“Please buckle your seat belts. The captain is preparing to land.” I hear the bubbly blonde flight attendant order over the plane’s intercom. I adjust myself in the comfortable seats and buckle. I look over to Mer who is already buckled and still passed out from her sleeping meds. I chuckle to myself when I see a small pool of drool on the shoulder of her pink blouse. Movement closer to the front of the plane catches my eye and I see Shikari, or Shi as we call her, and Birsha rush to their seats laughing as they go. Seeing her so happy makes my heart smile. One of my closest friends has finally found not only her fated mate but also her dishanna. After everything she has been through and so much she still doesn’t know of the future, she deserves to take the happiness when it comes.
Shi, Mer and I grew up together in The Establishment. A place where children are trained from a young age to battle the rogue concealed creatures of this world mercilessly. We grew up training side by side in the heat and ice without any ease or sympathy. Although, we were raised with the finest material items the world had to offer, I always felt itw was never worth the emotional and physical pain we went through daily. The three of us bonded quickly. Seeing to each other's wounds and our powers connect so easily we grew a sisterhood bond more quickly than anyone I had heard of. Thinking of them and how much we shared I feel the guilt churn in my stomach. There is still one secret they don’t know.
Turbulence shakes me out of my internal guilt fest. I glance around at my surroundings. The plane was luxurious which is not surprising in the least. Leather seats freshly detailed with Birsha and Shi’s monogram elegantly stitched in the headrests. Crystal glasses with plush blankets allowed us to lay back and enjoy a comfy ride. Unfortunately my nerves wouldn’t let me enjoy it. I can’t help but feel that something bad is going to happen.
I look over at my friends with envy as I see them all relaxed. It’s only the girls on this flight except for Birsha of course. He wanted to give Shi as much time with us as he could before he whisks her away to fulfill a promise. A promise that she made to his father, the Devil. Yes, the actual Devil himself. I haven’t met him myself but Shi swears he is sweet and truly full of life. I have a hard time believing that. I mean honestly who would believe that? Although, since she has never lied to me, so I’ll just take her word on it.
Birsha and Shi made a deal that they would go back to Hell in a year to prepare to take over the throne in exchange for information and assistance on a mission we were on. It was a tough mission and we needed answers. Still, I wish she hadn’t made a deal with the devil. Even if her agreement did allow us the knowledge to save over two hundred women, I still worry that it may bite us in the ass later. Every time I ask her if she regrets her choice, she looks me in the eyes and says never. She told me she was going to marry him anyways and the bonus of saving those women just made it better.
Watching them is truly so sweet it’s sickening. They can’t keep their hands off of each other, poor Mer is constantly telling them to get a room. As much as I can’t stand the idea of public affection, it’s nice to see her happy. They not only love each other like crazy, they are also dishannas, which is a bond born of the fates and destiny themselves. They were literally born for each other and are the others' perfect match. She is destined to be his queen and help him rule the underworld. While I am so happy for her, I am still sad to lose one of my closest friends in the process. That’s life though, changes and constant movement without any control.
Now we are headed to London to spend time relaxing and enjoy each other before everything changes even more. I look around as unease slivers across my stomach as I feel the wheels press down on the ground allowing us to land. Even though I love and appreciate the accommodations that Birsha has provided. I hate just sitting here. I feel like I should be doing something. A lingering feeling that something evil is coming our way and I can’t seem to shake the feeling. Then again it could just be me worrying about things. I’m not used to not having anything to focus on and right now I just feel lazy and without a purpose.
For as long as I can remember I have always had a purpose. With the family I was born into, it was required. Years after years I have done as I am told, following orders and doing what is needed. Now that I have decided to leave The Establishment I feel as if I no longer have a purpose. No one to save or help, and nothing to fight. The feeling of loneliness and anger fills my veins as memories of all the reasons I left the one place that truly felt like home entrap my mind.
I had told Shi that I would follow her and I did that because I truly wanted to spend whatever time we had together before she starts her new life. However it wasn’t the only reason. During the mission I found out things I had been hunting for since I was eight years old. Finally the lies and cover ups found their way to me and I knew something had to be done. All this time I thought the rumors were just that, rumors. To find that it was all true, well that blew my mind. It made me question everything I stood for and everything I have done. We were to be hunters, the protectors of the world. We are supposed to be the law and protect all innocent, human and concealed alike. Now it seems everything I’ve ever known since I joined the establishment was a lie.
The bubbly voice that I have decided is rather annoying, comes through the speaker once again startling me back to the present. “Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to London. For your safety and the safety of those around you, please remain seated with your seat belt fastened. The Captain will then turn off the “Fasten Seat Belt” sign, indicating it is safe to stand. Please use caution when exiting the plane. Your porter will remove your items and have them delivered to you directly.”
I reach over and softly shove Mer to wake her up. I chuckle when she swats my hands and groans then makes a very unflattering noise. I look around and realize how glad I am that Birsha had surprised Shi with the private jet just for the four of us and sent the others ahead. Mer would be super pissed if everyone saw how much she was drooling. A snort makes its way out of me as I try to control another laugh and shove her harder. I outright laugh when she shoots straight up like the seat is on fire.
“The plane has landed. We can leave.” I point to the fasten seat belt sign that is now off and I hear her sigh.
“Well let’s go then.” She grumbles under her breath and we make our way to the service doors and head down the stairs. Mer gasps softly when she sees the red carpet leading from the stairs to the limo then narrows her eyes when she sees Bix standing by the door. Well it seems as though she is still ignoring her mate, I think to myself. Not that I can talk I’m currently in a cluster fuck of mess with men myself.
“Are you alright?” Birsha asks as he and Shi come up behind us holding hands and smiling as if they were in their own little bubble.
“Yes, we’re fine. Mer here just needed a second to fully adjust to waking up.” I say with a smirk as she turns her narrow eyes to me.
We make our way down the stairs and into the limo and I look around to see if I see anyone else. I sigh with relief when I realize it’s only us and Bix. I’m not ready to see everyone else just yet, especially the two specific males I’ve been trying to avoid. I’ve got way too much to worry about the two delicious and unwelcome men in my life. I just wish they were also forgettable, but I know I would not be so lucky, especially now that I know what’s in store.As we make our way towards our temporary home I lay my head back and try to clear my mind. Soon I can hear a soft snore from Mer at my side that tells me she is already back asleep. That girl can sleep anywhere. I chuckle inwardly. I lay my head back against the seat and close my eyes allowing myself a brief moment of silence. Sleep soo
“Don’t you think this is a little much?” I ask Mer as I stare at myself in the mirror. I can’t believe she fit me into this barely there little black dress that is made with hardly enough material to cover my privates. It is beautiful though with its spaghetti straps and loose scoop neck that seems to extenuate my neck line. The shiny material is loose and allows plenty of movement even though I know if I move too much my privates won’t be private any longer. “I mean seriously, Mer. I won’t be able to sit down or bend without the entire club seeing my goodies.”She laughs and waves a dismissive hand. “You look hot! You’re normally so put together and business like that your body needs to be released! Don’t you agree Esmerelda?” I laugh when Esmerelda just scowls and Mer rolls her eyes in response. “Besides I’ve watched you
I sigh and decide it's time to get up and just deal with the dress that I’m stuck in for the rest of the evening. Of course my luck decides to plummet because just as I start to stand my ankle twists and I lose balance. Strong arms quickly grab me and straighten me out. Once again, I don’t have to look to know it’s Xei. The jolt of electricity that attacked my body at his touch told me who it was.“If you can’t stand in those stupid shoes maybe you shouldn’t wear them.” Xei grumbles as he steps away.“I can stand just fine, I twisted my ankle, you big oaf.” I huff out and turn to walk around him.He shoots out his arm and stops me in my tracks and when I look up at him I can see a mixture of heat, fire and anger flash across his deep blue eyes. “What the fu
“Ali. Wake up.” I hear Gins' voice calling through my dreamless sleep. “Fuck my head hurts.” I groan as my eyes flutter open and the feeling of a hard wetness beneath me quickly snaps me awake. “What the fuck?” I look up and see Gin sitting next to me using the wall to lean on with a worried expression on his face. “Are you injured?” I quickly inspect him for any major injuries. When I don’t see any I quickly take in my surroundings. The room is dark and the ground is wet. The small amount of light allows me to see the moisture on the floor below us that has gathered. I look towards the right and I see a steel door. I hear a grunt and I quickly realize I never heard Gin’s response. I look back over and see his head is now slumped to the side and his eyes are closed. Shit. “Gin! Wake up.” I call at him and his eyes fly open. I can’t keep the concern out of my voice as I ask, “Where are you injured?” He groans a bit, lifting his head back up. “I’m not, just still groggy from whate
I can feel the heat within me starting to lose control. The anger, the thoughts of the past, being stuck in this nasty place, it’s too much and my fury is getting out of control. I need a release and I need one soon. My mind is full of heated frustration so without fully thinking anything through, I walk up and lift my dress over my head as the water drips from the ceiling of this horrible place we are trapped in. “You infuriating man! You say I belong to you.” I hiss as I reach down and grab his already hard cock. I hear him gasp as I tighten my grip. “Then shut the fuck up, whip out your cock and prove it.” I watch as a mixture of emotions pass through his eyes. Anger, hurt, frustration then finally heat. I smirk and it’s the last straw he grabs me and pushes me against the brick wall. I see the heat in his eyes as his body leans into me and his hands wrap around my throat. “You do belong to me just as I belong to you. I always have.” He slips his fingers down my panties without a
Looking out the window of my beautiful room in the castle that Birsha and Shi have taken us to, I enjoy the beautiful view. It’s been two weeks since we landed in London and decided to leave the establishment. Two weeks since that night being taken by Vex and my mind has been going non stop since we made it back. I’ve done so much digging but I still haven’t been able to find any concrete evidence of Reginald’s involvement in the missing Concealed. I know the deaths are linked to them and wish I could prove it. Everything I come up with seems to be a dead end. Gin is doing most of the research on Vex and letting me focus on Reginald but he isn’t getting anywhere either. With all the work we have put in we are closer to either this Vex guy or Reginald and I feel like I’ve hit a brick wall and I’m stuck. Mer says I should let it go for now and enjoy our time with Shi while we can. I know she’s right but I can’t help this horrible feeling in my gut that something bad is about to happen.
The club is crowded and loud and I can feel the beat of the music against my feet. To the right is a large crowded bar with a mixture of all sorts of people. The dance floor is packed with bodies moving and grinding along each other in rhythm of the music. The lights that flash across the stage are hypnotizing making you want to get lost in the music and I long to be there with those people. Maybe I do need to let loose for a bit. We make our way past the entrance and I run my hands along the deep red velvet walls as we follow Birsha up the stairs to the VIP lounge. We are greeted by two cocktail waitresses who show us to a large round. The table is dressed with black and gold silk with a large glass vase filled with what looks like gold nuggets that glow. It is truly unique and beautiful. We take our seats and I watch Gin take a spot by the exit door and stay brooding as always. I survey the room and see that everything is matching perfectly even the large shelves behind the bar mat
I sit there in silence thinking of all the possible outcomes. Planning on how to handle any situation that may arise from the predicament that I’m in. The girls don’t know of my past or of my parents. Xei is to be my future mate. I’m part vampire and I’m not sure the people in my fathers alliance will accept a half breed. I’m consumed by worry and darkness that the knock at my door startles me so much I jump. With a now shaky voice, I call for whoever it is to enter. Gin strolls in with his perfect dark hair and perfectly pressed suit looking like he just walked off a magazine for Armani. I let my gaze wander down his body taking in the thick muscles that flex softly underneath his suit as he walks closer towards me. He is much like me with how he carries himself. Both born of the Bravata, we know how important impressions are. Everything about him screams calm, collected and dangerous. His dark eyes that naturally narrow just a bit stares at me like he is reading all the secrets I h