulls off in a spray of dirt.

Why are we here? This doesn’t make any sense.

“Are you sure about this?” I ask Ax.

“Very. Follow me,” he says as he starts walking.

“Um, I hate to point out the obvious, but you have two tents on your back.” I chuckle. “You were teasing when you said we had to share.”

“I wasn’t teasing.”

“Why two tents, then?”

“The second one is a spare.” He doesn’t elaborate.

Spare?

“Why do we need a spare?” My mouth feels dry, so I open the water and take a sip.

“I’ll tell you when we get to the campsite.”

I don’t like that answer.

“Tell me already, Ax. You’re starting to make me feel nervous. Is it that bad? What is going on?” I sound frustrated and irritated because I am.

He doesn’t say anything. He keeps walking.

Asshole!

I have to pick up the pace to keep up. “It’s bad, isn’t it?” Crap! I don’t like this one bit.

He stops, and I almost walk into him. “It’s not bad.” He glances back at me for a second. “It’s…it’s… You’re probably going to freak out a little. Then everything will be okay. I swear. Please, let’s keep walking. I’d rather you freak out when we get to where we’re going.”

We pass another sign. It’s so rusty that it’s hard to read. I make out ‘Camping Grounds’ and half of an arrow. We veer away from that direction.

“Ummmm…shouldn’t we be going that way? The camping grounds are in another direction.”

“I know where I’m going,” he says. “It’s better than the camping grounds. Quieter.”

I don’t say anything. There is a path, but I suspect that it is more of a track that the game use rather than an actual pathway. It’s overgrown with weeds and thick tufts of grass. We have to step over fallen trees and rocks.

We trudge on and on. I’m trying hard not to let my mind wander. Am I crazy for trusting him? For leaving the hospital? For heading into the middle of nowhere?

I feel fine. I’m reminded of how my arm healed up in a second.

No! I’m being stupid. It was a tiny little hole.

Yeah, but it healed.

I look down at my arm and then almost fall on my face. The path is getting thicker, littered with grass and roots.

Soon we are surrounded by thick trees. The air feels heavy with humidity, and the trunks of the trees stretch up to the sky like a cathedral. The light filtering through the canopy makes the ground shimmer with a golden hue. It’s cool and quite beautiful. I pull in a few lungfuls of air that carry the scent of the vegetation.

It’s going to be just fine. We’re going to hide out until the dust settles. Everything is going to be just fine. I have nothing to worry about.

We keep walking and walking and walking. On and on and on. I marvel at how I don’t even get out of breath. I feel great. Then again, I am a firefighter, so I must work out often. I think we have to be fit to do our jobs. This is unreal, though. We cover a lot of ground. I keep up with Ax easily, Again, almost walking into his back when he stops suddenly.

“We’re here,” he says, moving forward and out of my way.

“Wow!” I say as I take in the sight before us. It’s beautiful. There is a small lake surrounded by soft green grass and wildflowers in shades of yellow and orange. The sun is dancing on the water, which is a deep blue. The mountains stand tall and proud.

“Let’s set up camp here,” Ax says. “We have plenty of water to bathe in.”

“We really are in the middle of nowhere.” I look around.

“No one will bother us.” Ax starts offloading bags and tents. I see several sleeping bags.

“Are there others joining us?” I ask, eyeing the sleeping bags and the tents. Everything is in multiples of two.

“Nope. It’s just you and me.”

“Why do we have so much stuff? We don’t need two tents if we’re sharing. I don’t get it. I don’t get any of this, and unless you start talking soon, I’m going to freak out.”

“What do you remember?”

“Weird shit. Crazy shit. Smoke, flames, flying… I was flying. Instead of arms, I had wings.” I look down at my arms, half expecting to see feathers. “That’s nuts, Ax. Please tell me that I’m not going crazy.”

“You’re not going crazy. You did fall into a raging fire when you were in that apartment building two days ago, but you didn’t die.”

“Tell me something I don’t know.”

“You should have died, but you didn’t. You shifted.”

“Shifted?” What the hell is he talking about? “I’m not following.” I shake my head.

He licks his lips. He has a great mouth. Not something I should be thinking about right now, but there you go.

“Don’t freak out. You can never repeat what I’m about to tell you.” His voice is deep and calm.

“Okay,” I say. I wish he’d just spit it out already.

“Supernaturals exist.”

I can’t help it. I burst out laughing. Ax doesn’t alter his deadpan stare, so I sober back up.

“Ummmmm…okay…fine. Supernaturals like Superman and Spiderman?” I gasp. “Are you Aquaman?” I’m not sure where the thought came from, but the question is out of my mouth before I can stop it.

“What? Aqua— What? No!” He’s looking at me like I’m crazy. “I’m not talking about superheroes, but supernaturals. Thane is a vampire.”

I laugh again, and once again, he stays deadpan.

I rub my chin, trying to understand. “A vampire, as in he drinks blood? That kind of vampire?”

Ax rubs a hand through his beard and nods. “Yep. He drinks blood. Then you get fae and shifters. Wolf, dragon, and…” He chews on his bottom lip for a moment. “You also get phoenix shifters. Do you know what a phoenix is, Everleigh?”

“A bird. I think it’s made of fire. When it dies, it turns into ashes and then rises again. They’re immortal and a myth. A fairytale. Not real at all.” I have this strange feeling in my gut. I’m breathing too hard.

Ax reaches up and swipes at his eyes. It takes him several attempts on each eye before his contacts are out. He stares back at me with irises that are on fire.

“No,” I whisper.

“Yes. I’m a phoenix shifter, Everleigh.”

Yes, you are.

The thought comes into my head unbidden.

“Noooooo,” I say again. I shake my head.

“I am one. I can’t shift, or I would prove it to you. I rose from my ashes too soon, and my beast is dormant. All I have are my eyes. I can see that you believe me.” He tries to take my hands, but I pull them away, taking a step back.

The fire.

The flames.

The heat.

Smoke.

Ashes.

Ashes.

“No…it can’t be,” I whisper. My mind is racing.

Wings.

Feathers.

Flying.

Fire.

Ashes.

“You shifted when you fell into the fire. You turned. I don’t know how, but you did. You shifted again earlier today. Your memory of flying is real. It happened. I watched you shift. I watched you fly.”

I danced in the flames. I danced and danced, and then I woke up in the ashes where I should have died. Where the old me died.

I died.

“I need to get back.” I pick up my bag and hoist it onto my back. “My mother will be worried. They need me at the firehouse.” I start walking, even though I have no idea where I am going. Where is the firehouse? I don’t know where I live or who I am. I couldn’t even recognize my own mother, and I can’t recognize myself.

Who am I?

I burst into tears. The bag drops at my feet.

It’s true. All of it.

Strong arms envelop me from behind, and I am cloaked in his scent. It’s something I recognize.

“It’s going to be okay. We’ll fix it. I’ll fix it.” His voice is deep and soothing.

I turn and hug him back. I try to hold back the tears, but it’s useless, so I let myself cry.

Not human.

Not human.

Not.

Ax rubs his hand up and down my back, and despite the chaos and the madness, I feel oddly at peace. I know that the feeling won’t last, so I cling to it. I cling to him.

12

Ax

It’s all going as well as can be expected.

We set up camp. There is a stew bubbling in a pot on the fire. The sun is setting fast.

Everleigh zips up her parka. It fits her snugly, just like everything else. She looks tiny to me. I’ve never bought clothing for a woman before.

“Okay, so let me get this straight. We have to share a tent so that you can keep an eye on me?”

“Yes, that’s right. You could end up moving from fire to fire, traveling across borders. You could end up getting stuck somewhere. You’d be naked and vulnerable with no way of getting back.”

“Shit! I don’t like the sound of that. And the spare tent?” She lifts her brows.

“Just in case you end up burning that one down. I will need to stick to you like glue. If you start to feel weird like before, you need to tell me immediately so that I can stop it.”

“What will you do? How will you stop it?”

“There’s a good reason why we’re camping next to a lake in the middle of nowhere. Firstly, we can’t have humans witnessing you if you start to shift. You will burst into flames like the last time. You’ll also start sprouting feathers. It would be a tough one to explain away.”

She laughs. “I’d say impossible.”

“As for stopping you, there’s only one way to stop a phoenix from shifting.” I smile at her.

“And that would be?” She gives me the side-eye.

“A phoenix needs fire to shift. I would need to put out your fire,” I say.

“How would you do that?” She gasps. “You’d pee on me?”

I choke out a barking laugh. “No, you ass. I thought you were a firefighter.” I laugh some more, and it feels good.

Then I see her eyes widen as they land on the lake. “Water,” she says.

“Yep. If you can get over there on your own steam, do it. If not, I will drag you into the lake and put out the flames. No fire, no shift.”

“Sounds like a fun time.”

“Until you get a handle on your beast, you won’t be able to shift at will. It can happen anytime and anywhere. If you get stuck, you might not be able to shift to come home.”

“I could end up anywhere.” She shudders. “Naked and afraid. Isn’t there a show called that?” She frowns, lifting her eyes in thought.

“I don’t watch television, so I wouldn’t know. If you did manage a shift, you would have to return to your ashes.” I rub my beard. “I think they might be where you turned for the first time. You also landed up in my ashes, which doesn’t make sense.”

“I don’t understand the whole ashes thing.”

“Every phoenix has their own ashes from when they are born.”

She smiles. “Let me guess; you’re born in fire?” She makes a face.

I smile back. “Yes, we are.”

Everleigh looks shocked. “You mean there is a fire down there? The phoenix lady’s vagina spews flames when the baby is born?” She points downward to the juncture of her thighs.

I nod.

“Holy crap! And I thought human women had it bad having to dilate ten centimeters. With your kind, there are flames as well. Sheesh!”

“It’s not like that. We revel in flames. Fire is part of who we are. It runs in our veins. Or it should run in our veins.” My chest tightens as I clench my fist and see my veins pop out on my forearm. I don’t feel fire. I don’t feel my beast. I am empty. “We are born in fire and keep our ashes once the flames dissipate. Our ashes are important to us. We go to ash when we sleep. It is where we wake. Where we die. If we are lost, our ashes call to us like a homing beacon. So if we shift and move from fire to fire, we can always return to our home…our ashes. I’m not sure if you have ashes. You were not born; you were made. You are an anomaly.”

“How did this happen? Did someone turn me? Are there more like me?”

It’s the question of the hour. I can only hope that Tassos finds the answers to these questions. It is where he is right now.

“I don’t know how you turned. I don’t know anyone who has been turned. I didn’t even know that it was possible,” I tell her.

“But you have a theory.”

I nod. I tell her everything about Lucia and Elena.

“So, this Elena person woke up from this long sleep because of the uncontrolled fire?” Everleigh asks.

“Yes, it has to be uncontrolled and started by a supernatural. In this case, it was a weather witch who messed up.”

“A weather witch?” She looks at me quizzically. “I’m not even going to ask.”

“Don’t, because I don’t know much about weather witches. I’ve only met a couple of them recently. It doesn’t matter. Point is, Elena woke up. I have two theories on how you turned.”

“I’m all ears.” Everleigh scoots a little closer to the fire. She pushes her hands into her pockets. There is still some human in there somewhere. Shifters don’t get cold this easily.

“The balance was put off whack when Elena woke up, and you are a result of that imbalance. Or the mage who is helping her turned you. You’ll be unstable for a few days and could end up starting an uncontrolled fire. If that happens…”

“More of your people will wake up. Which is bad.”

“It would be fucking terrible.” I nod. “A disaster. Once you settle and fully turn, it wouldn’t be possible anymore. Your flames will start to burn differently. It’s hard to explain. It doesn’t matter because you’ll be human again by then.”

“Elena is doing all of this because she doesn’t want to be alone. She sounds like a wonderful person. So selfless.”

I shake my head. “Yep, she’s…she’s something alright.”

“It must have been hard.” Her big brown eyes are on me. “To be all alone for twenty years. With no one else out there who is like you.”

“It was tough. I’ve learned to live with it. I’m fine on my own,” I grumble. I am fine, but I’m not exactly the picture of happiness. That doesn’t mean I’m going to fuck with the world. Elena is crazy.

“You don’t have to be alone, though. I mean, there are other supernaturals out there.”

I push out my breath. “I have my friends. Where other supernaturals can mingle with one another, my kind cannot. I can only be with another phoenix shifter. So any kind of relationship is not on the cards for me.”

“Why is that?”

“We are born in fire, we die in fire, and we fuck in fire, Everleigh.”

“Oh!” She clears her throat. “Okay. Wow! It gives burning up the sheets new meaning.” She giggles. “It must get expensive having to buy a new bed every time.”

I smile. “It doesn’t happen every time. New shifters will struggle for years to fully control their beasts, especially during moments of…release. Also, if a shifter has been celibate for a while…they might lose a little control and catch alight. So, you see, if a phoenix were to catch alight during sex, it would be excruciating for a non-phoenix partner.”

She looks down at herself. “Holy crap! I can well imagine. Does this mean that I can never have sex again?” She looks into the flames of our fire. “I really like sex.” She looks up at me. “If worse comes to worst and I’m stuck like this, we are getting it on. Do you hear me? You and I are happening. Start getting your head around that. I don’t care if I’m not your type; you’re doing me.” She’s exactly my type. Holy shit, my dick is never going to be the same. It’s going to have a slightly flat look with a zipper indentation on the one side. I want to groan in frustration. I take a few deep, calming breaths instead.

“You won’t be stuck like this. We’re going to fix it. Tassos is a really great mage. He’ll find Lucia. He’ll figure out how you came to be and how to turn you back. You can go on with your life. You’ll have sex with whomever you want, and all will be well.”

“You hope,” she grumbles. “If not.” She waves a finger between us. “This is happening, Big Boy. I might ask you to trim your beard up a bit. All that hair could get tickly down there. Please tell me you go down on women. I like oral sex as much as the next girl. Regular sex, as well. I like it all.” She stops talking and gives me a pointed look. “Not spanking, though. I don’t think I like spanking. Vanilla is good. Vanilla, but with sprinkles.”

I’m sitting with my jaw unhinged, unable to believe what she’s saying. My dick is having a field day.

“Vanilla with sprinkles?” I finally say. “I’ve never heard of that.”

“Sprinkles means not too boring. I like hard sex. Sex in different positions. It doesn’t have to be missionary all the time, but it also doesn’t have to be crazy either. Leave out the nipple caps and golden showers.”

Golden showers?

No!

I don’t want to know.

“I get it. You don’t have to worry because we will turn you back. I can’t go down on you, Everleigh. Even if I wanted to, I couldn’t.”

“Something wrong with your tongue?”

“No!” I laugh. “Shit! There is nothing wrong with my dick or my tongue. I could make you come just fine with either.”

“Thank goodness.” She huffs out a breath. “I thought I might be stuck with a vibrator for the rest of my life.” Then her face falls. “I would have to buy a new one every time.”

I laugh because I envision her vibrator getting scorched every time she orgasmed. Then I picture Everleigh orgasming, and I almost spill my load. Dammit! Fuck! This isn’t good. My balls are tight as fuck.

“I don’t have my beast,” I tell her. “Which means that I don’t handle heat or flames very well anymore. You would burn the fuck out of me.”

She looks horrified. “I would kill you if we did the deed?”

“You wouldn’t kill me, but it would hurt like a bitch and take a long time for me to heal. You won’t have proper control for a couple of years.”

“I would have to be celibate for years?” She looks like she thinks the idea sucks, and I can’t say I blame her. “Maybe forever?”

“If it helps any, I haven’t had sex in over twenty years.”

“Jesus! How have you survived? No wonder you’re so tense. You poor thing. How old are you, anyway? Oh my god, please don’t tell me you’re a hundred or something. That would be just plain wrong.” Then she sucks in a breath. “Unless you’re a virgin. Are you a virgin?”

I laugh. This female. “I’m forty-three. Not that damned old, and no, I am not a virgin. I had plenty of sex before everyone went to ashes.”

“Oh, thank god.” She grabs her chest. “On both counts, although forty-three is getting up there in age.” There is a twinkle in her eyes as they catch the light of the fire.

“Smart-ass. How old are you?”

“Twenty-nine. I’m thirty next month.” Her eyes widen. “Another memory. That’s good, right?”

“That’s great, and I’m not much older than you.” I’m fucking ancient compared to her. Thirteen years. I’m too old for her. Once again, my cock disagrees, but the little bastard can go to hell. Besides, she will soon be human again. I know Tassos will come through.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Sure.” I smile. I can’t wait to hear what it is. Everleigh seems to say whatever comes into her head, so I’m very interested to hear this well-thought-out question.

“How come you don’t have sex? You said that you can’t feel your beast, so I’m assuming that the fire thing doesn’t happen to you? You’re pretty cute, so I’m sure you could easily snag a woman. If you took most of your beard off, you’d have them lining up.”

Everything in me tightens for a moment, thinking about my beast.

“You don’t have to answer,” she tells me.

“No, it’s fine. Phoenix shifters stay among our kind. It is how it has been for all time. Also, I am forever hopeful that my beast will return to me. It will happen one day, and the universe has an odd sense of humor.”

“I think I would self-combust if I didn’t have sex. Shit! I really hope you can turn me back.” She looks worried. “Not just that, I can’t remember my life right now, but I’m sure that once I do, I’ll want to get back to it.”

“Hundred percent. There is one other thing you need to know,” I tell her.

“Oh, great. This sounds bad too. You may as well lay it on me.” She locks her eyes with mine.

“It isn’t bad, but it is a factor.”

“I’m all ears. I can’t wait to hear it.”

“I know of humans who have been turned into dragon shifters and wolf shifters, and with them, there has always been a window period to fix it. I think it might be the case with you too. We need to assume it to be a safe conclusion.”

“So, in other words, if I don’t get changed back soon, I’m stuck as a celibate phoenix shifter for the rest of my life?”

“Don’t be so dramatic. We’ll fix this, but yes, it’s generally a week.”

“That means we have five days.” She sounds panicked. “What are we doing here?” She jumps to her feet. “We should be finding a cure.”

“Sit back down. My friends are on it. You need to stay here, away from humans and close to water.”

“I feel fine.”

“You will shift again, Everleigh. We got lucky the last time it happened. We might not get so lucky again. You could cause a major fire or end up stuck somewhere.”

“Naked and afraid,” she mutters.

“Exactly.”

She sighs. “Fine.” She sits. “I’ll stay.”

“It’s going to be okay,” I tell her again. I pray that I am right.

13

Everleigh

Thunk!

Thunk!

Thunk!

Thunk!

I wake up to the sound of…chopping. It’s bright in the tent. I squint. It took me forever to fall asleep last night. And then I tossed and turned and tossed and turned some more.

Ax slept like a log, which irritated me. It didn’t take him more than five minutes to fall asleep, which irritated me even more.

From the light hitting the tent, I think it’s late. I rub my eyes and then scratch my head. My hair is mussed up from all the tossing and turning. I look down at the tiny sleeping shirt and shorts Ax bought me. The shirt is so snug that I can barely breathe. And the shorts keep riding up my ass.

I yawn. I feel tired. My eyes feel scratchy.

“Coffee,” I mutter. I hope Ax brought some along with us.

Thunk!

Thunk!

Thunk!

Thunk!

The chopping starts up again.

“Argh,” I groan, tempted to put my pillow back over my head. It’s not like we have to be anywhere.

I look back down at myself. Maybe the whole shifting thing only happened once. It might not happen again. I might be okay. Maybe I am still human, after all. Maybe I can have sex without bursting into flames every time I orgasm. I still can’t believe that. This is all surreal. My head hurts from thinking about it nonstop.

I look back down at myself. I can’t go out like this. I grab a shirt off the floor next to my bed. It’s one of Ax’s. He said I could borrow his stuff. I pull on the shirt. It’s huge on me and covers everything. I slip into my sneakers. Then I unzip the tent flap and step out.

I almost fall on my ass when I see him.

He’s in boxers. Yep, just boxers. They’re black and snug. His muscles are all pumped. There is a light sheen on his skin as he swings the ax.

Thunk!

Thunk!

Thunk!

Thunk!

He’s cutting firewood. It’s hands-down one of the sexiest things I’ve ever seen in my life. I just stand there and admire him for a while. I watch his muscles flex. Those biceps are… They’re…perfection is what they are. As is his ass in those shorts.

Hubba hubba!

I think I might be drooling, but I can’t find it in me to care.

He stops and looks at me. His eyes are pretty, too. They’re all orange flames. I’ve always liked fire. I had a strange fascination with it. If I hadn’t become a firefighter, I might have become a pyromaniac. That might still be applicable. I am a phoenix shifter, after all.

I still can’t believe it. I don’t feel any different. The only thing that is wonky is my memory, and it’s slowly coming back…I think. We stare at one another for what feels like a long time. In reality, it’s only maybe half a minute at most.

“Morning,” he says. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“It’s fine. It feels late.” I shrug.

“It’s after ten.”

I groan. “I’m normally a morning person, but I couldn’t sleep. It took me hours.”

“Lots on your mind?”

I nod.

“Nice shirt.” His eyes drift down and seem to heat. His irises burn a brighter orange. Then they lift back to my face.

“My pajamas are tiny. I thought I would spare you my ass hanging out.”

I see his throat work. I get the impression he likes the idea of my ass hanging out, but that can’t be it. I might work out often. I might be fairly toned, but at the same time, I like my food. I’m not the tiny waif Ax bought clothes for. I hold back an eye-roll.

“There is coffee on the embers.” He points to a coffee pot on the side of the fire. It’s steaming out of the spout.

“You’re a lifesaver.” I rub my face, still trying to wake up. “I still feel completely normal, by the way. Could the whole ‘shifting’ thing have been a one-time thing?”

“I doubt it, but I do find it strange that there hasn’t been another incident.”

“I’ll live in hope that I’ve gone back to being human.”

He nods, not looking convinced. “There are banana muffins in the tin over there.” He points at all the supplies.

I head over to the fire. I grab a mug and pour myself some coffee. I don’t see any cream or sugar, so I grab myself a muffin from the tin, which is lined with grease-proof paper.

“Did you make these?” I ask him.

“Yeah.” He nods. “You’d be surprised how easy it is in a cast-iron pot on the embers.”

“No kidding?” I take a bite and holy hell, they are delicious. I groan.

He smiles. “Yep. They’re pretty easy to make, actually.”

“They’re good,” I say around my food. “You’re the whole package, Ax.” It’s such a pity he’s destined to be alone. It isn’t fair. He’s such a sweet guy…not to mention stacked. Add cooking skills into the mix, and boom…the perfect man.

Thunk!

Thunk!

Thunk!

Thunk!

Instead of answering, he gets back to chopping.

I watch him work. He’s strong and accurate. It’s clear to me that he’s done this many times before.

The coffee is boiling hot, so I decide to brush my teeth while I wait for it to cool down. I go back to the tent and fetch my toiletry bag. It’s very basic. Ax might be good at a lot of things, but shopping for a woman isn’t one of them.

There’s a hairbrush, toothpaste and toothbrush, soap, and a body moisturizer. I don’t mind. It’s just a few days.

As I’m walking towards the lake, I feel it happen. I feel weird. For a second, I’m sure it’s the muffin that isn’t sitting right. Then I start to feel warm.

Crap!

No!

Shoot!

This is it. I think I’m about to shift.

“Ax,” I say. He keeps chopping wood. “Um…Ax!” I raise my voice as the heat inside of me grows and grows. It’s suddenly happening quickly.

“Ax!” I yell as flames appear on my arms. I scream. My body feels weird. I can’t move. I can feel my muscles and tendons stretching.

Ax picks me up. I didn’t even see him moving toward me. He starts to run to the lake. He’s fast. I feel feathers start to push through my skin. I’m still screaming because it hurts. My body is being stretched. My skin is breaking. My bones are cracking as they reshape.

Then I am being dunked in cold water. It’s so freezing that my teeth clack together. It might be my beak. I can’t tell. There’s a sizzling noise. It hurts when everything contracts even quicker than it expanded. I scream, and a stream of bubbles leaves my mouth.

The sizzling eases. My pain does, too. It eases to a dull throb. Now my lungs are crying out for air. Ax is holding me down. I reach up to the surface. I see skin and fingers where there were feathers and flames.

Ax lifts me up. I pull in a lungful of air as soon as I break free of the water. Then another gasping breath and another.

“You’re okay,” Ax says. He goes on to say it a couple of times more. “You’re okay, Everleigh. That’s it.”

I keep breathing deeply. I can’t get enough air into my starved lungs. It takes another half a minute before my eyes can focus. Before I start to feel human…

Hah! As if!

We’re still in the water, waist-deep. I have my hands on Ax’s chest. He’s holding me up with his hands under my arms. I’m mostly naked. There’s a piece of singed shirt hanging off one of my shoulders, but that’s it. I think the tiny shorts are gone too. At least it feels like it. My nipples are tight and almost touching Ax’s chest. He’s breathing deeply. His eyes are on my face, not my body.

“Ax.”

“I got you,” he says in that deep voice of his.

Then I do something really stupid. I’m freaked out. I almost died. I should be dead. My life is crashing down around me, so I think I can be forgiven. I cup Ax’s face in my hands. His beard is soft…so freaking soft.

“You have a great chin. Not weak at all,” I mutter before I crush my mouth to his. My chest smashes against his. It’s warm and hard like the rest of him.

I moan loudly into his mouth. He tastes better than he smells, which is saying something because Ax smells amazing. I devour him. His tongue clashes with mine. His lips are soft. He groans deeply, his arms circling me so that he can pull me more firmly against him. He’s making me so hot with need.

I’m about to wrap my legs around his waist and rub myself against him like a cat in heat when he dunks me under again. There’s a sizzling noise.

Shit!

I think I was on fire again. I feel the heat dissipate more quickly this time. The sizzling stops almost instantly. My lungs scream all over again as he hoists me back up, taking a few steps away from me. I managed to stay on my feet. The water only just covers my hips.

His eyes rake over me once before he turns away, but not before I catch sight of the mother of all erections. I think I see the tip of his cock peeping out of his boxers. I’m also sure I saw a big red welt on his chest. He has one on his arm, as well. Maybe both.

Oh no!

I burned him. He moves farther away from me. I drop back down into the water, leaving my head above the rippling surface. It doesn’t feel cold anymore.

“Crap!” I say. “I’m sorry. I…um… I shouldn’t have done that. Are you okay?”

He just stands there with his back to me. Water up to about mid-calf. I can see that he is breathing heavily.

“You’re hurt. Do you have a first aid kit? If you give me a minute, I’ll patch you up. I’m so, so sorry. I wasn’t—”

“It’s not your fault that I am broken,” he says softly, so softly that I almost don’t hear him.

His voice is deep and filled with sorrow.

I feel something clench inside me. I hate that he’s sad. “You’re not, Ax. You’re—”

“I am.” He looks down at his chest. At the burns. “I will heal up soon enough. It isn’t that bad.”

“I like you, Ax, and just the way you are. If you’re broken, then I’m broken, too. Everyone is a little broken in one way or the other. You shouldn’t be so hard on yourself. I’m sorry I burned you, but I’m not sorry I kissed you. I’m glad I kissed you. You’re a great kisser. Nope, you’re an amazing kisser. You’re also really sexy. Like off the charts. That’s why I burned you. Because you made me feel hot and out of control.”

He groans. His head falls back. Then he looks at me from over his shoulder. “You’re not helping the situation, Everleigh.”

“What situation?”

“My hard dick situation. I’m trying to get him to calm the fuck down. It isn’t working. It’s never going to work if you keep saying those things to me. Whatever you do, don’t stand or walk out of that lake while I’m looking.” He actually looks afraid. “I might just…” He cups his dick. I get this feeling between my legs. This whole situation really sucks.

This beautiful man is turned on by me. He wants me just as much as I want him.

“I could help you out with that problem.” The words leave my mouth before I can stop them, and I’m not sorry. You only live once. This is me living. Me making the most of a shitty situation.

Ax turns around. He’s frowning heavily. He looks angry. That and so freaking sexy. He’s just about the sexiest thing I have ever seen. His dick is still hard as nails. His shorts look like they’ve shrunk a size or two. They’re clinging to his body. And the head of his cock is definitely sticking out above his waistband.

Holy moly!

I stand, feeling the water drip down my body. I’ve never felt more wanted or more powerful in all of my life.

Or more frustrated.

There’s plenty of that. Frustration to the max. I push the emotion aside and lick my lips, my eyes on the glistening head of his lovely cock.

14

Ax

Holy fucking shit!

My dick feels like it is going to explode. My balls have pulled so tight that they’re damn near in my throat. Her tits are perfection. Everything about her is perfection.

I swallow thickly as Everleigh eyes my cock like it’s candy, and she has a sugar addiction. She licks her lips and pre-cum drips down my head. I can feel it.

“We…” I clear my throat. “We can’t.” It’s all I can bring myself to say because I want her. I want this so badly I’m shaking.

“Oh, I can, alright. I’m a phoenix shifter right now, and therefore we’re allowed to fool around.”

“You are considered to be human until—”

“Semantics, Big Boy.” Her eyes dip back to my cock when she says ‘big.’ Then they flick back to lock with my gaze. “Humans don’t self-combust or sprout feathers. That means that, right now, I am not human. Not even close. As long as I stay in control, I shouldn’t burn you. As long as it’s my mouth on you, we should be okay.”

“I can’t ask you to—”

“I’m offering. The only question is if you’re willing to take the risk. I can’t guarantee I won’t shift again. That I won’t burn you.”

“The chances of you shifting again so soon are very small. I’ll probably last about ten seconds.” My voice is so deep I can barely form words. I think that ten seconds is probably being optimistic.

“That would lower your risk significantly.” She starts walking toward me. The level of water drops and drops. Holy fuck, but her pussy is a thing of beauty. I can’t stop staring at her. At all of her.

“Only if you’re really sure,” I push out.

She drops onto her knees on the soft sand. We’re right on the water’s edge. Her legs are slightly splayed. I can see the glistening pink of her slit. It makes my mouth water. This is so fucked up. I should be able to reciprocate. I should be able to—

She cups my balls through my shorts.

I snarl. “Don’t play with me, Chili Pip. I can’t take it.” My voice is a gruff rasp.

She giggles softly, pulling my shorts down. “Holy shit!” she whispers. “You have a spectacular cock. My vagina is so sad she can’t meet this lovely specimen.”

“I’m going to come soon,” I growl.

“I’m just looking at you.” Her eyes are on me. She’s smiling, but it’s tight with need.

“It’s been a looooong time, Everleigh. It won’t take much.”

“Okay, okay.” She giggles again, taking my cock in her soft hand. Then she slides her hot, wet mouth over my head, and I groan like I’m in pain because I am. I’m ready to shoot off right now. I widen my stance a little, fisting my hands at my sides to stop myself from grabbing the back of her head. She takes me deeper; her mouth is wide around my girth. I groan deeply.

There is a flash of light, and heat scorches my side. It’s so sudden that I have to turn away and shield my eyes. I hear Everleigh gasp as my cock pops out of her mouth. Wisps of white smoke cloud around us. I scent magic.

Fuck!

It’s Elena. She’s in half shift. Human but in a fireball of flames. I’m assuming that Lucia sent her here.

“What the hell are you doing?” Elena screeches. She’s looking down at Everleigh, who is at my feet on the floor.

Flames continue to lick Elena’s skin. Her eyes are fiery, too. Her hair is threaded with feathers. There was a time I would have thought her beautiful. That time has long since passed. Everleigh jumps to her feet, grabbing my arm.

“I would ask you the same,” I say as I pull my boxers back up my hips. “You need to stop your—”

“You!” Elena snarls, pointing at Everleigh and completely ignoring me.

I push Everleigh behind me. “Leave her alone!” I rasp. “You’ve done enough damage.”

“What the hell is this abomination?” Elena snarls. “Human but not.” She frowns. “Who are you? What are you?” she snarls at Everleigh. “And what are you doing fucking around with my fiancé?” Her gaze turns to me. “You are mine,” she directs her shouting back at me. “We are meant for each other. It’s written. It’s done. I am to be your queen.” She switches again. “I will finish you!” she screams at Everleigh, her flames rising higher as she points at her. The heat is almost unbearable as it comes off her in waves.

“Why are you here?” I ask Elena, drawing her attention back to me.

“Isn’t it obvious? We are connected, Ax. Promised to one another. I felt drawn to you. Like I had to come.” All bullshit! “And I’m glad I did. You’re messing around with a human.” Her voice turns vicious.

“What’s going on?” Everleigh asks, her voice unsure.

“The human was turned soon after you came back. We are trying to find a way to turn her back.” I need to play this carefully. Perhaps Elena holds the key to making it happen. Her mage might, at any rate. I don’t want to dismiss her offhand.

“Doesn’t look like it.” She looks down at my cock, which is still erect. Apparently, he didn’t get the memo that the party is over.

Fuck!

I put a hand over myself. “She’s human. We have to figure out a way to—”

“To get rid of her, one way or the other.” Elena narrows her eyes on me. “I will have a solution soon. We will be together, Sol. I will be at your side as queen when the others awaken.” She locks eyes with Everleigh. “If you touch him again, I will kill you, human,” she snarls. Then she takes a few steps back, a fire swirling around her as she shifts.

I move away, lest I burn to a fucking crisp. Elena disappears with a screech.

“You’re a king?”

“Yes,” I mutter. “I suppose I am.”

“And that was your fiancée?” She sounds upset. I guess I can’t blame her. “You told me all about Elena, but you failed to mention that one little fact.”

“Technically,” I push out. “I suppose she is, in a way.”

“In a way?” She snorts. “It sounds like she’s your fiancée to me. It’s good to know. When were you going to tell me? After I sucked you off?” She shakes her head. “I had a guy cheat on me once, and let me tell you, it hurts. It really hurts. I promised I would never be the other woman. You just made me the other woman. Thanks a lot.”

“It isn’t like that between Elena and me.” I try to set the record straight.

“It never is, is it?”

I watch her stomp off.

I feel like a total asshole when my gaze drifts to her ass. She’s beautiful and smart. I should never have used Everleigh in that way. I need to get my head on straight and sort this mess out.

15

Everleigh

What a jackass!

Ax has a fiancée. Elena isn’t just any phoenix shifter; she’s his fiancée. I feel so stupid. Ax seemed like such a nice guy. They always do seem that way, though. He didn’t seem like a player. Or the cheating type. Again, it’s not like cheaters have a sign on their forehead or anything. I don’t understand any of this. Are there other things he’s been lying to me about? Important things?

I’m hurt.

It’s stupid. I barely know Ax, and yet I feel hurt. I feel like we had a connection. Sure, it wasn’t like we were actually going to be together or anything, but still. The only consolation is that this Elena person is a total bitch. It makes me feel marginally better.

I find the bags outside the tent and grab another one of Ax’s shirts. I don’t feel like wearing anything tight and constricting. I don’t care if I burn all of his clothes…or him, for that matter. He would deserve it.

Then I unzip the tent and lie down on my little makeshift bed. The blow-up mattress has lost some of its air. I must blow it up again before bedtime. I have a whole day to get through and not much to do. I’ll get to it later. I pull my sleeping bag over me and lie there staring at the ceiling.

I must doze off because I wake up to talking. Talking? That means more than one voice. I sit up. Who is here? Is Elena back? I’m irritated at how jealous that makes me feel. What is wrong with me? I’m the other woman, dammit. Not her. I have no right to feel jealous of a guy I don’t even know.

Someone is laughing. It’s a man, and it isn’t Ax. There’s more laughing. And then some more.

“Will you stop already,” Ax growls, sounding pissed off.

“You are most welcome…even if it didn’t work out for you…this time,” the man says. He has one of those British accents that sounds snobbish.

“What does that even mean? Did you have a hand in changing the human? Because if you did, I’m going to kick—”

The man laughs again, louder this time. “No, no! Nothing like that. There was a seismic shift on a supernatural level when your lovely fiancée awoke.”

“Don’t call her that,” Ax snarls softly. “It was arranged by our clans. When I ran into Elena a few days ago, she told me that the engagement was off. She told me that I couldn’t be king without a beast and that she didn’t want me anymore.” He gives a humorless laugh. “She told me I looked like shit. Then she returns today, acting like she is still my betrothed. It’s a load of crap.”

“She arrived at a precarious moment.” The British guy laughs his ass off again.

I feel my cheeks heat as I realize that Ax must have told him what we were doing. What I was doing. I’m mortified, even though I don’t know this guy. Even though I did nothing wrong.

“Yes, Elena said that we were connected to one another, and that’s how she knew I was fooling around with Everleigh. She said she was drawn to me, which is bullshit. Please tell me it’s bullshit.”

“It’s bullshit.” The guy is laughing some more. “She had Lucia put a spell on you so that she can keep track of you. There!”

Ax yelps. “What the hell did you just do to me?” he asks. “It feels like you shocked me with a bolt of electricity.”

“You are most welcome. The spell is gone. I removed it. Elena won’t be able to interfere with your blowjob parties going forward.”

My cheeks heat up all over again. I’m not sure whether to feel upset that Ax told this guy what happened between us – that’s private! – or whether to be happy that he’s not actually with Elena.

I’ve eavesdropped long enough, and I’m not one for keeping quiet, so I leave the tent.

“Why didn’t you tell me that you aren’t with Elena anymore? That you aren’t engaged? Or are you?” I hadn’t meant to say all of that. Actually, I’m glad I did. “We might not be together, but I feel you owe me an explanation.”

“Oh, I like her. I like her a lot,” the British guy says. He is wearing chinos and a white shirt with half the buttons undone. His hair is dark and tousled. His eyes are a vivid blue. I would go so far as to say that there’s a devilish glint to them. He has yellow flip-flops on his feet, which is plain weird, but each to their own, right?

“Who are you? I don’t like that you know so much about me, and I know nothing about you,” I say to the British dude.

“Why, I am Tassos Greatness. The Tassos Greatness. You must be Everleigh.”

“Oh, so you’re the mage who is helping me.” I smile and walk over to him, holding out my hand.

“And you’re the lovely lady who has managed to capture Ax’s attention.” We shake hands. “I didn’t think it would be possible. But here we are. You’ve done it. Ax, the great Phoenix shifter king, has been tamed.”

“Stop!” Ax deadpans. “He’s melodramatic,” he tells me. “Ignore him. Tamed… Yeah, right.” He snorts. “I didn’t know I needed taming,” he mutters to himself.

I narrow my eyes at Ax. “And?”

“And what?”

“Why didn’t you tell me that Elena is full of shit? That the two of you aren’t together.”

“Would you have believed me if I did?” He folds his arms.

I roll my eyes. “Arghhhh! You have a point. I wasn’t in the believing mood. So, I take it you were together before all your people went to sleep?”

“Yes, and no.”

“A straight answer would be nice, Ax.” Then I realize that I am grilling him like a jealous girlfriend. I have no right. He doesn’t belong to me. He isn’t my boyfriend. “You know what? You don’t have to answer me. It’s fine. I was upset – for obvious reasons – but since you’re not engaged to that psycho bitch, I’m all good. We can just forget it…all of it.” Particularly the part where I put his dick into my mouth and then got busted by a woman claiming to be his fiancée. It’s all too much!

“Ooooooh! A lovers’ tiff. This is my cue to leave,” Tassos says. “The two of you should…carry on where you left off before the psycho bitch interrupted. I think it’s the perfect nickname for Elena, by the way. For the record, I’m Team Everleigh.” He winks at me and then disappears in a cloud of smoke.

I just stand there and blink a few times. Did that just happen? Then I get over myself and move on because, after the last few days, a disappearing British guy isn’t on the top of the list of weird things that have happened. In fact, it’s waaaaay down on the list.

“Shit!” I mutter. “I wanted to ask him if he was any closer to finding a way to turn me back, but he left before I could do it.” That serves me right for being a jealous idiot. “I’m sorry I overreacted. Can we leave it at that? Can we please forget it?”

“No, we can’t!” Ax growls. “Tassos doesn’t have anything yet. He’s still working on it. He believes that if Elena is put back into her sleeping state, that equilibrium will be restored and that you should go back to being human again, but he can’t be sure. He’s working on finding a way to make that happen.”

“Makes sense.”

“And Elena is not my fiancée. We were never really together. In fact, I met her for the first time a few days ago.”

“So, you weren’t bonking back in the day before…” I widen my eyes. “It’s none of my business. We’re just friends. It’s all good.”

His eyes narrow a smidgen. “Do you give all your friends blowjobs?”

“No, of course not!” I sound affronted because I am.

“Then we’re not friends. Not even fucking close.”

My heart gives a little skip, maybe even two, which needs to stop right now. “You’re right. I guess we aren’t friends.”

“Friends don’t fuck friends, Everleigh.”

“We haven’t fucked.”

“But we want to fuck each other.”

Holy shit. I feel my whole body go hot. I pray I’m not going to shift. I feel like I might burst into flames right now. I almost wish for it to happen.

“Let’s just be straight with one another. It’s easier that way,” Ax says. “I know you will agree because you have been very straight with me all along. I like that about you.”

He’s right.

I’m a straight-down-the-line person.

“Fine! I would love to have hot, sweaty sex with you. I thought we already established that.”

“We can’t, though, for obvious reasons. I like you, too, and I should never have agreed to let you…blow me. It was wrong. I was being an asshole. A selfish prick.”

“You’re not an asshole…or a selfish prick. I have my own brain. I can decide for myself what I want and don’t want to do. It’s a pity your ex arrived when she did.”

He makes a noise of agreement. “The only reason I went along with her was that I was hoping she could find a way to turn you back. I wanted to tell her that she was full of it, but we might need her. I was not cheating on her. She’s only insisting that this farce of an arranged marriage is on because she is hoping to be queen.”

“She’s clearly slightly deranged.”

“It was an arranged marriage of convenience designed to unite our clans. The Smokebreathers have always worked against the royal family. Elena might be full of shit, but she has all of her faculties. She knows exactly what she is doing. She has a plan, one that involves waking up the rest of my people, which would be catastrophic. There are hundreds of phoenix shifters.”

I gasp. “So, for every phoenix shifter who wakes up before their time, there would be a human who turned? Am I getting that straight? Hundreds of innocent humans would suddenly shift?”

Ax nods. He looks deep in thought. “Yes, there would be no keeping our existence a secret after that. It would be chaos. Unintentional fires would be started. People would get hurt. Supernaturals would be persecuted. I need to stop her and send her back to her ashes before that can happen.”

“I’ll help you,” I say.

“Fuck!” Ax runs a hand through his hair.

“What is it?”

“Until you get control of your beast, we’re stuck right here. I know my friends are working on a solution, but it’s frustrating.”

“I’m sorry,” I mutter.

“It’s not your fault, Chili Pip.” He sighs.

I warm at the little endearment, which is stupid. “Is there a way to speed up the process?” I ask.

“You’ll need to work on finding your beast. On shifting at will and on controlling her.”

“Except I can’t actually shift, or I might end up naked and afraid. Or burning everything around me.”

“More than likely both,” he tells me. “If only I had my beast. I could help you with all of it easily. Then I could have you, Everleigh.” He runs a finger down the edge of my jaw, skimming his thumb over my bottom lip. Goosebumps lift all over me. Then he turns and walks back to the pile of wood. Ax starts chopping like his life depends on it.

Thunk!

Thunk!

Thunk!

Thunk!

16

Ax

It’s pitch black in the tent. I can see far more than the average human but not nearly as much as a shifter can.

“No!” Everleigh whispers. “Cassy,” she cries, saying it softly. From the way that she says it, I think that she is probably screaming in her dream. I don’t know whether to wake her. I think I read somewhere that you should let a person work through their dreams. That it helps the psyche heal or something. That you shouldn’t wake them. I’ve been lying here listening to her for a few minutes. It started with her becoming restless. Then the whimpers started.

As if on cue, she thrashes her head from side to side, whimpering again. Her face is a mask of anguish.

Not a dream. It’s a nightmare.

“No!” she shouts. “No!” A whimper this time. “Fire. The fire,” she whispers. “Burning. Burn!” she shouts.

I’m done watching her suffer. I need to put an end to this. This isn’t healing.

I slide out of my sleeping bag and drop to my haunches next to her. I touch the side of her arm.

“Everleigh. Wake up.” I shake her lightly. “Everleigh.”

She opens her eyes and screams. It’s high-pitched and tormented.

“I’m falling!” she yells, grabbing my arms like she’s trying to hold on.

“You’re safe,” I tell her. “You’re safe,” I repeat as I hoist her into my arms. She sobs for a few minutes against my chest. “I’ve got you.”

“I was back in the apartment building. I was searching for the little girl, for Cassy. It was hot. The smoke was so thick. I found her. I saved her, and then I was falling…falling…burning.”

I rub a hand up and down her back. “I can’t imagine. I read about how you saved that little girl. You’re a hero.”

“No! I was doing my job. I should have died. I remember falling. I remember burning. Then it went black. I should have died.”

“You didn’t. You turned, and you’re safe now.”

She nods once, wiping her eyes. Then she forces a smile. “Yes, you’re right. I’m lucky.”

“For whatever reason, you were granted a second chance. Do you remember anything else?”

She shakes her head. “It’s fuzzy, but my memories feel closer. I remember being a firefighter. I remember my training. My partner’s name is Lewis.”

“Partner?” My hackles go up in an instant. “Are you with someone? In a relationship?” My voice has turned gruff. I hate that idea. I…fuck…I think I’m jealous, and of a human I barely know.

She laughs softly. “No, Lewis is my partner at work. We work together. He’s married with two and a half kids.” Her eyes widen. “Another thing I remember.” She scrutinizes me. “Were you jealous?”

“No more than you were earlier with Elena.”

I see her jaw tighten. Then she smiles. “You’re right. I was pissed off at being the other woman, but I was also jealous.”

“You’re not the other woman, Everleigh,” I tell her, even though we have had this conversation already.

She trails her finger along my waistband, and my cock goes hard in a second. In fact, I think it takes less than a single second.

I groan. She hasn’t even really touched me yet. I push out a breath when she snags a finger in my shorts.

“We should try again.” She pulls on my shorts just a little, making her intentions clear.

“I like you, Everleigh.”

“Good, because I like you too.” She bites her lower lip, and my balls pull tight.

“I respect you too much to let you do this. We can’t be together, and I can’t reciprocate.” I shake my head. “It…doesn’t feel right.”

There. I said it. I’m not an asshole. I don’t want to use her like this…because that’s what it would feel like.

“You’re sweet.” She reaches up and kisses me softly on my mouth. It all feels so damned good. Even her calling me sweet. No one has ever called me sweet before. I think I like it. Everleigh pulls back, looking me in the eye. “Sooooo incredibly sweet to try to dissuade me. But I want to. I’m a big girl. I know that we can’t be more, but that doesn’t matter. I’ve always been one to make the most of things, and right now, doing this is making the most of it. It would give me pleasure. It would make me feel good, just in a different way.” She tugs a little on my shorts again in question.

I nod.

“Okay, then.” She bites her bottom lip again as she drags my shorts down.

My erection hits against my belly.

Everleigh pulls her shirt – my shirt – over her head and drops it on the bed.

“You’re beautiful,” I manage to get out. I’m so wound up.

I swallow thickly as I take her in. Her pink nipples are tight. Her breasts are full. Her hips are flared. She’s fucking perfect. Beautiful is an understatement.

“So fucking sexy,” I growl.

I wish I could make her come. I wish I knew the sounds she would make and the look on her face just before… I wish.

I push those thoughts aside when she cups my balls. I grind out a moan and then hiss when she plants a kiss on my head.

“I’ll tell you when I’m going to shoot off,” I tell her, rising to my knees to make it easier for her.

“You do that, Big Boy.” Then she takes my cock into her mouth, and I have to work hard not to come immediately.

Hot.

Wet.

Fuck!

I grunt hard with every lick and suck. With every tug of her hand on my shaft. I want to rock my hips. I want to fuck her mouth. I want to fuck her. My hands are at my sides. I fist them to keep from gripping her hair, from pulling her closer.

My grunts turn to hard moans. “Holy shit! Fuck!” I grind out. I’m shaking. My whole body is vibrating from trying so hard not to come.

It’s not working. I feel the coiling. The building. I want to squeeze my eyes shut, but I can’t take them off of her. Her tits are bobbing in time with her mouth. That mouth. Her tongue. Her!

“I’m going to come,” I push out.

Instead of finishing me with her hand like I expect, she grips my balls with one hand and deepthroats me as much as my size will allow.

I snarl at the shock of it, and then I come so hard I see stars. A roar leaves me as my balls empty. As pleasure rushes through me.

She keeps me deep. Sucking…sucking. Her hand stays on my balls, a finger rubbing behind my sac. I come even fucking harder. There’s snarling. It’s me. I can’t stop. So good. So damned good.

When I open my eyes, Everleigh is still sucking on my cock, pulling out the last of my enjoyment.

“What the hell?” I choke out, looking around us.

Fire.

Smoke.

The tent.

Fuuuck!

The tent is on fire.

Flames are all around us.

“Everleigh!” I shout.

She gasps when she opens her eyes and releases my still-hard cock. “Oh, my god!” she yells. We’re in the center of a blaze.

I grab her and tear out of the burning tent. I run for the lake, only stopping when we are both neck-deep.

“Oh, no!” she says. “I did it again.” She dips her head underwater, resurfacing a few seconds later. “I’m so sorry. Are you hurt?” She takes my hand and pulls me to where it is less deep, running her hands over my chest. “You’re okay. Wait.” She moves behind me, checking my back.

“I’m fine,” I tell her. “Everleigh, it—”

Her eyes go wide. “What about down there?” She looks into the water. “Did I burn you?” She cups my cock, and I growl. She frowns, running her hand down my shaft, and I groan.

My eyes drift closed. “That feels good, but you need to stop.” I grab her hand because I can’t think when she’s touching me like that. “Wait a second.”

“I’m glad I didn’t hurt you, and I’m even happier we still have a spare tent.” She laughs. “I can’t believe I burned down the one we were sleeping in. Good thing our bags were outside. I’m so sorry.” She covers her face with her hand for a moment.

“Yep, it’s a good thing, alright. You should know that it was me,” I tell her.

“You what?” She frowns.

“It was me who burned down the tent. It wasn’t you. I was on fire. Me. I panicked and dunked us both, but it was me.”

She frowns. “How? That’s not possible. That would mean—” She gasps.

I nod.

17

Everleigh

Wait a minute.

Wait just a minute.

Did I hear that right?

“How? That’s not possible. That would mean…” I gasp.

Ax nods.

“You made the flame? It was you?”

He nods again.

I frown. “You can’t do that unless…unless… It was your beast?” I sound in awe because I feel in awe.

Ax gives me the most radiant of smiles. It’s a smile that lights me up from the inside. A smile that makes my heart sing.

“Really?” I push out, still in shock. “It was him?”

“Yes…yes it was.” He tugs me to him and covers my mouth with his. He kisses me until my toes curl into the river sand at the bottom of the lake. He kisses me until I can’t remember my name, and then he picks me up in his arms. He’s laughing. I feel him shake, he’s laughing so hard.

I laugh, too. His excitement is catching. He carries me out of the water. He’s still laughing when he puts me down.

“I thought he was gone. He’s not.” He cups my face again and kisses me. “He’s not gone,” he says against my lips. “You woke him up. It was you. All you.” He brushes another kiss on my mouth.

“He was here all along,” I say, pulling back just a little. “You know what that means, right?”

The fire in his eyes seems to ignite even more. “You tell me.” He gives me a sexy half-smile that would melt my panties if I were wearing any.

“It means that we need to coax him out some more.” I bob my brows. “I could…” I start to dip down to my knees.

“No. Not that.” Ax hooks an arm around my waist. He pulls me against him, his mouth back on mine for a beat or two. “Don’t get me wrong, your mouth on me was amazing,” he says as he pulls back. “Better than amazing. But we could…have actual sex.” He looks shy for a moment. Then he kisses me again. “I’ll make you come, Everleigh. I won’t burn,” he says, moving to my neck, where he kisses me, pulling out every goosebump from my body. “I’m sure I won’t.” He keeps kissing. “I might not…” He nips the spot just below my ear.

I moan. I feel my nipples go hard, and my clit gives this zing. I feel his kisses in the pit of my stomach. I moan.

“Might not?” I moan again because he’s really good with his mouth. “As amazing as that sounds for me, it still sounds dangerous for you.”

“On the contrary, it sounds fucking amazing for me.” He nips and sucks and kisses. God, but he’s so good with his mouth.

“And dangerous.” I’m panting a little. My nipples rub his chest with every little movement he makes, and even that feels incredible. I’m tightly wound. Liable to go off quickly and with a fiery bang. “I feel hot inside.”

“That’s her,” he says. “Your beast.”

“Exactly. She has a bite.”

He nips me a little harder, and I squeal. “I have a bite, too.”

I cup his face so that I can look him in the eye. “Really, Ax. I don’t know. I’m definitely going to catch alight. I will burn. I can feel it.” I think I feel her. Like fire in my veins. In my soul. Part of me and yet…not. Separate but together. It’s weird.

“I’m a big boy. I can decide for myself. Your pussy is worth every risk there ever was and more.”

I warm even more hearing him talk dirty like that.

I laugh, then I sober up. “I could hurt you.” I cup his jaw.

“You could also make me feel really good. It would have to be out here…close to the water. I don’t have a condom.” He looks like someone just kicked him in the guts. Downtrodden. He’s so cute. So sweet.

“I recently had the contraceptive injection to prevent pregnancy. We’ll be okay. It’s more than 99% effective.”

“Really?” His brows shoot up. He sighs. “Thank fuck. I thought I was going to have to pull out.”

“No pulling out. You can come inside me.” Saying it makes me feel naughty. I’ve never had sex without a condom before. I might as well take advantage. Ax hasn’t had sex with anyone in twenty years, so I think we’ll be good on the STD front. I know I’m clean; I recently went for my annual medical.

Ax grabs my hands in his. “So let me get this straight. You swallow, and you’ll let me have bareback sex with you?” He looks like I just gave him a brand-new, shiny truck for Christmas. With a bow on the hood. And those hanging dice on the rearview mirror. All of it.

“Yes.” I giggle. Soooo cute.

“Holy shit, Everleigh. I think I might be in love with you. Will you marry me?”

My stupid heart clenches at the words, which he fully means as a joke. I can tell from his eyes, which are glinting with mischief, and his mouth, which is pulled up in a half-smile.

Head out of your ass, Everleigh!

I choke out a laugh. “Easy there, Big Boy. You only just got out of an engagement. I don’t think you should be jumping into another one so soon.” I laugh some more.

His eyes turn hazy. “Don’t remind me.” Then he gets all serious. “Are you sure about this? You don’t have to. We don’t have to. Don’t feel obliged.”

“Don’t be an idiot. I’m attracted to you. Besides, you owe me an orgasm.”

He chokes out a laugh. “More than one,” he says as his eyes meet mine.

“I really hope I don’t burn you,” I tell him again because I’m really scared of it happening.

He pushes out a heavy breath. “I have a feeling we’ll be okay.” Then he gives me a smile. “If you burn my dick off, it’ll grow back.” He chuckles. “I’m a phoenix shifter. I have advanced healing power.”

I laugh. “That thing will take weeks – months – to grow back, it’s so big.” Then my eyes widen. “Will it even fit?”

He barks out a laugh. “You’re not a size Small, Chili Pip. A fact you keep reminding me of, and so…I think we’ll fit just fine. Snug. Perfect. I can’t wait to be inside you. I can’t wait to make you come.” His voice is deep and husky.

“Me, neither.” I’m a little out of breath just thinking about it.

“How do you want to do this?” He looks a little unsure. This big, beautiful man is nervous. He worries his bottom lip. I think it’s so sexy. “It might be a little uncomfortable in the sand. I want you to enjoy this.” He scratches the back of his head.

“I will enjoy it.” I clasp his biceps, which are crazy big. His cock brushes up against my belly. Hard and ready.

His eyes drift closed, and he pushes out a breath through his nose. When his eyes open, they’re fiery. “I could pick you up. You wouldn’t have to get dirty. I’ll hold you up and bounce you on my dick.”

It turns me on to know that he could actually pull that off. Ax is that strong.

“Maybe I want to get dirty,” I tell him.

Ax groans. “I think I’m in love with you.”

I laugh. It’s lust. His face is pinched with it. Need is written in his eyes. He doesn’t mean it, I remind myself. Right now, I need reminding. Ax is exactly the kind of guy I could fall for and quickly.

He makes a sound like he’s thinking it through. “I’m rusty.” He chuckles. Then he brushes a soft kiss against my lips. “I think you should lie down for me. The sand is soft. I want to get you wet before I fuck you.” He squeezes my hip in his big hand.

I love how forward he is. How crude and yet sexy. I feel warm inside. That coiling feeling in my belly is back. My nipples feel tight. My breasts feel heavy. I’m turned on in a way I’ve never been before.

“Or we could—” he starts to say when I don’t answer, looking unsure again.

“No, that sounds perfect.”

“Good.” He gently cups my sex and rubs a thumb over my clit, and I moan. One little touch, and I’m already halfway there.

“I want you needy. I want you to beg for my cock inside you.” He kisses me quickly with a swirl of his tongue and a nip to my lower lip. His thumb brushes my clit again, and I want to climb him and dry-hump him until I come. It wouldn’t take much. I think I might be wet already. Nope, I’m sure of it. I’m wet and aching.

“Lie down, Everleigh.” His voice is commanding, so I do as he says. He tracks my movement as I lie down on the soft sand right next to the water. “That’s it.” His huge cock thrusts out from his body. I can’t believe he’s actually going to put that inside me. I’m a little scared, but I’m also excited. My heart beats wildly in my chest. “Now open those gorgeous legs.”

Holy shit!

I think I blush. Turns out that Ax is bossy in bed, and I like it a lot. Gone is the shy, nervous guy from before. Sex is very much like riding a bike. He’s already getting the hang of it again.

He looks at me intently for a few beats. Then he says, “Wider,” in that deep voice that has me breaking out in gooseflesh.

I can barely catch my breath as I open them wider, planting my feet deeper in the sand. They’re as wide as they will go. I am fully splayed for him. I would normally be mortified, but I feel sexy. Strong and powerful. That’s how he makes me feel.

His gaze traces my whole body, heating me from the inside out. My cheeks heat up a whole lot more. My nipples are so tight they hurt a little but in a good way. I feel something drip from between my legs. Oh, I’m wet, alright.

Ax kneels between my legs. His eyes zoned in on my slit. “You’re beautiful. I can’t wait to feast on you.”

Feast.

Holy mackerel.

He leans down…closer and closer and closer. Anticipation lights me up inside. I want this man. I’m burning up for him. I’m on fire, even though there are no flames…yet.

He doesn’t touch me for a good long while. Not so much as a swipe or a lick. His hot breath hits me straight on the vagina. My clit is now throbbing to the point of pain. It makes me want to squirm, but I force myself to hold still. He’s looking at me. Just staring with awe in his eyes.

I’m panting with need. I sound like I just ran a full marathon. I’m starting to think that he might never actually touch me, when he tongues my clit.

Holy crap!

I whimper.

“I haven’t done this in a while,” he rasps before closing his mouth over my little bud of nerves, giving it a suck that has my back bowing and my eyes widening.

Holy fucking shit!

Rusty?

I think not!

He might not have done this for a while, but he isn’t rusty at all. Not even a little bit. He suckles on my clit some more, and my eyes roll back in my skull. Right back!

I make this drawn-out moaning noise that makes it sound like I’m dying because I am. I’m dying a thousand deaths.

He pulls back. “Don’t come, Everleigh.”

My pussy cries out for more. I feel things clench and pucker.

“Okay,” I push out, hoping like mad I can make good on it. I want him to touch me again.

Please!

Then he pushes his long, thick tongue inside me. Deep inside me! In and out in a quick rhythm that has my hands clasping his head. I push my fingers into his hair and rock against him. I can’t help it. He replaces his tongue with a finger and then two fingers. He finds my G-spot and rubs on it.

I make more noises that make it sound like I am in the throes of death.

Good thing he has great hair for fisting. Ax sucks on my clit some more and adds a third finger.

Holy macaroni!

My eyes are wide, but I can’t see a thing. He suckles on me until I start mumbling. His fingers pumping in and out. It doesn’t take long before I’m begging. I want to come. I have to come. I’m about to come. The begging is peppered with moans, cries, and whimpers. Peppered with need and frustration and a want the likes of which I’ve never felt before.

Don’t come.

Don’t!

“I’m getting close,” I push out. That’s an understatement. I’m feeling hot all over. Any second now, I’m liable to catch fire, but I don’t want him to stop. Not yet. It’s never felt like this.

I whimper when he slows right down. His fingers stop moving, but he keeps them inside, stretching me. Getting me ready for him, and I feel ready. I’m so ready.

His tongue circles my clit before laving over it, slowly…so maddeningly slowly. I feel my nerve-endings catch alight. My whole body is about to burst into flames. I can feel it.

My hips jerk as he suckles on my swollen bundle of nerves softly. I grit my teeth to stop myself from coming. I’m not sure how I hold on.

“I’m coming!” I yell. “Stop!” I say again, even though he pulls away.

I’m breathing like a mad person. My chest heaving. I’m so on edge. I’m vibrating. I hurt with the need to come. My skin is hot and flushed.

I open my eyes. I hadn’t even realized that they were tightly shut. Ax’s beard is a little wet around his mouth. Oops! Using the back of his hand, he wipes it away.

“It’s time to see how well we fit, Chili Pip. I have a feeling it’s going to be just fucking right. Are you ready?”

I can’t wait. I nod. “Am I allowed to come now?” I ask him.

I note that his hair is standing at strange angles. Oops again! I must have pulled on it. Sorry, not sorry.

Ax locks his gaze with mine. “I’m going to make it my mission to make you come long and hard.” He throws me a half-smile that is truly feral.

Then he puts my legs over his shoulders. “This okay?”

“Yes.”

His eyes actually look like lit fires. So beautiful. There are vertical frown lines between his eyes. His shoulders are wide. All of his muscles pumped. His tattoo is a thing of beauty. He’s gorgeous, and for a short while, he’s mine. Then Ax pushes inside me, and all I can do is moan. Once again, it sounds like I am dying. I can’t help it.

18

Ax

I bite back a vicious snarl as my tip breaches Everleigh’s tight pussy. Tight is an understatement. It’s like being squeezed in a velvet sheath. Hot and wet. I groan deeply as I work my way into her…slowly…slowly.

Her mouth parts as she drags in ragged breaths. Her eyes are wide and on mine. It feels intimate. It feels like a lot. Like more than it should since I only just met this tiny human. I don’t dwell on it. I go with it instead.

Her hands grip my shoulders. Her nails biting into me.

Slowly.

Slowly.

Deeper.

Deeper.

So fucking good that my head is spinning. It’s not just because I’m inside a woman for the first time in twenty years. It’s her. It’s Everleigh. There’s something about her that makes me feel lighter and brighter. Something that makes me feel free…happy. I want to lose myself in her.

She whimpers and bites her lip.

“This okay?” I manage to push out. My words are barely intelligible. My hands are buried in the sand on either side of her head.

Everleigh’s body is bent over like a pretzel.

She nods and makes a noise of agreement.

I stop moving. “You sure?”

“Don’t stop,” she whispers, clutching me tighter.

I nod and keep going. It takes a few minutes before I bottom out. I snarl as my balls hit.

“I didn’t think you’d fit,” she pants out.

“I almost don’t,” I say between gritted teeth.

“Perfect,” she moans.

“Doesn’t get better.”

We both groan as I move in and out of her a few times more, going all the way in and all the way out. I go slowly. Carefully. I can hardly move. Hardly breathe. Once my dick is good and coated in her juices, I grab her and flip us over.

Everleigh gives a little squeal. Now I’m sitting, and she’s on top.

“I have you,” I tell her, gripping her hips.

Everleigh nods once, then she reaches down and kisses me. It’s soft but hot as hell. I grip her jaw and angle my mouth to get more of her. Sublime and surreal.

Everleigh grips my jaw right back and kisses me like I’m the air she breathes. Like I’m the sun, the moon, and all of the stars. When she pulls back, her eyes are hazy with need. Her hands encircle my neck. My cock is still buried deep inside her.

I lean in and suck on one of her nipples, cupping her breasts in both my hands. They’re full and soft. So fucking beautiful. Everleigh groans, her head falling back just a little. Her blond hair is about her shoulders. The strands are still damp.

“I’m going to fuck you nice and slow,” I tell her. “No coming. Not yet.”

She makes a noise of frustration, giving me a tight smile. “You said I could.”

“Not yet.” I have to time this just right, or I’ll burn. We have to come together. Or close as dammit. We have to burn together.

I hold on to her hips and lift her up and then ease her back down on my cock. I groan, and Everleigh whimpers. Her face gets a pinched look. Her eyes are glazed. Her breathing is ragged.

“Good?”

“Soooo good.” Her eyes drift shut.

I ease her up and down my cock, gently thrusting into her from below. Holy fucking shit, but I’m dying. I want to come so badly. My balls are tight. They feel like they’ve lodged themselves into my throat.

Up and down.

Up and down.

Nice and easy.

Her eyes are wide, and she’s panting hard. I look down to where we are joined. Her pussy is stretched wide to accommodate me. Her slit is pink and glistening.

I’m not going to last too much longer, and from the noises Everleigh is making, neither is she. We can do this again soon. Real soon. I might have more patience then. Right now, we’re both vibrating with need. Both so filled with lust that we’re overflowing.

I smile at her, and she gives me a tight smile back. “Ready to come?”

She shakes her head. “No.”

“No?” I frown. I’m still gently lifting her up and down on my cock. We’re both panting. Both on the razor’s edge.

“I…don’t…want…to…hurt you. I can…I can feel her.”

“That’s good. That’s really good. We’re going to come together.” I ease her back down, kissing her. Her tongue. Her lips. Her mouth. Her. Holy fuck! This female. She feels amazing. Her nails dig into my shoulders. Her breasts rub against my chest. Her nipples are hard. Her tits so fucking soft.

“Okay,” she says against my mouth. “Okay. Let’s do it. Let’s try.”

Thank fuck!

“I want you on your knees.” I groan as I lift her again, easing her back down. My balls are throbbing with the need to empty. My lower belly is tight. Even my skin feels tight. I can also feel something inside me. Something stirring. I think it’s him. My beast. I pray that it’s him.

“My knees,” she pants. Then she makes a noise of agreement. She sounds a little drugged, which I like.

“Yep. I’m not going to be gentle, Everleigh.”

“Sounds good.” She kisses me. “Sounds perfect.” She nips at my lips. It stings. This beautiful woman is always surprising me.

I take her off my cock, and she growls in frustration. I choke out a tight laugh as I turn her around. Her ass is so gorgeous. I cup it, giving one of her cheeks a squeeze.

“Hold on, Chili Pip,” I tell her before I thrust into her tight heat.

I growl, and Everleigh cries out. It’s loud and punchy and laced with pleasure. Not pain. I thrust into her again, watching her ass bounce each time I do. I can hear the wet sounds her pussy is making. Good! It doesn’t take me long to find her spot. I can hear it when I do. I can feel it. Her hands fist the sand. Her cries become strangled. Her channel gets tighter and starts to flutter.

I see her burst into flames. I don’t burn. It feels fucking amazing.

I think she’s making a lot of noise, but I can’t be sure because there’s this rushing in my ears. Her pussy clamps down on me as she comes. It spasms around me. I can barely move or breathe.

Then I am coming. It happens in a rush. The flames shoot higher; they burn brighter. The sheer force of the pleasure that courses through me shocks me. My knees almost buckle. I roar her name into the night as I empty myself inside her.

It takes a good long while to come down. Her pussy keeps spasming…softer and slower. Her yells become cries then moans. I grunt and snarl and groan. It sounds like a lion fight. Full-blown and out of control. Our joined flames burn brightly together and then slow to a flicker. It feels so right.

Everleigh drops to her belly as soon as I release her. She is breathing heavily. I fall onto my haunches and then back onto my hands. I can’t catch my breath. I’m shaking.

Half a minute later, I pick her up, holding her in my arms. Her eyes are at half-mast and hazy.

“I hate you,” she says as she locks eyes with me.

I laugh. Holy shit! This woman. “That’s the very last thing I expected you to say. Why do you hate me?”

“That was amazing.”

“And now you hate me.”

She nods. “After this, every other guy is just going to be just okay. You ruined sex for me, Ax.” She giggles.

I feel myself bristle at the thought of anyone else touching her. Flames of hot jealousy run through me. I feel my feathers brush against my skin, wanting to erupt. I feel my beast screeching inside me. I close my eyes and enjoy the sensation for a moment. Then I remember why he is agitated. Why we are agitated. I’m jealous as all hell.

“That, and you just stretched me beyond any kind of return.”

I snort-laugh. I’ve never done that in all of my life, but there you go. I do it. “That’s bull,” I tell her.

“I feel stretched. I feel tender.”

“Was I too rough?”

“It was just right, you ass. I just told you that you ruined me. That no one will ever compare. I may as well become a spinster. I’ll start adopting cats as soon as I’m human again.”

“You’ll become a cat lady?” I ask her, sounding shocked. “A firefighting cat lady. It has a certain ring to it.” I hate the idea. I don’t hate it as much as thinking of her with other guys, though.

She slaps the side of my arm. “It does not have a certain ring to it. I’m afraid I wouldn’t do well as a spinster. I told you I love sex too much for that.”

Which is awesome and terrible, considering I won’t be the one sharing her bed.

Everleigh’s mouth falls open, and she holds my arms tighter, pulling herself up closer to my face.

“What is it?” I frown.

“Your eyes.”

“What about them?” My frown deepens.

“They look almost normal.”

“What?” Shock runs through me. It can’t be.

“You should find a mirror.” She looks excited. “I’ll wait right here,” she adds. I ease her down.

“I’ll be right back,” I tell her, planting a kiss on her lips before I stand and jog back to our little campsite. I stop in my tracks. “I don’t have one,” I say as I turn back to her.

Everleigh laughs. I love the sound.

“You bought me a small one. It’s in the toiletry bag.”

I did, indeed. I jog over to our bags. They’re under a tree, a little way away from the tent for safekeeping. It doesn’t take me long to find the toiletry bag or the mirror.

I hold it up, and holy fuck! Everleigh is right. My eyes are dark with a few swirls of fire in them. Halfway to normal. As my beast comes back, my eyes are normalizing.

I grin.

“This is amazing,” I mutter, unable to look away.

Then I catch sight of my beard. It is fucking huge and unkempt. Sure, I keep it clean, but I can’t remember the last time I trimmed it. Two weeks ago? Three? More? Fuck! I realize that I haven’t looked into a mirror in a while, either. There’s been no need to. I run a hand through the mass of hair. I’ll trim it in the morning.

Then I hear it. Cracking, a moan, more cracking. I know that sound well. It’s the sound of bones as they stretch and reform.

There’s another moan, softer this time.

Everleigh is shifting. She’s dragged herself a little way into the lake. There are a couple of inches of water beneath her. Not enough. Not nearly enough. She’s on fire. Feathers have sprouted. She’s shifting fast. It is excruciating for the first few times for a new shifter. It renders you motionless. Stuck. Her eyes are trained on the deeper water, but she can’t get there.

I freeze for half a second, and then I am sprinting as fast as my legs will carry me. It’s fast but not fast enough because Everleigh is already fully shifted. She won’t have all of her faculties while in this form. Her thinking will be base. She’ll be attracted to fire. She’ll want to dance. To fly. To revel. She’ll want to spread her wings, and I watch her do just that.

I can’t blame her.

I want the same. I yearn for it, but Everleigh could get stuck. She could expose us. She could get hurt.

“Everleigh!” I shout her name, but she takes no notice of me.

Instead, she soars up and up. There is only one thing that I can do; I call on my beast. I feel heat. I feel a stirring. Small flames break out on my arms. My legs. There is more heat. A few more flames and even a few feathers. But that’s where it stops.

I can’t.

Not yet.

When I look back up into the sky, Everleigh is gone.

She’s gone.

I lost her.

19

Everleigh

I turn over in my bed. I groan because I feel half-dead. Like I could sleep forever. I don’t open my eyes, but it somehow feels dark.

Good.

I need sleep.

Did I go out drinking with the guys? Why do I feel so battered? So hungover. Only thing is that I don’t remember drinking. I don’t remember much of anything.

Sex.

I had fantastic sex. It was a little rough.

Wait a minute, is he still here?

I feel around my bed, only it doesn’t feel like a bed. It’s soft and powdery and smells of smoke and fire.

Smoke.

Fire.

I open my eyes and stare straight at the dead squirrel. I scream and jump to my feet in one easy motion. I’m quick and nimble. I’m not human.

Holy shit!

I shifted again, and then I flew into the sky. I danced in fire, a fire I left with reluctance. Then I ended up here.

Ax.

Shit!

How could I forget Ax? I didn’t have sex with just anyone. I had sex with him. I can still feel him inside me. Under my skin.

Then I was shifting. I couldn’t stop, couldn’t drag myself into the water. I couldn’t so much as move. My body was no longer my own. My mind too… It all belonged to her.

I dust myself off, looking around me. I’m in the shed. His shed. Light streams through a dirty window above, but most of the space is bathed in shadows.

I left Ax somewhere north of Meredith Hills, next to a beautiful lake. Far away from here. In another state.

Crap!

Meredith Hills. Just thinking of my hometown sparks a memory. It’s of my apartment. I keep meaning to decorate it some more, but I haven’t gotten around to it. I haven’t done it because I spend a ton of time at the firehouse, so there isn’t much point.

I still can’t remember a single thing about my mother…or my brother. I don’t even know his name. I take a few deep breaths and push aside the growing panic. Overthinking my situation is not going to help me one bit. I need to keep it simple. I need to get word to Ax. I need to let him know that I am okay and where I am so that he can find me before I shift again. It’s only a matter of time. I got lucky twice. Surely it won’t happen a third time. The odds are stacked against me. The fact is that I could have woken up anywhere.

I’m going to try to find a cellphone or any other means of communication. Failing that, I will look for the keys to a car I can borrow. And if all else fails, I will make myself at home at Ax’s place until he realizes that I’m here. Since I appeared here once before, I’m hoping he’ll either check or have someone check for him.

I leave the shed, looking down at the ash that covers me from head to toe. I’m a hot mess. Before I do any of those things, I’m going to get under that freezing outdoor shower. I did it before and survived. I can do it again. Then I’m going to use one of Ax’s shirts as a towel. I’ll grab a new one to wear. It’ll serve him right for being half Neanderthal. Who doesn’t have towels? I smile just thinking about him.

The sex.

Man, oh, man.

It wasn’t just the mind-shattering sex, though. It was more. I felt a connection with him. Something bigger than just pleasure. Something real. I’m pretty sure my – not my – the beast inside me purred as I was coming down from my orgasm high. Okay, not a purr exactly, because birds don’t purr. But it was something similar to a purr. She felt content, happy, and I can’t say I blame her. I felt happy, too. My endorphins had endorphins, which in turn had endorphins. I was awash with the things. On a warm and fuzzy high until I went and shifted out of the blue. Bam!

I grab the apple-scented body wash. Apple. I still can’t believe that a caveman like Ax uses an apple-scented body wash. It makes me chuckle as I turn on the faucet. A stream of freezing water hits me, but my body heats internally to counteract it, and I hardly feel the sting. This part about being a phoenix shifter is pretty cool. I could live with this.

Quick healing is great as well. I was feeling a little tender straight after sex, and I’m fine now. I look up at the sky, and the sun is up. Not high up, but up. How long was I in my phoenix form? For all I know, it could have been days, but that doesn’t feel right.

After washing as much of the ash off as I can, I lather my hair up with soap and then rinse it out. I wash until my hair feels clean. The rest of me, too. At least the parts I can see. It’s good enough, so I switch off the shower.

I jump around to try to get as much of the water off me as I can, and then I head up the back stairs and into Ax’s cabin. It doesn’t take me long to dry and dress.

I’m wearing a bright green shirt with ‘Green Fingers Brewery’ on the front. There’s a logo of a cute hedgehog next to the name. Somehow, I don’t see Ax wearing this shirt. Then again, he hardly wears them at all.

I spend the next half hour looking through his drawers and closets, trying to find a cellphone. Or that satellite phone he used when we were here last. It feels like forever ago. Like so much has happened.

I can’t find anything useful.

I take my time looking at a picture of a much younger-looking Ax with a couple. He’s smiling broadly, as are they. I think they’re his parents. I’m sure I see a resemblance, but I can’t be certain. I put the picture back where I found it. I feel bad for snooping, but I don’t have a choice. I finally give up looking. There is a barn-type structure on the other side of the house to the shed. I hope there’s a vehicle in it.

I head over there. The door is open, but it’s dark inside. My eyes quickly adjust to the lack of light until I can see. Not just shadows but all of it. I can see everything as clear as day, from the tools hanging neatly on the wall to the workbench. I can most definitely see the red Toyota Tundra parked in the center of the garage. It gleams like it’s new. I think it is new. Come to think of it, I’m sure I can smell the leather, which is crazy.

I whistle low.

Wow!

I didn’t expect this. I thought there might be a beat-up old truck in here at best.

Keys!

I’ll find some keys, and then I’ll high-tail it out and find somewhere to call Ax.

Crap!

I don’t have his cell number.

It’s fine. All good. I’ll figure it out once I get to civilization. Then it dawns on me.

Shit! Shit!

I go over to the Tundra and test the door. It opens. I slide in behind the wheel. The leather squeaks as I do. It smells even better now that I’m inside. I take a deep breath. I see a start button and press it, and the car starts. Of course, it does. Ax doesn’t lock anything or hide anything, for that matter. He’s a what-you-see-is-what-you-get kind of guy. Except for his face. He keeps that pretty well hidden under that shaggy beard of his. I smile. Even his beard is growing on me.

I sigh and turn the car off because I’m not going anywhere. I can’t. I’m liable to turn into a phoenix at any time. I can’t be around humans. At least, not until I’m turned back into one. The idea doesn’t excite me quite as much anymore, but I’m sure I’ll want to get back to my own life once my brain fog lifts some more. Once I remember more of my old life.

I get out of the truck and head back into the cabin. I’ll make a fire. Then I’ll see what I can make to eat. My stomach rumbles at the thought. It won’t be long before Ax finds me.

I’ve just started assembling wood in the fireplace when there is a knock on the door.

Is Ax expecting someone?

I shouldn’t be here, so I ignore the knock. Only it comes again, louder this time. Then again, and again. To the point where I can’t ignore it anymore.

Crap!

I’d better go and see who it is. Maybe it’s someone in trouble. Or a friend of his. Someone looking for me. That could be it!

I hope so. My heart is racing when I open the door.

“It’s you,” I say, looking into the bluest eyes I have ever seen. She’s tall and lithe, with not an ounce of fat. I know this because she is, once again, completely naked, with legs that go on for miles and miles. Her hair tumbles down her back in waves of strawberry blond. Come to think of it, her nipples are like two small strawberries on high, firm breasts. I hate her. Absolutely hate her guts. I have to remind myself that she’s evil because she doesn’t look it. Elena looks the picture of innocence, especially since she is smiling at me. She’s not innocent, not even close. She’s more than likely the reason I’m in this mess to begin with. I hate her some more.

“Who else did you think it would be?” she asks. “I told you. No! Make that, I warned you, human, but you didn’t listen. I told you very clearly that I would kill you if you touched what is mine.”

“Ax isn’t yours.”

She laughs. It chills my blood. “Ax? Who’s this Ax you speak of? His name is not Ax, it’s Sol, and he is mine. You crossed a line, and now I need to restore balance.”

“You talk of restoring balance. I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you. I turned because you woke up.” I point at her.

She shrugs. “Yet another reason for me to end you. You’re not helping your case.” She licks her lips.

“I know you plan to wake more of your kind; the result would be more humans turning.”

She shrugs again. “They can join us or meet their maker. The king and I will decide the best course of action. I know that Sol will see reason once you are gone.”

She’s freaking delusional.

“You can’t do it,” I plead.

“Don’t tell me what I can and can’t do, human. Your opinions mean less than nothing to me, and this conversation is over. I’m getting bored. Quickly now.” She claps her hand twice.

“Quickly now what?” I frown. I don’t like the look in her eye.

“I’ve decided to toy with you before I kill you. It’ll give me pleasure to break a few of your bones and to watch you bleed.” She talks about torturing and killing me like she would about going on a leisurely stroll.

Insane!

“Sol won’t be happy if you kill me.” My argument is thin, but I have to try.

She yawns. “I said I was done talking. Didn’t I just say that?” She rolls her eyes. “Sol will get over it. What? Do you think you actually mean something to him after warming his bed for all of a minute? Foolish human. I’m in the mood for a bit of cat and mouse. I want to play with you a little before I kill you.” She grins. Out pops ‘evil bitch,’ and I’m not ashamed to say that it scares me. “I will give you a head start. You should run.” She winks at me, once again looking the picture of innocence.

“No.”

I don’t see her arm move. One second, I’m standing there, and the next, I am flying across the room. Blood pours from my mouth. My lips feel busted. Top and bottom. I caught my tongue with my teeth, so it’s pouring blood too, and my ear is ringing. Just the one, which is a win. I don’t think anything breaks, even though I hit the coffee table hard enough to crack the wood. It’s hard wood. I feel like my ass already got handed to me. This is great. Wonderful!

I groan. It hurts.

“Run, human, before you can’t. I’ll give you a head st—”

I don’t wait to hear the rest of what she is saying. I jump to my feet, and I start running. I run faster than I thought I could. Pity it isn’t fast enough. I can’t outrun a shifter, and I can’t feel my beast. Not even the tiniest flicker of a flame. It’s like she’s abandoned me. I’m in serious trouble.

20

Ax

I growl, wanting to throw my cellphone. Instead, I push it back into my pocket. I’m standing in the overgrown parking lot where the hiking trails begin. I light a cigar, taking a long drag.

Not only is Tassos not answering any of my calls, but his phone keeps going to voicemail. My texts remain undelivered.

Where the fuck is he?

This is typical. As soon as I need him the most, he disappears. It’s been four and a half hours since Everleigh disappeared. It’s morning. She could be anywhere. She could even be dead.

I take another drag of the cigar, letting the smoke waft around me. It normally calms me. Not today. Not when Everleigh could be hurt.

I can’t think like that. I keep pacing up and down. I buzz with energy. I can feel something stir beneath the surface, but it isn’t enough to shift.

Fuck!

I’m so damned useless.

I want to tear my hair out. I want to run endlessly, trying to find her. At least I would be doing something. Anything is better than waiting.

I keep pacing and smoking. Pacing and smoking, my agitation growing by the second.

I hear the whine of a chopper and look up. It doesn’t take long before it appears, quickly growing bigger and bigger. Louder and louder.

Thank fuck!

I stop pacing and take another hard drag on my cigar before crushing it underfoot. My gaze stays firmly on the descending chopper. My hair flies about wildly as it lands. I shield my eyes from the grass and sand that is churned up. The noise of the blades is deafening. It seems like an age before the rotors finally slow.

It takes a few more minutes before Thane gets out of the chopper. He straightens his fucking tie, making me want to lose my shit a thousand times. I count to ten until the numbers all blur together. I take deep breaths, forcing my hands to uncurl.

He finally comes over to where I am standing. Where I am waiting and have been waiting for fucking hours.

I roll my shoulders, but it doesn’t help the knots of tension that have taken up residence there.

“I thought you said I would be able to reach you,” I snarl. “That you would be ready if I needed you.”

“Don’t take that tone with me!” he yells. “I’m here. I got out of bed. I left my wife. And all for you!” he shouts. “All because you couldn’t complete one simple fucking task.” He points his finger at me. It takes all of my willpower not to break his hand.

“You are here because you understand just as well as I do that Everleigh could cause huge shit for us all.” My voice is calm, which should alert him to my level of anger. “You’re here because we supernaturals might end up being exposed.” I want to tell him to go and fuck himself when it comes to failing the task, but I can’t because he is right. I did fail.

He takes a step toward me, deep frown lines appearing on his forehead. He looks me over, his nostrils flaring. “You fucked the human,” he whispers through clenched teeth. I note that his canines have sharpened.

“It has nothing to do with you and nothing to do with the situation at hand.” I still sound calm, even though rage swirls in my chest.

“She’s human. I told you to keep your hands off her, let alone your dick,” he growls, his eyes narrowing.

“None of your fucking business,” I snarl, unable to keep a handle on my temper any longer. My skin is starting to feel hot. I want to tear him limb from fucking limb.

“I beg to differ. If you hadn’t been so busy getting your cock wet, you would have been paying more attention to the task I set you.”

“You don’t tell me what to do, and you didn’t set the task. Who the fuck do you think you are?” We’re right up in each other’s faces when I burst into a ball of hot flames.

“Jesus!” Thane shouts as he jumps back, holding his arms in front of his face like a shield. “Control yourself, asshole,” he mutters. “Wait a minute. Do you have your bea—”

I see red and run at the male, whose eyes have turned red, too. His face morphs into a mask of rage. Into that of a monster. Long, tusk-like canines protrude from his upper jaw. They’re sharp and deadly looking.

He doesn’t scare me.

Prick.

He thinks he rules the beast kings. He thinks he controls me. He doesn’t.

I punch Thane in the face. There is a satisfying crunch beneath my fist. Blood spatters, some of it onto me. Thane snarls as his head snaps back, but he keeps his footing. He comes back at me with an uppercut I didn’t expect since I hit the vampire hard enough to fell an elephant. I duck out of the way, but not quickly enough. His punch glances off me, catching me on the side of my jaw.

I feel a sharp pain in my side. Thane’s claws have slashed my skin. I can feel the blood trickle down my ribs. I was focused on the punch; I didn’t pay attention to his other hand. Nice. Thane has some fire. Some grit. Not enough to save him.

I ignore the blood and mild pain. A mere flesh wound. He’s fast, but I’m faster. I knee him in the gut, and he doubles over. I grab him by the hair…

My beast.

I feel him. It isn’t just a stir this time. He’s right at the forefront.

I take a step back as shock and joy fill me. Thane punches me square in the jaw and then lunges for me with those teeth of his. I burst into flames. Bigger, hotter, brighter as my beast fills me. As fire runs through my veins once again.

“Don’t do that,” Thane snarls, jumping back so that he doesn’t scorch.

Serves him right.

Fucker!

I call my beast, feeling my feathers erupt and my bones stretching, breaking, and reforming.

“I thought your beast was gone.” Thane staggers back some more, shielding his face. “What the fuck is this?”

Good thing I don’t owe him any explanations.

It hurts almost as much as the first time I shifted. My ligaments, muscles, and tendons are not used to stretching and reforming anymore. At the same time, it is glorious. I rejoice in the pain and the suffering. I am shifting. At long last, I feel my wings form. It takes longer than it should, but finally…fucking finally, I spread my wings. I throw my head back and roar as I take to the sky.

Where is she?

Where would she go?

Fuck!

I don’t know. I’m clueless. I don’t know Everleigh very well, let alone her beast. She could be anywhere. I briefly consider going back to Thane and apologizing to the vampire king. Of getting into his chopper and… Going where?

I make a decision, one that could prove fatal to Everleigh. I have to go with my gut. I hope I can find her in time.

21

Everleigh

I run through the forest, going as fast as my legs will take me, almost tripping over a tree root sticking up out of the uneven ground. I get my balance back and then keep going, arms pumping. I run blindly. I have no idea where to go other than away from her. Branches whip at my face and arms, slashing into my skin. I don’t care. I don’t have that luxury because a phoenix shifter is after me, and she’s out for blood. My blood. But first, she’s going to break my bones.

Cat and mouse.

Toy with me first.

Her words haunt me, so I pick up speed, running like the wind. I leap over a dead log. I can hear her behind me. Not because her feet make any kind of noise but because she laughs. It’s a beautiful tinkling noise, like little bells in the wind. I hate her even more. I’m breathing hard. My muscles straining. Sweat beading on my brow.

She’s fast. Too fast. I’m not sure why I’m even bothering to run at all. It’s not like I have a hope in hell of escaping. Then again, I’m not a quitter. If I can give her even a bloody nose before she ends me, I will have won.

I picture the look on her face. It energizes me. Not that it helps because a second later, I feel the heel of her foot in the middle of my back. I go flying, sprawling on the ground in a heap. She lands on top of me an instant later. There is a cracking noise. Did she break a rib? It feels like it.

Shit!

For such a lithe creature, she weighs a freaking ton. The air is pushed from my lungs, and pain accosts me. Her hand closes around my throat before I can so much as move. I try to shift into my phoenix form but get nothing. Not even a wisp of smoke.

Elena’s hands tighten, and she pulls back, bending my head backward. I make a gargling sound. Any more pressure, and she’s going to rip my head off. Her hands tighten further, and I make choking noises. It doesn’t last. As soon as my airway is fully closed, I just lie there like a flailing fish. I can’t breathe, let alone make a single sound. There is nothing else I can do except maybe die.

Damn!

I didn’t even get to give her a bloody nose. My one main regret.

Just as I think I will pass out, she lets go of me, standing up. “You’re really no fun. I thought you’d have a little more…I don’t know…a little more life. A little more fight. You’re pathetic.”

I turn over. All I can do is breathe in the blessed air. My starved lungs are rejoicing. I would love to call her a couple of choice names, but my throat is on fire and not in an ‘I’m about to shift’ kind of way. My tongue feels thick and is throbbing with every beat of my heart.

I see a rock lying on the ground next to me, so I pick it up. It fits my palm nicely.

Elena laughs. “What are you going to do with that?”

I jump to my feet and throw it at her, aiming for her face. There is a sickening crunch as it makes contact. Bullseye! She clearly wasn’t expecting that.

“I played Little League, bitch!” I yell as I start running. Not before I see blood spurt from both her nostrils. I think I might have broken her nose. Good! Not only did I play Little League, but I was the best pitcher on the team. Hah! Another memory. Yay me! Now I can die happy.

There is no time to dwell on it because I hear a shriek of outrage behind me.

Crap!

Now she’s mad. I pissed her off, which pleases me and terrifies me in equal measure. I run as fast as my tired legs and the stupid undergrowth will allow. I glance back and see her coming at me in a blur of movement. I’m once again not nearly fast enough.

Craaaaap!

Despite my very best efforts, she catches up with me in a flash. She grabs me by my hair, and my head snaps back. I think I lose a chunk. Dammit. I like my hair. I feel her hand curl around the back of my head as she face-plants me into the trunk of a nearby tree with a thud. Something cracks. My teeth? My jaw? Both?

My world is nothing but pain. My vision swims. I can’t breathe. I grab the trunk, trying to stay on my feet. I’m not sure how I manage it, but I do. I turn to face her. I can’t quite focus on her for a few beats. If I’m going to die, it won’t be on my knees or with my back to her. I want to look her in the eye.

Her nose is at an odd angle, and she is, indeed, bleeding from both nostrils. I’d laugh, but unfortunately, my face won’t work. My mouth, especially.

“You’re brave for a human.” She says the word human like it’s a curse. “It’s time to end this. Time for you to die.”

“Why don’t you pick on someone your own size?”

I whimper because I’ve never heard a voice so beautiful. So deep. So masculine. My heart goes crazy in my chest. I might just live to see another day.

Elena draws in a sharp breath and turns. “I warned her, Sol. I told her to stay away from you. Not to touch what is mine. We are betrothed, after all.”

“I’m not yours. I’ll remind you that it was you who broke off the engagement.” He speaks with a measured voice. Then I take note of what he just said and suck in a breath. I knew that she had broken it off, but he’s making it sound like it wasn’t what he wanted. I know I’m being jealous again. I know that it’s silly, but I can’t help it.

She shrugs. I can’t see her face, but I’m sure she’s pouting like a petulant child.

“I changed my mind. We’re meant to be together, Sol. It was the wish of our parents and for the good of our clans. We can rule together. We can—”

“There is nothing to rule.”

“We’ll wake them up, Sol.” There is a desperate edge to her voice. “You and me. We can—”

“No, Elena. It goes against every lore. It would upset the balance. It would be bad for our people. Terrible for all the supernaturals. Don’t you get that? More humans would turn. It would be wrong on all levels.”

“There would be more abominations like her.” Elena uses her thumb to point at me. “That would be terrible.”

I growl low in my throat. I would say something, but my mouth still won’t work. It’s too damn sore to try. All I can think to myself is that she isn’t even listening to Ax. She’s only hearing what she wants to hear and nothing more.

“It would be an abomination, but not for the reasons you think. The engagement is off. I will never mate with you. You would make a terrible fucking queen.”

“You’ll toss me aside for her?” Elena shrieks.

Ax sighs. “No. Everleigh is human.” Ouch! That hurt. I try not to take it personally, but I’m struggling. “I will help turn Everleigh back. I will right the wrongs and fix the damage you have caused. I can only hope that you will listen and stop this. That you will reconsider your thinking. If not, we will come to blows. As the king of my people, I can’t allow you to go through with your plans.”

Elena makes a sound of disgust. “How will you stop me, Sol? You have no beast. You are king of none. You are pathetic. I will bring our people back just so that I can witness your fall from grace. No one wants a beastless king.”

She shifts in half a second flat in a ball of heat and flames, singeing the grass beneath her feet. Then she takes to the sky and is gone a second later. Quick and efficient.

Now that the threat has passed, my legs give out. My right ear is still ringing. My whole face is on fire. My back, too. It definitely feels like a cracked rib. I’ve broken ribs before, though I can’t remember how. It doesn’t matter. I feel what little remaining strength I have bleed out of me.

Ax goes down on one knee. He picks me up, holding me against his chest.

“I’ve got you,” he says. “You’re safe now.”

I stir. I feel the arm around me curl a little tighter. Ax’s hand is splayed on my belly. His front is to my back. He is hot and hard. I’m still wearing the shirt I stole. It’s dark out. A fire crackles in the hearth. We’re squeezed into Ax’s small bed. It’s cozy.

“How are you feeling?” He kisses the side of my neck.

“Like I went head-to-head with a buffalo, and the buffalo won. A strawberry blonde asshole of a buffalo,” I mutter the last.

He laughs softly.

“Wait a minute. I can talk.” I move onto my back, looking up at him as I touch my jaw. It’s still tender. Then I put my fingers to my lips, which are fine. They were split earlier. Both of them, as I suspected. I run my tongue over my teeth, feeling relieved that they are all there. My tongue is healed too, and I can breathe easily, so I think my rib is already healed as well.

Wow, that was quick.

“I told you that you would heal quickly.” Ax’s voice is thick with sleep. He examines my face. “The swelling has gone down. I have to say, Chili Pip, you were a mess.”

He brought me back here and cleaned me up. Then put me in bed. I was in so much pain that I didn’t think I would sleep, but I did. Especially when he lay down next to me and started telling me little snippets of his life. I forgot my pain and focused on his voice instead. On him.

“Thank you for taking care of me,” I whisper. “For being there for me.”

His eyes go hazy. They are beautiful like the rest of him. “I’m sorry I got you into this mess.”

“It’s not your fault that Elena is a selfish bitch from hell. ‘Selfish bitch’ didn’t quite do her justice, so that’s her new name from now on. I’ll need to let Tassos know about the upgrade.”

He smiles, but it’s short-lived. “I’m glad I got to you when I did.”

“Me, too. I thought I was a goner.”

Ax grins. “You broke her nose. Impressive.”

I roll my eyes. “Hardly. She broke my whole face.”

“You’re still quite human. It’s impressive. She underestimated you.”

Something in me warms at his compliment. “You shifted,” I blurt.

He looks shocked for a moment. A frown appears between his eyes. “How did you guess?”

“Your eyes.” I cup his face with one hand. “You said that they were brown, but they’re not.”

“What are you saying?” He frowns.

“They’re completely normal, Ax. And they aren’t brown, you banana, they’re hazel. A gorgeous hazel.”

He makes a face. “What’s the difference? Brown is brown.”

“Yours have a touch of green in them too, which means that they are hazel.” I reach up and kiss him softly.

I pull back, noting that his eyes have turned hazy again, and not with desire but with hesitation. With hints of sorrow, perhaps.

“What is it?” I frown.

I see his throat work. “Tassos was here earlier. You were asleep.”

“Oh! What did he have to say?”

“Not much. He said he was onto something. That he has found Lucia. He didn’t have much time to talk. He said that he wanted to meet with us tomorrow. That he would have answers then. He just needed to confirm a few things.” Ax looks away.

I don’t say anything because I can see that there is more, so I wait. It takes a few moments before he locks eyes with me. “He said that he will be ready to turn you back tomorrow, which is great news.” He takes my hand and kisses it.

“It is.” I nod a few times. “Really great.” Why do I feel so shitty if it’s great? I know that this is the way it needs to be. We have to restore the balance. “What about Elena?”

“I’m not sure. He left in a cloud of smoke before I could get any more out of him.”

“Annoying.” I roll my eyes.

“Very annoying,” he mutters.

I’ve never been one to hold back, and I’m not about to start now.

“I know that we have to get back to reality tomorrow. That we have to fix me, but—"

“You don’t need fixing. There’s nothing wrong with you. You’re perfect. Not an abomination or any other shitty name that bitch from hell called you.”

“Selfish bitch from hell,” I correct him.

He laughs. “Selfish bitch from hell. Is that better?”

I laugh too. My jaw aches just a little, but I ignore it.

“Much. Let me rephrase that; tomorrow, we’ll work on turning me back into a human. Right now, let’s forget about everything going on out there, please. I don’t want to waste time. I want to be with you.” Almost dying will make a person realize how precious life is. How short it is. These are the last few hours I will get to spend with this man, and I want to make the most of them.

“You are with me.”

“You know what I’m saying, Ax. I want hot, sweaty sex, you fool.” I slap his arm.

“You’re still healing.” He shakes his head.

“I’m fine! You can be gentle with me. Treat me like fine bone china.”

“Like recently healed bone china, you mean?”

“Yeah, that.” I lick my lips. I note how his gaze follows the tip of my tongue. How it heats.

“No.” He shakes his head, sighing. “We can’t. You need to stay in bed, and I don’t want my house burning down, so no sex. Not today.”

Except right now is all we have. I can see from the way he is looking at me that he knows it.

“I do not need to stay in bed. I’m all healed up. You said so yourself. You can lay me out on the lawn under the stars and fuck my brains out.”

He laughs. “Slowly, softly, and gently, you mean? You might be healed, but I know you still feel the ache in your bones. I’ve been there myself a time or two.”

“I’m fine. And slow, soft, and gentle sounds like just the thing I need.”

“Hmmmmm.” He rubs his beard. “Let’s compromise because I would like nothing better than to fuck your brains out slowly and carefully.”

I bite back a laugh. “I’m all ears.”

He jumps up, and holy hell, but he’s gorgeous. From his jutting cock, which is the most obvious thing on him, to his broad shoulders and tight six-pack.

I’m so busy drooling that I don’t register immediately that he’s picked up the bearskin. “I’ll lay you down on this.”

“Ahhhhh, but you love that thing. It’ll burn.”

“I’d rather you were comfortable.” He winks at me. It looks weird because I didn’t take Ax as someone who would wink. He seems a little weirded out himself for a moment or two before composing himself. “I’ll carry you there and back, and I’m making you come with my mouth first.”

“You drive a hard bargain, but I accept your offer.”

He laughs. “I didn’t realize we were negotiating.”

“Now you do.”

Ax slings the bearskin over his shoulder and then picks me up. “You need to tell me if it hurts. If you’re uncomfortable in any way. I’ll stop…do you hear me?”

His concern is cute and touching. “I’ll tell you.”

“Promise me.”

“I’ll tell you. I swear.”

He nods once and starts walking.

The night is quiet. There is not a breath of wind. Stars twinkle in the sky above us. Ax walks along a path for a few minutes before stopping. The sight before us is breathtaking. We have entered a valley. The air carries a tangy mix of fresh pine, cedar, and earth. There is an open patch of grassy land just ahead. He makes for it.

“What do you think?”

“It’s perfect.” I clear my throat, which has become a little clogged. I hate that this blossoming thing between us is almost over. I hate that I’ll never see Ax again. He’s fire, and I fight fires for a living. There’s an irony in there somewhere. Maybe one day, I will be able to laugh about it. Right now, I want to cry, but I won’t give in to that particular emotion; there will be plenty of time for that later.

He uses one hand to cradle me against him while he uses the other to toss the bearskin on the ground. It lands at our feet. Ax lowers me, pressing a kiss to my mouth. It turns a little frantic and a lot messy in under a second. I moan, feeling Ax smile into our kiss.

“Slow,” he says against my lips. Then he peppers kisses on my mouth, my jaw, my neck before lifting my shirt, pulling it over my head.

Ax kisses me again, softly and gently. He cups my breast, flicking his thumb across my nipple. I arch into him and moan again as he rubs on my clit with his other hand. So soft that his touch is like a whisper.

Then he’s pressing me down onto the rug. The fur is softer than I thought it would be against my back.

Thankfully, he doesn’t waste too much time. He kneels between my legs and gets to work on my clit, using his mouth and his tongue.

I’m up on my elbows so that I can watch him work. Holy shit! I can’t breathe. I can’t think. I can only feel. I start rocking into him. I feel his mouth curve into a smile.

“Slowly, Chili Pip.” He glances up at me. I let my head fall back. I’m moaning in earnest. My hips keep rocking. I can’t make them stop.

He pushes his finger deep inside me, rubbing on my G-spot. When he pushes two fingers into me, I come apart on a loud wail. He slows his movements, laving my clit ever so softly, drawing out the last of the aftershocks.

Ax licks me from his lips as he goes up onto his knees. He gives me a feral grin. “Now I’m going to fuck you slow and gentle. You need to just lie there and let me do all the work.”

“Is that a dealbreaker?”

“It is, Everleigh.” He crawls up, covering me with his big body, bracketing his arms on either side of me to take most of his weight. His hazel eyes are on mine. “I want to watch you come.”

My heart beats faster. I’m suddenly a little afraid. It doesn’t feel like he’s about to fuck my brains out. This feels like something more. I might not be the same after this. In fact, I know I won’t be. It terrifies me more than nearly dying did. I’m falling for this man. I can’t stop.

22

Ax

For a moment, it looks like she’s going to tell me to go to hell, and then she gives me a half-smile. “Another demand.” She lifts her brows.

“It sure as hell is,” I whisper, finding her clit and circling it with the tip of my finger. She closes her eyes and pushes out a heavy breath. “Eyes on me,” I tell her.

She groans, thrusting her chest against me, rocking against my hand.

“I want to be inside you.” I don’t think I’ve ever wanted to be inside a woman more.

“Yes,” she whispers.

I lift her legs a little higher on my back. She takes my cock in her hand, and I groan as she lines us up.

I grunt as I push into her. It doesn’t take as long to seat myself inside her…so fucking deep. Her jaw goes a little slack, and she starts panting softly even though I’m not moving.

“You’re beautiful. Everleigh. So fucking beautiful.” I cup her jaw, letting my thumb graze her lower lip.

“You’re a total caveman, but you’re lucky that’s my jam.” She licks her lips.

I bark out a laugh. Then I start to move. Slow rolling movements that have her groaning right off the bat. We kiss, we touch, we caress. I feel. I feel so much… Too fucking much. I cup her face.

Everleigh arches into me, tilting her hips, matching my thrusts. We fit together perfectly. It’s slow and tender and fucking mind-blowing.

Her eyes are wide. Her breathing is rapid; then again, so is mine. I take my time, even when she tries to urge me on. Even when she whispers, “Please,” over and over again.

She goes from wet to dripping. From needy to aching. I can hear it in her cries. I can feel it when her nails dig into me. When her feet press into my back.

I’m grunting softly with every stroke.

I look into her big brown eyes and feel myself getting swept away. I’m drowning in her. Everleigh’s teeth clamp down on her lower lip. Her eyes squeeze tightly shut, and I know she’s close.

She needs to come, and I’m about to come. I feel my balls tighten. I’m clenching my jaw, trying to hold back.

Fuuuuck!

Not yet. Even when sparks of pleasure wind their way up my spine, I hold on. Even when our flames ignite, I hold back. They’re soft and flickering. I lean down and suck on a tight nipple, rolling it around in my mouth. She’s so hot, so wet, so damned tight.

I put my hand between us and softly rub on her clit. Her eyes widen. I’m still moving slowly, only my strokes hold more punch.

“Yes,” she cries. “Ax…oh…yes…”

I’m grunting hard with every thrust.

I keep my touch on her clit soft and slow and infinitely gentle. My cock is about to explode, but I don’t change my tempo. Her channel goes from slick and tight to vise-like in seconds. Everleigh shouts out my name in a choked cry as her flames ignite fully. Her face is taut with pleasure. Her eyes hold mine as I come on a long, drawn-out moan. It’s her name on my lips. Spoken in reverence. My orgasm comes on slowly and then rips its way through me. She doesn’t burn me. Instead, Everleigh brands me. By the time I bury my face in the crook of her neck, I am forever changed.

23

Ax

I’m frying some thinly sliced wild hog. It will taste very much like bacon, only slightly leaner.

Everleigh has just finished setting the table for us. Her hair is still damp from the shower. She’s wearing another one of my shirts. She’s radiant in the morning light, and I can’t take my eyes off her.

I woke up this morning with her in my bed and snug in my arms. We risked it, and it was worth possibly burning my cabin down for. It was our first and last night together. I enjoyed the warmth of her body. The sounds she made while she was sleeping. And the soft kisses when we woke up together this morning.

She smiles at me, and I realize that I have been staring at her.

“That smells amazing,” she says, her voice soft and husky.

“It’s nearly done. Would you mind checking the biscuits? They should be nearly there.”

Her eyes widen. I think she forgot about them.

“No problem.” Everleigh takes a pair of barbecue tongs and starts to remove the glowing pieces of wood she put on top of the cast-iron pot. There are more underneath. She doesn’t need the tongs, but I don’t tell her that. If all goes well, she’ll be human by the end of the day, so there is no point.

Then she grabs the oven mitts and removes the lid. She inhales deeply, closing her eyes for a second. “They smell good. My grandmother’s recipe never fails.” More and more of her memory is coming back. Everleigh groans after giving them another sniff.

My dick starts to harden up. The noise she just made reminds me of what she sounds like when I’m inside of her.

Down!

Not now!

Fuck! Not ever. I feel instantly bereft. I have no right to. I have no hold on this woman. No ties. Neither of us made promises. She feels right, though. She feels like mine, even if she isn’t.

“Ax! Ax!” Everleigh projects her voice. “Heeey…Ax?” She cups her hands around her mouth. “There you are.” She smiles when our gazes lock. “Where were you?” She frowns. “You looked like you were a million miles away.”

“I was…thinking about something.” I look back down at the pan and move the meat around so that it won’t burn. It’s the second batch. The first is neatly stacked on a plate.

“What were you thinking about? It looked serious?” She puts a hand on her hip. The one with the oven mitt.

“How I’m going to miss you.” Fuck! I shouldn’t have said that. It’s wrong of me, yet it’s true.

She holds my gaze for a moment. I see her throat work, and then she looks down at the cast-iron pot. “I think these are ready. They might burn if we leave them in any longer.”

I’m oddly disappointed, but I try not to show it. “Yeah…absolutely…get them out. There’s a plate over there.” I point at where I left it earlier, precisely for this reason.

She puts the biscuits on the plate while I dish up the smoked hog. It’s cooked just right. Crispy edges with just a little give. Nice and juicy. I may have gone overboard and fried up too much, but that’s okay. Rather too much than too little, my mom always said. I feel a pang. I miss my family and my friends. That pain has eased up some since Everleigh has been in my life. I don’t dwell on what it is going to feel like once she is gone.

There is a bowl of Saskatoon berries we found while we were foraging this morning. They’re on the table, and Everleigh pops a few in her mouth and moans.

Fuck my cock!

He’s not getting the memo; Everleigh is off-limits. We had our night together. It’s done. It’s over. No more sex. No more talking. No more of this. It doesn’t matter how much I want her. Or how much I can see that she wants me. It’s done. We’re done.

“That looks so good,” she tells me when I put a plate in front of her. It’s heaped with slices of hog. I definitely went a little overboard.

I take a seat across from her. “Have at it,” I tell her. “You must be starving.”

“I am.” She widens her eyes.

“Your body used a lot of energy healing you.”

“I can’t believe I slept for twelve solid hours before waking up last night.” She blushes, clearly thinking about what we did when she woke up. I try not to think about it and fail. I recall the softness of her, the sounds she made, the pinched look on her face just before— Fuuuuck. I have to think about something else. Anything else.

Everleigh bites a piece of bacon and then moans again, her eyes fluttering closed.

Fuck my life!

I finally meet someone I actually like. Someone I’m hugely attracted to, and I can’t have her. Since when is that fair?

It’s not!

Moving on!

I’m not one to wallow in self-pity, and I’m not about to start now. I shift in my seat and grab a biscuit.

“These are perfect,” I tell Everleigh as I take a bite. They’re buttery and flaky, with some density, but not too much.

She beams and then turns shy. Her gaze drops to her plate for a while, but she doesn’t try to eat anything. Then her eyes lift to mine.

“I’m going to miss you, too.” She licks her lips and then rubs them together.

“I was alone for twenty years. I’m used to it. And yet, it’s going to feel weird when you leave. Wrong, somehow.” We’re headed down a dangerous path. One I should know better than to navigate.

Her eyes soften. She sucks in a deep breath. “Ax, why don’t we—?”

I’m hanging on her every word when Tassos appears in the usual cloud of wispy smoke that doesn’t smell remotely of actual smoke. I want to punch him for interrupting. He knows how to arrive at the worst times.

Everleigh sneezes, not used to the smell of magic. It takes some getting used to. Humans can’t scent it, so it’s new to her.

Then I take in Tassos.

“What the hell happened to you?” I ask, looking him over. Holy shit, but he looks terrible. Like he went head-to-head with a grizzly and lost.

He grabs his chest, which is easy since his shirt has been ripped right open. As in, all the way. There are buttons missing, and it’s torn.

“I finally caught up with my little minx.” He beams.

“You found Lucia?” I ask.

He nods. “I found her alright.” He smiles broadly.

“Did you guys get into a tussle?” It’s an understatement. Tassos has a black eye. He has scratch marks across his right cheek. And all up his arms. At least up until his rolled-up shirtsleeves. I note as he walks to the table that he is limping badly.

“Oh, yes. It was wonderful.” He pulls a chair out and sits heavily.

“You like being beaten up?” I ask.

Everleigh giggles.

“It started out with a whole lot of fighting, magic throwing, and a lot of word-slinging. Then it got a little…dirty and a lot intimate. I’ve never come so many times in my life.” I note that he is sitting with his legs wide open. He winces. “My balls are throbbing. They look like shriveled raisins, but it was all worth it.”

Come to think of it, I can scent the musky smell of sex. My senses are still coming back to me. I think it’s more a case of not being accustomed to actually using them since they have been suppressed for a long time.

Everleigh and I exchange a look. She stifles a laugh. I think I do too, because it’s really funny. I’d normally find interactions like these irritating, but things change. Can a person change in a matter of days?

Tassos gets this wistful look. “I will make her come more than twice the next time. So far, I am losing in our battle of who is stronger.” He hits the table. “And I love it. I love it soooooo much. More than ever, I am convinced that she is the one for me.” He gets this faraway look. “I just have to find a way to better her so that we can be together as partners.”

“I’m sure you will,” I say.

Everleigh frowns. “I don’t think it’s supposed to work like that.” She pulls in her bottom lip for a beat and then goes on, “Why not partner with her? Be her equal? You shouldn’t be looking to beat the person you love.”

“Of course I do! It is all part of the game. I need to be the best mage, or I won’t be worthy of her. I have a plan on how to make that happen.” He gets this twinkle in his eye and grins like a madman.

Everleigh smiles and shakes her head. “We’ll have to agree to disagree. Would you like something to eat while you tell us all about it?” Everleigh asks. “I’m never going to eat all of this.” She holds up her plate.

“Me, neither,” I say.

“I’m famished after,” he looks down between his legs, “my sexathon with Lucia. Did I tell you that she kept her flip-flops on? Her yellow flip-flops?”

Has he never heard of too much information? I’m a caveman who lives under a rock, and I certainly have.

Neither of us answers, but he doesn’t seem to notice.

“A woman after my own heart. No! A woman who has already captured my heart. All others are dead to me. They don’t exist,” he says dramatically.

We exchange looks again. I feel my gaze soften as it locks with hers. I can’t help it. I get up and grab a plate. Then we push some of the smoked hog onto his plate.

“What is this?” He looks skeptical. “My body is my temple.”

“It’s lean bacon,” Everleigh says. “Great for temples.”

“Lean bacon. Really?” Tassos clutches his hairless chest again. I note that there are scratch marks there too. I don’t want to think about it. “You get lean bacon now? Since when?” He doesn’t wait for an answer; instead, he pops a piece in his mouth and moans.

My dick shrivels up like I just whipped it out in a blizzard…which is a good thing. A great thing.

We eat in silence for a good couple of minutes.

“What’s your plan?” I finally ask him.

Tassos puts a big piece of meat in his mouth, and I have to wait for him to finish. I keep eating, but only so I don’t shout at him to hurry the fuck up. We haven’t got all day. The clock is ticking for Everleigh. It’s as simple as that. Soon, she will be stuck as a phoenix shifter. I should hate the idea. It should piss me off because I will have failed. The balance will be out.

Tassos finally finishes his mouthful. “I need to speak to you in private,” he tells me. I glance at Everleigh, who keeps eating.

“I don’t mind,” she says around her food. “You guys can go ahead. I’ll even go and stand outside.”

“No need. It’s fine,” I finally say. “Whatever you have to say to me, you can say in front of Everleigh. She won’t say anything to anyone about the last few days. I trust her.” And I do.

She gives me a tender look before getting back to her food. I can see that her cheeks have turned pink. She’s eating to hide her reaction.

Tassos sighs. “Fine by me.” He shrugs. “You lost your beast because you went into a mild form of the madness.”

“A mild form of the madness?” I repeat. “That doesn’t sound right. Twenty years of the madness.”

“A mild form…yes.” Tassos nods.

“What is this madness?” Everleigh asks. “It sounds like a sickness…or something. It sounds bad.”

“Essentially, it is the need to mate,” Tassos tells her. “Stronger supernatural males become afflicted. They must then find someone compatible and mate before the madness overtakes them.”

“We normally get weeks…in some instances, months. Not years, Tassos. Never years. We’re talking twenty long years here.” I shake my head. “The madness becomes worse over time,” I explain to Everleigh. “A male’s powers will increase and overtake him, making him a danger to everyone around him. At this point, he is put down. It never dilutes your abilities,” I tell Tassos. I’m sure he has it wrong because this doesn’t make any kind of sense. “How did you draw this conclusion?”

“I could do with a cup of coffee,” Tassos says out of the blue.

Really?

Holy fucking shit!

He needs coffee right now.

I sit back in my chair, instantly annoyed. He’d better start answering me, or I’m going to shake some answers out of him. I put my fork down. My appetite is gone.

I think that Everleigh can tell that I am about to lose it because she quickly stands. “Sure. I’ll get you some.” She grabs a mug and pours him a cup from the pot on the fire, placing it in front of him.

Tassos wrinkles his nose. “Do you have any soya milk?”

“No!” I growl.

“Oh, that’s a pity. What about almond?” He lifts a brow.

“No! No milk of any kind,” I growl at him. “Do you see a cow or a goat out back? Or an almond tree, for that matter?”

“Oh, I see. No need to be touchy. Fine, no milk, then.” He looks put out, looking into the coffee like it’s poison. “Hazelnut syrup. Do you have any of that? Brown sugar would also work.”

“Honey. There’s a jar of beautiful honey in the pantry,” Everleigh quickly says because she can tell I’m about to lose my shit. She even puts her foot on my thigh and gives me a rub using her toes. I instantly relax, giving her foot a squeeze.

“No! I’ll survive.” Then he looks like he is in deep thought. “What about tea? Do you have herbal? Green tea, perhaps?” His eyes brighten.

“Oh, for the love of all things fire and ember. Will you forget about tea and fucking coffee and concentrate on our discussion? You just told me I have the madness…or had it. I’m not sure what or how or about any of it. Will you please explain before I tear your throat out?”

Tassos whistles low. “I can see why you are attracted to Ax.” He winks at Everleigh. “Wow! He’s cute when he gets mad.”

Everleigh smiles and then puts her foot on my thigh again. I take hold of it, running my thumb up and down the arch. I manage to hold it together, but only just.

He sighs once more. “Fine! I’ll explain.” He takes a sip of the coffee and coughs. “That’s terrible. It’ll put hair on your chest. I’d have to wax more often.” He gives his head a small shake and pushes the mug away. There’s a look of disgust on his face.

“The madness, Tassos; stay focused.”

“Of course. Now where was I? Yes… I did some research. It was a diluted version of the madness. The reason you didn’t go all full-blown was that there were no phoenix shifter females for you to mate with.”

“So, I lost my beast?” I ask.

“He became dormant.”

“He isn’t dormant anymore,” I say.

“No, you good thing.” Tassos winks at me. “He wouldn’t stay dormant because there are now two female phoenix shifters around.” He winks at Everleigh as well.

“I don’t feel like I have the madness,” I say. I should feel it. If I have it and there are two female phoenix shifters around, then… There is something scratching in my mind, but I can’t quite pinpoint what my subconscious is trying to tell me. I’m feeling apprehensive about the whole thing.

“You don’t have it,” Tassos says. His answer doesn’t placate me. In fact, the opposite is true.

“How? I should have it. I should be afflicted. Then again, I only just got my beast back; it’s going to start soon, isn’t it?” I get a sense of dread.

Tassos shakes his head, making me frown. There is a slight lilt to his mouth.

I can see that he knows the answer, but he isn’t telling me. I start counting to ten, but keep going once I get there. I’m going to fucking kill him. Games. It’s all games to him.

“I’ll give you a clue. Where did you appear after you recently shifted, Everleigh?”

He can’t be saying what I think he’s saying. Surely! That would be…it would be fucked up on every level.

“Do you mean where I went? Because if that’s what you’re asking, then—”

“No, where did you return? Where did you take back your human form?” He keeps his eyes on me while asking Everleigh the question.

“In my ashes,” I whisper. “But Everleigh doesn’t have ashes of her own. She appeared in my ashes on the day she shifted, too. It can’t be that. It can’t be what you are implying.”

“Compatible from the start,” Tassos says on a sigh.

“Can someone explain to me what this means?” Everleigh says.

“It means that we are compatible as mates. My beast came back to me because there are phoenix shifter females for me to mate with. I don’t have the madness because… Fuck is it possible?” I run a hand through my hair.

“He,” Tassos points his thumb at me, “hasn’t started showing signs of the madness because he’s been spending time with you. Because the two of you have been bumping uglies, which appeases his beast.” Tassos chuckles.

“Human females are mostly compatible with supernaturals,” I say. “Once Elena goes back to her ashes and once Everleigh is back to being human again, it should settle, right?”

“Yes, it should.” Tassos nods.

“I’ll lose my beast again?” I hate the thought of that. I fucking hate it. It’s like being half a person.

“More than likely.” He nods. “But I don’t know for sure. These things are not an exact science.”

Fuck!

My chest tightens as my eyes lock with Everleigh’s. I will lose the woman I am starting to seriously fall for, and I will lose my beast. It feels like too much.

Something starts to break inside me. It’s a tiny fracture liable to tear me apart.

24

Everleigh

I see the look of anguish on Ax’s face. It cuts me.

“Or I could stay. I don’t have to be changed back,” I blurt. “You can keep your beast. You don’t have to be alone,” I tell him. What I really want to say is that I’m developing feelings for him. Real feelings. I think that what we have is the real deal. I want to stay.

“No.” Ax shakes his head. “You have a life to go back to. You don’t belong here.”

I do.

I belong with you.

“I feel like I belong here.” I’m going out on a limb.

His eyes turn hazy with emotion. “You don’t have all of your memories back yet. They will come back, and you might regret this decision.”

I knew it; he’s trying to protect me.

I shake my head. “I don’t think so. I—”

“You don’t think so.” He shakes his head, rubbing the back of his neck. “That’s not enough, Everleigh. Shifters mate for life. There is no divorce. No getting out. I can’t link you to me like that on a whim. If you stayed, we would have to mate.”

I should want to run at the sound of marriage, but I don’t.

“We’re compatible, though. There’s that. According to your beast, we could be mates. We could be together.”

“Compatibility is based on genetics, Everleigh. On which females can give me the strongest offspring to lead. You were human, so your genes are recessive, which means that our combined offspring would take more after me. They would be powerful. That’s all it is. It’s strands of DNA. Nothing more and nothing less. That’s why my beast wants you. He would want most human females.” He looks sheepish. “I’m not trying to hurt you. I’m just telling it like it is. That isn’t a good argument.”

“That’s correct and very impressive, Ax,” Tassos says. We both ignore him.

I want to tell him that I’m starting to care about him, but I can’t do it. He’ll tell me that it’s too soon. That it’s lust…and what if he’s right?

“I’m trying to help you here,” I finally say when I look into his gorgeous hazel eyes. I know at that moment that what I feel is real. It isn’t just going to go away. I suck in a breath to tell him all of that when he interjects.

“Well, don’t.” He tries to take my hand, but I pull back. At least I know where I stand. And it isn’t where I thought. His words cut me. I’m putting myself out there, and he’s putting up a wall, one brick at a time.

Maybe I misread this. I probably did. It was just sex to him. It would seem that I’m not long-term material.

I’m trying hard to be okay with that. He didn’t even promise to buy me dinner. If anything, I’m the one who pushed myself on him every step of the way. It was great sex and nothing more.

I’m stupid.

So freaking stupid. I need to get over it and quickly.

“I don’t need your help,” Ax goes on, making me feel worse.

“Stop it. You sound like an old married couple. Let me end this argument right now. You can’t stay,” Tassos says to me. “Even if you both wanted it. You can’t. The only way would be if Elena stayed, too. The two of you are connected. You are a phoenix because she is awake. It’s a delicate balance.”

“She can’t stay,” I say, shaking my head. “She is a selfish bitch from hell and will never stop working on getting the rest of your people to wake up. She doesn’t care who she hurts. She doesn’t care if innocent humans like me are turned in the process. She wants what she wants and will do anything to get it. You need to turn me back, Tassos.” This is not about Ax and me. It’s not about anything other than doing the right thing.

Ax stands. He paces to the other side of the room, looking deep in thought. Then he spins around, but not before I see something that looks very much like sorrow in his eyes.

“When are we going to do this? The sooner, the better. You said today.” His voice is gruff. He doesn’t look at me.

“Yes. Absolutely,” Tassos says.

“What is the process?” Ax asks. “I’m assuming we will need both Elena and Everleigh together?”

“Do not worry about the process. I know exactly what to do. We’ll need a large fire for Elena to teleport through. She will shift into her human form, and I will have ten or fifteen minutes to put her back to sleep.”

“So, she has to be in human form?” Ax asks, frowning.

“It doesn’t matter.” Tassos shakes his head.

“We normally sleep in our shifter form,” Ax says.

“My magic is powerful. I can put her to sleep even in her human form. It will be easier if she is human. Less fuss. It’s a fairly simple spell.” He folds his arms. “I can perform it with my eyes closed. Actually, I might zap the wrong person.” He chuckles to himself. “Don’t worry; I have a plan on how to get her here. I’m going to trick Lucia into bringing Elena here. I’ll act quickly. There’s always that short window period in which a phoenix can’t shift,” he tells me. “I’ll put her back into the long sleep with the rest of your people, and in doing so, I’ll turn you back into a human, Everleigh. Easy-peasy.”

I’m horrified, and it must show on my face because Tassos says, “What? Why are you looking at me like that?” He rubs his nose. “Do I have a booger?”

“You’re going to trick Lucia?” I ask.

“Yes.” He shrugs like it’s nothing.

Idiot!

“This is the woman you claim to be in love with. Let me get this straight; you’re going to trick her, continue to try to best her, and then still expect her to fall in love with you?”

“Yes.” He nods.

Okay, it’s official: men have no clue. None!

“If you trick her into bringing Elena, she will be pissed off. I don’t think she’ll speak to you again.”

“Of course she will. Have you seen me?” He looks down at himself.

“She won’t speak to you again.” I shake my head. “I am a woman. I know how women think.”

He sucks in a breath, sounding affronted. “Are you saying that I’m not gorgeous? Because I am. I totally am. Lucia will have to forgive me. She won’t be able to help herself.”

I choke out a laugh because he’s clueless. “It’s got nothing to do with looks. It’s not about that at all. You will have to trust me on this. If you really have feelings for this woman, you have to be straight with her, and you have to treat her like an equal, not someone to best.”

“I agree with Everleigh, even though I think she’s nuts.” Ax looks my way; his gaze is hard. “We need this to happen, one way or the other. You should go ahead with your plan, Tassos. Tell Lucia whatever you need to tell her to get Elena here.”

“I can’t!” Tassos suddenly squeezes his eyes shut. “Dammit! Lucia will hate me if I lie to her. I need to change… I’ll do it for her. I can do it.” He sucks in a deep breath, letting it out slowly.

“So, you’re not going to trick her anymore?” Ax grumbles, looking irritated. He really wants me out of his hair.

“I’m turning over a new leaf. Thank you for the wonderful advice, Everleigh. It’s a pity you can’t keep her,” he tells Ax, who glowers. “It’s going to take me a little longer. Let’s reschedule for tomorrow morning. I’ll arrange everything in the meantime.”

“There’s no guarantee that Lucia will help us once you tell her the truth,” Ax says.

“I have to trust in our love.” Tassos smiles.

“Now you’re talking.” I smile.

“But doing this tomorrow is cutting it close,” Ax growls. “Everleigh doesn’t have much more time. It won’t be long before she’s stuck like this. Elena, too. I’m assuming that the window period also extends to her?”

“Yes, it does. But all will be well; we still have a little time. I will be in touch,” Tassos says as he disappears.

I sneeze again because that weird-smelling smoke tickles my nose as white mist wafts around us.

Ax and I look at one another as the mist clears. It’s immediately awkward. Tangibly so. I threw myself at him, and he cut me off at the knees.

Earth, swallow me now.

I’m trying to think of something to say to appease my ego, to undo some of the damage, but I can’t think of anything. I’m coming up blank.

I’m hurt, and a little pissed off. Ax doesn’t deserve either of those emotions from me. We were fooling around, and I let myself get in too deep. My logic doesn’t change how I feel inside, though.

I choose the easy – very mature – route and pretend the last twenty minutes never happened.

“I’m going to clean up,” I settle on, picking up our empty plates and taking them to the sink. I turn my back on Ax, cringing.

Smooth, Everleigh! Really smooth.

“I’m going to chop some wood.” He leaves, closing the door behind him with a bang that I feel all the way through me.

25

Everleigh

Four hours later, he’s still chopping.

Thunk!

Thunk!

Thunk!

Thunk!

The pile of chopped wood is ridiculously huge. He’s probably chopping for the whole of winter. At this rate, he’ll have enough for two winters. I get the feeling that this has nothing to do with the pending cold. I think he’s avoiding me. I must say, I’m glad. I have no idea what I would say to him.

If I could, I would leave, but I can’t. We’re stuck together until Tassos comes back tomorrow morning. We’re faced with the very real likelihood that I could suddenly shift at any time. I am starting to feel my phoenix – the phoenix – more and more. Just like Ax, I don’t want to start thinking of her as mine, since I can’t keep her.

The good news is that I might be in a place where I have more control. The bad news is that I can’t be sure. I need to stay close to Ax, whether I like it or not. And I don’t like it one bit.

At least Ax will be able to shift with me if I lose control. He’ll be able to keep me here or follow me wherever I go. He’ll be able to bring me back and stop anything bad from happening. We have to stick together when all I want to do is run. I want to watch Netflix reruns and eat ice cream. No…I want chocolate. Make that both; strawberry ice cream with choc chips. Oh, and cookies. I’ll take cookies, too. Then maybe a bottle of wine. I’m not too fussy about whether it’s red or white as long as I can drink it. All of it. I want to forget about what an idiot I am. On second thought, I might need two bottles. It’ll mean being hungover to within an inch of my life, but it’ll all be worth it.

The thudding stops. When it doesn’t start up again, I sneak a peek out the window. Ax is walking towards the outdoor shower. He peels his jeans off as he does. How does he do that? Walk and undress without falling on his face. He’s gifted like that. Then he stands tall and holds his arms up, stretching out his muscles.

“How can one man be that gorgeous?” I grumble.

I force myself to look away. I am not going to do this to myself. I refuse!

I need something to keep me occupied. Ax has a huge book collection. I go over and look through the shelves. He has everything from fiction to biographies to ‘How-to’ books.

“‘How to Make Your Own Furniture’? ‘How to Tan Hide’? ‘Sewing for Dummies,’” I read.

I push that one back with a smile. His fiction collection is impressive. There is everything from fantasy to thrillers and even a romance novel or two. I spot the ‘Lord of the Rings’ trilogy. It’s my favorite series of all time. I read them years ago, and I watched the movies.

“Book one, ‘The Fellowship of the Ring,’” I read off the spine. Maybe it’s time for a reread.

I pull out the book and go and settle in on the bed. Ax can have the sofa. Then I think better of it and stand back up. It’s his house; I’ll sleep wherever there’s space. Maybe I should take the sofa.

I hear the shower stop and quickly sit back down on the bed, since it is closest. It’s also out of the way. Maybe he’ll forget I’m here. I’m panicking a little. I need to stop and act normal. I can do it!

I prop some pillows up behind me, with my legs curled under me, and I start reading. I force my eyes to stay on the book when Ax walks in. He’s naked. I don’t have to look up to know it. My whole body prickles with awareness. I force myself to ignore him. We can get by for one more day. Actually, it’s less than a day. I’ll go to bed early. Tomorrow can’t come soon enough.

I asked the earth to swallow me. Why isn’t it happening, dammit?

My cheeks are burning as Ax rummages through the closet.

I can’t help myself. I glance up, and he pulls on a pair of white briefs. His ass looks amazing. His biceps are pumped from all the exercise. His back and shoulders, too. His tattoo is beautiful. It’s all fire and feathers, but done in an abstract way.

Shit!

I’m staring.

Thankfully, his back is to me, so I quickly put my eyes back on the book. I realize that I’ve ‘read’ two pages without taking anything in.

Crap!

I page back and start again.

Concentrate, Everleigh.

“Can I make you something to eat?” Ax asks me. “I have—”

“No thanks,” I say without looking up. “I’m fine.” I keep ‘reading’ without seeing much. My heart is racing a little. I can still feel his eyes on me. I will him to look away.

Please look away.

He doesn’t.

Crap!

Crap!

Look away, dammit!

“Do you want to talk about it?” he asks in his lovely, deep voice.

“Nope, I’m good.” I turn the page. Much to my surprise, my voice sounds very calm.

Yay, me!

He stays right where he is.

Go away, already.

Doesn’t he know how this is supposed to work? We ignore each other until tomorrow. The end.

“Are you going to look at me, at least?”

He definitely doesn’t know how this is supposed to work, which irritates the hell out of me.

“Nope, I’m good on that note, too.” I still sound calm. And super mature. I’m handling this really well.

He makes a sound of frustration. “I’m sorry you’re mad. I—”

I glance up and catch his gaze for a second; his eyes look darker somehow.

“I’m not mad. I’m not hungry. I just want to read this book.” I lift the novel in question and keep reading.

“You’re mad,” Ax says. “Why won’t you just admit it?”

“What would be the point?”

“I think there’s a point. I don’t want any bad blood between us.”

“There isn’t any bad blood between us.” I turn the page, even though I haven’t read anything.

“You’re mad at me, so I think that there is. I thought we were friends.”

I look up so quickly that I might give myself whiplash. “Really? We’re friends now? Because just the other day, you told me that friends don’t fuck friends. We fucked…twice…so we’re not friends. Not even close.”

His gaze turns sheepish for a moment. “You’re right. I just…” He sighs. “I don’t want it to end like this, Everleigh.”

“It’s fine, Ax. It’s all good. We had a great time, and now it’s…” Awkward because one of us went and stupidly developed unrequited feelings for the other. “…over,” I settle on and then add, “We’re not friends, so let’s just stay out of each other’s way until tomorrow.”

His whole gaze softens, which makes something shake loose inside me. It isn’t sappy; it’s more along the lines of irritation.

“Everleigh, I—”

My beast is apparently a pain in the ass because she chooses right now to raise her asshole head. I wanted to hear what he had to say, but on second thought, it’s better like this. She certainly puts an end to our conversation because I burst into flames.

I jump off the bed. My eyes are wide. I try to stop it. I work hard at pushing her down, but she doesn’t listen. She wants out. She feels angry, too. At least we are in sync when it comes to that.

Ax grabs me and throws me over his shoulder. Within a few strides, we are outside and with no time to waste, since I am sprouting feathers and shifting. Now that I’m not trying to fight her anymore – there’s no point – she’s taking over fast. I feel it happen. My senses are dulling. I’m being pushed aside, but not as much as before. I am at least able to observe, even if I can’t intervene. I’m sure that will be the next step in this transformation, one I will not get to witness.

I’m spreading my wings…or should I say she is spreading our…her wings, ready to take to the sky when Ax completes his shift.

She pauses.

I think I do, too.

No, I definitely pause.

Again, we are in sync on something else. Namely, Ax in his phoenix form. He is huge. A monster, really. I always thought that the phoenix was majestic and beautiful. Ax is both of those things, but he is also powerful and brimming with masculine energy. His flames flicker mostly blue. There are hues of yellow and orange interspersed between the blue. His eyes are the same as when I first met him. There is nothing of the hazel.

He rumbles out a sound I understand. “Stay.”

My phoenix is instantly irritated by his request.

He makes another noise. It’s less of a request this time and more of a command, one which we ignore. I shoot into the air, and Ax follows. He keeps up easily, circling around me, pleading this time.

Stay.

Stay.

My beast is angry at him for talking about our bond as if it is nothing. As if it is mere science. She snorts at him and flies faster.

Then we are weightless. It’s black. Nothing. Silence, save for the beating of my heart. We arrive in the middle of a fire. It’s big, hot, and wonderful. I dance. I laugh. My flames burn brighter.

Ax is there beside me.

I brush up against him, and we dance together. A momentary truce as the flickering heat turns our brains to mush. It’s like a drug. Ax makes noises of enjoyment, of utter rapture. I do the same. They sound very much like the fire…the noises we make. Almost exactly like crackling flames.

The fire burns hotter and hotter and bigger.

Ax makes that same rumbling sound, only this time it means, “We have to go. It’s time…come.”

I don’t want to, and neither does my beast. It feels too good. Glorious. I spin and twirl and laugh.

“Come!” Ax urges. He envelopes me in his wings, and we are weightless again. This time it is my heavy breathing that fills the silence.

I don’t pass out like I have previously. I’m awake when I appear in Ax’s ashes. We’re lying there together. Just us and the squirrel. He really needs to bury the poor thing.

Ax sits up. I watch him, still catching my breath. Even covered in soot and ash, he’s sexy, and it isn’t fair at all. He holds out his hand and pulls me to my feet.

Crap.

My nipples feel tight. I have this achy feeling between my legs, and my phoenix is purring inside me. I feel her large and in charge. Well, almost in charge. I’m holding on by a thread. I have to clench my teeth not to lunge at him. The good news is that more and more control is returning by the second.

“Are you okay?” Ax asks me.

Aside from being turned on, I’m just freaking fine. I can’t tell him that. What the hell is my phoenix doing? What’s wrong with her?

“All good,” I squeak out.

He sniffs. “You’re aroused.”

Fuck! This sucks so badly. Why won’t the ground open? Why? Whhhhyyyyy?

“I’m not,” I practically growl. “It’s her! Ignore it,” I say as I make my way out of the shed and to the shower.” I’m walking fast. I can hear Ax follow. Why won’t he leave me alone already? I wish this throbbing between my legs would let up. It’s annoying.

A cold shower is just what I need, I think to myself as I turn it on. Cold water rushes against my skin. I need to feel the sting. I want it to douse this stupid lust I suddenly feel to my core. It’s primal. The worst kind. Or the best kind, if you’re actually going to do something with it…but I’m not. We’re not. No damned way.

My phoenix turns up my internal heat without my permission. Dammit! Now the cold water doesn’t help with my libido. The falling droplets caress my breasts and nipples, making it worse.

Arghhh!

I get myself wet all over, feeling that prickling sensation. Ax is watching me, which doesn’t help my stupid arousal either.

Stop it, bird! I yell inside my head. Ax needs to go away so that I can find my faculties.

“Don’t you have somewhere you need to be?” I ask him, sounding huffy.

He hands me the shower gel. It is mango-scented this time.

Nice! Not! Crap!

I take it from him, turn my back, and start to lather up.

“I need to be right here getting cleaned up. Do you mind?” he says. I turn, and he points at the stream of water. “I’ll get wet while you get soapy.”

Is he kidding? We’re sharing a shower now. Yesterday would have been fine. Today? Not so much.

“Knock yourself out.” I step out of the stream, but not before I note his erection. Holy smokes, it’s big. It doesn’t help with my arousal. Needless to say, I react badly. “What the hell is that?” I bite out, pointing at his dick with the bottle of shower gel.

“That is my body reacting to your body. Ignore it!”

Really?

I get white-hot all over. I wish I was back under the stream of water. I’m going to ignore him. Ignore the hell out of him. I squirt a huge amount of soap into my hands and start to lather up in hard, jerky strokes.

Screw him! Jerk!

“Shower gel, please,” Ax says. I turn. The bastard looks good wet. Amazing.

“Your body just reacting to my body, huh? I see! More science, just like our compatibility all being based on DNA. It’s all just chemistry. Science in motion.” I throw the gel at him, and he catches it.

Asshole has great reflexes and good hands. I know this intimately.

He squirts some of the gel into his palms, puts the bottle down where I can reach it, and starts to clean himself. I can’t take my eyes off him. He’s watching me too, while I rinse off. My whole body is on fire. His dick is as hard as nails. I need to get out of here. I walk out from under the spray, and he takes my place.

I’m not watching. I’m done watching. I need to get away from him. I just shifted. I won’t shift again for a while.

“You really need towels,” I yell at him while I wait to drip-dry just a little before going in.

“It’s not all science and DNA,” Ax says, turning off the water.

I’ve just started to walk away, but I stop in my tracks. “Leave it alone, Ax.” I don’t turn back toward him. I don’t walk away, either. I should.

“I don’t want to leave it alone. What I don’t want is for you to make a decision to help me because you pity me being alone. Because you can’t remember your loved ones right now. I can’t expect you to give up your whole life because that’s what you would be doing. You wouldn’t be able to be a firefighter. You wouldn’t be able to live among humans anymore. You would only be able to visit with your family on occasion. You wouldn’t be able to be straight with them about any of this. It’s not that I don’t want you. Not attracted to you?” he sorts. “I’m seriously fucking attracted to you, Everleigh. It’s more than just that. I think we could have had something real. I feel it, too. It’s not just chemistry and DNA. Not a fucking chance.”

I turn; my eyes are pricking. “That was just about the most romantic thing anyone has ever said to me.” I chew on my lower lip and swallow down a lump. “But we can’t be together.”

“No, we can’t.” He shakes his head.

“Tomorrow, I’m going to be turned back into a human, and we’ll never see each other again.” My voice sounds small, and a little broken.

His eyes look like they’re glinting in the sun. I see him blink a few times. He looks away for a moment, like he’s trying to compose himself, and then he looks at me.

“You were selfless today. You were willing to give up so much to help me.”

I snort. “That was me being selfish, Ax. I want to stay. It’s not pity. I have most of my memory back, and I still want you. I want this. I wouldn’t be giving up a single thing.”

“You are selfless. You helped Tassos, which made him change his plans, even though it would have been beneficial to you if he had lied to Lucia. Now we’re not even sure if he’ll get her to agree to help us.”

I shrug. “I couldn’t let him ruin what might be between them. He seems to really like this Lucia person.”

“You spoke like a queen. I’m sorry I hurt you. I needed to be strong right then. I was so close to agreeing. To letting you sacrifice all of it for me. I was this fucking close.” He holds two fingers a millimeter apart.

“Turns out I have to be turned back. There’s nothing else to it. No other option. There is no choice to be made. There’s nothing that can be done.” It’s hopeless. I take a step toward him, and he takes a step toward me.

“It’s out of our hands,” he says, taking another step. “I want you to know that I would choose you if there was an option. I would choose you every time.”

“I would choose you, too.” My voice is a choked whisper as I step closer to him.

His eyes are blazing. They’re narrowed on me. I feel them acutely. Then we’re a tangle of limbs as we come together. A clash of mouths and tongues and moans.

Ax picks me up, placing me on the countertop next to the sink. It’s the one behind his cabin. The one he uses for his laundry. I put my legs around him. Our mouths are still meshed together.

Ax grunts hard as he slams into me. He’s huge, but I’m wet. It stings just a little, and I whimper, clutching his shoulders, my neck snapping back as I look up at the sky.

So good.

I can’t even breathe. I can only feel.

“Jesus.” His voice is choked. His finger is rubbing softly on my clit as he starts to fuck me. It’s hard and punchy from the word go. This is animal. It’s frenzied. My mouth is open, and I’m sucking in air like a madwoman. I must look ridiculous, but I can’t stop, and I really don’t care. My body is no longer my own. It’s his. In this moment, I belong to this man, and he belongs to me.

He pushes deeper and deeper, keeping his finger on my clit. His hips rolling and punching. I moan. I moan hard.

Ax is panting. His gaze holds mine. We’re locked together. He takes his hand off my clit as I’m about to come and lifts my legs a little higher, slowing for a few seconds. I lean back a little. My breasts are bouncing with every hard thrust. It feels like he’s touching me everywhere. I burst into flames that match the ones in his eyes.

“I want you to come for me, Everleigh,” he growls, his cock pulsing inside me. Like I’m going to be able to do anything but come. I can feel my orgasm there, right there. Ax bursts into flames. They’re beautiful. The heat is magnificent. He is magnificent.

At this point, I am yelling loudly with every thrust. I can’t stop. Back to having no control over my own body. I don’t want control. I want our combined fire to rage out of control.

He tightens his hands on my thighs as I start yelling his name. My breasts are jerking hard, but I don’t care. I just need to come. I need it more than my next lungful of air.

He puts his finger back on my clit. I hear the wet sounds our bodies make as my skin grows tight. My belly does the same. Then I’m coming so violently I think I might do damage to my insides. Our fires rage higher and brighter.

I’m silent for a few beats, and then I think I scream. My back bows. I ride my orgasm in a state of awe, my eyes on his.

Ax whispers my name. I see his mouth move. He crouches over a little, his abs popping out. His movements turn a little jerky and a lot frantic. My nails dig into his biceps. My legs are hooked around him. My heels dig into his meaty ass, which is clenching and releasing as he fucks me. We take the last of our pleasure from one another, gasping loudly. Then he pulls me close, still inside me. He’s breathing hard.

“We’re perfect. You’re perfect,” he says against my throat. Then he brushes a kiss against my lips and starts moving again. He’s still hard.

Holy shit!

He goes slow and easy. It feels so good.

Again?

Ax leans down and takes my nipple into his mouth. I feel every tug of his mouth on my nub all the way down between my legs. He goes to my other breast, and my clit throbs. I moan when he suckles me. I dig my hands into his hair.

I’m already keyed up, and I only just came. There’s one rational explanation: we do work together.

It’s harmonious. My body burns for this man. I still see flames on my arms. They’re small but there. I’m hot all over. I moan. He does, too.

Then he starts to thrust a little faster, picking up a rhythm that has me gasping all over again.

“Fuuuuck!” he whispers against my lips as he begins to move, using even strokes that take my breath away and have my eyes watering. Ax lifts my legs higher on his body, adjusting the angle.

Holy macaroni with double cheese and bacon and all the other good things!

My back bows as he hits my spot. My breasts rub up against his chest. I can’t breathe or think. I hear him grunt softly. His kisses are frenzied. Unlike his thrusts, which are pure control.

I’m digging my nails into his shoulders. I want more. I want everything. I want things I can’t have beyond this moment. My whole body is a livewire all over again.

He whispers my name. I whisper his, and then we are drowning in another orgasm. Drowning in a sea of fire. When we are done, there are scorch marks down the back of his cabin.

I never want this to end.

26

Ax

The golden rays of the sun creep over the horizon. The sky is painted in hues of pink, orange, and purple. It’s beautiful, but I can’t take my eyes off the woman sleeping in my arms. Everleigh is snoring softly. It’s fucking adorable. I wish I could stop time or change how this ends.

I can’t do either.

Everleigh needs to be turned back, and it needs to happen today before it’s too late. Before she’s stuck like this. I’m glad we got more time together, but I also feel that the last few hours have brought us closer together. We fucked, made love, and then talked for hours. I’ve never felt closer to another person. I don’t have regrets. But I think we’re both going to hurt. It’s going to take time to get over her. Over this. If I’m honest with myself, it’ll never fully happen. Not for me. I feel like, in many ways, we are already partly mated. My phoenix has tethered himself to her. Everleigh has risen in my ashes. We’ve bathed in each other’s fire. We’ve danced in the flames. It’s done. I’m fucked. Doomed to live alone without my mate. Without the woman in my arms. She fits like a missing piece of my puzzle. That part will always be gone. There will always be a hole in my heart.

“You look deep in thought.” Everleigh’s voice is thick with sleep.

“I am, and it’s the same old tune for me. I’m going to miss you, Chili Pip.” I drop a kiss on her forehead.

“I’m going to miss you too, Big Boy.” She reaches up and kisses me on the lips. “I’ll have to start collecting cats as soon as I’m back.”

“Don’t you dare.” I cup her lush ass and squeeze softly. “You need to live your life. Go back to fighting fires. You’ll miss me for a while, and then you’ll be okay. You’ll start to move on. Have fun again. Maybe meet someone.’

“Shhhh. Don’t!” She shakes her head, her eyes clouded.

“I mean it, though, Everleigh. No cats. No spinsterhood. You live your life. Do you hear me?”

“What about you?”

“What about me? I’ll be fine.” I was before, and I will be again. Only, I didn’t know what love was before. I didn’t miss it. “You don’t have to worry about me. I have a full life. I have all of this… I have my friends.”

Everleigh looks at me like she doesn’t quite believe me. “Can we message each other from time to time just to see how the other person is doing?”

For a moment, I hesitate. I’m tempted to agree, but I can’t.

“No, that’s not a good idea.” We need to cut ties. “We need to move on. Both of us. I think we’ll struggle if we’re in touch.” I’ll struggle anyway, but that’s okay. I hate the idea of Everleigh alone because she’s still hung up on me. She’s too beautiful. Too sweet. Too full of life. The idea of someone else with her kills me, but I ultimately want what’s best for her.

“I guess you’re right.” Her eyes look hazy for a moment.

I lean down and kiss her. “I am right.” I kiss her again, deepening the kiss. We finally come apart, panting, our hands all over each other.

Everleigh says, “What do you say we watch the sunrise from outside?”

“Do you want to start a fire?” I kiss the tip of her nose.

“I do.”

“I can’t wait to be inside you,” I say as I hoist her into my arms. Then I am walking outside.

Ax

Four, no, make that five SUVs pull up outside my cabin. Thane’s bodyguards get out. One of the men walks around the vehicle and opens the door for the vampire king, who takes his time getting out.

Bodyguards climb out of all five of the vehicles, placing themselves at strategic points outside of the cabin. It’s overkill if you ask me.

When Thane finally gets out of the back of his SUV, he’s wearing a three-piece suit. His expression is grave. He keeps his eyes on the path ahead. It’s only when he climbs the stairs that lead to my cabin that he locks eyes with me. They narrow slightly. He’s probably still pissed at me for punching him. For burning him. He deserved it, so I don’t apologize.

Fuck that!

I know I scent of Everleigh. Of sex, despite having showered. Vampires have a keen sense of smell. Not as good as the wolf and the dragon shifters, but very good, nonetheless.

“Don’t say anything,” I growl a warning. “Not a word,” I add. I’m not in any mood for his judgmental bullshit.

“Hello, Ax,” he says.

I grunt in response. Then I open the front door and show him in. We walk through my cabin, going out back, where I have built a big bonfire. Good thing I have a whole lot of wood. “You remember Everleigh,” I say,

“Hi.” She smiles and gives a two-fingered wave to the vampire king, who sort of smiles.

“Hello, Everleigh. Are you ready to be human again?”

She nods. “Yes. Elena needs to be stopped.”

“We can’t have more humans being turned. It just wouldn’t—”

“You don’t need to explain. Everleigh is fully on board,” I say, taking her hand and squeezing it. She’s wearing a hoodie and a pair of my sweatpants.

“I’ve seen first-hand what that crazy bitch is capable of,” Everleigh mutters.

“Good! When is Tassos arriving?” Thane asks.

“Your guess is as good as mine,” I say. “I haven’t heard from him. Yesterday he said that we were rescheduling for the same time, which would be in five or six minutes.”

“How will they get here?”

“Tassos and Lucia will teleport. Elena will come through this fire.” I throw a few more pieces of wood onto the raging flames, and we all take a few steps away. “The plan is to have Elena shift into her human form. She won’t be able to shift back for ten minutes, which is normal for us. Tassos will perform the spell then. Elena will be put back into a long sleep with the rest of my people until it is their time to wake up. That should be long after we are dead and buried.”

“And Everleigh will turn back into a human?” Thane asks.

“Exactly. Tassos made it sound like it would be relatively easy.”

Thane makes a sound that tells me he isn’t convinced. “And how often do easy-sounding things turn complicated?” He’s frowning, his arms folded across his chest.

I nod. “I have to trust that he knows what he is doing.”

“You put a lot of faith in this mage. I have heard from all the others that he is a trickster. That there is very often a payoff for his services.”

This asshole always skews things to make it seem like he’s in charge. I need him. I want him to take Everleigh home once she is turned. Unlike him, I don’t have a helicopter on the ready. He will have landed in the open field a couple of miles from here. His cronies in the SUVs would have been waiting for him there. Once we’re done here, they’ll whisk Everleigh away. It’s at least a two-hour flight to Meredith Hills. A whole day of traveling by car. The quicker our goodbye, the better. If we draw it out, I might end up begging Tassos to find a way to turn her back. I might end up selling my soul to make it happen. With phoenix shifters, there is always a reckoning. Always a balance that needs to be restored. It can’t just happen like with the others. It doesn’t work that way for our kind. Yin and yang. Tit for tat. Someone would lose out. I don’t want that someone to be Everleigh. I need to stick to my guns. We need to keep with the plan. Put Elena to sleep. Everleigh goes home. Done.

“There will be a payoff for Tassos. He wants to win over this mage from Peru. Her name is Lucia.” Although will it end up being an actual payoff with him turning over a new leaf? Have we just made trouble for ourselves? I can’t be too sure. “It’s not like we have much choice in the matter. Unless you have a better idea?” I raise my brows.

Thane chuckles. “I don’t know anything about your kind. Up until recently, I was convinced that you were the last.”

“I am the last. Or will be again soon.”

“But not because the others are dead,” Thane says.

“Semantics. I may as well be the last.”

Everleigh squeezes my hand. I know that she feels bad for me. She doesn’t want me to be alone. I lock eyes with her and squeeze her hand back. I will be fine. I hope I convey the message with my eyes.

Thane clears his throat. He is just about to say something when Tassos and Lucia appear in a cloud of smoke that wafts all around us.

Everleigh sneezes a couple of times. There is a lot of the damned stuff.

The fire before us becomes bigger, hotter, brighter. Thane, Lucia, and Tassos move away quickly. Thane shields his face with his arm as he does. Everleigh and I stay right where we are. We can’t burn. The flames feel good to us. They energize us.

A phoenix rises from the flames. It’s Elena. She screeches, sounding pissed. Then she lands and shifts, turning to face Everleigh and me.

“I will be out front,” Thane says. “This is not my business,” he adds as he walks away. “I’ll talk to you later, Ax.” He gives a wave.

Right! So, when it suits him, he acts like he’s the one in charge, but when it doesn’t, he’s in the wind. As they say, when the chips are down, you learn very quickly who your real friends are. Thane is here though, which counts for something, I guess.

“Heeeey,” Elena whines. “I thought that Sol wanted to speak with me about the future. About our future. Why is he still with the human? And why are they holding hands?” She looks at where our fingers are interlaced.

“Thank you for coming,” I say. As much as it pains me, I let go of Everleigh’s hand. I didn’t even realize I was still holding onto it.

Fuck!

“Cut the bull!” Elena folds her arms. “I want an explanation right now. Why am I here?” she asks Lucia. “You said it would be beneficial to me. This doesn’t look beneficial.” She narrows her eyes.

“I did want to talk,” I tell her. “This is important.”

Why isn’t Tassos acting? He’s supposed to be putting her to sleep.

“There is nothing to talk about if you are still with that.” She makes a face of disgust.

“Hear him out,” Lucia says in her thick Peruvian accent. “You have nothing to lose…si?” She lifts her brows.

I note that Tassos is inching his way toward Elena. I’m going to assume that he needs to be closer to her.

“I don’t like this.” Elena looks at each of us in turn. “I saw the two of you last night.” She waves between Lucia and Tassos. “Fucking is one thing, but you looked altogether too cozy. Are you setting me up?” she asks Lucia.

“Of course not.” Lucia snort-laughs.

Tassos keeps moving, one inch at a time.

“I want what is best for you. You are my client…no?” Again, her accent is heavy.

“Yeah, but I have this gut instinct.” Elena glances at Tassos. “What are you doing? Why are you trying to sneak up on me?” She quickly puts some distance between her and Tassos.

“No reason.” He looks as guilty as hell. Is he sabotaging this on purpose?

“Screw that. I’ll figure this out on my own.” Elena turns and runs.

Tassos shoots a fireball, but Elena ducks out of the way. He throws another, but it hits a tree. Then she’s gone, swallowed up by the undergrowth.

Lucia holds up her hands in defeat. “I won’t act against her. She is still my client.”

“Bring her back here!” Tassos yells at me. “You have roughly another six to eight minutes before she can shift. If she shifts, I need her in this fire." He points. “Otherwise, I need her and Everleigh close together in their human forms.”

Why didn’t he say so in the first damned place?

It does make sense. A phoenix goes to sleep in a fire not of their making and rises again in their ashes. The human sleep part of the equation makes no sense at all, but again, I have to trust the mage. We have come this far.

“Stay here,” I tell Everleigh as I run after Elena. My beast is back, which means that I am stronger, faster, and more agile than ever. I decide to shift. I will have the advantage since she can’t shift right now. I’ll catch her and take her back. If she shifts, I will catch her and hold her in the fire until Tassos performs his spell, and she goes back to her ashes. I only wish that the asshole mage had told me more of the plan earlier. More bullshit games. I think he likes it when things go belly up.

Elena is quick. I’ll give her that. Even in her human form, she moves like a blur, not hindered by the wilderness at all.

I see her in my peripheral vision. I’m closing in on her. She’s headed toward a cliff face. It’s a dead-end. I’ll trap her there and then bring her back. Easy.

Elena reaches the cliff and disappears. Gone. How? This doesn’t make sense. Is Lucia still working with Elena? Have they set up a trap? One I am running into blindly? I don’t have a choice but to follow. The clock is ticking. It won’t be long before she can shift and leave. Then we’re back to square one.

27

Everleigh

I stand next to the fire for a few seconds. Ax has disappeared, chasing after Elena into the undergrowth.

He told me to stay here.

I move from one foot to the other. What if he needs me? What if he gets himself into trouble? Elena has zero scruples.

Stay here!

His words play through my head a few more times. As a firefighter, I would never ignore a command from a direct superior. I’ve pushed my luck a little here and there over the years, but never outright ignored them. Ax isn’t my superior, though.

“Screw it,” I mutter. “I’m going to help!” I yell at Tassos, who is whispering something into Lucia’s ear. She giggles as I jump over the first fallen log. I’m running as fast as my legs will take me.

I should shift. I’d be quicker. I can’t risk it, though. My beast might still be too strong. I could end up on the other side of the world in a heartbeat. Dancing in some or other fire. Of sound mind, but unable to do anything to stop my beast.

I shudder.

Nope, that’s not happening. I need to stick with my human form.

I instinctively know which way to go. I can smell Elena. It’s crazy but I can. She has a unique scent. I can feel my beast. She wants me to shift, but I push down the urge. I grin when I realize that I can do it. Again, I’m tempted to shift; if I can control my shift, I can control my beast, right?

No, I can’t take the chance. There’s just too much at stake. I am the second part of this equation. They can’t make Elena sleep if they don’t know where I am. If I was turned back while dancing in a fire, it could spell my death. Shit! That wouldn’t work at all.

I push myself to run faster and then faster still. I don’t even break a sweat, and my breathing stays even. There are upsides to being a shifter. Right now, I’m faster than the best runner in the world. The world blurs past me, and yet I can see perfectly. Every leaf on every tree. Every piece of gravel on the ground. I jump and dodge boulders, tree roots, and fallen logs as if they are nothing. I do it with grace and agility. It’s exhilarating, but it’s also terrifying. I am almost a fully fledged phoenix shifter. The change is almost complete. We need to get this done today.

I reach a rocky cliff face. I pick up on both Ax and Elena, but I can’t see them anywhere.

“Dammit!” I hear Ax grunt. I still can’t see him, so I follow his voice. He’s wedged in behind a boulder. Elena’s scent is stronger than ever.

“I told you to stay there,” he barks at me as he stands.

I see a narrow entrance behind him. It’s big enough to crawl into. It would be a tight fit for Elena and impossible for a big man like Ax. Then realization dawns.

“She went down there.” It’s a statement more than a question. There is horror laced in my voice because I can’t imagine squeezing myself into the side of a mountain like that.

“Yeah, and I’m too big to follow her. She’ll hole up in there until she can shift again in a couple of minutes. Then she’ll blast her way out here and disappear. I plan on stopping her.” I can see the doubt in his eyes. Ax has only just found his beast. He’s only just started shifting again. He’s essentially finding his feet still… Or, in this case, his wings.

“How deep does the tunnel go?”

He shrugs. “No idea. She won’t have gone too far, though. Shifters don’t like narrow spaces.”

I get a queasy feeling just thinking about crawling in there.

“I’m going in after her,” I say, even though the thought makes me want to puke. “I’ll drag her out, and we can get her back before she shifts.” I’m making it sound so easy.

Ax shakes his head. “That’s too dangerous. If you shift inside there, you’ll die. You don’t have enough control yet.”

Shit!

He’s right.

“There is no other choice,” I say. “I have to get her out…now.” Desperation claws at me. Elena has to be put back to sleep. It has to be today before it’s too late. It’s now or never. We’re down to the wire.

“No!” He shakes his head. “I’ll be ready for her. I’ll shift and take her down. It’s that, or I’ll follow her. I won’t let her get away. I won’t risk you.” He runs a thumb over the edge of my jaw. His gaze softens for just a heartbeat.

I’m also not that quick at shifting. It takes me a while. Too long. I’d lose Elena for sure.

Crap!

My mind is racing. I have to come up with a Plan B.

“That’s risky. If you lose her, we might not find her again in time. I have an idea,” I say, feeling excitement build. It could just work, too.

Flames burst out of the tunnel. That and heat. I have to do something and fast. It’s worth the risk. We’re going to lose Elena. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

“Shit!” I yell. “We’re out of time. All I need you to do is keep her inside there.” I point at the exit. “Give me two minutes.”

“What is the plan?” Ax asks. He pushes the boulder over the entrance of the cave, putting his back against it. “That should hold her for a short while, at least,” he adds.

He’s so damned strong, even in his human form. For a second, I am in awe. Then I pull my thoughts back together because time is of the essence.

“No time! Please just trust me,” I say as I shift.

“It’s too dangerous. You should—” I don’t hear the rest because I’m putting all of my energy into shifting, and it works. Yes! Hopefully, I can maintain control.

I take to the sky. Please, girl! Please! I’m talking to my beast. We need to work together. Please!

So far, so good. I fly as fast as my wings will take me. I’m in control. I’m in my beast form, and I have control; it’s exhilarating. I need to hurry because I don’t know how long Ax will be able to contain a very pissed Elena. She might just get desperate and shift her way out of there.

I see the cabin in the distance. Thane is pacing out front. He shields his eyes, looking up at me. The various guards dotted around the place do the same.

Lucia and Tassos are making out. There is some heavy petting going on. What the hell!? I ignore them and focus instead on the water tank Ax uses for his outdoor shower. Using my clawed feet, I pick the tank up, turning it so that I don’t lose all the precious water. Then I fly back.

I grin as much as my beak will allow, which isn’t much at all. My beast makes a purring noise that I think is praise. She’s happy we’re going back to Ax. She wants to be near him. We’re working together as a team. Finally on the same page. Ax is straining against the boulder. His face has turned red, and he has beads of sweat on his brow. I hear him grunt.

Elena is half screeching and half screaming, trying her best to free herself. Flames pour out around the boulder. It sounds like she is in a semi-shift, hoping to erupt from the opening with claws bared and feathered wings flapping. If my plan doesn’t work, I’ll grab her. She’ll probably beat the living shit out of me, but I’ll give it my best shot. I’m sure it’ll work, though.

I am a firefighter, after all. I know how to put out a fire, dammit.

I fly lower and lower, still hovering close to the exit. We need to time this just right, or Elena might escape.

Ax turns just a little and grins when he sees me. I nod. Then I use my beak to rip the top of the water tank open.

He is working hard to keep the exit sealed. Grunting and groaning. The sweat is pouring. Elena is giving it everything on the other side of that boulder. He fights her off for a few moments and then turns back to where I am waiting.

Ax mouths, “One, two, three,” and then he pushes the boulder out of the way.

Elena shifts as she shoots out of the entrance, but I know exactly where she is going to be and when. I’m ready. My senses are honed. I’m calm, whereas she’s pissed. She doesn’t see me. It’s clear that her only thought is to get out, shift, and get away as soon as possible.

I dump the entire contents of the tank over her. There’s a sizzle, and steam rises. For a second, I don’t think it’s going to be enough to put out her flames, to douse her heat, but I am wrong because it does. She falls mid-shift. Within seconds, she is human again. She splutters and wails, jumping to her feet.

“You bitch!” she yells at me.

Ax shifts. As predicted, it takes him long seconds. It would have been too long to catch Elena if she’d been allowed to complete her shift. He is strong, though. Far bigger than her or me.

Ax picks her up, and Elena screams profanities at both of us. We take to the sky. I follow closely behind him. We stay low. It isn’t technically permitted to shift and fly during the day, but these are desperate times.

He makes a rumbling noise as we descend. The fire is still going strong. Lucia and Tassos have gone from dry-humping to arguing, and it’s heated.

“It should be me!” she shouts at him.

“It was my plan, to begin with,” he retaliates.

“Elena is my client.” She mutters something in Spanish. I’m sure it’s a cuss.

Tassos looks very hard-done-by, so perhaps it was something slung at him.

“I’m not changing my mind!” he shouts. “The phoenix king is my client.”

With the wave of a hand, she shoots him with a fire bolt. Tassos goes flying. He lands in a heap, laughing. “Now you are speaking my love language.”

Lucia shouts at him some more in Spanish which doesn’t sound like she is thinking about love right now. I don’t wait to hear anymore. I shift and run inside to grab a shirt. I’m human. I can’t run around in my birthday suit. I’m not wired that way. I’m back in under half a minute.

Things have heated up. Lucia is flinging fireballs at Tassos, who is either dodging them or using a shield to block them.

“You’ll have to do better,” he yells, grinning. What is wrong with him?

She is still shouting at him in Spanish.

Ax is hovering somewhere above the fire. By my estimation, we have no more than five minutes to put Elena back to sleep. Five minutes before she can shift again. Five minutes before we could lose her.

“Stop!” I yell. Neither of them listens to me. “Hey!” I yell.

Lucia hits Tassos with a whopper of a fireball, and I smell singed flesh. Strangely enough, he laughs again, even though it hit him hard.

“You are beautiful when you are mad. I’m not changing my mind.”

She throws another one at him, but he puts up a shield.

I put my fingers to my lips and whistle. My brother taught me how to whistle loud enough to almost burst an eardrum. He taught me when I was six, and he was ten. There was a time when all I did was whistle through my fingers. Over and over and over. Louder and louder and louder. I whistled all the time. That was until my dad banned me from doing it. At first, the ban encompassed the house. Then it included the yard too, until I eventually got banned altogether, but not before I got really good at it. Whistling through your fingers is definitely like riding a bike because my whistle makes everyone stop in their tracks, even Elena, who stops fighting Ax for a moment.

Tassos and Lucia turn to me. Everyone does.

“Stop!” I tell them. “We’re running out of time.”

“Everleigh is right. I need to put Elena back to sleep before it’s too late. Ax is my client, so it should be me who does it. Don’t you agree?” Tassos asks me.

Lucia says something heated in Spanish and then says. “Elena is my client. It should be me who sends her back to her ashes.”

“I thought you said you had my best interests at heart!” Elena shouts. She’s dangling from Ax’s claws.

“Si, I do,” Lucia says. “Ax will be forced to put you down if you attempt to wake up any of your people. I know you won’t stop in your quest, and therefore it is in your best interest to send you to your ashes.”

“You wouldn’t put me down!” Elena yells up at Ax. “On whose authority? It would be murder.”

“He’s the king. The Council of all the supernaturals has already approved it,” Tassos says. “Therefore, I must act now.”

“I must insist on being the one,’ Lucia says, narrowing her eyes on Tassos. Her hands are curled into claws. She’s ready to fire off a couple more of those magic bomb things of hers. Tassos’s clothing is in tatters. His hair is singed. He has red welts all over him. He sucks in a breath to argue with her. From the smile on his face, I think he gets off on it. This is not the time for them to… I’m not sure what they are doing. It isn’t really arguing. I can see that they are enjoying themselves. Lucia’s cheeks are pink. She looks more aroused than angry. Then she narrows her eyes. Oops! Aroused and angry. Okay. Weird combination.

“You said you would turn over a new leaf,” I tell Tassos.

He looks taken aback for a moment. Then he says, “I have. I am a new man.”

“Is it working for you?” I ask him. “The whole equality thing? The whole trust your partner arrangement?” I remind him of our earlier conversations surrounding this matter.

“Yes, I suppose it… I—” He sighs. “Fine, my love.” His shoulders sag as he locks his gaze with Lucia. “You may do the honors. You are right about everything. I am wrong. I have never met anyone more powerful or beautiful.”

Lucia sighs. Her eyes softening. “You are amazing! El deseo demi corazón.” She blinks a few times. “You do it, my lover. I insist.”

What? Now they’re going to argue over who is going to turn Elena back? They will drive me freaking insane. I groan in frustration.

“Don’t!” Elena screams at me. “The two of you can’t be together if you are human.” Again, she spits the word. I wonder what she has against humans. What did we ever do to her? For the most part, we don’t even know about the existence of shifters, phoenix, or otherwise.

“You will lose your beast. Your power. You will be nothing again,” she shouts at me. “That goes for you, too,” she shouts at Ax.

I take a step toward her. “Humans aren’t nothing. I used my human training to put your fire out today. I stopped these two from arguing using something I learned when I was human. There is nothing wrong with being human.”

“Humans are less than nothing,” she shouts. “Go back to your nothing life alone. Both of you,” she shouts. “I will rise again!” she yells. “When I awake with the rest of our people after the long sleep, I will reign terror.”

Tassos shouts, “Ready.”

I realize that he and Ax have been silently communicating. Ax drops Elena into the fire. She immediately shifts. Ax holds onto her, though. I see his claws tightening around her.

I’m not sure what I was expecting, but not what happens next. Tassos mutters a few words. Ax lets her go just as Tassos sends red lightning from both his hands into Elena.

She shrieks, jerks a few times in the fire, and then turns into ash. The ash falls into the flames, which diminish for a few moments before reigniting with fervor.

“You are a strong mage,” Lucia says to Tassos. “Strong and gorgeous.”

Tassos says something back, but I am no longer paying attention.

I feel my phoenix leave my body. There is a physical pull. I am lifted a few feet off the ground for a few seconds before I drop back down. I manage to keep my footing, but only just.

My beast is gone.

She’s gone.

My whole body instantly feels sluggish and heavy. It feels like someone has plugged my ears and put eye drops in my eyes because I suddenly can’t hear or see much of anything anymore.

“Everleigh. Everleigh, are you okay?” Ax is clutching my arm.

His voice feels drowned out. I blink a few times until his face comes into focus. I can see, but only on a surface level. I realize that this is normal for a human. It’s how it always was for me. At least until recently.

“Um…” I swallow. “Yes…yes, I’m fine.” It’ll take some getting used to. Just like suddenly having a beast inside me was difficult at first, this will be too. I was getting used to her. I was getting used to having superior senses. I didn’t realize how much I adapted over the last few days. It gradually happened. This change was all at once. It’s a little overwhelming. Maybe underwhelming is a better choice of words. My senses are dull. I am human again, which is just fine. There is nothing wrong with being human.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” he asks. “You look…unsure. You seem…distant.”

“Sorry.” I push out a breath, locking eyes with him. “It feels weird…that’s all.” My eyes are about to fill with tears, but I blink them away. I’m not sure if it’s because she’s gone or because I’m leaving now.

This is over.

I have to say goodbye, and I hate goodbyes. I’m terrible at them.

“Thank fuck!” He pulls me against him into a tight hug. I can barely breathe.

“Easy, Tiger! I’m human again. I break,” I finally croak. I sigh when he lets up on squeezing me.

“Shit! Sorry.” He pulls away so that he can look me over. “Are you sure you’re okay? No injuries? Or—”

“I’m absolutely fine.”

“And a genius. You put out her fire.” He grins at me. “You must be an amazing firefighter.” His gorgeous hazel eyes cloud for a second, and then he smiles again. It looks forced.

I smile back. I’m pretty sure it’s forced too, but fake it till you make it, right? “I’m pretty good.”

Then he sobers up. “You get to go back to your team. Your life. This is it.”

“Yep, this is it. We’re not going to make this into a sappy goodbye. I just…I—” I’ll cry if we do, and I don’t want to cry because it’ll be ugly crying. If I start, I won’t be able to stop. “I don’t like goodbyes,” I settle on.

“No sappy goodbye. Just this.” He cups my jaw, hooks an arm around me, and kisses me. I melt against his hard body. I thread my hands around his neck and kiss him back.

When we pull apart, he looks into my eyes. “Goodbye, Chili Pip.”

“Bye, Ax,” I whisper. “Promise me you’ll get out more.”

“He’d have to actually wear clothing and shave off that disgusting beard.” I recognize the voice. It’s the vampire king. “All sorted?” he asks me. “Do you need another minute?”

“No,” Ax and I say at the same time as we release one another.

“I take it the rogue phoenix shifter has been put back to sleep?”

“Si,” Lucia says.

“You are welcome.” Tassos gives a sweeping bow. “I could not have done it without my gorgeous girlfriend. Lucia, this is the vampire king, Thane.”

“Nice to meet you,” Thane says, looking at his watch. “I hate to rush you, but we need to go. I have dinner plans with my wife tonight, and if I don’t make it, she’ll have my balls and half my cock, too.”

“You would be so lucky,” Tassos smirks.

Thane gives the ghost of a smile. “No contacting one another,” he tells us. “This ends today.”

I don’t need special powers to see Ax’s muscles tighten. He visibly grows in stature, and I’m sure I hear him grind his teeth. He and Thane do not get along. That much is clear.

I can feel the tears pricking my eyes again. We need to leave before Thane and Ax come to blows. Even worse would be if I started crying.

Arghhh!

I reach up and brush a kiss over Ax’s mouth. “Thank you for everything.”

“It was the best week of my life.”

Fuuuuuck!

I’m going to cry.

“Goodbye!” I yell as I turn and fast-walk towards Thane, who is standing at the side of the cabin. I throw a wave in everyone’s general direction. I brush past the vampire king.

I can’t.

I just can’t.

If I don’t leave now, it’s going to get ugly, and I’m not just talking about my crying. It’s the begging I’m worried about. I’ll start to beg. I’ll beg Tassos and his girlfriend, Lucia. Most of all, I’ll beg Ax. I’ll beg him to let me stay, and I know it isn’t possible.

By the time I climb into the nearest SUV, I am crying. I can’t stop. When Thane gets into the car a few moments later, I am hiccuping. He hands me a crisp, white handkerchief.

“You will get over him soon enough,” he says.

I make a noise of agreement, using the handkerchief to wipe my face and blow my nose. I wish I believed that. I’m heading back to my life. To everyone and everything that I have ever known. And yet I’ve never felt lonelier than I do right now. That’s a little sad.

28

Ax

I watch Everleigh disappear around the side of my cabin. I can see that she is upset. I saw it in her eyes just before she turned away. I saw it in the hunch of her shoulders. Fuck! I have to stop myself from going after her.

I watch Thane walk away. He is a bastard, but he will make sure that she gets home safely.

I finally look over at Lucia and Tassos. Tassos’s mind is clearly not in the game. We could have lost Elena today and several times over. I have to remind myself that he was doing us a favor. I won’t call him out on it, even though there are a few choice words on the tip of my tongue. I hold back.

“Thank you for your help,” I tell them.

“It is a great pleasure,” Lucia says. Her eyes are kind, but they also glint with wisdom and a touch of mischief. She and Tassos make a good pair. A dangerous pair. I’m glad they are on our side…at least for now. I would hate for that to change.

“You are most welcome,” Tassos says. “Now, if you will excuse us, I owe this lovely lady a multiple—”

“Too much information, Tassos.” I chuckle. It sounds hollow. Maybe that’s because I am feeling hollow inside. I push the thought aside. There will be plenty of time to wallow in self-pity. I’ll even give myself permission to do it…soon. Not just yet.

“When you are in love, you are in love.” They give each other googly eyes, oblivious to my disposition. Everleigh is gone. She’s gone. She took a part of me when she left.

Not right now! I tell myself.

I still feel my beast strong inside of me. That is one thing, but for how long? Will my madness be full-blown this time? I hope not.

I suck in a breath. “Before you go, there is something that worried me about what Elena said.”

“I wouldn’t put too much stock in that.” Tassos shakes his head. “She was upset. Rambling on.”

“She said that when she wakes up with the rest of my people after their long sleep, she will reign terror. I’m worried that she meant it.”

I catch a look of concern in Lucia’s gaze.

“Do you think she might make good on it?” I ask.

“You can’t worry about something you can’t change.” Tassos shakes his head, and for once, he looks solemn. “I’m sorry you lost your girl. I know that the two of you were…good together.”

“We were great together.” My voice chokes up.

“I know, and I’m sorry I didn’t come through for you. I’ve racked my brain for a solution, and I can’t find one. You need to get on with your life. Forget about Elena. Make the most of what you have.”

I nod. “I might try to get a message to my father. A word of warning about Elena. They do not know her like I do. They do not know what she plans.” Selfish bitch from hell. Saying it, even inside my own head, makes me think of Everleigh. I have a feeling that a lot of things are going to remind me of her.

Tassos laughs.

Lucia smiles but turns serious. “You might be right about her causing trouble in the future. I don’t think that was an empty threat,” she says. “She comes across as sweet and kind. Feisty, but in a good way. That woman is good at fooling people. I was fooled. You should try to leave your father a message. A letter. Or…something.”

“I’ll have to give it some thought. I’m having second thoughts about putting her back to sleep. Perhaps we should have put her in front of the Council and looked at an alternate solution. One that is more permanent. One that she can’t come back from. She’s going to cause trouble for my people. Maybe even for the humans, too. It’s like she has a vendetta against them. I am more concerned than ever.”

Tassos scratches his chin. “That would have been a bad idea. I just told her that to get her to simmer down and accept her fate more readily. You didn’t meet with the Council. There were no approvals.”

“Nope, but I did think it was a good idea. She’s a loose cannon who needs to be stopped.”

“You must remember that her and Everleigh’s lives are interwoven now. I fear that Everleigh might have died too if we had ended Elena. There will have been repercussions. Good or bad, I can’t say.” He shrugs. “Elena cannot be touched while Everleigh is alive. As I said, I have not been able to come up with a better solution than the one offered. As it stands, I think it went smoothly. As well as could be expected. You have her ashes.” Tassos looks into the fire. “You can work out a good plan on how to contain her when she wakes up from the long sleep and on how to warn the others of her plans even though you will not be here.”

That’s true. It is a small consolation. It’s not going to be foolproof because I more than likely will not be here to oversee it since my people are in their long sleep. It’s something, though. Something that just might work.

“You’re right.” I nod once. “Thank you both again.”

“Take care of yourself, Ax. I will be in touch.” Tassos touches the side of my arm. I can see that he is concerned about me, which is both disconcerting and heartwarming since I didn’t think that the mage had it in him. Maybe he has indeed, turned over a new leaf.

“Will you come to my wedding?” he asks me.

Lucia breaks out in Spanish again. Then she says, “Are you crazy? Loco!” She touches the side of her head. “I am not the marrying type.”

“Neither was I until not so long ago.” Tassos winks at her. “It shall be my great pleasure trying to convince you to change your mind.”

“That sounds interesting, mi querido. I do not think you will succeed, but I look forward to you trying.” They disappear in a cloud of smoke.

I will live again.

When I awake, I will reign terror.

Elena’s words keep running through my head. I will get a message to my father somehow. A letter that will need to be delivered in the future after they wake up; I have no idea when that will be. It’s going to be tricky. Close to impossible. I will have to give it a lot of thought. It is my duty to warn them. I should have asked Tassos to put me back to sleep, although I am guessing that it wouldn’t have worked.

There will be repercussions. I hear his voice in my head. I don’t think it is possible. I have met with many mages and witches over the years. Firstly, to try to get my beast back, and then secondly, to try to see if they could put me back to sleep. I should be asleep right now. I should never have woken up, not until it was my time. Nothing anyone has tried has worked before; I doubt it would work now. The closest I ever got was with that witch, Divine. She turned my eyes freaky to prove that my beast was still inside me. None of them are to be trusted. Not even Tassos. I feel bad even thinking it, but I would be crazy not to be cautious.

Then again, do I really want to go back into my long sleep? I know it’s sappy, but I would somehow prefer to be in a world with Everleigh in it, even if I can’t have her. I grunt because I am giving myself a headache. All of these thoughts are swirling together. I need to calm my mind.

I go and get my ax, and then I start chopping. Winter will be here soon; I need to replenish the wood we used today. I need to do something. Anything is better than pining for things I can never have.

29

Everleigh

Six weeks later

All I can see is the raging fire. It’s a wall of flames. Smoke billows into the night sky. I have to brace my feet to keep from being blasted backward as I keep my fire hose trained on the base of the blaze. Sweat drips down my brow. My mask is stuffy. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to wearing protective gear, especially after feeling the freedom of flight. The feeling of the wind under my wings.

Stop!

The building before us is almost fully ablaze. At this point, we are losing our battle, which is disheartening. It’s a mattress factory in the industrial sector, so there is plenty of fuel for this monster.

The fire is beautiful. It dances and flickers, illuminating the night sky with its orange and red glow. I can't help but stare at it while I work, mesmerized by its power and beauty. I know that I have a job to do, which means putting this raging inferno out yesterday, so I snap out of it and concentrate on the job at hand.

My partner, Lewis, is next to me on my left; he takes a step forward, holding his own hose steady. Thankfully, everyone got out, so we only have to worry about the fire spreading to the next lot. And the one after that. And the one after that.

No pressure!

As I continue to spray the blaze, I can feel the heat intensify, even though I’m in my full gear. Being so close to the flames is invigorating. It reminds me of— No! I can’t think about that now. My mind has been foggy lately!

I hear my captain talking; he is calling for reinforcements. We need more hoses on this beast.

Suddenly, a loud explosion rocks the ground beneath me. I stumble backward, almost losing my grip on my line. When I look up, I see that the fire has spread even farther, engulfing an entire building in its deadly grasp.

Crap!

“It’s a flare-up!” Lewis yells. “Move ten more feet to the right, Jones,” he shouts at me.

Wait!

What is that?

My eyes narrow on the fire. Above it…in it. It looks like… Could it be? Are those wings, a tail…?

I take a step closer and then another. I ignore the heat, which is immense.

There is yelling in my ears, but I ignore it because I’m sure that’s a phoenix in the flames. Is it him? Is it Ax? Is he here? Watching me?

Someone grabs me and rips me backward.

“What the fuck was that?” Lewis snarls. “Your pipe wasn’t even on the fire anymore. You looked like you were going to—”

“I wasn’t,” I yell. “I was getting a closer look. I thought I saw something.”

Lewis gets right in my face. “Head in the game, Leigh. Fuck!”

“You good, Jones?” my captain asks.

“I’m good.” I sound very self-assured, which is great since I’m not.

What was that? Did I just…?

Fuck!

I can’t unpack it right now.

Later!

I blast my hose at the raging fire just as the boys from Station 20 arrive in a roar of sirens.

My captain closes the file. My file. I don’t see the name on the label, but I somehow just know that it is mine. It isn’t very thick. Is that good or bad? I was called in. This can’t be good. Not after last night.

Crap!

I want to squirm. I want to wring my hands and lick my lips. I want to turn and run. I don’t. I keep my eyes on my boss as I approach his desk.

“Take a seat, Jones.” He gestures to one of the open chairs on the other side of his desk.

I sit and fold my hands in my lap.

Stay calm! It’s all good.

“I’m concerned,” he says.

“There is no need, Sir. I’m fine.” I force myself to stay still, even though my nose starts to itch.

“You’re not okay; you almost died.”

I frown. “With all due respect, Cap, I really didn’t. I just took a step or two toward the fire because I thought I saw…something. That’s all it was. No big deal. I certainly didn’t nearly die or anything like that.” I laugh, which I instantly regret. I clear my throat and sit back in my seat.

When did I lean forward?

“I’m not talking about last night; I’m talking about the incident at Parkway Views. You fell several stories into a raging fire. It was only by the grace of God that you survived. It was a miracle. A bona fide miracle. One that can never be explained. You should have died, Everleigh. That type of thing affects a person.”

I nod once, but I don’t say anything. I didn’t die, but in that moment, I was forever changed. In some ways, for the better, and in others… All I can say is that I’m a mess, but I was sure that I was keeping that part of myself firmly under wraps. It clearly isn’t working as well as I thought.

“You refused treatment after the incident.”

“I was in hospital for a couple of hours. They couldn’t find anything wrong with me, so I left.” I shrug, trying not to think about Ax. It’s reminding me of him, and I’m trying hard to forget.

“Not physically, Jones. As I said, it was a miracle you survived, let alone unscathed. I’m not talking about that.” He waves an arm. His dark eyes are on me. My captain is keenly intelligent and an all-around nice guy, even though I wouldn’t dare mess with him. “I’m talking up here.” He points at his head. “You wanted to get right back to work after a paltry week off work. You haven’t processed what happened to you. You refused support. There is no shame in needing help. You turned it down before, but I’m going to have to insist that you accept it now, or I will be forced to pull you from active duty until you can get back on track.”

I force myself to breathe. Fuck! I was sure that I was hiding my stuff. The stuff you push way down deep. I’m sad…sure. I miss him with the fierceness of a thousand damned fires. If I’m honest, I miss her too. My phoenix. They are pieces of myself that were stripped away when Elena’s ashes fell. When she went back to where she belongs…back to sleep. It had to happen. Of course, it did. I miss all of it, and I’m sad, but it doesn’t mean I need a shrink.

Or does it? Have I been that bad?

Then again, I’ve lost weight, despite all the chocolate and ice cream. Although, some days, a bowl of ice cream and a couple of Reese’s Cups are all I eat. I’m down three holes on my belt. I don’t sleep well, and last night…

Shit!

Last night I convinced myself that Ax was in the fire. I’m sure he wasn’t. I just wanted him near. I wanted a glimpse. I am a mess. Maybe I do need help.

Double crap!

I nod once and swallow thickly. “I’ll go,” I tell my captain.

“There really is no shame, Everleigh. You know that, right? You need to work through it; that’s all.”

That’s all.

I need to work through it. If only it were that simple. My job is all I have, and maybe my boss is right. Maybe it will help. It’s worth a shot, even if I can’t be completely honest with my therapist.

“I’ll go.” I give him the ghost of a smile. “You’re right. I’ll be fine.”

“I know you will, Jones. You’re stronger than most of the men in this station. You have grit.”

“Thank you, Sir.”

“Your first appointment is scheduled for this afternoon. It will be three sessions a week for two weeks and then twice a week thereafter.”

So many appointments. My face falls. My captain must notice because he adds, “It’s not that bad and not for forever.”

“How long will I need to go for?” I blurt before I can stop myself.

He lifts a brow. “As long as it takes, Jones.” His voice is clipped.

As long as it takes to put a lid on it. Could be a while. I almost laugh but manage to stop myself. There are some things that a person will never get over. No matter how hard they try. I will have to get better at hiding it.

“Okay. No problem.” I try to sound cheery.

“I’m glad you’re on board. Your appointment is at three. Don’t be late. You are excused.” He opens his laptop.

I stand. “Thank you for your time, Sir.”

“I have high hopes for you, Jones.” He doesn’t look up.

My boss doesn’t give praise easily. There was a time his comment would have meant a lot to me. Not anymore. I’m appreciative, but it doesn’t warm me up inside like it should.

“Thank you, Sir.” Then I turn and leave.

Lewis is waiting for me outside. “Did you agree?” he asks as soon as I shut the door.

“Wait just a minute,” I whisper-shout. “Did you know about this?”

“The Cap called me in earlier and asked my opinion, and I agreed that therapy would be helpful.” We start walking down the hallway.

“What? Really? Why?”

“Because it’s affecting your work. If it affects you, it affects me; it affects the whole damned crew. Kelsey is due next month, and I need to be there for her. I need to be there for my family.”

“You will be there. What are you talking about, John?”

“I’m at risk if your head isn’t in the game, Leigh.” He shakes his head, running a hand through his hair. “You’ve been a mess since you came back. Don’t even deny it. You nearly died. You had your heart broken. It was all too much. You need help. It’s getting worse, not better. I agree with the Cap.”

I’m starting to regret telling John about Ax. I didn’t go into detail. There was loads I couldn’t tell him, but I told him enough. Too much, it would seem.

“I said I would go. Don’t go behind my back again.” I point at him.

“I didn’t go behind your back. The boss called me in.” He shrugs. “I had to be honest. It’s time you were honest with yourself as well. We need you strong again. I’m worried about you. That’s the bottom line, Leigh. I’m so damned worried.”

This sucks!

He’s right. The cracks are there.

“I’m sorry, John.” My voice breaks a little. “I let you down and—”

“No, fuck that. You didn’t let me down. You’re human, Everleigh. You’re allowed to struggle. To feel.” He pulls me into a hug. “You’re human… Don’t forget that.” He hugs me tight for a second and then lets me go.

Human.

As if I could forget. I have to work not to cry.

30

Ax

Light hits my eyes, making me squint.

I growl.

“What the fuck happened in here?” I hear someone say. It’s followed by bouts of dramatic coughing. “What the fuck died? Why is it so smokey in here?”

Solstice is standing in the doorway. His face is all scrunched up. I’m still squinting against the intrusion.

“Why the fuck did you let yourself into my house just so that you could start asking a whole bunch of stupid-as-fuck questions?” I ask. “Leave! Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.” I start to lie back down, but stop when he talks.

“Really, Ax.” Solstice walks inside, leaving the door wide open. “This place is a pigsty.” He looks around; his nose is scrunched up.

“Leave, then! As I said, you can shut the door behind you.” I point at the front door from my spot on the bed.

“Why? In case I let in some air or some light?” he says, walking in like he owns the place. “Heaven for-fucking-bid, right? How long have you been lying around? Your beard is halfway down your chest. You smell.” He makes a face. “Is that dried blood on your chest? Holy fucking shit, I should have come sooner.”

“I went hunting, so sue me,” I mumble, looking down. When did I go hunting again? Day before yesterday? A week ago? Fucked if I know. Fucked if I care.

“There are unwashed dishes in the sink. Piles of the fucking things.”

“Are you my mother now? Fuck! If you’re going to be an asshole, you can leave right now. There’s the door. Shut it on your way out,” I say yet again.

“I will not.” Not only does Solstice not shut the door, but he opens the back door as well, along with a window. He pulls open the curtains.

My eyes sting. I was happy before. Totally fucking happy. Why is this interfering prick getting into my business?

“What the fuck are you doing?” I growl.

“How many boxes of Reese’s Cups did you eat?” he asks, frowning. “And strawberry ice cream. What the hell?” He’s looking at all the cartons and boxes littered around my bed and on the table.

Whatever.

“Quite a few,” I tell him. They’re Everleigh’s favorite. I wanted to be closer to her, somehow. I know it’s a little crazy, but I couldn’t help myself. I did feel better because I know she’s eating this stuff too. I just know it. Even if we’re miles apart, at least we can still do something together…at least for a little while. Until she forgets me. I’m so fucking pathetic. My beast whimpers inside me. He’s pathetic too. Maybe worse than I am. Definitely worse.

I snarl when Solstice dumps a bucket of water over me. I didn’t even see him coming. I was too busy wallowing. The cigar in my hand goes out with a sizzle. I would jump up and kick his ass, but I don’t feel like it. I snarl instead, dropping my wet cigar into an overflowing ashtray.

“Get your ass out of bed right now. I didn’t realize it had gotten this bad.” His purple eyes are narrowed on me.

“No!” I say, even though my bedding and the mattress are soaked. Even though I’m uncomfortable. The only consolation is that I’m not wearing clothes, or those would be soaked too.

“You stink. Your hair is greasy. And what the fuck is that in your beard?” He points.

I touch the bristles absently, realizing that I haven’t washed it or myself in… Holy shit. It’s been days. Then I find it; half a Reese’s Cup stuck in my beard.

“Fuck!” I mutter.

“Fuck is right,” Solstice says.

I move into a sitting position. I realized about three weeks ago that I feel less grumpy when I’m in bed, so I started avoiding getting out of it as much as possible. Solstice is right, though; I need to wash up. I’ll make it quick.

“Fine,” I groan. “I’ll shower. I don’t want you here when I get back.”

He doesn’t say anything. He watches me leave the cabin.

The sun burns my eyes. It’s been three, no four, days since I was outside and then only to take a quick shower. No, I went hunting. Did I shower afterward?

Hell’s teeth!

Maybe not.

No wonder I stink. Days have sort of blurred together. At first, I tried to keep busy, but then I realized I felt better inside…doing less. Less is more; isn’t that a saying?

Who gives a fuck?

I quickly do my thing. I consider trimming my beard but decide against it. At least it’s clean. Who cares if it’s long? Not me.

My beast half-heartedly makes his presence known. He sort of stretches inside me. Nudging a little for a shift.

“No,” I tell him. “It’s still broad daylight. Let’s go back to bed.”

I feel his agreement as I trudge back up the stairs. I don’t even bother shaking myself dry. My bed is wet, so there’s no point.

Solstice is still there, so I growl at him.

He grins at me. “That’s much better.” I notice he’s cleaning my dirty dishes, and the trash has been picked up and taken out.

“You’re leaving as soon as you’re done.” I point at the sink of soapy dishes. There are more piled next to it. Shit! This place is a mess. I hadn’t really noticed.

Solstice just smiles at me, which is fucking annoying. He’s my favorite out of the beast kings, but right now, I want to punch him.

I growl again and then walk back to my bed. “What the hell is this?” I shout. My bed has been stripped. Even the mattress is gone.

“It was wet,” he says. “Besides, your sheets were fucking filthy. You should be ashamed.”

“Yes, Mom,” I grumble.

“You can go and clean them while I do this, and then we’ll have a beer while your mattress dries out front.”

I lift my brows. “You brought beer?”

“Only the finest ale in all of the country. I brewed an amazing batch. You get hints of honey and just a dash of fruitiness. You’ll love it, but only if you clean your bedding and hang it out on the line. I’ll hook you up once you’re done. I’m still busy with the dishes, which are fucking disgusting as well.”

I roll my eyes. “I didn’t ask you to clean them.”

“They asked me themselves. There’s shit growing on them, so now they can talk. Soon they’ll be walking around, and we can’t have that now, can we? You’re fucking welcome. So, do you want a beer or not?”

Sounds good. If I chase two or three bottles, I might get a light buzz. I bought whiskey on my last supermarket run a couple of weeks ago, but I finished it the same night. I was stone drunk for all of fifteen minutes and hungover for another ten. The end. Sometimes being a shifter sucks donkey dick. My only regret is that I should have bought more. Beer would be nice.

“Fine, but we’re not talking.”

“We are talking. The more talking, the more beer.”

“Deal, but you’re doing the talking,” I mutter as I grab the pile of laundry and head out back. It takes me fifteen minutes to wash and hang the linen. Only because I have to wash the sheet three times. I am a filthy pig. I won’t admit it, though.

“Beer time,” I say as I walk back into my cabin.

Solstice is sweeping. “The floor is disg—”

“Get the beer,” I tell him. “Now! A deal is a deal.” I’ll finish cleaning after this asshole leaves. Actually, I’ll finish tomorrow, because tomorrow is another day. It’ll be a better day…maybe.

“Fine,” he growls.

Then I look down and note that the floor is indeed disgusting. I carry on sweeping it while Solstice is gone. He returns with two six-packs, putting one in my small gas fridge.

“Is that all you brought?”

“Quit your whining,” he says as he opens two beers using an opener on his car keys.

I lean the broom against the wall and join him, downing half a beer in one go. I wipe my beard with the back of my hand.

“Mmmmmm…this is good. Your best yet.” I nod a few times. “I get the honey, but I’m not so sure about the fruity notes you mentioned.”

He beams. “I told you it was good. Take another sip. You’ll pick up fruity finish. It’s subtle.”

I take a sip and then make a noise of agreement. “I can’t believe you only brought me six more. Don’t you know me at all?”

“Not like this, I don’t. We’re worried about you.”

I grunt.

“I’m worried about you. You haven’t been to a single meeting. You haven’t answered a single call. I’ve texted you a dozen times. I’m sure the others have, too.”

“I needed a time out.” I down the rest of my beer, reaching for another.

“This is not time out, Ax. This is…it’s full-blown depression. You have your beast back. What’s going on? Is it the human? Thane and Tassos aren’t talking. Aside from the main facts, they won’t tell us anything.”

I’m shocked to hear that. I thought that both of them would sing like larks. It seems I was wrong.

“I found my mate,” I say, feeling a lump grow in my throat as I picture Everleigh. Her sweet smile. The gorgeous brown of her eyes. Her laugh when she’s being all sassy.

Solstice opens the beer and slides it over to me. “The human was your mate. Oh, fuck!” He downs his beer and then opens another for himself. “That puts a whole other spin on this. No wonder you’re so fucked up.”

I nod once and take a big swig of beer.

“Are you sure?” he asks me.

I nod. “Very.”

“And so far, no madness?”

“Nope, just loneliness; that, and pining. Lots of fucking pining. I’d rather get the madness and be put down than this.”

The fae king puts his beer down with a clang, and some of it bubbles over the rim.

“Don’t talk like that.”

I shrug.

“Okay, so it didn’t work out because she got turned back into a human so that the psycho phoenix shifter could be put back to sleep where she belonged.”

“Yeah, she’s human again. She’s gone back to her life.” I’m peeling the label off the bottle. I sigh. “It’s all kinds of fucked up. I have my beast back because of her, but…” I shrug.

“How did she feel about you?”

“She’s crazy about me. I mean, what woman wouldn’t want all this?” I gesture at myself. Solstice gives my hairy, naked ass a once-over and starts laughing.

“No, you’re absolutely right,” he agrees. “You’re a catch.” We both laugh, but my good humor doesn’t last.

“And Tassos couldn’t come up with a single plan?” Solstice rubs his chin absently. “Not even one?”

“Nope.” I roll my eyes. “He was knee-deep in Lucia’s pussy and not thinking straight.”

“Pussy will do that to a man.” Solstice nods a few times.

“How is he? Tassos… How is the mage?” I ask because I haven’t really thought about him until now.

“Still knee-deep in Lucia’s pussy. He tells us the most bizarre stories about—”

I hold up a hand. “Nope, I don’t want to hear it.” We both laugh. It’s the second time I’ve laughed since… My chest aches, and I put a hand there. I’m so pathetic it’s scary. I can’t help it. I don’t know how to fix it.

“You really are fucked up over this lady of yours.”

“Not mine. I wish she was mine. Her name is Everleigh.” Such a beautiful name. “I don’t blame Tassos. It was the only way to put Elena back to sleep where she belongs. To restore balance. Apparently, the two of them are connected now. If something happens to the one, then the other is affected.”

“So, the only way to be with Everleigh is if she was turned back into a shifter?”

“Yep, and the only way to do that would be to wake Elena up,” I say. “We can’t do that because she causes shit left, right, and center. I don’t like that she’s still sleeping because she promised to reign terror when she wakes up with the rest of my people. She’s insane. We can’t bring her back and kill her because Everleigh might die. It’s so damned fucked up on all levels.”

“They’re connected now. Interesting.” Solstice rubs his chin.

“That’s not interesting. It’s fucked up. It’s all yin and yang. What happens to the one will happen to the other bullshit.”

“All about balance.” He nods a few times, and then his eyes light up. “I think I know of something that might work.”

“What?”

“I need to have a talk with Tassos. Sit tight. I’ll be back.” He jumps up. “Enjoy the beer.” Then he runs out of my cabin, leaving the door open.

What the fuck was that?

I down my beer and then use my teeth to open another one. Nope! I’m not going to get excited that Solstice is onto something, because he probably isn’t. If I start to hope, then I will feel worse when nothing comes of it. I down the beer instead.

31

Everleigh

One week later…

I’m staring up at the ceiling. Several LED lights illuminate the space, which is designed to accommodate four or five people at one time. Right now, it’s just Lewis and me and my pleas for leniency.

“Three more,” Lewis tells me.

Arghh!

I hate our gym sessions, but we have to do them. We have to stay strong and fit, and since I am a woman, that counts doubly for me. So, I show up four times a week, and I give it my all.

I push the barbell up over my chest one, two, three times. The weights on either end are tiny. If that is the case, why does this thing feel like it weighs two tons? Maybe because I’ve done thirty bench presses. I need to cut myself some slack.

“Nicely done,” Lewis says as he takes the pole and hangs it back on the stand.

I push out a breath. My arms are shaking. “Admit that you like torturing me,” I push out between heavy panting.

He chuckles. “You’re getting better. It’s taking years, but we’ll get you in shape, Jones. I have hope for you yet.”

I sit up and then grab my towel and wipe my face. “I’m glad you think so because it doesn’t feel like it.”

“You are. Next, we’re going to work on your biceps.” I give him a dirty look, and he laughs. “The stronger you get, the easier the job becomes. You know it, and I know it. Besides, it’s good for the mind. I was glad to see you at dinner last night.”

I’ve been hiding out when we’re on call. I haven’t felt much like the banter. I haven’t felt much like people in general, but I need to show that I’m making an effort so that both Lewis and our captain will calm down and lay off me.

“Yeah, yeah. It was…nice. Weir’s cooking was actually palatable for once.”

We both laugh.

“That’s good, Leigh. The sooner you get on with your life, the better. You have so much to offer someone.”

I smile.

“With that in mind…” He widens his eyes.

“No! Don’t even say it.” I shake my head, getting this feeling of dread.

“Hear me out. Kelsey wants to introduce you to someone.” Lewis looks sheepish. Good! He should.

“I’m not interested,” I say immediately.

“It’s her gynecologist,” he adds.

I make a face. “You want me to date a guy who looks at women’s vaginas all day?” I laugh.

“It’s his job. Besides, he’s a nice guy and good-looking, too.” He holds up both hands. “This is according to my very pregnant wife and mother of my children.” He smirks. “According to Kels, I’m still the hotter out of the two of us, though.”

“Then I’m definitely out, since you’re an ugly mug.” That isn’t true. Lewis is gorgeous. He’s all dark skin and big brown eyes. He’s also stacked since he works out all the damned time.

Lewis laughs. “Now I know you’re full of it. What do you say?”

I shake my head, becoming serious. “I’m not ready.”

“You will be soon, though,” he says as he grabs two small dumbbells.

“I’m sure you’re right, but please don’t try to set me up with someone who has seen your wife’s vagina. Our barbecues would be awkward.”

Lewis chokes out a laugh. “You’re right. I never thought of it that way.”

Apparently, I’m already getting better at putting a lid on it. Pretending to be okay is exhausting. My therapist is very nice. It feels good to talk, even though I can’t divulge everything. But I still miss Ax. In some ways, I’m lucky I only caught a glimpse of the life I could have had, but in many other ways, I feel like I was robbed. I wanted more time. Another day, another month. Then again, it all would have felt too short.

“You’re getting that faraway look that scares me.”

“I’m trying to mentally prepare for the rest of our training session. That’s all.” I smile and throw my towel at him.

He steps out of the way easily and then hands me the dumbbells. “Right. You know the drill.”

I nod.

“Fifty reps.”

“Fifty!” My mouth drops open. “Are you trying to kill me?” He’ll want me to do fifty reps four or five times. I won’t be able to turn the steering wheel of my car, let alone hold the hose if we get called out.

“No, Jones, I’m—”

“There’s someone here to see you, Habanero,” one of my crewmates says around the doorjamb.

“Me?” I put the dumbbells down. “Who is it?”

“I didn’t ask. He’s a really big guy with dark hair and eyes. He says he knows you and that you’ll want to see him.”

Ax?

Could it be?

“Tell him to fuck off,” Lewis says, clearly thinking along the same lines as I am.

“Excuse me,” I say, standing. “We don’t even know who it is. And last time I checked, I was quite capable of making my own decisions.” I turn back to the hallway. “Does he have a really big bushy beard?”

“The guy has a beard?” Lewis looks shocked. He cocks his head. “Seriously, Leigh? Does he have a man bun as well?”

“No man bun and no beard either,” Jackson says. “Are you coming out, or should I ask him to leave? I can tell him that you’re not here.”

“It’s more than likely him. I’ll tell him to go and fuck himself,” Lewis says; his eyes are blazing.

My heart is racing.

Could it be?

“Stop it!” I tell my partner, who has started walking toward the exit.

“He’ll hurt you again.”

“It wasn’t his fault,” I tell him. “I told you that neither of us was willing to change our whole lives to be together.” He doesn’t know the half of it. “I’ll be fine. We’re just going to talk.” My heart is racing at the prospect of seeing Ax again.

It probably isn’t him.

It isn’t!

You’re going to be disappointed.

“Like hell it wasn’t his fault, and you won’t be fine. We both know it.” Lewis continues walking. He’s taking big strides. My partner has always seen me as the sister he never had. He’s always been overprotective of me.

“I can handle it!” I yell after him as he starts to walk down the hall. Crap! “I don’t think it’s him.” I start trailing after Lewis. I’m jogging to catch up, but he’s already turning into the reception area.

“Leave, or I’m going to hand you your ass,” he growls as he turns the corner.

I’m moving as fast as I can, so I collide with Lewis’s back because he’s stopped dead in his tracks.

"Ooff!” I say as my face hits his back.

I hear a familiar deep voice say, “Hi, I’m looking for Everleigh Jones. I need to speak with her.”

“There is someone here to see you, Leigh,” Lewis says in a clipped tone. He looks back at me. He has a deep frown on his forehead, and he folds his arms. He doesn’t look happy at all.

It feels like my heart literally stops. Maybe I’m hearing what I want to hear. Maybe it isn’t him. My racing heart is telling me that it is. My mouth going dry is telling me that it is. It’s him.

I walk out from behind Lewis, and all the air is sucked from my lungs. I almost forgot how big he is. How imposing. The air of danger is palpable. No wonder Lewis is backtracking a little. My partner is a big guy, but Ax will have him for breakfast, lunch, and dinner without so much as breaking a sweat.

Ax is in jeans and a navy shirt. His clothing barely contains him. Ax is larger than life.

My mouth unhinges because he doesn’t have a beard anymore, and he’s gorgeous. I knew he would be. He was gorgeous with a beard, but without it, he’s… Holy smokes! My eyes are bugging out of my skull, and I can’t speak.

“Hey, Chili Pip,” Ax says. “Can we talk?”

It takes a few more seconds before I find my tongue. “Hey.” I wave, feeling like an idiot. Why did I wave? “Ummm…yes, sure. We can go for a walk.”

Don’t get excited.

It’s probably something stupid.

Nothing has changed.

“Are you sure you want to leave the station?” Lewis asks. “I mean, we are on call. You should probably stay here.” My partner is sweet, but his concern is misguided, as I am perfectly safe with Ax.

“I’ll be right outside. We won’t go far. Besides, I’ll hear the alarm going off.” I touch Lewis on the side of his arm. His eyes are narrowed on Ax. His gaze moves to me and softens.

“Okay.” He looks back over at Ax. “We’re here if you need us, Leigh. The whole crew. All ten of us.” He looks back at Ax.

I smile. “Thanks, Lewis.”

“Wait a second,” my partner says. He dashes out of the room. “Don’t go anywhere,” I hear him shout.

I look down at myself, suddenly self-conscious. I’m wearing Lycra leggings and a sports bra. I’m also a little sweaty from my workout. My hair is in a messy ponytail. I’m not wearing makeup. I’m a mess.

I didn’t know he was coming. I didn’t think I would ever see him again. My heart is racing. I feel slightly ill as my stomach churns.

“How are you?” Ax asks.

Crap! We’re making small talk. I hate small talk.

“Fine. You?”

Yep, small talk it is.

“All good.” We’re both talking absolute bull. Although Ax looks amazing, he also has bloodshot eyes, and his skin isn’t as bronzed as it normally is. I know I look rough around the edges. I’m better than I was a week ago, but not by much. We’re not fine. We’re stumbling along. I was making minuscule progress, and now he’s here. Is it good news? Is it Elena? It’s more than likely something bad.

Lewis runs in carrying a jacket. “Here. It’s cold out.” He helps me into the jacket, which is miles too big. I recognize it as his. “Don’t go too far,” he tells me.

I smile at him. “I won’t.” I walk over to Ax. “Let’s go.” I lead the way. I don’t hear him follow so much as feel it, like a prickle to the back of my skull. My whole body prickles with awareness. He has that effect on me.

We head outside, and there is a harsh bite to the air, making me thankful for the jacket, which I pull a little closer around myself.

“Who was that?” Ax’s voice is gruff. “He seemed a little over-familiar.”

I try to hide a smile. “Oh! I guess I didn’t think to introduce the two of you. Sorry! I was a little taken…aback. That was Lewis, my partner, the guy I told you about. He’s married with two and a half kids. Actually, it’s almost three since his wife is due in a couple of weeks. Jealous?”

“Fuck yes,” Ax rasps, his voice giving me goosebumps.

“I like the new look.” I stare at his jaw. His very masculine jaw.

He gives me a half-smile and runs his hand down his chin. There’s a light smattering of stubble. “I thought it was time for a change.”

I long to touch his chin, to cup his face. Just to touch him.

Ax leans in a little. “You look good.” He runs an appraising eye over me. I can see from the way that his gaze heats that he means it, which makes my tummy fill with butterflies.

“I thought we weren’t allowed to see each other ever again. Thane was quite clear about it.”

“Fuck Thane. He isn’t in charge of me, but…” He sighs, “I hadn’t planned on ever seeing you again. I wanted you to move on.” He stops walking; his gaze goes to the horizon. His eyes are beautiful with their flecks of gold and green. He locks them with mine. “That’s not true. I didn’t want you to move on. I can’t stand the thought of you with anyone else.”

“I don’t want to be with anyone else. Is he gone? Your beast?” It’s the only thing I can think of. His beast is dormant. He might not burn me, so we can give it a chance.

Ax shakes his head. “Nope. Still right here.” He touches his chest.

My eyes widen. “Do you have that crazy sickness thing? That’s it; you do, right? That’s why you’re here?”

He shakes his head and takes my hands, facing me. “That’s not it either, Chili Pip.”

“You’re freaking me out. What’s going on? Is it Elena? Did she find a way to come back early? Did she wake up? Am I going to turn again?”

He chuckles. “If you stop talking for half a minute, I’ll tell you.”

“Okay, okay. I’m shutting up already. Now tell me.” I chew on my bottom lip to try to stop myself from asking more questions. I have at least another ten lined up.

He laughs again. “My friend Solstice came up with a plan on how to fix things so that we can be together.” His eyes are dancing in the afternoon light. “It’s a good plan. No, it’s a great plan. Tassos thinks it could work. He’s figured out a way to make it happen…we hope. It’s not a guarantee, but it’s worth a shot. We might be able to be together, Everleigh.” He squeezes my hands. His eyes are filled with expectation.

“Might.” I rub my face. “It’s not definite?” This sounds great, but it also sounds…unreal.

“No, but I’m hopeful. My question to you is, would you be willing to take the chance? It more than likely won’t be dangerous, but you would have to be turned back into a phoenix shifter…for keeps this time. And since I’m the only male phoenix shifter around, you’d be stuck with me if it worked out.”

Oh, my word.

I suck in a few breaths, running through everything in my mind.

“What’s going on in your head? Please say yes.” He frames my face with his hands. “I’ll go down on one knee if it would help, but I would rather wait until it happens. I don’t want to get our hopes up.”

Too late for that.

“I’m afraid, Ax. What if it doesn’t work out?” My eyes are filling with tears.

“We belong together, Chili Pip. You and me. I can feel it. I know it. It has to work for that reason. It just has to. Take a chance with me. Please say yes.”

“Yes. I’m scared, but of course, I’ll do it. We have to try.”

Ax captures my mouth in a searing kiss. I press myself against him and throw my arms around his neck. He drags me against him. The kiss is more than a little over-the-top for a public display, but neither of us cares. We’re too lost in one another. He’s so hot against me. I miss the heat.

There are a whole lot of hollers and cheers, and I turn toward the firehouse and see my whole crew watching. My face heats.

“Ignore them,” I tell Ax. “What’s the plan?”

Ax gives me the biggest smirk, and I discover that he has dimples. Holy shit! As if he could get any sexier. Then he tells me everything.

32

Ax

Two days later…

We’re standing behind my cabin. In the same place where we sent Elena back to her ashes.

I pour those same ashes onto the ground in front of Tassos. The wind picks up a cloud of ash, but it starts to float away and then swirls back onto the pile in front of me like a mini tornado.

“That was interesting,” Everleigh says. “I didn’t realize that ashes stay together like that.”

“They do. They have to,” I comment.

“I suppose it makes a strange kind of sense,” she says, her eyes on the pile.

I want to kiss her, but this isn’t the time. I hope this works. It has to! We give each other a knowing look. Everleigh feels the same. We’re both nervous. She licks her lips and folds her arms to stop herself from fidgeting.

“Will Elena still be a shifter when you bring her back?” I ask as I throw kindling on the ashes.

“Yes, she will. Elena will rise as a phoenix,” Tassos says.

“I’ll still be human, though?” Everleigh asks.

“You should still be human. It took two weeks for you to change before. I’m pretty sure that you were human during that time. I am banking on it.” Tassos is wearing another one of his Hawaiian shirts. It has big pink flowers all over it.

“But I might have already been turning?” Everleigh asks.

“Maybe. We don’t know for sure,” he says. “I’m giving this a fifty-fifty chance of being successful.

Should.

Maybe.

I’m sure.

More than likely.

Fifty-fucking-fifty. Those are shitty odds. I can’t lose Everleigh again. I’ve held her in my arms. We’ve kissed and touched until things got heated. We’ve talked for hours in the last two days. Never about the future, because we can’t be certain that we do have a future together. She’s already told me that if this doesn’t work, she’s willing to be with me, anyway. I would be a selfish bastard if I accepted, so I won’t. She’d be giving up too much. I want her to have a full life. A family. Children. She’ll make a great mother one day.

I only wish we had more to go on. I wish we could state categorically that this is going to work. We can’t.

I stack some smaller pieces of wood over the kindling. Using a match, I set the kindling on fire. It goes up with a woof. The few drops of gasoline I sprinkled onto the kindling certainly helped.

“I hope it works.” Everleigh hugs herself for a moment. I want to be able to tell her that it’s going to be okay, but I can’t because I can’t be sure.

I throw a few logs onto the growing fire. It won’t be long after it’s raging that Tassos will bring Elena back from her sleep using magic.

“Will it hurt? Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind if it does,” Everleigh asks. Her eyes are wide. She is a little afraid, even if she won’t admit it.

“It won’t be as bad as your first shift, but it will be a close second,” Tassos says.

I see Everleigh wince, but she quickly schools her emotions.

“You don’t have to do this,” I tell her. “If it’s too much… If you’re giving up too much for—”

She puts a finger on my lips. “I wouldn’t be giving up a single thing. Five seconds of pain would be worth it ten times over.”

“It would be more like half a minute,” Tassos says. “At least thirty—”

“You’re not helping,” I growl at the mage, who doesn’t look put out at all.

“I don’t mind. What’s half a minute versus a lifetime? It will be worth it.” Everleigh threads her hands around my neck. “I want to be with you. I want us.”

“I want us, too. More than anything.” I drop a kiss on her mouth.

Tassos throws a couple more logs on the growing fire. Sparks fly, and the crackles intensify.

Everleigh grabs a few logs and throws them on as well, and I follow suit. It doesn’t take long before we have a raging fire.

“Okay, so…” Everleigh says, “before we do this, I want to get it straight. You’ll bring Elena back from her sleep.”

“That’s the easy part. I know with certainty that I can achieve that.” Tassos smiles, looking the picture of confidence.

Everleigh’s lips lift in a smile. “Then you’ll do the swap.”

“Then I’ll do the swap.” Tassos nods.

“No mess, no fuss.” Everleigh sounds nervous. She radiates tension.

“No mess, no fuss.” Tassos sounds confident, but what we are about to do has never been done before, at least according to all the history books. “I am the second-most powerful mage on all of the planet. I can do this. Am I not Tassos Greatness?”

“You are,” I tell him, throwing a few more logs onto the fire. “Is there a chance that Everleigh could die?” I ask. It is the one question that has been swirling around in my head since we decided it was possible.

“I doubt it, but I can’t say for certain.” Tassos looks solemn for once. “We just don’t know, but the theory is sound. It’s a balancing act. Elena and Everleigh’s paths are now connected. If Elena sleeps, then Everleigh is human. If Elena wakes, then Everleigh turns. If they are both awake and one dies, then both die. I’m going to wake Elena, and then I’m going to give her beast to Everleigh before she turns. The hope is that the act, in itself, will restore balance. The theory is sound.”

“In so doing, you should break the connection between the two women?” I ask. “They will no longer have a destiny that is intertwined?” I hate the thought of Everleigh’s future being dictated by Elena’s actions.

“The theory is that the balance is instantly restored and therefore that the connection would be severed.” Tassos nods.

“Will Everleigh go to ashes? Will she sleep if she is turned?”

“I don’t think so because she didn’t before, but I can’t be sure because she didn’t complete the transformation.” Tassos shrugs. He makes a face of sympathy. “I’m sorry. I really wish I had more to go on, but I don’t. I feel for the two of you. Now that I have found love myself, I really do understand.”

“Has Lucia agreed to marry you yet?” I ask, tossing yet another log into the fire. The mage and I have developed something of a friendship over the last few weeks.

Tassos shakes his head. “My heart bleeds. I live in the hope that she will concede. I will wait with bated breath until it happens.”

“You’re a good guy, Tassos.” Everleigh squeezes his shoulder. “I really hope that Lucia sees that.”

“I really hope that this works out for the two of you as well,” he says. “There are two sticking points. One would be if I can’t put her beast into you, for whatever reason.” He looks at Everleigh. Then he holds up an onyx stone he calls The Eye. “Even though I have this little beauty, it still might not work. The other is if I put her beast into you, making you a phoenix shifter and Elena a human, and you go to ashes to join the rest of the phoenixes in their long sleep. Of course, I could wake you up and reverse the whole thing. Most scenarios are reversible. Most. You can still change your mind if you choose?” he asks Everleigh the same question I asked before.

“You really can still change your mind, Chili Pip. Please don’t do this unless you are very sure.” I look into her chocolate gaze and feel myself melt.

“I choose you. I choose us, and I always will. These last few weeks have been miserable. It felt like the rest of the world moved forward while I was stuck. These last two days have been wonderful. Just being here with you has been…everything.”

“That’s the most romantic thing anyone has ever said to me,” I tell her, reminded of when she told me the very same thing. “I love you.” I needed to get it out. I had planned on waiting until afterward, until it was done, but what if…? What— No! I refuse to be negative.

Her lip wobbles, so she bites down on it. “Oh, my word. I’m glad to hear it because I love you, too. So much.”

We kiss. It’s soft and tender. It’s everything and more. It’s over too soon.

“That was sweet.” We turn to Tassos, and he’s filming us on his phone.

“What the fuck?” I growl.

“Memories. You can show your kids one day. Ax Junior will love it,” Tassos says, wiping his eye. “I’m such a sucker for anything romantic. Candles, champagne, roses, edible underwear; all of it.”

Everleigh giggles.

“Are we ready now?’ Tassos asks.

We both look into each other’s eyes, and then we nod.

“Elena is going to hate being human,” I say.

“So much!” Everleigh laughs. “If for no other reason, I hope this works so that she can be brought down a few rungs.”

“Good! I will help the two of you on one condition,” Tassos says casually.

My eyes narrow, and my blood instantly boils. “What is it?” He’d better watch what he says. I can kill him before he has time to make one of those fireballs. I’ll crush his throat and then remove his heart from his body. He won’t even know that he’s dead until it’s too fucking late.

“I want to be the best man at your wedding. No one has ever asked me before. It would mean so much to me.” He clutches his floral chest.

I like that he is confident.

Everleigh laughs softly.

“I was going to ask you anyway,” I say.

“Are you serious, man?” Tassos asks me, his eyes filling with tears.

Holy fuck!

“I’m very serious,” I tell him.

“Thank you!” He grabs me in a big old bear hug and slaps me on the back a few times. “I accept.” It sounds like he is crying, and when he pulls back, his eyes are wet.

Everleigh is trying to hold back a laugh. I think I must have a look of horror on my face.

“We need to make this happen first,” I remind Tassos, who clears his throat and wipes his eyes.

“Of course.” He nods a few times and visibly pulls himself together.

We all throw a couple of logs on the fire and get it good and hot. Everleigh and Tassos have to stand back.

The mage opens his arms and starts chanting. He gets louder and louder and louder. Red lightning bolts shoot from his hands into the fire. His chants get even louder as more of the red lightning shoots into the fire, which bulges…and bulges. Bigger and bigger, but in a warped kind of way that isn’t natural.

“Rise!” Tassos shouts. “Elena of the Smokebreathers clan, I urge you to rise. Awaken! Come forth!”

The fire swells until I can make out feathers, and then she is there in the flames. After a time, she lands next to the fire, shifts, and falls unconscious to the floor in a naked heap.

I turn to Everleigh. “How do you feel?” I ask her.

“The same. No different.” Her face is pale. “It worked…so far.” She smiles, but it’s tight with nerves.

“Yes, yes, it did.” I grin back at her, but it is short-lived; we are only halfway there. “That’s good, right?” I ask Tassos.

“Yes.” He walks over to Everleigh and touches her forehead. “That tickles.” She half-smiles but quickly turns serious.

“You’re still human, which is good,” Tassos says, looking grave. “Last chance to change your mind,” he checks in with Everleigh, cocking his head.

“Why do you guys keep asking me that? I’m not changing my mind. I’m very sure.” She nods, looking resolute.

“Okay, then we take the next step when she wakes up.” We look down at the sleeping female.

“I want to talk with her before you take her beast,” I tell the mage, who nods once.

It doesn’t take long before Elena stirs. Her eyes flutter, and a finger twitches. Then she sucks in a breath and sits up. Her eyes are hazy. She rubs her head like it hurts.

“What happened?” Her voice is groggy. “Where am…?” she groans and rubs her temple.

“We woke you up again,” I say. “I had Tassos wake you up. Only two months have passed since we sent you to your ashes.”

Elena’s eyes are clouded with confusion; they narrow in thought. She rubs her head again, standing up on shaky legs. She yawns and stretches. She blinks a few times.

“Why? Why did you wake me?”

“I wanted to give you a chance to do the right thing. Can you live your life in peace? Can you live without waking up any more of our people? Without reigning any kind of terror on anyone? Can you do that?” I’m still afraid of what this female could do if she came back in the future and my checks and balances fail. What if I can’t warn my people of her antics? She could cause real trouble for my kind, as well as for the humans. “You can choose to stay or to go back to sleep, but I want your word that you will be a decent person. That you will do the right thing.”

For a few seconds, it looks like she is seriously thinking it through. Then Elena laughs long and hard. She actually clutches her belly and bends over a little at the waist.

“Since when did you become such a pussy?” she says as she locks eyes with me. “The right thing? Hah! The right damned thing?” She shakes her head. “Did you bring me back just to ask me that? You’re pathetic.” She spits the word out. “Phoenix shifters are at the top of the food chain. We’re it! Every other supernatural is below us, far below us. There was a time when humans used to be sport to us. The good old days.” She winks at Everleigh, and my blood boils. “When did that change? Why did that change?”

I roll my shoulders instead of acting. I need to keep a cool head. “That was a long time ago. We don’t even know if those stories are to be believed.”

“Oh, they’re real alright. Cat and mouse games were real.” She leers at Everleigh, who stands tall, holding Elena’s eyes. “I am a phoenix shifter. I plan on being queen with or without you, Sol. I plan on taking the power back. Humans have become too powerful and only because we’ve allowed it. I will kill the Council. Take down all of the pussy beast kings and put the humans back in their place. That is my solemn vow.”

Holy fuck!

No change in her attitude then. She isn’t very clever. You would think that she’d realize that this was her last chance…but no. She’s either too stupid or too stubborn to lie and try to save herself. This makes it easy.

“Ready?” Tassos asks me.

I sigh. “Yep, we’re ready.” I glance at Everleigh, who nods and mouths, “Selfish bitch from hell.”

I give her a tight smile because it’s true. So fucking true, it’s scary.

Then Tassos holds up the onyx. It’s a dragon relic. It is capable of turning humans. It’s also capable of removing a beast. It can do all of it; only it’s never been tested on a phoenix shifter before.

“What is that?” Elena backs away. “I don’t like this.” She’s about to turn and run when Tassos directs a flame at her through The Eye.

She freezes when it hits her, a moan dying on her lips. Her eyes go wide, and her body becomes rigid.

The white lines on the onyx start to glow. Everleigh steps forward, her chin tilted up, facing this head-on like a true queen. Time and time again, she shows me this side of her. I feel my chest tighten with affection, love…and with fear.

Tassos chants something, and the flame extends out to Everleigh. Her mouth opens, but no sound comes out. Just like Elena, her body goes rigid, and her eyes go wide. I see pain written in them. Her shoulders snap back, and her head, too. They both rise onto their toes then they lift off the ground an inch…two inches…three.

My heart is beating wildly. It seems to be taking a long time. Too long. I have to hold myself back. My beast wants me to intervene, to save our mate. Everleigh is my mate. There is no doubt about it. It happened. It’s why the madness hasn’t hit me yet. It would have…full-blown and out of control.

I need her.

I need Everleigh just like the air that I breathe.

I need her like I need heat, like I need fire. She is my home…my ashes are her ashes. We belong together or not at all.

I even sent that damned squirrel to a taxidermist. I couldn’t bury the thing. It reminded me of her. Everything reminded me of her. How does that happen in such a short time?

When you know, you know.

The fire stops, and both of them fall, landing sprawled out on the dirt. I rush to Everleigh.

I’m about to pick her up when Tassos shouts, “No! Leave them. We need to wait. No interference.”

I’m not sure what we are waiting for. I heave a sigh of relief when I see her chest move up and down.

Elena moans. Everleigh moves an arm. They’re both alive. I make an unintelligible sound.

Thank fuck!

I try to go to her again, but Tassos puts a hand on my chest, holding me back.

“We need to wait. The transfer hasn’t happened yet,” he says.

“What was that, then?” I ask; my voice is choked.

“I instructed the beast to go from Elena to Everleigh.”

“Instructed?” I shake my head. What the actual?! “You can’t instruct a beast.”

Elena chokes out a laugh from where she is on the ground. She turns onto her stomach and pushes herself up. Her eyes are lit with fire, telling me that she still has her beast.

“You were trying to give my beast to her?” She goes to her knees and points at Everleigh.

Everleigh is awake.

I find that I am holding my breath. I’m waiting for it to happen.

There’s nothing.

Elena gets to her feet. “I hate to disappoint, but it didn’t work.” She rolls her eyes. “Stupid.” Then she shifts and casually takes to the sky. We watch her fly around us in circles, taunting us. A few seconds later, she is gone.

Disappointment tastes bitter on my tongue. I realize that we have let Elena get away.

Fuck!

I will go after her in a minute. I am now strong enough to follow the path she takes. I am quicker and stronger than her. I am the fucking king, which counts for something, dammit. I will bring her back so that we can put her back to sleep. There is nothing else for it.

“You tried,” I tell Tassos, who hangs his head.

“I was sure it would work,” the mage says. “So sure. Lucia and I worked on the spells for days. I barely slept.”

“I’m sorry,” Everleigh says as she clambers to her feet. Her shirt is singed where the flame hit her, but otherwise, she looks…she looks so fucking beautiful it actually hurts to look at her.

“There is nothing to be sorry about.” I put my arms around her and am hit with a shock of electricity. It feels like I just put my cock and a finger into a socket at the same time.

Everleigh makes a weird noise that tells me she feels it, too. It feels like we’re going to die. I can’t breathe. I can’t so much as move a muscle.

Fuuuuck!

Tassos is shouting something, but I can’t make out what it is. Then we’re being flung apart. I land on my ass. Everleigh does, too.

I jump up and rush over to her. She looks unconscious until she shakes her head and then looks up at me. I stare into her fiery gaze.

“It worked!” Tassos shouts.

It worked. My heart stops beating for a moment or two, and then we’re laughing. All three of us are laughing.

Everleigh is a shifter, which means that Elena must now be human.

Holy shit! It worked!

All it took was me touching her. Our mate bond was what brought the beast to Everleigh. It was what coaxed it back to her. I’m sure of it. More proof that we are meant to be together. Not that I needed it.

33

Ax

The next day…

Everleigh’s eyes are closed. Her mouth is open, and she’s breathing heavily. Her breasts are bouncing hard each time she lands on my cock. I’ve never seen anything more beautiful. My belly is tightening. My balls are in my throat. I’m groaning hard at this point.

“Yes,” she moans. “I say yes,” she mutters, riding me harder. She bites down on her bottom lip; her eyes are hazy. “It’ll always be yes.” She leans in and kisses me hard on the mouth as I start to feel the heat build between us. “More, Big Boy. Moooore.” She laughs, the sound turning into a hard moan.

I love how Everleigh is not afraid to tell me what she wants or just to all-out take it for herself. It makes me crazy. Makes me hot for her. I realize that I’m about to commit a sin and come before she does. This is what this woman does to me. What she will do to me every time. Of that, there is no doubt.

I lick my thumb and then find her clit. I rub on it. Her eyes widen.

“Oh, you have such good hands…and a strong jaw. A strong, strong jaw.” Then she bursts into flames as she comes on my cock, her hands gripping my shoulders. She groans my name and then gives a yell. I grunt and crunch a little over my middle as I come, too. My flames ignite all at once. We burn hot and hard. So bright that I almost have to close my eyes against the light. Bright like the sun. I have a feeling we’ll always have to fuck outdoors for fear of burning down the whole damned house. I keep my thumb on her clit, sure to keep her there as long as I can. She finally slumps against me. I feel her heart thump against mine. We hold each other for a minute or two. Trying to catch our breath.

Then she leans back, grinning. Everleigh looks at her hand. At the diamond glinting there. “It’s beautiful. Oh, my word. It’s gorgeous.”

I bought her a solitaire engagement ring. It’s an emerald cut. I had no idea what I was doing, but the saleslady assured me that it was perfect and that any woman in her right mind would be thrilled to have that on their hand. She even hinted that I should come back and find her if Everleigh turned me down, which she didn’t, thank fuck.

“I’m glad you said yes.”

“I can’t believe how worried you were.” She giggles. “I would have said yes if you gave me a ring made from twine…” She holds up her hand again. “I do love it, though. Did you really think I was going to say no, after everything we’ve been through?”

“I hoped and prayed you’d say yes, but I was worried it might be too soon.” I pick her up and carry her to the shower.

“Silly man.” She cups my jaw and kisses me, her eyes staying on mine. “It will always be yes.”

I put her down, turning the water on.

“When do you want to make it official?” I ask her over the sound of the rushing water as I hand her the shower gel.

“Zesty Orange.” She lifts her brows. “I like it.” She holds out her hand and takes another long look at her ring. “As soon as possible.” She locks eyes with me, looking sheepish. “Can my family and friends attend? I’ll understand if—”

“Of course.” I put my hands on her hips. “Invite whoever you want.”

“Hmmm, we can keep it small. I have a really nice white dress I could wear,” she says as she lathers up with soap. I do the same.

“I have money, Everleigh,” I tell her. “You can buy a dress.”

“I’m sure you do. I don’t mind an intimate wedding. I’m happy to live right here as long as I can bring a few of my things.” She cocks her head.

We finish rinsing off. I switch the water off. “We don’t have to stay here…we could live anywhere. Or we could build on. We’ll need a couple of rooms if we’re going to have a couple of kids.”

“I like the sound of kids.” She beams. “I like it here.” She turns a full circle. “I can see us raising a couple of kids out here. An extra room or two would be a good idea.”

“I have a lot of money, Chili Pip, like a lot, a lot. We can do whatever we want. I guess I’ve never been big on money. I lead a simple life.” I shrug. “But my wants and needs might not be your wants and needs. We’ll need to talk about it. I’ve been alone for a long time.”

“Simple is good.” She reaches up and kisses me. “I am with you for you…” she grins, there’s a naughty glint in her eye, “and your python cock, not for your strong jaw or your money. The latter are cherries on the top. I must warn you that I’m pretty broke.” She makes a face that is plain adorable.

I push out a pent-up breath. “Did I mention today how much I love you?”

“You might have.” She grins.

I plant a kiss on the tip of her nose. “Did I tell you that you’re perfect? You let me come in your mouth, you let me do you bareback, and you don’t care about the fact that I’m a billionaire.”

“Wait a minute! A billionaire? That changes things… I’m joking. Are you serious? A billionaire?” She looks shocked.

“I’m serious. I really hope it won’t change things between us?” Money can fuck things up.

“It doesn’t change a thing.” She shakes her head. “Wait a minute, were you worried about telling me you were rich?”

“I’m not rich.”

She frowns. “You just told me—”

“I was worried about telling you that we’re rich. I wasn’t sure how you would take it.”

She laughs. “It doesn’t change a thing. Except I will be buying a wedding dress. It changes that.”

“One that shows off your cleavage.” I bob my brows.

Everleigh chokes out a laugh. “Okay, deal. Oh, and one other thing.”

Shit! She suddenly looks serious. “What?” I finally ask, my heart in my throat.

“I’m buying us towels.”

I bark out a laugh. “Okay…fine. I guess being in a relationship is about compromise.”

“And hot water. There will be hot water and an indoor shower and maybe even a bath.”

I frown. “Now you’re pushing it.” I point at her, and she bites the tip of my finger.

We laugh as we walk up the stairs into my cabin.

“Are you happy with elk stew for dinner?” I ask Everleigh.

“As long as you’re happy with ice cream and Reese’s Cups for dessert?”

“That’s my favor—” My satellite phone starts to ring. The one I keep for emergencies only. Otherwise, no one calls me on it. “I’d better get this.”

“It might be—” Everleigh sucks in a breath, her eyes clouded with concern.

We’re both thinking the same thing.

I nod and then answer, “Hello.”

“It’s me.” I recognize Solstice’s voice immediately.

“Did she turn up?” I bark.

Elena went missing yesterday after we took her beast. Did she fall to her death after becoming human? Maybe she burned in a fire or…

“Oh, yes,” he says. “Elena was found wandering around naked at the location of a fire. She has minor burns. Get this; they caught her trying to restart the fire.”

“Oh, fuck! Where did you get this information?”

“It was in the paper. A small article on page eight. Long story short, she’s claiming to be a phoenix shifter. She keeps talking about rising from the ashes. She’s been admitted into a hospital for a psychiatric evaluation.”

“Holy shit! They’re not believing anything she says?” My heart is beating wildly.

“Of course not. Elena is a human now, so she can’t substantiate her claims. She already attacked one of the nurses. They’re working hard on identifying her so that they can contact her family.”

“Good luck with that,” I snort.

“I think a mental hospital will be the perfect place for Elena,” Solstice says.

“I think so, too.” That female has several screws loose.

“If she keeps on the way that she is, it’s where she’ll end up.”

“I don’t think she can help herself,” I say. Under lock and key is where she belongs. Somewhere she can’t be a danger to anyone.

“I think you’re right,” my friend says.

Elena is downright evil; that’s not going to change now that she’s human. The good news is that she’ll probably end up being committed.

I tried to get her to do the right thing. I tried, and I failed. Elena can’t be saved. She did this to herself. I’m relieved that my people won’t have to deal with her when they finally wake up from their long sleep.

I end the call with Solstice, thanking him for taking the time to call. That’s good news. I tried to follow Elena after Everleigh turned, but there was nothing to follow. No lead. No pathway. I think it was severed when she lost her beast.

I look across the room, and Everleigh is wearing one of my shirts. My chest tightens as I watch her brush her hair.

“Is everything okay?” she asks, catching my gaze.

“Everything is just fine,” I tell her. “Never better.”

34

Everleigh

One month later…

I suck in a deep breath, and my breasts press against my corset, which is tight and covered in crystals. A million of the things. My dress is absolutely beautiful. It feels like I am in a fairytale. Like I am the princess, and I got my handsome prince, who also happens to be a beast. My beast.

Ax can’t take his eyes off me. He wanted cleavage, and he got cleavage. He hasn’t stopped smiling since I walked down the aisle.

He’s wearing a tuxedo. We’ve gone traditional, and he’s so handsome that he takes my breath away. He winks at me and then dips his hand into the bowl of ashes in the elder’s hand. He’s a dragon shifter elder. Not that you would say so by looking at him. Normally the ceremony would be carried out by a phoenix high priest, but since they’re all asleep, we had to compromise. Again, the ceremony is mostly a traditional wedding ceremony but with a twist here or there. Not so radical that the humans in attendance would find it strange.

Ax runs his fingers along my forehead and then touches his finger to my lips.

“My ashes are your ashes.”

I smile.

He does, too.

Then I dip my fingers into the same bowl and follow suit. Once my fingers leave his lips, I say, “My ashes are your ashes.”

“My life is yours,” Ax tells me.

“Do you have the rings?” the elder asks.

“Yes,” Tassos shouts. “Here they are.” He hands my ring to Ax and his ring to me.

I place his ring on his finger. “With this ring…” I feel myself choke up a little, so I clear my throat, “I promise that you will never have to face the world alone ever again. My life is forever entangled with yours. I promise to share all of my hopes and dreams with you as we build a life together.”

Ax’s eyes are glinting with unshed tears. I watch his throat work. Then he takes the ring and places it on my finger. “When I am with you, everything else fades away. You are my life and my greatest gift. I promise to cherish you for all of our days.”

A tear rolls down my cheek. I can’t help it. My jaw hurts from smiling. I’ve never felt so happy.

We clutch hands. “We are one,” we both say.

“It gives me great honor to pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride,” the elder says. “May you live a long and happy life. May your hearth always have fire.”

Ax pulls me into his arms and kisses me. We don’t hold back. Everyone in the audience goes crazy. All the beast kings and their wives are here. My family and friends, too.

We’ve barely pulled apart, and Tassos is hugging us both. “Congratulations.”

“We wouldn’t be here without you,” I tell him.

“You’re right about that.” Tassos laughs.

“Congratulations to you, as well,” Ax tells him. “I can’t believe that Lucia finally agreed to marry you.”

“I thought it would take years. It turns out she can’t live without me.” He shrugs, looking smug.

Then Solstice is giving Ax a quick hug. There’s back-slapping involved. He hugs me next. “Congrats. He’s so lucky to have you.”

“You need to sign the paperwork to make it legally binding,” the elder says. “Can everyone go outside? There are rose petals to throw. The happy couple will be out shortly,” he shouts to all of our guests, who are clamoring to congratulate us.

It doesn’t take us more than five minutes to sign the documents.

“Don’t forget this.” Ax ties the cape around my shoulders. I don’t need it, but since we have so many human guests, I have to keep up the pretense. It’s a glorious winter’s day. White plumes from our mouths as we walk outside into the sunshine. The sky is a crisp, beautiful blue.

Everyone cheers as they see us. They’re standing in two long lines. We clasp hands and keep walking. Everyone tosses rose petals as we walk among our closest friends and family. My mom rushes to me as soon as we reach the end. She hugs me tight.

“I wish you all of the best. You make such a gorgeous couple.” Her eyes are bright and twinkling. She was a little dubious about our whirlwind marriage, but once she got to meet Ax, her fears were quickly appeased. She said it’s because of the way he looks at me. She said she’s never seen such adoration.

“Hey, Titch.” My brother, Richard, pretends he’s going to muss my hair but doesn’t at the last second. “Only kidding.” We’re four years apart, so I was the annoying younger sister. I guess I still am. We hug. “Congrats. I wasn’t sure it would ever happen.”

“Heeeey,” I say.

“Ax is a lucky man,” Richard says as he hugs me again. Then they shake hands while I hug my sister-in-law, Monique. There is a barrage of people who come to congratulate us.

Then Thane is there. He shakes each of our hands. I have to say, he doesn’t look human. He’s just too extra. Too over-the-top. His wife is tiny. She smiles broadly.

“I’m Bellicent. Thane’s better half,” she says.

“You’d better believe it,” Ax says.

“For once, we agree on something.” Thane smiles.

I notice that Bellicent puts her hand on her slightly rounded belly. She’s wearing the most beautiful knitted dress. It’s a modern version of an old classic, with long, tan boots.

I might end up regretting this, but I say it anyway. “How far along are you?”

Her eyes light up. “Five months. We’re so excited.”

“That’s great news,” Ax says. “Let me guess… Dracula, if it’s a boy.”

I elbow him in the ribs, but both Thane and Bellicent laugh. “Haha…very fucking funny,” the vampire king says.

“You guys should come to dinner sometime,” Bellicent says.

“Sounds great,” I say as they keep walking.

Then Solstice is there. He introduces me to his wife, Fallon. We chat for half a minute.

“You guys make such a great couple,” Solstice says.

“We wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you,” I tell him. “Thank you.”

“You’ve already thanked me ten times,” he laughs. “Think nothing of it.” I hug both him and Fallon.

A huge man is next in line. He’s holding a little baby wrapped up in a pale blue blanket. He has his arm around a very pretty lady.

“This is Thor and Jade,” Ax says. “The little guy in the blanket is Thor Junior.”

“My son’s name is Rex, you ass.”

As if on cue, little Rex starts to fuss. “He’s hungry,” Jade says, looking sheepish.

Rex starts to cry, and Jade grabs both of her boobs. “We’ll talk later.” She takes the baby and starts fast-walking.

“If she doesn’t feed him soon…” Thor waves a hand. “You don’t want to know. It’s messy.” Then he runs after his wife.

A strange lady walks up to us next, and Ax bristles. It’s the best description I can give. He becomes taller, his body rigid. His suit pulls tight around hard muscle. He even sucks in a breath as he puts his arm around me.

The lady is old, but not. It’s weird. Her eyes are a vivid, piercing blue, and they seem to look right into you.

“Congratulations to the happy couple,” she says.

“What are you doing here?” Ax’s voice is cold.

“I came to pay my respects and to give you my good wishes for a happy life filled with the laughter of children.”

Ax growls low. It’s almost like his reaction shakes him out of his mood because he turns to me and smiles. “I need to speak with my great-aunt.”

“Your aunt?” How is that even possible? I thought all of his relatives were sleeping. This isn’t adding up.

“I’ll be back in a second,” Ax says as he grabs the lady by the elbow. It almost looks like he’s pulling her along with him. I’m instantly worried. This isn’t right.

“Where is he going?” a huge guy asks. He has bright blue eyes and is clearly not human. Ax pointed him out to me earlier. He’s the wolf shifter king, Rogue. There is a young lady with the same eyes…his daughter, I think, and a lady with strawberry blond hair.

I try not to think of Elena. Not on the most important day of my life.

“He’ll be back,” I say, smiling at the happy-looking family.

My gaze drifts back to Ax, who is talking with the older woman. She turns to me and smiles. Ax grabs her arm and pulls her further away.

My heart is in my throat.

What is going on?

Ax

It’s the witch.

It’s her.

How dare she?

How fucking dare she come here…to my wedding? On today of all fucking days.

How! Dare! She?!

I am shaking with anger. This is a fucking nightmare.

I greet one or two guests as we walk. I’m trying not to make eye contact with anyone. I drag the witch away from the crowd. Away from the waiters who are serving flutes of champagne on silver trays.

Divine smiles. Her red lipstick has leaked into the wrinkles around her mouth. Her rheumy eyes are on me. They are cool and intelligent, not unlike those of a snake.

“What are you doing here?” I snarl under my breath as soon as we are far enough away not to cause a scene.

“You know why I am here,” she says, turning to look at my mate. Divine smiles, and my blood ignites in my veins. I have to do everything in my power to keep from reaching out and throttling her. My hands itch.

“Don’t look at her,” I snap as I take Divine’s arm and drag her further away. “You were not invited. You don’t belong here,” I say under my breath. “I want you to leave right now. I never want to see you again.” My heart is thudding against my ribs.

“We have a deal, phoenix king, and a deal is a deal. I am here to remind you of that.” Her words cause shards of cold ice to erupt inside me; they pierce me and chill me to my core.

“No. Things change. They’ve changed,” I plead with her.

“Nothing has changed. We made a bargain. Know that I will make sure that you make good on our deal.”

Fuck!

This can’t be happening.

“Never.” I shake my head. “I would rather never know the joy of becoming a father than let you—”

She laughs. “Destiny has already been written. It will happen soon, Sire, whether you like it or not. Three moons from now, you will plant your seed in your mate’s womb. We shall meet again.” She starts to walk away.

“I’ll kill you if you show your face again,” I say.

Divine doesn’t acknowledge my words. She walks simply away like she doesn’t have a care in the world.

I search the crowd for Tassos and make a beeline for him. No one tries to approach me. I probably give off a certain air. Supernaturals will sense my mood as danger. Humans will even pick up on it. Everyone moves from my path. I am fucking fuming. If it gets any worse, I’m liable to catch alight.

Tassos sees me coming. He excuses himself from his fiancée and intercepts me.

“Is everything okay?” he asks, frowning. “I saw you talking with a certain witch. I thought the air scented tainted.”

“I need to talk to you. I have a real problem,” I rasp.

“Can’t it wait until after your honeymoon?”

It can wait because Everleigh isn’t pregnant yet, and even if she were, she’d carry my child for nine months before it became an issue. It can’t wait because I won’t be able to rest until I have a plan on how to sort out this mess. What the hell was I thinking when I made that bargain?

What the fuck?

“Okay…I can see from your face that it can’t wait. Sorry I asked. Let’s go for a walk,” Tassos says. “I’ll be back in a minute, mi amor,” he tells Lucia, who blows him a kiss, which he pretends to catch. Then he blows one back, and then another, and then another.

Holy fucking shit, I’m going to hurt him.

“Tassos. Now, please,” I grind out between clenched teeth.

“Oh, sorry.” We walk away from all the people. He grabs a flute of champagne from a passing waiter. “What is going on?” he asks as soon as we are out of earshot.

“I did a stupid thing.”

“What did you promise her?” he smirks.

“This isn’t funny.”

“I know it isn’t. I’m sure we can fix it. I’m sure your concern is unnecessary.”

He makes me feel slightly better.

He takes a sip of his drink and nods appreciatively. “Is this vintage?”

“Who gives a fuck? Probably…yes.” I’m flustered.

“Out with it,” he says. “What did you promise her?”

“I promised her my firstborn if she gave me proof that my beast was still with me. She gave me those fucked up eyes.” I gesture to my face. “I didn’t think I would ever mate…let alone have children. I thought that I was destined to be alone forever. I thought I had nothing to lose.”

“Now it turns out that you have everything to lose.”

I nod. “If I lose our firstborn child to a witch, my mate will kill me. I have no doubt about it. She’ll kill me slowly, and I’ll let her. I’ll deserve it. Fuck!” I run my hand through my hair. “Please tell me you can fix it.”

“I can’t fix it.” Tassos looks solemn.

“What the hell? Tassos, you just told me you could more than likely fix it.’

“I can’t fix it because there isn’t really anything to fix.” He shrugs.

I’m going to kill him. I’m going to reach inside him, grab his heart and then squeeze. It’ll pop between my fingers like a ripe fruit, and it’ll put a smile on my face. Since the smile would be fleeting, I refrain from killing him just yet.

“Having her take my firstborn child is a huge fucking problem that needs some serious fixing,” I growl at him. “Why are you saying that there isn’t anything to fix?” There is more to it.

“I will help you. I have the perfect solution. Divine will not be able to touch your firstborn, or any of your children, for that matter, but you have to agree to be my best man first.”

It’s so left-field that it takes me a moment to process what he just said.

“Your best man?” I repeat.

He nods.

“Tassos,” I rasp. “I would have agreed, anyway. I mean, what the fuck, dude? Why does it always have to be a song and fucking dance? We’re friends. You don’t have to bribe me. All you had to do was ask.”

He looks down at his feet. “I want you to wear a pink tux.”

“Pink. Are you serious?”

He nods, and his eyes sparkle with excitement. “I cannot wait to marry the love of my life.”

“I’m okay with pink.” I nod. “I’ll look fucking terrible, but it’s your day.” I shrug. “Whatever you want.”

“Whatever?” He looks far too excited for my liking.

“Within reason. I’m not dying my hair pink or anything crazy like that.”

He laughs. “Oh, you big bore! Fine, no pink hair. But I want you in yellow flip-flops.’” Tassos claps his hands together and grins. “The whole bridal party is wearing them. It’s what made me notice Lucia in the first place, aside from her beauty, of course.”

“Yellow flip-flops and a pink tux…” I make a face. “Fine! Anything. Just tell me how to fix this mess.”

“Divine can’t take your firstborn, even if you made the bargain with her. The Magic Commission outlawed several practices…” he looks up in thought, “over ten years ago, and one of them was taking children in lieu of debts. Either she’s messing with your head or trying her luck. I would go with the latter. Divine is known to skirt the line when it comes to ethics.”

“What happens when she comes for my child?” I ask with trepidation still clawing in my gut.

His eyes widen, and he smiles. “Is Everleigh pregnant? Is there—”

“No.” I shake my head. “We are hoping to have a family one day.” Three months from now. The witch was probably full of hot air.

Tassos puts his arm around me. “I will send the clause from the Magical Lore Book. If memory serves, it’s one thousand two hundred and three, point twenty-two–E, subclause nine.”

I look at him like he’s insane.

Tassos laughs. “Don’t worry, Ax. I will send you the particulars. If she arrives at your door, you recite the clause, and she won’t be able to do a thing.”

“As simple as that?” I don’t sound too sure because I’m not.

He nods. “Yes, as simple as that. I’m going to tell my bride-to-be that you agreed. The wedding is on Halloween,” he says over his shoulder as he heads back to Lucia.

I can relax. At least, I think I can.

I must.

I can trust Tassos. I’m sure that Divine won’t even show her face again. If she does, I’ll be armed with the clause.

A clause.

Fuck!

I would prefer something tangible, but I guess it will have to do. I take a deep breath, trying to calm down.

“Here he is.” Everleigh gives me a questioning look before schooling her emotions. “You remember my ex-partner, John Lewis?”

“Yes, of course,” I say.

“I popped in to congratulate the two of you.” He has bloodshot eyes and something smudged on his jacket. “I need to get back to Kels. She can’t cope with all three kids.”

“The baby was one week old yesterday,” Everleigh says, her smile turning genuine. “I can’t wait to meet her.”

“Yep, we finally got our little girl. Angela is gorgeous. She looks just like me.” He laughs. “Can you believe it? Especially when both of the boys take after Kelsey.” He beams.

“We’ll visit soon,” Everleigh says, hugging him.

John shakes my hand. “You are one very lucky man, indeed.”

“I know,” I say.

As soon as Everleigh’s ex-partner walks away, Everleigh turns to me. “What was that? Who was that? She wasn’t your great-aunt.”

“A witch.”

“What was a witch doing at our wedding?” Her eyes narrow in concern.

“It’s a long story, but nothing to worry about.”

She scrutinizes me. “Do you promise?”

I put my arms around the woman I love. “Everything is absolutely perfect. It couldn’t be better, except…”

Her eyes widen. “Except what? Ax…what’s going on?”

“Except for the fact that I agreed to be Tassos’s best man. He’s making me wear a pink tux and yellow flip-flops.”

Everleigh cracks up laughing. “I can’t wait to see it. I can’t wait. I’m going to take plenty of pictures. I’ll have to frame them.”

“Thanks, Chili Pip. It’s good to know you got my back.” I kiss my mate, holding her close.

35

Ax

One year later…

I look down at the baby in my arms. Screw my strong genes; our daughter is the spitting image of her mother. She has the same chocolate stare. Her hair is downy blond fluff. She has the same button nose. I’m not sure how I feature at all. I am hopeful that her phoenix will resemble mine one day when she shifts. Not that I’ll mind if it doesn’t. Everleigh is beautiful in both her human and her phoenix forms, and our daughter is just as lovely. So much so that my heart swells.

I hug her to my chest for a few moments before looking back down at her. I’m still in awe. I can’t believe we created such a perfect little girl. I look over at where Everleigh is making herself a cup of tea, and everything in me softens. Okay, I know exactly how we made such a perfect daughter.

Leah balls up her fists and starts screaming. Zero to hero in naught point one second. Her cheeks turn red. She also has her mother’s feisty attitude. If she wants something, she lets you know about it.

“Is my girl hungry?” Everleigh calls from across the room. “Are you hungry, princess?”

Leah cries louder.

“I’d say that’s a yes. Do you want to stay down here, or would you prefer to feed her upstairs?” I stand and rock her gently, which works. I know it won’t last.

“I’ll take her up.” Everleigh yawns. “We can nap together.”

I yawn as well. “That sounds like a plan.” I hand her our fussing baby. “I’ll bring your tea. Can I make you a sandwich?”

She smiles and then nods.

“Bear steak with all of the trimmings?”

“Haha…funny guy.” She laughs.

“Yep, I’m witty and charming, too.” I kiss her softly. “Smoked hog with all the trimmings. Your mama sure is fussy,” I tell Leah.

Everleigh’s eyes brighten. “That sounds good.”

“And then a foot rub,” I tell her.

“I knew there was a reason I married you.” We kiss again until Leah yells at us.

“She takes after you,” we both say and laugh.

I watch Everleigh go up the stairs. We’re in the cabin, but it doesn’t look anything like it did before. It’s been completely renovated to include four bedrooms and a couple of bathrooms. I guess hot showers have been a win, and bathing has been…fun. I’m getting used to living the good life.

I fixed up the road leading to my place. There is also a helipad. It’s practical having our own helicopter on standby for when Everleigh needs to go to the doctor. We chose a really great dragon-shifter gynecologist. Everleigh’s able to visit her family and friends often. I’m able to attend more meetings. It made sense.

My mate’s touches are everywhere I look, from the paintings on the walls to the scatter cushions on the sofa to the framed photographs on the wall. There are a couple of them from our wedding, and one of me and my family. I feel a pang; my mother would love to be a grandmother.

Then I smile and shake my head when my eyes fall on the one of me in that god-awful pink tuxedo. Thankfully, you can’t see the yellow flip-flops, but I wore them like a champ. We still have to get around to putting a couple up of Leah. The wall is big; there is lots of space for memories to go up. I can’t wait to make them.

Then I get to work on making a couple of sandwiches. I’m nearly done when there is a knock at the door.

We’ve had a ton of visitors since Leah was born two weeks ago, so it’s no surprise. I head over there and open it.

My first thought is to shove the door into the witch’s face. I don’t. It takes every effort to refrain.

“Hello, Sire,” Divine says. “I believe that congratulations are in order. It’s a girl. Leah is a wonderful name. Did you know that it means ‘leader’ or ‘ruler’ in Arabic?”

“I did. It also means ‘weary one’ in Hebrew. You can’t have her. The taking of children as payment has been outlawed since 2009. Furthermore, I would like to refer to a clause taken from the Magical Lore Book, namely clause one thousand two hundred and three, point twenty-two-E, subclause nine.” I take a deep breath. I memorized this clause by heart. Reciting it over and over in case this day ever came. “That clause specifically states that—”

She holds up her hand. “I know the clause.” She smiles.

“You can’t have her. You cannot have my daughter.”

Divine laughs. It sounds like a cackle. “I am here to give you this.” She hands me a pink box. It is tied with a white bow. “It is a gift for the young princess. I wish you and your family all the very best. I am glad that things have worked out for you, Ax.”

“Thank you…I think.” I don’t trust her. Not one bit.

She smiles. “You are going to have three more children. You and your mate will grow old together, and you will see your family again in this lifetime.”

“Are you serious?” I’m trying not to get too excited. I don’t trust her. At the same time, my heart is beating wildly, and my eyes are stinging.

“Very serious.” Then she turns and walks away, disappearing in a white cloud of smoke.

Witches, wizards, and mages…all so damned annoying. I shake my head. I can’t help but smile because I immediately think of Tassos. He and Lucia are expecting twins in a couple of months. He is so excited. He’s already bought flip-flops for the babies. They’re yellow. I’m not sure where he found the things, only that he is a nut who has grown on me in so many ways.

I decide to take the gift box outside. I take it to the barn and put it on the workbench. I want to walk away and leave it there, but I can’t; I need to know what’s inside the box.

I sigh as I pull on the ribbon, releasing the bow. The box falls open. There is what looks like a jewelry box inside. It’s black and white with a gold swirling design on the surface. There is a purple lily on the lid. It’s pretty. But pretty can be fatal. We beast kings know that more than most.

“Crap!” I mutter to myself. “Here goes nothing.” I open the lid of the jewelry box, jumping back. A soft melodic tune plays, and purple butterflies flutter out, circling just above the jewelry box. They look surprisingly real. Their wings are purple, with golden veins running through them. I swipe my hand between the box and the fluttering butterflies. It’s clearly magic, which I don’t like. I can even scent it.

I slowly close the lid, and the butterflies pull back inside the box before the lid closes. It’s like a suction. I open and close the lid several times, and the same thing happens each time. It’s pretty nifty, but I don’t trust it for shit. I’m going to leave it right here until Tassos has taken a look at the thing. He and Lucia are coming for dinner tomorrow night. I fire off a text to the mage as soon as I get back inside. I even run back out and snap a picture of the jewelry box. Tassos tells me to leave it in the barn, but he is pretty sure it’s harmless. I can relax. He’s sure that Divine is just messing with me.

I go back into the house, where I finish making the sandwiches. I pour boiling water into the teapot, arrange the cups, and place everything on a tray. Then I head upstairs.

“I hope you’re h—” I start to say as I enter our bedroom, but stop in my tracks.

Leah is lying in Everleigh’s arms, and the two of them are sleeping soundly. I make a soft purring noise deep in my chest, which swells with warmth and with pride.

I put the tray down on the bedside table and slide in next to them, careful not to wake them. I have never felt more content in all of my life. Never felt more complete as I put my arm around my mate, breathing in the intermingled scent of her and our child.

Everything is as it should be.

A Drop of Blood is the first book in my new series. It promises to be filled with adventure, intrigue, tons of action, forbidden love, steamy sex and more… It is out now.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Charlene Hartnady is a USA Today Bestselling author. She loves to write about all things paranormal, including vampires, elves and shifters of all kinds. She lives on a couple of acres in the country with her husband and three sons. They have an array of pets including a couple of horses.

She is lucky enough to be able to write full time, so most days you can find her at her computer writing like mad. Charlene believes that it is the small things that truly matter, like that feeling you get when you start a new book, or when you look at a particularly beautiful sunset.

If you want to be kept updated on new releases please sign up to my Latest Release Newsletter to ensure that you don’t miss out http://mad.ly/signups/96708/join. I promise not to spam you or divulge your email address to a third party. I send my mailing list an exclusive sneak peek prior to every release, as well as info on sales and freebies. You can unsubscribe at any time.

I would love to hear from you so please feel free to look me up:

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ALSO BY CHARLENE HARTNADY

The Chosen Series:

Book 1: Chosen by the Vampire Kings

Book 2: Stolen by the Alpha Wolf

Book 3: Unlikely Mates

Book 4: Awakened by the Vampire Prince

Book 5: Mated to the Vampire Kings (Short Novel)

Book 6: Wolf Whisperer (Novella)

Book 7: Wanted by the Elven King

The Chosen Box Set Books 1-3

The Program Series (Vampire Novels):

Book 1: A Mate for York

Book 2: A Mate for Gideon

Book 3: A Mate for Lazarus

Book 4: A Mate for Griffin

Book 5: A Mate for Lance

Book 6: A Mate for Kai

Book 7: A Mate for Titan

The Bride Hunt Series (Dragon Shifter Novels):

Book 1: Royal Dragon

Book 2: Water Dragon

Book 3: Dragon King

Book 4: Lightning Dragon

Book 5: Forbidden Dragon

Book 6: Dragon Prince

The Bride Hunt Box Set Books 1-3

Water Dragons (Spin-off to The Bride Hunt):

Book 1: Dragon Hunt

Book 2: Captured Dragon

Book 3: Blood Dragon

Book 4: Dragon Betrayal

Earth Dragons :

Book 1: Dragon Guard

Book 2: Savage Dragon

Book 3: Dragon Whelps

Book 4: Slave Dragon

Book 5: Feral Dragon

Book 6: Doctor Dragon

Air Dragons:

Book 1: Dragon Heat

Book 2: Dragon Hunter

Book 3: Dragon Avalanche

Book 4: Dragon Overlord

Book 5: Dragon Cyclone

Exiled by the Pack

Book 1: Scarred Wolf

Book 2:Wild Wolf

Book 3: Lone Wolf

Book 4: Wolf Rivals

The Shifter Night Series (Shifter Novels):

Book 1 Untethered

Book 2 Unbound

Book 3 Unchained

Complete Box Set Books 1 - 3

The Feral Series (Shifter Novels):

Book 1: Hunger Awakened

Book 2: Power Awakened

Book 3: Hate Awakened

Book 4: Hope Awakened

The Dragon Demigods:

Book 1: Lord of Fire

Book 2: Lord of Hell

Book 3: Little Lords

Book 4: Lord of Life

Book 5: Lord of Rain

Book 6: Lord of Destiny

Book 7: Lord of Chaos

Book 8: Lord of Tears

Book 9: Lord of Death

Becoming the Demon Queen Trilogy:

Book 1: Cursed

Book 2: Condemned

Book 3: Crowned

Becoming the Fae Queen:

Book 1: Guilt

Book 2: Glamor

Demon Chaser Series (No cliffhangers):

Book 1 Omega

Book 2 Alpha

Book 3 Hybrid

Book 4 Skin

Demon Chaser Boxed Set Book 1-3

EXCERPT OF CHOSEN BY THE VAMPIRE KINGS

Chapter 1

It had been many years since he had been in such close proximity of his birth enemy. Zane looked as arrogant and as full of shit as ever. Barking orders at his royal guard like they were his servants instead of trusted subjects. In some cases, those receiving the harsh treatment were probably his best buddies. Then again, the bastard probably didn’t have any friends. Shaking his head, Brant turned and surveyed the crowd. He felt sorry for the female that would soon be chosen to become queen to the likes of that ruthless king.

It wasn’t his concern though. His own queen was out there. Brant shuddered, praying that the events of one hundred years ago would not repeat themselves. A bloody war between their fathers had been the result of the last choosing. It couldn’t happen again, the vampire species would not survive another war at this point.

As his mind returned to thoughts of his own female, he knew that he would not be able to remain sensible where she was concerned. His focus was on protecting his coven, and he would dispatch the other male without hesitation if he so much as looked at what was his. No matter the odds, and the knowledge of Zane’s ruthlessness, Brant would allow nothing to harm her. She was too valuable, too precious of a gift to him.

Turning, he surveyed the crowd again. Feeling the electric pulse of her closeness. According to the lores, he would be able to sense her and to tell of their compatibility almost instantly even in a crowd full of females. From the noise projecting from outside, he could tell there were many females present. He hoped his chosen would be willing from the start. The last thing he wanted was to force her, to have to go caveman on her and throw her over his shoulder. The thought did not appeal to him, but the choosing was not something that could be ignored. She would feel it as well, whether she wanted to or not.

“Ready?” his head guard Xavier asked as he moved in next to him. His brother’s eyes never faltered as they stared straight into his. Brant knew the reason for the intenseness. Xavier harbored similar feelings of distaste and distrust for their neighboring king. In order to maintain their strenuous hold on the truce between them, it had always been necessary to keep interactions between the two covens to a minimum. This event was no exception.

“Yeah, as ready as I’ll ever be,” Brant replied while taking a moment to scan the room.

“Your eyes are glowing my lord, maybe you should stop looking in that direction.”

Brant looked into Xavier’s clear grey eyes. Always the cool one in a situation. “My eyes have nothing to do with that bastard at the moment, and everything to do with my female. I can sense her, and the urge to mate is strong. I just hope that she’ll be agreeable to a speedy union.”

“I told you to take a female, ease your need. Humans are…easily broken. We don’t want any accidents.” Xavier spoke softly, ensuring that no one else would be privy to their conversation.

“I have a plan.”

“Please, tell me you at least drank recently,” Xavier’s eyes narrowed. When Brant didn’t reply, his brother’s eyes narrowed even more. He made a sound of disbelief and continued, “Brother, should you harm our future—”

“Enough,” Brant growled.

Xavier lowered his eyes.

“I said I have a plan. My future queen will come to no harm.”

Xavier nodded. “Yes, my lord. It is time.”

Brant took a deep breath. He had been raised for this moment. His decision and the events of the next few minutes would determine the future of his coven.

No pressure.

Tanya had seen tabloid pictures of the vampire kings and they really weren’t all that attractive, unless you were into the ultra-big, ultra-built and ridiculously bad non-human types.

She so wasn’t.

The whole choosing ceremony was so outdated to the point of being down right sexist. Yet, every hundred years, all of the eligible women would assemble to be chosen. A queen for each of the kings. The worst part was that vampires and humans never mixed so there was very little known about them. Their traditions, their ways, their expectations, she shuddered.

For at least the twentieth time, she wished that her best friend Becky was there with her. The whole thing was a real circus. Tanya hadn’t realized how many women there were in Sweetwater between the ages of twenty one and thirty. Aside from age, there had been a long list of requirements. Everything from weight and height to a clean medical exam.

Tanya sighed as a group of giggling women squeezed past her trying to find a spot closer to the podium. Becky was divorced, a complete no-no. It had automatically disqualified her from being allowed to attend the choosing ceremony. Attend, hah, not hardly, the right term would be forced. If all aspects of the criteria were met, it was mandatory to be here. For whatever reason, the human justice system went along with this whole farce once a century. Only those wanting a fast track to jail failed to show up. What scared her the most though was the thought of how many of these women were actually hoping to be chosen today.

Vampire queen.

Tanya cringed at the thought. For once she was thankful for being a little curvy. Most men were into wafer thin model types, so she would be safe.

The whole courtyard vibrated with an excited hum.

The two kings were royalty but they were also vampires. They drank blood for heaven’s sake. Had these women lost their freaking minds?

It was early afternoon yet you wouldn’t guess it by how some of them were dressed. Little back numbers, low cut tops, sequins and jewelry were the order of the day. The amount of skin on display was obscene. Tanya did a double take as one of the ladies walked by, she was wearing a sheer dress without underwear. Her lady bits on display for all and sundry. With all that exposed skin, she hoped that the woman had used sunblock. The highest possible factor.

Tanya looked down at her jeans and t-shirt. Maybe she should’ve tried a little harder but then again, she wasn’t planning on getting noticed. She had a life to get back to. It wasn’t much but she had her little book store. Some might consider it to be boring, but she liked it just fine.

She’d owned The Book Corner for two years now. Reading had always been a major passion, that and coffee. It had been her ultimate dream to own a little coffee shop on the side. That way potential customers could browse through purchases while enjoying a cappuccino and maybe a little pastry. So far she was way behind on those goals. She was supposed to have had half the money she needed already saved in order to do the required renovations. As it stood though, she may not even have a store soon, let alone an additional coffee shop. She couldn’t afford to hire someone to fill in for her today. Just the thought of the closed sign on the door, of losing potential customers, had her looking at her watch. Hopefully this would be over soon. The last thing she needed in her life was a man…let alone a vampire who would not only uproot her from her goals but from her friends and family as well. She only had one BFF and her aunt, but she loved them both a ton.

It had been a while since she’d dated and her last relationship had ended…badly. Sex was overrated anyway. She could just imagine how much worse it would be with a blood sucking vamp. Wishing she was back at the store, she glanced at her watch a second time.

It wasn’t like one of the kings would ever think of choosing a plain Jane like her anyways. What a waste of her precious time.

There was silence followed by gasps as two of the biggest, meanest looking men she’d ever seen walked onto the platform. Tanya had expected fanfare. A trumpet call. An announcement at the very least. What she hadn’t expected was to be shocked stupid. Pictures she’d seen of the men didn’t do them justice.

Tall, check.

Built, check.

Mean, check.

Ridiculously hunkalious, double check.

Several women swooned. One woman, closer to the front, fainted. Medics pushed their way through the thick crowd and placed the young women on stretchers.

The king on the left was slightly shorter, from tabloid pictures she’d seen, he had to be Zane. Although short was the wrong description, the big vampire must be at least around six and a half feet. He was meaner looking, with close cropped hair. From this distance she could tell that he had dark, hard eyes. A nervous chill radiated through her body.

King Brant was taller and even though he had a massive chest and bulging arms, he wasn’t quite as broad as the scary one. Neither was classically good-looking. Though both radiated raw energy and sex appeal like nothing she’d ever seen before.

“Pick me!” One of the women closer to the platform shouted waving her arms.

The kings ignored her.

A group to the side hoisted a ‘Look over here’ sign. What was it with these freaking women? For some reason it bothered her that they were so desperate to become one of the next vampire queens that they would do anything to get noticed? And the question of the hour was, why?

Turning back to the platform, she noticed that the taller one, Brant, had medium length dark hair, his eyes were dark and his mouth generous. Tanya was certain he would be even more attractive if he smiled.

Both men were tense. They just stood there, hands fisted at their sides. The crowd grew restless. Some women tried to push to the front while others tried to catch the attention of one or both of the men on the elevated platform.

Eventually, Zane stepped forward, his hard eyes were fixed on her. What the hell? Adrenaline surged through her blood, but her mind immediately rejected the idea that he was actually looking at her. It had to be some sort of mistake. His eyes seemed to stay on her for a few more seconds. Just as she began to feel the need to look around her for the true object of his fascination, his gaze moved to the back of the crowd. She breathed out in a gush.

“You,” his gruff, smoky voice was a low vibration. He pointed somewhere behind Tanya.

An equally big, equally mean looking man came onto the platform from the side. King Zane didn’t take his eyes off the female he had set his sights on the entire time he spoke to what had to be his head guard. All of the surrounding men were dressed in full leather. Though, this one wore a silver family crest on his chest.

Tanya shivered, thankful she hadn’t been chosen by the likes of him.

Zane continued to shout orders. The head guard, flanked by two vampires, stepped off the platform and stalked through the crowd. Tanya shifted to the side as they approached. They were big bastards. The women surged forward. One dared to touch. The king’s head guard paused, without turning to face the culprit, he growled. His top lip curled revealing sharp fangs. The air caught in her lungs. Her pulse quickened.

They were so close, Tanya could smell a musky male scent, could almost feel heat radiate off their huge bodies as they passed.

“You,” a deep growl sounded through the crowd.

“No,” a feminine wail responded. “Let go of me!”

Tanya was too afraid to turn. So close to the action, she was fearful of being noticed.

Another wail, louder this time.

“Put me down!” the woman shrieked. It seemed Tanya was not the only one there that didn’t want to be chosen.

Tanya moved with the crowd as the guards passed, the woman was slung over the shoulder of the head guard. She kicked and screamed. The big vampire didn’t seem to notice though. Tanya caught the look of sheer terror on the young woman’s face.

This wasn’t right.

How could this be allowed to happen? Tanya looked around her at the multitude of willing ladies. Women that were practically throwing themselves at the vampire kings. Why did the SOB have to go and pick one of the few that wasn’t interested?

Tanya took a few steps in the direction of the platform. Not happening. She stopped. She didn’t want to get involved. Couldn’t afford to. She didn’t even know the girl. It wasn’t like she could change the situation even if she tried. This ritual had been going on for hundreds, possibly thousands, of years.

A large group of women at the front screamed to Zane that he pick them instead. One of the young ladies even lifted her top.

The king didn’t take his eyes off his chosen woman the entire time that his guard maneuvered through the crowd. They narrowed though as they got closer. The girl screamed louder.

“Please don’t do this. Please, I beg you.” The screams had turned to sobs at this point.

Tanya couldn’t bear to hear them. Each word struck a nerve.

Zane nodded in the direction of the waiting SUVs.

“Oh God, please no,” she was sobbing in earnest.

The nerve quickly rubbed raw until Tanya couldn’t take it anymore. “Stop!” She marched in the direction of the vampire king. “Stop that at once. Let her go.”

Neither king took any notice. Maybe some of the others in the crowd were feeling the same way as she did because the women parted to let her through. “What you are doing is nothing short of barbaric.”

The crowd hushed.

“She doesn’t want to go with you. Let her go right now.” Tanya projected, sounding more confident than she felt.

Zane glanced her way before turning in the direction of the waiting vehicles.

“This is a sexist, disgusting tradition that needs to be put to an end. Why can’t you choose someone that’s actually interested in going with you? Why does it have to be her?”

He turned back, his dark eyes zoning in on her. Her breathing hitched. Her heart rate increased, a whole damn lot. I just had to get involved. Couldn’t leave it alone.

“This woman has been chosen as my mate. What is done cannot be undone.” He turned and made for the waiting vehicles. Like that was a reasonable explanation. So not.

“Bastard! Leave her alone!” She must have completely lost her mind because she walked after him and straight into the massive chest of one of the guards. There was only one thing to do in a situation like this, she beat against the chest in her way while screaming obscenities at the retreating back of the bastard king.

“Easy,” a low rumble that had her insides vibrating.

Tanya looked up into a set of dark, penetrating eyes. She froze. It was Brant. The second vampire king.

“What would you like me to do with her?” asked a voice to the right of the king.

His eyes stayed on hers. His nostrils flared and his body tightened. It was then that she realized that her hands were flattened on his chest. She snatched them away.

“Lord Brant?” the voice enquired.

“She’s coming with me.” He took her hand and strode towards the remaining vehicles. She wanted to pull away, to dig her heels in the ground, but her traitorous feet kept on moving in time with his. It was only when they reached the waiting SUV and Brant opened the door and gestured for her to enter, that she finally snapped out of it. Part of her didn’t want to believe this was happening. As ridiculous as it seemed, King Brant had chosen her.

No. Surely not.

“Wait.”

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