Bonds of Fire: The Bellum Sisters 2 (paranormal erotic romance) (29 page)

But when she turned back around, Amy was lying on the ground and Lyonis was standing over her a hard, cruel look on his face. The crowd too glared at Amy as if she’d just committed some great offense.

“You dare to attack my mate?” Lyonis’ chest moved in great heaves as he struggled to control his anger. He stepped over the prone shapeshifter, one foot on either side of her. He looked every bit the animal just then and every ounce the Alpha he was.

“You dare to attack my mate while she carries my child?” His words were so hard they cut the air like shrapnel. Amy cowered beneath him, her hands flying to her face as tears swam down her face.

Even though she knew she was imposing where she shouldn’t be, Willow stepped forward and touched Lyonis’ arm. He didn’t turn towards her but she felt his arm stiffen and knew he was listening.

“It’s okay, Lyonis. No harm was done. Let’s just go.”

Willow was sure she had never pleaded for anything in her life other than for a toy she wanted from her Papa when she was young. That was silly and frivolous, but this was not. Her gut was tight with fear and her instincts told her that if she didn’t calm him down and back him away something bad would happed—she just didn’t know what.

The crowd waited to see his reaction. Willow took a step forward and another until she wrapped her arm around his waist and tugged on him.

He looked down at her with wide, wild eyes; they glowed with an amber light like she’d seen while passing a deer on the highway at night.

She spoke his name, softly, repeatedly. She didn’t know if it would work, but her gut told her to try anyway. He was on the offense. Someone had tried to attack his mate and child. She understood it and surprisingly it didn’t really scare her as much as she thought it might have. It was almost nice, comforting, albeit scary as hell to see him so enraged.

She continued to say his name in that calm, mellow voice. Chloe used the same soft voice on her when they were young and she’d gotten hurt. Slowly, the amber light dimmed back to a bright blue. He blinked and the hazy glow was extinguished. The muscles under her arm relaxed centimeter by centimeter, and then he stepped away from Amy.

There was a sigh of relief around the crowd as if everyone had been holding their breath. Amy was left on the ground, shaking.

Willow started to breathe easier as they walked away from her and through a part in the crowd, but then Lyonis stopped. She tried to keep walking, to pull him along but it was like trying to move a freight train.

“Wait,” he said and turned back to Amy. She flinched at his gaze and looked away. “You are now banished from this pack.”

She gasped then climbed to her knees as horrible wrenching sobs left her. She held her hands out to him as if in prayer and pleaded, “Please, Alpha. Don’t do this to me. I’m sorry. You know I’ve always been a jealous woman. I can’t help it. Please don’t do this!” The sobs were so hard her body shook with them.

Willow’s own face flushed with embarrassment at what she was seeing. No longer able to watch the display, she looked away and left it up to Lyonis. She didn’t think Amy should be banished from the pack, but some part of her made her think of the baby growing inside her. That part showed Amy as a threat and wanted her as far away as possible. Then why did her hair stand up on the back of her neck at the thought?

Lyonis looked around at the pack. “Does anyone disagree with my decision?”

There were mutual nays around the sullen festival. With a final nod, he looked at Amy. “Amy Thierry you are hereby banished from this pack indefinitely. Be out by sunrise and never show your face here again.”

Lyonis grabbed Willow’s hand and led her to his truck. Neither of them spoke as he drove them back to the cabin. She glanced at him once as he unlocked the cabin door but he didn’t meet her eyes.

There was no question that there would be no mating tonight. Willow was actually grateful for Amy’s interruption because now she didn’t have to lie or try to explain why she didn’t want to attempt the most life-changing event of her life tonight.

They went up to bed together as other couples have done for many, many years. It felt good, Willow realized. It felt good to be near him and do this normal activity, like pulling the bedsheets down and climbing inside.

He still wouldn’t meet her eyes for longer than a second, but Willow understood. She’d seen a side of him that he’d never shown her before and he was unsure about it. She wasn’t entirely sure how she knew that but she felt it deep inside. Women’s intuition or some shit like that.

As the heavy fog of sleep drifted over her, she opened her eyes one last time and whispered, “It’s okay.”

Then she closed her eyes and fell asleep with her arm around her Alpha.

* * *

Somewhere deep in the earth, below where any life dared to live, the demon cackled.

Its existence was simple but ambitious. It didn’t feel pain. It gave it. It didn’t feel fear, but thrived off its potent power.

It finished its spell and released the puny human from its grip. For too long the Bellum woman hadn’t feared and slowly its powers weakened, forcing it to take a victim to restore it. Someone for which the sister would feel fear. It had worked. Compassion was the demon’s greatest utility, easily used, easily manipulated. The demon could have taken anyone and the stupid succubus would have felt for it.

Its powers were nearly fully restored. Now the fear was back in the sister, stronger than ever, stronger than the demon had even hoped for.

Its plan was back on track now. The sister would die, then her end of the pact will be complete. Karr will rise again and together they will run the world.

Chapter 27

Jackie watched the scene between her Alpha and Willow with a combination of awe and jealousy. Amy deserved her banishment for daring to touch the Alpha’s mate in anger. Amy had always been a bit of a loose cannon but she must be out of her mind to attack Willow when her belly was obviously showing...and her mate was standing right next to her. Not so bright, Amy.

As the scene died out and Amy left in a wash of sobs, the conversations started back up like a radio being switched on. People sighed and went back to their booths, the sounds of laughter echoed through the air.

Jackie strolled along the booths, following the scents of juicy cooked meat and fresh mushrooms. This had always been her favorite part of the festival—the kebabs. Chunks of steak stuck between peppers and mushrooms. Already her mouth watered.

She hurried to the booth before anyone else got in line. She recognized Thomas on the grill. The son from a long line of chefs, Thomas worked at the pack’s restaurant and was capable of making the simplest things taste unbelievably amazing.

“Hey, Thomas. What’s crackin’?” Thomas looked over his shoulder and grinned at her.

“I was waiting for you to come by. Knew you couldn’t resist the smell.”

Jackie laughed. He was right. “Came here as soon as the drama was over, you know me. Can I get two of those?”

He flipped over the meat and vegetables to cook the other side and said, “What are you on some kind of diet now? Three or four minimum here, darlin’.”

“Well I guess I’ll have to suck it up and take three then.” Thomas let out a full belly laugh.

“Tara will help you as soon as she gets back.”

As Jackie’s mind searched through a list of faces with the name Tara, a youngish beauty with wavy brown hair came into the booth with a big smile. She turned to Thomas.

“Sorry about that, Chef. Had to wait in line to use the bathroom.” She turned back to Jackie and then it hit her. One of Thane’s flings. In fact, a recent one. Not even a month ago. Jackie’s gut tightened with a mixture of feelings she didn’t want to address. Instead of turning and walking away like she wanted to, she stood and managed a convincing smile.

“Three kebabs, please.”

Tara told her the charge and Jackie paid. Something as simple as a business exchange now seemed to take ten times longer than usual. Tara took her time as she tossed witty one-liners back and forth with Thomas.

Jackie was about to tell the girl to put a move on it but then she grabbed three skewers and a handful of napkins. Then she set them down and leaned towards Jackie on the booth.

Jackie leaned back. This woman had tasted Thane’s lips. Who was she kidding, she’d probably tasted every inch of him. What woman wouldn’t? You’d have to be stupid to waste being with him.

Tara smiled brightly, eyes glittering with excitement. “So is it true?”

“Is what true?” Jackie managed to keep her tone from biting—barely.

“That you and a special someone have learned you’re mates.” Even as Jackie’s cheeks flushed at hearing the words aloud, she inwardly grew cold.

That had always been how she dealt with things. Especially unexpected bad news. Unlike her hotheaded father whom she hadn’t, nor wanted to see in the past fifteen years, Jackie had learned to tightly control her anger. Sometimes that meant walking away and, yeah, she had no problem doing that.

Unless I’m running straight into the bathroom with Thane following me.

Even though she’d managed to avoid him since that incident, his words still haunted her. She found herself wondering crazy, wild things. The kind of thoughts she never used to have. How did one single kiss change her so much? It was like she was a different person now.

You won’t be able to resist me, Jackie! he’d yelled as she ran for the exit. The strong defensive wall she erected around herself crumbled when he neared. She used to hold that wall up tighter when he was around, when she’d see him smooching with some bitch by her car after a date. Ha! A date, more like a night of fucking.

She closed her eyes tightly to erase the vivid images of him thrusting between another woman’s legs. Heart thundering in her chest, her mind buzzing with interference, Jackie looked around wildly feeling as though the world was spinning much too fast for her to stand up straight.

Just as she was about to collapse, her gaze landed on Tara’s wide-eyed expression. The girl reached for her, grabbing onto her shoulders. Was the girl shouting? It looked like it but she sounded faraway like she was on the other side of a football field and a crowd was hollering behind her.

“What?” Jackie mumbled.

Tara gave her a strange look and then the fogginess was gone. “I asked if you’re all right. You don’t look so good.”

Jackie shook her head and gulped only to find her throat sorely in need of some water. “I’m fine,” she croaked.

Tara looked back at Thomas and they both watched her with concerned gazes.

“I’m sorry I didn’t think my question would get you all riled up.”

Jackie pressed a hand to her pounding forehead. “What question?”

She couldn’t recall any conversation with the girl, only kept seeing images of Thane naked, kissing other women. Her heart started pounding again so she forced her mental wall up, lining it with bricks, steel, titanium, a hundred layers of wood, anything.

“I asked you about being Thane’s mate. I was only teasing a bit. I didn’t mean to get you worked up. Here are your kebabs, they’re on the house.” She spoke softly, slowly as if she might spook Jackie. That had her snatching the kebabs and turning away without a goodbye.

How would anyone even know about her and Thane? She doubted anyone saw them kiss outside that club. Could it be...

Jaw cracking as she ground it side to side. Jackie heard a snap. Looking down she saw the three skewers split in half, the meat dangling down precariously. With a disgusted sigh, she dropped the food into a trash bin and got away from the pack.

She headed for the forest before she even realized it. As she crossed into the woods, her stress levels reduced instantly. It was like a soothing balm. The pounding at her forehead dissipated until she forgot about it as she trekked over fallen branches and loose soil covered with fallen leaves from the towering trees.

No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t keep her mind from returning to Tara’s question and what it meant. Had he been going around behind her back telling people that she was his? Staking some kind of invisible, unimaginable, claim on her as if her opinions or wants didn’t matter.

Baring her teeth in a snarl, she let her beast rise to give her added strength, then she spun and slammed her palm into a tree. The tree groaned in protest, chunks of bark falling to the ground; the leaves swung and shook.

This was unacceptable. She wasn’t his. No matter what he said, no matter that when their lips touched, she hadn’t felt the same since. Kisses weren’t supposed to be like that. Weren’t supposed to freeze her in place, slow the world around them, and make her feel strange, fluttery things in her stomach.

A soft sound came from behind her. Jackie spun, eyes glaring. Within a second, she had her senses sniffing the area, eyes darting around. She smelled the dark male scent a mere second before a hard body wrapped around her from behind.

Her pulse pounded in an instant, blood warmed like hot syrup, stomach pulsed with need. But she kept her body stiff against him. Would have, should have pulled away but damn her mind wasn’t working quickly enough. She used to pride herself on staying sharp around him but now with scary words like mate being thrown around things were different. Much different.