Bad Boy Prince: A British Royal Stepbrother Romance (43 page)

“You look hot in that outfit,” Cassie said, giving him the same look right back when he stood. He wore black pants, a tight black t-shirt, and a black tactical vest that did something very naughty to Cassie’s oversexed brain. “Maybe
I
should be worried about
you
.”

Gabriel made an exasperated sound and came over to drop a kiss on her lips, then gave her ass a light swat.

“I left a present for you in the study,” he said. “And I had the maids organize it while we were otherwise occupied. I meant what I said about you picking out some new furniture, too, unless you want your office in the guest bedroom. God knows you’re never sleeping in there again.”

Cassie scoffed at his presumptuous declaration, but Gabriel merely smirked and stalked out of the room. She shook her head and found a discarded pair of her pajama pants that she’d draped over a chair several days ago. Pulling them on, she opened the connecting door to the library.

She almost tripped over herself when she saw the room. The bookshelves had been neatly organized and put on rolling tracks, then pushed to one side of the room. Cassie reached out and moved one, marveling at the ingenuity of the new setup, leaving half the room free to allow movement and comfort. The blackout curtains had also been pulled back from the windows, flooding the whole room with near-blinding sunlight.

“You weren’t kidding about the cleaning,” she wondered aloud. “This doesn’t even resemble the library anymore.”

Heading over to the table, she was doubly surprised to find it empty of all but a few scrolls, a stack of notepaper, a mason jar of felt-tipped pens, and a stack of books. Giddy, Cassie reached out and snatched the first book from the stack and opened it. Grabbing a pen, Cassie settled into a chair as she flipped the pages, quickly becoming absorbed in the historic journal Gabriel had left for her.

An hour slipped by before Cassie looked up again. She had a pen in one hand and a scroll spread beneath the other. She also had a list scrawled on a piece of scratch paper, a jumbled collection of notes that needed a bit of summary. Cassie sighed and pushed the scroll away. Grabbing a fresh piece of paper, she condensed and summarized her notes to her satisfaction, leaving her with:

Q
ualities Defining
the Third Light

- Communes With Spirits or The Dead (depending on interpretation)

- Would Need A High Priest or Priestess and an Angel or Demon as Parents

- Hasn’t Come Into Their Full Power Yet, Or Hides Their True Strength

- Is Unaware Of Their True Potential For Evil or Good

- Probably Female?

C
assie scrunched
up her face as she re-read her list. On one hand, the list was too broad — how could the Guardians find someone who didn’t know her own power? On the other hand, the list was very, very specific. It seemed unlikely that there were a lot of women walking around who were created by the very human lusts of a demon and a Voodoo priestess. Cassie was pretty sure that you’d know just how special that woman was the moment you laid eyes on her, or saw her aura at least.

Wouldn’t you?

Rubbing her temples, she sighed. There was one more book she hadn’t tackled yet, the largest and scariest-looking of the stack.
Apocrypha del Semaforo
was carved in the thick black leather cover. When Cassie traced her fingers over the letters, a chill slid down her spine.

Opening it, Cassie used the gentlest touch possible to turn the yellowed, powdery pages. The text was in a very old Italian dialect rather than the Latin she’d expected. Cassie jumped up and fetched an iPad from the library’s selection of computers. Sitting back down, she skimmed through the first handful of pages, guessing at what bits she could and translating short passages that seemed important.

The phrase
La Luce Finale
stuck out at her from several places on the page. Frowning, Cassie translated it.

“The Final Light?” she wondered aloud. “Is that different from the Third Light?”

With a huff, Cassie worked to translate broad swaths of text for the next few chapters, jotting notes as she went. It quickly became apparent to her that the Final Light and the Third Light were not the same thing, and that in all likelihood the Final Light wasn’t even alive yet.

…probably. Cassie’s understanding of the old Italian was incomplete, but she was fairly certain that the Apocrypha indicated that the Final Light wouldn’t be conceived until after the Third Light was discovered. Turning that over in her mind, Cassie pushed through a few more chapters of the book. When she didn’t find any more specific references to the purpose or destiny of the Final Light, she gave up and wandered off to find Cairn, hoping for a little entertainment that didn’t involve prophecies she couldn’t hope to understand.

D
ominic “Pere Mal
” Malveaux reclined in a velvet chaise in the corner of the Carousel Bar, nursing a Sazerac. He took a sip of the bittersweet whiskey cocktail, staring down at the glass and swirling the remaining ice. Things were not proceeding at all as he’d planned, and it was all the fault of those fucking Guardians. The stupid bear shifters were meddling in things they didn’t understand, and the results could be disastrous for Pere Mal.

Nothing in this world was free. If you wanted something badly enough, especially a great deal of power, certain debts would accrue. Pere Mal owed some mighty large debts, and the holders of those debts were neither patient nor kind.

He’d lost the First Light, the pretty blond who’d settled with the Scottish Guardian. Their bonding had been an unfortunate blow for Pere Mal, but he’d come to accept it… especially when the First Light’s usefulness had faded.

But the Second Light, Cassandra Chase, had been stolen from him. Taken from his very house. That would not stand. Not when the girl’s fate was so enmeshed with the Third and Final Lights. Pere Mal’s seers and sorcerers hadn’t figured out exactly how it would play out, but Miss Chase was to be a very, very important figure in Pere Mal’s future plans.

Added to the fact that she also hosted the Oracle, whose visions and prophecies he direly missed. Pere Mal set his glass on a low table and rose, determined.

Yes, Cassandra Chase must be recovered at any cost.

“Monsieur,” one of his men said, approaching with a slight bow.

“You’ve found the Oracle?” Pere Mal asked.

“I have both good and bad news,” the suited man said, looking as if he were desperately trying not to flinch under Pere Mal’s gaze.

“Bad news first, I suppose.”

“Our spies report that the Oracle and one of the Guardians are… involved. Fated mates, actually,” the man said with a wince.

Pere Mal closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, unwilling to make a scene in the glitzy bustle of the Carousel Bar. Likely his aide had waited to approach him until now for that very reason. It took him almost a full minute to gather himself before he could respond.

“Which Guardian?” he asked at last.

“The sorcerer, we believe. Sir.” The man was visibly sweating now as he stood at attention, waiting for Pere Mal to react.

“Ah. I’d rather it be none of them, but I worry most about the other one. The Viking,” Pere Mal sighed. “There is something about him that I do not like.”

Fear, more like, but Pere Mal no longer used such terms in reference to himself. It appeared weak, and he needed his men to have utter confidence in him.

“Yes, sir. You think the sorcerer is weak, then? My spies say they are trying to conceive, which could help us further. Couldn’t it?” the aide asked.

Pere Mal favored him with a smirk. The news really wasn’t bad, exactly, so much as it might require more patience.

“I think all bear shifters grow foolish around their mates and spawn,” Pere Mal said briskly. “That is what happens when one follows their heart and not their intellect and wisdom. I also think that if Miss Chase is foolish enough to begin a family with her Guardian, she will give us the ammunition we need to destroy them both. It’s so simple, really…”

Pere Mal thought it through for a moment, then nodded with a deep satisfaction. The aide just wrung his hands, looking obscenely relieved.

“I will need you to monitor them closely, tell me if their status changes in any way. Especially the family way, you understand?”

“Of course, of course.”

“Well? What’s the good news, then?” Pere Mal prompted, growing irritable.

“You requested that we scry for the Final Light. Impossible conditions of parentage, I think you mentioned? We found what you asked for.”

The aide produced a stack of glossy photos for Pere Mal to peruse, and he nearly laughed when he saw the contents.

“Shall I intercede, Monsieur?” the man asked.

“No,” Pere Mal said with a grin. “No, leave it alone. It would be far better not to draw attention to the situation. If no one is looking, there is no problem, n’est-ce pas?”

“Yes, sir.”

“The place where the Guardians live, what is it called?”

“I know not, sir.”

“I need all the information you can get about it. Get someone inside, someone who knows magic. I need to know everything about that place, and about the Oracle’s movements.”

“Of course, Monsieur.”

“You’re dismissed. Have the waitress bring me another Sazerac,” Pere Mal said, waving the aide away.

He settled back in his seat and picked up his glass once more, draining the last sip. Things were beginning to look very good for Dominic Malveaux.

Very good indeed.

G
abriel lay sprawled
on his back, Cassie tucked up tight against his body as she slept. She murmured and shifted in her sleep, throwing her arm across his chest and hugging him tightly. Seeking warmth and comfort, the exact things a mate should provide.

Reaching out to brush a curl of flame that tumbled from Cassie’s face, Gabriel struggled to contain the surge of protectiveness that rose inside him. It had only been two months since he’d marked her, made Cassie his mate in the shifter way.

His ring glinted on her finger, a symbol of the promises Gabriel had made Cassie. The name Thorne, given to chase away memories of her own loveless family. A summer wedding in the year to come, made doubly thrilling when Echo and Rhys had accepted Cassie’s invitation to make it a double feature. And most importantly: a family, as soon as Cassie wanted it.

Three weeks ago, Cassie had sat Gabriel down and held his hand, then told him she’d had her birth control implant removed. After puzzling over the existence of a bodily implant to prevent contraception, Gabriel soon realized that Cassie was telling him that she was ready to start a family. Or start
trying
, anyway.

And try they had, in every place and position conceivable, for as long as either could stay awake every night. Sometimes most of the day, too, when Gabriel wasn’t on patrol. His lust for Cassie only seemed to increase each time he had her, the flames rising higher as he discovered the secrets of her body, how to pleasure her best in order to bring them both to a roaring, violent peak…

A smirk lit Gabriel’s lips as he thought of the hours and hours of
trying
that had led up to his current mood of complete exhaustion, the same reason why Cassie was lying in what Gabriel fancied a deeply sated sleep. Sleep beckoned to Gabriel, too, but troubling thoughts kept him from succumbing.

Things between Cassie and him were mostly blissful; they only ever argued about the Guardians’ lack of progress in finding and dismantling the Birdcage. The Guardians had laid siege to three different houses now, trying to find Pere Mal’s secret prison.

He couldn’t exactly toss and turn lest he disturb his sleeping mate, but several scenes kept playing over and over in Gabriel’s mind: the Oracle’s words about Gabriel giving Cassie a child; the morning when Gabriel found his mother dead, taken in the night by scarlet fever; the moment when he’d run to tell his sister Caroline of their chance in fortune, only to find that he’d killed her in a moment of thoughtlessness.

Man. Bear. Sorcerer. Guardian. Mate. Gabriel was all of these things and more, but father?

His fists clenched and he drew in a deep breath, trying to keep himself calm. His mating bond with Cassie grew stronger by the day, and at times she was able to sense his moods without them even being in the same room together. He’d well and truly worn her out, wringing every drop of pleasure from both of them, and she deserved her rest.

That, and Gabriel couldn’t stand the thought of Cassie knowing of his doubts. It was as if the mere act of speaking aloud his misgivings would make him vulnerable to the darkest of his imaginings. He didn’t even have a child yet, couldn’t possibly, but that didn’t stop the fear from putting down roots in his heart.

On one hand, every man likely worried at the prospect of bringing a child into the world. It was a dangerous place, perhaps even moreso than the world in which Gabriel had been brought up. Cyber attacks, nuclear weapons, bioterrorism… the list went on and on. Add to that Gabriel’s own seeming inability to protect those he loved, and the prospect of fatherhood was frightening.

On the other hand, Gabriel was an Alpha Guardian. With his status came responsibility, and with that came conflict, which bred enemies. Even now, Pere Mal was surely out in the world somewhere, hiding in the shadows and plotting something horrifying. Gabriel had taken something from Pere Mal, who considered Cassie an ‘asset’. Surely the villain would not just forgive and forget, but Gabriel hadn’t the slightest idea how Pere Mal might strike back.

Letting a sigh escape his lips, Gabriel decided he would speak to Mere Marie about strengthening the wards on the house. Maybe they should even consider getting some guards for the Manor, for the times when the Guardians were all called away for a major Kith emergency.

“Gabe?” Cassie asked sleepily, peering up at him. “You okay?”

“Yeah, of course,” Gabriel said, feeling guilty.

“You’re sending me a lot of anxious vibes,” Cassie said, stifling a yawn.

“Just thinking. It’s nothing, really.”

“Mmmhmm,” Cassie said, patting his chest absently. “How about you roll over and I rub your back until you fall asleep?”

Her suggestion wasn’t the most glorifying thing he’d ever heard, but it warmed him from the inside out. He dropped a kiss to Cassie’s lips, wondering at how he’d gotten so lucky to have her as a mate.

“I’m alright, darling. I promise. You go back to sleep, alright?”

Cassie snuggled up to him again, tracing little circles on his chest with her fingertips. Slowly Gabriel relaxed, her touch soothing him until sleep could take hold. His worries slipped away like shadows before the sun. They would be back, surely as the day turned to night again and again. For the moment, though, he could just let go and savor the touch of his mate.

G
abriel rubbed his face
, trying to pay attention to Rhys as the other Guardian went over their current knowledge about the Three Lights for what felt like the tenth time. He’d slept little, waking early to find Rhys and Aeric working downstairs, drinking coffee and trying to work out a possible timeline for Pere Mal’s future actions.

“There you three are,” Mere Marie said, strolling into the Manor’s living area, walking up to the conference table where the Guardians sat with purpose. Gabriel could already see that she was in a mood, stalking toward them with a glare.

“Gabriel is filling us in on what Cassie discovered about the so-called Final Light,” Rhys said.

“I want you to suit up and go bust open the Birdcage,” Mere Marie said, looking disinterested. “Sitting here talking about unborn harbingers does nothing for me.”

“I imagine that if Pere Mal knows about the possibility of a creature that can decide the fate of the world, he’d be very interested in finding and cultivating that creature to do his bidding,” Gabriel pointed out.

Mere Marie’s lips thinned, but his mention of Pere Mal captured her interest.

“How does the Final Light decide the fate of the world, exactly?” she asked, her gaze focusing on Gabriel like a laser. Few people in the world had the power to make Gabriel squirm, but Mere Marie was one of them.

“The Apocrypha is unclear,” he admitted. “It just says that the, uh, child, will be dual-natured, born with traits of the mother and the father. Good and evil will wage battle over the child, and whichever sways the child will decide whether the human realm stays intact or falls into the rulership of the demons.”

“Ahhhhh,” Mere Marie said. “If Pere Mal knows about the Final Light, it would explain why he’s so eager to find the Gates of Guinee. If he opens the spirit realm, he may be able to use the spirits of his ancestors to take over. Then he’d have power, something to trade with whichever side wins over the Final Light.”

“He’s hedging his bets,” Gabriel said, putting the pieces together. “He believes that the demons may win, then. Otherwise, why work so hard? The status quo favors him now.”

Mere Marie glared at Gabriel, but again she was without retort.

“This is all very nice, and we should assume that he is searching for the Final Light. That doesn’t change the fact that I want you three up and ready to fight,” she said, slapping her palm against the tabletop. “The Birdcage comes apart, tonight.”

“Yes ma’am,” Gabriel and Rhys said, while Aeric merely nodded.

Mere Marie turned to walk away, then hesitated.

“I would be very careful evacuating the women from the Birdcage,” Mere Marie said. “Judging from the fact that two of you have already found your mates in the First and Second Lights, I have every reason to believe that the Third Light will soon make an appearance.”

Mere Marie stalked away, leaving Gabriel and Rhys looking at Aeric, whose mouth opened in a silent expression of shock. It took a few long seconds, but the Viking shoved himself up from the table, looking downright furious.

“Never!” Aeric declared. Then he strode out of the room, heading into the backyard and toward the gymnasium. Following Mere Marie’s orders to ready for battle, presumably.

Gabriel and Rhys glanced at each other for the barest moment before snickering with disbelief.

“I pity the woman stuck with him for a mate,” Rhys said, shaking his head as he rose to follow Aeric.

“If she’s anything like either of our mates, I pity him more,” Gabriel muttered.

“Jaysus, don’t let Echo hear you. She’s already pissed at me for not getting her anything for our three month anniversary. I didn’t even know that was a notable date!” Rhys lamented.

Gabriel arched a brow at his friend, then shook his head.

“I take it back. I pity the girls more,” Gabriel said, clapping Rhys on the back.

“Aye, fuck right off then,” Rhys said amiably as they reached the gymnasium.

As soon as they were fully outfitted in their black uniforms and tactical vests, swords sheathed and guns holstered, they went over their plan to take down the Birdcage one more time. Then they climbed into their SUV, and Gabriel was surprised to find a new face in the driver’s seat. A dark-haired bear shifter awaited them, as big and fierce as any of the Guardians themselves. He was dressed in the same getup as Gabriel, minus the weapons.

“Who the hell are you?” Aeric barked, evidently just as shocked.

“Settle,” Rhys said, lifting a hand. “Mere Marie doesn’t want Duverjay driving us to missions anymore, so we have a little help now. This is Asher. Asher, Gabriel and Aeric.”

Asher looked in the rearview mirror and gave them a curt nod, then pulled the SUV out of the parking lot. Gabriel and Aeric went over their plan a final time, trying to catch any potential issues, and then silence lapsed for almost ten minutes.

“So… how do you know Mere Marie?” Gabriel asked, curious about the silent werebear piloting their vehicle. He looked vaguely military. Something about the way he held himself, tense and ready for trouble.

“I wouldn’t say we know each oth—”

There was a deafening crash as a car slammed into their SUV’s right front side, spinning it like a cheap top. Gabriel’s head hit the side window, turning his whole world white for several long seconds. He blinked until his vision returned, and then he saw Asher and Rhys cautiously climbing out of the front.

“You alright?” Gabriel asked Aeric, who grimaced as if in pain.

“Fine,” Aeric said.

“Aeric—”

“We’ve been set up,” Aeric said. “Look, Pere Mal’s men are coming for us. Get the fuck out of the car.”

Gabriel’s attention snapped outward, and he flung his door open and climbed out in time to see a dozen black-suited goons approaching. They were all heavily armed, but Gabriel was surprised at how few of them were present.

“Something’s not right,” he called to Rhys. “There aren’t enough of them! Why would Pere Mal only send a dozen men against us?”

Rhys nodded, looking uncertain. Pere Mal’s men swarmed, and for several long minutes Gabriel thought of nothing but the fight. He drew his sword and took down four attackers before running to aid Aeric, who was limping badly. Two men were harrying the blond Guardian, preying on his injuries from the car crash. Gabriel dispatched one immediately, freeing Aeric to fight off the other.

In the space of ten minutes, Pere Mal’s men were all dead or gone. They’d attacked the Guardians in a residential neighborhood, so curious humans were already heading toward the crash, drawn like flies to honey.

“We need to move,” Asher urged them. “Someone’s already called the police, I can promise you.”

“Not to the car,” Rhys said when they moved toward their vehicle. “They probably have a tracker on it. We need a different ride.”

To Gabriel’s surprise, Rhys pulled out his cell phone and managed to have a police van pull up curbside in less than five minutes.

“I don’t even want to know how you did this,” Asher muttered to Rhys, eyeing the police office officer who drove them back to the Manor at breakneck speed.

“We’re going to have to strip in the gymnasium and run a sweep over everything we’re wearing,” Aeric broke in. He eyed Asher with a suspicious glance. “And the new one will have to be questioned.”

“He took the oath, just like we did,” Rhys informed Aeric.

“He
what
!?” Gabriel sputtered. “Mere Marie didn’t tell us there was another Guardian!”

“I don’t think he’s a Guardian yet,” Rhys said, crossing his arms. “More like a potential recruit.”

“I’m right here,” Asher snapped. “I can hear you.”

Aeric regarded the stranger for a moment.

“If there is any other way you have to excuse your debt, do not join the Guardians,” Aeric told Asher. “She is the most fickle of mistresses.”

A muscle ticked in Asher’s jaw, but he didn’t respond, choosing instead to look out the window. They pulled up in front of the Manor and piled out.

Gabriel broke into a trot, suddenly eager to see Cassie. Rhys was right on his heels, but they both skidded to a halt when they crossed the Manor’s marble steps.

“Where are the wards?” Gabriel wondered, looking up to the mansion. It lay still and silent, making him wonder if Mere Marie was just tinkering with the warding spells that protected the Manor and its inhabitants.

“Shite,” Rhys said, breaking into a run.

The Guardians burst into the Manor at full speed, finding the door slightly ajar.

“Echo!” Rhys shouted. “Echo, where are you?”

Nothing.

“Cass! Duverjay!” Gabriel cried, warring with Rhys as they simultaneously pushed into the living room on the main floor. It was empty, though the French doors in the back were wide open. A glass tray of cut and prepared fruit lay on the floor, and Gabriel spotted Duverjay’s unconscious body next to it.