The Wicked (5 page)

Oh, fuck!

I tried to calm myself quickly, but it was too late. The cycle had already begun.

Kyden sighed deeply. “Shit.”

Suddenly, the wind swelled around us. Trees swayed in time with the breeze, leaves flew through the air. My hair whipped around my face as the familiar warmth began to feel all too hot. I met Kyden’s eyes, fearful of what was about to happen next. He, of course, looked nothing short of royally amused.

“What’s wrong with her?” Ryker gasped with wide eyes.

A split second later, a ring of fire erupted, encasing all three of us in it.

“Hell! Tell her to stop that,” Ryker shouted at Kyden.

“Er…how are we going to get out of this?” I said, biting my lip. The ring of fire was waist high and glowed brightly as the heat started to build sweat against my skin.

“Don’t do anything else,” Ryker nearly pleaded. “I will go.” He spun in circles. “Extinguish this—put it out at once.”

“I would if I could but—I—er—haven’t learned that yet,” I replied sheepishly.

“You haven’t learned that yet?” Ryker said, incredulous. “Are you serious?”

“She’s very serious,” Kyden responded with a little twinkle in his eye.

“Nexi Jones,” Zia’s voice bellowed through the meadow. “You are in very big trouble.”

“Uh oh,” I grumbled, watching her run down the hill

Kyden laughed. “You’ve pissed her off. Now you’re in for it.”

Zia slammed her hands out and with it came a blast of water that soaked us completely.

My first thought was to laugh seeing Ryker and Kyden standing there with their hair flattened to their heads and water dripping off their noses. But Zia’s enraged expression made the humor vanish in a millisecond.

“What am I going to do with you?” Zia growled.

“I’m sorry, Zia. It—I…” I stammered.

“You just what? You got angry and allowed yourself to be endangered—again. You cannot let your emotions rule you. I have told you this over and over again. Tomorrow I am going to have to teach you to put out your Fire. For heaven’s sake, if I don’t, you are going to kill yourself.”

“I’m sorry,” I said, abashed.

Kyden laughed.

“There is nothing funny about this.” Zia glared at him. “If I wasn’t here to help you, you all could have been burned to a crisp.”

Kyden shrugged nonchalantly. “I’m sure if it was life or death she’d come up with something to get us out.”

I gave my big male a wink, showing just how much I appreciated his trying to defend me.

“Don’t you even try to defend this!” Zia’s glare deepened. “This is your entire fault to begin with.”

Kyden arched a brow. “My fault?”

“That’s right. Your fault. Both of you.” She glared at Ryker too. “You are both acting like complete idiots around her. You should know better. She has trouble controlling herself and here you are giving her reasons to get upset. Kyden, if you give her one more reason to be upset I will forbid you to see her until she can control herself.”

“You will do nothing of the sort,” Kyden roared right before Zia sent him flying back on a giant wave.

Ryker laughed loudly, which quickly turned to a gasp as Zia sent him surfing right along with Kyden.

“Fools,” she spat. Then, she turned that glare on me directly. “You will not get angry again. Am I understood?”

I nodded, fully ashamed.

“Go home before you hurt anything else tonight.”

“Are you almost ready?” Kyden shouted from the living room.

Just because Zia said to go home didn’t mean I had to listen to her. After that embarrassing mishap, I needed a night out on the town. “And you call me impatient,” I shouted back. Jeez, it took time to be pretty.

“Would you stop fussing over yourself? You look fabulous.”
A voice said in my mind.

Where the hell did that voice come from? It wasn’t Zia. It sounded young and a little snarky. My gaze searched the bathroom. There was no one here.

“I am down here, if you would be so kind to stop acting so stupid.”

I glanced to my feet and saw Willow looking up at me. Without a second thought, I let out my loudest girly scream.

Kyden came flying into the room. “What’s happened? Did you hurt yourself?” He glanced around quickly looking for a natural disaster. Then, he met my gaze. “What is it?”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence.” I pointed to my cat. “Look at that, she’s grown.” She surely had. She was completely full-grown. Still the big ball of fluff, just about four times the size.

“All I see is that thing you call a pet.” Kyden said, examining Willow.

“Idiot,”
came in my mind.

I laughed. “Did you hear that?”

Kyden arched his brow. “Hear what?”

“Like I said, idiot.”

“That. Her talking. Can you hear that?”

Kyden crossed his arms. “She’s not mine, she’s yours. Of course I can’t hear her.”

“Oh,” I said surprised. “You knew she was going to be able to do this?”

He nodded.

“You’re starting to sound like an idiot too.”

I glared at my kitty. “Be nice. I’m new to all this.”

“That’s clear, isn’t it?”

I ignored her, too interested in what was going on here. “How’d you get so big?”

She began licking her paw, then rubbing it behind her ear.
“We mature within days of our birth.”

“Wowzers. That’s incredible. Are you like a werecat?”

Willow snapped her head up and looked appalled in a way that only a cat could.
“I am nothing of the sort. First, you name me after a tree, and now you begin insulting me. What kind of master are you?”

“Er, sorry.” What else could I say?

“You should be. A tree.”
She started pacing the room.
“A tree. That’s what you name me after. What about Fluffy, Kiki, Buttercup? No, this one names me Willow after a dog-gone tree.”

“I already said I was sorry, but I love my Willow. It just seemed right.”

Willow snorted, sending her whiskers to flutter.
“You aren’t forgiven.”

With that bit of grumpiness, I picked up my curling iron and got back to business. Kyden laughed quietly and headed back out to the living room.

“Didn’t I already tell you to stop fussing?”

“Listen here lady, keep the little mouth of yours shut. I’m done when I say I’m done.” I dismissed her with a flick of my hand. “Now, go and lick something.”

She flicked her tail at me and let out a loud meow as she strode off. Great, I had a bitchy cat and she could voice it—just what I needed.

By the time I was finished, I had never been so happy to be going out. It wasn’t just that my efforts had left me in the
hot to trot
category, it was because I was leaving Willow behind. The damn cat had listened to me for all of ten minutes before she returned to drive me to Hell and back.

Now, as we entered the club, it was exactly as I remembered. Expensive. Big, bright red leather couches, crystal chandeliers provided dim light and more than five huge tropical fish tanks lined the walls.

I made my way over to a table, Kyden headed off to the bar. The club was in full swing. Loud jamming beats vibrated along the floor.

Once at the table, which sat opposite the dance floor, I pulled a chair out and took a seat just as Ryker attempted to sit beside me.

“Do you remember the last time we tried to have a conversation,” I told him, sternly. “Please go away. I really don’t want to kill anyone tonight.”

He smiled pure sex. “I am only too glad you have such emotions running through you while I talk to you.”

Kyden was approaching quickly, drinks in hand. His gaze focused on one thing and one thing only—me. I gave Ryker a shove. “Just go. Right now or I’ll set you on fire.”

Ryker’s smile faded instantly. He took my threat seriously and why shouldn’t he? He quickly moved away, taking a seat at another table.

I breathed a sigh of relief just as Kyden reached me. “What did he say to you?” he growled, appearing more than pissed.

Without a single word, I grabbed him and planted a kiss on him that would send his thoughts south bound.

A while later, I drew away. His devilish grin warmed me.

“Haven’t even had a drink yet and your already gettin’ started,” he drawled.

Alcohol sent my imbibitions to the wind—he’d seen it on numerous occasions. I laughed flirtingly, relieved that my plan to distract him worked. “What can I say? Just look at you.” I gave him a lingering glance just so he knew how yummy I thought he looked in his pale jeans and black Calvin Klein polo shirt.

He stepped closer, brought his body tight against mine. “Do you feel what looking at me like that does to me?”

“I do now,” I purred. He was fully ready to give me anything I wanted. As good as that sounded, seeing the chocolate martini in his hand quickly changed my mind.

“Yum,” I exclaimed, and took the glass from his hand taking a big gulp. The chocolate flakes around the edges hit my mouth first, and that in itself was pure heaven. When the cooled liquid followed behind I could only moan in delight.

“Good thing we don’t have chocolate at home.” Kyden laughed. “I might have a bit of competition there.”

“You just might.” Chocolate and I got along very well. It could make me happy when I was sad. Ecstatic when I was happy and pretty much give me a mild orgasm.

Kyden pulled me back down to sit in the chair then, took a seat in front of me.

“It’s rockin’ here tonight.” Haven bounced as she sat next to me. Finn pushed in her chair, then joined Kyden as we began to drink the night away.

The longer we sat, the more apparent it became that I felt happy—really happy. It had been some time since it wasn’t so forced. Losing Drake—my birth father—only a short time ago hit harder than I thought it would. Moving on from him was an everyday battle.

Everything reminded me of him. There were too many times to count where I’d swear he was walking down the hall toward me, or sitting at my kitchen table.

Now, it was getting easier without him and my smile felt more real than it had in a very long time.

Kyden leaned forward and brushed my cheek with his fingers. “You’re quiet.”

“Just happy.” I smiled softly.

His eyes softened immediately. He knew how hard things had been for me as did Haven. He lightly kissed my lips. When he drew away, Haven was wiping tears from her face.

“What’s wrong?” Finn suddenly demanded of Haven.

Haven shook her head staring at me. “No…it’s nothing…I’m fine. Don’t worry.”

Finn examined her a little longer. Confusion hit every part of his soft features, but when his gaze hit mine, he instantly relaxed and leaned back into his chair—apparently understanding her tears were felt from my emotions, not hers.

It wasn’t long before one Martini became two. Warmth and cheer filtered through every part of me. Things that weren’t funny before now were and removing the smile off my face was nearly impossible.

“I need another one. You in?” Haven asked.

I shook my head adamantly. “No way. Zia’s pissed at me enough. If she has to come to our place to heal my sorry ass again, she’ll kill me.”

Haven laughed. “I heard about her tearing a strip off you today. I wish I’d seen it. I’ve never even seen her mad. You must have really pissed her off.”

“That seems to be all I do lately,” I grumbled.

Haven chuckled under her breath and bounced out of her chair.

“I’ll just be over with Keir,” Finn told Haven as he stood with her. After a quick kiss, she was off to the bar and he made his way toward Keir who was presently greeting a bunch of werewolves.

Keir, a strapping Guardian, stood in a circle of friends. He was a real bang your balls type a guy—jet black hair, one green and one blue eye , handsome, but tough. Kyden abruptly stood and reached his hand out. “Come on. There’s someone I want you to meet.”

I took his hand, stood and hesitantly followed behind him. My experience with new supernaturals didn’t always go so well. I liked keeping to the ones I knew and left it at that.

When we met the group, Keir had just shaken the hand of one of the werewolves. And may I just say, he was handsome as handsome comes with his black spiked hair, dark eyes that could make a woman sigh and a body that looked rock solid.

The werewolves gaze left Keir and hit Kyden’s. He stepped forward to meet us. “You are looking well, my friend.” His voice was gruff—sounding just as a wolf’s should.

“Dante. It’s been a long time, brother.” Kyden said, then glanced at me. “You have not met Nexi.”

“My, my, so this is her.” Dante smiled crookedly and reached his hand out.

I shook his hand and the calluses that layered his skin were nothing more than incredibly sexy. What can I say, I ain’t dead. You take notice when you meet a male of this caliber.

“My father has spoken extremely highly of you,” Dante said.

I glanced at Kyden, hoping for some clarity.

Kyden smirked. “Valor.”

Now, Valor I did know—and liked having in my little circle. He is the Patriarch. Took me a bit to understand the whole concept, but basically, he’s the Alpha of all Alpha’s—the top dog.

“Valor’s your father?” I asked Dante.

“Indeed he is.”

“How is he?” It had been a while since I had spoken to him and feelings of pleasure ran through me upon hearing his name

“He is well.” Then, he raised his hand and put it on my shoulder. “We all owe you a great debt for what you did.”

He was sweet and all, but the past events with Lazarus was a team effort. “I wouldn’t have been successful without your father’s help.” That was the truth in a nutshell. Valor was an undeniable part to why Kyden and I were still here. His assistance saved our butts—big time.

“It was right of him to help,” Dante said, firmly. “I only wish I had been around and involved in such an intense fight.”

From there it was ignore Nexi and go straight to male jibber jabber about how we kicked some serious ass.

I sat back down, watched the group of them go on and on about things that were of no interest to me. Haven was off to God knows where and I was just bored. Wasn’t such a shock when my mind started to linger toward things of a different nature.

After skimming the dance floor, I focused on Kyden who was listening fiercely to Dante’s stories of a recent Alpha who Valor had had to take out. Like I said, boring.

My gaze ran down the length of my sexy male who looked mouthwatering delectable. Alcohol always did take the attraction between us and quadrupled it.

Lord, he was sexy. He didn’t have to do anything to be so sexy either, he just was. It was an air about him. Of course, having perfect bone structure, eyes that you could lose yourself in, and a body sculpted with defined muscles, didn’t hurt. But it was more than that—it was his confidence, his strength. It poured from him and right now, I was inhaling deeply, breathing it in.

A little shudder ran through me that started at my head and tingled through my blood until it met between my thighs and lingered there—building, burning. Without thought, I moaned my need aloud.

Kyden’s gaze immediately snapped toward me. Focus caught. Dante was still talking to him, but after Kyden walked away, he smiled and turned away.

When Kyden stood in front of me, he leaned down, his face just millimeters from mine. Oh yes, he’d caught my inner desire. “Come dance, Álainn.”

Without waiting for a response, he took my hand and pulled me onto the dance floor. Instantly, wolves surrounded us.