Breaking Free (9 page)

“She did. For the first time I
knew
what I wanted, what I needed. I tried to go slow for her, but I couldn’t resist. It was like a hurricane.”

“You two are pretty awesome together. I might be jealous if I didn’t think Fallon would kick my ass for looking twice at you
.” She winked.

He chuckled.
“Mmhmm, sure. But you have your own mate now.”

She sighed. “Yeah, one who keeps
talking about leaving.”

“
I get why it’s on his mind. He thinks it’s the only way to keep everyone safe.”

“It’s not.”

“But it’s what he knows.”

“Which scares me,” she admitted.

Brody squeezed her shoulder and gave her a nod. “Fallon told me what happened ten years ago, when Malachi held Robert, Tremaine, and her. Can you imagine what Devlin went through in the years they held him?”

“
Don’t need to. I get it, but I want him safe.”

“
Stop worrying. We got this. And wait until Robert hears the news. You know he wants the Dales gone as bad as the rest of us. We have a lot more on our side this time. It will work out.”

“How do you know? You steal Jess’ gifts?”

He grinned. “No, but you know Fallon. She’s not going to let the Dales win.”

* * * *

Jess came charging into A Good Book, her eyes narrowed. Slater was on her heels with an apologetic look.

Jamie dropped her head and silently wished she had more time before having to deal with Jess.

“Where the hell have you been?” Jess demanded.

“Why?”
Jamie asked carefully. She didn’t want to give too much away until she found out exactly why her sister was freaking out. She hoped to god she was wrong.

“I felt,” she glanced back at Slater, “
we
felt someone join the pack, much like when Fallon sealed with Brody. We felt you forge a connection, but once it took hold you faded. I can barely
feel
you now.”

Brody’s eyebrow arched as he looked to Jamie. He kept his mouth shut.

“Well, I… uh… shit,” Jamie muttered and closed her eyes as she combed her fingers through her hair. “This wasn’t the way I wanted you to find out. But I have a mate now.”

“Last night?”

“Yeah, my Dreamwalker is real, and he’s Fallon’s brother.”

“What did you say?” Jess demanded, her hands o
n her hips as she tapped her toes. Her face was scrunched in anger. “You mated a perfect stranger that you only met in your dreams?”

Jamie came right back with,
“Just because you managed to resist your mate for a few weeks, doesn’t mean the rest of us want to try.”

“I can’t see a damned thing to do with him. You do realize that’s a sign of the Dales and their dark magic.”

Jamie threw up her hands and shouted, “Go to hell!” She stormed out of the shop and slammed the door before rushing across the street.

Jess followed seconds behind.
Jamie heard Slater and Brody thundering after them.

Jamie got to the door of Inktastic and spun on her sister. Her words came out in a growl. “Don’t you dare judge
me. This isn’t Stephen. He’s not going to fuck me over, and if he does leave, it’s to fucking protect me. So do me a goddamned favor, and help me figure out a way to keep him here.” Errant tears leaked down her face, and she swatted them away.

Jess’ anger fizzled a bit, a
confused frown pulling at her lips. “He would leave to protect you?”

Jamie nodded slowly. “I need to find a way to prevent that. I don’t want to lose him.
”

“Are you sure you can trust him?” Jess asked, and Jamie already knew her twin didn’t. She
could only hope Jess would refrain from being a bitch until she had proof one way or another.

Slater reached over to squeeze Jamie’s shoulder. “Don’t worry.” He gave Jess a thorough look. “Jess won’t jump to conclusions, no matter how
bad she wants to.”

Jess grumbled
, “I’ll try, but I make no promises.”

“For your sister, you better,” Slater told her.

Brody added. “I trust him. He’s telling the truth about everything.”

“Yeah, but how much is he leaving out?” Jess blurted out, fire in her tone.

Shaking her head, Jamie turned and walked back to Fallon’s room. The door was closed and she knew the sound was likely sealed in. She knocked firmly and waited.

It was only a second before Devlin opened the door. He smiled at her, but there was a hint of concern. “Can you see it?” he asked softly, holding up his wrist.

She looked, but there was nothing there. Not until she ran her fingers over his inner forearm and their connection flared, seemingly wrapping her tighter to him. She could feel it, without feeling it. It didn’t make any sense.

Jamie shook her head in confusion, looking up to find Fallon standing
right behind her brother.

She
grinned back. “No one else will feel it. Even if they strip him of his jewelry, he’ll have my protection, and some of his. He helped imbue some of his own magic into the ink as I worked the piece.”

“What wards,” Jess asked
, not bothering to hide the suspicion in her tone.

Jamie fought off a growl and glared at her sister.
“Stop it right there. You said you’d give him a chance.”

Jess’ eyes narrowed. “Hard to when I can’t see what’s coming.”

“Yeah, well, the rest of us can’t see what’s coming. Makes life more interesting.”

Slater put a hand on each of their shoulders and gently pushed them apart. “Stop. Both of you.
I need to know what’s going on, Jess. Please, give your sister’s mate a chance.”

“Yes dear,” she answered snippily.

“Thank you, Sis. Now, would you like to meet my mate?”

“Yes,” she griped
.

“Jess, meet Devlin.”

Devlin offered a smile and his outstretched hand.

With a frustrated sigh, Jess shook it and groaned. “Not even when I touch you?” Her eyes blazed back to Jamie. “I don’t like not knowing.”

Devlin pointed to her bracelet, but didn’t look too thrilled. “If you allow me, I can cast a spell to let you past my wards. I doubt it will make you feel any better in the end.”

She
pulled the bracelet off, handing it to him as she glared at Jamie. “I’d better not regret this.”

“I can’t promise that,” Devlin answered. “
But there won’t be a block on what you see about me anymore. I can’t take my wards down because I’m trying to keep the Dales from finding me.”

Her expression softened, and she nodded. “Then do it.”

His hand wrapped over the metal as he closed his eyes, wording something Jamie couldn’t begin to decipher. Opening his hand, he held the jewelry out to Jess.

Jess took it with a frown
, then slid it on.

Devlin swallowed hard and grabbed her hand again
with a wince.

Jess jerked slightly, her breath catching. Then she yanked her hand away. “Okay, okay, that’s enough,” she whispered. “You aren’t one of them.” She walked away
, clear out of the building, before Jamie could ask what the hell she saw.

“I’ll see ya around,” Slater said before chasing after his mate.

“You okay?” Fallon asked.

“She probably hates me,” Devlin offered lightly. “
At least it can’t be any worse than what she thought beforehand.”

“No, she doesn’t hate you,” Jamie answered. “She was afraid of something, but it wasn’t you. I guarantee if you were the issue, she would have said something.
The fact she said nothing worries me.”

“I wouldn’t
stress over it. Jess can’t control her visions,” Fallon offered. “Go on, get out of here.”

P
reston finally walked out of the Silver Council Headquarters and nearly ran into a very stunning brunette with porcelain skin and slate gray eyes. Her skin was cold and he knew she was a vampire. A Shadowstalker in fact.

And so it begins,
he thought to himself as he kept walking.

She called after him
, “Why, hello there. Who might you be?”

“Busy,” he called back and kept going. If she was part of the Dales, which he
assumed, he didn’t want to look at her face. He would give away the fact he was completely immune to persuasion, thanks to Fallon and her wards.

Her
stilettos clicked on the concrete as she walked after him. “Think you could give me directions to the archives?” she asked innocently.

He wasn’t buying it.
Besides, they didn’t let most mages in there, let alone some random vampire. And how did she know about Headquarters anyway? It was hidden from most Others.

“Nope. Ask
the receptionist at the front desk.” He slipped into his Maserati and shut the door, quickly casting a repelling spell under his breath. If she touched the vehicle she would get one hell of a shock. It wouldn’t stop her, but it would buy him a few seconds. That was all he needed.

He started up the engine as she tried to yank the handle with a yelp.

Backing up, he ran over her foot and tore out of the parking spot. The car shuddered with the slam of her hand on the trunk when the bumper nearly took out her knee.

“
Better not have left a dent,” Preston sneered as he waved his hand behind him, sending a blinding flare.

With the vamp
-tramp dealt with, he dialed Jamie as he started for the freeway.

She answered on the second ring.
“Hi Preston.”

“I got what I need, but
there’s a Shadowstalker in Seattle. At Headquarters. Need I point out it’s barely dark. I have a feeling it won’t be long before shit hits the fan.”

“Great, just perfect,” she muttered. “Still on our side?”

He groaned. “Always. There’s one thing.” He paused, frowning a second. “That vamp looked familiar. I’ve seen her, but I can’t remember where.”

“That’s unusual,” Jamie answered.
Preston had a photographic memory. He never forgot anyone or anything.

“Yeah, which makes me think she was human last I knew her, or maybe
of
her.”

“You coming back out here?”

“On the road now. I need to make a few more calls. We may need Devlin later. You can come too. Based on the tome, it looks like we need Fallon, Devlin, and as many mages as we can find for the counter ritual to rip DeMarco out of our world for good.”

“
I’ll let him know.” She hung up.

Preston dialed Robert, who was still his partner, but also his superior as the new Magister. Things were changing in the Council, for the better. The process
was slow, but it was happening. His faith in the Silver Council was slowly being restored, but there were still a lot of problems to sort through.

Robert’s voice came on the line. “Hey Preston,” he sounded hurried and out of breath.

Preston shook his head, trying to get those images out of his dirty mind. “Hey. I don’t know if anyone told you, but the Dales are likely to be on their way to Seattle anytime. I ran into a Shadowstalker at Headquarters. I’m on my way back to Edenton now. Oh, and their targets are Fallon, of course, and her brother. Surprise.”

“Brother?” Robert barked.

“Yeah, long story. Look, it’s something to do with DeMarco. I doubt he’s here yet, but he’s likely to be heading out soon. He needs Fallon and Devlin to complete his transformation, but I found a counter ritual. We’re going to need a lot of power. I’m calling Fallon next, but you need to contact someone at the council to make sure that vampire doesn’t get whatever she came for. She was heading to Archives.”

“
I’m on it.” Robert ended the call, and Preston pushed the pedal to the metal.

* * * *

Sarah screamed her frustration when that bastard mage ran over her foot and then swiped her leg with the backend of his sports car.

He didn’t even g
ive her a second look. Sarah could feel his magic. Mage, with a dose of something wild, something not quite human. He was stronger than most, the blood mixing interestingly. She was willing to bet he was part fae, but she couldn’t tell what flavor.

Her fangs itched to sin
k deep into his throat. She didn’t know of any mage/fae hybrids. The two races didn’t get along.

Wiping the sneer from her face, she
managed a seductive smile as she strode to the front doors. She entered the building with an air of authority. A smile stole across her face as she met the guard’s gaze. He was under her trance in seconds. Next, she leaned down to make eye contact with the receptionist, who immediately fell into a stupor.

Sarah walked around the counter and brought up a map of the building
on the computer.

It was huge. Much larger than it appeared from the outside. That was likely done on purpose. The exterior didn’t draw attention. In fact, if she hadn’t known what
the building was and where to find it, she would have driven past and kept going.

Damned mages and
their wards. They were able to disguise anything.

Taking
the stairs down to the archives deep in the bottom basement, she stepped into a simple room lined with gray brick. There was one large oak door that she went through and found herself in what looked like a cavernous library. She spotted the gorgeous man with mocha-colored skin, dark chocolate eyes, and a delicious smile.

His eyes sparkled as they locked on hers. “Sarah, I presume?”

“Mmm, I hear you like it rough.” She couldn’t wait to shove him down and show him what rough was as she took what she wanted, then got what she came for.

* * * *

Devlin and Jamie were locked up in her cabin. It was already after dark, and he’d convinced her staying inside was the safest bet. She understood wards well enough she didn’t ask a huge amount of questions.

Instead she sat on the couch, watching him watch her. “You’ve been quiet all night,” she finally stated.

“Still worried. I understand I’m safer here than on my own. And Fallon made one hell of a point. You’d be able to track me, even if no one else could. If I leave, you follow, and you’re still in danger. I can’t do that to you.”

“Good. I don’t want you going anywhere.
”

He closed the distance, dropping down beside her on the couch. “Jamie, I told you, I don’t want to leave any more than you want me to go.”

Before she could say another word, he closed his mouth over hers, stealing her breath. He reached behind her neck and pulled the tie of her halter dress loose. The top fell, her breasts spilling out.

His hands cupped them as he brushed his thumbs over her nipples, which beaded under his touch. He dropped
his head to take one rosy tip into his mouth, suckling until she moaned.

Her fingers twined into his hair, drawing him closer.
“You’re so good at that,” she praised.

“Only because you taste like my favorite desert,” he answered as he turned to take her
neglected nipple between his lips.

“What’s that?”

“You.” He sucked, his tongue laving, and she undulated against him.

He slid one hand down her flat stomach, to her thigh, and then dove underneath the skirt of the dress. Her panties were already damp. He groaned
.

S
he sighed, shifting to rub against his touch.

“So good, oh, so good,
Dev. You need to be inside me though. Want to feel all of you.”

“Mmm,” he mumbled,
mouth still occupied, pressing two fingers deep inside.

“No, damn it. Not your fingers. Your cock. Inside me. Now!”

He released her, standing as he discarded his clothes. She slipped out of her dress before he could take over.

Faster than he could move, she shoved him onto the couch, and straddled his lap, facing him, she slid down over his straining length
.

His hands curled around her hips as she rode
. Pale blue eyes locked on his, her lips quirking in a grin. So beautiful, so sexy, and she was his. The reality settled in. He had exactly what he wanted in his lap, bringing him greater pleasure than he had believed possible, and half of his joy was knowing she wanted the same from him.

His hands caressed up her body, capturing her face and pulling her down for a long deep kiss as the pleasure began to spiral to the point of no return.

Her nails bit into the flesh of his shoulder as she ground down over him one more time, rocketing him over the edge. He spilled inside her as she came around him.

“
Oh, Precious, I’m not letting you go.”

She smiled back at him. “Good. I’d only come after you.”

Which he knew, but hearing it made the decision easier.

* * * *

To keep her mind off worrying, Fallon spent a full day at Inktastic. She picked up her phone as she headed over to Brody’s shop. They had decided to wait on the rest of their honeymoon until after they dealt with whatever was coming for Devlin.

It made more sense to stay in town if she was also a
target. As much as Fallon wanted to protest, Brody, Slater, and every-fucking-one-else had a damned good point. If they wanted to keep Devlin in the confines of the town, it only made sense to keep her there too.

Her phone rang and she picked it up without looking. “Hey,” Preston started before she could get a greeting out
, “are you with Brody?”

“Not yet. Walking there now.” She locked the door and started down the street.

“Call him, let him know you’re on the way. Trust me.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Why?”

“Shit, just do it,” he growled and hung up.

Whatever. Away or home, it
is still our damned honeymoon and I don’t need to call him to walk in on him.

She slipped down the alley
and found the side door open. He stood there with his back to her, talking to another woman… his dead wife…
or not so dead
.

Her heart fell through her stomach. She gasped and before he could turn around, she shifted into a hawk and flew away.

Oh Goddess, what if he still loves her. What have I done?
She made the split decision to fade into the background until he could figure out what he wanted.