Ruling Fire (Bad Boys Of The Underworld Book 4) (19 page)

“You don’t have to talk about anything you don’t want to.” Elsie slid on the shoes. “I know it can be a sore subject.”

Brock rubbed at his temples. “No... It’s not that sore. Delia and I weren’t the closest of mates.”

Elsie raised a brow. “Really? Was it some sort of political match?”

“Something like that. She checked off a lot of the requirement boxes. Good family. Good age. Was good with people. And, most importantly, she was a hundred percent certain she could handle the queen.”

Which she couldn’t. “I’m sorry that you didn’t choose me either.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, it’s bad enough your first mate wasn’t exactly a love match. And then I fell into your life out of sheer luck.” Good or bad luck was yet to be determined. Besides...he hadn’t exactly said he loved her. Even after her, admittedly lust-driven, admission a few minutes before. Hell, he might’ve forgotten. They were a bit distracted when it happened.

Either way, now wasn’t a good time to bring it up. She had one more thing to clear up with him before they started exchanging “I Love You’s.”

“Brock... You need to know something.” He looked over to her but didn’t say anything. She’d kind of hoped he’d change the subject somehow and she could get out of this conversation. “Do you remember the myotis who showed up in my house?”

“Creepy monster who wanted to kill us? Yeah, I remember.”

“He was my backup. I made a deal with him to find him a siren wife and he held up his end of the deal.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Brock stared out over the murky New Jersey water. Though, at three a.m., he supposed most water would look murky, but he knew from experience the green-brown color of the ocean crept farther inland. And even if he couldn’t see it, he could certainly smell it.

“You look rough,” said a voice from behind him.

Brock twisted around, scenting the air to verify this beast was the same one who’d threatened him and Elsie so recently. “Lucian, I assume?” Considering he hadn’t smelled or heard the man before, he must’ve teleported there.

“That’s me. I’m assuming your mate told you about our little extracurricular activities?”

Brock growled low in his throat. Granted, Lucian wasn’t threatening in his current form, but Brock knew that the monster’s face was only one of two. And myotises looked like any other supernatural being during the day. Too damned attractive for their own good. “She told me you helped her get Dani back. I’d like to extend my gratitude.”

“I don’t need your thanks, wolf. Your mate already agreed to my demands.”

“Elsie isn’t making any deals with you. From now on, you deal directly with me.”

“If you would like to deliver me a siren bride, I’d be more than happy to work with you.”

“I don’t have any spare sirens. But I have one better.”

“I doubt it.”

Brock reached down for his briefcase and snapped it open, pulling out a thick manila envelope. “My kind have been keeping tabs on your people for longer than you can imagine. And you’re not the first coven leader who’s worked to find out how to solve your little fertility problem.”

It was Lucian’s turn to growl menacingly. No one really liked having their weaknesses pointed out. Brock glanced around but didn’t see any sign that Lucian had brought backup.

But that didn’t mean they weren’t ready to pounce at any second. “Your predecessor was looking into the fertility crisis. During one of his...spats with my people, we raided one of his labs. This is all the research he had.”

“I already know about his research. What good would that do me now?”

“From what I read in these files, he was damn close. And you didn’t take over for another decade. I think your time would be better served if you gave up on trying to coerce a siren and find a solution for your species instead of just you.”

Lucian snatched the files from Brock’s hand but didn’t look through the thick stack of paper. It was probably hard to read with the thick claws.

“Take a few days to look it over. I’ll still even owe you a favor. But from now on, you deal with me. Elsie is off-limits.”

“I’m not agreeing to anything until I can look these over.”

But he wasn’t disagreeing either, which was good.

“Take your time. I’ll help you any way I can.”

“Any way that doesn’t involve Elsie.”

Brock stepped forward, closing the distance between him and the myotis, refusing to be intimidated by the creature in front of him. “Elsie is mine. Mine to protect and mine to have. And when you have a mate of your own, you can trust I’ll respect those boundaries.”

Lucian was quiet for a moment as though deciding whether he was going to test these boundaries Brock was putting in place. Instead, he nodded and held up the folder. “I’ll keep that in mind.” With that, Lucian was gone.

Brock glanced around, verifying he was all alone before he bent to pick up his briefcase and head out. As soon as he was in the car and headed toward the freeway to take him back to his Manhattan apartment, he dialed Lana.

Because of how late it was, Brock had expected to get her voicemail, but she answered right away.

“Brock, dear, I hope everything is all right.”

“Everything is not all right. What’s this I’m hearing about you telling Elsie to leave me?”

“What on earth are you talking about?” she asked in a perfectly innocent tone.

Brock gripped the phone tighter. “You and Elsie went out to lunch and, from what she told me, you weren’t too friendly.” There was a brief pause and Brock imagined Lana was formulating how to talk her way out of this one.

“Well, I don’t know where she got that idea. I suppose I can be rather abrupt at times. Maybe this is all a misunderstanding?”

“It’s not a misunderstanding, Lana. You made no secret of how you felt about Elsie from the moment I brought her home, so don’t treat me like an idiot. But if you can’t get along with my mate, you’re going to have to remove yourself from any place she might be.” Including the cabin where Lana currently lived. He wouldn’t kick her out on the streets. Brock owned a few properties she could have her choice of. But she would have to go somewhere away from him.

“I want what’s best for you! I was there for Delia. I remember how excited the two of you were. How sure you were that she could take on the queen. I was also there the night she died. No wolf should ever have to go through the pain of losing a mate.” Her voice cracked, reminding them both that she had firsthand experience of what it was like to lose a mate.

“I’m not losing Elsie any time soon, so stop trying to push her away.”

“She’s been having the dreams, you know.”

Brock almost dropped the phone. “What?”

“She told me today over lunch. Well, over water. She didn’t stay long enough for food.”

“She’s not having the dreams. She would’ve told me if she was.”

“Would she? Even knowing how much it scared you? Even knowing it might cause you pain and worry?”

“She would’ve told me!”

“Fine. Then ask her yourself. But until then, I want you to know that I just want what’s best for you.” Lana hung up and Brock threw the phone across the car. The sound of plastic cracking filled the small compartment.

Fuck.

He hit the gas and sped on toward the city. It was time he and Elsie had a talk.

~~~~~

Elsie’s eyes snapped open, but she wasn’t awake. She was in the familiar marble hallway that she’d come to dread.

“Damn it,” she muttered under her breath as she pushed herself up. She was in that same delicate silk nightgown that reached down to her feet, and some chill swept through the hall; Elsie shivered and wrapped her arms around herself.

Last time, an earthquake had forced her down the hall. Maybe this time they were trying to freeze her out. Except obviously whoever was orchestrating this torture forgot that she’d already found a way out. She just needed to burst through the window again.

Elsie made her way to the first of many windows that covered the ornate hallway. They were covered in white, sheer curtains that billowed out with the breeze. Elsie pulled the curtain aside and stared in shock at the iron bars that now covered the outside of the windows.

She was caged in.

Even as she stared out the window, the temperature seemed to drop even more as the mysterious force that drove these dreams egged her on.

Except Elsie already knew what waited at the end of the hallway. Every other person who’d had these dreams had died within weeks, and Elsie was willing to bet they were braver women than her. Luckily, she had a leg up. She had cowardice on her side. If those women wanted to try to defeat the old queen and gain her power, good on them. That wasn’t her problem. She just needed to get out of this dream world unscathed.

Elsie turned around, walking back to the end of the hallway where she’d always appear. She’d already tried the doors here in previous dreams, but considering the windows had changed, it wouldn’t hurt to check all these locks too.

Nope. Still locked. The temperature seemed to drop another ten degrees, and Elsie could now see her breath. The marble floors felt like ice to her bare feet, and she ran her hands up and down her arms even faster, trying to keep warm. When she jumped out the window, she’d woken up. Maybe if she stuck out the cold, she’d eventually wake up unharmed?

Elsie knew people could die in the dreams, but there weren’t exactly rules for her to look up.

“Holy shit. Is it always this cold here?”

Elsie twisted around as the last person she expected to see stood in front of the doorway she was always dropped off at. “Rachel?”

It was hard to recognize her in an identical flowing gown to what Elsie wore, with her dark hair down and blowing around her face. But ever since the night at Brock’s cabin, Elsie had committed Rachel’s features to memory, namely her expressionless face as Cullen and Derek had beaten and taken her.

“So where’s this queen? Has she showed her face yet?”

Rachel squared her shoulders and Elsie could tell this wasn’t someone afraid to face the doorways like Elsie. Rachel was ready and willing to fight.

“She’s down there.” Elsie pointed to the door across from them. Her hand shook as she pointed, another reminder of the rapidly dropping temperature.

Rachel being here could be a good thing. She would take care of the queen so Elsie wouldn’t have to.

Except if she defeated the old queen, that would give Rachel immeasurable power. At least according to the wolf legend. If Cullen’s mate suddenly had all the power, Brock would never be able to keep his place as alpha.

And Elsie knew from experience that Cullen wouldn’t be a gentle leader.

“Thanks, man killer. I’ll take it from here.” Rachel confidently strode down the hall. She didn’t seem to be affected by the cold at all.

For a moment, Elsie just stared at her. It wasn’t her job to stop Rachel from killing herself. But it was sort of her job to get to the queen first. But what could she really do? Rachel had come here with purpose. Knowing she was here to kill and fine with that.

Elsie wasn’t a fighter. Sure, she’d taken out the crazy myotis before, but that had been under extenuating circumstances. She’d been backed into a corner and thought she was going to die. Thought Brock was going to die.

But what would happen to Brock if Rachel and Cullen took over? They’d simply evict him and hope he had a nice life?

No. If she wanted to keep her mate safe, she’d have to stop Rachel one way or another.

Cursing under her breath, Elsie jogged to catch up with Rachel right as she opened the door leading to the queen’s bedroom.

The second they stepped into the room, they were surrounded by warmth. Even the floor was plush carpeting, so her feet had some relief from the unrelenting wind.

Just like before, the queen sat on the bed, her back to Elsie and Rachel.

Rachel didn’t waste any time as she spotted a sword leaning against the wall to the left of them. She grabbed the weapon and turned to face the queen, who still ignored them both.

If the queen knew they were here to kill her, why wouldn’t she move? Try to defend herself? She’d seemed angry enough that first time Elsie had come here and Elsie hadn’t even planned to kill her then.

Or she didn’t need to be worried. This was her home. Her realm. Elsie and Rachel were just visitors.

“Rachel, stop,” said Elsie.

Unsurprisingly, Rachel wasn’t swayed. “Move aside, siren. I’m going to finish this once and for all.”

“It’s a trap. If you attack her now, you’ll get us both killed.”

“Well, I’ll cross that bridge when I get there.”

Rachel strode across the room to the queen; Elsie ran forward, grabbed Rachel’s arm and twisted her around. “Did you really think it would be this easy? Think! This is a trap!”

“I won’t beat her hiding in the hallway, will I? So back off or I’ll make you.”

Rachel started to turn again and Elsie ran in front of her. “If you just take a minute, we can work together to—”

Intense pain filled Elsie as Rachel flung the sword forward. Elsie tried to speak, but nothing came out. She coughed and felt some type of warm liquid dribble down her chin.

She looked up at Rachel, only to see a dark ceiling above her.

“Bad dream?” asked Brock from the doorway to his master suite.

Elsie shot up in the bed, feeling at her abdomen and chin, making sure there wasn’t any blood.

She wasn’t dead. Why wasn’t she dead?

“Lana told me that you’d been having the dreams. Were you planning on telling me this any time soon?” Brock moved to cover the doorway more. All the lights in the bedroom were off and the light from the hallway silhouetted his form, making him look even bigger and more imposing than normal.

Elsie tried to pull herself out of her haze. She wasn’t sure whether it was brought on more by the dreams or by her lack of sleep. “I told Lana I wasn’t having the dreams and she accused me of lying.” Elsie evaded the true question as she pushed the covers off and swung her legs over the bed, glancing at the clock: four a.m. She’d only been in bed for an hour. No nightgown. Just her sleeping t-shirt and panties.

“I’m done with your fucking lies, Elsie. I don’t know if you think you’re protecting me in some deluded way, but right now, you’re the one who needs all the help you can get. So pack a bag. We’re leaving.”

“Leaving? We just got here. I have weeks of work to catch up on at the plant.”

“Yeah, well, you can’t catch up on work when you’re dead. We’re going to the Ranch.”