Summon (41 page)

Alone, stunned, I stood in silence quite unable to
move.

A riot of sound rumbled from the pit of my stomach
and chugged from my throat as a sidesplitting guffaw.

Dawn crept past the horizon before I recovered
enough to stagger home to the Wyld.

Rae

Overcome
by happiness, I watched my brother bend over double with laughter then
eventually walk away, albeit a tad wobbly.

I wondered if he’d share this encounter with our
Elder, and found myself unable to decide if that would be a good or bad thing.

Sensing my disquiet, Baako grumbled.

Shaking it off, I smiled broadly and patted my
Familiar’s snout. “Thank you for bringing Cael to me. It’s just what I needed
to let go.” I ran my fingers through his warm fur. “I’m sorry about Wasp,
Baako. I know you wanted to Claim her, but her heart was broken. She loved
Devlin. Deeply. You’ll find another.” I turned my face to the sky. “The weather
is going to get worse. Go home. Hibernate. You’ll wake if I need you.”

Chuffing a goodbye, he dipped his head to nose my
stomach then ambled away.

Strong arms wrapped around my waist. Pulling me
into his chest, Breandan nuzzled my neck. “Satisfied?”

I tucked my hands under my cloak and rubbed my
arms. “I’ll never stop being afraid for them.”

“Our presence is meddlesome.” He sighed and pulled
up my hood. Snow started to fall. “Their protection is not our purpose. Not any
more. You fulfilled your destiny.” He gazed down at me lovingly. “And I am so
proud of you.”

Beaming at his praise, I turned in the circle of
his embrace and looped my arms around his neck. “Is it bad to wish for wiggle
room?”

“Four godlings interfering? That is more than
wiggle room, love. We would disturb the balance, and that is not acceptable. I
finally have you all to myself.” Breandan brushed a snowflake from my cheek. It
melted under the warmth of his touch. “Our people will be fine. It will be hard
to watch them suffer, but that is life.” He thumbed my bottom lip then kissed
where he’d stroked, chuckling quietly as I touched my tongue to his. We
shivered in pleasure. “Is it awful to focus your attentions on me?”

“No. I won’t meddle, I promise.” I snuggled into
him. Though content my brows pulled together. “Now what?”

Breandan stared at me with a particular look of
astonishment.

Deadly serious, I stared back.

We’d survived.

Together.

His lip twitched. I sucked on my bottom lip. We
burst into hysterical laughter.

“Seriously.” My giggles puttered as I grasped the
enormity of what we’d achieved. “What on earth do we do with all this power?
We’ve all the
time
in the world to do
what
?”

 
“Hmmm.
What to do?” Breandan lowered his head. “What could I want to do with my
irresistible life mate?” My heart fluttered when he pressed his hips to mine.
Breathed into my ear, “Guess.”

Teasing, his lips hovered a hairsbreadth from
bestowing kiss.

I scarcely kept my legs beneath me. Formulating
coherent thoughts to speak was too bloody hard. Breathless with anticipation, I
scooted closer angling my face up.

Breandan jerked straight and left me hanging.

Evading the swipe of my arm, his hand reached
across his chest to clutch his elbow. The other lifted and his elegant fingers
tapped his chin. “Nothing to say? Pity. I have something in mind.” Eyes shimmering
with lambent heat, mischievous, he strode backwards. “I spent endless time
chasing you for answers. It is time you did the same.” Dazzling me with a grin
of pure sunshine that warmed me to my toes, Breandan beckoned with a crook of
his finger. “Catch me, and I will tell you.”

He faded. A radiant silhouette that glowed bluish
silver then vanished.

Fluffy snow blanketed the forest canopy and
sparkled in the pale dawn. The undergrowth was frozen. Icy. Weak rays of sun
broke through the whitish overcast, and blade-like icicles stuck to the tree
boughs glistened.

“Snow is lovely, but….”

Stretching my arms, I wiggled my fingers. Smiled
when my magics swelled to bursting and infused the air with warmth and life.
Breathing in deep, I shut my eyes and let nature bloom. Green grass sprouted
beneath my feet and vines tipped with yellow and blue flowers twisted around my
ankles.

Cold wind stirred my hair into an inky cloud.
Brought the heady fragrance of winter evergreens and the earthy scent of my
life mate into the sanctuary of my burgeoning Spring.

The sound of Breandan’s laughter was an ethereal
resonance in the forest.

He summoned.

Loved and loving, I followed.

THE END

OTHER
BOOKS

Glamour (Rae Wilder #1)

Compel (Rae Wilder #2)

Enchant (Rae Wilder #3)

Chaos Theory (Cosmic Lovely #1)

Die, My Love (Dark Creature #1)

Bite, My Love (Dark Creature #2)

Lunar Light (Beautiful Damned #1)

Smolder (Dragon Souls #1)

***

COMING
SOON

Burn (Dragon Souls #2)

Flux Equinox (Cosmic Lovely #2)

Moon Burn (Beautiful Damned #2)

Try something
different?

CHAOS
THEORY (Cosmic Lovely #1)

Kali doesn’t know what to make of Blue. His
scientific knowledge surpasses genius, and his understanding of the universe is
effortless. His mind intrigues her, and his body attracts her in the worst way.
Fascinated, Kali accepts when he asks her on a date ... then is abducted by
aliens. Kali escapes captivity to discover earth under attack, and the only
thing standing between life and death is Blue, a boy alien to her in every way
conceivable.

***

Read on to
sample Part One.

***

PART ONE:
CONTACT

I am human and let nothing human be alien to me.

Terence

1.

Starless
Operative Zeke Hutchinson, “Z” to his compatriots, “Son” to his commanding
officer, was about to let loose and piss his one-piece.

Comforted by the presence of the prayer beads
tucked safely into his breast pocket, hidden from its usual placement around
his wrist due to the formality required, he prayed to the Cosmic Virgin for
deliverance.

He had that sinking feeling. The warning he
wouldn’t be taking the shuttle off Home World to his birth planet to visit
mama, as he’d been promising these last six months.

He wished he had spent the time and credits he’d
considered too precious to waste in a confession booth before deployment.

What were five hundred credits for a truly
repentant soul?

Should of, would of, could of.

“The General’s eye keeps twitching,” Zeke whispered
to S.O. Jakob Valiant, who stood rigid in formation beside him. “He’s pissed or
stressed.”

Valiant’s navy beret sat at a cocky angle. It was a
violation of dress code, but Valiant was too relaxed to worry about the pithy
fine of a hundred credits. His one-piece fatigues were standard issue taupe and
made in the prior approved radioactive resistant nylon. At least he had the
foresight to zip the suit to the neck, considering he usually wore the top half
undone and tied around the waist.

“I wonder why,” Valiant muttered. “It’s not because
aliens are threatening to enslave our planet.”

“What do they want?”

“Not too bright today, Z?”

Zeke resisted the urge to grin. He was used to Valiant
razzing on him. He never teased back, Zeke didn’t have such a ready store of
insults, but he scuffled with the best of them. His usual response to his
friend’s teasing was to plant a fist in his face. “I’m going to remember that.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’ve heard that before.” Valiant’s
lips twitched. “Stellar. The task of enlightenment falls to me. You’ve got to
read between the lines. These aliens arrive and pluck our world leaders from
under their security detail without batting an eyelid. They’re returned whole,
but terrified, can’t physically move their lips to speak, and are locked down
in medical for psych evaluations. Then the Alliance Commander-in-Chief orders
all military personal in reserve on Quadrant21 to quietly rendezvous at a
top-secret facility. A cluster-fux rumoured to hold the last nuclear warheads
known to man. Not only was this base a myth before tonight, it’s located in
Quadrant103, one of the most hostile terrains planet side. Soon as the last man
trained to wield a weapon, or fly a jet set foot off that piece of land,
Quadrant21 was entirely cut off by a government imposed Quarantine. The
military was then advised it’s about to be wiped off the map and declared a
DeadZone by a freak disease they refuse to name. None of that seems odd to
you?”

“How do you know all this?”

“I listen.” Valiant tapped his ear. “I’ve been
paying for extra sense upgrades. I haven’t got a family to support like you.
How is your mama anyway? Still making those delicious apple dumplings?”

“She’s steady. Asked after you once or twice. What
does what you’ve said have to do with what’s happening here?”

Valiant shifted restlessly. “Stars, if we weren’t
in formation I’d slap you. Some disease isn’t about to destroy Quadrant21. Our
entire unit hasn’t been called here to witness this event as an ‘honour.’”

Zeke exhaled hard through his nose. “Our unit is
trained to deal with … situations like this.”

“They needed all of us?”

The Starless’ primary function was covert
operations. It was their job to manipulate, infiltrate, and occasionally
assassinate. This kind of protection detail was left to the recognised military
units. The Starless were sent when all other negotiations and plans had failed.
They were sent to wipe out anything they were pointed at by any means necessary
as quietly as possible.

They were ghosts in a world that proclaimed peace
and prosperity.

Zeke’s unit had never been convened like this. The
Starless were not called upon without serious provocation. He knew some of the
men from previous missions, was blood brothers with the deadliest man in the
unit, Valiant, but never had there been a need for all of them at once.

But who was he to question his commanding officer?

Zeke was briefed on this mission and he’d made
tracks to the lavatory. When was he supposed to have demanded the answers to a
series of complicated political questions? Before he projectile vomited his
breakfast, or after he’d fallen to his knees in prayer.

Valiant had acquired classified information on the
mission he risked his ass on.

Listening never hurt anybody.

“Alright, I’ll bite,” Zeke murmured. “Why would
they put up a Quarantine?”

“To blackout communications and keep the rest of
the world from realising what’s happening. Figure it out already.” Valiant
sighed. “Why did hostile forces invade in the past?”

“Religious and economic reasons, but we all know it
was about securing land and any precious substances like oil and natural
gasses. Thank the Virgin for BlueAtom8.” Valiant snorted, but even he paled
thinking of the ugly, blood soaked past of humanity. “Mock it, Val, but you
have to be relieved we don’t have that problem anymore. War was one of the
reasons all governments fell under the New World Order. Not our brightest
moment, but the alternative was shit too. Admit it’s not that bad. The Alliance
could be worse. After world war five, our planet couldn’t take much more. We
needed to do something.”

“It wasn’t the people who started those conflicts.”
Valiant frowned. “It never is. We fight the battles when the ones causing the
problem hide underground and send innocent people to die.”

Zeke didn’t like feeling like a pawn. He was a good
soldier. His curiosity just got the better of him. Not that curiosity counted
for anything. He’d learn about atrocities, but not have the valour to act
against any mayhem unless ordered to.

That was the difference between a soldier and a
hero, he supposed.

“Where’s your patriotism?”

“Don’t need that. One earth, one people.”

Zeke subtly motioned his head towards the scene
below. “I think the word applies now more then ever.”

Spotting his commanding officer glaring at them,
Zeke elbowed Valiant. They straightened their spines and stared ahead.